Days 14-17

Last week was a tough one for me.  I'm trying not to dwell on how hard it was and how much I didn't get done and just move forward.  Day 14 was about finding your "jazzy" - something that makes you come alive.  I'll admit that this is something that I think is lacking in my own personal life.  Without feeling too sorry for myself I've started to realize that I don't really have anything that is just mine.  I love my boys and I love doing things as a family, but I'm starting to realize that I don't have anything to do to take a break.  I'm trying to figure out what I can do to start to remedy this problem.  I need to consciously make a decision to do somethings that are "just for me" and work them into our schedule.  Day 15 was about motivation.  I think the biggest motivator for me needs to be remembering how I feel when things are clean and tidy.  I know that things can't always stay that way, but when I forget about the "why" then it's easy to get bogged down and feel unmotivated.  Day 16 talked about figuring out what our "blocks" were and making a plan to work around them.  For me it really is a matter of just doing something, not waiting until the timing is perfect or I have the perfect idea.  I need to just work with what I have a slowly progress will be made.  Day 17 is about determining our cleaning styles based on the DISC personality style.  I test as a "C", which means cautious.  The description fits me pretty well and now I need to figure out how to best use that knowledge to motivate myself and get things going. 

Martha challenges: These have definitely fallen by the wayside.  I'll work slowly to get things done again, but I need to recognize the things that are truly important.

Days 11, 12, & 13

Seems like these days are really lining up with what's going on in my life right now.  Day 11 is about limitations and the understanding that "life is hard."  There are definitely days when you have to just let stuff go and focus on the small things that you can get accomplished.  It's so easy to just throw in the towel when we realize that we can't do it all, but we need to persevere and just press on.  Day 12 focused more on our unrealistic standards of perfection.  This is a hard one for me because I do like to have things done just right.  I've been working to allow myself the grace and patience to just make things "good enough."  That one small change in thinking has already made such a difference.  Day 13 is about fighting fatigue!  As a mom of 2 small boys this one seems to be a constant battle.  I liked several of her suggestions for ways to push through the tiredness, but sometimes you just need to take a nap!  I have to remind myself that if I'm not physically and mentally prepared to "deal" with my kids and the house then nothing positive is going to happen!! 

Martha challenges:  I'm a bit behind, but I'll get there eventually.  Day 11 was to wash your walls and dust the ceiling in the living room.  This just isn't going to happen for me - I have a 2 story ceiling!  So, I compromised and instead focused on cleaning the baseboards around the living room and kitchen and spot cleaned the walls.  We have builder grade flat paint, so it gets marked up all the time!  Oh well, it will be easy to touch up when necessary.  Day 12 was to clean and organize the electronics and shelves and shine all wood furniture.  I didn't get to this at all yesterday - I was just too wiped out.  Maybe today I'll get an extra boost of energy or uninterrupted time and be able to put a dent in it.  Day 13 says to steam clean your carpets.  I'd love to be able to actually clean the carpets - but the timing of it isn't going to happen.  So, in an effort to let go of some perfectionism I'm just going to settle for doing a detailed vacuuming session. 

Day 9 & 10

Wow, these challenges are really hitting home with me.  It's definitely causing me to change the way I see the work I have to do and is helping me adjust my attitude.  Day 9 was about laziness.  I've begun to realize that we all have a bit of a lazy streak within us and recognizing that is the first hurdle.  It's easy to explain away our laziness and claim just being tired or overwhelmed.  I think sometimes we just need a reminder to get up and get moving.  God's grace is sufficient and he will provide for us!  The Mary challenge asked us to pray for a spirit of diligence, something I know I could use more of.  The Day 9 Martha challenge was to sweep, vacuum, and mop the kitchen floors.  I'll admit I didn't get this done on day 9 (it was just too much to work into a day of playing with my precious boys - and refereeing when they weren't being so precious), but I did finish it the next day.

Day 10 focused on how to keep ourselves from feeling overwhelmed.  This is a big one for me and I think her suggestions are great - nothing really new, but a good reminder.  I'm slowly working through these things and I can tell that they're making a difference in the way I feel about our house and the things that I need to do.  The Martha challenge was to wash the windows in the living room and clean the blinds.  It's such a small thing, but it's made a huge difference!  I love seeing shining windows!!

How are you doing?  Are you being challenged?

Day 7 and 8

Days 7 & 8 focused on "The Curse."  The idea that because of the fall of man our domains rebel against us, just as we rebel against God.  No matter what we do there will always be more work.  The carpet will get dirty again, the dishes will pile up, the laundry will be there again tomorrow.  The idea is that we should be focusing on doing whatever we're doing to God's glory and understand that he has given us our domains and work to do to glorify him and prepare us for a greater existence with Him.  Kind of heavy stuff to think about, but when it really comes down to it it makes total sense.  It's so easy to get bogged down because you never feel like you're making any progress.  We just need to keep our eyes focused on Him and what he has called us to do in this life. 

