a few more ideas. . .

Today I thought I would share few more ways that I maintenance clean.

I must admit that I am very fortunate that my husband’s father was quite the stickler when it came to training his three kids to clean and I am reaping the benefits (one more piece of evidence that cleaning can be taught). My husband is very good about putting his dirty clothes down the chute and taking his shoes off at the door, but probably the one thing I am most thankful for is that his father taught him to wipe off the toilet seat and put down the seat when he was done . . .can you believe that?! So you moms out there with little boys, start teaching now. That act alone keeps my bathroom so much cleaner then the average household.

The next piece of advice for maintenance cleaning I have is one I have just started implementing in the last few weeks (cleaning and organizing is ever-changing due to the seasons of life we are in. My advice is if something is not working for you, change it. There is no right or wrong way to clean and organize). As my girls are getting older, we are involved in more things so there are times when they may be playing with things, and we do not have the time needed to clean up like we should. After a few days of messes added to messes, I decided something needed to change. I went out and purchased three-square baskets with cute pink gingham liners. I placed one in Maddie’s room, one in Abigail’s room and one in the hallway (the basket in the hall is more for Jeff. He places items he does not know which girl it goes to, and I go through that one and place the toys in the right girl’s basket). If we do not have time to put something away or Jeff or I find something around the house, we put that in the appropriate basket. One of the girls' jobs every morning is to empty their baskets. This has solved a huge problem for me and it was really so simple. The baskets are not so large that they will become unmanageable, but it gives us a place to put stuff when there is just not time to put it away right. It is a way to keep the house looking put-together but giving us a way to be flexible when we are in a time crunch.

The last bit of advice I will share today is to keep your cleaning supplies in each bathroom. I know it may seem a little excessive, but it makes cleaning so much easier when you can just open the cabinet door and find all the things you need to clean that bathroom. It also makes small pick-ups in-between cleaning easier because it is all at your fingertips.

I hope that a few of these tips will help some of you start to think about cleaning in a new way. Maintenance cleaning makes my life so much easier. I hope it will make yours as well. Happy spring cleaning!

Maintenance cleaning

I love cleaning and organizing . . . I always have. I love the feeling I get when I take the time to clean out a closet or drawer and put it all back together . . . organized. I love it! But I must admit when Barb asked me to share on spring-cleaning I realized I am at a loss. I do not think I have ever done a top to bottom cleaning of any house I have ever lived in (other than when I first moved in) and I never remember my mom doing it either. After thinking it through, I realized that I am a maintenance cleaner, not a once a year cleaner. Basically the thought of cleaning a house from top to bottom is so overwhelming to me, a natural born cleaner, that I can only imagine how the rest of you feel. So today, I am going to share my ideas of spring-cleaning, which is really my everyday kind of cleaning.

I am the kind of cleaner that cleans as I go throughout my day (I do deeper cleaning twice a month, like clean the toilets, scrub the floors etc. but my maintenance cleaning really helps make those cleaning days much easier). Maintenance cleaning takes some practice, but is well worth the effort. I know it can be taught because I am teaching my daughters, one of whom is born like me and the other who is not. Yet they are both learning to clean as they go.

For example, after breakfast my daughters bring their dishes to the sink and put away any milk and cereal boxes right after they are done. I place all dishes in the dishwasher as I use them. Even while I am making a meal, I will stop to place the dirty dishes in the dishwasher before I continue. It is much easier to clean out a just-used pot than one that has been sitting there throughout the meal or overnight. I have found that most cleaning jobs that seem like they would take so long to clean actually only take a fraction of the time and are much easier to finish than if I would have waited. Let me share an example from my girls. If they are playing with their toys and have made a huge mess and I don’t make them clean up after they are done, when I make them come back later the mess seems overwhelming. But if I tell them they need to clean up that mess before making another, they may not always be happy about it, but I get less complaining because they are looking forward to playing with the new toys and are more likely to clean up quickly so they can get onto playing. . .does that make sense?

Another thing my girls are learning is that when they get out of bed, the first thing they do is turn around and make their beds. It takes all of two seconds but makes their rooms look significantly more picked up by just doing that one thing.

I also put a load of laundry in the washer first thing in the morning, then change it after I shower slightly later in the morning. If I do a little laundry every day, it does not become overwhelming and stains don’t set in!

We are also teaching our girls to rinse out the sink after brushing their teeth and wiping down the counter after they are done. I would much prefer to wash an extra towel everyday and have a clean bathroom as opposed to cleaning dried-on toothpaste every week.

