Hack Your Home

Perhaps you’ve had plans to get a leg up on all that goes with having a family and creating a home. You had planned to finally get a schedule for laundry, cleaning or meal planning. You decided NOT dread yardwork, cooking and grocery shopping and to not feel behind. All. The. Time. Life happens, and pretty soon, it doesn’t take much to derail the best laid plans. I don’t know about you, but for our family of six, laundry, meal planning and preparation, cleaning, yardwork, organization, etc., can really feel like a thorn in my side. Some weeks (most if I’m honest), I feel like all I do is clean, pick up, launder clothes, fold them, plan meals, shop for them, cook them and the list goes on. The grind can take over you, your household and maybe even your happiness. At the very least, it creates stress and unrest in your home. Don’t let it be this way! Believe it or not, you can take the stress off your plate and tame the chaos!

Laundry:

• Throw one load in every day. Put it in first thing in the morning so it’s ready to switch over after breakfast.
• Involve your kids in putting their own laundry away. If they are old enough, they can help fold too!
• If you are like Colleen, a working mom of three, you don’t have time in the week to do laundry. With the help of her kids and spouse, it all gets done Saturday and Sunday, ready for the week ahead.
• On the flip side, Jess, a working mom of two, says, “I used to try doing laundry over the weekend but then I felt guilty spending all of that time on clothes, when I wanted to be hanging out with my kiddos. I tried doing it throughout the week but found that I would forget or be too tired to switch it over. I ended up rewashing clothes because of the smell from sitting too long. After our washing machine broke, we bought one with a delayed start feature, and let me tell you, this has been a game changer! I can now put laundry in and set it to start later in the day. When I get home from work, the clothes have been freshly washed! I switch the load into the dryer during dinner, then we fold and put away together as a family.”

Cleaning:

• For new mamas, consider baby wearing to get tasks done while keeping your little one close.
• Try implementing zone cleaning or following along with a cleaning site, such as FlyLady.com or Clean Mama. You can also check out various cleaning schedules on Pinterest—some you can even customize to your own preferences.
• Get into the habit of doing a 5- or 10-minute cleanup three times a day. Not only does this help teach your children the art of cleaning up as they go, but it makes less for you to do later.
• Make it a team effort, involving your spouse and children as much as possible, even if the task isn’t done exactly how you would like. Jess says, “I make a list throughout the week of what needs cleaned or organized. We take at least one hour over the weekend and clean as a family. We try and make it fun, putting on some music to jam out to while we clean. I find that doing it this way helps me feel like I am still spending time with the kids.”
• Stacey, a stay-at-home mom of seven, recommends “setting a timer. Have a specific space you are working on and a notecard with the tasks for that room listed. Quickly work through the list with energy and focus. This also helps as the kids get older because you can hand them the notecard with cleaning supplies, and they will be able to do a whole room for you!”

Meal planning and preparation:

• Planning and preparation are key. Spend some time on a weeknight or weekend cutting up and prepping the ingredients for meals you’ll be making through the week.
• Invest in a good programmable crockpot or jump on the Instant Pot bandwagon.
• Double up when making a meal, then freeze the second batch.
• Utilize online grocery shopping. Shop once children are in bed, then pick up the next day or choose delivery to save even more time.
• Premake breakfast options, then freeze for grab-and-go in the mornings. Many lunches can also be made the night before so you have one less morning task to worry about. 
• Gather a few moms and do a meal preparation night. Everyone can contribute ingredients and leave with a couple of fresh meals or ones ready for the freezer.

Yardwork:

• Another great place to involve the kids! Our kids love to help if we get them a kid-sized snow shovel, rake or gloves. Their help doesn’t last for long—they eventually run off to play or ride their bikes while my husband and I finish up. But even when they bail, everyone is getting fresh air together!
• During the summer, do the yardwork after the kids are in bed. You can enjoy an evening with your family, then get the tasks done quickly once everyone is asleep.

Decide what your priorities are and what works for you and your family. You may choose to outsource certain tasks all the time or only during specific seasons. Stay away from the comparison game because everyone’s situation, circumstances and resources are different. Focus on one task you can get on top of now, then slowly add others. Soon you’ll see new habits and rhythms forming. And most importantly, give yourself—and your family—grace.  

If you choose to outsource tasks …

• Check out WishWash, an app-based laundry service, in Olathe.
• Hire a cleaning company to come weekly or monthly.
• Head to Dream Dinners for meals with all the prep work done for you.
• Hire a professional lawn service or even a neighborhood child to do the mowing and raking.

Julie Collett writes from Overland Park where she is constantly tweaking and adjusting what these household tasks look like in her home!