Creating a Happy and Organized Home

by ERIN SHARPLIN LOVE |  [email protected]

Is it just me or has this year flown by? When I think about what I have accomplished so far, I am happy, but there are still things I want to do.  With that in mind, I decided to begin a refresh so that I can optimize my potential in work and in life. Then I thought you may be interested in doing the same thing and here we are.  We are going to do this together! I cannot wait to see what you do!

How do you want your home to feel for you and your family? Have you ever put it into words? Recently I asked myself that very question.  And when I did, the answer put everything into perspective and helped me create a happy and organized home. I discovered that creating a workable environment revolves around a family’s special wants and needs. However, every “home mission statement” will not be the same.   

So, with that said, let’s get started on creating your “Home Mission Statement.” To help you, here is mine:

The Love home will be a welcoming and friendly place for everyone who enters. There will always be a fun and happy vibe that will encourage us to make memories for ourselves and our friends.  We will be tidy and organized, but not stuffy and rigid. I will create routines and habits that will help make daily tasks and appointments easy and stress-free.  We will get things done in a timely and organized manner.  Pets are welcomed in the Love family home.  No harm will come to any that are in our care.  I will teach everyone the importance of manners and etiquette so that they are able to navigate the world with ease and confidence. Finally, there must be a way for everyone to enjoy his/her own hobbies and interests. The perfect space will be created for each family member, and that space will be honored and respected.  Self-care is an important part of growing into the person you are meant to become.  

As moms, we play a very valuable role in our families.  So valuable in fact, that our influence greatly determines the emotional and physical environments of those that live in our home.  And, you know what that means – if you are disheveled, overwhelmed, and stressed, everyone else will be, too. 

Now, I am not saying that I can tell you exactly how to run your home, but as a professional organizer and mom, I can give you some tips that can help you to find the perfect flow for you and your family.   Let’s get started. 

YOU ARE A MANAGER – Think about it. You are basically a manager of your own home. You manage the property and the resources. You manage the health and nutritional needs of those in your care. You manage parties and events for special occasions. and, you manage transportation and scheduling for your little ones. Whew! Sounds overwhelming, doesn’t it? With that in mind, you need to develop a system that meets your neverending responsibilities. This system includes the categories of time, property, food, friends, finances, special events, and self. Breaking each responsibility down helps create a system that works for you and your family.  

My number one tip: view time in minutes instead of hours. You will be surprised at how much you can accomplish in the mere snippets of time that you have between responsibilities. In fact, I get the most done in those snippets because I work smarter and faster. I know the same is true for you.

My second tip: preparation is the key to success. Do everything that you possibly can ahead of time. Try to foresee the future and plan for the upcoming day, week, and/or months activities. For instance, this is something you can do in those “snippets” of time that I mentioned earlier. You must do three things:

1. Identify your priorities.

2. Create a control center.

3. Build your time management skills.

Let’s take these one by one.

IDENTIFY YOUR PRIORITIES – Every manager sets guidelines and decides what is most important based on their values.  The rules for managing a home are no different. You must set clear goals and boundaries per each category of time, property, food, friends, finances, special events, and self. You have already written a general mission that will set the values for your entire household, so take a cue from that to gauge your priorities. If you want things to change, today is the perfect place to start. Begin incorporating tricks and tactics into your life now. You can do it all if you prioritize, preplan, and prepare!  Below are a few reminders to start you on the right track:  

• Relationships are more important than things.

• The more “things” you have, the less “time” you have.

• There is no such thing as perfect.  

• You can’t do it all by yourself. 

•
Children shouldn’t remember how clean the house was. They should remember how much fun mom was.

• Disorder causes chaos. Make sense of routines and tasks.

CREATE A CONTROL CENTER – Every manager has a base of operations.  Whether yours is a desk, a countertop, or an entire office, it must be a place where you can organize and track your family’s schedule, make lists, check emails, and manage your daily life. This place is where you will become more efficient and create more time for you and your family. Here are some tips for creating a control center:

•
Choose a location that has some free counter space or a desktop.  A central location is best.  

•
Hang a family calendar 

• Make sure a trash can is in reach

•
Stock the area with pens, pencils, highlighters, and notepads.  *Hint – give each family member his/her own color so that notes and appointments are easy to find.

•
Place family “in-boxes” in the area for mail, papers, and other documents that need to be within easy reach.

BUILD YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS- This is the final step in creating a happy and organized home.  As a professional organizer and mom, I can share some time-tested tips with you.  

•
Write it down! Do not trust your memory.  I like to write things down and check them off as I go.  

•
Do not procrastinate.  If it takes one minute or less to do a task, do it now!  For instance, put the toothpaste cap back on and place it back in the drawer.  Or put the dirty dish in the dishwasher not in the sink or on the counter.  

•
Start everything five minutes early because you know there will be traffic, lost shoes, misplaced keys, etc.  

•
Know when you work best.  Are you a morning person, or do you prefer to get things done in the evening?

•
Schedule everything!  If you want to make sure it gets done, put it down on the calendar.

Check out these tips for scheduling appointments:

•
Print and complete any paperwork before the appointment.

•
When possible, be the first appointment of the morning or the first one after lunch to cut down on wait time.

•
Schedule yearly doctor visits into one visit. For instance, take everyone to the dentist on the same day.  

•
For the first visit, keep the address with you for quick directions.

Remember when I said that preplanning is one of my top tips?  I couldn’t stress it more. I truly believe I would be an out-of- control mom if I did not preplan! Here are my best tips:

•
On the first of each month, look at your calendar and schedule the things that need to be done.  I also clean my refrigerator, make a grocery list, clean out my purse, and reorganize my car at the first of every month, too.  

•
Lay out all outfits the night before.  If it is something you have never worn, try it on first.

•
Menu plan.

•
Pack backpacks, lunch boxes, and lay out breakfast the night before school Don’t wait until morning.

•
Put a list of things that need to be done the next day in your purse or in the car.

• Reorganize your desk before leaving the office.

• Keep an extra change of clothes in the vehicle for emergencies. 

Also, assemble a first aid kit and toiletry bag for any spills and messes that may happen.

I can go on and on with preplanning tips, but I don’t want to overload you. Follow me on social media for more tips and tricks:
@erinlovedesigns and @panachebyerin

As you become a better manager, you’ll begin saving hours. And every hour saved is an hour added to your life and family!