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What makes the biggest difference for you? - Page 2

post #21 of 59
6/3/09 at 6:33pm
Keeping the entry room clean. I feel like if it's clean I can relax some because if someone stops by at least the entry is good

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post #22 of 59
6/3/09 at 8:27pm
By far having a clean kitchen is my thing. When DH and I first got married we lived with a couple of friends from college...men. The kitchen would get HORRIBLE because no one cleaned it. (I never used it and was never home because of rehearsals so I didn't have time) I actually sat and cried on the kitchen floor once because it was overwhelming after a long week. DH and one of the guys cleaned it totally spotless one night and I was elated...
post #23 of 59
6/4/09 at 1:50am
-Kitchen: Agreed! No Dishes and a clear dining room table is heaven

-Bedroom: Agreed! Made beds make a huge difference in how the room looks (my DH does not agree but his parents still don't make their beds!)

-Paperwork: Agreed! This is now on my to do list is to get rid of as much paper as possible. No more stashing!

I'd like to add empty trash/recycling. I hate to see waste baskets and recycle baskets full. We usually have a lot more recycle than trash and I feel like the paper/plastic takes over every room we have it in.
post #24 of 59
6/4/09 at 11:09am
Sweeping or vacuuming, for sure. I have seven cats, soo... heh.
The dishes are a big one too.
post #25 of 59
6/4/09 at 11:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Storm Bride View Post
Dishes, but more specifically, getting the dishes, leftover food, etc. cleared off the kitchen counter. If I come downstairs to a clear kitchen counter in the morning, I feel much better about the state of the house...and it doesn't even matter how bad the rest of it is.

Ditto!!

I think it may be a 3 way tie for me, kitchen, clean floors and laundry kept up.

If I can keep those things under control I feel great!
post #26 of 59
6/4/09 at 12:18pm
1. My pantry being tidy, especially my spice rack being alphabetized.
(This sounds weird, but we live in a mostly unremodeled 150 year old house, and have a bizarre, counterless, cabinetless kitchen, so the pantry is where we keep all the food. Who wants to eat food out of a gross room? Also, you would think that you'd only have to alphabetize a spice rack once, but DD-age 3- helps "reorganize" a lot.)

2. Doing the morning routine- opening shades, making beds, giving the bathroom mirror, sink, and toilet a wipedown, and emptying the hampers. This takes under 10 minutes and is invaluble. If I don't do it, I feel like I'm chasing my tail all day.

3. Keeping the surfaces on the main floor of our house (including floors) clean.

I'm the first to admit, it's weird that dishes aren't on my list. Maybe because we don't have a dishwasher? Maybe because we are dish minimalists? IDK. But if the kitchen is clean (including an empty dish drainer) except for a dishpan full of hot, soapy water and rinsed dishes, I can live with that.

Also, about laundry- I rarely skip a day, and still struggle to keep up. What keeps me more on task is maintaining our dressers and closets, so it's not quite as much of a chore to put clean clothes away- that's where it's toughest for me. (Our laundry is in the basement, and when we remodel, I swear, I'm putting in a dumbwaiter.) I have been known to clean out closets instead of doing laundry, and while that strikes some people- ahem, my mom- as backward, it works for me. Speaking of, my dining room table is completely covered with a small mountain of clean, unfolded clothes... I need to get to work.
post #27 of 59
6/4/09 at 12:38pm
For me, the foyer. I like feeling like I'm not afraid to open the door to neighbors. I like the foyer swept and the entry table clean and maybe a vase of flowers there.

My kids are older at this point so I generally have help on the dishes and laundry.
post #28 of 59
6/4/09 at 12:43pm
I like a neat and orderly home!!! Each room has one "thing" that makes me feel good about it and then the whole house seems nice enough.

Bedrooms - Made beds
Bathrooms - Shower curtains hanging neatly (even in front of shower doors)...I like them to completely cover the opening.
Kitchen - Dishes
Foyer - CLEAR! (One pair of shoes each is okay with me, as long as they are in their respective "spots"...)
Living room - Sofa cushions neatly arranged
Family office - hmmm... I guess this room doesn't really have a "thing", but then again this room is rarely in terrific shape. LOL Perhaps I need to find a "thing".
Project room - Clear floor
Powder room/laundry room (behind one door) - Clear surfaces

General - laundry every day (at least noticing it and doing something when there is something) and paperwork weekly (this was a surprise thing for me and it does AMAZING things for my stress level)
post #29 of 59
6/4/09 at 11:06pm
Thread Starter 
:
Thanks everyone for great ideas!
post #30 of 59
6/4/09 at 11:22pm
On day to day stuff, definitely having clear kitchen counters (one side of the double sink can be piled with dishes and I can still make dinner) and toys picked up off the floor. Then there's the "quick! guests coming" list: sweeping, beds made, clean laundry shaken out/folded and basketed, dishes in dishwasher, bathroom fast wipe, enough laundry in washer/dryer that it isn't on the bathroom floor (tiny hamper), kitchen table cleaned.

