If you’ve been reading lately, you know how much I love summer with the kids.
You also know that I’m a little scared.
It feels a little like Chapter One of the blog is coming to an end. I began this blog on the first day of this school year, determined to hold myself accountable and begin to focus on my home. Although it’s very far from perfect, I have made real progress.
But Friday, at 12:15, everything will change. I have plans, but I know that new challenges will blindside me. Lack of routine and a house full at all times is a wonderful blessing, but I will have to adjust my mindset.
On Saturday, I worked out in the garage for a while. I moved now-empty shelves back into place after our garage sale from the weekend before. I put random-leftover-junk into boxes I didn’t mind giving away and ended up with quite a few empty storage tubs.
Then, my eye wandered to “the stack.” The corner full of stuff that didn’t go in the garage sale, but desperately needs to be organized.
Piles of stuff + Empty shelves and tubs = Lots of work to be done.
My heart sank. The familiar feeling returned. I was overwhelmed.
I have so incredibly far to go. My resolution to find “A Place for Everything” seems unattainable most of the time.
But as summer begins, I can’t let these feelings paralyze me. I have decided to move out of decluttering mode, and into survival mode.
Let me just clarify that I want our survival mode to not be Survivor (Eat-Rats-Because-You’re-Starving) mode, but more like Gilligan’s-Island (Make-the-Most-of-Living-on-a-Tropical-Island-Even-Though-You-Only-Planned-for-a-Three-Hour-Tour) mode.
I want to enjoy the summer in a clean and neat home. A perfect home is not an option. A fully organized and clutter-free home is not an option. I’m going to shelve my decluttering-madwoman character for the summer, and focus completely on being a mama who teaches her kids to keep the house livable.
Make sense?
Progress may not be an option, but to keep from regressing, we’ll have to focus on maintenance.
Basically, I’m allowing myself to not worry about the big pile of junk in the garage. Keeping the basics done during the loosi–goosiness of summer will be enough for this slob-brain to handle.
School will be back before I know it, and I’m sure that pile will still be there.
Stay tuned for Chapter Two.
(I love when people turn a string of words into an adjective by using a bunch of hyphens. Cracks me up every time!)
I think that's a super plan – plus if you DO find a pocket of time, you can use it to do some work if you so choose and you'll be ahead of the game come fall.
Makes perfect sense to me!
A great plan. Me on the other hand, I am just entering this-house-is-a-pig-sty stage and would love to just call for a big ole dumpster to be delivered. Hey, that's not such a bad idea. Umm, I think I might just do that.
Thanks for linking up to Mingle Monday! I love your insights on getting clean – and staying that way!
Maintenance…right there w/ ya!
I think that is a great dea. You'll be learning to maintain your home , and ultimatley,that is the goal. Let's face it, we've all crisis cleaned, but it always sems to slip back, doesn't it? And that's because we let the most important thing slide, mainataining what is done. So, along with enjoying your kiddos this summer, you can learn to maintain what you've accomplished so far and teach them as well. Sounds like a perfect plan to me.
It's really about sticking with it one day at a time.
I can be messy and living around some clutter doesn't bother me. All I have to do is watch an episode of "Hoarders" and that'll give me the motivation to tackle another section of the basement.
APPLAUSE! I know this is over three years ago now, but as I was reading I was so hoping you would see the schedule change coming and adjust your expectations to match it. And coming from a not-yet Mama, your goal sounds not only achievable, but enjoyable. And that’s the point of the de-cluttering, right?
What a great plan. The new normal to get used to then move on. Hope it was a great summer.