Behind the curve in house cleaning

by Mama Mabel

It's taken far too long but I think I'm finally getting with it:  I'm making steady progress in cleaning my house.  I actually have all my Christmas stuff and some old baby things that Ladybug has outgrown in my car right now to be put in our storage unit here in town.  I even have a bag of my old clothes to donate to the local church clothes closet shoved in the floorboard.  I've quit feeling that I'm entitled to do nothing but (sometimes) cook dinner then sit around each night after I get off work.  Instead, most nights I try to do at least one thing to clean or declutter my house.  But I'm also realistic.  On Wednesday nights when we go to church, I don't clean.  If I get home from work late and dinner isn't ready until 8:30, I don't clean.  I think the key is not being too hard on myself while not allowing myself to be lazy.  It's a tough line and I'm still working on getting my balance but I feel much better since something clicked in me a week or two ago.

It's had a good effect on my daughter too.  Ladybug likes the more active Mama.  She tries to help a lot since anything Mama is doing must be cool.  (Just wait 10 years!)  Having her help now slows me down but generally makes the job more enjoyable because of her enthusiasm and general silliness.  For example, yesterday, she helped me consolidate the Christmas things into a few plastic tubs and boxes.  This consisted of her taking out things she wanted to hold and showing them to me and me convincing her that they had to go back in the box until next Christmas.  Not the fastest way to do things but hopefully it planted the idea in her mind that it's good to clear out unnecessary things until the proper time.  It will still be just as special when you unpack it again as when you put it up.  My ultimate motivation - aside from a clean, peaceful home that I'm not embarrassed to have guests in - is to teach Ladybug a better way to live than I've previously adopted for myself.  You can pick things up as you go.  You can take a few hours on a weekend to deep clean something or do a big project.  You can throw away or donate things that you have never/will never use.  You can find a place for everything and work to keep everything in its place.    The process is liberating and empowering.  If you haven't already tried it, give it a whirl.  You'll be surprised how quickly it makes you feel better.