Cleaning House

I admit it - I have been ridiculously lazy all summer in the housekeeping department; the last two weeks have been the worst, however. Whenever I mention this shortcoming to others, I tend to get the friendly support that it's school break, I'm supposed to be lazy. As much as I would like this sentiment to be true, the reality is that if I don't get this house in shape now, it certainly won't happen once I get back into the grind of going to work daily, only to come home and help my own kids with their schooling (although I confess, they are both very bright and independent, so it requires little effort on my part, thank goodness!). The kids are with their dad today, so I decided today is the day!

I started by tackling Mount Cloth, which I swear is a magic mountain, as it keeps reappearing. Even with my kids doing their own laundry for years now, the pile is always there! This time, due to my laziness I have spent most of the day re-washing stinky laundry from leaving it in the washer overnight, or de-wrinkling clothes that I left in a heap for too long before hanging. I have also tackled a ton of blankets and other stuff that just annoys me to wash. I am about 4 loads away from finishing this chore. Days like this make me appreciate the laundromat; 3 hours and all the laundry is done for a long time! I've also worked on deep cleaning the kitchen, which of course required an hour of light cleaning first. More than three hours later and that's all I've finished. Kind of disappointing.

On another, related, note, I wonder how much house cleaning I need to be doing in the rest of my life. Too often, the cobwebs in our bodies, hearts, and spirits fill us to a point where we cannot live our lives to the fullest. How much of that can be cleaned out and thrown away? For me, I have decided on a list of things that need to go; the list is not chronological, and more than one thing can be destroyed simultaneously.

First on the list, continue to kick the soda habit. It is so unhealthy for the human body, is empty calories (meaning helps gain weight or prevent weight loss), and is a very expensive habit these days.  So far, I've done pretty well; I am very impressed with myself as I had become downright addicted.

Next on the list, kill the fast food habit.  Like the soda, there is nothing good about greasy, highly processed foods going into the human body. Also, it is equally expensive. My last trip to McDonald's pretty much did me in when we were all feeling sick to our stomachs immediately upon eating it. The challenge here will be when I go back to work. I tend to have all my breaks around lunch, meaning I have plenty of time to sneak out and grab something. No more, I say! If my co-workers could just drag me back in the door when you see me sneaking out, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Third, eliminate all people who cause me more stress than peace. There's not very many people like that in my life, as I try to get rid of them as quickly as possible when they become nothing but negativity in my life. Sometimes, however, that is easier said than done, especially when family, close friends, and feelings are involved.

Fourth, re-establish healthy sleep and routine habits. I do not function well with little sleep, making it more difficult to fight all the cobwebs above, in addition to making me mighty grumpy to people who deserve to be treated better (everyone!). Also, I thrive on routine. I need structure, to know what's coming next, and to have a plan when it doesn't work out that way. Of course, life happens, and plans change, but having a place to get back to makes it easier for me to deal. Getting back to work will help in this area. As much as I'd like to stay home forever, I have to acknowledge work is good for giving me structure.

I think four cobwebs is enough to clean out at once, so I will stop there. I hope you will take some time to evaluate what it is in your "house" that needs cleaning. Then, find a plan to get rid of it. On that note, I must return to cleaning my real house, which is actually part of my re-establishing my routine and structure. Happy cleaning!