Lovable and Livable Homes

It's like keeping up on your house in 15 minutes a day! I'm on top of the world right now! (Well at least on 'top' of my house). I've discovered that I can keep my house clean with minimal effort. No...SERIOUSLY. I'm not joking.

I've always had days where I look at my house and I think to myself...there is NO POSSIBLE WAY that ANYONE can keep their house clean all the time. It's like this illusion that the world has set to make you think that it's NOT normal to have a messy house. And after time, I knew it was a lie (unless you have a house maid). So let me share a little secret with you.

A secret I hope you'll share with everyone you know.

All you have to do is schedule a task to accomplish

each day of the week.

MONDAY: I vacuum the whole house and swiffer mop the hard floors. (I realize that once a week isn't always often enough, especially with little children. So vacuum when needed but do the WHOLE house on this day) Then, we also have FHE (Family Home Evening) Where we sit together as a family, have family prayer, have a family song, have a spiritual family lesson and then we either have an activity or a treat, (or both).

TUESDAY: Laundry day. I put my laundry day, on a day of the week, when my husband is gone all day for school. I get it done and do it right.

WEDNESDAY: Everyone hates dusting so I've heard, including myself. But I've discovered that Wednesday is a day I look forward to because instead of dusting being an added extra chore that you dont have time for, now it's one of the easiest days of my week and it gets done right.

THURSDAY: I'm one of those gals who seems to try on a lot of outfits and makes a mess of my closet quite easily. I also make a mess of my vanity when getting ready in the morning so I spend the time making sure this is back to normal at least once a week. Otherwise it gets out of hand. I also take the time to organize our large load of movies that's in alphabetical order. (No I don't alphabetize them all every week, I just put the ones that were watched or borrowed that week, back in their places).

FRIDAY: This is kid's day!

SATURDAY: Clean your bathrooms! (I'm going to be honest and tell you straight up that I have NEVER cleaned a toilet. And my husband is OH SO gentle of a creature to do this for me on Saturdays:) So I take the time this day to prepare for Sunday. I pack our church bag, I get out our church clothes, I prepare for Sunday Dinner, and we get to bed early.

SUNDAY: Have a candlelight family dinner. Our day of rest.

That's it! Okay, not COMPLETELY. It's not QUITE that easy, but pretty close!

Here's my tips and add-ins for keeping up on your house!

* Empty dishwasher EVERY morning, first thing before breakfast or anything else.

*Fill the dishwasher throughout the day. No need for a full sink.

*My kids do their daily chores and keep up on their bedrooms. I DON'T do it for them.

*Read my scriptures daily, and pray daily. Have family prayer at least once a day. This seems to be the most important step in making my day successful.

*Start the dishwasher before bed and wipe down kitchen counters before bed.

*Sleep tight. And get a good amount of sleep. Because even ONE task is hard to do if you're exhausted.

*Don't forget to turn on some music while cleaning! My kids wont do their chores without it!

Keep in mind that if you miss a day, it's OKAY to wait till next week, you wont die. Or just switch two days that week. I just got back from a little vacation and had to catch up on laundry A-SAP. It happens sometimes. Dont lose motivation because you miss a day or two.

Now go and plan your daily chores to your liking,

and enjoy your house and a home.