I will admit that my way of cleaning takes more time to set up in the beginning, but once the routines are set, the whole family is involved in keeping your house clean . . .not just you. I also think there is great value in teaching our children daily to take care of those things that they are blessed with. God has given us so much and I think I have a responsibility to teach my child to value and honor those blessings by keeping them clean. I know that cleaning often gets put to the back burner, but I would encourage you to take another look at maintenance cleaning and slowly bring your home back into order on a daily basis . . . happy cleaning!

my favorite cleaning tool. . .

I am going to cheat a little on today’s post. I am suppose to share about spring cleaning. . .and I will tomorrow. . .but today I just have to share my favorite cleaning tool. I love it so much it deserves it’s own day on the blog. First, you need a little background.

I have hardwood floors throughout my home as well as I am an “on your hands and knees” kind of cleaner. So those two going hand in hand made for tough days spent cleaning on my knees. I must also admit that I love infomercials. I love watching them and I am always blown away by what they say a particular item can do for me. I do not often succumb, only because if it looks too good to be true, it is usually too good to be true. But for some reason this particular product always intrigued me and I told myself that one day I would try it. Well, two Christmases ago I found one on sale at Kohl’s and had another 30% off so I splurged. (Kohl’s also has an unbelievable return policy so if it didn’t do all the infomercial said it would, I could always return it). I think this could hands down be the best purchase I have every made. . .

my Shark steam mop!

They have since made improvements to the newer models, but there is nothing wrong with the older models. I loved mine so much I talked my mom into buying one. She bought the less expensive one, and it works the same, the cord is just shorter and I much prefer the longer cord so I do no need to keep unplugging and re-plugging it. This mop has shortened and improved my cleaning time more than words can describe. Once I sweep the floors, I zip around with this mop (which heats up within seconds) and it cleans and sanitizes my whole main floor in minutes. The hot steam gets up anything that may be under the kitchen table as well as sanitizes my whole floor-I love that!

So if you are in the market for a new mop, take a look at this one. It usually comes with a few different pads so you could also use it in the bathroom with a different pad. I have chosen to still clean the bathrooms the old fashion way, on my hands and knees, just because I think it would be hard to really get around the toilet to get it really clean, but remember that’s just me. Hopefully this little bit of advice will help a few of you struggling to find a way to keep the floors clean without breaking your back or knees. . .happy mopping!

Spring cleaning?

Cleaning and organizing....a topic that I love but have an ongoing, personal struggle trying to achieve!

These days it seems that I can barely maintain my regular cleaning, much less extra in-depth spring cleaning. In the past (read pre-kids) I would go through clothes, and try to organize closets and drawers in the spring.

With two little ones, I find I can hardly get my clothes from the laundry basket to the closet so the thought of 'spring cleaning' seems overwhelming to be honest.

Throughout the years, I have grown so grateful for friends who are willing to help me clean and organize. I have a friend who loves organizing and she has given of her time on multiple occasions to help me with my cupboards and drawers. What a gift she has and what a blessing to me!

I have another friend who is trading 'services' with me and she will soon be coming to help me with an organizing project in my home.

If you have friends with young children, consider taking turns watching each others children so you can get some spring cleaning done around the home.

If you have the gift of cleaning or organizing and know someone who could benefit from that, might I suggest you offer your services? It's a great time to connect and catch up, while being productive. What a blessing you would be to a friend in need.

Or, if you're like me, and can benefit from the help of others, don't be shy. Ask for help when you need it and don't rob others of the chance to bless you!

True Confession!

I don't ever remember really Spring Cleaning my house. Not from top to bottom.

Do you young moms clean your home these days top to bottom?

Turn your mattresses
Wipe the base boards
Wash windows
Pack away your winter clothes
Bring out the spring clothes
Give away the small and tattered items
Make a list of what needs to be bought for the summer season
Put on new bedding...lighter for summer
Clean out all the drawers and vacuum out the corners
...need I say more?

It sure sounds like it would be nice to get the house all in order, but LIFE happens and I always was glad I just was able to get a few necessities done.

I asked myself 3 simple questions as I wandered thru my house looking at the toys, books, clothes, furnishings, etc. deciding what I needed to purge:

1. Is is useful?
2. Is it beautiful?
3. Is it meaningful?

If I was itching to clean things out of my house, I would scrutinize an item with these questions. If the item didn't fit into one of these categories, I would pass the item on to someone else, hoping they would find it to be useful, beautiful or meaningful in their home.

