My leg got crippled when my third kid was a month old. When my leg was amputated, I still had to make sure the house didn't implode and kids didn't starve. It was rough. Weirdly, being desperate helped me realize what I needed to do to get my house to a point that I could manage it, even in a wheelchair. Your video today reminded me of what I went through. If you'd like to collab on a video, maybe what I came up with as a desperate uni-legger mama might help you and your viewers. I'm on Instagram, if you'd like to go for it.
My mom had 4 kids and a practically perfect home. But she was angry all the time, mean, abusive, and didn't spend positive time with us. I have 2 kids and an untidy, (not filthy) home, but my kids love me and they're not scared of me. I think there are trade-offs. When you're a mother of small children who need your time and attention and positive experiences, you don't have time to keep a perfect home and you really shouldn't stress about it. You'll have plenty of time when they're older. If you want a perfect home all the time, your relationship with your kids will suffer. That is my experience.
I think we just need to have a middle ground, not a perfect home but one that isn't cluttered and gives us anxiety. My main goal is to not be embarrassed when my kids want play date, just to have ppl over and my house is lived in but generally clean. Last few week I had a lot on, focusing more on being with kids doing fun stuff and cleaning had slipped and man I was feeling awful. 2 nights ago I spent some time cleaning the piles of clutter in living area, kitchen bench etc and I felt much lighter.
My mom always wanted a perfect home cut but usually in terms of just making sure we lived in a big nice home and had enough money for everything. She always came home from working two full-time jobs as a nurse… Very cranky and angry and always needing sleep, always snapping at us. She didn’t have the patience for my brother who was not the best student and called him some names that he never got over. After that, the fact that my parents are African from a certain generation and their idea of discipline would be considered very abusive by most. Anyway, I concur with what you’re saying about trying to have the perfect home can lead to other things being sacrificed as a parent. When you give too much of yourself in One Direction, you lose yourself in another direction. That’s why some people work their hardest at work and don’t have time for kids. You always hear of children of celebrities , who became so famous and legendary, but they were not the best parents and didn’t raise their children as much as they could’ve. If you can find a balance, try your best to do it. Otherwise, you have to make a choice. Perfect home and perfect life? Or a loving home when you did the best you could for your kids?
I sometimes harken back to the olden days, before computers were even in homes & no one had ever heard of MySpace, Facebook, TikTok, etc. We didn't have all this procrastination. Back then I remember I had 2 choices. 1) Read a book then clean, or 2)Clean & then read a book. I truly believe the interwebs just give us multiple excuses for not doing the work. I also believe the best motivation is just turning off the computer a few hours a week. Believe it or not, we'd clean out of boredom. 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
I grew up in the 80s, and looking around my friends' houses, there was definitely procrastination lol! It might not have been social media, but there was TV, books, friends, outings... lots of reasons not to clean if you didn't want to clean lol!
Show yourself some grace! Mothers tend to spend more engaged time with their children than in previous generations. We also have way more stuff, which makes maintenance more onerous. Most of us also don't have that village to help us.
Mara: you are so right! Parents of my generation said, “Go outside and play” .. my husband’s parents said, “Be home by the time the streetlights come on”. Hours and hours of children outside/gone. I never did this. If my kids were outside, so was I.
@@annierae6355generally speaking no. Of course all house holds are different however most in the past for kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s you were in school 30 to 35 hours a week while ur parents are working then you all come home do homework kids go outside to play then dinner showers and bed. There was not a lot of personal interaction between children and parents.
It's good for kids to have unsupervised play. I grew up playing outside with my siblings all afternoon. My mom taught us in the morning and then we were free and played outside! It was awesome. And my mom was very engaged with us, but she also let us alone. She needed alone time too.
Dawn from The Minimal Mom always talks about how all of our stuff is inventory that we have to manage. The less inventory that we have, the easier it is to manage, taking less time when we clean and the more time we have for more important things like family and self care.
❤SLEEP❤ I've found that sleep is THE most important necessity to succeed at anything/everything. For me that means finishing up my critical to do's, putting everyone to bed, and soaking in an Epson salt bath for an hour (while watching whatever I want) before climbing into clean sheets. It also mean NO ALARM CLOCK. I know that sounds like a fantasy, but listen. If an alarm clock has to wake you up, then you weren't finished getting the sleep you needed. If you were well rested, you would already be awake before the alarm goes off. So... this is how it works for me. If I'm awakened by my alarm in the morning, then bedtime is set 15min earlier that night. If I'm STILL awakened by my alarm clock, then bedtime is adjusted AGAIN for another 15 min earlier. I keep going until I'm waking up BEFORE the alarm. It works. Now, just because I'm awake does not mean I have to get up. I can lay in my bed (well rested and comfortable) and spend my time enjoying the peace. It's a wonderful way to start the day. When I'm ready, I enjoy slipping out of my bed and beginning my day. No alarm clock assault. I still get up early. But I have the energy and brain power to accomplish ALL my goals. (Not that I'm required to accomplish them. But I can, if I choose to.) -Good luck on your goals. I look forward to following along.
Dawn the minimal mom always says, if your house is so out of control that you can't get it back in shape in a few minutes a day, you need to declutter more
Ok Ariel, I’m with you. I retired 6 months ago, and I’m starting my one year, room a month, health and home plan as of March 1 (yesterday). Great minds think alike!! My plan includes daily 15 min decluttering, meal planning, daily exercise, and a cleaning routine. Let’s do it together 😊. Your Tidy Tango is brilliant and I’ve been using it. So helpful.
Hi, Ariel! Your Tidy Tango video changed my life!! Consistency is everything. I modified the Tango slightly, and it works for me perfectly. I'm not a young pup, but I've proved that we old dogs can learn a few tricks from the young pups of this world! Thanks for the videos. I really enjoy them all!
I have an amazing hubby who does his own laundry, washes our sheets and towels, runs the vacuum more than I do, and is the king of loading and unloading the dishwasher 🎉🙏🏻 We taught our kiddo to put her dishes in the d/w at age 3 (though at 18 she seems to have forgotten how quite often 😂) and she has been doing her own laundry for about 3 years now. I am still stuck with the bathrooms… everyone’s least favorite but with so much help from them it makes the bathroom cleaning less stressful. I am truly blessed!
I'm turning 40 in 15 months. I've dedicated those months to rebuilding the strength that I lost over the course of my pregnancies. I want to go into my forties with a more resilient body. It won't be my "pre-baby" body, but I want a body that feels good to live in for decades to come.
I turn 40 in ten months and this is my year to restore my health and fitness as well!! I have 6 kids and my youngest is 5 (but he is autistic and nursed until he was 4 years old!!) so I feel like I am getting myself back a little and I am ready to take care of me!
Ladies, I suggest yoga and walking. Yoga really does give you a supple body. Three specialists told my husband that walking 30-45 minutes a day at least 5 days a week is the healthiest, life long exercise there is. I’ve never had 3 doctors agree on anything until this. Plus you get to be outside, see beautiful things, get the Vit D boost, meet neighbors. I work with my body as an industrial athlete. I’m fifty and have less pain than coworkers in their 30s. You have so much power in your bodies. I hope you enjoy the process of discovering it again. 💚💚💚
One of the benefits of teaching your family members how to clean is that they will naturally make smaller messes. They notice what they are doing and connect the mess with what it will take to clean it. Small, subtle changes will take place for a cleaner, tidier home. Well worth the investment of training time! And thanks for all the inspiration, Ariel!
When I was a mom with kids at home, life could be chaotic. I think we have to be easy on ourselves. When I retired, I started simplifying my home. Now, the house is decluttered, but there’s other life things that need to be simplified. I had a reality check: there’s more years behind me than in front of me and it’s time to focus on what I I really want to spend time on. You are in a crazy busy season of your life. By all means, do what you need to do, but be kind to yourself. 😊
You know what has made cleaning a more enjoyable experience for me? Audiobooks. Having a really engaging story to listen to while doing the dishes etc. makes all the difference in the world. And if you only let yourself listen while you're cleaning, you'll find yourself looking forward to chores! It really works 👍🏻
Personally, I'd have the kids help you even at their age. They can start dishes at 5. Maybe just rinsing but it's learning. I started around that age. My kids admittedly were older around 8 but it teaches them to help and that makes less on you 😁 my son was 8 or 9 when he learned how to wash his clothes. It took more off my shoulders and made my laundry room less messy😁❤
That is so wild!! I really felt fed up with my home too. When I sought the Lord, He led me to a podcast about a woman who had a “staging room” in her house. She then took one room a month and removed EVERY THING from that room into her staging room. She then put back ONLY the items she loved and wanted/needed and at the end of the month, if it was still in the staging room, it went to Goodwill. I did this last month with my laundry room (which doubles as our pantry) and our garage entryway. It was the smallest area in the house. And you know what, IT WENT GREAT!! I threw away so much trash, donated so many outgrown or no longer wanted winter gear, and can actually SEE what I have in my pantry (now all organized so we can use what we have). I cannot WAIT to get started on the other rooms! (And I gave myself 2 months to clean the garage because that relies on my husband for some MAJOR help). ❤❤❤ thanks as always for your videos. They really encourage and inspire me.
You’re so right about not relying on our motivation. Some days I get so much done, other days I struggle to do anything. My good days more than make up for the bad. Then I don’t feel so badly about myself.
This is very exciting to me! Our plan had been to relicate from California to Indiana in the spring of 2025 but (long story short) we are now going at the end of May... YHIS YEAR!! We are in a house that's been in the family for 45 years, so it holds three generations worth of (a-hem) STUFF. 😲🤦😬 ... yeah, pretty scary, but there's no time for anything less than speedy decisions and a massive declutter, because I'm NOT expending all that energy - I'm 65 - to move crap more than half way across the country to just throw it away out there. The 40 yard roll-off dumpster got here yesterday just before dark. Girl, I'm SERIOUS!! I see HUGE success coming your way because instead of agreeing with yourself that - for instance - you need to start exercising again - you have completed that thought with "... AND I'm gonna get up early each morning to do it"! You've outlined what each thing is going to look like. Ariel, you GOT this! And you got a lot of us cheering for you!! Hugs from the southern California desert (at least for a few more months), MK 🤗❤️🌵❤️🤗
My goal in 2023 was to declutter and organize my entire home and I’m proud to say I was successful! Now my home is SOOOO much easier to clean and keep up with, I no longer ever feel like I’m drowning! You can totally do this!
Girlfriend, you are not alone! As a mother of one (with ADHD and ODD), a sweet 8-month old puppy and a full-time corporate job that requires travel...I have let myself go and my home is never 100% straight or clean. I have to remind myself my life is not like my mom's was. I do not have a husband, I have to work. I make freezer meals on the weekends, Doordarsh and order groceries. It's hard. Do what you can a delegate the rest or hire help for some things. I'm working on adjusting my budget to have someone come in biweekly to deep clean my home and free up time for self-care.
