putting things in their "home" and doing the kitchen after each meal and before going to bed and making the bed in the morning - top 3 for us keeping our home "company" presentable.
My non-negotiable task is the kitchen. Dishes should be washed every night and all counters wiped down. Feels so great working in the morning with a clean kitchen.
Doing the dishes every day. Making your bed every day. It sets the mood for the rest of the day. Decluttering makes it so easy to keep things clean. Before I "emptied" out, it was like climbing a mountain every time I went to do a simple task, such as sweeping and washing a floor. There was just so much stuff to shift around. It feels so good to be able to just do the thing rather than wrestle with all our things. And so far, I don't miss any of it.
Absolutely! Great job ‘emptying out’ - I like that analogy! Ha! Looking back sometimes it’s hard for me to understand why I thought I needed to have all that stuff….just looking at pictures of it now gives me anxiety! ❤️
@ArrowHillCottage absolutely! I saw a picture of my kitchen from 20 years ago recently, and I almost died. I lived like that for years, not knowing how to fix it. Getting rid of things and especially not buying more, fixed it.🥰
Teatime on Tuesdays with you is my favorite! ❤️ I’ve been following all these for my whole life, and now being single and a minimalist in my apt, I reflect on the peace and consistency. My mom grew up on a farm in Europe with zero mod coms, and wow do I appreciate how easy we have it! Enjoy this freezing but gorgeous day ❤
Oh wow! Yes, so much we take for granted. Sometimes I think it would be very eye opening for us all to go back in time for just a week or so - to really put things into perspective! ❤️
My sister and I have a running joke, we call our appliances, our maids. The washer, dishwasher, etc. I love days when my maids, the crockpot and bread machine make soup and homemade bread for a cozy simple meal later in the day. I am freed up to get other tasks accomplished. Or maybe an afternoon reading? Thanks.
Good morning everyone ❄️❄️it’s snowing at my home in Arkansas and the cold temperatures aren’t fit for man nor beast! Minnesota is surely more used to it than Arkansas 😊 Last night the feels like temp was 8 degrees 🥶 Angela I’m right with you on your entire list 👏 I think my number one has instinctively become keeping my eyes open for clutter ever day! After all the massive decluttering I’ve done, I don’t want it sneaking back in. If things are decluttered and I can easily tidy up, the rest comes more easily. Thanks Angela! STAY WARM AND SAFE ❤
Your comment of “the effort involved is overwhelming!” resonates sooooo deeply! When I see what needs to be done around the house, I’ve already mentally rehearsed and completed in my mind, and because the body doesn’t know the difference between a mental rehearsal and a physical accomplishment, when I then need to do the task, the effort that it takes feels completely overwhelming because I’ve already ‘done it’ dozens of times, even though realistically and to the outside world, it still looks like the task needs to be done. That’s a great idea to pick a favourite chore and to get that accomplished, to boost your self confidence and cleanliness every day. I’m not sure what that is yet. I definitely agree with automating chores. That does help tremendously. Being able to delegate and to get help from the dishwasher makes getting that chore done exponentially easier than doing it by hand.
I hear you! It is amazing how our minds can convince us we’ve already done something. Those chores that come up again and again (like dishes) can be especially disheartening at times! But like I said, any thing that we are able to do is progress! ❤️
My #1 rule has become: Give grace. My spouse is constantly working on our home. Things get picked up, mostly, but sometimes things get left helter-skelter. I must give grace because the results are beautiful and make our home more comfortable. He works full-time so the de- and construction goes slowly. I also will fail to clean/tidy/put things back and must give myself grace because I'm only human. My spouse is also learning to give me grace because complaining doesn't work 😂 Thanks for sharing your rules 🎯💯
I love to clean the bathroom and the Kitchen, and I love to clean I did it for others for years, now at 84 I have slowed down and have a girl in once a month to help I can do some but not a lot.
Automation: My daughter got us a Roomba for Christmas. Oh wow! It is the most wonderful helper. We named him George , and George is set to go out and clean every other day or whenever needed. All I have to vacuum is the couches and the stairs !!! I love it !!!!
