Daring Daughterhood

 This is not a deep clean. This is not a “my house smells like eucalyptus and life is under control” routine. This is the reset I do when the house feels like it has slightly defeated me, my brain feels cluttered, and I need things to look liveable again before I lose the will to function. It takes 20 minutes. I do not do it perfectly. I do not do it daily. But when I do, it helps more than I expect. I usually stick a timer on my Echo Show and tell myself I am not allowed to spiral about the rest of the house until the timer goes off. Minutes 0–5: Clear the Surfaces I start with whatever room we are actually living in, usually the kitchen or living room. I grab a basket like this one [ Laundry Basket Link ] and walk around throwing in anything that does not belong in that room. Toys, random socks, hairbrushes, a spoon that has somehow travelled, the usual. I am not putting things away yet. I am just clearing visual clutter. Clear surfaces make everything feel calmer, even if ...