How To Simplify Your Home Routines When Life Feels Busy (back to school edition)
It’s back to school for many and the shift out of Summer mode is in full swing. When I feel things ramp up, I like to take some time to pause and reflect on how we can keep peace in our home to avoid feeling run over by our schedule shifts.
The feeling of being rushed is the worst. It adds unnecessary anxiety to my kids, myself and everything we’re doing. It just sucks the fun out of life and I’m not here for it.
Today we’re going to brainstorm together a slew of ideas to find extra pockets of time in your day and streamline your home routines during the week to add more ease and peace when life feels busy.
And for the record, use whatever tips work for you and your family. Not all ideas will work for you and that’s OK. Tweak and adjust things to fit your life, your family and your home, deal?! OK, let’s get going.
Observe The Chaos
Before I start listing out a bunch of ideas to save you time and energy during the week, I want you to take moment to reflect on where you saw, felt and were involved in the most chaos during your days this week.
For example, in our home, getting out the door for school can be very dicey. I have two kids that go to school at two different times, yet are somewhat close together. There is very little room for error. I am always looking for ways to make this go smoother and be as stress-free as possible.
Another example is our very full Monday afternoons. We have a chunk of time in between gymnastics and soccer practice where we have to squeeze in a light dinner, which can also get dicey because there is so little time.
Maybe the end of the day is harder for you. Maybe a certain day of the week is particularly challenging. Own it. Write it down. List out on paper or in your phone each of the moments that feel stressful, take too many steps or are just down right not fun. Now we’re getting somewhere. Now we can start talking solutions! You’ll now be able to start aligning your most chaotic times of day in your life and home with some of the ideas listed below that make the most sense for you.
Daily Routine Simplifying + Plan Ahead Ideas:
Eliminate things in your schedule. If it doesn’t have to be done, don’t do it.
Weave in shortcuts throughout your week. Always shopping for the same groceries? Have a standard list and stick to it or automate it with a grocery pick up order.
Know what things might be forgotten ahead of time. If a paper has to be signed last minute (it’s going to happen), locate a pen right in your pack up location so you don’t have to go running through the house looking for a pen last minute. If your kids always need extra ponytail holders, have an extra stash right near the door.
Pre-wash and chop fruits and veggies for the week that can handle it. I don’t do this with raspberries, for example. Cucumber spears, carrots, celery, grapes and some other berries get used to throw into lunches and pulled out for quick dinners all week long. I’ll also do this for apple slices and toss them in lemon juice and they last for days without going brown. This 10 minute effort on Sundays saves countless minutes all week long.
Make most meals extremely predictable and mindless. In fact I want to challenge you to repeat meals week after week. Get creative only when you want to and have the energy for it. For example, our Monday nights now are always grilled cheese with raw veggies and fruit. Wednesdays are salmon, 3 minute jasmine rice and steamed veggies that cook quickly while the salmon cooks. Dinner is done in 10 minutes. Friday nights we elect to grab something out, usually pizza!
Take 5-10 minutes at night to reset a clutter/chaos collector space. This can be a kitchen counter, a kitchen table, part of the living room, the bathroom, anywhere will do. We just have some spots in our home that need to be revisited most days. It’s just reality. But a little light maintenance each day will prevent loads of clutter and overwhelm at the end of the week when you’re just ready to relax.
Meal Plan. I know you don’t want to but it might be the best thing that’s ever happened to you. I have lots of tools for you like the School Meals Idea Planning Sheet or the Groceries and Meal Planning Bundle.
Fill up water bottles the night before (kids, adults, etc.). They’ll be cold for the next day and more time for other things in the morning.
Clear out and pack up bags the night before (or as much as possible). If everything can’t be packed at night, lay out anything else that needs to go in close by to it’s easy to pack the next day.
Lay out shoes near your exit location. We don’t keep all our shoes in our exit location because we are limited on space, but the shoes my girls wear for the next day go right next to their backpacks. No running through the house last minute to find shoes, yes please!
Create outfits that already go together that can be folded or laid out together in a drawer or hung up in the closet. This could work for kids and adults. My kids don’t use this method most days but occasionally plan something out the night before.
Create a personal clothing uniform. This can be easier during certain seasons for sure. Right now I am a cropped linen pants or light joggers and t-shirt girl. It is easy. It is comfortable. It is predictable. It is mindless. If I want to off-road one day I do it.