Day 7's Martha challenge was to clean out and organize the pantry.  I pulled just about everything out of my pantry (one shelf at a time) and wiped down each shelf and then evaluated where things needed to go.  I got rid of a few things and found other places for a few things and then just basically reorganized what was left.  I'd still like to add another shelf to the top of the pantry for things that I don't use very often (like the ice cream maker), but for now it's good. 

Day 8's Martha challenge was to clean and organize kitchen drawers.  Thankfully this was a pretty easy task for me.  A few months ago I found some great drawer organizers at Bed, Bath, and Beyond that are customizable and expandable.  My kitchen drawers are pretty big and things would just slide to the back and end up in one unorganized heap.  It was driving me crazy, so I found a solution.  I'm really happy with it!  So, for this challenge I only had a few other drawers to go through and clean up.

Day 6

How appropriate that Day 6 focused on the "Six List."  The idea behind the list is to write out the 6 most important things that you need to accomplish the following day and then systematically work your way through them.  I'm definitely a list maker, so this idea is right up my alley.  I must admit, I sometimes make a list and then when I do something that's not on the list I'll add it just so I can cross it off and feel as if I've accomplished something.  When I have a list of tasks I find that I am much more likely to get stuff done and feel like I've been productive.  I need to get more disciplined about setting out my priorities, but this is a process. 

The Martha challenge was to clean and organize your kitchen cabinets.  Thankfully this wasn't as big a challenge for me as it seemed at first glance.  When we moved into our new house my sister helped me go through our kitchen and we purged out the things that we no longer needed and organized all the cabinets.  I've purged a few more things over the next year and it certainly makes it easier to keep things clean and organized when you don't have things spilling out of every nook and cranny.  I took things out one shelf at a time and wiped out all the cabinets and then made sure to put things back neatly.  (Tomorrow is the pantry - which will definitely be a bigger challenge!!)

Day 5

Day 5 of 31 days to clean is about priorities.  This is one of those sneaky topics that on the surface we (or at least I) feel like we have under control, but when we really think about it and get down to the nitty-gritty find that there is definite room for improvement!!  After some true soul searching this morning I've come to the realization that I have had my priorities a little mixed up lately.  I've been trying to accomplish certain things while unwittingly forsaking more important things.  This is something that I'd really like to remedy and would appreciate your prayers as I consciously make some changes. 

My "new" priorities: God, Russell, our boys, our home, personal time. 

• My plan is to set an alarm for earlier in the morning so that I can carve out some time for personal bible study and prayer.  I'm the kind of person that needs a little bit of quiet at the beginning of the day to get my mind in gear.  When I was teaching full time I would always be one of the first teachers to get to school so that I had some time to myself before the chaos of the day began.  I need this even more now in my own home!  I'd like to find a good personal bible study that I can use to guide this time as I try to create new habits. 
• I want to continue to create a haven for Russell.  I want to be his best friend and his biggest supporter.  I want to consciously submit to him out of love and be available to him for whatever his needs are.  I want to carve out times that are just for him and truly focus on creating a stronger marriage.  He is my best friend and I am so blessed to have him as my husband.  
• I want to be intentional about the things that I do with my boys.  It's so easy to get bogged down by the everyday issues, but I need to rise above and realize that I have been given these precious kiddos for a specific season and a specific reason.  I want to have time to plan fun and meaningful activities for us to do together.
• I want our home to be a sanctuary.  However, this must come after the relationships that truly make our house a home.  I can't let myself jump ahead and neglect the more important priorities in my life.
• I need time to rest and refresh myself.  I will be a better wife and mother when I make time for myself.  This is a hard thing for me to do because I naturally want to serve others and place their needs above mine.  I need to remember that if I'm going to have anything to pour into others I must allow myself to be refueled.

The Martha challenge for today was to clean up the windows in the kitchen.  I don't have curtains, but I do have lots of blinds.  I found a great little tool the other day at Walmart that really made cleaning the blinds much easier.  I need to get it washed and cleaned before the next window cleaning challenge comes along!  I also wiped down the windows inside and sprayed them down with a hose outside.  It's such a little thing, but it makes such a difference!

Day 4

Day 4 focused on making our homes a place that people feel comfortable and able to "put their feet up."  This is something that I definitely strive for and is an area that I think I'm definitely making improvements in.  I'm really trying to keep the main areas of my home "company ready" within 15 minutes and that has allowed me to open my doors more readily and without the stress that normally comes with short notice.  When I read the chapter the first thing that popped into my mind was the mother of one of my friends from back home.  Jan was (and is) a wonderful example of what this looks like in action.  Throughout our high school/college years she was always willing to invite us into her home without a second thought.  She became the second mother for many of us and always had the makings for cookies on hand.  The atmosphere of welcome and belonging permeates my memories and is something that I aspire to have in my own home.

Our Martha challenge was the clean the stove, oven and microwave.  I wish I'd taken before pictures, but to be honest I didn't really think it was that bad - until I cleaned it and now I can see how shiny it is!!  The biggest change was the window in the door of my oven.  Somehow it had become streaked with something and nothing I ever did would clean it off.  Today I ran the self clean option on the oven and after it was finished I took a rag and wet it down and the window wiped right off and is sparkling.  It's the little things that can make such a big difference!!