If you have a dishwasher load as you go. Kids can do that. I did my Great Declutter Purge of 2018 and it helped a lot but I ended up doing a second year also because I got better at it. Consistent is my word this year!!
Thank you for this video! The thing that’s helped me the most is having “contingency plans”. It’s like, what does getting the dishes done on a low to no-spoons day look like. What does exercise when I severely don’t want to look like so I can still get it done It goes back to the tiny habits method. You anchor your new habit onto an old one and do just a little bit. Like floss your two front teeth when you brush your teeth. And call that done. Soon you’ll floss more. You just need to plant the seed of the habit. And that’s been working for me so well. That doing one dish is better than 0. That just getting the broom out for 5 minutes is better than waiting until you have the energy to do the entire floor. I really needed the reminder that consistent exercise builds energy. I will work on that next. I have poor mobility so I will start with doing it in a chair and see how far that gets me. Thanks Ariel!
Oh and waking up before my kids was one of the hardest habits to establish. You have to go to bed a lot earlier. But it’s been game-changing for my mood
I love all the tips you gave! I especially liked how you plan to teach your 6 year old how to be more independent. I dont have it all figured out in this area, but the other day i was trying to run out the door to go get groceires and had to make sure the backpack was packed with sippy cups and snacks, and also needed to throw in a load of laundry. So i told my almost 3 year old to pack the backpack, and my 5 year old to get a load of laundry together for me. We have been working on these tasks for a while now, and i still have to go behind them and make sure they've done the job right, but the delegation really did help my morning go easier. Kids are capable of helping so much more than we think, and i know my girls love being "mama's big helper." ❤️
I started my kid out with chores really young. There was a few years where it was a power struggle. Where I would have to shut down everything, till her bed sheets got changed, but now at 13 She does her weekend chores pretty darn quick. Her weekend chores are taking care of her spaces, bed sheets get changed, bedroom cleaned, she has to clean the bathroom she uses, grab upstairs trash, and clean her desk area. She also makes her bed every morning. Get both kids involved with chores now...then when they are teens they can tidy the whole house.
I put your video on to watch while I buckled down to empty the dishwasher (my most hated task) and to clean the kitchen. I decided this past week that if I want a clean kitchen, I need to grow up and stop hoping my husband will do the dishes more than once a week. He seems to be the captain of keeping the bathroom clean so I guess I'll finally be the captain of the kitchen. Doesn't mean we won't pitch in when needed, but motivation just wasn't going to magically appear. Your video was very timely! He was also in the process of purging and organizing his closet today!
Ariel I hate hearing this, but I feel I must say it….🤣 You should cute down on your sugar!! I am a fellow sugar addict just like you, and I realized I was sooo addicted that I was having all kinds of physical symptoms that sucked. Then I just cut down, I didn’t even cut it out, and lots more energy, better mood etc. I just don’t buy sweets for my home, but still eat them out, at a church potluck, on holidays, if we have people over for dinner etc. It’s freeing! It really does make my body feel so much better! Also if your son is 6 I bet he will take to learning tidying really quickly. My daughter is 5 and makes her bed. It doesn’t always look great but it’s done 🤷♀️ 🙂
Ariel, you are on the right path. We raised 4 children and if I could go back and do it again, I would reduce the inventory in our home by 50%! I realize now, just how much easier things could have been for me, and I would have had more time with my children. Decluttering 15 min. a day is very doable. Our kids first chore was 3 yr. old. They had to empty the bath trash and put a new bag in it. They were so proud to be included. You've got this! Happy 2024!
It does make sense, 1 room a month, 15 mins a day - to declutter-reorganise-reshuffle-deep clean.. How about a review video of past 2 months to see how it's helping you already towards this yearly goal ??
Having 4 kids under age 5 and now pregant with my 5th baby (current youngest is 4 so there's more of a gap there) as far as doing well in life with having so many children so little its been essential to synchronize naptimes. Every afternoon my kids have a quiet time all in the the same time block so i have a couple of hours to myself to do whatever i need/want to do. I can't stress enough how important it's been for me. Being a mama is hard work but so worth it. ❤
It took me being on the front line of multiple clinics during COVID to realize that I had to care for myself first. I work out regularly now and I'm so much stronger, I have so much energy as a result. I'm also way happier. Additionally definitely in a purge phase of getting rid of the crap I no longer need to free me up to focus on the things I do have and truly need. You got this!!!
I've always seen teaching my kids to do chores as an investment. Yes, it takes time up front. But the time it gives back in the long run is immeasurable! I'm already seeing this with my 7 and 5 year olds. They are so capable and helpful!
I love Dana K White, video on containers and how we should only have what our container can hold. It was so good it seemed so simple and yet we ignore it so much lol.
I love the idea of exercise in the morning and a 15 minute declutter a day for a month in each room. I’m fed up of waiting for the motivation too. Thanks for this wonderful and do-able task. Will you be taking us on this journey? Maybe an update every week or two? Wishing you every success and knowing you will achieve it too. Thanks for keeping it real. Mary, Joes wife 🙇♀️👏💪👍🙏💐🐈⬛
I’m excited to watch your journey! I’m not sure if it was Dana or Cass who gave me permission to run the dishwasher twice, but this has been a game changer for me. I do one run after breakfast or lunch depending on the day, then one after dinner. The beauty of this is that I can use the quick wash mode on my dishwasher because stuff is not stuck on. A smaller load is also not as annoying to unload. Then I use my dish drainer to let all the plastic dry. I now love unloading the clean dishes after the dinner load so I don’t have to do it first thing in the morning.
I also started a decluttering and back to fitness journey ❤ my house has never been that messy and with 5 kids I have been "nesting" way too much 😅 I played myself and now I have so much to get rid of! But 1 day at a time. I love your videos 🎉 they always cheer me up ❤
Ariel, I am old enough to be your mom and I remember being in the space you described so well in this video today. I finally discovered FlyLady and that was my start to recovery. Climb that mountain of teaching your kiddos. It won't be easy, but the view is amazing! So proud of you and the work you are doing! And after years of the 5 fly zones no working for me, I absolutely affirm having a focus room as your zone for the month! That has worked so well for me. And the habits you will gain this year will serve you through several life circumstance changes ahead of you. Blessings.
Hi Ariel, Thank you for your channel. I am at the other end of the spectrum. My husband died, my kids are grown and out of the house, and I've been dealing with health issues. I also have a full-time job of replacing my doctors when they drop my insurance at the last minute. I am also trying to declutter my house, so my kids won't have to do it because there's 40 years of stuff to handle. I'll try to let you know how I'm doing as time passes.
I love your channel, I’m also an awkward mom. My house has been a wreck since my first kid 22 years ago and now I’m transitioning from an older mom with a 7 year old. My house has never recouped from parenting. I love your videos, I keep promising that I’m going to start your cleaning challenges that you have mentioned but then…I get way too busy. I love that you make me feel normal although I’m truly not but you also make me feel happy and also motivated that I too can be an awkward mom with at least a half way clean house and that for me is a huge accomplishment. I’m a perfectionist so I feel that I’m either %100 in or %100 out and you help me feel at ease to know that good enough is good enough and there’s no need for perfection. Thank you, honestly your videos mean so much!
You are a lot smarter and wiser than I was at your age. Or even when I was sixty. It took to seventy, but thanks for helping me get there and finally taking care of myself and getting a more organized, cleaner home. God bless (:
As a mother of 4 whom I schooled at home, I can tell you that you will never have a perfect home all of the time. My advice (from my experience) is to train and involve your chd asap. My 2 year olds learned to dry the plastic cups. I taught them to put their own laundry away as soon as they could open their drawers on their own. I taught them how to clean the bathroom and vacuum the floors. They were not my slaves, but they were part of the family and they learned to help. I found out that a clean floor this morning will only last an hour, but it will get cleaned again tomorrow, so unless it was a health hazard, ignore until tomorrow. Diane in Denmark on RUclips is fantastic for inspiration and motivation. We can all find 10 or 15 minutes a day. My chd are now all adults and still help out. We get back what we put in. Wishing you all the best. Have a fantastic time this year. ❤
Before I relax I always tell myself let me get something done before I hit the couch. It leads to another goal and another till most of my goals and chores are done then I can really relax without the guilt and stress. That's how I motivate myself 💪
I gotta say, in my household with 3 going on 4 young children, I remember the early days of being hopelessly overwhelmed. But I can bear witness that if you keep trying and troubleshooting it does get better! Some of it is like I just had to wait for the internal resistance to flip a switch, and now I don't find myself having as hard a time starting a load of laundry or just starting in on dishes. There's some acceptance that just took time to settle in. The other is paring down till things got easy for me/the kids to quickly pick up after ourselves. Which has made making a home for things and putting systems in place easier. (My kids are little so I tell them if it takes more than 5-10 minutes to do the end of day toy clean up then we need to stash some in the basement to be swapped into rotation later). Another thing that's helped is writing in detail my "silent to do list" (repair windshield chip, gluing some broken furniture...) then getting one or two checked off each day.
I have lots of littles right now exercise, decluttering, a cleaning schedule, and meal planning really help me maintain my home and help me get good meals on the table. I’m a much better homemaker now with 4 kids than I was with 2, you learn as you go.
I agree with the previous comments your videos are so relatable! I like how you include fun (dance) and exercise into your routine like with the tidy tango! I agree need to focus more on consistency. Laura Vanderkam in her book Tranquility by Tuesday mentioned three times a week habits, so you can start small and focus on doing the habit often not daily. Also Mariane Cresp video called a game changer habit trackers on her channel, she mentioned doing certain tasks at certain times of the day that works with your energy level. I also liking how in Diane in Denmark Friday videos she giving you four self-care assignments that you can do throughout the week.
I am right there with you. I have a 9 month old (just 1 kiddo) but I'm also a single mom and work full time so it's hard. Oh, did I mention my 2 large labradoodles and 2 cats? I used to keep a super clean home but it has gotten hard to keep up. I'm doing ok, at least it's not gross over here. Lol. I need to exercise more, my legs, knee and hips also hurt just from walking. But I've also learned to give myself some grace too, let go a little bit and just embrace my family and enjoy it.
I think this is a very relatable topic Ariel. Cheering you on (and perhaps even doing similarly) from Australia. Be kind and gentle with yourself as you make these changes too.
I’m right there with you. Even though I got rid of a lot of stuff before moving last year, I still find the same struggles in my new home. Hope we can both get our space together in 2024!
