It’s that time of year again when the kids go back to school, and it suddenly feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day. Feeling overwhelmed? Stressed? Is your brain cluttered?
Here are some tried and true tips and tricks for keeping your home organized and clean when you have a family, job, activities, and just a whole lot on your plate!
1. First and foremost, the number one rule to staying organized is to be prepared.
Prep. Prep. Prep. In my house, Sundays are designated for meal prepping, lunch packing, and getting all daycare/work bags ready for the week. I fill out the daycare forms ahead of time, make sure all sheets and bedding are washed and neatly in bags, and label all snacks and food prepared in advance. I put the bags in my car the night before to do one less thing in the morning. The importance of prep work is to save time when you’re in a rush. Mornings are chaos. Therefore, anything I can prep the night before saves me the stress when I am in a time crunch.
2. Designate certain days for specific chores.
You can choose to make a schedule with all of your household chores spread out throughout the week. Or, you can designate one day of the week for all of the chores. Personally, I tend to do chores twice a week, but not on specific days.
- Laundry needs to be done twice a week, so whenever I fold and put away the last load, I know I have about a day and a half before starting the next load.
- Vacuuming needs to be done twice a week as well, and I schedule that around when my kids will be out of the house.
- Windows, grocery shopping, dusting get done on a weekend day.
- Dishes/general tidying are done every day.
3. Create good habits.
- Train yourself to put things back where they belong immediately after use.
- Do not allow dishes to sit in the sink. Wash your dishes and utensils immediately after eating. It takes about five minutes, max.
- Keep an eye on the laundry. If it starts to reach the top of the bin, throw it in the washing machine.
4. Get moving.
When you wake up in the morning, start by making your bed. This will start you off on the right foot for the rest of your day. As you check off your tasks, you will feel energized and accomplished.
5. Create a daily to-do list and check them off as you go.
There’s something about that little checkmark that makes you feel satisfied.
6. Set goals.
Say to yourself, I have five tasks that need to get done today. I will complete three this morning and two this afternoon. This way, you’re always heading in the direction of completion and stay organized.
7. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get everything done that you need to.
Instead, be proud of the progress you made.
8. Have extra snacks and clothing everywhere.
I am talking everywhere. Your parent’s house, school, daycare, friends’ houses, but most importantly, the car! I have a giant-sized Costco box of goldfish packets in my car that has saved me many days when in complete toddler meltdown mode.
9. Always be aware of the future.
Don’t get me wrong, we all need to be living in the present. But, it is very important to be aware of what is coming up on the calendar so that the proper prep work gets done.
10. Do not waste nap time/downtime on social media!
This is a biggie. We all get sucked into the rabbit hole and come out two hours later confused and hungry. When you get those extra minutes or hours, put the phone down! I am a social media junkie. However, I will not allow myself to waste my precious time to myself by not accomplishing something. Once everything on your to-do list is complete, have at it!
11. Use your calendar/reminders app to note any upcoming meetings, events, parties, etc.
I look at my calendar about 10 times a day to stay on top of everything going on.
