I have been sooo delinquent on blogging here, but I want to continue to journal about my experience.
I am surprised that keeping my home neat was actually HARDER once life went back to 'normal'. I seem to do better under pressure. But thankfully those two weeks in September when I was watching my sister's children and had extra responsibilities helped me get some rules in place and I have seen a change over the past month.
I started with some simple rules that may seem obvious to you all, but were not habits of mine, so a rule needed to be formed.
1. Dishes done or loaded into dish washer every morning and every evening after dinner. Dish washer run every day. (So embarrassed to admit that many evenings in the past I went to bed with dirty dishes on the counter).
2. Wipe down surfaces every day. (Counters, tables, bathrooms)
3. Floors swept or vacummed every day.
4. Beds made every day.
5. Clean for an hour every morning. I set a timer and blast music (it helps.) :) Some days I do bathrooms, one day I do laundry, another day is for a deep kitchen clean, another day I mop floors. I do what I can in that one hour and go longer if I feel like it. I've learned that if I don't clean the house by noon, it probably won't happen or will cause me stress later in the day right before my man walks in the door (which I don't want).
6. Surface clutter cleared (and that means CLEARED) at least once a week.
7. Things to be given away or returned to store taken care of every week. (I have stuff that needs to be returned to someone from over a year ago!) I'm going to try to put it in the car, to see if that will help.
8. Once a room is cleaned and everything has a place and I am 'proud' of it - DECORATE. This is my reward for keeping a room clean and presentable. I will put up the picture on the wall I've been meaning too, place seasonal decorations around. Something about adding those special touches help me fall in love with the room and I have more motivation to keep that space neat and clean. I'm anxious to feel this away about our office area. (Still VERY messy. But I have high hopes that the 'rules' can apply to this room too and soon be transformed).
9. If a place that I have designated for some of my 'stuff' isn't working, I find a new one. I found that a lot of my spots for things were not functional, or had ceased to work for whatever I had designated them for. This was new for me, but I decided to start in one corner of the room and review item by item and evaluate whether it was something I liked and was working for me and my family or if it is something that needed to change. I try to only tackle one thing a week or two if I can. Sometimes it means purchasing a new container or something functional for the home, so cost is a factor.
10. Take a day off. Sundays are my day to do NOTHING (except dishes). After church, I relax with my family, spend time watching tv shows that I recorded or a good book or movie, catching up on things on the internet etc. I can push myself during the week, knowing that I have a day 'off'.
I've broken these "Rules" a dozen times already, but I've kept them more than I thought I would. I find that I am happier, and the home is a happier place when I stick to it.
I'm still a little weak in the house cleaning realm of things, but progress is being made.
My next big issue: The hidden areas (closets, uncommon areas of the home, storage and garage) I seriously dread going through all that junk especially since I didn't have that garage sale I promised myself I would have. sigh.
At least our common areas of the house are livable and are beginning to resemble a normal happy home. :) There is hope!
