10 Ways to Be A Better Homemaker in 2024 

I will be 70. I have had the habit of laying out my clothes before I go to bed and look at my daily calendar for the next day. If necessary lay out what I can for breakfast. I have always risen early to pray the Word. Remember don’t be hard on yourself. Children grow up too fast. I actually miss seeing finger prints of little hands and muddy paw prints… there is a season for everything.😊

Oh Jennalee! Don't put so much on your list, please! For every time there is a season. I write this also as a mother of 4 and I get stressed out hearing all of your goals. My kids are grown up now, the boys are gone, the girls still at home. NOW I have time to do all of this... Be graceful to your self and enjoy this season of your life! Greetings from Germany! I always love to watch your videos! ❤ Be blessed! Mia

I’m also a homeschooling mom and also struggle putting laundry away. I’ve FINALLY unlocked the secret for myself. I assign another task to folding. I listen to a kid read aloud and help them while I fold, or I sit next to the piano while they practice and fold. I accomplish more while multitasking. 🤷‍♀️ That’s how my brain works.

Your list makes a lot of sense. You are also being real about taking baby steps. On the laundry front ( a constant in our house!): I find it easy to do 2 loads a day-one clothing and one specific. The clothing one needs washed, dried, folded and put away/put in right room. The other load is something like towels that can easily be put back in the bathroom without much effort. This could also be a blanket, set of sheets, or a special sweater that needs washed and put on a rack to dry. The second load just takes less effort to put away. This helps me keep a better handle on things. Best wishes in 2024!

I understand where you are coming from, as a mom that raised 5 sons. There will always be chores and having your kids involved prepares them for adulthood. I used to take them hiking on a regular basis and camping every summer with my parents. I’ve always done remodeling but really what my boys remember most are the outdoor adventures. When empty nesting syndrome hit me I stopped doing the outdoor adventures… that’s what I’m going to bring back into my schedule and include my grandchildren…. When my boys where young I would choose one to be the “navigator” and the others were “Explorers” and the journey was always full of adventure, good stories and conversations. Something about the fresh air and smell of pine trees that is such an indescribable euphoria.

You start mopping and the kids walked in along with the dog. 😂 All I could think is yep that's what happens every time you go to mop thr floor. Could your older kids maybe help you out with taking turns sweeping the kitchen floor? Little things can add up.

My aunt told me many years ago that she washes one load every day - white clothes one day and colored the next. I have tried to ascribe to this plan and also often add jeans and towels together. It really helps keep down that mountain of laundry. I also read on FlyLady (decluttering program) that a load of laundry can normally be folded and put away in 7 minutes. Since it is not my favorite thing to do, I set a timer for 7 minutes to focus on that task . These things help us keep the laundry manageable. BTW I spend my early morning rising as you are doing - scriptures, prayer, calendar/journal and of course coffee. It is my favorite time of the day. Best Wishes.

Hi Jenilee, great ideas!! Have you got a a delay setting on your washing machine? If so try setting your machine to start an hour before you get up. Then the first load of laundry is done or nearly done by the time you are up. Its been a gamechanger with keeping on top of the laundry. You are doing a wonderful job as homemaker for your family xx

Okay, two things... 1- can we pleasee be Friends!! I literally felt a bit blown away by each item or goal on your list because I agreed with each and everyone of them for our household (+ personally, too.) 😅 Seeing this video honestly made me feel not alone & I sort of felt like God was saying, "see Bethany we all have our downfalls." I've felt so much guilt lately and like I'm absolutely failing in caring for my home & family (even when i know I'm not.) Thank you for this!

What really helped me with Laundry was investing in a commercial Speed Queen washer and dryer. They are no nonsense machines that wash and dry big loads so much faster. I can easily get eight loads a day done, so I do it just once a week like clockwork. P.S. You look very pretty in this video.

