HOW I HAPPY HOME

So lets just remember that no one is perfect. No home is perfect. No family is perfect. The tiny squares of Insta or the lovely pages on Pinterest or the mom you see at school, we are all in the same boat. And the beauty of motherhood is the versatility. We all do things differently and have happy homes because of it. My goal in my home is to honor God. In everything. Not perfectly, because I am not perfect, but increasingly. Let us get down to business. People are always asking me how I keep a house up with three kids, homeschool, and my love for decor. Im gonna share a few ideas that I use that help keep my home feeling pretty (to my standard) but doesn’t feel like no fun can be had.

1. Less is really more . I have said it in posts before, but this is truly important. I am cleaning out on the regular. Don’t keep things you don’t love. And even more don’t keep things that don’t serve a purpose. Meaning, If you are keeping a decorative plant but it really doesn’t match your style or you’re just no that into it, get rid of it. When your house is filled with stuff you need and love, it makes cleaning it and decorating it much easier.
2. Less toys . Same as above, get rid of all the crap toys. Your kids don’t need that McDonalds’s happy meal toy they got 3 months ago. You know those toys Im talking about, the ones you step on and “sweet moses’s” come out of your mouth. Every few months I sit my kids down and we make a “keep” pile and a “giveaway” pile. I will give them the opportunity to decide what they want and what is important to them. Other times, when the house just seems flooded, I’ll walk around like a vacuum cleaner and with a trash bag I pick up anything in my sight. (My kids don’t love this lol). But sometimes it just needs to be done.
3. Clean up after every meal . And with this mom, I gotta give myself some grace. Sometimes it doesn’t happen. Life gets in the way, I am tired, whatever it is. But I do try and take care of business after every meal. The kitchen is where most families live so when its clean, Im just happier. It makes going into the next meal more enjoyable.

Let them play . Even though my house may not look it, there is a lot of play that happens here. When the kids play that means memories were made and Joy was had. The couch cushions get turned upside down, throw pillows turn in to “don’t touch the lava”, puzzles, crafts, play-doh…blah! You name it they do it! The way I stay on top of it is after every activity I have the kids clean it up. Its not always right away, but at some point throughout the day, its clean up time. Again starting the next day with a clean home and a happy mama.

1. Organize . Baskets and bins are my best friend. They can look cute in the house but they hide everything! I would love it if the toys that took me 2 hours to organize in each basket perfectly, would actually stay that way. But thats just not the reality with kids. So if I can just get them into ‘a basket’, I feel good! When I get that organizing bug every little while, I will go back and separate things into their own piles. Or better yet, I’ll have the kids do it!
2. CHORES . Really one of my favorite things. For reals! I love that my kids can help out around the house. Even my 3 year old is capable of doing work. I tell my kids “we do our work unto the Lord” with a happy heart and good attitude. Sometimes there is whining, but most of the time, the kids really enjoy being “helpers”. Our home is not a one woman show. We are all in the family together so our many hands make light work, this helps so much reliving me of all the household responsibilities.
3. Lists . Writing down my tasks and chores helps me visualize what I need to do and how I can tackle it. Even if I don’t go back and check things off the list or look at it a second time. Sometimes the fact that I just jot it down in my phone or on a pad, takes a load off of me.

While I do love my house a certain way. Not everything in the house has to be perfect all the time. If some of my decor gets moved to a new spot, I try my hardest to just laugh at it. Why not enjoy the moment and then I can move it back later. Im constantly needing to remind myself that it is OK if things aren’t “perfect”. Because again, who am I holding my standard to? Love all you guys!