Your home reflects your love for it. One thing I saw on "wealth TV" years ago is how luxury hotels maintain that shiny clean look. One thing that housekeeping does is wax the surfaces; counter tops, glass shower doors, fixtures, mirrors, etc. Over time I have even waxed my baseboards, windows, wall art, etc. For the most part, dust and grime clings less to these treated surfaces, and it takes minimal effort to maintain. I didn't do it all at once, but section by section. And in case anyone is wondering, I just use a light car wax.
@@ArrowHillCottage I would say no. Probably just a good washing with soap & water or vinegar & water (which you would do anyway before painting) will strip the wax right off.
Taking things to their homes right away is a game changer. Keeping up with dishes, laundry and sweeping floors. Wipe up the bathroom daily. Kathy B The twice daily run through the house to get the dog from outside to upstairs is why I sweep daily.
Sometimes I think it’s just difficult to find the will to keep cleaning….yet AGAIN. Granted, we are having an unusually cold winter for down here lol (we even had snow that lingered on the ground for a whole week…super rare for GA). I lived in Chicago and Toledo for awhile but at that time I didn’t have this many cats and was a lot younger. 😅😅 Mostly Bcuz all the cats stay in and hibernate (and go potty and everything else) unlike in the summer when they go outside a lot more. Thank God tho. Yes. It is so much better since I greatly reduced the inventory to have to manage at home. Took advice from my aunt tho. Just try mostly to keep up with the “pile up” things the most often. Which is dishes, laundry, trash…and for me cat messes and boxes. Things that make a home feel more “wrecked” when they get behind. I think my main rule is to just push back on that procrastination mentality. Face what needs facing sooner rather than later. Although it really is a kind of ongoing thing where some days are better than others. But now yes. I am far kinder to myself than I used to be about when I get behind. And with active decluttering and minimalist principles, I don’t get as far behind and it doesn’t take as long to catch back up. And buying a house to work on and trying to move in the dead of winter prob wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done. 😅😅 When it comes right down to it tho, it’s usually just “keep the cats alive” as a bare minimum. Food and water for them has to be done every single day no matter what.
Yes! That procrastination can really make things pile up! It’s so funny too that when you do finally get to the chore or whatever you’ve been putting off, almost all the time the thought is “that wasn’t so bad…I wish I would have done that sooner!” Ha ha! Hope all of your house stuff is going well! ❤️
@ Lol. Thanks. Yea. For sure. Totally true. I had to call in reinforcements last time but at least it got me moving. Lol. It’s going ok. We’re plugging away slowly in the dead of winter. So cold here compared to the usual. 😂😂 Mentally tho it’s pretty taxing. Having to make so many design decisions. But I’m also looking to vastly improve “cat systems” and routines for the new place. It might be possible for them to have their own part time “tiny home” one fine day. Lmao. 🤣🤣
@ Omg. I think I would prob die. Ha ha. We got to like minus 3 wind chill and I was done for. 😅😅 Idk how the strays do it. Hopefully they holed up under someone’s house in the crawl space. Everyone (cats) is still accounted for so that’s good. Lol. At least it’s slowing the coons down lol.
Cleaning is so much faster and easier when the home is decluttered, especially the surfaces, so it was a good idea to mention that first. My main priority is resetting the kitchen every single day. Some days, that's just doing the dishes. Other days, there are a lot of areas that need to be cleaned in addition to the ever present dishes. I do a bedroom tidy early in the day and a living room tidy late in the day, after everyone goes to bed. Each weekday, I do a different cleaning task in the bathroom because cleaning the whole thing at once is overwhelming and too painful for me. Other than that, I try to pick 1 room each week to give some extra attention (similar to FlyLady) and do reactive/spot cleaning everywhere else. My washing machine takes approximately 45 minutes per load so I sometimes do the room cleaning or a decluttering project during that time. Then, I'll take a nice long rest while the laundry is drying for approximately an hour so I'm ready to go for the hardest part of folding and putting everything away.
