I always say “have guests will clean”  It is so easy to get motivated to clean if you have company over on a regular basis. Occasionally I don’t have time for the full cleaning routine, so here is how we get company ready in a flash!

I have “kid clutter” baskets downstairs with each child’s name on them. I have them gather anything that belongs to them in their baskets and send them upstairs to put it away. I vacuum and when the kids come down I give them each damp towels to “skate” around the house on for a quick mop job. This takes care of little doggy and  kid footprints. They have a blast and I never hear complaints about “mopping” the floor. While they mop I dust the major surfaces. The house is quickly decluttered and freshened up just in time for company. This is great for those weeks when you just seem to be running constantly and have to get the house company ready in no time!

Making lunches and healthy snacks can be a chore in itself. With three kids we have tried several ways to make this task less daunting. Here are two that really works for us.:

- Make a snack box. We take out all snacks, cereal/granola bars out of the prepackaged boxes and put them in a container that we store in the pantry. It takes up less space and keeps all snacks together in a mobile fashion. Now when making lunches I just grab the box and decide what needs to go in each lunchbox. During snack time the kids know right were to go for their snacks and I know it is a healthy option because I stocked it with healthy snacks!
- Prepare foods ahead of time. On Sundays, we slice veggies that the kids might eat for lunch and store them in a container in the refrigerator. We also make ham and cheese rolls for the week, which is simply a cheese stick rolled up in a piece of ham then cut in half. This seems to be the only way the kids will eat any meat for lunch!

With everything prepped and ready, lunches can be made in a snap, just grab and go!

Last week, Carrie wrote in and said… Tanna, one thing that is not ‘just so’ in my house is the cabinets under the bathroom sinks.  Any tips??

Carrie was so brave to share her under sink mess, but really I think this is a common look for these types of spaces, especially if you don’t have a lot of drawer or shelf space in the bathroom.  Here are 4 simple steps for organizing under the sink:

1.First thing first, take everything out! Sort it all. Then make sure you are only keeping what you need. Odd color lipstick you haven’t worn in a year? Toss it!

2. Remember to use vertical space! The inside of cabinet doors = prime storage real estate. You can store the hair dryer in something like this or this.

3. I am a huge fan of shoe box size containers but not for under the sink! Lids can be a pain and a waste of time.  Try a 3 or 5 drawer storage unit with drawers that pull all the way out. You can have the drawer out on the counter when it is in use and put it back when you are done. You can then store your makeup bag or other necessities on top without having to constantly shuffle things around.

4. Don’t forget to label the front of your drawers so you know what’s inside. Mabel’s Labels Bin Labels would come in handy!

What kind of messes drive you crazy under the sink?

Yesterday as the kids finished up their homework I took out the pencil box and sharpened all of the pencils and replenished our homework station. Up until this year we did all of the homework at the kitchen table. However since our oldest son now needs to do some independent work we put a desk in his room. The kitchen could get quite noisy and chaotic with the other kids playing nearby.

In each space we have a homework station set up with any tools they might need. Pencils, pens, scissors, glue, ruler, crayons and paper. Basically an extra set of their school supplies. This way they don’t have to worry about bringing supplies home and losing them! When the kids are ready to sit down and get to work they know where everything is. Try setting up a central homework station to keep homework time chaos to a minimum!

What does homework time look like at your house?

My husband is the grocery shopper of the family, I know cool right! This is mostly due to the fact that he also does the cooking. (Yes, I lucked out on him!) We are also trying to be frugal and clip coupons. Shortly after we married I noticed  my husband doing something I had never thought of but makes complete sense. If you find yourself in the store with a handful of coupons and realize you can’t use one, why not leave it for the next person!

When we realize a coupon is expiring or not really as great of a deal as we wanted we just lift up the product and place the coupon there for the next person to use. Just this week I went to the store and bought something that someone had left a coupon under for $5 off! I couldn’t believe it and my heart just melted knowing how it feels that someone else is doing random acts of kindness and I was the lucky one to be on the receiving end this time!

From an organizing standpoint this is a win-win because where else would those unused coupons end up… in the bottom of your purse? Jacket pocket perhaps?