31 Days to Clean: Week One

I have joined the Homemaker's challenge at Joyful Mothering and am supposed to report in on Fridays.  However, tomorrow I will be off to the Big City for the Big Homeschool Conference and won't have time to post.

Those of us participating in the meme are following the advice in the new ebook, 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae.



I'm being a tad-bit stubborn independent Dawn-like in my approach and am not following the plan exactly as it is written.  Each chapter offers good suggestions on how to break cleaning into smaller, more manageable chunks and also offers a 31-day plan for giving your house a good thorough cleaning by completing one "Martha" task per day.  A "Mary" task is also included each day which challenges me to reflect on the whys of my cleaning and home management.

This week we are supposed to start with the kitchen, and that just does not work for me.  I needed to get ready for the curriculum fair and we are finishing school TODAY! (except some subjects carry over into the summer but that's only about an hour of school each day rather than 6-8)  YIPPEE!

So I have flipped over to the chapters on home office and am working through them as I clear and sort curriculum from the classroom and office to make room for the goodies I will bring home Saturday (and for the mounds of books that have arrived via snail mail and are stacked in towers around my office and living room).

I don't have pictures to share yet.  It's not that I'm being prideful about the state of my office, rather I don't want to scare anyone!  :)  However, I would like to share my answer to one of the Mary tasks for the week.  We were asked to complete a mission statement detailing why we want to maintain a clean home.

I have to admit that I have been very affected by the Korean community as I have tutored their children this year.  Hospitality is central to their culture.  I am a paid employee coming into their homes, yet they do not treat me as such.  They greet me at the door with smiles.  They have a special place set up for me to teach with all the supplies I need laid out and ready.  They always have a snack and drink at my spot at the table, waiting on me.  And it is always something thoughtful...fresh fruit, homemade waffles with homemade syrup, Korean pancakes with syrup and nuts in the center, and even sushi!  (Can you believe I lost weight this year?)  Their food is always served on a special plate.  Each family has a different one- a wedding plate, a flowered piece of china, hand-painted glassware.  These special touches are never ostentatious.  Instead they create an atmosphere where I know I am welcomed and appreciated. 

I could say much more about the hospitality of the Korean community and about how they have cared for me this year, treating me not like an employee but a friend or a sister.  They have given me a real vision for hospitality which is at the core of my mission in completing this challenge.  I plan to simplify and purge things from my home which are weighing me down and hindering me in the area of hospitality.  I want anyone who comes to my door to feel like I do when I enter the home of my Korean friends.

I may have to march to the beat of my own drum when it comes to this meme, switching around chapters and challenges and posting late or early.  However, I look forward to participating and reporting the results.

Happy Cleaning!
Dawn