about what matters

I cannot believe i have been away from this space for so long.  But not only did my kiddos get a super long spring break due to budget cuts but...On Saturday a tornado hit our town.  Many homes were damaged and the roof was completely blown off one of our two middle schools and mangled school buses were thrown about the roads.  Clean up is underway.  People are thinking about what is important and which possessions truly matter.  One newspaper article stated that teachers had asked to be allowed to return to the school to retrieve their belongings.  But on Tuesday the perimeter of the school was fenced off and it was announced that the structure was not stable enough to enter.  Everyone received an important lesson on letting go of the 'stuff' and turning our attention to the people and community.

[On a personal note my family is just fine - we lost power overnight and our yard is littered with branches but we suffered no damage.  Today I drove Ezra to the bus stop at 6:30am for AM middle school.  He will attend school until 12:45pm and the students from the damaged school will be bussed to his school for PM classes (1:00 to 6:30 pm!). Thank goodness there were no students in the school when the storm hit on Saturday and thank goodness there are only thirty-four days of school left - i, for one, cannot wait for summer vacation to begin.]

All of this has caused people around here to focus on what is important:  friends, family, pets, relationships, health, sunshine...

This article talks about living with less stuff and how we are happiest when we spend our time and money on experiences such as vacations, entertainment and sports because they allow us to create lasting memories. I love the simple quote by Professor Dunn, "It's better to go on a vacation than buy a new couch"  This quote, in particular, speaks to me because last July I painted the walls of my home white and donated two of our three couches.  I fully intended to replace them with a nicer, no-so-worn couch but nearly a year has passed and our family of five has lived very happily with just one couch (and two arm chairs + the twelve chairs surrounding our dining room and kitchen tables!).  All of this leads me to the post I said i would write on how i go about keeping our home clear and clean.  Although i enjoy decluttering, organizing and donating these tasks are not synonymous with having a picked-up home - complete with clean, cleared-off surfaces.

Cleaning up, unfortunately, is a daily chore that I have to constantly remind myself to stay on top of.  To find motivation i tell myself how much better my family functions when the kitchen table, couch, coffee table, and kitchen counter tops are clean and available for play, cooking, and making.  And having supplies for crafting, cooking, and playing games neat and organized allows us to begin a fun project or recipe when we choose rather than waste precious family time searching for the lost game piece or missing purple marker.

My number one trick to quick cleaning is to keep all surfaces as bare as possible.

Only flowers and a candle on the kitchen and dining tables.  I have put away the place mats because crumbs and juice spills get underneath so i have to clean the top and bottom of five place mats as well as the table top. This way i just clear the dirty dishes, throw the napkins in the wash, and wipe down the table.

Only a lamp, alarm clock and a book on the bedroom nightstands. Makes for easy and quick dusting.

Only a lamp and artwork propped up on dressers in each of the kiddos bedrooms.  Everything else has a home in a drawer or on a bookcase.  I can dust all four bedrooms in ten minutes when all the surfaces are free of clutter.

Only a toaster oven, cutting board and blender (for daily smoothies) on the kitchen counter. I do not have many appliances or kitchen gadgets and i have made room for the ones i do have in the cabinets.  My kitchen is tiny with only four pull out drawers and four cabinets and very little counter space.  I have gotten into the habit of cleaning as i work when preparing meals - i am constantly wiping down the counter top and cutting board and putting away ingredients as i use them.  This makes for quick cleanup after dinner because there are no spills or stuck on food to scrub.

Only soap, toothbrushes, and contacts lens stuff on the bathroom counters.  (the kiddos only have soap and toothbrushes).  I dislike cleaning bathrooms the most so very recently i decided that i would wipe down the counter tops and sinks with just a rag and warm water daily.  While i'm there i swish the toilets with a bit of comet cleanser.  I usually wipe down the master bath and guest bath in the mornings and the kid's bath when abigail is in the tub.  This only takes a few minutes per day and i never feel like the bathrooms are dirty.  About once a week i use method all purpose cleaner in grapefruit scent on the counter tops and floors - i get mine at target.  I do not worry too much about killing all germs in the bathroom - there will always be germs and i don't like the thought of being responsible for their death.

In order to maintain all these surfaces free of clutter i do two things:

1.  Follow the rule "if you used it - you are responsible for putting it away."   Your kiddos will do this if they see you doing it.   Remember that kiddos learn by example and love working as a team.  We also have a "five minute put-away time" each night before dinner or before bedtime.

2.  Donate all things in your home that you do not use often or love.  The dilemma here is that often the items we use most are out on tables and counter tops while those that we have no use for and have forgotten we own are neatly stored away taking up precious space in closets, drawers, bookshelves and pantries.  To remedy this, every few months I go through my closets and drawers and donate items that i don't use to make room for those that i use daily.  I came across this book on amazon the other night and judging from the stellar reviews it could be very useful.  I have not read this book - just putting the information out there for those who wish to live with less and want a bit more guidance.

