January Cure #19 A 3 minute miracle

Here is a secret to keeping your home from overwhelming you: The surface sweep. How? Set a timer for 3 minutes and clean a room as fast as you can for only those minutes. Pick up and put away dirty dishes, straighten up pillows or sort the mail. Whatever is the problem in your room, pick things up and put them back where they belong. It is amazing how much you can get done in three minutes. Try using a commercial break or turning on a favorite (fast-paced) song.

Our house is looking pretty good right now, but I still took a few minutes to tidy up little odds and end: a cardigan, a couple of blankets, an empty tea cup, some shoes by the door. You know your own mess best, but I promise that this little trick will accomplish more than you think.