I’m always thinking about the absolute overwhelm that is adulthood. Which probably just adds to the overwhelm. Love every video you make. Your content is so inspiring, whimsical yet real. ❤
At your age, I was in a very different phase - now rounding 36, my beau and I are really trying to get our space together (sadly, we dont't have kids) I'm a champion hoarder, I feel so obilated to keep things - I still regret things I've let go, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. To anyone struggling with clutter, here are a few things I recommend: 1) have a give-away bag in your front hall, or somewhere else you see it a lot. Put an item (lets say a top) in there, and eventually you'll get used to it going, or if you really want it, you know you thought about it a lot 2) finding a home for everything is exhausting - so I grabbed a bin for cleaning products and everythig bathroom related when to a shelf in the spare bedroom - it's amazing how that will help, it doesnt have to be pretty or perfect at first, it'll get there 3) it doesnt have to be perfect! I always wanted perfect, but embracing 'good enough' has improved my space so much. And the biggest one - tell people you dont want more stuff! No gifts, lets go see a movie, or go to dinner, or order a pizza instead. It wont go 100% perfect, but being honest with the ones you love can help a lot. The point is to spend time together, and if you can get out of the gift-giving cycle, it can really be a good thing for certain people. I wish you all the very best of luck, you've got this!
I love the honesty you have. We have also stopped gifts and have moved to spending time with people we love. I don’t want to burden people with things that end up making life harder.
How I get things done: 1. Put my phone on Do Not Disturb 2. Blast some Taylor Swift 3: Set a timer - I work faster and more efficiently when I’m on the clock!
I wish my house was cleaner and more uncluttered when I was a young mom but that period after they grow up and before grandchildren is almost like a period of grieving for our babies. I really didn’t see that coming. However, if I had videos like yours (and some others out there that I watch) I think I would have not been so stressed and enjoyed that time more. I love your videos! You have such a great sense of humor and sometimes, even now, I don’t get the simple things done, beds, etc. so you are so inspiring for those of us from 9 to 99. Eeek, 29?? Enjoy every second, I’m 64. You know you are old when your grandchildren ask you if things we’re in color back when I was a kid. 😂😂😂
You are Definitely blessed to have grandchildren ❣️ I don't have any yet. My oldest is 31, and my youngest is 14 now. Children always say funny things ❣️
Amen! My boys are teenagers now. I felt so much pressure to "keep a nice house" from my mom and my then mother in law when my kids were little and still wanted to play with me. Now they have no desire to play dinosaurs. I have tried to explain to people that it feels like a grieving process but they look at me like I'm being dramatic. You think it's a gradual process but it hits you hard and fast and you realize all the moments you didn't realize were the last time you would do something. Like holding your child or hearing them say mommy play with me 😢. Unfortunately it seems to be something you only learn by being in it and by then it's too late. They are good young men now but I kick myself for moments when I passed on playtime because I "had to" clean. ❤❤❤
@@nw8204 Yes, our Moms never saw that need. We grew up needing to play and were blessed to have time to play with our own children, but were Is pressure to clean. We finally had the opportunity to buy toys, and tons of them🐒🦧🐈⬛🦁🫎🐴🐴🫏🐎🫏🦄🐄🐃🐂🦒🐘🦣🐇🦔🐓🦃🐤🦉🐧🐧🦜🦩🦖🦕🐡🐠🐟🦭🐋🐬🐳🦀🦞🐚🐚🐛🐜🐝🪲🐞🦟🕷🪺🪹🪺🚂🚂🚈🚄🚃🚃🚑🚒🚓🚗🛻🚚🚛🚜🚚🏍🚲🚲🛼🛹🛴🚲⛵️🛶🛩🪂🦖🦕🦖🦕⚽️⚾️🏀🏐🏀🏈🎾🏏🎳🏓🥅🤿🎣🪁🪁🪁🛷🥼🩰🪭🎵🎶🎤🎤🎩👒👑🥽🕶👓🎄🎄🎉🎈🎈🎈✨️🎈🎈🎊🎊🎀🎎🎁🎁
Ariel, don't beat yourself up if this doesn't work!! I relate to all of your videos so so much.... I have adhd. If you have sneaky undiagnosed adhd too, the whole "I'll just do it even if I don't want to!" thing may not work if executive dysfunction kicks in. Like others have said, you gotta give yourself some grace... And maybe consider looking into the adhd thing. I know people tend to think EVERYONE must have the same condition they themselves have, but my neurodivergent spidey senses have been tingling for a long time, and if you did happen to have it, a diagnosis and learning to manage your adhd would be LIFE CHANGING. It was for me! My two cents, with love. God bless you and thank you for the inspiring and relatable content. 💖
Ariel, I had 2 children, 3 and 4 in a 800 square foot home. When they were sleeping, I slept. I cleaned when they were awake in about 30 minutes. It was simpler and I was refreshed.
I am on the same journey right now. I started last September, downsizing my whole house and getting rid of so much. It is the most freeing thing I have done in a long time. You will not regret it! Plus, I am with you on the whole working out/getting moving thing. I used to work out 5 times a week until I got a desk job and since then, I sit. A lot. And it is making me tired.
I love that this is a year long goal. I get so discouraged with “get your home back in 30 days!” As a mom of two young children, you are such an inspiration. Thank you ❤
I've been thinking a lot about this and i don't remember a time where i thought so much about it. I like your videos by the way :) I think there's a lot of pressure from social media and society/socially to have the most updated and pleasing home to look at. Some can achieve it in a more frugal way, but a lot of it can be expensive and just overwhelming. We all want that tidy fresh home but that doesn't last unless no one is home LOL there's crumbs and dust.. towels.. laundry.. stinky shoes.. mail on the table.. kids papers from school... leftovers in the fridge past their prime.. etc. I feel bad i'm not totally organized. I think part of me just wants control of my life and the home is a place to start. I've also lived most of my life with a home kind just put together and not really decorated.. hand me downs over the years.. or home good type decor... a few antiques thrown in.. some nice pieces too. I am not the type to decorate because i'm bored i just want things to last and i prefer a classic/traditional look. I want it tidy but i work full time and don't want to spend all my time cleaning. I need to get my family involved.. we are getting a dumpster this week and planning to get rid of a bunch of junk i'm hoping make some space... finding a place for everything.. and having some routines in place will help swing us in the right direction.
I totally agree that this is so relatable. After having 5 kids myself I have come to see this as a failure for our culture and society. There is a (generally) negative outlook on families and a big push for us to do and spend so much on our children while also dealing with all the demands of life with little to no help. Along with this come little instruction on how to raise a family and take care of a home. I have found that the first year after having a new baby is just hard and you have to cut out whatever you can to survive. I think living with as little as possible is really helpful. I hope you find success and also have a lot of grace with yourself and your family.
Right there with you girl! We had baby #6 last June, and in February I said hello to my old friend Flylady who I haven't hung out with in a few years. Keeping a vision of what my home could be like one year from now in the front of my mind, because I'm SO READY to FINALLY look around our house and not feel extra stress and defeat. You might like the podcast The Jen Fulwiler Show; she talks a lot about being a leader in your home, embracing your individual strengths as a mom, and cultivating a thriving village lifestyle for your family. She's also awkward, funny, and neurodivergent. Great to listen to while cleaning the kitchen.
@@wendyduncan9084 That's a toughie, but I think I especially like it when she talks about how to cultivate the village lifestyle that moms are wired to need. I don't really see anyone else online talking about that--how to figure out what your gifts are in the context of a community, finding and accepting support from others, building your family into a team that supports each other, being adaptive and accomplishing your dreams even when life is unpredictable and steady routines/ "atomic habits" are not possible, how being isolated causes us to struggle in ways we often don't realize, etc.
@@doateacher6492 I absolutely agree that isolation compounds everything. You made the podcast sound interesting enough for me to try it! I’m not a momma now but I think the community need is lifelong.
I enjoyed sitting back, eating chips, and watching somebody else get their lives under control. Glad you are delegating. Get that cat on your chore list! You should look into project 333 for your clothes declutter. Great video, R.E.L. x
Ariel! U take great care of ur children. That is the priority. There will always b something to clean or do better in ur home. Spend this time without angst, enjoying ur children. Before u know it, they will b grown. You r also working, doing this RUclips channel. Give urself a break! Don't put so much pressure on urself. Instead, know there will always b home things left undone.
@@thesimplemom91 I'm just trying to simplify my life. I've been decluttering for over 4 years now and I keep going deeper with it. Right now I'm doing the deepest declutter yet, that is bringing me closer to minimalism. I'm really getting rid of the things I DONT use or need. Each time I declutter I'm able to see clearer what I don't really need. And not having to manage the stuff is a time and money saver
@ERICA850 that's so nice! All those years I realized I was just getting so much unnecessary stuff. It's funny how I already know of so much stuff I could toss in a bag but I fell some kind of attached (because I paid a lot for it most of the time). But I know it's just a matter of time before it's going away 🫣 but your right at the end it does save on money too. Thanks 🌸
I am right there with you! I love the idea of one room a month, I usually set unrealistic goals for myself and end up disappointed because I don't finish those goals. But I've been trying to get my life together this year, exercising, paying attention to what I eat, etc. and you are so right that exercise is the key to being able to take care of our homes! It has been a cheat code to being able to keep up with day to day life, and I'm really enjoying how strong I am now. We can do this!!
My secret mom fantasy is to feed my 3 year old and 11 month old nothing but beige foods. Whoever came up with 'feed the rainbow' never scraped avocado off the floor or had to pull used raspberries out of the sofa. I love your channel and agree 100% about the exercise.
I have been following you for quite awhile now, and I'm convinced that if we lived closer we would be best friends! All of your cleaning videos resonate with me SO profoundly! I soak up so much information and have all the same questions regarding cleaning and health that you record and speak on! Every video of yours is totally my favorite, each one I love more than the last😂 but this one is BY FAR my favorite!!!! About a year ago I reached the same point where I realized if I don't work on my body, my daily work is just going to continue to be draining and strenuous!!! (Still working on it though😅...) my body is so weak still from child bearing and from some difficulties I've encountered personally recently.. I love what you said about watching not to get sucked into the motivation rut. That's SO me. Thank you for this video! Please continue on this topic!!! Your content has helped me numerous times!!!
