Getting back to square one

What is square one? It's a mythical time of clean and organized that probably never existed in any home. As a homemaker, we fondly recall when we first moved into our home and how fresh and new everything seemed. The carpet was cleaner, the walls were freshly painted, the tiles pristine, right? Hmmm, probably not. We forget the dirt the movers traipsed in and the dozens of boxes piled all over the house. The weeks of not being able to find what we needed, and how long it really took to unpack. But still we long for those early days or the possibility of getting back to square one, of having a home that is totally neat and organized. Why? Because we theorize that if we could get back to square one, we could keep it at square one. Clearly, we are glass half full people.

Recently, I've been obsessed with getting back to square one. My poor husband has heard, "If I could just get back to square one, I (would stay on top of the laundry, keep the bedrooms clean, keep my sewing area organized)." You get the idea. I'm sure he is sick of it. The thing is that getting back to square one is easier said than done. So I've been creating a strategy based on the idea that not all homemakers are created equal and we need to employ different methods to meet our personal cleaning and organizational needs.

The Square One Plan

1. Determine what type of homemaker you are
2. Begin the square one plan for your type
3. Share your strategy - let your family know your plan so they can help or, at least, not hinder
4. Reevaluate your needs - done with your square one plan, maybe you want to kick it up a notch to the next level

Stay tuned as I post each step over the next few days!