Back to School Prep {Laundry}

When I asked on Instagram “What makes you stress about Back To School time?

The top answers were 

Laundry/Kids Clothes 

Dinner

Housekeeping 

Logistics 

Breakfast 

Lunch Prep

Getting Out The Door 

I’ve pretty much shared all I can right now on kids clothes, but I wanted to share how we do laundry when we are on the right track. 

I do 1-2 loads a day Monday-Thursday and sometimes a special load, or couch covers on Friday and NONE on the weekend. No one wants to put laundry away Sunday night! 

Obviously there is the occasional mishap when a uniform gets missed in the last dark load on Thursday and is needed on Monday, or someone is losing their mind over certain jeans. But typically our family of 6, with pretty small wardrobes ( I think anyway) can make this work and I feel less resentful about laundry if it’s not an issue on the weekend. 

I’m always down for hearing about new methods! Send em my way! 

Continue Reading ...

Nightly Routine for Easier Mornings

Our mornings start EARLY, and I hate to get the day started on the wrong foot. Sometimes that happens anyway, but most days I can do a little work the night before to make mornings run smooth!

It doesn't take long, and every minute is usually worth it.

I leave about 15-20 minutes before bed to run through this routine real quick.

Journaling

The kids each have a little journal in their Good Morning Basket, I try to just write them a little note, or reminders for the day, if something is our usual schedule.

Prep Lunches & Coffee

I am much more with it in the evening than early in the morning, and that coffee is important :)

Breakfast Prep

Just check to make sure nothing needs to be thawed or put it in the Instant Pot

Dishes

Because waking up to an empty sink is AMAZING!

Laundry Prep

I just put a load in the washer, and if it's full already I will start it, if not I just wait for the mornings dirty clothes.

Quick Overall Tidy

Walk through and put things in the right room, bedding and put trash in bin

Check Planner

To make sure we don't have anything out of our norm the next day!

Self Care

Take care of my teeth and hopefully something to counteract these wrinkles lol

Getting to bed on time is Self Care too!

Do you feel like you stay up later and later just to have a little alone time, time where you aren't doing kid stuff, or doing something for someone else?

 That was me for years! Ended up being more tired in the morning and everything was more difficult. I switched it up and went to bed earlier, and get up earlier and have MORE time for me and I am not a tired groggy mess in the morning!

Anything you do routinely at night to help with the next day?

*May contain affiliated links* I participate in Amazon Associates Program occasionally. I won't recommend a product I wasn't myself interested in trying or have tried. I may receive monetary compensation for participating. This does not change the price for you.

Continue Reading ...

Back to School Organization~ Cleaning Cards

 I shared our updated Chore Packs last week, over the weekend I put together the cards for each room. These are not jobs that will take hours, just a checklist of a few items that each take a couple minutes max. Having some help do these few chores a couple times a week will sure help me, and help these kids learn how to keep the spaces they frequent tidy. 

I don't expect the bigger kids to need these for long, after a few weeks they will have the routine down, until then, they are laminated and have a spot easy to access. I also attached a dry erase marker because a certain 7 year old I know and love will want to check them off! It might add more time to the job than the actual job, but if it encourages him to helpful, I will take it!

I've got a card (just small, 4x6) for Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom, and Family Room.

Email me if you would like them too, free :)

FolkHollow@gmail.com

*May contain affiliated links* I participate in Amazon Associates Program occasionally. I won't recommend a product I wasn't myself interested in trying or have tried. I may receive monetary compensation for participating. This does not change the price for you.

Continue Reading ...

1 Year To an Entirely Organized Home

 First I want to say that I know January, when the kids are home, after a few weeks off, may not be the ideal time to start. So, why am I starting now then?! For many of us the holidays are stressful. I NEED an outlet. Cleaning/Organizing is my favorite healthy outlet! If January is not the right time for you, it's ok! There aren't specific dates for this, just a weekly plan. 

We've been doing some purging together in our Facebook Group, it's helped me get rid of 275 ish things, and there are still plenty of days to go! I feel like I need to roll with that, before any clutter makes it's way back in!

I still try to do some organizing every week, usually on Friday. This fits right in with our current routine.

