As a cleaning lady I know firsthand how important it is to not only keep a tidy home, but to create spaces that feel organized, clean, and rejuvenated while also staying functional for your whole family, your friends, and entertainment. But when the holiday’s come around, it can be so difficult to keep our homes both stylish and organized. With all the holiday trinkets, gifts, and new trends that come out every season, we can “purchase happy” every time we see something pleasing to our eyes.
“Are your spaces designed for functionality and style? Or just style? Or do you just live in your spaces without any thought at all?”
Does your home serve its purpose? I enter many different homes year-round as a cleaning lady in SW Florida. From experience, I can tell you that there are hundreds of styles out there! Each home unique and different but each has spaces that play a particular role. For example, a Kitchen serves the purpose of preparing food. Dining room serves the purpose of eating and enjoying food with family and friend. Then we have master bedrooms, kid’s rooms, pet rooms and well, you get the picture! Each space has a purpose.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that most people live with tons of unnecessary clutter, and they don’t use their spaces with purpose! I don’t care if it’s a single person living in a large home, a family of 3 in a small apartment, or a family of 8 in a mansion, there is a right and wrong way to live in our spaces. And although Pinterest has some great ideas for home organizing, it’s not helping you with yours!
I would say my home is functional, clean, organized, healthy, and a Zen place for me, and my kids to rest our heads. “Or hang our hats”! Could I do better?
Abso-freaking-lootely!!!
We can all always do better when it comes to cleaning, organizing and managing our home lives. We will always have to adjust our life, based on the season, our circumstances, and our surroundings.
That is why we all love spring! Right? So we can do our yearly “SPRING CLEANING”! Spring is a time where we get to regroup! We pull all our holiday decorations out…oh wait, that’s create new spaces, and we can even get reorganized, so we do better in the new year. Which is literally just around the corner! We can clean up and start from scratch at any time in our life, but Spring is always my favorite time of year to do this! Spring is an opportunity to get ready for those NEW YEAR GOALS!
‘Your Home Should Be Your Safe Haven”
Truth be told, I’ve never been the type of person who liked to move around a lot. Although I know some people who move once a year. My daughters will tell you the reason they’ve always felt so safe growing up, was because they knew they had a “safe haven” to come home to no matter how horrible their day was. Most people have a desire to move once a year for whatever reason. Maybe it’s a desire for that “new house feel”. I don’t know, but I prefer to stay put and offer my kids and myself stability, comfort, and safety. So instead of making drastic transitions or moving each year, I just re-design my home. but that doesn’t mean I am spending tons of money buying new Decore! Simply moving things around can give you a new feel and new look, while also getting rid of clutter.
“Clean Our Spaces and Create New Zen Places!”
When you re-decorate for Spring, or any other season for that matter, you can enjoy bringing a few new pieces without over doing it! You really have to learn self-control when you head to the store. There will always be new items on the shelf that tempt us and our shopping addiction. These new pieces may not even serve any real purpose, but somehow make us feel good in the moment. You know, like all those cups springing out of the cabinet because you have no more room for them! (SMH)
It’s like the pumpkin spice sign in fall, that some of us just can’t resist!!! The temptation of new decorative pillows, blankets, floral arrangements, table toppers, and designer placemat’s we just can’t do without! Let’s not forget all those cute mugs with quotes that clutter our shelves at home! We also have our lovely TikTok, Pinterest, and all the social media platforms that plant seeds to “buy more”! “Design with more”! With every scroll is another item we decide we need!
There will always be a new idea someone will come up with that triggers an idea in our head. Did you ever notice, when you try new trends you see online, it never actually looks like the picture? It is not functional in your own home! EVER! It only takes one idea to begin the journey down a very long road that leads to a tragically, cluttered, over stocked garage, and home filled with shit we don’t need, nor do we use!
HOME MAKEOVER’S THAT ARE ORGANIZED, FUNCTIONAL & ALLOW YOU TO STILL INDULGE YOUR SENSES DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASONS
So how can we indulge our senses during the holiday seasons, and still, keep our homes functional and organized? Well, we can start with a clean canvas! Spending one weekend with each member of the family redesigning your spaces can be fun and will also get the family doing things together! I know what you’re thinking, “the kids and my husband won’t want to do this”! WELL, TOO FREAKING BAD! HAHAHA!! That is what I say! Just kidding!
