White Pocket Tee, runs TTS, order up for slouchier fit | Camel Cardigan, a little oversized, I’m wearing an XS here | Vintage Reworked Denim Skirt, TTS and the length is good! | Gazelle Sneakers, runs large, I ordered a size down | Cyclone v10
If you missed yesterday’s post, I shared two really cute wear-to-work outfits that also work for everyday life. I also talked about my top productivity tip as of late—tidying up. At the beginning of the month, we visited my sister, Katherine, in Atlanta and I left her place feeling so inspired to really get our home organized and tidied. Why? The entire time I was there, I felt so calm (thanks Kat!). Everything was put away, the floors weren’t covered in dog hair and it just put me at ease. I could actually focus on whatever I was doing, and it ended up making Owen’s two-hour nap incredibly productive for me!
Since we’ve returned, I’ve been working to really get our place organized and neat. It’s been a major project! We live in a small place and we don’t have a lot of storage. We also have too much stuff. So, over the past few weeks, I’ve been purging, deep cleaning and organizing and while I still have some work to do, it’s come a long way. Here are my best tips for keeping your place tidy!
Everything Needs a Place
My sister’s biggest tip was to put everything back in it’s place after you’re doing using it. Duh, right? Well, the hard part, is that a lot of stuff in our house doesn’t have a place. So, for all the random piles of stuff that doesn’t have a place, I made the decision to either find a spot for it, or get rid of it. I’ll tell you now that we threw a ton of stuff out.
Since we live in a rental, I have a hard time getting rid of stuff because I always think, maybe we’ll need this one day when we have a house! I’m starting to get over that notion because I realized that when we do have a house, I’ll probably want something different anyway.
Throw Out Boxes
This one might not be as applicable to you unless you do a fair amount of online shopping, but boxes quickly pile up in our house. Because of the nature of my job, I get a decent amount of boxes each week and I’m not that great about taking them out until they’re stacked up in the corner. I blame this on the fact that it’s a real pain to get boxes down 3 flights of stairs, out the back door and into a dumpster.
But, when I do take the time (let’s be real, it never takes long!), I’m so happy to have the space back! These just cause clutter! Although, I have to admit, they’re very cheap entertainment for Owen!
Kid-Friendly Storage (& Plenty of It)
We surprisingly don’t have that many toys. We haven’t bought very many and the rest have been handed down from friends. Even though there’s not that many, I still don’t like them strewn across the floor. I keep baskets with lids in our living room so I can easily run around and throw them in there. Having a lid is key in my opinion! Once you put that top on to hide the clutter, the whole room looks cleaner!
Make Cleaning Easier
Does anyone like to clean? Hmm, doubtful! But, with a baby and a dog that sheds, cleaning on a regular basis is an absolute must in our house. I bought a great refurbished Dyson years ago when I first got Oliver and it’s been wonderful, but it’s big, bulky and because of that, I end up not using it as often as I should.
Last week, I got to attend a fun event hosted by The Everygirl and Dyson to learn more about their products. At the end, they graciously surprised us with their new Cyclone v10 cordless vacuum! Guys, I have never been more excited for a product in my life. Jess has one and I’ve been wanting one for so long. In fact, I was going to ask for it for Christmas! I immediately charged it and have used it every day since! It’s so lightweight and easy to use to clean the hardwood floors, carpet and even couches and chairs! Rob’s been laughing at me because I just keep pulling it out to clean up small messes, because it’s just that easy!
My point, if you have an easy way to clean that doesn’t give you a headache thinking about it, you’re more likely to do it. The more often you clean, the easier it is each time and the tidier your place will be!
Purge Regularly
Every season, I like to do a major house closet clean out. I go around and create several piles—things to sell on Poshmark (mostly clothes, you can find my stuff here—look for my logo in the pics), things to donate, and things that are so worn out, they just need to be tossed.
It might take you several hours, but it is so worth it! The biggest trick here? Immediately put the stuff in your car and drive it to the donation bin so you don’t start changing your mind and pulling stuff out!
10-Minute Tidy Up
Years ago, I read The Happiness Project and one of her little projects was a 10-minute nightly tidy up. She’d set a timer for 10 minutes, and just go around the house tidying up things before going to bed. It’s pretty amazing how much you can do in 10 minutes. Waking up to a tidy home is such a blessing too! It starts my day on a positive note and actually makes it easier for me to go to bed at night, knowing the house is neat (or at least a little neater than it was 10 minutes before!).
Are you naturally a pretty neat person or messy like me? What helps you keep your place tidy?!
BTW, how not to kill your fiddle leaf fig tree, and 10 ways to make your home more peaceful.
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