Cleaning & Organizing — The Happiest Home

The more you do it, the better you get. The better you get, the more fun you’ll have.

by Meagan Francis November 13, 2013

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke at a local parenting group about how to get healthy, family-friendly meals on the table when you’ve got limited time, money, skills…and, let’s face it, desire. I told the audience about how, when I was a new mom, we ate “blue box” mac and cheese, ramen noodles, spaghetti […]

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3 (totally not) shameful ways I slack off around the house

by Meagan Francis September 10, 2013

To the outside eye, my house looks relatively neat and clean. You might get the impression that I run quite a tight, orderly ship around here. But under the surface of any peaceful home, I believe, are a series of small cheats that allow us to feel like we’re getting away with something even as […]

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Wanted: your ickiest mom moments

by Meagan Francis July 7, 2013

This post is sponsored by Clorox. When it comes to cleaning, I have a bit of a multiple personality. I’m all about gentle, essential-oil-scented cleaners for everyday housekeeping, but when it comes to the Big Messes of life, I don’t hesitate to pull out the Big Guns. Take, for example, our family’s multi-generational Stomach Bug […]

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VIDEO: Organize your freezer in time for the summer harvest!

by Meagan Francis June 13, 2013

This time of year, my freezer starts to need a good cleaning. All the CSA fruits and veggies I froze last summer and fall are pretty much used up by now, and after a winter’s worth of kids pulling stuff out and jamming it back in wherever it fits, it’s looking pretty messy. For my […]

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5 (totally practical) ways to use repurposed glass jars

by Sarah Powers April 24, 2013

This post is by Sarah Powers, Happiest Home contributor and Managing Editor, and blogger at Powers of Mine. A year or so ago, I started saving glass jars. Inspired by the seemingly overnight rise in trendiness of the Mason jar, and coupled with a sort of obsessive satisfaction I get out of not wasting things, my […]

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The Honest Company: free trial plus free shipping offer on non-toxic household cleaners

by Meagan Francis March 28, 2013

I admit it: I sort of like to clean the bathroom. I know that might make me sound a little, well, unbalanced, but it’s true. I think it’s because bathrooms are such a finite, manageable space. It’s not like a kitchen, where there are about eight zillion jobs associated with getting it truly clean: appliances […]

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Sometimes it’s OK to be a control freak (or, why I don’t delegate certain tasks.)

by Meagan Francis March 11, 2013

Recently a friend of mine, Bonny, was telling me about her family’s disregard for her carefully-constructed grocery budget, which she tries to keep to under $50 a week. (Yes, really.) With five kids in the house, including teens, and a full-time job, Bonny tried to delegate the task of grocery shopping and cooking a few times, but […]

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"It’s faster just to do it myself."

by Meagan Francis February 15, 2013

Here’s a post from the archives that seems especially relevant right now, as I’m looking around at random messes and piles that I should really tell the kids to take care of… The dishes, not washed correctly the first time. The towels left wadded up on the floor. The toys and candy wrappers (hello, post-Valentine’s […]

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Getting kids to clean up: how to motivate and direct your pint-sized help

by Meagan Francis February 5, 2013

As we move into February – which, despite its short duration, can often feel like the longest month of the year – the state of our homes can make a big impact. Because when it’s freezing or sleeting out, we can’t LEAVE! So I thought I’d republish this post from last year to give you […]

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On looking past the mess & seeing beauty in bits

by Guest Blogger January 25, 2013

This is a guest post by Jennifer L.W. Fink of Blogging ‘Bout Boys. The house was a mess. Boys #2 and #3 had been home sick for the better part of a week. Blankets, couch cushions, plastic cups and candy wrappers littered the living room floor. The kitchen counter was stacked high with two days’ worth […]

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