I also started doing a load of laundry a day and i discovered that by thursday i would be done and my family wouldnt need any more laundry until next monday. That meant free friday and weekends! On mondays i do all towels and dishcloths, tuesdays are for kids clothes, wednesdays i do adults clothes and thursdays are for changing and washing bed linens. It also means that at least by thursday everybody has got to have a bath! Because i do not alow anyone to sleep on fresh sheets without a fresh clean body!!!!😂😂😂😂

When my family was growing up I had a clothes basket for every child and as their laundry came out of the drier I dropped them into their baskets…..the older children had to help fold laundry and put it away. I also limited the amount of clothes because it’s easy for them to grab and dump so I allowed four outfits and often an outfit could be worn two days. In winter sweat pants and shirt were put on at night and then worn the next day ……. My daughters home schooled and they found sticking to a set routine like school starts at 8……. Break at 9:30 for small snack….then lunch at 12:00 followed by outdoor time…..taking a walk, playing ball or running around to get their energy used. 1:00 was an hour of school followed by an hour of quiet time…..no playing, reading, coloring, building blocks but no running around because it was baby nap time. Each child had a quiet space by themselves……littles can learn this…. Dinner prep time theyd have a older child read aloud a story…….help sweep floors and littles set the table……. They had a list of chores and when completed after a week they had a choice of a treat, or a movie or some allowance they could learn to save…… Dinner clean up…..one child can use a battery sweeper to clean floor…..one child wipe cupboards and another wipe chairs…..children are very capable of helping and they learn to respect what they have to clean…. Decluttering is essential……..have baskets for toys and if they take toys out they must put away or they go to the charity bag…….. Another I instilled with my kids was evening quiet time….they went to bed a certain time no begging out and they could read an hour before bed which helped them relax…their father and I did the same…that was an hour for us to unwind, talk , read and relax….. It takes awhile to make this work but it’ll help with having a routine , everyone works together and if it’s just a hit and Miss it’ll never succeed.

I love having a candle going after I gave the kitchen a good cleaning ! When I do laundry I clean, dry, fold and separate. Then as a family (even my husband) we all put the laundry away at the same time. I hand the kids let’s say all their clean shirts and say put this in their shirt drawer and tell them to come back for the next item. I totally understand about being on a budget! I’m a stay at home mom which means we have one income coming in. But I’m ok with that because I get to raise my kids. We can only do our best. I love your videos 💕

Something that helps me with laundry…part of my before bed routine is that I toss a load of laundry in the washer + soap…so it is ready for me to start it when I wake in the morning. As I wake and head to the kitchen for coffee each morning, I pop into the laundry room and press the start button. And viola, my first load is done around the time I’ve finished my coffee and spent time with my family, had my quiet time, and did my daily planning. I don’t even think about it anymore…it’s just a nightly thing I do, that takes 2 minutes.

I had to do laundry everyday. The idea of a huge pile to wash fold and put away would bring me sooo down! It’s just something you do, like making coffee each morning. The kitchen floor? Sweep everyday and once a week mopping is fine, unless there is a huge mess to clean. Give yourself some Grace… we all feel this way in seasons of our lives, you are in the middle of raising, feeding children and homeschooling! Do a roll call when there is laundry to put away. Have them all stop what they’re doing and go put away their own pile. you are doing Great! Do you follow Farm house on Boone? You remind me of her. I also have an older home with no big closet space. I rotate my seasonal clothes into flat storage under my bed lol!

FANTASTIC ideas!!! I have come a LOOONG way in 'returning' to becoming a better homemaker. I put my trust in Jesus now for strength, ability and peace about so many things and I find myself able to accomplish more than I ever dreamed imaginable! My joy is home canning. The more I can the more joy I have. I have a problem with paper. Paper EVERYWHERE!! I need to destroy junk mail IMMEDIATELY instead of letting it pile up till I'm sick of looking at it. Food is another thing I let pile up. Oh I'll save that leftover in the freezer and we'll finish it next week I tell myself. Next week never comes and when I finally pull it out, it's freezer burnt beyond recognition. I will set goals this year thanks to your laundry mishap. (😘😂😘) Beginning with wash, dry and PUT AWAY!! Bless your heart we've all been there. Thanks for your honesty and great ideas! 💞🙏🏼💞

Would you care for a tip? Tape some old newspaper pages around the trash can. It will not be glamorous but it will save your cupboards and walls and your sanity!!!! Replace the paper as needed. Maybe you can get some fancier looking paper.

