A little help, please.

I've decided it's time to get some help around the house. No, I'm not going to hire a cleaning person. I'd love to, but I can't afford to maintain that with any regularity - and I can't manage to get things organized enough that a cleaning person would have a clue where to put anything away.

No, I'm talking about enlisting Sugar and the Bull in getting and keeping this apartment reasonably clean and neat. It really doesn't have to be that hard. We just have to stop giving in to the mentality that the place is too small and cluttered to keep clean.

I've managed to make a few changes to the kitchen that have made it much easier to keep in neat and to make it a room I no longer completely dread going into - though I still don't like to cook. That has encouraged me to believe that the same can happen with the rest of the apartment. And if we can get the whole place in order and keep it that way - then when we move to a bigger place, it will be that much easier.

But, for this plan to work, I realize that I have to create a list of regular chores that all of us are expected to do. I think part of the problem is that we just tackle areas when they get bad - rather than maintaining them. And then it turns into a battle of wills with the Bull and I each thinking that we do more work and the other one should handle this particular mess. And, of course Sugar assumes the Bull and I will take care of everything.

So, I want to make a list of tasks that needs to be done regularly and assign each of us to a set of tasks. That way there's no question about who should wash the dishes, or clean off the table, or clean the bathroom. We will have agreed on the chores and everyone will know who should do what.

Now, this might seem like a no-brainer to some people, but let's remember "My mother was a Playboy Bunny," so I don't have anyone to emulate about how a household should be run.

With that said, I need help making a list of chores. I'd like to separate it into things that should be done everyday, those that need to be done once a week, things to do monthly and the chores that need to happen a couple of times a year.

I'm not a complete idiot when it comes to taking care of a household. I actually was relatively neat when I was single. But treat me as though I know nothing. Please share with me the things you do daily, weekly, monthly, and 2 or 3 times a year to keep your homes fairly neat and clean.

Oh, and please don't suggest Fly Lady to me. I've tried her again and again and she just irritates me WAY too much for me to be able to learn anything from her.