My New Job

Last week I decided I would start a "new job".


For most of my married life (okay, all of it), I haven't been the greatest at housekeeping. I hate to admit it, but it's true. I would get in these moods where I'd clean like crazy and then go right back to being "blah" about it all. It's hard working a full day and then coming home and feeling motivated to clean...at least for me it was. So, when I was blessed to be able to stay at home, I was so excited! I knew I'd have more time and energy to devote to making our house a home.

...and then the TV got in the way, oh, and the computer...and whatever else that was non-housework related. Not to mention the fact that I have a sweet little boy to take care of. I would justify my laziness by telling myself, "Oh, I deserve this down time...I'll do better tomorrow" Yes, it is good to have down time. But not when it's everyday! haha

Needless to say, the Lord began convicting me. And then *mysteriously* everything I read for a couple of weeks would somehow always include Proverbs 31:27, which says, "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." Ouch.


I had to realize that God had given me an incredible opportunity--one which I didn't think would be possbile--to stay home with my son. It wasn't given to me so that I could sit around and watch TV, read, or play with my son all day. None of those things are bad, especially playing with my son, but when I let the house go, and my husband comes home stressed out from a long day at work only to find that I've been playing all day, it doesn't look good. Because it's not.

"He is the happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home" Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I want our home to be a haven for my husband to come home to. And it can't be if it's disorderly. So, I said allll that to say this: My "new job" is that I put myself on a cleaning schedule so that I know for sure what is expected of me during the week; I know that everything (or almost everything) gets done that needs to get done. I remember my mom having a schedule when we were younger and our home always seemed so comfy, cozy, and clean. It was a peaceful place to be.

God gave me my dream job, and up until last week, I'd been taking advantage of it. I decided I should start treating my position as the career that it is!

"Housekeeping is a profession, - The first thing to be done in order to better this state of affairs is to realise that household management is a serious profession, and that, like all apprentices, the woman who means to keep house must serve her time and give her energy to learning her profession." -How To Keep House

Recently, I checked out a book at the library called, "Home Comforts : The Art and Science of Keeping House" by Cheryl Mendelson. There's soo much to learn (it's a really thick book!), but I've enjoyed it so far. I love reading books about homemaking. They're inspiring. Proverbs 31 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. I'm telling ya what; that woman was amazing!

Here's my schedule:

Monday: Laundry/Ironing
Tuesday: Dusting/Vacuuming/Visiting my Grandma/Menu & grocery planning
Wednesday: Heavy Duty Cleaning
Thursday: Grocery Shopping/Errands
Friday: Paperwork/Organizing/Visiting my Grandma (Fri., Sat., or Sun.)
Saturday: Light Cleaning

Sunday: Day of rest! Yay!

(I usually end up doing light laundry another day during the week--especially since Ethan is so talented at keeping his hamper full!)

Thankfully, the schedule has worked quite well. It may change later on, but so far I'm liking my new job!

My prayer is that I can keep this up! I'm good at starting things--but it takes serious discipline and determination to finish them.

Do you have a cleaning schedule? If so, what's yours like?