What is Good Enough?

I think a lot about the environments that we spend time in. How they influence our well-being from day to day and year after year.   

The Wonder Room is a reflection of thoughtful and intentional placement of items in a way that is engaging for the families who visit.  Our homes are a more complex environment that require the same type of thought.  They should be spaces where we feel a level of comfort and relief from the overwhelm of the fast-paced world we live in.  This is especially important for children.

Are we creating homes that are "good enough" (especially when you are in a home raising children)

In order to create a home that is "good enough" you have to give up the idea that it will be perfect and it will stay that way.  The reality is that people live in the home, so that causes clutter and mess that need to be managed and maintained to some acceptable standard and for me that is "Good Enough".  

First, know your non-negotiables (related to cleaning/tidying). By this I mean decide what "rules" you know work for you and that you feel strongly about not breaking.

Here are two of mine:

Do the dishes when you use them.  I never have dishes in my sink. They are either in the dishwasher, drying on the counter, or put away.  I think I learned this one from my parents.  I don't recall my mom ever leaving dishes in the sink or maybe it was because I was the "dishwasher" in my family growing up..haha.

Empty the dryer and put the clothes in their proper zone - closet, room, drawer, basket.  It really doesn't take as long as you are imagining.  I never have piles of clothes to fold in my laundry room or on my couch. I do admit I do have a small pile on my dresser - but at least it is in my room.  I also don't fold everything - some clothes get tossed in a drawer and some items get hung up.  Hint for those with young children.  Baskets/ bins work well for sorting items and young children can learn to use a hook. Children don't use hangers! Kids socks were always hard for me to manage until I just started buying one type of sock and all the same color.  There is always a match!  

If you stick to your non-negotiables, you will feel some success each day and have the motivation to continue to begin to declutter...which really is the beginning step to becoming more organized and functional in our home spaces.  It is a work in progress, simplifying our lives so that we can do the things that are really important to us.   Decluttering as a habit has helped me to remove many items so that I can surround myself with items that I love and serve me and my family in our present season of life.  

When I declutter, tidy or even clean, my mantras are "It's always better than when I started" and "It is Good Enough for today!"