I help busy moms who feel buried by “too much stuff” and “not enough time” create calmer homes with simple, realistic steps. No guilt, no perfection - just doable progress that brings peace back into your day.
The best summer routine we ever started
|
Hi Reader, When my kids were little, summer afternoons had a rhythm of their own. I worked from home, and with five young kids, we always had a babysitter during the day. But every afternoon there was this awkward transition when the babysitter left, I still had work to finish, and dinner needed to get started. The kids had spent the day playing, swimming, running around outside, and making all kinds of summer memories. We all needed a little breathing room before launching into the evening. So we started a daily quiet time. Each child would head to their own spot in the house with a few simple activities. A book, a puzzle, coloring supplies, maybe a favorite quiet toy. Once in a while someone fell asleep during that time, though that wasn't really the point. The point was the reset. Looking back, one thing that stands out is how little they actually needed to stay occupied. The kids weren't pulling from overflowing toy bins or giant collections of activities. A few favorite items were usually enough. Which brings us to this week's 5 a Day Friday challenge. Today, find 5 items to remove from your child's quiet-time or activity area. Look for: The goal isn't to leave them with nothing to do. The goal is to make it easier for them to find the things they actually enjoy. Sometimes less stuff leads to more creativity. Here's to a calmer summer and fewer "Mom, I'm bored!" moments. Happy Decluttering, Nicole P.S. That quiet-time routine saved my sanity during those busy summer afternoons. If you're looking for ways to encourage more independent play this summer, check out my Kids' Summer Activity Station mood board for simple ideas you can implement this weekend. |
Nicole Rate
I help busy moms who feel buried by “too much stuff” and “not enough time” create calmer homes with simple, realistic steps. No guilt, no perfection - just doable progress that brings peace back into your day.
Hey Reader, We’re getting to that point in summer where you probably have a pretty good idea of which shoes you’ve actually worn all season. Those flip-flops you wore into the ground? The gardening shoes that are completely worn out? The sandals you bought but somehow never wear? They’re giving you some pretty useful information. And here’s another one: If you work from home, are there still shoes in the back of your closet that you used to wear to the office? Maybe you used to wear heels...
Hey Reader, Raise your hand if you still have a shelf, cabinet, or tote full of CDs and DVDs. 🙋♀️ Now let me ask you this… When was the last time you actually listened to a CD or watched a DVD? And by the way…do you even have something that still plays them? Before you start tossing everything, though, here’s the question I want you to ask yourself: Imagine all of your streaming services suddenly stopped working for a week... what DVDs would you actually pull out and watch? Those are the ones...
Happy Friday! When we think about decluttering, we usually picture closets, kitchens, or overflowing toy bins. But today we’re heading somewhere a little different… Let’s spend a few minutes with our plants and gardening supplies. By this point in the summer, you’ve probably figured out which plants are thriving…and which ones have been hanging on by a thread. Maybe you bought flowers you never planted, saved empty nursery pots “just in case,” or have a watering can that’s seen better days....