My top tips to a tidy home!

I'll start by saying that I am not perfect at keeping a tidy home and sometimes things fall apart, and mess is inevitable. However, I have implemented some disciplined habits into my life that have helped tremendously in keeping up and things not falling apart too often.

Here are my tops tips to keep your home tidy:

Wash dishes while you cook:

I have made this a major habit so that by the end of cooking a meal the only thing I have left to wash are the dishes that we ate on and the pots and pans I used to cook. It's very simple and effective but, again, something you have to train yourself to do. So, while that pasta water boils or those veggies sauté, wash that cutting board and knife really quick!

Don't place dishes in the sink:

If you have a bowl or plate or something that can easily be tossed into the dish washer or washed by hand in a matter of 30 seconds, do it! It can be so easy to just set something in the sink and save it for later, but that's how things pile up quickly. As tedious as it may seem, avoid the temptation to set a dish in the sink and walk away from it, saving it for later.

Don't leave dishes for the next day:

It can be tempting at the end of the night to not clean up any leftover dishes. Trust me, morning "you" with thank nighttime "you" for doing them!

Have designated reset times:

Reset times may look different for everyone. For us, that looks like picking up all the toys, wiping down counters or tables, finishing up dishes and just overall picking up the house. We reset our house twice a day: around lunch time, and after dinner before bathtime. Resetting is a family activity, everyone helps! Resetting twice a day helps things to not pile up or have to try and catch up at the end of the day.

Put things back where they go:

I know this seems like a no-brainer. But I am so guilty of leaving the hair dryer out on the counter, or that sweater I just wore tossed onto the back of a chair. Make a habit of putting the hair dryer away right when you're done using it or hanging that sweater in your closet. I'm still working on this one, but when I do it, it helps!

Make your bed:

I used to fight against this. Because I thought, what difference does it make? No one sees our bed during the day, and I'll be getting back into it later anyway. Just trust me. Make your bed, you'll see why!

---

These are just a few simple things that I have trained myself to get into the habit of doing. I mean that, you have to be disciplined in doing them and making them a habit.

Other tasks such as deep cleaning, and laundry I have yet to figure out a good system for and just do those as needed. If I do find a good system, I'll be sure to share!