If somebody texted you right now and said they would be at your house in 20 minutes to see the baby what would you do?
Would you welcome them with open arms, because you’ve been dressed since 6:00 am and the house is pristine?
Would you pretend to have the stomach bug so they wouldn’t come over and see the disaster zone that is your house?
Or maybe you’d welcome them over (they said they had Starbucks after all) but issue a warning that the baby was up all night and the house looks like it.
We’ve all been there: the last minute call or text from grandma, your pastor, or a forgotten play date.
They’re headed your way and you’re standing in your living room without a bra, a screaming baby, and a house that rivals an episode of Hoarders.
I get it, I’ve been there. I’ve issued more “Sorry the house is a disaster, it’s been a long week” apologies than I can count.
But no more and that’s because of the five things I do every day to keep my house in order.
Today you’re going to learn the super easy Fast Five System, so that the next time you get that text your answer is:
“Heck yeah, come over! The house is ready & bring me coffee.”
what is the fast five?
Pssssttt….I have a secret to tell you:
None of us have it together.
Not me, not you, not all the moms at the mommy & me group at the library.
And definitely not your friend who hosted the play date last week. You know the one, she actually wears jeans (not dirty yoga pants), always has on lipstick, and her house was clean.
And not “dirty pots & pans in the oven” clean, but like, actually clean.
Yeah, she was up at 5:00 am that morning cleaning her house. And then yelling at her kids all morning to keep it clean, or else.
Either that or she’s following The Fast Five System.
What is that, you ask?
I’ll tell you:
The Fast Five System is a short list of five things you can do in roughly 20 minutes to make your house look & feel more put together.
It’s the perfect solution for when you get the reminder text that you have a play date this morning or the last minute call that grandma is dropping by for a surprise visit.
Here is what is on my Fast Five list:
1. Dishes
2. Wipe down countertops and table
3. Put away blankets & pillows from the couch
4. All toys should be in the living room, not scattered around the house
5. TV off
Looking for more great tips on balancing housework & kids? Click here to get some great tips to help you master cleaning with little kids in the house!
what’s on your fast five list?
You know, the five things you would do if you only had 20 minutes to prep for a visitor to your house.
I bet you do and you don’t even realize it.
Stop for a second and think, if your mom called and said she’d be there in 20 minutes what’s the first thing you would do?
Put on pants and a bra? Sure, but after that.
Vacuum?
Sweep?
Pick up toys?
Wash dishes?
Where would you start?
That’s item number one on your Fast Five.
After that I want you to think about your biggest stressors around the house.
Maybe it’s the toy-tornado that never seems to be completely cleaned up.
One of mine is the couch throw pillows that my boys use for pillow fights and always end up on the floor.
Picking up those pillows and placing them in a neat & orderly fashion on the couch brings me peace and makes the house look instantly more put together. That’s why it’s on my Fast Five list.
Stop right now and write down the five tasks that you can complete in roughly 20 minutes every day. It’s ok, I’ll wait……..
how to use your fast five every day
The beauty of The Fast Five System is that if you use it every day, it can actually make your house a more peaceful place to live.
You might not realize this yet, but the tasks you put on your Fast Five List are the tasks that bring you the most peace throughout your hectic day as a stay-at-home mom of little kids.
Look at your list – I bet it’s all simple stuff, that doesn’t take much time (remember, you only have about 20 minutes to do all five tasks), but makes your house feel less chaotic.
Like the pillow example I shared above- it takes me less than a minute to reorganize the couch pillows, and yet it makes my house feel more calm and purposeful.
And I bet the items on your Fast Five list do the same for you.
Here’s some guiding tips for you:
1. If you can’t get your Fast Five done every day in 20 minutes, consider changing your list. These tasks should be short and powerful.
2. Do the tasks on your Fast Five List bring you peace once they’re done? If not, change your list. The goal is to make your house a more peaceful place to live in about 20 minutes a day.
getting started
Ok, you’ve got your Fast Five written down, you know these are tasks that can be done in 20 minutes. Now it’s time to take action!
I challenge you every day for the next week to complete your Fast Five. At first it might feel like a huge pain, but by the end of the week it will be your new normal.
And I’ll be good money that your house will be feeling more peaceful each day. Drop a comment and let me know how it goes!
