Well - the first load of laundry is in washing - so I thought I'd take some time to share about some changes I'm making and how I'm making them, etc. etc. etc.
Not so much bunny related - but I think the changes will give me more time/energy/focus to be able to enjoy the bunnies more because I'll be happier with myself.
Years and years and years ago (like over 20 I think) - Stephanie Winston wrote a book called "Getting Organized". I think of all of the books I've read on organization and homemaking (probably over 30 at least) - hers is one of the best.
She talks about figuring out where you need to get organized and has you set up some goals (I think it is 5 or 6 or something).
Here is how you start. Think about your day and the events you go through. You get up and go to the bathroom, etc. - think about EVERYTHING you do and when you find yourself wincing or your stomach goes into a knot or something - that is a problem for you.
For instance - let's say you go to take a shower but you wince at thinking about it - because you never have clean towels. Or maybe the shower is too disorganized with too many bottles of stuff. Or maybe that's fine but its getting out and knowing you've got to get dressed but your clothes are so disorganized that you're just getting that yuck feeling ahead of time.
List those things that cause you problems - list as many as you want but then when you're done - pare the list down to the top 3-5 items.
Now let's look at those items. I'm going to put down 3 things here - not that these are the three things I'm working on right now.
- I hate taking a shower because I can never find a clean towel.
- Do we have enough towels? - If no - its an easy fix....buy a few more towels
- If yes - do I need a better laundry schedule so that we always have clean towels?
- Is the problem something related to towel storage - perhaps we don't have enough room to store the number of towels that we need?
- I hate trying to get dressed because I never have anything to wear.
- Is it because I don't have clean clothes? (Once again - maybe its a laundry problem)
- Is it because I don't have them organized? Perhaps they're always in a laundry basket?
- Do I have clothes that fit me or am I holding onto clothes that aren't the right size?
- Do I have clothes that work together or do I need something in particular? Maybe I don't have a practical skirt for work that can go with several tops....etc.
- I hate going out to the kitchen to get breakfast.
- Why? Are there no clean dishes? Do we need load the dishwasher the night before? Am I always out of milk or cereal? (Basically - is this a problem with clean dishes or with the food itself?)
Most irritations can be worked on once you realize if it is a task or a problem of space/organization.
Working on the bedroom yesterday actually took the TOP item off my list (there was so much junk/clothes on the floor that I felt like I was walking through landmines to get to the bathroom).
The second thing I'm working on is based on Peter Walsh's books - and that is "What is the purpose of this room?"
You see - Art looks at the bedroom and says "sleep" and maybe "watch tv" now that we have the big screen tv on the footboard.
For me though - the idea of a bedroom is a "safe place" for myself - a place where I can read and write and have my knick knacks and look at them.
I realized today that his probably comes from my bedroom when I was growing up. My mom bought me a beautiful (to her - not my style) white canopy bed/bedroom set which had two dressers - one with a mirror and one with a bookcase that held my knick knacks and a few books) plus a desk and a nightstand.
My dad was the one would buy me knick knacks and so they meant a lot to me....and books were one way I could escape from my mom and my world and my loneliness. I also loved to sit at my desk and write.
It seems now that I think about it - I try to recreate that "den" or comfort area in every bedroom we've ever had.
WOW...what insight.
Anyway - I need to talk with Art more and work some things out - like how much is "ok" to him and how much isn't.
I also need to go through my Steeplehill romance books (they're addictive - like candy to me) and see what I can get rid of. When I was working I used to buy every book every month (about $40 between the three different lines they have)...and I think its ok to enjoy them (and I do reread books a lot)...but I think I could go ahead and cut down my collection to half and still be happy...
So maybe that will be another goal for me...either to set a space limit or time limit or something for those books.
But that is what I'm working on and why I think I'm going to be liking my life more!
