QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Need to eat up, use up or throw out leftovers from the long weekend?
- Is it time to clean your fans and put them away for the year? It’s been so nice here I haven’t used my bedroom fan in a few days. I’ll probably keep that one handy just in case, but I’m putting the rest of my household fans back in storage in the garage. I don’t want to put away dirty fans (though they’ll get dusty in the garage) so I’m taking a minute to wipe them down.
- Peek into your coat closet. Is there room in there for the coats and rain jackets you and your family will need for the upcoming autumn months? Need to clean out the closet, get rid of extra umbrellas, sort old board games?
- Prepare a special lunch for your kids’ first day back to school after the holiday – if you send lunches with them to school. Otherwise, prepare a special snack for when they get home from school. We’re doing a special Family Dinner tonight to celebrate their exciting day.
- When’s the last time you wrote in your journal, diary or blog, if this is something important to you? Make time as needed. With school back in session, I have a bit more quiet time in the evenings due to everyone doing their homework. This gives me a bit more time to write, reflect, and write letters.
- Make any phone calls to relatives if you haven’t over the weekend. Don’t forget your in-laws! If you have small kids, your relatives might be eager to hear how their first day back at school went.
TODAY’S PROJECT: Laundry and Laundry Room
Were you able to get some laundry done over the weekend? I got a blanket laundered and ran a load of towels, but mostly I was busy participating in too many fun events and neglected the rest. So today I’m catching up on bedding, kitchen towels and cleaning rags, bath mats, a load of dark clothes, and a bedspread with too much cat hair on it.
While I’m waiting for the cycles to finish, I’ll tidy my laundry room. I’ll mop the laminate floor in there, sort and inventory my laundry and cleaning supplies. I’ll finish by dusting the wood cabinets that hang above my washer and dryer.
Tonight when I’m watching TV (the Coma miniseries) I can easily fold laundry, rehang towels and run out during commercials to replace bath mats.
It’s easier to keep our laundry up to date when the laundry room itself is neat, clean and organized. Do you have laundry to do? Hand washing? Ironing? Folding?
LOVELY BLOGS: White on Rice Couple
Todd and Diane are professional food photographers and lifestyle bloggers – you can tell by the gorgeous pictures here! Currently blogging about how to roll fresh Spring rolls; deep dish peanut butter cookies; and Vietnamese pickles.
LOVELY BOOKS: Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons
I just picked this book up at the library a couple days ago, thinking it would inspire me for the next seasonal posts I plan to do on Lovely Living. I’m enjoying it so much, I’m almost finished reading it (I skipped the Spring seasonal chapters though, I’m just not in the mood to think about Spring).
“Celebrate holidays with elegance and simplicity on any income.” This book covers the seasonal festivals (including solstices and equinoxes), holidays such as Labor Day and Flag Day, and big holidays like Christmas. I found soo many inspiring tips here: “Embellishing the Ordinary” by scenting your fire with dried orange and apple peels; artful uses for ordinary things; celebrating the magic and majesty of winter; autumnal home graces; how to kindle Christmas. The author is down-to-earth, practical, warm, and plain spoken. I can tell she’s spent a lot of time soul searching and just finding ways to enjoy life.
I think after I return this book to the library tomorrow, I’ll have to buy a copy to keep on my reference shelf and re-read for inspiration every couple years.
Frugal Luxuries by the Seasons, on Amazon
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
DIY Lunchbox Creation Station (Mom Advice)
A Dressed Up, Colorful Romantic Kansas City Apartment (House Beautiful)
Flammkuchen with Peaches and Goat Cheese (Delicious Days)
How Cleaning My Closet in Fall Gives me a Fresh Start (Stylelist)
Italian Plum Upside Down Cake (Bakingdom)
Rudolf Nureyev: A Life in Dance Exhibit in San Francisco (Fashion Tribes)
Sesame Banana Bread (101 Cookbooks)