A new week always brings with it the promise of possibilities and fresh starts. I always tell myself, this is the week I will get the housework under control. I don’t always succeed but I manage to remain hopeful that I can do better next week. If I don’t hit the ground running on Monday I feel like I will never catch up for the rest of the week. I managed to get things done today and I have big plans for the rest of the week.

We have been going through our closets and cleaning them out. Does anybody love all the extra room they create by doing this? I feel so much more organized now that I have space to play with. It’s always interesting to see what seemed so important during the last clean-out end up in the Goodwill pile this time around. What changed? I don’t really know but it’s the reason I try to do this at least twice a year. So much of what we decide to keep depends on our mood. Sometimes I am very cutthroat and can be very unemotional about everything, but other days I want to keep a faded receipt because in that moment I consider it to hold sentimental value.

Because I don’t have a lot of storage space I have learned to be judicious about what I do keep. Some of Diego’s outfits have been saved but most of the clothes he’s outgrown have been donated. We have made several trips to our local Goodwill and our house feels lighter for it.

Last week I got the baking bug again. I’ve always loved baking abut it had been a while since I was inspired to bake. After the pop tarts I made oatmeal cookies. They were really good and didn’t last long.

On Sunday, my husband surprised me with a Ninja blender system (an early birthday present). I am very excited to put this to use. I am especially excited about the food processor attachment.

I think most readers of my blog know that I stay home with Diego full time. I can only speak for myself, but a lot of the time I find it very challenging to get chores done during the day. For a while I strived to have the house perfectly organized, dinner cooked, and myself cleaned up a bit by five o’clock everyday. It was easy at first. Diego spent his days in his bassinet and I could get to work. Now it’s more challenging and my plan to do it all backfired. Currently, my husband and I do some stuff together and it helps out a ton. I still cook dinner and clean up downstairs but things like sorting clothes and putting them away go by so much faster when we work together. It also gives us a chance to talk, listen to some music and just spend time together once Diego has gone to bed. I am always shocked at how much more pleasant and faster it is to clean up the kitchen after dinner when we do it  together.

It seems so obvious but sometimes we forget that we need each other and we take it for granted that the other person has a handle on things. I think that working together is always important in any relationship. It gives us a common goal, a shared experience and a feeling of closeness. Some days, when one of us is burnt out, the other will take over so that the other person can rest. This is team work, too.

I hope you’re all having a wonderful week!