Teevee or not TeeVee (continued)

This is an anniversary of sorts - we have been in Rossland for one month today. Which has also meant that we have survived one whole month without television. The kids have been doing great, but I must admit I have watched more than my fair share of movies. Exhausted and alone I had been watching a movie almost every night. Which meant I was up too late and the kids are up with the sun, so things weren't getting any better.

My sister Brandie wrote a great article the other day (after reading Life's Too Short To  Fold  Fitted Sheets: Your Ultimate Guide to Domestic Liberation) about prioritizing kids vs. cleaning. I thought it was awesome and more than well timed as I have been fighting an uphill battle to feed, clean and unpack all by my lonesome. Coupled with the late night movies in a cluttered room I was feeling like I wasn't "doing" all that I could to finish unpacking. But it is hard enough to keep a home clean and tidy when I have been settled in for years let alone when I cannot remember if what I need right now is a box somewhere.

So, instead of doing EVERYTHING and killing myself in the heat of the day, what I have settled for is a neat and orderly living room. One room. If the kids have left toys in said room they are to remove them. Under no circumstances are toys stored here, but Jack and Isla are more than welcome to bring a book (or the Leapster) and read quietly. No food either.

A miraculous a-ha moment! Just myself and my cuppa in the evening, free from encroaching mess, feeling like I am making time for me and more importantly that I deserve it. The simple act helps me dial down the crazy!