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most days our house is kept in the tidiest of tidy manner ~ that means a clean kitchen, living room, bathroom… even the bedroom. do you know what that really means? it means i spend a lot of time cleaning up and putting away, sometimes to a fault. a messy kitchen bothers me when i’m working at home. laundry not put away, oh i can hardly stand that! i’m not sure if this really, truly does bother me — or if it’s just a quirk, but i’m on a mission to figure it out.
in a quest to be be more real with you, let me share another little secret: i can’t remember when i cleaned our house last. i mean yes, we “clean” the kitchen after meals and the house has a general picked up-ness to it. but the vacuum, swiffer, dusting rag + spray, these things have been in a deep slumber for a couple weeks now. oopsy.
why am i sharing this? definitely not because i think this is cool. and definitely not to embarrass zack or have cambria feel uncomfortable when she comes over to work {which i doubt either of those things would happen, let’s be honest}. it’s because i’m realizing i can’t do it all if i work from home. *cue confetti falling from the sky*
working from home means i have thoughts about work streaming through my mind at nearly all hours of the day + evening. we’re fortunate to have about a third of the house set aside for gussy sews and the rest for living. {and boy have we lived lately!} but it’s just not possible to forget about that half when 7pm hits ;] and trust me, i’ve tried. work is allllllways on my mind.
and when i say, “i can’t do it all if i work from home” i mean that i can’t spend my work hours doing housework + laundry, and vise versa. i’ve actually texted zack about this before and every time i question what i should be doing when the house is a mess: work or clean? {because seriously, i’ve been known to through a fit over a messy house}, zack has always written back with, WORK.
he gets it.
he gets what it takes to run a handmade business from home, while writing a lifestyle blog, while trying to piece together all the other important things in life.
so this mission that i’m on, to remind myself it’s perfectly OK to spend less time keeping the house super duper tidy during the day because after all ~ i’m running a business. right?!
WE are running businesses and to do anything other than tasks that will keep our businesses moving in a forward, upward direction is wrong.
**updated: please note, i am NOT talking about allowing your studio or other critical workspace to be messy. i’m talking about the dining room table that you DON’T work on, or the piles in the laundry room that DON’T need to be organized by color. at least right now. i’m talking about silly side messes that are taking away from the success of your business.
by the way, i’ve been making more of an effort to have plans a few days each week which is making my “no cleaning during the workday” stance work perfectly. i’m choosing to not tidy up as often because i’m “tired” from having a full day, AND I LOVE IT! for once, having a untidy house makes me feel good ;D it shows me that i’m making progress in so many areas, yeow!
share with us below: do you stay focused on your business while working from home, or do you stray and start cleaning? do you think cleaning during the workday helps your business? why or why not?
i work outside the home during the week, at my kids school. some weeks i sub and could work up to 30 hours outside the home. i am a morning person, so while the kids are getting ready for school and lunches are packed, i will vacuum real quick, clean the kitchen real quick, do some loads of laundry. i devote 20 – 30 minutes in the morning to one or two areas of the house that need picked up or cleaned.
when i work all day on a saturday, i sprinkle in some cleaning, a few loads of laundry, scrubbing floors etc.
when i devote evenings to the studio, my house is usually to my satisfaction and i don’t get distracted.
i totally get what you are saying, when i am home all day, which is not very often, hardly ever, okay never, i get in a funk and i feel lazy.
when my time is scheduled for the whole entire day, i tend to use it more wisely so tasks are done on time. i am not a late person or a procrastinator at all…. that’s my DH family! lol
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What a great article Gussy, it feels like a mirror of myself.
I have a full time job, that keep me almost all the the time out of home. When I get back, I have to decide what to do first, make dinner, clean the house our continue working on my business projects. But thanks God I have a wonderful husband who is always helping. He can make the dinner while I try to clean a bit, that gives me more time to have some family time before I continue with my projects.
