First up, I grabbed these soft sided organizers for dishes and I cannot tell you how happy I am with this purchase. Not only did it help me clear bins of holiday dishes stored in boxes, it simplified the holiday dish situation. I’ve been collecting Spode Christmas Tree dinnerware for over 20 years and started with just wanting to do mugs and dessert plates, but a couple years ago I found a set of dinner plates on clearance after Christmas and completed the set. I have some serving pieces too – I love using this during December and Christmas Eve and Day.

If you have a good set of china in storage in boxes, this is a great way to get them out of boxes and into safe storage. The dish storage also comes with felt rounds to go in between each plate.

via Amazon

A couple years ago I grabbed one of these boxes for each of us. They have two layers and hold a lot of ornaments. The kids each have their own ornament box – this keeps their ornaments separate and some day they’ll be able to take their box to their own homes.

via Amazon

When I start undecorating I quickly go through the house and gather things up by type and put them on the kitchen and dining room tables. Then once I have everything taken down I take those items and put them in bins or boxes. Make it easy to find holiday decorations by sorting and storing like with like. Take it a step further by labeling the exterior of boxes and bins and by keeping your holiday decorations grouped together.

Sort like with like – soft items like stockings and the tree skirt go together in a bin. Garland and other greenery are stored together in another bin.

I use these white storage totes in the basement for holiday decor and storage of other items as well. They’re large, stack easily and keep the storage light and bright in the basement.

I put smaller ‘collections’ in 2 gallon zip top bags to keep the items together and easy to grab and decorate. Lights, smaller greens, and ornaments are great to keep sorted out this way.

Make sure you have a place for your decor and that it is easy to locate. This makes holiday decorating and undecorating easier and so much more enjoyable when you have less and can easily locate anything you’re looking for!

If there are decorations you haven’t put out for a while consider donating them instead of continuing to store them. It’s okay to not keep everything. Less is more when it comes to holiday decorations.

I use large divided storage bins for large items like village homes and snow globes. They keep these items together and eliminate the need for the large, bulky boxes that these items came in.

via Amazon

I linked up all my favorites for organizing holiday decor below and in my Amazon shop.

Wheeled Storage Bin – Great for keeping your holiday decor color-coded and organized. I love the wheels for easy access.

Wreath Storage – If you have nice wreaths that you’d like to keep separate from other items in a bin, these are great!

Tree Storage Bag– This is a great tree storage bag with plenty of height options to choose from so it fits your tree perfectly.

Latching Storage Box– These are great if you are tight on space, you can see what’s inside and slide it under a bed or stack them up in a basement or attic.

Light Organizer – If your lights are a tangled mess you’ll love these light organizers!

Green Storage Bin– Green makes it easy to separate from other storage bins – I love that these are see through too!

Ornament Organizer – I love these ornament organizers – everyone has one in our home. They’re sturdy and fit so many ornaments!

See-Through Storage Bin– Another bin, another option for storage!

China Storage – These were a game changer for our holiday dishes – such a great find!

White Storage Totes – My favorite storage totes!

Large Decorations Storage– Love these for storing larger items together – snow globes, Christmas villages, etc.

Gift Wrap Station – Perfect for keeping your wrapping paper contained and organized!

The post Favorites for Holiday Decor Storage appeared first on Clean Mama.

Planning ahead for guests

Block out the week before company is coming – do the normal Daily Cleaning Tasks and Weekly Cleaning Tasks. On each of those days, think ahead to something you could do to make preparing for company a little easier. New here? The Start Here page details the Clean Mama Routine. If you’re

Let’s say company is coming on Friday – this is how I plan ahead for guests. This is an example giving you a full week to get ready. Generally speaking, I find that the Monday before  is when I start to get ready for guests.

The perfect companion for your planning is the Homekeeping Planner – it’s ideal for keeping all of your to-dos straight in the simplest way possible. Bonus:  it’s undated so you can start using it the day it arrives, not after the New Year.

These are the Weekly Tasks in the Clean Mama Routine – find the full Routine here.

Friday before: Catch-All Day Plan the menu out for the week ahead and the weekend that company will be in town. This is a great day to clean out the fridge too.

Saturday before: Wash sheets and towels – if you have a guest room, guest bedding and towels takes priority. Make sure bedding is clean and clean towels are ready. If your guests are staying in a child’s room(s), save the bedding until the day they arrive.

Sunday before: Prep ahead any food that can be made ahead and frozen. Want to have muffins on hand for an easy breakfast? Make a batch and freeze them.  Revisit your menu plan for the week ahead and make any tweaks before doing your grocery shopping.

Daily Planner Notepad

Monday before: Clean all the bathrooms, concentrating on the bathrooms that guests will be using. Make sure that you are stocked up on paper products – tissues, toilet paper, etc.

Tuesday before: Quickly dust the entire house making sure to dust where guests will be staying thoroughly.

microfiber duster

Wednesday before: Vacuum the entire house thoroughly – if you have extra time, run your attachments over corners, vents, and baseboards if needed. If it works better for you and your schedule you can also split this up with floor washing over two days. For instance, vacuum and wash the floors on one level on Wednesday and the other level on Thursday.

