My leg got crippled when my third kid was a month old. When my leg was amputated, I still had to make sure the house didn't implode and kids didn't starve. It was rough. Weirdly, being desperate helped me realize what I needed to do to get my house to a point that I could manage it, even in a wheelchair. Your video today reminded me of what I went through. If you'd like to collab on a video, maybe what I came up with as a desperate uni-legger mama might help you and your viewers. I'm on Instagram, if you'd like to go for it.
Dawn the minimal mom always says, if your house is so out of control that you can't get it back in shape in a few minutes a day, you need to declutter more
Ok Ariel, I’m with you. I retired 6 months ago, and I’m starting my one year, room a month, health and home plan as of March 1 (yesterday). Great minds think alike!! My plan includes daily 15 min decluttering, meal planning, daily exercise, and a cleaning routine. Let’s do it together 😊. Your Tidy Tango is brilliant and I’ve been using it. So helpful.
Dawn from The Minimal Mom always talks about how all of our stuff is inventory that we have to manage. The less inventory that we have, the easier it is to manage, taking less time when we clean and the more time we have for more important things like family and self care.
Show yourself some grace! Mothers tend to spend more engaged time with their children than in previous generations. We also have way more stuff, which makes maintenance more onerous. Most of us also don't have that village to help us.
Mara: you are so right! Parents of my generation said, “Go outside and play” .. my husband’s parents said, “Be home by the time the streetlights come on”. Hours and hours of children outside/gone. I never did this. If my kids were outside, so was I.
@@annierae6355generally speaking no. Of course all house holds are different however most in the past for kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s you were in school 30 to 35 hours a week while ur parents are working then you all come home do homework kids go outside to play then dinner showers and bed. There was not a lot of personal interaction between children and parents.
It's good for kids to have unsupervised play. I grew up playing outside with my siblings all afternoon. My mom taught us in the morning and then we were free and played outside! It was awesome. And my mom was very engaged with us, but she also let us alone. She needed alone time too.
I'm turning 40 in 15 months. I've dedicated those months to rebuilding the strength that I lost over the course of my pregnancies. I want to go into my forties with a more resilient body. It won't be my "pre-baby" body, but I want a body that feels good to live in for decades to come.
I turn 40 in ten months and this is my year to restore my health and fitness as well!! I have 6 kids and my youngest is 5 (but he is autistic and nursed until he was 4 years old!!) so I feel like I am getting myself back a little and I am ready to take care of me!
Ladies, I suggest yoga and walking. Yoga really does give you a supple body. Three specialists told my husband that walking 30-45 minutes a day at least 5 days a week is the healthiest, life long exercise there is. I’ve never had 3 doctors agree on anything until this. Plus you get to be outside, see beautiful things, get the Vit D boost, meet neighbors. I work with my body as an industrial athlete. I’m fifty and have less pain than coworkers in their 30s. You have so much power in your bodies. I hope you enjoy the process of discovering it again. 💚💚💚
Hi, Ariel! Your Tidy Tango video changed my life!! Consistency is everything. I modified the Tango slightly, and it works for me perfectly. I'm not a young pup, but I've proved that we old dogs can learn a few tricks from the young pups of this world! Thanks for the videos. I really enjoy them all!
My mom had 4 kids and a practically perfect home. But she was angry all the time, mean, abusive, and didn't spend positive time with us. I have 2 kids and an untidy, (not filthy) home, but my kids love me and they're not scared of me. I think there are trade-offs. When you're a mother of small children who need your time and attention and positive experiences, you don't have time to keep a perfect home and you really shouldn't stress about it. You'll have plenty of time when they're older. If you want a perfect home all the time, your relationship with your kids will suffer. That is my experience.
I think we just need to have a middle ground, not a perfect home but one that isn't cluttered and gives us anxiety. My main goal is to not be embarrassed when my kids want play date, just to have ppl over and my house is lived in but generally clean. Last few week I had a lot on, focusing more on being with kids doing fun stuff and cleaning had slipped and man I was feeling awful. 2 nights ago I spent some time cleaning the piles of clutter in living area, kitchen bench etc and I felt much lighter.
My mom always wanted a perfect home cut but usually in terms of just making sure we lived in a big nice home and had enough money for everything. She always came home from working two full-time jobs as a nurse… Very cranky and angry and always needing sleep, always snapping at us. She didn’t have the patience for my brother who was not the best student and called him some names that he never got over. After that, the fact that my parents are African from a certain generation and their idea of discipline would be considered very abusive by most. Anyway, I concur with what you’re saying about trying to have the perfect home can lead to other things being sacrificed as a parent. When you give too much of yourself in One Direction, you lose yourself in another direction. That’s why some people work their hardest at work and don’t have time for kids. You always hear of children of celebrities , who became so famous and legendary, but they were not the best parents and didn’t raise their children as much as they could’ve. If you can find a balance, try your best to do it. Otherwise, you have to make a choice. Perfect home and perfect life? Or a loving home when you did the best you could for your kids?
Personally, I'd have the kids help you even at their age. They can start dishes at 5. Maybe just rinsing but it's learning. I started around that age. My kids admittedly were older around 8 but it teaches them to help and that makes less on you 😁 my son was 8 or 9 when he learned how to wash his clothes. It took more off my shoulders and made my laundry room less messy😁❤
That is so wild!! I really felt fed up with my home too. When I sought the Lord, He led me to a podcast about a woman who had a “staging room” in her house. She then took one room a month and removed EVERY THING from that room into her staging room. She then put back ONLY the items she loved and wanted/needed and at the end of the month, if it was still in the staging room, it went to Goodwill. I did this last month with my laundry room (which doubles as our pantry) and our garage entryway. It was the smallest area in the house. And you know what, IT WENT GREAT!! I threw away so much trash, donated so many outgrown or no longer wanted winter gear, and can actually SEE what I have in my pantry (now all organized so we can use what we have). I cannot WAIT to get started on the other rooms! (And I gave myself 2 months to clean the garage because that relies on my husband for some MAJOR help). ❤❤❤ thanks as always for your videos. They really encourage and inspire me.
Girlfriend, you are not alone! As a mother of one (with ADHD and ODD), a sweet 8-month old puppy and a full-time corporate job that requires travel...I have let myself go and my home is never 100% straight or clean. I have to remind myself my life is not like my mom's was. I do not have a husband, I have to work. I make freezer meals on the weekends, Doordarsh and order groceries. It's hard. Do what you can a delegate the rest or hire help for some things. I'm working on adjusting my budget to have someone come in biweekly to deep clean my home and free up time for self-care.
This is very exciting to me! Our plan had been to relicate from California to Indiana in the spring of 2025 but (long story short) we are now going at the end of May... YHIS YEAR!! We are in a house that's been in the family for 45 years, so it holds three generations worth of (a-hem) STUFF. 😲🤦😬 ... yeah, pretty scary, but there's no time for anything less than speedy decisions and a massive declutter, because I'm NOT expending all that energy - I'm 65 - to move crap more than half way across the country to just throw it away out there. The 40 yard roll-off dumpster got here yesterday just before dark. Girl, I'm SERIOUS!! I see HUGE success coming your way because instead of agreeing with yourself that - for instance - you need to start exercising again - you have completed that thought with "... AND I'm gonna get up early each morning to do it"! You've outlined what each thing is going to look like. Ariel, you GOT this! And you got a lot of us cheering for you!! Hugs from the southern California desert (at least for a few more months), MK 🤗❤️🌵❤️🤗
You’re so right about not relying on our motivation. Some days I get so much done, other days I struggle to do anything. My good days more than make up for the bad. Then I don’t feel so badly about myself.