I've done this in the past (a couple houses ago) this is what that looked like

Sadly, many of those don't apply to our current home. Many still do though, and I have plenty of new things to add to this list.  Taking the time now to make my list so I have a plan and can jump right in that first week! How perfect that the 1st is a Sunday? Just lines right up with this plan!

I hope you will join and take the ones that don't apply to you (like Chicken stuff) out, and add what you need, in! Post it to instagram and help others get inspired to spend more time with their family and less time dealing with clutter! Tag me! @OregonHousewife :) I am sure I have some giveaways happening for participants!

*May contain affiliated links* I participate in Amazon Associates Program occasionally. I won't recommend a product I wasn't myself interested in trying or have tried. I may receive monetary compensation for participating. This does not change the price for you.

Continue Reading ...

Weekly Cleaning Routine

 Do you tell yourself, something has to give, cleaning is not all there is in life? Feel like you clean all day for nothing? To turn around and it's all a mess again? Do you use the words overwhelmed, stressed, out of control, unorganized to describe your cleaning style?

Did hearing "cleaning routine" instantly make you think I was coocoo?

Yeah, I hear that all the time. But let me tell you, I never really stress about cleaning! Having a routine has pretty much eliminated any stress or anxiety about cleaning or housekeeping in general. There are some good reasons for creating a routine that works for you!

Less Stress

Less Work *
Less Guilt

*Give it 2-3 weeks dedication. You will see that you spend less time each week, giving you more free time and less stress!

 It's been a year since we have been here and multiple years since I've evaluated how well my cleaning routine works for us, it's time to look at it with Fresh eyes!

This is outside of my normal tidying so things like laundry and dishes won't be on here.

Friday~Everything Else
Anything I missed during the week
Get Groceries
Gas in car
Clean Out Purse
Tidy Front Porch and Garage
Tidy Laundry Room


None of these days take too long. Thursday is maybe the most work,
 but the kids can do lots of theirs! 
Keep up the routine and each week gets easier and you get more free time to enjoy your clean home :)

*May contain affiliated links* I participate in Amazon Associates Program occasionally. I won't recommend a product I wasn't myself interested in trying or have tried. I may receive monetary compensation for participating. This does not change the price for you.

Continue Reading ...

Halloween Decorations '15

Before we moved I got rid of about 50% of our Halloween decorations. I still have some extra with no place. Partially because we also got rid of most of our furniture and partly because we have a mobile 1 year old with grabby hands.

So it's a lot less this year in some ways, and in others there are more because the TV isn't on the mantle. I think I am actually liking it better here!

When I stopped shopping (for the most part) in the Halloween section, or at the season shops is when I started finding some of my favorite things.

I don't mind a LOT of stuff as long as it's cohesive. I pick up random black, white or silver things now and even if they aren't traditional "Halloween", they seem to make their way to the Halloween stuff. Especially books and signs. This Old Soul sign was at a summer show and I don't think they intended it to be Halloween inspired but it just works for me. I could leave it out year round though, with how much I like it.

So choose a couple colors and go with it, don't stick to Holiday specifics, just choose some colors. Rhinestones and camera, books and pumpkins, ribbon and candles. They all work together with almost anything else you add in your colors. 

Sharing some real life here, coffee that is 3 hours old and I am still drinking it, our ugly kitchen cabinets in the background and we haven't got the baseboards all cut and put up since we decided to get new ones.

I didn't buy a single Halloween decoration this year, my mama gifted me the crow skeleton, she knows me well :)

Continue Reading ...

Meal Plan September {Week 4}

It's going to be nice weather here all week! We have 2 birthday boys and 1 birthday party.

So pretty much it's going to be a fun busy week and interesting meals.

Monday~Pot Roast

Just been sounding super good lately!

I am going to try THIS recipe from The Organic Kitchen. It's a little different but looks SO pretty and tasty!

Tuesday~Pressure Cooker Mac N Cheese

It's Hawkins first birthday and double practice day's.

I need something everyone will eat without complaint so we can celebrate our big 1 year old.

And who can say no to 10 minutes TOTAL time to homemade Mac N Cheese?! Total Mom Saver!

Wednesday~ No idea!