Thursday before: Wash floors thoroughly – if you have extra time, wash baseboards. Depending on the state of our floors, I will often leave them to wash after we have a party or guests. Just doing a little spot-cleaning will do the trick!

Friday – or whatever day guests arrive: Use the 30 Minute Quick Clean Checklist below to do a quick clean through the house if needed. Do any last minute grocery shopping and food prep. Relax and enjoy your guests!  You can also find this as a free printable checklist on the free printables page here.

What if my house is a disaster? What should I do?

If you are reading this and thinking, this list would work for someone that has a clean house already but mine is a MESS, here’s my recommendation. Start now and spend 15-30 minutes a day on the daily tasks – concentrate half of that time on the ‘clutter’ task. Clutter is what holds us back from a clean home most of the time. Need more explanation? Head to the Start Here page.

Keep doing this week after week – once you feel like you have a handle on them and like you’ve cleared some clutter, do a whole house clean.

How we clean while we have guests:

While we have guests staying at our house I never want them to feel like they need to clean so I keep the cleaning minimal. I make sure we clean up the kitchen after meals – everyone typically helps, I toss a small load of laundry in when I can so I don’t get behind, and wipe bathroom and kitchen counters daily (not the bathroom guests use), change out kitchen and bathroom hand towels, and we pick up little messes as we go. So basically, we keep up with the 5 Daily Tasks.

The post Holiday Guests? Do This Now to Enjoy Your Guests Later appeared first on Clean Mama.

Here’s the system I follow:

I start with The Basics. These are the main areas in the home and most noticeable if someone is dropping by or if things have gotten away from me a bit. If this is all I get to, that’s FINE!  If I have extra time or if I’m feeling like continuing, I move beyond the basics.

THE BASICS

These tasks are a great starting (or ending) point. Work in this order for maximum efficiency.

• pick up entryway
• do a quick declutter on main level
• vacuum/sweep noticeable dirt
• wipe down kitchen counters & table
• put dirty dishes in dishwasher or sink
• put out clean kitchen towels
• wipe down bathroom sinks
• clean toilets
• put out clean bathroom towels

CLEANING EXTRAS

Extra tasks that step up the reset up a notch, use these to start off your extras and feel free to add any others to the blank spots on the checklist.

• wipe down mirrors
• fluff pillows and arrange throw blankets
• wipe off appliance fronts
• quick dust

AMBIENCE

If you’re using this checklist before company comes over or just want to create a cozy atmosphere, check these things off the list.

• light a candle or start a diffuser
• turn on tabletop lights
• turn on the music
• adjust the thermostat

I put this 30 Minute Quick Clean into checklist form if you’d like to follow along. Come check out the  Free Printable Library – you’ll find all sorts of cleaning checklists perfect for getting ready for the holidays! A couple of my favorites? The Kitchen Speed Cleaning Checklist and the Appliance Quick Clean Checklist – they simplify the process of cleaning in the kitchen and make it a little easier.  Go to the free printables page, enter your email address ONE TIME and I’ll send you the password you can use to access the free printables page. If you already have the password, simple enter it, check out the updates.

Here’s a visual of the steps too if that’s easier to follow! Put on a holiday playlist and I bet you’ll be quick cleaning your house in no time!

I also have a whole section in the shop with printable kits designed to make your life easier. They are all fillable so you can type in your own info or fill it out by hand. You can find them here in the shop.

The post Get Ready in a Hurry – Free Holiday Cleaning Checklists appeared first on Clean Mama.

Planning ahead for guests

Block out the week before company is coming – do the normal Daily Cleaning Tasks and Weekly Cleaning Tasks. On each of those days, think ahead to something you could do to make preparing for company a little easier.

Let’s say company is coming on Friday – this is how I plan ahead for guests. This is an example giving you a full week to get ready. Generally speaking, I find that the Monday before  is when I start to get ready for guests.

The perfect companion for your planning is the Homekeeping Planner – it’s ideal for keeping all of your to-dos straight in the simplest way possible. Bonus:  it’s undated so you can start using it the day it arrives, not after the New Year. Watch for it to be on sale for the Black Friday Sale (it starts on Wednesday).

These are the Weekly Tasks in the Clean Mama Routine – find the full Routine here.

Friday before: Catch-All Day Plan the menu out for the week ahead and the weekend that company will be in town. This is a great day to clean out the fridge too.

Saturday before: Wash sheets and towels – if you have a guest room, guest bedding and towels takes priority. Make sure bedding is clean and clean towels are ready. If your guests are staying in a child’s room(s), save the bedding until the day they arrive.

Sunday before: Prep ahead any food that can be made ahead and frozen. Want to have muffins on hand for an easy breakfast? Make a batch and freeze them.  Revisit your menu plan for the week ahead and make any tweaks before doing your grocery shopping.