Add hooks to hang up items to take or reminder notes for the next day. It’s hooks for days over here in this house. I couldn’t go a day without them! From a jacket, to clipping a dollar or return receipt to a hanging basket, or an encouraging note for your child on their way out for school, hooks near your entry/exit areas can help streamline your efforts to remember all the extras.
Cook a meal on the weekend that lots of left overs or is easy to reinvent. One of my favorite weekend meals is chili or pasta with meat sauce. Both of these give us at least 3 dinners during the week. If I want something easy to reinvent, I think about grilled chicken. It can go into pasta, we have it on top of beans with avocado, make tacos or quesadillas, can throw it on a big cobb salad, etc.
Add good music to a mundane task. I’m not sure this will save you time (it might if it makes you do the task faster!) but it will certainly add more joy to your day!
Do a quick reset of your entry/exit zone each week. Remove any non-essentials and clutter that showed up that week. Check out this past blog post helping you do exactly that HERE.
Do a morning routine audit. Frankly, you can do this with any part of your day or your end of day routine (or bedtime routine). Remove any steps that are making the process harder or less enjoyable. More details on how to do this in a past blog post HERE!
Get more sleep and go to bed earlier. Not sure how this will save you time during the day? In a nutshell, everything your brain and body tries to do the next day on more sleep will be easier. Oh, and your overall health will be better for it too! Check out these 7 Surprising Reasons To Get More Sleep to motivate you even more!
Don’t give up precious minutes/hours of your day over to mindless phone scrolling. Recover extra minutes in your day by intentionally using technology and setting healthy boundaries for yourself. If you’d like help with digital decluttering, check out my guide HERE.
Leave out a task list for important items that randomly pop into your head you need to remember. Save yourself brain space and put it in a spot where everyone can see it. Write it down, get it done and most importantly, don’t forget it! See our favorite This Week Printable Planner HERE.
And now I want to here from you!
Drop a comment below of something you love to do during your week to make life easier, save you time, energy and add more peace into your home when life feels busy.
And don’t forget to let me know if any of the tips above were particularly helpful for you in your home!
How To Do A Spring Declutter On Kids Toys
The dust has settled on the new year and we’ve all moved into a new routines. By now you know a bit more about the things that walked in the door at the end of last year. Some are being enjoyed and others are just creating unnecessary clutter and work for you. Since we are right on the cusp of Spring (even if the weather doesn’t quite feel like it where you are) this is the perfect time to reset your home from the toy clutter that’s accumulated since the new year. Here’s 3 steps to help you do a solid decluttering on your kids toys as we move into Spring (or anytime)!
Toys can mean anything your kids are playing and engaging with. Cast the net as wide or as narrow as you’d like to declutter.
1. Observe what they’re playing with.
This includes anything you consider “toys” in your home or fosters play, problem solving and creating. Think sports equipment, outdoor toys, bath toys, books, building sets, random “treasures”, rock collections, crafting supplies, stuffies, games, etc. I bet off the top of your head you’ll be able to identify several things you haven’t see your kids touch in months (if not longer) or have outgrown. In this phase of Spring toy decluttering, we’re merely taking note of what you’re seeing going on in your home to help you in the next step.
Bonus Tips:
To confirm your suspicions about what your kids are or aren’t playing with, ask them about what their favorites are (if age appropriate). Talk to your kids about things you never see them use and discuss whether to keep it or not. Move things around to draw more attention to items you suspect they enjoy but might have forgotten about because of where they are stored (out of sight). Use this as a benchmark for which items to keep while you’re observing what they’re naturally gravitating towards.
2. Do a thorough edit involving your kids.
You can tackle this in a few different ways. One, by a single category at a time. For example, edit all books, all building toys, all bouncy balls, all board games, dress up items, etc. Individual categories help you focus on one group of things at a time. Two, you can also edit by zone in your home. Toys in the bedroom, the primary play area, the toy chest, etc. Focusing on a certain zone in your home allows you to start and complete one area before moving on to another. However you want to do this is the right way to do it for you. In both of these options, you can break down the process into small chunks, as you can get to it with your schedule. Your kids will also stay more focused for a Spring decluttering on toys in small bursts of time. Correct, no clearing your schedule for a toy edit! Ain’t nobody got time for that!
