QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Make plans for your Memorial Day Weekend, if you haven’t already.
- Today would be a great day to shop for Memorial Day weekend supplies (hotdogs and buns, potato salad, corn, watermelon, marshmallows and graham crackers, sunscreen, beer?) because stores will be crowded on Friday and the weekend.
- If you’re traveling, camping, or doing a road trip for Memorial Day, why not pack today so you’re done and ready to go?
- Make plans for Fourth of July travel or festivities. It’s great to get your airfare sooner rather than later, and get your campground (if any) reserved early.
- Pay bills now so they’re done by the 1st of the month. That way you don’t have to scramble when you get home from your Memorial Day vacation.
- Wipe down one appliance in your kitchen if there are any that need it. I can do my stove/oven, refrigerator, or dishwasher in just the time it takes to heat water for tea.
TODAY’S PROJECT: Bathroom
Today, in between my work, caring for pets, cooking dinner and taking my teenager to the dentist, I’ll thoroughly clean one of my three bathrooms.
I don’t want to spend my Memorial Day Weekend cleaning, so I’ll do a nice project every night this week and relax on the weekend.
If I clean one bathroom very thoroughly per week, my three bathrooms get cleaned a little more often than once a month. That’s not quite often enough, so I want to remind myself to clean all three at the same time sometimes. When one has all the cleaning supplies out and ready, she might as well keep going if she has the time!
It will take me less than twenty-five minutes to scrub the toilet and shower, wipe down the toilet tank, mop the floor, scrub a sink, wipe the counter and mirror, empty the trash, and wipe down the walls.
I’ll also swap out the four towels, two hand towels and bathroom rug for clean ones, and start the laundry washing before I prepare and eat dinner. Later tonight, it won’t take but a moment to toss the washed bathroom towels into the dryer and take them out to fold before bed.
I’ll be removing makeup, moisturizing, and brushing my teeth in a sparkling clean bathroom tonight!
LOVELY BATH & BODY: Aveeno’s New Blackberry Vanilla Body Wash
My current body wash (I keep just one in the shower at a time, to keep it from getting cluttered up) is this new one from Aveeno. I wasn’t so sure about the vanilla component of the scent – it’s pleasant, but far from my favorite. However, this made my dry skin feel so soft and hydrated, it’s worth ignoring the vanilla scent and focusing on the blackberry!
Aveeno’s “Blackberry Vanilla” Body Wash, on Amazon
LOVELY BLOGS: Taste of Beirut
The first “ethnic” cookbook I ever owned was a Lebanese cookbook. I was fascinated by it, and I’ve actually made quite a few recipes from it over the years. (Contrast that to my hoarded cookbook collection – I browse through the lovely photos, but hardly ever make any of the recipes). I found Lebanese cooking to be quite adaptable to my lifelong vegetarian diet – many cookbooks are almost useless to me due to the sheer quantity of meat recipes.
I’m delighted to find this Lebanese cooking blog, which offers recipes such as lentil and bulgur pilaf, tumbleweed stew (wow next time I go visit relatives in Eastern Washington I will stock up on tumbleweeds!); and what to do with fresh chickpeas. Yum!
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
The Best Dress Shape for Your Body This Summer (Good Housekeeping)
The 5 Best Pints of Storebought Ice Cream (Bon Appetit)