Well, it's spring again! Hallelujah, but I am still not going to be cleaning my home from top to bottom this year. I don't have little kids under foot, but I do have LIFE to deal with. So I am off to put a few things to the '3-question test' and see if that doesn't make my home FEEL alittle cleaner:)

One Last Word About Family Dinnertime...

"If it were just about food, we would squirt it into their mouths with a tube," says Robin Fox, an anthropologist who teaches at Rutgers University in New Jersey, about the mysterious way that family dinner engraves our souls. "A meal is about civilizing children. It's about teaching them to be a member of their culture."

Late Dinners

I know what some of you may be thinking...my husband gets home way too late to have dinner as a family! Late dinners and small children seem like a recipe for disaster. However, I am finding that by rearranging my afternoon schedule, my daughter can wait for dinner.

My husband gets home between 6 and 6:15. By the time he changes we are usually beginning dinner around 6:20ish. Ideally, I would have dinner around 5:15. This used to be a really hot topic in our house. My husband couldn't get home earlier and I had a really crabby toddler on my hands. But family dinners are important to us! We both had them in our families growing up and decided this is too important for us to give up because he gets home a little later.

So, I feed lunch a little later and then give my daughter a snack around 4:30. Don't get me wrong! We still have a pretty crabby time between 5:45 and 6:15, but I have decided that eating together is worth it. Not to mention that teaching my kids patience isn't a bad lesson either. :)

Even if you husband gets home a little later, I would urge you to try to adjust the dinner hour. I am sure that this small time of discomfort will bring times of great encouragement as my children grow.

Setting the Table

I apologize that this post is a day late. I was having trouble uploading the photos I wanted to include yesterday. . .

I agree with Barb whole-heartedly about mealtime and the importance it has in the development of the family. I am a product of a family that ate together. Isn’t it funny that sometimes we need studies to tell us what is productive for our families when if we would just stop and think we could have figured it out for ourselves-common sense really. If we spend time sitting down, eating as a family will we just not naturally talk about life issues? Isn’t it more difficult to hide having a bad day if you have to sit and talk with your family? Doesn’t it make more sense that sitting down eating, laughing and talking would improve your family’s relationships? This is what I want for my family.

I want my girls to have fond memories of our time around the table. I want to provide a place where they feel safe to talk and share their feelings. I want to provide an environment where they feel I have thought about them. That is why my girls will often wake up to a decorated table in the morning that will stay that way throughout the day.

I decided early on with young children that cooking was not my strength. I can cook, but I don’t like it. I make a few things well, but I do not like to try new things, but I do love to entertain. I love to decorate a table and make my guests feel like they are important and that I am glad they are in my home. I decided that this is how I want my girls to feel, so for holidays and just-because days I will decorate the breakfast table(I do not do this everyday). I love to see their faces light up when they drag their sleepy bodies down the stairs for breakfast to see the table decorated just for them. Sometimes I go all out and other times it is just simple little things that let them know I was thinking about them. An added bonus that I have noticed is when they invite someone for a playdate they want to help set the table to make their guest feel welcome and loved. (Abigail helped decorate the bags in the photo below).

I think a lot can be taught around the kitchen table. My hope is to share my love of entertaining with my girls in a way that will make them feel even more special than the guests that enter my home. My hope is that our kitchen table will always be a safe place where we come together as a family to reconnect. I don’t think it takes that much to make that happen. We just need to be intentional!

The Dinner Table

When I decided I wanted to establish dinnertime as a sacred time for my family, I had to be realistic and patience. 'Rome wasn't built in a day'...and neither was my family dinnertime!

The Table was what I focused on first. I wanted to surround my family with beauty and a sense of peace to set the tone for our dinner.

One of the best tricks I learned to encourage me along was to set my table in the morning. Most of the time I never knew what we would be eating, but just seeing the table set gave me HOPE! Dinner would appear and there would be a place to serve it.

I used colorful napkins. That gave me the energy I needed by 4:30-5:00 at night. I would stuff the napkins in the drinking glasses. As I passed the table throughout the day, I would be encouraged to take one step more towards having a family dinnertime.

When my kids were old enough to help, I drew placemats that indicated where the fork, spoon, knife, and glass were to go. All my kids learned to set the table...not just as a chore but because the family would gather around their efforts and be blessed.

Sometimes I hid questions under the plate to stimulate conversation. That carried over to when we had company with kids. It was a good ice breaker and kept the kids attentive as they interacted with the questions and gave their answers.