It is very difficult when you’re at work, or cleaning or when your spending on family time and an idea comes to your mine you have to almost run to stamp it on your idea book, but at that time you only can keep it on your mind.
Thanks Gussy for your time to write these great articles. Blessings XOXO
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 8:36 am
ohhhh you get it, yes yes :)
having an idea book is huge! knowing what your priorities are RIGHT NOW is huge! these things will help you be better at your current task ~ which oddly can make or break your level of productiveness for the entire day. and i love that you mentioned having a family that is supportive/always helping :) talk about teamwork! xoxo
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This is a struggle for me because I have two toddlers (2 and 3). I hate messiness and what I do is set aside my timer for 15 minutes and focus in one room. I might do this 2 or 3 times and before I know it, things are tidy and I can work. I cannot work in a messy space, but I also have to realize, it’s just going to get messy again so I have to prioritize. Like it’s probably silly to worry about the kid’s room till evening time, but the kitchen is always clean.
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 8:38 am
this —> I cannot work in a messy space, but I also have to realize, it’s just going to get messy again so I have to prioritize — is it. you get it. you are a rockstar! :) prioritization + discipline are hugely important. nice job! :)
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Even though I don’t have a full time business, I find that anything I do “extra” I’m always casting a glance at my surroundings. When things are neat I’m all about getting that project done with lots of energy. But if it’s a mess then I spend most of my time not enjoying what I’m doing and fretting. So I suppose I need to make sure it’s clean before I start, huh? ;)
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 8:50 am
your comment prompted me to add an “update” to my post. here’s what i’ve added in:
**updated: please note, i am NOT talking about allowing your studio or other critical workspace to be messy. i’m talking about the dining room table that you DON’T work on, or the piles in the laundry room that DON’T need to be organized by color. at least right now. i’m talking about silly side messes that are taking away from the success of your business.
i fear i didn’t put enough emphasis on keeping your workspace clean so you can enjoy what you’re working on. i absolutely get that, and in fact we keep the studio clean at all times :) it’s just what works for us. what i wanted to touch on was other areas of the house that aren’t critical to letting you enjoy what you are working on and/or the “job” you’re trying to accomplish.
we know our selves best. if having every single surface of the house clean before we start our “job” is necessary than by all means, get to cleaning!!!!! :) but if you start noticing you’re obsessing over a clean house when REALLY, really it doesn’t matter — then you need to decide if it’s time to have a ‘lil intervention ;)
personally, i noticed it was time to have an intervention. hehe :)
i’m so glad you commented!!! thanks for being a part of this community.
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I’m SO with you!! I work from home full-time (not for myself, but for a major corporation) and struggle with the same thing. I have gotten better about leaving the mess to deal with later, BUT I also don’t feel guilty anymore doing a 5 minute break to switch over laundry, fold some laundry, wipe down the counters, something like that. (I figure it’s my “water cooler” time I would have at the office) :) I grab some music and let one full song play. In that time I can get most of a load of laundry folded, or switched over, or whatever. The short, short step away from my desk is not only productive, but also helps me refocus and recharge to go back and sit at my desk.
But it is SOOOOOO freeing to be able to say “ya know what?? I am NOT super woman, I DO NOT need to do it all, and I AM OK WITH THAT!!” Just remember, the Proverbs 31 wife had helpers…..
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 8:53 am
you are awesome for sharing your insights!!!! you are smart!!! little breaks are important and i think you’ve found the perfect balance to your day!!! :) thanks so much for sharing this with us.
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katy reitz (lil' alice) Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 6:09 pm
that’s what i do, working in small breaks. i’ll cut out a bunch of one item, take a break to switch laundry or clean kitchen, press all the items, take a break and accomplish another household task. it keeps the motivation going and doesn’t get so overwhelming.
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Whenever I’m working from home, I like to start something (like laundry or the dishwasher) before I set down to work. That way, I can get lost in my work, feeling like I’m *doing* something to keep the house clean. So I guess… a mix?
