I don’t know if I have ever cleaned this entire house, all at one time, so thoroughly. I’ve done a “super clean” of each room, but I usually tackle one or two at a time. This time, I was doing a “super clean” of almost the entire house. The basement and Jeff’s office were excluded, which is very obvious if you set foot in either one of those spaces.
A “super clean”, in my book, includes dusting, vacuuming, ironing, steam cleaning, soaking, washing, scrubbing, sweeping, wiping and polishing everything in the room. You wouldn’t think it would take long, especially if you’re generally clean and tidy, but it is time consuming and absolutely amazing the amount of dirt and grim that isn’t reached in an average cleaning. I went through 1/2 a bottle of multi-purpose cleaner, two rolls of paper towels, five loads of non-clothing laundry, eight rags (used until they needed to be washed themselves), two Magic Erasers and filled (then emptied) the vacuum canister twice. That’s impressive (and eye-opening) given that my house looked pretty clean to begin with!
I would usually organize the things behind closed doors during a super clean, but that’s going to happen at a slower pace and a later date. Even without touching the insides of cabinets, closets, and drawers, it took four days to get everything done.
Knowing that I had a lot on my to-do list, Kriste offered to help me on Sunday afternoon. Unless we’re doing a workshop, traveling or doing a special event, we never work on weekends, so it was well beyond her job description to offer. So, Sunday afternoon, there was a knock on the door and I open it to see Kriste and David, her husband, holding a box of pizza.
They cleaned windows, dusted wainscoting, vacuumed lamp shades, wiped down ceiling fans and David even scrubbed and polished all of the pots on the pot rack in the kitchen.
We accomplished in three hours what would’ve kept me up until the wee hours trying to finish. As I watched the two of them work, David hunched over the sink with his sleeves rolled up and Kriste buzzing from one thing to the next, crossing things off the list (she loves lists), my heart felt so full. I am so, so blessed beyond expression. The house, all gleaming and squeaky clean, was just the cherry on top.
Speaking of cleaning, I have found my new favorite cleaning product, Meyer’s Multi-Surface in Lavender…
I bought it on a whim, started using it and I am hooked. I’ve tried other natural cleaners and just didn’t feel like they cleaned as well and I honestly preferred the smell of bleach, as weird as that is. This one smells amazing and it works really well, too. I pushed it on Kriste when she was cleaning and she commented on how well it works. Anyway, this is NOT a paid promotion here, but just thought I’d share.
Back to having a full heart…
One of my readers, Anne, sent me this sweet thing in the mail…
…along with a note of encouragement.
And another reader/customer, Nicole, stopped by the studio on Saturday to buy the Boxwood vanity and she brought me flowers in a little green bottle! I was able to use them in a few pictures I was taking for an upcoming summer blog home tour…
AND, someone has been anonymously sending me encouraging postcards each month for a year and I finally have a chance to thank her. I don’t know who she is, but her notes were so sweet and uplifting and so rare…people just don’t send postcards anymore unless they are trying to sell you something.
I read the book The Five Love Languages a couple of years ago and mine were acts of service and receiving gifts, no doubt.
So yeah…after all of the help and the gifts, my heart is basically about to burst.
45 Responses
Beautiful Marian! Can you tell me where you got the green pots in the kitchen? They are so vintage looking.
They actually are antiques. I’ve seen them labeled as buckets used for measuring grain, but I’m not quite sure what they are. I’ve found three of them, sold one and kept two. I wish I could find more!
After meeting Kristie at the event in Sun Prairie WI, I agree, you are blessed to have her in your life. 🙂
Friends who show up on a Sunday to clean? …what a blessing!! Also, I feel like I need to get some better friends now!! 😉
Wouldn’t it be nice if we worked with our friends and rotated through our homes for those ‘super clean’ days? Followed by a BBQ it’d be a great thing to do.
