The Method In the madness Manual
issued for the care and keeping of everyday life
Click the images below for the step by step guides for each topic.
Every home has its own rhythm. Left unattended, it drifts towards disorder. Ask me how I know.
This field manual is a collection of practical advice for restoring a rhythm that embraces the happy chaos of life while still keeping some method in the madness.
If you’re committing to a whole-home project, the guides are meant to be completed in order, 45 minutes a day. You’ll notice it is not “day one” but “manual one” because a little grace goes a long way and this is a big undertaking. And life throws wrenches in our best-laid plans. Do not stress about missing a day or if one step takes multiple days. That is just life. Or maybe you’re superhuman and can do more than one step in a day. In which case, please teach us your ways, Oh Exalted One.
If you’re not doing the whole home and just want a quick single-space task, then pull that guide and knock it out.
Above all, please let me know what works for you and what doesn’t. Mostly because I’m genuinely curious and want to hear from you but also because I have things to learn, too. (We’ve already discussed the fact that I am no expert.)
- FIELD GUIDE: introduction
Coincidentally, this occurs nearly in tandem with the New Year—an event as trivial as my resolve to fix the chaos in my home. The truth is, I am overwhelmed by the mountain of projects, clutter, and disorganization that a few… Read more: FIELD GUIDE: introduction - FIELD GUIDE N0. 01:The Morning Routine
Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have. -Lemony Snicket Field Note There exists a fleeting moment, perhaps more than one, each… Read more: FIELD GUIDE N0. 01:The Morning Routine - FIELD GUIDE N0. 02: The Evening Routine
Evening you gather backall that dazzling dawn has put asunder:you gather a lamb, gather a kid,gather a child to its mother -Sappho Field Note My grandmother, the very embodiment of southern grace and impeccable housekeeping, called this ritual “putting the… Read more: FIELD GUIDE N0. 02: The Evening Routine - step four: prepare
Okay, but my house is overwhelming NOW…we’re on step 4 and haven’t even started cleaning yet! I know, friend, I know. But trust me on this one. As someone who has (many times!!) started the decluttering and cleaning process in… Read more: step four: prepare - FIELD GUIDE N0. 03: Good Riddance
Hence that state of mind at once gloomy and euphoric which one associates with carrying out the rubbish -Italo Calvino Field Note I boldly admit to borrowing this opening house-righting undertaking from Swedish Death Cleaning, yet I swear by it.… Read more: FIELD GUIDE N0. 03: Good Riddance - step five: the fridge
The kitchen is the heart of the home (even if you’re not a cook!) and so that is where we’re starting with the great clean up. Fridges and freezers get gross. They smell, they collect things in corners and gaps… Read more: step five: the fridge - step six: the pantry
This is usually one of the most calming places in the house, or one of the most terrifying. If it’s been a while since the last pantry clean-out (like me), then it can be a little daunting. The good news… Read more: step six: the pantry - inbetween: meal planning
We have a clean fridge! We have a clean pantry! We’ve done it! Now to keep it that way… (cue dramatic music) One of the best things keeping us on track for the pantry and fridge/freezer not getting overstuffed and… Read more: inbetween: meal planning - step seven: the catch-all drawer
Aka the junk drawer. But I’ve always hated that term – it implies that everyhing in there is junk and if that’s the case, then why do we have it?! So let’s change that. Less “junk”, more “home management”. Don’t… Read more: step seven: the catch-all drawer - step eight: sinks
Something about a clean sink makes the whole space feel fresher. And they get so dirty so quickly. And just smell…funky. Or maybe that’s just my house. My boy children have an extraordinary ability to get toothpaste everywhere, the kitchen… Read more: step eight: sinks - step nine: kitchen cabinets
Buckle up. Step nine is the kitchen cabinets. Whew. We can do this. (This is me psyching myself up for this.) It couldn’t come at a better time for me – they’re scary. A couple of years of people who… Read more: step nine: kitchen cabinets - step ten: kitchen drawers
I have a love-hate relationship with my kitchen drawers. I love that I have so much storage space, but I hate how it’s arranged. I never can seem to find the right combinations of things that make my drawers clean,… Read more: step ten: kitchen drawers - step eleven: large appliances
Time to tackle these bad boys. I intentionally haven’t cleaned mine for months just so I could relate. Yeah, that’s totally why. Also, I found a tatertot in the bottom of my oven that was basically a charcoal briquette but… Read more: step eleven: large appliances - step twelve: countertops
I am a countertop moderate minimalist. I absolutely love those styled photos on Instagram where people have books and cutting boards and vintage collections all arranged beautifully and make a kitchen so cozy. But that is not me or my… Read more: step twelve: countertops - step thirteen: small appliances
Confession: I do not own a toaster. Or an air fryer. Why? Because I don’t want to clean one. But I do own more coffee makers than one human should have. And a waffle maker that gets a LOT of… Read more: step thirteen: small appliances - Field Note 003: Maintenance
Restoration and Preservation There is a charm, even for homely things, in perfect maintenance. Louis Auchincloss There is quite a difference between the intense effort required for restoration – it’s a one and done. And then the world runs its… Read more: Field Note 003: Maintenance
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