Happy 2025! I hope everyone had a wonder holiday season. We are starting off the year with a simple top 10 round up of my favorite homemaking tips from 2024.
Our new year has not started off the best with my husband and I getting sick right after Christmas, but I look forward to what God has for us in this new year.
While we move forward, let’s keep in mind what we learned from last year…
Top Cleaning Tips
Last year we learned a few new ways to clean, becoming a little more efficient, here’s my favorites:
#1 How to Whiten Pillow Cases
We explored two similar methods to whiten yellow pillow cases and how to keep them that way. In the end, I liked the hydrogen peroxide and washing soda method slightly better but you can get similar results using baking soda and dish soap.
#2 Cleaning when You Don’t Have Time
A good chunk of being a homemaker includes cleaning, but we don’t always have the time to do all of our daily cleaning. That is why I put together this Free Printable Quick Cleaning Checklist!
I like having this guide to refer to when I’m overwhelmed but don’t want to fall too far behind, or for when I’m feeling sick and need to get something done so I don’t go insane. It’s there to do the thinking for me, so I can pick and chose what to do now, and what can be done later.
#3 How to Deep Clean Your Dishwasher
Keeping your appliances clean is a very important part of keeping your home clean. Having dirty appliances can affect you and your families health and functionality.
When I found out that my dishwasher being full of mold was part of the reason my health troubles was acting up, I set out to learn how to deep clean that thing and how to maintain it. I had no clue, so if you didn’t know either, here’s a guide for you!
Top Kitchen Tips
I spend a LOT of time in the kitchen, so I’m always looking for ways to make my kitchen function better, here are a few that stand out to me the most.
#1 Making a Meal Plan that Works for You
I’m HUGE fan of meal planning. It save us so much money, and keeps me from getting overwhelmed while grocery shopping.
Bi-weekly meal planning is a great way to stretch ingredients, save money, add variety to your cooking, and keep food from going to waste. I’ve designed a meal planning chart, menu, and grocery shopping list to help you get started in meal planning.
#2 Top 30 Herbs and Spices
Whether you’re a newly wed or just moved out of you parents home for the first time, setting up a kitchen can be overwhelming. There are so many herbs and spice to chose from, so here’s a little guide to help you chose which ones you want to start with!
#3 Keeping a Kitchen Inventory
Keeping a kitchen inventory and meal planning go hand-in-hand. If you already have your own method to meal plan, or are trying my method, keeping a kitchen inventory will save you a lot of head ache.
Having this on hand, will allow you to already know what you have so you’re not wasting money buying what you don’t need, and helps you to know what you need to pick up on the next shopping trip.
This kitchen inventory chart shows you how much you have, what it is, and where it’s located. There’s also a box to check if you need to restock!
#4 Reducing Food Waste
Finding new ways to reduce food waste, is a little exciting to me! It can feel really good to know that the money we spent was used wisely and we got the most out of it.
There are so many ways to reduce food waste, that I’ve made two parts so far! Remember, you don’t have to do all of them to see a differences in your grocery budget, but you will not regret trying a few.
Tips to Make a House a Home
Yes homemaking is a lot of cooking, cleaning, and budgeting, but it’s also creating a comfortable atmosphere in your home. It’s making your home feel like a sanctuary for you, your family, and friends.
There’s so many ways to do this, here’s the ones that I liked from this year:
#1 Add Warm Lighting
This is such as cheap and easy way to make your home feel cozier! Add some warm lights with candles, table lamps, a fireplace, or string lights. Turn off the bright light and enjoy the evening with cozy dim lights, to help you settle down before bed.
There’s is just something so magical feeling to to warm glow of a candle!
#2 Have a Fantastic Family Night at Home
A great way to make a house feel like a home is creating lasting memories with your family!
Some of the ways I like to do this is:
- Have a themed dinner.
- A cozy movie night.
- Indoor Picnics.
All of these things can be done with the kids, with friends, or just you and your spouse for a fun date night. Get creative with is and have fun!
#3 Taking Time for Yourself
You are an important part of what makes your house feel homey. Taking some time for yourself is part of taking care of your home. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and I can guarantee that lack of “me-time” will show up in your homemaking.
Don’t allow yourself to feel burnt out for too long!
Bonus Tip!
Okay, I have one more tip for you: Learn to Enjoy Housework! If you can find little ways to make housework more enjoyable for you, you will soon love doing it!
I’ve learned so much in this past year for homemaking, and I hope you did too!
I’m not real big on New Years resolutions, but I definitely want to continue to grow my homemaking skills this year and keep sharing what I’ve learned with you.
