10-15 Minute Cleaning Sessions (New Thread) - Page 66

[*bejeweled*]

[quote name="IsaFrench" url=go and cook the meat for tonight (turkey, normally with a sauce that's cream + tomatoe sauce, called "sauce aurore" ... but then DS has been calling it "sauce horreur" has in horrible because he doesn't like it so not sure how i'm going to serve the meat now ....)
[/quote]

[EuroMama]

DS1 is at home sick. :(

So far I washed and folded DS1's clothes.

Washing DS2 and DH and mine's laundry.

DH made us all breakfast and then left to one of his jobs to fix someone's car.

I still have to make some chicken noodle soup.

Take a shower because I stink. lol

[*bejeweled*]

Ladies, I thought you might enjoy this article:
Reclaiming a Day of Rest
Adding a weekly day of rest to your schedule may be the best thing you can do for your health—and your productivity.

By Carol Venolia
January/February 2013




For many of us, busy work weeks end with weekends jam-packed with back-to-back errands, household chores and other obligations. With these hectic schedules, the idea of taking an entire day just to relax may sound laughable. But while taking a day off might feel like a luxury we can’t afford, a day of rest may actually be a health imperative we can’t afford to give up.

Our bodies require rest to be healthy. The negative impacts of stress range from tight muscles and irritability to increased risk of chronic diseases such as heart conditions and cancer. Not taking vacation time has been found to increase risk of heart attack in men by 32 percent. Rather than considering a day of rest a luxury, we should consider it a necessity.

Testing Out Rest

Humans have long recognized the value of taking a day to relax and abstain from labor. The tradition exists in religions and cultures from around the globe, from modern Christianity to ancient Babylonia. But of course, observing a day of rest doesn’t have to be tied to any specific religion or culture—it’s all about relaxation, whatever that means to you.

Several years ago, in the midst of a way-too-busy life, I decided to create my own weekly day of rest. I wasn’t concerned about limiting my use of cars, computers or other tools; what I needed was freedom. So I decreed that I could do anything my heart desired on Sundays, as long as it entailed no sense of obligation.

Sounds lovely, right? I could not believe how hard it was. Those first few Sundays found me playing computer games for hours. Simple relaxation and self-indulgence were too unfamiliar. I’d been driven for so long by my sense of responsibility that it took many Sundays for me to learn to just breathe and enjoy.

I am so glad I did. Not only did I ease into naps under the oak tree and aimless country drives, but these new habits had a ripple effect throughout the rest of my week. In the midst of a busy workday, I began to notice when I was flagging and would take a restorative break. The result? I cleared my head and got more done.

I still work hard, but learning to balance work and rest is one of the best moves I’ve ever made. In a culture hell-bent on winding us all up to the snapping point, that’s no small matter.

Reasons to Rest

For many of us, the idea of taking a day off every week can be frightening; a day off is a day lost, a day of falling behind on the never-ending to-do list, a day that could be spent doing something useful. Guilty feelings leap up, as if we owe it to others to grind ourselves into oblivion. Our sense of worth is so often wrapped up in what we do—especially for others—that it’s difficult to stop. And when everyone around us works without rest, we fear we’ll appear lazy and self-indulgent if we step off the treadmill.

But driving ourselves to be productive at all times actually makes us less productive. Our bodies require (not just prefer) regular rest in order to function well and keep on going. While stress brings on illness and fatigue, relaxation makes us physically healthier. And many studies confirm the importance of rest, in both small and large doses, in keeping our minds working at peak efficiency. Quite simply, a day of rest makes us more productive the rest of the week.

A day off also can improve our relationships both at home and at work, making us less likely to snap at our children, spouses and coworkers. It lets us unwind and spend unhurried time with friends and family. And most important, it will make us live longer, healthier lives, allowing us to do more to help others and the world for a much longer span.

Linda Ross teaches college English. A couple of years ago, she was burned out, depleted and contemplating a leave of absence. Then she turned to the ancient wisdom of Sabbath practice. Her standard: “On Sunday, I don’t do anything that feels like work.” In the past, Linda dreaded Sundays because they were the last day before Monday, the big workday. “Now I look forward to all of Sunday,” she says. “It’s so restorative, and my life feels balanced.”

Food journalist and cookbook author Mark Bittman (author of How to Cook Everything) decided to unplug one day a week after he realized that only when asleep was he not talking on the phone, texting or checking email. He turned off his phones, TV, computer and PDA, and found forgotten pleasure in reading books, napping, sipping herbal tea, gazing out the window and taking a walk without earbuds. “Once I moved beyond the fear of being unavailable and what it might cost me, I experienced what, if I wasn’t such a skeptic, I would call a lightness of being,” he writes of the experience in his 2008 New York Times article, “I Need a Virtual Break. No, Really.” “I felt connected to myself rather than my computer.”

A day of rest is for filling your well, feeding your soul and rejuvenating your mind and body. It’s about stepping aside, just for a day, from the killing illusion that the world depends on your efforts. It’s a time to surrender to something much larger and deeper than your individual, try-hard self—and to realize that the world keeps right on going, even when you pause long enough to enjoy it.

