Spend a relaxing morning with me as I tackle backyard chicken chores, tidy up our shady patio, and reset our outdoor space for fall. Simple homemaking motivation for busy working moms!
There is something about a day off that makes me feel like I should be able to accomplish approximately 47 things before lunchtime. You know the feeling, right? You finally have a little time at home, so naturally, your brain starts compiling a to-do list that would make a professional project manager weep.
Today, my plans were relatively simple: take care of our backyard chickens, clean up our patio, and get a few things in order before heading back to work the next day.
I’m an oncology nurse, a wife, and a mom to three boys, so our house and backyard are rarely short on activity. Between family life, work, and all the little responsibilities that come with keeping a household running, I have learned that sometimes the best approach is to pick a couple of things and just get started.
And that is precisely what I did.
Come hang out with me for a little realistic homemaking, backyard chicken care, and a satisfying outdoor cleanup. No elaborate makeover, no perfectly curated homestead, and definitely no pretending that the entire to-do list is going to get finished in one morning.
Our Backyard and a Few Feathered Residents
Our backyard is on the smaller side, but we have managed to fit quite a bit of life into it. We have our chickens, a shady patio, plants that seem to multiply when nobody is looking, and a few other animals who keep things interesting.
In one corner of the yard is our chicken coop. It could certainly use a few repairs, and I have a running list of things I’d like to improve. However, today wasn’t the day for a complete coop renovation. I was aiming for a little maintenance and a quick refresh.
I think there is something freeing about recognizing the difference between a project that needs to happen eventually and something that actually needs to happen today.
The coop repairs can wait. The chickens still need fresh water, a clean space, and their usual morning check-in.
So, let’s get to it.
Morning Chicken Chores: Water, Feed, and a Little Coop Cleanup
“Good morning, ladies!”
One of my favorite things about having backyard chickens is that they have their own little personalities and routines. Our mornings wouldn’t be quite the same without checking on them and making sure everyone is doing well.
My original plan was to top off their feed and water and scoop out some of the mess that accumulates in the coop. Fortunately, the boys had already filled the feeder, which was a lovely surprise. Apparently, someone had decided to be helpful before I made it outside.
I’ll take it!
With the feed taken care of, I moved on to checking the water and cleaning up the coop.
Chicken keeping is one of those hobbies that looks charming in pictures, and it really can be a lot of fun. But let’s be honest: chickens are not exactly known for their housekeeping skills. There are feathers, droppings, bits of bedding, and all sorts of little messes that need regular attention.
Today was a maintenance day rather than a full coop cleanout. I scooped out the accumulated droppings and feathers and gave the area a little attention without turning the morning into a major project.
Meet Desert Eagle, the Boldest Chicken in the Yard
Of course, I wasn’t working alone for very long.
Meet Desert Eagle, my youngest son’s favorite chicken. Desert Eagle is a bold little character and apparently believes that any activity in the coop requires immediate investigation.
As soon as I started cleaning, Desert Eagle was right there to see what was happening.
Some chickens seem perfectly content to mind their own business. Others act as though they have been personally appointed to supervise every household task. Desert Eagle definitely falls into the second category.
We also had quite a few feathers scattered around the coop. The chickens were finishing up their molt, which can leave the coop looking especially messy as they shed old feathers and grow new ones.
If you keep backyard chickens, you know that a little extra cleanup can come with the territory during molting season. It is simply one of those seasonal chores that goes along with caring for a flock.
When the Dog Thinks She Runs the Chicken Department
Then there is Zippy, our golden doodle.
Zippy seems to believe she is in charge of the chickens, and she takes her supervisory responsibilities very seriously. If something is happening outside, she wants to be involved.
Between the chickens, the dog, and the other animals that share our backyard, I sometimes feel like I am running a tiny, slightly chaotic animal sanctuary.
And we aren’t even done with the introductions!
Our Unexpected Backyard Animal Visitors
One of the fun things about our backyard is that there is usually another animal somewhere waiting to make an appearance.
We have two desert tortoises, and as the morning warms up, they tend to emerge from their hiding places. While I was working outside, Charlie appeared from behind the woodpile, slowly waking up and beginning his day.
He was moving at a much more relaxed pace than the chickens, which honestly seemed like a pretty reasonable approach to the morning.
We also have a lizard named Flash, who we inherited.
Between the chickens, Zippy, two desert tortoises, and Flash, there is always something to watch. Every animal seems to have its own routine, personality, and preferred way of getting in the middle of whatever I am trying to accomplish.
