Day of Order

My sabbath is a good day to get organized for the week. Order means to "let all your things have their places, and let each part of your business have its time"; today I will take it slow, and ease in to order. 

My perfect sabbath is a celebration, a holiday. I keep it holy with my attitude: I don't rush, complain, or worry. Everything I do has a flavor of peace. I schedule some work, but it's work I find fulfilling, or uplifting. Simple is a great word to describe my ideal activities for the sabbath: Simple tasks, simple foods, and an undemanding schedule.

Agenda today:

1. Read "One Year to an Organized Life"

2. Start an evening routine

3. Simple steps for health and order

4. Make pitcher of green smoothie

5. Clean and clear the bathroom

1. Read "One Year to an Organized Life":

I'm enjoying this book by Regina Leeds (2008) so much that I ordered my own copy. The subtitle promises I will get "Completely Organized for Good"! While I don't consider myself to be hopelessly disorganized, I have identified several areas that need improvement.

I'm a little behind, but not in a hurry. The second section (January, week two) is Creating Schedules and Routines. "Everything you do needs to be scheduled. (Yes sister!) ... When you start planning your life with an overview, you safeguard two things: your energy and your goals." She's preaching to the choir here - I schedule every 15 minutes of my day. I schedule my naps and my teeth brushing and time to talk to my husband.

She talks about how a schedule helps you to say no, because you know exactly what your plans are. I don't have trouble saying no, unless it's something I think I can do the best. She makes the point that I can find ways to mentor others into those roles I normally take in order to have control; in other words, I can teach someone else how to be organized.

The Power of Routines section talks about ways to prepare for the next day each evening. This sounds like a new routine I could institute!

2. Start an evening routine:

In the evening I usually watch TV, then clean up the kitchen, put the ducks in, and go to bed. I'd like to add in a couple of preparation tasks, so my evening will look like this:

8:00 Check my calendar: Make a note of meal and snack plans for tomorrow, and the top priority creative project.

8:15 Clean the kitchen and check that I have what I need for tomorrow's snacks and meals. Leave a note on the table for what I plan to make.

8:30 Gather all the supplies for my top priority creative project for the next day, and put them where I can see them.

8:45 Put in the ducks, brush my teeth, and go to bed.

3. Simple steps for health and order:

This year I've decided to review and work at the Simple Steps model for improving my self-care and home-care practices. I will choose one new habit in each area, each week, to build and monitor. I will set an intention that uses the action + deepest reason model. This week:

I intend to take better care of my teeth - floss and brush more often - because good oral health will help me to speak clearly; taste, chew, and swallow delicious and nutritious foods; smile and enjoy life.

I intend to institute and practice an evening routine that will bring me to be prepared for the next day, especially with meal planning and creative projects, because these are two areas where winging it hasn't worked for me, and being prepared will help my next day flow smoothly.

4. Make pitcher of green smoothie:

A couple weeks ago I made a plan to make green smoothies each week, as one way to get more veggies in my diet; Today I followed through!

Ingredients:

• 
  1 cup milk
• 1/2 c. yogurt
• 2 c. spinach
• 1 medium banana
• 1 cup fruit - frozen mango, berries, etc.
• Honey to taste

Makes 1-2 quarts

1. Freeze Bananas: Let the bananas ripen then cut them into halves or thirds. Flash freeze on a baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight, freezer-friendly container to store.

2. Put ingredients into the container of a blender in the order listed.

3. Start blending on low speed and increase to high.
Blend on high speed for 50-60 seconds until mixture is smooth.

5. Clean and clear the bathroom:
Every year in January I kick off a month of deep cleaning. My house has mold-related issues that are best done before we get any deeper into winter. I take it one room at a time, and this week I'll clean in the bathroom.

Extra chores this week:

• Mop the floor, and wash the rug.
• Clean and dust the shelves and baseboards.
• Shine the sink and tub: Fill both with hot water, add bleach, and let it sit for 1 hour. Scrub with cleanser, and rinse very well.
• Scrub the mildew off the walls with detergent and warm water, then use a solution of ¼-cup bleach in 1-quart water. Wait 20 minutes, apply Borax solution and do not rinse, to help prevent mold from growing again.
• Repaint the walls where it's stained, and add more butterflies!