I'm basically in the same spot I was before I left for our trip. My Home Base Zone (the kitchen) is looking pretty darn good. I still need to clean the fridge (including the top, where it's quite cluttered with bowls, cookie jars, and who knows what) and the ceilings. And while I've decluttered some, I do need to go through every cabinet and remove stuff that doesn't belong in the kitchen.
I admit I haven't hung up my House That Cleans Itself System signs...my friends are used to seeing my house a cluttered mess, so they probably won't even notice my HTCI mess!I'm also thinking about my prayer walk. Upon reading chapter 4, the idea seemed weird for a couple of seconds, but then I realized I pray to God for help in most areas of my life - why not housekeeping? God knows better than anyone that a reasonably clean and organized home is a more peaceful and nurturing one. So now I'm excited by the thought of a prayer walk. I have also discussed HTCI with my hubby and my preschooler. My preschooler seemed unimpressed :) And my hubby is skeptical this method will work for me (he's seen me try to get my act together too many times), but he's also fully supportive. What does your family think of HTCI?
Is there a book on how to get teens to clean the house themselves? I'd buy that one! The house cleaning has been going well then, the garden started coming in. There's canning equipment all over the kitchen (cabinet space is limited and chopped up) then the kids come in and make themselves something to eat and leave their mess out. My husband isn't much cleaner either. They do this only when I am preoccupied. I'm gonna scream. I need a maid. Only if Calgon really could "take me away."
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain, Loretta! In "New Kid By Friday," the author says to tell teens to do it once. Don't nag. Walk away after telling them what needs to be done. If they don't do it, don't punish right away. Wait until they want something from you. Then say no, and go about your business. He claims this works like a charm.
ReplyDeleteMy kids and hubby are bad this way, too. With my hubby, I've designated one space for him to junk up. If it spreads, I put my foot down. It's self defense!
I'd also try really hard to find a convenient place to store the canning equipment. I know this is tough, but is there a way to rearrange the cupboards so you can slip in the canner? Could the jars be stored in the garage or outside in an easy to access place? Even though it sometimes *seems* easier not to reorganize for stuff like this, if we just take some time to do it, in the end it's less stressful and time consuming. This is what I'm learning, anyway.