Everything has a place!

So people often ask me, "Are you constantly cleaning?" I guess it is because my house always appears guest ready.  Well the truth is that I don't really "clean" (bathroom's, floors, dusting) as often as I should.  My home only appears clean because everything has a place!  We put things away as we go so it never builds up to become a big, overwhelming task. 

Here are a few easy tips for keeping things in their place!

• MAIL - Instead of dropping mail off at the dining room table or kitchen counter, try going through the junk mail as your walking into the house.  Immediately discard junk mail and save only the important stuff.  Make sure you have a convenient spot (box, file drawer, desk) to drop off the relevant mail until you have time to go through it.
• DISHES - Don't let your dishes pile up in the sink!  Teach your kids (and husband) to immediately rinse off the dirty dishes and put them in the dishwasher.  I run the dishwasher every night before bed and then unload as I am getting my kids breakfast the next morning.  This way dirty dishes are never lying around the counters or sink.
• SHOES - Have a designated spot to put on, take off, and store your family's shoes everyday.  A box or basket that you don't care about works best.  On their way into the house, have the kids take off their shoes and immediately throw them in the basket.  Next time they look for a shoe it won't be as hard to find!

Remember...putting things in their place as you go is much easier than one letting them pile up for one big organization day!