A Hot Mess

I'm sure none of you can relate, but my house is a hot mess! And I mean it! I guess there's a reason my blog is called - Bless My Mess.

Dirty laundry is piled on the laundry room floor. Clean laundry is sitting in the dryer. And wet laundry is still in the wash. (Dang it, I was getting ready to go to bed. I forgot that was still in there.)

Toys are scattered across every floor in every room.

The countertops are piled with junk and no matter how many times I empty the sink, it always seems full.

I love people who can always have the mindset that "you shouldn't just survive, you should thrive." I admire that, but right now- it's survival mode. I feel like I can't ever get ahead. I have tons of things that I'd love to clean, but I spend what little time I have getting those things done that HAVE to get done- laundry, dishes, and the occasional bathing. I know many of you are feeling better about yourselves now. I am glad. Someone should benefit from my messy home. And yes, I purposely chose a picture where you can't see the piles on the counters or the food on the floor.

Most days I want to give up. I would much rather spend every moment I can soaking in my little princesses. But there is something to be said for the peace that an orderly home brings. Notice I did not say - spotless - I said orderly. Yes, I meant for that to be vague because different people have different levels of tolerance. If I had my way, I wouldn't have anything on my kitchen counters- no pictures, no appliances, no candles- nothing. Clutter attracts more clutter and I obviously have an issue with clutter. However, I was informed that my home will feel more inviting with some of these things, so I am trying to balance it all. I am failing currently, but I am trying.

Do you see these cute little faces?!? They easily distract me. I would much rather color millions of pages of Dora the Explorer and push them around the backyard in their car. But I am learning that I have to find a balance. No one benefits when the pieces of clutter turn into piles of clutter, and stay there FOREVER. I also do not want to create a pattern where my children cannot play or interact without me being involved. Balance. They need to learn some level of independence and I need to be the keeper of peace in my home.

So I am taking Baby Steps. I am doing my best to identify problem areas and then maybe I can slowly find solutions that work and that stick. It's the sticking part that is hard. I have tried all kinds of things over the years and most of the time it only works for a few weeks or a few days, then I'm back to my old habits.

Baby steps. Tiny baby steps. I do not adjust to life changes quickly, so I take things very slowly. (This ironically said from the girl who adopted a baby out of the blue.) I would rather put my toe in the water first. I think that habit boils down to my childhood fear of failure, but that is another blog altogether. 

My goal is to keep growing and to keep trying. I do not expect to ever ARRIVE. Life is a constant learning process and God is giving me all kinds of opportunities to learn right now, and I am determined to do it in stride. So one of my recent baby steps was to sign up for a class that my sister-in-law, Amy, is teaching. She is incredibly talented in all things home related- cooking, cleaning, organizing, and creating systems that work for each individual. In two weeks, I will be taking a class on how to stock my pantry, cook freezer meals and make dinner on the fly. If you are in the Tulsa area and need help like me, check her out! I'll let you know how it goes! I am getting out of my bubble and taking a step. I am doing it for myself and I am doing it for my family, and I believe that God will honor the effort that I am putting forth by choosing to do something. I am no longer stagnant. 

I will keep growing and I will keep trying. Even if everything else I have tried seems to have failed, as long as I can keep this mindset I can always move forward. Who knows maybe this time will be better!

I'm sure that none of you guys have ever dealt with this before : ) , but if you have I just want encourage you to do something- anything! I know it's cliché but I think of the quote-

If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got.

Or we could go back to Einstein's definition of insanity- doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If it's not working, do something different! But above all else, do something.

Keep growing. Keep trying.

P.S.- Here is a sneak peek at my latest baby step! Blog update to come soon.