Challenge Accepted: Have a Sparkling Home by Thanksgiving with this Free Printable Cleaning Calendar!

I have a confession to make...for those of you with pristine, immaculate houses...please, for your emotional well-being, discontinue reading and occupy yourselves with Pinteresting gourmet recipes or little GMO-free Halloween goodie bags in carefully carved mini pumpkins. (Even if your house is a pigsty, those ideas actually sound fantastic)

Dismal confession of the anti-Stepford mom: I absolutely, positively, with every ounce of my being, HATE to clean. 

Ok Ok, I know what you're thinking. For someone who has based their entire brand Serendipity Mom on their experience in the hospitality industry, that's a pretty disturbing admission. It's not the physical act of cleaning that keeps me awake, shivering in the fetal position at night...it's the grim realization that once you work up the noble motivation to tackle an entire house, the arduous list of tasks becomes entirely too overwhelming and it looks like another tornado swept through (only a few days after you spent 2 hours hunched over dried jelly smears on your baseboards). Living with a toddler and two fluffy dogs often leads me to discover dog hair tumbleweeds resembling a smaller dog under my armchair, mac & cheese embedded into my dogs' fur from a toddler plate being overturned at dinnertime, and long-forgotten sippy cups of milk excavated from a toy chest a week later. This parenting gig is not for the faint of heart, but there IS a way to keep your sanity while keeping up your house to the best of your ability.

For those of us parents who lovingly call our mess "making memories," a do-able solution does exist. I've come up with an easy-to-follow cleaning calendar for the month of November (because the holiday season just isn't stressful enough without having to clean house before a visit from the in-laws). Other cleaning calendars I've seen floating around the internet seem so overwhelming and expect you to magically find 3 hours a day after 9 hour work days, commuting, after-school activities, meal prep and homework. I will be the first to admit that by Wednesday night, I'm slouched over on the couch longingly imagining a cold beer in my hand; because the thought of having to get up and pour an actual beer from the fridge would just be too much effort for my exhausted body. 

If you can find 45 minutes a day between making amazing memories with your kiddos, you've already taken the first step to regaining your sanity. It even covers the Post-Thanksgiving home-detox after the highs of lively guests, rich food and wine have worn off. 

You will have a few days to prep for the Cleaning Calendar Challenge--I know I will be stocking up on sponges/rags, Clorox wipes, baking soda/Dawn/vinegar/peroxide (for baseboards, bathrooms and carpets), Swiffer dry & wet pads, window cleaner and laundry detergent/fabric softener. My budget will be around $50 for supplies and I will devote roughly an hour either before or after dinner to daily cleaning. At the very least, it will be a successful day if I can make the time to hang up clothes from the growing pile engulfing the rocking chair in my bedroom. Additionally, the most important task you can achieve on Sunday is to prepare for the coming week. Whether that means planning your work outfits, packing lunches, freezing dinners or making a weekly calendar--dedicate that day to the little details that often leave us frazzled in the mornings. 

I'd love to hear about your November Cleaning Calendar Challenge experiences: what worked, what didn't, what you did differently, what needed additional time/focus, what your kids were able to help out with, etc. Before and after pictures would also be amazing! Until next time!

A Minute Out of Monday

In my quest to see the fireworks despite a seemingly never-ending mental fog, it dawned on me that the sparks in life originate from millions of tiny, serendipitous moments all working together to keep the blood pumping through my veins in perfect rhythm; to imprint the soft crinkles in the corners of my eyes from a lifetime of smiles; to feel that rush of warmth every time my child sets his eyes upon me; the prickling of my skin with delighted relief when I hear a song that describes the emotions that my own words have fallen short in conveying. The minutes fall like tiny, fragile snowflakes, each so intricately different but awe-inspiring as they dance in the air, suspended in time long enough to achieve a snapshot to archive in my memory bank. If I try to tangibly touch them, they completely dissipate in my eager palm so all I can do is admire their fleeting beauty with the mindfulness that they could be the last of the season, forcing me to just be in every moment…

My mind works in a way that it is physically and mentally draining for me to make small talk of any kind—I’d rather delve into the nitty-gritty; be granted the exposure to secrets that are kept only by the solace of the silent stars. So when it was suggested to me that I need to start a blog in the shallow attempt to occupy my mind from…well, my own mind…I initially felt panic about the expected hashtag overuse and mindless posts hyper-focused on the agonizing process of dying my hair the perfect shade of Pantone’s color eggplant in what I can only describe as my 30-year identity resuscitation. Maybe this blog doesn’t have to solely conform to weight loss journeys, #fashiongoals or homages to perfect parenting. Maybe this blog can also highlight those [little serendipitous] moments that often go unnoticed as we work in overdrive to beautify our own lives, only to neglect the organic splendor that exists effortlessly within each moment in time. I’m sure you will find over-embellished pictures of avocado toast, outfits-on-fleek days and a veritable shrine to my son strewn amongst my written thoughts…but maybe a glimpse into my little bubble will inspire you to share the beauty in your world with me.

"When your world moves too fast

and you lost yourself in the chaos,

introduce yourself

to each color of the sunset.

Reaquaint yourself with the earth 

beneath your feet.

Thank the air that surrounds you

with every breath you take.

Find yourself in the appreciation of life."