It’s out of control and you don’t know where to begin.  Ever felt that way about your house?  I know I have. I have tried various methods of getting a cluttered house back together.  Thankfully my house is not out of control at the moment {mainly because I took 31 days to Become an organized mom and am still working on these ideas} but after reading “5 Days to a Clutter-Free House” by Sandra Felton & Marsha Sims, I feel like I am better equipped to tackle my house when it needs it.

I, first off, have to do a little raving about one of the authors of this book: Sandra Felton.  I first heard of her when I listened to a radio program she was on years ago.  She was talking about how to get organized and the mental thought process behind staying organized.  I was sold and proceeded to follow her site and buy her books.  I read her book “Organizing for Life: Declutter Your Mind to Declutter Your World” and was forever changed.  Her methods just make good sense. She isn’t all about just telling you what to do but rather how to think like an organized person.  If you truly follow her methods it will transform your organizational skills!

Okay now back to the book “5 Days to a Clutter-Free House,”  This book will take your house from cluttered to clear in 5 days.  Felton and Sims offer a very thorough and step-by-step plan to get your home sorted and in order.  If you are overwhelmed this would be the perfect place to start!

You will find out in the book that you really need help to get clutter under control. Don’t let that stop you if you aren’t normally quick to ask for help though.  You can seek help from family, friends, hire someone, or even your kids {assuming they are old enough to do some work}.  In 5 days you can accomplish a lot with help that would take you much, much longer on your own.

I really like the system they use in 5 Days to a Clutter-Free House.  The whole plan is laid out for you very clearly.  Each day the team tackles a new level, beginning with everything “below the knee” on Monday. This means you sort items on the floor and sort them into boxes according to where in the house they need to go.  You continue with new levels each day and by Thursday, the house should start to become much less cluttered. Then it’s time to clear out areas that are closed (cabinets, drawers, etc…). By Friday, your surfaces should be clear, and you will have accomplished an incredible amount. The next steps are also clearly defined for you so that you can maintain the clutter free house and sort through all of your boxes of stuff.

If you are in need of getting the clutter under control in your home check out 5 Days to a Clutter-Free House and let me know how it works for you!

Available February 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Disclosure: I received this book for free in exchange for a review.  My opinions are my own and I only recommend what I believe in and use myself. Affiliate links are included in this post.

If you’ve ever wondered “how can I stay on top of laundry?” then I think you qualify to join the secret mommy club of laundry doers.  Not that the club is really secret, we just all have that question at some point right?!

I wonder all the time when I will one day find “the secret” to staying on top of laundry and I’m still perfecting my system.  I’m not sure there is one perfect secret but rather what works best for you and your family.  I thought I would share some tips to help make doing laundry a bit less tedious and slightly more fun.

Beautify Your Space

It’s a bit easier to want to be in a space, even a work space, when it is a beautiful space.  So make your laundry room {or space} a place where there is beauty. Pick your favorite paint color and add pictures that make you smile. Organize it well.  Laundry rooms can be the last rooms that we pay attention to in our homes because, well, we do the laundry in there, but I think they should be the first place we make beautiful since we almost live in them.  My laundry room was the first room that I painted in my home and even when the mounds of laundry pile up in there, I can find beauty in it.

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Make it Fun

While you are doing laundry turn on some music that you love. Light a lovely smelling candle. Think of the memories made by your kids in each outfit you fold.  Find ways to bring some fun into the mundane of laundry.

Remember it isn’t Supposed to be Easy

We need to be okay with laundry not being easy.  It just isn’t.  There are a rare few who love to do laundry but for most of us it is a tedious chore.  It is hard work and takes discipline.  So be okay that it isn’t going to be easy and commit to doing it…for the rest of your life.

Find YOUR System

There are LOTS of systems out there for staying consistent with laundry.  Find yours.  Find the one that works best for you and your family.  Flylady suggests doing one load a day, every day, from start to finish {washing to putting away} so that you are always on top of laundry.  This doesn’t work so well for me because I need to do more than one load a day, every day, to stay on top of laundry for 8 people. However, doing laundry for one person in my family each day works really well and my big kids help by doing their own laundry on their day.  Find what works for you and stick with it.  There will be a day when you realize you are caught up and it feels great!  Yes, the basket will be full again tomorrow but enjoy today!

Have you found a good system that works for you?  What one thing can you do today to make your laundry room a more beautiful space?