Design Your Day of Rest

Make up your day of rest any way you want to. Start by considering what you most need a break from. It could be something specific, such as driving a car, or something more general, such as perfectionism. Think about the activities, obligations and attitudes that pervade your days, and ask: “Is this restful? Does this restore me?” The answers will be different for everyone. If you consider cooking a chore, prepare meals ahead of time to eat on your day off, or indulge by going out to eat. If you love cooking, use your day off to make an elaborate feast. Forgo paying bills online if it causes you stress, but don’t ban the computer if your favorite leisure activity is catching up with friends online. For each activity, ask if it helps you relax and, if the answer is no, leave it out of your day off.

If you have a family, include them in planning the day. You may want to share relaxing experiences on your day of rest, or (if you’re usually together) you may want to build in some alone time.

Once you experience the bliss of regular downtime, you may find the healing effects spreading to other days of the week. Perhaps you’ll claim some restful evenings, or pause several times a day for a moment of mindfulness. As self-restoration becomes a habit, you’ll become more in tune with your own rhythms, making yourself healthier, calmer and happier.

Your Easiest To-Do List

Here are some elements to consider including in your day of rest (but not too many at once!):

• A shared meal
• Candlelight
• Music
• Silence
• Reading
• Deep breathing
• Strolling
• Time in nature
• Meditation
• Long baths
• Gazing at the moon and stars
• Opening and closing rituals
• A blessing
• Doing nothing at all

Let It Go

If you’re struggling with feelings of guilt over taking a day to do absolutely nothing, remind yourself:

1. I can take a day off
2. I deserve to
3. I need to
4. The world needs me to

---

Carol Venolia is an architect and freelance writer whose website, Come Home to Nature with Carol Venolia, and ebook, Get Back to Nature Without Leaving Home, help people connect with the natural world.

[*bejeweled*]

EuroMama, I hope your son is feeling better.

Today I:
-made breakfast and coffee
-got DD off to school
-rinsed the dishes and cleaned the counters
-put out the trash
-went to an appointment
-
-picked up lunch
-rested a long while
-made dinner and rinsed the dishes
-walked
-washed 2 loads of

[EuroMama]

Deleted. Double post.
Edited by EuroMama - 1/30/13 at 12:47pm

[EuroMama]

Bejeweled. He stayed home yesterday with fevers and coughing, but is better today and is back in school.:

Today I need to:

Clean litterbox
Clean bathroom

Yesterday I did laundry, vacuumed, rested with the kids.

[IsaFrench]

hello

today i had a good start because DD2 overslept (she woke up before 5:00 am, un-well) so i was able to attend to my 4 water points/one load of laundry/ trip to the market/ pack bags for picnic, all achieved before 9:30 am

... but in the afternoon i ended up giving a hand to some neighbors who are moving and were late on their schedule so going down and up 3 flights of stairs for a little more than one hour ...=> i was surprised to realise that the neighbor had even more stuff that should have/could have been disposed of than i do ....

this is going to make me even more committed to finish my task from the 2013 in 2013 thread !!!!

did a second load in the afternoon, baked some mini banana muffins (our favorites at the moment )

walked loads too

on the other hand, i had taken out a lot of stuff to sort out on Tuesday evening but choose instead to talk on the phone so had to shove the lot in some large plastic bags "to sort out later" ... tomorrow schools are on strike, i was going to put DD2 at the minimal service that is run by the town ... planning to use the time to sort stuff out ... but now am not so sure, it will depend how her night goes....

these kids have too many holidays in my opinion (= i can only sort out when i'm ALONE/ the flat is not too dirty ...), they've only been back 3.5 weeks and the next holiday is in less than 3 weeks !!!

[EuroMama]

So far today I:

Sent DS1 off to school

Cleaned bathroom while DS2 was happy sitting with daddy and BIL.

Picked up toys

Changed diapers

Nursed DS2

DH started dinner. Chilli. :)

He is running some errands for me right now while DS2 naps.

I still have to do:

Litter box

Vacuum

Edited by EuroMama - 1/30/13 at 6:00pm

[*bejeweled*]

Hello. Today I:
-WOH all day
-made breakfast and coffee
-got DD off to school
-rinsed the dishes
-put out the trash

I hope to:
-do nothing more

[IsaFrench]

Hello everyone,

today i didn't put DD2 in school after all & am going to have to take her to an appointment in the afternoon (not my first choice)

on the other hand i already cleaned 2 water points, am about to hang first load of laundry

made (and ate) some delicious (pity am the only one who likes it !!!!) barley soup with coriander

also defrosted some salmon & seasonned it - for lunch (today being an odd day, am trying not to eat meat)

and made a huge mixed and colorful salad (that will do lunch AND dinner !)

also washed fesh spinach leaves i baught at the market yesterday, spinned them & in the fridge good for at least 5 days

have started on cutting rope for making a plant hanger (which i promissed a friend AGES ago .... things got on the way ....)

need to give a phone call

need to find out which coach DD2 and i will be taking (i don't like going to "new" places .... am sure it's easy & i'll find the right house no problem, still i worry about it beforehand .....)

also need to get away from internet before the morning's gone ....

have a good day everybody !