We try not to do really huge loads at once. They are discouraging to fold and put away. Lots of smaller ones make it not seem do bad. We just bought a speed queen washer and dryer. Best investment ever. Laundry mat quality. 👍 And made in USA 🇺🇸. (Mrs. Z)

I'm a mother of 4, they are little but I implemented that they have to put their clothing away themselves. Each kid has his laundry basket, so when I do a load it's only one kid. I fold it on their respective bed and they have to put it away. I help the little ones a little but it became something we do together as opposed to a chore I have to add to my list. They actually get excited when it's their turn to have their laundry done

I have always done a load or two a day. My hangers are in the laundry room. Then the kids would put it away. When they got older I labeled the laundry baskets and lined them up. Then I wrote the directions for washing and drying on the basket. Like directions for whites and colors. Towels and sheets.

😁our rule was if you went up stairs, you take your stuff up-if not, you had to do “laps” up and down the stairs 2x per item (boys think it is hilarious to catch each other). It became a habit.

I do think that there are extra things people do that are not always necessary and make the schedule heavier. For instance, cooking so many things a day, cleaning which is also the husband responsibility to clean his home (he can hoover before going to work). Homeschooling is not compulsory ; parents or close friends could come to babysit once in a while so that an evening out can be enjoyed. ; having a big garden...It is not how to be a better homemaker, but how to understand our limits. Cheers !

Regarding laundry: purge first-if you were going on a two week vacation, what would you pack (these usually are your favorite things to wear), then take a serious look at what is left; though large baskets “hold” more I found getting three laundry baskets that hold “one load” each worked better because anyone can see when it’s full and can put a load in to wash. One basket for whites, one for darks, and one for towels. I also printed simple and clear laminated tags for each basket so anyone could wash them.

Great idea !!! Donation bag by front door. Thank you👍👍👍

Declutter, I’m a lot older than you lol, my grandkids have made me stuff that I just can’t bare to get rid of. I love having there gifts out so they know I enjoy them. But I have so much. It’s so hard.

Downsizing how many clothes our kids have has helped so much! Washing and drying is easy, so having less to pile up is helpful to me. I've also been having the kids put their dirty clothes straight into the washer when they change, and this helps them out clothes away when it's less overwhelming, and they don't run out of clothes

Wonderful inspiration for us all. Waking up before my kids to have a coffee and read my Bible before the hustle and bustle starts, fills me for what the day brings. You are going to do wonderfully with a your 10! ❤️

Olá Jenilee!! Desejo que consiga realizar todos os seus projetos! Deus abençoe sua vida 🙏

Lovely chat...I like your list. Thank you for sharing 😊

I try to do a load of laundry a day. I start a load each morning, switch to dryer mid morning, and then I can usually fold around lunch break (I homeschool too). I fold each item as it comes out of the drier and make stacks for each family member. Then the kids put away their own laundry. Sometimes I get behind and then I spend a day catching up. 😊

My kitchen floors😂😂😂😂🎉 I stay busy on the counters, that I forget to look down... I will try to do them more, too!!!

Thanks for a great video! I hear you on the laundry. When my kids were the ages of yours, i also struggled with the whole laundry routine! What i do now that works for me is like you I try and handle one load of laundry a day. I try and start a load and get it over to the dryer. and then I try and put away the dryer load from the day before. That way everything can be done in a small window and I am not waiting for the washing and the drying to get done. Also, each of my kids has a clean laundry bucket in the laundry room. The clothes come out of the dryer or off the line and get quickly sorted and put into their individual laundry bins. Again, this way if they need clean clothes they know where to find them. Then once a week when they do their weekly chores, they put away their laundry if it hasn't already been done. I like this routine because my younger children could also quickly sort a load of laundry and put it into everyone's bins. So i am never behind on laundry. I do fold my kitchen towels etc, and I fold and put away my clothes and my husbands. We keep our clothes paired way down (like you were saying you are doing now). This has also made a tremendous difference. My littlest guy (who is now 11) just has a small bucket for pants, one for shirts, one of pjs, and one for socks and underwear. When he has to put away his laundry bucket he just resorts his laundry but doesn't fold it. This is what we did when they were younger. My older boys and daughter like to fold their laundry. The laundry in the clean buckets really doesn't get too wrinkled because the clothes are just lightly laying in there and not being smashed in the buckets.If it is something that i think will get too wrinkled i'll either just hang it up for them or lightly fold it or drape it over the side. And you are so right! that you are on here to share ideas and encouragement and not asking for our permission!! That is excellent. So please know that this is also just what works for us and I am not trying to tell you what to do. :) 🥰 Sorry this is a long message:) But i just have to tell you that my daughter could not stop giggling when she watched you mop your floor and then the dog came through and then the whole family 😂