The Great Chicken Escape
Of course, a morning with chickens would not be complete without somebody attempting an unauthorized field trip.
Desert Eagle managed to escape the coop while I was working. Naturally, this happened while I was trying to finish my chores and move on to the next task.
There is always one, isn’t there?
After a little chicken wrangling, I got everyone where they needed to be and continued with the morning.
I also spotted Squirtle while I was outside, adding one more familiar face to the backyard lineup.
These are the little moments that make everyday life at home interesting. Things rarely go exactly according to plan, but sometimes those unexpected interruptions are what make the day memorable.
Our Chicken Compost Pile: Putting the Mess to Work
Once the chicken chores were mostly finished, I headed over to our compost pile.
This is where I put much of the material I remove from the chicken coop. I am not particularly fussy about every little thing that goes into the pile, although I do try to keep it appropriate for composting.
Composting is a useful way to put suitable organic material to work instead of simply throwing everything away. Over time, properly managed compost can become a valuable addition to garden soil.
Having chickens and a garden means there are plenty of opportunities to reuse materials around the yard. It is one of those little homesteading habits that makes the different parts of the backyard feel connected.
And yes, there are plenty of other things around the yard that need attention, too.
One side of the house is waiting for its own cleanup, but that project was officially being assigned to another day. I was determined not to let one small task turn into six additional projects.
Progress, not perfection. That was the plan.
Time for a Patio Reset
With the chicken chores taken care of, it was time to turn my attention to the patio.
Our patio needed a little love. Actually, it needed quite a bit of love, but I decided to focus on what I could reasonably accomplish with the time I had available.
There is a difference between a quick reset and a deep clean, and I was firmly in the quick-reset category that morning.
I wanted the patio to feel fresher and more inviting without committing to an entire outdoor makeover.
As a busy mom and a nurse, I have learned that having limited time doesn’t mean I can’t make a meaningful difference in my home. Sometimes a few focused tasks are enough to make a space feel noticeably better.
And sometimes you just need to stop staring at the mess and pick up the first thing.
Cleaning Up After the Dog Comes First
Before I could get started on the patio itself, I had another little job to take care of: cleaning up after Zippy.
My oldest son is usually responsible for that particular chore, but today I decided to handle it myself.
I wanted to start the week with a fresh slate, and sometimes doing one small task that isn’t technically yours is simply the easiest way to get things moving.
Once that was taken care of, I could finally focus on the patio.
It wasn’t glamorous, but homemaking isn’t always glamorous. A lot of keeping a home running smoothly involves the unremarkable tasks that nobody is likely to photograph for a magazine.
And yet, those are often the very tasks that make the biggest difference in how a space feels.
Why This Shady Patio Is One of My Favorite Places
One of my favorite features of our backyard is this little side patio.
It sits right off the kitchen and leads toward the garage, connecting two of the spaces we use most often. The two orange doors add a bit of color, and over the years, we have cultivated the trees so that their branches arch over the patio and create a lovely canopy of shade.
It is a simple space, but it has a lot of charm.
The shade makes it especially nice when the weather is warm, and I love having a little outdoor area where we can sit, relax, or enjoy a few quiet moments at home.
Of course, the reality of having a patio that opens directly onto the everyday activity of our household is that it can get messy pretty quickly.
We are constantly propagating plants, and I think we may have reached the point where our enthusiasm for growing new plants has exceeded the amount of space available to accommodate them.
At some point, I may need to start giving some of them away.
But that is a problem for another day.
For now, I was concentrating on clearing the clutter, wiping down the table, and making the space feel usable again.
Dust, Dirt, and the Reality of Outdoor Living
Living near the foothills in Southern California means dealing with plenty of dust. Between the dry conditions, dust blowing down from the mountains, and occasional smoke and debris from nearby fires, outdoor furniture can get dirty surprisingly quickly.
The patio table had collected a noticeable layer of dust, so I wiped it down and started clearing away a few items that had been sitting around.
There was also a wheelbarrow tucked into the corner with soil that had been sitting there long enough for a rather impressive weed to start growing in it.
I honestly wasn’t sure what I would eventually use that soil for, but I knew the wheelbarrow needed to be moved out of the way.
I also shifted a piece of plywood that had been taking up space.
Little by little, the patio started looking less cluttered.
This is the part of a cleaning project that I sometimes struggle to appreciate before I begin. When a space has several things that need attention, it is easy to see only the entire overwhelming list of jobs rather than the individual tasks that can be completed in a few minutes.