When I made a new recipe, the kids could only comment on it by filling out a 'report card'. That eliminated alot of complaining and moaning about the food. If they didn't like what was served, they could voice their 'opinion'. They would learn soon enough if others held their same opinion if I never made that meal again!

I have to confess, I never was a big fan of cooking. Mealtimes were a chore for me, but recognizing the value of dinner together helped me find ways to make it fun for me...and that carried over to the family.

Lighten up when you think of dinner tonight. Do something colorful and perhaps abit crazy to get your family's attention. Take baby steps to make your dinnertime unique and fun. It might take abit more time up front, but the benefits will soon pay off as your kids get older.

Did stuffing napkins into drinking glasses really convince my kids not to take up the habit of smoking? I like to think it did set the atmosphere for some lively discussions around The Table.

As the Homemaker of your home, accept this responsibility as an honor. Your job as chief cook and bottle washer will end, but your family will reap great blessings that will continue on long after they leave The Table.

The Table

For over 25 years I thought it was my unending words of wisdom and consistent discipline that taught my kids to refrain from smoking, drinking, illegal drugs and promiscuous behavior. Recent studies prove me wrong!

The National Addiction and Substance Abuse center says that it is Family Dinnertime that fosters these good habits in children.

Families that eat together make better choices.

Do you believe that?

16 month old Samuel was over for dinner this weekend. It was just the 3 of us so I pulled his high chair up to the table to test this concept. As my husband and I ate, he observed our food and our interaction while chowing down his portion. He didn't really care where we were in the process, he just shoved his food in until he was full.

Clearly, family dinners take time to establish a pattern, but just realizing their value is important.

Looking back at family dinners, I can see where simple lessons were taught as our kids sat around the table and we ate as a family. They learned at an early age to:
*sit in their seat
*wipe their hands
*ask for food with manners
*refrain from interrupting
*listen
*take turns to talk
*share...as they pass food to others

But where do they learn not to take drugs, drink and smoke?

Gayle Peterson, PHD says, "Consistently having dinner together as a family keeps us in touch, allowing us to trouble-shoot problems in daily living, as well as keeping us abreast of our family members' activities and life experience. It is in the family group that we develop an ability to discuss, to express our opinions, to be ourselves and allow others to be themselves."

Like every other good habit, it's the consistency that makes it work.

I think it's sad that the family dinner is perhaps a dying tradition or one that has to be recognized as being valuable. It used to be just a given.

Join us this week as we are going to look at the fun aspects of the family table and how to make your dinnertime memorable and effective.

Home Improvement

This week we welcomed Stacy's new homemaker, Lauren Ruby as well as two contributing Homemakers, Betsy and Heidi! It was a random week on the blog but a good kick-off to our new season.

As we get into all different topics in the weeks to come, spend this weekend re-evaluating your kitchen. When I considered 'my favorite gadget' to share at Homemakers, I found several broken and unused utensils that I threw out. That made my search even more productive.

Clean a kitchen drawer this week.

Weed out your utensil crock.

Give away unused placemats, napkins or other items that have taken up space in a kitchen drawer.

Clean out your refrigerator.

Pack up your picnic tableware:(

If you still have energy, climb up and see what you are storing in those cupboards that are too high to reach.

While you are at it, figure out what your favorite kitchen tool is and share it with us!

Happy Homemaking

What's Your Favorite Kitchen Gadget?

My favorite kitchen gadget is Tupperware's Fridge Smarts. They come in different sizes and they keep fruits and vegetables FRESH forever!

Clean strawberries and slice them up and the berries are great on your breakfast cereal for over a week!

Lettuce stays crisp indefinitely.

Other berries don't get squishy.

Peppers don't get slimy. Cauliflower and broccoli will be good to use even a week later!

The tupperware has 2 holes that regulate the air that escapes from the container and that must be the secret. I don't know how it works, I just know I buy and clean alot more fruits and vegetables for my family since I discovered these keepers!

So what is your favorite kitchen gadget?

New Season

As we wait for Sweet Baby May to be born, we are continuing on with Homemakers with Hope and it's new season!

A group of young moms meet monthly to talk and learn about the whole gamet of relationships, homemaking skills, personal growth and our walk with the Lord. This will be our 8th year.

Some faces have changed but the content has continued to build on itself and we are still growing together as we build our homes. (Proverbs 14:1)

Anyone who lives anywhere with anyone can benefit from this blog! It means you are a homemaker, needing to have the support of others as to how to keep it all together and more importantly, how to get along with others in your lives.