I'm starting homeschooling this year as well (my oldest turned 5 on the 3rd of January) and I already feel like I don't got this 😅 I'm a homemaker and mom to a 5 year old and twin 3 year olds, and trying to keep up has been my life for the last 3.5 years. I have very very common goals as you. Especially self care, laundry, bread, and kitchen floor!! 💕 I wish you luck in your endeavors!

I love your ideas and wish you the best in conquering them. Your heart is in the right place and you are an encouragement to me. God bless you and yours.

This feels kindred SO MUCH SO!!! Same with- no new yrs resolution but dragged into the new year wanting to do better!!! Caring for husbands second surgery Jan 2 after the holidays etc and a sort of funk settled in harder😩than it already was! I retired from the beauty biz 1 yr ago where I was full on hair makeup outfit and now I look like I gave up completely🤷‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😵‍💫. I’m setting goal to find balance in looking my best for this new season of lifestyle! I always get up before everyone but have been enjoying that long relaxing too much so I’ve got to get back to making my list the day before so I can read over it first thing while drinking my morning coffee! I too let the fun go away -I enjoy scrapbooking-I have my own space finally and quite the collection but dove so deep into the garden and fermenting and preserving which I do so enjoy but it’s work and I’d love to get back to allotting time for the joy of preserving memories! Girl my late hot bath all alone uninterrupted watching RU-vid is my jam!😜

Good advice and good goals!!

Thank you for sharing 🌷 I always enjoy watching your videos...have a lovely week x

Hi from southeast Missouri! It's like you made a list of almost everything I've planned to work on this year. So many of the things on your list are what I've been working on and planning for this year.

❤ YOU ARE AMAZING MÒMMA. I TRY TO GET STARTED BUT THIS OLD DOG IS ALITTLE LATE. AT 66 YRS OLD. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

Love your Blue dishes!😍

You are AWESOME! I love #9; having fun in our homemaking roles is so important - I can't wait to see what you do. I am going to try wallpaper for my first time this year too! And I totally relate to stuff on the stairs. We have a halfway landing that I put a basket on. Everything from downstairs that needs to go up gets thrown into the basket and on Friday, the kids' chore is to put it all away upstairs where it belongs! Love your videos and encouragement!

I really enjoy your videos, mom. They are very inspirational and I've just subscribed. Please keep making inspirational videos.

It is definitely rhythm and routine that I get into In my kitchen, laundry one load per day first thing in the morning, and the rest of the house The kids and the chickens and garden It is a system I have to stick too Vacuum everyday and mop once per week Etc … once you get the ball rolling it will get easier to keep it up

Enjoyed.

Oh I felt for you when you started mopping and everyone including the dog walked in 😂 Thank you as always for your encouragement and transparency ❤

Thank you for your inspiration. I wanted to share one thing that we do in our house in regards to clothes. At the beginning of each year we will hang our clothes but turn the hanger backwards an DC as we wear them we will put them back normally and at the end of 6 month or 1 year what ever us still turned we donate. I know you don’t have closets but may by you could fold them one way and as you wear them and put them away do it differently. Just a thought hope it doesn’t sound silly. I know you are a very busy mom and you do so much already. Thanks for your channel.

I saw some of myself in this so much! Vitamins, I always forget to take them. The kitchen floor...Oh so guilty! I've had it on my list to mop the floor for a few weeks now lol. But of course, we have snow and a dog that goes in and out, but it still needs to be done. I don't make sour dough bread, but I do make bread every week, at it's still your hamburger bun recipe turned into bread lol. I do make hamburger buns also lol. In fact, I have some in the freezer right now for when I need them. One thing I MUST do is get better with cleaning my home again. I used to have a regular cleaning routine that I did every week. When the pandemic hit, I worked from home, and it was so easy to do. When I work all day outside of the home, I don't want to come home and spend all night working and I definitely don't want my Saturday to just be cleaning. I will figure it out. Maybe just pick one room a day.