I'm training to be a realtor. I'll be really busy in a few weeks. I'm decluttering like a maniac right now. Less to deal with makes life easier to deal with. Dishes are my biggest and most important chore. My husband is terrible about putting things away. Laundry is non negotiable. It must be kept up with. Minimalism has helped to reduce this task. I'm the dishwasher.
What is YOUR favorite CLEAN HOME rule?
@@ArrowHillCottage Number 6. It all comes so naturally with that one. 😊
putting things in their "home" and doing the kitchen after each meal and before going to bed and making the bed in the morning - top 3 for us keeping our home "company" presentable.
Great top 3! ❤️
My non-negotiable task is the kitchen. Dishes should be washed every night and all counters wiped down. Feels so great working in the morning with a clean kitchen.
Absolutely! I love walking into a clean kitchen too! Best feeling! ❤️
Doing the dishes every day. Making your bed every day. It sets the mood for the rest of the day.
Decluttering makes it so easy to keep things clean. Before I "emptied" out, it was like climbing a mountain every time I went to do a simple task, such as sweeping and washing a floor. There was just so much stuff to shift around.
It feels so good to be able to just do the thing rather than wrestle with all our things. And so far, I don't miss any of it.
Absolutely! Great job ‘emptying out’ - I like that analogy! Ha! Looking back sometimes it’s hard for me to understand why I thought I needed to have all that stuff….just looking at pictures of it now gives me anxiety! ❤️
@ArrowHillCottage absolutely! I saw a picture of my kitchen from 20 years ago recently, and I almost died. I lived like that for years, not knowing how to fix it. Getting rid of things and especially not buying more, fixed it.🥰
the quick reference "notes" at the end of the video was really helpful! thanks
Great! I always like seeing the bullet point list all together, personally. So I figured other people might like that too! ❤️
Everything having a spot/place is a huge "game changer"
For sure! ❤️
After seeimg your board games and medicine, i would LOVE to see an organized home tour!
I should plan to do that…maybe this spring! ❤️
"Make your home a reflection of yourself!"
That's beautiful!
I always love your insights and relatable examples.
Thank you so much
Thank you for watching! I’m happy you find value in the videos! ❤️
Teatime on Tuesdays with you is my favorite! ❤️ I’ve been following all these for my whole life, and now being single and a minimalist in my apt, I reflect on the peace and consistency. My mom grew up on a farm in Europe with zero mod coms, and wow do I appreciate how easy we have it! Enjoy this freezing but gorgeous day ❤
Oh wow! Yes, so much we take for granted. Sometimes I think it would be very eye opening for us all to go back in time for just a week or so - to really put things into perspective! ❤️
My sister and I have a running joke, we call our appliances, our maids. The washer, dishwasher, etc. I love days when my maids, the crockpot and bread machine make soup and homemade bread for a cozy simple meal later in the day. I am freed up to get other tasks accomplished. Or maybe an afternoon reading? Thanks.
Hey, Angela. 🤗I'm keeping my eyes on clutter. Plus I declutter as I go, especially the mail or package boxes, etc
Great job! ❤️
Good morning everyone ❄️❄️it’s snowing at my home in Arkansas and the cold temperatures aren’t fit for man nor beast! Minnesota is surely more used to it than Arkansas 😊 Last night the feels like temp was 8 degrees 🥶 Angela I’m right with you on your entire list 👏 I think my number one has instinctively become keeping my eyes open for clutter ever day! After all the massive decluttering I’ve done, I don’t want it sneaking back in. If things are decluttered and I can easily tidy up, the rest comes more easily. Thanks Angela! STAY WARM AND SAFE ❤
Oh yes! We are actually in a ‘polar vortex’ right now! Feels like temp is -50! School is running late so that busses can warm up! Ha! Stay warm! ❤️
Your comment of “the effort involved is overwhelming!” resonates sooooo deeply!
