I am a home-maker, writing a home-making blog. But, I am probably the worst housekeeper you've ever seen.
Seriously.
Don't believe me?
Here is a panoramic photo I took of my kitchen (and the adjoining breakfast nook, which I use as a home-school room) this morning:
The really sad thing? This is what it looks like on a GOOD DAY. I mean, I actually washed some of the dishes and put away a few things before taking this picture.
Now, I confess, I did not want to post this photo. Even many of the people who know me in real life probably have no idea how messy I normally am. This is mortifying for me. This is me, baring my soul. But, I have my reasons.
I want to be better. I don't want my kitchen (or the rest of my house, for that matter) to look like this anymore. I've tried just about everything to fix this. I have been married for eight years (and somehow, my husband never complains... he is awesome), and I have four children. This is my only job. You'd think I would have figured it out by now. I've read all the books, tried all the schedules and plans and tricks, and while they were helpful, ultimately, there was something missing.
I think, maybe, it was accountability. After all, how can you have accountability when no one even knows about your problem? When I have guests over, I go into crazy cleaning lady mode and make sure all the rooms they are likely to see are as clean as possible. So, do they know about my problem?
Maybe. Maybe I'm not as good at hiding it as I think I am. But, even if they do, the fact that I'm HIDING it means that they know I don't want to talk about it. So, being the kind friends they are, they don't talk about it. And I can't ask for help.
So, this is me, asking for help. This is me, standing up at a recovery meeting and saying, "Hello. I'm Becca, and I'm a terrible housekeeper."
But, I want to change. I would love to have a clean, comfortable, peaceful house. I would love to be able to find things because they have been put away in a place they belong (and aren't buried under a bunch of clutter we shouldn't even own). I would love to be able to walk on the floor without wearing shoes, without being afraid of getting something gross on my feet (how did that get there?!). I would love to be able to use a dish without having to wash it first.
I'm hoping that, if I commit to changing on this blog, and try to keep track of my progress on this blog, that I will be able to make a permanent change. This is a way of holding myself accountable.
It is also a way (I hope) of encouraging other terrible housekeepers. I know you're out there somewhere, and maybe we can make this journey together. If nothing else, maybe I can make you feel better about your housekeeping. You can say, "At least I'm not as bad as Becca, the Mrs. of Maple Hill!"
I promise this blog won't only be about how horrible I am at cleaning. I will also post home-schooling pointers, my observations on marriage and relationships, maybe even a book review or two. While I am a bad housekeeper, there are some things I'm actually kind of good at, and maybe I'll blog about those things sometimes, too.
Right now, though, I want to make some specific goals, and I am using this blog to hold me to them:
1. I hereby commit to getting up at 6 am every day this week. (Don't laugh at me, working moms who have to get up that early all the time... I know I'm spoiled!) I am much better at getting things done when I wake up early. No more rolling over and going back to sleep, no more saying "Oh, but the baby woke me up during the night... I'll get up early tomorrow!" No! I need to get up and tackle the day, because if I stay in bed, the day tackles me first (usually in the form of small, hungry children).
2. I hereby commit to not go to bed until my kitchen sink is clear and shiny every day this week. (This idea comes from the FlyLady.) My most obvious problem area (though I have many, of course) is the kitchen. This seems to be a good way to start improving that.
3. I hereby commit to cleaning/organizing in the school room for half an hour every day for the next week.
This is essential because I'll be starting our home-school year the second week of September with a second-grader (my 7-year-old daughter), a kindergartner (my 5-year-old son), and a preschooler (my 3-year-old daughter). I also have a 1-year-old daughter who needs a clean, safe floor to play on while the others do their school work. The above photo really doesn't capture the condition of the schoolroom, so here's another one:
(As a bonus, you can see the dining room through that door on the right, and it is ALSO a mess. What a surprise!) If that's not enough to convince you this room needs a major
over-haul before we can start school, here's a better picture of the
school supply closet (you can see it in the center of the above
panorama, but here's a close-up):
Once again, I just have to say, I am so embarrassed to be posting these photos. I have a church potluck tomorrow. I am bringing a dish to share, and I am worried people are going to say, "Nope! I saw your kitchen. I'm not touching that."
(I promise, I clean and sanitize the areas and dishes I use for cooking right before I cook... I just can't seem to keep them that way very long.)
Still, this is something I feel I need to do, so I am doing it, even though it hurts. I hope it's worth it.
Come back next week to see if I was able to keep my three commitments! (I will post photos as proof!)
Thanks for reading!
