So Exciting!

So, yesterday was my first day in blog world. I was very tempted not to tell Hubby about my new adventure because I never finish what I start, but I can never keep anything from him for very long hehe. To my surprise I didn't get " sigh. Ok, sounds good honey. (mumble) We'll see how long this one lasts..." I got, instead, questions and interest! My brilliant husband even gave some great advice! Not to mention the wonderful pointers I got on Blogger and Blogfrog! Needless to say I am very excited to get started and have so many ideas to write about!

First though, I need to finish my "to be continued" post from yesterday. 

Aha Moment #2
We've all heard and we never listen... Make your bed every morning! I know what you're thinking because I always thought the same thing. "Who care if my bed is made when the rest of the room is a disaster!?" You've got to try it, it really does work! It changes the look of the room sooo much. Suddenly all that mess doesn't look so bad when the biggest piece of furniture in the room is all tidy. It motivates you to pick up, not to mention how good it feels to slip into a made bed with fluffed pillows each night. This doesn't just mean your bed either. If your kids are old enough, make sure they make their bed before school. If they're not, make a point to at least check their bed each day. There's nothing worse that trying to put a grumpy toddler to bed only to find they spilled their drink all over their sheets the night before! I make my every morning before waking the kids up, and check the kid's beds when I get home from dropping of my oldest at school. It takes less that five minutes and kicks off my day in a good way!

Aha Moment #3
The kitchen is the heart of the home. I tried Flylady quite a few times. It's just too overwhelming for me, but she does have some great ideas. She is very big on "shining your sink" and keeping it clear. It is the first "baby step" in her program, therefore I've tried it a gazillion times ;0) It became habit to always have a clean dish rag folded by my sink, and after I'm done with dishes to dry off the sink. Every day I do it, and everyday it makes me smile.

One day I was determined to keep my kitchen clean all day long so there wasn't a mad dash at the end of the day. What I found was truly an Aha Moment! It didn't take very much to keep it clean! After breakfast take five minutes to pick up dishes and put them in the sink, wipe down the table, and clear your counters. THAT'S IT! Do this again after each meal and snack. Once ONE side of the sink is filled, do the dishes. Or, better yet, wash them as you use them! Before bed do a quick sweep of the floor and your done! Your kitchen is clean and tidy for the night and you'll wake up feeling ahead instead of behind. When the kitchen is clean, your whole house seems cleaner. Give it a try and see what happens!

Aha Moment #4
Find a laundry system that works for your home and family. There are so many ways to keep up with laundry. A load a day keeps chaos away. Do it all in one marathon to conserve energy. Whatever works. For me, it's a marathon every Saturday. I start with the boy's clothes. When they come out of the dryer I take them to the kitchen table to be folded. As I fold I sort. When I get done with the last load of the boy's, I put them in the basket and put them away. then it's on to Hubby's, same thing. Then mine. Sheets and other misc laundry gets done as needed throughout the week. It works for me. Find what works for you.

Aha Moment #5
If you see something out of place, pick it up! This one I'm still working on. It's hard. I'm a lazy person. when I make a bowl of cereal, the box is left on the counter and the bowl wherever I sat to eat it. BUT when I do follow my rule, it works. If you go into the bathroom and notice the trash is full, grab a grocery bag (keep some under the sink for easy access) change it and take the old bag with you back out to the trash. If you notice the kids spilled some milk while making a drink, grab a rag and wipe it up. It makes such a big difference. You would be so surprised at how much of your clutter could be prevented by picking up as you see it, suddenly that thirty minutes mad dash at the end of the day takes only ten minutes!

Aha Moment #6
Kids can clean too! Holy moly! I had no idea! hehe. The brilliant Hubby brought this to my attention, and boy, was he right! My oldest son is 5 and my baby is 1.5. My oldest is plenty old enough to pick up toys and put them away. Every time I clean up after a meal it is his job to pick up the living room. He's usually done before I am! My youngest, of course, isn't quite old enough to understand. But he does everything his bubba

Either way, kid's can help you out in many ways. Putting away their clothes ( I have labels on the drawers with pics of what goes in them to make it easier) Clearing the table after dinner (my oldest loves this job because he gets to spray the cleaner on the table) You'd be surprised at what they're able to do!

All of these Aha Moments really made a difference in my home. I don't feel overwhelmed when I look around anymore. My home is always ten minutes from company ready, and that eases my mind. Now I look forward to that unexpected doorbell! 

What are some of your Aha Moments?