Last Friday night, around 8:00 PM, I was tired. It had been a full day for me and a stressful one for the world. I was ready to get into my pajamas and snuggle with my baby girl on the couch with a mug of tea and some mindless television. Instead, I cleaned the bathroom. Let […]
cleaning
The Life-Changing Magic of Cleaning for Writers
How often have you heard a writer say, “I couldn’t face my manuscript, so I cleaned my closet instead?” On the surface, this remark seems to be entirely about procrastination and the weight of creative work. But is it? What if decluttering, organizing and cleaning are skills we writers truly need? Decluttering is a lot like […]
Creativity in Cleaning
When it came time to return to work, I was most worried about how I would get my household chores done. I used to divide my regular cleaning between days, working around Edwin’s schedule: vacuuming the kitchen and attached dining room while he lingered in his high chair; scrubbing the bathroom during nap time. I knew […]
The Best Hour Of My Day
I lay down with Edwin on the couch this morning, just before breakfast, to watch a few minutes of Sesame Street. He’d had a 5 AM wakeup, so he’d been up and playing for almost three hours. Quickly, quietly, and about 90 minutes before his usual morning nap time, he fell asleep on top of […]