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Archives for August 2018

11 Ways to Easily Speed Clean Your House

August 31, 2018 by Allie Casazza Leave a Comment

This is a guest post from Kendra Hennessy of Mother Like A Boss.

Kendra and I crossed paths in the business world last year, and since then we have worked on tons of projects together and become close friends.

She is the queen of cleaning, and I am honored to share her with you today!

Kendra is also hosting an online workshop for my audience, which is totally free! Sign up here. 


Daiga Ellaby

Oh, house cleaning. Some people love it, most people are apathetic to the whole thing.

As a mom with littles who are constant mess-makers, it’s a necessary evil.

I have come to find that the reason cleaning is such a proverbial pain in the butt is because it takes far longer than it needs to.

Day to day, moms spend their time on a cleaning hamster wheel. It can be easier. It can be minimal. It can be faster.

For moms, most things are about speed. How fast can I clean this up? How fast can I get dinner on the table? How fast can drink this coffee before it inevitably gets cold? You know, the important things.

Time is of the essence and becoming more efficient AND effective at what we do is the key to gaining more minutes in the day.

The ironic thing about speed cleaning is that it isn’t really about speed: it’s about efficiency. Speed cleaning is a way to utilize the minutes you have, even if it’s only 5, to tidy up and clean as much of an area as possible.

As a former professional house cleaner, I spent years perfecting the art of speed cleaning.

As a mom, I’m constantly trying to improve upon it even more. My minutes are precious and so are yours.

I’ve compiled some of the best tips here for you. House cleaner tested, mom approved.

1. Declutter first.

The only thing worse than a dirty home is a clean home with a bunch of clutter in it. When you really think about it, what is the point of hemming and hawing over cleaning when you’re just going to throw junk back on top of that clean countertop? Decluttering your spaces is always numero uno when it comes to speed cleaning. Set a timer and declutter everything in 5-10 minutes. Put it back where it belongs and if you’re on the fence about keeping it or needing it, there is a good chance it can be chucked in the garbage.

2. Start in one area and work your way out.

When I had my cleaning business, I was a big fan of starting in the top corner of the house and working my way out. This works in a lot of ways, but mostly it just meant I could do it faster. It made no sense to clean the downstairs floor, then walk on it to go upstairs, then have to come back downstairs and re-clean that floor. See what I mean? Make you life easier (and the whole process faster) by “working your way out.”

3. Always clean top to bottom.

Along the same lines as above, always start from the top and work your way to the bottom. Seriously. No exceptions, unless you are a fan of cleaning things twice. Ain’t nobody got time for that. What does this mean? It means dust and wash the areas highest up and work your way down. Ceiling fans, cobwebs and the tops of furniture should be done first, then work your way down to the floor.

4. Have your supplies handy and accessible.

I talk about this all the time, but it is basically professional/speed cleaning 101. When you don’t have your cleaning supplies right at your fingertips, it just takes up more time. Imagine having everything you need in a bag or a caddy, rather than having to search around the house of the spray bottles, cloths and sponges you need. Huge. Time. Saver.


Did you know?!

Kendra is hosting a free online workshop just for my audience!

It’s totally free, and you’ll learn all about cleaning your house in just 30 minutes a day. Heck yes!

Learn More

5. Stick to a routine. I LOVE a good cleaning routine.

In fact, I developed a free cleaning list to get you started. Click here for your free access. Having a solid cleaning routine allows you to not only get more done in the house, but do it speedier. Once you develop a routine, you’ll notice how quick your chores become. Think about how easy it is for you to brush your teeth or tie your shoes. You don’t even think about the steps, you just do it. That’s because it is a habit, created by a routine. Routines create speed.

6. Clean as you go.

This may seem like it goes against the tip above about routines, but hear me out. If you have your kitchen scheduled to be cleaned on Tuesday, but you cooked and baked lot on Sunday, don’t wait until Tuesday to clean. Clean as you go. Wash the dishes while the food cooks, wipe down the stove immediately after it gets dirty, run the self-clean oven setting when you’re done. Cleaning as you go is a speed cleaning tip not many people take advantage of. If you want your house to stay clean, clean it as you go.

7. Leave the floors and glass until the very end.

Cleaning can put dust and dirt into the air that will eventually fall onto the floor and usually stick to glass. Leave it for last. Doing it first will just mean you have to do it again, and that is a speed cleaning no-no.