True Confession: It took me a year after we got married to fill up one vacuum bag. Oh the horror.
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 8:54 am
…LOL! i bet that was a monumental day for your family ;)
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I DO stray from working to clean when the area around me becomes cluttered! I’m not even the neatest person but when it’s time to sit down and get work done the area around me needs to be comfortable and cozy.
Really enjoy your blog and love what you’re making. It must be pretty popular since you’re sold out of so much right now, that’s awesome!
Laura
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 8:57 am
did you notice i didn’t mention my studio needing to be clean? hah! i am INTENSE about the studio… it has to be clean or i won’t work in there :) howeverrrrrr, i found myself almost obsessing over silly areas of the house, like the dining room table or the laundry overflowing in our bedroom. those tasks and “work areas” aren’t important during my workday. i mean, unless i want to do housework during daytime hours and work on my business in the evening hours? then that would be ok (for me).
i’m just like you :) my immediate work area has to be tidy.
thanks so much for your comment laura! xoxo
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I don’t work from home, well full time, I am working on growing my part time photography business, and it is so hard to keep to one thing.. my mind wanders and I drift, regardless where I am at, what I am doing! I so need to remember to stay on track, and if its relax time, no business, if its business, no cleaning! :)
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 8:59 am
–you can do it :) it’s possible… making a list of what i need to do now and what needs to be done later helped me to keep my focus on my current tasks. even little reminders about what i’m doing now for the business (writing a blog post, ordering fabric, etc.) helped me to see that these tasks are important for the growth of my business. i think this kind of mindset can be applied to most everything, work or home related. thanks so much for your comment tara! xoxo
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I run a small sewing business from home as well – not nearly the volume as Gussy, but it keeps me busy. One of the first things I did when things took off was hire a cleaning lady. She does in 2 hours what would take me the whole day, and I can do enough sewing during those 2 hours to more than pay her, so it’s totally worth it! Could I make the time to clean the house myself? Sure. But that takes time that 1) I could be spending with my son and 2) that I could be using to grow the business. I’d rather spend naptime working on product design or social networking than cleaning the shower. It’s worth every penny!
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 9:00 am
ohhhhhh, i am jealous… jealous… jealous :)
GOOD FOR YOU — seriously, good for you for recognizing these things!!!!! yes yes :) i’m so glad you commented with this, i hope everyone in this community reads your words. thanks kim! xoxo
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katy reitz (lil' alice) Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
good for you Kim! that is rockstar status right there! set your pride aside and let someone else do it. i have a few friends that have cleaning ladies cuz they work full time and they don’t want to spend their spare time cleaning. instead they choose to spend it with their kids and other things that are more important!
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Love your “here’s a thought.” I need to make that my mantra for life. An untidy house is HUGE distraction for me.
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The “here’s a thought” I was referring to is this: WE are running businesses and to do anything other than tasks that will keep our businesses moving in a forward, upward direction is wrong.
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I work over 40 hours a week and have a 2 small daughters! To be honest when I get home I just want to relax but then I have to make dinners, give baths, play etc. I will say the only thing that constantly is done nightly in our house is that all over the toys have to picked up before I can sit down after the kids go to bed. Literally I can get the shakes from it! I have had realized that sometimes it is ok to put cleaning aside sometimes for my sanity!!!
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 9:04 am
you know yourself better than anyone else. if being in a room that’s untidy when you’re trying to unwind at night stresses you out then yes ~ take care of the issue. the point here is to be able to focus on the task you’re trying to accomplish.
you get it — i’m proud :)
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There will always be housework! It’s about finding balance, and balancing what you can live with and what you can’t. :)
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I haven’t seen my kitchen table (nor eaten from it) in weeks. I mean months, really. It’s currently covered in my crafty biz, along with a long table next to it., And an armoire. It’s actually on my list to clean it up this week. For real.
