We all have those moments when we seem to open our eyes for the first time and realize the house doesn’t quite look right. Perhaps sweaters are laid on furniture, laundry is piled high, shoes are scattered throughout the house and there are always a few lingering dishes in the sink.
Sometimes things get busy, and when things get busy priorities start to unintentionally shift. The problem is, a cluttered unkept home can often be the source of a lot of stress. Your home should be your happy place, where you can unwind, have fun and enjoy your time.
But, all good things take work (or at least a little effort if you ask me) and that means making your home a priority no matter what!
The beautiful thing about this is that it doesn’t have to be as daunting as it sounds, and it also doesn’t have to be time consuming as you may think. If you have little routines that are dedicated to your home, you will easily be able to keep up with your house. Then, on occasion the deep cleaning can come into play, but establishing this will keep everything smooth and easy for you moving forward!
Let’s dive in…
First things first, if you are walking by and see something simple and easy to take care of…take care of it! This means dirty dishes on the counter or anywhere around the house, socks on the floor, or the garbage that needs to be taken out. Little things add up fast and before you know it things will appear to be out of hand and will take much longer to tidy than if you did it when you saw it.
One great tip is to add some tidying to your night routine, something simple like adding a little home walkthrough before you head to bed. Pick up any toys, clothes, and various other items that may be laying around or out of place. That way, when you wake up the house will be tidy and ready for you to enjoy a stress-free morning.
Another before bed, but also a great throughout the day task to keep up with, is making sure the sink is empty. Yup, no dirty dishes. Throw the dishes in the dish washer and run it before you go to bed. When you wake up your kitchen is nice and clean and anything you may need will be clean, too!
While you’re at it you may as well wipe down your counter tops and stove top. It will literally add a couple extra minutes and by then you will probably have the drive to get that kitchen sparkling!
Another thing I always like to do is to rearrange my living room, just making sure everything is tidy and cozy again for the morning. I make sure our throw pillows are back in their place, the throw blanked is folded over the couch, and all of my pups toys are picked up and put in his little basket!
We also tend to have shoes that linger around from being in and out of the house. I usually make sure those are picked up and put in their rightful place! Just like the pups toys, shoes are as much of a tripping hazard when you're just waking up in the morning.
This may seem like a lot, or maybe it sounds like a breeze, either way it will take you no time at all-especially the more you get used to it! It’s a routine that can help your mornings run a bit smoother and give you more time to enjoy your tidy home throughout the day.
Try it and see how it goes! I encourage you to give it a full month and adjust as you see it fits to your life. The goal is to make your life easier, so give it a try and embrace the process!