New year, new you! Ok..it is not a new you but you can improve anything or change anything that you desire. That is the beauty of this world. There are things I’m absolutely no good at and others I think I’m pretty decent at! For instance, I used to struggle to stay organized and usually found myself under so much pressure and stress! Now, I’m a planner-packing Momma with a plan for just about everything.
I like to call it organized chaosâŠ
Do I always follow through on every plan?….Definitely do not. But making lists and goals will dramatically change the way you handle things and what you can accomplish. If you’re feeling run down, always busy, stressed, whatever it may be….I am going to share my secrets for you.. to keeping things mostly together to avoid that Hot Mama Mess! I’ve been there, it sucks. And I promise these little habits do make things feel easier.
1. Make a weekly plan for chores, workouts, meals, errands….
That’s right. Seems tedious but it works. And pretty soon you’ll have made such a habit from this, that you’ll have it memorized and accomplish tasks like a pro (even if you’re frowning, downing coffee..you’re getting it done like a boss) For instance, I like to grocery shop on Saturday mornings so I can relax the rest of the week.
I also like to tackle one daily chore throughout the weekdays too. That way once Saturday afternoon hits, I’m a free woman. No cleaning, minimal cooking and my house is wonderfully clean & stocked with food and I can rest till Monday. No questions about what to eat either!
When I complete every task each day, that I knew was on schedule, I feel happy and less like there is so much to do. It frees up more time in my day and keeps me from frantically trying to keep everything clean at once….which is impossible!!! So set real goals!
Weekly chores/tasks ideas:
- Monday– Wash and fold all laundry from weekend, Clean Kitchen
- Tuesday– Deep clean bathrooms
- Wednesday-Dust & clean floors
- Thursday-Wash sheets
- Friday– Organize Toys, Books, and anything that was misplaced during the week hustle.
- Saturday– Meal Plan For 1-2 weeks and grocery shop and meal prep a few things. Run errands. (Try to do this early so you’re free the rest of the day)
- Sunday– Minor pick up/clean up from weekend
And get kids involved if you are a mom! There are wonderful chore charts and reward systems to implement but more on that later!
Of course, you’ll have to upkeep kitchen and laundry daily too. And some weeks just don’t go according to plan. But when you give yourself a schedule, you will tend to stick to it. So write up a plan that is realistic to you!
Meal Plan Ideas:
- Man-Day Monday– my husband goes back to work on Monday..so he gets to pick (it is usually Mexican!) Or “My Pick Monday” works wonders too!
- Taco Tuesday -get creative!
- Italian Wednesday– all things pasta and bread
- Thursday Kid Night– (usually classic kid items like homemade Mac n cheese..homemade “Hamburger Helper”, diy chicken nuggets) Bonus points if you let kids get involved and excited to be in charge! Even if it’s coming straight from the store let them help or set table/clean up. Don’t have kids?… make this your favorite healthy meal!
- Fish Friday– salmon, fried, sushi…
- Take out Saturday– we run errands early Saturday, so having lunch or dinner out helps a lot. Even if it’s fast food, take out, or just something from the deli..we cut ourselves a break.
- Sassy Sunday– waffles, bacon, bake a cake, grill a steak, dips, enjoy a clean home and lots of food on this day. Have a glass of wine and enjoy! Reset before Monday!
The whole week I do the same things for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is granola bars, bananas, oatmeal, fruit,overnight oats, frozen waffles etc…
Lunch is usually leftovers or salads, soups & sandwiches. And snacks are usually the same as breakfast/lunch….granola, berries, veggies. Just keep ingredients clean when store buying! I love Aldis for cheap, healthier quick snacks like travel trail mix, healthy popcorn packs for kids, rice cakes and so on..
Just make sure you write down your meal plan and bring it with you. It will create a budget and simple trip for you every week! And buy fruits and veggies that are in season so they are fresher and cheaper & to save even more money!
Weekly Workout Plan:
- Monday– arms
- Tuesday– abs
- Wednesday– legs
- Thursday– cardio
- Friday– Yoga
Find a groove and keep to it. Hop on YouTube after work or in the morning and squeeze in a small video routine. If you want to keep going then definitely do! But I love to just turn on the Tone It Up girls and do something of theirs that suits my time and daily task. It’ll keep you moving and having basic strength and endurance you might be missing.
2. Get Rid of Clutter. For real.
Honestly, how many of you have clothes from years ago that you haven’t touched? Or way too many junk drawers? Or 3/4 empty bottle of soaps etc that have sat in the back of a cupboard? Cluttered fridge? Cluttered bathroom cabinets full of old makeup etc?
Keep it minimal! And donate/throw away things that are wasting your space.
Only buy and wear clothes that bring you joy and will have great use. (I wear the crap out of stuff but it’s all I need!) And don’t overspend! You only need a few cleaners for your home so try buying a universal soap or just keeping the main ones that will do the job mostly everywhere.
Just keep things minimal. There will be less laundry to do, less to dust and less to put away. And keep up on it too!
Donate any old movies, books, toys, or anything that truly is wasting space in your home. Someone else may be really happy to find a deal on it and all it did at your house was collect dust.
3. Have a place for every belonging. That’s Right, everything..
Keep books on shelves. Keep toys in baskets. Keep papers in folders/files. Keep blankets in baskets. Keep cabinets organized.
Keep items with other items that are the same. Have a place where everything you own belongs…
Seems simple until you have way more than you need or just don’t like to clean!
Sure I have baskets in all rooms but I feel great about it. There’s a drawer for kids in the bathroom. There’s a drawer for myself and then my husband. There’s a basket for my throw blankets. There’s a basket for books and a basket for toys in the living, that always fills up with what the kids carry around that day.
See, perfect organized chaos. Sometimes I have to take those drawers and baskets and get rid of the junk or put things back in their rooms. But it gives us a space to put things in a hurry. There will be less stress. Everyone knows their places for things. And my home looks and feels clean, which makes me feel like there’s balance to the busy.
And there will still be things out of place of course. But at-least you know where you want to put it when you’re ready đ
Stay tuned for more ideas on getting the chaos under control!
 
