A Clean House is a Happy House.

Ever since I can remember, my mom has always said, “A happy house is a clean house.” I’m not sure where she got that from, but in my mind, it will forever be one of her quotes. I’ve even heard her repeating it to my son now, which makes me laugh.

She’s the kind of mom who has to clean everything. If I head upstairs while she’s hanging around past bedtime, there’s a 99% chance the kitchen counters are wiped down, the floors are swept, and things are more spotless than when I left. She genuinely loves to clean.

Now me? I wish I had that in me naturally. But I’ll be honest—sometimes I get so tired of cleaning the same messes over and over again. Still, I do it anyway. I can’t stand when things are messy. I can’t function when things are all over the place. I sorta envy those who can.

There’s something about having a toddler that makes it feel nearly impossible to stay on top of things. They’re always go-go-go, onto the next adventure (or mess), and when it’s time to clean up after dinner, you’re suddenly also playing defense—keeping them from jumping off the couch, sliding down the stairs, or pulling more toys off the playroom shelf.

It’s overwhelming at times, and definitely hard to keep up.

Lately though, I feel like I’ve finally found a rhythm that works for us. And now that summer is here and we’re home a bit more, I figured I’d share my routine and a few tips that help me keep the house somewhat tidy—even with an energetic toddler running around.