When writing a quick post, seek better examples. For instance, your kitchen table. As a long time advocate of nightly family dinners, your kitchen table contents have easily been shuffled to the side desk*** to accomodate many a family meal. Therefore, it does get washed daily.
***Don't show desk.
Let your friends know that it is always safe to use your bathrooms and eat in your kitchen. That your husband is a master at cleaning a kitchen. That with so many boys in the house, you have learned to check the toilets for errant sprays on a daily basis. Hand towel changed frequently. The dust may be a little thick in your living room, but the health inspector will gladly eat at your table or poop in your bathroom.
Mention that clean sheets are provided for all night visitors, unless you're a teenage boy sleeping in a bed where a middle-aged woman has spent one night.
Consider that even though he hasn't said anything, your husband might worry that everyone now thinks he has to live in a pig sty. Hmmm. Figure out if that really bothers you.
Gather the names of all those offering to organize your bookshelves and set the date. Don't show them the other six book shelves in the house until they arrive.
Probably 5000 more notes to improve self, but all for today.
Love,
Julie
P.S. HelenaHalme of the United Kingdom has awarded me one of the most beautiful awards - One Lovely Blog. Helena, I thank you. Please visit her site. As she says, she "writes about Finland, Sweden, fathers, daughters, spies, love, betrayal, trust, loneliness." Great stories and essays.
Helena, I thank you.
You are not going to believe this, but I have a post in draft titled "Notes to Self"! Please note the plural. :) Just started on it yesterday.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, all the info in this post filed away for future reference.
I'm impressed that you check for toilet dribbles daily - give yourself an extra ten points for that! I just think that we - I include myself - are waaay too hard on ourselves with this housekeeping thing. I thought that as a society we were largely over expecting the moms, working outside the home or not, to be able to do it all and still keep balls in the air. Apparently not, considering how many people blog about it. We have family coming next week from out of town, and I'm all in a dither trying to do a year's worth of cleaning and decluttering in one week...to no avail, I might add, because the grandsons keep popping in and out. If they're lucky, the company, they'll have those clean sheets you talked about, and a path to the kitchen table where there may, or may not, be room to put their plates.
ReplyDeleteHey, grab a book, Julie, a glass of wine, and a camera, and head out to the deck for a little relaxation after making all those notes to yourself!
Make the notes to yourself, dust a little here one day and a little there another day...but by all means make time to blog...I just found you. It's a trade off...the day your children are on their own and your house is easy to keep clean...you're older...but on the bright side...you don't care as much about keeping the perfect house as much as living "your" perfect life!
ReplyDeleteThat table looks well-polished to me - and as we say here about anywhere else that wants a good tidy up - the less said about the bookshelves the better. And if you think your bookshelves are untidy, you should see the farmer's bench in his shed - one year a robin nested on it amongst the tools and it was very difficult to see where the nest was in all the rubbish! (five babies reared)
ReplyDeleteWeaver,
ReplyDeleteThat is too funny!
My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares. Why should you? ~Erma Bombeck
ReplyDeleteActually I am extremely neat, but I do not think about cleaning that much. I am just very organized. There are so many more interesting things to be doing or thinking about than cleaning... aren't there. Lol
Mmm...
Consider that even though he hasn't said anything, your husband might worry that everyone now thinks he has to live in a pig sty.
Believe it or not there is no rule that I know of... that says a husband, boyfriend or significant other... can not pick a dirty dish and wash it, do laundry, dust or even vaccum. You know he lives in the pig sty too and he helped make it that way. LOL
Relax there is more to life than a clean house.
A Beach Diary
I have lists all over the place, notes to myself, notes for the hubby. They make me feel better, like I care. If I had more men around the house, however, I'd send them out to the outhouse.
ReplyDeleteMy table, work space, house would make you feel SO much better, but I just can't bring myself to take photos.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new bling!
I did not think you were a slob based on your previous post--you just clean enough and find more productive things to do.
ReplyDelete"That with so many boys in the house, you have learned to check the toilets for errant sprays on a daily basis." Embarrasingly true at this house as well...
Having three boys myself (now grown), I can certainly understand the spray checks! You are my kind of a housekeeper. (Try a bunny living in an old cardboard computer box in the living room -- gives you something exciting to blog about!)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my Writer Sites blog. It's a work in progress, but I'm glad you found a site worth exploring!
