Organizing. Decluttering. Simplifying. Purging.

With so much time at home over the last year, have you wished for less “stuff?” Have you longed for a fairy to pop in while you’re sleeping and organize your life? For many of us, it’s an overwhelming task.

Luckily, there are people walking among us who thrive on this. Dozens of them. Hundreds. Thousands, perhaps. And they are willing to share their tips and tricks with the rest of us! Everything from paper to clothes to time to finances. Check out the amazing collection of helpful hints gathered from across City Mom Collective’s network of about 80 “Sister Sites.”

Thank you to all the moms who took the time to write down their secrets. You’re helping the rest of us out!

Save this story, so you can tackle more projects later. Share it with friends — it will be a gift that can make their lives less stressful and more meaningful. When we work together, we create healthier homes, stronger communities and a more beautiful world.

Cleaning

Clean Home

31 Days to a Clean Home by Toledo Moms  ||  “31 days to a clean home, say what? Yep, its possible. This schedule is based on average homes the size of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room, kitchen, and dining room.”

 

Clean House

A Clean House is a Happy House by Mid-Michigan Moms  ||  “Moving from a teeny tiny one bedroom apartment to a larger living space showed me quickly just how much this upgrade was going to cost me in my cleaning time.”

 

Spring Cleaning: Helpful Hacks for Busy Moms by Miami Mom Collective  ||  “It’s not easy, but it feels so good. For me, it’s like a fresh start — a way to feel more inspired and productive in my everyday life.”

 

 

Easy Cleaning Schedule for Busy Moms by Miami Mom Collective  ||  “Your house may be bigger, you may have less kids, or maybe no pets. But one thing I think we can all agree on is that it’s nice to walk into a tidy home.”

 

Spring Cleaning Guide by San Francisco Bay Area Moms  ||  “We’ve rounded up five of our favorite posts on cleaning and organizing to help motivate you to get organized.”

 


Organizing

Home Organizing Tips for Your Spring Cleaning by San Francisco Bay Area Moms  ||  “As a professional organizer, I have discovered a lot of neat (pun intended) tricks and tools to help me organize my space. Follow me as I bring you into my home… in this video series.”

 

Organizing

I Like Big Pots and I Cannot Lie: 3 Tips for Organizing Cookware by Providence Mom  ||  “It’s not the pandemic that makes me feel like a prisoner at home. It’s kitchen clutter, and the best way to confront it is to start by organizing cookware.”

 

Organized

I’m a Disorganized Mess Now, Thanks to the Covid-19 Pandemic! by Vermont Mom  ||  “I was never so disorganized that I didn’t know where things were or what to do. Then Covid came and my life will never be the same.”

 

Let’s Get Organized by Miami Mom  ||  “I’ve been working hard to get rid of clutter and get my home and office organized. So far, I’ve managed to tackle my home office, the kids’ playroom, and their bedroom.”

 

Paper vs. Electronic Planner: Pick a Side by Memphis Mom Collective  ||  “Planning excites me. Organization brings me peace. I love a schedule with a schedule. The more details the better.”

 

10 Common Organizing Mistakes by Columbus Mom  ||  “Many people are very excited to get their homes in order but sometimes there are little things along the way that trip them up. Below are some of the most common organizing mistakes.”

 

Snacking

Pandemic Snacking: How to Restore Order in the Kitchen by Providence Mom  ||  “I’ll be the first to admit: my family’s eating habits are weird. Then quarantine hit. Overnight, our eating habits went from quirky to savage. Here are some ways we’ve put ourselves back on track.”

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How To Organize Your Home When You’re Stuck in It by San Francisco Bay Area Moms  ||  “Organizing is a way to control what we can control, and that helps to lighten the load of uncertainty that swirls around us.”

 

The Ziploc: Confessions of an Over-Organizer by Miami Mom Collective  ||  “Hi, I’m Sandra and I’m the crazy Ziploc lady, but I love them and I’m here for it. They’re inexpensive and reusable over and over (and over).”

 

What Do You Do when You’re OVERWHELMED with Family Photos? by QC Moms  ||  “What do you do with all the family photos you are carrying around on your phone? Do you have printed photos or photo albums?”

 

Creating a Better Wardrobe for Kids: Part 1 by Columbus Mom  ||  “I recently created a kid-friendly closet and capsule wardrobe for my four-year-old. It’s not because I’m trying to be trendy. It’s because I no longer had the patience to deal with dressing my four-year-old.”

 

Creating a Better Wardrobe for Kids: Part 2 by Columbus Mom  ||  “In the second part of this series, I’m going to talk about how I created a smaller, capsule-style wardrobe for my 4-year old.”

 

5 Ways to Organize Your Home While Virtual Learning by Oklahoma City Mom  ||  “As if we didn’t already have enough on our plates, COVID came in like an unwelcome house guest, kicked up his feet, and made our lives exponentially harder…”


Simplifying

100 Hacks100 Hacks To Simplify Your Life  by Mid-Michigan Moms  ||  “Mom life is the best life! But, let’s face it. Some days it can be chaotic, and any tips + tricks to help simplify our days are always welcome.”

 

Meal Planning Made Easy by Pensacola Mom Collective  ||  “If you have searched endlessly for sample meal plans online but haven’t found one that suits you, my strategy might help you.”

 

Did You Hear the One About… I’m Overwhelmed by My Covid Home Life by Vermont Mom  ||  “It’s essential that I maintain my own center and equilibrium. For me, this means getting outside for walks. Keeping my own space clean and organized. Creating in some way every day.”