Legal Pads / Homekeeping Planner / favorite pens

Monday before: Clean all the bathrooms, concentrating on the bathrooms that guests will be using. Make sure that you are stocked up on paper products – tissues, toilet paper, etc.

Tuesday before: Quickly dust the entire house making sure to dust where guests will be staying thoroughly.

microfiber duster

Wednesday before: Vacuum the entire house thoroughly – if you have extra time, run your attachments over corners, vents, and baseboards if needed. If it works better for you and your schedule you can also split this up with floor washing over two days. For instance, vacuum and wash the floors on one level on Wednesday and the other level on Thursday.

Thursday before: Wash floors thoroughly – if you have extra time, wash baseboards. Depending on the state of our floors, I will often leave them to wash after we have a party or guests. Just doing a little spot-cleaning will do the trick!

Friday – or whatever day guests arrive: Use the 30 Minute Quick Clean Checklist below to do a quick clean through the house if needed. Do any last minute grocery shopping and food prep. Relax and enjoy your guests!  You can also find this as a free printable checklist on the free printables page here.

What if my house is a disaster? What should I do?

If you are reading this and thinking, this list would work for someone that has a clean house already but mine is a MESS, here’s my recommendation. Start now and spend 15-30 minutes a day on the daily tasks – concentrate half of that time on the ‘clutter’ task. Clutter is what holds us back from a clean home most of the time. Need more explanation? Head to the Start Here page.

Keep doing this week after week – once you feel like you have a handle on them and like you’ve cleared some clutter, do a whole house clean.

How we clean while we have guests:

While we have guests staying at our house I never want them to feel like they need to clean so I keep the cleaning minimal. I make sure we clean up the kitchen after meals – everyone typically helps, I toss a small load of laundry in when I can so I don’t get behind, and wipe bathroom and kitchen counters daily (not the bathroom guests use), change out kitchen and bathroom hand towels, and we pick up little messes as we go. So basically, we keep up with the 5 Daily Tasks.

The post Company Coming For Thanksgiving? What you can do now to enjoy the day! appeared first on Clean Mama.

5 Things You Can Do to Simplify Thanksgiving

1. Plan ahead. If you feel like sitting down and making a plan will take too much time, set a timer for 15 minutes and make a quick list. If you’re reading this on the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving, it’s not too late to make a plan.
2. Choose what’s important. What are your top three things to complete before the big day. I’m guessing your list might read something like: set menu, shop for food, make food, clean house. Those things are the overreaching items typical for planning Thanksgiving but those are your categories – once you have established those, you’re ready to narrow down the list a bit and make it more specific. Details matter and it’ll definitely make it easier to plan the day. Look over your list and let go of anything that doesn’t need to be on the list. If you had wanted to get family pictures hung before Thanksgiving and haven’t gotten to it yet, it’s okay to table that for the weekend too!

   Legal Pads / Homekeeping Planner / favorite pens

3. Start early. Once you’ve gotten the lists out on paper, distribute them out on the days leading up to Thanksgiving. If cleaning your house is on the schedule, spread it out so you’re not trying to clean the house and roast a turkey at the same time. This just one of the many reasons I love the Clean Mama Routine – you clean a little bit every day and have a plan for cleaning. This makes hosting and opening your home so much easier because you are being proactive with your cleaning all the time instead of reactive.
4. Simplify everything. The Menu, the decorations, the plan for the day. It’s okay to keep things as simple as possible. If you’re having guests, delegate specific items for them to bring – beverages, dinner rolls, specific sides, desserts.
5. Set yourself up for success. There are a handful of things you can do in advance that make Thanksgiving a little easier and the event run smoothly. These are my suggestions, feel free to create your own:

• Start with an empty dishwasher and/or sink. The empty dishwasher will keep the dishes off the counters because it’s ready to load.
• Turn the thermostat down 2-3 degrees before anyone arrives. This will keep your home at a nice temperature when the house heats up from the oven and extra people.
• Dim the lights, turn on lamps – make it cozy!

The post Hosting Thanksgiving? Do These 5 Things to Simplify the Day appeared first on Clean Mama.

First up, I grabbed these soft sided organizers for dishes and I cannot tell you how happy I am with this purchase. Not only did it help me clear bins of holiday dishes stored in boxes, it simplified the holiday dish situation. I’ve been collecting Spode Christmas Tree dinnerware for over 20 years and started with just wanting to do mugs and dessert plates, but last year I found a set of dinner plates on clearance after Christmas and completed the set. I have some serving pieces too – I love using this during December and Christmas Eve and Day.

If you have a good set of china in storage in boxes, this is a great way to get them out of boxes and into safe storage. The dish storage also comes with felt round to go in between each plate.

via Amazon

A couple years ago I grabbed one of these boxes for each of us. They have two layers and hold a lot of ornaments. The kids each have their own ornament box – this keeps their ornaments separate and some day they’ll be able to take their box to their own homes.

via Amazon

When I start undecorating I quickly go through the house and gather things up by type and put them on the kitchen and dining room tables. Then once I have everything taken down I take those items and put them in bins or boxes. Make it easy to find holiday decorations by sorting and storing like with like. Take it a step further by labeling the exterior of boxes and bins and by keeping your holiday decorations grouped together.