If you were to come over for coffee, I would not be embarrassed. My toilets are clean. There’s plenty of space on the sofa to chit-chat. And my actual kitchen is clean. You might step on a lego, but I promise, the coffee is so good that you’d soon forget. LOL
I’ve debated hiring a cleaning lady, twice a month. But then again, I probably wouldn’t let her touch the table and my crafty mess …. so I’d be back to square one.
I’m loving your “real” posts lately! xo, Erin
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 9th, 2012 at 5:55 pm
thanks for the little bit of encouragement on sharing these types of posts :)
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Obviously, being a stay at home mom, running my Etsy shop, and volunteering for various other positions can be very challenging. Although I am developing & running my business at home my first priority is my family & my home. If that means I stay up late to finish orders then that is what I do. I have also set work hours for myself *although they do get broken at times* I try to stick to them. It requires scheduling & making sure I set aside the time I need to keep up with my home. Things always work better when I plan ahead – make a menu for meals, get all the laundry completed over the weekend & aim to get 1 or 2 loads done each day, clean up after every meal…etc. Now, don’t get my wrong whent hings get super busy & orders are backed up sometimes you just need to work to get the job done – then clean. I am blessed to have a wonderful help-mate who pitches in when & where I need him most! We make a great team!
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Hmmm… I do agree that you should stay focused on your business when you work from home, however I’ve also learned over the years that I cannot let work consume my “other” time. I have found it SO important for myself to take those breaks… refresh even… and I am usually more inspired to get back to work after those breaks. I even do my best to keep myself off my computer on the weekends, as those are my complete work-free resting days. I used to have this mindset that I had to WORK WORK WORK all the time, and though it did lead to success, after a while I started to be unhappy that my entire life was work and it left no time for those other little things… which ironically lead to a downfall in success. Little things that seem like annoying chores were actually things that helped balance my lifestyle… which in turn makes me a happier person and keeps me motivated and successful.
I do think everyone has their own work ethic though, so what works for some (such as the “work work work” mentality) might not work for others, who need those breaks to “refresh” sometimes. :)
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 9th, 2012 at 5:57 pm
i think you’ve touched on an area that’s so important to be aware of — not over working yourself and being aware of when you’ve reached your max. thanks so much for adding this perspective to the conversation and of course for being a part of this community!!! :)
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even though i’m not running a business, i do school at home and there is always the thought of if i’m sitting down i could be doing something more. ALWAYS. breaks to do fun things AND chores/work things are very helpful for me.
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During the holiday season, our Etsy store was busy making headbands and hats. The orders would come in spurts. Since I’m the only one in the business that does the handwork, I had to stay focused on getting orders out in a timely fashion. Each item is made after the order is received so that it’s brand new. The nature of a knit/crochet shop is that you spend a lot of time sitting on a couch or chair working up each item. It gives you lots of time to look around the room you’re in and think “I should get up and dust the dining room table”. I’d tell myself “Sit still and finish that order!” I learned to listen to myself! I will say we winged dinner a lot but that made it fun and my hubby helped with the cleaning…Bless his heart!
I try to reorganize my supplies one Saturday morning each month. Yarn and fabric just seem to grow!!. When orders slow down, that’s my time to catch up around the house. Come up with a plan that works for you. Try to be flexible and love love love what you’re doing!
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God bless my amazing hubby who works to help me get housework done every day! I’m the person who has to have flat surfaces clean and uncluttered to keep my from going crazy but dog hair on the floor and dust on the picture frames doesn’t bother me one single bit. I can go weeks without sweeping until one day I have a freak-out-cleaning-session and we clean the house top to bottom.
