Happy Housekeeping

Glancing over the magazine racks at the grocery store, I could not help but roll my eyes at the headline “The best products and tricks to make every room sparkle.” Right. Unless, they have a product in there that will help me trick someone else into making every room sparkle, I am not interested.

 

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a lazy slob or anything. I just don’t have a personal interest in such affairs of the home. I would rather let the floor get good and dirty before I commit to pulling out the mop and bucket. It saves on water and soap and the noticeable difference after removing so much filth is far more satisfying than regular upkeep.

 

Regular upkeep takes time away from other things I would rather be doing, which is pretty much anything other than regular upkeep. So if anyone can help me with this aspect of homemaking, I’m all ears. If not, I am going to keep glossing over those headlines and reaching for the fashion magazines.

 

Too Hot For A Clean House

I can’t clean our house anymore. It is too hot.

 

OK, it won’t be too hot in a few days, so I can probably do it then. And it was not too hot for a while a week ago, so I could have done it then, too. But right now, at this moment, I can feel confident and guilt-free in the knowledge that today, it is too hot.

 

Now don’t get the wrong idea, our house is not a complete pigsty, I have done some cleaning here and there as well as a few random acts of tidying. What I have not done is the floor mopping, carpet vacuuming, major bathroom and kitchen cleaning that a “real” cleanup demands.

 

It is just too hot.

 

I have let the kitchen counters stay piled up with junk, only putting away the top few layers. I tell myself I am OK with having to carefully step over the clothes, toys, books, etc. in my daughter’s room everyday to give her a kiss goodnight (don’t some parents call this “creative expression”?).  I avoid unloading the dishwasher because I want to be sure it is completely cool before opening the door; I can’t bear to let any more heat into the house.

 

This all sounds very unkempt, I know, but isn’t this what is meant by “those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer”? I am not sure if it is exactly what Nat King Cole meant, but I don’t think it is far off the mark either. I like to think that I am just being loyal to my season. In another week or so it will be September and with it will come cooler temperatures, fewer excuses, and, if I am lucky, a clean house.