Sort like with like – soft items like stockings and the tree skirt go together in a bin. Garland and other greenery are stored together in another bin.

I use these white storage totes in the basement for holiday decor and storage of other items as well. They’re large, stack easily and keep the storage light and bright in the basement.

I put smaller ‘collections’ in 2 gallon zip top bags to keep the items together and easy to grab and decorate. Lights, smaller greens, and ornaments are great to keep sorted out this way.

Make sure you have a place for your decor and that it is easy to locate. This makes holiday decorating and undecorating easier and so much more enjoyable when you have less and can easily locate anything you’re looking for!

If there are decorations you haven’t put out for a while consider donating them instead of continuing to store them. It’s okay to not keep everything. Less is more when it comes to holiday decorations.

I use large divided storage bins for large items like village homes and snow globes. They keep these items together and eliminate the need for the large, bulky boxes that these items came in.

via Amazon

I linked up all my favorites for organizing holiday decor in my Amazon shop – you can see them here along with my other Amazon favorites.

The post Favorite Products for Organizing Holiday Decor appeared first on Clean Mama.

Instead of throwing yourself into a panic, you need a plan. Print off a few checklists and put them on a clipboard and pair the checklists with a few microfiber cloths, a duster, disinfecting cleaner, all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, and a lint roller. Go here to see my favorite cleaning products. Put the items you need in a simple kit to quick clean, anytime.

Print off a couple of these quick clean checklists and the minute you get that phone call grab the checklist and start tidying up and cleaning. Thirty minutes later you’ll have a quickly cleaned home and you’ll be able to welcome your guests without a second thought.

Go to the free printables page to grab these free printables and many, many more!

If you’re new to the free printables page you’ll need to enter your email address ONE TIME and I’ll send you the password you can use to access the free printables page. If you already have the password, simple enter it and grab these goodies.

I also have a whole section in the shop with printable kits designed to make your life easier. They’ve all been updated with the new color scheme AND they are all fillable so you can type in your own info or fill it out by hand. You can find them here in the shop.

The post How to Do a Holiday Prep Quick Clean + Free Printables appeared first on Clean Mama.

Holiday decorations should follow familiar organizational strategies. This makes it easier to keep track of these seldom used items and makes it easier to locate and find what we need when we need it.

When I start undecorating I quickly go through the house and gather things up by type and put them on the kitchen table. Then once I have everything taken down I take those items and put them in bins or boxes.

SEPARATE AND GROUP BY CATEGORY – Sort like with like – soft items like stockings and the tree skirt and go together in a bin. Garland and other greenery can be stored together.

I use these white storage totes in the basement for holiday decor and storage of other items as well. They’re large, stack easily and keep the storage light and bright in the basement.

I put smaller ‘collections’ in 2 gallon zip top bags to keep the items together and easy to grab and decorate. Lights, smaller greens, and ornaments are great to keep sorted out this way.

EVERYTHING HAS A PLACE – Make sure you have a place for your decor and that it is easy to locate. The kids each have their own ornament box – this keeps their ornaments separate and some day they’ll be able to take their box to their own homes.

ONLY KEEP WHAT IS USED – If there are decorations you haven’t put out for a while consider donating them instead of continuing to store them. It’s okay to not keep everything. I feel like less is more when it comes to holiday decorations.

I use large divided storage bins for large items like village homes. They keep these items together and eliminate the need for the large, bulky boxes that these items came in.

Here are some of my favorites for holiday decor storage:

The post Tips for Organizing Holiday Decor appeared first on Clean Mama.

I love cooking Scandinavian food, especially at Christmas. We do a Swedish Christmas Eve – complete with Swedish meatballs, fruit soup, riced potatoes, peas, lefse, and of course cookies for dessert. I’m not saying that you need to do a Swedish meal for Christmas but it’s fun to incorporate our heritage in some way. You’ll see that a couple of the cookbooks are Scandinavian and they’re definitely our favorites.

Scandinavian Gatherings, by Melissa Bahen – this cookbook has great recipes for families and gatherings – I especially like the menus for the Nordic Brunch and the Woodland Tea Party.

Cookie Perfection, by Martha Stewart – just about every cookie recipe you might be looking for. We have our eyes on the Chocolate Mint Wafers, Swiss Meringues, and the Animal Gingerbread Cookies.

Scandikitchen Christmas, by Brontë Aurell – this book is all about comfort and winter and lots of Hygge. The photos alone will make you want to cuddle up under a blanket in front of the fire and get cozy with a Scandinavian meal cooking away.

Scandikitchen Fikka & Hygge, by Brontë Aurell – this book has comforting baked goods and Scandinavian favorites and plenty of cardamom.

