We finally got almost all of Christmas put away this week, after returning from vacation. I still have to take the lights down out front (they are unplugged at least) and my one last nativity has to be put away. We also have to pull everything out that was put away to put Christmas out and get it set back up. Knick knacks and stuff 🙂
It’s swiftly driving me insane! I like a bit of order to things around me, and when I get stressed it’s one of the things I focus on. I will end up deciding the house needs to be clean and waste the day cleaning. Yes it’s one of those ways I procrastinate too I will admit. However I also have allergies, so it serves to help me breath easier, especially in the summer and fall when pollen is terrible.
However between the job and the dissertation, I just don’t have the time to keep up with the cleaning as I would like to right now. The house needs it, but as I look down the next few days and whats on my list to get done, even a half day of cleaning isn’t in the cards.
I’ve talked a lot about hiring Merry Maids or something. Those who have read me long enough know I, well John, had a housekeeper at one point (which ended in disaster when I and the dogs came along). Today we had the discussion again. His mom has housekeepers (it’s a group of women who work together, they cycle their houses and duties between them, so you might not have the same woman each week). We may ask them how much it would cost to clean every other week or so.
Of course I looked around and said, well first I have to clean up! For me that’s always been the issue, I need to clean before the housekeeper comes, so why am I paying a housekeeper? Well I’ve decided over the next week or so I’ll take an hour every other day and just straighten up a room. Eventually at some point the house will be picked up enough to be cleaned I hope!
The chore of course will be keeping John to keep his desk/corner clean! That’s the biggest hurdle, and I will begin to just throw his piled up mail and magazines out if he starts ignoring them again (oh yes, I’ve done it before, if you have months of magazines you aren’t looking at, they go in the recycle bin!).
Of course I also still have those rooms and cabinets that one day I’ll eventually go through, throw have of the stuff out and clean it up. We are talking CDs and books from computers I no longer have or are dead. Why I’m keeping some of this crapola I don’t know, it needs to go.
I always tend to clean when my energy should be focused on something else. When I have nothing to do, I never want to clean. That’s when I have to force myself. And I do one room a day, maybe 2 at the most.
Having a maid is a dream of mine! Good luck:)
Wow–I could have written most of what you did—I do understand. Many years ago when I taught and my daughter was a very active teenager, I had a maid service. It might have been The Merry Maids! I had to do a thorough—closets and drawers included–cleaning to get ready for their visit! After a major cleaning they came every other week–how nice it was to come home to a clean, dust free, sweet smelling home! I finally settled on a Friday cleaning so I wouldn’t spend the weekend killing myself trying to “deep” clean. Now that I’m older and in a small apartment, the dust can settle a little more freely–but clutter, pet hair, the floors, and the bathroom still push me into action.
I do hope you can get the maid service. Just have everything written out room by room in the finest detail or you’ll be recleaning and stressing more!
We used Merry Maids many years ago, they were ok. They cleaned the house with some nice smelling cleaning stuff that smelled like cinnamin, always loved to smell that.
There is a house about a mile from here that still has their Christmas lights and decor up and going, I suppose they like Christmas year round. I wish I could do that.
oops that’s cinnamon not cinnamin oh well. 😀
I attacked the mountain of laundry the other day. Randy came home and said “Wow. What made you decide to get this done today?”
“Simple.” I said. “I should be doing Geography.”
Like you, I need order, but rarely get it. I could so relate with what you wrote here. Taking the time to tackle the housework really isn’t in the cards, but my allergies are kicking up and the mess is disturbing to me mentally. I’ll probably cave soon and ignore homework in favor of tidiness and order.
Why does it have to be one or the other?
Don’t feel bad, Dustin–my Christmas stuff is still up too (I did get the outside stuff down at least, but my tree still stands proud in the living room!)
If you can afford it get a maid. I wish we could afford one. Now that I’m older I just can’t clean the way I want to. I do tons of laundry, I have to do my mother-in-law’s along with ours because she is too ill to do it. I do some cleaning for her in her apartment. My daughter (21), is a slob. I use to clean her room for her, 2 days later it looked the same. Clothes all over, make-up, dirty dishes. I thought this is stupid cleaning after a 20 year old. So last year I stopped, I toss in her clean laundry on the bed and close the door. Dustin don’t feel bad about the Christmas lights. I drove by a house yesterday that had Halloween/Fall stuff up.
I have to stop by and tell you that I gave you an award on my bloggy blog. 🙂
I would LOVE to hire a housekeeper. My house is out.of.control!