It's The Little Things

This month I wanted to focus on enjoying (or at least not hating) the little mundane tasks that I do around the house every day.  I really enjoy having a clean house but let's be honest...I don't really enjoy actually doing the laundry or the dishes or any of the other odd jobs that contribute to having a clean house.  In fact, one of the worst moments of my week is when I get ready for bed Monday night and I place a few dirty clothes in the empty dirty clothes basket.  And menu planning, don't even get me started.  It's agonizing trying to figure out meals for 2 weeks!  

As I thought about this month's goal I realized that it is easier for me to complete tasks when I have a specific time to do them and when I'm organized.  So I went through my "chores" and made sure that I had a specific time to complete them.  For example I menu plan during E's first nap on Monday mornings.  

Here are some little things that have helped me enjoy the mundane a little more.

Menu Planner

We needed something to keep track of what we were eating each week so I made this.  I love it and love using it so it helps make menu planning slightly more fun.

Bounce Dryer Bar

(Picture from bounceeverywhere.com)

I can't decide what I like best about this little beauty...

the amazing scent

the super soft clothes

or 

the fact that I NEVER have to remember a dryer sheet

This little saying/Household Motto has been at the front of my mind past month.

If I just do the dishes right away and fold the clothes right away things work out a lot better. 

My house ends up being cleaner and there isn't as much to pick up at the end of the day.

Which means I have more time to spend with Michael, and that makes me happy.

Passion in 2011

This post is overdue, but I really need to record it for me. 

To be honest, I was a slacker in the month of February.  I don't know what it was... starting the month out by going out of town, the cold weather that hit when I was starting to look forward to Spring, or feeling old after my birthday.  I don't know, but I just didn't live with passion like I wanted to. However I did complete some of my goal.  

For February I wanted to send letters to people I care about letting them know that I care.  This was something I was really good at before I got married.  In fact, Michael has a whole BOAT LOAD of cards and letters I wrote him while we were dating and engaged.  Sadly I have gotten out of the habit of writing to people and telling them how I care or feel or just saying thank you for their kind words.  

I only sent out a few cards, but while I wrote them and thought of the recipients reading them my heart filled with love for them and gratitude for their examples and the wonderful memories we share.  Pausing to think about those who have positively influenced my life makes me a happier and more grateful person.  I really have been richly blessed with wonderful friends and family.  I am so grateful for each and every one of them and the inspiration they are to me. 

And for those of you who are such great friends and loved ones...Thank you!  I love you!

Goals

As Michael and I drove down to Arizona to celebrate Christmas with family we spent some time talking about goals and what we wanted to change, accomplish, and improve during 2011.  At some point between Vegas and Mesa, in the middle of no where, this little phrase was born, and is my motto for 2011. 

  passion |ˈpa sh ən|(noun) an intense desire or enthusiasm for something

It took some time to hash out my plan for 2011, but it was inspired mostly by my great friend Charity.  You see Charity is the epitome of someone who lives life with passion |intense enthusiasm| every minute of every day.  She takes the beautiful and the ugly that life has to offer and embraces it.  She is excited to be alive and to experience all that this mortal life has to offer.  It is her great example that made me realize that I have sometimes taken a "back seat" to life, just letting life pass me by.  Yes I enjoy my days and weeks, but I'm not satisfied with that anymore.  I want to live life with intense enthusiasm, I want to wake up each morning excited to see what the day will bring, excited to see and participate in the things that the Lord has in store for me and my little family.

To help me cultivate a great enthusiasm for life I choose different aspects of life to focus on each moth.  My hope is to share my experiences here and see how my life changes over the course of this year.

For the month of January I decided to make a plan each day.  Simply list the tasks I wanted to accomplish in a day and cross them off as I went.  Why?  Well, after E was born I quickly realized that it was very easy as a new mom to fill my day with "nothing".  (Don't get me wrong, I don't consider caring for my little one nothing)  So often though, 3:30 would roll around and I would glance up at the clock and be shocked.  I would think to myself, "Michael is getting off work in 1/2 an hour and I have done NOTHING all day.  I would quickly race around the house and try to straighten up before he came home.  I quickly felt very unfulfilled at the end of each day.  So now I have been making a plan every day.  I have categories and I choose a few tasks for each category every day.  

Home/Family:

Dishes, Laundry, Mop,Cook Dinner (an area I have majorly slacked in since E was born!)buy groceries, clean the bathrooms, Do something nice for my husband...

Spiritual:

Read the scriptures, ensign, relief society lesson work on my ward calling, Serve someone...

Self:

Read a book, blog, take pictures, work on a sewing project...

So, how does this help me live with passion?  Well...now when I wake up I already know what tasks I would like to complete each day and I can jump right in.  No more sitting around thinking about all the thinks I should do.  This also helps me get excited for the fun things that I plan!  I have not been able to live this goal 100% this month but I have noticed a substantial difference between the days when I do make a list vs. the days that I don't.  At the end of a "list day" I feel so much more accomplished.  I can look in my planner and see all the tasks I was able to complete.  And that feels good!  (Even if some of those tasks include cleaning bathrooms!)  I love doing this and I hope to make it a life-long habit from now on.

Now I can't wait to start next moths goal...