I spent the day in a bit of a cleaning frenzy yesterday, and I was so focused that after I finished cleaning my bedroom, I thought for sure it was nearly 1 PM but it was just barely past 10:30 AM!  Now that I’m thinking about it, the frenzy sort of quietly began around Thursday afternoon when I decided that the toys Roux currently has are not at all what he should be playing with now that he’s home all the time and no longer spending most of his waking  hours surrounded by the beauty that is inherent in a Waldorf Early Childhood classroom.

Our living space is tiny.  I’d say “with a capital T” but there isn’t room around here for letters of that size.  There is a lot more to tell about this place, and one day I’ll get around to that, but for now my point is that we are going to be living here for at least another year and I have decided to really make an effort to customize every square inch we do have with the intention of creating the coziest, most functional environment possible.  I try not to dwell too much on the fact that this very well could be the last place I get to share with Emet before he heads off to college and beyond.  But I do let that idea inspire my quest to imbue as much as I can into each nook and cranny.

The need for functionality was really amplified by quarantine now that we are all mostly here, as was the need for beauty.  Which brings me back to the toys.

I’m sorry, but as much fun as they are, legos are just not beautiful.  Nor are they the most nourishing toys for a child of six to be playing with.  But for whatever reason, when we move here in October, those were the toys we brought into the apartment and the rest have been stored in the garage.  I spent a few days digging around and pulled out as many of our wooden treasures as I could find.  Turns out, we have quite a few.  I cleared off the one shelf we are currently using as storage, sorted through what we had inside and kept only one bin of legos.  The rest of the family thought I was crazy, so certain they were that the little one would pitch a fit, having become quite attached to tinkering with those little plastic pieces.  But it’s been about four days since the transition began and he’s not said a single word about it.  That speaks volumes to me about the potency of toys that inspire play instead of those that cast limitations.

The other two things that have made a big impact in our small space have been mounting a peg board in our kitchen from which now hang our pots and pans.  Creative storage solution that is also visually appealing?  Check plus!  And lastly, forever a work in progress but currently in a good situation, is my enormous stockpile of crafting supplies that have been sorted, stored, and are ready to be put to work.

To top it all off, I spent a chunk of my day tending to the laundry and not only is it all clean, but it is all folded AND put away properly which is a huge achievement for me!

Kicking off the week with a tidy home is pretty much the best thing.  Six weeks into quarantine and feeling like there might even be the slightest pep in my step is such a blessing.  Hoping for a productive week.  I’ve got a quilt top and a sleeve to finish, plus videos to film, tutorials to type, and at least six workouts to try and break a good sweat.  Maybe I’ll manage close out the week with an even tidier home?  Anything is possible when Mondays are this good.