tntmedic

Fun! I tried to figure out my "schedule", but realized I don't think I have one. LOL

That said, we generally always have a clean and tidy house because our daily routine and some general "house rules". AND... I would rather spend most of my time playing with baby than cleaning, so we try to keep things simple. Our routine usually goes something like this:

First thing in the morning, the dirty dipes go in the washing machine and are line drying by breakfast, followed by our daily laundry being done throughout our day. And the bed gets made as soon as we get up.
We keep a "clean as you go" rule in the house which means cleaning the kitchen after each meal (countertops, dishes) and putting toys away before pulling out new toys to play with. "Clean as you go" also means that laundry gets put away as it gets folded (um, MOST of the time!)

Depending on weather and other daily activities (like getting out to the park, library, play groups, etc) we either have breakfast and head out, or get one of our "big" cleaning things done, like cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming, washing floors, whatever. Floors get done at least twice a week, bathrooms once a week, and dusting once a week. We try to keep on top of the little messes so we don't have BIG messes later (like wiping up spills in the fridge right away or using a "touch it once" policy when it comes to putting things away where they belong) but the BIG things that do come up, I usually try to squeeze in during my husband's "Daddy Time" when it needs to be done.

Clutter happens, but we have a few rules to manage it.
-The "one basket rule": Kids are only allowed to have all the toys that can fit in one basket per child. This rule is great for disuading well-meaning grandparents who bring gifts all the time, as well as reducing whining for new stuff. The older kids understand that if they want a new toy, they have to get rid of an old one to make room for the new one. Simply asking "Which toy will you be donating to Goodwill if we buy this one?" usually makes them think about whether or not they REALLY want the new item.
-The "End of the Day rule": means all the toys have to be in the baskets by the end of the day, and tucked away where they belong.
Grown-ups have to have thier clutter stored by the end of the day, too!
-The "Everything has a Place Rule": means everything has a specific place it goes. If we don't have a space for it, it doesn't come in!