Hey there! This post series is for my fellow tidy-challenged souls. If this resonates with you, welcome. If not, that’s okay too, and if you want to feel better about yourself instantly, you can keep reading anyway.
I was inspired to write on this topic after finding the A Slob Comes Clean podcast. Listening along, I feel I have so many similarities with Dana, the podcaster/author, in our struggles to keep our homes under control. I will admit now, this is a somewhat vulnerable post as I describe my struggles, so please be kind. So without further ado, here is Part 1, the backstory.
How It Started: The ‘Messy Kid’ Chronicles
I must confess, I’ve been messy since childhood. My parents can attest to the disaster zone that was my room growing up. Some of my core childhood memories involve tubs of Barbies strewn about my floor while I was also busy drawing, reading, coloring, dancing, dreaming, writing, and creating!
I was the child who stuffed all my papers and supplies loose in my backpack. Living in a cluttered space didn’t bother me much (and let me be clear, the clutter was mine; my parents have always been very organized). I was perfectly content with the disarray around me, almost always able to find what I needed. My brain and my body have always been a bit out of sync, with my mind running a million miles per minute and hopping from one activity to the next. This is just a fact of who I was and who I still am now. But as I grew older, I began to realize that my environment was a reflection of my state of mind. Many tasks going at once. Cabinets left open. Laundry both in and around the hamper, and piles of clean clothes left in baskets. A half finished sewing project on the dining room table. The chaos has become less fun and has started impacting my ability to relax in my home and have time and space for things I want to do. I have made a lot of progress over the years, but my innate ability to be MESSY is a hard thing to kick!
The Need for Change: My “Why“
Reason No. 1 – My family
- I want our house to be a relaxing and inspiring place for my kids, my husband, and myself, without the noise of clutter and stuff.
- I want things to have a place.
- I want to have more time to focus on fun instead of giant cleaning efforts that take all day when I realize that things are becoming out of control or we are having guests over.
- I want my kids to see first hand how to keep a clean house on a continued basis. How can I expect my kids to be tidy when I set my work bag wherever and kick off my my shoes in the hallway after work? (I can hear the tidy people audibly gasping at that).
Reason No. 2 – I want our house to be guest ready
One of the most compelling reasons behind my quest for a tidier and more organized home is the desire to be able to invite friends and family over without any prior warning. It’s something I’ve always admired (and envied) in friends who can host impromptu gatherings. They have a level of readiness and openness that I want for my own house.
Admittedly, with little kids in the mix, I understand that my space may never be spotless at all times. Toys will be scattered and crayon and glue paper masterpieces will grace the walls. I think my own view on our space has caused me to avoid opportunities to invite friends over sometimes (e.g., I really should invite so-and-so over, but not until ____).
All this to say, I can also be hard on myself. Our house isn’t gross by any means, but it is frequently untidy enough that I feel like we need to clean before people stop by. And if someone came unannounced, I would probably have to say: “Sorry for the mess!” I am still working through my internal thoughts on what it means to be “guest ready.” I guess that it does not need to be Instagram-worthy perfect (even though I put pressure on myself in that way…). But, at the least, I just don’t want to feel self conscious when a neighbor stops by with no warning.
Reason No. 3 – I want to feel more inspired and content in my home
I love decor and inspiring and aesthetic spaces. I love it so much I have this entire blog where I talk about that frequently. I’d like to feel more inspired and content in my own space. I hope to talk in the future as well about being content with what I have and not feel like I need to continually bring more stuff into the house without a plan.
Therefore, I’ve embarked on a journey to transform my life by getting a grip on the clutter and untidiness that’s taken up residency in my home for as long as I can remember… and the bad habits that allow me (and my family) to do it. Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge three things: 1) I am absolutely not an expert at anything I am going to be talking about. As I mentioned, I do not have a natural inclination to be tidy, and so this is a learn-as-we-go type of thing and I expect that I will have some wins and some losses achieving my goals. My views are my own, but I will be referencing some other experts I follow here and there and I will try to give them credit if/when I do. 2) I have my husband to help me and share tasks. We are both responsible for the mess and our efforts to fix it. 3) Our problem seems to be tidiness rather than cleanliness. We have clean laundry, but it isn’t always put away. The floors are vacuumed fairly regularly, but there may be toys, shoes, coats, mail, and random things strewn about. The bathroom counters are wiped down regularly, but we have way too many bath toys. You get it.
Well, that is all for my Part 1, my “Why”. Stay tuned for the “How”…. Thank you for following along!
Camp Avenue 