Seriously, I know the kids can sometimes be difficult to get started, and even men can be difficult with all their “organized chaos”. Especially with more kids today being homeschooled and more and more people working at home. Upkeep can be so much more demanding. But I promise there is a way to keep your sanity, while also maintaining a clean and organized home. What if I told you I knew a way you could get the entire family to not only participate, but also maintain your home without ever having to deep clean again? EVER!
I know you think I am insane! But if I can do it, so can you. Did you know, if you include your kids and allow them to have a say in how their spaces function best for them, they will be so much more engaged. Yes, they get to choose how they organize their spaces. You can help, but you don’t get to make the decisions.
See, when people feel like they have a voice, they feel like they have control, and when people feel they have control of their own life/environment, they work diligently to manage the things in their life/environment. People don’t like resistance. And every time you fight your family and implant your own ideas, they get turned away. I promise, if you try my simple organizing cleaning methods and you use the schedule I created, your family just might surprise you in the process! I use this method in my home and my kids keep their rooms and all the spaces in our home tidy, clean, and organized. So if you want your home tidy, clean, organized, and smelling amazing year-round. HERE IS MY CLEANING CHECKLIST PLANNER AND SCHEDULER. That should keep you on track and help you stay organized year round!
From the products you use, to how you create each space, it MUST work for everyone in the home, including your fur babies. I have done all the hard work for you and created a plan and a schedule that will keep everyone in your family organized and happy. Let’s face it, “happy people in a beautifully clean house, makes a very happy family”. I promise your life will not only be easier, happier, and healthier, but you will never have to deep clean your home again!! You will finally have time to laugh more, play often, and enjoy the things in life you truly desire. You will even have time to write that book you’ve been thinking about all these years. You can start that project or join that group or sports club you’ve been wanting to get involved with. Whatever it is you haven’t had the time to do, my checklist will surly leave breathing room for everyone in the family. Time is precious and time is money. So, don’t waste any more time deep cleaning and organizing your house like those Pinterest trends that just keep your spaces looking clutter! It is time wasted not doing the things you love and you’re missing out on living the life. You deserve to ZEN!
UNDERSTANDING ENERGY IN OUR SPACES
Everyone and I mean EVERYONE living in your home should have their own space for prayer and “Zen”! Remember this one rule, “your idea of calm is not equal to your kid’s idea of calm and relaxed”. Every single one of us give and receive energy differently. Just like we give and receive love differently. I believe kids today have a lot more pressure (due to social media), to figure out what they want in life and who they are as individuals. Everyone wants a success story, with love, financial freedom, and yes, a beautiful home that is organized, clean, and a place we can feel safe. But what we all desire more than anything in this world, is a sense of security. That security looks different for each one of us! Remember that!
Sometimes it can be more difficult for kids to find and define themselves when they don’t have an example of what it looks like to be different, independent, or unique. As a parent we must give them security to explore the different stages of their life. Ask yourself, “Am I being a good example of these qualities?” and “Do I allow my children to feel safe in their choices?” Okay so let’s get started, shall we?
You Must Get Clarity -What is the Purpose of your Home?
First things first, do you know the purpose of your home and do your spaces foster to the needs of everyone in the home? How are you utilizing your spaces? Do you ever wonder how interior designers do such an amazing job at designing spaces? It is simple! First, because they have a trained eye for lines, shapes, lighting, spaces, etc. But most importantly, designers look at each space through a lens of “space purpose”. They start with asking you questions. What is your favorite piece? Colors? What do you want this space to symbolize? What is the sole purpose of this space? Etc. etc. So, are you looking at each space through a lens of purpose? You must ask yourself, questions about your spaces and understand the purpose of each space. A space can serve its purpose but still appear cluttered and unorganized. Or it can serve its purpose and appear minimal, clean, and welcoming. Cleaning is a constant thing because people are unorganized. And being unorganized comes down to one issue. LAZZINESS! It really is that simple.
If you walk into your home after a hard day and feel overwhelmed, you’re doing something wrong!
Organizing and having a clean home, doesn’t have to be a chore we hate or cost us a ton of money. You should come home and feel a huge sense of comfort and relief. EVERYDAY! When you walk in the door, you should feel a sense of Zen as all your senses indulge in the look, feel, and smell of your own home. Your home should serve a purpose and have a feel of “inviting”. If your home doesn’t feel inviting to you or your guests, you will indulge in unnecessary spending and constantly feel overwhelmed with your home decor. Purchasing more shit is not the answer! Getting into a system is!
