Once you put more order into your life, you will reap the benefits of getting more accomplished and enjoying a slower pace and a more relaxed lifestyle.

Organization is very much a matter of common sense! It is looking at a task and asking yourself, "How can I do this better to save energy or time?"

Someone has said, "People that are organized are just too lazy to get up and look for it!"

Housekeeping Tips:

Make a list for each day, a week at a time, using your family calendar, and filling in with things you need to do in the home, errands you need to run, etc. Plan the next day the night before in more detail. Use a space on your schedule for things to mention to your husband when he comes home.

Use the "Mount Vernon Method", as described in "The Messies Manual," by Sandra Felton. Attack and conquer one room at a time, using three boxes for (1) things to keep, (2) things to give away and (3) things to throw away.
Make your bed as soon as you get up and train each child to do the same.

Before leaving the bathroom in the a.m., clean it up.

Keep bathroom cleaning supplies in each bathroom. It only takes a minute or two, if you keep it up. Keep out of reach of young children, however.

Train your children to do as much as they can by themselves. See that they do it. Don't just expect it, but inspect it.

Have children pick up their own toys and belongings, as well as put their clean and dirty laundry in the proper places at an early age.

Tidy up the house before bedtime. This only takes a minute or two.

Leave a room as orderly as you found it. Teach your children to do the same.

Rules of the House: "If you open it, close it. If you get it out, put it away. If you sleep in it, make it up. If you take it off, hang it up. If you turn it on, turn it off. If you drop it, pick it up. If you clip it, file it. If it's not broken, don't fix it. If it hurts, comfort it. If it cries, love it."

Develop your own cleaning system, and you can have company come without too much cleaning to do.

Plan for easy maintenance. Don't buy white rugs, clothes that need ironed or dry-cleaned, long-haired dogs or a lot of knick knacks that need dusting.
Store things where they will be used.

Keep a small dustpan and brush, as well as a cloth sprayed with Endust or a small, wool dusting wand in your car. When you're waiting to pick up someone, you can do some quick cleaning and keep car dust to a minimum.

Time your jobs. They take less time than you would think. Make a list of mini jobs (jobs taking less than 10 minutes). You can do these when you see you have a few minutes before an appointment. Once the clutter is gone, the actual job takes less time than you realized.

A long-handled wool dusting wand (about $6 to $10) is a great time and energy-saving device, and cuts down on bending and stooping. It is good for hard-to-reach places as well.

When your children are playing outside, set a pitcher of ice water and cups outside, so they don't need to run in and out.

When you wash your sheets, fold roughly right from the clothesline or dryer and put directly back on the beds. This saves work, time and money. No need to have more than one set of sheets per bed--only extras for company.

When you wash towels, there is no need to fold all of them. Some can be hung up where needed. Skip the fabric softner for more absorbent towels.

Fold towels lengthwise first, so they will be ready to hang up when you need them, without rearranging the fold.

Keep up with laundry daily or every two days, when you have children. When they leave home, you will look for dirty clothes to wash!

Clean out your refrigerator the day before you grocery shop.

Please remember that no one uses all of these ideas at any one time. These tips and ideas are not sent to put a guilt trip on you! I just hope some of these tips will help to make your life a little easier! Try some new ideas this week. I need to work on many of these myself!

This is a portion of the article that appeared in Heart to Heart Newsletter. The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more. Receive this free bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person to Lois at jhbreneman@juno.com. New subscribers will receive a "Start-Up Kit."