Good morning! How was your weekend? It is funny. After so many festive Christmas and New Year weekends, having one without major commitments was strange. No complaints from me, though! Saturday was quiet, with afternoon mass and a trip to my friend Heather's house for dinner. We got takeout from a local restaurant, ate, and visited with her and her husband in her cozy home. I highly recommend doing that as opposed to going out to dinner this time of year. Fewer people = fewer germs. Plus, what's not to love about eating in cozy clothes?!!?
Sunday, I woke with a purpose. At my age, I have to do things like cleaning and organizing when I feel like it instead of scheduling a time for them. This is a big change from my ambitious thirtysomething self, who cleaned her entire home every Friday, whether it needed it or not! Anyway, after my coffee yesterday, I brought in the tubs for the Christmas decorations that have been happily resting on my dining room table since last week and packed them up until next year. Then I looked around and decided the post-Christmas dust would not magically disappear, so I filled the sink with my favorite, Murphy Oil Soap, which always reminds me of my mom and my childhood home. I wiped, tidied, vacuumed, and organized until I finally collapsed on the couch. After only a couple hours! LOL! I miss Christmas but am enjoying January's clean, sparse feeling.
And because I strive for transparency here and for sharing real life, I offer the following photos as proof that my house is only sometimes clean and tidy. Warning: If gross, dusty things bother you, please scroll quickly past!
Yikes! So there you are! The excitement that is me cleaning my house. Today is recovery day! Schooling with Flynn and some afternoon coffee on the couch. Dinner is an easy favorite, requested by Steve: Stuffed Bell Peppers with mashed potatoes. Have a great day, whatever you have planned. Thank you for visiting! Oh, and I don't think you will be surprised to see this...
I just couldn't do it! I like the light and cozy too much!
Billie Jo
I totally can relate. It used to take me maybe three hours to clean the entire house top to bottom. Now it seems to take forever. Dust bunnies multiply quickly. I have a snowflake very similar to the one on your table. You have everything looking wonderful. I hope you have a great week.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you accomplised so much. Now it's time to take a day to rest! ha! I think if we're honest, especially if we have animals, we will admit to having dust bunnies and fur piles, no matter how much we clean. I don't tend to dust much when all of the Christmas decor is out. Just "around" things once in a while. When I put everything away, you can see the dust big-time. Where does it all come from anyway? Windows are closed this time of year. I think it's great you still have your tree out. I may do the same next year because I miss it so much now.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and hugs,
Betsy
I honestly do not like to clean, but I like for my house to be clean. Having said that, I don't clean as often as I used to. One of Charlotte's chores now is mopping the downstairs which is all hardwood floors and the upstairs bathrooms. This became her chore this past fall when I was having so many issues with my back and sciatica, and it will continue to be her chore. She actually likes to mop, and I'm happy she does. I swiffer the downstairs floors every two to three days and it's amazing how much dust and hair collects on the floor each day - yuck! I like your afternoon plans! Having coffee on the couch sounds like an excellent idea. I've never made stuffed peppers, but I've always wanted to try them. Would you mind to share your recipe? Have a cozy and relaxing day!
ReplyDeleteStuffed peppers: a few years ago, my older brother, who lives in town five miles away, stopped over to say hello, and to give me a stuffed pepper. It was random, and it was delicious, and just reading about your dinner brings back that fond memory. And yes, when we have pets, there is fur...we have the two Labs, and two kitties, so it's abundant. If I miss a day sweeping or vacuuming, like if I get up early and head out the door, ugh...it gets bad. I love that you kept your tree up...ours was real, and shedding so many needles, so it had to go, but it was super sad...cozy afternoon coffee, mmm!!!! I love reading here, keep keeping it real!
ReplyDeleteI live with 4 dogs... dust bunnies that big are swept up in my house on the DAILY... MULTIPLE times on the Daily!
ReplyDeleteI love to have a fresh re-set after Christmas. January is the perfect time to make my house fresh and clean again after the holidays. Dust bunnies don't bother me...I live in the country and you just can't control the dust, or the dirt that gets tracked in. I love dogs and when I had my lab, it was pretty much an everyday cleanup! I always use, Murphy's Oil soap to clean with...same reason, it reminds me of my mom and I love the way it cleans. Enjoy your beautiful tree until you feel like you want to take it down, it's gorgeous!! Have a great week! Hugs.
