Quilting-time saving tip #3

Another thing I find works well to create more time to make art is to get all your work done early on the morning and to have the house tidy before bed at night. 

I always try to tidy up at dinner time.  I try and make a game out of it with the children.  We see how much we can get done in 10 minutes I always make sure the kitchen is tidy and clean before bed and that the sink is shiny. 

The fly lady has a wonderful web page on how to keep your house wonderful and clean and organised even if you are working full time.  Her first tip is to keep her sink sparkling.  To look at her programme go to the link below. 

http://www.flylady.net/pages/begin_babysteps.asp


 It is amazing how much cleaner the house feels if the sink and benches in the kitchen are clean.   I try and make sure everything is laid out the night before for the next day and I get out the meat for the next nights dinner.

In the morning I try and have the washing done,  prepare the dinner,  have the house tidy and the breakfast dishes completed before the children leave for school.  When had children still at home I made a goal to have it done before 10 am.  With the important jobs out of the way I feel a lot more free to create art in any time left throughout the day.  It also means that in a busy day,pockets of time are more likely to become available rather than them getting sucked up into house work and other necessary but unimportant tasks.