Bonus Tips:
Involve your kids in whatever what you are able and feel comfortable. Age will steer conversations and the level of involvement. Take this decluttering time with your kids to ask questions, to listen and learn about what they’re enjoying most at this time. It is a time of connection and learning together. Ask what they enjoy most out of a group of book OR which are your favorite books you love reading over and over again? Ask directly “which items do you no longer enjoy?” Involve them in the donation, recycling, and giveaway process. Talk about what is trash versus something you can repair and keep. These are all just jumping off points on how to start. You know your child best and I know you’ll come up with some great ideas on decluttering together that is age appropriate. If you’re child is too young to involve, focus on toys they’ve outgrown, are developmental appropriate, safety and what activities you want encourage. Avoid toys that do all the work for your kids - focus on keeping toys that can be reinvented over and over again into different things depending on how they want to play in that moment.
One thing that has always been important in our home is to make drawing, art and creating accessible. We intentionally keep paper and drawing supplies out on one end of our table at all times and it gets used every single day!
3. Make it easy for play to happen.
After you’ve completed your Spring toy decluttering on any and all of the toys and play/create things, assess what you’ve decided to keep. Take a moment to make sure to set up clear zones for play to happen easily in your home. Not everything has to be out at one time, but items should be easily accessed by the kids as it makes sense for your space. Lesser used items can be tucked away, up high or in a spot adults can help with if it needs more supervision or more time to set up. Keep their favorites easy to access. If you want to encourage more reading or for that untouched bead set to be used, make it easy to see and reach for.
Bonus Tips:
During the Spring season, continue to take note of what they’re enjoying and what they’re outgrowing. Decluttering is an on-going process for all of us and this idea is highlighted the most with kids. They grow and change in the blink of an eye. Taking the time to filter what comes in, care for what is in the home, and being resourceful with what is kept is a must. When they’re asking for new things or to buy something with their piggy bank money, ask helpful questions to guide their decisions making like: where will this item go in the home, do you have anything like this already, how will you use this or play with it, how will you take of it, how much space will it take up and is that worth it to you, etc. While your child will still make the decision, these are questions they should learn to have in the mind before bringing new things into the home. Yes, it gets easier for you and them with practice!
NOTE: Adults need to comb through all these tools in our mind as well to help filter what we bring into the home. We model what we want to teach to our kids and decluttering is a powerful medium to share and learn with our kids over and over again.
A few organizing tips:
Once you’ve identified all your toy “keeps”, use this list as a go by when you’re finding homes for things + getting reorganized:
Try to store things where they will be used a much as possible, or where it would be the most convenient to access them
Make sure the main users (kids) can safely access things you want them to
Keep sometimes toys or items that need adult support away from the main play zones
Organize items by type and by size (building, books, kitchen toys, dress up, etc.)
Big items need a big shelf or bin / Smaller items need smaller containers to store them - when they get mixed is when you dig and lose things!
Not everything needs to be out at one time / consider rotating things around as needed / less out reduces overwhelm (where they choose nothing) and fosters more creativity
If you want to encourage more play with a particular thing, put in an obvious, easy to access space / move things around until you get the results you’re after
The size of your space or zone detemines how much you’ll have out. If something needs to be tucked away or pulled out, make sure it’s in an easy to reach spot so things don’t get forgotten/ignored.
Encourage easy clean up by making it simple and intuitive for your kids to do it on their own - but make sure to teach them what to do, what the expectations are and follow up!
The best “toy” you can offer your kids is open space to play, create, learn and breathe! Aim for less whenever possible.
Want more support decluttering all things kids?
Declutter Guide for Kids
See all Declutter Tools + Guides
Let me know how I can support you in your home.
Drop your comments below. Thanks for being here!
3 Things You're Doing That Sabotage Your Decluttering Efforts (+ what to do instead)
I have a lot of repeat conversations with family, friends and new clients about how they put effort into decluttering in their home, only to see clutter come back with vengeance. I’m here to help you take back control of the decluttering in your home so your effort isn’t wasted.
Kitchen counters can harbor a lot of stress when they’re covered in “stuff”, from drying dishes, to appliances, to randomness that needs to get put away. Aim to have out as little as on those kitchen counters as much as possible.
