Are you looking for a great new habit for the new year? May I introduce the Friday Tidy!

By the time my work week ends Friday evening, I am ready for the weekend. Both my body and my brain are tired.  But I still want to be ready for whatever the weekend might bring.  If a friend calls and wants to stop by, I don't want to be in a panic.

So, I started the Friday Tidy.  When I come home from work, I spend about 60 minutes doing a quick once-over of the main part of the house. This isn't a deep clean — it's a touch-up!

Here's what I do:

• I run a cleaning wipe over the fixtures in the bathroom and clear away any used towels.
• I do any dishes that are in the kitchen sink.
• I empty the garbage cans and take the garbage and recycling outside.
• I put the laundry in the hamper where it belongs.
• I go through any mail that's stacked up and separate things I need to handle from the huge amounts of junk I can toss.
• I put away clothes and gather any dry cleaning.
• If I have a minute, I might sweep the living room or do a quick tidy in the kitchen.

By the time I've finished with these things, whatever I tossed into the oven for dinner is done.  And I've earned a nice glass of wine and an evening of reading and watching movies — without worrying about who might stop by over the weekend.