Last week I recovered my home from two (or more) weeks of neglect.
I used to do this all the time, as it was the only way I ever really cleaned, picked-up, decluttered, whatever.
So I was struck by the difference.
It’s not as huge of a deal as it used to be. I used my daily checklist and weekly cleaning tasks to keep my pace instead of randomly running through the house putting out whatever fire caught my (fleeting) attention.
I also was reminded that it’s not really a coincidence that I’ve been hosting people in my home on a weekly basis since just a few months after I started this blog.
Our church started weekly home groups just after I began this deslobification journey. I remember the look on my husband’s face when I volunteered our home as a meeting place. An every-single-week meeting place.
My stomach hurt and my heart beat fast as I tried to ignore the “Are you serious?” expression in his widened eyes.
Almost four years later, I’ve made big strides and can usually have our house ready in just an hour on Sunday afternoon.
I attribute that big-deal-for-me success to a few factors:
- I have decluttered like a crazy-woman. Simple straightening and vacuuming are not overwhelming projects like they used to be.
- I have developed basic habits that keep me from needing to spend entire days cleaning the kitchen.
- I don’t worry about bedrooms or the playroom for these weekly meetings of adults.
- I have changed my perspective on hospitality and now put the emphasis on welcoming people instead of worrying about perfection.
But there’s one thing I do miss about the Whole House Overhaul days.
I used to redecorate every time I hosted a party. Because it was such a BIG DEAL to open my front door, I bought new wall-hangings, moved furniture, painted rooms . . . and more.
I like it better now that I don’t get so crazy, but I was always so happy to have the motivation to change things up decor-wise.
I got a little sad as I passed the cutesy signs and framed-prints at Hobby Lobby last week.
But then I passed the doormats. And they were 50% off. (Like everything is at Hobby Lobby, all the time . . . )
And finally . . . it happened. I remembered how much I wanted a new doormat at the SAME TIME new doormats were right in front of my face!
That’s a big deal, people.
So I bought a pretty new doormat, and I feel like it makes a slight difference:
Don’t you think?
Do you use parties as an excuse to re-decorate your house?
Its funny that you wrote about “The old days” today. I was just reminiscing about being able to go to need with a sink full of dishes and sleep well. Now, no matter how tired I am, it bothers me. And I can’t sleep until I at least load the dishwasher. 🙁
I’m sorry! But it IS a good problem to have!
I am a relative new comer. Day 6 or 7…I swept the kitchen floor complete with organizing and pitching. I ended up with a sink full of dishes and pans that had been left outside because they were gross outside. They will be washed before I go to bed.
I really appreciate the way you talk about Slobs brains being different. As a special needs teacher I know how differently brains can work. My joy has been to figure out how to get the brilliance out. You are getting my ability to find peace in my home out. May be it’s a kind of ADD….we just ditz out for a bit…THANK YOU, Nony
Nony, you are an inspiration! I only subscribed a few weedks ago and I have come to love reading your blog. I also have times when I want my home to look its best for visitors, but sort of wondered if I was going about things the wrong way. I am now convinced that there really is not wrong way other than just not doing what needs doing. Thank you ever so much!
Dianne in the desert
This is possibly your best single blog post! Although if you put all your cleaning/decluttering tips in one huge post, it might be better, lol. How I’ve suffered from CHAOS (Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome), but I really now believe that there is hope because there is a better way. Thank you! I am inspired!
Hi Vicki! Look under “Categories” in the menu bar, and you’ll see where many of my decluttering posts are all together!
I thought I was the only one who redecorated for paritess! We actually have once a month bonfires just to encourage me to deep clean and keep the yard in shape and every bonfire at least one room in the house has been totally rearranged 🙂
“I feel like it makes a slight difference”
I disagree with you there. I feel like it makes a HUGE difference! That there pretty doormat (and the leaf matter removal…) probably changes how you feel about walking into your home every time you pass it – and it really sets the tone. That pride of place, that little lift is really something. For me, making a wee change like that makes a HUGE difference in sustaining deslobification.
Thanks for the inspiration – I think today I’ll at least wash the raccoon paw prints off the porch and dust my mailbox – that should take less than five minutes. We have snow predicted for Thursday (here in Toronto) so I won’t change out my porch planters just yet – but that will be a good weekend project. Shedding pine needles and dry sticks just aren’t very cheery when we’re longing for Spring weather. I’ll look for a new mat too, though I’ll probably resist the one I saw that said “Go Away” that was really tempting…
Ha! “Go Away”? There are definitely days/weeks when that would be tempting!
It’s amazing how a small doormat makes such a huge difference visually and emotionally. It looks great, and I love that giddy feeling of putting a new one you love down. I still get excited walking up my front steps to see my new doormat!
Well, there’s a lot to why I redecorated. I redecorated because I found the fun decorating stuff that was hidden in the clutter. I redecorated because I was uncomfortable with the white space exposed when I decluttered. And I decorated because I usually went shopping to avoid making the house messy again!
I remember when I first found your blog. I literally read every.single.post! I can finally say I think I have this keeping up with housework down. Thanks for letting me mature with you.
Your front entrance looks great. I just saw a welcome mat that says “The neighbors have better stuff.” It is so funny because we are close with our neighbors and their girls are over every day. Thanks again!
Ya know I have often thought about regularly hosting something at my house to force me to get there…
We have the sideboard in the dining room that gets redecorated seasonally, AKA whenever people start piling clutter on it. I’d love to do more than that, but as it is not my house and we haven’t gotten around to cleaning up the bookshelves in the dining room yet, I don’t have much space for decorating. I’d love to do a massive overhaul of one room at a time though. That would be rad.
I have to second that the new mat and clean swept entry make a big difference not a little difference.
I vote big difference.
It looks nice.
I don’t have small stoop though, instead it is a swing porch and there is room for table and chairs…
but right now…it is full of stuff! Not very welcoming.
If I just decluttered my porch…that alone would shout WELCOME! “we have room for you”.
Right now it probably screams CAREFUL! “don’t step in the chicken poop, let’s sit in the yard because my house is overflowing to the porch”
:/ Pat
PS …I’m reading this post late…but am inspired. As soon as this rain lets up…I’M ON IT!!!!!