"This week, it's a great idea to clean out your bathroom. It's amazing how much we pack away in this little room....Let's consider a typical example. We decide we don't like a particular shampoo after using it just once. However, we feel wasteful tossing it, so it becomes a space hog."
-- Regina Leeds
Well, it's mid-summer and it has been the hottest, most humid summer in years. Many days it takes all my energy just to do what absolutely needs to be done. Plus, this is such a wonderful time of year to take a break from so many expectations, relax a little, read more books, visit with more friends, and enjoy the garden and the front porch.
I have really been enjoying all of the work we've done so far. My kitchen is so much neater and generally stays that way; and my bedroom is staying just perfect and I love the tranquil feelings it gives me. I still haven't put up any art work, but will make some decisions soon.
Last week I decided to finally tackle the bathroom, as I had been so busy that it hadn't been possible to get to. Since it was so hot and muggy, I decided to break the tasks into four - one for each weekday evening, but not so much at one time that it would be overwhelming.
My first task was the large cupboard where the cleaning supplies go - along with a lot of useless garbage, too, as I found out. I came upon a couple of dry, shrivelled yacht mops, medications for pets no longer with us, empty cleaning supply bottles, and brittle sponges. Yuck. My first night's work concerned only this cupboard. I cleaned it out completely, and tossed away all of the junk. I then washed the shelves and the floor and put back into it only the up-to-date, useful cleaning supplies - neatly on the shelves, according to their kind.
The next two evening I spent on the other cupboards. This time it was more complicated because of the cross-over of products. Face care, nail care, body lotions, medications, vitamins, hair products - all mixed up and very chaotic. So, at first I simply threw away anything useless, (i.e. missing a spray cap!) anything out of date or practically empty. (Or old prescription medications.) And then I just grouped them together and waited until the final evening to properly store them again.
I have realized throughout this process that organizing is similar to writing. Most writers write their best first drafts by just writing - being in the flow and enjoying the creative burst. For most, it just doesn't work to stop every few sentences and editorialize. It breaks the flow, and it's simply not as effective. I like to say everything I want to say by using my creative side, then later I can go back and try to be an objective editor. It's the same with organizing. My brain can't handle tossing out, cleaning, sorting, AND deciding on the best way to organize things at the same time. I guess it's the opposite of writing in that the more practical tasks come first, and then the creative side.
So, the next task will be to spruce things up, maybe do some painting, hopefully change the hideous light fixture that has been torturing us for nearly 6 years. I'm not entirely sure I can create even close to a spa feeling due to my older fixtures and flooring, and my shoestring budget. But I will do my best.
Because Regina's book is divided into 12 months and one of the months is devoted to the onerous task of moving, and I am not moving, I am going to relax a bit, give myself a bit of a summer holiday, and extend the bathroom project into August.
Ahhhh.......less pressure, less stress...more relaxation. Sigh. It's sounding almost spa-like already!
Cheers!
Diane
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
"Bathrooms: Chasing Your Cares Away!"
"...He longs to be free...
...And yet how strange!
He is still afraid of freedom..."
-- Ashtavakra Gita 3:8
"It's the perfect month for a quick and cathartic makeover -- one that will contribute immensely to crating a soothing, Zen environment in your home. I'm talking, of course, about clearing all the small bits of junk from your bathroom!"
OK, Regina has my attention already. I've been pleased with my progress with various areas of the house and I am really enjoying the transformation. One thing for sure, though, is that it certainly isn't enough just to get things into order, the biggest challenge is keeping them that way. Especially when there are other people in the house. And the bathroom is one of the biggest challenges of all at the best of times!
There are always way too many towels to wash, dry, fold, and put away. Everything needs scrubbing. All surfaces need constant tidying. We have a terrible tendency to buy new products whether for cleaning, haircare, or skin care, when there are still older products to be used up. This goes as well for toothpaste and tooth brushes. I like to buy extra toothbrushes to have on hand in case the kids have friends sleep over. But it seems that my own kids keep opening up new packages and I really have no idea why. The two of them share a ceramic toothbrush holder and this weekend I counted six toothbrushes of various colours in the holder. Why?? Two kids and six toothbrushes - it's an absolute mystery to me.
Regina states, "This month, you'll be creating a room that treats your body with respect. Too often, the bathroom is a sloppy, carelessly put together room. We're going to get as close to the feeling of a spa as we can." Really???? Wow. Hard to believe! But I sure love the idea....it sounds like luxury to me.
Regina ends with a "Habit of the Month": "Every single time you use your bathroom, wipe off the counter....The bathroom counter attracts and holds hair, product residue, and general grime more than most surfaces. Wiping the counter helps the room stay inviting. Be sure you put everything away when you have completed a task. No toothbrushes, hairbrushes, or makeup left carelessly tossed across the bathroom counter."
It sounds like a great plan, and a pretty simple plan, really. It just needs ALL of us to be on board. Regina asks, "Are you ready to get started?" Absolutely! Bring on the spa....
Cheers,
Diane
...And yet how strange!
He is still afraid of freedom..."
-- Ashtavakra Gita 3:8
"It's the perfect month for a quick and cathartic makeover -- one that will contribute immensely to crating a soothing, Zen environment in your home. I'm talking, of course, about clearing all the small bits of junk from your bathroom!"
OK, Regina has my attention already. I've been pleased with my progress with various areas of the house and I am really enjoying the transformation. One thing for sure, though, is that it certainly isn't enough just to get things into order, the biggest challenge is keeping them that way. Especially when there are other people in the house. And the bathroom is one of the biggest challenges of all at the best of times!
