Just a few dust bunnies for the working mom's soul. Try a 5 minute task guide to everyday housecleaning.

As you survey your home, does ordinary hum drum housecleaning seem overwhelming? You can't get started because you don't have time or you don't want to spend the whole day focused on laundry and dust bunnies? I felt the same way until I came up with a few tricks to help with my progress. Most tasks can even be broken down into 5 minute jobs or less! Just realizing that encouraged me to give it a try.

The telephone is my first trick. I enjoy a nice chatty gossip session with friends at the end of a long and stressful day, so when I'm on the phone, I tackle mindless duties that require little attention.

-Loading and unloading the dishwasher. We've all done this so many times we can practically do it with our eyes closed.

-Cleaning out the refrigerator. This is much more pleasant if I'm not really thinking about it. I don't really need or want to know what that green fuzzy thing is-I just want it gone!

-Wiping down kitchen counter. I have 2 boys and a husband, there are always crumbs on the counters.

-Cleaning the coffee pot.

-Starting a load of laundry. Let's face it, the washer does most of the work. Actual time on my part is really minimal.

-Folding a load of laundry. My mother finds laundry to be therapeutic. I did not receive that gene.

-Making the bed. The bed is the biggest piece of furniture in the room. When it's made the rest of the room doesn't seem so bad. This bit of wisdom also came from my mother and she would love to know I was listening.

-Dusting. Talk about mindless. A distraction while dusting is always a "good thing". I wonder if Martha knows that?

-Putting away UFO's (Unclaimed Fallen Objects). These are those objects that get dropped and left behind such as, but not limited to, shoes, books, backpacks, and papers.

-Matching Monster Socks. When my children were little we called stray socks in the wash "Monster Socks", because the only explanation was that their mate must have been eaten by a monster. Even though my kids are older now, we still call them monster socks. Every month or so I match the monster socks I have accumulated in a drawer next to the dryer.

My second trick is watching television. If I have a favorite show or two lined up that I'd really like to see, I plan a list of quick jobs to tackle during commercials. Watching a show is my time to relax

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