Disclosure: Thank you to Walmart and Collective Voice for sponsoring today’s post. All products were chosen, purchased, and loved by yours truly!
Hello LIY Community, If you don’t me yet, I’m Cassidy, the Director of Marketing here at Living in Yellow! Last October I welcomed a beautiful baby girl to world! Somehow we are approaching her first birthday which also means we are approaching my first year of being a mom! It has been the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life.
Being a working mom, I have quickly realized that if my home is working FOR me, then it is working AGAINST me. I feel like the mantra I have found myself saying over and over is “control what I can control so that the [inevitable] chaos isn’t all consuming.” What I really mean by this is simply trying to set myself and family up for success up by being proactive rather than reactive. Insert Walmart. None of this would be possible without the help of Walmart! From storage solutions to Walmart+ free grocery delivery, I have been able to create a home that feels productive, efficient and supportive of our lifestyle!
A few disclaimers! First, I live in a small, old home [built in 1918!] so storage and space can be an issue! These old homes are full of charm and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but they are also a little crooked and little cracked here and there. And it should be noted that this is a true challenge for me. I am not a naturally organized or detailed person. So if you’re reading this and thinking “oh I could never be this way,” then stick around because I thought the same thing. Let me be the example that yes we can do hard things AND those hard things pay off in the long run! So let’s break it down. Whether you call it organization or house hacking, here’s the 4 things I am doing that actually make my home [and life] more efficient!
Declutter and Organization
For me, the space around me completely impacts how I feel and how I operate within my home. If things are cluttered and shoved in closets [because let’s be honest sometimes they are] then it starts to weigh on me. I have recognized that when my space or my stuff starts to feel too chaotic, I kind of just sink into myself and become more and more reactive. So I have tried my absolute best – which isn’t perfect – to declutter and organize my home in a way that is functional and efficient for my family’s needs! The best part? By having a better system in certain areas of our home [like the bathroom and kitchen] I am able to see when things like toothpaste, dish soap, etc. start to run out! With Walmart+ you can get free delivery on subscriptions so you never run out of the essentials!
Bathroom Before + After
Kitchen Before + After
Kid Organization + Toy Rotation
Rattan Storage Container // Sliding Bin Organizer // 66 QT Bins
As I mentioned, our home is old so storage can be an issue for us. I found this best selling sliding bin organizer and knew it would be perfect in our daughters closet. It makes it easy for me to clean up her toys and to also continually rotate them out. One of my biggest tips is to create different zones within your home that are baby/kid safe and have different toys/activities that are specific to that space. For example, I keep my daughter’s wooden blocks in her room so whenever we go in there it feels new and exciting to play with her blocks. This keeps her interested in the toys she already has rather than feeling like we constant need to buy new.
Family Meetings + Planning
Every Sunday, my husband and I sit down and discuss the upcoming week! Do we always look forward to it? No. But is it extremely helpful? Yes. When we sit down for our chat, we typically cover these topics:
- Appointments
- Outings / Entertainment
- Meal Planning
- Chores / House Projects
- Misc. Tasks
Once we have things hammered out, we jot it down on a calendar! This magnetic weekly and monthly calendar has really helped keep us on the same page! We tried keeping a digital calendar and even a paper calendar but having something right on the fridge, where we can see it everyday, helps keep things top of mind! We both have said that when we DON’T have these “family meetings” we can really tell. Our communication is off, we forget about appointments or let chores pile up.
Meal Planning + Prepping
As mentioned, we typically sit down and try to plan out dinner for each day of the week. Doing this helps us grocery shop and buy what we will actually use! Who else has had to throw away an unopened bag of spinach, whoops. While we usually assign each day a meal, sometimes things get moved around as unexpected plans come up. Knowing we at least have all of the ingredients for each meal makes it easy to swap things as needed!
Rug // Glass Food Containers // Paper Composite Cutting Board
With having my little one at home, it so nice to be able to order my groceries online and have them available for either pick up or delivery! With Walmart+ you can easily order your groceries online and get free delivery, plus a bunch of other perks – see all the benefits here!
Glass Food Containers // Paper Composite Cutting Board
Although I do like to prep some meals, I don’t think I do it in the traditional sense [at least what I am used to seeing online]. Because I work from home, I have found it is so convenient to prep a few things for my lunches. With that being said, I can only eat the same thing for about 2-3 days in a row before getting bored of it [who’s with me?!]. Typically on Sunday I prep something for lunch for the first half of the week and then come Wednesday night I try my best to prep something for the rest of the week or at least make a little extra at dinner to ensure I have leftovers. Having these glass storage containers makes it so easy to keep things fresh and reheat them the next day if needed! You have no clue how many times lunchtime rolls around and I just find myself starring into my fridge. Taking out the guesswork has given me time back and I feel like I make healthier and tastier choices!
Home Checklist
And finally for all things home maintenance, I created this checklist to help keep things organized! Feel free to download this or save to your phone for later!
