4.08.2010

Intentionally Living...A Clean House!

This is the fourth installment of my series on Intentionally Living. I am so happy that I started this series! If your new to this series over the past few weeks I have been posting about my goals to Live Intentionally.

My 2010 word of the year is Intentional. Check out my post HERE explaining just what that means in my life. This series was built off of 12 main statements that I said at the beginning of the year. All twelve things are ways that I am going to Intentionally Live this year.

This weeks post will be similar to last weeks post on cooking. You can find that post HERE.

Okay so this weeks Intentionally Living statement is:

I am going to be intentional about keeping the house clean because it causes my husband stress.

Now this isn't just one that causes my husband stress but of course also causes me stress. The more cluttered my house gets the more cluttered my mind gets. I get anxiety when dishes pile up and when clutter starts appearing. And the worst part about all of this? I'm a total pack rat!

I'm super cheap so I can't bare to throw anything out because I may one day use it again. So I keep everything!! This doesn't work when you live in a one bedroom apartment..I don't have room for everything so stuff just piles up in little piles around the corners of the apartment.

And yes I know the clutter and mess that I deal with is nothing like what you mothers have to deal with! I just pray that I learn how to work really hard on keeping the house clean before we have little ones running around messing everything up so I can better stay on top of it.


Anyway during the summer time I have no trouble keeping the house clean! I have plenty of time to do all that needs to be done! But during the school year forget about it! We both are full time students and my hubby works full time and I work nearly full time. By the time the busy work/school day is over I have to head home and work on homework for hours. The last thing I want to do it clean!! forget it! I just want to sit on the couch and zone out or sleep.

So this year I have decided to be extra Intentional about
making sure the house stays clean. My dear sweet amazing Hubby is taking 19 units (YIKES!!!) which by the way is over full time and works a full time job during the day. (He is graduating in less than a month by the way!!) So this semester I have been trying to help him in any way that I can with being less stressful. God has been amazing to us in all that he has given us and I want to create a stress free environment while at home.

So to Intentionally live out this goal I have decided the following:
1. I will not let the dishes pile up! Right after dinner they need to be washed (otherwise they will make themselves at home in that sink!!)

2. I will not let our laundry pile up until we have no clothes left! I will work on getting our laundry done every week.

3. I will organize things better in our house so that clutter does not build up! {Not to brag but I have been very good about this lately}

4. I will make sure that after I try on my tenth outfit of the morning that the clothes don't end up on the floor.

I have more than this but I can't think of any at the moment.

Who I strive to be: The Excellent Wife
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
"Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all."
{Proverbs 31:27-29}


What do you do to keep your house clean? Got any good tricks to pass along my way?!?

12 comments:

  1. I struggle with the same thing. At the end of the day I just want to lounge around!
    Something that has helped me that might work for you is to take the first 10 or 15 mins. as soon as I get home to "tidy up." If I do it every day, it really only takes 5 or 10 minutes to clean up the breakfast dishes, wipe down the counters, pick up the laundry, whatever else. THEN, I can relax : ) Hope that helps!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Jami! Great goals here. You're right, a clean house equals peace in my book, and mess equals turmoil! Hmmm...tips? Well, if you've never heard of Flylady, she's definitely one to look up. Flylady.net I think it is. All her info can be overwhelming at first, but she has lots of good stuff to pick and choose what works for you.- I'm sure I'll be posting about her and her system more one of these days on my blog... Have a good night!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey Jami,

    I love this post! I have been in the same boat for the past two years my hubby and I have been married. Being only 20, it is hard to keep up with school while trying to pay the mortgage while trying to enjoy ever honeymoon moment with each other. I think I am finally getting used to it. I am by no means saying our house is always clean but I do realize, now being graduated and working along side my husband in our business... that though things don't slow down - they do get easier. I said I would do this week after week and I kept feeling like I was failing. But my one advice to you ... is no matter how many times you let yourself down - Don't Give Up! Each week you get a little bit better and sooner than you know it... we will both be Proverbs 31 wives! :) All the best!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey Sabrina,
    Thanks for stopping by. I didn't realize you were as young as we are :D I love meeting other young newlyweds!!!! And yeah my husband graduates this May {in about a month} and I am sooo excited! I think even just having him done with school will be nice!! And then of course when I"m done I am expecting to have a lot more energy and time to clean!!

    By the way do you have a blog? I've checked out your website but don't know if you have a blog I could go check out :D Let me know!

    And I'm trying everyday to be more and more like the Proverbs 31 wife..it's just hard! lol ;)

    Jami

    ReplyDelete
  5. veterankindergartenteacherApril 9, 2010 at 12:52 PM

    That is a very good question. My husband and I divide up the housework since we both work. I make up a schedule of tasks for the week and try to stick to it.

    I am following you from Friday Follow. I hope you follow me back. Have a great week-end!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am feeling like some spring cleaning too!
    I do the dishes every night after dinner and it is the best habit I have. It feels great to wake up to a clean kitchen. Thanks for the other ideas.
    I am following you back from FF.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am such a pac rat too! I hate throwing things away- I always know I will be able to use it, even when I actually won't. Following you back from FF. Have a great weekend!

    Jen

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Jam! Wait that looks like "jam and bread", I guess it should be Jaym? Well, anyway you know, short for Jami! Anyway, plans for the weekend, well, not firm, but I think we're going shopping for herbs at a local nursery who is having an open house. Might walk down to a yard sale in our neighborhood (hooray for yard sale season!), might go to a play at a local college tomorrow night. We'll see what we decide on! Might just stay home and be lazy all day :-)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for folowing my blog thru' FF. I' your latest follower now. Your blog looks awesome, can't wait to check out more. Hope to see you back in mine sometime! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good luck! Thanks for the follow. I am now following you back!

    ReplyDelete
  11. do things as they come and put things away immediately after you use them- it helps to not lose anything and avoids the accumulation problem when it takes forever to clean up because junk has been piling up for days..
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Excellent and noble goals. I can truly tell you that having a clean kitchen and no dishes in the sink sets the tone. In fact, if my kitchen "fails" its a green light for the rest of the house to fall apart. And, now, with seven children under my blessed feet I need to keep it built up as long as possible.

    Your blog is wonderful. I'll be following you on your journey.

    ..Rachel..

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting my blog! If this is your first time here then let me know! I love comments and I always love hearing from my readers. If you would like to contact me via email my email is jamibalmet(at)hotmail(.)com.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails