Putting Your House to Bed: Make Your Future Self Happy

Almost every night, as the kids are doing their nightly routines and getting ready for bed, my husband and I spend 10-20 minutes putting our house to bed. Meaning we clean up and prep the house for the morning routines. By spending a bit of time at night, we're making our future selves extremely happy. It's a surefire way to start the morning fresh, since we don't have to play catch-up from yesterday's mess.

On a near-nightly basis, we try to accomplish the following tasks:

• Clean up the kitchen, including wiping down tables and counters

• Sweep the kitchen floor

• Put the dishes away that are on the drying rack

• Load and start the dishwasher

• Load the kids' backpacks with their homework (maybe pack lunches too)

• Gather laundry and start or fold a load

• Pick up everything off the floor in each room

• Put away the random items that seem to pile up from the day

• Lock the doors
  

The above tasks might seem endless, but honestly, we can tackle them all quickly. We've been doing this routine for about nine years, so it's become a healthy habit. And since I love waking up to a tidy house every morning, it's well worth the time and energy each evening.

My Life Hacks Calendar reminds me that putting my house to bed makes me very happy.

If you're interested in putting your house to bed each night, you can ease into the new routine by starting small and tackling only one or two tasks at a time. For example, what is one thing you loathe doing in the morning? Or what is the one morning activity that takes the most time?

Here are a few ideas that will kick-start getting into the routine of putting your house to bed:

• Pack lunches and snacks

• Fill water bottles

• Prep for breakfast

• Sort the mail

• Tidy the playroom

• Straighten up shoes, jackets, backpacks, and miscellaneous items

• Put away the laundry

• Write your tomorrow's to-do list

• Meal plan

• Take out the trash
  

Putting Your House To Bed Pays Dividends

If you want to take this routine a step further, I wrote a full guide called Goodnight House: End Your Day Right, Start Tomorrow Bright.

It’s a free download packed with even more valuable tips and tricks for putting your house to bed—from nightly reset rituals to quick organizing habits that make mornings calmer and more intentional.