The Hot Mess Healer

04/12/2026

Who needs doors? Open that baby up! Getting dressed should be fun 👗

04/10/2026

What are some strengths of children who grow up in an organized home?

- enhanced focus and learning
- better problem-solving skills
- stronger mathematical skills
- higher self-confidence
- better at following directions
- better at gathering information
- enhanced coping skills both socially and academically
- learned responsibility
- increased independence and creativity
- parented in a calm environment

Motivation runs deep!

04/09/2026

April Organizing is the new Spring Cleaning 🌼🧹🧼 organizer

04/08/2026

The Spring Edition of Hot Mess Healed

A Seasonal Newsletter

02/12/2026

Do you feel like you’re drowning in responsibilities, clutter, and paper?

Do you struggle with schedule, regular habits, and organizing your life?

Kelly from The Hot Mess Healer is a certified Household Management Specialist and Professional Organizer through NAPO. The Hot Mess Healer offers multiple organizational services including a brand new course coming soon on Becoming Your Household CEO.

Find out which service would be best suited for you at www.thehotmesshealerma.com.

01/30/2026

#29

Build your Mom Survival Kits and keep them by the door.

Sure, every mom has a diaper bag, but as kids get older and busier they need boredom busters as much as babies need diapers. When my kids were small and I was running around to activities juggling the others while one was doing their thing, I started packing activity bags. They had all sorts of things from coloring books and markers to Velcro games and dry erase cards. They had snacks and books and puzzles and small toys. I kept it stocked and ready to go so no matter where I was off to I could grab it and have ways to keep my chickens busy. It was a life saver. I also had a grocery shopping kit and car organizers of course. I no longer have or need these and never thought to photograph them back in the chaos, so I'll instead include a picture of the chickens in question back in the day for credential's sake!

Build your survival bags and keep them in your entryway or mudroom.

01/29/2026

#28

Over-the-Door Organizers are your best friends.

I have a favorite over-the-door organizer with strong, thick cardboard inserts and clear windows that I can easily and clearly label. I have put these in bathrooms, laundry rooms, entryways, and bedrooms and the amount of space they create for organizing small, loose items is wonderful. If you’re working with a small room with very little storage and possibly a tight budget, this is a fantastic solution.

01/28/2026

#27

One in and One Out, People.

This is a popular organizing concept that says if you’re going to buy something new, you need to get rid of something else that you already own. The idea is that we try to curb the overabundance before it happens. It also means that you need to be a more thoughtful shopper. Do you really need this item? Do you already own something like it? Do you have space for this item? Are you making a purchase to fulfil an emotional need that you’re neglecting to deal with?

It's okay to enjoy shopping but remember to do it with your space in mind!

01/27/2026

#26

Organize by Routine and Function.

It would be easy to organize a space by putting all like items together and slapping a label on them, but that would be disregarding the most important principle of all which is how you use those things.

In the kitchen it makes sense to organize by function so that the items we need when using each appliance are easily accessible during food preparation, cooking, cleaning, and so on. In the bathroom, you should organize based on your morning and evening routines. I give you permission to mix your skin and hair products into one drawer for the morning if it will make things go smoother and you will waste less time.

You can still have a beautiful closet full of bins labeled “Hair”, “Nails”, and “Bath” but thinking about your routines and the way you function in your day elevates your organized life to a more sophisticated level.

01/26/2026

#25

Schedule yourself a “Put Away Hour” and a “Catch-Up Day”.

What is “Put Away Hour”? It’s quite simple. It’s when you take a basket and walk around your house collecting all the things that don’t belong. Then you saunter around your home putting them back. Similarly, a “Catch-Up Day” is when you plan and set aside a time to regain order over you life and home on the chance that it might need restoring. If it doesn’t? Yay, you! You just found yourself a free day for something better. But since this is real life and real life involves hiccups, sickness, overtime at jobs, sleepless nights with kids, and backed up chores, let’s just assume you’ll need one of these every month or two and plan for it. This is by no means an admission that you can’t stay organized. It is a protective feature to maintaining a life you value.

Go ahead. Put it in your calendar now.

01/25/2026

#24

Don’t tell your kids to clean their rooms if you’ve never taught them how.

This is a tough one because most of us adults assume the kids must know what we mean when we say “clean your room”. But often they have no idea. We’ll later find things stuffed into the closet or under the bed or in the drawers because the kids truly don’t know where they go or maybe those things don’t even have a place where they belong.

This is where you need to teach them the sort – keep, donate, or trash. Then it’s time for finding a “home” for each of their things, adding labels, and giving a lesson on folding. Finish this with an ordered list of How To Clean My Room that comes out each week because kids always benefit from having something spelled out. Remind them that cleaning their room will be a short task if they only put things away each and every day for a quick minute. Creating good habits now will only help them extend these lessons into schoolwork, sports, and real jobs later on.

Mom Tip: Lots of praise for a job well done has always worked better than any reward I could come up with. Even kids love to feel organized and in control.