If I can be honest, my homemaking skills have been getting a participation trophy for quite some time. Life is full with three kids six and under. As much as I want to grow in my homemaking, learning new homemaking skills feels so overwhelming.
BUT there is a solution. I’m going to tackle ONE homemaking skill each month. For that month alone, I want to dive into one thing, learn what I can, and do it well.
Why is it so overwhelming?
I think the overwhelm comes in when I try to learn too many things at once. Putting a system in place where I can focus on one thing each month sounds really doable to me.
If you want to learn more about homemaking, I did an in depth post on what it means to be a homemaker and how to find joy in it. You can read it here.
Ok, let’s get into it!
January Homemaking Skill – Routine
Creating a homemaking routine can be daunting, to say the least. But we have ALL MONTH to get this down. Here are some tips on creating a sustainable homemaking routine:
- Get yourself ready every day (if feasible!) I don’t know what it is about getting yourself together in the morning, but I am ALWAYS more productive when I get dressed and splash a little makeup on.
- TRY to wake up before your kids. This is always a goal of mine, but in certain seasons it just doesn’t happen (so grace, mama). But if you can, getting up before your kids will give you some headspace you didn’t know you needed.
- Create a daily rhythm. I love this article from Back Road Bloom. She lays out a great example for what your week could look like.
- Plan out your days. If I don’t prepare and plan for the next day, I usually end up wishing I did. Having a plan helps me stay focused on the things I really want to get done that day. If you’re in need of a BEAUTIFUL and practical planner, Emily Ley is my go to.
So that’s our focus for this month! Start creating these little habits into your days so you can make the most of your days as a homemaker!
February Homemaking Skill – Cleaning
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Decluttering tips
I can’t talk about cleaning without talking about decluttering first. Less stuff = less to clean! Once I decluttered my home, cleaning became SO much easier. Allie Casazza is my go to for decluttering. She has a very straight forward approach and following her advice did not feel overwhelming at all! Here are a few quick tips when you’re ready to declutter:
- Decide ahead of time what you will do with the things you are getting rid of. When we decluttered, there was a box for donate and a bag for trash. You could also add a box for things to sell.
- One room at a time! One sure way to get overwhelmed is to tackle it all at once. This is definitely a baby step process, take it one room at a time. I suggest starting with the bathrooms first since those will most likely be the least overwhelming.
- Everything has a home. This is something we frequently say in our house. “Put it in it’s home!” If it doesn’t have a home or we can’t find a place for it, it’s a sign that it’s time to get rid of some things.
Cleaning tips
Now onto cleaning! I know you just can’t wait 😉. If you’ve already got this down, you get a free month! But if you need a little help like me, let’s see what we can do. Last month you created your homemaking routine. I’m sure cleaning is in there somewhere! So once you know when you are going to do the cleaning, here are a few tips to improve your homemaking cleaning skills:
- Make your bed. Why does a made bed help me feel put together? I don’t know but I’m rolling with it. It only takes a few minutes but can really start your day off on the right foot.
- Involve the kids! I can’t emphasize this one enough. If my children are capable of helping with certain tasks, I try my best to include them in those tasks. Sometimes cleaning feels overwhelming because we are doing it all on our own, but we don’t have to! They will learn necessary skills and it will lighten your load. Win win!
- Run the dishwasher every night. Game changer alert. When I do this, it’s less likely the dishes are going to pile up.
A few more cleaning tips…
- Clean as you go. This one is tough, especially when you have littles that need you frequently. But if you are able to, pick up as you go so it’s not so overwhelming at the end of the day.
- Nightly clean up. Regardless of how much you are tidying throughout the day, there will most likely be something to put away at the end of the day. Take 5-10 minutes each night before bed to tidy things up and get the house ready for a good start the next morning.
- Grace. Don’t beat yourself up if you forget to run the dishwasher or tidy throughout the day. Remember that your family is what’s most important. You are doing holy work and tomorrow is a new day. Give yourself grace and remember that His mercies are new every morning.
I hope you can find ways this month to make cleaning your home a joy. Remember it’s not about what we are doing, but who we are serving.
March Homemaking Skill – Laundry
Don’t cringe. You cringed, didn’t you? Laundry was my nemesis for a very long time. This past year, I finally found a system that works well for our family. You can read about it here: Life Changing Family Laundry System.