Stacy and I have shared in this blog some of what goes on at our meetings, but this year we are going to be even more intentional in sharing with you.

Two more 'Homemakers' are going to be posting their thoughts and insights on this blog. I hope this will prompt interaction from readers.

As we stated in the purpose of this blog, "We'll provide affirmation, encouragement, and from time to time something that challenges you to pursue excellence."

Let us know what you are learning as you build your home. We are all in this together and the more we can encourage each other to 'stay the course' even when things are hard, the better it will be for all homes and families in America.

Home Improvement...Choose Wisely

I read an article in the paper this week about 2 sisters in a dispute over a lottery ticket. One sister won $500,000. Years before the 2 sisters had typed up a 4-line agreement which said that they would share in any future winnings from lottery, cards, or bingo. They actually had the agreement notarized.

They used to gamble together frequently, play the same numbers and play the slots. They used to share everything.

Along the way, the two had a disagreement. They haven't spoken to each other since 2004.

The sister who didn't win the $500,000 had her attorney contact the winning sister and demanded half of the money.

The article said the suing sister didn't want to drag her sister into court but she believes she is due a share of the money. "I miss her so much, and I love her...but all I want is what is rightfully mine. All I want is my share, nothing more."

As I read this article, I thought of what I posted earlier in the week...the exercise of listing what we have in our lives that we truly LOVE. I was referring to 'stuff' but this article was a sad reminder that often we can love 'stuff' or 'money to buy stuff' more than we love the people in our lives if we aren't careful with our choices.

For Home Improvement this week, just review the exercises from this week's postings. Realize that to become a wise woman we must be wise in our choices as well as in our actions.

If wisdom comes with age, these 2 sisters should be quite wise...the younger sister that is suing is 83...her older sister is 87.

This article is a great example that growing older sure happens alot easier than growing wiser!

What Are You Maintaining?

Are you too busy being a janitor to your stuff to take time to identify what you really love? It took me awhile to realize how much stuff I have that I just move around and dust.

Have I acquired too much of a good thing?

While raising my kids, I added to my possessions thinking I was building my home. Looking back, I wished I had asked myself some key questions:

Am I willing to maintain all this stuff?

Is my space becoming crowded?

Does my stuff give me daily enjoyment?

Do my kids get daily enjoyment from their stuff?

Are they willing to spend time and energy to care for their stuff?

Do I ever feel I have too much 'stuff' around?

Asking key questions rather than nagging my kids to clean their rooms may have been more profitable. If they could truly show me that they loved and maintained their stuff, I could have backed off abit.

Idealistic? Perhaps, but I think too much of life is just maintenance.

I am living lighter these days. I am trying to surround myself with stuff I truly love.

Try it in your home and see if you don't love the freedom it brings.

A Blessing or a Burden?

Frank Lloyd Wright said:

"Many wealthy people are little more than the janitors of their possessions!"

Frank Lloyd Wright was an architect with very modern designs. His homes didn't avail themselves to alot of 'clutter'. He used sleek lines and open spaces.

Nowadays I don't think we have to be wealthy to be janitors of our possessions. The mini-storage business is a new phenomenon for this generation and it is a booming business. We can even own a home with sleek lines and open spaces and still collect stuff!
The self-storage industry grew from about 289 million square feet in 1984 to nearly 2.2 billion square feet by the end of 2007, according to the Self Storage Association.
We pay to store our stuff!

Without looking around your home, make a list this week of all the things you truly LOVE in your daily life.

Then categorize them:

Clothes
Furniture
Accessories
House
Pets
Garden/yard
Car
Appliances

Is the maintenance of all this stuff a blessing or a burden?

The house that cleans itself

How's that for a title?

Today I saw a friend reading a book with that title and I was so intrigued about the title that I asked her about it.

She was raving about the first few chapters. The idea is that you don't try to duplicate someone else's systems...instead you look at your home, your struggles with cleaning and organizing, and come up with a system that works for you. She said it is very practical.

Here is the online description:

The House That Cleans Itself is a true housekeeping guide for the housekeeping–impaired! It boldly takes on the reasons behind chronic messiness and why ordinary home–organization books won’t work. Using the methods of “horizontal thinking,” this book teaches readers how to set up a home so efficiently and logically that it seems to clean itself.

More than a how–to book, The House That Cleans Itself also looks at what God has to say about cleanliness and order, and how He can inspire order in every reader’s life in a fresh and unique way. For added fun, some of the tips Mindy uses come from research for her popular novels, The Trouble with Tulip, Blind Dates Can Be Murder, and Elementary, My Dear Watkins.