8. Clean the shower in the shower.

I can’t believe how few people take advantage of this super useful tip. When are you closest to the shower and all it’s soap scum glory than when you are in it. No stretching over the sides of the tub or worrying about getting wet, because you’re already there. Keep your cleaning supplies right in the bathroom (or even in the shower itself) and go to town while you’re in there. You’ll be amazed how clean your shower stays.

9. Stop worrying about it getting dirty again.

The one thing I hear over and over again is, “It just seems futile. It’ll just get dirty again.” Well so will your hair, but that doesn’t stop you from washing it. Dirt is inevitable. Dust is inevitable. Kids are messy. People are messy. Stop focusing on the negative aspects of not keeping a spotless home and instead, focus on how it feels to have it clean, even if that’s for 20 minutes. Your mindset plays more of a roll in how you view cleaning than you think.

10. Set a timer.

If you really want to get motivated to be a speedy and efficient cleaner, set a timer. Do as much as you can before the timer goes off. Boom. Speed cleaning at it’s finest.

11. Be like Nike. Just do it.

Don’t worry about not being “good” at cleaning. Stop focusing on what you should do, and how, and when. If you see some dust, grab a rag and go to it. Clutter piling up on the end table? Take care of it now. I can give you tips, tricks and tools for days, but the most important one of all is to just do it.

Remember: it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just needs to be done.


Kendra Hennessy is a home management expert and positive motherhood enthusiast. She is a podcast host and founder of Mother like a Boss, where she helps busy modern moms become homemakerish.

Her mission is to redefine homemaking in the 21st century and make the difficult and tedious parts of running your home smoother through systems, routines and mindset shifts. She lives in upstate NY with her husband Adam and their two spunky kiddos, Ava and Everett.

Kendra is a Girl Scout co-leader, a coffee junkie and can usually be found in her off time binge watching The Office. She loves giving support and encouragement to the moms of the world and giving them the confidence they need to enjoy life as a mother.


Enjoy this free access from Kendra!

The Mother Like a Boss Vault:

Your one-stop shop resource library for worksheets, videos, trainings and audio to uncomplicate modern homemaking.

All access, all for free.

www.motherlikeaboss.com/vault

Filed Under: lifestyle, minimalism

We Hit One Million!

August 24, 2018 by Allie Casazza Leave a Comment

WE DID IT!

THANKS TO YOU, WE HIT ONE MILLION UNIQUE DOWNLOADS OF THE PODCAST SINCE JANUARY!

I started this podcast for moms who want to leave a legacy of intention and joy. I was tired of counting the minutes till bedtime, and couldn’t help but think there had to be a better way to do this thing called “motherhood”. 

I spent the first four years of motherhood completely miserable and stuck in survival mode: overwhelmed, overworked, battling heavy depressions and barely scraping by in life.

When I started simplifying and removing the unnecessary from my life, I was able to finally shake my depression for good, have more free time, actually enjoy playing with my kids, serve my family well and be the best, happiest, most fulfilled version of myself possible!  When I found the light at the end of the tunnel, I just had to share that hope with overwhelmed moms everywhere. Just like that, “The Purpose Show” came to life!


Here are the most-loved podcasts of mamas all over the world!

 

1. Ep 003: How my Morning Ritual Is Changing My Life

This episode is all about:

  • How I began my morning routine, and how it has shifted with the seasons of my life
  • My detailed morning routine that makes my day more focused and purposeful
  • How my morning routine helps me overcome one of my biggest weaknesses
  • How to fit in more reading time on a daily basis
  • Why taking action on your goals will leave a lasting impact on your life

Listen to this episode here

 

2. EP 004: Positive Words for Your Children

This episode is all about:

  • The effect words have on you, both a positively and negatively.
  • How easy it is to complain and use negative words to describe things, and why it’s important to switch your words to the positive.
  • Why it is important to speak positive words over your children.
  • How to speak positive words or scripture over your children if you feel uncomfortable.
  • How changing the words you speak to and over your children has the power to completely change their behavior.
  • Tips and suggestions on where to find positive affirmations and scriptures, and how you can store them on your phone.

