Tuesday 18 September 2012

The busy life organisation secrets.

Although life in country is less demanding than city life, I still feel strapped for time often and longing for lazy days where piles of washing are a thing of the past and the fridge is stocked with food.
I've been working lately on trying to balance my busy life as a school teacher and the fact that husband gets home pretty late each night and doesn't really have any time to cook or help with house work.

I wish my house was always sparkling clean and tidy but I've been reading lots about managing a busy life and still feeling clean and tidy. I'm slowly starting to release that my house doesn't need to look like a display home all the time and have got a few steps that stand out for me in helping me be really organised and efficient. I just need to be happy and comfortable in my home and it's okay when it's not perfect. No one is!

One. Shine your sink.
I can't believe the difference this one makes to helping me feel good when I wake up in the morning.
Every night before I go to sleep I make sure the kitchen sink is shiny and clean. That way when I wake up in the morning I can feel fresh and clean and not start the day already feeling like there is tonnes to do.

Two. Set out your clothes the night before.
Then when you wake up all you have to do is put them on. No thinking, no time wasting!

Three. Have a place for everything. 
This is something I'm still working on but have significantly got better at. The key to being able to have a clean home is actually having a spot where each thing you own belongs. No more shoving drawers full of whatever is lying around to sort later. If everything has a spot and you put it in that spot, then there's no reorganising later on. I do think these draws need a bit of modge podge paper love and some cuter labels but for now they're inside my wardrobe where no one sees them and they're a long way down on my to do list.

Four. Have a timer or set amount of cleaning that has to be achieved. 
When I don't feel particularly motivated to tidy up, I limit myself to finding 100 things to put back. Once I've reached 100 I stop and even though everything might not quite be perfect, I've done my cleaning for the day. 1= putting one plate away etc. It's easy to reach 100. Otherwise I set a timer for 7 minutes and see how much can be packed away in this time.

Lisa x

8 comments:

  1. Oooh- I'm a big one for the sink also :) I also find it is helpful to work out 'high priority' jobs. Once upon a time, the whole house was a 'high priority' whereas now I focus on dishes, kitchen floor, washing and toilets. They are things that need to be done regularly. Everything else are things that I can 'let slide' if I am busy. I also find it really helpful to ensure that, every day, things are cleared out from the kitchen and lounge room (i.e. the main living areas) so that the house looks neat and tidy and you don't spend hours putting stuff away :)

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  2. I loved this post. You're so right about the clean sink! It seriously gets me down if the sink is full or messy.

    I also find that it's better for my peace of mind when the kitchen/dining table is not cluttered with mail or bits of paper etc. I feel so much more motivated if the kitchen table is clean!

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    Replies
    1. I agree, a tidy table can make a world of difference for a positive clean feeling. :)

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  3. great tips, thanks!
    the sink one is a major one for me too, and the prepping the outfit the previous night is always useful.
    funny how i'm pretty good at keeping the rest of the house and outdoor spaces tidy yet my 'own' creative corner, the sewing/drawing table and my wardrobe shelves are always seem to be super messy...

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  4. Great ideas; i so agree with the kithen sink one! It really makes a difference. I found you on the blog hop and am following now if you would like to check me out.

    Tara

    http://tarabelle-adropofink.blogspot.com/

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  5. Super cute blog :)

    Thanks so much for the comment on mine.

    I'm now your newest follower, would love if you could check my blog out and follow back if you like it! :)
    http://champagnelambinibudget.blogspot.co.uk/

    I will also be having a giveaway when i hit 50 followers!!

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  6. Just started following! Great writing and I love your pics!

    http://marienni.blogspot.com

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  7. I never go to bed with dishes in the sink so I can relate. By the way I love your timer! How adorable.

    By the way, thanks for stopping by my blog!

    Lisa

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