Housework - Gag!

I was recently directed here from a comment thread on another blog, I read the post I'd been directed to; it's great, I highly recommend it. Then, I skimmed the side bar for anything of interest.

This popped out at me. Gag, is certainly one of the first reactions that comes to mind when I think of housework. That or cringe.

Then I conveniently think of something I need at the store, and while I'm at the store I decide we should go to Salt Lake and watch a movie or go to dinner. And I end up eating too much, including dessert. So when I get home, I'm a little fatter and my house is still dirty.

I don't know that I'll even go to the website she suggests in this post (if it still exists), but I really loved the suggestions she listed. Here they are for those of you who either don't want to go to the other site, or don't know how. (Don't be offended, I'm totally talking to my mom and she knows it!)

"You can't organize clutter; you have to get rid of it! In order to find peace in your home the clutter has to find a new place to reside.

Release your clutter. Spend just 15 minutes a day de-cluttering. When you bring home something new; get rid of something old."


Another thing she says is keep your kitchen sink clean ALL THE TIME. And it's amazing what a difference this one chore makes.


Her basic mantra is that we have to have routines/habits in place. If we don't, we can spend all day cleaning then the place just gets messy again immediately. But if we've developed routines/habits that we do almost automatically, we can keep the mess at bay.


Here is my daily schedule (to quote from an article I once wrote): think of it as B,B,C,D,F, which sounds like a poor report card but which stands for: Bed (make it), Bathroom (a quick swish and swipe while you're in there getting ready), Clutter (quick pick-up, especially working on the "hot spots" that gather stuff to them--I do this pretty much all day), Dishes (keeping the sink clean and empty), and Floors (sweep daily). There are many other chores we have to do of course (for example, she also talks about conquering Mount Washmore), but even if I do only these five things every day, I can keep the appearance of a tidy home and not panic if someone comes over unexpectedly.

Housework is a huge obstacle in my life, it's gotten to the point where I've quit even trying to stay afloat and just let myself sink below the surface. I'm hoping that this gem of a discovery will help me find a place to start.