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I often hear that people don’t invite others into their homes because they are embarrassed by the clutter or messes around their home. They would be mortified if someone just stopped by. For a long time I was SO nervous that any guests would go into our bedroom and see the mounds of stuff I had thrown on the bed just minutes prior to their arrival. The thought of having anyone in our home thrilled me and terrified me all at the same time. I loved having people over, but I hated all that when into it beforehand. I would be so tired from cleaning all day that I had little to give when the guests finally arrived. I was distracted by coming up with excuses and apologies for all of the stuff I hadn’t picked up in time. I was embarrassed. I knew better. I felt as though the piles of stuff reflected that I wasn’t a good wife, daughter-in-law or mother. While no one told me that, it was an expectation I had put on myself in which I had failed. I was reminded of that failure any time guests were in our home.
I was over it. I was done with the mini panic attacks. I was done with the frantic cleaning sessions. My husband and I would joke that if we wanted the house clean we should invite people over. So I began trying to see my home through the lens of other people. I would ask myself “If someone stopped by today what area would I want picked up?” And I would care for that area. The better I cared for our home when no one was around, the more likely I was to invite people in. I had more energy to give my guests. I found myself apologzing less for our home.
Our home is nowhere near perfect. But I’m not aiming for perfection. There is a fine line between a home that is lived in and one that is not cared for. I don’t mind people seeing that we actually live in our home.
If you are done with living in a way that keeps you from inviting others in, I encourage you to follow with the cleaning routine this week. Instagram is the best place for that. You can find us at @dwellandmade. This week I am introducing you to Clean Mama. She really knows what she is talking about. There you can find routines, daily cleaning tasks, free printables, recipes for homemade cleaners and a community of others working on keeping their homes clean as well.
