By no means is my house HGTV ready but a clean and organized house makes me happy. Really it does. When I sit down to relax and I can see clutter, or know there are chores that still need to be done I really don’t relax. I have three “rules” of cleaning that I have found make keeping a clean and organized home work.
1. A place for everything and everything in it’s place
2. The less stuff you have the less stuff you have to put away
3. Schedules and check off lists keep me on track.
I know there are a ton of people out there with better systems and ways to keep their house clean – I have tried some of them, but when it comes down to it, I just had to make a system that worked for me, my family and my home. I’m going to spend the next few posts talking about my “rules” and system, ending the whole thing with my schedule for cleaning and chores that has been working remarkably well for keeping the house clean – even in the middle of the chaos we are living in with both Brad and I working and packing the house to move. I just make it a point to do all my jobs before I sit down for the day. Torture, maybe, but if I put it off one day I’ll put it off the next then after a week of putting it off the jobs that should only take 5 minutes are now taking 30.
At the end of the day though, I just remind myself that keeping order to the house makes me sane and a happier person. I function better without the clutter. I also hate it when I take pictures of the kids and I see junk in the background that is obviously something that doesn’t belong. I don’t mean toys. Toys scattered usually means happy playing children. I mean laundry baskets, snack bags, tools and other things that are WAY out of place. Like this picture… the dirty clothes to my left bother me. Yes I know I JUST took them off Riley right before we took this picture as I was getting him ready for bed. Regardless it bothers me.
