I had moments of nobleness yesterday. Really, I did. I had plans to do a five-minute pick-up (which with four people actually makes a decent difference), but then time slipped away and I decided to not bother before we headed to the pool.
Thankfully, I DID empty and reload the dishwasher, sort laundry and start a load.
BUT, just like with decluttering, I learned (again) a lesson about the beauty/necessity of tackling the most visible stuff first.
If only I had done a five-minute pick-up, I wouldn’t have cringed quite as much when we brought an extra kid home from the pool with us. I love this kid. Seriously, he’s so respectful and never casually asks why our car/house/whatever is soooo messy. But I still would have preferred to not have my Slob Vision cured quite so suddenly as tends to happen when someone comes into the home I’ve been successfully ignoring.
It’s SUMMER!!!
I love this fun and crazy and unscheduled time of year with my kids, but the lack of routine sends my house into chaos!
For the summer, I’m focusing on the four simple habits that will keep (or bring) any home out of Disaster Status.
Here’s how we did:
Do the dishes
Sweep the kitchen
Check bathrooms for clutter (This was half-way done because we did sort laundry which is half the bathroom-clutter-battle around here.)
Do a five-minute pick-up (I did this AFTER coming home with an extra kid. Ugh.)
Our extra task for today:
Laundry. We missed Laundry Day on Monday. I have no idea why and I really don’t want to talk about it . . .
How did you do today?
Share your own success and failures in the comments!
Don’t forget that you can get your own copy of my Surviving Summer Checklist by subscribing to my email list. You can sign up for daily emails (only sent if I’ve posted something) or weekly summary emails. Plus, you won’t miss a post! Click here to sign up for free.
If you’re completely overwhelmed at even the thought of the four habits listed here, don’t worry! I totally understand! I recommend my books: How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind and Decluttering at the Speed of Life. for a step-by-step guide to getting your home out of Disaster Status.
If it’s your first time at ASlobComesClean.com, welcome! Right now, we’re totally focused on helping our homes survive the gloriously routine-free summer! Regular blogging will resume when school starts in August! Until then, find out what goes on around here the rest of the year by checking out my decluttering strategies (based on WAY too much personal experience) and my free printable checklists. See my advice on getting started.
And if you’re worried about whether you’ll fit in here, read this.
--Nony
Alene says
So glad that in your ‘daily report’ you mentioned that you missed doing laundry on Monday. Something started niggling in my brain when you were grateful you had sorted&started a load… I would have gone thru the day confused as to what day it REALLY was – all because I KNOW Nony does laundry on Monday! 🙂
Christine says
I love your realistic updates. As someone who has faught and for the most part conquered clutter, something in your post stood out to me. When you talked about laundry being a large part of clutter in your half bath, my mind went to my lovely new laundry sorter. Ours is up in our closet, where I used to have piles of sorted laundry ready to take to the washer. Now I have a 4 different hanging bags, rather than 1 hamper.. At least then the laundry is contained, so it looks a lot better. Would you have room for something like that in your bathroom?
Alana in Canada says
Christine,
I have a laundry hamper in my bathroom. Clthoes still wind up on the floor. (And they are adult sized clothing. ) Just sayin’
Have a great summer, Nonny! We’re off on vacation (2 weeks) and the floor will not be swept!
Cindy says
Love your updates.
My goal for July is to stick to my written routines allowing for inspiration. Here goes!
Kristy K. James says
Hindsight and all that, right? It is always easier to see what we should have done after the fact, but it does get easier with reminders like that. I used to have the kids dump their laundry baskets in the middle of the living room (hardwood floors, not carpet) so I could sort them – until the day an aunt stopped by unexpectedly.
My success story? My son and I go round and round about one particular problem area that’s his responsibility. Last night, while he was standing right there, I took a picture of it. To my complete and utter delight, he looked horrified and said, “You’re not going to show that to anyone are you?!”
He cares. He finally cares. 😀
kris says
I have a tendency to have the kids drag all the laundry from the second floor to the hallway on the first floor so we can sort and I can haul it to the basement. Why, yes, there have been times where I am chucking dirty laundry down the cellar steps so the tutor who is pulling up in front of the house does not see it! Some day I will learn.