Hi! So glad you are here, I hope my blog is an uplifting and inviting place for you to come visit! I hope today’s post will help or inspire you in some way.

Today I wanted to share something very practical with other Moms of young children-how to keep things tidy around your house! Easier said than done, am I right? Well I’ve learned a thing or two in my five years of being married and a homemaker, as well as almost four years of being a Mama! Surprisingly my home is cleaner now with two young kids, than it was when I was a newly wed… I attribute this to establishing routines, and actually learning what it really takes to keep a home clean!

Obviously we need realistic expectations here…I’m not telling you my home is always perfect, or that I never get behind with laundry. I’m human, and some days I let things slide a little more. But I’d say I feel pretty organized and not overwhelmed about my home anymore. If you are someone who feels like they are drowning in housework or you just want to incorporate in more tips, this post is for you!

What makes your house feel dirty?

Is it the dishes, floors, or stacks of laundry? I think everyone has two or three things that are cleaning priorities to them. One of mine is a clean kitchen. If it’s dirty I feel like the whole house is messy. So cleaning up after every meal and always keeping clean counters really helps me feel orderly! My second one is floors. I love those fresh vacuum lines! We have three bedrooms with carpet, and the rest is hard flooring so I usually alternate days with vacuuming to make it go quicker. If I vacuum carpets one day, I’ll do the hard floors the next. But I typically vacuum the kitchen and dining room every day because…well, kids and LOTS of crumbs. My point is, always clean the things that will take the biggest mental load off first. If our beds don’t get made that day I feel ok with that, but I don’t feel ok with dirty dishes in the sink or crumbs everywhere! At Least not for an extended amount of time. So set your priorities, and if the priorities get done then move on to the non priority cleaning. Some days you just get the basics done, and that’s ok too!

Power through! 

The more I think about the housework, the harder it is to just get started and get it done. Sometimes we fall into the tendency of saying things like “ugh I have a million things to do!”, I’ve found it’s more useful to not overthink it and just get.it.done. Sometimes it’s during nap time, or sometimes it’s with a baby strapped to me, but turning up some good music, making myself a coffee, and just busting my buns, seems to get the job done! Instead of thinking “I really need to dust” just pull out the duster and do it right then and there. The worst is when company unexpectedly comes over, and you cringe at the cobwebs on the chandelier kicking yourself for not dusting them a week ago when you noticed it needed to get done!

Keep it up 

This is probably my biggest tip! With small kids and a household to run, there’s always something or someone who needs attention. Mom’s truly get no breaks! I’d rather do a bit of housework each day to stay on top of it, then let it pile up. I’ve noticed I’m grumpier, and have a shorter fuse when the house isn’t neat. Perfect and neat are not the same thing- so please don’t feel like I’m telling you your house always needs to be 100%! If you came over to my home right now, you’d notice a few odds and ends that aren’t picked up, but at least my sink is empty and my floors are clean! And honestly, sometimes those things aren’t even done. If my kids need me, or I’m just having a hard day I always allow myself grace. With all that being said, I think making and writing out cleaning routines can also be really useful. I can make time for another post to go into more depth with that if you ladies would like!

I hope these tips helped!

Shirt//Slippers//DIY Cleaning Spray here

Thanks for stopping by!

xo

-Caitlin