I'm baring my soul (and my kitchen) below. How you live in your house, and how you sell your home are two different things. I took pictures of my kitchen exactly how it looks after a frenetic weekend with the kids, and a hectic morning getting them all off to school. I'm sure many of the rooms in your home look just like this. (Right??? Don't they?) This is what a well lived in home can look like, and I gave myself 10 minutes to get it show ready.

Ready...set...go!

To be honest, most of this was just putting things back where they're supposed to be, but it also entailed clearing some small appliances off the counter, clearing off the refrigerator, and hiding my "lunch station" (bread, peanut butter, sandwich bags, etc) in the pantry.

Some other ideas of how to live to quickly stage a home:

• Pack all toys except what fit in a storage container. When you have a showing, throw all the toys in the container, then put the container in a closet.
• Institute "no eating and drinking" rules except in the kitchen until the house is sold (that goes for messy husbands, too).
• Delegate one bathroom for all usage. You only have one to worry about before showings, and the others should remain clean.
• Declare rooms "off limits" to everyone. If they don't sit on the couch - you won't have to fix the pillows before the showing.
• Do a "final walkthrough" before leaving in the morning. Carry a trashbag with you and put everything that you don't have time to put away into the trashbag. Empty the bag when you get home that night.

Want some more tips? Shoot me an email and I'll send you more ways to "live" while "selling." Also, checkout Flylady.net for some great systems on how to keep you home clean and clutter free (obviously, I'm only a wannabe Flylady - just look at my kitchen!)