Daily Cleaning Schedule (+ Petal Aroma)

When I began my new job as a SAHM, I was not prepared for my new reality. In my past life as a school counselor, the hours and emotional toll were hard – not to mention coming home to a family I hadn’t seen all day. So, I splurged and had a housekeeper come twice a month. With this new job? We cut many indulgences, and the cleaning help was the first to go.

In my new SAHM mind, I would have a spotless house because I would be home to clean. I would have dinner on the table. Laundry would be cleaned, folded, and put away. Are you laughing with me yet? These dreams were far from the new reality.

My baby didn’t sleep; my son placed toys in every corner of our house; and dinner for the first year was pretty much sandwiches, pizza, and take-out. I felt helpless and a mess. What time I had was spent sitting or maybe taking a shower. The house was left to fend for itself. I needed to figure out a way to make cleaning happen because the mess was growing.

After trial and error, and the chaos taunting me, I tried a cleaning method to get my house back in some type of shape. I searched Pinterest for ideas then combined a few to come up with my own. My goal – clean one room or complete one cleaning task a day and do one load of laundry. We are busy moms no matter our work, so chunking the cleaning into pieces gives us time to do other things instead of cleaning for hours on end. And when there's ever free time, who wants to spend it cleaning? I vote for a glass of wine and some Real Housewives anytime.

Here is the schedule I *try* to follow. To be honest, some weeks (like this one right now) is so crazy that I just throw in the towel and do a general pick-up each day. Some days, I don’t do a thing because life and toddlers are tough. And if I don’t clean, I am okay with that. But, I created this schedule for the days I do look around and feel overwhelmed. I remind myself it just doesn't all have to be done in one day.

You can change it to fit your schedule or make it fit your family’s needs and routine. The point is – don’t stress about a clean house. I have learned that slowly over the last four years of staying home. I could pick up one thing only to have it destroyed five minutes later – life will go on, and your kids don’t care about the cleanliness. They want you present with them.

Another trick I follow is to have fresh scents in my home – and I am noticing with a growing boy, we need an extra something to kick it up a notch (stinky feet, anyone?). Thank goodness for Petal Aroma. These pearls are produced using only the purest plant-based essential oils and aromatic isolates derived solely from natural, raw botanical sources. They are non-toxic and eco-friendly! The aromatic pearls can be placed in your favorite decorative bowl (or even a wine glass!) and displayed around your home. My favorite places to have them are the kitchen (the lemon scent is perfect here) and the bathrooms (lavender and vanilla are my next favorites).

And, Petal Aroma's next launch is happening now - with this limited time offer, you can receive 20% off your total order and free shipping. Head to see what treats they have for you by clicking HERE and enter this code at check-out: PETAL_20OFF_959

Make your schedule; pick what rooms/tasks you want to conquer each day; get your fresh scents, then put your feet up and relax. Life is messy so take your time and find what works for you. Even better? If your kids are older, involve them in making the schedule and getting some cleaning done too.

No matter what, don’t stress about cleaning. Some days I have to remind myself that little shoes in the kitchen or food crumbs on the floor show life happens here - and that's better than any mess.

What are some of your cleaning tricks/hacks that work for you?