I’m lucky enough to have 2 sisters-in-law who live within 10 minutes of me. For the past 10+ years we’ve gotten together once a week (for 2 hours in the evening on a rotating basis) to help each other out with projects, whether it be getting ready for a party, stripping wallpaper, decorating for Christmas, or ‘road trip recovery’ – helping me get my house back in order after I return from a business trip. I don’t know what I would do without them. I would highly encourage anyone who needs a little help to give it a try. What would take me 8 hours on a Saturday gets done in 2 hours on a Wednesday night – and we have a lot of fun in the process
: )
Hi Marian,
Your home always looks so beautiful – super clean or ordinary clean. 🙂
I’m sure you’ve written a post about it, but could you tell me more about your wooden bench tops (counter tops), please? Or just direct me to where you’ve already done this? I’m going to change my composite stone to timber and would like to know more about maintenance and durability first. Thanks so much.
Hope you world continues to be so blessed.
Liz (Australia).
Are you all going to do the same at Kriste’s? Cleaning is always more fun when you use great products.
What a heartwarming post! I can imagine your heart is full! I’m so happy to hear that you received back what you give! I’ve been following you for years and can tell what an amazing and warmhearted person you are, so it is just that you are getting the same in return! :o) Your home looks lovely as usual!
This post makes me happy. And Meyer should definitely endorse you.
absolutely beautiful post Marian. I love your full and giving heart.
Wow! Kriste sounds like a keeper…and her husband. I love that spirit of love and understanding…
I love the Mrs. Meyers cleaner too, though my preferred fragrance is Lemon Verbena. I discovered it nearly ten years ago while helping to prepare my grandmother’s house for sale. It helped make the house smell soooo much better. If somebody offered to help me clean house on a Sunday, I think I’d cry. I’m sure you already knew this, but Kriste is a keeper!
Hi Marian,
You’ve inspired me to do the “big clean” at my house! Pretty sure none of my friends are going to show up to help though. I hope you don’t mind if I blame you when my kids complain that I am making them help me…:)
By the way, what is the color of the bathroom mirror.?..fantastic. I’m assuming it’s your paint.
I love your blog in the morning with a cup of strong tea. It’s so warm, approachable and always beautiful. I wish my Mom was still around. She would have loved it too.
Jackie
Yep, you can totally blame me when you make your kids clean! 🙂 The color on the bathroom mirror is a mix of Boxwood and Lucketts Green.
One of the things that I find so inspiring about your projects and blog posts is the underlying theme of encouragement and thankfulness. Maybe you don’t even mean for them to come across that way (having been a long-time follower, you probably do not, its just *you*) but I feel so uplifted every time I visit. My heart feels full for you, too, and its such a wonderful thing to share in others’ blessings.
I just love your posts. How can I get a pair of these David and Kriste people? 🙂
I’m guessing Kriste and David are probably just as grateful for their friendship with you – showing up at your house to help clean outside of work hours is a pretty strong indication of love and loyalty! Glad you all have each other.
And when are you going to organize a tour of all of the places you shop for those great vintage pieces (like the green pots) you’re always finding?
I just love your home!
Your home is beautiful Marian…you’re such an inspiration! Thanks for doing what you do and for your amazing products which I use often! ~ Denise x
Mrs. Meyers products are great! I have received them for gifts and make them last as long as possible. However, due to money constraints, I usually don’t buy it for myself.
So many people talk about Chapman’s “Love Languages”, I guess I will have to read this book!
I am so glad for your continued success. You give so many people so much joy, I am glad that you are receiving some of that, too!
Love Mrs. Meyers Lemon and some seasonals like Honeysuckle.
Oh, my! Cleaning and polishing those pots must have taken forever! 🙂
I use Mrs. Meyers products in my home, too. Our favorite scent is Basil for the all-purpose cleaner and Rhubarb for liquid hand soap.
Actually Meyer isn’t natural cleaner. It has ingredients that cause cancer. Just found out myself. Was using it before.
I’m retiring at the end of the week, and one of the things I’m looking forward to is eventually taking a room at a time to clean from ceiling to floor – at my own pace, in no rush. Won’t it be great to stay home in a freshly cleaned home? Whoopee!
Hello! Kriste and her husbands are keepers for sure! And she’s got a good hubby to jump in and help! Mine is that way too!
