Day 2-10:59 pm: The holidays have been wonderful. I love having the tree up in the living room and keeping the glittering lights on at night. But, alas, the holidays are behind us once again and that beautiful tree in the living room was beginning to feel a little….well….tight. We don’t have the largest living room and with the addition of a ton of new toys, it felt even smaller. So, it was time to declutter.

Decluttering allows me to feel like we have a fresh start.

So, as we took down the tree and put away the ornaments and holiday decorations, we reflected on the good times we had over the holiday and started thinking of all the exciting possibilities the new year brings. It felt so good once that tree was out of the living room and I felt like we had so much space back! My toddler was no longer tripping on toys or stepping on pine needles. We moved the play table back in front of the window and opened up our entryway. It was so nice.

Have you taken the time to declutter and put away the holidays?

I know for a lot of people they like to leave the decorations up and hold on to the feeling of the holidays for as long as they can. That used to be me. But, this year I was really looking forward to having my space back again. I think it’s really important to close one chapter before beginning a new and exciting one. Putting the holiday decorations away was my way of doing that.

I feel a sense of freedom and renewal. It signals to me that it’s time to get to work on my goals and resolutions. And, I think it’s important to have a clean space where you can work and live. This allows your mind to be clear and your focus improves.

Here are some easy steps you can do today to declutter and organize your home after the holidays:

Take down the tree

I know, we all love the tree. It smells good, it casts a beautiful glow on the room, and all those ornaments bring back nostalgic memories. But let’s get real, the pine needles poke into your feet when you are walking, the tree is seriously drying out, and you have no room for anything around it. It’s time to take it down, and trust me, you will feel so much better when you do!

Put away the holiday decorations

I love my little snowmen, and the elves, and since my family celebrates Hanukkah too, the menorah. Give them a little kiss, put them in a box, and look at your room. You will be amazed at how much space you have! The room will instantly feel bigger and less cluttered. And, if it’s looking a little bare, you can always put up some soft white winter decorations. Just something new to bring in the new year.

Put away the old toys

I’m not talking about your child’s favorite stuffed teddy, but any toys that you think they are bored with you should do one of three things: store, re-gift, or donate. I like to do the rotating toys method where you put some toys in boxes and leave others out. Then when they start to get bored with those toys, bring out the stored toys and switch them out. They will seem brand new to your kid and they will have a whole “new” set of toys to play with. And, you won’t have a million toys everywhere in your house. Win-win!

After you do all of this, you will be ready for a new adventure. This was the first step I have taken towards my Journey to Harmony and already I’m feeling better and more motivated! I know you can do it too!

Ok, my toddler is up so I need to go! Best of luck!

Day 1-10:29 pm: It’s the start of a brand new year. Everyone is talking about their resolutions, their goals, and their dreams. I think this is a wonderful time to start fresh and embrace a new and better you. It is a time to become a Millennial Housewife.

Which is why I am revamping my blog.

It’s true I’ve only just started. But after taking a look at several other blogs I realized something. Everyone is claiming to be an “expert” in their niche. They know how to cook, or they started their own business, or they know the best way to get your kid to potty train. They are all sharing their advice with you. Which is great, and I enjoy reading them.

When I started my blog I wanted to feel like an “expert” in something. I wanted to be the expert Millennial Housewife. Then I quickly realized I felt like a fraud. I didn’t actually feel like an “expert” in anything.

And I want to be truthful to you, my readers.

So, I decided to try something new. I am not going to blog about “been there done that” stuff. I’m going to blog about my journey. Because we all have a journey. Nobody magically wakes up one morning and is an expert in something. I think it’s only fair that I bring you along for the ride.

I’ve decided to call this my Journey to Harmony. 

I believe that we all are trying to find harmony, but sometimes it is referred to as “balance”. But as a mom, a wife, and an aspiring mompreneur, I feel there is no such thing as balance. Balance means giving equal attention to each thing. But it doesn’t work that way. Some days your kid needs extra attention. Some days you may need a little more me time. And that’s ok. We all just need to find a way for all our roles to work in harmony with one another. And that means something different for everybody.

I don’t know about you, but currently I don’t feel very harmonious. Some things have been put before others and I need to figure out how to make them all work in harmony.

So I’m about to come clean about a few things and explain what I plan to do about it.

Money

Yes, there’s that word. It’s a word that causes a lot of stress and anxiety for many people, including myself. Money has become a huge elephant in the room for my family.

After teaching, I decided I wanted to be a stay at home mom. But, we didn’t exactly budget for one income, then we leased a car and bought a house. So you can imagine how our bank accounts may have gotten smaller and smaller. We started putting more and more on credit cards and now here we are, in a lot of debt.

We can no longer afford to have me be a full time stay at home mom. I need to find a job, which to be honest, sucks.

I’m going to be sharing my journey of how we are going to get out of this debt.

Job

Mompreneur

But, I think I may have found the “diamond in the rough”. So many moms are becoming “mompreneurs” and starting their own at home businesses. This allows them to work when they want, and be with their kids when they want. They can run the business and bring in money while their kids nap, or are at school. MAGICAL! So many moms have said they have found harmony by starting their own businesses and they feel successful and happy about where they are. That’s what I want.

The thing is, they put in a lot of hard work to get where they are. And, it doesn’t happen overnight. My family needs money now, so I’ll still have to find another job, while I’m building up my business. Yikes! But, I can do it. So can you.

I’m going to share my journey of how I will become a mompreneur.

Feeling Better

Another aspect I want to focus on is feeling better about my body. Do you know what I mean? I want to eat better, and actually exercise. Not just say I’m going to exercise, but actually do it! What’s great is that my toddler is really into yoga (I’ve only done it a few times with her in our living room but she really took to it!), and she is always saying, “Mommy, let’s exercise.” so really, how can I say no to that! So this new year, I’m going to exercise more. Really. Really.

I’m going to share my jouney of how I am going to physically feel better and stronger.

These are all things I think are very familiar to a Millennial Housewife. These are all things people struggle with day in and day out. So why shouldn’t we go on this journey together? It’ll only make us stronger, wiser, and better people. It’ll make us better moms, and wives, and it can only make the world a better place.

I’m so excited to start my Journey to Harmony and I want you to get excited too! Come join my private Facebook Group where we can all share the progress of our journeys and offer support to one another along the way. Because the road will not be easy. It’s not going to be paved in gold. And if we can be there to support each other, it’ll make it just a little bit brighter. Then we can all get there together.

Wishing you all the best on your Journey to Harmony.