But moving one item, wiping down one surface, or clearing one corner really does make a difference.
And once I got going, the patio started coming together much faster than I expected.
The Leaf Blower: My Favorite Part of the Patio Cleanup
By this point, the morning was getting warmer, so I decided it was time to finish up.
I had moved the clutter out of the way, cleaned the table, and picked up the larger debris. Now all that remained was to blow the dust and leaves off the patio.
First, though, I needed a drink of water.
Because apparently, even a quick morning of chicken chores and patio cleaning can turn into a workout when you live in Southern California and decide to do everything outside.
After hydrating, I grabbed the leaf blower and got to work.
This is probably my favorite part of a quick outdoor cleanup. There is something incredibly satisfying about watching all the loose leaves and dust disappear, leaving the ground looking clean and refreshed.
Of course, I had a brief moment of wondering whether the leaf blower was broken or simply not plugged in properly. Because why would a household task ever proceed without at least one minor technical complication?
Fortunately, I was able to finish the job.
And just like that, the patio was looking so much better.
The Before and After: A Small Reset With Big Satisfaction
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Here is the thing I keep learning about home projects: I often assume that a task is going to take forever before I even begin.
I look at a cluttered space and immediately imagine all the things I could do to improve it. I start thinking about the bigger projects, the repairs, the upgrades, and all the little details that would make everything feel finished.
Before I know it, a simple cleanup has become an enormous project in my head.
But this patio reset was a good reminder that a little effort can go a long way.
I didn’t pressure-wash the entire area. I didn’t reorganize every plant or tackle the repairs around the yard. I didn’t turn the morning into a complete backyard makeover.
I simply picked up the clutter, wiped down the table, moved a few things out of the way, and blew off the patio.
And the result was genuinely satisfying.
The patio was clean, the furniture was ready to use, and the space felt much more inviting.
There is still plenty I want to do out here in the future, but for now, this was enough.
Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that a space doesn’t have to be completely transformed to be worth enjoying.
Making Our Patio Ready for Fall
One of my goals for this little cleanup was to make the patio more enjoyable as we move into fall.
I have several ideas for future projects out here, and I would love to continue improving the space over time. There are plants to organize, areas to repair, and other little details I want to work on when I have more time.
But I also don’t want to wait until everything is perfect before we use the space.
I want to be able to sit outside, enjoy the shade from the trees, and spend time with my family without feeling like I need to finish an entire list of outdoor projects first.
A clean table and a tidy patio are a pretty good starting point.
And the best part? It didn’t take nearly as long as I had imagined.
That is a reminder I need fairly regularly: sometimes the hardest part of a household task is convincing yourself to begin.
A Little Progress Is Still Progress
By the end of the morning, the chickens had been checked on, the coop had received a quick cleanup, the compost pile had been tended to, and the patio was looking much better.
It wasn’t a day of dramatic transformations or an entire backyard renovation. It was simply a morning of ordinary chores and a little attention to the spaces we use every day.
And honestly, I think there is value in that kind of day.
As a working mom, I have plenty of responsibilities competing for my time. Between work, family, and keeping the household running, there will always be another task waiting for me.
I could spend every day chasing the next thing that needs to be cleaned, organized, repaired, or improved.
But I am trying to get better at recognizing what I can accomplish with the time I have and allowing that to be enough.
Today, that meant taking care of the chickens and giving our patio a much-needed reset.
Tomorrow, there will be something else.
For now, I’m happy with what I accomplished, and I’m looking forward to enjoying our little outdoor space as the seasons change.
Thanks for spending part of your morning with me! I hope this inspires you to tackle one small task around your own home, even if you don’t have time to do everything on your list.
And if you’re anything like me, maybe you’ll discover that the job you’ve been putting off really doesn’t take as long as you thought it would.
Watch the Full Video
Want to spend a little more time in our backyard? Join me in the full YouTube video as I take care of the chickens, wrangle a few escape artists, visit with our backyard animals, and tidy up the patio.
Watch Chicken Chores and Patio Reset on YouTube
If you enjoy realistic homemaking, backyard chickens, family life, simple home projects, and finding joy in the everyday things, I’d love for you to follow along with me here at Whimsy & Whatnot.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more days at home, little projects, and whatever else life decides to throw my way.
Until next time, remember: you don’t have to do it all. Sometimes a clean patio and happy chickens are more than enough.
— Ellan