My older two kids (ages five and six) do all of their own laundry with very little assistance from me. They don’t fold it, they have bins for each type of clothing and their own separate dirty laundry basket. I could do a TED talk on this, but I’ll spare you. Just read this post and it has everything you need to know!
Here’s the thing about laundry. It’s not a one size fits all. It’s really just trial and error until you figure out what works for you. I shared above what works for me, but here are some other options.
Laundry system options
- Do a load a day. If your kids are too young to help with laundry, this is a good option for you. I did this when my girls were babies. I would start a load in the morning, and try to have it folded and put away by the end of the day. My friend Allison from Her Hearts Homeschool puts her laundry on her kitchen table to make sure she remembers to fold it! When you put it away in a room you’re not frequently in, you’re most likely going to forget about it.
- Do it all in one day. Choose a day of the week and go. to. town! Fold and put all the clothes away that day.
- Do laundry 2-3 times/week. If you have older kids, or your younger kids are helping with the laundry, the only laundry left to do would be mom and dad’s, towels and linens. You could spread this out throughout your week.
Pick one to try, and if it works then stick to it! If not, try something else until you find your laundry groove. Whatever you decide to go with, be consistent! Give yourself grace in those seasons when it’s just not feasible.
April Homemaking Skill – Growing food
Don’t skip past this if you don’t have a garden! There are plenty of ways to grow food without having a full on garden. But if you do have a garden, check out this post for everything you need to get your garden ready for Spring.
If you don’t have a garden, here are some options for growing food in or around your home:
Growing vegetables in pots – putting plants in containers or pots around your home. Very easy way to get started!
Start your seedlings for free – an easy way to get started without spending money. The best way is to save your own seeds from things you are already eating.
How to grow an indoor garden – here is a list of 13 easy vegetables you can grow indoors
If you are ready to start a garden, here’s how you can build a garden bed for only $15!
Why gardening?
Gardening is an important homemaking skill that often gets overlooked because we don’t feel like it’s needed anymore. But with the way the world has been lately, I think growing your own food should be a top priority!
There’s so much opportunity when it comes to gardening. Not only are you providing food for your family, you can teach your kids SO much through it. Children learn the value of food and the hard work that goes into it. They can be given certain responsibilities (watering, tending to plants, etc.), that will also help give them some ownership over what they are growing. And there’s a better chance they will want to eat all the veggies if they are involved in the process!
Growing your own food may feel overwhelming at first. Just like I said before, pick one thing and stick to it. Add more to your plate when you feel ready. If you have never grown food before, start with one or two containers and go from there! Happy Spring!
May Homemaking Skill – Making your House a Home
I want a cozy home! Don’t you? This one is a struggle for me because I have always felt like I’m not naturally good at decorating my home. But praise the Lord for Pinterest, there is help for those who struggle in this department.
Thrifting is a great way to add beautiful pieces to your home without spending a fortune. Check out your local thrift store this month and see what you can find! Only bring home items that you absolutely love.
Here are some tips on creating a cozy and inviting space:
1. Light candles (we love using beeswax)
2. Keep bathrooms clean
This can be tough if we are not frequently in a certain bathroom. But it’s something that I try to stay on top of, especially when we have guests coming so that it’s a comfortable space. Kid’s bathrooms tend to be the worst, so I tackle that one for sure before company comes over.
3. Add fresh flowers
A quick an easy way to freshen up your home and make it feel inviting!
4. Use throw blankets and pillows
Give me ALL the pillows. I’m slowly building my stash. They are cozy, but they can get pricey too. This month try to add to your pillow collection if you can. We have these and they are super soft and cozy!
5. Background music
Alexa, anyone? Set her up in the kitchen and play some soft music in the background. We also use our Alexa echo for dance parties when the mood strikes! Always good to have music ready to go.
6. Add greenery
Houseplants and succulents can be a game changer when it comes to making your home feel cozy. While fresh flowers would be my first pick, I’m not above the ones that look real too 🙂
Live plants:
Artificial plants and holders:
7. Remember the power of food!
It’s always good to have a few good snacks on hand. I like making a big batch of chocolate chip cookies and freezing the dough for when it’s needed. I also try to keep fresh fruit on hand, especially when it’s warm out! Nothing says “welcome home” like yummy snacks!
Now go get your cozy on! If you are wanting to redecorate or change things up, work on one room at time. A quick way to find overwhelm is to do too much at once! Remember that little touches can make all the difference.
