Whether you’re pressed for time before dinner guests arrive or simply overwhelmed with the amount of items on your to-do list, just about everyone could use some help when it comes to cleaning. Here are a few smart ways to help you speed through household cleaning tasks.

• Work in a circle. Instead of attacking things in each room at random, make a plan to work in a circle. In the kitchen, that might mean wiping down the refrigerator and tossing out expired foods, giving the stove a good scrub, wiping down counter and tabletops, then loading the dishwasher last.
• Start with the worst first. If you dread cleaning the bathroom or tidying up the bedroom, start with that room first. By getting the hardest part out of the way when you have the most energy, you’ll speed through the rest of your chores.
• Take inventory while cleaning. If you notice that something doesn’t need to be cleaned, such as the already-spotless windows, then eliminate it from the list to save time. Unless it’s something requiring sanitization, like the toilet, there’s no shame in leaving it be.
• Do a final sweep. Once you’re done with the major cleaning tasks, give your home a final sweep, putting everything in its right place and creating an organized look.

Speed Cleaning [The Inspired Room]
30 Quick and Easy Cleaning Tips [Woman’s Day]
9 Tips For Speed Cleaning [About Home]
Clean Your Home in Less than 20 Minutes [SheKnows]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr tompagenet

May your day be touched with a little bit of the luck of the Irish!

Lady Bird Lake is an outdoor recreational area named for former First Lady Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson, who spent the latter years of her life supporting efforts to beautify the lake.

When you need to unwind after a long day, you can choose from four local agencies to rent a kayak, canoe, paddle boat, or board. There are hiking and running trails galore. In fact, the 10.1-mile trail and 1-mile boardwalk are the longest in the city! Lady Bird Lake also offer recreational fishing and also hosts a statue of respected musician Steve Ray Vaughn. Of course, you can simply arrive to soak up some sunshine and reconnect with nature.

Note that swimming in the lake is prohibited!

Lady Bird Lake
South Lakeshore Boulevard at Town Lake Circle
Austin, TX 78741
(512) 974-6700
www.austintexas.gov/page/lady-bird-lake

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr GohRo