lessons from the farmhouse: home

I have had a few conversations this week, after posting a photo of my "refinance to do" list on Instagram.

"I wish I had the energy to do some of the projects you guys do!"

"I don't know how you do it!"

"I wouldn't even have the time to make a list like that!"

Here's the deal.  

We do not have a perfect house. 

In fact, it is often messy.  

Just when we think we have it together, we get behind and have to take half-a-day to get it all back together.

However, I am grateful to report that we are leaps and bounds ahead of where we were when we first got married.

We have learned a few things over that time, so I thought I would share five tips & tricks for maintaining control of your home.

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A post shared by Hannah Newkirk (@farmhouse654)

1. Divide and Conquer

Our 14-year-old does at least one load of laundry each day for the whole family...sometimes two.  She knows that this is a daily expectation and has built it in as part of her before school and after school schedule.  The 6-year-old gathers the laundry from downstairs and takes it to the laundry room to help her big sister out.

Our 11-year-old is in charge of dishes at our house.  She runs the dishwasher at night and puts the dishes away before school.

Mr. Farmhouse and I have daily chores that we complete, as well.  

As John Heywood said back in the 1500s..."Many hands make light work."

2. Daily Routines are Key

My morning routine is an integral part of every morning.  It starts when I make my bed and ends when I finish up my prayer journal before I leave for work.  Making my bed takes about 4.2 seconds each day.  I get dressed and ready for work by 6:00 and I have half an hour to do my Bible study and prayer time before heading out the door at 6:30.

Our after school routine is just as important -- for me, I walk in, take care of the mail, and get supper going.  The girls go ahead and do their farm chores when they get home, then do homework, and relax.

Before bed, we do a quick pick-up (see step 3 below).

3. Quick Pick-Up

Before bed, we do what we call a 15-minute quick pick-up.  Basically, we set a timer for 15 minutes and the whole family gets to work picking up the main rooms of the house (living room, dining room, kitchen, mud room, and hallway).  Everyone just digs in and picks up whatever has been left out and puts it away.  We are usually finished before the 15-minute mark, but this has seriously revolutionized our "house-keeping" when we keep this habit!  By picking up each night, we don't let the house get out of control!

4. When in Doubt, Throw it Out

I used to use this phrase when trying to decide if it would be safe to eat leftover food.  However, I have come to use it when discussing random extra items in our home. 

By nature, I am a keeper.  I have been raised to keep things that we might need in the future, to keep things that have sentimental value, and to keep things that I "hope to accomplish someday". 

After reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White, Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith, and Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin, my mindset on this has changed immensely.

We still have "stuff".  Our house is definitely not a stereotypical "minimalist" home.  However, we are so much more ruthless when it comes to being intentional with what we allow to take up space here at the farmhouse.  It we don't love it or need it...out it goes.  

5. Make it Look Like a Magazine

This is a phrase I'm borrowing from my dad.  Growing up, when we were cleaning house and reported a room finished, Dad would ask us if the room "looked like a magazine" before he came to check it. 

Our home doesn't "look like a magazine" all the time, but when we went through and did a huge cleaning and organization project through every room of the house this past year, we tried to get every room to that point.  We went through each room and decluttered, completed any undone projects, and decorated the space with finishing touches that made it feel "homey" and "cozy".  

When a room is intentionally organized and decorated in this way, it's easier to get it back to that state when cleaning.

So, there are my five tips that are helping us to learn to stay organized! 

What would you add to the list?  

Tune in the next few weeks for some more "lessons from the farmhouse" in different areas of life!  

Working on our refinance list today at the farmhouse,
Hannah

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