June Homemaking Skill – Cooking
Three meals a day, every day. That’s a lot, y’all. A lot of cooking, a lot of time in the kitchen, and a lot of planning or lack thereof. There’s so much to learn about cooking from scratch, meal planning and organizing your kitchen.
Just like your laundry system, you have to figure out what works for you! Are you a recipe gal or just want to throw something together? Do you need a plan to stay sane or can you keep up with the staple items and go from there?
Lisa from Farmhouse on Boone created a great video about how she feeds her large family healthy meals without sitting down to do an actual meal plan. You can watch the video below:
After I watched it, I realized meal planning was too overwhelming for me and I just wanted to keep the staples on hand and go from there. It’s been working great so far! I’ve actually enjoyed cooking a lot more.
Figure out what works best for you and your family, make a plan (or no plan) and get to cooking! Remember whatever you choose, stay consistent.
We generally do screen time when I cook dinner. For me, it’s nice to have some time to myself in the kitchen and they love watching their favorite show. It’s a win win in my book! With the weather being nice, they’re more likely to still be playing outside, which is even better!
Either way, I would try to find something for your kids to do during this time that is consistent so they know what to expect as well. Now, go cook your little heart out!
July Homemaking Skill – Self Care
Every good homemaker knows how to take care of herself. Whether it be her nightly reads, a bath, or just sitting alone eating sushi (guilty) – taking care of yourself is so important. It’s also important to remember that this can look so different depending on what season of life you are in.
The self care movement overwhelmed me because I felt like I couldn’t keep up with what it was asking me to do. Go get a pedicure, have a getaway weekend, take a relaxing bath everyday… it was too much so I called it a wash and said self care is not for me.
It is possible, friend!
But it is, it’s for everyone. You have to find what fills your cup so you can keep pouring out. As a mom of littles, this can be so hard to figure out. So this month, focus on finding out what it is that fills you up. Here are some realistic ideas to get you started:
- Schedule your self care time – one thing I know is that if it’s not on the schedule, it’s probably not going to happen! When scheduling your week, be sure to put a spot in there for yourself (and for your man) so you can both have some alone time each week.
- Unplug – this one is a personal favorite of mine. Turn off the screens and give your mind some rest.
- Connect with a friend – schedule a Facetime call or text a few friends you haven’t talked to in a while. Reconnecting with a kindred spirit can do wonders for you!
- Get outside – when my girls are having their quiet time/nap time, I try to walk outside for a few minutes. I’ll take a few deep breaths, talk to the Lord and just enjoy the quiet for a few minutes.
- Read a good book or listen to a podcast – I love reading, but lately podcasts have been more doable for me. There’s a few I’ve been listening to that REALLY encourage my heart: Thankful Homemaker, At Home with Sally, Daily Grace, and Now that We’re a Family. If you’re looking for some good reads, check out this post I did about my favorite books for Christian moms.
A few more practical ideas…
- Go to bed early – a good night’s rest will do wonders! I sleep best when I turn off my screens an hour or so before bedtime.
- Create something – if you don’t have a hobby, try finding one this month! It can be something simple like learning how to crochet or knit. It’s totally doable after the kids go down. I have a few friends that have learned how to watercolor and they love it!
- Journal – writing things down or brain dumping can be very therapeutic, especially when you have a lot on your mind.
- Eat your favorite food – I mean I may indulge in some edible cookie dough every now and then. I’m not saying you have do that, but you definitely won’t regret it!
I hope you can figure out what gives you rest and what fills you up this month. The most important thing is to schedule your time to make sure it happens. I know I’m a better mom and wife when I can have some time to myself. It helps prevent breakdown and that overwhelming feeling that we all dread.
August Homemaking Skill – Hosting + Entertaining
Have you had those dreams of hosting dinners with candles and placemats and fancy silverware? Or is that just me? Hosting dinners at our home has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. They end up looking like hamburgers and hot dogs rather than a four course meal, but we’re making it work.
Hosting can be overwhelming when you’re focused on the wrong things. Here are some things to focus on when it comes to successfully hosting and entertaining with kids:
- Plan out your meal and check for allergies. It’s a good idea to ask the families that are coming if anyone has any allergies or special diet requirements. Plan your meal accordingly! Make what you can ahead of time so it’s not so stressful the day of the dinner party.
