Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Home Cleaning

I have had a lot on my mind and heart to share, but it seems there has been many other things requiring my time. Luckily today is a rainy day and Butterbean is napping while Star is busy playing with the game ker-plunk. Before I go any further though, I want to explain that by no means am I an expert at housework. If fact I'm really not that good. My house isn't a pig sty, but I wouldn't classify it as clean either. This has led me to seek out advice and support, which I am going to share.

I really do want a clean house, but I will admit that it is really easy to get discouraged. Keeping your home clean really is an unending battle that can become tiring if you don't have a good outlook or mind set. I have found myself looking around me and thinking, "what's the use, it's just going to get dirty again by the end of the day." And yes, this is true, but what I have found is that when it comes to cleaning your home, the difference isn't really with the change in the house, but the change within me and my family.

For the past two weeks my husband and I have made a real effort to clear our sink every evening and make it shine. (more on this in a little bit) And while our kitchen has been cleaner, the biggest change has been in our attitudes. When I wake up and walk into the kitchen, I can't help but to smile. I know, it sounds silly, but it's true. I also have noticed that there is less tension and more joy between me and my husband as well as the kids. This is now what motivates me to clean. This is also the reason I now call it home cleaning instead of house cleaning because when I do it, it makes my house into a home.

Now, like I said, I'm not perfect. If fact I will admit to the fact that my daughter is currently not wearing any underwear since we ran out. (don't worry the wash is going right now) I still get discouraged sometimes or even distracted by other things I would rather be doing. When this happens I go to the following websites for encouragement as well as a little boost to get going again.

The Fly Lady
My husband and I joke that the Fly Lady is a little excentric, but she does know her stuff. Her number one thing that she says everyone should do is shine their sink. I was a little skeptical, until I did it. There are some nights that I decide that the sink will have to wait until morning, but most nights, it does get shined before we go to bed. The rest of her website is filled with lots of other tips. I personally have not signed up for her e-mails, so I don't know how good they are.

Copperswife
This is the blog of a lovely lady that I stumbled on not too long ago. This link will take you to her homemaking page, while this link will take you to her blog. She writes from a Christian perspective, but I think that even if you weren't a Christian, her words could be an encouragement to you. I am always motivated to do more in my home after re-reading what she has written.

I hope what I have shared has been encouraging. I think I'm going to go clean my bathroom now.
Have a blessed day!

2 comments:

  1. Timely post! I totally caught on when you said you shine your sink. :-) I love the Fly Ladies concepts. I haven't been to her website in a while, but we still shine our sinks (most of the time). :-)

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  2. I know exactly what you are saying. Sometimes, while the kids are at school, I find the dining room table, see we still have a family room floor, walk into a bathroom without making a face, and suddenly--they walk in and boom--it's not even like the last 5 hours took place.

    Thanks for passing on the perspective tip--I will try it.

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