Laundry and Meals and Living

It happened again yesterday.I got a text from a friend asking what I would recommend for laundry. And food, you know, while she was asking.

It doesn't bother me to be asked. I'm honored to be thought of as an expert in the field. It is what I do for a living, after all. It's just that no one ever likes my answers.

You see, we have created a world that no one lives in. Oh, we think people live there! We think everyone lives there and if we could just someone figure out the secret we could live there too. So we scroll through images of this world and think really hard of how we can get there.

We muster all the energy and time we can find to put our homes in order. And, voila, just like that the kitchen looks just like the one we saw while scrolling. Then, in the blink of an eye...... the toddler comes in and explores.... the teenager has a friend over.... the spouse makes a snack to share.... life happens.

Then, in the blink of an eye, life happens. You know, that thing that we are here doing. Living. The toddler learns and loves. The teenager shows hospitality. The spouse exercises spontaneity and generosity. And your "perfect" photo-worthy kitchen has hand prints, chatty teens, crumbs, and dirty dishes.

It's that or a made-up life from your scrolling, in which no one lives. I hate to be the one to bust your bubble but it's true. No one LIVES in those photos. My oh my are they beautiful photos, aren't they? But more than that is the beauty in a family that lives life together. That's why when you see my before and after photos you will still see life. Rarely will you see perfect little bins all in a row with nothing else in the space. That is because life is being lived in those spaces.

What is my advice for laundry and meals then?

I'll start with laundry. Are you ready?

Do it.

Yep, that's the best system there is! Wash, dry, fold, and put away. Do it all as close together as you can. Want a few tricks? Here's that post.

Moving on to meals. Ready?

Meal plan.

Plan what you eat, buy what you plan, and eat what you buy. How do you do that? Click on over to this post.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what systems for laundry and meals work for you in the comments!