I love all the tips you gave! I especially liked how you plan to teach your 6 year old how to be more independent. I dont have it all figured out in this area, but the other day i was trying to run out the door to go get groceires and had to make sure the backpack was packed with sippy cups and snacks, and also needed to throw in a load of laundry. So i told my almost 3 year old to pack the backpack, and my 5 year old to get a load of laundry together for me. We have been working on these tasks for a while now, and i still have to go behind them and make sure they've done the job right, but the delegation really did help my morning go easier. Kids are capable of helping so much more than we think, and i know my girls love being "mama's big helper." ❤️
Ariel I hate hearing this, but I feel I must say it….🤣 You should cute down on your sugar!! I am a fellow sugar addict just like you, and I realized I was sooo addicted that I was having all kinds of physical symptoms that sucked. Then I just cut down, I didn’t even cut it out, and lots more energy, better mood etc. I just don’t buy sweets for my home, but still eat them out, at a church potluck, on holidays, if we have people over for dinner etc. It’s freeing! It really does make my body feel so much better! Also if your son is 6 I bet he will take to learning tidying really quickly. My daughter is 5 and makes her bed. It doesn’t always look great but it’s done 🤷♀️ 🙂
If you have a dishwasher load as you go. Kids can do that. I did my Great Declutter Purge of 2018 and it helped a lot but I ended up doing a second year also because I got better at it. Consistent is my word this year!!
I love your channel, I’m also an awkward mom. My house has been a wreck since my first kid 22 years ago and now I’m transitioning from an older mom with a 7 year old. My house has never recouped from parenting. I love your videos, I keep promising that I’m going to start your cleaning challenges that you have mentioned but then…I get way too busy. I love that you make me feel normal although I’m truly not but you also make me feel happy and also motivated that I too can be an awkward mom with at least a half way clean house and that for me is a huge accomplishment. I’m a perfectionist so I feel that I’m either %100 in or %100 out and you help me feel at ease to know that good enough is good enough and there’s no need for perfection. Thank you, honestly your videos mean so much!
Ariel, I am old enough to be your mom and I remember being in the space you described so well in this video today. I finally discovered FlyLady and that was my start to recovery. Climb that mountain of teaching your kiddos. It won't be easy, but the view is amazing! So proud of you and the work you are doing! And after years of the 5 fly zones no working for me, I absolutely affirm having a focus room as your zone for the month! That has worked so well for me. And the habits you will gain this year will serve you through several life circumstance changes ahead of you. Blessings.
Thank you for this video! The thing that’s helped me the most is having “contingency plans”. It’s like, what does getting the dishes done on a low to no-spoons day look like. What does exercise when I severely don’t want to look like so I can still get it done It goes back to the tiny habits method. You anchor your new habit onto an old one and do just a little bit. Like floss your two front teeth when you brush your teeth. And call that done. Soon you’ll floss more. You just need to plant the seed of the habit. And that’s been working for me so well. That doing one dish is better than 0. That just getting the broom out for 5 minutes is better than waiting until you have the energy to do the entire floor. I really needed the reminder that consistent exercise builds energy. I will work on that next. I have poor mobility so I will start with doing it in a chair and see how far that gets me. Thanks Ariel!
Oh and waking up before my kids was one of the hardest habits to establish. You have to go to bed a lot earlier. But it’s been game-changing for my mood
Ariel, you are on the right path. We raised 4 children and if I could go back and do it again, I would reduce the inventory in our home by 50%! I realize now, just how much easier things could have been for me, and I would have had more time with my children. Decluttering 15 min. a day is very doable. Our kids first chore was 3 yr. old. They had to empty the bath trash and put a new bag in it. They were so proud to be included. You've got this! Happy 2024!
I've always seen teaching my kids to do chores as an investment. Yes, it takes time up front. But the time it gives back in the long run is immeasurable! I'm already seeing this with my 7 and 5 year olds. They are so capable and helpful!
I gotta say, in my household with 3 going on 4 young children, I remember the early days of being hopelessly overwhelmed. But I can bear witness that if you keep trying and troubleshooting it does get better! Some of it is like I just had to wait for the internal resistance to flip a switch, and now I don't find myself having as hard a time starting a load of laundry or just starting in on dishes. There's some acceptance that just took time to settle in. The other is paring down till things got easy for me/the kids to quickly pick up after ourselves. Which has made making a home for things and putting systems in place easier. (My kids are little so I tell them if it takes more than 5-10 minutes to do the end of day toy clean up then we need to stash some in the basement to be swapped into rotation later). Another thing that's helped is writing in detail my "silent to do list" (repair windshield chip, gluing some broken furniture...) then getting one or two checked off each day.
I love Dana K White, video on containers and how we should only have what our container can hold. It was so good it seemed so simple and yet we ignore it so much lol.
I love the idea of exercise in the morning and a 15 minute declutter a day for a month in each room. I’m fed up of waiting for the motivation too. Thanks for this wonderful and do-able task. Will you be taking us on this journey? Maybe an update every week or two? Wishing you every success and knowing you will achieve it too. Thanks for keeping it real. Mary, Joes wife 🙇♀️👏💪👍🙏💐🐈⬛
I agree with the previous comments your videos are so relatable! I like how you include fun (dance) and exercise into your routine like with the tidy tango! I agree need to focus more on consistency. Laura Vanderkam in her book Tranquility by Tuesday mentioned three times a week habits, so you can start small and focus on doing the habit often not daily. Also Mariane Cresp video called a game changer habit trackers on her channel, she mentioned doing certain tasks at certain times of the day that works with your energy level. I also liking how in Diane in Denmark Friday videos she giving you four self-care assignments that you can do throughout the week.
I’m excited to watch your journey! I’m not sure if it was Dana or Cass who gave me permission to run the dishwasher twice, but this has been a game changer for me. I do one run after breakfast or lunch depending on the day, then one after dinner. The beauty of this is that I can use the quick wash mode on my dishwasher because stuff is not stuck on. A smaller load is also not as annoying to unload. Then I use my dish drainer to let all the plastic dry. I now love unloading the clean dishes after the dinner load so I don’t have to do it first thing in the morning.
You are a lot smarter and wiser than I was at your age. Or even when I was sixty. It took to seventy, but thanks for helping me get there and finally taking care of myself and getting a more organized, cleaner home. God bless (:
Me too! In 2020 I had surgery that made it so I couldn’t walk for 8 weeks. My husband had to wake up real fast and learn how to do everything. Ever since he’s been responsible for the bathrooms, half the laundry, half the dishes and cooking some of our meals. I honestly can’t believe we were together for 11 years prior to that without that being normal 😬
I am on the same journey right now. I started last September, downsizing my whole house and getting rid of so much. It is the most freeing thing I have done in a long time. You will not regret it! Plus, I am with you on the whole working out/getting moving thing. I used to work out 5 times a week until I got a desk job and since then, I sit. A lot. And it is making me tired.
I think this is a very relatable topic Ariel. Cheering you on (and perhaps even doing similarly) from Australia. Be kind and gentle with yourself as you make these changes too.
