Good Intentions

I am having a slight obsession about my home right now, an obsession with sorting, clearing, de-cluttering, freshening and cleaning the place. It's like this big, powerful Nesting Hormone has taken over and I am powerless to go against it. People, I'm driving myself nuts.

I'm not entirely sure what is causing me to feel this way?
It could be the change in the seasons, the focus swinging from outdoors to indoors, the natural urge to cosy the home up and prepare for longer times spent indoors.
It could well be hormonal :: I have noticed in the past that I get these  brief cleaning urges which coincide with my menstrual cycles, am I abnormal, does anyone else have this??!!
But I think truthfully, it's a natural reaction to my altered Employment Status within the home. 
When Little Lady started school a few weeks ago, my primary day-job suddenly changed. It ceased to be Childcare, and became something like Homecare. It was as if that wonderful, fulfilling, natural-as-breathing job that I had done rather well for 6 years suddenly had it's hours dramatically cut back, and I was forced to accept that change whether I wanted it or not.

Damn!!!!

I really liked my old job, and I suck at my new job!
I am no bloody good at it!!
As much as I desperately want to do it, I am useless at organising my time, I cannot de-clutter, I cannot follow the FlyLady's regime!!!!!!!
My Hot Spots are still burning!!!!
They are White Hot!!!!

It seems you had no need to fear for me my friends, had no need to worry that the FlyLady would take over my life, it has just not been happening for me.
Last weekend I told J all about the Flylady, told him all about my plans to follow her regime, to deal with the Hotspots, to do daily housework in the Zones and my Good Intentions to make our home a clean and tidy place At All Times. This weekend, he casually asked me what had happened, why the house was in fact no different and still an Embarrassing Mess, what had happened to my Good Intentions?? He asked me with humour and kindness, he was not trying to make me feel bad. And I could not answer, could not say why it had not happened. He told me I am very good at Talking the Talk, but not very good at Walking the Walk. So true, oh so true. He knows me so well.

My home may still be messy, but it is smelling delicious though. Did any of you read about Simones Yankee Candle Obsession Collection? Oh, yes she has it bad, and she has inspired me to dip my toe into the Yankee Candle Home-Frangrancing pool. I went and treated myself to a burner and a few Tarts yesterday. Oh how I love that word "Tarts"!!!!!! Bloody hell, I am laughing out loud here just typing the word, I think I need help.
So anyways, back to the candle thing. The TARTS (snigger), I have discovered,  are a delightful way to bring fragrance into the home. The range of smells is Enormous. HuuuUUuuge. Take a look here and read through that luscious list of "fragrance families" and tell me you are not inspired to give it a try??

My current fragrance of choice, scenting my untidy home right now is called Beachwalk :: "Refreshing salt water and sea musk warmed with sunny notes of tangerine and orange blossom". Doesn't it sound divine??
I also bought Clean Cotton :: "Sun-dried cotton combined with green notes, white flowers, and a hint of lemon", and Fresh Cut Roses :: "An intoxicating English garden of fragrant heirloom roses".

So today my home smells beautifully Refreshing and full of Sunny Notes, but it is still a mess.
This whole urge to tidy and clean is NOT something I sit comfortably with, it does not come naturally. But, the urge is there nevertheless.
And inhabiting Blogland like I do, I know I am not alone. I read Julia's post a few weeks ago, and truly recognised myself there thinking the same things. I also know that Emma is going through a remarkably similar phase right now, and that makes me feel a damn site better. It truly does help to have others in a similar position, to know I am not the only bonkers person  struggling with this change of roles, this new employment.

I admit I am generally much happier swinging through the days plumping up a few cushions, arranging nasturtiums in little jars, baking cakes, putting pretty things about the place, crocheting. Yes, these are the "Homely" things that to me are as easy as breathing, that make me absurdly happy and content.
But they do not make the place clean and tidy, they merely distract the eye.
So what's a girl to do?
Really I should stop thinking about it, writing about, getting fidgety with it and just get on and deal with it. Roll my sleeves up and tidy the place up a bit. Get busy with the flowery cloths and the squirty stuff.
Then I can get back to my usual business of prettifying the place with flowers and yarn. More of that tomorrow.

Edited to add :: 2:45pm :: I put on some very loud, un-cool music (Hot Chocolate), and performed precisely One Hour of De-cluttering in The Zone. It felt good, and my living room is now tidy and ready for cleaning. So today I finally managed to Walk the Walk (or should that be Toddle the Toddle?!)
Thanks for your words of support, so very much appreciated as always xxxxxxx

Comments

[Ankita Vj (India)]

Wow...this post seems like my thoughts put into words...mess n cleaning n.decluttering.n.yankee candles everything...

[Lynn]

I know that this comment is very late (I'm, possibly rather sadly, reading your blog from the beginning) - but I wanted to draw your attention to the Yankee Candle Fragrance of the Month, on their website.... 'Garden Sweat Pea' .... hmm sounds yummy, lol

[trashalou]

I confess here before you all now that I am completely crubbish at housework. I figure my kids will remember us making stuff and cooking and reading and howling with laughter over something on youtube rather than whether my skirting was spotless.

I hope.

[Bobble]

Gosh we are never totally tidy, especially as we are in DIY hell at the moment. I love things clean and tidy but other half is a messpot. Oh well!

