the agile housewife

It's coming in to spring in the northern hemisphere, so spring cleaning is getting a bit of a working over. I'm not an advocate of spring cleaning; it's just in time, not so much just enough. In fact, it's often not even just in time, which means repeated effort. That said, Mother Nature Network has hints on high impact tasks that make a difference to how clean your house feels. Check it out here.

Our budding artist went all out with a ballpoint pen and the couch earlier this week. I found this tip on how to clean it up. It's taking a long time, but it is working. The downside is that I'm starting to associate cleaning the couch with fish and chips. The up side is that I'm not paying a fortune to get the job done. Is there anything that vinegar can't do?

Getting things done with small people around the house can be tricky. Planning with kids has some ideas that are both sensible and straightforward. I know it's not a new post, but it totally holds up.

Now I'm off to tackle a flat space reclamation. Wish me luck!

A weekly round up of articles I've enjoyed over the past week.

How much time do you spend cleaning up your online life? It's easy to see when the house needs decluttering, but the digital stuff can be hidden. Get some great tips on giving your data a bit of a tidy up - www.everydayfamily.com/blog/4-tips-for-decluttering-your-digital-life/

Most of these hints are common sense, but I love the idea of a five item rule. www.news.com.au/news/how-to-easily-declutter-your-life/story-fnejnq21-1226551926262

Over at Slow your home, Brooke takes a slightly different tack on the whole getting organised thing. The less clutter you have, the fewer organisational tools you'll need. Her tip on being as organised as you need and no more is very agile! Check out www.slowyourhome.com/2013/01/14/o-organised-enough/

Over at Kidspot, there's advice on not sweating the small stuff. We all know someone who lives in an immaculate home; maybe you are that person. If you're not, it's not a problem. Just do your best and embrace the disorder where you have to. blogs.kidspot.com.au/villagevoices/messy-home/

Decluttering isn't just about physical or digital mess; you can declutter your processes. Have a look at There Was A Crooked House for hints make the mornings smoother. therewasacrookedhouse.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/creating-a-smoother-day-evening-routine/