Groundhog Day

Ever since I saw the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray waaaaay back in the day, Groundhog Day has come to mean doing the same thing over and over rather than wondering if the rodent can predict an early spring. (which he did today, surprisingly.)

It got me thinking about things I do over and over again, and if there were any ways to make those things easier or better or different. Some are things I’ve already changed, some of these are things I want to change.

One of the things I do over and over is housework. I’m trying to establish some routines for myself as far as housekeeping is concerned. I adopted Tuesday as “Grocery Day” a couple of years ago, and it has really helped in the grocery area. I used to shop as infrequently as possible, and I always bought a lot of “just in case” items, which just caused a lot of food to spoil before we could eat it, and ensure that I never had exactly what I needed to make dinner. Now I plan the week’s meals on Monday night (or Tuesday morning if I’m too tired) and then I go to the commissary to shop. Every week. I thought that would make it harder since I hated to go shopping, but actually, it makes it easier. I buy less, which means I put away less, etc. Now, I’m trying to establish the same sort of system for housework. Tuesday just became “Grocery and Bedroom and Bathroom Day.” Not as easy to finish, but I think the long-term result will be the same as Grocery Day. If I don’t let it get so bad, cleaning it won’t be so labor-intensive. Started today. Hope it sticks.

Another thing I do over and over is bake. I’ve shoved everything I need for baking onto the floor of my pantry, in baskets. It’s a mess and it’s hard to find anything. I plan to organize that part of my pantry so that finding everything I need to make cookies isn’t so hard. I’m hoping to have perhaps one basket that has everything needed for cookies, and some other baskets for less frequently used items. Also, it just needs cleaned up.

Libraries. One of the best ideas ever. #books #reader #benfranklinwasagenius

I check out books from the library with some frequency. That means I need to know where the books I have finished are when I am ready to go pick up something I’ve put on hold. Sometimes, they would be in the basket in the family room with the other unread books I’m hoping to get to, but sometimes, they would end up in whatever room I finished them in. I have an extremely sturdy tote bag that my sister-in-law gave me one Christmas, and now, I put the books in the bag as I finish them. The bag stays in my front coat closet, and I can grab it when I’m getting my purse and coat and know that I have all the books I want to return in it already. No more fishing around for books I’ve finished. (Partially finished books are now the big issue.)

Sometimes the simplest changes make life so much easier. I put a low shelf in my front closet two years ago when my husband and I changed it to hooks from a rod. Now my purse and the bag I take back and forth to work have a place to live. It is amazing how much easier that one little change made in my day-to-day life. I’m hopeful these other changes will be as successful for me.

Tell me any tricks you’ve tried to make something you do over and over easier.

My almost empty nest

life when you have a little time

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