Getting into a system is key
I know most people already know this. And some people start the year off great, but it never sticks! We still find ourselves deep cleaning and doing that ‘SPRING CLEANING’ year after year. Getting into a system is always the most difficult part of any project, but once we get started planning, redesigning, organizing, and cleaning our home; it can be so rewarding and life changing. A home needs a system. But the system must have a routine.
Some say it takes an army to run a home! But I say, “you only need army men with a willingness to join the mission!” And to have focus, each man should only take on one mission at a time! That means, you personally start with one space. Each person starts with one room. Let everyone take care of their own space! (Of course, you can help the little ones, but if they can walk and talk they are old enough to learn how to make decision.)
You can get grab your download and “Learn How to Maintain a Clean & Organize Home With a lot Less Stress”, here.
The following are ways to get the home makeover you want without added stress. Keep your home looking clean and organized year-round so you never have to deep clean again. Change the way you maintain your home and season after season you will love your home. Be mindful of your spaces, Ask yourself some questions for each space in your room.
For example: The kitchen –
- How many people do you have in your family eating food?
- What kind of food does each person like?
- Does everyone eat dinner together? (This should be a requirement in each home for raising children with proper family moral values. But this is just my opinion! This will help everyone stay connected, teaches our youth communication skills, and make everyone feel included, engaged, and loved.) Don’t have signs that say “We gather together” when you don’t actually do that! Have purpose in your decorative pieces. DO WHAT YOU SAY AND SAY WHAT YOU MEAN
- Is everyone on the same diet plan or is someone on diet restrictions? (The best way to run a home is to discover foods everyone can eat and likes while also being considerate of those who may require special diets. Don’t rub bad eating habits (junk food) in the faces of those who have restrictions and healthier choices. It is rude, disrespectful, and causes stress and anxiety while also causing division in the home)
- Pantry and fridge – are they organized and labeled? (If everyone must eat separate keep labels and name tags. Don’t Spring short here! “Think less stress” when organizing and designing your spaces)
- Promote good eating with good food. Persuasion works best when you’re fridge and pantry are organized with containers. (Always think of the space with purpose creating a place for every item to be easily accessible.)
- Clean food and keep dry with paper towels before putting it away for less waste (The easier the access the more it will get eaten and less food will go to waste)
- Keep It simple and less complicated (Kitchen is for food. The fuller everyone is the less snacking goes on and the less mess you’ll have. Think of your kitchen with purpose considering each person in your family)
- Design happens in planning phase. When you plan the purpose of your kitchen your makeover will include items that keep it functional and organized.
If you want the full version that includes tips for every room in your house, you can join “My Subscription To a Life with Clarity and Zen”. There I share all my secretes and knowledge and stay up to date on all the newest things that work and don’t work. I share all my knowledge with you so you can find your little piece of Zen. In a world that has enough chaos, we don’t need it in our homes.
The key to keeping up with each room is this, “you must really get clear on “the purpose” of the space. I would even pay attention to your dining room when planning your kitchen design. Most people forget the dinning area because they don’t use it. But a happy family gathers together for good meals and conversation. Dining should always be considered because it is where everyone in the family SHOULD BE eating together. I am not here to tell you how to live, but if you’re looking for more relaxation and peace in your life you should create systems that promote healthy habits. Eating in rooms, home office, or bedrooms, should not be prohibited in the home. It becomes a habit everyone gets into. A movie and dinner night is fine, on occasion! My girls and I do this often. But set it up with sofa tables or gathering around the coffee table on the floor with pillows and make it purposeful. Having a designated purpose for each space keeps your home clean, decluttered and of course, free of stains, pests, and bugs from those spills and crumbs that get left behind. Manage your spaces well. Take care of the things you spend money on.
If you want a PERSONAL DAILY CLEANING CHECKLIST & PLANNER just subscribe HERE.
The way to a clean home and a blessed life is to get a mindset that keeps your life and the things in it, in order. Everything in your home needs to have a place, a purpose, and must be easily accessible. When things become too hard to take out or put away it won’t get used and honestly, it just collects dust! Like those extra holiday trinkets, you’re adding into your already cluttered spaces!
