*Trying* to Keep a Clean Home with an *Almost* One Year Old

Having a little one who is constantly walking, grabbing and moving things around the house, makes for a difficult clean up job. I've found the beauty in having certain toys that might always remain out of their toy box in the living room. It's a sweet reminder that, yes, we have a child. It's a blessing knowing that there was life created in the past year and she wants us to remember that by keeping her belongings where we can see them. However, there is still the problem of keeping the rest of the house clean. The part of the house that calls for more organization or order, especially when guests come over. Sometimes it can get overwhelming because we clean for a little while and then it's not long before that cleanliness goes out the window with the little hands and feet exploring every inch of the house.

Recently, I have been coming up with ways to keep things organized and systematic, while also giving myself grace for the season I am in. My best advice for anyone else going through this too, is to allow yourself to keep *at least* one room clean at a time. Each day, week or naptime that I have the available time to clean, I focus on that one room that I want to tackle. This helps me from getting overwhelmed at all the different tasks that I need to complete throughout the house. Once the task of that one room is complete, I feel so much better. I know that I have made a dent in my long list of to-dos. Sure, it might get messy in the next week, days or hours, but I take heart knowing that just for a little while, I can seek comfort and peace in the cleanliness of *some* of the house. When I do get that quiet time, during my little one's nap or bedtime, I can retreat to that one area of the house where things just might look a little bit more orderly. 

I am finding that a clean room can make you feel just a little bit more at peace with everything else that is going on around you. I hope this helps you stay a bit more orderly and find a little more peace in wherever you are in your life's journey.