Two Peas & Their Pod Cookbook, by Maria Lichte – this is a new cookbook but we’ve already had success with the recipes we’ve made. Loved the Artichoke, Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta Egg Casserole – we made it for Thanksgiving and it will probably make an appearance during Christmas and New Years week too.

Celebrations, by Danielle Walker – We don’t eat gluten free but I like to limit it and Danielle’s cookbooks are my go-tos for recipes. I love the Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes.

The Complete Make Ahead Cookbook, by America’s Test Kitchen – this is my favorite make ahead cookbook. I use it all year long but it’s great for holiday cooking recipes and ideas. Save time but prepping and planning ahead for the ‘big meal’.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks A Year of Holidays, by Ree Drummond – this is probably my favorite cookbook by The Pioneer Woman. I love the Christmas recipe selection!

HAVE A FAVORITE TO SHARE? TELL US ABOUT IT IN THE COMMENTS!

You can see all of my Amazon favorites here (I have a whole section of cookbooks). Curious about some other books? Check out my other Book Stack posts.

Looking for more ways to simplify the holidays? Check out this post!.

There are affiliate links in this post – go here to see my full disclosure policy.

The post What’s On My Book Stack : Favorite Holiday Cookbooks appeared first on Clean Mama.

Feeling the pressure of December?  Here we are three weeks before Christmas and if you’re like me you have a slight wave of overwhelm with all that ‘still’ has to get done. Today I have a handful of ideas, designed to take make things simple, with even simpler ways of completing them. These are the steps I find myself taking mid-December every year and it’s so helpful for me, I hope that it’s helpful for you too!  Try one, a couple, or all of them.

TURN ON THE MUSIC – There’s nothing like holiday music to put you in the mood for the season. I have two playlists for the holidays – Simply Nostalgic and Simply Cozy.

DON’T PUT OFF DECLUTTERING – There’s no reason to put off a little decluttering just because it’s December and you’re busy. Use a basket or a bag to put items that you’re can donate – once it’s filled up, take it to your favorite donation place.  It’s also a great time to assess your kids’ rooms and toys to make room for gifts.

HAVE GUESTS COMING IN FROM OUT OF TOWN or WONDERING HOW TO KEEP THE HOUSE CLEAN WITH ALL THE FESTIVITIES – I have a couple posts with free printables and tips for getting things done while enjoying everything. Go here for a Simple Holiday Cleaning Checklist and go here for How I Plan Ahead and Clean for Guests.

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO CLEAR THE SCHEDULE – Say no more than yes and definitely don’t say maybe because as my kids say, maybe means yes

MAKE A LIST or TWO –  Putting those to-do’s on paper is essential when it feels like there’s so much to do. Keep the list(s) where you’ll see them and don’t be afraid to not finish something or toss that list out when needed. Need a good to do list? Check out my free printables page!

SPEND AS LITTLE TIME AS POSSIBLE CLEANING – keep it quick and easy – this isn’t the time for a brand new routine, but if you’re following my routine, keep it up the best you can. Keep an eye out for the brand-new Homekeeping Society coming next week – it’ll be a gift for your 2020 self

COLOR CODE WRAPPING PAPER WHEN EXCHANGING GIFTS – This is super simple and makes things really easy when you’re bringing gifts to other houses.  Wrap each family in one type OR color of wrapping paper.  That way you know what goes where and it keeps wrapping easy.

START A TRADITION or DECIDE WHICH TRADITIONS YOU’LL KEEP – decide on a couple things that you will do every single year and do those. Keep the traditions simple and memorable. Our favorites? Decorating the tree and house (yes, that’s a tradition), decorating pre-made gingerbread houses, reading Christmas books (<— that link shares my Christmas Book Basket – a way I simplified a tradition years ago), making cookies, going on a Christmas house tour, sending Christmas cards, driving through the neighborhood looking at lights….
BAKING COOKIES?  MAKE DOUGH AHEAD OF TIME AND FREEZE IT – This post from Sally’s Baking Addiction has over 75 Christmas cookies and they’re all categorized for easy browsing.  Another cookie baking tip?  Less is more – choose 3-5 favorites and maybe one new one to try. image via Sally’s Baking Addiction

MAKE SOMETHING – If it’s relaxing for you, take the time to make something. It could be a batch of hot cocoa mix, DIY vanilla extract, infused cleaning vinegar, a batch of cookies, pomanders, a festive decoration, a pot of soup…. Sometimes just the act of making something forces us to slow down and savor the season. If you make extra, gift it to a neighbor or friend!

How about you?  What would you add? Share your tips in the comments!

I am so excited to share that your guide to quieting your home with each season – the Clean Mama Quarterly – Winter Edition is available in my shop. 18 pages of calendars, inspiration, homekeeping guides and moments for you.

Simply print off the pages and get ready to love your home this holiday season.
Grab yours here for just $8!
Clean Mama Quarterly – Winter Edition

The post Overwhelmed? 10 Ways to Simplify the Holidays appeared first on Clean Mama.

If you’re new here, check out this post for how I do holiday cleaning – I keep doing the Clean Mama Cleaning Routine.

