Full in, Full Out

It seems as if I have been sick the entire month. First, it was a cold. Then a stomach bug. And now, it's my allergies. Before, I became a wife and a mother, I could stay in bed all day and rest. I didn't have to worry about getting the kids to school or cooking dinner, but that's not the case anymore. I may not be feeling as well as usual, but life still goes on and mommy's don't get a day off.

The house doesn't clean itself, either! And is there a point in mopping the floors, if you are just going to throw up or pass out while you do it? How do you keep your house presentable when you are sick?

My walls and base boards haven't been getting bleached weekly and my kitchen cabinets and pantry have become unorganized since I've been sick, but I have managed to keep the house "picked up." It may not meet my qualifications of clean, but at least I wouldn't be embarrassed if someone paid me a surprise visit. I manage to pull it off, by practicing the "full in, full out" method restaurant waiters use.

I read about it in Parenting magazine a while back and it pretty much means when you leave one room make sure your hands are full with things that belong in another room and drop them off there. If you are heading from your living room into your kitchen, grab any trash you walk by to throw in the garbage or any dirty dishes to dump in the sink. I really never thought something so simple could make such a huge impact on keeping my house picked up, but not feeling well these last few weeks, I've been able to notice how much this small habit helps in keeping the housework to a minimum.

If you don't get anything else out of reading my blogs, I hope this is the one thing you start practicing in your home. It may not be easy at first to always remember to fill your hands before leaving the room, but once you do get in the habit, I promise you will notice it's easier to clean your house... especially when you are sick or extra busy.