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Housekeeping Routines when Life is Hard @ AVirtuousWoman.org

Housekeeping Routines When Life is Hard

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.

Being able to maintain a relatively neat household is important – especially when life is hard. Homemaking isn’t easy when life is going well. It can be downright difficult when life is hard. Today I’m sharing with you five ways to pare down your housekeeping routines when life is hard.

There are times when life is just really hard. Keeping up with housekeeping routines when life is hard can be a real challenge. For example:

Perhaps you or another family member has been diagnosed with a serious illness and your time is now heavily devoted to treatment and care. You need grace during this time.

Maybe you’ve just had a new baby. Newborns require so much time and attention and that’s the way it should be! Don’t feel bad about spending most of your time hold, nursing, or caring for your newborn. You’re also likely to feel very tired the first few weeks after your baby is born.

Or maybe you have a special needs child. The demands of special needs children can be overwhelming. You need to give yourself grace.

Paring down your housekeeping routines when life is hard can really help you maintain your home while giving yourself grace.

If the situation you’re facing is particularly difficult, it’s a good idea to ask for help. Think about who in your life would be willing to help you with basic housekeeping routines.

  • friends
  • family
  • church members
  • hired help

When life is hard, having a messy house can feel overwhelming like your drowning. You may even feel like you’ll never be able to catch up, much less keep up.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Housekeeping Routines when Life is Hard

1. Pare down your routines. Do only those tasks that are absolutely essential.

  • Keep the kitchen clean.
  • Clean the bathrooms.
  • Dust, sweep, and vacuum only essential rooms: those rooms where people spend most of their time.
  • Do laundry as needed.

2. Be as neat as possible.

Put things away and clean as you go. Use the one minute rule and teach it to everyone in the household.

3. Prepare foods that are simple and require little to no cooking.

  • Use freezer meals when possible.
  • Take advantage of prepared meals.
  • Get takeout.

4. Hire help.

If you can afford to hire help, it’s certainly worth the cost when life is particularly hard. Housekeeping routines can be challenging to keep on top of when life is hard.

You can hire a bonded maid to come in once a week or once every two weeks and do your weekly cleaning.

5. Try to create less laundry.

  • Hang towels up to dry and reuse.
  • Re-wear clothes that are still clean.
  • Rinse out washcloths and hang to dry.

If you are struggling with keeping up with the laundry, you can hire a maid to come and wash all of your laundry once a week.

Paring down your housekeeping routines when life is hard can be extremely helpful when you are in a season of difficulty.

And most of all, remember, give yourself grace. Sometimes life is just hard. I want you to find freedom from perfection. You can live with purpose even during a season of hard.

Action Steps to Take Today

  1. Pray and ask God to show you how you can make your housekeeping routines easier during your difficult season.
  2. Think about doing just the basics. What absolutely must be done each day, each week? Write them down.
  3. Consider which housekeeping routines and tasks you can get help with. Is hiring someone in your budget? If not, ask friends and family for help.
  4. Download my free printable Quick Cleaning Checklist for those days when you have time to do a little extra.
  5. Remember, you are not more worthy of love if your house is immaculate. God loves you with an everlasting love and He sees you.

Free Printable Quick Cleaning Checklist | Cleaning Flowchart

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About Melissa Ringstaff

My name is Melissa Ringstaff and I've been blogging here at A Virtuous Woman since 2001. I'm a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom living in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Southeastern KY. I believe in finding freedom from perfection and living life with purpose and I want to help you do exactly that.

I'm so glad you've stopped by to visit with me. I hope we can be friends!

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Comments

  1. Christy

    August 18, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    Thank you Melissa! My husband and I are going through a difficult time and I am at home alone caring for our children and our home. Thank you for your words of encouragement and tips!!!
    Reply

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Hi There! My name is Melissa Ringstaff and I believe that being a Proverbs 31 Woman isn't about being perfect. Here at A Virtuous Woman you'll find freedom from perfection and the confidence to live your life with purpose.


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purposenotperfection

Freedom from perfection. 🪁
Live with purpose. ✝️
Proverbs 31 for modern women. 👱‍♀️
Wife + Mama + Homemaker + Kentucky
Life: @melissa.ringstaff