Quick question on your beautiful kitchen…where did you find your new wood stools? I know you had painted before, and I did search for them on your blog with no luck. Sorry to bother you, but they would be perfect for my home too! Thank you!
What happened to the painted kitchen chairs at the bar area that were so charming???? You seem to have switched them with plain wooden chairs. Why? As for David’s prowess with cleaning and polishing your pots, molds and pans…he is an absolute treasure!
I bought them about 8 years ago on clearance at Target, when they were being discontinued. One of them broke a few weeks ago, so I only had two stools and couldn’t buy a matching one. The other two were getting a little rickety for everyday use, too, so I had to replace them. I may end up painting these, but I haven’t decided, yet.
I was hoping to find out where you bought your new stools!
I got them from Restoration Hardware. Another purchase I sold a few things for, cashed out some credit card points, hoarded gift cards and waited for a good sale!
I’m doing the “big clean” as well. We just had the exterior of the house painted and a friend of mine came over 2 Sundays in a row to help me weed EVERY square inch of my yard and plant glorious flowers. Nine hours each day! I have re-painted every surface to include trim, put up 9 new light fixtures, built bookcases, cleaned closets, taken trips to the dump and thrift store, etc., etc. to get ready for my house to be on a local home tour. Whew! It’s a lot. Feels so good, though!! Friends like that are hard to come by and I, too, feel immensely grateful!
So loved your post and your love of these good friends! As always, you are an inspiration as I work to get my painted pieces store open about six months later than I had hoped. I’m 65 but I’m learning so much from you regarding technique and staging. Thanks–Linda
PS–Love the darling little thank you notes–handmade? purchased?
This is what used to be known as spring cleaning and just think, women used to do this to the ENTIRE house, including scrubbing down the ceilings, walls, everything due to the smoke and soot from the fires and poor chimneys in the homes TWICE a year. Plus, they didn’t have Windex, Dyson or Shark vacuum cleaners, tilt-in windows, Valspar Scrubbable Paint, odor controlling tall kitchen trash bags, golden fleece scrubbies (one of THE best things I ever learned about for the kitchen. I may not have that old boyfriend any more from college but I STILL use, 30 years later, the golden fleece his mother told me about), DAWN dish detergent, dishwashers (I put SO many things in this when doing heavy cleanings) (I’ve been cleaning out china cupboards, butler’s pantry and TONS of dishes and things using the dishwasher, now if only I could find an automatic way to do the antique things AND most of all, the aluminum cake pans). I too have been doing TONS of non-clothing wash in this massive cleaning and rejuvenation of my home.
What shocks me is just how much dust and dirt ONE single woman and now a golden retriever dog can generate. The worst is the Master Bedroom when compared to the guest bedrooms. What is it about actually using a bedroom that causes 10 times the dust in the room? I guess its our dead skin cells, lint dust and finally just the dust we stir up. The guest rooms only need a good cleaning about every 3 or 4 weeks. I could do the bedroom and bathroom twice of week but it definitely needs it at least once a week. I too have a “cleaning lady” who helps with SO many things and does the hard cleaning and is a HUGE blessing in my life. I had to start using one when it was taking me 3 hours to scrub my bathtub due to the excruciating pain that would start within 2 or 3 minutes of trying to scrub the tub. Then I would have to lie down for 20 minutes or so, then do a little more. If any of you have seen the commercials advertising the medication for fibromyalgia every word they say is true. I too USED to be on top of things, I used to be EXTREMELY organized, I used to be able to do everything I wanted to do. All of that is a joke now. BUT, I HAVE to work on the projects I am doing now. After 15 years of being in a restored 200+ year old home some things are getting scruffy and worn. Things need repainting, replaced like kitchen counters, etc., heck, there are things I’ve never accomplished on the original list but now some things need re-doing after all these years. I guess even one single woman, who has lived and entertained in her home which I LOVE (until I got really sick with fibromyalgia and other things) was used HARD. So……I envy you having your ENTIRE home done in just 4 days. I just wish my projects were accomplished so quickly and easily.
oh marian, your house looks just lovely! and lucky you and lucky kriste to have found each other!
