I hate cleaning (less)

If you have known me for a while you probably know that I really don't like cleaning. Growing up my room was always a disaster. I would have several pairs of sweatpants and jeans on my floor that looked like someone had just taken them off and could jump into them in an instant to put them right back on. Chores were my least favorite part of my week and unless their was an incentive or a punishment rarely would I decide to tidy on my own.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the benefits of having a clean place. The order, the floors you can see, the lack of worry when a friend says they are stopping by.

The thing with clutter, a messy house, and stacks of dishes is that they make your brain feel that way. I have noticed that the more chaotic I feel reflects the state of our home. SO, I decided things needed to be different.

Well I feel like I have turned a new corner here folks. Things are slowly getting better. I wish we could hire a maid, but alas that isn't in our budget fight now. Here are the small things I am starting to do daily/weekly to keep our place a tad bit more clean, and it's working! I have been reading a little bit from FlyLady to help keep me organized and on top of things (a little) more. These things are super small, simple, and easy.

#1 Swish and swipe (3 minutes a day)
Ever feel that wave of panic when someone is coming over and asks to use your bathroom? Thoughts of "I hope there isn't too much dust on the toilet. Do I have a hand towel in there? Gosh I think I flushed last time, right? Hopefully my underwear isn't on the counter! Is that cute ring around the toilet bowl still, I swear I cleaned it last month" can create internal terror. So, every morning, Swish and Swipe, and your bathroom will always be guest-ready!

-Keep paper towels and window cleaner in the bathroom
-Spray the mirror, counter, faucet, and toilet with the cleaner
-Wipe down the mirror, counter, sink and then use this paper towel to wipe down the top and underside of the toilet.
-Scrub the toilet bowl quickly
-Wipe down the toilet seat and base with a new paper towel

DONE. It's so easy and if you wipe down the counter you need to make sure you put everything away that is living on the counter, so it keeps the clutter of bobby pins, toothpaste, and face lotion down.

#2. Clean Sink (10 minutes ~2x a day)
We don't have a dishwasher so it is really easy for our dishes to make babies and things get our of control in no time. Keeping the sink clean helps me cook better food because I have more space to prep. John is a dear and washes dishes regularly after dinner so I love getting help with this one.

#3 Zone Control
I divided my home into 5 zones. Bedroom, office/Caleb's room, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Each day I do one thing to beautify the "room of the day", or I pick up a few things in a certain area of that room. For example Monday is "bedroom day" and I washed the sheets. Simple and easy! This is a great way for someone who is a new mom to follow. It is so easy to start to feel bad about not cleaning the whole house from floor to ceiling. One small thing a day can make a huge difference!

#4 Solutions for Storage
Right now I am working on solutions for storing and ordering systems in our home. There are so many places that need help right now I am focusing on the entryway first. It is the gateway to crazy messy if we let things stack up and pile on the floor. I am thinking an easy-to-access storage bench but we shall see.   

Here are some fun pics from the past few weeks!