Planning ahead for guests

Block out the week before company is coming – do the normal Daily Cleaning Tasks and Weekly Cleaning Tasks. On each of those days, think ahead to something you could do to make preparing for company a little easier.

The perfect companion for your planning is the Clean Mama Homekeeping Planner – it’s perfect for keeping all of your to-dos straight in the simplest way possible. Bonus:  it’s undated so you can start using it the day it arrives, not after the New Year.

Let’s say company is coming on Friday – this is how I plan ahead for guests:

Friday before: Catch-All Day Plan the menu out for the week ahead and the weekend that company will be in town.
Saturday before: Wash sheets and towels – if you have a guest room, guest bedding and towels takes priority. Make sure bedding is clean and clean towels are ready. If your guests are staying in a child’s room(s), save the bedding until the day they arrive.
Sunday before: Prep ahead any food that can be made ahead and frozen.
Monday before: Clean all the bathrooms, concentrating on the bathrooms that guests will be using. Make sure that you are stocked up on paper products – tissues, toilet paper, etc.
Tuesday before: Quickly dust the entire house making sure to dust where guests will be staying thoroughly.
Wednesday before: Vacuum the entire house thoroughly – if you have extra time, run your attachments over corners, vents, and baseboards if needed.
Thursday before: Wash floors thoroughly – if you have extra time, wash baseboards.
Friday – guests arrive: Use the 30 Minute Quick Clean Checklist below to do a quick clean through the house if needed. Do any last minute grocery shopping and food prep. Relax and enjoy your guests!

What if my house is a disaster? What should I do?

If you are reading this and thinking, this list would work for someone that has a clean house already but mine is a MESS, here’s my recommendation. Start now and spend 15-30 minutes a day on the daily tasks – concentrate half of that time on the ‘clutter’ task. Clutter is what holds us back from a clean home most of the time. Need more explanation? Head to this post about my 5 daily tasks. This post also talks about how to clean when you’re in survival mode.

MAKE BEDS
CHECK FLOORS
WIPE COUNTERS
CLUTTER
LAUNDRY

Keep doing this week after week – once you feel like you have a handle on them and like you’ve cleared some clutter, do a whole house clean.

A checklist for a quick whole house clean

If you want a quick whole house style checklist, grab the 30 Minute Quick Clean on my free printables page – there’s room to add your own tasks and it’s intended to be a quick clean checklist to get ready for guests. I love it and use it anytime we have company coming over. Of course, if you have overnight guests, there might be a little more involved in getting ready and that might take a little more than 30 minutes, but this is a great reference printable and place to start. I also have a How to Speed Clean Your House printable that guides you through a process. Grab one or both, print, and get started!

Want a couple more places to check before company arrives?

• Clean the refrigerator – empty it, wipe it out, fill it up with food for company, making sure you have some of their favorites.
• Clean the microwave – do a quick wipe down and wash the tray.
• Wipe door knobs and switch plates – use a wipe or a little rubbing alcohol on a cloth to clean.
• Bed + bath prep – If you have overnight guests, make sure that you have a clean bathroom, fresh bedding, towels, paper goods, and toiletries ready for them.

How I clean while we have guests

While we have guests staying at our house I never want them to feel like they need to clean so I keep the cleaning minimal. I make sure we clean up the kitchen after meals – everyone typically helps, I toss a small load of laundry in when I can so I don’t get behind, and wipe bathroom and kitchen counters daily (not the bathroom guests use), change out kitchen and bathroom hand towels, and we pick up little messes as we go. So basically, we keep up with the 5 Daily Tasks:

MAKE BEDS
CHECK FLOORS
WIPE COUNTERS
CLUTTER
LAUNDRY

I am so excited to share that your guide to quieting your home with each season – the Clean Mama Quarterly – Winter Edition is available in my shop. 18 pages of calendars, inspiration, homekeeping guides and moments for you.

Simply print off the pages and get ready to love your home this holiday season. Grab yours here!
Clean Mama Quarterly – Winter Edition

The post How I Plan Ahead + Clean for Guests appeared first on Clean Mama.

When I asked readers what you want in posts over the next month or so, the most-asked for post was holiday cleaning – what to clean, how to clean, and how to clean with all the holiday hoopla. I get it – we’re all busy and the last thing any of us want to do is clean. I’m going to push back just a bit and say that if you want a clean house during the holidays, you don’t need a fancy holiday cleaning checklist. You need a cleaning routine.  So, how do I clean the house for the holidays?

I keep doing the Clean Mama Cleaning Routine.

Instead of getting yourself into a frenzy over all that needs to be done, just do something every day starting today. Ten minutes or an hour – whatever time you have to spend – follow the routine and keep going. Little by little, day by day, your home will be cleaner and it will take you less time to get it ‘company ready’.

Nothing crazy or overwhelming, I do my best, keep plugging away and try to get to the tasks every day. This works because I am not adding anything to an already full schedule. I’m not prioritizing cleaning over my family or friends or the fun activities we have planned for November and December.