I personally haven't read it, but I think I will. The title alone has sold me :)

If you're interested you can order it online here.

Let us know if you read it!

Garage Sales!

Garage sales are alot of work! If you are going to attempt one this spring, here are a few tips. The key is to attract ALOT of buyers. If you can get people to stop and browse, you probably will get a sale.

I think setting up a garage sale is alot like 'staging' a home to sell and that requires preparation:

1. Use bright helium balloons to attract people who may just drive by

2. Cut your grass and pay attention to your yard. You want the buyers to think all the treasures you are selling have been cared for!

3. Have things in working condition...batteries for toys and an electrical extension available so buyers can try out small appliances, etc.

4. Signs are so important. The address isn't important, just big, bright signs with arrows leading drivers straight to your driveway.

5. Display your items out on tables and hang clothes up if possible. 'Presentation', even at garage sales can make all the difference in making a sale!

6. Make arrangements with a company like ARC or another charity to pick up all left-overs after the sale. The purpose of the sale is to clean out...not save and store for another year!

Betsy has a quote I like, “The more you own the more it owns you.”

If you own too much, try a garage sale this spring!

Betsy's Back...by Popular Demand!

I decided you would rather hear Betsy's inspiring words on Spring Cleaning than mine, so this is what she had to say:

"This is definitely the time of year when everyone starts thinking about spring cleaning. I don’t know if it is being cooped up inside all winter or just the need for a change that comes with the onset of Spring. If you are anything like I am when the weather gets nice out, you get that itch to clear out some of the stuff that has been piling up over the winter months. I know not everyone is born with the cleaning gene like I've got, but I do believe everyone has the desire, on some level, to be more organized. I would like to share with you today a few tips on how I get more organized with the coming of Spring.

I like to do a real once over with my house to clear out some of the things we no longer use or need. This involves the whole family. I struggled with this early on with my children, who take after me, and have a hard time parting with anything.

One thing we have decided to do in our home is have a garage sale once a year. Either in the spring or fall. I know this may seem overwhelming in one sense, but in another sense it is my way of teaching my children how to part with the toys they no longer play with. They are allowed to choose the toys, set the price and keep the proceeds of their sales. It is amazing to watch them choose

The thing I have struggled with when trying to get rid of things is I never have had a place to put them and a system to help me get rid of them. They pile up in bags in a closet or in piles in the garage. This year I have decided to purchase those large Rubbermaid containers and place them in the garage. I have not totally decided how to label them but it will be very simple, clothes, household, toys etc. When we come across something we want to get rid of we place it in the designated tub. Then when it comes time to get ready for the garage sale everything will be in one place, easy to label and get ready.

If you are not up to the garage sale, just decide that once a month you are going to run a tub to Good will and empty them out. Depending on how much you get rid of you could go more than once a month or fewer times. Just schedule a time so the tubs don’t get over grown.

The other part I struggle with is getting my girls to part with anything. I have placed a bag in each of their rooms and have told them that whatever they choose to get rid of goes in the bag. They are then allowed to set the price and keep the proceeds of the sales at the garage sale. It is amazing to watch them choose things I thought they would never get rid of.

I like how this system has allowed us to really think about things we no longer need and the garage sale gives a deadline to reach for. I hope this has inspired a few of you to let go of some of those “things” in your life that have needed to go for a while. Happy Cleaning!

A homemaker...wannabe?

Today is one of those days....one of those days when you feel like being a Homemaker is a task much too overwhelming and intimidating than you are prepared for.

My home is a mess. I mean a big mess.

There is stuff everywhere. And I just picked up not that long ago. Didn't I?

Everywhere I look I see piles of papers, stuff, clothes, dishes.....and there are only 3 of us! Whose mess is this anyway?!

I just got an email in my inbox from www.homemakingorganized.com

I clicked on the link from the newsletter and read the home page of the website.

I couldn't agree with this statement more:
"Here at Homemaking Organized we believe that homemaking is infinitely easier when you're organized. And being organized does not have to be dull. It means having more time for things you love like your family instead of cleaning or organizing endlessly."

I don't like to clean. I don't like to organize.

But I realize today that I need to do those things because I don't like living in chaos either. I don't like my house a mess. I don't like not being able to eat at my dining room table because it is covered in papers.

So some days you just gotta do what you don't want to do so you can do what you want to do. Like eat dinner in an orderly fashion at the table!

I love my home and I am definitely still 'becoming an expert' on how to care for it....a life-long process I am sure!