I'm so glad I could inspire you and that you keep coming back to watch my videos ❤️ I appreciate your kind message and I hope you are able to do what's necessary to help you feel better and to get your home in control!! We got this :)
I hope younare planning on making videos showing your journey and process, I'm so on board, started in january, but then the kids any myself got sick and this and that happened and I lost track. So your video is a good reminder and motivation to get back on track. Thanks a lot and good look in the decluttering war. 😊
I retired a week ago. Today, I started purging & organizing my craft room. I am disabled & in pain, but determined. I take breaks often. Even crying breaks. I've told myself crying is fine, but quitting is not. I also tell myself this will take more than a day, maybe a week or month, but little by little. I must do this so I can actually craft & breathe. Next is my dressing room & closets! 😂😅
I am so proud of you for a bunch of things you said here, especially the delegating part. It can be so hard to ask for help from people so I’m so glad you’re asking the boys (big and little!) to join in with the house. I realise you might especially like one rule that was always there in my household when I was growing up: whoever cooks, doesn’t do the dishes. Also I love that you’re talking about the strength and energy benefits of exercise, that is a much healthier way to approach fitness as well rather than making the scale go down. I started trying to walk a mile+ most days on my lunch breaks and it’s helped me so much… and somehow as soon as I was back from the longer walk I took this morning it made me want to finish my neglected chores from this week! Also ALSO, thank you so much for introducing me to the tidy tango and home blessing ways of maintaining your home. Rather than being a busy mum of 2 I’m a single person with mental health struggles and thanks to you sharing your strategies and experiments I’ve been able to find my own little tidy-tango kind of sequence that fits my needs and my space has never been cleaner. I may still have a way to go but the Me of a couple of years ago would never think I could have space like this… so thank you so much for all your help and I hope we both get where we want to be, you’re doing amazingly 🌻
One step at a time. It is just my husband & I at home, trust me I struggle with keeping our home spotless. I have learned to show myself some Grace and be happy with our home. I have had 2 back surgeries so I have to pace myself.
Todd and I curled up today for the latest installment. 💚 We had the best time talking about when the kids were small, then when we decided to homeschool, then health things. All the things that make up the seasons of a life together. He said Jordan nailed the husband look. lol I have 8 rooms in our house to get through this year. Three are already finished! I hope you end up taking walks with Jordan as part of this new life. So romantic as part of daily life. That Taco Bell line was absolutely hysterical.
You're so right about motivation. I'd add to not focus on perfection. I should tattoo 'best is the enemy of good' on my forehead. If I cannot do it perfectly, I won't even start. This has to stop! Thanks for the inspo.
You are so smart! Like you I began teaching my kids how to participate in doing chores when they were 5 by putting their folded laundry on their bed and making little stacks of whatever went into a drawer. Stack of pants, stack of shirts, a stack of socks, etc, that they could easily put away, then, built on that foundation. They could dust as well as me because the used the up and down then side to side method ensuring less spots were missed. They crawled around dusting baseboards. By age 9 they could clean the whole house. By age 10 they could put a hot meal on the table. You are doing every member of your home a huge favor by engaging everyone in 2024. Also, to encourage and strengthen your resolve, let me say; do not falter on having your husband pitch in. He's 100% capable of (for example) washing dishes every single night and putting away what's clean after he dries the dishes he washes. In doing this, 30 years later, you will not have an entitled 50+ year old man waiting on you to wait on him. If you don't mind me saying this, pick up toys before nap time so it's done before the baby lays down. It makes a huge difference in how you will feel even if they drag everything back out later. Hugs and good luck!
I'm totally feeling this video this week. I have covid right now and there's a total of 4 adults in this home and the house starts falling apart when I'm sick because everyone is so used to me doing everything. So it made me realize I need to do better with delegating!
I have three children. A toddler almost two years old, and 7 month twins, and my 1,000 sq/ft home is almost always clean. Hello minimalism! I asked myself “ is this worth stuff shuffling?” And I got rid of so much! Now I don’t have to spend more than 10 mins tidying before I clean. Generally my partner empties the dishwasher in the morning. I make everyone food, a smoothie, and eat. Then I clean my kitchen, pick up toys, sweep/mop the house, and then settle into the bedroom to watch tv and nurse before nap time. I have an hour of downtime and then get up and make food and do a load of laundry! It’s a never ending cycle, especially with all the diapers and little messes along the day, but my day is rarely stressful and I don’t feel overwhelmed with chores. Yesterday I got rid of another diaper box worth if stuff, even though I didn’t think I had anything left to donate. The more I get rid of, the happier I am. If I I keep telling myself “ if I don’t own it, it can’t make a mess”
Consistency. I have consistently been doing the Tidy Tango every week now. My house looks and feels so much better. Also been exercising. Building strength. Also must confess ... I don't always stop after the mopping ... the Tidy Tango is like a kick start and I find myself tidying other areas of my house.😊
So relatable! Thank you for being a friend to “have a conversation” with. My husband and I have been working on the same “project” for years since I inherited my godparents house and we are just finally seeing the fruits of our labor where our home has “us” written all of it with a sprinkle of my godparents instead of feeling like we were living in someone else’s house. We want to live in a house that could be sold tomorrow instead of doing those chores and repairs for someone else to enjoy! I want to enjoy my home and don’t mind the sweat equity that has been like exercise by the end of the day.
Ariel, I love your idea of decluttering one room a month! Genius!!! I followed Flylady's 15-minutes decluttering on and off over the past few years (mostly off I'll admit!) but I never felt like I made much progress because I didn't have any focus! I'd do 15 minutes here and there but it didn't seem to make much of a dent in the stuff. So, one room a month (I was shocked to realise I have 11 rooms in my house (storage basement included). I'll dedicate two days per month to runs to the donation or recycling centre instead of decluttering. Pretty sure some rooms will take more than a month (here's looking at you, Stuff Room!) but I'll get it done! I thereby declare March my kitchen month! 😊👍
I didn't get into a proper cleaning routine until my youngest was 2. Before that, it was definitely "survival mode," and I was only prioritizing laundry and dishes. So don't feel bad! Life with littles is a lot and exhausting. I still prioritize dishes and laundry, but now I try to get 3-4 chores done a day... and I don't beat myself up if they don't get done. Just try again the next day! Good luck - you've got this!
Great video as ever ❤ Thanks, Ariel! I can relate SO much, two kids, work, household, the creepy laundry endboss… and in my case a husband who just doesn‘t seem to have the same kind of view as I have. He has some kind of dirt filter on his eyes. 🤣 The tipps you mention in the video are really great, I think I will do it all 👌🏻 Well apart from the standing up early thing. My kids are co-sleepers and have a light sleep in the morning, so no chance. But I do sports regulary, so thats no problem, and I get my me time often in the evening or weekend. Don‘t be too hard to yourself, we all struggle ❤ You are great! 🎉 Greetings from germany ;)
This video has my name written all over it!!!!!! This resonated with me big time. If I could follow your same plan this year, it would make such a huge difference in my life and my home. Thanks for this video!!!! ❤
Please go easy on yourself!❤ The most important “vocation” in your life right now is being a good wife/partner and an excellent mom and from what I see, you are doing excellent. Don’t compare yourself to what others show on their social media pages. I’m no expert on social media because I am just a grandma, but after being a mom for 52 years and a daycare Granny since 2004, I know that no house is spotless if kids are happy😊 I remember a poster from my young mom days that read in part “settle down cobwebs, dust go to sleep, I’m rocking my baby, and babies don’t keep”. Or something like that, this was from 1972,😂 Just keep doing the best you can and your marriage will last and your kids will be fine. That’s all that matters. Times will change and life will get less hectic , I promise.
Ahh this speaks to me so much, spent 9am-2pm yesterday (Sunday) tidying, cleaning, making food, cleaning up food, washing and washing and washing 😢 genuinely a zero fun day, I really struggle to remain consistent with the nagging of children to stop wiping toothpaste on the vanity (for example). I'm here for the journey and I hope a year from today I'll be also singing a different tune!
Okay, I'm with ya, sister! I have a 2 year old, and I'm tired of feeling overwhelmed by my home everyday. I'm tired of feeling like I clean CONSTANTLY and make no progress.
Omg I feel you 100%! Two minutes in and its exactly true. Living the dream and still feeling stressed cause its all too much. And one year from now, back at work, there'll be even less time to get anything done 😭
If you live in an area that does well with yard sales, schedule to have one with a friend. It will help with motivation for decluttering, and its a fun thing to do with a friend. 6:56
You know you are an incredible life coach, wrapped up in an wonderfully funny and caring personality, with much hands on wisdom. Thank you! from Melissa in Adelaide, Australia xxx
Go you! When I was pregnant with my 4th baby, I put myself on partial bed rest. 15 minutes up and 15 minutes down. My house was so clean back then! The Rests really helped. I could plan during the Rests.
So much wisdom in a short video. I watched when i was supposed to be starting my excercise video. I know my problem is consistency and it is true for everything. When i am disciplined with exercise or fly lady cleaning routines things do go better. Here to getting back on track with you. Cue the tango music from True Lies.
Ariel, your videos have really helped change my attitude and given me motivation and hope over the years. I am a working Mom of three (2 teenagers) and its so nice to hear that others feel the same. BTW, many things get easier when they get a little older and you will have some more 'Me" time as they get more self-sufficient. Thank you being so real and such a down-to-earth person! I have been delegating more chores to the family and trying to give myself some slack when things aren't getting done exactly how they should be : )
Great video with wonderful tips! It reminds me of my Grandma and Mom who had certain days for specific chores ( Monday, laundry, Tuesday, Living Room,dusting,sweeping, straightening... and so on and so forth. These chores were always done no matter what. They had a good friend who thought it was so funny and whenever she would call them she would ask, "Ok, what chore day is it today? 😂"
Click here to get your free Chore Chart!
thatawkwardmom.myflodesk.com/zpvasbmqt2
Love this! Can you take shots of your before as and afters?
My leg got crippled when my third kid was a month old. When my leg was amputated, I still had to make sure the house didn't implode and kids didn't starve. It was rough. Weirdly, being desperate helped me realize what I needed to do to get my house to a point that I could manage it, even in a wheelchair. Your video today reminded me of what I went through. If you'd like to collab on a video, maybe what I came up with as a desperate uni-legger mama might help you and your viewers. I'm on Instagram, if you'd like to go for it.
Thank you!
Thank you so much. Hug from Katja 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤
My mom had 4 kids and a practically perfect home. But she was angry all the time, mean, abusive, and didn't spend positive time with us. I have 2 kids and an untidy, (not filthy) home, but my kids love me and they're not scared of me. I think there are trade-offs. When you're a mother of small children who need your time and attention and positive experiences, you don't have time to keep a perfect home and you really shouldn't stress about it. You'll have plenty of time when they're older. If you want a perfect home all the time, your relationship with your kids will suffer. That is my experience.
I think we just need to have a middle ground, not a perfect home but one that isn't cluttered and gives us anxiety. My main goal is to not be embarrassed when my kids want play date, just to have ppl over and my house is lived in but generally clean. Last few week I had a lot on, focusing more on being with kids doing fun stuff and cleaning had slipped and man I was feeling awful. 2 nights ago I spent some time cleaning the piles of clutter in living area, kitchen bench etc and I felt much lighter.
