31 Days to Clean: Day 3

So I am probably not going to be able to do this ebook 31 days consecutively, but I do plan on keeping up with it, and TRYING to do it daily. But honestly, sometimes I just don't have the time. I am ok with that, my goal in doing this book is not to have a pristine/museum house, but a peaceful home.

So today was an extension of Day 2.  She gives 10 specific ways to bring life into your home. And the Mary Challenge goes right along with that:  Ask your family what makes them feel the most loved when it comes to you caring for your home - ask them to be specific so that you can begin (or continue) to give life to your domain.

Since Justin is the only person in my home who can actually answer me, I asked him. He said there are 2 ways I can love him when it comes to our home: 1. Allow for weekend naps and 2: Plan meals/food in home. I asked him how I do on those fronts and he said I was doing well.  I am trying to try be more creative with dinner so we aren't eating spaghetti every night.

Martha Challenge: Kitchen- dust tops of refrigerator, cabinets, and shelves. Clean and shine the outsides of drawers and cabinets.

I didn't mind doing this Martha challenge, although I am sure I haven't cleaned the top of the fridge since we moved in. But now its clean and nice and organized. Wiping off cabinets wasn't bad.  I also was able to reorganize and clean off one of our shelves. I wish I had taken a before picture because it was all cluttered with cookbooks, recipes, candles, and I even found a light switch cover on the shelf.  But here is the finished product:

Um...yes I take gummy vitamins, don't judge

I saw this idea on pinterest a while ago and even bought a frame when some were on sale in December.  So I finally got it out, wrote "I love you because" on some journal paper, slapped it in my little frame, and VOILA! I'd like to put something in front of all our vitamins, but for now that shelf looks SO much better.

Day 3-done, and ready for tomorrow!

31 Days to Clean: Day 2

So, I am already a day behind...surprise surprise! :) I'm very thankful that I am seeing this as a good opportunity for my heart and home to get cleaned up but not as a new law I must follow. So even though I missed yesterday, no big deal. I was excited to jump right back in today.

Day 2 is titled "Created to Give Life". It talks about how women are created to be life givers and then gives a few areas in which to do that, of course one being the home.

Mary Challenge: Start looking at your domain as something to make come alive!  What ca you do today to bring life to your home, your children, your husband, and your sphere of influence?

Well today I am home all day with Inara and her BFF (For real folks, its the cutest thing to see them love each other). Usually I just let them play with each other and sort of be a referee so Inara doesn't take all her toys and push her down all day. I'm not saying that is bad, and its not like I ignore them, but am I giving them my best? Probably not. So today, we are all going to have fun together. Maybe build a fort under the dinning room table and read books, stop by the library, or snuggle together in my bed and watch a movie (Inara thinks being in our bed is the greatest thing in the world, its so funny).  I know I can give life to our marriage by being disciplined to provide "couch time" when Justin gets home from work.  About 5-10 minutes just sitting on the couch catching up and allowing Justin to breathe before switching gears from work to Dad.  I am usually just so excited when he gets home I have all these plans. But I do need to MAKE couch time part of our day.

Martha Challenge: Kitchen- clean out and scrub down the refrigerator and freezer

Ugg...I honestly don't know when the last time I did this was...as evidence by how dirty it was. I had things in containers that were unidentifiable :( And I am saying this to hopefully make others feel better but...I cleaned out a glass container that was from a party we threw in...*cough cough* july *cough cough*. I know I know...nasty! But that is why I am excited for this book. To clean out the nasty corners of my fridge and my heart.

Before the cleaning:

ew....what is that in the bottom crisper...*sigh

After:

Tada!

I am hoping this book changes my perspective on my home. I know I won't get out of bed eager to scrub my toilet, but hopefully I'll do it "as though working for the Lord".  Ok, I know hope I am not the only one out there who needs some help/motivation when it comes to cleaning. What is your least favorite household task?  Is there one you actually ENJOY doing?

31 Days to Clean: Day 1

So today I started 31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way. And I am pretty excited about it. Each day is only a page or 2 and the Mary/Martha challenges totally seem doable for me. Even though I seem to have less time at home as I am having to work more.

She starts the book off by asking "Why?", as in "why do you want a clean home". Its funny because I have never actually thought about it, it just seemed like something good you should have..right?  Well the Mary Challenge for today was to "identify specific reasons you want to make your home a haven" and to use scripture. She suggested framing your "mission statement" and putting it somewhere you will see each day. Ok, so here is mine:

I want to have a clean home to honor God by being able to open my home to others and have a peaceful haven not a chaotic distraction

I based my mission statement on 2 verses. I have both verses and my mission statement on index cards and plan to put them on my bathroom mirror.  The verses I used are:

1 Corinthians 14:33a- "For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace". I know that the context of this verse is about worship in the church, but I still think it applies. To worship is to exalt or lift up. And honestly if my home is a wreck, I would hate for that to distract others (including me and Justin) from having meaningful conversations about the goodness of God

1 Peter 4:9 "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling"-  While I would say I rarely grumble if we invited someone over or they offered to stop by, I WILL say that when that happens I am often thrown into a whirlwind to make my house not a disaster area.  I am not thinking about how sweet it will be to see Justin when he gets home, or how fun it will be to catch up with an old friend...honestly its usually about how much work I need to "get done"...a real "martha moment". 

My goal is not to have a picture perfect home. I am well aware I live with a toddler, I work outside the home, and I don't want a museum like home. I am ok with our home having a "lived in" look. I just also want it to be peaceful.

So here we go! And for real it really is never too late to pick up this little ebook and get started. There are free printables and tons of other resources at her website for book readers, so pick up a copy!