ReplyDeleteYou had me with that little face resting on the blanket! Adorable!
ReplyDeleteHello my Friend! It feels so good to be back to blogland visits. I truly enjoyed a long break and the magic of the season. Now on to a fresh, clean, brand new year (just like your lovely home). ;) I hope you have a wonderful and cozy week ahead. And if you get a chance pop by later in the week. I plan to do a blogaversary drawing! xoxo
ReplyDeletePS: I still have my tree up too (& dust bunnies around). 😉
DeleteI'm much slower these days too :) But, I would say we've earned the right to slow down a bit! All that running around in the younger years has worn us out! I'm cleaning, purging and decorating, all at the same time, so it's slow going! But, I'm trying to realize that there are days when I have a ton of energy and make up for the days when I just want to relax (that would be today). Enjoy your coffee :)
ReplyDeleteI think your transparency is refreshing. Love the image of a sinkful of warm Murphy’s Oil soap and you dusting away. I’ve got to do that ;). You encouraged me to get to my OCD workbook for relief from the thoughts. It’s really helping and I thank God you write about having OCD yourself. I’m not alone.
ReplyDeleteMary
Hello, Mary! And thank you. You are most certainly not alone! : )
DeleteHappy New Year to you! I always love your posts, and relate to them so much. Christmas is so wonderful, but last weekend, we had time home just the two of us, and we got a lot of things accomplished, as it sadly rained outside. I got all my Christmas decor taken down, and the house cleaned - it does feel so good! I don't blame you for leaving the Christmas tree up, it is so beautiful! Maybe you could decorate it as a winter tree :)
ReplyDeleteI admit I do love the twinkle lights, but for some reason, this year I'm anxious to put things away and minimize. I think this week I'll just do it slowly...little bits at a time. And then I'm ready to dig into spring cleaning! Thanks for always keeping it real...sooooo appreciate that! Oh the dust bunnies, when the sunshine streams in a window, dust shows up so easily and those little dust bunnies are hiding in all kinds of places. What's a girl to do?!
ReplyDeleteHi Billie Jo. Yes, all of our homes have some dirt and dust bunnies hiding or maybe right out in the open. ;-) Glad you had a cozy weekend. I hope you have a good week.
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ReplyDeleteWe did that tonight. Hubby picked up take away on this ride home from work and I was showered and in my jams. LOOOVE your banner. OMG. So stinkin’ cute.
I love that the soap reminds you of your mom. I lost mine about six months ago and it’s those little things that really make me smile. Or when I walk in the kitchen and my food smells like my grandma’s kitchen.
I just love that!
Love the pup by the tree. That’s what we still have up too and last night I was like …. I can’t yet. It’s still pretty and cozy to look at so it says. If it lasts much longer I might just remove the Christmas lights and hang Valentines on the tree.
That reminds me of my mom too. She did that one year. It was a hoot.
Cheers, Ivy.
No shame about the tree. Mine is still up, but it's not plugged in. Though I have a friend that keeps a lighted tree, and decorates for other holidays. It really festive and cool.
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ReplyDeleteOh, you still have your tree up, so wonderful. And that little candle holder gets me every time, I love it. It's a good feeling to clear things out after the new year, but I always miss Christmas too, and it still fills my heart. I kept listening to Christmas songs in my car on the way to places haha. Your coffee corner always makes me smile. You did a great job clearing and cleaning in the new year, my friend. This is a delightful post, Billie Jo. And I remember Murphy Oil Soap - it really brightens up furniture. : )
ReplyDelete~Sheri
I sure don't clean in big time chunks like I used to either. I love Christmas but must admit I am ready by January 1st to have all the extra decor taken down and tucked away. Your tree is gorgeous though.
ReplyDeleteI love that your beautiful tree is still up! 😍 And yes, nothing like a good after-holiday clean! Hope this week has been wonderful and full of doggy snuggles!
ReplyDeleteMy weekend goal...to get those trees down...they just bring me so much joy! So glad to be an "epiphany Catholic". LOL. Happy Weekend. (I had a few minutes to catch up on blogs!). Val
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