Closing Time...

Hello, Tuesday. 

Today I'm sharing the five things I like to do each night as far as "closing time" goes for the house. These are tasks I like to do each night to put the house to "bed" that help me start my mornings off on the right foot. On the nights that I don't do these things, I always find that my mornings the following day just aren't as smooth as they could have been. 

Here we go...

#1 - Empty the dishwasher 

I like to start the dishwasher as soon as dinner is cleaned up, so that by the time the boys are in bed, it's ready to be emptied. Nothing irritates me more in the morning than having to put away my noisy dishes, so it's always nice to go to bed knowing this is done. 

#2 - Wipe off countertops 

I always make sure my kitchen is neat and tidy before heading to bed. This means that all dinner dishes are cleaned and put away (see above 😉) and the countertops are cleared and wiped off. 

#3 - Take out the trash

I like to make sure the trash is out of the kitchen and there's a clean liner in the bin. Nobody likes to be greeted with a stinky, full bag of trash in the morning 

#4 - Clean up the toys and couches 

All toys must be put away before the boys head up for bed, and I like to make sure all throw pillows are "fluffed" and blankets are folded as well. It's just a good feeling knowing that the main floor is straightened up before going to bed. 

And lastly...

#5 - An empty washing machine 

This one is a personal preference that may make you laugh. You know when your child wakes up in the middle of the night and vomits? Well, there's nothing worse than taking the soiled laundry/sheets to the washer only to find that there's clothes in the washing machine that haven't been ran yet, or that needs to be switched over to the dryer. We like to go to bed with the washing machine empty in case of any vomit incidences. 😉

I'd love to know...how do you put your house to "bed"?