It's Finn's Birthday and he is old enough to choose what he wants to have for dinner.

This sweet faced baby will probably ask for Starbucks banana bread and ice cream!

 

Thursday~ Ravioli and Salad

I am picking up some ravioli at Trader Joe's and making some sauce at home. Making extra sauce to freeze and thicken up for Pizza's next week.

Friday~Chicken Enchiladas

Everyone loves them!

 

Continue Reading ...

Haven Checklist

 I shared before some of the things I know my family appreciates at home. The obvious stuff, but I also want to think more about the little things and make an effort to do them more often too!

Not likely these will all happen everyday. but I work well with a checklist, even if it's just for the occasional reference. On an ideal day where no one loses their lunchbox, spits up 30 seconds before we have to walk out the door or has a meltdown over lunch, I could get these all done everyday. It's not a long list but doesn't include any tidying or cleaning.  

Does it Smell Good?

We use 2 types of smell good stuff. Scentsy and Wall Flowers from Bath and Body Works. I pretty much stick to just 1 smell from each place. I use Happy Birthday from Scentsy and whatever the current Salted Caramel, Creamy Caramel, Caramel something from Bath and Body Works. I try to change the scentsy every week if the smell has faded. I don't use more than 1 of either. Some people are scent sensitive and I don't want it to be overpowering.

What is there to eat?

Goodness gracious do our kids come home hungry everyday?! The way they instantly go for a snack would make you think they haven't eaten all day. I have really been slacking on the snack department lately. I am working on getting back to having homemade snacks more often. I don't like to buy or give the kids the prepackaged stuff. We did find an organic all natural brand that isn't as expensive but it's still not my favorite thing for them to have. 

Our kids all have a sweet tooth. I don't want to give them dessert for a snack, but I do think something on the sweeter side 1 or 2 days a week would be a nice surprise.

Homework

No one really LIKES to do homework, me included, but it needs to be done. Keeping the homework stuff prepped and supplied helps make that afternoon chore a little easier.

Healthy Yummy Meals

Depending on which kid you ask about a meal will depend on the answer you get about if it's yummy. I am not about to make 2 different meals for the kids. They have the choice of eating what we are having or the alternate (and very similar) meal. My mom is a super picky eater, I am pretty picky but getting better, hubby is picky. I was never forced to eat anything, accept by my sweet great grandma. It was horrible, and I remember feeling anxiety about eating around her. I would rather our kids not have that anxiety and trust me when I tell them they might like something. Dinner is just not the time to argue over stuff like veggies anymore. If they don't like the veggies, I don't stress anymore. I just sneak it in a smoothie and don't tell them. It's a win win win. They win by not having to eat something they really dislike, I win by getting them the veggies anyway, the family wins because it tends to keep dinner time a little more peaceful. 

Has anyone seen where this print is from? It's adorable, love the colors!

Open the windows on nice days

We don't have a lot of those right now, but every once in a while, and as we get closer to spring, a lot more days. I love the fresh air and it just feels better to have the windows open!

How's it sound?

I try to put music on that no one really dislikes, pleasing all of us at once will be tricky, but there are some Pandora stations that don't play songs any of us have expressed a dislike for. 

My favorites are The Civil Wars Station, and The Avett Brothers Station, depending on what kind of mood I am in.

And I could read this BLOG all day, well if I didn't have a million other things to do. It is full of great ideas and the contributors are all sweet! I love the Hospitality Series they have done.

Speaking of Hospitality. I want to check both of these books out! Have you read either?
*affiliate links

Continue Reading ...

Why Cleaning Matters to Me

Why it matters to me that is. I want to serve and be a blessing to our family. As a wife I should serve my husband and as a mom, our kids. When we have guests, my job as a hostess is to serve. It's one way I can show them love. Striving to be a good and CHEERFUL servant in that aspect. Keeping things tidy because it's more pleasing than a disaster. Keeping it tidy around here allows me to spend more time on what really matters, the people in our life!
I don't ever want to be ashamed or embarrassed about what our home looks like if someone comes over, or decline the offer out of fear of what it looks like here. Worrying about the crumbs on the floor and the dishes in the sink can really be distracting and I don't like to be that type of friend. I want to be present in the conversation, 100%.  I want to show my family and our friends how important they are when they are in our home.
 Cleaning, even though it sometimes feels like a thankless job is how I can show them.

