Take a moment to think if have you ever been overwhelmed with the stacks of laundry or a messy unorganized home and didn’t know what to do about it? You are not alone and I was there too feeling challenged in a new way as a new stay at home mom. I didn’t want to keep living feeling frazzled and spending hours cleaning my home every week. I knew something had to change but I didn’t what what or how.

I didn’t magically get Martha Stewart living next door to teach me her secrets and tricks but one day I had an epiphany and it was literally just my own mindset that had changed and boy it sure changed EVERYTHING. I had the mind altering thought that my home and family was my job and I needed to treat it as such and that meant I needed to focus on the prime hours of 8-5. I had a corporate job before I was a stay at home mom and I was used to dealing with tough deadlines, managing large projects and lots of stress. No, I don’t get paid money, but I get paid in other ways such as a happier family, a relaxing home filled with laughter and not feeling frazzled anymore. Before I began to take control and gain confidence in what I was doing, I felt like I was spinning out of control. Now I can see that everything starts at home with me, the homemaker. A homemaker will set the tone for the family and I’ve seen it too many times to count that if I’m feeling off then everyone else feels off too.

I figured out that I needed routines and set schedules to help myself, my family and my home run smoother and more efficiently. Now, every Sunday I create my menu for the week and that helps to set the tone because now i’m not scrambling mid-week to figure out what we are eating and that means less stress. Mondays I plan activities for the week because toddlers and babies need stimulation and new experiences to learn and grow. I have a laundry schedule that has me doing a single load (washed, folded and put away) every day and even set days of when they are done, for example whites are done every Tuesday. Wednesdays are online grocery shopping for either curbside pickup or delivery the next day on Thursday. See the pattern? I started to treat the hours of Monday – Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm like I was going to work and they were work hours with deadlines. It has really improved my home and my mindset greatly. Sure I have off days like we all do or a baby gets sick and I need to be flexible, but thanks to my new way of thinking it all flows easily and I actually get things done without feeling like i’m failing. If you need help figuring out some good routines or schedules please reach out to me and I will be glad to help you.

~JennyCup