Ariel, I love your idea of decluttering one room a month! Genius!!! I followed Flylady's 15-minutes decluttering on and off over the past few years (mostly off I'll admit!) but I never felt like I made much progress because I didn't have any focus! I'd do 15 minutes here and there but it didn't seem to make much of a dent in the stuff. So, one room a month (I was shocked to realise I have 11 rooms in my house (storage basement included). I'll dedicate two days per month to runs to the donation or recycling centre instead of decluttering. Pretty sure some rooms will take more than a month (here's looking at you, Stuff Room!) but I'll get it done! I thereby declare March my kitchen month! 😊👍
This video has my name written all over it!!!!!! This resonated with me big time. If I could follow your same plan this year, it would make such a huge difference in my life and my home. Thanks for this video!!!! ❤
Just wanted to thank you again for this video. It is exactly what I needed to hear adn realize about the motivation vs consistency and discipline. For the last 4 days I've watched your video first thing everyday to help get my mind and intentions set and I have been productive and consistent with what I want my days/routines to look like and it feels so good when for so long it's felt worthless. Thank you again. See you tomorrow morning!
I'm totally feeling this video this week. I have covid right now and there's a total of 4 adults in this home and the house starts falling apart when I'm sick because everyone is so used to me doing everything. So it made me realize I need to do better with delegating!
Omg I feel you 100%! Two minutes in and its exactly true. Living the dream and still feeling stressed cause its all too much. And one year from now, back at work, there'll be even less time to get anything done 😭
Ariel, your videos have really helped change my attitude and given me motivation and hope over the years. I am a working Mom of three (2 teenagers) and its so nice to hear that others feel the same. BTW, many things get easier when they get a little older and you will have some more 'Me" time as they get more self-sufficient. Thank you being so real and such a down-to-earth person! I have been delegating more chores to the family and trying to give myself some slack when things aren't getting done exactly how they should be : )
Your plan is actually pretty perfect for what I need to do. I think I'll write these down and try to be consistent. Now to go to bed so that I can get up early. 😢 That's the hardest thing for me.
Yes! I read a book called “You can change if you’re willing to do it from the inside out “. You start with your heart, then the mind, then your body then your home, then…the universe! Nyahsha! (Villain laugh)😆 😂😅
Oh myyyy Ariel; where has your channel been? This hippy chick is so happy having clicked. I can do resonate to many of your life experiences. Love how the real life dialogue we think you are can say it. Plz keep those positive vibes flowing. ✌️💜✌️
I really see a lot of me in you! We even have some of the same expressions and sense of humor (I showed one of your videos to my boyfriend and I think it actually creeped him out a little). I really see you as me in the next few years. My boyfriend and I are hoping to get married in a year or two as soon as we graduate college and get our finances in order. I am really trying to get to the bottom of my messiness before I get married because we really want to have a family and I want to be able to take care of myself and whatever children I might have (and not feel like I'm living in a pigsty, lol). You have really been an inspiration to me! Just know that even if your home isn't perfect, the fact that you share so much about how you are trying is such an inspiration! We believe in you!
One step at a time. It is just my husband & I at home, trust me I struggle with keeping our home spotless. I have learned to show myself some Grace and be happy with our home. I have had 2 back surgeries so I have to pace myself.
Perfect plan! It seems that all that you learned over the years by trying out differents routines now all condensed in a new plan that seems really doable and sustainable. P.S. I once found a plan for weekly chores to put on the fridge or somewhere else, you know, and along with the printables came a little booklet which listed which household tasks your kids can do matching their ages. And this list started at the age of 1. I was suprised and then thought about it and remember how I always was assigned little tasks around the house as long as I remember and I only profited of it :) better learn it early on!
You are so smart! Like you I began teaching my kids how to participate in doing chores when they were 5 by putting their folded laundry on their bed and making little stacks of whatever went into a drawer. Stack of pants, stack of shirts, a stack of socks, etc, that they could easily put away, then, built on that foundation. They could dust as well as me because the used the up and down then side to side method ensuring less spots were missed. They crawled around dusting baseboards. By age 9 they could clean the whole house. By age 10 they could put a hot meal on the table. You are doing every member of your home a huge favor by engaging everyone in 2024. Also, to encourage and strengthen your resolve, let me say; do not falter on having your husband pitch in. He's 100% capable of (for example) washing dishes every single night and putting away what's clean after he dries the dishes he washes. In doing this, 30 years later, you will not have an entitled 50+ year old man waiting on you to wait on him. If you don't mind me saying this, pick up toys before nap time so it's done before the baby lays down. It makes a huge difference in how you will feel even if they drag everything back out later. Hugs and good luck!
I hear ya sister! I feel like I am in exactly the same place. I am really looking forward to watching your journey...and hopefully increasing my game too in the process 😀
So much wisdom in a short video. I watched when i was supposed to be starting my excercise video. I know my problem is consistency and it is true for everything. When i am disciplined with exercise or fly lady cleaning routines things do go better. Here to getting back on track with you. Cue the tango music from True Lies.
I love this, so much! All of your points, while maybe I'm not looking forward to so much (here's looking at you waking up early and exercising consistently 😏🙃), I completely agree with! I just had a baby 5 days ago, so we'll see how much progress I make with these things this year 😅, but this video is *actually* motivating to me to prioritize these things as much as I can! 🥰 (as a side note, I don't understand why designating tasks to other capable members of the household seems to be something a lot of people, moms especially, look down on 🤔🤷🏼♀️)
Consistency. I have consistently been doing the Tidy Tango every week now. My house looks and feels so much better. Also been exercising. Building strength. Also must confess ... I don't always stop after the mopping ... the Tidy Tango is like a kick start and I find myself tidying other areas of my house.😊
This is all SO good and excellent strategies! I wish I’d had this when I was at this same stage, it would have saved me a lot of time and effort figuring things out. 😅 I have to add-heartily, eagerly, loudly recommend Dana K. White’s decluttering method! It took me like two years to fully grasp the power of her method, because I had been decluttering for years and thought I had a handle on it…but I also still had Keep boxes of shame stashed in corners, and random piles, and things I needed getting lost. So clearly I was not a master. 😆 Dana’s method removes the emotion from the decision making process, eliminates decluttering piles, makes progressive decluttering possible even if you only have five minutes to snatch here and there, and creates innate motivation. Watch her UA-cam videos and decluttering Q&As, listen to her podcast, read her decluttering book-whatever it is that gets the process into your brain and activity. It’ll only be positive!
I have three children. A toddler almost two years old, and 7 month twins, and my 1,000 sq/ft home is almost always clean. Hello minimalism! I asked myself “ is this worth stuff shuffling?” And I got rid of so much! Now I don’t have to spend more than 10 mins tidying before I clean. Generally my partner empties the dishwasher in the morning. I make everyone food, a smoothie, and eat. Then I clean my kitchen, pick up toys, sweep/mop the house, and then settle into the bedroom to watch tv and nurse before nap time. I have an hour of downtime and then get up and make food and do a load of laundry! It’s a never ending cycle, especially with all the diapers and little messes along the day, but my day is rarely stressful and I don’t feel overwhelmed with chores. Yesterday I got rid of another diaper box worth if stuff, even though I didn’t think I had anything left to donate. The more I get rid of, the happier I am. If I I keep telling myself “ if I don’t own it, it can’t make a mess”
I am a huge fan of your tidy tango when my home needed a reset but getting a awkward mum cleaning system sounds exiting...i tried to ceep up with flylady but it never stays for a long time because its so detailed...if you get a new start ill be with you ariel...from the other side of the world but awkwards are everywere...muaharharhar
Okay, I'm with ya, sister! I have a 2 year old, and I'm tired of feeling overwhelmed by my home everyday. I'm tired of feeling like I clean CONSTANTLY and make no progress.