When I see what needs to be done around the house, I’ve already mentally rehearsed and completed in my mind, and because the body doesn’t know the difference between a mental rehearsal and a physical accomplishment, when I then need to do the task, the effort that it takes feels completely overwhelming because I’ve already ‘done it’ dozens of times, even though realistically and to the outside world, it still looks like the task needs to be done.
That’s a great idea to pick a favourite chore and to get that accomplished, to boost your self confidence and cleanliness every day. I’m not sure what that is yet.
I definitely agree with automating chores. That does help tremendously. Being able to delegate and to get help from the dishwasher makes getting that chore done exponentially easier than doing it by hand.
I hear you! It is amazing how our minds can convince us we’ve already done something. Those chores that come up again and again (like dishes) can be especially disheartening at times! But like I said, any thing that we are able to do is progress! ❤️
I love a clean kitchen table and a made bed!
Oh my goodness, it feels amazing!!! ❤️
Thanks for the encouragement in house cleaning. Diane in Denmark also has some great encouragement.
Thanks! I’ll have to check her out! ❤️
AKA Kenneth Bailey 🎉❤🎉 Just Love the way You communicate this priceless work You do for the whole world !😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊❤
Good morning! Thanks for watching! ❤️
My #1 rule has become: Give grace. My spouse is constantly working on our home. Things get picked up, mostly, but sometimes things get left helter-skelter. I must give grace because the results are beautiful and make our home more comfortable. He works full-time so the de- and construction goes slowly. I also will fail to clean/tidy/put things back and must give myself grace because I'm only human. My spouse is also learning to give me grace because complaining doesn't work 😂 Thanks for sharing your rules 🎯💯
Yes, absolutely! Grace is very important! ❤️
"Add beauty and then protect it", oh my goodness, that's a great perspective!
Thank you! It really does create a mindset shift! ❤️
I love to clean the bathroom and the Kitchen, and I love to clean I did it for others for years, now at 84 I have slowed down and have a girl in once a month to help I can do some but not a lot.
Great that you are able to do some things and have help with others. Nice balance! ❤️
Great video and I love u makeup 🙌🏻
Awe, thanks! ❤️
Automation: My daughter got us a Roomba for Christmas. Oh wow! It is the most wonderful helper. We named him George , and George is set to go out and clean every other day or whenever needed. All I have to vacuum is the couches and the stairs !!! I love it !!!!
That’s awesome! I love that you gave it a name! Ha ha! ❤️
Your home reflects your love for it. One thing I saw on "wealth TV" years ago is how luxury hotels maintain that shiny clean look. One thing that housekeeping does is wax the surfaces; counter tops, glass shower doors, fixtures, mirrors, etc. Over time I have even waxed my baseboards, windows, wall art, etc. For the most part, dust and grime clings less to these treated surfaces, and it takes minimal effort to maintain. I didn't do it all at once, but section by section. And in case anyone is wondering, I just use a light car wax.
Oh interesting! I’ve never heard of that! Does the wax create any problems if you want to paint over (baseboards for example)? ❤️
@@ArrowHillCottage I would say no. Probably just a good washing with soap & water or vinegar & water (which you would do anyway before painting) will strip the wax right off.
Love my self cleaning litter boxes
I’m sure I would too if I had cats! Now only if they could make a self cleaning toilet bowl! One that scrubs itself! Ha ha! ❤️
Taking things to their homes right away is a game changer.
Keeping up with dishes, laundry and sweeping floors.
Wipe up the bathroom daily.
Kathy B
The twice daily run through the house to get the dog from outside to upstairs is why I sweep daily.
All great things! Keeping up with chores is made much easier when there is less to deal with! ❤️
Sometimes I think it’s just difficult to find the will to keep cleaning….yet AGAIN. Granted, we are having an unusually cold winter for down here lol (we even had snow that lingered on the ground for a whole week…super rare for GA). I lived in Chicago and Toledo for awhile but at that time I didn’t have this many cats and was a lot younger. 😅😅 Mostly Bcuz all the cats stay in and hibernate (and go potty and everything else) unlike in the summer when they go outside a lot more.
