I don't need to clean my house

Welcome, welcome, welcome - S.K. Anthony!
The title of this post alone makes me feel even closer to her. So without more of my nonsense, here is S.K.'s guest post for Monday...

Let me tell you, I just hate cleaning . . . so I don't. Go ahead and judge me, I'll wait. 

*Files nails* 

Done? ;) Okay, so here goes: I hate the idea of "I have to clean" so I avoid it at all costs. Instead, I've brainwashed myself into thinking I've formed daily habits that—unless I stick to—I will gain ten pounds overnight. So far so good.

And I'm honest with myself. I know that being fully organized just isn't going to happen overnight. Come on, Ladies, that's unrealistic (unlike gaining a ton of weight overnight). But keeping up with a routine and being consistent is key to at least look like you have your . . . umm, "stuff" together. 

So, if you are trying to get into a cleaning habit but are struggling with the daily clutter, here are some of my tips:

* If you take something out, put it away! *STAT*

This is something that doesn't and shouldn't have to wait. Most importantly, get your kids and spouse into the same habit. Tell them it's way easier to do it right away than spending hours trying to put EVERYTHING away in one shot. Also, remind them that if you have to do it they might be murdered, so really? It's a "stay alive" habit and they need to get with it.

*Everyday, something needs to be tackled—ten minutes is all you need. Getting it ALL done in one day just screams FAILURE. Take one minute to make your bed, have your kids make theirs, the other nine minutes? Well, pick up clothes and/or toys from the floor one day, dust the next, vacuum, scrub your kitchen sink, etc. Small things that ultimately add up . . . and don't tell me you can't find ten minutes for these little things. You totally got it. I believe in you.

*Deal with your counters. 

This one takes more effort than I care to admit, but it could be simple . . . I think. First, let's begin with the kitchen counter—I don't want to overwhelm you. After dinner? Just wipe the thing down. WIPE IT! And show it who is boss! Once that's second nature to "what happens after dinner", move on to he bathroom counters too. What's a second quick wipe going to do to you? Kill you? No. No it won't. Pinky swear!

On that note . . .

*Umm, wash your dishes. I'll be honest, I don't always thrive here. And I know you're wondering about that overnight weight gain. Well, I keep it to—at most—three pounds when I don't do the dishes. How? I, umm, convince myself they need soaking and so that's kind of taking care of it. Other than that, all I can say is when you get up the next morning you will be so glad you didn't procrastinate on it. Loading & unloading your dishwasher and/or doing dishes by hand is easier for me when I think of it as "mommy break" . . . I shall think and meditate while it happens. If that fails, well, I make up a Cinderella-type story in my head as I play the victim :P

*Sort your mail daily. The first thing I do as I walk from the mail box and into the kitchen, is grab the spam mail & flyers and throw them out (yes, in the recycle bin. Don't stress out!). Then I put the rest of the stack down and let it rest until I'm making dinner . . . because that's how I role. But you have to come up with your own system on that. I have a couple small baskets (I'm obsessed with bins and baskets) so I sort them out into bills to pay, important paperwork that needs further filing, shred the bills already taken cared of, etc. 

So yes, I don't really clean. I just take care of these dreaded tasks quickly so I don't have to even think about them later. And they really only take a couple minutes! Don't put it off! But if you do . . . and you have unexpected visitors? Here's my BONUS TIP:

S. K. Anthony is a writer, a reader and a make-stuff-up-er who lives in New York with her husband and toddler twins. She is a wine connoisseur, which just really means she knows she loves it, and a caffeine addict. When she isn’t busy with her family, she finds herself being transported into the world of imagination. Well, either that or running away from spiders . . . she is convinced they are out to get her!