 
What motivates you to keep your home tidy?

 Some other reasons why cleaning is important to me?
I sleep better when things are in order and I am more creative and productive when my surroundings aren't in shambles.

I can tell you it is NOT easy! Everyday I have to remind myself why I should be managing our home. Some days I don't convince myself and those days happen to everyone once in a while. Thankfully, with the right 'tude we can get back on track.
 I really kind of got out of my weekly routine when we moved. This first month I think the only real cleaning I did besides dishes was when I moved stuff it maybe got some of the dust knocked off of it!

I don't want to waste another day where I could serve the people around me and show them how I care. I feel like these last 2 weeks I have done a much better job, getting more into the routine of it. Trying to be thankful we found a place for now that is safe and works for us. Being cheerful even though it is the 3rd time I have swept in 2 days, when it feels like NO ONE appreciates it. I have to remind myself I am not doing it for the recognition from anyone. I do it to serve, plain and simple. When I stop expecting appreciation to be verbalized or shown by a certain 5, 7 and 9 year old, it's better!

“Whenever you get opportunity to serve, serve with all your heart.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita

Continue Reading ...

What makes a house a HOME to you?

Focusing on being content where we are in life right now. It's not easy but I am going to make the most of it. Some of the things that make a house a home to me are

~Tidiness (not spotless)

~Organized common areas

~It's gotta smell good!
I can never smell our house smell but I know it smells good because I get comments on it every time someone is over. I think I have become nose blind to it.

I want our kids and hubby to come home to a soft place to land as some call it. A place they look forward to coming home to after school and work, where things are just easy and where they can just be and feel at home. Some things I know that the kids appreciate are

~Snacks, easy snacks!

~Less Chores

~Time with Mommy

~Things in their place so they can get onto playing with them

~A clean place to do homework

Some things I know hubby appreciates are:

~Snacks, especially if dinner is not ready when he gets home

~Time to unwind after work

~Less hustle and bustle and more downtime


We aren't here just yet but slowly working on it.

I'm going to try and share a little bit each week how I am getting us to this place where Home is a Haven and the place we all want to be. 

Continue Reading ...

Prepping for a Good Morning~Night Routine

Today I am sharing how I prep to make my mornings smooth,well smoother anyway.

In my planner I use these super cute daily docket pages from Miss Tiina.

There are 6 areas besides water on the page. I like to use them for 

~Cleaning

~Appointments

~To Do's for the day

~Looking forward, appointments etc.

~Encouragement, quotes, scripture

~Everything else

Some of these are partially filled out before hand but I like to do as much as I can while I am wide awake the night before, I am less likely to miss something that way.

I have HORRIBLE penmanship.

 Anything to make mornings run smoother. These are a few things I do at night. It doesn't take long, only about 20 minutes total, including tidying the kitchen. Waking up to a mostly clean kitchen is SO worth the 5-10 minutes it takes at night.

• Fill out my Daily Docket for the next day (also throughout the day)
• Prep my coffee
• Lay out clothes
• Set out breakfast stuff
• Write in notebooks
• Get laundry ready
• Pack some of lunch stuff
• Quick kitchen tidy 
• Check dinner plan, anything need to thaw?

 What can you do in the evening to make your morning better?

Maybe only once a week prepping is more your style? Living Well Spending Less shared this 3 hour Sunday prep that might work for you!

Continue Reading ...

Making our House a Home

Since we moved in to our rental in November it hasn't felt like home, just a house. I realized that a LOT of that is my attitude. I've been feeling down. I can work on my attitude about our current situation, because I KNOW it's not permanent but it's not the only thing not working. I think the feeling like we are just treading water and not really making progress is what has had me feeling down. Time to make the most of the time we are here and try to refine what we can until our next project comes along.
Things like

~What we spend our time dealing with at home

~What we do with our free time

~How we spend money

None of those are a 1 time thing, or easy. It's going to be a process, and I need to get on it. I think the busyness will help my attitude too. Since it's not something I HAVE to do but something I am choosing to do, being a good steward of my time and our money is important to me.

