This is real life, y’all. *swipe left to see more pics of my house today in all its shining glory*

1.) 6+ loads of laundry piled on the guest bed… can we just take a moment to celebrate the fact that it’s CLEAN laundry. 

2.) Side table that probably hasn’t been dusted in at least 6 months.

3.) Henry’s dried spit up on my side of the bed, that I’ve slept on for who knows how many nights. 

4.) Handprints on the mirror, and Spurgeon’s beautiful artwork that happened when he found a pen that was left out. 

5.) Pile of diapers on the top of my dresser… pretty sure these all collected in the past 12 hours.

6.) Blocks scattered again, not bc Spurgeon was building with them… just bc it’s like his favorite thing to dump them out and hear them clang on the hardwood floors. Haha!

7.) Sink full of dishes. 

8.) Oil splatters and food particles on the stovetop. Probably has been a few months since it’s been wiped down.

9.) Toddler handprint on the fridge door. 

10.) Dust collection on the front of the HVAC intake…ha! But hey, at least we’re replacing the filter every month! 

There’s a never ending to-do list. Some of these tasks have been accomplished today, others haven’t. (We have guest staying with us over the weekend, so that’s a motivation to prioritize the laundry on the guest bed. )
Some of y’all may be thinking, “C’mon now, it only takes a few min to dust or wipe down a mirror…” I know, it is so.
My reminder today has been that the same is true of the needs of the little people in our lives. I might think “I don’t have time right now.” But it only takes a few min… here and there. A few mins here, spent cuddling a fussy baby. A few mins there, singing lullabies as a toddler drifts off to sleep. 5 mins here, to read a book. 10 min there, engaging in imaginative play. Not trying to pit a clean house against interaction with kids– sometimes both are possible, tho often they do seem in opposition to one another. Just remember, whatever projects are pulling at your time and attention today, don’t forget to make time for the people around you. These are the memories that will last forever. 

Jessa then took to Instagram to defend her “gross” home and her choice to share it after she was criticised and mummy-shamed for it.

Here’s what she wrote:

As I was making out my housecleaning to-do list the other day, this thought struck me… we all try to put our best foot forward and are most comfortable posting our “highlight reel” for people on social media to see. I could’ve waited 24 hrs and posted pics of everything freshly cleaned and looking beautiful (the stovetop is sparkling, dust bunnies have been removed, laundry is folded, bed sheets are washed, etc). Certainly people would find no fault with that… but many may find fault with themselves. I didn’t do that for a reason. Reality. 

Sometimes the dust collects on the side table in the spare room, and you don’t even notice it until you’re preparing for guests to stay over.Oh, and the diapers. Our diaper pail is currently outta commission, and I’m awaiting a replacement. Yeah, they were stinky, but I had them bagged up and out of the house before the pic of them was even posted.
I said it before, and I’ll say it again: “I am not trying to pit a clean house against interaction with kids.” I believe in, and value, both.
I really should’ve split that post into two, because it is not an either/or, but both/and. 
Here was my thought process on the second half of what I wrote. “I know it only takes a few minutes here and there to wipe a mirror or dust a nightstand, and I am making these things priority today. I’m also going to deep clean the bathroom, re-sweep the entire house, pick up the living room, and clean out the fridge. Nothing is going to stop me from accomplishing my to-do list!” Naptime zips by, and then I hear a little voice saying “Mommy, I hold you!” *Instagram, I need more space to finish my thought!*