I took this selfie at three o’clock in the afternoon. Yes, those are the breakfast dishes in the background. (Mom, if you’re reading this, turn away now!)
Clearly, I need the book that I’m holding.
I work from home, which in some ways seems like it would make it easy to keep up with daily cleaning tasks. But what happens is that by the time I drive my daughter to her classes and/or help her get started on school work (she does a hybrid homeschool/cottage school), I need to get started on my own work at the computer. So the dishes wait. And the laundry waits. And unless I set a timer or intentionally take a break to straighten things, all of those chores will be ignored until I quit working at dinner time. Or quit so that I can take Mia to volleyball practice or some other errand.
I have loved Dana White’s blog, A Slob Comes Clean for years. I met Dana at a conference quite a few years ago and she is delightful! Her new book is just as delightful, which is not something you can say very often about a book on cleaning.
Here’s how Dana introduces her book in the first few pages:
“Dear Person Who Picked Up This Book (and is flipping through the first few pages, deciding if you should buy it),
Let me help you decide. Not everyone needs this book. Rule yourself out as my target audience if you buy home management books because you get a kick out of cleaning and organizing gives you a thrill. If your home is ready for unexpected guests more often than not, you probably don’t need this book.
If you truly can’t understand how someone could sleep while dirty dishes are in her sink, close it up right now and move on to something else.
Okay. Now that it’s just us, I’ll talk to those who do need this book. If you sleep like a baby, unaware your kitchen counters are piled high with dirty dishes, but want to cry when you walk into a disastrous kitchen the next morning, keep reading.”
Dana takes a realistic approach to all aspects of managing your home. Her chapter on meal planning is the exact philosophy I have and it’s why I craft Eat at Home Weekly Meal Plans the way I do. It’s all about fitting dinner into your day, so that it doesn’t take forever to get on the table and you can still enjoy time with your family.
Giveaway!
You can buy How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind on Amazon or at other booksellers. I bought an extra copy and I’m going to give it away to one of you! To enter, leave a comment on this post. Giveaway closes on Friday, November 11. Winner will be notified by email and needs to respond within 24 hours or another winner will be chosen.
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Considering how my house looks right now, I definitely need this book! Thanks for the giveaway!
I could definitely benefit from reading this book!
I could absolutely use this book! I’m trying to find a healthy balance of home and work and just…life and it’s not working lately.
Wow that intro was totally speaking to me! I’ll have to read that book whether I win the giveaway or not!
I’ve need this book.
Well yes,i certainly am in the group that needs this book. Adding it to my Amazon list and hoping to win it in the meantime!
I also work from home and juggle kids schedules so I totally get what you’re saying. When my office closed and I began to freelance from home, I assumed the time I saved commuting would at least let me catch up with many of the chores that don’t take long.
The intro of this book speaks to me for sure. It would be nice to have a company ready home at least once in a while.
This sounds like something I need. I am a caregiver for my husband. He takes all of my time. I did better when raising the children. Now, it seems that I can’t not get to anything done in the house, including dishes. I once did a lot of entertaining, now I am afraid to have any one over. The nurses that come and see my husband, report that I am a slob, but take good care of my husband. That’s my story, does anyone relate.