 I walked in the laundry room earlier and was shocked at how clean it looked in here - those towels, rags and other random items had been sitting for a few days. Even if it's just for 15 minutes, picking up some of the lingering items around your home once the kids are in bed can make a huge difference in your mood and mindset the next day - a quick reset. I don't do it every night, but inevitably, it makes the next day run more smoothly and feel less stressful when I do.  Remember, it's normal to have stuff out! You LIVE in your home! The goal is to make it easy to pick up and maintain so you can do so quickly and not waste excessive amounts of your precious time.
I've got a few tidying hacks coming up this week! What do you struggle with most when it comes to keeping your home tidy? Tell me!
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 ⏰ THE TIMER TRICK ⏰
Works great for kids and adults alike… On Instagram recently, I shared Jacqueline (@big.family.mom - check her out!)’s reel, suggesting (in a good way!) to be productive during nap/quiet time, instead of zoning out for yourself and then blaming others (kids!) that “I just can’t get anything done”. Resting is great, but limit yourself so you don’t feel the frustration later - a timer is an awesome tool for this - I use it all.the.time! Here are a few ways to use a timer when managing your home and family that will increase productivity (great for moms and older kids) and limit frustrations (great for moms and younger kids struggling with transitions): ⏰ Take a break ⏰ Limit screen time or other activity ⏰ Make a quick decision / avoid analysis paralysis ⏰ Challenge yourself to finish a task ⏰ Countdown to a new activity / transition ⏰ Establish a new routine or habit Have you tried the timer trick?  No matter how much you stick to a routine or (loose) schedule at home, going out can totally throw you off - anything can happen when kids are involved!
It may sound counterintuitive, but being prepared with the RIGHT tools is an important part of minimalish living. Owning less and being more intentional ensures that you have things that add value to you and your family's life. Sometimes it's actually easier to have a few *extra* things you could need, especially when you're out with the little ones! I carry my stocked backpack. Maybe you're extremely minimalist and only throw a diaper in your purse - but, how many times do you *wish* you had...  Storing kitchen gadgets can make you say, "What the fork?". Here are a few tips:
👩🍳 Declutter these like CRAZY - be honest with yourself; (see: the mortar and pestle I used once and likely will never use again) *especially* before you buy any bins/containers! 👩🍳 Keep what you use closest to where you’ll grab it 👩🍳 Don’t overcrowd bins; give everything a designated home 👩🍳 Maintain/repair/replace tools you use and find valuable in your toolbox Some choose to have bare counters. I cook daily, so I don’t mind tools I use on my counters: 🔪 Utensil crock 🔪 Knife block 🔪 Salt, pepper and sugar crocks (these are SO convenient!) Containers are from Ikea and Target- between $2-$4 for multi-packs! I’ll take you through my kitchen in stories later for some other fun kitchen hacks you may want to try. Do you struggle with organizing your gadgets?  Math was NOT my strong suit. But minimalish math... I can definitely do that!
I recently talked about figuring out what to declutter - keep 20% and dump 80%. It may sound extreme, but that ruthlessness will keep clutter from creeping back (with maintenance, of course!).  You can set your child up for success at home with functional areas for learning, play, care and relaxation, BUT - children thrive on routine. The “work” at home isn’t over when you declutter and minimize - it just started!
Your home can run at maximum efficiency when you establish good habits, routines and systems - simplifying and minimizing only makes doing this less frustrating and less stressful. It’s also easier to take care of and gives you time back in your routine to be more intentional with what you’re spending it on.  HELP. My child just WON'T.LET.GO.
🧸 Establish that when one toy comes in, one goes out [immediately choose one toy to leave when a new one comes in] 🧮 Discuss opening up their space to have more space to play [create a special area to display (fewer) toys beautifully (whatever this means to you!) - get your child excited to go to them] 👦 Talk about giving items that were once loved a second life to someone else who will love it too [donate, gift, sell] ⏰ Get them excited about having more time to play [and less time cleaning up or looking for things] 💙 Encourage them sharing WHY items are favorites [what's most loved about them and why are they special to your child?] 🤔 Discuss the importance of making choices [give them "the power to choose" one item versus another]  Mr. Rogers may have said it best, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”
Children explore and learn about the world around them through play. And when we think of play, we often think of TOYS that drive those little explorers to absorb new concepts and provide some guidance. Studies show that less toys equals higher quality play. The University of Toledo in Ohio studied 36 toddlers (ages 18 to 30 months) in free-play sessions with either 4 or 16 toys. In the groups who played with only four toys, toddlers played in more varied, advanced ways for longer periods of time.  So how do you approach minimalism with your children? Nervous? You don't have to be. The easiest way to figure out what you can minimize, declutter, organize and systemize is to OBSERVE. Something you probably already do all.the.time.
Teaching a child to let go gracefully and have a good relationship with their possessions is a learned skill that many young ones need help (maybe A LOT) with. By observing what they gravitate towards as you declutter, (their favorite types of toys, most-loved characters and things they go to frequently) you can do your best to avoid upset and hurt feelings. The goal is to avoid making them feel like you’re taking away, they’re “in trouble”, or you’re trying to get rid of their favorite things.  Kid's stuff. The little pieces. The piles. The stuff they play with that aren't actually even toys (I'm looking at you, rocks and cardboard boxes!).
Not to mention the (very generous and thoughtful) gifts from family and friends. The (LOTS) of laundry. The kitchen supplies and utensils. I could go on, but you get it, so I won't. I put the kitchen set (Christmas gift) in our kitchen for now, so we could "work together". Our wonderful family gifted A LOT of fake food and kitchen accessories for birthday (October) and Christmas - two weeks ago, I put a lot of it in the toy bins to see what could happen... Let's just say the current amount of fake food in the bins has been cut down by 2/3. She's still thrilled, plays with it multiple times a day, and reaches for the cupcakes, donuts and pizza instead of the veggies. In one word, tell me, what is your biggest struggle with "kid stuff"? |
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