I’m all about simple.  The less clutter we have, the better off we are — physically and mentally.  Let’s start the New Year by resolving to simplify.

Tackle the areas that need it most.  Is it the physical piles of stuff in your basement? Are your kitchen cabinets unmanageable? Is your office overflowing with paper?

Or how about your mind? Do you often find yourself starting projects and not finishing them because you get distracted by something else? Is your internet time keeping you from your chores? {Pinterest, I’m looking at you.}

OK, take a deep breath. You CAN do this!  It seems overwhelming, but once you get in a groove, you can do it! I have spent the last few years immensely simplifying-everything from my home to my homeschool to my cooking, and even my “mental clutter.”  Face it — as homemakers, we are busy.  We represent many roles as mommy, chef, nurse, maid, wife, and even teacher.

Homemaking is about providing a stable, comfortable, secure place for our kids.  They will remember us for who we were with them, and how they felt in their homes.

If mom is struggling with housework, cooking and other things, then the kids will feel it.

So take a step back and set the goal — at the end of this journey called motherhood, what do you want your kids to remember?

For me, it is about them feeling the love of God permeating in our home through mommy and daddy’s love for them.

So the less stress by simplifying, the easier it is to focus on doing just that.

Ways to Simplify:

1.  Start small. Inventory the problem areas of the home. Tackle one at a time. One room. Do, not, no matter what, even touch another room before the first one is finished.  That means if you need to take something from room 1 to room 2, just make a pile.

Otherwise, you will take it to room 2 — before you know it, you are caught up in room 2.  By the end of the day, you have run more circles around the house, than completed tasks.

2.  Reduce clutter: determine what is needed. Face it, many of us live with an abundance.  If that stuff is piling up though and causing you stress, it is not a blessing.  Give it away.  Bring to the consignment shop.  Do not hold onto things that you certainly don’t need. Holding onto a lot of “stuff” means taking care of it, and that means added stress.

3.  Use containers and label everything.  When everything has a place, organization becomes easier.  Make it a non-negotiable rule to all in the family that everything must be returned to its place when it is used, before moving onto something else.  This rule is a must to adhere to if you want to simplify.  I have explained to my kids that when they follow this rule, mommy has less work to do, and more leisure time to spend with them. That is always a motivating factor!

4.  When it comes to cooking, meal planning is essential.  I plan at least 1-2 weeks ahead, but many people do even more.  This eliminates the  ”What’s for dinner” question at 4 pm. It also ensures that when you shop you have the ingredients on hand, because you bring your meal plan to the grocery store.

Pick theme nights: leftover nights, crock pot night, homemade pizza night, or like us, Spaghetti Sunday.  I love cooking; at this season in my life, I don’t have time to make complicated recipes in the kitchen all-day.  So I reserve special recipes for those days when we don’t have much going on, but most other days are more simple meals.

5.  Finally,  be accountable for your mental clutter. I can get sucked-in very easily to the abundance of information available these days online. Pick a time of the day for computer-time and stick to your plan.  When the time is up, it is up.  Write it down if necessary.  I have a rule that my online time must not exceed my Bible/prayer time.

Remember, being a homemaker is a calling and one that will enable you to serve your family in a way that will truly bless them.  Time goes by too-fast to be bogged down by the extras. Let them look-back one day, remembering how it felt to be in our homes — they will remember the laughs, fun, and love. The home is the heartbeat of the family and the simpler you make your life, the more time to spending keeping that heartbeat strong!