Housework and Exercise

Exercise is not made more fun as housework.  It is probable that you have heard or read that you can create a mini-workout by incorporating exercises while doing these menial tasks.  "Do squats by lowering your body as you reach into the dishwasher to unload it or stretch higher when hanging clothes in the closet."  I personally have never done these because I want to get through those chores as quickly as possible.  I don't like to think about exercise then either.

But I have discovered housework can actually use muscles.  For the past year I have been working with a personal trainer.  We alternated upper and lower body muscles each session until I became very strong according to his evaluations.  I just learned, however, that some muscle groups were missed during those vigorous sessions.  For two days last week I vacuumed, mopped, dusted, and scrubbed a vacation cottage we rented.  I wanted to leave it nicer than I found it, and that took some elbow grease.  The following 2 days my body ached like I had never moved a muscle in the past year. 

So now I must confess from personal experience that you actually can exercise your muscles when you do housework (whether you want to or not).  I am not recommending it, but if it seems like a good idea to you, then use that time doing your household tasks to get in shape.  Go ahead, squat, stretch and convince yourself you are your own personal trainer.

Housework and Vacations

Our annual trip to Florida is planned so my husband can fish with his brother who lives there.  I go along for the ride.  It is, however, my responsibility to plan the trip there and back including hotel stays, to plan and pack everything needed for living a few weeks in a rented cottage, and clean and prepare our house to be empty during that time.  He packed his suitcase and fishing stuff.  Sound familiar?  Now I am not complaining.  In fact the control issues I possess rather enjoy the process.  Just saying.

This vacation does allow me the opportunity to have alone time while the boys are fishing.  Since I love quilting, I pack projects and supplies for those activities, too.  My hopes for getting much accomplished at the cottage are somewhat compromised since I am usually too tired after doing the normal cooking, cleaning, laundry and dog walks.  Not only can house work kill your body, but it really gets on my nerves when it gets in the way of my so called vacation.

As I write this, I have just spent two and a half weeks at the cottage.  While I have attempted work at my sewing machine and accomplished some of what I wanted to do, I decided I was not up to continuing.  I packed up my sewing machine, etc. and gave up on the projects until I get home.  My hatred for housework especially on the so called vacation was fueling my frustration. 

Pity parties are very lonely affairs.  You are the only one there.  Rather than drown in my disappointment, I decided to put on my praise music and do something useful.  Of course it couldn’t help but make a difference in my attitude and outlook.  This project and a few dozen others will wait a few more days and when the next quilting retreat or workshop comes around, I will be attending.  There will be no housework there!

Organizing Tips for March

I am putting on my professional organizer hat and giving you some tips today to help you get organized this month. 

Spring arrives at least on the calendar. Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 10^th.  Set your clock ahead one hour.  This month we are concentrating on the attic and clothing.

• The Attic.  March is a good month for checking out the situation in the attic.  The warmer days allow you to spend time there without the coldest winter temperatures or the extreme heat of summer. 
• Unless you are storing items for another family member, the goal is to keep as little as possible in the attic.  It is usually inconvenient to access and too hot or cold to spend time there.  The extreme temperatures are also not good for many items to be kept there safely.  In addition, you must take care to prevent invasion by critters.
• If you are storing items for adult children or other friends or family consider asking them to retrieve them.  Setting a deadline to have them removed or they will be donated may spur them into action.  In my professional and personal experience, I have found that most people don’t really want them after being without for awhile.  You may be surprised that is the case with items you may have stored for others.
• For safety reasons and convenience, add lighting and secure floor boards in areas of the attic you must use.  
• For items you must keep, create zones for the types of items you are storing.  For example, holiday items can be labeled and stored together.      
• Use color coded containers or labels to help identify containers quickly.  These are most easily found during or right after the holidays or seasons.  I have found brown and orange bins in October and November, red and green in December and yellow in the spring.  Of course you can create you own color coded labels, too.
• Take care to cover wood furnishings with sheets or blankets.  Upholstered furniture should not be stored in the attic for many reasons. The extreme temperatures will cause the fabric to deteriorate and pests find the padding very inviting for nests.
• The attic is not suitable for candles, photographs, soft plastics such as in dolls, electronic media such as tapes, and many fabrics.  Papers and files will become brittle if stored for any length of time.  Unless they hold sentimental value, they should be recycled or shredded.  There is no need to keep old bank statements or cancelled checks and most financial documents as they are now kept by institutions in computer files.  Legal documents should be kept where the temperature is controlled.
• If there are many items left to store after sorting, purging and cleaning the attic space, it is a good idea to create a map of where items are located.  This will save much time when it is necessary to recover them.

 

• Clothing   As the days are longer and warmer, remove the heaviest clothing you will save to summer storage.  This may mean to the back of the closet, to another closet or storage area, or out of the house permanently.  If they will be part of a future yard sale, store them in the area set aside for that.
• Winter clothing takes up lots of room in closets and drawers because they are heavier and have long sleeves.  If there are items you did not use or those that children have outgrown, consider moving them out now. 

      Clothing closets are one of the most frequently requested areas to organize.   While there are great strategies to use in setting up closet systems, the biggest problem is too many items.  Pareto’s rule applies here.  You usually wear only 20% of your clothing 80% of the time.  Being willing to let go of those items that  you don’t wear, for whatever reason, will make the task of organizing the closet much easier.

      Creating zones in your closets for types of clothing will make keeping it organized easier.  Group types of clothes together with durable hangers.  Above all else, do not use wire hangers.  They are not good for you clothing or closet.

      As you sort and group your clothing you will begin to see what you have in excess and what you may need to purchase to complete an outfit.  Put those needed items on a list and try to purchase only those when shopping. 

      While consignment shops usually only take current season clothing, removed  items can be donated to a charity or sold in a yard sale.  Moving them out will give you more space for the items that you do love and wear.

 

• If you have considered the possibility of having a yard or tag sale. It is never too early to plan and prepare for one.  This month is the time to set the date and work towards that goal.  May and June are great choices as it is not too hot and people are on the move.  Consider going in with neighbors or friends to draw more customers onto your street.

• This is the time to get indoor tasks finished so you can enjoy the outdoors as soon as the warm weather is here.  Whatever the project, do not let it drag on or remain unfinished until next winter.  Make that final to-do list and get it done.