As for laundry, I have recently switched from a big laundry day (where i washed a weeks worth of clothes + bedding and towels) to throwing in a load every evening after dinner.  Some days I fold this load in the evenings while the kiddos are going about their nightly bathroom + snack routine.  Other days I fold the clothes in the morning while everyone is waking up and preparing for breakfast.  The following sentence is controversial but I will admit to putting my kid's clothes away for them and straightening up their rooms and tossing trash while i am in there - my boys rooms are often already neat and tidy but the six year old girly still cuts, shreds, glues and paints on every surface and needs some help to keep all the supplies + the resulting projects organized.  Once a week, in the morning, i wash everyone's bedding and get it back on the beds by bedtime - that way i don't have to worry about folding or putting it away.

Ezra vacuums most of the house every week (or more often if needed) and David and Abby each vacuum their own rooms.

Each of the kiddos dust their own rooms.  I dust the rest of the house (usually in the evenings when the kiddos are doing homework) using a Swiffer sweeper cloth - these work great for dust.  I do not own the stick sweeper that it attaches to because i do not use these to clean the floor (we just wipe up spills and vacuum the floor).

We do not make the beds - everyone just straightens his or her covers/ quilts each morning.

I hope this helps a bit and that you can take this information and apply it to your cleaning routine.  Don't worry too much about what you clean or organize or donate - just do what you can today.  

 Because "You can't wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time."  Anonymous

If nothing else, be sure to clear off a space to create with your kiddos and then stop by here on Friday for a review of Jennifer Casa's gorgeous new book and a chance to win one of your very own!  Book tour schedule is here for more chances to win. 

Big hugs to you and thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Comments

[Rose]

So glad to hear you and your family are fine; I worried about you when I heard about the tornados. Totally agree with you about the important things not being things at all! Old La Leche League mantra was "people before things" and it has stuck with me all these years.

[Stephanie]

Glad to hear you and your family are all safe and also good to hear that school was not in session when the tornado hit. Thanks for sharing so many great tips! I too have been working on cleaning and clearing and it's nice to have some great reminders.

[Denise]

first of all, scary for you!! Wow. that is too close to home. It does make one realize priorities for sure. I think I may print this post because I love your simple yet effective house cleaning routine.

[kristyn]

SO much goodness here!
*You and your family are safe and sound! *The focus on relationship instead of stuff! *All of your awesome organizing/cleaning tips! Who couldn't benefit from all that you shared? *Reading your voice! Have a wonderful holiday my friend!!

[Beth]

I'm impressed how calmly you speak about the tornado. I'd be a wreck. I'm glad you and your family are ok. I like your cleaning tips and will pick up some Method. I've been looking for a good cleaner. I've been joking with myself that the cleaning lady comes every other Friday morning. It makes it easier for me to do it all at once quickly. My friends all have cleaning ladies everyother week so I thought I'd try scheduling myself. At least I have a chuckle as I clean.

[PlainandJoyfulLiving]

So glad that you are all ok - how scary, but sometimes things like that do remind us of our blessings.
I love your post and how it is filled with great ideas to keep our lives less cluttered so we can focus on the things that matter.
Thank you for sharing.
Warm wishes, Tonya

[Meg Evans]

I'm so glad you and your family are okay! I followed the link to the article, and it was very thought-provoking. I am still picking up throw pillows and blankets on a daily basis. I'm trying to decide where the line is between cozy and nuisance! And one of my/our biggest clutter problems is "things that have no home". It's mostly things that come home from school that end up living on the kitchen counter until I can't stand it. Laundry is an almost daily thing around here. I prefer to do a load or two a day rather than knock myself out with a marathon day.

[Andrea]

I'm glad you are all safe. We have been doing a lot of paring down and cleaning out and trying to be as clutter free as possible.

Love all your cleaning advice, thanks for sharing.

[tara]

Good to hear that you and your family are safe. I liked reading about your cleaning routine. I definitely need to simplify. I think it would make things much eaiser.

[Jen]

OMGosh Larissa i am so thankful your family is okay. When i started reading this post it took my breath away. We heard about the terrible weather on our news, prayers to all those who are suffering. Life can change in a second and this i know personally. I SO agree with everything here, family, health and safety are the most important things and stuff well it's just stuff. I have spent the last couple years myself decluttering and donating things we dont use. I try recycle, reduce and repurpose as much as possible. A simplified life leaves so much more room for joy :) i think anyways. Have a wonderful weekend!

[Jodi]

I'm glad you are all safe and sound. Scary stuff -- those tornadoes. I have just finished super-Spring-cleaning my house. Top to bottom. No surface left untouched! I feel like I could abide by your simple rules for the summer -- it would make my life much simpler. That's a good thing.

[dani@little fists]

I'm so glad that you and your crew are safe and sound. *sigh of relief*

I use similar tricks to stay on top of housework. I have to. My time is so limited and I hate to spend all weekend cleaning.

The kids' rooms are another story. I have waved the white flag where The Boy is concerned and told my Mr. that he is now in charge of making sure the mess does not reach unhealthy proportions. I am in charge of helping The Girl with her room organization. It's all my blood pressure can handle.

Laundry. I have no trick. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will NEVER be caught up on laundry unless we go the nudist route or until all children leave the house.

[jane]

So glad you were all okay. Enjoy the last few days of school. Then you can relax and enjoy your kiddos.

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