Secrets of Success

Do your cleaning for the weekend on Thursday night

I used to dread weekends because it was the time I did most of my cleaning but it was also the time friends and family would drop over. Now, I take about two hours on Thursday night and clean the bathroom, do some general housework and do my laundry. Then I feel like I have more free time on the weekends to get out and enjoy life. This simple change made a huge difference in my life

Useless products

Every so often, I like to go around the house and see what I haven't used in what seems like ages, I either donate or if possible sell on-line. I had an extra slow cooker in its original box, sold it. Had 2 extra sets of cultery, sold one with extra dishes that I don't need, and several other items I am trying to sell. Gives me extra room in the house, plus get a few extra bucks to pay down the mortgage or put towards RRSPs.

One room per day

If tacke in the whole house the same day seems overwhelming choose one day of the week for each room, bathrooms-Mon, living room-Tue.ctr... you see it's much easier this way, everything is quite nice all the time.

making unpacking after a move a breeze

when packing to move, take an 8x11 sheet of paper, or smaller if the box is smaller, and write on what is in the box, then tape the paper to the top of the box when you are sealing it. alternative is to use clear plastic containers whenever possible so that you can see what is in the container. try to pack like things together, ie. linens, kitchen etc. as well, use socks, scarves, shirts etc. to wrap around fragile items. happy housewarming.

Steam away horrible carpet stains with no chemicals

If you have a nasty stain (food, pets, etc) spray liberally with a misting bottle full of water. Place a white washcloth on top, then iron it with an electric steam iron until it doesn't make fizzy noises anymore.
Repeat until the stain is lifted.

Can also use 1:4 mix of carpet cleaner/water for a better smell.

Chore Chart

I created a chore chart for my family and now everyone fights over who gets to do what chore. It makes it so easy to keep track of it and the kids can earn extra video game time, a night out, or a fun outing.

Use your childhood habits

I'm a "girl" raised in the 1950s and my mother taught me to look around, scan a room and see what needs doing. To this day, I unconsciously do this, notice what is out of place but now, I often semi unconsciously ignore what I see! I'm working on getting back in the habit of deliberately sticking my head up and taking note of my environment and spending 5 minutes to make it better.

sneaky exercise

squats or pelvic exercise whilst washing up

Take the extra steps!

Instead of making a pile of things that need to go the the other end of the house, walk them to where they go right away - don't wait for the pile to build!

Path of MOST Resistance

Honestly, everyone has those days when we just don't feel like lifting a finger, much less going to the gym. I've found that on those days, a 10 minute session with my resistance band keeps my metabolism churning and calories burning!