I have a problem!  My problem is this.

I love to scrapbook, I love to sew, I love to run, I love to be creative and make things.  So let me give you an example of my problem, lets say I get up in the morning and I say to myself, today I’m gonna scrapbook.  I get all excited inside, I’m feeling warm and fuzzy, I get to scrapbook!!!

Then….THEN!!!! I go downstairs to make myself breakfast and what do I see???….a mess!

There are dishes in the sink, toys scattered around, and piles of papers and bills on the dining room table.  Without really thinking and just out of habit, I get a little annoyed and start cleaning the kitchen, then toys, then going through the papers on the table, and bills, then I take the jackets that have piled up on the banister and go upstairs to hang them up and put them in the closet, and then I see laundry that needs to be washed, and bathrooms that need to be cleaned.

Soooooooo one thing leads to another, and I start to straighten up the bedroom, I need to dust so I go to the downstairs bathroom to get the dust rag (because that’s where we keep all our cleaning supplies) and I see that, that bathroom should get a quick cleaning too.  Finally I head back up to the bedroom and get the pile of laundry and bring it to the basement, stuff what I can in the wash, turn around and see that….hmmmm, the basement needs to be cleaned really quick.  So I pull out the vacuum and off I go.

Not to mention I have little Eli to take care of while I’m doing all of this, so in between the cleaning, I am playing with him, feeding him and putting him down for a nap.  Next thing you know the day is over and I’m too pooped to scrapbook!

Am I the only person out there that does this?……PLEASE tell me there is at least one other person in this world that knows what this is like!  The best way to describe the feeling is like looking at a picture on a wall that is just a little crooked, you walk by and stop in your tracks to fix it…you straighten it.  That’s what I do every time I see a little mess or a pile of papers or something on our clutter free end tables.

They say the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one, well I admit it, and here’s how I’ve decided to work it.

Last week I sat down and made a cleaning schedule.

Monday – Groceries

Every other Tuesday – Laundry

Every other Wednesday – Bathrooms

Thursday – Floors

And lastly we made a new rule in the house that no matter what the kitchen needs to be cleaned before we head to bed.  Out of all the rooms in the house, I consider my kitchen my work space, no one wants to go to their office first thing in the morning and see a mess, it’s not the best way to start the day.  My kitchen is the same way, so thankfully I have a loving husband who is on board and is helping me make sure the kitchen gets cleaned before bed.

So today’s experience. I went down to the basement to work out….I had to take all the laundry that wasn’t folded or washed and clear it out of the hallway and close the door, I then proceeded to enjoy my workout.  I give myself a gold star!!

My husband says I LOOOOOOVE to clean…ummmmm, not many people LOOOOOOOVe to clean toilets, or fold laundry, or wash dishes, I lovingly try to correct him and tell him what I LOOOOOOOve is the feeling of clean, NOT cleaning!

I’m learning that as nice as it is to have a clean and orderly home, it’s more important to develop our talents, and spend time with family and friends.

Balance, balance, balance, life is about finding balance, and balance includes working, cleaning AND taking a break…… going for a run, scrapbooking, and playing with Eli.