Brittany and Jess are hosting a new link-up called Messy Mom Monday--getting real about the fact that virtually no moms have it all together all the time, even though it may look like it sometimes. I'm not sure if I've ever told this story before on the blog or not, but not too long after Lizzy was born, I remember looking at some other moms that I knew and thinking, I just don't understand how they do it! Their homes were always spotless. They were always posting on Facebook about their from-scratch cooking, the many novels that they were reading, their great 10 mile run, the hilarious TV they were watching, AND the great Beth Moore studies that they were doing. And here I thought it was a good day if I got a shower.
And then when I was talking with a few of the moms one day, one of them mentioned that they had been hiring a high school girl to come clean their house. Another mentioned that she has her kids go to daycare one day a week, and that's when she does her long runs and cleans the house. Another told me that they just shove everything into their back bedroom anytime someone is coming over. It was like an epiphany to me--they aren't perfect, I just thought they were. It can be a lonely place to think that you're the only person who doesn't have it all together all the time, and that's what I think this link-up is all about...letting ourselves be real once in awhile, and hopefully letting others know that it is okay for them to be real too.
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Here's my sweet adorable girl this morning...she's on the couch watching Dora while I lay in bed and blog.
But let's back up and get a fuller picture of the room, no?
It's amazing what you can hide in photos.
Our laundry situation is out of control right now. I wasn't able to do laundry at all last week and hadn't done much the previous week either, so it was a little outrageous. We made some good progress this weekend, but left two loads on the couch yesterday morning ready to be folded after church...and then didn't end up back home until 10pm. So there they still sit...along with numerous other piles of laundry that need to be washed and sorted through.
The buffet is still a mess from Lizzy's birthday last week. And the photo that I took to show you? I have no idea what happened there, but it ended up looking like this:
And our spare bedroom? Oh my GOSH you guys...it has become the dumping ground lately for everything that we don't have a home for anywhere else. We desperately need to add some money in the budget for Rubbermaid containers to get this under control!
But, Justin only has a week or so left on his high-paying job site, and so I'm leery about actually spending that money instead of putting it in savings. I mean, I can always just shut the spare bedroom door.
Here's my sweet adorable girl this morning...she's on the couch watching Dora while I lay in bed and blog.
But let's back up and get a fuller picture of the room, no?
It's amazing what you can hide in photos.
Our laundry situation is out of control right now. I wasn't able to do laundry at all last week and hadn't done much the previous week either, so it was a little outrageous. We made some good progress this weekend, but left two loads on the couch yesterday morning ready to be folded after church...and then didn't end up back home until 10pm. So there they still sit...along with numerous other piles of laundry that need to be washed and sorted through.
The buffet is still a mess from Lizzy's birthday last week. And the photo that I took to show you? I have no idea what happened there, but it ended up looking like this:
And our spare bedroom? Oh my GOSH you guys...it has become the dumping ground lately for everything that we don't have a home for anywhere else. We desperately need to add some money in the budget for Rubbermaid containers to get this under control!
But, Justin only has a week or so left on his high-paying job site, and so I'm leery about actually spending that money instead of putting it in savings. I mean, I can always just shut the spare bedroom door.
I despise spending money on those rubbermaid totes! I usually just separate stuff into black garbage bags. Then if I absolutely MUST buy a couple of totes (for kid clothes or stuff that genuinely needs to be stored for future use) I only have to buy two or so. Fun idea for a link up! I can relate to the laundry couch... it looks eerily familiar right now :)
ReplyDeleteI want to hug you. Because seriously, my laundry situation is so out of control, I could cry. and Ella just doesn't help;) I wonder if I'll ever catch up. I am sooo happy I'm not alone!
ReplyDeleteMan! I didn't think to take pics of E's new big girl room (aka: random junk thrown in there!)...I have so many other spots to take pics of but I know my hubby would have killed me. HA.
ReplyDeleteHAHA! Dude, your laundry looks like mine. FOR REAL.
ReplyDeleteCheck out my laundry post....yep. Same here.
ReplyDeleteMy room downstairs is like your spare room. I didn't get that far in my house - next week....LOL
If Ryann didn't go to MDO one day a week I would never clean. I mean I suppose I'd figure out a way, but I wouldn't do a great job. Heck I don't do a great job now. I put effort into a lot of stuff, but never fully accomplish anything, you know?
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I'm pretty sure no mom is perfect or has it all together all of the time. If you ever come across someone who does please write down all her secrets!
And the first thing I'm going to do when Chris gets out of residency? Hire a cleaning person :o).
Do I have to be a mom to be allowed to be messy? ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd props to you for telling it like it is. Great to see some honesty in blog land.
If I wasn't exhausted from working... I would make the attempt to find my camera battery that is under the pile on the dining room table and take a photo of the destruction zone that is out home... Next week.
ReplyDeleteHa! I love this,laundry is the bane on my existence. I used to attempt to fold laundry while my 2 year old was awake and quickly realized that his "helping" made me insane. He loves to throw clothes around, but only those that I have folded. So I just seem to keep it in the baskets until I need something or the kids have a really good nap day. I have recently started staying at home and when I was working that was my excuse, now I guess I don't really have one :)
ReplyDeleteI think it is so funny how we change after having kids, while pregnant I was quick to criticize others about their parenting and how I would never let my child watch tv at a young age or eat in front of the tv and now that is pretty much our morning routine (especially since he still likes to get up before the sun and I am not functioning at that time yet) so a waffle and some Mickey do the trick. I laugh now when I hear other pregnant women talking about how they are not going to do this or that and just think you wait until that sweet little baby arrives and you realize you have to do what it takes to keep yourself sane, and sometimes in our house that means chocolate,strawberry milk (because he can't have just one flavor) and a waffle on the couch with MIckey while mom tries to wake up.
You mean I'm not the only mom with two baskets of clean, unfolded laundry sitting on our bedroom floor?!?! Whew, I feel better now :)
ReplyDeleteYou, uh..spare bedroom looks quite hoarder-ish. And the sad thing is that's EXACTLY what Gabriella's room looked life before we turned it into a nursery :)
I'm with you....no mom has it together 100% of the time!
Woo hoo! I am not alone!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI went over to a friend's house last weekend...Her beautiful house was spotless. AND she had moved in less than 2 months ago. No boxes, no mess. Everything decorated.
I've hung two pictures, and 2 1/2 of my rooms still have boxes in them...and we moved in AUGUST. Sigh. I just felt so sad then.
I nearly cried reading this. I always feel behind in almost everything and I do feel alone in that battle a lot. My goal in life is to have enough money to buy new clothes everyday and never wash laundry again. :). Haha. Im kidding.....mostly.
ReplyDelete