Day 31: So, Is Your Nest Less Stressed?

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

On the last post of the series, I wanted to recap the month and review all of the ways that we can be less stressed.

As usual, I got all ambitious thinking I could do tons of projects this month, start amazing routines that will keep my house stress-free, get ready for the holidays......

I did get lots done and wrote posts that inspired me and hopefully, you, too, to have less stressed  nests.

I realized as I was writing many of these posts that I already know how to be less stressed.  I posted about taking care of myself, not letting small stuff get to me, and how stress can be a blessing.

On the project front, I organized our white cupboards in the basement,  including creating a delightful space for all of my crafting-n-creating gear:

organizing my gift wrap supplies:

the kids school pictures, awards, and special papers:

and transforming our old computer armoire into game and movie storage.

I also listed and talked about how creating routines in your house can really help reduce stress, rushing, and make you and your family feel more calm.  Things like developing evening routines, making little to-do lists,  prioritizing tasks, and combining errands are all tasks I'm working on becoming more a part of my daily life.

With the holidays coming up crazy-soon, I shared ways you can start thinking about the holidays.  I truly had intended to be able to do more posts on this topic, but time got away from me.....instead, November will be more dedicated to some posts about this topic.  

Thanks for joining in my 31 Days Series!  I am proud of myself and all of the other bloggers who made it to the finish line!  Woo Hoo!

Day 30: Seeing the Finish Line

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

In writing all of these posts, I've really tried to write to first help myself.  Selfish, yes, but I think we are all striving to help ourselves feel better and less stressed because then we can impact, help, and love the people around us more.   Like most of us, I struggle daily with little stresses and those evil little thoughts that enter my mind.   After tomorrow I will literally go back and read what I have written and see what I have put into play in my life and what I still need to work on.  What have you started or stopped doing that has helped you have a Less Stressed Nest?  What have you organized or created that made you smile and feel proud?

I always have tried to make my crazy nest a calm, happy place.  Is it easy?  No.  But I love my hubby and kiddos to the ends of their toes.  They are what I do everything for and the reason why I strive to make our home a place of love, happiness, and peace.

Tomorrow will be my last post on this 31 Day adventure!  I can't believe it.  I hope you'll tune in to read it.  Several of the last posts have not linked to all of the other posts in the series--I am working on that, so if you've missed any of the posts, you can catch up.  I can't wait to finish all of the projects I shared and started and have in my head in the coming weeks.

Day 29: Prioritizing Tasks

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

Today I wanted to talk about how my little brain thinks when it comes to prioritizing tasks.   I'm curious to know how you go about your tasks when there are a lot of them.  Do you do the most pressing first? The most desirable first?  What kind of task-doer are you?

Tasks can be stressful, that's for sure.  Especially when there are many, many things going on at home or work or both and you are not even sure how you are going to get it all done.  Sound familiar?

Recently one night (okay, tonight) I had to decide whether to tackle many things that needed done for school (gradecards, reports, filing.....) or tackle many cleaning tasks that needed done in my house.  Experience tells me that I always seem to pick what makes me feel better visually.  For example,  I would clean off the counters first before doing the bills because I can't stand the visual clutter and I always have a hard time concentrating on tasks that need a lot of attention when I can see clutter around me.  

When deciding this most recent priority, I knew that lately school is really stressing me out because I always feel behind, scrambling, and like the list of things to do and that are due soon is getting out of hand.  I chose to work on my school stuff at home, even with dirty bathrooms and gross floors.  Normally this would drive me crazy, but the stress of school and the amount of work that needed to be done that I knew I couldn't get done during the school day HAD to get done at home, and SOON.  Putting off cleaning (which I do get help with, but it's more my crazy little self that has a problem with it than anything else) was difficult for me, but I had to make a choice.  The world will not end with my furry floors and icky bathroom sinks.  Will it?

Sometimes you have to weigh the tasks and figure out, in the long run, which is going to give you the most stress relief when you are done.   How do you weigh your tasks?

Day 28: It's Okay When Life Gets in the Way

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

Here I am posting for today at 7 PM.  This weekend we were able to go up and see my sweet step-daughter, Kaitlyn, up by Cleveland where she goes to school and is a senior.  It's about 3 hours away from us.  She plays soccer for her college team and today was Senior Day.  We had a nice visit with her yesterday, went to see a movie, then out to dinner and our littlest, Riley,  got to spend the night with big sissy at her apartment, while the boys, hubby, and I stayed in a nearby hotel.

Today during the game today it poured freezing rain.  We huddled together in the stands to cheer for our girl, fighting over umbrellas, grumbling when the neighboring umbrella dripped water on us,  yet giggling and cheering with numb, shaking fingers holding umbrellas and hoods up.  I have no idea how Kaitlyn and the other players played so hard in those conditions.  It was wicked-nasty out.  Riley kept saying, "I don't like that Sandy," referring to the incoming storm.