I am thankful that my hubs understands that the more he does really quickly before I get home from my full time job (wash and put away breakfast dishes, fold one load of laundry, etc) the more time we have to spend together in the evenings after I work on the shop stuff a little! :)
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During the holiday season, our Etsy store was busy making headbands and hats. The orders would come in spurts. Since I’m the only one in the business that does the handwork, I had to stay focused on getting orders out in a timely fashion. Each item is made after the order is received so that it’s brand new. The nature of a knit/crochet shop is that you spend a lot of time sitting on a couch or chair working up each item. It gives you lots of time to look around the room you’re in and think “I should get up and dust the dining room table”. I’d tell myself “Sit still and finish that order!” I learned to listen to myself! I will say we winged dinner a lot but that made it fun and my hubby helped with the cleaning…Bless his heart!
I try to reorganize my supplies one Saturday morning each month. Yarn and fabric just seem to grow!!. When orders slow down, that’s my time to catch up around the house. Come up with a plan that works for you. Try to be flexible and love love love what you’re doing!
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You really have been thinking about this a lot – didn’t we talk about this very topic during our last skype date? I’m so glad to hear you’ve given yourself permission to stop tidying all the time.
I think the small messes are a good reminder that life is being lived in your house. In full measure!
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 9th, 2012 at 5:58 pm
tee hehe, yes… :)
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Clean vs work? uhhhh WORK! Of course! It makes the money so we can actually have a house to clean. ha. No but really here’s my house cleaning schedule:
1. I clean the kitchen and the family room EVERY night after dinner. this includes doing a dishwasher load, wiping down counters, sweeping, putting away toys, fluffing the couch, etc. also includes vacuuming the family room when it gets horrible looking, which is probably weekly. This whole process takes no more than 30 mins, but usually 15 if I have been up on it every night. I only wet mop our hardwood floors monthly {or whenever Brandon decides he can’t take it anymore and he does it himself :)}.
2. The kids pick up the their rooms every night before bed and put toys away. This is a MUST to keep my sanity.
3. I clean the kids bathroom once a week during their bath. It only takes 15 minutes and I just usually sit in there anyway so I figure its a good time to take it on. I keep supplies in their cabinets above the sink for easy reach.
4. I clean the guest bathroom only when visitors are coming over or when Jake pees on the floor or forgets to flush the toilet and it starts to stink down the hall. ha. oh boy.
5. My husband makes our bed daily. I probably deep clean our bathroom{disinfect counters, mop floors, bleach shower} once a month. We clean the toilet whenever it needs it. I leave toilet bowl cleaner and supplies by the toilet.
6. I vacuum the rest of the house {besides the family room} whenever it is 100% necessary. Otherwise I don’t worry about it.
7. I do all the laundry on the weekend and after I clear out the laundry room I also clean the floor in there as well. Probably takes a total of 10 mins.
8. Guest room is only cleaned when we have guest. Otherwise we keep that room locked and untouched.
9. Brandon cleans his own office. I clean the studio when necessary.
Basically I do probably 30 mins of house cleaning every night. Ever hear of the 15 min house cleaning concept? I saw it on pinterest…that really helped me. Ever since I started doing a little bit a day, the house has stopped bothering me and I am able to focus on working. And amazingly it always looks clean. big hugs supergirl! you are amazing! xoxo
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katy reitz (lil' alice) Reply:
March 6th, 2012 at 6:18 pm
love it!
my boys are 12 & 9 and they clean their bathroom. 12 yo likes to empty dishwasher and 9 yo likes to do laundry. and i wonder why i didn’t have more!!!!
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 9th, 2012 at 5:59 pm
LOL, you are so great!! :)
PS. i love your tips and i’m gonna have to check out that 15 mins cleaning thing… mmhmm! xoxo
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i LOVE that you can admit to throwing a fit over a messy house!
i (embaressingly) admit that, i too, have thrown a fit over a messy house! i’m a neat FREAK and when my house is out of control i FEEL out of control. having housework on the back of your mind is like have a fly buzzing in your ear nonstop — not everyone gets that feeling, and not everyone understands.
but i have to remember that weekends cannot be devoted to cleaning, time with my hubs, time with my family, time having fun is waaaay more important than a pile of laundry.
