Hi friends :)
I feel like I am always striving for a calmer home within the chaos of having two young children. Add on the fact that we are homeschooling and things can get out of hand oh so quickly. Our space is very much lived in. There’s messes from homemade meals, endless snacks, homeschool resources, art projects, paper… oh, so much paper. Multiple outfit changes, toys, LEGO, dirt, debris, and rocks from outdoor play… you name it. But I have found that small tweaks and habits that I have adopted over the years have helped me maintain a sliver of calm. I wanted to share them with you today.
#1: Keep surfaces clear and have a place for everything. I like clear counters – less clutter makes me function better. I took nearly everything off our kitchen countertops aside from a few daily appliances. If you have a place for everything in your home, it helps to cut down on the clutter that accumulates on surfaces.
#2: Add mood lighting. On days that feel extra overwhelming, I love having mood lighting around. This especially helps in the cold months when it is dark. The house could be in shambles but if I turn on some low lighting and calm music, my mood is lifted. We use and love electric tea lights, salt lamps, twinkle lights, and small lamps.
#3: Always be decluttering. A big declutter is a good start, but it never stays that way. That is why it is important to always be taking inventory and keeping up with anything that enters your home. Doing a little bit here and there keeps things manageable.
#4: Be okay with white space. You don’t have to fill every wall with art or every shelf with tons of knick knacks. A few statement pieces (or even better, plants) is enough to cozy up your home without adding too much visual clutter.
#5: Don’t stuff your closets. Weed through your wardrobe and make some tough decisions. If you no longer work in an office setting, maybe you don’t need all your business casual pieces. If the jeans don’t fit your current body, out they go. Only keep things that you truly love and wear. I paired down my wardrobe and it has lead to less laundry and less decision fatigue.
#6: Add life (plants!) Plants are, in my opinion, the very best decor. Nature is calming and great for the air quality of your home.
#7: Implement the 30-second rule. If it takes less than 30 seconds put it away, go and do that. I swear, this mentality took me a bit to turn into a habit but now that it is, it has helped keep things like coats or shoes or whatever else off of my staircase or another surface of the house.
#8: Tidy before bed. Put the kitchen and living room to bed before you sit down to relax. I adopted this habit many years ago and it is seriously one of the best because waking up to a clean slate in our main living areas every morning does wonders for my mood. I find that on nights that I don’t do this, I wake up and feel like I am still living in the chaos from the previous day and it affects my mood greatly. Clean counter tops, swept floors, toys and such put away, pillows fluffed… it feels like a breath of fresh air first thing in the morning.
#9: Minimize toys. If you have not paired down your kids toys, I highly recommend this. Too many toys is not only overwhelming to you, but also your children. Keep the most loved toys and anything that is hardly played with, a duplicate, or broken needs to go. This is such a sensitive thing, especially for some kids, but around 5-6 years old, you can include them in this process. It takes time for them to come around, but explaining how donating works and how they can make another child happy with their donation is something most kids are proud to take part in.
#10: Use baskets. For the toys or things you do need around in your main living area, I recommend having natural baskets around the house. They not only look beautiful, but will contain messes. We have a huge basket for LEGO in our living room because the kids tend to play with them the most. When they are out, it is an explosion of color but clean-up is so easy and you would never know what’s inside! Baskets are great for books, too.
