Embracing Simplicity: 9 ideas to help simplify life at home

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In the past, I have been asked how you do it, followed by the meaning of getting it all done, keeping it all together, and living in a tidy home with less clutter.

I wish I had a magical wand that made everything look so easy.  But with hectic lives, we all live differently, especially as families.

We did this by slowing down intentionality. Slowing down means we can create systems and routines. 

We embraced routines instead of viewing them as a hindrance because we didn’t want every day to be a struggle.  It can be a big shift, but here are ideas on what can help and how it can help us.

Evaluate your schedules

Avoid over-scheduling by limiting extracurricular activities and commitments. 

We prioritize quality family time and individual downtime. 

The hardest part was letting go of the expectations that you must be everywhere, do everything, and be on the school’s PTA.

My husband and I will sit down on weekends and review the calendar.  Since I hold the schedule, it’s more of me saying here is what we have, and I usually have a list of what we want to go to. 

The next thing we do is ask the kids for their input. For example, we had eight birthday party invites in one month, and this was a bit much. We asked the kids to tell us which ones they wanted, compared the other family things, and let them choose.

It helps everyone get things they want and adds a balance of give and take.

If all you do is live in the car from place to place, come home, plop down your stuff, feel like you’re on a hamster wheel, and feel resentful, then you know you are not living intentionally to your personal goals.

We enjoy leaving space for spontaneous adventures and relaxation; it allows everyone to recharge and enjoy life at a slower pace.

This also has made a big impact on my home management. I can plan my cleaning days or reset the home instead of feeling like all we are doing is running in and out, dropping things off, and the dishes are piling up.  

Also, be ready to have people in your life who may not understand this.  

Declutter as a Family 

I may sound like a broken record, but I always say this: “Everything you own requires your time and energy.”

Make it a routine to Declutter regularly as a family. I created a monthly decluttering schedule to help us.

Encouraging the routine to declutter as things no longer served us as a family simplified our lives and freed up more time. 

Again, it was intentional to pause life so we could reset it. When the house is in order for our current lifestyle, we can keep up better with the fast pace. 

Create a mail-organizing bin

I created a hanging file folder system on our counter to tackle the daily mail. I dealt with the paperwork immediately and created a daily/weekly processing routine.

No piles or forgotten paperwork.

Create a reset routine

Keeping the house tidy means creating a daily pick-up routine. If you feel defeated with things everywhere at the end of the week, even just a five-minute reset-a-room routine can help keep the house from becoming a disaster. 

Inside my mini-course, I explain in full detail all the resets I do.

-kitchen reset

-whole house

-Night reset 

Unplug more

I won’t be pointing fingers here because I sometimes am a doom scroller. I recently set a ten-minute reminder on Facebook to remind me. Often, we say we don’t have time for the things on our to-do list—me included—but we have to walk that line of zoning out with a limited time so that we can focus on what we need to do. 

I even have a screen time reminder to monitor how much I am on social media. It was a bit surprising, but also, I have to account for the fact I run this business on social media, so my numbers may be screwed too.

But it does help put things into perspective.

Practice more minimalism

So, I use a minimalist approach to my kids’ wardrobe. I limit the number of clothes they own and do a systemized decluttering for our clothes.  

Twice a year, I do a massive purge, and then as I do laundry, I get rid of things as needed.

I don’t shop for clothes unless the kids are sizing up. 

I stopped buying gifts during our travels and took more pictures instead.

Lately, I have been buying fewer groceries to see if it helps reduce the pantry mess that tends to happen when it overflows.

Also, I only shop for certain bulk items to save on costs.

My husband and I don’t buy gifts for each other on Christmas or during the yearly holidays, such as Valentine’s Day.

Those are just a few things we do. 

Simplify your organization

Clutter happens daily in our homes, and the kids playing with their toys take over.

Sometimes, the biggest challenge is getting everyone to put things away regardless of what it is.

Therefore, simplifying the organization inside the house can work wonders.

Keep it simple for little ones to visually see; make it easy to reach and simple for adults.  

If it’s too hard to put an item away, it will get cluttered and frustrate me.

Give yourself grace for the season you are in

I talk a lot about having a baseline for your home because we need to give ourselves grace. We are trying to wear many hats, especially moms.  

I don’t care who you follow on social media; real-life messes happen, and no one’s home is perfect.  

Your baseline helps you center yourself and set the tone for focusing on what matters.  

But knowing that some days things won’t be perfect and giving yourself grace for those days simplifies the truth that ups and downs are a part of life.

Embracing simplicity as a family is a journey, not a destination. It requires mindfulness, intentionality, and a willingness to let go of what no longer serves you. I hope these easy steps help you create a more peaceful and fulfilling family life centered around what truly matters.