now time for coffee and a brownie
Good afternoon! Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I want to say I am praying for you today! Have you been praying for something or maybe things (plural) lately? I mentioned to my husband last night there are so many things in my life I am praying for and needs on my mind that I am praying God will work out, that I almost feel bad! I am glad that He is understanding and will listen to every concern I have, whether big or small. Some stresses I have recently are big things and it seems like they are just hanging in the balance while I watch to see which way they're going to go. I don't like that because I am a self-professed control freak - yep, I like to have a plan and know what's going on...you know, the exact who, what, when, where, why, and how. I like it all written out and organized. Life isn't like that, right people?
Because I like life all tied up in a neat, organized bow and I realize it doesn't work that way, I do make accomodations to help life feel a little less messy; at least around the house! I just need to feel a bit less frazzled. I want to share them with you today, so maybe you can feel a little calmer too. Maybe sit down and have a cup of coffee in the evening with a movie and a chocolate chip brownie. Well, that's what I like, anyway, but however you like to relax! So, here are three ways I have found to keep my life feeling a little more put together!
1) Make your bed. I know this may seem strange. My mom made me make my bed every day, so this is just what I have always done, but my husband grew up in a house where beds weren't necessarily made. It just wasn't a big deal. My thoughts on this are, even if there are clothes strewn about the floor or toys scattered around the room, the fact that the bed, the focal point and purpose of the room, is made will make a big difference on the way you feel when you enter. To make it easy, I just simply pull up the covers as I step out of bed before I go anywhere, and toss the pillows on. There. Done. I don't have to think about it for the rest of the day and it helps that area of my life.
2) Keep the sink free of dishes. I love this one because it really does help create a clean atmosphere in the main area of the house where everyone hangs out. For myself, I set the dishwasher to wash each night, so in the morning, we put the clean dishes away, so all day, we just stick the dirty ones in the dishwasher as we go. That way, no dishes in the sink. Did I mention this cuts down on weird smells too?
3) Pick up random stuff before you chill out at bedtime. Throughout the day, stuff gets thrown around and laid here or there, and after all day of this, it can get out of control. Trust me, I know! After supper, I usually take just 10 minutes and walk through, especially the living area, and pick up the randomness and put it away. It's also nice to set the timer on the kitchen stove for 10 minutes to make sure you don't get crazy and go overboard. It will also help keep the habit since you know it's only 10 minutes - no more, no less. If you want to get really crazy, give each member of your family a basket labeled with their names and throw all the random stuff in the appropriate baskets. Bam. Done. And life feels a little bit better for it!
I hope these ideas will help you in your everyday life. If you have more ideas that you use in your house, please let me know. I would love to hear them and add them to my stash of ideas! God bless you in the rest of your day. Talk to you soon!
Love,
Charis