On a deeper level though, when stuff keeps collecting somewhere, I know it's a sign that there's stuck flow somewhere. IE-I should NOT be on MDC, I should be putting away the old homeschool materials from last year so the new ones have a home. Instead of stuffing them in on top of the old stuff or leaving them sitting around on a couple of the "flat surfaces" like on top of the washer-dryer. (That's where they happen to be piled today, with some strewn to DDs art table and my desk area. )

Pardon me, I'll be back tomorrow.
post #31 of 59
6/5/09 at 3:22pm
I'm kind of surprised how popular made beds are. We always had to make them as kids, but I never make the bed as an adult. It just seems so pointless to me. I think the last time I made the bed was when our landlord was showing the house for sale.

The closest I come is pulling the comforter roughly straight, so I can sort and fold laundry...
post #32 of 59
6/5/09 at 3:24pm
Kitchen and laundry.

I still need to work on picking up though :
post #33 of 59
6/8/09 at 3:29pm
clean and clear dining table

dishes done

floors clear

trash/compost/recycling empty

meals planned (don't do this much but it really works)
post #34 of 59
6/8/09 at 5:21pm
The kitchen swept and dishes clean. These are also the two things I am WORST at, go figure.
post #35 of 59
6/8/09 at 6:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Storm Bride View Post
I'm kind of surprised how popular made beds are. We always had to make them as kids, but I never make the bed as an adult. It just seems so pointless to me. I think the last time I made the bed was when our landlord was showing the house for sale.

The closest I come is pulling the comforter roughly straight, so I can sort and fold laundry...
oh i completely agree that it's pointless. which is why i don't do it often. maybe thats why it makes such a big impression on me when it *is* done. gives the impression that every other part of the house was already clean so there was only those left to do. :
post #36 of 59
6/8/09 at 7:38pm
keeping up with the dishes is my most important. Clear kitchen counters and laundry are close behind! I find that if dishes/counters aren't done, we end up eating out a lot since it's too cluttered to cook.
post #37 of 59
6/9/09 at 1:50pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Storm Bride View Post
I'm kind of surprised how popular made beds are. We always had to make them as kids, but I never make the bed as an adult. It just seems so pointless to me. I think the last time I made the bed was when our landlord was showing the house for sale.

The closest I come is pulling the comforter roughly straight, so I can sort and fold laundry...
I agree that it seems pointless... but at the same time I think it feels so much nicer to get into a bed that has been made. I LOVE getting into bed at night if it has been made and especially if the sheets are freshly washed! However, making the bed seems to be one of the things that I don't do if I'm rushed (which seems to be all too often!)
post #38 of 59
6/9/09 at 2:08pm
1. Dealing with dishes as soon as the food is done. When the kitchen is clean, I am way more motivated to deal with everything else - the kitchen is the heart of the house for me. (And I do flylady too! )

2. Putting sewing supplies away as soon as I am done sewing. This is one I haven't quite mastered yet.

3. Forgetting about my principle of never doing half loads in the washing machine, and making sure I stay on top of the laundry. I have recently mastered this one. Not waiting for full loads has made a huge difference for me.
post #39 of 59
6/10/09 at 1:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Storm Bride View Post
I'm kind of surprised how popular made beds are. We always had to make them as kids, but I never make the bed as an adult. It just seems so pointless to me. I think the last time I made the bed was when our landlord was showing the house for sale.
I used to think this, too. Recently, I have been making a point to make the bed (early in the day, not right before DH comes home), and it does make a difference in my mental state. That, and doing the dinner dishes the night before. Everything else I have to do during the day seems so much more manageable when I do these two things.
post #40 of 59
6/10/09 at 3:54pm
[QUOTE=Storm Bride;13887972]I'm kind of surprised how popular made beds are. We always had to make them as kids, but I never make the bed as an adult. It just seems so pointless to me. I think the last time I made the bed was when our landlord was showing the house for sale. /QUOTE]

I see what you mean, but I think it just looks nicer for one thing, and for another thing, it keeps the cats from sleeping on the sheets, so that keeps the sheets cleaner. To be honest, though, the only step to making my bed really is pulling the comforter over it. I don't even use a top sheet

You may also like:

Sitting or Squatting: What's Really Best in the Bathroom?
There Is Not Always a "Fix" For the Difficult Child
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Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Natural Family Living › The Mindful Home › Decluttering, Organizing, & Simplifying › What makes the biggest difference for you?