"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 anything out of date or practically empty.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
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