Day 3

Day 3 of our challenge gave us some concrete ideas for ways to "give life" to our homes.  I thought it interesting that one of the ways listed was to plan regular times away from home.  It seems counter-productive to be away from your home to bring life to it, but I can attest that sometimes it is necessary to step away and get some new perspective.  It's easy to get bogged down with everything we're facing when we're always "on the job."  This is something that I definitely struggle with, but really want to make a conscious effort to correct.  Whether it's simply doing something special with the boys, packing a picnic and taking a walk, going out on date night, making time for girl time, or getting away for the weekend.  These little things are vital to the health of our homes. 

The Mary challenge for today asked us to consider what makes each of our family members feel loved and begin (or continue) doing those things.  This reminded me of the book The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman.  If you've never read this book I highly recommend it.  At it's most basic level it says that there are 5 ways that people feel most loved.  It is important to recognize the primary love language of your spouse and children (and yourself) so that you can make sure that you are doing things that resonate most with them and make them feel loved.  The 5 languages are: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.  My primary love language is Acts of Service.  Russell's is Physical Touch.  Now we're trying to figure out the primary love languages of our boys.  Josh is still young enough that a primary one hasn't emerged - we just do our best to make sure we "speak" to all of them.  Drew is just starting to reach the age where I can start to see a preference.  It's looking like he's leaning towards Quality Time.  He's always asking for someone to sit by him while he's eating, come play with him, or watch what he's doing.  Please pray that we will have wisdom and discernment as we determine the best ways to love our boys! 

The Martha challenge was to dust the top of the refrigerator (which is a task I often forget about) and clean/shine the outsides of the kitchen cabinets and drawers.  I never realized how dusty things could get until I started cleaning them down.  Now the whole kitchen (well, at least the cabinets) shines! 

How is your challenge going??? 

Day 2

Day 2 of the 31 days to clean challenge focused on giving life to our domains.  I'll admit, this wasn't something that I'd ever really thought about - at least not in the way the book encouraged us to think.  In John 10:10, Jesus says "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  That got me thinking about the difference between just existing and going through our daily lives and actually living in the  moment and creating memories along the way.  It's not always an easy task to accomplish, but I pray that we will be more aware of the things that we can do to "give life" to our homes and our families.  Today I tried to be more intentional about stopping and looking at my boys and truly engaging in what they were doing.  We went to a new park this morning and enjoyed running around and exploring.  I smiled and called the checker at Walmart by name and asked how his day was going.  There are so many little things we can do to "give life" and hopefully we can create positive atmospheres and environments for our sphere of influence. 

The "Martha" Challenge was to clean out the refrigerator and freezer.  I had to break it up over the course of the day (and I still need to finish up the freezer), but it makes my heart smile to see it shining back at me.  Now, does anyone have any ideas for how to clean stainless steel appliances?  It seems like no matter what I do I'm left with strange water streaks and spots.  Any ideas?? 

Day 1

I can hardly believe that it's already May 1st!  This year is flying by and shows no signs of slowing down.  With the beginning of the new month comes the beginning of the 31 days to clean challenge.  I'm reading the e-book 31 days to clean by Sarah Mae and will be doing my best to keep up with the daily challenges.  Each day there is a "Mary" challenge that deals with a heart issue and a "Martha" challenge that deals with a house issue.  Several of my friends are joining me in this challenge and my prayer is that this month will bring us closer together as sisters and give us some tools to move forward.  I'm going to try to blog each day about the challenges (but with 2 small boys underfoot that may be a lofty goal) and hope that you will feel free to leave comments about your own challenges and the things that you are learning throughout the month.  Now, onto Day 1!

Today's focus was "Why Clean?"  It seems like an obvious answer, but when it really comes down to it what is the reason behind why we want to keep a clean house?  I came up with a list to help me narrow down my scope and really get to the meat of the issue.  I still need to think about it more, but here's some of the things I wrote.  I want my home to be: peaceful, a sanctuary, orderly, uncluttered, comfortable, inviting, warm, a blessing to my family, filled with laughter and joy, available for open hospitality, not a place of guilt, time to play and savor the moments with my boys. 

There is another blog I read called Home Sanctuary, and at the beginning of the year she asked us to write out a Homekeeping Mission Statement.  In January I wrote a simple mission statement, but I have a feeling I will be adding to it and editing it over the next month.  "My desire is for our home to be a warm and inviting place for family and friends; a clean and clutter free place for us to enjoy spending time together; and above all, a place that glorifies God."  I feel so extremely blessed to be able to stay home with my boys and there are days that I need to remind myself that this is something I have been called to do and should do to the best of my ability to the glory of God.  I heard a new song on the radio yesterday that really resonated with me.  It's by Steven Curtis Chapman and is called "Do Everything."  I've looked to try to find it, and apparently it's a single from his newest album and will be officially debuted on May 8.  (I heard it on Sirius, so hopefully it will be on regular radio next week.)  The basic premise is a reminder that whatever it is we are doing we should be doing to the glory of God, 1Corinthians 10:31.  I think I just found my new memory verse for the month.

I look forward to hearing from you as we journey along.