I started this blog as an accountability/keep-myself-focused-on-my-house thing.
In general, it works.
It’s hard to justify writing about cleaning when your house isn’t clean.
Hard, but not impossible.
This week is our church’s Vacation Bible School. It’s a crazy week, but the kids absolutely love it. They’re so excited that I’m acting again after taking a year off. That does this Drama Mama’s heart good, as I know it’s only a matter of time before these goofy VBS characters I play send them crawling under their chairs in embarrassment.
These out-of-the-routine periods have always been the bane of my slob existence. (Please don’t tell me if I’m using “bane” incorrectly, because I think it sounds really cool.)
This afternoon, I sat down to write a post in the few minutes I had during a very busy day. My creativity was gone. I wasn’t even going for profound or highly literary. I just couldn’t write a coherent thought. And it wasn’t for lack of ideas. I actually have a list of post ideas that I want to get to.
But then, I did the thing that always gets my Slob-Writer-Juices flowing.
I cleaned.
Don’t worry. The irony is not lost on me.
I decided to work on the not-as-bad-as-it-could-be kitchen.
Yes, I’ve been (or hubby’s been) running the dishwasher every night. But the emptying has been hit-or-miss.
And when you don’t empty it first thing . . . it can’t be filled throughout the day, which means the sink piles up with dirty dishes and this somehow makes the other (more easily fixable) problems blur in my Slob Vision.
I did crazy things like:
- Put away the clean-and-dry-for-a-week-now Crock Pot.
- Wash the rarely-used-because-it’s-such-a-pain-to-clean-but-I-had-to-use-it-last-week-because-everything-else-was-dirty cast iron skillet.
- Wipe down the unreachable-by-little-Kitchen-Checklisting-arms spots on the cabinet.
Now that I’m done, I can write again. Not that it’s award-winning stuff, but at least some words are coming.
And I feel better.
How is your summer week going?
It always amazes me how cleaning and decluttering can energize you and get your creative juices flowing!! Great post!
I’m so glad I”m not the only one! I had been on such a role keeping the main areas of the house clean (the bedrooms & office is a whole ‘nother story). Then summer break hit with its crazy non-schedule, vacation…VBS…and suddenly my kitchen is overwhelmed with dirty dishes, the living room is cluttered, & the bathroom makes me sick! All I missed was ONE STINKING TIME of emptying the dishwasher!
OK…I’m getting back on the wagon in the morning. Thanks for letting me vent. Thanks for understanding. And thanks for sharing your struggles so none of us feel alone. (=
You and me are sisters some how. Almost every clutter word you utter, is me. You got me at the Slow Cookers been out for a week. I never understand it, but it happens all the time! Thanks for the inspiration! Awesome recipes too!
I’m having an organizing block! I was doing sooo well but lately I’m just doing terrible at it. I HAVE to get it back together.
I can’t blame my procrastination on anything! In fact since we’ll be going camping this coming weekend *gulp*, I should be in super-overdrive!! But…. I’m not…. And King Turd is going to freak if we’re not ready to go that morning. And I HATE starting camp like that…. so I’d best get some type of motivation going around here or I’ll be in ‘big, fat, hairy trouble!’
BTW, I love my cast iron cookware. Why does everyone say they’re so hard to clean? I wait to clean that pan last because you don’t clean it with soap – it wrecks it – you just scrub it clean. I have a stiff, long handled scrub brush, that I got from the Dollar Store that is just used to clean them. If, IF, I clean it after supper (yeah, I know you can stop laughing now), I just run the hot water (HOT water) over it as I scrub, I continue scrubbing until the water runs clear. If there is stuck on stuff, then I’ll use a metal scrubbie (like a chore boy) the kind without soap. Then I put it on the stove and turn the burner on & I wait for all of the water to evaporate (another method would just be to put it in a heated oven). This totally drys it out so it doesn’t rust….. Now on the other hand, if you’ve left it for a day or two or three, fill it with water & put it on the stove to boil for 10-15 minutes or until the crusties get all soft & loose (you can do this while you’re making your dinner). Then when cooled (after dinner this time) dump the water, scrape it out & clean as above. Sometimes this method takes away some of the ‘seasoning’ or if you accidentally scrub it with soap, take a paper towel with a little oil on it & wipe it down (don’t get it wet, just give it a sheen) then heat it on the stove again for a few minutes & it will be seasoned again. Over time, your cast iron/aluminum should work like teflon!
Dishwasher emptying…a kids’ job around here! At breakfast time, the child on “kitchen duty” for the day must empty the dishwasher. Ages 4 and up in our house. They put everything away. They also set the tables for the meals that day, and clear things off after meals (though each person must put their own dishes in the dishwasher when we are done eating.) It works really well for us, with only minimal complaining (that’s because if they complain, they have to do kitchen duty again the next day!). We rotate days from oldest child to youngest. We have a great kitchen stool they use to reach the taller cupboards where our dishes are. Just thought I’d share the routine that helps keep things flowing in our kitchen.
The rough spot at our place right now is the family/toy room. We managed to find 6 stuffed animals to donate today, but that doesn’t even make a slight dent in the mess in there. My creative girls and all their crafts!!! Now that we are not homeschooling in the summer, I hardly go in there, and the mess keeps growing. Anybody know an easy, magical solution?
P.S. I found the “magic cure” to a clean toy room….you have to do it yourself! The kids and I spent a solid hour cleaning it up yesterday afternoon. And it now looks great!
🙂 been reading through your blog since i found it a couple weeks ago…. reading it backwards. lol…. and just had to let you know that you did, indeed, use the word “bane” correctly. i like the way it sounds too 🙂
Thank you! I love that word and always notice now when I hear it used as I use it!
I also loved your use of the word bane.
I could easily say paper is the bane of my existence!
Cast iron isn’t hard to clean, as long as you keep it seasoned properly. Cast iron is actually a favorite in this slob household, since you scrape the pan out when done, wipe it down, and put it back on the stove for the next meal. Sometimes you need to wipe it down with a bit of oil too. But if your germaphobe tendencies mean you need to scrub it with soap each time you use it and remove that hard-earned seasoning, then it probably makes more sense to get it out of your kitchen. Maybe move it out to camping gear (after seasoning it well so it doesn’t rust!) or just donate it.