My mom always wanted a perfect home cut but usually in terms of just making sure we lived in a big nice home and had enough money for everything. She always came home from working two full-time jobs as a nurse… Very cranky and angry and always needing sleep, always snapping at us. She didn’t have the patience for my brother who was not the best student and called him some names that he never got over. After that, the fact that my parents are African from a certain generation and their idea of discipline would be considered very abusive by most. Anyway, I concur with what you’re saying about trying to have the perfect home can lead to other things being sacrificed as a parent. When you give too much of yourself in One Direction, you lose yourself in another direction. That’s why some people work their hardest at work and don’t have time for kids. You always hear of children of celebrities , who became so famous and legendary, but they were not the best parents and didn’t raise their children as much as they could’ve. If you can find a balance, try your best to do it. Otherwise, you have to make a choice. Perfect home and perfect life? Or a loving home when you did the best you could for your kids?
I sometimes harken back to the olden days, before computers were even in homes & no one had ever heard of MySpace, Facebook, TikTok, etc. We didn't have all this procrastination. Back then I remember I had 2 choices. 1) Read a book then clean, or 2)Clean & then read a book. I truly believe the interwebs just give us multiple excuses for not doing the work. I also believe the best motivation is just turning off the computer a few hours a week. Believe it or not, we'd clean out of boredom. 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
I grew up in the 80s, and looking around my friends' houses, there was definitely procrastination lol! It might not have been social media, but there was TV, books, friends, outings... lots of reasons not to clean if you didn't want to clean lol!
@@juliegolick It's definitely a motivation thing!
And here you are on social media.
Declutter Your home and mind
Amen amen amen, I want to smash all my electronics but I think I’m not allowed.
Show yourself some grace! Mothers tend to spend more engaged time with their children than in previous generations. We also have way more stuff, which makes maintenance more onerous. Most of us also don't have that village to help us.
I’m sorry, but previous generations didn’t spend time with their children?
Mara: you are so right! Parents of my generation said, “Go outside and play” .. my husband’s parents said, “Be home by the time the streetlights come on”. Hours and hours of children outside/gone. I never did this. If my kids were outside, so was I.
@@annierae6355generally speaking no. Of course all house holds are different however most in the past for kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s you were in school 30 to 35 hours a week while ur parents are working then you all come home do homework kids go outside to play then dinner showers and bed. There was not a lot of personal interaction between children and parents.
It's good for kids to have unsupervised play. I grew up playing outside with my siblings all afternoon. My mom taught us in the morning and then we were free and played outside! It was awesome. And my mom was very engaged with us, but she also let us alone. She needed alone time too.
Nope, I disagree. Previous generations interacted with each other, not their cellphone.
Dawn from The Minimal Mom always talks about how all of our stuff is inventory that we have to manage. The less inventory that we have, the easier it is to manage, taking less time when we clean and the more time we have for more important things like family and self care.
❤SLEEP❤
I've found that sleep is THE most important necessity to succeed at anything/everything. For me that means finishing up my critical to do's, putting everyone to bed, and soaking in an Epson salt bath for an hour (while watching whatever I want) before climbing into clean sheets. It also mean NO ALARM CLOCK.
I know that sounds like a fantasy, but listen. If an alarm clock has to wake you up, then you weren't finished getting the sleep you needed. If you were well rested, you would already be awake before the alarm goes off. So... this is how it works for me. If I'm awakened by my alarm in the morning, then bedtime is set 15min earlier that night. If I'm STILL awakened by my alarm clock, then bedtime is adjusted AGAIN for another 15 min earlier. I keep going until I'm waking up BEFORE the alarm. It works.
Now, just because I'm awake does not mean I have to get up. I can lay in my bed (well rested and comfortable) and spend my time enjoying the peace. It's a wonderful way to start the day. When I'm ready, I enjoy slipping out of my bed and beginning my day. No alarm clock assault. I still get up early. But I have the energy and brain power to accomplish ALL my goals. (Not that I'm required to accomplish them. But I can, if I choose to.)
-Good luck on your goals. I look forward to following along.
Dawn the minimal mom always says, if your house is so out of control that you can't get it back in shape in a few minutes a day, you need to declutter more
This is so true too! ❤️
This has absolutely been my experience too. Declutter, declutter, declutter. Less "stuff" is life changing
Ok Ariel, I’m with you. I retired 6 months ago, and I’m starting my one year, room a month, health and home plan as of March 1 (yesterday). Great minds think alike!! My plan includes daily 15 min decluttering, meal planning, daily exercise, and a cleaning routine. Let’s do it together 😊.
Your Tidy Tango is brilliant and I’ve been using it. So helpful.
Same!! Ariel's tidy tango has been life changing for me! 💃💪🪄
Hi, Ariel! Your Tidy Tango video changed my life!! Consistency is everything. I modified the Tango slightly, and it works for me perfectly. I'm not a young pup, but I've proved that we old dogs can learn a few tricks from the young pups of this world! Thanks for the videos. I really enjoy them all!
I have an amazing hubby who does his own laundry, washes our sheets and towels, runs the vacuum more than I do, and is the king of loading and unloading the dishwasher 🎉🙏🏻
We taught our kiddo to put her dishes in the d/w at age 3 (though at 18 she seems to have forgotten how quite often 😂) and she has been doing her own laundry for about 3 years now.
I am still stuck with the bathrooms… everyone’s least favorite but with so much help from them it makes the bathroom cleaning less stressful. I am truly blessed!
I'm turning 40 in 15 months. I've dedicated those months to rebuilding the strength that I lost over the course of my pregnancies. I want to go into my forties with a more resilient body. It won't be my "pre-baby" body, but I want a body that feels good to live in for decades to come.
I turn 40 in ten months and this is my year to restore my health and fitness as well!! I have 6 kids and my youngest is 5 (but he is autistic and nursed until he was 4 years old!!) so I feel like I am getting myself back a little and I am ready to take care of me!
I’m with you ladies!!! I’m ringing in 40 in 10m and being strong and confident in what my body can do.
Ladies, I suggest yoga and walking. Yoga really does give you a supple body. Three specialists told my husband that walking 30-45 minutes a day at least 5 days a week is the healthiest, life long exercise there is. I’ve never had 3 doctors agree on anything until this. Plus you get to be outside, see beautiful things, get the Vit D boost, meet neighbors. I work with my body as an industrial athlete. I’m fifty and have less pain than coworkers in their 30s. You have so much power in your bodies. I hope you enjoy the process of discovering it again. 💚💚💚
36 here, working on the same. After 3 kids, things are different. By 40, i would feel ok if not prebaby, at least ok
What a brilliant idea. 1 room a month, 15 mins a day, love it 🥰
One of the benefits of teaching your family members how to clean is that they will naturally make smaller messes. They notice what they are doing and connect the mess with what it will take to clean it. Small, subtle changes will take place for a cleaner, tidier home. Well worth the investment of training time! And thanks for all the inspiration, Ariel!
When I was a mom with kids at home, life could be chaotic. I think we have to be easy on ourselves. When I retired, I started simplifying my home. Now, the house is decluttered, but there’s other life things that need to be simplified. I had a reality check: there’s more years behind me than in front of me and it’s time to focus on what I I really want to spend time on. You are in a crazy busy season of your life. By all means, do what you need to do, but be kind to yourself. 😊
You’re so kind 😍
I wish you all the best
You know what has made cleaning a more enjoyable experience for me? Audiobooks. Having a really engaging story to listen to while doing the dishes etc. makes all the difference in the world. And if you only let yourself listen while you're cleaning, you'll find yourself looking forward to chores! It really works 👍🏻
Yes, I started doing this recently soon! So helpful!
Personally, I'd have the kids help you even at their age. They can start dishes at 5. Maybe just rinsing but it's learning. I started around that age. My kids admittedly were older around 8 but it teaches them to help and that makes less on you 😁 my son was 8 or 9 when he learned how to wash his clothes. It took more off my shoulders and made my laundry room less messy😁❤
That is so wild!! I really felt fed up with my home too. When I sought the Lord, He led me to a podcast about a woman who had a “staging room” in her house. She then took one room a month and removed EVERY THING from that room into her staging room. She then put back ONLY the items she loved and wanted/needed and at the end of the month, if it was still in the staging room, it went to Goodwill. I did this last month with my laundry room (which doubles as our pantry) and our garage entryway. It was the smallest area in the house. And you know what, IT WENT GREAT!! I threw away so much trash, donated so many outgrown or no longer wanted winter gear, and can actually SEE what I have in my pantry (now all organized so we can use what we have). I cannot WAIT to get started on the other rooms! (And I gave myself 2 months to clean the garage because that relies on my husband for some MAJOR help). ❤❤❤ thanks as always for your videos. They really encourage and inspire me.
Do you remember what her name was or how to link her content? I'm interested in this!
You’re so right about not relying on our motivation. Some days I get so much done, other days I struggle to do anything. My good days more than make up for the bad. Then I don’t feel so badly about myself.
This is very exciting to me! Our plan had been to relicate from California to Indiana in the spring of 2025 but (long story short) we are now going at the end of May... YHIS YEAR!! We are in a house that's been in the family for 45 years, so it holds three generations worth of (a-hem) STUFF. 😲🤦😬 ... yeah, pretty scary, but there's no time for anything less than speedy decisions and a massive declutter, because I'm NOT expending all that energy - I'm 65 - to move crap more than half way across the country to just throw it away out there. The 40 yard roll-off dumpster got here yesterday just before dark. Girl, I'm SERIOUS!! I see HUGE success coming your way because instead of agreeing with yourself that - for instance - you need to start exercising again - you have completed that thought with "... AND I'm gonna get up early each morning to do it"! You've outlined what each thing is going to look like. Ariel, you GOT this! And you got a lot of us cheering for you!! Hugs from the southern California desert (at least for a few more months), MK 🤗❤️🌵❤️🤗
My goal in 2023 was to declutter and organize my entire home and I’m proud to say I was successful! Now my home is SOOOO much easier to clean and keep up with, I no longer ever feel like I’m drowning! You can totally do this!
Girlfriend, you are not alone! As a mother of one (with ADHD and ODD), a sweet 8-month old puppy and a full-time corporate job that requires travel...I have let myself go and my home is never 100% straight or clean.
I have to remind myself my life is not like my mom's was. I do not have a husband, I have to work. I make freezer meals on the weekends, Doordarsh and order groceries.
It's hard. Do what you can a delegate the rest or hire help for some things. I'm working on adjusting my budget to have someone come in biweekly to deep clean my home and free up time for self-care.