Please go easy on yourself!❤ The most important “vocation” in your life right now is being a good wife/partner and an excellent mom and from what I see, you are doing excellent. Don’t compare yourself to what others show on their social media pages. I’m no expert on social media because I am just a grandma, but after being a mom for 52 years and a daycare Granny since 2004, I know that no house is spotless if kids are happy😊 I remember a poster from my young mom days that read in part “settle down cobwebs, dust go to sleep, I’m rocking my baby, and babies don’t keep”. Or something like that, this was from 1972,😂 Just keep doing the best you can and your marriage will last and your kids will be fine. That’s all that matters. Times will change and life will get less hectic , I promise.
Go you! When I was pregnant with my 4th baby, I put myself on partial bed rest. 15 minutes up and 15 minutes down. My house was so clean back then! The Rests really helped. I could plan during the Rests.
I think you're really smart to give yourself a year to get this done. I've been doing a major declutter these past few days, and I'm exhausted. I know better, but it's hard for me not to try to do everything at once.
3 kids, it's an endless battle. I get it.. I feel like we just have to accept the mess.. I really want to get on top of it too! I hope to do some meal planning and freezer meals. I can live in a mess, but the guilt of not eating properly is the worst.
Thanks for sharing! Yes, we can’t rely on motivation but routines & delegation definitely helps! I do enjoy waking up early to read the Bible & exercise. I need to do the tidy tango again
I just went minimal. I never have dishes build up. Each person only has 1 plate, dessert cup, cereal and soup bowl. I own 6 pots, 5 mixing bowls. We only own 10 daily outfits each and 2 formal outfits, 5 pairs of shoes. Everything we own is very good quality but we own very little of it. Got rid of so much stuff that I got rid of the furniture that used to hold it. Can clean the whole house so quick everyday. Clean surfaces are the best decoration
When kids are little the home just can't stay perfect. It CAN be a happy, decently put together place. But not perfectly clean. My kids are now 17, 12 and 10. We live in a house with a fence a yard and a dog. My little boys go to the local public school and take a bus in the morning! (It's amazing!!) My oldest drives himself to school! But there was a time when I was ALWAYS striving for sanity. A new baby, a toddler and a young elementary... It was hard! I shouted, I felt bad, the house was a mess a lot of the time... I felt like a failure.... What I realize now is that it's OKAY to be in that phase for a time. Not to live in complete chaos but to give yourself space to have some piles of laundry or go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink (because I can handle it better in the morning and get the rest I need at night). Time FLIES! Pretty soon your kiddos will be in what I call the "golden years". Where they can help out, keep their rooms picked up, have activities that take them outside or to school or church activities. You won't always feel overwhelmed and tired. One of my tricks nowadays is to have ONE room that is always clean! It's our formal dining room and if someone stops by unexpectedly or I just need a quiet peaceful spot I can go in there to have a cup of tea. I host the ladies in our bible study every other week and that is where we sit. If there is a pile of laundry on the couch that needs to be folded (and it will get folded) then I don't worry about it being there. It's magical...😅 You're doing great! Your videos are so inspiring and positive and I'm sure you have plenty of grace for yourself. Just remember that a messy house doesn't make you less worthy and a clean house doesn't make you more worthy! ❤❤❤
I give my 5 year old 50 cents for putting his clothes away twice a week and it has been great for both of us. It helped to print out photos on the bins in his closet to show him where to put things.
When my oldest started putting his own clothes away, he just sorted them and put them in the drawers and we didn’t stress the folding. It was more important for me to completely offload the task 😂 that was when he was six, he’s now ten and now folds his clothes. We don’t call them chores, we call them household contributions, and everyone is expected to contribute to the household ♥️
I can't believe Ariel even you telling me I have to excercise??? Hahahaha just kidding, you are right, I still put it in the bottom of the list but will also put it on the begining, I just started excercising again too and it feels good to be able to mop the house without becomming exhausted. Go girl!! And thankyou for your videos, keep up the good work. God bless you and your beautiful family.
I just had the one baby and I loved keeping my home clean and tidy, that was 21 years ago, now she’s an adult and there is three of us adults in a smaller house it’s so hard to keep on top of things. It’s harder now than when she was a baby. If I had babies as cute as yours I’d enjoy them and not stress too much, easier said then done, I know. Once they are at school hopefully it will be easier
When my kids were younger, we had a tiny table and chairs for activities, games, and crafts. Dining/kitchen table for eating meals only. I never allowed children to eat in other home areas. Snacks in the car were put into little reach in containers with a plastic separated so they could reach in, but cheerios, etc. didn't fall out. It's one of my go-to shower gifts for new moms.
What a motivating video 😊 always looking forward to a video of you ❤ also learnd a lot of self care from Diane from Denmark 😊 little steps can make a huge difference ❤
Sounds like you need to read Mystie Winckler's book (or listen to the audiobook). She tackles organization almost completely through motivation. It's really good.
Another thing to remember is that your kids won't always be little. They're taking up A LOT of your time right now because they're so young. As they get older, you'll have more time (because they'll be in school), and they'll be more independent (so you can delegate to them more cleaning tasks). Pretty much everyone I know with toddlers has a messy house, or uses a cleaning service, or both! It's really, REALLY hard to keep a clean home with little kids. You're doing great, mom!
I will do this will you! I need to do all of the above! I feel the exact same way in all the ways! Thank you for this video! I needed the reminder! Let’s JUST DO IT! 💪🏼 Your content is great you are one of my top 5 favs! Keep up the awesome work! ❤
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Love this! Can you take shots of your before as and afters?
My leg got crippled when my third kid was a month old. When my leg was amputated, I still had to make sure the house didn't implode and kids didn't starve. It was rough. Weirdly, being desperate helped me realize what I needed to do to get my house to a point that I could manage it, even in a wheelchair. Your video today reminded me of what I went through. If you'd like to collab on a video, maybe what I came up with as a desperate uni-legger mama might help you and your viewers. I'm on Instagram, if you'd like to go for it.
Thank you!
Thank you so much. Hug from Katja 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤
Dawn the minimal mom always says, if your house is so out of control that you can't get it back in shape in a few minutes a day, you need to declutter more
This is so true too! ❤️
This has absolutely been my experience too. Declutter, declutter, declutter. Less "stuff" is life changing
Ok Ariel, I’m with you. I retired 6 months ago, and I’m starting my one year, room a month, health and home plan as of March 1 (yesterday). Great minds think alike!! My plan includes daily 15 min decluttering, meal planning, daily exercise, and a cleaning routine. Let’s do it together 😊.
Your Tidy Tango is brilliant and I’ve been using it. So helpful.
Same!! Ariel's tidy tango has been life changing for me! 💃💪🪄
Dawn from The Minimal Mom always talks about how all of our stuff is inventory that we have to manage. The less inventory that we have, the easier it is to manage, taking less time when we clean and the more time we have for more important things like family and self care.
Show yourself some grace! Mothers tend to spend more engaged time with their children than in previous generations. We also have way more stuff, which makes maintenance more onerous. Most of us also don't have that village to help us.
I’m sorry, but previous generations didn’t spend time with their children?
Mara: you are so right! Parents of my generation said, “Go outside and play” .. my husband’s parents said, “Be home by the time the streetlights come on”. Hours and hours of children outside/gone. I never did this. If my kids were outside, so was I.
@@annierae6355generally speaking no. Of course all house holds are different however most in the past for kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s you were in school 30 to 35 hours a week while ur parents are working then you all come home do homework kids go outside to play then dinner showers and bed. There was not a lot of personal interaction between children and parents.
