Restoring Order

Housecleaning is such an emotional thing for me, like emotional eating. I know it completely falls under the category of "first world problems," but it really gets to me. I look at a mess and see all the things about my personality that I don't like -- my forgetfulness, my absent-mindedness, my laziness. The self-bullying just makes me feel worse, and I clean even less.

I've been trying to see the positive and give myself permission to let go a bit. We live in a very small apartment with no room for storage. I have a pretty happy kid who I spend most my time playing with.

So, here's what I'm doing. Some of these ideas are my own, but they also come from FLYLady's excellent advice on taking baby steps (15 minutes a day) to organize and clean, and the beautiful design and inspiration I find at Apartment Therapy (sites here: FLYLady and Apartment Therapy).

(1) I'm slowly working through each room per FLYLady's schedule, cleaning out closets, and making room for the things we LOVE and want around every day. My apartment is feeling more livable by the day, and I love that.

I just had a few days where I was in a funk, felt overwhelmed, behind on cleaning, and (2) I had to tell myself that these days would pass, that I could always jump right back into the plan per FLYLady's forgiving nature. So, that's what I did yesterday as I began working on the living room.

You know what else I did?? (3) I left the crappy cleaning tasks that I just couldn't face for Mark to do when he got home. I just did not want to do dishes, so I asked him to do those while I gave E a bath. Voila! Clean(er) kitchen and a more-organized living room.

And, I had to admit, when the apartment was quiet this morning, after E and Mark and left for day care, I looked around and saw change. Glorious change. I saw a much more manageable apartment.

I am also (4) learning more about myself -- knowing myself and what motivates me. If you're a regular reader, you'll know that I just love new projects, new challenges. They keep me interested. So, it's easier for me to look at "cleaning the living room" as part of a bigger project to transform the living space into something I love, even if that just means hanging some new art on the wall.

Apartment Therapy recently posted a list for learning to love your home and included a few great steps. One was to (5) buy furniture that you love, then (6) accessorize for cheap. I love this idea. I can't afford to buy new furniture, but I can give my current furniture, which I do LIKE, a face-lift or just a deep cleaning and build a unique style around them. I can also afford to redesign, organize, and make storage space in a room based on an inexpensive new piece of furniture, like a bookcase. Then I can easily accessorize with discounted items from TJ Maxx or even the Dollar Store for vases and frames. Now I just have to (7) pick a theme for my home, to make it feel more like me and to celebrate our styles as a family.

And in between all this, I still have to find time to do the (8) daily cleaning tasks like pick up the living room, unload/load the dishwasher, and still maintain my sanity. This is the hardest for me. I have no interest in doing repetitive and monotonous daily tasks. Maybe I can (9) make it fun somehow and (10) have my daughter help!

Also, stay tuned at the end of this week as I try out a Beach Body Challenge Pack courtesy of my lovely friend and fellow toddler-Mom, Ashley (Check out her Fitness For Living Facebook page here)! There are so many fun walking and running events coming up this summer. I want to be ready. Ultimately, I'd love to be able to run a 5K, but I'm shooting for 1 mile first! Baby steps! I know my biggest struggles are going to be making time to exercise, eating right, and staying hydrated!