If you have a dishwasher load as you go. Kids can do that.
I did my Great Declutter Purge of 2018 and it helped a lot but I ended up doing a second year also because I got better at it.
Consistent is my word this year!!
Thank you for this video!
The thing that’s helped me the most is having “contingency plans”. It’s like, what does getting the dishes done on a low to no-spoons day look like. What does exercise when I severely don’t want to look like so I can still get it done
It goes back to the tiny habits method. You anchor your new habit onto an old one and do just a little bit. Like floss your two front teeth when you brush your teeth. And call that done. Soon you’ll floss more. You just need to plant the seed of the habit. And that’s been working for me so well. That doing one dish is better than 0. That just getting the broom out for 5 minutes is better than waiting until you have the energy to do the entire floor.
I really needed the reminder that consistent exercise builds energy. I will work on that next. I have poor mobility so I will start with doing it in a chair and see how far that gets me.
Thanks Ariel!
Oh and waking up before my kids was one of the hardest habits to establish. You have to go to bed a lot earlier. But it’s been game-changing for my mood
I love all the tips you gave! I especially liked how you plan to teach your 6 year old how to be more independent. I dont have it all figured out in this area, but the other day i was trying to run out the door to go get groceires and had to make sure the backpack was packed with sippy cups and snacks, and also needed to throw in a load of laundry. So i told my almost 3 year old to pack the backpack, and my 5 year old to get a load of laundry together for me. We have been working on these tasks for a while now, and i still have to go behind them and make sure they've done the job right, but the delegation really did help my morning go easier. Kids are capable of helping so much more than we think, and i know my girls love being "mama's big helper." ❤️
I started my kid out with chores really young. There was a few years where it was a power struggle. Where I would have to shut down everything, till her bed sheets got changed, but now at 13 She does her weekend chores pretty darn quick. Her weekend chores are taking care of her spaces, bed sheets get changed, bedroom cleaned, she has to clean the bathroom she uses, grab upstairs trash, and clean her desk area. She also makes her bed every morning. Get both kids involved with chores now...then when they are teens they can tidy the whole house.
I put your video on to watch while I buckled down to empty the dishwasher (my most hated task) and to clean the kitchen. I decided this past week that if I want a clean kitchen, I need to grow up and stop hoping my husband will do the dishes more than once a week. He seems to be the captain of keeping the bathroom clean so I guess I'll finally be the captain of the kitchen. Doesn't mean we won't pitch in when needed, but motivation just wasn't going to magically appear. Your video was very timely! He was also in the process of purging and organizing his closet today!
Ariel I hate hearing this, but I feel I must say it….🤣
You should cute down on your sugar!! I am a fellow sugar addict just like you, and I realized I was sooo addicted that I was having all kinds of physical symptoms that sucked. Then I just cut down, I didn’t even cut it out, and lots more energy, better mood etc. I just don’t buy sweets for my home, but still eat them out, at a church potluck, on holidays, if we have people over for dinner etc. It’s freeing! It really does make my body feel so much better!
Also if your son is 6 I bet he will take to learning tidying really quickly. My daughter is 5 and makes her bed. It doesn’t always look great but it’s done 🤷♀️ 🙂
Ariel, you are on the right path. We raised 4 children and if I could go back and do it again, I would reduce the inventory in our home by 50%! I realize now, just how much easier things could have been for me, and I would have had more time with my children. Decluttering 15 min. a day is very doable. Our kids first chore was 3 yr. old. They had to empty the bath trash and put a new bag in it. They were so proud to be included. You've got this! Happy 2024!
It does make sense,
1 room a month, 15 mins a day - to declutter-reorganise-reshuffle-deep clean..
How about a review video of past 2 months to see how it's helping you already towards this yearly goal ??
Having 4 kids under age 5 and now pregant with my 5th baby (current youngest is 4 so there's more of a gap there) as far as doing well in life with having so many children so little its been essential to synchronize naptimes. Every afternoon my kids have a quiet time all in the the same time block so i have a couple of hours to myself to do whatever i need/want to do. I can't stress enough how important it's been for me. Being a mama is hard work but so worth it. ❤
It took me being on the front line of multiple clinics during COVID to realize that I had to care for myself first. I work out regularly now and I'm so much stronger, I have so much energy as a result. I'm also way happier. Additionally definitely in a purge phase of getting rid of the crap I no longer need to free me up to focus on the things I do have and truly need. You got this!!!
I've always seen teaching my kids to do chores as an investment. Yes, it takes time up front. But the time it gives back in the long run is immeasurable! I'm already seeing this with my 7 and 5 year olds. They are so capable and helpful!
I love Dana K White, video on containers and how we should only have what our container can hold. It was so good it seemed so simple and yet we ignore it so much lol.
I love the idea of exercise in the morning and a 15 minute declutter a day for a month in each room. I’m fed up of waiting for the motivation too. Thanks for this wonderful and do-able task. Will you be taking us on this journey? Maybe an update every week or two? Wishing you every success and knowing you will achieve it too. Thanks for keeping it real. Mary, Joes wife 🙇♀️👏💪👍🙏💐🐈⬛
I’m excited to watch your journey! I’m not sure if it was Dana or Cass who gave me permission to run the dishwasher twice, but this has been a game changer for me. I do one run after breakfast or lunch depending on the day, then one after dinner. The beauty of this is that I can use the quick wash mode on my dishwasher because stuff is not stuck on. A smaller load is also not as annoying to unload. Then I use my dish drainer to let all the plastic dry. I now love unloading the clean dishes after the dinner load so I don’t have to do it first thing in the morning.
Good luck Ariel. The Minimal Mom was talking about layers this week and was saying how big a layer decluttering is.
I also started a decluttering and back to fitness journey ❤ my house has never been that messy and with 5 kids I have been "nesting" way too much 😅 I played myself and now I have so much to get rid of! But 1 day at a time. I love your videos 🎉 they always cheer me up ❤
Ariel, I am old enough to be your mom and I remember being in the space you described so well in this video today. I finally discovered FlyLady and that was my start to recovery. Climb that mountain of teaching your kiddos. It won't be easy, but the view is amazing! So proud of you and the work you are doing! And after years of the 5 fly zones no working for me, I absolutely affirm having a focus room as your zone for the month! That has worked so well for me. And the habits you will gain this year will serve you through several life circumstance changes ahead of you. Blessings.
Hi Ariel, Thank you for your channel. I am at the other end of the spectrum. My husband died, my kids are grown and out of the house, and I've been dealing with health issues. I also have a full-time job of replacing my doctors when they drop my insurance at the last minute. I am also trying to declutter my house, so my kids won't have to do it because there's 40 years of stuff to handle.
I'll try to let you know how I'm doing as time passes.
Preach! If I waited for motivation, I’d get nothing done because I am never motivated to clean the toilet. Excellent video! Thanks Ariel!
I love your channel, I’m also an awkward mom. My house has been a wreck since my first kid 22 years ago and now I’m transitioning from an older mom with a 7 year old. My house has never recouped from parenting. I love your videos, I keep promising that I’m going to start your cleaning challenges that you have mentioned but then…I get way too busy. I love that you make me feel normal although I’m truly not but you also make me feel happy and also motivated that I too can be an awkward mom with at least a half way clean house and that for me is a huge accomplishment. I’m a perfectionist so I feel that I’m either %100 in or %100 out and you help me feel at ease to know that good enough is good enough and there’s no need for perfection. Thank you, honestly your videos mean so much!
You are a lot smarter and wiser than I was at your age. Or even when I was sixty. It took to seventy, but thanks for helping me get there and finally taking care of myself and getting a more organized, cleaner home. God bless (:
As a mother of 4 whom I schooled at home, I can tell you that you will never have a perfect home all of the time. My advice (from my experience) is to train and involve your chd asap. My 2 year olds learned to dry the plastic cups. I taught them to put their own laundry away as soon as they could open their drawers on their own. I taught them how to clean the bathroom and vacuum the floors. They were not my slaves, but they were part of the family and they learned to help. I found out that a clean floor this morning will only last an hour, but it will get cleaned again tomorrow, so unless it was a health hazard, ignore until tomorrow.
Diane in Denmark on RUclips is fantastic for inspiration and motivation. We can all find 10 or 15 minutes a day.
My chd are now all adults and still help out. We get back what we put in.
Wishing you all the best. Have a fantastic time this year. ❤
Before I relax I always tell myself let me get something done before I hit the couch. It leads to another goal and another till most of my goals and chores are done then I can really relax without the guilt and stress. That's how I motivate myself 💪
I gotta say, in my household with 3 going on 4 young children, I remember the early days of being hopelessly overwhelmed. But I can bear witness that if you keep trying and troubleshooting it does get better!
Some of it is like I just had to wait for the internal resistance to flip a switch, and now I don't find myself having as hard a time starting a load of laundry or just starting in on dishes. There's some acceptance that just took time to settle in. The other is paring down till things got easy for me/the kids to quickly pick up after ourselves. Which has made making a home for things and putting systems in place easier. (My kids are little so I tell them if it takes more than 5-10 minutes to do the end of day toy clean up then we need to stash some in the basement to be swapped into rotation later). Another thing that's helped is writing in detail my "silent to do list" (repair windshield chip, gluing some broken furniture...) then getting one or two checked off each day.
I have lots of littles right now exercise, decluttering, a cleaning schedule, and meal planning really help me maintain my home and help me get good meals on the table. I’m a much better homemaker now with 4 kids than I was with 2, you learn as you go.
I agree with the previous comments your videos are so relatable! I like how you include fun (dance) and exercise into your routine like with the tidy tango! I agree need to focus more on consistency. Laura Vanderkam in her book Tranquility by Tuesday mentioned three times a week habits, so you can start small and focus on doing the habit often not daily. Also Mariane Cresp video called a game changer habit trackers on her channel, she mentioned doing certain tasks at certain times of the day that works with your energy level. I also liking how in Diane in Denmark Friday videos she giving you four self-care assignments that you can do throughout the week.
Thanks for the book recommendation!
I am right there with you. I have a 9 month old (just 1 kiddo) but I'm also a single mom and work full time so it's hard. Oh, did I mention my 2 large labradoodles and 2 cats? I used to keep a super clean home but it has gotten hard to keep up. I'm doing ok, at least it's not gross over here. Lol. I need to exercise more, my legs, knee and hips also hurt just from walking. But I've also learned to give myself some grace too, let go a little bit and just embrace my family and enjoy it.
I think this is a very relatable topic Ariel. Cheering you on (and perhaps even doing similarly) from Australia. Be kind and gentle with yourself as you make these changes too.
