We start and end our days in our homes. And for many of us, it’s where we spend most of our days. 

It’s where we dream and rest. 

It’s where we work and play. 

It’s where we entertain in and where we retreat to. 

Our homes often need to be many things for many people. 

The challenge is creating a space for everyone in your household to thrive in. We need to listen to each family member to see what we each need. Do they need a space to be loud and creative? Will they light up in a routine of physical activity, or come alive in a pattern of personal retreat? Do they love a regular routine or one of spontaneity? It’s up to each of us to learn about our people and do what we can to make our homes work for the life-giving rhythms we need.  

Here are some of my favorite resources that have helped shape my household for the better. What’s the next step for the calm, creative, or fruitful outpouring that your household needs? Here were some of the areas where I’ve brought a helpful rhythm in our household routine. 

Meal Planning 

Every day I was ending my workday walking into a kitchen to make dinner, just to stare into a fridge at ingredients that could almost make up a meal. I was tired and tapped out creatively. My whole family was both hungry and tired. I’ve tried meal planning in the past, but something about how simple and rhythmic Kendra Adachi of The Lazy Genius made it worked for me. I have a seasonal and short list of dinner ideas (she calls it a queue) and I only pull from that list to plan for the week. 

Instagram Follows for Food Inspiration: Bri McKoy, Samin Nosrat, Emily Weinstein

Organization

There are a few things in Marie Kondo’s The Magic Art of Tidying Up that changed the way I organize and interact with my home. Her famous question – Does this spark joy? – is fundamental is how I decide to keep something or release the guilt of not wanting it anymore. Another game-changer for me was how she organizes paperwork. I now have one medium size box with one stack of all my important papers. I haven’t had a filing system for my home paperwork for years. At most, it takes me 10 minutes to look through every page in the box to find what I need. Her viewpoint is from a different belief system than my own, so I definitely view it through a Christian lens and keep what agrees with my worldview. 

Instagram Follows for Organization Fun: The Home Edit

Family

After reading The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch, I was challenged the most by looking around my main living space and asking the question – What is my home centered around? I found I had art supplies tucked away and hidden in our house. With kids in the toddler and preschool stages, for years I couldn’t trust that they wouldn’t write on the walls, eat the supplies, or cut their hair. But silently, they grew out of this stage. My kids were ready to be trusted. Since I’ve made art supplies easily accessible, their interest in art has exploded. What a gift! 

Instagram Follows for Family Rhythm Inspiration: Emily Ley

Personal Goals

I thought I was really good at making goals. I’ve met my match with Lara Casey’s Intentional Goal Planner. It changed how I’ve worked on goals and forced me to look at the bigger picture. For instance, I had a simple goal of eating healthier. Sure, that’s noble and it’s easy to stop there. But this planner helped me weave in why this goal was meaningful to me in the first place – being more active as a parent and taking care of my body to have a better quality of life. I love how this goal planner is built to both create big picture ideas and break them apart into achievable steps. Each month, I’ve had a list of items that were baby steps of bigger picture goals. The planner helps me to focus on what matters to me and my personal development year-round. 

Instagram Follows for Personal Development: Justmyennetype

What are some of your favorite resources that have shaped your household?