The best part of this is that once your company leaves and the holidays are over, you have a routine that you just keep doing day after day. You know what to clean and when to clean it. Instead of everyone leaving and feeling overwhelmed with all that there is to do, you do the basics like throwing sheets and towels in the laundry and cleaning bathrooms and then you just start with the task for the day of the week and you keep going.

I love a good checklist and I love a cleaning routine (obviously) but I’m here to tell you if you start today, you’ll be ready by Thanksgiving and definitely ready by December. I’m also going to be bossy and tell you that even if you feel like you’re too busy to do a cleaning routine, you’re too busy not to do a cleaning routine. Doing just any cleaning routine won’t cut it (this routine is meant to work in any situation and with any schedule, others aren’t). The Clean Mama Cleaning Routine will give you more time in your day and week and it will leave you with a clean house. I know that there are some people reading this thinking that this is only for someone that’s home all day – nope, it was designed for me, when I was gone all day teaching and working an extra job at night. Fast forward 15+ years later and it’s been put through so many tests by me in our home and by thousands of followers. It works. Still skeptical?  Head to this post for more about working outside the home and doing the routine. Just make sure you come back for the free printables!

I have 3 different checklists on the Free Printables page (if you are already on my email list, just put the password into the second box – no email is required. If you aren’t on my email list, put your email address in, check your inbox for the password and pop that into the second box.) These printables are perfect for getting your home ready for the holidays and beyond. First of all, if you’re new to my routine grab these two printables:

The Cleaning Routine Calendar explains the Daily, Weekly, and Monthly or Rotating Tasks and the Cleaning Routine at a Glance is a checklist for the Daily and Weekly Cleaning Tasks – it’s for a month at a glance. You’ll also find my free monthly calendar on the Free Printables page too if you prefer that format. Print these out and START. No excuses – think how awesome your house will look BEFORE you get that urge to donate everything in January.

A checklist for a quick whole house clean

If you want a quick whole house style checklist, grab the 30 Minute Quick Clean – there’s room to add your own tasks and it’s intended to be a quick clean checklist to get ready for guests. I love it and use it anytime we have company coming over or if I need a little motivation in the form of a checklist. Of course, if you have overnight guests, there might be a little more involved in getting ready and that might take a little more than 30 minutes, but this is a great reference page and place to start.

What do you think? Are you ready to hop on the cleaning routine train? I guarantee that if you start now, you’ll be so glad you did once December hits!

I am so excited to share that your guide to quieting your home with each season – the Clean Mama Quarterly – Winter Edition is available in my shop. 18 pages of calendars, inspiration, homekeeping guides and moments for you.

Simply print off the pages and get ready to love your home this holiday season. Grab yours here!
Clean Mama Quarterly – Winter Edition

The post A Simple Holiday Cleaning Checklist appeared first on Clean Mama.

Feeling the pressure of December?  Here we are two weeks before Christmas and if you’re like me you have a slight wave of overwhelm with all that ‘still’ has to get done. Today I have a handful of ideas for you, designed to take make things simple, with even simpler ways of completing them. These are the steps I find myself taking mid-December every year and it’s so helpful for me, I hope that it’s helpful for you too!  I love the challenge of trying to make things simple and fuss-free. I hope that it’s helpful for you too!

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO CLEAR THE SCHEDULE – Say no more than yes and definitely don’t say maybe because as my kids say, maybe means yes

DON’T PUT OFF DECLUTTERING – There’s no reason to put off a little decluttering just because it’s December and you’re busy. Use a basket or a bag to put items that you’re can donate – once it’s filled up, take it to your favorite donation place.  It’s also a great time to assess your kids’ rooms and toys to make room for gifts.

MAKE A LIST or TWO –  Putting those to-do’s on paper is essential when it feels like there’s so much to do. Keep the list(s) where you’ll see them and don’t be afraid to not finish something or toss that list out when needed. Need a good to do list? Check out my free printables page!

SPEND AS LITTLE TIME AS POSSIBLE CLEANING – keep it quick and easy – this isn’t the time for a brand new routine, but if you’re following my routine, keep it up the best you can. Keep an eye out for a brand-new Homekeeping Society coming later this week – it’ll be a gift for your 2019 self

COLOR CODE WRAPPING PAPER WHEN EXCHANGING GIFTS – This is super simple and makes things really easy when you’re bringing gifts to other houses.  Wrap each family in one type OR color of wrapping paper.  That way you know what goes where and it keeps wrapping easy.

HAVE GUESTS COMING IN FROM OUT OF TOWN?  Use my free 30-Minute Company’s Coming Checklist.  It’ll give you the guidance you need to get things done in a hurry.  Make sure you’re all stocked up on paper products – tissues, toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, napkins, etc.