I’m right there with you. Even though I got rid of a lot of stuff before moving last year, I still find the same struggles in my new home. Hope we can both get our space together in 2024!
Skyla's curls are so adorable! You're doing great, Ariel! Praying that you would receive comfort, peace, and rest. ❤️🌹🥰
I’m always thinking about the absolute overwhelm that is adulthood. Which probably just adds to the overwhelm. Love every video you make. Your content is so inspiring, whimsical yet real. ❤
At your age, I was in a very different phase - now rounding 36, my beau and I are really trying to get our space together (sadly, we dont't have kids)
I'm a champion hoarder, I feel so obilated to keep things - I still regret things I've let go, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. To anyone struggling with clutter, here are a few things I recommend:
1) have a give-away bag in your front hall, or somewhere else you see it a lot. Put an item (lets say a top) in there, and eventually you'll get used to it going, or if you really want it, you know you thought about it a lot
2) finding a home for everything is exhausting - so I grabbed a bin for cleaning products and everythig bathroom related when to a shelf in the spare bedroom - it's amazing how that will help, it doesnt have to be pretty or perfect at first, it'll get there
3) it doesnt have to be perfect! I always wanted perfect, but embracing 'good enough' has improved my space so much.
And the biggest one - tell people you dont want more stuff! No gifts, lets go see a movie, or go to dinner, or order a pizza instead. It wont go 100% perfect, but being honest with the ones you love can help a lot. The point is to spend time together, and if you can get out of the gift-giving cycle, it can really be a good thing for certain people. I wish you all the very best of luck, you've got this!
I love the honesty you have. We have also stopped gifts and have moved to spending time with people we love. I don’t want to burden people with things that end up making life harder.
How I get things done:
1. Put my phone on Do Not Disturb
2. Blast some Taylor Swift
3: Set a timer - I work faster and more efficiently when I’m on the clock!
I wish my house was cleaner and more uncluttered when I was a young mom but that period after they grow up and before grandchildren is almost like a period of grieving for our babies. I really didn’t see that coming. However, if I had videos like yours (and some others out there that I watch) I think I would have not been so stressed and enjoyed that time more. I love your videos! You have such a great sense of humor and sometimes, even now, I don’t get the simple things done, beds, etc. so you are so inspiring for those of us from 9 to 99. Eeek, 29?? Enjoy every second, I’m 64. You know you are old when your grandchildren ask you if things we’re in color back when I was a kid. 😂😂😂
You are Definitely blessed to have grandchildren ❣️ I don't have any yet. My oldest is 31, and my youngest is 14 now. Children always say funny things ❣️
Amen! My boys are teenagers now. I felt so much pressure to "keep a nice house" from my mom and my then mother in law when my kids were little and still wanted to play with me. Now they have no desire to play dinosaurs. I have tried to explain to people that it feels like a grieving process but they look at me like I'm being dramatic. You think it's a gradual process but it hits you hard and fast and you realize all the moments you didn't realize were the last time you would do something. Like holding your child or hearing them say mommy play with me 😢. Unfortunately it seems to be something you only learn by being in it and by then it's too late. They are good young men now but I kick myself for moments when I passed on playtime because I "had to" clean. ❤❤❤
@@nw8204 Yes, our Moms never saw that need. We grew up needing to play and were blessed to have time to play with our own children, but were Is pressure to clean. We finally had the opportunity to buy toys, and tons of them🐒🦧🐈⬛🦁🫎🐴🐴🫏🐎🫏🦄🐄🐃🐂🦒🐘🦣🐇🦔🐓🦃🐤🦉🐧🐧🦜🦩🦖🦕🐡🐠🐟🦭🐋🐬🐳🦀🦞🐚🐚🐛🐜🐝🪲🐞🦟🕷🪺🪹🪺🚂🚂🚈🚄🚃🚃🚑🚒🚓🚗🛻🚚🚛🚜🚚🏍🚲🚲🛼🛹🛴🚲⛵️🛶🛩🪂🦖🦕🦖🦕⚽️⚾️🏀🏐🏀🏈🎾🏏🎳🏓🥅🤿🎣🪁🪁🪁🛷🥼🩰🪭🎵🎶🎤🎤🎩👒👑🥽🕶👓🎄🎄🎉🎈🎈🎈✨️🎈🎈🎊🎊🎀🎎🎁🎁
Ariel, don't beat yourself up if this doesn't work!! I relate to all of your videos so so much.... I have adhd. If you have sneaky undiagnosed adhd too, the whole "I'll just do it even if I don't want to!" thing may not work if executive dysfunction kicks in. Like others have said, you gotta give yourself some grace... And maybe consider looking into the adhd thing. I know people tend to think EVERYONE must have the same condition they themselves have, but my neurodivergent spidey senses have been tingling for a long time, and if you did happen to have it, a diagnosis and learning to manage your adhd would be LIFE CHANGING. It was for me! My two cents, with love. God bless you and thank you for the inspiring and relatable content. 💖
Ariel, I had 2 children, 3 and 4 in a 800 square foot home. When they were sleeping, I slept. I cleaned when they were awake in about 30 minutes. It was simpler and I was refreshed.
I am on the same journey right now. I started last September, downsizing my whole house and getting rid of so much. It is the most freeing thing I have done in a long time. You will not regret it!
Plus, I am with you on the whole working out/getting moving thing. I used to work out 5 times a week until I got a desk job and since then, I sit. A lot. And it is making me tired.
I love that this is a year long goal. I get so discouraged with “get your home back in 30 days!” As a mom of two young children, you are such an inspiration. Thank you ❤
I've been thinking a lot about this and i don't remember a time where i thought so much about it. I like your videos by the way :) I think there's a lot of pressure from social media and society/socially to have the most updated and pleasing home to look at. Some can achieve it in a more frugal way, but a lot of it can be expensive and just overwhelming. We all want that tidy fresh home but that doesn't last unless no one is home LOL there's crumbs and dust.. towels.. laundry.. stinky shoes.. mail on the table.. kids papers from school... leftovers in the fridge past their prime.. etc. I feel bad i'm not totally organized. I think part of me just wants control of my life and the home is a place to start. I've also lived most of my life with a home kind just put together and not really decorated.. hand me downs over the years.. or home good type decor... a few antiques thrown in.. some nice pieces too. I am not the type to decorate because i'm bored i just want things to last and i prefer a classic/traditional look. I want it tidy but i work full time and don't want to spend all my time cleaning. I need to get my family involved.. we are getting a dumpster this week and planning to get rid of a bunch of junk i'm hoping make some space... finding a place for everything.. and having some routines in place will help swing us in the right direction.
I totally agree that this is so relatable. After having 5 kids myself I have come to see this as a failure for our culture and society. There is a (generally) negative outlook on families and a big push for us to do and spend so much on our children while also dealing with all the demands of life with little to no help. Along with this come little instruction on how to raise a family and take care of a home. I have found that the first year after having a new baby is just hard and you have to cut out whatever you can to survive. I think living with as little as possible is really helpful. I hope you find success and also have a lot of grace with yourself and your family.
Right there with you girl! We had baby #6 last June, and in February I said hello to my old friend Flylady who I haven't hung out with in a few years. Keeping a vision of what my home could be like one year from now in the front of my mind, because I'm SO READY to FINALLY look around our house and not feel extra stress and defeat. You might like the podcast The Jen Fulwiler Show; she talks a lot about being a leader in your home, embracing your individual strengths as a mom, and cultivating a thriving village lifestyle for your family. She's also awkward, funny, and neurodivergent. Great to listen to while cleaning the kitchen.
What do you like the most about the podcast?
@@wendyduncan9084 That's a toughie, but I think I especially like it when she talks about how to cultivate the village lifestyle that moms are wired to need. I don't really see anyone else online talking about that--how to figure out what your gifts are in the context of a community, finding and accepting support from others, building your family into a team that supports each other, being adaptive and accomplishing your dreams even when life is unpredictable and steady routines/ "atomic habits" are not possible, how being isolated causes us to struggle in ways we often don't realize, etc.
@@doateacher6492 I absolutely agree that isolation compounds everything. You made the podcast sound interesting enough for me to try it! I’m not a momma now but I think the community need is lifelong.
I enjoyed sitting back, eating chips, and watching somebody else get their lives under control. Glad you are delegating. Get that cat on your chore list! You should look into project 333 for your clothes declutter. Great video, R.E.L. x
Ariel! U take great care of ur children. That is the priority. There will always b something to clean or do better in ur home. Spend this time without angst, enjoying ur children. Before u know it, they will b grown. You r also working, doing this RUclips channel. Give urself a break! Don't put so much pressure on urself. Instead, know there will always b home things left undone.
I recently started decluttering my house deeper too, room by room. I have been using Joshua Becker's book The Minimalist Home.
I am also in the decluttering process ! Are you trying to become minimaliste? Or your just getting rid of what you don't use?
@@thesimplemom91 I'm just trying to simplify my life. I've been decluttering for over 4 years now and I keep going deeper with it. Right now I'm doing the deepest declutter yet, that is bringing me closer to minimalism. I'm really getting rid of the things I DONT use or need. Each time I declutter I'm able to see clearer what I don't really need. And not having to manage the stuff is a time and money saver
@ERICA850 that's so nice! All those years I realized I was just getting so much unnecessary stuff. It's funny how I already know of so much stuff I could toss in a bag but I fell some kind of attached (because I paid a lot for it most of the time). But I know it's just a matter of time before it's going away 🫣 but your right at the end it does save on money too. Thanks 🌸
Thanks for always making your videos lighthearted while addressing these topics. I really enjoy your content!
I am right there with you! I love the idea of one room a month, I usually set unrealistic goals for myself and end up disappointed because I don't finish those goals. But I've been trying to get my life together this year, exercising, paying attention to what I eat, etc. and you are so right that exercise is the key to being able to take care of our homes! It has been a cheat code to being able to keep up with day to day life, and I'm really enjoying how strong I am now. We can do this!!
My secret mom fantasy is to feed my 3 year old and 11 month old nothing but beige foods. Whoever came up with 'feed the rainbow' never scraped avocado off the floor or had to pull used raspberries out of the sofa. I love your channel and agree 100% about the exercise.
You are such an inspirational young woman, Ariel!
I have been following you for quite awhile now, and I'm convinced that if we lived closer we would be best friends!
All of your cleaning videos resonate with me SO profoundly! I soak up so much information and have all the same questions regarding cleaning and health that you record and speak on!
Every video of yours is totally my favorite, each one I love more than the last😂 but this one is BY FAR my favorite!!!!
About a year ago I reached the same point where I realized if I don't work on my body, my daily work is just going to continue to be draining and strenuous!!! (Still working on it though😅...) my body is so weak still from child bearing and from some difficulties I've encountered personally recently..
