Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Housekeeping Matters

The words "She keeps her house immaculate" resonated through my mind as I worked swiftly, cleaning the kitchen and dining room this morning.  Questions like "Does she keep a schedule," "What supplies does she use," and "Did she keep it that clean when she had children in the home?" arose in my mind as I pondered what "immaculate" meant to the commenter.  I cleaned what I can only assume was boogers off my dining room wall today.  What more could anyone ask for than a booger-free wall?

Seriously though.  Could I do a better job at keeping my house clean?  Sure.  Immaculate, no.  But there is always room for improvement.  I asked my husband last week if there was one or two things around the house he wished I would do more often, or better.  I gave him complete freedom to hand out any suggestions he wanted, and told him I would take no offense whatsoever.

He suggested vacuuming 2x a week instead of one, and making sure the kids pick up their things before bedtime on a consistent basis.  How helpful!  Those are both easily done!  I don't think he expects me to keep the house immaculate.  If he did, that would be asking way too much at this stage in our lives.  I sure can do my best to keep a reasonable housekeeping schedule though.  It all goes back to my housekeeping mission that I revised at the beginning of the year.

"I want my home to be peaceful, simple, and cozy.  I will value my relationships with my husband and children by showing them unconditional acceptance.  I will maintain a reasonable housekeeping schedule and designate chores to keep clutter at bay.  I will decorate tastefully and affordably creating a relaxing environment for my family and all who enter my home."

Peaceful, simple, cozy.  These are attainable goals.  I think many of us look around and compare ourselves with others far too often.  What is a reasonable schedule for me may be different for a single mom, working mom, or otherwise.  If we set goals that are too unreasonable, then we are only setting ourselves up for failure.

Proverbs 31: 17 says "She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks."

There is always work to be done.  For me, what matters is that I decide what I am going to do, and then do it well.  Even if it's the task of wiping boogers off my walls! :)

Blessings,
Melissa

P.S. If you've never set up a house-keeping schedule of your own but would like to, pop over to Home Sanctary and start the process with this post.  You'll be glad you did!

5 comments:

Karen Whittal said...

Cute post, I have cleaned lots of things of wall, but never boogers........ I think you can have an immaculate house......... but a clean home...... and who wants to live in a house..........

Lea @ CiCis Corner said...

Oh, Melissa, I love your housekeeping mission! I cannot even imagine keeping up with a household of 7, you are to be commended for sure.

May your weekend bring rest and relaxation. Blessings!

Anonymous said...

I love your mission statement too. No, it will never be immaculate. Even if it were, it doesn't necessarily make it a sanctuary, which is what we strive for. Love having a flexible cleaning/household schedule. I liked how you asked your hubby about what he'd like to see done around the house, rather than making assumptions that we need everything to be perfect for our family.

Kim said...

I love your mission too! I need to come up with something like that!
Very brave of you to ask your hubby for suggestions...
I would have to be prepared to receive it...
great post!

Mama Duck said...

I like that you asked your hubby too. They feel so valued and supported when we ask questions like that!