Listen to this episode here

 

3. ep 001: My Goal Setting Process

This episode is all about:

  • Why New Year’s is great time of year to create new goals, but not the only time
  • How I manage so much with four kids, a full personal life, and multiple successful businesses
  • How to achieve your goals
  • My step-by-step process to setting the right goals for where you are in your life
  • What reverse engineering is, and how it can change the way you reach your goals
  • Why taking action on your goals will leave a lasting impact on your life

Listen to this episode here


“HEY MAMA!

 

STOP SETTLING FOR OVERWHELMED. 

LET’S UPROOT WHAT’S WEIGHING YOU DOWN AND UNCOVER YOUR ABUNDANT MOTHERHOOD.

AND LEAVE SURVIVAL MODE BEHIND.

Heck yeah! I want my free guide!

4. Ep 006: How My Blog Got My Husband Out of His 9 to 5

This episode is all about:

  • Our struggle to make ends meet when Brian worked insane hours, six days a week.
  • Following God’s call to move to the midwest, where they knew no one.
  • My struggle with doubting God.
  • How I found my passion and developed the idea of turning my blog into a business
  • How Your Uncluttered Home came to be.
  • The incredibly grueling months that we experienced when Brian quit his job and the blog and course hadn’t taken off yet.
  • Having a post go viral, and waking up to 15,000 new subscribers and money suddenly in my account overnight.
  • What has changed since everything happened, and what the business is like now.

Listen to this episode here

 

5. EP 002: How To Lose Weight By Loving Your Body Better

This episode is all about:

  • Why and How we should stop pushing our bodies to morph into something they’re not.
  • Shifting your focus from what your body IS from what it isn’t
  • How we can start acting out of love for our bodies.
  • The importance of living a life of balance.
  • A 2-step process that can help you bring forth more gratitude for your bodies.

Listen to this episode here


ARE YOU READY TO CLEAR THE CLUTTER AND FOCUS ON THE AREAS OF YOUR LIFE THAT BRING YOU JOY? 

YOUR UNCLUTTERED HOME IS LITERALLY EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO BECOME A MINIMALIST MAMA WHO IS ABLE TO BE A LOT MORE PRESENT FOR WHAT MATTERS MOST.

Let’s do this!


Filed Under: everything else Tagged With: celebration, hit one million, one million downloads, podcast downloads, unique downloads

8 Ways to Create an Intentionally Peaceful Home

August 10, 2018 by Allie Casazza Leave a Comment

After a decent amount of trial and error, I think I’ve finally come up with a comprehensive list of ways to bring peace into your home, and set up a peaceful home. I have worked hard to create a home that feels peaceful. In the way that I decorate. The way it’s laid out. The way I act as a mom.

Intentionally creating a peaceful home is a great way to ensure there is a solid foundation to fall back on when stressful moments make their way into your day to day life.


1. choose intentional DECOR

Use décor that makes you feel the most at home, relaxed, and happy to be there.

I have created a home that is perfect for me. It makes me happy and relaxed. It feels lived-in and functional, but still beautiful and stylish. It reflects my personality. I don’t really purchase things to decorate my home with, unless they are really amazing and “my favorite” and I love it that way. Everything in my home just makes me really happy. That is so important.

Take a step back and ask yourself, “How do you feel when you walk into your home?” Take note of it. What could you maybe change? What is it that you don’t like? Do you not like the way it’s decorated? Do you feel like you don’t even know how to decorate? Educate yourself. Figure out a way to make it happen. You should like the way you feel when you walk in the house. I think decor is a big part of that because it’s so visual.

2. handle your ENTRYWAY

Some homes have an “official entryway,” whether it’s a mudroom or whatever. My home does not have one of those, but I’ve created an entryway. Whatever you are standing in when you first walk through your front door, set that up. It’s the first thing you see when you walk in the door. Everything should have a place. It should be functional and work well for you, but also be pretty, well-lit, minimalistic, clean and clear of clutter so that you walk in and the first thing you see is good.

Figure out a way. Do you come in through the garage? Do you come in through the back door? Do you come in through the front door? What do you and your family use as your main door? Where were you coming in from running errands and setting your keys down?

Make that section of your home really functional, pretty and clear of clutter for yourself, so the first thing you see when you walk in is clear. That’s really going to help you set up a peaceful existence in your home.

