🏡 How to Stop Picking Up After Everyone All Day Long

 Toys on the floor, clothes on the lounge, dirty dishes on every surface - it adds up fast, and keeping up with it is exhausting. And annoying - it's not your mess!

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You don’t have to be the one doing all the tidying all day. Let's look at some ways to share the load, even with little kids in the mix.

Start by shifting the expectation. It’s not your job to do everything. Your family is a team, and teams work together. I know that won't always mean a perfect 50/50 split, but everyone can help in age-appropriate ways.

Begin with one simple rule: if you get it out, you put it away. Remind your kids (and partner if you have to) gently and consistently. At first you’ll still be prompting, but over time, it becomes the norm.

Make it easier to tidy up. Use open baskets, low hooks, and easy systems so everyone can do their part. If you want toys packed away but the containers are complicated, it just won’t happen. Set everyone up to succeed.

Create natural reset points in your day. For example:

• Quick tidy before lunch
• Quick tidy before screen time
• Quick tidy before bed

It takes just a few minutes, you can get it done in a song or two, and the more regular it becomes, the less mess builds up.

You can also call it a “speed clean” - set a timer for five minutes and get everyone to compete. It’s fast, light-hearted, and more effective than nagging.

And finally, let go of perfection. Your house doesn’t have to be spotless. It just has to be tidy & calm enough for you to breathe and function. Don't aim for magazine style home, you'll end up feeling resentful, overworked, or invisible.

You deserve support. You deserve rest. And you absolutely deserve to live in a home where you’re not the only one picking up the pieces.

Let me know how these go for you! And if you'd like more tips like this, check out The Busy Mum's Guide to Making Life Easier.
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x Marissa

🧺 What to Do When You’re Drowning in Laundry

Do you feel like your laundry basket is never empty?

Washing, drying, folding, and putting away clothes can feel like a full-time job - especially when little people seem to wear five outfits a day. If you’re drowning in laundry, here’s how to get on top of it without losing your cool.

First, let go of the idea that you have to catch up all in one go. A giant laundry day can be exhausting and take over your entire weekend. Instead, aim for one load a day. Wash, dry, and put away just one load from start to finish. It’s quicker, easier, and less overwhelming.

If even one load a day feels like too much right now, try a laundry reset. Pick a day, grab every clean item that’s piled up, and sort it into baskets by person. No folding. Just sorted piles. That alone can make the house feel clearer. Bonus points if you put each basket in the right bedroom.

Next, simplify the folding situation. Do you really need to fold baby clothes, pyjamas, or undies? Probably not. Toss them straight into drawers or baskets and move on. The goal is to make laundry doable - not perfect.

Get the kids involved too. Even toddlers can put their socks in a drawer. Older kids can learn to sort, fold, or put away their own clothes. It might not be neat, but it’s a skill they need and a load off your shoulders.

And finally, if you’re really struggling, consider a laundry day shortcut - like using ​The Laundry Lady​ until you can catch up.. You don’t have to do it all, on your own, all the time.

Laundry will never fully disappear, but it doesn’t have to take over your life. With a few simple tweaks, you can make it manageable again - and finally see the bottom of the basket. 

 x Marissa

P.S. My ​House & Family Binder​ includes helpful tools and simple routines to keep your home - and laundry - running smoothly without the stress.

✅ The Magic of a Family Command Centre (And How to Set One Up)

I know what it's like to juggle school notes, appointment reminders, meal plans, and permission slips all at once - and still feel like I'm forgetting something! A Family Command Centre has been a total game-changer - it’s a single spot in my home where all the important stuff lives, so everyone knows what’s going on and where to find things.

The beauty of a command centre is that it brings everything together in one place. You don’t need to hunt for the calendar or rummage through the bottom of a school bag for that newsletter. It’s all there, visible, and easy to update.

You don’t need a fancy Pinterest-worthy setup (unless that’s your thing). Just a few simple tools will do the trick:

• A weekly calendar or planner
• A spot for incoming and outgoing paperwork (think school forms, bills, and invites)
• A clipboard, whiteboard or book for reminders, to-dos, and meal plans
• A small basket or hooks for keys, bags, or important bits and bobs

Choose a space that’s easy to access, like the kitchen, hallway, or a corner of the living room. The idea is to put it where your family naturally passes through, so it becomes part of the routine.

You can personalise it to suit your needs. Colour code by family member, add a chore list for the kids, or include a space for positive notes and encouragement. I tend to keep mine simple, but you should do whatever helps your household run more smoothly.

A Family Command Centre won’t solve everything, but it makes a massive difference in reducing daily chaos. You’ll forget less, feel more organised, and spend less time answering “Muuuuum, where’s my...?”

It’s a small shift that brings a whole lot of calm to your home - and once you’ve got it set up, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. 

 x Marissa

P.S. My House & Family Binder is the perfect companion to your command centre, with printable tools to help you stay organised in every area of family life.

🏡 💖 The homemaking help you’ve been waiting for

If home life has felt overwhelming, or like one big game of "What did I forget today?" (followed by laundry you definitely forgot about in the washer), this email was meant to find you!

I have the BEST toolkit of resources to help you - the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle is now available, and it’s here to help you get life running a whole lot smoother 💗

Inside, you’ll find:

🌟 25+ expert-created resources (eBooks, printables, courses & more)
🌟 A couple of surprise bonuses (because moms deserve surprises too)
🌟 Systems and support to help you clean less, plan better, and finally feel caught up

And it’s all just $28 🎉 That’s less than a dinner out - for one person!

My online course The Busy Mum's Guide to Making Life Easier is part of the bundle - and it's regular price is $147 so this bundle is an absolute steal.

But be quick! It’s only available until this Friday at midnight ET (USA time).

So if you’re ready to turn chaos into calm, this is your moment 💗

Check out the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle here >>

Enjoy!

x Marissa

P.S. I'm an affiliate for the bundle, so when you purchase using my link, I receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

🌅 Your No-Fuss Morning Routine for Smoother School Days

Mornings with kids can feel like a race against the clock - getting everyone dressed, fed, packed, and out the door on time can be total chaos. But with a few simple shifts, your mornings can feel calmer, smoother, and way less stressful. The secret? A no-fuss routine that works FOR you, not against you.

💖 Start by prepping whatever you can the night before. Lay out clothes (yours too!), pack school bags, and prep lunchboxes or at least the snacks. A five-minute evening effort can save you a heap of time and stress the next day.

💖 In the morning, keep things simple. Try waking up just 10-15 minutes earlier than the kids - it gives you a moment of peace to breathe, get dressed, or sip your tea before the day kicks off.

💖 Stick to a predictable order so the kids know what’s coming next. For example: wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, grab bags, shoes on, out the door. A consistent rhythm takes away the decision-making and stops the nagging (for everyone).

💖 Set up a little “launch zone” near the door with school bags, hats, drink bottles, and anything else that needs to go with you. That way, no one’s running around last minute looking for shoes or a library book.

If the mornings still feel rushed, cut back where you can. Choose easy breakfasts, simple hairstyles, and clothes that don’t need ironing. It’s okay to keep it basic, no one’s judging you at 7am.

And finally, give yourself a break. Not every morning will run smoothly, and that’s okay. You’re doing your best, and that’s more than enough.

A no-fuss routine creates a flow that helps your family start the day feeling calm, connected, and ready for whatever’s ahead.

Enjoy!
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x Marissa

P.S. Want even more support with daily routines? My House & Family Binder includes simple tools to keep school mornings (and the rest of your day) running smoothly.