A Clean Perspective

Have you ever woke up on a Monday morning- start of a new week-things to do, places to go, people to see and then you open your eyes to find that your entire house is in utter chaos. I dislike it when my house is untidy. But even more so, I abhor chaos! In fact when I awake to piles of laundry in every bedroom, half eaten cereal bowls left in the family room for days and a whole host of ants partying on the dishes in the sink; I break out into what can only be described as sweaty hot flashes. Which only increase throughout the day as I try to bulldoze my way through each room of the house.
I must confess that I have always envied those who keep a perfectly clean house. As I browse through the pages of a Pottery Barn magazine, I long for our rooms to look like those I see. However with seven very active family members all coming and going at different times and each practicing their own definition of "clean"; I try with all my might to think happy thoughts and not break out in a rash.
So where is the silver lining in all of this? As difficult as it might sound it comes by simply adjusting my perspective a bit. Below are some things that I try to remember as I go about my daily duties.

-KEEPING A "CLEAN" PERSPECTIVE-
1- Redefine my idea of clean. Instead of expecting everything to be "perfectly" clean, I try to settle for a more realistic "reasonably" clean house.

2- Give each of the kids a couple of chores to do before they can go out for the day. I also limit myself to a set amount of time spent doing housework. Sometimes I even set a timer. When the clock says I'm done...the other work must be handled tomorrow. And yes it's still all there. But in the meantime, I have enjoyed doing other things with my family as well as working on a few fulfilling projects for myself.

3- Try to stay positive about small accomplishments. If I organize an entire room or even just a drawer, I try to stand back and feel good about what was done rather than dwelling on the many other things I still need to do.

4- See my house in a new light. Rather than a page in a magazine- our house is a laboratory where our kids can feel free to play, experiment and even put their feet up on the table and relax for awhile. It is a very loved and very lived in house. I try to remember that the people who live here and visit me are much more important than the house itself.

5- A while ago I was visiting my cute friend Julie. She told me that when people catch her on an "off" day she tries to think of it as a service project she's doing for her guests. "Just think" she said, "how normal they'll feel when they get home and say, Wow, my house really isn't so bad."

At the end of the day, I chose homemaking as my profession because I truly love it. I am grateful that I have a home to take care of and a family to love. I hope that if you ever come for a visit you will feel welcomed and loved. And if it has been a particularly good day I may even lead you to a room in my house where I can proudly show you a reasonably clean drawer!!!