3. give your kids the gift of a “lived-in” home

I think there’s a balance between a home that feels way too kid friendly and a home that looks like a kid doesn’t even live there . My style is very important to me. It’s important to me that I love my home when I walk in. But I don’t want my house to feel so perfect and so beautiful that the kids are afraid to touch anything.

I think there’s a way to mix functionality with style. You can have a beautiful home that you love, that you’re proud to show off, and that you’re proud to host things in but is also a comfy place where your family can relax and unwind at the end of the day.


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4. find simple solutions to daily problems

Another way that you can bring peace into your home is find a solution to the things that are regularly stressing you out in your home.

When we moved into our two story home, I noticed that there was continually a pile of things that belonged upstairs at the bottom of the stairs every day and it was really ugly. So I found a regular dark wicker basket that goes with my décor. I put it in the empty space on the wall by my stairs and every night we take it up. It’s part of our nightly cleanup routine. We put things away, put the empty basket back downstairs for the next day.

It took away the stress, it took away the mess. No matter how minimalistic you are, if there are people living in your house, you’re going to have stuff around. 

Sometimes you don’t think outside of your box and you don’t realize there’s such a simple solution that would help you so much.

5. get yourself some FLOWERS

I personally love to always have fresh flowers in my house. I budget for flowers every week and stop at the store every Sunday to pick up a new bunch. I have a couple of vases I love and I swap them out on my kitchen sink. I do not like to do the dishes and I don’t particularly love cooking either, so one way that I helped myself is by making myself love my kitchen.

I take extra care. I put extra thought and budget into making my kitchen a place that I love. 

In some way, shape or form, whether faux or real, flowers can really brighten up your home. And they do make for a more peaceful environment. It’s a gift that only they can give.

6. create a peaceful atmosphere with scents

A great way you can create a peaceful atmosphere is to diffuse essential oils, use incense, or light candles. I have a diffuser I absolutely love. Pretty much all day, every day, I set it to “on”, and it goes until it runs out of water. I put distilled water in it, add some essential oil drops in there and I just diffuse all day.

It’s in the main area of the house. You can smell it anywhere you are downstairs; sometimes even upstairs too. Seeing the steam and smelling the oils, really does create a more peaceful atmosphere.

Lighting candles is always a very easy way to create a calm atmosphere in your home. The flicker and the scent warm you up like nothing else can!

Whatever way you choose to do it, adding a comforting scent to your home will bring peace to your household.

7. INTENTIONALLY PLAN PEACEFULNESS

Intentionally planning for peacefulness around times that are usually stressful is huge. If you want to set your home up to be peaceful, you have to think ahead. What are usually the most stressful times of your day? Intentionally look ahead and plan for peacefulness around those times.

Play worship music. Play instrumental music. Play acoustic music. Light candles during those times. Maybe take a minute and go in a closet or the bathroom or somewhere and just sit for a second and focus on your breathing. Consciously do a quick standing meditation for 5-10 minutes before those times. Get yourself in a place of peace. We reflect what we’re feeling on our kids and our families, and they tend to follow how we’re feeling. I think there is something to be said about intentionally planning for peacefulness around the times that tend to be tense and stressful.

8. create PHONE BOUNDARIES

Phone boundaries make for a peaceful home by fostering family time. I actually did a whole podcast episode a while back on phone settings for a present life. I would encourage you to look at how much you’re using your phone. It’s going to create stress if your kids feel like you’re always looking down at your phone.

You can have your phone settings set up so your phone will ring for phone calls but not make other sounds. You can a have set time and place where you check your text messages and Instagram.

Putting your phone in its place will create an atmosphere of peace because you’re focused on your family. You’re available to answer questions and talk to them about their days and be there without being distracted.


ARE YOU READY TO CLEAR THE CLUTTER AND FOCUS ON THE AREAS OF YOUR LIFE THAT BRING YOU JOY?

YOUR UNCLUTTERED HOME IS LITERALLY EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO BECOME A MINIMALIST MAMA WHO IS ABLE TO BE A LOT MORE PRESENT FOR WHAT MATTERS MOST.

Let’s do this!


Filed Under: intentional living, minimalism

It's okay to be overwhelmed, but don't stay there!

Trust me that the best place to start is your home.

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