It's not just about the cleaning and organizing, there are other things that make it feel homey and I haven't been doing them or setting a good example. Sharing my struggles to do better everyday.  Hopefully someone else can relate to all the crazy!

I'm going to focus on mornings first, since that is when our day starts. It needs to run smooth and be a happy time. I don't want to send hubby or kids out the door with anything but a happy heart. I'll share how our perfect morning would go soon!

Hope you will join me this year in making a house a home.

Continue Reading ...

20 Minutes to Clean Bedrooms

Bedrooms!

Lately, these have been the rooms that have been neglected big time. We have been in this house 3 weeks now and I haven't really touched them. I shared earlier this week a picture of how bad they are, SO bad, you can see them HERE.

I have been feeling anxious and sad and just not my normal. I think a big part of that is the chaos of every room so far. Getting back on track in the bedrooms with this list should help!

~Pick up toys

hopefully the kids have been sticking to the 1 toy out a time rule

~Clean off nightstands, dressers and other flat surfaces

~Dust

We have a feather comforter, SO MANY feathers!

~Wipe down flat surfaces

as needed, I just use a baby wipe

~Change Sheets/Make Bed

Then put the stripped sheets straight into the washer

~Touch up mirrors and windows

only as needed

~Vacuum

Also only as needed, we are a no shoe house so the carpet isn't horrible

I pick up each room, then dust each room so I am not picking up the duster more than once. I do each task in all 3 rooms before I move onto the next task.

Hoping I get to share nice tidy, organized bedrooms tomorrow! It's been a rough week!

Continue Reading ...

Organizing Friday~before & after bathroom

Last Friday I showed y'all this embarrassing picture of our master bathroom counter! Ugg moving is not my thing. Unpacking seems so difficult!

I spent a little time each day sorting, purging MORE, even though I just did when I packed! Having stuff packed for a month sure is an eye opener! I didn't even THINK about one of the boxes. So much stuff I didn't need but had. This whole moving thing is surely a lesson in needs vs. wants and simplifying.

We have this very large built in cabinet. The tall shelves are perfect for keeping stuff out of kids hands! I've got medications sorted into types and together! No more digging for cough medicine at 3am! I keep supplements up there too. I fill our medicine holders up in the bathroom, it's just easier to keep them near.

I was going to get rid of a lot of towels, but there is plenty of room so for now I am just leaving them for now.

Our old house we had just enough storage for clothes in our bedroom, this one is a little smaller and we are down 2 large pieces of furniture that held a lot of clothes. Because the bathroom has so much more storage that would otherwise be empty, I moved all the socks and undergarments as well as pajamas and stuff into the bottom drawers. We each have our own space for stuff that can easily be organized and it frees up a drawer in the 1 dresser we have now.

This week I have got to get a handle on these kids rooms!  I know there are still boxes of stuff in the garage, I don't want to bring anymore in until this disaster is a little more managed.

And yes those are our sleeping babies, they each have a bed, but Finn always tries to sleep in some one's bed ❤️

Continue Reading ...

Organizing Friday

I really need to get back to organizing on Friday! We don't have all the boxes out of storage yet but I have to start somewhere! There is a lot of strange storage in this new place. I'm going to start with the master bathroom. Our old one had decent storage but nothing like this one!  Y'all I am so embarrassed by this before picture!

I have just been leaving them there because I don't know what to do with them yet! And the mess underneath is even worse!

Medicine and stuff that can harm the kids has to be up for my comfort. I've used some dollar tree bins and separated each bin into type of medicine. We have
cold/cough/asthma,
stomach/heartburn,
skin, and
One for everything else

I asked on Facebook the other day about towels, how many did others have, thinking our 25+ was too many!

Hopefully now that I have shared this disaster I will be motivated enough to share the better version next week!

Continue Reading ...

20 Minutes to a Clean Home~Part 3

Tuesdays for me are cleaning the Family Room, 1/2 Bath and Entryway day.
While you might not have a set day each week that you clean a certain area, I hope this 20 minute list will help someone.

Usually I try to stay in 1 room at a time, but toilets and showers can always use some time to get some cleaning action going, I start with those.

