31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day five} : messy or dirty?

There is a difference between messy and dirty. When you don't have time to do much cleaning, focus on things that will smell if you leave them for too long: dishes, garbage cans, wet towels, toilets.

I know that is over simplified, but if you're like me, a messy house is overwhelming. Because I want my house to look like this-

-I get discouraged when it doesn't measure up. Then I stop trying to maintain. I let my kitchen get crazy, and put off the dishes until tomorrow. Or the next day. (That's actually what I need to do right after I finish this post!) It's hard for me to focus on one or two key areas on busy weeks. And when you don't have a plan for busy times, work piles up.

So today's tip for a busy week is to settle for messy and aim for clean. Try not to run out of clean cups or panties, and forgive yourself for the rest.