a clean house, a clear mind?

Ok, so this will be a quick post because I'm in the midst of cleaning my house.
Like scrubbing.

Seems I talk about cleaning house and trying to get my body in shape a lot.

About that....

well, I'm OCD---and a bit of a quack when it comes to my home. It's not just about having a clean house, it's about structure, organization, everything has a place and so on and so forth.

My Meme is exactly the same way. She cleans and cleans and organizes her already clean home.
So, I get it naturally? Right?

Well, my case is different because I have two babies that make BIG messes regularly.

I have to clean ever day otherwise I'll have the Hoarders TV crew knocking on my door.

Just kidding. I just like things clean.
It helps my mind (because it's usually a whirlwind of a BILLION and one thoughts, so if my house is organized it helps relieve my brain.)

A clean house also helps me be creative. It helps me to enjoy my time with my kids (without worrying about what needs to be done) and it helps me be more productive.
It also affects my mood.

One of the BEST feelings to me, is going to bed and waking to a clean home.
I love the smell of Lysol (with perioxide) and when my house smells of soy candles or my Scentsy.

I'm also more inclined to go and do something new and fun if there are no chores or a list of things to do.

ALSO, I live in a SMALL house.
Like, 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms.
So, I have to keep it decluttered.

Something I've actually fallen in LOVE with (the small house part.)
I thank God for this 'love' because it wasn't always easy for me.

Let me rewind.
I grew up in a house that was big.

Not big like -mansion big-,
but BIG that we ALL had our own space and privacy.

I had my own floor--my own set of stairs. A bedroom/a bathroom and I also had free range of the guest room that was on 'my floor'.

In my parent's house...we all had our own bathrooms.
Including my mom and dad. They both have separate ones.
My mom has 5 closets, now 6 that I've moved out.

My parents have a total of 6 bathrooms (including the pool house bath) and 5 bedrooms. A front formal living area, a den and a gameroom...

What I'm saying is, there is a LOT of space in the house to get away.

**My dad is a man of many trades. When he wanted more space in our house, we just ADDED the space. My dad was constantly remodeling our house.
The original house was a small farmhouse with ONE BEDROOM and one bath :)
So, I guess that's where I get my need to remodel constantly.

That's how I grew up.
So, when I moved in as husband and wife with Justin...well, it was a bit of a shock for me.
I was sharing a bedroom AND a bathroom with a man.
Now, thank the sweet Lord that my husband is one of the cleanest men I know.
However, it was still a lot on my system.

Then we had a baby.
A baby that required a lot of space and stuff.
Then we had a second baby.
Which meant even MORE stuff.

I may of 'lost my sanity' a few times while adjusting to our already small-ish space getting SMALLER.

I struggled with it.
I wanted to move.
I NEEDED MORE SPACE!

I mean, doesn't society tell us that BIG homes with numerous garages....walk-in closets and rooms for everything mean you're successful and keeps you happy?

I prayed and prayed....and God started to show me how GREAT a smaller home can really be.

I still clean, but I spend a LOT less time cleaning it.
We're all close together.
I can easily check on my babies fast.
I can wake up in the night and check the home quick because 'BAD GUYS' and 'MONSTERS' can't hide too good in a small house.
We have less CRAP (seriously, I am a minimalist in MANY ways).
BIG houses mean more maintenace, bigger bills, MORE AND MORE stuff....

STUFF is not what I'm into.
I'm into my babies, my husband, getting OUT and about and making memories.

I can tell you this much, ALL my best memories as a kid did NOT entail having SPACE or toys.
It was camping with my parents, roadtrips, playing softball, adventures OUTSIDE with my friends and cousins, heading to the beach...

So, God made me fall in love with our house.
Plus, the more we worked on our home and made it ours, the more it made me appreaciate my new-old home ;)

Yes, I clean it like a crazed lady on speed*
*the only speed I'm on is caffeine and endorphins 
but cleaning is a way for me to de-stress 
and to me, it shows my husband how I respect our space.
And how I'm grateful for the home he has provided for us.

Of course, I do have to be creative at times with organizing (or we donate a lot).
BUT, I love being so close to my children.
I love how cozy things are....
I love that we can't run too far from one another...of course, there are times I'd like SOME space...but, that's when I go out for a walk---or take a run. OR, I hop into my car and venture into town for something for us to do.

Or, when I need MORE open space....we head to Atlanta.
My babies and I have lots of space to stretch out and play at Madoo's and Big Daddy's.
And after a week of chasing kids up and down the stairs and making messes and cleanning messes ALL over everyroom....
I come back to my smaller house in the city and I'm SO grateful for it.
lol

Do you have a small house?
Or a big house??
Do you keep things clean? Or like to clean?
What do you like about YOUR space?

stay tuned!
I have moved around my furniture and have pictures to show.
Also an update on boot camp and operation hot and healthy mom! :)

-hk

they LOVE holding hands lol