My current favorite thing is...
Productive Sundays!
This was my Sunday, last week.
I got up with the kids, dressed them, fed them and made coffee (for me).
They played while I sat down at the computer. I was feeling rather inspired after a few weeks of slight writer's block. In the span of a couple of hours I got two blog posts completely finished and scheduled for publishing, three posts edited and two rough drafts done.
Then, at what seemed like an appropriate time, I woke my husband up so he could help me with the kids. He had back-to-back gigs that weekend which typically means a 3am (or later) arrival home both Friday and Saturday nights (rather, early Saturday and Sunday mornings). Because of that he appreciates a little extra shut-eye on Sundays. So after a couple of hours of "bonus" sleep for him, I got him up so I could continue the project I had started the previous day--organizing, cleaning and decluttering our bedroom.
I love our bedroom. We have an old one and half story house in a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. It still feels like the city and I love the city. But living in the city (or so close to it) oftentimes comes with a smaller footprint. Our house isn't big, but it's the perfect size for our family. Sure, there are things I would change, but for the most part, I love it. Especially our room, which we upstairs. It's fun having our own floor, just for us.
However, with having a bedroom that is so secluded from the rest of the house comes a major drawback, at least for me. It's where my clutter goes.
I can keep the majority of the house clean and picked up because if I don't the walls start closing in on me. But where does the clutter go that I don't want to look at on a daily basis? Upstairs. Since there's a lot of room up there it's easy to pile things up, out of sight. Especially when we are preparing to host something.
But after awhile our bedroom doesn't feel so welcoming. It starts to give me anxiety and having anxiety in the room you are supposed to rest in isn't the most conducive thing to sleep.
So, last Sunday, I rolled my husband out of bed and got to work.
It was a very fulfilling day. I went through all the piles that had accumulated. I set stuff aside for a garage sale I'm planning with a friend in the spring. I organized. I redecorated a bit. But most of all I decluttered.
I am a hoarder. Not like a reality TV hoarder, but I keep stuff that I should probably just toss. It has gotten a lot better over the years and being married to my husband has helped a lot. I've been working on a post where I write about this issue and what I've done to try to conquer those hoarding tendencies--we'll see if I'm brave enough to publish it in the coming weeks.
Once I go through the process of decluttering I just feel better. Lighter. And that's what I did. All. Day. Long. I only paused to make a homemade dinner of roasted chicken (seriously, who am I???) and then I got right back to work with vacuuming the stairs. (Who puts carpet on stairs? The worst.) I then concluded my organizing blitz with our front closet that was overflowing with coats that didn't even fit our kids anymore.
As I was cleaning I remembered this old proverb and couldn't agree more. Everything I did on Sunday has brought a week of productivity and calm.
What are Sundays like for you? To be honest, this wasn't the norm. I did a lot more than I typically do. But, while I like relaxing on the weekend, I also like preparing for the week ahead. It just helps my brain to be organized.
{P.S. Here's another time I went on organizing rampage, with some tips!}
xo Sara