Saw this site on Decor8 today and thought of you:

http://www.pipstudio.com/e/home.html

Enjoy x

[kitschen pink]

I think the fly lady needs to get a life - I grew up in an immaculately tidy house - my heart would still sink at those words "Clear it all away now". A bit of mess is the sign of a happy and creative home! The cobwebs, dust and washing-up are just side effects. I'd rather have a happy home than a tidy house any day! t.xx

[Deb]

I completely understand about the candles - it's really possible to get carried away. Once a year I manage to get to the Yankee Candle factory store in Deerfield MA where it all began - needless to say my collection of candles is growing faster than I can burn them, but I don't let that stop me when the new fragrances come out!

[Natalie]

Hi Lucy - It is no wonder you feel disorientated, but I am sure you will get used to your change in roles soon, and as for the housework, it never gets 'done' really does it? Things will always need cleaning and life is too short to worry about it - Natalie x p.s - Love the crocheted plant pot covers!

[jane]

Good on you, a little Errol Brown whilst tidying sounds good to me!!
Went into Body Shop the other day and it smelt GORGEOUS! Apparently it was an oil from their new Christmas collection - Vanilla Spice..Just the job for snuggling in your pretty P.J's (in your V.tidy home) during the cold winter nights
Jane.

[Joanna]

oh no not the fly lady, don't do it... spotless sinks just lead to trouble. My motto is with housework is to "aim low" that way it is always acheivable and makes you feel good when it is done, rather than feel bad when its a mess!

[Lynn]

My house is absolutely filthy, with the added feature of having five trillion books (and quite a few mags) stacked here, there and everywhere. I keep telling myself I'm building really good immune systems in my children (and truth be told, they hardly ever get sick -- ha!). One tip: I discovered that my boys like to wear the microfiber dust mop pads like skis and swoosh around the rooms in them. It's a start...

[simone]

So you filled your house with tarts then?!!! Good! My house is still a mess after 10 years as a 'housewife'. Today I tackled a hotspot but I don't think I'll be shining my sink tonight!

[Sal]

I once had a neighbour who would not let her little girl do anything messy at home ..like painting, crafty things etc..and another who would not let her children have parties because of the mess! I wanted to bang their heads together!! ;-)

[Fi]

Life is too short Luce. A mum who is relaxed and happy is better to come home to than one that is obsessed with polishing and stresses every time someone sits on her plumped sofa cushions.

[http://lavenderhouse.typepad.com]

Hi Lucy

Had a great day out of the house on Saturday and then spent Sunday torn between enjoying the nice sunshine (for a change) and doing some stuff round the house - putting up a heavy shelf that I couldnt do by myself so it meant the kids were not climbing trees or paddling in freezing cold water. Moral of the story - whatever we do I think people like you and I never think we have got it quite right. At least we think about it!!!!

Have a great week. Love the flower pots.

Love Emma xxxxx

[Ali]

I fell off the fly lady wagon too. And my house is usually cleaned in the two days before my period when things MUST BE SPOTLESS OR ELSE. You know the feeling I'm sure.

I'm not sure more kid fee time is actually the ansewr to a cleaner house. If I have a few hours, I want to settle down to something big (which usually involves making more mess) rather than fritter it away with domestic duties.

I think the only answer is a cleaning lady. Shame I haven't got one.

[ginny]

am in a cleaning frenzy myself today... must be a nesting, autumnal thing.. or a ... fed upness with living in a mess, which is probably more like it... there is also another reason why i need to clean as we may have some small visitors soon... fingers crossed!
have a lovely day and don't forget to work a bit and then reward yourself with one of the jobs you do enjoy.
x

[m]

This made me laugh ... oh, I thought Flylady had changed my life, I became quite obsessed with her - and, for a while, I (more or less) stuck to it, jumped up with a duster whenever an e-mail arrived. But then I slipped and found myself stacking up emails thinking I'd catch up tomorrow, or sometime. Until I had a great long to-do list of about 1500 emails cluttering my in-box. So there was even more clutter in my life! And then I deleted the whole bloody lot!
So I think I have come out the other side of the Flylady experience. But I still wish the house was tidier and cleaner!

[Funkymonkey]

Don't worry about housework - my mother-in-law always says 'put some salt on it - it'll keep'. I'm always feeling stressed because I haven't done this or that (and no-one notices when I have done it). When actually a day out with friends would do me much more good than attacking yet another pile of ironing. Sorry Lucy, I'm encouraging you to rebel!

[Jen]

I too get moments of nesting-urge when my period is due. Unfortunately they are usually the only moments I have! When my kids went off to school I started working a few days a week which actually made me more efficient about keeping the house clean (less time, more gets done). That being said, I also did a fair amount of reading which was WONDERFUL. Now that I work full time, I have someone who cleans my house twice a month. THAT IS FANTASTIC. The house is clean but the clutter still rules.

No answers here, I guess. Do what you can when you can.

[Lesley]

Ive just done a similar post and yes, i think your right about the change in "employment status" mine are both now are in school and you just made me realise maybe thats why I feel like i should be doing more? I need help to get kickstarted though as have so many things its hard to know where to start! helps to know others are in the same position! although I much prefer the cushion plumping LOL
Lesley x