At the End of a Busy Day

It is usually at the end of a very busy day (as they all seem to be at this point in life), the entire family is wiped out and ready to call it a day when, unfortunately, the house usually looks as bad as we do.

I have committed to myself to make sure the house is clean every night, so the next tumultuous day can start fresh. I say clean, but clutter free is possibly a more accurate term. I have noticed, when the house is put away before bed I sleep better and actually wake up in a better mood.

Now, with 4 small kids, this is NO small task. I have figured out a couple of tricks that make the evening chores more of a quick run through rather than an all out war!

Daily Tips for a more Managed Home:

1) De-clutter as you go - when leaving a room, glance around to see if there is anything out of place that can be put away right then (this will save a ton of time at night)

2) Make sure beds are made in the morning - unless you like the bedding thrown around during the day or toys hidden under blankets

3) Wipe up spills as they occur - it is easy to fall into the "I'll get it in a second" mentality, but the result is usually a bigger mess the later you tend to it and requires a lot more elbow grease to clean it

4) Sweep the kitchen & dining room nightly

5) Kids bin - rather than running back and forth all day to children's bedrooms, each child has a basket to fill with items that need to be put away and they are required to empty it nightly ... this may work well with a spouse as well

Good luck & good night!
Teresa