Some common reactions when someone who I just met finds out I am a total slob is “No Way,” “You always look so put together,” “You seem so organized.” Truth is at work and in my non-home life I am pretty dang put together and organized – but, on the home front, not so much.  It is just not in my DNA to have an organized home.  My mom would actually be pissed that I said it is not in my DNA, because she is a neat freak.  Sooo, maybe it just skipped my generation.  I had enough trouble keeping a house clean when I was single, add a husband and a child…and, oh lawd! I am definitely not the person to give you home organization tips on a large scale, but, I can tell you a couple of actions I am incorporating into my life which are making a difference.

1. I bought this hanging organizer from Amazon for the back of Amelia’s door to hold her outfits for the week. Unfortunately, I could not find a 5 pocket one – but, luckily her clothes are small enough that I can fit 2 days in one pocket.  We are only one week into this new routine; however, it has been a game changer! The past 2 Sundays, Amelia and I have gone into her room and picked out together what she is going to wear for the week.  It has made the mornings easier for me because I do not have to spend time thinking about what her outfit and I am not fighting with her over what she is going to wear that day.  Plus, I think Amelia really likes the fact that she has a say in what she is wearing, so, it is a win/win!
2. Justin packs Amelia’s lunch everyday – he likes to pack it in the morning.  But, one thing I started doing to make the process easier for him is emptying her lunch bag as soon as I get home and washing out her sandwich holder and these awesome reusable bags we buy from Grove Collaborative.  In that way, Justin has one less thing to think about when it comes to packing her lunch.  Side note, if you have not heard about Grove Collaborative, you need to become familiar with it.  Grove Collaborative is a recurring shipment service that delivers all-natural home, beauty, and personal care products directly to your door with the aim to make living a healthy lifestyle easy and accessible for you and your family. Every product sold is backed by the Grove standard, which means that it’s healthy, effective, eco-friendly, and affordable. If you sign up using my link, I get a credit and you will get 5-piece Mrs. Meyer’s Cleaning Kit (worth $30) with your first Grove order of $20 or more.  Trust me, you need to start using Grove.
3. We also started putting all of her lunch snack options in one area on the kitchen counter and in clear glass containers (or sometimes the snacks stay in the box in which they came).  This makes it so much easier to locate and grab in the mornings.
4. Something we have done for awhile is hang her backpack on a hook close to the front door. In that way, I am not running around in the morning or Sunday night looking for it.  Something new is that Amelia’s teacher sends a folder home each night in her backpack with information to be reviewed every night (like, to see if she got all green dots for good behavior).  So, what I started doing is looking at the folder as soon as I walk in the door.  If there are forms for me to fill out and send back, I take them out and put them on the entryway table underneath my keys so I will remember to grab them.
5. And, one last thing that is not school related is I have started unpacking my suitcase and Amelia’s as soon as we get home from a trip.  I cannot tell you how many times we have come home from a trip and our suitcases have sat in my closet unpacked for weeks…honestly, way too many times to count.  So, the last few times we have gone away, I have made it a point to unpack the bags on the day we get home.  Typically days that you return from vacation or a weekend away tend to be lazy days, so this makes me feel like I at least got one thing accomplished.

As I said, on most days, my house is a mess – but, I am trying to take small steps to make some changes and help alleviate the stress that comes with having a messy house.  So, please comment with any tips that you use to keep your house clean (or, at least, tidy). Added bonus if you have tips to manage the playroom (insert eye roll here).