It's good for kids to have unsupervised play. I grew up playing outside with my siblings all afternoon. My mom taught us in the morning and then we were free and played outside! It was awesome. And my mom was very engaged with us, but she also let us alone. She needed alone time too.
Nope, I disagree. Previous generations interacted with each other, not their cellphone.
I'm turning 40 in 15 months. I've dedicated those months to rebuilding the strength that I lost over the course of my pregnancies. I want to go into my forties with a more resilient body. It won't be my "pre-baby" body, but I want a body that feels good to live in for decades to come.
I turn 40 in ten months and this is my year to restore my health and fitness as well!! I have 6 kids and my youngest is 5 (but he is autistic and nursed until he was 4 years old!!) so I feel like I am getting myself back a little and I am ready to take care of me!
I’m with you ladies!!! I’m ringing in 40 in 10m and being strong and confident in what my body can do.
Ladies, I suggest yoga and walking. Yoga really does give you a supple body. Three specialists told my husband that walking 30-45 minutes a day at least 5 days a week is the healthiest, life long exercise there is. I’ve never had 3 doctors agree on anything until this. Plus you get to be outside, see beautiful things, get the Vit D boost, meet neighbors. I work with my body as an industrial athlete. I’m fifty and have less pain than coworkers in their 30s. You have so much power in your bodies. I hope you enjoy the process of discovering it again. 💚💚💚
36 here, working on the same. After 3 kids, things are different. By 40, i would feel ok if not prebaby, at least ok
Hi, Ariel! Your Tidy Tango video changed my life!! Consistency is everything. I modified the Tango slightly, and it works for me perfectly. I'm not a young pup, but I've proved that we old dogs can learn a few tricks from the young pups of this world! Thanks for the videos. I really enjoy them all!
What a brilliant idea. 1 room a month, 15 mins a day, love it 🥰
My mom had 4 kids and a practically perfect home. But she was angry all the time, mean, abusive, and didn't spend positive time with us. I have 2 kids and an untidy, (not filthy) home, but my kids love me and they're not scared of me. I think there are trade-offs. When you're a mother of small children who need your time and attention and positive experiences, you don't have time to keep a perfect home and you really shouldn't stress about it. You'll have plenty of time when they're older. If you want a perfect home all the time, your relationship with your kids will suffer. That is my experience.
I think we just need to have a middle ground, not a perfect home but one that isn't cluttered and gives us anxiety. My main goal is to not be embarrassed when my kids want play date, just to have ppl over and my house is lived in but generally clean. Last few week I had a lot on, focusing more on being with kids doing fun stuff and cleaning had slipped and man I was feeling awful. 2 nights ago I spent some time cleaning the piles of clutter in living area, kitchen bench etc and I felt much lighter.
My mom always wanted a perfect home cut but usually in terms of just making sure we lived in a big nice home and had enough money for everything. She always came home from working two full-time jobs as a nurse… Very cranky and angry and always needing sleep, always snapping at us. She didn’t have the patience for my brother who was not the best student and called him some names that he never got over. After that, the fact that my parents are African from a certain generation and their idea of discipline would be considered very abusive by most. Anyway, I concur with what you’re saying about trying to have the perfect home can lead to other things being sacrificed as a parent. When you give too much of yourself in One Direction, you lose yourself in another direction. That’s why some people work their hardest at work and don’t have time for kids. You always hear of children of celebrities , who became so famous and legendary, but they were not the best parents and didn’t raise their children as much as they could’ve. If you can find a balance, try your best to do it. Otherwise, you have to make a choice. Perfect home and perfect life? Or a loving home when you did the best you could for your kids?
Personally, I'd have the kids help you even at their age. They can start dishes at 5. Maybe just rinsing but it's learning. I started around that age. My kids admittedly were older around 8 but it teaches them to help and that makes less on you 😁 my son was 8 or 9 when he learned how to wash his clothes. It took more off my shoulders and made my laundry room less messy😁❤
That is so wild!! I really felt fed up with my home too. When I sought the Lord, He led me to a podcast about a woman who had a “staging room” in her house. She then took one room a month and removed EVERY THING from that room into her staging room. She then put back ONLY the items she loved and wanted/needed and at the end of the month, if it was still in the staging room, it went to Goodwill. I did this last month with my laundry room (which doubles as our pantry) and our garage entryway. It was the smallest area in the house. And you know what, IT WENT GREAT!! I threw away so much trash, donated so many outgrown or no longer wanted winter gear, and can actually SEE what I have in my pantry (now all organized so we can use what we have). I cannot WAIT to get started on the other rooms! (And I gave myself 2 months to clean the garage because that relies on my husband for some MAJOR help). ❤❤❤ thanks as always for your videos. They really encourage and inspire me.
Do you remember what her name was or how to link her content? I'm interested in this!
Girlfriend, you are not alone! As a mother of one (with ADHD and ODD), a sweet 8-month old puppy and a full-time corporate job that requires travel...I have let myself go and my home is never 100% straight or clean.
I have to remind myself my life is not like my mom's was. I do not have a husband, I have to work. I make freezer meals on the weekends, Doordarsh and order groceries.
It's hard. Do what you can a delegate the rest or hire help for some things. I'm working on adjusting my budget to have someone come in biweekly to deep clean my home and free up time for self-care.
This is very exciting to me! Our plan had been to relicate from California to Indiana in the spring of 2025 but (long story short) we are now going at the end of May... YHIS YEAR!! We are in a house that's been in the family for 45 years, so it holds three generations worth of (a-hem) STUFF. 😲🤦😬 ... yeah, pretty scary, but there's no time for anything less than speedy decisions and a massive declutter, because I'm NOT expending all that energy - I'm 65 - to move crap more than half way across the country to just throw it away out there. The 40 yard roll-off dumpster got here yesterday just before dark. Girl, I'm SERIOUS!! I see HUGE success coming your way because instead of agreeing with yourself that - for instance - you need to start exercising again - you have completed that thought with "... AND I'm gonna get up early each morning to do it"! You've outlined what each thing is going to look like. Ariel, you GOT this! And you got a lot of us cheering for you!! Hugs from the southern California desert (at least for a few more months), MK 🤗❤️🌵❤️🤗
You’re so right about not relying on our motivation. Some days I get so much done, other days I struggle to do anything. My good days more than make up for the bad. Then I don’t feel so badly about myself.
I love all the tips you gave! I especially liked how you plan to teach your 6 year old how to be more independent. I dont have it all figured out in this area, but the other day i was trying to run out the door to go get groceires and had to make sure the backpack was packed with sippy cups and snacks, and also needed to throw in a load of laundry. So i told my almost 3 year old to pack the backpack, and my 5 year old to get a load of laundry together for me. We have been working on these tasks for a while now, and i still have to go behind them and make sure they've done the job right, but the delegation really did help my morning go easier. Kids are capable of helping so much more than we think, and i know my girls love being "mama's big helper." ❤️
Ariel I hate hearing this, but I feel I must say it….🤣
You should cute down on your sugar!! I am a fellow sugar addict just like you, and I realized I was sooo addicted that I was having all kinds of physical symptoms that sucked. Then I just cut down, I didn’t even cut it out, and lots more energy, better mood etc. I just don’t buy sweets for my home, but still eat them out, at a church potluck, on holidays, if we have people over for dinner etc. It’s freeing! It really does make my body feel so much better!
