“A well kept house is a life misspent…” It’s a perfect excuse for a messy house!

I was planned – I was prepared – or so I thought. Just before we are about to go away for a much needed mini break, Lilybelle get’s sick, the dog get’s sick and the kitchen sink starts leaking. Shit. And I was so organised this time – really. I started packing days before we had to leave (not the night before or the morning of which is much more true to style) and I had everything planned out. And then disaster strikes. Ok, bit dramatic I know, but this is why I struggle to plan things. I find the more I plan, the more things don’t go to plan. So what’s the point?

Aside from disaster disrupting our organised getaway, we had the pleasure of visiting very dear friends along the way – they too made a lifestyle change and moved out of the city but instead opted for a tree change rather than a sea change. Finally we got to visit their gorgeous new country cottage and Oh. My. God. It was perfect. I mean literally. It was like a House & Garden spread. Everything had its place and everything was in its place! While I pictured our own messy house, I was overcome with feelings of inadequacy as a stay-at-home mum. Why aren’t I this organised and neat?? I kept asking my friend, “where do you put all your crap? You know, your piles - of stuff – magazines, newspapers, letters, keys, etc….????” The short answer was essentially this - everything has its place. I love it – in theory.

In practice, it just doesn’t work in our house, not matter how hard I try. We have piles – everywhere (ok let me clarify here that I’m talking piles of accumulated stuff, not piles of the hemorrhoid variety!). And I am forever trying to tidy these piles of stuff but only end up creating new piles. Neat to begin with, but messy again in no time at all. Damn it, will I ever have a perfect home? In our defense, storage is not great, hence the need for piles. But I think the crux of it is, we’re just not neat nor super organised people! Let’s be honest, our house is bohemian at best, messy at worst. Is that because I (ahem, we) struggle to plan and be super organised like my very organised friends (and let me just say here, I am in awe of both of their organisational skills)?  Is it a part of my (our) essential nature to be a bit cluttered and chaotic (minimalism will NEVER be our style!)? Or is being neat and organised qualities I should be cultivating, especially as a mum where being prepared and ordered (at least to a certain degree) is essential for even leaving the house?

These are questions I ponder as I sit here typing at the kitchen table surrounded by little piles – neat piles because I’ve just tidied – but piles none the less. And the quote in the title of this blog – that is what J has kindly written up in a prominent position in our house – a daily reminder that chaos is just our style. So I may as well accept it.