Skip to main content

First, Take Care of You

 

First, please excuse my extended absence. That was not the plan. Computer issues, minor surgery, a wedding planning, and well, life, has rather overwhelmed my time. Hopefully, I am back to my normal. 

The bonus here is that my plan works. Each time I test its efficacy and its timely effort, it works. It is a multilevel plan for life that works for me, for 40+ years. Each and every one of us needs to define our needs and customize the plan to suit our lives. I will share my way and you can formulate your plan as you wish.

The plan for me is daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance of the living space. It also includes three annual stocking-up shops at a big box store. The weekly shop is included as well. Fresh food is essential to a healthy diet. We will discuss everything from seasonal and holiday decor to clothing purchase, use, and storage. I have a dear friend who is very limited on closet space. Each season, warm to cold, she bins up her seasonal clothes, has her son haul these bins up the hill then stack them in an outdoor storage shed. Are the closets really that small or does she have too many clothes? Is there a better way to utilize the space she has? We will think about that. 

Since food is so important to all of us, we will start there. I have another blog, HERE, where I have published some of our favorite recipes. I try to add something as I come upon a new or test a recipe several times to be sure it is shareable!     For example, this cottage pie has been made so many times, even my neighbors have been turning out the lights when they see me coming!

First things first, YOU. In order for any of us to take control of our lives, we have to prepare. As Marla says, wash your face, put on your shoes. I tend to work into my day more slowly these days. I don't have a job to rush to, I can enjoy my mornings. However, the basics still apply. I dress casually and comfortably every day.  I will not go out in public (emergencies excluded from this rule) without being "turned out" for public exposure. The pandemic fostered sloppy behavior. Lounging about in PJ's, never wearing shoes, eating too much, all contributed to a lifestyle that was not only unattractive but unhealthy as well. I was determined not to go there. Because I needed to greet deliveries as well as family who stood on the porch and waved hello in the early days, I was absolutely determined to maintain my lifestyle.   

How this translates for me is really rather simple. Of course, the morning toilette is essential. Bathing, oral care, and clothing appropriate for the season is first. My clothing, in the home, tends to be sort of a uniform. I wear comfortable jeans or knit pants with an elastic waist, a t-shirt or blouse, shoes with a hard sole. I have arthritis in my feet and supportive shoes help alleviate the discomfort. Cool weather brings out the socks as well. My shoes are considered house shoes. These are not worn in public. It keeps them clean and in good repair. Right now I am mostly wearing Alegria's, they are a slip on T-strap, actually 4 years old and still going strong. The other is a pair of Charix mules. A slip on with a smooth leather insole, they are a bit flat and probably not going to be a regular. I find them too flat, I will work on that. 

As a child I witnessed the women in my family and their practices. One of the die-hard rules my mother followed was to bathe, change to clean clothes, do the hair and make-up at 3 pm each day. My father would be home at 4pm. She told me that since he worked in an office with notoriously attractive women, she had to be her best self when he came home. She was a stay-at-home mother, known as a housewife then. I sensed there was a level of insecurity in her and in our neighbors because they considered their status to be diminished when they left their pre-marriage employment. 

While the circumstances in my life are entirely different, I put my best face forward every day. The difference is likely that my facial cremes etc. have a high SPF!    They key to maintaining my clothing, long-term, is the lowly apron. I wear one every day. This one is my favorite because there is no tension or weight on my neck. I have many traditional chef-type aprons that tend to be worn the most. It protects my clothing while doing food prep and cooking, I need the pockets, and I tend to make or purchase happy colors and prints for this essential. So, now I am dressed and ready to face my day. I keep a traditional calendar on the back of a door that leads to our lower level, I also keep the same on my phone. The door calendar is mostly for my husband, he is not a tech person. I always preview that weekly agenda on Sundays. I am ready for the week. My lists are done, I am not rushing about, willy-nilly, worried about the little things. Next post: my Monday routine.  

 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

I Am Lucy Augustine and I Am A Planner!

 Welcome, my name is Lucy Augustine. This little blog is here to answer some questions, share ideas, and bring some organization to our world. You will often find me with a notebook and pen making lists and plans on how to live a better, more organized and more cultivated lifestyle. My ideas are my own culled after years of study and experimentation. Some of my methods are general for anyone, others for the retired person with a more flexible schedule. Making the most of your life, embracing every day, breaking down large household jobs into workable segments with finding some enjoyment along the way.  For transparency I want to say that I now have some physical limitations that have framed my work habits to a more tolerable pace. Recently, a member of an online group of friends,  asked me to be specific about how I worked and how she can adapt her maintenance schedule to be more user friendly!   Tips and tricks, tools I like, lists, schedules, and organizational tools, yes, there are

The Big Picture and The Little Details

  List making can be fun. You don't have to do it all at once. Find a comfy place to sit, pour a cup of coffee, tea, wine, (whatever) and go to it.  Make lists, evaluate, consider just how you work right now. What works for you, what does not, what would you like to change? One of the first and most famous bloggers who addressed cleaning methods was Marla Cilley, the Fly Lady.  I found some of her ideas to be great, others not so much. I may be incorrect but some of her work leans a bit to the religious, some to hoarders of a sort, and other methods just not workable for me. But, and this is important, her premise is right on. Her first lesson is to clean your kitchen sink. If that sounds simplistic, I guarantee it is not. A sparkling kitchen sink before bed is like a wrap on the day, to wake to that sink is like a smile greeting you begin the work of the day. Simple premise, an easy habit to cultivate, a good way to train oneself to honor the day.  Honoring the day, no matter what

It's The Little Things Lucy

  I realized I have mentioned "the little things" a few times but have not explained just what I am referring to. Therefore, I present a list of the little things. PS: I love making lists, they guide me, help me maintain focus and remind me of what lies ahead.   Passwords are a necessary component of our lives these days. I keep a small notebook with my passwords. It is a jumbled mess right now because I change passwords frequently. My plan is to remove the pages of the book that no longer apply and rewrite them in a better fashion. This will likely be a Sunday afternoon project with a cup of tea.   Maintaining important files. I pay most of my bills online. I keep more than one checking account in two different banks right now. I will be consolidating the two accounts soon. After I pay the bill, I hold the paper component until it clears the bank. I continue to get paper bills because my husband is not comfortable with online bill payment. If I am unable to do that office wo