Tag Archives: household care

When Your Bedroom is an Eyesore

I don’t know if you are like me but I tend to spend more energy and effort into decorating the common areas of our home, like the kitchen and living room and less thought is put into my bedroom. But when it comes to keeping the home clean, you are more likely to put effort into those rooms you have spent time decorating. Rooms that are just kind of blah don’t give you as much motivation. So be sure to put some decorating touches in your bedroom, just to spruce things up and give you more drive to keep it … Continue reading →

The State of Children’s Bedrooms

On most days you can walk through my house and it’s in order, neat and clean. But then open the door to any one of my three children’s bedrooms and you will see a drastic difference. Last weekend my 12-year-old son had a friend sleep over. We had him from Friday through Sunday. When he first saw the state of my son’s bedroom he said, “Wow, my mom would never allow my room to look like this.” Well, at one time I wouldn’t have either but I have since changed my ways…or perhaps I have just raised the red flag … Continue reading →

Less Mess, Less Stress

Let’s face it, the less mess you have, the less stress you have. Well, perhaps that isn’t true for everyone. My children have friends whose families don’t seem to care too much about the state of their home. But I think for the most part, we are much more relaxed and happy when the house is in order. Sometimes I can walk into a room and instantly feel stressed. There is a pile of dishes in the sink, the floor is sticky, the counters haven’t been wiped off, the George Forman was left out and no one bothered to clean … Continue reading →

Organizing Your Front Hall Closet

Last month I blogged about tackling those unseen areas in our home, the ones that no one else but our family knows is a mess. My plan was to get to these areas one spot at a time. I also talked about writing down all of the areas that need work. At first I thought I would tackle our linen closet, since it is the biggest mess and one of the more commonly used areas in our home. But instead I decided to take a different approach. I am going room by room, starting with the front of our home, … Continue reading →

The Joy of Tidying Up

Well housekeeping sure has been easier lately since the kids have returned to school. I never realized how much additional work I had while they were home during the summer. Now all I have to do is spend about 30 minutes in the morning tidying up and the house stays clean for most of the day. I love that phrase “tidying up.” It’s like the bow on the present, the final touch. When you tidy up and take a step back to look at things, you feel complete. Okay, maybe it’s just me. But tidying up is an important component … Continue reading →

Organize Your Clothes Each Season

Closets are a common area to get cluttered, especially when we store things in it that don’t really belong. And clothes can be a real source of your problem. If you live in a state like mine, Wisconsin, you get to experience all kinds of weather. For the most part you can count on needing sweaters or light jackets during the fall and spring months, heavier jackets and long-sleeved shirts in the winter, along with tank tops and shorts in the summer. So when you live in a state that provides different opportunities in dress, you might find your closet … Continue reading →

Keeping Your Drains Clean

When I bought my house the first thing I did was clean it. Trina and I spend hours scrubbing this house from top to bottom. When we were done everything looked beautiful and then I was finally able to start unpacking and making this house my own. Every time I move I do a huge cleaning before I move my stuff in, I don’t want to feel like I’m living with someone else’s dirt. So I scrub and scrub and vacuum and wash windows. That takes care of everything, right? I love feeling like everything is shiny and new. Once … Continue reading →

Creating an Inviting Dinner Table

A few years ago I attended a class at my church on homemaking. I remember the woman who taught shared some ideas on how to make your dinner table more inviting. At the time I had small children, thinking more about how I was going to keep the food on the table rather than on the floor or in the dog’s mouths…let alone worry about decorating the table. Now that my children are older, those ideas have been creeping up in my mind. And I would like to try implementing some of them. But first we have to deal with … Continue reading →

Tackling Those Unseen Areas

In my last blog I asked what type of housekeeper you are. I confessed that I was the type who keeps up appearances but has hidden messes. I also talked about finally tackling those unseen areas. So where do we start? We start by writing a list (if you read enough of my housekeeping blogs, you know how I love lists). Take some time to write down every drawer, cabinet and closet that you want to tackle. Go through each room in your mind. You might even have other areas like trunks or shelves that need to be cleaned out. … Continue reading →

Which Type of Housekeeper Are You?

I believe there are three different types of housekeepers. The first type’s house is in complete disarray. You walk in and you don’t know where to step. Nothing can ever be found and you don’t know if the clothing on the table is clean or dirty. The second type of housekeeper is the one whose house is neat as a pin. Everything looks pristine and clean. You can find exactly what you need. Even the spices in the kitchen cabinet are arranged alphabetically. Then there is the third type of housekeeper. When you walk into this person’s house it has … Continue reading →