Friday, 02 December 2011

• Do Dull Women Have Immaculate Houses?

  By Amy at Make Me a Mary

  This magnet was one of my favorite purchases from a recent flea-market shopping trip. It’s already been dropped on the tile floor, broken, and reglued. I bought it in an attempt to make myself feel better about having a messy house. It’s not working very well.

  I have done very, very little the past two days. In fact, I’ve been a slug. But this time I don’t really feel guilty about it, and that’s because we cleaned house over the weekend.

  Why is it that I enjoy being a slug in a clean house, but it makes me sick in a dirty one? Amazing, the difference.

  I ran across a post several months ago over at (in)courage, written by Melissa Michaels of The Inspired Room (whom I LOVE). She talked about four things she does (“daily systems”, she calls them) that help her feel her home is clean enough:

  1) morning routines (like having a quiet time, getting dressed, making the bed, throwing a load of laundry in, etc.)

  2) clean sinks (bathroom and kitchen)

  3) cleaning frenzies (involving the whole family and can last from ten minutes to an hour–I do this and my kids hate it, but it’s awesome when you’re done!)

  4) nightly kitchen cleanup (isn’t it more pleasant to wake up to a clean kitchen? I can feel the stress melting away already!)

  I would add to this one more thing:

  5) clean toilets, always–because I have boys in the house

  I’ve concluded that while I might find it dull to strive for an immaculate house, it is definitely a worthy thing to try for a house that’s just clean enough. And if you happen to be one who has an immaculate house–please know that you are my hero. And I’m sorry I called you dull. I’m just jealous.

  I’m going to strive for these daily rituals, because it’s just more fun to veg in a clean house. And for those times when someone shows up unexpectedly, this hostess-without-the-mostest won’t be freaking out inside like usual (especially when they need to use the restroom!)

  But most importantly, somehow being in clean surroundings helps me want to keep the condition of my heart clean, too.

  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
  Psalm 51:10

  Lord, help me be a good steward of the home You’ve blessed me with. Amen.

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