Hey there! Thank you for stopping by.

What’s up fam, how are you? It’s a good day to have a good day. I hope everyone is doing well, enjoying some lazy days and long Summer nights, drinking plenty of water, and taking care of your body and your mind.

I don’t know of too many folks that do housework or mundane tasks with a smile. Most of us want to get through it and check it off the list. Today I want to share how I get through those forgotten tasks arent #1 on the list but still serve as an important cog in the machine.

The Home

Since working from home, I know I’m more attentive to the things and spaces I need to be clean and function well. In the days of yore [LOL-pre COVID], it was all the things on the weekend to get ready for the week which left tasks neglected and on a perpetual “to-do” list that never got done.

I don’t have small kids; it’s just my daughter and me, and she’s grown, so I don’t need systems in place in that way. When she was younger, it was brutal because every weekend was a reset, with laundry, meal prep, play areas, etc., so systems not needed could wait a little longer.

Over the years, I’ve learned if it helps my day run smoother, and keeps me organized, taking care of our homes is a level of self-care that we forget about. Self-care is not just mani’s, pedi’s, and facials. Self-care is anything that makes your mind or body feel good. It’s about taking a little extra time to take care of things that can brighten your mood.

Those Forgotten Tasks

Not all of these things are tasks that just get done a few times a year; some are things that I do to freshen a space that’s neglected or maintain the systems I have in place so when I need to get something done, everything is there ready for me to start …no excuses.

THE ENTRYWAY (If you want to call it that) is just that. It’s not grand or prominent. It’s just a small rectangular space with no features, but since I moved here, it’s always had something on the floor. A basket, our shoes, umbrellas, or just something.

So my first task was to clear it out, sweep and mop. Right next to the entry, we keep our everyday shoes, and the bottom tray was really dirty from what’s on the bottom of our shoes.  So cleared everything off, wiped the bottom part of the shoe tray, and took away all the winter shoes.

Side Note: This is why you should always take shoes off at the door because the outside is dirty. Do you really want that in your house, on your floors, or in carpeted areas…[yuck!] Remember that next time you walk into your house with your outside shoes.

Streamlining
I took it one step further and removed a paint can’t that’s been in my entry for months and put that in my coat closet, removed everything else off the floor, and found this nifty purse hanger for my daughter’s bag. I understand the reasoning for leaving near the door on the floor, but I want ALL THINGS off the floor. If I can keep it like this for at least a week, I will have achieved my happy place because my entry is always filled with things.

SHOES

After getting a better look at my shoes, I noticed stains on my white Puma’s, so I added that to the list. Cleaning sneakers is one of the last things that people think about, but I’m old school. I like that fresh-out-da-box white, and because sneakers aren’t cheap, I take care of what I have.

All my sneaks, with the exception of the Adidas, are a minimum of one year old. While I was cleaning those, I decided to clean the rest. I just used some Borax [it’s magic], a wooden brush, laundry detergent, and a cleaning cloth. I also washed laces on two pares, so now I’m good to go until the end of the year, with the exception of spot cleaning.

CLEANING TOOLS

We all have them because they’re a necessity—your Swifter, your duster, your broom, etc. Mine usually hang near the kitchen, but lately, they’ve just been left wherever they were last used, so I made it a point to use my last remaining Command hook, add one more to the row, and now everything hangs nice and neat.

REPLENISH THE STUFF

No one really thinks about laundry, you use your detergent, and its accouterments and keep moving. But when I go to do my laundry, I want everything ready to roll, so I took some time to liberate the Borax, Dryer sheets, and other items from their boxes for easy use. It’s also less bulky because these boxes take up space. I move everything where it needs to be, so when it’s time to do that chore, it’s done with ease.

PLANT FRIENDS I’m far from having a green thumb, but I’ve managed to keep two snake plants alive for close to a year. I’ve noticed their dirt receding [just due to time], so I went through my stash [also found a bag of dirt that I never opened] and added more dirt, turned the soil, and gave them a good watering as well as repositioned them.

My larger plant is taking up all the oxygen from my little one, that’s struggling a little. So moving them to another space was great. Since they’re growing, I don’t like to mess with their positioning, but this was as good a time as any.

SMELLS SO GOOD

I also love spraying my linens and sofa cushions year-round.  I found this Pineapple Mango scent at TJ Maxx, and during the fall, I use a white pumpkin scent. But my favorite is a winter holiday scent that smells like trees from Abby Sullivan.

I feel good now that everything is completed, and the accomplishment brings those feel-good vibes. No one’s house is perfect, and I don’t claim that mine is, but it’s just right for me and all my needs.

I hope this post gives you some motivation to tackle those things around the house, apartment, or even a small room, that can help take the frustration of your day and make you feel good.  Thanks so much for visiting, and for my newbies. I hope you consider subscribing.  Have a great week! — Peace

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