Safety Communication Health Education Future
A place for families to explore what it means to be responsible

By now, you have probably heard of feng shui, which helps promote balance and harmony in the home.  Well, with three kids, I don't have time to focus on the four corners of the room or the universe.  Someday maybe I will, but right now I am just trying to keep things organized and the dust bunnies from swallowing us whole!  So, here are a few tips I have come up with to help all of the other homes out there with multiple kids, to stay relatively clean and clutter free.

1. Hardwood floors?  The swiffer is your friend.  Swiff once a day and you will be happy.
2. Do your laundry frequently, but only wash full loads.  If you let things build up, you will put them off for longer and it will just get stinky and embarrassing.  I put the wash in after dinner and throw it in the dryer before going to bed.  In the morning, I fold while the little one naps.  ***If you really want to give your wife or husband a treat- get him or her a laundry washer (no, not the machine, a person!) for a holiday gift! 
3. Don't let messes build up!  If you have a toddler who runs from one mess to the next, keep the child in one room and contain the mess!  Then, when he or she is finished, pick everything up- together- and put it away.  Do not leave a room that has a mess in it.  This way, you will never find yourself at the end of the day with a house that looks like a bomb went off (well, not very often anyway)!
4. Clean mirrors, sinks and toilets at least once a week.  My kids LOVE to put their greasy fingers all over the entry way mirror, so I am constantly cleaning it.  But, I have noticed that when the mirrors and toilets are clean, the house FEELS so much cleaner!
5. Have a "shoe" basket by the front door to throw miscellaneous shoes and bags into.  This really helps to clean up the clutter and keep the entry way clear.  Just make sure to empty the basket back to everyone's closets every week or so.
6. Every night before you go to bed, do a sweep of the house and put away toys, clothes, shoes, towels etc that are laying around.  It feels so good to start the day with a clean, organized and well put together house! 
   
7. Hire a cleaning person to come in and wash window coverings, mop, sanitize etc once every other week, if you can.  This is a god send for me!  The house is only sparkling clean for about 5 minutes, but it is so worth those 5 mintues of knowing everything is disinfected and clean!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui

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