A Simple Holiday
This Christmas will be a little different than usual..we will be having my husbands 86 year old Mom staying with us and she is one clean bean! Now I have always admired her clean home and yet she seemed to go a little overboard…in my opinion. She would clean her WHOLE house everyday.
As times have changed and we have a faster and faster pace of life, the way we clean our homes needs to change also. I simply DO NOT have the time to clean my whole house everyday! As a matter of fact I think it is old school to do a thorough clean everyday. Now don’t get me wrong..to each his own..as the saying goes, but I think there are simpler ways to keep our homes clean, neat and tidy. Even and especially during the holidays when we are so busy.
The Holidays bring about an especially busy time for folks and families. Here are a few simple tips for keeping our homes clean and our attitudes joyful during this special Holiday Season:
Create a short morning, afternoon and evening routine, such as:
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morning: get yourself ready for the day, empty dishwasher, start load of laundry, make breakfast, get kids ready to go, have a plan for dinner
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afternoon: be ready to greet your kids, have healthy snacks ready..so they don’t eat junk food, make sure they know where there school things go..especially that paper stuff (even if you are a working Mom these things can be done by kids if they know what to do and what is expected of them)
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evening: do the dinner dishes, run dishwasher, get ready for the next day, go around house and do a quick pick/up (nothing thorough!) check calendar…then…take time to RELAX
Make one day out of the week your cleaning day for the bigger jobs such as bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, mopping Or if it’s easier break these jobs down and do one big job a day along with your routines.
Keep your laundry done..don’t let this one slide…wash, dry, fold AND put away! It can become a MONSTER
Keep your kitchen clean by always making sure your dishwasher is empty so you can put dirty dishes in it.
Make sure you have the proper tools for cleaning…and don’t be ashamed to use the easiest cleaning supplies out there to make the job of cleaning more enjoyable. I have found this to be a MUST for easier cleaning.
As far as decorating goes…well I’m pairing down this year and only putting out the most specials. I have also decided to stick to one main room for most all of our decorations.
You will be so surprised and happy at how your home will look after just a week of this type of cleaning
You and your home will be Company ready at a moments notice. No stress…well maybe just a little.
I hope some of these little tips help make for a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
What are you most favorite cleaning tips? How do you stay on top of housework?
“I am sharing my holiday home decor and cleaning tips for the chance to win prizes from The SITS Girls and Great Cleaners.“
I do agree with Shari its good to get the chores out of the way in the morning. I find that after my devotions I have energy to do more especially when there is a background music so good praise and worship songs.
Hi Ladies In Waiting! So happy you stopped by! Yes, I get kinda depressed if I can’t get my household stuff done in the morning..the day just seems to get away from me. I love that you put first things first..the Lord! Many blessings to you!
Some great tips! I try to start the day getting dishes in the dishwasher as the kids finish breakfast, picking up as we go. I have a weekly routine, and I try to get the day’s stuff out of the way before the kids’ first “down time” of the day…
Good for you OneMommy! It’s great to get those chores out of the way first thing in the morning! Thanks for stopping by!
Blessings
These are some GREAT tips. Thanks for sharing them. I really like making a menu for the entire week. It saves SO much time (and money). Every day I know exactly what I’m making and never scrambling for things to put together at the last minute. It also allows me to use prepped food in more than one dish, which keeps my kitchen cleaner and saves on my cooking. Here is how I do this: https://www.homecookedhealthy.com/2011/09/healthy-on-the-cheap-2/
Hi Angela! I totally agree!! A weekly menu is a must for saving time and money. I forgot to put in this very important help. Thanks so much for the reminder and for stopping by!
Blessings to you 🙂
I grew up with an early version of June Cleaver. Have you ever watched Leave It To Beaver and noticed that she was still cleaning when the kids got home from school? As a kid, I promised myself that I would NOT be like my mom as far as keeping the floors clean enough to eat off. I’m happy to say that I have kept that promise to myself. My home is clean enough to be germ free, but it always looks lived in. Works for me.
Hi Sandy! I know..It’s just not realistic to have such a clean house that the family doesn’t even feel like they be comfortable living in it. My house is also clean and germ free, but definately NOT perfect 🙂 I do love Leave it to Beaver though! LOL 😀
Cleaning the whole house every day. Wow! My one ritual every morning is to make the bed before I do anything else (most days). What I find is once I’ve made the bed, I’m inspired to straighten up anything else that may be out of place anywhere within the vicinity. This helps to keep everything in order. I also LOVE the Clorox and Windex towlettes for the bathroom. It allows me to give the appearance that I’ve cleaned everything from top to bottom (but really, I’ve just whipped out my towlettes and gotten the important stuff).
I know right Fawn..she really use to do that. Now, she may have been a little OCD but still I’m afraid that her house was really clean but it was not a Home 🙁 By the way I LOVE those wipes. I use them ALL the time. Especially with all the hands touching every little thing around here LOL 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. Blessings!