Homemaking things to do in January that will get your home and life sorted out more easily. Inspiration and ideas to add to your January calendar – including a free printable TO DO list with all the tasks written out ready for you to tick off. You’ll be more organised than ever!
This is part of the HOW TO GET ORGANISED ALL YEAR series of articles – with a detailed TO DO list (and free printable!) for EVERY month of the year waiting for you. CLICK HERE to get them all.
January – the time of year when…
January is seen by many as the hardest month.
After all, it’s just after the wonderful festivities of Christmas, but the decorations have now had to come down and it’s dark and cold outside with no respite for a good few months/weeks to come.
But there IS another side to January – and it’s the side I love!
You see, January comes with a lot of expectation in the air about the year ahead. It can feel like a completely clean slate to many who love to set resolutions and promises that this year will be a better year in whatever way they want it to be.
It can have that real “back to school” feel about it as well.
Back to normality has it’s charms for many as the safety of routine and day to day life kicks back in once again.
It’s an exciting time!
The words I like to think of for this month are:-
- New start
- Fresh beginning
- Excitement
- Anticipation
- Promise
- Clean Slate
- Planning
Lastly – It may sound funny to be saying at this time of year – just after you’ve probably had time off for Christmas, but you need to be kind to yourself right now.
Christmas isn’t really a break – it’s hectic, lots of things to do, people to see, events to go to etc…. – and you’re probably feeling like you need a holiday again already!
Things can get overwhelming quickly if you try and do too much too soon, and there are bugs around that you are more likely to catch and get ill if you are run down.
You’re out of your usual day to day routine, the house probably needs some TLC, and you need the same.
So don’t try and do everything all at once – you’ve got a whole year ahead of you – so pace yourself… Just saying!
Things to do in january
Regular monthly tasks
There are some things that, as a homemaker, you need to do each and every month. Without them, you will start to fall behind pretty quickly.
I wrote a post about these 3 main tasks to do each month HERE if you want to read the full article, but the quick list is here: –
#1 – Check your diary
- Add in any special dates (there are some written further down this post if you need any help on the main dates to remember).
- Add in dates specific to your life (birthdays, events, appointments etc….).
- Get some dates in the diary for your social life
- Have a general view of what’s coming up, so nothing is a surprise
#2 – Sort all cards and gifts
- Make sure all presents and cards for January are on track to get to the recipient at the right time (post or hand delivered)
- Check that you have got all the presents and cards ready for February
- Buy all presents and cards for March
#3 – Check your bank statement
- Are all outgoings correct?
- Are all incomings correct?
- Are you on track with your budget?
January specific tasks
#4 – Get back to routine slowly
One of the most important things to do in January is to get back to your ‘normal’ day to day routine.
Don’t try and change anything this month with your routine – hence “back to routine” – for now it’s enough to carry on as you were before Christmas hit.
This in itself may take a little time because you have no doubt stayed up later and done lots of stuff over the holidays – so you need to be kind to yourself and allow yourself (and the rest of the family) to get back up to speed.
It’s tempting to go full on into the year – but that *may* come back and bite you if you fall ill this month – then you’ll be no good to anyone.
#5 – Write thank you cards for Christmas
You could call people if you prefer, but don’t forget to say thank you in whatever way you prefer. People have spent time and effort getting you things, after all.
QUICK TIP – Kids can create one thank you letter with spaces left for who the letter is to and what they are thanking them for. It could be full of colouring in, and some words about what they did/got over Christmas. Once they have done one, you can photocopy it and fill in the blanks for each person. MUCH quicker than writing each one from scratch!. If you want a template for a thank you letter, then there’s one in my Christmas Planner that’s perfect as well!
#6 – Set your resolutions – or create a new habit
Whether you set resolutions every year or not (I’m torn as to whether this is a good idea or not, to be honest) – now is a great time to think of a new habit you’d like to get started.
Using a habit tracker can really help you to stay on track – because you can check off each day that you do, and celebrate your progress.
Related: 101 New Year Resolutions ideas for inspiration this year
#7 – Sales shopping
I hate shopping.
Seriously – I really don’t enjoy it, and I am much more of a saver than a spender.
But having said that – I DO enjoy getting a bargain, and so when the January sales hit, I try and make the most of them.
Things to buy in the sales that make it worthwhile include: –
- Christmas items ready for next year. You may want to get wrapping paper, cards, decorations etc…, and if you‘ve got the Christmas Planner you’ll have your list already written down ready to shop from!
- Items you know you need to buy – you know you need them, so grabbing them at a bargain makes sense!
- Presents for the year – any Birthday / Events that you know you will need gifts for – now is the perfect time to grab them
- Winter clothes ready for next year (especially kids clothes in the next size up!)
Just don’t buy things just because they are on sale – if you don’t need them, then it’s not a good deal!