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 9th, 2012 at 6:00 pm
just ask my husband… he’s rolled his eyes over this sort of thing probably a hundred times. but i’m really getting better at not caring so much, and i think he appreciates it. but also just as important, *i* appreciate it. not stressing over little messes has made our evenings + weekends together so much better. xoxo
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Hi Gussy! This is a great post because I think everyone who works from home struggles with this! I have been working from home as a jewelry designer since I was 24 and I am (gulp) 39 now and I am happy to say I think I finally figured it out. For me, during the weekdays after my son leaves for preschool I tidy and clean for about 15 to 30 minutes every morning and get it in order by 9 pm then walk my dog and try to get in my studio by 9:30. I get very distracted by messes and it will keep me from working and feeling my best, doing a little bit each day keeps me from having to spend a half or entire day cleaning later in the week. I spot vacuum each day and then do a real vacuum one morning a week and a swiffer dust. This system has really worked for me and I am always ready for unexpected company! :) Oh and I use a timer sometimes too because i am distracted by everything and will accidentally waste colossal amounts of time! Time management is hard! :)
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diana, i take advantage of slow times too! i just painted my front living room and a half bath a few weeks ago.
don’t get discouraged during the slow times….. instead clean!!!
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love it!
my boys are 12 & 9 and they clean their bathroom. 12 yo likes to empty dishwasher and 9 yo likes to do laundry. and i wonder why i didn’t have more!!!!
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The cleaning/work thing is hard for me because I work 40 hrs a week in an office and am trying to start a business on the side. All day at work my head is brimming full of ideas and I find my notepad filled with doodles, but when I come home I’m greeted with a sink full of dishes, loads of laundry, carpets badly needing a cleaning, ohhh, and dinner that needs to be made and cleaned up after. My motivation to do any of it seems to fly out the window and I’d rather sit on the couch with a blanket over my head pretending none of it exists. lol BUT we both know that can’t really happen. It’s hard to find balance…still working on that. So glad you’re finding something that works out for you!!
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I’ll add, this is something my husband and I decided on together. I was totally stressed out and he asked what I needed and I told him I needed someone else to clean. I was a SAHW at the time, so I felt like I was dropping the ball on my “job” by not cleaning house, but I had actual paying customers that I needed to keep up with!. Fortunately, my husband is very supportive of my little business. Additionally, he’s in the military, so when he’s here, he works long hours and while he could help pick up the slack on the weekends, we would prefer to keep that as family time, not cleaning time. And when he’s not here, I have a lot of other things on my plate. Plus, it give us a reason to tidy up. We know she comes every other Monday morning, so every other Sunday night we have to pick up and get things organized so she can do a good job at her job. And since it’s been mentioned a few times, other than occasionally vacuuming, she does not touch the sewing studio! If my business every really slowed down, I might have to give her up, but I love her so I’ll do whatever I can to keep her!
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I may be misunderstanding here (VERY possible, it’s late and I haven’t drank near enough coffee today lol). But this: “WE are running businesses and to do anything other than tasks that will keep our businesses moving in a forward, upward direction is wrong.” Uh, my FAMILY is WAY more important than my business. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE me some Froggy Girl time. But I have 5 children and a husband, so making them food, keeping laundry done, dishes, etc. are priorities. And I don’t think it’s wrong to take care of my family even though that’s not business related or moving my business forward.
