It’s the New Year, a time to feel that fresh slate that comes with writing January 1st, along with the change in that one digit in the year!
Time and time again, I have had people ask my husband and I how we keep such a tidy house. Now before you roll your eyes and stop reading, let me tell you that we have junk drawers, I don’t pair socks up and my tupperware drawer shoots pieces out at me each time I open it!
However, with three kids and two dogs, we really can put our house together in a matter of minutes to host last minute guests (we are just coming out of 2020, so these guests are typically our neighbors since they are in our bubble!)
Here are three proven ways to implement organization into your home in a matter of minutes, not hours (PS Dave works full time and I run a business out of the home. We no longer have a cleaning lady, to put things into perspective for you!)
1. Everything Needs a Place
Develop a system where everything has a place. Take a look around the space you hate the most. Is it your bedroom? What is laying around? Dirty clothes (put them in a hamper)? Clean clothes folded but not put away (Think about storing them in a basket in the laundry room until you are ready to put them away)? Jewelry (Put your jewels in an organizer!) How about your kitchen? Are there random envelopes of mail (Get a basket for these and make time to go through once a week)? How about children’s toys (Depending on the age, place a basket in your nearby family room for toys–I suggest this for younger children. Older children can take their toys to a toy room or their bedroom at the end of the day when it’s time to clean up)?
Greatest Hack: At the end of the night while dinner is cooking and I am picking up, I place children’s toys on the landing of the stairs (okay, I throw them there!) and the rule is, if there are toys or items that are yours and you walk by them, pick them up and put them away!
2. Minimize the Complaining and JUST DO IT!
Tough love is happening here. If you are an adult, there are going to be chores to do if you live a life that requires eating, sleeping and wearing different clothing each day! Lessen the amount of complaining you do centered around these chores. Teach your children to do chores so that the burden is not on one or two people in a four to five person household. Here’s a handy dandy chore list, BTW.
Shift the attitude around laundry, dishes and cleaning to “I get” to do these things for a loving family. What really helped me was listening to audiobooks while I cook, clean and do the laundry (if the kids are occupied during this time!)
3. Seasonal Donations
Each season, we all spend time going through the following areas of the home to find items we no longer use. We either donate them, toss or sometimes, depending on what they are, we may sell them on Facebook Marketplace.
- Toys
- Clothing
- Kitchen Supplies
- Pantry Items
- Junk Drawers
- Desk Drawers
- Bathroom Cabinets
- Laundry Cabinets
- Garage
Once again, encourage your children to participate if they are of school age. Even preschoolers can sort socks in their sock drawer and pull out the oddballs!
I hope you found these tips to be helpful. If you want to read more parenting hacks and tips, sign up for our monthly newsletter. By doing so, you will receive a free chore list.
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