Now home, a little bit ago I was in our laundry room, sorting all of our weekend getaway items, wet clothing, blankets, gross, rolled-up socks, and winter coats.  

I could have gotten stressed and overwhelmed by those wet piles but I didn't.  I could have worried that I hadn't thought ahead about what I was going to write about for today but I didn't do that, either.  Because when life happens, those fun, memory-filled, proud moments come, you need to be 100% present and grateful and not worried or you'll miss the important stuff.  Being with family is about the most important stuff there is.

Sometimes it's hard to put things in perspective, ranking them in order of importance.  Listening to my daughter read is more important than looking at Pinterest.  Having a good conversation with my hubby is more important than folding laundry.  Showing my boys that I care by stopping what I am doing to help them or really, truly listen to them is more important than blogging.  

I hope you let life get in your way and put things in perspective.  You'll never look back and wish you had folded more laundry or were on your phone more. 

Day 27: Ready, Set, Go! Part 2

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

Yesterday I gave you 10 things you can do in 5 minutes or less to help you be more organized and feel in control of your nest.

Today, I've got 10 more!

1.  Wipe down the fronts of all of your appliances
2.  Sweep your front porch, back porch, or both
3.  Throw a load of laundry in,  fold a load of laundry, or put a load of laundry away
4.  Make a phone call you've been meaning to make that will take less than 5 minutes
5.  Go into your e-mail and delete all unwanted/old/unnecessary e-mails
6.  Go into your phone and delete all unwanted/old/unnecessary contacts, texts, voicemails, apps, etc.
7.  Read a magazine article you've been meaning to read.
8.  Sort through your magazines and catalogs--make a pile to keep and a pile to donate or pass on
9.  Wipe out all of your bathroom sinks
10.  Zip around a room in your house that has lots of misplaced items.  Take an empty laundry basket you.  Put all items in the basket that don't belong to that room and have each member of your family put any item that belongs to them away.

Day 26: 5 Minutes...Ready, Set, Go! Part 1

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

Okay...you have 5 minutes which is about how long I have to write this post.  Seriously, aren't we all running around like we're crazy sometimes?  Or if you aren't physically moving, your mind is...I made a quickie list of things you can do to feel more on top of things that take 5 minutes or less......tomorrow will be Part 2.  Set your timer.  Ready, Set, GO!

1.  Wipe off your kitchen counters.
2.  Do a quick clean-up of your junk drawer.
3.  Unsubscribe to retail e-mails that you never have any intention of buying things from.
4.  Reply to an e-mail (s) you've been meaning to but have put off.
5.  Write a quick thank-you note or 'thinking of you' note,  put a stamp on it, and throw it in your mailbox to be mailed.
6.  Get in your car and throw away any trash and remove any items that shouldn't be in there.
7.  Cross days off the calendar that have passed and look ahead to the next couple weeks and take note on what is coming up and what you need to do to prepare for those things.
8.  Open the fridge and make things a little more organized in there.  Old take-out? Throw it away.
9.  Tackle the pile of papers/mail/coupons that are sitting on the counter.  Sort them and discard/recycle anything that is junk.  Set the timer again to file or handle things that need done from that pile.
10. Open your pantry or food cupboards.  Like the fridge, go through and straighten, organize, and go through items.

Time's Up!  What'd you get done?
Tune in tomorrow for 10 more 5-minute tasks that will make you feel in control and all-accomplished!
You're on your way to a Less Stressed Nest!

Day 25: What's Your Small Stuff?

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

You've probably heard the book  Don't Sweat the Small Stuff  by Richard Carlson.  If not, you've at least heard that piece of advice.  Problem is, the small stuff is what's so hard not to sweat.

I swear I am the calmest of persons when teaching during the day with special needs students all doing and asking and needing different things.  I handle chaos pretty well.  At home I can juggle 10 things at once.  In times of strife or trouble in my life, I step up and figure out what to do.  But the small stuff, I let it get to me.

I could make a list of small stuff that bugs/urks/irritates/stresses me.  I actually started one as I wrote this post but got almost embarrassed because  I realized as I was typing that my stuff isn't even small stuff.  It's MICROSCOPIC stuff.  I laughed out loud!  I allow those silly little things to steal my joy, my positive thinking, and slowly harden my heart and poison my mind.  You know those 'things'-the thoughts you know you shouldn't be thinking, but that rambling is constantly going on in your head never seems to stop.....unless you take control of it.

Love this quote:

Source

So true!  So what's your small stuff?