The Pick-Up

As a stay at home mom I am always looking for new ideas and ways to keep my home clean and organized, or at least appear that way! I am currently reading a book by Claudine Wolk called "It gets easier!... And other lies we tell new mothers". I was so excited when I read this section on the art of the pick-up. It is something that I try to do (my home is not always clean, nor does it appear this way) but, when I follow the pick-up rule I found that my home is a little bit cleaner and my head is a little clearer... something about having a messy home makes me want to just shut down sometimes! "The first rule of housekeeping and the most helpful one is the art of the pick-up. Through the years I've actually encountered women who appear to have a perpetually clean house. Eventually I had to ask them how they do it, and they revealed their secret. The secret is that their houses are not always truly clean. The fact that the house looks clean is just an illusion. Quite simply, if you keep your house picked up at all times, it looks clean, even if it isn't. The added bonus of the picked-up house is that when you finally have time to clean something, you can get right down to the cleaning without having to do the hour-long pick-up first! Picking-up is always the best place to start, too. Just start putting things away. The more organized an area is, the clearer your head becomes and the more ready you will be to deal with the tasks at hand." Having three kids means that my house has toys spread out everywhere pretty much all of the time... this becomes overwhelming to me sometimes! But, by picking things up throughout the day I can at least feel like I have done some sort of house work for the day and feel good about the state of my home. I usually try and pick-up during nap time, before Thaddeus comes home from work, and at bedtime. Hope this gives you some ideas on how to maintain a cleaner home and a clearer head! What are some ways you keep your home clean?