HOMEMAKER MONTH - Week 3 with Shahde Matiello

Home Organisation, Habits and Routines

Shahde Mattiello is wife to Jason, mum of 2 - Nevaeh 9 and Krew 5 - who loves being organised, having a tidy home and creating beautiful moments with beautiful people in beautiful spaces. She’s sharing some of her tips, tricks and habits that she has.

N: Shahde, thank you for joining me virtually.

S: Oh thank you for asking me to be a part of this :)

N: Tell me please, have you always been an organised person?

S: Ha! NO!!! In my teens I was insanely messy….I actually don’t know the moment i switched..lol

Maybe becoming a wife, a mum? Knowing that I create the feel and vibe in my home, so as time has gone on, I have seen the positives it has over my family and our space…physically and mentally.

N: How does organisation help your home and family?

S: It keeps us in a good head space. I find when our home is tidy and things are in their place, I see it gives us room to think better, be productive, inspired, more creative, less stressed and just have room to breath :)

N: What Christian applications have you made through having an ordered home?

S: “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” is one I like. Our God is a God of love, kindness and all things good so keeping my home tidy, keeps everyone in better spirits…..also, God is a God of Order so I believe that comes down to our homes too.

N: Are your husband and children naturally organised too? Or is it something you’ve had to work on together?

S: Hmmmm???….lol…. my husband has come a looooooong way :) He isn’t messy and/or unorganised but he has definmutely grown in that area over the years and he sure does try because he does love coming home to a tidy house, especially after a stressful day at work. He is the type to eg: kind of let his drawers get a little out of control but then one day will just pull everything out and we both put it in order together, because he does appreciate them being in order and tidy :)

Both our kids do like their rooms tidy and are pretty good at putting things away, of course it has taken A LOT of consistency and repeating myself….but worth it….because now it is a lot easier as they pretty much know the drill.

N: Do you have a daily routine or weekly plan for household chores, tasks and the like?

S: I used to feel like a bit of a slave to my home in my early married years….but now I feel I have found a good happy medium.

I don’t want our home to feel like it’s being run by a sergeant lol… although maybe sometimes I seem it .. ha! I don’t like to have a full “cleaning day” so I do a little a day and even at night once my kids go to bed. It’s good for us to have a balance of giving time to our kids while I still have them little and at home with me.

Sometimes I get it wrong, but keeping myself in check that I’m not just ALL about my daily to-do lists but also making time to stop and be present with my family.

It’s a journey and I'm not great at it all the time but I am a lot better at it and committed to keeping that a priority.

N: Do you have any suggestions for getting children involved in the home? And why it’s important?

S: Oh my gosh, YES!! They are little sponges as we know, and I want to set them up for a win when they are older and leave home or live on their own. Doing everything for them isn’t doing them any favours.

So I very much give them chores and tasks and get them to help me. Just this morning we sorted through my son’s toy boxes and put them all back into their categories, so I got him to do a lot of the sorting and categorising. We made it fun and laughed a lot, to keep it light and not put such a negative feel towards “tidying up”.

N: Why do you think habits and routines are important in life and especially for a Christian woman?

S: I believe habits and routines are extremely important as I see the difference it makes when we didn’t have them as opposed to now that we do.

Starting my day well is so important as it sets the rest of my day up, so beginning with my devotion is priority.

Then making my bed is next, studies say (and I completely agree) it increases productivity, it lowers stress levels, improves moods, and teaches discipline.

I believe you create the life you want, so asking God for guidance and protection over us daily and then also doing our part of being organised, tidy, clean etc, gives us a sense of accomplishment and feeling like we have it together….ha!

N: Do you have any hacks, habits or tips for fellow homemakers around routines and organisation?

S: List, lists and more lists……. there is no rush, but at least you have it in front of you and just tick things off as they get done. It helps me with not feeling overwhelmed as I just do one thing at a time. Also, making sure things are in order and tidied up before going to bed, makes the next morning a much smoother and happy process :)

N: Do you have a favourite room or space in your home? Why? (photo please if you’re comfortable)

S: I think I have 2….lol….is that ok?

The kitchen (pictured above), as food makes us all happy :) and I also enjoy hosting.

We have great conversations with friends and family around the kitchen bench and although I’m no cook, I do enjoy being in our kitchen.

I also love our bedroom as we love the kids coming in and lying on our bed for lots of laughs, cuddles and chats :)

N: Finally, do you have a family Bible verse that your speak over your home?

S: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, Pray Continually and Give thanks in all circumstances.

Our home is to be enjoyed and to create memories, so I love speaking this verse over our home!

Have fun, protect our heart space and head space, pray and show gratitude always.

Thank you again for sharing a slice of your life and home with us, Shahde.