Home Comforts

Aside from my obvious blessings of faith, family and friends, what makes me smile? 

A well-ordered home.

I love coming home and finding everything in place.  It's calming.  Restful.  Home becomes a haven to me when all is as it should be.

Maybe I'm obsessive-compulsive, but I can't rest if my kitchen is not in order.  It bugs me if my bed is not made, or the hamper is over-flowing.  I can't stand it if piles of possessions are everywhere.

I'm not talking about necessarily home being a dust-free zone.  I admit that if someone came to my house and gave a white-glove test, I'd fail.  Who has time to dust woodwork and the tops of refrigerators these days?

A recent Swagbucks poll question:  (Yes, I'm a Swaggernaut!)

About how often do you thoroughly clean your home?

• Once a year - 18%
• Once every 3 months - 27%
• Monthly - 22%
• Weekly - 17%
• Daily - 4%
• Less than once a year - 8%

My question is, what is meant by thoroughly cleaning your house? Do they mean "spring cleaning?"  If so, put me down once a year. If they mean regular dusting, vacuuming and mopping, weekly.  (Okay, weekly on the vacuuming and mopping.  Dusting - not so much!)

Nowadays, there are so many wonderful ideas for budgeting your time and getting your household chores done. (May I suggest Flylady.com?) Everyone can have their house reasonably in order and still have time to do other things.

You don't have to be a neat freak or a germaphobe when it comes to housekeeping. If your home is picked up, no one will notice the dust!

Cut the clutter!

The first step to a peaceful haven-like home is to get rid of the excess.  I'm no minimalist, but if things are crowding you out, it's time to de-clutter.  Once you've pared down, there will be room to find a place for everything.

Put it back!

 

If everyone just put things back where they are supposed to be, life just seems to run much smoother.

Finding stuff is easy when you "have a place for everything, and everything in its place."  (Those old maxims are often based on truth!) I hate looking for things.  I remember when my kids were little, we had a lot of trouble keeping track of shoes.  The school bus would be coming and of course, there would be one child roaming through the house looking for a lost shoe.

For a mom's sanity, if nothing else, the family needs to be trained to return things to their places.

Enjoy the beauty!

Lastly, a home that is pretty to you just lifts your spirits and makes you smile.  There is a saying that you should have nothing in your home that is not either useful or beautiful (to you).  Bonus if the item is both!

My wish for everyone is that coming home would feel like a big hug when one steps inside the door!







This post was written in response to Writer's Workshop prompt 3.) Aside from your kids, pets, your husband, your coffee and your wine...what makes you smile? If you'd like to find out what makes others smile, visit Kathy at Mama's Losin' It.