Dirty Laundry

Took the day off from work and if I am being real even though I did prep last night it was still insanity this morning. BUT imagine how much worse it could have been if I didn't do somethings to at least get us in shape to move quicker! :)
Raced to get everyone dressed, shower myself and get dressed. Fed the kids breakfast amid constant shrieks for #2 who kept getting his food stolen by #3. Tried to block it out and pack bags, put on makeup, straighten up a little. Then we ran out the door to drop the big 2 off at camp.
Yesterday I thought about all I had to get done knowing we would be out most of the day at the aquarium to visit friends. I wanted to visit my mother-in-law who is recouping from surgery in a rehab center. I needed to get my coffee and gift cards for camp counselors (last day of camp tomorrow), needed kids to make cards for counselors and needed some Method All Purpose spray, needed to clean the house because we are having company Friday. Always looking at the days ahead to figure out what I need to do and mentally blocking off the time so things get done.
I knew it would be easier to visit my mother-in-law and do the shopping while kids were in camp so did that and when we got home had the kids make their cards and when they were in bed straightened up for company.
The cleaning and keeping the house running feels like an endless fruitless pursuit. It is never all done and you just have to get over that so you can enjoy your family and not spend every waking minute worrying about cleaning. Which is why I usually focus on doing that at night when the kids are in bed. Tonight's fun was getting out this mess!

I joke that I feel like I am living a Tide commercial...but it actually isn't a joke! :)

Get it done tip: I spoke to a stay-at-home mom during my 3rd maternity leave and told her how I just couldn't keep up with the endless laundry. She gave me the best laundry tip that seems so simple, but it really made a difference for me: Keep doing small loads. Even if you wake up in the morning and you only have a few things - toss them in. My washing machine/dryer have settings for small loads so I don't worry about wasting water or energy. It is the simplest tip, but when I tried it laundry became more manageable. Plus the stress of looking at laundry piling up waiting for a "full load" goes away. Anything that saves time and sanity is worth trying!