Thank God tho. Yes. It is so much better since I greatly reduced the inventory to have to manage at home. Took advice from my aunt tho. Just try mostly to keep up with the “pile up” things the most often. Which is dishes, laundry, trash…and for me cat messes and boxes. Things that make a home feel more “wrecked” when they get behind.
I think my main rule is to just push back on that procrastination mentality. Face what needs facing sooner rather than later. Although it really is a kind of ongoing thing where some days are better than others. But now yes. I am far kinder to myself than I used to be about when I get behind. And with active decluttering and minimalist principles, I don’t get as far behind and it doesn’t take as long to catch back up.
And buying a house to work on and trying to move in the dead of winter prob wasn’t the smartest thing I’ve ever done. 😅😅
When it comes right down to it tho, it’s usually just “keep the cats alive” as a bare minimum. Food and water for them has to be done every single day no matter what.
Yes! That procrastination can really make things pile up! It’s so funny too that when you do finally get to the chore or whatever you’ve been putting off, almost all the time the thought is “that wasn’t so bad…I wish I would have done that sooner!” Ha ha! Hope all of your house stuff is going well! ❤️
@ Lol. Thanks. Yea. For sure. Totally true. I had to call in reinforcements last time but at least it got me moving. Lol.
It’s going ok. We’re plugging away slowly in the dead of winter. So cold here compared to the usual. 😂😂
Mentally tho it’s pretty taxing. Having to make so many design decisions. But I’m also looking to vastly improve “cat systems” and routines for the new place. It might be possible for them to have their own part time “tiny home” one fine day. Lmao. 🤣🤣
Oh wow, that would be really cool! Speaking of cold though….it was -50 windchill here earlier this week. Complete madness! 🥶
@ Omg. I think I would prob die. Ha ha. We got to like minus 3 wind chill and I was done for. 😅😅 Idk how the strays do it. Hopefully they holed up under someone’s house in the crawl space. Everyone (cats) is still accounted for so that’s good. Lol. At least it’s slowing the coons down lol.
Cleaning is so much faster and easier when the home is decluttered, especially the surfaces, so it was a good idea to mention that first. My main priority is resetting the kitchen every single day. Some days, that's just doing the dishes. Other days, there are a lot of areas that need to be cleaned in addition to the ever present dishes. I do a bedroom tidy early in the day and a living room tidy late in the day, after everyone goes to bed. Each weekday, I do a different cleaning task in the bathroom because cleaning the whole thing at once is overwhelming and too painful for me. Other than that, I try to pick 1 room each week to give some extra attention (similar to FlyLady) and do reactive/spot cleaning everywhere else. My washing machine takes approximately 45 minutes per load so I sometimes do the room cleaning or a decluttering project during that time. Then, I'll take a nice long rest while the laundry is drying for approximately an hour so I'm ready to go for the hardest part of folding and putting everything away.
That sounds like a wonderful system for cleaning! Great job! ❤️
❤
I'm training to be a realtor. I'll be really busy in a few weeks. I'm decluttering like a maniac right now. Less to deal with makes life easier to deal with. Dishes are my biggest and most important chore. My husband is terrible about putting things away. Laundry is non negotiable. It must be kept up with. Minimalism has helped to reduce this task. I'm the dishwasher.
You’re totally right! Life is so much easier when there is less to deal with! Best wishes on your realtor training! ❤️
My rules: No dishes in the sink, clean toilet bowl and continuous decluttering.
Do you clean your toilet every day? That’s my least favorite chore….do you have a secret to making it easier to do? ❤️
@ Almost! But no secret, sadly!
Ha ha! If they came out with an automated self cleaning toilet I would be the first in line to buy one! Ha ha ❤️
Right now robotic is the only way I’m getting what things cleaned clean. I have to push and make myself do the have-to stuff
Thank goodness for the modern conveniences!!! ❤️
@@ArrowHillCottage i guess altho i dont have a dishwasher
Do they still make portable dishwashers? Maybe that could be an option?