Also if your son is 6 I bet he will take to learning tidying really quickly. My daughter is 5 and makes her bed. It doesn’t always look great but it’s done 🤷♀️ 🙂
If you have a dishwasher load as you go. Kids can do that.
I did my Great Declutter Purge of 2018 and it helped a lot but I ended up doing a second year also because I got better at it.
Consistent is my word this year!!
I love your channel, I’m also an awkward mom. My house has been a wreck since my first kid 22 years ago and now I’m transitioning from an older mom with a 7 year old. My house has never recouped from parenting. I love your videos, I keep promising that I’m going to start your cleaning challenges that you have mentioned but then…I get way too busy. I love that you make me feel normal although I’m truly not but you also make me feel happy and also motivated that I too can be an awkward mom with at least a half way clean house and that for me is a huge accomplishment. I’m a perfectionist so I feel that I’m either %100 in or %100 out and you help me feel at ease to know that good enough is good enough and there’s no need for perfection. Thank you, honestly your videos mean so much!
Ariel, I am old enough to be your mom and I remember being in the space you described so well in this video today. I finally discovered FlyLady and that was my start to recovery. Climb that mountain of teaching your kiddos. It won't be easy, but the view is amazing! So proud of you and the work you are doing! And after years of the 5 fly zones no working for me, I absolutely affirm having a focus room as your zone for the month! That has worked so well for me. And the habits you will gain this year will serve you through several life circumstance changes ahead of you. Blessings.
Thank you for this video!
The thing that’s helped me the most is having “contingency plans”. It’s like, what does getting the dishes done on a low to no-spoons day look like. What does exercise when I severely don’t want to look like so I can still get it done
It goes back to the tiny habits method. You anchor your new habit onto an old one and do just a little bit. Like floss your two front teeth when you brush your teeth. And call that done. Soon you’ll floss more. You just need to plant the seed of the habit. And that’s been working for me so well. That doing one dish is better than 0. That just getting the broom out for 5 minutes is better than waiting until you have the energy to do the entire floor.
I really needed the reminder that consistent exercise builds energy. I will work on that next. I have poor mobility so I will start with doing it in a chair and see how far that gets me.
Thanks Ariel!
Oh and waking up before my kids was one of the hardest habits to establish. You have to go to bed a lot earlier. But it’s been game-changing for my mood
Ariel, you are on the right path. We raised 4 children and if I could go back and do it again, I would reduce the inventory in our home by 50%! I realize now, just how much easier things could have been for me, and I would have had more time with my children. Decluttering 15 min. a day is very doable. Our kids first chore was 3 yr. old. They had to empty the bath trash and put a new bag in it. They were so proud to be included. You've got this! Happy 2024!
I've always seen teaching my kids to do chores as an investment. Yes, it takes time up front. But the time it gives back in the long run is immeasurable! I'm already seeing this with my 7 and 5 year olds. They are so capable and helpful!
I gotta say, in my household with 3 going on 4 young children, I remember the early days of being hopelessly overwhelmed. But I can bear witness that if you keep trying and troubleshooting it does get better!
Some of it is like I just had to wait for the internal resistance to flip a switch, and now I don't find myself having as hard a time starting a load of laundry or just starting in on dishes. There's some acceptance that just took time to settle in. The other is paring down till things got easy for me/the kids to quickly pick up after ourselves. Which has made making a home for things and putting systems in place easier. (My kids are little so I tell them if it takes more than 5-10 minutes to do the end of day toy clean up then we need to stash some in the basement to be swapped into rotation later). Another thing that's helped is writing in detail my "silent to do list" (repair windshield chip, gluing some broken furniture...) then getting one or two checked off each day.
I love Dana K White, video on containers and how we should only have what our container can hold. It was so good it seemed so simple and yet we ignore it so much lol.
I love the idea of exercise in the morning and a 15 minute declutter a day for a month in each room. I’m fed up of waiting for the motivation too. Thanks for this wonderful and do-able task. Will you be taking us on this journey? Maybe an update every week or two? Wishing you every success and knowing you will achieve it too. Thanks for keeping it real. Mary, Joes wife 🙇♀️👏💪👍🙏💐🐈⬛
I agree with the previous comments your videos are so relatable! I like how you include fun (dance) and exercise into your routine like with the tidy tango! I agree need to focus more on consistency. Laura Vanderkam in her book Tranquility by Tuesday mentioned three times a week habits, so you can start small and focus on doing the habit often not daily. Also Mariane Cresp video called a game changer habit trackers on her channel, she mentioned doing certain tasks at certain times of the day that works with your energy level. I also liking how in Diane in Denmark Friday videos she giving you four self-care assignments that you can do throughout the week.
Thanks for the book recommendation!
I’m excited to watch your journey! I’m not sure if it was Dana or Cass who gave me permission to run the dishwasher twice, but this has been a game changer for me. I do one run after breakfast or lunch depending on the day, then one after dinner. The beauty of this is that I can use the quick wash mode on my dishwasher because stuff is not stuck on. A smaller load is also not as annoying to unload. Then I use my dish drainer to let all the plastic dry. I now love unloading the clean dishes after the dinner load so I don’t have to do it first thing in the morning.
You are a lot smarter and wiser than I was at your age. Or even when I was sixty. It took to seventy, but thanks for helping me get there and finally taking care of myself and getting a more organized, cleaner home. God bless (:
I was so relieved to hear you say you’re going to delegate. 🎉 I was like, ah! Your family can and should help you! Good luck to you. Take care. 🖤
Me too! In 2020 I had surgery that made it so I couldn’t walk for 8 weeks. My husband had to wake up real fast and learn how to do everything. Ever since he’s been responsible for the bathrooms, half the laundry, half the dishes and cooking some of our meals. I honestly can’t believe we were together for 11 years prior to that without that being normal 😬
@@fzzypurpleturtle happy for you things are more balanced! 🙏🏻
Preach! If I waited for motivation, I’d get nothing done because I am never motivated to clean the toilet. Excellent video! Thanks Ariel!
I am on the same journey right now. I started last September, downsizing my whole house and getting rid of so much. It is the most freeing thing I have done in a long time. You will not regret it!
Plus, I am with you on the whole working out/getting moving thing. I used to work out 5 times a week until I got a desk job and since then, I sit. A lot. And it is making me tired.
I think this is a very relatable topic Ariel. Cheering you on (and perhaps even doing similarly) from Australia. Be kind and gentle with yourself as you make these changes too.
Ariel, I love your idea of decluttering one room a month! Genius!!!
I followed Flylady's 15-minutes decluttering on and off over the past few years (mostly off I'll admit!) but I never felt like I made much progress because I didn't have any focus! I'd do 15 minutes here and there but it didn't seem to make much of a dent in the stuff.
So, one room a month (I was shocked to realise I have 11 rooms in my house (storage basement included). I'll dedicate two days per month to runs to the donation or recycling centre instead of decluttering.
Pretty sure some rooms will take more than a month (here's looking at you, Stuff Room!) but I'll get it done!
I thereby declare March my kitchen month! 😊👍
I love it!!!!!!!
This video has my name written all over it!!!!!! This resonated with me big time. If I could follow your same plan this year, it would make such a huge difference in my life and my home. Thanks for this video!!!! ❤
Thanks for always making your videos lighthearted while addressing these topics. I really enjoy your content!
I love waking up on Saturday to a new video from you. Thank you. You are doing a great job and I plan on joining you this year. Let’s do it.