 

Morning Routine

Morning Routine: Four Tips to Set Your Family Up For Success by Mid-Michigan Moms  ||  “Mornings can be tough. Mornings are not my friends. But with two working parents and two toddlers, we have learned how to make mornings work for us.”

 

What to Keep? Lessons Learned at My Momma’s House by Pensacola Mom Collective  ||  “It was heartwarming to find books my mom read to me as a child.  Unfortunately, the dance costumes and children’s books did not withstand the attic environment due to a lack of proper storage. ”

 

5 Ways To Simplify Your Life by East Valley Moms  ||  “After I got my actual home in order, I began to find ways to make our day to day activities easier. So here are the top five ways I’ve learned to simplify my life and maintain it.”

 

Sparking Joy Through Your Piles of Crap with the KonMari Method by ABQ Mom  ||  “If it gives you no emotion or doesn’t spark joy, get rid of it. Sometimes we hold onto those shirts that spark a memory, but you don’t really like wearing it.”

 

Balance: A Quick Guide to Juggling Spouse, Kids + Work by Mid-Michigan Moms  ||  “Balance is one of those elusive ideals we as moms would all like to find. Here’s a quick guide to help you organize the chaos.”

 

 

Setting Goals and Expectations for the Year Ahead by Miami Mom Collective  ||  “This year, I want to change a lot of things and really make an impact. I made a list of short-term and long-term goals that I want to accomplish, both personally and professionally.”


Decluttering

Minimizing Mess Minimizing the Mess by Memphis Mom Collective  ||  “I’m going to share a few strategies that work for me when it comes to minimizing the mess associated with my daughter.”

 

5 Steps To Declutter Toys by Columbus Mom ||  ” I was spending too much time on toys – putting them away, cleaning them, organizing them, not to mention stepping on them as I walked through our home.”

 

DeclutteringDeclutter Your Home by Getting Rid of These 50 Things by Mid-Michigan Moms  ||  “When your goal is to pull a sippy cup out of the cupboard without causing an avalanche, that’s probably a good sign something’s gotta go!”

 

Mental Decluttering: Spring Cleaning for Your Mind by Providence Mom  ||  “My inability to organize my thoughts is affecting me, so it’s time to make some changes. So this spring, I’m taking some steps to mentally declutter.

 

Not My Toy Story: Decluttering and Decoding Childhood Toys and Treasures by Co Springs Mom Collective  ||  “Despite my best efforts to declutter, I still hold on. After all, I could be sitting on a goldmine. I just know that our WALL-E robot and Furbies will become classics.”

 

Decluttering for a Happier Home and a Happier Me by ABQ Mom  ||  STUFF. I have a love-hate relationship with it. … New things can be fun for awhile, but I prefer simplicity.

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Get Organized: 6-Week Decluttering Challenge by Lansing Mom  ||  “Why not start decluttering and get organized over the next six weeks? It’s not going to happen overnight, it’s going to be a journey.”

 

New Year, Less Toys: Declutter and Organize the Playroom by Omaha Mom  ||  “The passing of the holidays also leads to what is one of my favorite activities: organizing and culling toys from the playroom.”

 

Simplify & Refresh: Tips to Free Yourself From the Clutter by Miami Mom Collective  ||  “One thing leads to another and you have all this stuff. It feels super overwhelming and stifling! You know the feeling moms? I decided to take control of it.”

 

5 Places to Declutter Today by Columbus Mom  ||  “It all started on an ordinary day last year. I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with a toddler, a new baby, and all of our stuff.”

 

Toy Cleanup Game Changer: The Sunday Box by ABQ Mom  ||  “After doing some reading, I took the suggestion of a few people in an online minimalism group. The Sunday Box. It has a catchy name and is easy to implement.”

 


Money

Money

Frugal Mom: Dos and Don’ts of Becoming Debt Free by Mid-Michigan Moms  ||  “My husband and I decided we were done with payments and thus started the longest most difficult yet rewarding journey of my life, aside from motherhood.”

 

Non-Extreme Couponing: Simple Ways to Save by Miami Mom Collective  ||  “What if I told you there are simple ways to practice NON-EXTREME COUPONING? (If that’s not a thing, we are making it a thing NOW!)”

 

My “In Case I Die” Binder: Important (and Neurotic) Info by Military Mom Collective  ||  “I compiled a binder of what I think is all of the information my husband would need if I were suddenly gone.”

 

Credit Score: What’s Yours? by Miami Mom Collective  ||  “Now with 3 kids, we realize how important your credit score is. How it affects you. From applying for a job to renting an apartment.”

 


Outsourcing

Outsourcing

Outsource Like a Mother by Co Springs Mom Collective  ||  “What if there was a way to outsource much of the above in a way that helps you in the ways you need it, and helps someone else at the same time? A win-win, you could say.”

 

Outsourcing

How Outsourcing in my Home Changed Everything by Mid-Michigan Moms  ||  ” I have come to terms with the fact that “doing it all” is not the mom or woman I want to be.”

 


DIY

DIY

How Do it Yourself (DIY) Projects Strengthen My Marriage by Vermont Mom  ||  “These projects we do together also remind us that not only are we married, we are also building a life together.”

 

Laundry Room Laundry Room Makeover by Co Springs Mom Collective  ||  “It sounds silly to be so excited about a laundry room, but having a space that actually makes doing laundry more efficient, and is pretty to look at, really has made it less of a chore.”