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 9th, 2012 at 6:11 pm
hi mika!
when i wrote this post i was referencing a paid job (please do not misconstrue what i am writing), but certainly “business” can mean whatever job you do during the day :) whether that’s providing for your family by being a SAHW/SAHM (which is so important and a job i pray to have one day) or working for your own company/working for another company ~ the titles we carry for our jobs may differ but the end goal is still the same: if we’re not spending our daytime wisely by losing focus on the end goal then we’re not doing our job well.
i hope that sheds some more positive light on this post ~ i never meant to offend and hope this clarifies what was misinterpreted. xoxo
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I can’t focus if there’s a mess. Like, at all. ESPECIALLY my office space. I just try to maintain messes as best possible and work my tail off from there. Sometimes I have to sacrifice work time because I work SO much more effectively when my space is not cluttered. It makes that much of a difference to me.
Just wait til you two have kids (if that’s in the plans), those things change EVERYTHING!!! You have to surrender to some messes even. I don’t think any of my mom friends do laundry right away, and the thought of folding laundry is a joke that we laugh about often. : P
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 9th, 2012 at 6:12 pm
once we have kids i’m sure our home will once again look different, hehe :)
right now i’ve done really well keeping the studio clean ::fingers crossed it stays that way::
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That’s a tough one for me right now, because I work a day job and then have to focus on my business on nights and weekends. I get frustrated when the home around us becomes messy, which has been happening more the more successful my business is becoming. But I need to focus on dedicated work time.
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 9th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
i read recently that it’s important to keep a positive attitude while at your day job (if you’re planning on leaving it) because once you come home if you’re too negative during the day that will seep into your evenings. i remember what you’re going through and what it feels like. try to reserve your excitement to be home working on your business for once you’re actually at home. maybe keep a little idea book with you at your day job?
maybe cooking + eating dinner could become your recharge time?
ahh, such exciting memories :)
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Hey Gus!
I have to say that one of the joys of working from home is that I can ‘love on my home’ all day. Now that does not mean I clean, clean, clean … but rather, I enjoy the blessing of being home AND working. Like several others have said, I start my mornings with a clean kitchen and loaded or running dishwasher humming away. I start a load of laundry. I grab a few things as I head up to the shop and get to work. A few hours into work when I hit a good ‘break’ I go downstairs, refill my beverage, switch the laundry, put away a few more things and then back to work.
That’s how *most* days go when I’m at home all day. I schedule a true cleaning day once every 2 weeks and spend half the day cleaning and the other half just enjoying that clean house … kicking up my feet and reading a book or taking a nap with the peace of knowing I can rest after my hard work. I *love* a clean and tidy house, so this day is actually a refreshing treat for me. And it allows me to not worry so much about these tasks on other days because I know I have my cleaning day scheduled.
I also clean up ‘the shop’ at the close of each day so I have a fresh and organized space to walk into the next morning.
Thanks for this fun post!
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 9th, 2012 at 6:17 pm
great tips — seriously, great tips!!! xoxo
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Great post. I struggle with getting distracted with housework. I think it has definitely gotten in the way of my business growing. I loved reading through the comments and have picked up some helpful hints on staying on task. Thanks ladies.
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I suggest that you budget in a cleaning lady… biweekly… to do the big stuff. Scrubbing toilets, mopping floors, scrubbing tubs, etc. It’s so worth it. You work hard and you deserve it!
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Gussy Sews Reply:
March 9th, 2012 at 6:18 pm
::forwards comment to husband::
;D
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My situation is a bit different than yours because I have kids and the income from my shop isn’t necessary to our daily living. If I don’t take an hour or so every day and get a bit of cleaning done, we’d drown under the mess. I do set aside Saturdays for cleaning and baking and then Sunday is strictly family time. No cleaning or working for me.
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It is a tough balance. I work part time outside the home, and work on my blog on the other days. Sometimes its impossible to keep all the crumbs off the counter and get the bed made in the morning because we are just so busy. I am thankful though for a husband who understands all my interests and is willing to help out around the house by washing dishes and even making a few meals!
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my problem is my main job is supposed to be taking care of my baby & house first & business on the side, but the house is my least favorite thing to take care of and it tends to get messy…my husband is very supportive, but i don’t want to take advantage of helpfulness.
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