Good Housekeeping, seriously needing a revisit!

Within our marriage, we have a pretty laissez-faire attitude toward keeping house. What generally happens is that I do most of the work, unless I don't feel like it. When I don't feel like it, anyone else is welcomed to pitch in if he/she wants anything done. Usually they just wait for me to get to it.

I always get to it, eventually.

Okay, the truth is, I try to get it together and change things from time to time, but we always come back to how it's always been. It's sloppy, and I don't recommend it, but we're nearly 10 years in and noone is dead yet.

Still, even with our hands off approach, there are certain standards that must be met in order for our home to run properly.

For instance, in the kitchen, this cannot happen:


but this can, provided it's not for more than a day or two:

See the difference? A sink full of dishes is kind of ok, but an overflowing sink of nastiness is not!

Also, for the good of everyone involved, it is not acceptable to let these become empty:

Our sipper prefers cow juice to apple, but you've gotta at least have something to put in there!

You must be able to face the after school feeding frenzy with a pantry full of this:Okay, so they will eat fruit and veggies, but the more processed, the better it satisfies a kid who's been at school all day. It's universally true, and I'm sure of that!

As you know, when people are eating and drinking, it's best to keep the home's "study facilities" well stocked with this:

And, if you know me well, you know that only Charmin Ultra Soft (not Ultra Strong!!) will do!

And, lastly, this kind of thing can happen for quite extended periods of time if the contents of the basket are clean, but not if they are dirty:

Again, it's the messy vs nasty distinction I see. Perhaps others don't appreciate that as much as I do.

So, today we have a little problem. We are out of milk, juice, laundry detergent, and junk food. We are also perilously short on dish detergent, toilet paper, and patience.

Happy Monday.