In January, one of my goals was to take five minutes out of each day and organize one drawer, cupboard or shelf in our home. Realistically, I know I no longer have the time to reorganize an entire room in an afternoon. Most days I feel accomplished if I’ve conquered the dishes in the sink and a load of laundry. So one cupboard a day seemed manageable, right? Except I’ve been saying, “I’ll start on Monday” for the last five months. Yesterday, inspired by Vlad and Kim’s move into their new home (thanks guys!), I took the plunge and organized the bottom shelf in our pantry when we got home. It may not sound like much, but in 30 days I’ll have 30 clean nooks and crannies that were in a previous state of chaos. My hope is that making this goal a public one will be the push I need to keep the momentum going. For me, this exercise is about reflecting on what we really need and being honest about what we don’t. It’s also about thinking twice before bringing anything new into our home.
Ever since Ben was born I feel like the walls are closing in around us. I tried to sift through all the clutter before he was born (truthfully I’ve been trying for years to find a place for everything in our home). But once he arrived so did all the additional stuff; bottles, toys, clothes, swings and bouncy chairs. The list (and piles) are never ending and it’s hard to find the time to pack it all away when it’s no longer in use. Children, by nature are messy and so is their play. By the end of the day Ben’s toys, clothes, books and sippy cups have taken over our house. It isn’t uncommon for me to find a car or book underneath the covers as I crawl into bed at night.
My house is usually tidy but it’s definitely not as clean as it use to be. Gone are the days when all of the housework and laundry was tackled every Thursday night. When you have a child you find a new balance in life. Priorities shift, the refrigerator door covered in fingerprints, the floor a little stickier. And truthfully, ‘perfectly clean’ doesn’t seem to matter as much as it use to. When I close my eyes at night, I know, I can still aspire and dream of my home with everything it embodies having purpose, tucked neatly into place.
