neat freak

After having kids,one of the things that I have really had to adjust to is letting go of a neat home. I HATE clutter. I hate knickknacks and useless decorations and gadgets..... I like to keep household items to a bare minimum. Clutter drives me CRAZY and puts me in a bad mood. Ask my husband. I am constantly invading his space by trying to freecycle all his stuff. Most gifts I receive I end up giving away because if I won't use it I won't keep it... no point in storing it and letting it sit for years. If I am in a really bad mood the first thing I will do is find things do get rid of... dumping stuff always makes me feel better. But alas, with kids, one just can't get rid of their toys and expect them to idly sit and entertain themselves. Nor can you expect them to tidy up to your standards.

So this is what our home looks like today:




And this is a relatively neat day... it's usually worse. We have a playroom but somehow everything migrates here.... I omitted the picture of my kitchen sink because I don't want the health department knocking at my door. That's why I love the firehall so much. Although most stations are kinda institutional looking, they are neat and tidy and clean. Garbage gets taken out on a daily basis, floors are mopped once or even twice a day. Windows are Windexed, counter tops polished, the tarmac and walkways shovelled, lawns mowed, dishes washed and put away, equipment rustproofed, hoses rolled... Yesterday's newspaper promptly gets put in the recycling bin. Even the trucks are clean and shiny. When it's time to tidy, everyone swoops in because you don't want to be the one caught sitting down. The fastest way for a rookie to earn respect is to do all the cleaning and the scrubbing without hesitation or complaint.

Molly Maid... eat your heart out.