Thank you ❤️ We got this!!!! 👐
Just wanted to thank you again for this video. It is exactly what I needed to hear adn realize about the motivation vs consistency and discipline. For the last 4 days I've watched your video first thing everyday to help get my mind and intentions set and I have been productive and consistent with what I want my days/routines to look like and it feels so good when for so long it's felt worthless. Thank you again. See you tomorrow morning!
Looooove the tidy tango to reset my house! Great for Sunday nights to start the week on the right foot.
I'm totally feeling this video this week. I have covid right now and there's a total of 4 adults in this home and the house starts falling apart when I'm sick because everyone is so used to me doing everything. So it made me realize I need to do better with delegating!
Omg I feel you 100%! Two minutes in and its exactly true. Living the dream and still feeling stressed cause its all too much. And one year from now, back at work, there'll be even less time to get anything done 😭
So grateful to have found your channel! Thank you for all the amazing cleaning videos and also thank you for naming all the challenges. I feel this! ❤
Ariel, your videos have really helped change my attitude and given me motivation and hope over the years. I am a working Mom of three (2 teenagers) and its so nice to hear that others feel the same. BTW, many things get easier when they get a little older and you will have some more 'Me" time as they get more self-sufficient. Thank you being so real and such a down-to-earth person! I have been delegating more chores to the family and trying to give myself some slack when things aren't getting done exactly how they should be : )
Your plan is actually pretty perfect for what I need to do. I think I'll write these down and try to be consistent. Now to go to bed so that I can get up early. 😢 That's the hardest thing for me.
Yes! I read a book called “You can change if you’re willing to do it from the inside out “. You start with your heart, then the mind, then your body then your home, then…the universe! Nyahsha! (Villain laugh)😆 😂😅
Oh myyyy Ariel; where has your channel been? This hippy chick is so happy having clicked. I can do resonate to many of your life experiences. Love how the real life dialogue we think you are can say it. Plz keep those positive vibes flowing. ✌️💜✌️
*** The most perfect I've found so far is TIDY TANGO. Thank you!
I really see a lot of me in you! We even have some of the same expressions and sense of humor (I showed one of your videos to my boyfriend and I think it actually creeped him out a little). I really see you as me in the next few years. My boyfriend and I are hoping to get married in a year or two as soon as we graduate college and get our finances in order. I am really trying to get to the bottom of my messiness before I get married because we really want to have a family and I want to be able to take care of myself and whatever children I might have (and not feel like I'm living in a pigsty, lol). You have really been an inspiration to me! Just know that even if your home isn't perfect, the fact that you share so much about how you are trying is such an inspiration! We believe in you!
One step at a time. It is just my husband & I at home, trust me I struggle with keeping our home spotless. I have learned to show myself some Grace and be happy with our home. I have had 2 back surgeries so I have to pace myself.
i have no happy memories with my parents AND the house was absolutely disaster. you’re doing amazing.
Perfect plan! It seems that all that you learned over the years by trying out differents routines now all condensed in a new plan that seems really doable and sustainable. P.S. I once found a plan for weekly chores to put on the fridge or somewhere else, you know, and along with the printables came a little booklet which listed which household tasks your kids can do matching their ages. And this list started at the age of 1. I was suprised and then thought about it and remember how I always was assigned little tasks around the house as long as I remember and I only profited of it :) better learn it early on!
Yes, tidy tango IS game changing! Love your content, video editing and humour 🤩🙏🏼🥰!
You are so smart! Like you I began teaching my kids how to participate in doing chores when they were 5 by putting their folded laundry on their bed and making little stacks of whatever went into a drawer. Stack of pants, stack of shirts, a stack of socks, etc, that they could easily put away, then, built on that foundation. They could dust as well as me because the used the up and down then side to side method ensuring less spots were missed. They crawled around dusting baseboards. By age 9 they could clean the whole house. By age 10 they could put a hot meal on the table. You are doing every member of your home a huge favor by engaging everyone in 2024. Also, to encourage and strengthen your resolve, let me say; do not falter on having your husband pitch in. He's 100% capable of (for example) washing dishes every single night and putting away what's clean after he dries the dishes he washes. In doing this, 30 years later, you will not have an entitled 50+ year old man waiting on you to wait on him. If you don't mind me saying this, pick up toys before nap time so it's done before the baby lays down. It makes a huge difference in how you will feel even if they drag everything back out later. Hugs and good luck!
I hear ya sister! I feel like I am in exactly the same place. I am really looking forward to watching your journey...and hopefully increasing my game too in the process 😀
So much wisdom in a short video. I watched when i was supposed to be starting my excercise video. I know my problem is consistency and it is true for everything. When i am disciplined with exercise or fly lady cleaning routines things do go better. Here to getting back on track with you. Cue the tango music from True Lies.
I love this, so much! All of your points, while maybe I'm not looking forward to so much (here's looking at you waking up early and exercising consistently 😏🙃), I completely agree with! I just had a baby 5 days ago, so we'll see how much progress I make with these things this year 😅, but this video is *actually* motivating to me to prioritize these things as much as I can! 🥰 (as a side note, I don't understand why designating tasks to other capable members of the household seems to be something a lot of people, moms especially, look down on 🤔🤷🏼♀️)
What a plan! Take care of yourself as you make those changes. And it’s a great idea to delegate!❤
Even Marie Kondo changed her mind after having a baby!!!!!!!!!!❤❤❤❤
Consistency.
I have consistently been doing the Tidy Tango every week now.
My house looks and feels so much better.
Also been exercising.
Building strength.
Also must confess ... I don't always stop after the mopping ... the Tidy Tango is like a kick start and I find myself tidying other areas of my house.😊
This is all SO good and excellent strategies! I wish I’d had this when I was at this same stage, it would have saved me a lot of time and effort figuring things out. 😅 I have to add-heartily, eagerly, loudly recommend Dana K. White’s decluttering method! It took me like two years to fully grasp the power of her method, because I had been decluttering for years and thought I had a handle on it…but I also still had Keep boxes of shame stashed in corners, and random piles, and things I needed getting lost. So clearly I was not a master. 😆 Dana’s method removes the emotion from the decision making process, eliminates decluttering piles, makes progressive decluttering possible even if you only have five minutes to snatch here and there, and creates innate motivation. Watch her UA-cam videos and decluttering Q&As, listen to her podcast, read her decluttering book-whatever it is that gets the process into your brain and activity. It’ll only be positive!
I have three children. A toddler almost two years old, and 7 month twins, and my 1,000 sq/ft home is almost always clean.
Hello minimalism! I asked myself “ is this worth stuff shuffling?” And I got rid of so much! Now I don’t have to spend more than 10 mins tidying before I clean.
Generally my partner empties the dishwasher in the morning. I make everyone food, a smoothie, and eat. Then I clean my kitchen, pick up toys, sweep/mop the house, and then settle into the bedroom to watch tv and nurse before nap time. I have an hour of downtime and then get up and make food and do a load of laundry! It’s a never ending cycle, especially with all the diapers and little messes along the day, but my day is rarely stressful and I don’t feel overwhelmed with chores. Yesterday I got rid of another diaper box worth if stuff, even though I didn’t think I had anything left to donate. The more I get rid of, the happier I am.
If I I keep telling myself “ if I don’t own it, it can’t make a mess”
I am a huge fan of your tidy tango when my home needed a reset but getting a awkward mum cleaning system sounds exiting...i tried to ceep up with flylady but it never stays for a long time because its so detailed...if you get a new start ill be with you ariel...from the other side of the world but awkwards are everywere...muaharharhar
Great video! I’m right there with you on all points! Glad it is not just me that had control and lost control.
