An Organized Life...

Lately, I have been trying to get organized and keep a clean home; unfortunately, I have been failing miserably. I often wonder how people do it... I see it all the time on social media. I am habitually following them and find myself on Tik Tok for hours, watching women clean and organize their homes. Then after I beat myself up for not having a clean organized home like theirs, I sit and begin to wonder, "How are these women out here with these immaculate homes, a business, a husband, and five kids running around daily???" This is a serious question, and I need answers immediately! Like seriously, is this all just for the Gram, or are they really living like this?!?

If you read my first blog post, I mentioned that I resigned from my position as a Social Media Coordinator, so we had to cut some costs around the house. One of these cut costs was Maria. Maria was the amazing lady who came to my house every two weeks to clean and organize. She was truly a lifesaver and made my life so much more convenient. We haven't had Maria around in about five months, and the cleaning and organizing have fallen in my lap. Do you know how they say you never miss a good thing until it's gone? Well, I am missing Maria because I am now Maria...

So about three weeks ago, I started making Saturday mornings my cleaning day. I get up, brush my teeth, wash my face, fill my favorite Starbucks tumbler with ice water, and blast old-school music. This is really nostalgic for me because, as a kid, my mother would clean on Saturdays. I would wake up to the sound of Anita Baker or Luther Vandross playing and the smell of Pine-Sol. I also knew that that meant I had to get up and clean my room. I dreaded cleaning my room...

Now, I love cleaning, especially when I am done, because the results are so satisfying. The house always smells and looks fantastic. I could literally have my home photographed for a magazine when I am done, but by the end of the next day, it's as if I had never cleaned. My one-year-old has strewn his toys all over, my 17-year-old has decided to cook and left a mess in the once sparkling kitchen, and my husband has come home from a work trip and has left a trail of his travels.

With Spring quickly approaching, I am gearing up for Spring Cleaning. I have been eyeing some things on Amazon to help me keep the house clean. I have noticed that when the house is in disarray, I get incredibly anxious, and life seems chaotic, so I am dedicated to prioritizing cleaning and organization.

The first thing that has to happen is decluttering. I read that creating a decluttering action plan is the best way to declutter. After you have the action plan and have decluttered, you must implement and stick to an organizational system. Second, you have to ensure everyone in the house knows what is happening and understands the system. With all males in my home, this plan has to be simple and easy. Lastly, patience is key! This is a new routine for everyone, and it may take some time for my teenager and husband to get the hang of it - there's no hope for the one-year-old.

What are some ways that you keep your house cleaned and organized? Maybe you are working on some cleaning projects around the house... Either way, let me know in the comments and drop some tips that have helped you ❤️