Lovely Weeds: Mess Management

[THIS POST IS PART OF A 31 DAY SERIES. START HERE IF YOU'RE NEW!]

Happy day eight of the 31 Day Writing Challenge! I'm still typing away about contentment and the little tricks I have to remind myself that life in an imperfect home can be pretty... well perfect.

This is for the messy people.

I love having a clean home. When our house is free of little piles, is vacuumed and dusted with the smell of bleach in the air, I feel peaceful and at ease. My mind is clear and I can relax.

But I don't necessarily think well.

I need a little noise to think! A quiet and completely clean home (or a mostly-tidy space, by normal people's standards) is like a cup of warm milk for me. It signals my brain to sit down with a cup of coffee, a fuzzy blanket, and a book, and enjoy it while it lasts. Not exactly a frame of mind conducive to productivity.

But what does this ode to a messy home have to do with contentment? I still want a “clean enough” home. Clean enough to allow an uninvited yet welcome friend inside, instead of making her stand on the porch while I slide out of the barely cracked door. Clean enough for my sweet mother in law to think "boy, my son sure is taken care of" :). Clean enough for my baby girl to enjoy that graham cracker she found on the kitchen floor.

Just kidding about that last one.

In the spirit of do-something-about-it-ness, I quit bemoaning the fact that I couldn't keep our home perfectly put together, and accepted that it simply exists in the grey area between almost-clean and slightly-disheveled. Embracing that it's just our family's natural state in this home and in this season of life meant that I could quit juggling that particular ball.

So I let it drop sometimes. I prioritize. I have a system of unsystematic routines and tricks that help keep the piles at bay. They help me keep my home clean enough.

1) I have a basic cleaning schedule.

Before you start thinking that I'm a slob with ants in my sink and cobwebs over the doors, I'm talking messy - not dirty. I have a cleaning schedule (thanks Clean Mama!) that I'm pretty loyal to, and it keeps the gross stuff under control.

I do one load of laundry every morning. Doing one load, start to finish, helps me keep us all from wearing stinky clothes. Quick wipedown of the bathrooms on Monday. Dust on Tuesday. Vacuum on Wednesday. I sweep the wood floors in the kitchen every day, and mop every Thursday (sometimes more, depending various juice-tastrophes). I do the dishes every morning - I know you're supposed to do them at night, but I have a handsome husband I'd rather cuddle with. It's against the rules, but it works for us.

The rest is about mess management.

2) I have trash bins everywhere.

We have three trash bins just in our little living room. One in each bedroom (two in the master), bathroom, the laundry room - hard to find an excuse for leaving rubbish lying around when there is a garbage can within arms reach.

3) The kid knows the basics, which we keep simple.

My four year old puts his own shoes up and hangs his hat and coat up the minute he walks in the door. He puts his trash in the trash can. He puts his dishes in the sink after every meal. Not because he's an angel, though he is pretty cute, but because he it is an easy task that he gets praised for like he cured pimples. Get 'em early, reinforce it every time, and let them think doing x, y, and z makes them a hero.

4) Toys get a pass from 8-4.

I want my kids to play with all those toys that they have! Isn't that what they're for? So they are scattered all over the living room during the day. I can live with that, as long I don't have to look at them during adult time. Allowing them the freedom to play without my nagging about messes during the day has two big benefits: A. it keeps them happy and occupied and not begging for TV, and B. it's not a big deal when it's time to pick up.

5) Try to deal with things right away.

This isn’t always easy, but it makes a big difference. Put it away while you’re already thinking about it, and it won’t have a chance to be covered by other un-dealt with clutter.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Lovely Weeds Perfect Mess Formula. See more of my favorite inspiration on my cleaning/organizing Pinterest board.