Keepin' it real

This is a post I've wanted to do for a long time. I think as women, and moms in particular, we tend to compare ourselves to others. I do this all the time, and it's never good for the self esteem. There is always going to be someone that does something better than I do. This was especially the case as I adjusted from working part time and having one child to staying home full time with two. Life gets crazy. Days fly by in a blur of laundry and baby care and feeding little mouths over and over. 

I feel much more comfortable now with this job life I've chosen. I've (mostly) accepted that all things cannot be as they were pre-kids. There are messes every time I turn around. I drive myself crazy picking them up. But that's just how I am. I know I function much better in neat, organized spaces. Clutter stresses me out. I'm a better mom if my house stays relatively clean. I know we all aren't wired that way, and it may appear that I have it all figured out. But let me tell ya, I never post pics on my blog of the constant messes that pop up (and sometimes stay) in my home. So that's what I'm gonna do today. I'm gonna keep it real. Because as fellow moms we should encourage, not compare. And we should be able to laugh at ourselves and embrace our quirks. Here are mine. 

This is an example of how I'm wired. I physically cannot have magnets or artwork on the fridge. It just doesn't work for me. I know to some of you that seems selfish, but it's just how I am. We painted a magnetic wall in the playroom where the boys can hang their art, so my kitchen stays clutter free. And I promise, my boys are still happy and functioning. :)

Also, my bed must be made every morning. With many pretty pillows. It just makes me happy so I do it.

And when my bed is neat, it makes the whole upstairs seem cleaner. 

 

However, I do not make Ty's bed for him. This drives me absolutely bonkers, but I just don't go in his room very often. He is technically supposed to make it, but it doesn't happen. So there ya go; a messy, not pretty, real photo.

My bathroom cannot have stuff on the counters. That's what drawers and cupboards are for. Plus, I need a peaceful escape from...

Yup. Here it is. The worst of my "real" photos. Our playroom on a very bad day. Hubby and I were just discussing this morning how awful it is right now. It stays pretty neat for a while, then somehow everything just explodes in there. So I close the door. This room is tucked in the farthest upstairs corner of our house, so it's easy to forget about the mess. Until I walk by to do laundry. Which is why I close the door. This works for maybe a week, then I can't sleep and I have to spend a morning in there putting everything back. And the cycle begins again. 

This is our 'bottom of the stairs basket'. Back before we had kids it was filled with pretty silk hydrangea and served no function. Now I can't live without it. All day long I'm picking up things that don't belong downstairs, so they go in the basket. Then it gets embarrassingly full like this, I walk past and pretend not to see it for a while, and finally cart the thing upstairs and find all kinds of stuff we were missing. 

But as long as my kitchen table is clear I can live with the stair basket. It's all about balance. ;) Or, well, keeping one's OCD habits to just a few areas. By the way, no children are allowed to sit on the red chairs. That's why we have the bench. I'm not a fan of the "ugly furniture until the kids move out" policy. Just another quirk. 

But then look at this. Hubby bought me this desk so I could close it up and make it look pretty when not in use. But even when I'm not sewing much it seems to always be in use. Do you like the linty bits all over the top? And the fabric scraps? And the unsewn coffee cozies? This is why I need a craft room. Then this mess can hide from the rest of the house. Creativity needs a little freedom... my type A, OCD-ness doesn't always carry over into my craftiness. Sometimes. But not always. 

Yikes. I still can't believe I'm posting this pic. I very well may chicken out and delete it before I publish this post. Our pen/junk drawer is usually messy. But at least my counters are not cluttered. That's the problem, I think.... all the stuff that gets left on the counter I stick in this drawer. Nail files, lipgloss, headphones, checkbook, hairbands, lotion, sunglasses....  I don't want to look at it so into the drawer it goes. I'll clean it out next week. Or the next. Weird how we have our hot spots like this. Please tell me you have them too. 

I vacuum my hardwoods four to five times a week. Mop them at least twice. Two to three loads of laundry every day, and each load is almost always folded and put away immediately. All shirts are hung up by category. Everything else gets put neatly into drawers. Myself, because if I let my five year old put it away, the drawers would be messy. Heck, if I let my husband put it away the drawers would be messy. And clothing drawers have to be neat. But this drawer. This drawer can be messy. Why is that? And my car. My car is always messy. Is it because I don't love my car? I don't love my toilets and they are always clean. 

Tell me about your OCD habits. And tell me what's messy in your house. Please.

And I hope you enjoyed seeing my messes. :)