10 Tips for Getting Back to Intentional Homemaking

Are you feeling overwhelmed, frazzled and ready to get back to intentional homemaking? You are not alone!

Can I let you in on a little secret?

I’ve been kind of failing it on the homemaking front of late. And by failing I mean that I have hardly done any sort of cleaning, organizing, purging or monthly meal planning.

Basically I have been flying by the seat of my pants! I have yet to find a good routine and rhythm of life with three kids.

What I have been good at is shuffling around piles of clutter to make it look organized, surface cleaning (which isn’t really cleaning at all), basic home maintenance tasks like completing a load of laundry a day (but then pulling wrinkled clean clothes out of the basket because I fail to fold them in a timely fashion), preparing three square meals a day (but they aren’t as nutritionally sound as I would like and my freezer is starting to become depleted) and wiping down the bathroom toilets (but ONLY because I have a little ones who don’t always hit the mark).

I have definitely been living in survival mode since our third baby was born, but I gave myself grace to enjoy these last precious days of mothering a newborn. While I’m still cherishing those day, it’s time to pull myself out of a rut and get back into the business of intentional homemaking again.

Can I get an Amen from anyone else?

[clickToTweet tweet=”It’s time to get out of a rut and get back to the business of intentional homemaking again.” quote=”It’s time to get out of a rut and get back to the business of intentional homemaking again.”]

I’m ready to get my days back, to stop running round and round in circles, to feel a mild sense of accomplishment, to be more intentional with my time at home and to basically just get my house running in a more thoughtful way (which is code for cleaning, meal planning, cooking and getting laundry done in a timely fashion!) 😉 

My personality tends to go for an all or nothing approach which usually sets me up for failure because I bite off more than I can chew. Since I am still trying to work out a basic routine for running a home and keeping three children alive, it’s best to start with small, manageable and (most importantly) realistic goals.

Whether you are like me with young children or are in a different season of life, these 10 tips to getting back to intentional homemaking can work for anyone!

10 Tips for Getting Back to Intentional Homemaking

1. Pray Over Your Home

I feel like you can’t go wrong with prayer in any area of your life but so often we don’t think of praying over the one area where our family dwells. There is a lot of stuff that happens in our homes including the shaping and molding of the family.

Our homes provide a place of structure, security and love for the people who live there. Not only do we grow as a family but we also model basic life skills for our children such as faith, morality, cooking, cleaning and how to respectfully interact with others.

When we start with prayer, we are laying the foundation for intentional homemaking.

[clickToTweet tweet=”When we start with prayer, we are laying the foundation for intentional homemaking. ” quote=”When we start with prayer, we are laying the foundation for intentional homemaking.”]

Looking for a Place to Get Started with Prayer?

• Try these prayer prompts to help you pray over each room of your home

2. Get Dressed

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… taking the time to get dressed every day helps build not only a routine but also maximizes your productivity.

I’m not necessarily talking about dressing to the nines but a little effort to put on some clothes you love and make you feel great can really do a number to help increase productivity.

Need Some Inspiration to Get Dressed?

3. Seek Inspiration

Sometimes when you don’t know where to start and you feel completely overwhelmed with homemaking, it helps to seek out a little inspiration from a book, blog, magazine or friend. They usually provide wisdom and insight to help you find the motivation to get started.

However you have to be careful to not fall into the comparison trap!

Need Some Book Recommendations to Get Inspired?

• Check out this list of books to help you get ready for the New Year (which can happen anytime January through December!) 😉

4. Create a MIT List

MIT stands for Most Important Tasks. These are the things that HAVE to get done, not just the things that you would like to do but might not have the time. I usually limit my MIT list for no more than 3 or 4 things. This allows me to prioritize and create a realistic list of things to do each day.

[clickToTweet tweet=”Prioritize and create a realistic list of things to do each day ” quote=”Prioritize and create a realistic list of things to do each day.”]

MIT don’t just include homemaking tasks like chores but could also include events (such as appointments or phone calls) that need to get done as well.

Need a Form to Help Your Create Your MIT List?

• Check out this FREE daily docket printable
• You can also check out how I plan for my days using my MITs

5. Make a Plan to Get Organized

Are your recipes a mess making meal planning impossible? Are your closets stuffed and overflowing you are opening them at your own risk? Are you constantly buying new things only to realize you already had that item in your pantry when you came home? Are you missing important events because your forgot to plan?

