This is the final post in the Organize Your Home series, so I thought I’d dedicate it to ourselves. We’ve taken care of our homes and cars and now we need to take care of ourselves!

Skincare Maintenance

Now that your home and car are well organized, it is time to turn your attention to yourself. It is important to make sure you are taking car your body, mind and self. After all, a well-organized space will lead to a well-organized self and well-organized life. Let’s start with your skin.

Your skin is a direct reflection of your health and the effort you make to maintain its glow. It doesn’t take a long time to get into a positive skincare routine. Below are the steps of an effective skin care routine. Each step will seem like second nature to you once you become familiar with it.

• Clean: The first and most important step is proper cleansing of the face. Wash the face and neck every morning and night with an appropriate cleaner for your skin type. If you’re young and dealing with acne, you would benefit more from a cleanser that contains some salicylic acid to control oil and shine. If you have more mature skin, you would benefit from a cleanser that is more gentle and moisturizing on the face. Those with skin types in the middle of the spectrum would do well with a gentle, all-purpose cleanser.
• Exfoliate: Exfoliation will help speed up the process of cell regeneration, bringing to the surface newer, younger-looking skin cells. Just use a slightly abrasive facial exfoliating pad on the face every other day. If you see that your skin is getting irritated, then reduce the frequency of exfoliation.
• Tone: Toning is a good idea for everyone, but is particularly useful if you have large pores or oily skin. There are many toners and astringents on the market, but one of the most popular options is simple Witch Hazel applied to the skin with a cotton ball.
• Moisturize: Everyone needs a good quality moisturizer on the face, even those with oilier skin types. Moisturizer treats the skin with beneficial ingredients and acts as a barrier against environmental pollutants.

If you’re interested in all-natural, homemade beauty products, here are some ideas to consider:

• Hair mask: Use full-fat mayonnaise. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Hair cleanser: Spray your hair with some apple cider vinegar, let it sit for 5 minutes, and then rinse.
• Facial scrub: Apply cornmeal in circular motions.
• Facial mask: Apply a mixture of honey, olive oil, yogurt, and an egg white to your face, let it sit for 20 minutes, and then rinse.

Change it Up to Get Going

If you are feeling particularly unmotivated (or just lazy) one day, but know that you need to get some things done, think of ways to spice things up. This means finding out what inspires you and using that to propel you into the activity. Here are some examples of ways to spice things up:

• Need to work out but can’t seem to get off the couch? Make a playlist of your favorite, upbeat songs and use it to dance around the house.
• Want a romantic dinner with your sweetie, but don’t know where to start? Set the scene with amazing ambience: use lit candles, sweet music, and fine china.
• Don’t feel like getting out of bed in the morning? Buy a special mug that makes you smile, and only use that as your morning cup. Take a few minutes to enjoy the peace each morning.
• Hate folding laundry or sorting through the mail? Do it while watching your favorite television show and you won’t realize how quickly the time passes.

Rest in your personal oasis

If you have been craving some good-quality sleep, but just can’t seem to wake up refreshed, then you need some sleep hygiene therapy. There are several tips & techniques that can be used to transform your boring, cluttered bedroom into a relaxing and peaceful haven made for sweet sleep.

• Get rid of the television. I know many people have become so accustomed to having a television in their bedrooms that the thought of doing without it sends shivers down the spines of many people. It distracts and awakens rather than relaxes, which is not a good idea for the bedroom.
• Remove extra junk. If the bedroom seems cluttered with papers, bags, clothes, magazines, etc., then it is hard to truly relax and feel peace in there. Take a few minutes each night before turning in to remove the extra junk that seemed to accumulate in your bedroom.
• Buy luxurious linens. You don’t need to re-finance the house to afford decent bed linens. Invest in a sheet set made of at least 200 thread count in 100% cotton, and you will feel much more inclined to get into bed and cuddle in the sheets.
• Bright colors seem to invigorate, while muted colors seem to relax. So choose pale greens, grays & blues for the bedroom to maximum relaxation effect. If you do not want to re-paint the room, choose linens in those colors.

Be Romantic with Your Partner

If you have been home all day with a baby/child, you may not feel particularly frisky with your partner in the evening. However, there are some small steps to take to help you feel a bit more in-the-mood. If you just take a little time primping and prepping, you could feel pretty darn sexy in no time. Here are some tips.

• Apply sunless tanning lotion. A little bronzing effect will do wonders with your skin tone and make you appear slimmer and toned.
• Get a manicure/pedicure. Well-polished nails will make a difference when you’re wearing (next to) nothing in the bedroom.
• Use a skin shimmer. A bit of sparkly shimmer on the chest and legs will make you look irresistibly delicious. But use sparingly because you don’t want to look like a neon sign.
• Do a smoky eye. Apply dark eyeshadow and eyeliner on your eyes, along with volumizing mascara, to create bedroom eyes.
• Apply a sexy scent. Pick a signature scent that you only apply in the bedroom with your partner, and in the future, just the smell of this perfume will turn you both on.

Organizing your Time: Multi-tasking for Moms

Every day has 24 hours, but moms sometimes feel they need more like 30 or 40 hours to get things done. There is a good way to organize your time – multi-task!

There is always a to-do list somewhere. You always want to de-clutter this room, or deep clean that room, or make healthy meals, or play with the kids, or take a “mommy-time” bath. The art of multi-tasking for moms is finding a small pocket of time here or there to do a few things at once, thereby saving time and energy. By multi-tasking in small chunks throughout the day every day, you will not even realize how many extra tasks can be accomplished!

• If you are already putting dishes in the dishwasher, take an extra 15 seconds to wipe down the kitchen counters.
• If you are spending the time to de-clutter your closet, collect some unused items in a bag to donate to charity.
• If you are making a casserole for dinner, make three times the amount recommended and freeze the extra for another day.
• If you are heading to the nursery to change the baby’s diaper, pick up a few toys you see in the kitchen on your way.
• Rather than doing all-day cleaning marathons once a week, do a little tidying each day. You will always feel like you live in a well-kept home and will never be forced to spend the whole day with a broom.

Think of ways you can multi-task effortlessly. If you make this a habit every day, you will find that your house – and mind – are more organized.

A Final Note

Your home should be well organized now. You have already set up an effective skin care routine, created a personal bedroom oasis, and sparked some romance with your partner.

Moving forward, focus your time and attention on your family, friends and yourself. Don’t get overly obsessed with cleaning or organizing. Don’t spend every day worrying about perfect labels, categories, and groupings. Although a well-organized space is crucial to a well-organized life and mind, balance is key!

So put in the effort to get your home organized and clean, and then invest only minimal time to maintain it. Spend the bulk of your days enjoying your life and the people in it. After all, that is what truly makes us smile at the end of the day!

To view the rest of the posts in the Home Organization Series, please click here.

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