- Let the kids make a menu! Kids love feeling like grown ups. Let them know what they’ll be eating and have them create a menu while you get everything set up for dinner.
- Set up an art project or a coloring station for the kids after dinner. It’s always nice when the adults can have some good conversation. If the kids are at coloring/crafting ages – this could give you some extra conversation minutes!
Keep it simple!
- Keep it simple. Don’t over do it! Remember they are coming for you, not the food. Welcome them with a smile and offer them a drink when they arrive. If they offer to help, let them! Good conversation happens in the kitchen too.
- Do a potluck. Can I get an amen? Potlucks are just the best. You only have one dish to prepare, and everyone else brings the rest. When we have people over, they usually want to bring something. Doing a potluck is a great way to keep everyone involved in the meal prep and no one gets overwhelmed!
- Candles and music to make it inviting. Just a few subtle candles and some background music is all you need!
Remember that the season you are in matters. If you’re a mom of littles, entertaining a crowd is usually the last thing on your mind. But it is possible! The people coming into your home want to spend time with you. They want good conversation and for the kids to play and laugh together. The food may be a necessary part of hosting, but it’s not the most important part.
This month, try hosting one or two other families for dinner. They will be thrilled that you invited them!
September Homemaking Skill – Preserving food
We are rookie canners over here. But I’m so excited to learn all about it this year. We have stocked up on our mason jars and are learning all about how it’s done.
Here is a great resource for tips on preserving food: EASY PRESERVING RECIPES, TIPS & RESOURCES
If you have been gardening, your harvest should be plentiful by now! Start researching how to preserve the foods you are growing. Here are some essential canning supplies if you decide to go that route:
- Stainless steel canning ladle
- Stainless steel wide mouth funnel with handle
- Canning jars
- Jar lifter
- Jar lids
- Stainless steel canning rack
- Stainless steel canner
I’m excited to learn all about this with you! There’s definitely something to be said about saving food to eat for the rest of the year! Good luck, fellow homemaker. May the force be with you.
October Homemaking Skill – Baking Bread
Who remembers the 2020 flour shortage? For some reason, when we were all locked in our homes – making bread seemed like a really good idea. I’m not mad about it, I learned a lot and ate a lot.
I realized how easy bread making can be, and how dang delicious it is! I’m not a pro by any means, so hop on Pinterest and search easy bread recipes. We love the amish ones the best. Oh! And don’t forget about biscuits. These are my absolute favorite!
Another thing you could try would be sourdough! All you need is flour and water to make your sourdough starter. Sourdough is lower in gluten and is easier to digest. A good alternative if you have a sensitive stomach!
Fresh bread never goes to waste in our home! It’s also a great thing to have on hand when having guests over. Especially right out of the oven. Those guests may never want to leave, so be careful!
November Homemaking Skill – Budgeting
Dave Ramsey, where you at? If you’ve taken Financial Peace University, you and Dave Ramsey are most likely besties by now. My husband and I took his course when we were engaged, and I’m so glad we did. Money can be a tricky thing, especially in marriage. It was good to get on the same page.
I’m a big fan of budgeting. I currently use YNAB (you need a budget) to keep track of our income and expenses. It’s a super helpful tool. I love that they have an app for your phone as well.
Some benefits of budgeting include:
- Helps you plan activities
- You know where your money is going
- You can focus on your financial goals
- Helps to cut out unnecessary spending
- Prevents late payments
- Helps you save and invest
If you haven’t jumped on the budget train yet, now is the time to do it! Christmas is coming up and planning our your monthly expenses can be a huge help this time of year.
December Homemaking Skill – Homemade Products
DIY is the name of the game. And what better time? Homemade Christmas gifts are just the best. I’m not naturally a great DIY person, but yet again Pinterest has our back.
If you have a handmade skill like crocheting or cross stitching, definitely start there! If not, here are some ideas:
- Peppermint bath salts
- DIY tea towels
- Handmade oatmeal cinnamon soap
- DIY bath bombs
- Stove top potpourri
- Flower pressings
- Sugar scrub cubes
- DIY lavender candles
That’s it friends. That’s the last homemaking skill of the year! If you made it this far, know that I am so proud of you. As we grow as homemakers, remember that it’s not about what we do, but about the people we are taking care of. Thanks so much for being here!
Great topics. I can tell you put a lot of thoughtful time in on this. Thank you.