The start of a new year is the perfect time to pause, reflect, and gently reset your home. After a busy holiday season filled with extra mess, disrupted routines, and full schedules, many moms crave a fresh start—but without pressure or perfection.
Download my free 30-Day Decluttering Calendar here!
Homemaking in the new year doesn’t have to mean drastic decluttering or unrealistic systems. Instead, it’s about creating a home that supports your family, your rhythms, and your season of life.
Here are simple, practical homemaking tips to help you refresh your home and routines for the new year—without overwhelm.
1. Start With a Gentle Home Reset
Before diving into big projects, focus on a gentle reset. Walk through your home and notice what feels heavy, cluttered, or no longer serves your family. This might look like clearing kitchen counters, donating unused toys, or reorganizing one drawer at a time.
A new year homemaking reset isn’t about doing everything at once—it’s about making small changes that create immediate peace in your space. As soon as all of our Christmas gatherings were over, my husband and I immediately starting organizing the items we received as gifts, and went through our kids’ toys. We got rid of (donated) toys our son no longer plays with, and replaced those toys with new ones that suit his current interests.
As parents of two boys, we are only keeping toys our oldest son really loved, and donating ones that didn’t seem to get much attention the first time around.
Tip: Choose one area per day or per week to refresh.
2. Simplify Your Daily Homemaking Routines
The new year is an ideal time to reassess daily routines. If something feels stressful or unsustainable, it’s okay to let it go. Simple homemaking routines help reduce decision fatigue and create a calmer home.
Consider:
- A consistent morning reset: on days where my husband is home in the morning, one of us tackles remaining dishes while the other hangs out with the kids.
- A quick evening tidy with the kids: let your kids help with chores like laundry, dishes, or vacuuming/sweeping. We love including our toddler in these types of chores, even if it makes them take longer to complete.
- A simple weekly cleaning rhythm: try choosing certain days of the week to complete specific chores. This method doesn’t work for me super well, but works for many other moms.
Routines should serve you, not the other way around.
3. Declutter With Intention (Not Pressure)
Decluttering is a popular new year goal, but it doesn’t have to be extreme. Focus on decluttering with intention—keeping what supports your family’s current needs and letting go of what doesn’t.
Start with high-impact areas like:
- Kitchen cabinets
- Entryway clutter
- Kids’ toys and clothing
Less clutter means less to manage, clean, and think about.
I am constantly decluttering (in fact I feel like I am rarely not decluttering) and always have a donate bag on the go. By always having a donate bag around, I’m always in the decluttering mindset. Once the bag is full, I drop it off at my local thrift store and start a new bag right away. You’d be surprised how quickly you can fill up an entire bag!
Download my free 30-Day Decluttering Calendar here!
4. Create a Realistic Meal Planning System
Meal planning is one of the most effective homemaking habits you can build in the new year. A simple plan saves time, money, and mental energy.
Keep it realistic:
- Rotate favorite meals: our favs are taco bowls, pizza, chicken & rice, and casserole.
- Plan for busy nights: make extra food so you can have leftovers for evenings you anticipate will be busy.
- Use what you already have in your pantry: we are mostly an “ingredient household” and try to use up what we have before going out and purchasing more.
Homemaking doesn’t require fancy meals—just nourishing ones that work for your family.
5. Focus on Homemaking That Supports Motherhood
Your home should support you as a mother, not add stress to your days. As you set new year homemaking goals, consider what would make your daily life easier.
That might look like:
- A cozy corner for quiet moments: create a little nook for your rocking chair, a blanket, and a surface to put your hot drink while you hang out.
- A simple toy rotation: this has saved my life as a mother of 2 boys. My son was obsessed with “dumping” – using a toy rotation system has meant he only has access to a couple toys, meaning there is no dumping (aka me having to clean up trucks 20 times per day)
- Letting go of unrealistic expectations: don’t try to do what works for everyone else, and find what works for you.
6. Set Simple Homemaking Goals for the Year
Instead of long to-do lists, choose a few intentional homemaking goals for the year. These might include:
- Keeping clutter minimal
- Cooking more meals at home
- Creating slower evenings as a family
- Sitting down at the table to eat as a family
- Less screen time
- Developing toy rotation
- More outdoor play time
Small, meaningful goals are far more sustainable than perfection-driven plans.
Final Thoughts
The new year is an opportunity to refresh your home in ways that feel supportive, peaceful, and realistic. Homemaking isn’t about doing more—it’s about creating a space that reflects your values and nurtures your family. By focusing on simple routines, intentional decluttering, and gentle rhythms, you can step into the new year with a home that feels calm, functional, and lived-in—in the best way.
Simple Little Moments 
Leave a comment