How to Rescue the Day at Home

Christmas House by Susan Rios

You've had a celebration the day before and you wake up to a mess. Maybe you slept later than usual and everyone is already awake and wandering about the house.  How in the world do you redeem the part of the day that you needed?

You might try some of these things:

1. Get yourself  "together" mentally and physically, before tackling the house work. No matter how far behind you think you are, try starting over, even if it is nearly noon, or afternoon. Have a shower, put on clothing that inspires you to want to approach your job cheerfully and professionally, wear some light scent, and "do" your hair.  These things are like turning on the headlights of the car, indicating getting in gear and getting ready to go.

2. Begin with the room that is first seen or is in the most public view. Remove anything in it that does not belong there, and then put everything else in order. If you are not sure how to do this, try enlisting the help of someone who is experienced in this, and follow her around her own house or room while you observe what she does.  If you are daunted by an unusual amount of clutter, try first cleaning the part nearest the front door and just clean up a square foot at a time of the mess. 

3.Encourage yourself by frequently looking at the newly cleaned areas. Take "before" and "after"

 pictures so you can critically look at your progress. Sometimes there are details and things out of place, which  we see in photographs that we do not notice when looking, in general.

4.Clean the rooms that are the most important in use. The kitchen and bathroom are very important, for the sake of sanitation and good health, besides appearance.  

5. Pay attention to details.  Sometimes a house is clean and tidy but lacks something. This is where the placement of a bowl of fruit or a stack of books, a candle, etc. comes in. Those things, though not necessary for good housekeeping, add sweetness to the home. Though no one else may appear to notice it, the homemaker can use it as motivation. Drape a pretty blanket on a chair or place a fluffy rug in front of the fireplace. Set up bright place settings at a small table. Fold towels uniformly or according to color. These little "sights" do something for the heart, even though they are not "practical."

6. Keep your mind active, planning things, or thinking ahead of the next thing you need to do in the house. Mentally map out rewards for yourself after the work is done. Finishing a sewing project, working on a special interest, or blogging, can be points of motivation.

7. Visually survey your completed areas as you go, to keep your enthusiasm and interest and to remind you how far you have come.  You may be working on another room, but go into the first area of the house you have already cleaned, and look at it, just to remind yourself how good things are looking.

8. Though it seems a trial to clean up daunting messes, thank God for it. It gives you a purpose and it is an area in which you can really shine. A lot of women become "teachers of good things," (Titus 2) or learn about interior decorating, specialty cleaning and furniture arranging, just from the experience of working in their own homes. It also gives a mission and a purpose for women at home, to increase their excellence and serve the Lord.