Messy Confessions and a 31 Days to Clean Giveaway!

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Confession: I am messy!

(If you are not interested in messy confessions, and just want to get to the giveaway already, scroll down :))

As a child, my bedroom floor was usually covered with stuff. It didn't cause me too much trouble because I had an uncanny way of knowing exactly what was in each pile and which corner of the room I last saw my tap shoes (yes, I was a tap dancer).

Apart from the occasional missing item, or some slight embarrassment if someone actually saw my room, it didn't bother me too much. I was happy in my mess. And it always provided a great way to procrastinate whenever I had to study for test (you know, I have to clean my room first).

Then I became a wife and mother. The entire home was my domain! Cue: Panic Attack.

I struggled to keep the house clean and had absolutely no idea how to organize or even how often I should wash the sheets!

On the job training is tough. Especially when their are children underfoot making messes behind you.

When it comes to keeping our home spic and span, it is easy to be out of focus in one way or another. Perhaps we care too much about keeping things clean and neglect relationships. Or maybe, we are too lackadaisical and our home is neither warm or inviting because it is covered in dirt!

The journey to a clean and comfortable home may be fraught with difficulties, but there is hope!

Sometimes all we need is a friend to come alongside and show us the way, to offer support, to give us a few tools, a pep-talk, or a pat on the back. Sarah Mae is one of those friends. If you have read her blog, you know she is an wonderful encourager and strives to be a truth seeker (and teller) at all times.

Sarah Mae has written an excellent e-book titled: 31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way.

Don't you just love that title?

This book gets to the heart of the matter, helping the reader look deeper and search out their own reasons for keeping a clean home.

To me, this is brilliant. Having a strong grasp on why we do something always strengthens and motivates. (This is the same tactic I use to keep me exercising).

This book is not about keeping a perfect home. For what is a perfectly clean home if it is not filled love and happiness? Nothing.

As Sarah Mae says, “This book is about bringing life to the mundane in order to love well”.

31 Days to Clean offers 31 Days of encouragement. Each day begins with a some ideas that will set your mind to thinking. Then the ideas are put into action through two challenges: A Mary Challenge and a Martha Challenge.

Sarah Mae describes the challenges in this way:

  • The Mary Challenge -Something you do that encourages/engages your heart
  • The Martha Challenge – Specific cleaning tasks

Very clever, don't you think?

I'm slowly working my way through this book, even though I read half of it in one sitting…I just couldn't put it down.

31 Days to Clean is an excellent tool for helping women create peace and joy at home. It is going to help you delight in your days. I'm certain of it.

Sarah Mae is offering a copy of 31 Days to Clean to one of you!

Giveaway will end on Monday evening at 6pm PST.

To enter to win a copy of 31 Days to Clean, leave a comment below.

For extra entries you can do any of the following (leave a separate comment for each):

  • Like 31 Days to Clean on facebook
  • LikeDelighting in the Days on facebook
  • Check out the 31 Days to Clean Table of Contents and tell me which chapter you are most interested in reading.

This Giveaway is now closed.

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70 Comments

  1. I would love to have a chance to win this book! Thank you for offering this give away!

  2. I can’t pick just one chapter that I am the most interested in! They all sound wonderful! I narrowed it down to: Day 3 – 10 Ways to Give Life to Your Home, Day 13 – Fighting Fatigue, Day 28 – Who Are You Trying to Please?, and Day 30 – Contentment in Your Season of Life. This looks like a wonderful book!!

  11. I laughed so hard reading this post. I was that girl. My room was horrendously messy but I knew where everything was. TBH I’m still like that now with a whole house to look after. It’s very overwhelming but I try to keep on top of it. I love organisation but I just can’t seem to get the hang of it. Would love to read this book. Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy.

  12. Choosing one chapter I’m interested in was very difficult. There are so many that jump out at me. Day 31 balancing it all sounds really interested. Would love to be able to balance it all.

  15. Just what I need to inspire me to get dirty and clean!

    Deborah
    Homemaker Honey
    homemakerhoney.com
    homemakerhoney @gmail .com

  16. I actually have this book but haven’t had a chance to read it yet. I like what you said though about the booking digging into the reasons WHY. It kind of reminds me of something I heard on one of those hoarding shows on TLC. They maintain that a hoarder cannot stop hoarding until they learn why they began in the first place, then deal with that. Once that is done, the need to hoard can be controlled a little easier.

  21. I’d choose the chapter on fatigue, & I’d rather do anything but clean. Actually there are so many wonderful chapters, it was difficult to choose.
    Best wishes and thanks for offering this much-needed giveaway!

  22. Pingback: Keep On Keeping On (and a picture of my living room) | Delighting in the Days

  23. I could definitely use this book. I have four kids ages 8,5,2,and1. I am always behind and overwhelmed by my house work.

  29. I just bought this book myself (so I don’t need to enter the giveaway), but I just wanted to comment and thank you for your confession! I am a total messy too, and it has been a really hard process for me to learn how to clean and manage my home – a journey that I am still (and probably always will be) on. I think so often when we read someone’s blog, we picture this perfect house, and well-behaved children behind the mama on the computer screen. But real life is often much different than the perception that people might have of us, even if we try to be vulnerable and honest. I just appreciate you sharing your struggles. I’m right there along with you! And, I can’t wait to read and work through this book, I really think it will a great learning opportunity for me!

    1. It is nice for me to know I’m not the only one! Thanks for sharing Emily 🙂

  30. This book sounds awesome! I could use a bit of positive perspective and help in my never ending, unappreciated, task of keeping our home clean.

  32. feeling overwhelmed and fighting fatigue both look like excellent chapters for me.

  37. No doubt about it – i need to “confront laziness” in my life – oh boy, its gonna be painful! but thats the chapter i most need to read!

  41. I could really use the help!! The knowledge and encouragement will help me make a necessary change, improve my outlook, and keep things tidy and comfortable!

  48. I am interested in the chapter Finding Joy in the Self-Disciplined Life.
    laura bell hull at aol dot com

  49. Pick me! I would love to win! I have three kids under 3…. I need all the help I can get 😀

  50. I would love to win this book. It sounds like a great challenge that I NEED desperately.

  51. I would love to have encouragement every day to get my house in order in a month. As a mom of two little ones it can be a challenge and so discouraging to get one room clean and move onto the next room only to have the room you just organized destroyed in 10 minutes from your little ones. Its always nice to have that encouragement to keep up the good work:)

  52. Please enter me in the contest. I’m so glad this book is out there. I really need some help! 😉

  55. Day 10 “Feeling Overwhelmed” – seems to be a constant state of mind for me when I look around my home. Surely, this will offer some encouragement and tips for me…

  56. Oh My Word…this book sounds like just what I need! I would so love to win a copy…I am a messy by nature and I have 5 children home all day to help! 🙂
    C~

  61. Several of the chapter titles sound intriguing. I am interested in Day 5 – Priorities, I often think mine are set right, but they are probably not.

  62. I’m like you and lean towards the messy side. : I’m always thankful for reminders to take small steps in making my home a more peaceful ordered place. We are currently in one of those stages now as I’m training my children in taking care of the home more too! 🙂

  63. I hate to admit it, but I would love some help in this department! This book looks like a great and helpful tool!

  66. I’m particularly interested in reading the chapter on The Secret to Having Energy. Because energy is in short supply around my house!

  68. Pingback: Day 12 ~ The Thing We All Have in Common – Imperfection {31 Days to Clean

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