Oh, this had me laughing! Housework will always be around. Everything else passes by, so don't let it go by unnoticed! Kick housekeeping in the butt. I try to at least once a day. :)
ReplyDeleteI love your new picture in the title! Sorry if I didn't see that before. I'm hoping it's new, or I'm just lame for not noticing it before.
Hilarious! But I'm with you on the kitchen and the bathrooms. They must be squeaky clean. I use swifter dusters which make dusting a breeze, and a swifter mop which takes all the work out of floors. Imagine the amount of housework our grandmothers had. Laundry, by hand! NOT! Cheers, cher! Have a fun weekend!
ReplyDeleteWell, your house looks quite OK from here.. It looks like your notes are working. Very entertaining post :))
ReplyDeleteI love your kitchen table, love the polish. Love your view, too. And my favorite, "Consider that even though he hasn't said anything, your husband might worry that everyone now thinks he has to live in a pig sty. Hmmm. Figure out if that really bothers you." LOVE THAT! And, congratulations on your lovely blog.
ReplyDeleteI've tried EVERTHING! Will my house ever be clutter free, simple, and clean?
ReplyDeleteWell, my guilt over it has tremendously lessened. It's only when mom comes to visit that I feel like a slob.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLoved this :). I often say note to myself out loud to friends when I note something silly I did. If I posted it it embarass me:)!!
ReplyDeleteNote to self, Use Mozilla instead of Explorer for an automatic spell check when I leave comments!
*laughing!*
ReplyDeleteLove that dining table and window!
When my kids were younger, my house seemed more organized and "show-offy." I had a schedule for cleaning. Now that I'm older, I only seem to clean when I can no longer stand it. Funny how we change. I honestly thought I would care more, but my house no longer seems to be as important. Traveling and writing has taken over. Your kitchen/dining table looks impeccable. You should see my dining table. All manuscripts and critique stuff scattered all over. We can't eat there. My poor son , 15, only one left at home, eats in the living room with us. I hate to admit, "I've become one of those." It's only temporary though. At least that's what I keep telling myself.
ReplyDeleteDo you ever get notes back from yourself???
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the award.
You are so funny! And very deserving of the new award.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you called me "middle aged". You know I'm trying not to think about that, right?
ReplyDeletePfft.
P.S. You need NO improvement.
ReplyDeleteVery funny!! Enjoyed this! Just stopped by to thank you for your lovely words/comment on my blog today! It meant so much to me!!! ~Janine XO
ReplyDeleteDoncha just love "notes to self." I've got a ton of them in the hopper. Now, I'm so glad you gave yourself a little rebuttal because in all fairness, I have been to said house and it is always MOST presentable! I've relaxed my standards and have become quite messy over the past few years, and I must say, I kinda like it!
ReplyDeleteWe could sooooo be roommates.
ReplyDeleteMy kitchen table collects things of it's own accord...a magnet for all homeless nicks, nacks, and mail. After a time I just sweep it all into a bag and put it in the garage. If no one comes asking after any of it, I throw the whole thing away!
ReplyDeleteYou do not EVEN need to justify how hygenic your house is. It was never under question...and if it was, then you need some less-cleanish guests in life. Like me. I don't care a whit 'bout nuthin'. Just give me beer.
ReplyDeleteYou do not EVEN need to justify how hygenic your house is. It was never under question...and if it was, then you need some less-cleanish guests in life. Like me. I don't care a whit 'bout nuthin'. Just give me beer.
ReplyDeleteYou do not EVEN need to justify how hygenic your house is. It was never under question...and if it was, then you need some less-cleanish guests in life. Like me. I don't care a whit 'bout nuthin'. Just give me beer.
ReplyDeleteGather the names of all those offering to organize your bookshelves and set the date. Don't show them the other six book shelves in the house until they arrive.
ReplyDeleteLull them with cookies or coffee before showing them the other 6 bookcases. How can anyone refuse to help when bribed with yummy treats?
I LOVED this line:
ReplyDeleteMention that clean sheets are provided for all night visitors, unless you're a teenage boy sleeping in a bed where a middle-aged woman has spent one night.
I SO do this!!
Excellent post, love your blog!
Pam