While I went into this 31 Days thing wanting to do the things other folks were sending out challenges for, I think I've got to do what the house is telling me needs to be done.
Today and over the whole weekend, the dining table was bugging me. I really prefer it to be cleared off with just the fall runner, candle holder and the basket of trivets, oh and the placemats. That's all. No clutter, no laptops, no books, nothing. Of course, being the largest flat surface other than the floor, it gets stuff on it all the time. Usually it's not too much stuff and I can pick it up quickly, or they remember to pick up after themselves (since they're used to seeing it cleared off)... but this weekend, we were so busy and I've been so tired, I just kind of gave up on it.
But like Lisa at Paintbrush and Screwdriver said in her Day 2 blog post, I needed to find "just one spot", that helped keep the whole area looking clean. That spot is definitely my dining table. If it's messy, then the whole main living space looks messy. And if the place looks messy, then people don't care about adding to the mess. If it looks clean and organized, for some reason people are less likely to want to mess it up - so they actually take care of whatever they set down or had out before they leave the room. So, I had to get the table back to looking uncluttered.
Fortunately, it wasn't bad.
But see what I mean about people just leaving their stuff. It's evident that they just dropped stuff off, or finished reading something, then they stood up, and just walked away - didn't even think twice about it. I don't know how people can think like that. When I leave a room, I always look around, almost paranoid that I'm leaving behind some evidence that I was in the room. I have no idea why I am like that. I kinda wish the rest of my family was though. Maybe just a little anyway.
But anyway, it wasn't hard to just take care of stuff. I did put away everything in its place, except for a couple of things that go into the girls' rooms since they were asleep. Those items got put on the sideboard by the front door. I'll have them get the sideboard cleared off before they go to school in the morning (well in a few minutes now - I go to bed after they get up for school).
Just a little tidying really made a difference in the room. In fact, I also cleared off a few things that were on the coffee table and put them away, so now the whole living room is basically straightened up. I swept too - can't stand the dang dog hair.
This is the sideboard that the girls need to clear off before school. (Yesterday was Disney Day at the high school and Rhiannon went as Maleficent, thus the dragon).
After making and packing lunches, I usually clean my kitchen really well, wipe it all down, shine my sink and switch out the dishcloths and dish towels for new ones for the next day. Tonight though, I didn't. I cleaned up after making lunches, but didn't unload the dishwasher and didn't clean out the sink. But it's good enough. I'm exhausted (and should totally be in bed now, but I have to get the girls up first,), and sometimes, good enough will do fine.
I think my next project might be my desk...
It's piled up with all the paper work from paying bills, and entering receipts in YNAB, and writing a budget worksheet on paper, menu planning etc.
But, we'll see what the house has in store for me tomorrow. Maybe the pantry will call to me, wanting to be cleaned out and reorganized... nah.
Hope y'all are doing well on your challenges if you're doing them, or just having a good day either way!
Patty
Today and over the whole weekend, the dining table was bugging me. I really prefer it to be cleared off with just the fall runner, candle holder and the basket of trivets, oh and the placemats. That's all. No clutter, no laptops, no books, nothing. Of course, being the largest flat surface other than the floor, it gets stuff on it all the time. Usually it's not too much stuff and I can pick it up quickly, or they remember to pick up after themselves (since they're used to seeing it cleared off)... but this weekend, we were so busy and I've been so tired, I just kind of gave up on it.
But like Lisa at Paintbrush and Screwdriver said in her Day 2 blog post, I needed to find "just one spot", that helped keep the whole area looking clean. That spot is definitely my dining table. If it's messy, then the whole main living space looks messy. And if the place looks messy, then people don't care about adding to the mess. If it looks clean and organized, for some reason people are less likely to want to mess it up - so they actually take care of whatever they set down or had out before they leave the room. So, I had to get the table back to looking uncluttered.
Fortunately, it wasn't bad.
But see what I mean about people just leaving their stuff. It's evident that they just dropped stuff off, or finished reading something, then they stood up, and just walked away - didn't even think twice about it. I don't know how people can think like that. When I leave a room, I always look around, almost paranoid that I'm leaving behind some evidence that I was in the room. I have no idea why I am like that. I kinda wish the rest of my family was though. Maybe just a little anyway.
But anyway, it wasn't hard to just take care of stuff. I did put away everything in its place, except for a couple of things that go into the girls' rooms since they were asleep. Those items got put on the sideboard by the front door. I'll have them get the sideboard cleared off before they go to school in the morning (well in a few minutes now - I go to bed after they get up for school).
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| Just realized Porchie the Laser Eyes Cat was in the shot. |
This is the sideboard that the girls need to clear off before school. (Yesterday was Disney Day at the high school and Rhiannon went as Maleficent, thus the dragon).
After making and packing lunches, I usually clean my kitchen really well, wipe it all down, shine my sink and switch out the dishcloths and dish towels for new ones for the next day. Tonight though, I didn't. I cleaned up after making lunches, but didn't unload the dishwasher and didn't clean out the sink. But it's good enough. I'm exhausted (and should totally be in bed now, but I have to get the girls up first,), and sometimes, good enough will do fine.
I think my next project might be my desk...
But, we'll see what the house has in store for me tomorrow. Maybe the pantry will call to me, wanting to be cleaned out and reorganized... nah.
Hope y'all are doing well on your challenges if you're doing them, or just having a good day either way!
Patty