Keeping House

A friend, who I deeply admire, asked me for advice on “keeping a home.” She has run a successful business, is married, and now raising two beautiful children. There are so many things that I admire about her – her food philosophy, her kindness and patience with her children, her passion for sharing everything she learns – so I was honored when she asked me for advice. I do, though, enjoy a clean home. Growing up in the south, we still had hired help to assist my mother in keeping our home given its size and her busy schedule. My brother and I always had to pick up before Esther came to clean. I did not understand that until I was married and cared for my own home. There is a certain level of “pick up” that must happen before any deep cleaning can take place. I think the “pick up” phase of cleaning is what my friend admires about my home. I will admit, I am not that great of a deep cleaner. I loathe cleaning bathrooms and have only made it around the baseboards twice this year. But, neatness and order are high values of mine when managing a home. Managing is the key word here and what I shared with my friend. It is a daily commitment to keep your home refreshing for you and available for anyone who might enter. Now, this does not mean I am cleaning and picking up every room all the time just for remote idea that someone will walk through the door and judge my home management skills. It is for me, for my family, and for my desire to always have a welcoming home. When my son is done playing and it is time for a nap, we clean up together. When dinner is over and it is finally time to relax, well, I wash the dishes and tidy the kitchen, mostly because for me, it is so refreshing to walk into a clean kitchen come the morning. It is the exact moment that you don’t feel like making the bed, putting the dishes away, or picking up toys that I suggest that you do it.