Okay y'all, today I am keeping it real. I am debating including pictures. Not sure I want it to be that real. :)
Today's confession: I love a clean house. Squeaky, sparkly, wonderfully clean. Once, long ago, I had one. My mantra was "A place for everything and everything in it's place." Always. I lived alone with no pets. Not even a fish.
Then I got married. But it was easy to maintain my high standards. I planned to work, but we found out I was pregnant. Together we made the BEST decision of my life - to be a Stay at Home Mommy.
Over the first 6 years, one month and seven days of marriage we added 4 sons to our family. No joke. Our 6th anniversary was Dec 21, son #4 was born on January 28. Nice, huh?
The not so nice part: The house went from sparkling and squeaky clean to a dirty disaster zone. It was a slow, but steady decline.
Me, the girl who prided herself on having a spotless home, was now barely able keep the dishes washed and a clear area in the floor for the kids to play. I tried, spending all day, picking up stuff and fussing at the kids. Or yelling in frustration. Or crying.
I was as big a mess as my house.
Enter a good friend who saw me struggling, trying to keep things clean and basically losing my mind in the never ending chaos of my life. She asked if I had heard of The Flylady and suggested I check it out her website, www.Flylady.net. So, I did. I didn't think it would work for me. But, what I was doing wasn't working, so I decided to try it. I printed a bunch of lists and cleaned my sink.
Long story short, the routines worked. It took a while to turn my chaotic, messy house back into a clean and happy home. But, it happened. Slowly, but surely. The kids even got involved. It was fun.
What? We were having fun cleaning house???
Yes, indeed! Turning on music and making it a game changed my perspective. Racing to beat the clock? Genius idea. We would work for 15 minutes then play for 45. The timer became our best friend. The house was clean. I was a nice Mommy again.
Fast forward 15 years. What does my house look like now?
It is relatively clean. Certainly not the spotless abode of my early years living alone, but it's acceptable.
The bathrooms are clean, the kitchen is clean enough. We have dogs, so fur adorns our furniture and clothing. We have clutter. Laundry is on-going, but not overwhelming. The baseboards need cleaning. My refrigerator is clear of science projects, but has drips that need cleaned. There are finger prints on walls, doors and light switches. The furniture is dusty. The carpets are okay and the tile has been swept, but needs mopped. The beds are made. Stacks of clean laundry need to be put away.
Told you I was keeping it real. :)
How do I keep my home in this state of lived in "clean enough?" This is my daily routine when I get home from dropping the kids at school:
Gather any stray dirty clothes, sort and start a load of laundry.
Patrick's bedroom: make the bed, vacuum and leave.
Daniel's room: make the bed, vacuum, feed his fish and leave.
The office (our guest room): vacuum, straighten the desk and leave.
Hallway bathroom: spray the tub. Clean toilet. Wipe the sink and counter. Wash hands and leave.
My room: make the bed, put away clean clothes and vacuum. Deal with clutter and leave.
Living room: Clean out the fireplace and sweep the hearth. Start a fire. Pick up the dog toys. Pick up and deal with any clutter. Vacuum the carpet, concentrating on the area rug where the dogs lay most of the time. Fold the afghans, put over the back of the couch. Put my purse, keys and sunglasses by the door so I can find them when it's time to leave again. Think about dusting. Laugh.
Grab the broom: Sweep the kitchen, bathrooms and hallway.
Kitchen: Put away clean dishes from the counter. Stack dirty dishes in the sink. I have people (teens) who load and unload the dishwasher and hand wash. Clear the clutter from the breakfast bar and table, tossing trash and putting things where they belong. Think about dinner. Start it in the crock pot or check for ingredients for later.
My bathroom: clean the toilet, sink and counters. Take a shower. Spray shower with cleaner. Put on make up and do hair.
Laundry room: Move clothes to dryer, start washing another load. Take folded clean clothes to boys bedrooms, add to their stacks and leave.
By this time I have done the above it is between 11-12. The house is reasonably clean. I am showered, dressed, hair is done, make up is on and I am ready to write. I still need to dust and mop. But, we do those on the weekend with everyone pitching in.
Yes, my baseboards and dirty and the tops of my doors would not pass a white glove inspection more often than one day a year. The house could use a deep cleaning. That's what a week of Spring Cleaning is for, right? :)
And, we live here. We really LIVE here. We laugh, we love, we play games. We talk. We watch football. We eat. We sleep. You get the idea. This is our home. It isn't a museum. It isn't a model house. It's a comfortable place to be. And, we like it this way.
So, if dirty baseboards, dusty blinds and fingerprints bother you, don't come to my house. But, if you can overlook them and want to enjoy some homemade brownies and conversation with my dogs snoring under our feet, come on over. I have a freshly brewed pot of coffee ready and waiting. Come on over. :)
Um, yeah, I thought about it. No pictures.
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