3 Easy Steps to a Guest-Ready House


Help!!  Company's coming and the house is a wreck.



What's a mom to do?  Well...I've got two options.


One: Provide Hazmat suits for everyone who walks through the door on Saturday and install caution tape around the piles of boxes, then hope for the best.


Two: Clean it up!








  
Because I am a perfectionist at heart, I will choose option two.

But there's so much to doooo!!!  Where do I start?

Yep - this is an actual picture of our entryway.  Yikes!


THREE EASY STEPS TO A GUEST-READY HOUSE: (Really - you can do this!!)


THE LAUNDRY BASKET BLITZ 

1.  Round up all empty laundry baskets and place them in the living room.  This is the heart of our living space.  If your most-used room is elsewhere, place the baskets in that room.

2. All pillows and blankets are thrown onto the couch (that's why they call them throws, right?)  They can be folded and arranged later.

3. Toss all shirts, socks, and whatever other washable items are on the floor into a basket.  Gather any kitchen or bathroom towels that are on the floors and toss them in, too. Take them to the laundry room.

4. Provide the children with a laundry basket to fill with toys.  First they gather toys from the living room, then the kitchen/dining area, and last the computer area and book nook.  Then they drag the basket to the play room.

Next, vacuum and sweep the floors.

Voila!  An hour has passed and the largest spaces in the house (the floors) are clean and presentable.

I actually do this every Monday, as upkeep after the weekend explosion.


THE DISAPPEARING BOX TRICK

Pile up the unwanted boxes by the back door. When he returns home from work, I ask my good husband to take them to the garage when he comes home.  Love that man!  Check.

Now the entryway is clear of tripping hazards.  Woohoo!


THE BATHROOM CHECK

Replace the soggy handtowel (courtesy of the three-year-old) in the bathroom and put two extras in the cupboard for easy access.  Make sure there is enough hand soap available.  A quick check of the commode tells me it's presentable.  Good.


If it is not presentable, a quick swish of the toilet wand and a Clorox wipe can do wonders!

My house may not be perfect, but it is guest ready.

~~~~~~~

I hope these tips are helpful for you.  May they make your Christmas celebration (or any other gathering at your house) a little less stressful!

-------
If you have enjoyed reading Mom vs. The Dot, please check out (and LIKE!!) my Facebook page:

 https://www.facebook.com/momvsthedot 

Thank you for popping by! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Snow Day!!!

Image
Ah, the first snow day of the new year!  The kids are so excited - they can't wait to don their snow gear and plunge out into the snowy world for fun fun fun! I personally look forward to putting layer upon layer of shirts, hats, socks, mittens, and snow-proof outerwear on my children - 30 minutes of effort for an hour of fun. Yes, I have finally reached the point where the 30 minutes of snow-garbing is less than the time they spend outside.  Except for my 3-year-old.  It's his first year where snow is actually fun, but I don't see him lasting out there more than 10 minutes. When they were two or under, my children would reappear in the house within 5 minutes of their release into the winter wonderland to announce that they're cold and they're finished and can I please help them take all their soggy things off. So, if your children aren't quite old enough yet, or your children become cold easily and can't hack playing outside in the frigid temper...
Read more

Resolute Mom

Image
The neighbors are sending their kids to swim lessons, gymnastics, soccer and art classes.  They eat dinner in their mini-van.  I don't know how they find time to do their homework or laundry, or even talk to each other. But this is the story for many families in our community. We don't do any of these things.  Home.  Homeschool.  Library.  Church.  Walmart.  Grocery store and occasional doctor's appointments.  These are the places we go.  This is what we do.     This may be largely due to our lack of disposable income. But preceding that, my husband and I think this is so good for our kids. They have plenty of free time.  We went to the circus a few weeks ago, so this week they created a circus, complete with carnival games and 3-ring acts.  They get to sleep in as late as they want to every day except Sundays.  I think this is exceptionally good for them, as they are constantly growing and need ext...
Read more

Superhero Undies in the Toilet

Image
Underpants in my toilet. "Why are there superhero underpants in the toilet?!!  I actually said this aloud this afternoon.  It's one of those things that surprises you when it exits your mouth because it's so crazy...who lives this way? We do. Millions of other parents do. We live with children.  They are not orderly or quiet, and they do not have good manners.  They have no sense of duty, nor responsibility.  They are born this way. My three-year-old son is in the middle of the potty training marathon.  When nature calls, he marches upstairs and removes his pants, then lowers his underoos and kicks a field goal with them before he plops himself on his little froggy potty.  Those little underpants land in the darndest places.   I've found them in the tub, the sink, and all over the bathroom - sometimes behind the toilet, and when he's especially lucky, in the toilet.  Goal!! I had none of those mythical children who...
Read more