"A Clean Home Is A Happy Home"!

"A Clean Home Is A Happy Home!"  The original author of that quote is pure genius; but the first time I ever heard it was from the mouth of my Mother.

As a young girl, I knew three things that were most certain to be a part of my destiny.  One, I was gonna be a Mom.  Not just any "Mom", but a great one.  I had no choice, I have the best Mom.   Two, I was gonna have kids, most definitely a boy.  I grew up for the longest time as an only child and I remember so desperately wishing that I had an older brother, so I was GONNA have a baby boy.  And...Three, I was gonna have a CLEAN HOUSE!  My Mama was so strict on this!  Did any of ya'll ever have or hear of the "One Cushion Rule" where you are only supposed to sit on one cushion of your couch, not in the middle or on the side and your feet best not make contact with that couch!?! ?  I can't remember a day that went by that I didn't hear my Mama say, "God gave you one butt and I gave you that one cushion to sit on!",as she would brush my legs off of the sofa.

There wasn't a night that went by where we didn't clean before we went to bed.  I would mope about as I did my part, thinking that there was no point, the house was spotless!  It was Mom's idea that if you kept up on things as you went along your day, you always had time for, well...everything!  If your house is always clean, laundry always done, then what else is there but to enjoy life?  I'm not as perfect as my Mama is and certainly don't claim to be, but I do find myself saying and doing these exact same things with my children.

Each night before my children go to bed, they know that there are things that have to be done to make this family's "world go 'round".  We all have different tasks that after 10 years of marriage, we almost do like clockwork.  Some days are better than others and believe me, I pay for it!  It makes a Mother's life easier when everyone pitches in and helps out.

Here are a few suggestions that I have that work well for my family, perhaps they will work for you:

*EACH NIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO BED, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS IN ITS PLACE! 

Make sure that the sofas are straight and the floors swept.  USE FEBREZE!    I can't stress that enough!  Febreze makes everything so much fresher and if used as directed will keep the smells away!  If you have children, make sure that they've picked out their clothes the night before and that everything they need for the following day is at their "pick-up" point.  Make your next day's  "To Do List" right before you go to bed.  It helps you to unwind and you will know exactly what needs to be done the following day without second guessing yourself.

*DO A MINI-SWEEP OF YOUR HOME AT LEAST TWICE A DAY! 

  Life happens and things are bound to get out of place.  It takes a few seconds to run a vacuum, fluff some pillows and wipe down a counter. Imagine if all these things add up just how long you'll be cleaning and distracted from the fun!

*NEVER HAVE A DIRTY KITCHEN OR BATHROOM! 

 These two rooms are the most time consuming!  Keep Sanitizing Wipes at the ready for touch-ups.  They work well on little floor touch-ups too! 

*KEEP A SMALL BIN IN EACH ROOM! 

Life is busy.  Who has the time to tidy up all of the time? For quick-cleans, a bin in each room makes life so much easier.  Whatever isn't in it's place should go into that bin until you have time to put it away.  Now, this isn't a "permanent home" for your misplaced items!  Sometimes hubby's like to do this, it makes it easier on them, then the wives just put the items where they go.  This idea has really worked wonders in our family and keeps things neat all of the time.


These were just a few of the ideas that work in my home. Hopefully, they will work for you and find a place in your home, making your life easier!  If you have any of ideas of your own, please share with me.  I love learning new ways to make my life easier!