I LOVE to come home to a tidy house so on most days, I try to schedule that extra 15 minutes into my “get ready to leave” time so I can pick up the scattered toys and dishes before we leave.
I also do the same thing before putting the kids to bed. They help pick up their toys, we get the kitchen tidied up and the rest of the night is ours to relax in a tidy (quiet!) home. I have a hard time relaxing when the house is a mess. My sisters call me Martha Stewart, but really it takes me a few minutes here and there of tidying or a project every now and then of eliminating clutter from junk drawers or closets and my house regularly looks pretty good.
I do have trouble with folding laundry. Part of it is that I really despise it. The other part is that it’s upstairs and we’re mostly downstairs during the day. Like another commenter said, I get busy with the kids and end up forgetting and stuff sits up there longer than necessary. The kids’ laundry is super easy though because I do not fold or hang any of it. My daughter has three drawers and my son has three baskets. The clothes are “organized” by pajamas, tops and bottoms. I do one load for each kid that contains all their dirty clothes and when they come out of the dryer it’s a quick sorting into three piles and throwing into designated drawers/baskets. It’s our clothes that need hung, ironed or folded that tend to sit. I’ve tried a timer that dings at the end of each load, but it seems I’m always knee deep in potty training or some other task and forget after a while.
Loved this post – I was just thinking about this very thing last night. For me, I try to never walk around the house empty-handed- I always carry something with me to put away, even if it is just a few washcloths to put in the linen closet. If I am going from one end of the house to the other, my hands might be full of stuff to put away. Also, if I see something while I am walking by, I’ll grab it and take it with me.
Putting the dishes in the dishwasher right after a meal is a life saver. I try to have my kitchen at least close to presentable at all time, as well as the entry way, my bedroom and the hallway bathroom. I’ll never forget when I was a teenager and an acquaintance of our family stopped by for a short, unannounced visit. While he was there, he asked to use our bathroom. I about died- it was so bad!!! Just a few minutes at a time means I seldom have that overwhelmed feeling about straightening up. (I just save the overwhelmed feeling for other things!) Thanks for the great reminder!
1. I don’t make the beds — I don’t see the point at all. Strikes me as the epitome of a waste of time.
2. “Do it right away” is particularly important when dealing with the mail. Magazines to in the to-read pile, bills in the to-pay pile, junk in the recycle bin, etc. Touch each item as few times as necessary.
