Brian’s birthday was in January – right after Christmas and right in the middle of our family tragedy. It is safe to say I’ve let his room go wild for a couple of months. It got bad. This may be shocking to see because many people assumes my house is organized 100% of the time, […]
recovering perfectionist
The Vicious Cycle of Perfectionism and Depression
If you’ve ever found yourself caught in the vicious cycle of perfectionism and depression, you are not alone. My article Depression and Your Messy House is the most read article on this blog in the past year. I’ve openly discussed my ongoing battle with perfectionism, but the truth is I’ve also had a lifelong battle with depression. It […]
Depression and Your Messy House
In a few-ish days, I’m going to be announcing all the details for the 5th Annual Declutter Challenge. As I prepare the materials for the challenge, I’ve got clutter and mess on my brain. I’m not a psychologist or a trained counselor, but I’ve had a lot of hands-on experience working with my organizing clients. […]
Why I JUST SAY NO to Red Ribbon Week Overwhelming Me
When the papers start coming home from school about all the Red Ribbon Week daily dress-up activities, I used to die a little inside with dread. I’d think, “How can I add one more thing when I already feel maxed out?!” A few years go, I let go of all that. After my 4th kid […]
Balance Is A Myth
There is a question I get asked a lot – and I never quite know how to answer it honestly. I work really hard to keep my life and my house running smoothly, but inevitably it may still look easy from the outside looking in or it may even appear to run more perfectly than […]
How To Have A Perfectly Clean House All The Time … or something like that.
I’ve already confessed to you that I didn’t know how to do my own laundry until I went to college, so you’ve probably figured out that I didn’t really know how to clean either. I always kept my own room spotless, so I kind of figured out vacuuming and dusting, but I had absolutely no […]
Failure is a Perspective
There are times I go to bed with rooms in my house a total mess. I have those days just like everyone else. Here is an example. A few weeks ago, on a Thursday afternoon while my preschooler napped and my kids were at school, my living room was clean and tidy enough that I […]
All or Nothing – The Pitfalls of Perfectionism
Perfectionism isn’t something you just get over and then you are done with it forever. You can learn a lot about yourself and perfectionism, how to give yourself more grace, and live a mostly reformed life, but during stressful times or when you least expect it, it creeps back in. Writing a post about All […]
Good Moms and Sticky Floors
There is a very popular quote that is one of my biggest pet peeves. Hearing this quote spoken is the equivalent to me of nails scratching chalkboard. On Etsy, you can even buy beautifully stained wooden planks etched and painted with some version of this quote. “Good Moms have Sticky Floors, Messy Kitchens, Laundry Piles […]
Learn To Live Imperfectly
For years, I’ve struggled with perfectionism and I’ve come a long way with a lot of effort. Perfectionism is just so stifling and sometimes crippling. Recently, I had an experience that made me realize perfectionism had crept back in when I wasn’t paying attention. I was looking over a list of home project ideas I […]