004 | How to stop hating laundry
& other homemaking tips
Listen to the Podcast:
Are you homemaking on hard mode? Sometimes, I see people doing things the hard way, and honestly, I don’t understand why. I want to walk you through some simple habits that have made my life easier, giving me more time to rest, enjoy my kids, and enjoy my home instead of feeling like a slave to it.
So, go ahead and listen while you’re doing the dishes or putting away laundry, or keep reading!
Stop Folding Your Laundry.
It has come to my attention that there are still people out there folding their laundry. And I just want you to know—you can stop. There’s no rule that says you have to fold your laundry. If you have a system that works for you and it doesn’t involve neatly folded piles, that’s okay!
Even before we had kids, my husband and I decided we didn’t want to spend hours folding laundry every week. So, we use cube storage—specifically an IKEA Kallax unit. Each of us has a bin for shirts, pants, underwear, etc. We throw things in their respective bins, and that’s it.
When we had kids, we kept this system. Each child has a smaller cube storage unit (like this one on amazon with these bins). It takes me about five minutes a week to put away each child’s laundry. Five minutes!
Stop Sorting Laundry
Another major time suck? Sorting laundry. Instead of one big laundry bin for the whole house, each room has its own hamper. My husband has his, I have mine, and the kids share one. When I do a load, it’s all from the same room, so there’s no sorting—it just goes right back where it came from. Simple, right?
Get Rid of Your Socks.
Socks are another battle I refuse to fight. Instead of buying a million different colors and patterns (designed, I’m sure of it, to steal our joy), I bought several packs of plain black socks. They fit all three of my kids. We keep them in a bin by the door, and when we leave the house, I grab two per kid. No more mismatched socks. No more sock mountain.
If laundry is stressing you out, try some of these changes. I promise—it doesn’t have to be a big deal!
Cooking Shouldn't Be a 5 PM Crisis
Are there really people out there cooking from scratch every single day? And starting dinner at 4 or 5 PM? Because I cannot handle that chaos. The other day, I wasn’t even making a full meal—just frying some potatoes and throwing together a salad with a rotisserie chicken—and I was still overwhelmed. It’s just the worst time of day to cook! Everyone’s tired, the kids need attention, that’s a no for me.
I Batch Cook
Here’s my solution: I don’t cook every day. I make a big batch of food, and we eat it for two nights in a row. Chili, soup, shepherd’s pie, enchiladas—whatever it is, I double the recipe. If it’s a casserole, I split it into two dishes, so it’s not all crusty and dried out the second day.
Thankfully, my husband is not picky. He’s just happy to have a homemade meal, so this system works great for us.
I Cook in the Morning
I also never cook at 4 PM if I can help it. Instead, I prep meals in the morning when I have more energy. That might mean tossing something in the slow cooker, assembling a casserole, or just chopping veggies throughout the morning as I have time. By breaking recipes into smaller tasks, I avoid the dinnertime overwhelm.
I Make Half-Homemade Meals
During busy seasons (postpartum, sickness, etc.), I lower my standards a bit. Instead of a full homemade meal, I’ll do something “half-homemade.” Rotisserie chicken with homemade sides, boxed chicken nuggets with a salad—something that lightens my load without totally compromising.
Cooking doesn’t have to be stressful. With a little planning, it can actually be enjoyable!
Simplify Cleaning: Define Your Enough Point
There’s always more that could be cleaned, but you get to decide what’s actually important. I have a mental checklist of what my home needs to feel good enough to me.
For example, my kitchen must be clean and ready for the next day. The dishwasher should be unloaded or running, and the counters should be cleared. I like having the toys picked up, but if that doesn’t happen, I care a lot less than I do about my kitchen being ready to go.
Floors? They can go a few days between sweeping. Baseboards? They’re not even on my radar. Bathrooms? With little kids around, they get cleaned very often because, well…you get it.
Your enough point will be different from mine, and that’s okay! Just make sure you’re not spending time on things that don’t actually matter to you.
Get Off Your Phone
This one might sting a little, but hear me out—if you feel like you “don’t have time” for certain things, check how much time you’re spending on screens. Those little five-minute Instagram scrolls? They add up.
I don’t use social media, and as a stay-at-home mom, I find that I have tons of time. There is always time for the things that truly matter to me. (I talk more about this in Episode 9)
The Truth About Kids and Screens
And while we’re on the topic, screens can also make parenting harder. I know it feels like TV gives you a break, but too much screen time can actually make kids more restless, cranky, and dependent on constant stimulation.
A year ago, our kids were watching several hours of TV a day. Then, when we moved, we just…never set up our TV. Cold turkey. It’s been a year, and we don’t miss it! Our kids play better, are calmer, and entertain themselves so well. My husband and I also have more productive evenings and better sleep.
If you rely on screens heavily right now, don’t feel guilty—some seasons we all go through phases. But if you’ve been wondering whether less screen time might help, I encourage you to give it a try!
Are You Making Homemaking Harder Than It Needs to Be?
At the end of the day, your home should serve you—not the other way around. If something feels like a burden, ask yourself: Is there an easier way to do this?
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Do you already use any of these tips? Do you think I’m crazy for not folding laundry? Let me know in the comments or send me an email (hello@micaela.ca).
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