My house has what you would call the lived in look lately. Â As I look around, I see too many coats and jackets, show shirts, lots of shoes, backpacks and laundry. Â It’s definitely not one of those museum houses.
We’re all constantly coming and going so things get set down and not picked up. Â The laundry piles up because there’s no time to put it away. Â Horse tack is all over because I was trying to clean out the front porch and it hasn’t made it’s way back out there yet.
All this stuff is driving me crazy and if people come over, I have to apologize for the mess. Â I have one friend who always says, “It looks lived in and I’d rather have a lived in house than one that is always spotless as if no one really lives there.” Â I guess I would like something in between.
I had to stop at my daughter’s soon to be in law’s house the other day. Â It’s a very nice house in a very nice neighborhood. Â They’re really fun people. Â They spend a lot of time doing fun things with their family. Â The money they have helps but I kept thinking that there had to be more to it. Â I had been to their house once before and it seemed like a normal house but this time I really noticed it. Â There were only a few nice things in each room and nothing more.
I realized that they’re free to do what they want. Â There’s no stuff to hold them hostage. Â No stuff to keep them home cleaning when a fun opportunity comes up. Â I bet they have a nice house in a nice neighborhood because they didn’t waste their money on stuff they didn’t need. Â I think it might be many more years before my house looks even remotely close to that but it’s okay for now, my house is lived in.
my friend; sometimes things take time and that is okay. For a year or so I have been following you and I know you have made a serious (and I mean really serious) effort and commitment to remove things/stuff from your home and tidy it up. Maybe it is not completed yet and you still have more to do, but i congratulate you for what you have done so far and send you my best wishes. keep going 🙂
Thank you for all the kind words!! I think I am finally starting to feel the benefits. I can clean off my kitchen counter in less than a half hour. It used to take hours. Now I can have the whole kitchen done in an hour or two. It’s so nice. It’s okay when I think of it that way, one small area or room at a time, but when I think of the whole house at once, it feels very overwhelming.