A Yearly Guide to Maintaining Your Home(s)

There is an art to settng up a "home." I mean, I’m not here to tell y’all that like it’s the first time you’ve heard it. The art of my home is simple: if the house ain’t in order, nobody's in order. Don’t you think it's amazing how your home dictates how your day will be? If when I wake up, my house is a wreck and I go to work with it still a wreck, then all of a sudden I feel flustered and unprepared for my whole day. All because my pillows aren’t properly accented in my couch, my kitchen counters aren’t sparkling and my clothes are (still) in the dryer from the 5th re-fluff cycle.

But what if you have two houses? Oh how my world might implode if TWO houses aren’t in order. But I get where I am in my life. I have little ones. They are a young version of the song by Joe Nochols, “Tequilla Makes Her Clothes Come off" - but it's "Oreos and Milk make their clothes come off, and toys and food go EVERYWHERE."

A few times a year I get my guilty pleasure of deep cleaning. And I’m not talking about organizing closets. That’s my Sunday ritual, literally. But when I get the opportunity to wash my exterior windows, like a professional window cleaner from NYC. I LOVE IT. When I get the chance to clean my baseboards, or open up my windows and vacuum out the inside of the sills, I feel completely satisfied. I clean light bulbs, wash shower curtains, use a Q-tip to clean the inside of my jacuzzi jets.

I realize not all are cut like me and I promise I don’t pass judgement (too much! JK!). But, having a guide to go off of on a regular basis certainly helps the months not turn into years. We love this home maintenance guide offered at the ArtofManliness.com, referred to us by Mary Aquino. Check it out!

PS. My personal favorite home maintence tip I learned this past year was learning to take care of the a/c. An "A/C servicing" is not an opportunity to throw money away or a gimmick. I learned, the hard way, that you actually should clean it out, service it and keep it free from bushes and trees interfering with its air suction. $2300 later, I heard the a/c doctor loud and clear. Hope this helps at least one of you!