START A TRADITION or DECIDE WHICH TRADITIONS YOU’LL KEEP – decide on a couple things that you will do every single year and do those. Keep the traditions simple and memorable. Our favorites? Decorating the tree and house (yes, that’s a tradition), decorating pre-made gingerbread houses, reading Christmas books, making cookies, going on a Christmas house tour, sending Christmas cards, driving through the neighborhood looking at lights….
BAKING COOKIES?  MAKE DOUGH AHEAD OF TIME AND FREEZE IT – This post from Sally’s Baking Addiction has over 75 Christmas cookies and they’re all categorized for easy browsing.  Another cookie baking tip?  Less is more – choose 3-5 favorites and maybe one new one to try.

image via Sally’s Baking Addiction

PLAY GAMES and WATCH CHRISTMAS MOVIES – We DVR movies all month long and love cuddling up on the couch to watch a good holiday movie. I also make sure we have games accessible to whip up a batch of hot chocolate and play a board game.

DON’T OVERSHOP – Just a couple meaningful presents go a lot further than a huge pile of stuff. I like to shop with this in mind – something to wear, something to read, something to do. Come January you’ll thank yourself for keeping it easy. Still need a shopping list?  Grab one on the free printables page here.

How about you?  What would you add? Share your tips in the comments!

The post 9 Things You Can Do Now to Simplify Your Holidays appeared first on Clean Mama.

If you were to pop over to our home after Thanksgiving, chances are that you would be greeted by the sounds of Christmas music playing in the background (as well as the sounds of chaos from three kids and a dog). My family really enjoys music and we especially love Spotify for creating all sorts of playlists to set the mood for different holidays, events, and moods.  Hey, if you feel motivated to clean with a little festive music, I’m here for it.  I’d start with Simply Nostalgic Christmas

Today I am sharing with you two of my favorite playlists for the season, one cozy and one nostalgic. Whether you are listening in the car, as you get dinner ready or in the quiet of the evening, it is my hope that these playlists will help you enjoy the warmth and peace that this season brings.

(Not a Spotify member?  You can still play the playlists, you’ll just have an ad sprinkled in every now and then.)

The post Holiday Playlists to Get You in a Festive Mood appeared first on Clean Mama.

One of our favorite family traditions is The Christmas Book Basket. It’s a super simple tradition and yet it continues to be a favorite. Here’s how it came about. It started out with an advent twist – I used to wrap each book and put a cute number on it and then we’d open and read one every night from December 1-24. This was fun and sweet but it took a while to wrap them which is fine BUT the kids would be looking for specific books during the month and they were wrapped. One year I just ran out of time and put the books in our library book basket. The kids LOVED it and so it’s just stayed The Christmas Book Basket. I keep all of the Christmas, winter, and holiday books in a storage bin in the basement with the rest of the Christmas decorations and every year it’s the very first box that comes upstairs. The kids go through the books while we haul the rest of the decorations up. Then all month long the kids read the books, bring them to their rooms, and snuggle up under the tree and read the books next to the glow of the Christmas tree.

Want to put together a little Christmas Book Basket? Look for a basket that you can use (I linked up some affiliate links of what I use at the bottom of the post) and put it under your tree. Gather up all the books you have and put them in the basket. Each year I add a book or two to the basket and the kids inevitably get a holiday book or two for gifts. I linked up some of our favorites below if you’d like to see what we keep in our basket. The books are sorted by type of book – all are favorites and highly recommended!

Board Books

Who is Coming to Our House?

Christmas in the Manger

Llama Llama Jingle Bells

Dream Snow

The Mitten

Gingerbread Baby

Fa La La

The Three Snow Bears

Picture Books

Sugar Snow

Christmas In the Big Woods

Bear Stays Up for Christmas

The Christmas Wish

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree : An Appalachian Story

An Orange for Frankie

Song of the Stars : A Christmas Story

Room for a Little One : A Christmas Tale

Mortimer’s Christmas Manger

Little Blue Truck’s Christmas

God Gave Us Christmas

The Animals’ Christmas Eve

The Night Before Christmas

The Jolly Christmas Postman

Snowmen at Christmas

Gingerbread Mouse

The Legend of the Poinsettia 

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Christmas is Here

A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas

Chapter Books

A Little House Christmas Treasury: Festive Holiday Stories

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

The True Gift

The Family Under the Bridge

Nancy and Plum

Winterfrost

The Box of Delights (New York Review Children’s Collection)

Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas

Stories Behind the Great Traditions of Christmas

The True Gift

The post The Christmas Book Basket appeared first on Clean Mama.

If I’m being honest, I’d love one more month before I have to start thinking about shopping and wrapping and all things Christmas but it’s almost here! Last year I was frantically finishing up shopping and wrapping at the last minute and this year I’m determined to be done with the shopping before December 1st. Wish me luck .

I made this Holiday Shopping List to help me keep track of sales and purchases for this year and thought you might want one too! Simply go to the free printables page and grab it to make your shopping a little easier this year.

If you need a free printable to help you prioritize during this busy season, grab the Prioritizing To Do List on the free printables page too!

If you’re looking to simplify the holiday season, check out this post on how I avoid the holiday hustle….

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