I don’t know about you, but for me back to school means routine and structure in my life. Gone are the days lost at the pool or, let’s be honest, the baseball field. Nope, we are in full pack lunches at night, get to the bus on time, complete the homework, and get to football mode. As a Virgo who craves organization, September is a pretty joyful month for me.
Recently a friend asked me how all of the above gets done and my home ‘always looking so nice.‘ Well, to start, it doesn’t. But it did get me thinking about what I do daily to help make things a bit more put together around here.
And with that, I give you my eight little secrets. These are things I do every single day during the week. It doesn’t always yield a perfectly organized and put together home, but, it sure does help. If anything, I feel more at peace knowing these things are checked off the list. Bam.
And how about you? What are your tips for keeping a well run home? I’d love for you to share in comments below.
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Courtney
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Doing stuff the night before definitely helps! I have been doing that all along 🙂
As for our house we use the “rule of 5” which means when we go into a room we put at least 5 things where they belong.. sometimes it spirals and we end up doing way more but at least 5 makes a small dent out of a huge mess.
I make the kids put away their own laundry too so they are helping me which makes me feel like I am not doing everything….
Heather lawrence recently posted…Our favourite waldorf salad
Twitter: SavingCmnCents
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I completely agree with your list! I just can’t go to bed with a sink full of dirty dishes and a mess on the counter from dinner. It makes all the difference to wake up to a clean kitchen ready for the day!
Jessica Harlow recently posted…Remembering a Grandmother’s Love
Twitter: stayclosetohome
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A lot of these things you can have your older children help with too. Ideally that is.
mariua @closetohome recently posted…Grilled Cheese Recipes and Mason Jar Salad Recipe Round Up
Twitter: loisaltermark
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Well, I don’t think my home is particularly well run. I definitely have work to do!
Lois Alter Mark recently posted…“the paris key” book review and giveaway!
Twitter: thenewclassy
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Cleaning the counter tops is always important. They can get so dirty so fast!
Twitter: TamaraCamPhoto
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I love these secrets! Our house is in dire need of eight ways to run better. These hacks go a long way.
Tamara recently posted…Back to School With OshKosh B’Gosh.
Twitter: hautepeople
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I like your list.. that’s a lot of laundry! I like making lists to get things done in a timely manner
This will definitely help keep things in ship shape. For us, it all starts with making the bed!
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It takes the whole family to stay organized.
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Twitter: Ambde
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Now that my son’s are in college life is cleaner…but spending a few mins each evening before bed keeps me on top of the dust and clutter.
These are some great tips! I guess my only tip would be get as much as you can done the night before! Things like lunches can be made the night before.
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Twitter: janeanesworld
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My biggest tip for keeping a house clean and running smoothly is to make keeping things neat and clean a job for the whole family and not just the mother of the family.
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I love your list, we have many laundry so i do this at night
I’ve got a system too. Consistency is key, and cleaning as you go is too, definitely.
Twitter: ckrusch
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Love your tips! I actually follow a different routine during the week and on Saturdays, I take care of some of the items you’ve mentioned, but it’s done every week, so we never have too much clutter in our main floor living space. I still need to make time for closets and my gym room, which are my fall projects1
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Twitter: censiej
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Great tips. All of these are things I should be doing. lol
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Twitter: scggirl
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Daily bed making is a must in our home. “No one leaves the house unless your bed is made.” Homes look way more organized this way! This is a great list!
Twitter: WendysHat
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I agree with this! Vacuming, cleaning floors and countertops is a must! I also love the motto of “touch it once” when cooking for easier clean up. We moms need all the help we can get.
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I always try to pick up the main floor before bed each night. Or, at the very least, kick the dog toys out of my walking path, as I will inevitably stomp on them in the middle of the night.
Super fun!
(PS- gave you a little love on the blog, mama)
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Twitter: dedastudios
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Good tips…..if I can clean up the kitchen before I go to bed…then the house seems to stay organized. When I get busy and the kitchen stays a mess …it seems to spill over to the rest of the house.
Debbie L. recently posted…The Challenge of Keeping a Commercial Bathroom Clean
Twitter: charminglyuncmp
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Great list! Whenever I see a list like this the Type A in me always wonders are there actually people who don’t wipe the counters down every night or don’t empty the dishwasher promptly?! Ha.
Right….? I can’t imagine. 🙂
At my house immediately after breakfast I run the dishwasher and start a load of laundry. If I can just do these two things, I am up and moving and things go better!
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Twitter: jenniec565
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Great ideas! These are great and really help keep the house in order. I’d love if you would come share on my Friday Favorites Link-up!
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Great tips! I am just starting to try to put some of these organizational steps in place now that my oldest is starting preschool, but I’m sure as the kids keep getting older and in school, it becomes even more important! Thanks for sharing with us at Dream. Create. Inspire. Link.
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Twitter: JOHNSONSPLUSDOG
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Love this list! Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty
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