31 Days To A Clean House Days 3 (and part of Day 2)

If I am going to be completely honest, I did not enjoy my Martha Challenge at all today. It was cleaning the tops and fronts of all of my cupboards, the top of my fridge, and cleaning the fronts of all of the appliances. Ugg. I was up on the phone with my sister last night, having a really good, deep conversation. I really miss my sister, and I enjoyed talking to her SO MUCH last night! I love you, Laura, one of my only two readers. Hi, Crystal! (my other reader)

Anyways, the tops of my cupboards were disgusting. Seriously. Like never-been-cleaned-since-or-cupboards-were-installed-two-years-ago disgusting.
I actually had to use my fingernail to write those words in the dust because it was not just dust, it was a greasy dust. Ughh. I scrubbed and scrubbed and finally got them nice and clean. It took me a looooonnnggg time.

Then there is the top of my fridge. My fridge is tall, so I don`t see all of the stuff I have "hidden" up there. Stickers, coupons, pictures, random papers...



Here is my shiny clean kitchen. I didn't scub my cupboards as well as I should have. I wiped them all down, but I was kind of spent already. They are clean, just not perfectly clean.


Yes, my son picks his own clothes and no, it is not warm enough to be wearing shorts. He wanted to be in every picture.

Laura- this is for you. Just in case you are feeling bad because you haven't started- my kitchen may look like this picture above, but this is what my laundry room looks like.

This does not include the dirty pile behind me or the clean load of towels on my couch waiting to be folded. Plus their is a load in the washer and in the drier. I love laundry. *please note sarcasm*

I never elaborated on my yesterday's Mary Challenge. On how I can give live to my home, my husband, and my children. My sister and I spoke on this a lot last night. I have been really struggling a lot lately with all of the "stuff" we have, when there are so many people who have nothing. I have been in a state where I feel guilty for buying anything for myself or my home, anything that isn't a necessity. I still feel like I am struggling with this. Like my sister said to me, "At the end of the day, you still need to wear a bra. If your old bra's are worn out and the wires are poking you, it will make you cranky with your husband and kids. Go buy a new bra." In a way, I have been trying to make myself suffer to "earn God's grace". Not cool. We can't earn in. All our righteousness are like filthy rags. So - to give life I am continuing to learn to die daily. Stop living in the flesh. Stop trying to do it on my own.

My March challenge today is to ask the people in my house in what I do in caring for the home that makes them feel loved. I asked A. He said I cook him eggs. I asked Gabe, and he says he needs some time to think about it....