The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest.

Thomas Moore

I think as a society we have some unhealthy “Instagram” expectations of ourselves. Social media has made everyone think that everything has to be perfect at all times. The house needs to be always sparkling and spotless, the kids dressed in matching outfits and clean, the animals all perfectly behaved. We’ve all seen the images and I myself have posted many staged pictures on my social media channels to showcase our homestead. I also post the ones that make you go “Oh…my word… that’s ummm… messy.” Yep, I’ve done it and I am not sorry! I never want to give anyone the impression that I have it all together.

So, How Do I Do It?

How do I do it all? I don’t! I absolutely drop the ball on a daily basis, and my kids and my house are regularly a disaster. The animals are usually up to no good, the yard needs mowed, I usually have a bowl of bread dough proofing on the counter that is dangerously close to being over-proofed and well beyond making bread, and during the summer the garden turns into a jungle really, really quick.

I used to be really hard on myself and felt like a failure often. Why couldn’t I keep everything going like the moms that I follow on social media? Why is being a stay at home mom and blue collar wife so hard for me, but so easy for so many others? I still have those feelings occasionally, however I have learned that those other moms and wives also struggle, they just don’t share it. Of course there will be those select few who truly can do all of the things with grace and have themselves ready to walk the runway at any given moment, but for the most part that isn’t a reality for a lot of us. I now have the mentality of “Everything will get done, it’s just going to have to take turns.” As long as the animals are cared for, the kids and husband are fed and happy, I am ok with skipping a dusting session here and there.

Tara the Homemaker

With that being said, there are a few things that I have set into place that help keep me on track. Notice I said “help”, because like I said before, there are days that just fall apart and I have learned to be ok with it.

First, I have a daily cleaning schedule. It may sound daunting to you but hear me out- I pick a room for each day of the week and spend an hour or so on that room. Here’s what it looks like, and keep in mind my house is small, so the rooms are not big:

• Monday- Kitchen and Dining Room. In my kitchen I wipe down all appliances and cabinets, scrub down the sink with good cleaner, wipe down baseboards if needed, wipe out the fridge and take any leftovers out to the chickens that need to go, and dust light fixtures and clean windows. In the dining room I clean windows, dust, and wipe down baseboards if needed.
• Tuesday- Laundry room, living room, and mopping day. Much like the kitchen and dining room, dusting, wiping down baseboards and appliances, and washing windows. My laundry room is literally a closet in my hallway, but I dust and wipe down that little area as well.
• Wednesday- Bathrooms and pantry. Bathroom cleaning is pretty self explanatory, and for the pantry I do a quick organize, dust, and wipe down our deep freezer that is in the pantry.
• Thursday- Catch up day. This is the day that is used to do anything that go skipped earlier in the week. I also try to organize things that are getting out of hand, gather things to donate, and so on.
• Friday- Bedrooms. Sheets are washed, windows cleaned, things dusted and put back where they belong.
• Saturday- Another catch up day if needed
• Sunday- Mop all of the floors. I have no carpet in my house, so this means mop the whole house. Good thing it’s not very big…
• Daily Tasks-Sweep the whole house, and perform a nightly reset. This looks like tidying each room quickly, cleaning up any spills or messes from my husband and children, putting shoes back on the shoe rack, etc. I also “put the kitchen to bed” each night. Dishes are done and the dish washer is running, I wipe down all of the counter tops, tomorrow’s dinner is pulled out of the freezer and put in the fridge, and the sink is scrubbed down.

One thing I have had to really work at with my daily cleaning schedule is to have grace with myself. I have come to realize that thanks to my mother and grandmother, my idea of clean is a bit ridiculous compared to most people’s and nobody is going to be appalled if they show up and my fridge has fingerprints on it. Basically what I’m saying is, if the sun is out I will be outside soaking it in, not inside wiping down my cabinets, and I am trying really hard not to feel guilty about it; you should do the same.

Why is This All So Important?

I really do believe when the home has order and rhythm to it, children thrive (and so do I!) so I try my hardest to have our home be clean, organized, and smooth sailing. It doesn’t always happen, let’s be real. Children throw wrenches into “smooth” several times a day… oh and then there’s that husband thing….

I saw a quote the other day that hit me right in the feels. It said “The days are long, but the years are short.” When I tell you I literally stopped and pondered that, I mean I literally stopped in my tracks. How true that is. On a daily basis I am in the trenches- laundry, cleaning, doctor’s appointments, changing diapers, and on, and on. However, when I sit back and look at our girls I realize the years are quite honestly flying by and I don’t want to miss any of it. We have a fenced yard, so they run wild and play while I put in my hour or so of my daily cleaning schedule, and then we are off on our adventures creating wonderful childhood memories for them, and I am not concerned with what I haven’t gotten done at home.

I hope this helped and provided you the permission you need to enjoy your time with your babies while still maintaining your level of routine that you have established at your home.

~Tara