Melissa Ringstaff
Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just because there was a pandemic. Our family has faced many trying times in the past but 2020 gave us some doozies.  I’m looking forward to a new year. The beginning of the new year always feels like a fresh start to me. It feels like HOPE.  But the truth is, whatever heartaches and hardships you and I were facing on Dec. 31 will most likely still be there on Jan. 1.  That’s why it’s hard to keep New Years resolutions. It’s easy to feel motivated for a few days or a couple weeks until we realize life hasn’t really changed and things are still hard.  But if we want to see real change it takes hard work and real effort. It takes showing up every day - even when it’s hard.  Whether that means working on your fractured relationships or setting healthy boundaries or cultivating self disciple... whatever that hard thing is that you need to work on ... it will only get better if you work on it.  We aren’t promised an easy life. But we are promised an “Ever Present Help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1  *
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We’re coming into the new year with all the same We’re coming into the new year with all the same problems we had in the last year. And that’s okay! Life doesn’t have to be perfect to still be amazing. Perfectionism is a joy stealer. Let’s determine to enjoy life right now in all its messiness.  I believe you can find freedom from perfection and the confidence to live your life with purpose. #purposenotperfection  #christian #Jesus #love #quotes #quoteslife #quotestoliveby #godisgood #votd #lifequotes #inspirationalquotes #life #motivationalquotes #inspiration #bible #bb #bestoftheday #happiness #wordofgod
🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. 🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. It’s a ministry to your family and all who enter your home.  But I want you to know: You don’t have to be perfect. ❤️  There’s a fine line between teaching your children to be neat and insisting on perfection. No one can meet that kind of standard and it can be detrimental to the emotional health of your family.  What we want for our homes is to provide a space that is neat and clean enough that your family and friends feel comfortable and well loved.  There is freedom in accepting the fact that you’re not perfect. Not to make excuses for slovenliness - but to give yourself grace.  It’s when we recognize our weakness that we find ourselves reaching out to Jesus to receive the power that comes only from him. As homemakers, when we can find grace for the moment when we accept His Gift.  “But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezra 9:8  Let His Grace wash over you, cleanse your weary heart. Homemaking isn’t about creating a perfect space. It’s about creating a home where loved ones feel cared for and nurtured. 
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❤️Your attitude about homemaking matters.⠀
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A homemaker by definition is someone who manages and makes a home. 🏠⠀
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But, anyone can clean and organize a home. ⠀
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☑️ Homemaking is about more than checking off the items on your to do list.⠀
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Learning how to be a homemaker means you learn how to make your home feel like haven of peace and love. You seek out ways to make your home feel inviting. You work at it.⠀
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There is no easy button for homemaking. There are easier, more efficient ways to do chores, but the chores still have to be done. If you live in a house, you will create the need for the house to be tidied every day and cleaned on a regular basis.⠀
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Having the right attitude about homemaking is the first step in learning how to be a homemaker.⠀
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The good news is, even if you’ve been struggling with your homemaking, you can always go to God and ask Him for help. ⠀
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He sees the unseen work of your hands. And He loves you very, very much. He wants to help you succeed. ⠀
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🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regu 🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regular time with Jesus every day, you’re not alone. Lots of busy Christian women struggle to find time for a daily prayer and devotion time. ⠀
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But I still want to encourage you to start your day with God! ⠀
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⏰ If it’s hard to spend 30 minutes in the morning for a quiet time, I want you to remember you can still begin your day with God – even if that means saying a short prayer before your feet hit the floor in the morning.⠀
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✝️ I also want to encourage you to memorize this verse:⠀
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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.⠀
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 📖⠀
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In the morning you can recite this verse and say a prayer. It doesn’t have to take a long time. Although – if you do have time – you will be greatly blessed by spending more time in prayer and devotion.⠀
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📌 Free Printable Morning Prayer Prompts on the blog today: https://avirtuouswoman.org/morning-prayer-prompts/  #linkinbio ⠀
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🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be inte 🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be intentional with how I plan our days. I love any opportunity to create a good memories at home for my family and guests. ⠀⠀
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📌 If you're looking to make this holiday season really special, you need to be intentional. Goodness knows 2020 has had a lot of ups and downs. And maybe you feel like it's been mostly downs. ⠀⠀
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🎄 But the holiday season is a chance to focus on celebrating the life we have right now. Things don't need to be perfect for us to celebrate life right now!!⠀⠀
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☑️ Inside the pages of my Purpose 31 holiday planner, you'll find 8 weeks of planning and cleaning all laid out for you. Recipe pages, journaling pages, and more - 120 pages total. ⠀⠀
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✏️ The Purpose 31 Holiday Planner is by far one of the most popular resource I produce each year. ⠀⠀
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Thousands of women have downloaded it over the last four years I've offered it.⠀⠀
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So, even though it's early still, you can go ahead and downlaod it. Print it out and then set it up so you're ready to go.⠀⠀
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I usually take my holiday planner down to Office Depot and have them spiral bind it with a plastic cover for about $5.00. This year, though, I just bought a new 3 ring binder at Walmart, printed off extra cover pages to slip in the clear sleeve, and created a binder with it. ⠀⠀
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📌📌📌 If you use the planner this year, be sure to share and tag me in your photos! ❤️⠀  Download: https://avirtuouswoman.org/holiday-planner/ #linkinbio
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