90–last day of the March

90

It’s the last day of the month. Hold me.

This means that April is tomorrow, and when I agreed to a deadline for the second crockpot book of May 1, April seemed like an eternity away.

How come nothing ever is an eternity away anymore? I think I’m getting old.

Today:

daily 7

finish up your icky spot spring cleaning

play catch up, if need-be (um, YES, that would be me…)

get ready for Easter, if applicable

find a way to make more hours in the day

day 89–errands, and the icky spot

89

One day down, and we’re already into the meat of the week. How was your Monday? Productive? I got 2/3 of the stuff done I wanted to accomplish yesterday. I have a hard time remembering how difficult it is to get work done with a baby!

Today:

daily 7

efficient erranding

spring clean your icky spot (yesterday’s post)

Nothing is more harmful to the service, than the neglect of discipline; for that discipline, more than numbers, gives one army superiority over another.–George Washington

day 88–it’s monday! woo hoo!

88

Welcome to another week! Passover is this week, and Sunday is Easter. Make sure to plan accordingly!

Please write down everything else you need to do in order to feel as if you’ve done your Spring Cleaning. It’s okay to psychological clean (when you clean or over-clean something that doesn’t need it, just so you feel better), but try to keep your priorities in order.

Move on to the ickiest spot of your house—the attic, garage, basement, the tool shed— all those places where cobwebs gather and things get shoved to be “dealt with later.”

Spend whatever time you can in your chosen spot, remembering that every little bit you do is much better than doing nothing at all. There’s no such thing as a perfect tool shed. It’s actually pretty absurd if you think about it!

Today:

daily 7

weekend recovery

get ready for upcoming holiday—make a list and check it twice

schedule time to spring clean your icky spot

yesterday: last weekend of the month

86 & 87 the last weekend of the month

86 & 87

I hope you have some fun planned for this weekend! If your family celebrates Easter, there’s only one more week left.  Are you cooking? Traveling? Do you need to bring something to share? Have you bought the stuff needed for Easter baskets?

Write down absolutely everything that you need to do between now and then, and divvy up the tasks evenly amongst the days. Even if you have Friday off—get as much done on the days leading up. You never know who might get sick, or which appliance may break. Plan ahead, and then you don’t need to feel guilty when you watch a Desperate Housewives marathon (they run 3! every single day on Lifetime, wowsers!).

keep up with the daily 7

company clean if needed

meal plan

yesterday: friday fun joke day

day 85–happy, happy friday!

85

Oh I’m so glad it’s Friday. Some weeks seem to last forever.  Plan some fun family time for tonight. Game or movie night is always a huge hit, or just sit around the dinner table and tell stories and laugh. It’s quite entertaining to take turns telling jokes out of any joke books you’ve got lying around, or you can dig around online and print a few out for the kids to read.

a few sites I’ve used: yahoo! kid jokes, silly jokes, and family jokes for kids.

current favorites:

What do you call a cow with no legs?  ground beef!

Where did the hamburger take his date?  to the meat ball!

What did one eye say to the other eye?  something smells around here!

Today:

daily 7

catch up

laugh!

yesterday: back to spring cleaning

day 84–back to spring cleaning!

84

How have you been doing with your spring cleaning? So far this month, we’ve done the kitchen, the bathrooms, and began working on the yard. Let’s move back inside and get the formal spaces of the house in good order. Polish and shine the furniture, and make sure the chandeliers and window treatments are dusted and clean (in our house, that means the blinds and ceiling fan…). This is your house. You know what needs to be done!

Today:

spring clean living and dining room

daily 7

yesterday: big picture check/ reflection on personal energy

day 83–big picture check

83

I posted yesterday on the crockpot blog about my friend Jenny, and provided a link to a post she wrote about her sister’s battle with cancer. I assume that most of the people who check in here, check in at the crockpot site, but just in case maybe the overlap isn’t 100%, here is the link to Jenny’s post.

Today:

Take the time to reflect on your family, and the big picture you’re painting. There’s some famous saying that I could probably google, but since there are tears in my eyes right now, I’m not going to and instead will paraphrase: Whatever you spend the most time doing is where most of your energy flows.

What is it that you spend the most time doing? Is that truly where you want your energy to flow?

that’s it. the rest can wait.

82–spring clean bathrooms

82

Happy Tuesday to you! I got an email from Katrina yesterday which reminded me to remind you to spring clean your bathrooms. Since you’ve been doing the Daily 7 more often than not, your bathrooms are probably in pretty good shape already. Congratulations!

This will be super easy. Wash the bathmats, switch out all the towels, including the “decorative” ones (or wash and put back. even if you don’t use them, they get dusty and grimy). Mop the floor with antibacterial cleanser and make sure there isn’t anything funky growing in the shower. Use a bleach pen, if necessary. While you’re in there, PROM the medicine cabinet and under the sink area.

Start with the hardest bathroom first, then move on to the easy one(s).

yay!

yesterday: day 81, monday, take a day off. sort of.

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
–Confucius

day 81–new week, new(er) you?

81

I’m on day 3 of antibiotics, and I feel like a new person. I’m treating a sinus infection, but it must have been brewing for a few weeks now, because the low grade headache I’ve had inbetween my eyes is gone, and I can’t remember the last time I felt this good. I was beginning to think the slight pain and tiredness was my new normal. I’m glad to discover it’s not!

What about you? Do you find yourself going through the day not really paying attention to what’s going on with you or your body, because you’ve got too much to do? Are you taking Advil or the like probably-more-than-you-should? Are you medicating yourself with wine? Margaritas? Espresso? Nasal spray (I, um, had an addiction to Afrin in my early twenties. I love that stuff. I probably shouldn’t say that outloud, but in the interest of full disclosure, there you go…)

Today:

Pay attention to yourself. Are you putting off a doctor’s appointment? Dentist (I totally am. I’ll go. Soon. Maybe in July.)? Are you remembering to take some time to be aware of your surroundings, your conversations, your experiences instead of just rushing from one thing to the next?

weekend recovery. or don’t do it and take the day off. it’s okay—there will ALWAYS be more chores to do at the end of the day. It’s not a competition, it really isn’t.

Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit. –Elbert Hubbard

yesterday: get outside and enjoy the weekend

days 79 & 80, the weekend

79 & 80

There’s only one more weekend between now and Easter. I know, it’s coming quick this year!

This weekend:

catch up on past projects

PROM the pantry

meal plan

cross some things off of your punch list

yesterday: friday! prepare the yard for outdoor fun

Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.
–Sam Ewing

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