#8 – Get the house straight after Christmas
I’m not talking a huge deep clean, but rather taking the decorations down and tidying up.
The decorations need to come down by 6th January – so plan in a time before then to get things straight, and enjoy the feeling of a less cluttered home almost immediately!
Related: 15 Ingenious Christmas Decoration Storage Ideas You Need To Try!
Deep dive tasks
These are things that follow my organising roadmap for the year. January is a month for planning, and setting the tone for what’s to come.
It’s not about DOING, it’s about THINKING. Perfect for when you are trying to look after yourself after the holidays!
#9 – Check on your home plan (or create one)
Having a plan for your home in mind at the start of the year is the perfect first step to getting it organised as you go through the year, so it’s definitely worth doing now!
The basic idea of a Home Plan is to have a view of what every room in your home is for, what activities you do in it, and what you need for doing those things.
Knowing this will help you save time on every homemaking task as you’ll know where things go, whether you have space for new items, maintenance that needs doing – etc…
#10 – Check on your life plan (Or create one)
As with having a plan for you home so you know what you are working towards when getting organised, so too do you need a plan for your life.
After all – how do you know you’re on the right track if you don’t know where you’re going?
You don’t want to look back and wish you’d done things differently….
It doesn’t have to be anything big (but it can be if you want!), the trick here is to just take some time to work out how your life is going, and to make sure you are on right track for whatever it is you want from it.
Ask yourself things like: –
- Are you happy with your day to day life?
- Do you want to do anything specific?
- Where do you see yourself in x years time?
When you have a clearer idea of what you’d like from your life, you can check your TO DO list / schedule / diary to make sure they align with your plans, and it will be easier throughout the year to make decisions.
For example –
If you have loads on your TO DO list that won’t help you get to where you want to get (or worse, take you down a different path), then you can re-assess your list. Equally, if your diary doesn’t reflect your priorities, then things need to change.
Or
Maybe everything is just where you want it to be, and you can therefore appreciate it all the more, but maybe, just maybe, you can help set a new path for yourself this year….
A little knowledge will help you be happier in life straight away!
Related: How To Create A 5 Year Plan That Helps You Reach Your Goal
Free printables for January
If you’d like all these TO DO’s in one easy to use checklist, and a little inspirational quote to hang on the wall this month, then you’re in exactly the right place!
The gorgeous TO DO list has everything I’ve talked about in this post written down for you to print off and tick as you finish each task:
And this quote is one that I love for this time of year. You could hang it on the wall, or add it to your planner:
Get these 2 printables – FREE!
Your very own copies of these two printables are waiting for you in the Free Printables Library.
To get FREE access to the entire library simply click the button below – hope you enjoy!
Important Dates in January
- JANUARY 1st – NEW YEARS DAY
- JANUARY 2nd – BANK HOLIDAY (Scotland)
- JANUARY 6th – DECORATIONS TO COME DOWN BY TODAY
- JANUARY 25th – BURNS NIGHT (Scotland)
Also – don’t forget to add your own important dates to your diary (including Birthdays, Events, Appointments etc….).
January Facts
JANUARY BIRTHSTONE | Garnet |
JANUARY FLOWER(S) | Carnation and Snowdrop |
JANUARY ZODIAC SIGNS | CAPRICORN Dec 22nd to Jan 19th, and AQUARIUS Jan 20th to Feb 18th |
Gift Ideas for January Birthdays
I LOVE buying gifts for people because it’s a chance to show them that you care for them and they are someone who means a lot to you.
There are lots of gift guides and gift giving inspiration for different people on the site already, so take a look HERE, but if you want something specific to the month then you can use the January Facts in the section above, and take inspiration from them.
I’ve put a couple of ideas below to get you started, and I really hope they inspire you:
#1 – WALL ART FOR THEIR SIGN OF THE ZODIAC Simply stunning – and would look amazing in a bedroom. This style would work best for a woman, but you can get all sorts of styles if you look around.
#2 – JANUARY T-SHIRTS – I often look at T-Shirts for Boys, Teenagers, and Men – as they are the people who appreciate a logo t-shirt the most, and they’re a bit of fun.
#3 – GARNET JEWELLERY – Always a winner, plus you can find items for all budgets, it doesn’t have to break the bank at all. Don’t forget the men as well in this category – cufflinks would work really well!
#4 – SNOWDROP BOWL I think that in a month where flowers and plants are scarce, having a gift that can be enjoyed and kept, that relates to the flower of the month is a perfect idea!
There you have it – all the things to do in January to get more organised!
Yes, there’s a lot to look at, but just starting and getting a few of them done will make all the difference to how you feel on a day to day basis at home and in life.
Good Luck!
Read Next: 31 Things To Get Rid Of In January [Free Checklist]