DON’T DO THAT THIS YEAR!!!
HOME HACKS TO STAY ORGANIZED
Don’t miss this TIP: Always keep in mind, when things are too hard to put away, it won’t get put back properly, or at all. And eventually it will clutter your beautiful spaces.
- STOP LOOKING AT PINTEREST See, the problem with those Pinterest pictures and all those gorgeous ideas online is that they don’t work for functionality! Those design ideas look great online because they are being staged for aesthetic! But again, even those pictures have their “purpose”! When we try these designs ideas at home, we end up having to “move shit to do shit”. Pinterest designs may look great at first, when you try it in your own space! Until one day you decide to live in that space! It doesn’t actually stay looking that way, because you didn’t think of functionality for your family or your lifestyle. How do “YOU” and your family use that space? You must have a purpose for each space, and there must be a purpose to every single piece you put in each space. And where and how you place things matter to everyone in the home. Bottom line!
- DO YOU REALLY NEED ANOTHER MUG? Do me one favor! Please! The next time you go shopping ask yourself “Do I really need another mug?” You need to be asking yourself “Do I need this, or Do I just want this?” Don’t make purchases that don’t add purpose to your spaces and don’t make purchases that clutter your spaces! You don’t even have room for the crap you purchase, but you get it anyway because you think it matches your aesthetic. If you have no clue where that item is going to go in your home, it’s a “DEFINATE NO! YOU DON’T NEED IT!”
- DECLUTTER BEFORE YOU PURCHASE MORE CLUTTER! I get it always puts us in the holiday spirit and you are dying to decorate with all those cool ideas you’ve been seeing all over the social media! I get it! But can I give you a new piece of advice? If I may be blunt, your cleaning lady might consider raising her prices on you unexpectedly because you have added a little (or a lot) more work to her routine. When you begin to put more things in your home, your cleaning crew must do more work. Have you considered them? Whether that cleaning crew is you, your kids, or some professional who comes in and out of your spaces. Someone must clean all those pieces in all your spaces. And coming from a professional cleaning lady who deals with this every year, all that shit does is collect more dust and take up space. By purchasing those new decorations, you’re about to cause a whole lotta’ stress for other people and yourself! So, you better freaking LOVE WHATEVER YOU PURCHASE! Do you need it? Probably not. But You want it. You want something new. You think it will make you feel better! I know, I feel you! I love redecorating my house for the holidays and bringing new pieces into my design. Especially since I have been renting the same home for over 8 years. It does bring a sense of newness to my spaces! But I try not to bring a new piece in unless I get rid of somethings first. Before you clutter your home with another trinket you really need to consider decluttering first! Keep this mindset and you’ll be okay…
- “OUT WITH THE OLD & IN WITH THE NEW!” You must get rid of old stuff before you purchase new stuff. Make room for new items by getting rid of some items that no longer serve their purpose. Do you know how much money you could save if you sold the item you want to replace? Even if you gave it away for a fraction of the price, you are putting money you didn’t have towards your new items. It’s like free money for new purchases. This can be hard to do, I know. Some things have sentiment. I totally get it! But listen, you can donate or sell your personal items to someone who really needs it. I imagine that my old items which no longer serve me, keep their sentiment when they serve someone who is in need. When I separated from my kid’s dad after 14 years, I took nothing from our home when I left him. I had to start all over and it was a struggle! But every piece I got, was from a thrift store, or a hand me down from a relative, friend, friend of a relative, or clients. And I can tell you this, I appreciated it so much more, because of the story behind each item. It added sentiment and culture to my new place and gave a new beginning to all my spaces. So, consider giving stuff away, donating, and decluttering your spaces before you bring in new pieces. Look at each space with purpose and remember every item you bring into your spaces should have purpose. Create spaces that cultivate your creativity and promote good energy by thinking of each room with purpose. Allow your children and others in your home to have a voice too. Don’t dictate an environment that other people also have to live in. Be considerate and humble of those living with you, those that clean for you, or other service workers. Being kind and humble to others will bring joy to your own life. Sometimes relinquishing control helps us enjoy the moments of life with a sense of peace. To be mindful is to have clarity and clarity is power. So, now go off and declutter, clean, and get organized for the year. Spring is here, so add those new holiday pieces, but after you have made space for them. Enjoy your beautiful home and be blessed in peace with family and friends.
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