now, what is the name of the darling pattern on your dinner plates – a sort of blue posy on white -I might need some! keep up the wonderful work and thank you for sharing with all of us, love and blessings to you, laurinda
I did not inherit the cleaning gene. By gosh I sure do love a clean home but I abhor the drudgery! It dries out my hands and hurts my back. THEN several years ago we did our kitchen over ourselves; faux marble countertops, new cabinets on one side, built in counter depth fridge and microwave with a new dark wood floor! THAT was when I started to like cleaning, as I so loved the new kitchen, and I found Mrs. Meyer’s BASIL counter cleaner!! IN HEAVEN!! Since that time I have toyed with the LAVENDER and Lemon Verbena, but just a whiff of the BASIL and I a right back to that first Thanksgiving a few short weeks after completing the kitchen reno. LOVE your home, your decor, your style, your sense and sensibility (groan!) and all you represent Marian. Now, if ONLY I could get so dedicated to clean the remaining rooms in our home!! Happy Summer!!
This is such a sweet post! I need a big clean here too, but with my shop opening – that is where the big clean is happening now! I love Mrs. Meyer’s – try the laundry sheets in lavender. My laundry smells delicious! My husband and I read the love languages years ago and taught a seminar on it – mine are acts of service and receiving gifts as well. That book is great for all ages, but especially helpful when just starting out in marriage!!
Wow, so much to be thankful for! You really are blessed! 🙂 Just had to say that I too absolutely love Mrs. Meyers lavender surface cleaner. The BEST!!
Better check, you might be pregnant. Woman seem to do that before they even know that they’re pregnant, it’s the nesting urge. Oh, God, don’t you hate me?? LOL
hi! I just love to read about what you are doing and look at your beautiful pictures on your site. Love your home!! I too just cleaned “super clean” as we are having guests all summer here in WA. I buy the Mrs Meyers “geranium” and love it too! Reminds me of my grandmothers home!! Thanks for letting me share
I need to do this. You’d think it would be easier, because I have such a small space (1100 sq.ft.), but it’s harder, because I have to shift a LOT thanks to a toddler and 3 adults. Can’t wait until I can move into something with wiggle room.
This post makes my heart bust too – sometimes it’s seemingly the simplest things people do for us that really touches our hearts. You are so fortunate to have such loving people in your life and I am so happy to hear that you do.
#yourhomeisbeautifulasalways
Yes, I love a clean home, BUT…I hardly ever get inspired to do the whole house at one time! One corner at a time is about all I can handle at once! Needless to say, by the time I’ve covered the whole house, the first half has descended into chaos again! Oh, well. Too many “things”. My spring this year, however,has been spent outdoors in my yard and flower beds every day that the weather would allow. I’m on a tear to get my yard looking good and give my house some “curb appeal” so that if/when I decide to sell it, it will be appealing. THEN, the work on the inside will begin in earnest. But I hate cleaning inside when the sun is shining and i can be outside. Bad weather has to happen before I will clean inside!
So glad you are feeling loved and blessed with good friends and followers. Your gratitude will bring more blessings, I believe. You deserve each and every one of them, my dear! Keep having fun–that’s the key to happiness, I think!
Hello Marian! I found this post so inspiring!
I admire your creative side but I also love when you share these things with us, how you organize your home, your job… Be sure you’re inspiring so many women and, in my case, so far from you (physically).
Congratulations and thank you!!
Besos from Buenos Aires, Argentina,
Silvina
Lol, I said to my husband “maybe my little green bottle of flowers will make it onto her blog” and here they are!! Totally made my night! 🙂 Did a happy dance and everything! Thank you for the inspiration you provide and I’m loving my green vanity. 🙂
~Nicole
I love your anonymous encourager! That’s so sweet!
.. and oh boy, it’s a good friend who will come by and help clean the house. Doesn’t it feel amazing when everything is clean and in order – it’s the most calming feeling to know everything is in it’s place, clean and done. I love and appreciate organization so much. It’s like an art form … Since my brain is so full and hopping from one thing to the next, order is such a blessing… it clears your mind to be creative…
Cindy