What's my Secret?

our mudroom!(mommy and daddy
have bins in the other cupboard beside.
Where will be put Alexa's?

Lately I have been asked a lot how I keep such a tidy house with three children under 4 running around (okay one isn't running yet but she sure does have a lot of stuff). So here it is, the only time I will reveal how I do it, my secret to it all. Are you ready? Get a pen and paper handy.... Here we go... I can't believe i am telling you this...


We pick up!

We pick up towels after bath. We pick up clothes after getting dressed. We pick up toys after play. We pick up dishes and food after eating. and we pick up coats when we walk in the door! BUT, i don't just run around picking up all day. I also enjoy several cups of tea, I nurse the baby several times a day, I play with the kids, I sit and watch the kids, I cook dinners, I do laundry, I watch TV in the evening, and I sleep a good 6-8 hours every night.

I will be the first to admit that I am a little more anal than other people when it comes to my house and I do not like things lying around. I also have been blessed with A LOT of closets and cupboards. I also am obsessed with storage and making homes for everything. While some people shop for clothes, I get excited to check out the Canadian tire flyer for deals on storage units.


Playroom. Small bins for small toys
and CT wire shelving unit for bigger toys

I  always take the extra 2 minutes to run around and put things away before going anywhere because obviously if a burglar comes in while we are gone, I would be mortified if my house was a mess but the real secret is that everything has a home and therefore picking up literally can take 2 minutes.  I also have instilled in my kids that they don't get snack until they pick up their toys, and they don't get to start another major mess (like playdoh) until they pick up whatever they were playing with before.


Playroom

Now don't get me wrong, I am not a tyrant and my kids do make major messes every day that i eventually clean up after they have gone to bed but that is another part of my secret. We start fresh everyday. I feel like if I stay on top of it and it doesn't get too out of control then it takes way less time than if i have to spend hours or days cleaning up a toy explosion.

Craft Supplies in Dining Room.
AKA Craft room when we dont' have
dinner company. the stuff she cannot
access without mommy (such as paint) is
in rolly bins in the front closet.

I am often teased for my silly habits such as cleaning the dishes while I cook and sorting the laundry before hanging it on the line but all these silly habits prevent me from having to spend hours doing cleaning and tidying and laundry sorting and folding. the dishes are done right after we eat since we will only have plates to clean and the laundry goes from the line to drawers since I sorted it before hand.



basement toy area  clearly we don't play
down here much. More wire shelving units.
When on sale there were less than $20.
and can be built to any dimension desired.

So there you have it, my secret is out. I don`t spend my whole life tidying, I just tidy as I go. If I pass a toy or two on the ground, I scoop it up and put it away. that takes two seconds but since i was walking past anyways, it doesn`t actually interrupt my day.

So don`t make fun of me, and don`t come into my house afraid to make a mess, My kids do it all the time and since I know where everything belongs it is usually quicker for me to just put it all away after you leave (or while your still here, but i am working on that :) )