I’m all about making my life easier. With 5 kids, believe me… my house-life can be chaotic and crazy and non-stop. There’s toys usually throughout my living room. There’s shoes laying around at the door when you enter. Jackets usually “miss” their hanging hooks. Books and papers and pencils and crayons can be found almost everywhere. There’s ALWAYS laundry to be put away. And for me, there’s usually my work stuff here, there and everywhere. It’s just the way it is, and truthfully – I know it’s the way it most likely always will be.

For the last month, I’ve been making a true conscious effort at trying to streamline some of the house-chaos. I know laundry will never put its self away. I know the toys will always find their way out of the bins. I know homework and books and papers will always be around. But… the “chaos” goes beyond that. One of the worst feelings I experience when walking into my house after being out is a dirty or messy kitchen space. The kitchen is the hub of our home, it’s where we all convene – homework is done on the kitchen table, all meals (obviously) are prepped in the kitchen, all the important school papers are in the kitchen area, our family calendar is in the kitchen area. It’s where we go. It’s where we “hang” out most of the time.

When there’s dishes on the counter.
When there’s dishes on the kitchen table.
When there’s dishes stacked in the sink.
When there’s random papers all over the kitchen table.
When there’s boxes on the counter.

It all drives me crazy. I just hate seeing piles of stuff everywhere, especially when it’s not necessary for these “things” to be there.

I’ve been REALLY trying hard over the last month to instill (3) simple tasks into my daily routine. These (3) things have worked like a charm for me. Since it’s the beginning of a new month (and I’ve seen how incredible it’s worked for me), I want to pass these (3) little tips on to you to try out this April.

I don’t go to bed until:
1. The sink is completely empty (and then I Clorox it!).
2. The kitchen table is completely empty.
3. The counters are completely bare.

**And I make sure I keep up with this throughout the day as best as I can. I’ve realized the biggest thing for me is not having a DISH in the sink. They literally go right into the dishwasher. Not seeing a stack of dishes in the sink is heaven and actually peaceful for me!**

I never know what 24 hours will bring to my kitchen, but I do know that when I wake up and come downstairs… my kitchen is clean and organized just by doing these 3 things.

I know it seems silly because these are pretty basic things to do, but I’m one of those people who – if I let time get away from me (like a day or 2), stacks of everything could be everywhere (especially with 7 people in our family).

Try these 3 things out throughout your day and don’t go to bed until these 3 things are accomplished. You get into a routine. Believe me, with 5 kids… and as exhausted as I get at night, I’ve kept up with this. I just woke up this morning with my daughter at 4:30AM because she’s not feeling well… to come down to a clean kitchen, AMAZING.

Kicks your day off right!