Question......How do you do it? How do you keep your house clean? My husband pointedly asked me tonight why when we go to other people's houses, they are clean. Then he used his parents' house as an example. (might have just put me over the edge on that one) Anyway, how can I do it? I am at the store 5 days a week from 10-5. Prior to going to the store, I try to get a load of laundry done. I also do school work with N. for about 2 hours before leaving. The girls are helpful while I am gone and do their list of chores. When I get home I fix dinner, clean up, and run the kids to various locations. Sometimes N. has more school work that needs done as well. I have Sunday off, which is generally family day and we are rarely home, and Monday (other day off) I do the laundry in between school work and regular house work. I just feel like I don't have time to scrub what needs scrubbed. I don't know how to make it all happen.
Sound familiar? This woman also has a children's consignment clothing shop, so on top of raising kids and homeschooling, she also has a full time job! Super Woman's got nothing on her!
Here was my reply, which like many women in general, I am trying to find a balance between all the madness. I'm slowly coming to terms that my house isn't going to be spotless, at least not for a very long time... and that's ok.
This is how I "Do it ALL" :0) ... I have fingerprints on my windows that have been there probably all year. There are little flecks of dried something or other between my kitchen floor tiles. It looks like a science experiment blew up in our microwave even though I bought one of those plastic plate covers that stays in there all the time. The kitchen table is generally only smudge free between the hours of 9am-12 pm. My husband has decided to take on keeping our bathroom toilet clean because our bathroom is the LAST place I clean when I actually get time to do it. While my living room might appear dust free every other week, don't look on top of the piano; there's probably at least three month's worth of fluff piling up. Oh, and I tend to keep my ceiling fans running 24/7 because if they stop, the insane amount of dust that has accumulated is frightening.
With that being said, dirty dishes and general disarray is what puts my husband (and me too a little bit) into grumpy mode. So, when I do have some spare moments, I try to take care of the "triggers" so we can relax together instead of being tense about what's not getting done. It's a balance we're still trying to figure out, but it has taken a lot of flexibility on his part. Is our house as clean as he'd like it? No. Is it as clean as I'd like it? No. But right now there are more important matters at hand. The house cleaning will be there when I get around to it... in 18 years. There are two quotes I've seen on pinterest that I tend to live by: "Boring people have clean houses." And "Please excuse the mess, but we LIVE here." :0)