~Start toilet cleaning with whatever you use
  We use a couple different things here, but the toilet bombs are my favorite!
 Lots of different recipes on Pinterest.
~Spray sink
I use the equal parts blue Dawn and Vinegar mix on pretty much all of our sinks and showers.

~Turn Scentsy warmer off
So I can dust it and change it later

Then I get to work in the Family Room

~Pick Up
Anything that got missed during tidying

~Dust
All of the black furniture and the ceiling fan especially show dust

~Glass
Just the obvious fingerprints on windows

~Wipe down tabletops
There are always coffee cup rings :) 
I just use a baby wipe cause we always have them

~Vacuum
Only if it really needs it. We are a no shoes, no food (for kids)
on carpet so it can go 2 weeks and be fine. 

Then I get to the Bathroom, not much different order from the Family Room.

~Dust
One of my pet peeves is how much dust TP makes!

~Glass
Touch up the mirror, get any spots off. You don't have to clean the whole mirror every week.

~New Fluff
I change the hand towel and scentsy, make sure the TP is stocked.

 ~Counter, cabinets & sink
Wipe counters off then most of the time, I just rinse the spray off the sink and it's fine, but if it needs extra attention, I just wipe it out with a baby wipe. Spot clean cabinets for fingerprints.

~Toilet
Again with the baby wipes, I just  wipe down the outside and seat and then flush, keeping up on it means it never really gets bad enough to require scrubbing.

~Floors
I shake the rug out and vacuum or sweep. If the floor needs it I will steam mop.
I try to catch the wild boy messes before steam mopping is necessary. 

The Entryway is really not too much work, it's small.

~Glass
Spot Clean the windows for finger (or mouth) prints

~Floor
I just do a quick sweep, or vacuum if it's still out.

 
That is IT! You can do that in 20 minutes!
Set that timer and it will be done before you know it, and you will feel good about how it looks!

 

Continue Reading ...

20 Minutes To A Clean House Part 2~ The Kitchen

 The Kitchen can feel so overwhelming but stick with a plan and each week it will be easier and you will get more done in that 20 minutes. Remember, the first few weeks it might feel like 20 minutes is not nearly enough time, even a little progress on some of the tasks that could take up all of the time is still progress and before you know it cleaning out the fridge will be a 1 minute job instead of 30.

* This is my list for our home. Make a list of what you need done weekly*

Music is a must have for me, I need the background noise

I start any job that needs a few minutes to do it's thing first so I am not wasting any of the 20 minutes.

~Start the Microwave Cleaning 

Just a damp sponge to steam it up, easy to wipe down

~Clean the Fridge

I just make sure there are no leftovers or spills

~Dust

I try to get on top of fridge every week and then any spots that are bugging me. I use a Swiffer Duster on a long handle. No time to climb chairs!

~Wipe Down Cabinets

Not all of them, just where I can really see kid prints

~Wipe out Microwave

~Wipe Down Counters

~Clean Stove Top

I don't spend too much time on this, I am horrible at letting things boil over. This alone could be a 45 minute project if I tried to get every spot off. I just get it clean enough to look good.

~Wipe Down Chairs and door knobs

Just where I can see kid prints, this is so much better since we changed to benches and white chairs instead of 8 black chairs! Our pantry door knob is always icky!

~Clean Sink

I keep ours pretty clean during tidying so it's usually just the stainless part around the drain that needs a few seconds of work. Then I clean the disposal (vinegar ice cubes)

~Vacuum

 I love our handle on our vacuum, I just take it around the room real quick

~Wipe Fingerprints off the glass doors

 ~Change Towels

Depending on what needs it more I either steam mop the floor or polish the stove, fridge and dishwasher.

That is it!

Continue Reading ...

Halloween Decorations

I was really hoping to go all out again, we put our house on the market last week and we accepted and offer just 3 days later! We are closing just a couple days before Halloween (if all goes well this time!) So, no Halloween decorations this year! 

Sharing some from last year and the year before instead!

You can see all of my previous Halloween posts HERE

I just want to share my favorites, the things I am already missing the most!

I will really miss decorating this house, but I am also SO excited for our next adventure!

Please share your decorations too! I love seeing others Halloween decorations!

Continue Reading ...