Spring Cleaning

Sometimes I get a little discouraged by pictures in home magazines with their beautifully photographed rooms and perfectly styled surfaces. Do real people live there? Do their boys come and sit on the couch with sweaty skin and stinky, bare feet? Do their kids wipe peanut butter on the upholstery instead of using a napkin? Do they find markers, crayons, earrings, blueberries, and popcorn between the seat cushions?

Do they put their feet up on the coffee table? In my house, that delicate vase of flowers and pretty tray would be pushed to the floor by textbooks and homework. Little containers for the many remotes? Shoved under a chair within seconds.

Magazines show dining rooms with place settings and cloth napkins all laid out in preparation for the next dinner party. Really? I find sneakers, belts, jeans, gym shorts, and backpacks on my table.

I'd been having a hard time getting back in gear after spring break and those perfect pictures weren't helping. Articles entitled, Same Closet, More Space, Less Mess, and Clear the Clutter: 46 Ways to Get Organized mocked me. It seemed like vacation had scattered stuff everywhere. But after my last post, where I waxed nostalgic about how I enjoyed taking care of my family, I felt too guilty to put off the big clean any longer.

So, I switched out those flannel sheets for cotton, put away those extra blankets, and opened up the blinds. I was going to get spring in the house any way I could. I finally tackled the corner piles. You know the ones filled with things piled neatly that you leave for so long you stop seeing them? Shhh...I think there were still a couple Christmas returns in there. I vacuumed up a ladybug graveyard around the windowsill and did three loads of laundry. That big pile of ironing is gone. I purged. Nothing was safe.

Spring cleaning definitely got rid of cobwebs and clutter, but it also did something unexpected. It changed my attitude. The living room sofa may not be pristine, but it's great for cuddling while we watch TV. The dining room table might not stay clear for long, but it can hold dinner tonight. It chased away my discouragement and reminded me that kids bring their messes, but they also bring their smiles, and hugs, and kisses. They bring their laughter and chatter. They bring real life to my rooms. And, most of the time, I wouldn't trade it for the cover of any magazine!