All of those questions directly applies to things I have let slip because I haven’t been organized in any area of my life or home lately. I know I not only need to organize my house top to bottom, but I also need to create a better organizational system for my recipes, my calendar, school papers and closets.

But here’s the deal, if we simply say we want to get organized it can feel like such an overwhelming task that we quickly lose motivation to begin before we even get started.

Making a plan to get organized means we are setting goals of projects we want to accomplish or routines we need to put in place. Instead of just saying that you want to create a structured daily routine, it’s best to break it up into small mini-goals of creating a morning routine THEN creating an evening routine.

Resources to Help Your Set Goals and Create a Routine?

• In a meal planning rut? Check out the CHK Seasonal Meal Planner
• Creating a Routine That Works for You
• Creating a Daily Routine {plus a FREE Printable}

6. Understand How Much Time You Have

Poor time management is often something that gets in the way of intentional homemaking. I am forever guilty of starting a project and completely underestimating the time I have available to complete it. I also often make incredibly long to-do lists that aren’t even realistic, let alone practical (which is why I’m an advocate for focusing on MITs).

[clickToTweet tweet=”Poor time management is often something that gets in the way of intentional homemaking. ” quote=”Poor time management is often something that gets in the way of intentional homemaking. “]

While I don’t believe having structured time schedules is realistic for day to day living with little children, I’m forever grateful for the revolutionary idea by Amy Lynn Andrews to Tell Your Time. Creating a time schedule to break up your day can help bring a flexible structure to your home without creating too much stress.

Is Time Management a Struggle for Your Too?

• Learning to use your time wisely is crucial to intentional homemaking.

7. Clean Something Every Day

Let’s be honest… homemaking involves cleaning. If you are like me and are emotionally allergic to cleaning then you know how hard it is to find the motivation to get started on cleaning — especially if you have let some cleaning tasks fall through the cracks. (ahem)

I don’t like days where I have to clean my home from top to bottom in one sitting. I have found that when I break up my cleaning tasks to complete a little each day it helps to keep my home in order.

Resources to Help You Create a Cleaning Routine

• The Sanity Saving Way I Clean My House from Top to Botton in a Few Minutes Each Day {With 3 Little Ones Underfoot Too!}
• 10 Things I Do Every Day to Keep a Clean & Organized Home

8. Connect With Your Family

A home consists of the family living inside of it and all members should have some responsibilities when it comes to maintaining the home. My husband and I split the responsibilities around our home so no one has all the burden. I’m teaching my young children age appropriate chores and skills to allow them to help too.

[clickToTweet tweet=”If you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t feel that you have to carry the full burden yourself. ” quote=”If you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t feel that you have to carry the full burden yourself. “]

If you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t feel that you have to carry the full burden yourself. Communicate your needs to your husband and children (in a respectful manner) and create a plan to get everyone on board.

Looking for Ways to Connect with Your Family?

• The Weekly Meeting
• 5 Ways to Bless Your Husband
• 4 Reasons Why Family Traditions are Important

9. Use Your Calendar

Your calendar/planner is such an important tool. Outside of recording important dates, events and appointments, it can help you become a more intentional homemaker as well.

From meal planning, goal setting, cleaning, organizing or planning family outings, your planner will help lay the foundation for staying organized and on top of things.

Need a Resource to Set Up Your Planner?

• Incorporate these 4 tips to include in your planner
• Unsure of what type of planner is right for you? This post will help you pick the right one for you.

10. Seek Out a Mentor

Sometimes we just need the wisdom of someone older, wiser and who have gone before us. Mentors can be a great source of encouragement also filled with tips and tricks to managing your entire house.

They can be found in a variety of places from church, women’s groups, Bible studies or even online. Sometimes we might not even get a chance to meet them in person but the wisdom they share through their written words can be invaluable.

I don’t personally have a mentor but I have soaked up valuable information from many women. Some older than me and others who are in the same season. Sometimes social media can be a curse but other times it can be such a blessing to stay connected with others and connect us with tools and resources to help become more intentional homemakers.

What are your best tips for getting back into a more intentional approach to homemaking after you’ve been through a bit of a rut?