the art & science of keeping house {part 3}

In The Art & Science of Keeping House {Part 2, I gave several tips I have personally found helpful in the process of keeping our home. With those tips and our schedule in place, our home is left easily manageable. Leaving it in a “lived in – clean state.” I say this, because we still have small children, and I’ve found my home will NOT be in a pristine condition, no matter how hard I try. Perhaps you’ve already figured this out, or maybe you are in the same boat as I am? Either way, please bear with me – as I’m still learning to let go of perfect, while finding ways to better our home for His glory.

It CAN be done! Following our schedule makes the housecleaning less time-consuming. If I trip over a bump in the road one day – I just get back up the next! I find that it’s not as difficult to jump right back on the train, because all my daily maintenance and hard work has paid off.

When it comes to cleaning my home – the hardest part is getting motivated! Do you agree?

Motivator #1

 

Cleaning our homes take time, and no matter how hard we snap our fingers – it will not get that pile of laundry folded. If I waited for a time when I actually was motivated to clean – that time may never come.One way I keep motivated is by seeing what I’ve accomplished.

Having a list helps me work efficiently. I also get this amazing satisfaction of being able to cross things off my list! At the end of the day, I am an awe of everything we accomplished as a family. Every morning I feel more motivated to take on the day, because I have a set plan in place. {Some days those “not so picture perfect postcard days” sneak in. But, LIFE happens. – Most days, It’s beautiful and refreshing!

Another motivator for me is to Work first & “play” later. I work more quickly when I’m looking forward to something. Kind of like a special little “treat” at the end of my day. Whether it’s a good book to read, a little blog time, a walk with the Munchkins, scrapbooking, or making that new decadent chocolate dessert recipe. Cleaning before enjoying those special “treats” ensures that my cleaning will actually GET DONE. And because I put this rule in place for myself there is no procrastination going on {Most of the time!}   I know that WORK COMES FIRST, THEN “PLAY”. {Seriously I should know this! I’m always telling my children this!}

Besides the Bible telling us to be hospitable, I’ve found that it is also a great motivator to keeping my home maintained, when I know I’m having guests over. It gives me a great motivation to keep maintaining.

If you are like me, it’s probably hard to enjoy being in your home, when you have a to-do-list a mile long or you are surrounded by dirt or piles of clutter. With our cleaning schedule in place – it helps keep me from feeling so overwhelmed. It’s so much easier to stay “caught up” than it is to get “caught back up”. I don’t know about you, but when I’m not surrounded by piles of laundry or a floor full of crumbs, I feel energized, and ready to tackle whatever comes my way. And I know for a fact, I feel better. I’m also positive my countenance changes too – allowing it to bubble over – spilling happy all over the place. {Just ask my husband!}

Photo Courtesy: Noosh Loves

Motivator #5

My kids & Husband. I do NOT want my children growing up in a constantly messy home, because their mother chose to be lazy, or had lack of discipline. I want my children to grow up knowing that anyone can have a clean home, if they work hard, and if the family works together. I want my children to know the blessing that comes from doing the best we can, and the blessing that comes from working hard. I want my children to know how to clean a home and be a helper to their future spouses as well. I want my husband to be able to come home and feel like he can relax. All because his wife has been busy – being the keeper and manager of their home. I want to be able to ENJOY more of life then just cleaning it. Daily managing my home, allows me to do just that. Having a clean home can be such a blessing – in SO many ways!

A Little Side Note:

If you are feeling overwhelmed and you’re feeling as though your work load is just getting swallowed whole. Or you find yourself after a medical condition unable to get caught back up. {Bed-Rest for instance – I’ve been there!} Perhaps you might need to ask for help from a family member or friend. Maybe you just need someone to watch kids for a few hours while you get caught up? Perhaps you have someone near by who could help? When feeling overwhelmed there’s nothing better then getting caught back up. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel can totally lift spirits.

Remember, trying to maintain our homes in our own strength will just send us crashing down. We must strip away our pride & feelings of failure. We must Pray and seek for God’s wisdom as we choose to schedule our days with a plan & purpose. We must remember to put the Lord FIRST on our list – doing so brings incredible blessings throughout the day. {Even during sorrow & trials.} Pray for motivation, strength and energy. We must all learn to give GOD the glory through our beautiful homes. Using our homes to spread HIS AMAZING LOVE, to our families, our friends and those we may not know. And if it ever comes down to washing that sink full of dishes or cuddling with your husband on the couch while the kids are asleep – DO IT! Learn to look for moments of opportunities. We must pray about our priorities often. Life changes, and often our priorities will change with the turning of the tide.

Join me next week, as I wrap up this series. I’ll share with you our schedule.  
{Along with FREE pintables for your household.}