Saturday, March 31, 2012

Habit of the Month Follow-up: March

This month's habit has been to find a home for the stray items laying around our home.  Overall I have done well.  Definitely not perfect, but steps of progress have been made.  More importantly than seeing the progress around me, the development of the habit has been good.  Just establishing the habit of finding homes for things in our home or letting them go if they are not something we use and love has been a wonderful exercise.

Now on with a new month and the establishment of a new habit.  Of course, not forgetting to continue to find homes for the loose items I find around our house.  

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Window Art

Last weekend was long . . . the kids had a day off of school, the weather was cold enough I did not want them outside (we were all fighting or recovering from colds), my husband was very sick so I was single parenting, and we were all driving each other a bit nuts.

In an attempt to find a variation to our activities I pulled out the dry erase markers and asked the girls to draw some pictures on our large porch door windows.  They thought it was great!  Out came the step stool and their imaginations took off.  Soon the windows were covered with butterflies, horses, rainbows, renderings of our our family, pictures of our house, castles, etc.  I think they had a slight sense that they were getting away with something they should not be doing.  Their toddler brother had fun erasing what he could reach and watching them jump and squeal in response.

My only regret in the whole activity was my inability to keep their artwork. When the time came to wash the windows on Monday, what was left of their great pictures was wiped off.  I did try taking some photos which helped a bit in preserving the memory. 



Overall the activity was a great success.  Score one for mom's ability to find a new way to do a common activity.  Oh, and the girls each learned to draw something different from each other and they exercised their imaginations!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Habit of the Month: March

This month, as I seek to help my home be a bit more organized, I am tackling the hidden or not so hidden areas of our house: our storage locker, the extra closet in the baby's room, and the top of the large closet in the master bedroom.  I may even attack the boxes in our bedroom - the ones that have become invisible because of their long time residence along the walls.  

Regina Leeds' recommendation for this month's habit is to watch for the following comments: "I don't know where this goes.  I'll just put it here for now;" then acting to find a home for those things.*  When I find myself thinking or saying this (or hearing it from someone else in my family), I will find it a home or seriously consider letting the item go.  If it does not have a place in our home, why is it here?

How about you?  Do you have a habit you would like to solidify in your life this month?  Is there a new habit you have been wanting to develop?  Make this month the month to start.  Maybe you would join me in seeking to find homes for the stray or orphaned objects in our homes?  

*One Year to an Organized Life, Leeds, p. 119.