I love what you said about watching not to get sucked into the motivation rut. That's SO me.
Thank you for this video! Please continue on this topic!!! Your content has helped me numerous times!!!
I'm so glad I could inspire you and that you keep coming back to watch my videos ❤️ I appreciate your kind message and I hope you are able to do what's necessary to help you feel better and to get your home in control!! We got this :)
I hope younare planning on making videos showing your journey and process, I'm so on board, started in january, but then the kids any myself got sick and this and that happened and I lost track. So your video is a good reminder and motivation to get back on track. Thanks a lot and good look in the decluttering war. 😊
I retired a week ago. Today, I started purging & organizing my craft room. I am disabled & in pain, but determined. I take breaks often. Even crying breaks. I've told myself crying is fine, but quitting is not. I also tell myself this will take more than a day, maybe a week or month, but little by little. I must do this so I can actually craft & breathe. Next is my dressing room & closets! 😂😅
I feel so motivated! 😂❤ love you. I like your tip of doing rather than waiting to find motivation to do. 😊
I am so proud of you for a bunch of things you said here, especially the delegating part. It can be so hard to ask for help from people so I’m so glad you’re asking the boys (big and little!) to join in with the house. I realise you might especially like one rule that was always there in my household when I was growing up: whoever cooks, doesn’t do the dishes.
Also I love that you’re talking about the strength and energy benefits of exercise, that is a much healthier way to approach fitness as well rather than making the scale go down. I started trying to walk a mile+ most days on my lunch breaks and it’s helped me so much… and somehow as soon as I was back from the longer walk I took this morning it made me want to finish my neglected chores from this week!
Also ALSO, thank you so much for introducing me to the tidy tango and home blessing ways of maintaining your home. Rather than being a busy mum of 2 I’m a single person with mental health struggles and thanks to you sharing your strategies and experiments I’ve been able to find my own little tidy-tango kind of sequence that fits my needs and my space has never been cleaner. I may still have a way to go but the Me of a couple of years ago would never think I could have space like this… so thank you so much for all your help and I hope we both get where we want to be, you’re doing amazingly 🌻
One step at a time. It is just my husband & I at home, trust me I struggle with keeping our home spotless. I have learned to show myself some Grace and be happy with our home. I have had 2 back surgeries so I have to pace myself.
Todd and I curled up today for the latest installment. 💚 We had the best time talking about when the kids were small, then when we decided to homeschool, then health things. All the things that make up the seasons of a life together. He said Jordan nailed the husband look. lol I have 8 rooms in our house to get through this year. Three are already finished! I hope you end up taking walks with Jordan as part of this new life. So romantic as part of daily life. That Taco Bell line was absolutely hysterical.
I love waking up on Saturday to a new video from you. Thank you. You are doing a great job and I plan on joining you this year. Let’s do it.
Thank you ❤️ We got this!!!! 👐
You're so right about motivation. I'd add to not focus on perfection. I should tattoo 'best is the enemy of good' on my forehead. If I cannot do it perfectly, I won't even start. This has to stop! Thanks for the inspo.
You are so smart! Like you I began teaching my kids how to participate in doing chores when they were 5 by putting their folded laundry on their bed and making little stacks of whatever went into a drawer. Stack of pants, stack of shirts, a stack of socks, etc, that they could easily put away, then, built on that foundation. They could dust as well as me because the used the up and down then side to side method ensuring less spots were missed. They crawled around dusting baseboards. By age 9 they could clean the whole house. By age 10 they could put a hot meal on the table. You are doing every member of your home a huge favor by engaging everyone in 2024. Also, to encourage and strengthen your resolve, let me say; do not falter on having your husband pitch in. He's 100% capable of (for example) washing dishes every single night and putting away what's clean after he dries the dishes he washes. In doing this, 30 years later, you will not have an entitled 50+ year old man waiting on you to wait on him. If you don't mind me saying this, pick up toys before nap time so it's done before the baby lays down. It makes a huge difference in how you will feel even if they drag everything back out later. Hugs and good luck!
I'm totally feeling this video this week. I have covid right now and there's a total of 4 adults in this home and the house starts falling apart when I'm sick because everyone is so used to me doing everything. So it made me realize I need to do better with delegating!
I have three children. A toddler almost two years old, and 7 month twins, and my 1,000 sq/ft home is almost always clean.
Hello minimalism! I asked myself “ is this worth stuff shuffling?” And I got rid of so much! Now I don’t have to spend more than 10 mins tidying before I clean.
Generally my partner empties the dishwasher in the morning. I make everyone food, a smoothie, and eat. Then I clean my kitchen, pick up toys, sweep/mop the house, and then settle into the bedroom to watch tv and nurse before nap time. I have an hour of downtime and then get up and make food and do a load of laundry! It’s a never ending cycle, especially with all the diapers and little messes along the day, but my day is rarely stressful and I don’t feel overwhelmed with chores. Yesterday I got rid of another diaper box worth if stuff, even though I didn’t think I had anything left to donate. The more I get rid of, the happier I am.
If I I keep telling myself “ if I don’t own it, it can’t make a mess”
Found your channel today and I'm so grateful for it, your videos and your wonderful way and humor of seeing things.
Many thanks to you
Consistency.
I have consistently been doing the Tidy Tango every week now.
My house looks and feels so much better.
Also been exercising.
Building strength.
Also must confess ... I don't always stop after the mopping ... the Tidy Tango is like a kick start and I find myself tidying other areas of my house.😊
So relatable! Thank you for being a friend to “have a conversation” with. My husband and I have been working on the same “project” for years since I inherited my godparents house and we are just finally seeing the fruits of our labor where our home has “us” written all of it with a sprinkle of my godparents instead of feeling like we were living in someone else’s house. We want to live in a house that could be sold tomorrow instead of doing those chores and repairs for someone else to enjoy! I want to enjoy my home and don’t mind the sweat equity that has been like exercise by the end of the day.
Ariel, I love your idea of decluttering one room a month! Genius!!!
I followed Flylady's 15-minutes decluttering on and off over the past few years (mostly off I'll admit!) but I never felt like I made much progress because I didn't have any focus! I'd do 15 minutes here and there but it didn't seem to make much of a dent in the stuff.
So, one room a month (I was shocked to realise I have 11 rooms in my house (storage basement included). I'll dedicate two days per month to runs to the donation or recycling centre instead of decluttering.
Pretty sure some rooms will take more than a month (here's looking at you, Stuff Room!) but I'll get it done!
I thereby declare March my kitchen month! 😊👍
I love it!!!!!!!
I didn't get into a proper cleaning routine until my youngest was 2. Before that, it was definitely "survival mode," and I was only prioritizing laundry and dishes. So don't feel bad! Life with littles is a lot and exhausting.
I still prioritize dishes and laundry, but now I try to get 3-4 chores done a day... and I don't beat myself up if they don't get done. Just try again the next day!
Good luck - you've got this!
Great video as ever ❤
Thanks, Ariel!
I can relate SO much, two kids, work, household, the creepy laundry endboss… and in my case a husband who just doesn‘t seem to have the same kind of view as I have. He has some kind of dirt filter on his eyes. 🤣
The tipps you mention in the video are really great, I think I will do it all 👌🏻
Well apart from the standing up early thing. My kids are co-sleepers and have a light sleep in the morning, so no chance. But I do sports regulary, so thats no problem, and I get my me time often in the evening or weekend.
Don‘t be too hard to yourself, we all struggle ❤
You are great! 🎉
Greetings from germany ;)
This video has my name written all over it!!!!!! This resonated with me big time. If I could follow your same plan this year, it would make such a huge difference in my life and my home. Thanks for this video!!!! ❤
Please go easy on yourself!❤ The most important “vocation” in your life right now is being a good wife/partner and an excellent mom and from what I see, you are doing excellent. Don’t compare yourself to what others show on their social media pages. I’m no expert on social media because I am just a grandma, but after being a mom for 52 years and a daycare Granny since 2004, I know that no house is spotless if kids are happy😊 I remember a poster from my young mom days that read in part “settle down cobwebs, dust go to sleep, I’m rocking my baby, and babies don’t keep”. Or something like that, this was from 1972,😂 Just keep doing the best you can and your marriage will last and your kids will be fine. That’s all that matters. Times will change and life will get less hectic , I promise.
Ahh this speaks to me so much, spent 9am-2pm yesterday (Sunday) tidying, cleaning, making food, cleaning up food, washing and washing and washing 😢 genuinely a zero fun day, I really struggle to remain consistent with the nagging of children to stop wiping toothpaste on the vanity (for example). I'm here for the journey and I hope a year from today I'll be also singing a different tune!
Okay, I'm with ya, sister! I have a 2 year old, and I'm tired of feeling overwhelmed by my home everyday. I'm tired of feeling like I clean CONSTANTLY and make no progress.
You are one of two moms that I watch on RUclips and the one that I watch and feel like I relate to the most. Thankyou for your videos!
Looooove the tidy tango to reset my house! Great for Sunday nights to start the week on the right foot.
Omg I feel you 100%! Two minutes in and its exactly true. Living the dream and still feeling stressed cause its all too much. And one year from now, back at work, there'll be even less time to get anything done 😭
If you live in an area that does well with yard sales, schedule to have one with a friend. It will help with motivation for decluttering, and its a fun thing to do with a friend. 6:56
You know you are an incredible life coach, wrapped up in an wonderfully funny and caring personality, with much hands on wisdom. Thank you! from Melissa in Adelaide, Australia xxx
Go you! When I was pregnant with my 4th baby, I put myself on partial bed rest. 15 minutes up and 15 minutes down. My house was so clean back then! The Rests really helped. I could plan during the Rests.
So much wisdom in a short video. I watched when i was supposed to be starting my excercise video. I know my problem is consistency and it is true for everything. When i am disciplined with exercise or fly lady cleaning routines things do go better. Here to getting back on track with you. Cue the tango music from True Lies.
Ariel, your videos have really helped change my attitude and given me motivation and hope over the years. I am a working Mom of three (2 teenagers) and its so nice to hear that others feel the same. BTW, many things get easier when they get a little older and you will have some more 'Me" time as they get more self-sufficient. Thank you being so real and such a down-to-earth person! I have been delegating more chores to the family and trying to give myself some slack when things aren't getting done exactly how they should be : )
Great video with wonderful tips! It reminds me of my Grandma and Mom who had certain days for specific chores ( Monday, laundry, Tuesday, Living Room,dusting,sweeping, straightening... and so on and so forth. These chores were always done no matter what. They had a good friend who thought it was so funny and whenever she would call them she would ask, "Ok, what chore day is it today? 😂"