31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae ~ Days 4 and 5

I'm so excited as I write this. I'm going to combine Days 4 and 5's readings together because tomorrow I'll be traveling to Louisville, Kentucky with my younger sister to see the comedian, Jim Gaffigan and spend the next day relaxing. I'll be back at it on Sunday. Matt has agreed to watch the kids so I can relax with no worries! This is part of that taking out some time for rejuvenation...it's about time too. This is the first time I've been away from the kids for over 24 hours in almost 4 years!

Okay, so the reading for Day 4 is about making your home comfortable for people in it, especially guests. Sarah Mae says, "Cleaning isn't just about scrubbing floors, making beds, and clearing out clutter (although those are good things), it's also about creating an environment that encourages people to feel welcomed, loved."

I, personally, don't think I've got too far to go on this one. I do need to get some comfy throw pillows and some nice curtains over the blinds would be nice. And, I've always got the coffee on so come on over and "put your feet up!"

For the cleaning assignment, Day 4's special job is to clean the oven and the microwave. Sarah Mae says to put a few lemon slices in a bowl of water and microwave for 2-3 minutes; the steam will loosen up food particles.

Day 5's reading is all about making sure we set our priorities and try to keep them in line. We are encouraged to make our own list of priorities. Mine are as follows and of course, these are always a work in progress:

1. God
   (I'll say God is my first priority in my life, but I'm not the best at showing it. I need to work on spending more time in the Word and in prayer.)
2. My husband, Matt.
3. My beautiful babies: Jack, Christian and Bella. Seriously, look at these cuties!
   
   

   

   Jack

   

   Christian

   

   Bella Girl

   What's not to love?!?
4. Our home. It is a goal of mine to do some studying on decorating to make my home not just clean but more appealing visually.
5. Personal time. I've found that as I actually schedule in personal time for myself it drastically improves my mood/outlook. If you aren't already doing this for yourself, you need too. It has really helped my stress level. 

The Day 5 cleaning assignment is to wash the windows (including the insides of the windows) and window treatments in the kitchen. 

There aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish all of this before I leave in the morning, so I'm going to work on catching up Sunday and possibly Monday.

How's the cleaning coming with you all?