[*bejeweled*]

Hello. Today I:
-WOH 1/2 day
-made breakfast and coffee
-got DD off to school
-rinsed the dishes
-put out the trash
-straightened up nicely
-made the bed

I hope to:
-relax a nice long while

[IsaFrench]

Hello, today i

- put out the trash

- trying to "ground myself" until i've done much more on my -to do list- !!!!!

- kitchen sink done, toilet sanitised (including un-screwed lid soaking in the bath), one load up to dry, second load in the washing machine

- put away folded clothes from yesterday and the day before

- made a shopping list

- tried to add "fun stuff" to my to do list

- sent 2 e-mails

- posted pictures of something i'd like to sell

- spread out stuff i need to sort out, on the sofa + in the bedroom

so that i get round to it before early afternoon !

- made barley + coriander soup again and savoring it whilst sitting at the computer

(on Wedn. i plucked 3 bunches of fresh coriander whilst at a playdate in a park, am sure the other moms thought i was rather weird

.... but i frooze 2/3 of it and am rejoicing at the thaught that i'll be able to have my favorite soup even if it's not market day or if i don't have time to go to the market ....little pleasures ....)

- prepared a LLL book on breasfeeding for a school mom i talked to this morning, put post it notes on the 3 pages she needed and had fun underlining in different colors the passages that will be more useful to her as she resumes work 2 days a week (about the practicalities of how long can breast milk keep in the fridge, once defrosted and re-heated etc ... )

- am hoping now that i'll resist the urge to surf the internet for too long as a means to procrastinate on sorting out (which makes me anxious ....)

[IsaFrench]

the "grounding myself" didn't work ... i had to go and sign DD1 off at school, they suddently had 3 hours with no class

i'm doing far less when i'm not alone

so i didn't declutter what i wanted

well, only what was spread on the sofa ....

on the other hand, i cleaned up places that i hadn't touched ... for more than a year i think

(under the drawers that go under DD1's bed ....)

+ change sheets on a double bed

the "something" i'd like to sell has two prospective people interested, have sent my directions to the first one,

am waiting to hear when they can come and collect ....

passed on the book about breasfeeding when i collected DD2 from school

[*bejeweled*]

Hello.
Today I:
-made breakfast and coffee
-got DD off to school
-soaked the dishes
-put out the trash
-WOH all day

I hope to:
- and reeeelax

[IsaFrench]

hello, today

- am about to go on an errand for quite a few hours ..

- hoping to crochet some on the way and during the wait

- hoping also to finish the macrame hanging basket rope thingy that i started (on Tuesday ?)

+ the usual load of cleaning (which might well be done in the afternoon AFTER getting a nap

since i went out last night and THEN spent fruitless hours on the computer procrastinating

before tackling sorting out LOADS of papers in boxes and folders ....

...no idea what i'm going to serve for lunch and dinner (i'm easy and have all my favorites at hand .... it's the family who's picky ...)

[*bejeweled*]

Happy Saturday. Yes!
So far today I:
-made a big breakfast and hot
-rinsed the dishes and cleaned the counters
-wiped down the microwave
-took DD to piano lesson
-went to lunch
-did a big grocery trip w/DH, DD
-got the car washed
-had the neighbor help us bring in the groceries. Thanks Goodness the place was kinda decent.
-put out the trash
-walked
-made a big pot of spaghetti
-

Tomorrow I hope to:
-do nothing
Edited by *bejeweled* - 2/2/13 at 10:32pm

[ShyingViolet]

Ok. I'm going to start posting here if that's ok 

Today I:

Got rid of all toxic cleaning products in the house!!! 

Made cottage cheese pancakes for DD and I (and bacon!)

Went grocery shopping for the week

Got stuff for homemade cleaning products

Pulled out the stove/fridge and cleaned behind them  Ew! 

Cleaned the kitchen floor/high chair really thoroughly

Scrubbed kitchen cabinets and counters

Did dishes from breakfast

Put DD down for nap

Tidied toys in livingroom and bedroom

Made lunch for DD and I (leftovers)

Made 5 gal of homemade laundry soap

I'm still planning to:

Clean under the kitchen sink 

Laundry

Order some things off amazon

Make dinner (? May be eating with my mother) 

[*bejeweled*]

Welcome ShyingViolet.

[*bejeweled*]

Hello. I hope you're having a nice day. It is gorgeous here.
Today I:
-made a light breakfast and coffee
-read the NYTimes
-rinsed the dishes and cleaned the counters
-
-am making a light lunch (plan to have a nice seafood Superbowl dinner)
-washed one load of laundry

I might wash a few loads of laundry. Mostly I plan on relaxin'.
Edited by *bejeweled* - 2/3/13 at 4:57pm

[Kellymom1]

Kelly here,

Today I:

Made breakfast for the kids.

Started laundry.

Cleaned up the both bedrooms including vacuuming.

Rinsed the dishes.

Time for rest :)