1. Wake Up Call @ 6:30am- It doesn’t matter if it is a weekday or a weekend, I get up everyday by 6:30 am. The Mr. is up and out of the house by 4:15 am, so technically I sleep late in our house ;-) Dutch is not allowed to get out of his bed until 8am. He usually sleeps until then, but if he doesn’t he knows that he is not allowed to leave his bed until I come get him at 8am. He can rest, sing, or talk in his bed, but he will stay there until I come get him. So even if he gets up early, he knows that he has to wait until mama comes to get him. We have found this to help build character and patience. So with my hubby out of the house early & the baby getting up late, the reason I get up by 6:30 is because I need this time to get ready for the day. Before going to bed I always straighten the house so that when I wake up things are orderly and the house is ready for another whirlwind day, so when I say that I need to get ready for the day I mean that I need to get me ready for the day. During this time I wash my face and get dressed for the day, I make sure that everything is set to go for the day (e.g. snacks are packed for play dates, etc.), get breakfast started, and most importantly, have my quiet time with the Lord. If I don’t do this before the world wakes up it wont get done, and I need this time to keep myself in line and engaged with God. By the time Dutch gets up at 8am, I’m ready to be a godly wife and mama. Now I usually need check points throughout the day, because I’m not perfect and I fail a lot, but I at least want to try and start off the day with my best foot forward.
2. Dishes & Countertops- Waking up to a full sink of dishes or cluttered counter tops drives me insane! I just can't deal and I will totally hulk-out. Before bed, before leaving the house, before company, before chill-out time, that kitchen sink has to be empty and the counters have to be cleaned. When I say cleaned, I mean that all clutter needs to be put away and the counters must be sprayed with cleaner. This just makes me feel orderly; it has to be done lol And really if the counters are cleared of debris then that means everything is being dealt with and procrastination isn't an issue: bills are filed away, mail is opened, etc. This just keeps us on track and not behind on anything. Also I loathe going to write something like a thank you note on the counter, and accidentally placing my stationary in jam that was hiding on the counter tops. No way! Not happening in Chateau Hawley! Those counters are clean!
3. Put On My Face- I wash my face and put makeup on everyday, even if I'm not going anywhere except the Starbucks drive-thru (see #4). I put on my makeup even if I'm just wearing a tank top and yoga pants, which, my dear friends, happens a lot lol I "put on my face" everyday, not for my son, not for my husband, not for the individual handing me my latte at Starbucks, not for the cashier checking out my groceries, not for anyone else, but me. I put on my makeup because it makes me feel confident and pretty. Isn't that why we're supposed to wear makeup anyways?! Not for others but for ourselves? When I put my makeup on I feel put together. Maybe it's my southern roots? I don't know, and to be completely honest, I don't really care. It's something that I do for me every morning so that I feel ready to tackle the day with beauty and confidence. It changes my outlook on the day, and makes me more optimistic & courageous.
4. Get Out!- I think I’ve probably mentioned this around here before, but Dutch and I leave the house at least once everyday. This could be something as big as a play date, library visit, field trip to the museum, or even one of Dutch’s school days. OR, it could be as simple as a trip to the grocery store or the Starbucks drive-thru. We are people that need to get out and have a change of scenery. Leaving once everyday gives us structure and gets us going everyday.
5. Make the Bed- I make our bed every morning. Now when I say make the bed, I mean make. the. bed. I fluff the pillows, add the blanket at the base of the bed, tuck in the sheets…… you get the idea. By having the bed made our bedroom looks put together and orderly, and therefore our bedroom remains a peaceful place to retreat to at the end of the day. But also anytime throughout the day when I walk past our bedroom or fold laundry on the bed, I feel like things are in place and it has a calming effect for me.
So those are my five things folks.....these trump coffee! But I will admit that I'm usually drinking a cup of coffee while these tasks are being done.
I just have to do these five things everyday.
What are some things that you just have to do everyday?