There are always way too many towels to wash, dry, fold, and put away. Everything needs scrubbing. All surfaces need constant tidying. We have a terrible tendency to buy new products whether for cleaning, haircare, or skin care, when there are still older products to be used up. This goes as well for toothpaste and tooth brushes. I like to buy extra toothbrushes to have on hand in case the kids have friends sleep over. But it seems that my own kids keep opening up new packages and I really have no idea why. The two of them share a ceramic toothbrush holder and this weekend I counted six toothbrushes of various colours in the holder. Why?? Two kids and six toothbrushes - it's an absolute mystery to me.
Regina states, "This month, you'll be creating a room that treats your body with respect. Too often, the bathroom is a sloppy, carelessly put together room. We're going to get as close to the feeling of a spa as we can." Really???? Wow. Hard to believe! But I sure love the idea....it sounds like luxury to me.
Regina ends with a "Habit of the Month": "Every single time you use your bathroom, wipe off the counter....The bathroom counter attracts and holds hair, product residue, and general grime more than most surfaces. Wiping the counter helps the room stay inviting. Be sure you put everything away when you have completed a task. No toothbrushes, hairbrushes, or makeup left carelessly tossed across the bathroom counter."
It sounds like a great plan, and a pretty simple plan, really. It just needs ALL of us to be on board. Regina asks, "Are you ready to get started?" Absolutely! Bring on the spa....
Cheers,
Diane
Monday, July 5, 2010
"Say Goodbye to Piles!"
"To have inward solitude and space
Is very important because it implies
Freedom to be, to go, to function, to fly."
-- Krishnamurti
Regina opens this chapter with the beautiful quotation above. I find it quite inspiring. It makes total sense that in order to function well, feel free, and to fly, it is important to first have a secure inner space. And it seems so much easier to achieve inner space when your outer space is calm and orderly.
Last week, I'm afraid, I did nothing at all to further my control of paper. I was very busy at the first of the week, then it was a long weekend. During the weekend I was out of town for a birthday party, and then spent another day and evening at a wedding and reception. Aside from these activities, it was hot, hot, hot and extremely humid, making me want to conserve energy rather than spend it.
I will have to go through the two bins of paper I set aside last weekend. It seems somewhat daunting but Regina is encouraging: "No matter how many piles you have, remember that you are going to work with only one at a time. When you have your pile chosen and in front of you, remember it's just one piece of paper at a time."
Her basic advice when sorting is to immediately toss any non-personal papers such as flyers, old coupons or ads, magazines, or newspapers into a recycling bin. Keep a separate bin for personal but non-needed papers for future shredding. And, for the papers you want to keep, create separate piles for the various categories; this will make them easier to file later on.
As I said, I still have a way to go to be really on top of paper clutter. I will have to set up and maintain a proper filing/storage system and I know that will feel just great.
Until then, I can be happy that I have at least eliminated one great source of frustration in my life: paying bills. I have always struggled with this task and have always hated it. (Well, who could love it??) So, I simply did away with the job entirely. Don't get me wrong - I still pay my bills, but now it's all done electronically. My pay gets deposited into my account once a month and all of my bills are paid automatically. That way I know exactly what I am free to spend on all of our other necessities of life. This alone has made my life much simpler and easier to manage.
And guess what? I've managed to keep the little table by my front door clean and uncluttered for over a week now. Wow! Maybe there's hope for me yet.
Cheers!
Diane
Is very important because it implies
Freedom to be, to go, to function, to fly."
-- Krishnamurti
Regina opens this chapter with the beautiful quotation above. I find it quite inspiring. It makes total sense that in order to function well, feel free, and to fly, it is important to first have a secure inner space. And it seems so much easier to achieve inner space when your outer space is calm and orderly.
Last week, I'm afraid, I did nothing at all to further my control of paper. I was very busy at the first of the week, then it was a long weekend. During the weekend I was out of town for a birthday party, and then spent another day and evening at a wedding and reception. Aside from these activities, it was hot, hot, hot and extremely humid, making me want to conserve energy rather than spend it.
I will have to go through the two bins of paper I set aside last weekend. It seems somewhat daunting but Regina is encouraging: "No matter how many piles you have, remember that you are going to work with only one at a time. When you have your pile chosen and in front of you, remember it's just one piece of paper at a time."
Her basic advice when sorting is to immediately toss any non-personal papers such as flyers, old coupons or ads, magazines, or newspapers into a recycling bin. Keep a separate bin for personal but non-needed papers for future shredding. And, for the papers you want to keep, create separate piles for the various categories; this will make them easier to file later on.
As I said, I still have a way to go to be really on top of paper clutter. I will have to set up and maintain a proper filing/storage system and I know that will feel just great.
Until then, I can be happy that I have at least eliminated one great source of frustration in my life: paying bills. I have always struggled with this task and have always hated it. (Well, who could love it??) So, I simply did away with the job entirely. Don't get me wrong - I still pay my bills, but now it's all done electronically. My pay gets deposited into my account once a month and all of my bills are paid automatically. That way I know exactly what I am free to spend on all of our other necessities of life. This alone has made my life much simpler and easier to manage.
And guess what? I've managed to keep the little table by my front door clean and uncluttered for over a week now. Wow! Maybe there's hope for me yet.
Cheers!
Diane
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