I may have mentioned one or two times on here that I am NOT a natural at this whole cleaning/organizing/home management thing. But that doesn’t mean I don’t WANT to get better! And I’m finding that I actually enjoy it all when I have a few things in place to help me out…
My Top Ten Homemaking Life-Savers
10. Activities for the kiddos – I am not above distracting my children with Apple products in order to get through a focused time of cleaning, i.e. before the hubby gets home. I usually choose some iPad/iPod time for them over TV if possible because they actually enjoy playing educational games on the iPad – they aren’t completely zoning out while I clean! They also love to draw, play games, read and do puzzles when Mommy needs to tackle a project!
9. Pandora – This is MY distraction while I clean! The station changes depending on my mood – Hillsong United when I need an energy boost, Instrumental Praise after a stressful day, and lots of other options too {Rachmaninoff, Journey, Christian Rock, Broadway – the list goes on and on}!
8. Disinfectant wipes – I keep a container in the bathroom and in the kitchen. They used to just sit there. Since starting 31 Days to Clean, I’m pulling them out all the time because I notice the messes much more often!
7. 31 Days to Clean – Sarah Mae’s eBook is the perfect blend of cleaning and spiritual inspiration. You HAVE to get it. Seriously changing things around here – just what I need in so many ways.
6. Coffee – My hubby got me a Keurig for Christmas. The readily-available caffeine has done wonders for my energy level, which means getting more done around the house!
5. Simple Mom & Reluctant Entertainer – There are numerous blogs that focus on organizational skills and such, but these are two of my favorites in this vein. And they each have fabulous books out as well {I own The Reluctant Entertainer book, but not Organized Simplicity – have heard wonderful things though! It’s on my list!}.
Simple Mom covers EVERYTHING about getting organized. I could spend hours there just looking at all of the tips and ideas.
Reluctant Entertainer encourages having an beautiful {not perfect!} home so you are not afraid to have people in your home! This site focuses more on food and entertaining – a wonderful inspiration for homemaking!
4. Company – Since I just mentioned entertaining, having company over is actually a life-saver for my homemaking efforts. I go crazy cleaning when people are coming over and I love how it looks and feels at those times. So, taking a cue from the Reluctant Entertainer, I’m trying to have people over MORE, even if it is just for coffee or a kids’ playdate!
3. Accountability – I had a friend who once posted on Facebook that she was going to have all of her laundry finished for the day at noon. She asked someone to check on her at that time to make sure she was done. If my memory is correct, that friend was back on Facebook BEFORE noon announcing all her laundry was done! Even that little bit of accountability can be the push you need to GET. STUFF. DONE.
The #31DaystoClean hashtag on Twitter, as well as having “real-life” friends who are going through the same challenges at the same time, have done WONDERS for my homemaking motivation!
2. My weekly schedule – I wrote about how this schedule came to be in this post late last summer. We took a unique approach to developing a weekly schedule and it works! It has evolved since August, but the basic schedule has stayed pretty constant and is exactly what I need – as long as I stick to it! That’s why my “word” for 2011 is “FOLLOW-THROUGH!”
1. This man.
He is the king of organizing and he is ALL. MINE. {And of course, he’s putting together a storage bench in the picture!} Friends have even had him over to help organize their stuff! I KNOW he has rubbed off on me in a very good way in this area! Having someone in your life – spouse or friend – that is a great organizer can be one of the biggest life-savers when they inspire you to be better!
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What are YOUR homemaking life-savers? I can ALWAYS use more ideas!
I'm Erin, a wife, boy mom x 3, writer, and runner in Nebraska! I'm excited to share all my favorites relating to faith, family, fashion, and fitness in this space! Enjoy! 
True, true, all of it true! My trouble is that neither one of us is terribly organized/OCD, so messes happen. Often. I need to get better. Looks like I have some pretty good resources to choose from… Great list!
Great ideas and tips here! I’ve just jumped into 31 Days to Clean, too, and I’m loving it. (I think my husband is loving the benefits of it so far, too!)
I also love organizing and cleaning blogs, as well. Like you said, I’m not natural at it… I need ideas! All of the Simple Media blogs are great. I also like the practical tips on the Home, Food, Hobbies, and Family channels on Today’s Housewife (www.todayshousewife.net), as well as the posts on the personal blogs of many contributors on the Life…Your Way blogs and Simple Media blogs.
Wonderful post! Found you on Hip Homeschool Moms. I also jam out to Pandora while cleaning, and find that when I am really not motivated, setting a timer for 15 minutes gives me the jump start I need. I also like to clean for a while, then reward myself with some time reading, then clean for a while, etc…
Great list! I would have to agree with another reply here and say my hunni and I could work on our organization a little better. lol
-Samantha
Great list! My two tips are (1) make your beds first and (2) sort your mail by your recycling bins. If you don’t bring the junk inside, it’s easy to eliminate counter clutter!
Ann Voskamp’s 10 Real Helps for Really Busy Mom. I have it laminated and hanging in my kitchen and I refer to it often!
Here is the link in case you don’t already have it:
http://www.aholyexperience.com/7-gifts-free-printable-10-helps-for-moms/
Sometimes I don’t get passed number 1 or 2. This is the heart of homemaking. But homemaking means so much more than keeping house – it’s keeping hearts and creating home. 🙂
Pandora is a must have for cleaning. Music makes the time seem to go by a lot faster when I’m doing something I dislike such as washing dishes.
Coffee and a schedule are definitely two of my top homemaking life savers. 🙂
Love your list! I find that cleaning the kitchen before bed makes a big difference in how the next day starts. I can hit the ground running if I don’t have to clean up yesterday’s mess.
Ahhh! I should’ve posted that about my laundry again today! It’s piling up! Some days I take the kids to the sitter’s house for the morning to get a morning of uninterrupted cleaning time in. Also- I set goals for myself in the beginning of the week like- clean the upstairs bathroom and have all vacuuming done by Tuesday and then schedule a play date or day trip at the end of the week as a reward!
Great post, Erin!
Have our chore/routine list posted in the kitchen is huge for us. If I forget what I’m supposed to be doing or am overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, the list give me a go-to source tailor-made for our mess!
Same for our weekly menu plan. (I use the free printable from http://www.everythingmom.com) I don’t have to remember, I just have to read and do. It’s a beautiful thing!
My husband is a HUGE help for me too!! With all the encouragement and support … not to mention his real dislike for having things all cluttered (he’s a bit of a germaphobe — but it’s getting better than it was lol). 😀
Great list! I agree with the company. I really need to have people over more often as it is the one thing that will ALWAYS motivate me to clean