Every family is different, but every family has elements that are common to all of them .People are moving in and out, everyone has a different schedule, and there isn't really any "extra time." Our house gets chaotic quickly if we do not get organized. A little mess often leads to a bigger one.

Here are 4 tips for keeping your home clean and organized:

1. Create Paper Landing Zones: 

My kids bring home a ton of papers from school. So we have decided to create a system to keep it organized. To keep it organized, we have created a system.  School papers go in a specific location, and no other paperwork is allowed there.

For mail, we place it on the kitchen island. Our first step is to put junk mail in recycling, magazines and catalogs in the reading bin, and bills in the bill file. By going through it as soon as possible, you prevent papers from piling up and getting lost.

2. Bins for Clutter: 

To clean up, I simply put each person's items into their bin. We have a place where my kids can gather their mess and can sort out at once. By clearly labeling it, no one can claim they didn't see or know it was theirs!

Pens, pencils, sharpeners, scissors, glue, markers, and colored pencils are all right in the kitchen on a side table. Below is a container with loose leaf, blank paper, and graph paper. By having it all right there, they don't need to pull everything apart looking for what they need. And when all the work is done, it encourages them to draw for fun, which is my favorite part.

3. Create a Bag and Coat Drop Zone: 

A clear drop zone for school bags, sports bags, and coats can be a closet, or hooks on the entry wall, all works. It prevents the morning chaos of not being able to find coats, hats and bags!

4. Set a Weekly Cleaning Rotation: 

Cleaning never takes a full day. I have pockets of time here and there, so I take advantage of them when I can. I try to keep to a loose weekly plan. Each day I try to fit something in vacuuming, dusting, kitchen, bathrooms, etc. We hope that by getting a little done each day, we will not have to spend weekends cleaning.