Okay, I'm with ya, sister! I have a 2 year old, and I'm tired of feeling overwhelmed by my home everyday. I'm tired of feeling like I clean CONSTANTLY and make no progress.
You've come up with a really good plan. I see success in your future!
Please go easy on yourself!❤ The most important “vocation” in your life right now is being a good wife/partner and an excellent mom and from what I see, you are doing excellent. Don’t compare yourself to what others show on their social media pages. I’m no expert on social media because I am just a grandma, but after being a mom for 52 years and a daycare Granny since 2004, I know that no house is spotless if kids are happy😊 I remember a poster from my young mom days that read in part “settle down cobwebs, dust go to sleep, I’m rocking my baby, and babies don’t keep”. Or something like that, this was from 1972,😂 Just keep doing the best you can and your marriage will last and your kids will be fine. That’s all that matters. Times will change and life will get less hectic , I promise.
Oh my goodness! I'm right there with you.. This really speaks directly to me. Thanks for your honesty and reality.. Love this..❤️
Go you! When I was pregnant with my 4th baby, I put myself on partial bed rest. 15 minutes up and 15 minutes down. My house was so clean back then! The Rests really helped. I could plan during the Rests.
I'm with you! I hope you post more videos about this. 😊
I want to get organized this year with you! Bring it!🎉
As always, relatable ♥️ I'm excited for your plans!
I think you're really smart to give yourself a year to get this done. I've been doing a major declutter these past few days, and I'm exhausted. I know better, but it's hard for me not to try to do everything at once.
3 kids, it's an endless battle. I get it.. I feel like we just have to accept the mess.. I really want to get on top of it too! I hope to do some meal planning and freezer meals. I can live in a mess, but the guilt of not eating properly is the worst.
Thanks for sharing! Yes, we can’t rely on motivation but routines & delegation definitely helps! I do enjoy waking up early to read the Bible & exercise.
I need to do the tidy tango again
You’re awesome, Ariel. Keep up the good work!
I just went minimal. I never have dishes build up. Each person only has 1 plate, dessert cup, cereal and soup bowl. I own 6 pots, 5 mixing bowls. We only own 10 daily outfits each and 2 formal outfits, 5 pairs of shoes. Everything we own is very good quality but we own very little of it. Got rid of so much stuff that I got rid of the furniture that used to hold it. Can clean the whole house so quick everyday. Clean surfaces are the best decoration
When kids are little the home just can't stay perfect. It CAN be a happy, decently put together place. But not perfectly clean. My kids are now 17, 12 and 10. We live in a house with a fence a yard and a dog. My little boys go to the local public school and take a bus in the morning! (It's amazing!!) My oldest drives himself to school!
But there was a time when I was ALWAYS striving for sanity. A new baby, a toddler and a young elementary... It was hard! I shouted, I felt bad, the house was a mess a lot of the time... I felt like a failure.... What I realize now is that it's OKAY to be in that phase for a time. Not to live in complete chaos but to give yourself space to have some piles of laundry or go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink (because I can handle it better in the morning and get the rest I need at night).
Time FLIES! Pretty soon your kiddos will be in what I call the "golden years". Where they can help out, keep their rooms picked up, have activities that take them outside or to school or church activities. You won't always feel overwhelmed and tired.
One of my tricks nowadays is to have ONE room that is always clean! It's our formal dining room and if someone stops by unexpectedly or I just need a quiet peaceful spot I can go in there to have a cup of tea. I host the ladies in our bible study every other week and that is where we sit. If there is a pile of laundry on the couch that needs to be folded (and it will get folded) then I don't worry about it being there. It's magical...😅
You're doing great! Your videos are so inspiring and positive and I'm sure you have plenty of grace for yourself. Just remember that a messy house doesn't make you less worthy and a clean house doesn't make you more worthy! ❤❤❤
I give my 5 year old 50 cents for putting his clothes away twice a week and it has been great for both of us. It helped to print out photos on the bins in his closet to show him where to put things.
When my oldest started putting his own clothes away, he just sorted them and put them in the drawers and we didn’t stress the folding. It was more important for me to completely offload the task 😂 that was when he was six, he’s now ten and now folds his clothes. We don’t call them chores, we call them household contributions, and everyone is expected to contribute to the household ♥️
I can't believe Ariel even you telling me I have to excercise??? Hahahaha just kidding, you are right, I still put it in the bottom of the list but will also put it on the begining, I just started excercising again too and it feels good to be able to mop the house without becomming exhausted. Go girl!! And thankyou for your videos, keep up the good work. God bless you and your beautiful family.
Chores are very good for children.
It’s important for them to learn about responsibility.
I just had the one baby and I loved keeping my home clean and tidy, that was 21 years ago, now she’s an adult and there is three of us adults in a smaller house it’s so hard to keep on top of things. It’s harder now than when she was a baby. If I had babies as cute as yours I’d enjoy them and not stress too much, easier said then done, I know. Once they are at school hopefully it will be easier
Great talk! I really enjoy your videos and do share them. I like your plan - let’s do it!!🎉😊
This is really inspiring seriously. THANK YOU🥰🥰🥰
I needed this little push away from waiting to be motivated. Thank you.
I’m now okay with my house never being perfect, but once every ten days being pretty okay 😉
Your content is always so genuine and I applaud you for putting your health as a priority, I didn’t and I’m paying a hefty price now!!!
Every house needs 2 tables. 1 for eating and 1 for activities and projects. No kid will finish a big lego set between lunch and dinner.
When my kids were younger, we had a tiny table and chairs for activities, games, and crafts. Dining/kitchen table for eating meals only. I never allowed children to eat in other home areas. Snacks in the car were put into little reach in containers with a plastic separated so they could reach in, but cheerios, etc. didn't fall out. It's one of my go-to shower gifts for new moms.
This is a great and practical list. Thank you
What a motivating video 😊 always looking forward to a video of you ❤ also learnd a lot of self care from Diane from Denmark 😊 little steps can make a huge difference ❤
Your Tidy Tango helps me so much!
I can't believe you are 29! I thought more 21/22 fresh out of college. Thanks for the tips
I finally got to the point where people no longer think I'm 16!! Lol
Sounds like you need to read Mystie Winckler's book (or listen to the audiobook). She tackles organization almost completely through motivation. It's really good.
Amen Sister!
Definitely give your kids age-appropriate chores. If they are old enough to pull the toys out, they are old enough to put them back.
Hey there! Just wanted to say I really enjoy watching your videos and I really like how you edit the videos! Good work awkward mamma! 👏👏👏
Thank you! 🥰
Another thing to remember is that your kids won't always be little. They're taking up A LOT of your time right now because they're so young. As they get older, you'll have more time (because they'll be in school), and they'll be more independent (so you can delegate to them more cleaning tasks). Pretty much everyone I know with toddlers has a messy house, or uses a cleaning service, or both! It's really, REALLY hard to keep a clean home with little kids. You're doing great, mom!
Oh, dear. That is an awful lot of change all at once. Hope it goes well for you. You do deserve it.
I will do this will you! I need to do all of the above! I feel the exact same way in all the ways! Thank you for this video! I needed the reminder! Let’s JUST DO IT! 💪🏼 Your content is great you are one of my top 5 favs! Keep up the awesome work! ❤
Love you Arielle. Teeny tip. The plural of woman is women pronounced wimen
all our bedding is now very simple:
2 bedsheet sets
1 cooling mattress pad
1 quilt
1 heating blanket
2 comforters