June 2, 2006

Housekeeping Goals

As you all know, the topic of housekeeping and organizing has been on my mind quite a bit lately. Rebecca and I talked about it on the phone yesterday and since then I have viewed some sites linked on Arlene's blog.

I have two main downfalls when it comes to housekeeping - clutter and perfectionism. Clutter is something I have been working on and yes, I did throw away all the things I mentioned in previous posts. Trash day was today and it is all gone - forever. I must admit there was some hesitation in my heart this morning, but now that it is gone I am relieved. Part of the clutter problem belongs to my husband. Of course I can't resolve this entirely, but maybe leading by example will help a little bit (with some gentle prodding ). The latter complication, perfectionism, appears to be an asset, not a hindrance. Alas, this is just not so. As a perfectionist, (and yes, I am one) I like the ENTIRE house to be clean at the same time. I want it all picked up, vacuumed, dusted, etc. etc. at the same time. This is nearly impossible with a husband and two little ones, giving piano lessons one evening a week, plus responsibilities at church. It rarely happens even if I spend the entire day devoted to cleaning.

So, I am going to try some simple solutions and if anyone has any suggestions or helpful comments, please feel free to post them.

1. Keep organizing (the throwing away and selling in a yard sale kind) one area or room every couple days to "declutter." The main things I still have to tackle are the boys' room, their toys, and organizing last season's/size of clothes into the right bins. Those things will probably keep me busy all of next week.

2. Make the bed every day. Yes, I'm ashamed to say our bed often goes unmade. Making the bed seems to make the bedroom look ten times better and it really doesn't take that long to do.

3. Plan ahead on meals. I decided to do this today, so I threw together some chicken and various ingredients and put them in the crock pot. Jason called me about a half hour later telling me I didn't need to make dinner b/c he doesn't feel good (he has a cold and allergies at the same time). Figures! Well, at least he knows I was thinking ahead! I used to make a menu and I think I need to get back to that. That way I will buy the ingredients I need, always have on hand what I need, and be ready to make dinner at the right time. We often eat around 7:00 b/c I don't get around to planning dinner until it is time to make it - then I don't always have enough time to get it done by a reasonable hour!

4. Clean one or two rooms each day. I am always picking up clutter, straightening up, etc., but I often feel like I do it w/o seeing any progress or improvement. I think it is b/c I am doing too much at once so I can't do anything "all the way." So today I tackled the kitchen and it looks SO much better. Of course it isn't completely spotless, but what I did get done made a decided difference. Since Jason always comes in through the kitchen, at least he will see "cleanness" right away!

I'm sending a little bit of inspiration and determination to all of you!

Boy, that crock pot sure smells yummy!