Simply a Clean Home

I thought I would share a few tips on how I keep up with my home and keep it almost always clean. It can be a challenge sometimes, and I have found some simple things to do that have really helped me both when I was home very little because I was working full time and now when I am working from home and I need really good time management.

ROUTINE: I find having a daily routine helps the very most as far as keeping my house clean and my life productive and in having good time management. My routine is as follows: Wake up, take a shower, do my hair and makeup, get dressed, study scriptures with Lyle, make my bed, eat breakfast, clean up kitchen, empty dishwasher, and quickly pick up house. Evening routing: Before I go to bed I make sure the kitchen counters are clean and washed and the dishwasher has been started. these things get done everyday and I don't even have to think about it. Routines rock! Set one and live it.

DO JUST A LITTLE EACH DAY: I think the idea of having one day each week that you deep clean everything in your house can be overwhelming, and if you miss once you end up not doing a good cleaning for weeks. For myself I find it hard to motivate myself to clean all day when I have other things I need to do or would rather do. Instead I choose one or two deep cleaning projects to do each day. For example: Clean toilets one day, wash out the tub the next day, and mop floors the day after that. It ends up only being 10 or so minutes each day of good cleaning, and the cleaning never falls behind.

AS MY DAD USE TO SAY, "CLEAN AS YOU GO": I find cleaning up immediately after something is the best way. If you let it sit and say you'll take care of it later, it ends up sitting there for days. Do dishes right after you are finished eating; Wash the cooking dishes as you are cooking so they are mostly done before you eat; after doing laundry, immediate fold and put away your clothes; After playing a game, put it all back in the box and back in it's place; etc.

HAVE A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING: I find my home stays cleaner and more organized when I have a specific place to put everything. If you don't have room for everything to have a place in your home, maybe you should consider going through your things and getting rid of what you don't use.

MINIMIZE: You don't need 10 spatulas and 50 pens in your kitchen drawers. Cut down and the amount of stuff in your home. It is easier to stay clean when there isn't as much stuff to be able to make a mess with.

HAVE A LAUNDRY DAY: If you know every Wednesday is laundry day, then you are prepared and committed and it always gets done. Just waiting until you run out of underwear is never a good way of doing it. You end up with mounds of laundry that takes all day to do and it is miserable. Lyle and I have a good method that we really like. Lyle sorts and washes the laundry every Friday and then I fold and put it all away. It is good to share responsibility.

Keeping a clean house shouldn't be stressful or time consuming. My house isn't perfect and it definitely looks lived it, but my home is almost always clean and presentable. It is so easy and takes so little time when you keep on top of it.

Finally having time to Update!

Last week we moved from Rexburg, Idaho to Portland, Oregon.
We did A LOT of packing, gave A LOT away, and threw A LOT away. I am definitely not a pack rat, so we ended up getting rid of a lot of our stuff to make packing simpler and so we'd have fewer boxes.


I am so proud of myself. Just Lyle and I carried all of our stuff down from our 3rd floor apartment and moved it to the storage unit. I didn't think I could carry all the big things, but I did it! We moved everything out a day before we moved, so we spend the night on a make shift bed on the floor.


When we got to Portland my mom and sister, Olivia, were in town for Jessica's baby's blessing. My mom only stayed the weekend, which was really sad to have such a short time with her, but Olivia stayed a whole week. Ly and I decided to take her on a day trip to Seattle. Lyle's mom decided to come along with us, also. It was so much fun! We went to the Space Needle and to Experience Music Project.



We went on the Underground Tour of Seattle. This is so great! I think Olivia really liked it.


I think this is such a cute picture of Olivia. It is in Pioneer Square, Seattle.


We also took her to see Pike Place Market, but I forgot my camera in the car so I don't have any pictures.

Ly and I moved into our new apartment. It is older than our last place. Olivia said it feels like a cabin, and I agree with her. I LOVE that we have a wood burning stove.

Some Chicks!

My sister, Natalie, wanted me to draw a chick for each of the girls in my family. Can you guess who is who? I think it is so great how each of my sisters and my mom's personality shows through the illustrations. I think the one of Natalie is especially accurate.


Answer:
Olivia Emily Natalie
Jessica Mom Amy