Have you thought of getting a spin mop would be so much easier on you.. Love your channel ❤❤❤

You look beautiful! These are all worthy goals and desires. But life tends to throw road blocks in your way. So if things don't go according to plan, don't get thrown off. Remember this is a season. You will never regret time caring for the kids needs. You will regret if everything else takes priority. I had many years of laundry always waiting to be done. Kids are grown, blessed with eleven wonderful grandkids and now I stay on top of the laundry. If you are doing homeschooling correctly, it takes lots of time. So be careful how much you pressure yourself in other areas. P.S. I would love a video on water kefir. I know nothing about it.

I love your apron! Did you make it

I am so here for all of these homemaking goals! I will join you on this ❤🙏🏻 also have a goal of fermenting and gut health and exercise. 2024 is the year!🎉

Great goals. I think I'll borrow a few.😉

I do all my washing at night ready to put on the line in the morning. I never go to bed until the house is tidy and put together ready for the next day. This is crucial for my mental and emotional health. Im the head and not the tail. I had a rule with my husband that he doesnt go to school until im showered dressed and ready to tackle the day.

Getting back into a halfway decent schedule and getting school done is so hard! This is also our first year, and we're still sleeping in 🫣

I love your dishes!! Where did you get them or the name of the pattern? A lot of great advise! 😊

Another thing that really helped me, was to buy a huge commercial floor mat for the door. It's nearly wall to wall in the entry and just soaks up the dirt and water like crazy.

Great video

Good advice

Nice😊

I'm not a morning person, so i tend to stay up after the kids go to bed to get my quite time. I try to do a load a day but I hate putting it away. I also need to condense the about of clothing we have. I have 4 kids ages 3 and under and 3 dogs. I'm 49, so the energy isn't there the way it was with my adult children. I started a sourdough starter today, so I'm hoping to make bread more often this year.

Hi Jenille things happen 1-21-2024❤

Love your apron where did you get it?

Hi 👋. I have a question about your bread. I’ve been making sourdough for 2 years this month but I never freeze it unless it’s like the ends that have gone stale to make breadcrumbs or something. But I want to start! Do you slice it first? And after it’s frozen, do you have to toast it to serve it? Or do you have another way of thawing it? Thank you. This video inspired me. We were on vacation and I’m soooo behind on laundry too.

Could u tell me how u store your bread in the freezer? I just love your videos. Thx.

Thank you 💜🐨🇦🇺🦘

I do a load of laundry per day, but that's just week days.

You look so pretty.

Thanks for sharing! New subscriber here. ❤

I just love watching you. Your videos are so peaceful and enjoyable! I love your beautiful hair and wanted to know if I can gift 🎁 you with hair accessories?

Jenilee, do you not have a washer dryer?oh I see it now, I though you said you went to laundry mat😅

Advice from a midlife mama of many kids: 1. Once an area is set, keep up on it. It's easier than constant tornado clean up. 2. If kids need a space, dedicate one so tornadoes don't take over. 3. I found that doing laundry once a week-make piles and just keep up on it helped. I then add in towels throughout the week and sheets as needed. It's the best method so that when a kid throws up the machine is usually available. It also helps my mind as a clean laundry room makes me feel less cluttered. Pro tip: everyone can help with any of it. 4. Meal plan. It helps with bulk buying, storage, options, etc. 5. Keep. the. Toilets. Clean. If I've learned anything is that I need a clean kitchen at night because I can't stand coming in to a dirty kitchen in the morning. It's like leftover work. It sets the mood. AND back to comment on laundry: clean toilets ensures that if my face is in the bowl cuz I'm sick I'm not nose close to a mess. Routine seems boring but it's easier to catch up than start over. So, my mantra has helped with that. ❤

It is hard when you have a young family. Does you husband help you?

Ik heb redpect voor wat je doet voor u huishouden. Maar de keuken dweilen en matte wassen in u keuken lavabo vind ik nie zo hygienes toch.

where in the Bible states a mother raise her children ?