I actually did get quite a bit accomplished yesterday. Hooray!
I stuck with her system faithfully for quite a while, and then I thought that I could just go solo and not have to get the emails anymore. I kinda fizzled from there. Obviously, I’m not a motivated “self-starter”!
What I noticed last time was that the kitchen stayed cleaner (and by that I mean simply clutter-free) better. My husband noticed right away that the counter was free of mail (and homeschooling stuff) and that motivated HIM to deep clean the kitchen.
Every night.
Just because.
It looked so good to him, that he was inspired to make it even nicer. When the kids went down to bed, we had dishes going in the dishwasher, a totally clean island, a “sparkling sink,” and candles going. It was really nice.
So, if it works for anyone else out there, praise God!
I’ve got a question… what works for you in terms of home “inspiration”? Is there one book or website that really gets your creative juices flowing and helps you to turn your house into the restful haven it’s supposed to be? I love reading books and being inspired by others’ ideas!
For me, I would have to recommend the book Mrs. Dunwoody’s Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping. The author wrote it as a woman from the 19th century, detailing what would have been her “control journal.” It’s full of homemade cleaning supplies, table manners, good ideas, menu options, and just a lot of fun tidbits that makes it an enjoyable read. Thanks to her, I now — every morning — throw open the windows first thing to get some fresh air flowing through the house. I know it’s a very simple thing to do, but really helps tremendously with my mood.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Please celebrate with me as we mark our first “victory” in the “potty-training Thomas” campaign!
Here at Chez Ouiz, I always say we “talk early and potty-train late.” All of my kids have been fully verbal quite early, and all of them have held out until at least 3 1/2 in the potty-training area. I *do* wait until they are consistently dry through the night, have full knowledge of what’s going on, and (most importantly) are capable of cleaning up when they have accidents. I think that one’s the clincher. It usually only takes a day or two of “Mommy, dis is disgusting!” before they shape up and decide that the toilet is a much better option.
Thomas, like Sean so many years ago, has been a much more stubborn holdout.
Please pray that, for my birthday (in less than two weeks) I will have a fully potty-trained little boy! Only one in diapers would be an amazing luxury!
The TV show, How Clean is Your House airs on BBC America at 3 pm here.
These are two British women who clean up some truly filthy hovels… I turn it on and get so grossed out I have to clean during the ads!
Mama Says
Is BBC America a cable station? I know PBS airs some of its shows later on in the evening where we are, but we don’t get the station during the day.
I bet I would have to clean during the commercials, too!
My children were always quite verbal (still are) and were trained between 3 and 3.5 – but it was mostly because they decided to do it – I definitely encouraged them, however! LOL!
I’ll offer a prayer for your little Thomas and that your birthday is wonderful!