HOMEKEEPING

The Beauty of Daily Rituals

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"A clean sink

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How to keep a house (almost) clean

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I'm sure I'm like you. I want my home to be a comfortable, beautifully decorated, clean and organized home of hospitality. A haven for myself and all who enter here where deep conversation, nourishing food, fun entertainment, and laughter fill the atmosphere. A sanctuary of prayer and fellowship with the Holy Spirit, where good music, beautiful art, and the scent of fresh herbs and florals fill the senses. I want to enjoy and nurture relationships. But I do not want to be a slave to homekeeping. I want to enjoy life. But working full time left only fringe hours for all the rest. 

When I was younger, I was organized. It's not that I had more time. I just had fewer forever priorities. A big block green calendar hung over my kitchen sink which I reviewed every morning as I washed my breakfast dishes. Every 15 minutes marked on this calendar, from the moment I got up in the morning, to the moment I went to bed, with downtime breaks included. But as time went on activities increased. Bible Studies, Church activities, volunteer opportunities, new relationships, a dog (A BIG dog), family obligations out of state. Pretty soon all the plates spinning on all those poles began to tumble and crash.

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That's when I found two books that changed my life. Living a Beautiful Life, by Alexandra Stoddard, and Sidetracked Home Executives, by Pam Young and Peggy Jones. Both of these books were inspirational and led me down a path of the possible where home organization and home haven could meet.  Both are still my go-to life-on-track course. And for all the tracking systems, notebooks, files, color-coded systems, planners, apps, and software I've tried, they are still the best. Later I found the FlyLady, with Marla _____ and her homekeeping tips have now become a go-to for cleaning projects and shortcuts. 

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The secret? Find what consistently works for you. And keep it simple.

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Establishing Daily Rituals

Over the years I’ve found I can focus on daily housekeeping routines that work for me, and I’m sticking to them. By breaking it into daily bites, I am able to keep up. Some of the techniques I learned from the Sidetracked system. Some were adapted to fit my schedule and temperament. No longer is Saturday "cleaning day" and I am able to manage my life, instead of being driven by chores and tasks.