1. Inconsistent home reset routines.
I'm talking about a nightly clean up + reset in the main spaces of the home, hanging up clothing in your room at the end of the bed, clearing off kitchen counters, etc. Doing these daily, quick tidying moments make decluttering so much easier when you go to do it because everything isn't screaming for your attention that simply needs to be put away.
Bonus Take-Action Tip:
Write down one thing you can do to create more order in your home tonight before you go to bed. Just pick one. Start consistently doing it this week and pay close attention to how it positively sets you up for the next day. Example: Put all the dishes away on the counters before bed so you wake up to an uncluttered kitchen and not an immediate to do list.
2. Not having a decluttering mindset everyday.
Tap the brakes, I am not asking you to declutter everyday, not at all. I am asking you to see your home through a lens of decluttering as much as possible. When you see something in your kitchen you never use + it's jamming up your drawer, remove it. When your kiddo comes to you with clothing that doesn't fit anymore, remove it. Better yet, set up a small zone somewhere in your home for donation to go the second you notice they need to go. Decluttering (most of the time) is not this big massive effort. It can + should be chipped away at in little bits!
Bonus Take-Action Tip:
Do a quick check in at the end of the week…did you observe anything this week that you no longer need, was grown out of or is beyond repair? Go ahead and remove those items (toss, recycle, donate). To help you remember, set a reoccurring appointment on your phone once a week that says ‘declutter?’ as a reminder and take action as needed.
If kids are in your home, anytime is a good time to declutter. From books they no longer read or have outgrown, to clothing that no longer fits. Things are constantly changing, growing and evolving with them and it’s the perfect reminder to maintain a declutter mindset with everything in our home.
3. Waiting until you have the perfect time to declutter.
NEWS FLASH MY LOVE, IT AIN'T COMING!! The perfect time will never show up so please stop waiting! So to recap…start anywhere, at anytime! Small, consistent bits of progress will serve you well + win every time over obsessing about the right time to spend hours decluttering, burning yourself out + making you miserable! Be proud of where you're at + keep going!
Bonus Take-Action Tip:
One way to easily integrate decluttering in your full schedule is to get it down on paper. In whatever time amount you’re comfortable with, jot down your plan. Example: I plan to declutter for 15 minute bursts at least 3 times this week. The more specific, the more likely it is to happen. Pick one zone or move to different areas. Progress is progress, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
“Success doesn't come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently.” – Marie Forleo
Want more decluttering tools and tips? Here’s more you can find in the shop.
Clothing Closet Declutter Guide Entire Home Declutter Kit
Declutter Guide for Kids All Access Declutter Bundle
Let me know how I can support you in your home.
Drop your comments below. Thanks for being here!
How To Start Your New Year: 3 Easy Tips To Simplify Your Life + Home
Truth time. I hate the pressure of starting the New Year off “right” and I’m a natural born goal setter and go-getter. There’s pressure to have goals, set intentions, do more, be more, do better. I’d like to take a counterintuitive approach in sharing 3 tips with you that will reduce your overwhelm day to day and simplify your life and home. We are setting no goals here, just offering ways to simplify your life. Deal? Ok, let’s get started.
Creating peace in my office niche has both to do with how the physical space looks/feels + with what’s lurking in my email inbox. Both need + deserve attention to be maintained.
1. Unsubscribe to Emails
Now I want you to be ruthless in this email unsubscribe purge effort for 10-15 minutes. The plan is to start unsubscribing from emails you don’t read or doesn’t add value to your life.
Make it happen: Look for marketing emails to stores you don’t shop at, emails you never signed up for (it happens), blog or email subscriptions to content that no longer interest you. Also consider changing the frequency setting to once a month to stores/shops you love but don’t want to hear from them as often.
Benefits: You’ll scroll less and have less emails to manage. By creating more boundaries in your email inbox, the more time you’ll save and the less overwhelmed you’ll be by your inbox.
Bonus tip: Do this a few times a year to keep your inbox wrangled (I like to do it at the change of a season since it’s easy to remember) . Deleting unwanted emails is a separate effort. If you struggle with this, schedule a reoccurring appointment on your calendar once a week for a short burst of concentrated effort to simplify your inbox.
Having the beds made in the kids’ room is crucial so the room doesn’t feel incredibly small as a shared space. When the beds are made, they tend to put their clothes away quicker and keep the room cleaner overall to maintain the fresh feeling they walked into. Since my kids are still young, this is often a joint effort and modeling this skill is the first step.