Or you're asking the wrong person, at least. This is just a rant. :)
Don't get me wrong, I could keep my house clean...it is actually possible...but I would be cleaning constantly, all day long every day. Who wants to do that? I pick up the toys, and my toddler follows behind me and throws them all over the floor again. I dust the tv stand and in minutes its completely covered in dust and pet hair again. I mop the floor, my husband comes home for lunch and leaves foot prints. I mop it again, more footprints when he comes home for the day. Is it normal to have to mop 3 times a day? I'm not going to do it.
And I don't have time to clean all day long. Part of the job description of being a stay at home mom is...to be a mom. I'm raising a person. A lot of my time is spent taking care of her. Feeding her, bathing her, reading her books, taking her to the park, playing with her, teaching her, consoling her when she gets an ouchie, consoling her when her toy gets an ouchie.
Laundry and dishes, don't get me started there..the never ending stuff. I was so proud yesterday, I actually folded and put away all the laundry! I mean, I usually fold some of it every day, but I never seem to get to all of it. There is always a laundry basket sitting around with some clean laundry in it. But yesterday, I finally did it! Completely emptied the basket. And 30 minutes later I pulled another load from the dryer...and there's that pesky basket of laundry again.
There's clutter everywhere. My house is so small that it just can't be helped. There's just no place to put everything. Every now and then I'll find some good ideas on pinterest and will go on an organizing spree, but it just doesn't stay organized for long, if I even finish the project to begin with.
And of course there's all the fun little toddler messes like crayon masterpieces on the wall, spilled cereal boxes, and my toddler's latest obsession with scooping water out of the toilet with whatever she can get her hands on.
I'm fighting a losing battle here. I'm cleaning the same things over and over and never have time to work on things like my messy bedroom, or the disaster garage. And yet I go to a friend's house...they have a family too and yet their house is spotless. Is there some sort of magic involved here? Or have they simply mastered the quick "company's coming!" clean up and its actually a mess the rest of the time? I know I get the most cleaning done when I'm expecting someone to come over. I'm hoping that's it. Because otherwise, I'm definitely doing something wrong.
Sometimes I just think, "Come on! You're home all day! There's no reason you can't keep the house clean."
But I don't want to spend all my time cleaning and stressing about the house. I want to remember playing with my daughter, snuggling on the couch, get togethers with friends. I'd rather not remember the ongoing battle with the crappy military housing floors.
I guess my goal should be to get the important stuff done. Keep the kitchen clean, keep the kid clean and fed. Do the everyday stuff you have to do (dishes, laundry, sweeping). Work on everything else when I can, but try not to worry so much about the clutter and toys because they're always going to be there. Do the quick pick up when someone is coming over of course, but try not to let it drive me crazy the rest of the time. Easier said then done.
Do you have any tips for keeping your house clean and organized? I'd love to hear them!
A couple of tips that sound promising but I haven't actually tried yet...
-Make a cleaning schedule. (ie. Mondays, clean the bathroom. Tuesdays and fridays, vacuum)
-Pack up some of your kids toys and alternate them every now and then. This sounds like a good idea to keep the toy clutter reduced some!
