I own many beautiful things, but also some items that are more functional than beautiful. Lately I’ve been reminding myself to use and enjoy my beautiful things. Today I’m not just slopping my morning tea into a mug I just microwaved. Instead, I’ll pour it into a delicate Art Deco teacup I bought on eBay a few years ago and display proudly in my curio cabinet.
Later today when I go out to do errands, I won’t just throw on my boring errand clothes. I’ll put on a cute skirt and some new leggings to keep me warm in our cold Seattle weather. I’ll take the time to select some pretty earrings, instead of going bare-eared.
Are you using and enjoying your most beautiful possessions? Or are they gathering dust while you use boring, ugly blankets, dishes, table linens, towels or clothing instead? Let’s appreciate what we have, take good care of our lovely possessions, and add beauty to our lives wherever possible.
Tonight, don’t be afraid to put your best goblets on the table, even if you’re just serving water in them. Put Grandma’s quilt at the end of your bed – that’s what she made it for. Read bedtime stories out of your antique copy of Grimm’s Tales, instead of out of a paperback or on your Kindle or Nook. Cherish and honor your beautiful possessions by allowing them to be used and enjoyed.
QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Fridge and freezer maintenance: Clean one drawer, one shelf or two door shelves in your fridge and freezer both. Doing this each weekend means your whole fridge and freezer get cleaned out every month!
- Grocery shop if needed. While you’re out, see how many errands you can get out of the way in one trip. That way you can go do other fun things or return home and relax at the end of the day. Bank? Post office? Library? Costco? Dry cleaning? Hardware store or Home Depot? Dropping off clothes or books at a donation box? Returning borrowed items to friends’ houses?
- Clean out your car if needed. Mine needs me to wipe the dashboard, vacuum the floors quickly, de-clutter the trunk, and wipe dog kiss marks off the back seat windows.
- Don’t just spend the weekend camped in front of the TV, enjoyable though that is! Plan something fun to do tomorrow out of the house, whether it’s elaborate and expensive or simple and free. We’re going for a long walk in the woods with our dogs today, everyone bundled up warmly.
TODAY’S PROJECT: Dusting
Normally I don’t like to dust on a Sunday – I prefer to reserve Sundays for much bigger housecleaning projects. Dusting is great for quick weekday projects. But with our doors open so often for the dogs, the house gets super dusty, and I can’t stand it anymore! Today’s the day.
This morning after breakfast I’ll thoroughly dust the dining room, mail table, and upstairs living room. I won’t just be swishing a feather duster around – I want to do a thorough job.
Besides dusting the furniture (and removing books from the bookshelves to dust under them), I’ll be dusting the window sills and wood window frames.
I’ll make my task more pleasant by burning incense and watching the news while I work.
When I move downstairs to dust the family room, I’ll light the gas fireplace to make it cosy, and put on one of my Tivoed TV shows. The family room should take less than ten minutes to dust, and the downstairs bathroom cupboards about a minute, so I’ll be able to relax and finish whatever show I started.
LOVELY BLOGS: Modern Mrs. Cleaver
“Old fashioned living with a modern spin.” There are fancy recipes for wine poached pears on creme anglaise, simple recipes like Reuben melt with a twist, and recipes with an international flair, like coconut green curry chicken stew.
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
Lori
I like the idea of using our pretty things. I've got some lovely tea cups as well, but normally just use a regular mug. Maybe tomorrow will be a tea cup day! Thank you for the inspiration!