Ever walk by the mountain of laundry in front of the washer — or better yet, spilling out from the hamper and onto the bathroom floor — and momentarily fantasize about lighting the whole thing on fire? You're not alone. When you're a mom, laundry becomes the bane of your existence, perhaps more than even bedtime or packing lunches for school. But Jessie Roberts, a mom, blogger, and podcaster from Melbourne, Australia, recently saw the humor in her overflowing laundry bin, and she transformed it into something kind of magical: a Christmas tree. Or, rather, a Christmas laundry tree.
On her Instagram account, @sincerelymumsy, Roberts shared a snapshot of the DIY "tree," which was piled high with laundry she hadn't gotten to.
In her caption, Roberts clarified that she'd actually taken the photo last Christmas, but it was too good not to share with the world. (Or at least her 22.9K Instagram followers.)
"We [were] going away for two weeks and I couldn’t and didn’t have time to do the washing," Roberts wrote. "So Like any creative person… I improvise."
In the end, the mom left the makeshift "tree" up for a solid two weeks before taking it down.
Roberts' post elicited a ton of cry-laugh emojis from moms, who took one look at it and instantly appreciated her creativity.
Mostly because the overflowing laundry piles, which frequently cover the floors of most homes with kids, are just so damn relatable.
"This is awesome!" wrote one person.
"This is the best Christmas tree I’ve ever seen!" added another.
Countless others tagged their mom friends in the post too — and one even challenged her friend to making more than just one with her epic piles.
The Aussie mum recently spoke with Today Parents, and gave a bit more background on how the whole thing got started.
"My husband left for work and said, 'You need to get through all the washing before we head down the coast tonight,'" Roberts told the outlet. "Being a smart a–, I turned it into a Christmas tree."
Her husband Val, who works as a dentist, was apparently quite amused when he first laid eyes on the holiday tree. It also helped set off a lightbulb in his mind, and he quickly offered to help out with laundry.
Roberts' response, though? Probably not what you think.
"I said, 'Nope,'" she told Today. "Then I left it like that for nearly two weeks."
Aaaaand we're dying.
Roberts, who's mom to River, 7, Scarlett, 5, and Jagger, 3, isn't surprised so many moms found her tree relatable.
"I think it resonated with so many moms and dads because we all have that pile of clothes somewhere in our homes — dirty or clean — it's if we choose to show it or not," Roberts said. "When house duties get to be too much, it's better to make light of it than to throw the towel in."
She's also no stranger to keeping things real, being the co-host of the parenting podcast Stepford Wives.
Although Roberts is ultimately happy the post made so many moms laugh, she also hopes it serves as a gentle reminder that it's OK to let the laundry or the dishes pile up sometimes (or all the time). Life with kids is hard, and the mental load is REAL. No mom — or dad — is perfect, and kidding ourselves about that fact does no one any favors.
"It's a good reminder that it's OK to not be on top of your household chores," she said. "And some days, we just can't be bothered with adulting."
