A neat and tidy home can help you feel more peaceful, no doubt about it.
But sometimes the mundane tasks of each day prevent you from tidying up. Before you know it, the kitchen counters are hidden under piles of papers, both the washer and dryer are full, and you’re pretty sure there’s a sippy cup of old milk under the couch. I’ve been there!
So, what are some simple steps you can take to make your home look and feel more put together, and, in turn, make you feel calmer at the end of the night? Don’t worry, friends: it’s easier than you think!
- Never put your mail down. Just say no! Designate a spot to open your mail as soon as you enter the house. For me, I stand at the kitchen trash can. 80% of all my mail is junk mail, but even if it’s something that I need to handle later (a bill, for example), at least the outer envelope can go straight in the trash or recycling. From there, I sort: bills to pay, magazines to read later, or school correspondence to hang on the fridge.
2. Take an empty laundry basket on a tour of your home. Pick up anything out of place (shoes in the living room floor, the spatula that your toddler is obsessed with and winds up finding every single day, or laundry that didn’t quite make it to the hamper.) I like to set a timer for ten minutes to pick up stray items. Then I start the timer over again for another ten minutes to take the items to their proper homes. Don’t want to bother with a timer? Work through a commercial break, and try to finish before the next episode of Bluey.
3. Hang up those towels! Teach your spouse and children to do the same. Not only do towels in the floor look awful, smell, and attract bugs, but you can drastically cut down on your laundry if your family members re-use their towels once or twice. Obviously, use your discernment here.
4.Have a designated shoe space. Some families ban shoes indoors. I’m not one of those moms, but I still don’t want random shoes lying in the floor for a toddler to trip over, or worse, chew on! (I speak from experience, friends!) On school mornings, there’s the added drama of finding shoes before being late. So, our family has a designated shoe spot where everyday shoes are kept. My kids know: line your shoes up nice and neat when you take them off and you’ll keep Mama happy.
5. Make up your bed. Yes, every day. Yes, even if you’re running late. It really only takes about 90 seconds (re-evaluate your pillow situation if it takes you longer), and the pay off is so nice. It’s hard to explain just how pleasant it is to see your nice, neat bed in the evening. Smooth sheets, lined up pillows, soft glow of the lamp – inviting, yes?
6. Teach your children how to help. You have done everything for your tiny humans, for literally their entire lives. They don’t automatically know how to put away, tidy up, or straighten anything until you teach them. Show them where the toys belong. Show them how to hang a shirt on a hanger. Show them to scrape their plates into the trash or compost. It’s life changing for you, and it’s preparing them to be a responsible adult. Win-win!
7. Purge your closets! Can’t be brutally honest with your wardrobe? (Me either.) Try hanging everything in your closet backward. Mark a date 10 months in the future on your calendar, allowing time for the seasons to change. When the 10 months are up, donate everything that is still facing backward.
These are some simple things you can do to drastically improve the clutter in your home. Get your family on board to pull their own weight. You won’t regret it! Follow me for more tips on how to enjoy your clean and tidy home!