Little House, Little Housework?

The other day I came upon this picture on Pinterest:

The caption the pinner had added was: Little House, Little Housework. That pin has been on my mind as I've struggled to get our little living space back in order after the past tumultous couple of months we've had. A lot of people are under the impression that the less space you have, the less work you have to do. I find it to be quite the contrary.

In a smaller living environment you must be diligent about cleaning and organizing. You muse be diligent about getting rid of stuff. We used to live in an almost 3,000 square foot house and now are in approximately 600 sq ft. While a large space will accomodate some clutter and mess with little impact, a small space will not. What would be a little clutter in a large home or apartment, becomes an episode of hoarders in a small space. It takes a mere day or two of neglect and your space looks like surely you are the survivor of some horrible natural tragedy. Otherwise known as the good old adage, "It looks like a tornado went through here!" That was a favorite saying of my grandmother's and trust me, the rooms she was speaking of couldn't hold a candle to the mess you find in a small space that has been neglected for a couple of days.

So, before you go wishing for a Little House, Little Housework, type of life, be forewarned. There is a LOT of work involved in keeping a little house livable. There are no days off. There's no putting off laundry because you have something more fun to do, or you're not feeling well. You don't dare leave the dishes undone, because your sink only holds the contents of one meal comfortably. Everything else spills out all over the counter, which is only about 2 sq ft of space, so now you have nowhere to prepare your next meal. In a regular size sink you can leave the dishes go for the entire day and not have a mess to look at. But in a small space by the time lunch is over you can't find the faucet to turn the water on. Think you can just go shopping and bring home your wonderful new haul with no consequences? Think again. My closet is not large enough to accomodate one third of my old wardrobe, and forget it if you think you're going to be Imelda Marcose in a small home. I have one pair of cowboy boots, one pair of sneakers, and two pairs of sandals, and they are constantly in the way. Are you the type that likes to stock up on groceries? Forget about it! My pantry is now contained under my tiny sink. And don't even get me started on the miscellaneous stuff that a family tends to accumulate.

All that being said however, if you are great at organizing, cleaning and have the mentality of some of my children, which is "less is more", a small space may be just the place for you! My oldest daughter could easily live a tiny space and have no problem whatsoever! She has a gift for organization and can walk into a room and have it sparkling like a television commercial in less than half an hour, no matter what she starts with! My sons could do it easily, they would happily live with their Bible, one pair of pants and a t-shirt if I let them. So, I have to assume the problem is me and the rest of our family. But even a few things can create a mess in a small space. And it happens in a hurry too!

Still and all, living in a small place can be a blessing. Just have realistic expectations. I guess you could say, Caviat Emptor, Let the buyer beware.

No matter the size of your living space, I hope it is a blessed space that you enjoy.

Have a Blessed Day!

Colleen

Photo Credit:
http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

Linking to:
Time Warp Wife:

http://time-warp-wife.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-build-long-lasting-yoke-and.html