Slowing Down...

I find myself rushing through everything. I am a very strong Choleric and I strive for efficiency and practicality in everything I do. This makes me rush, rush , rush. I wonder why I feel the need to always tell the kids, "Eat, stop talking/playing, just eat." Why do I clean the kitchen like I am running out of time? Where am I trying to go? What is the point in all this hurriedness?

I love to hang my laundry because there is something so peaceful and slow about it. I leave the noise of the day for a few moments. If there are noises they are natural. No machines running, no movie sounds, no radio, no echos within the walls of our home... just wind, kids playing, chickens clucking, puppies running, sheets flapping. I am reminded to go slow when I am out there. The sun warms my hands and my back while the wind cools my face. So poetic, I know. But really, it is all very true. I have written about this before, but I am just so thankful for the chance to slow down.

I am working on slowing down our lives.

We have been home a lot more than usual.

I am reorganizing my workout routine so I only go 3 days a week for less time. I try to run errands only one day per week.

I recently put out 4 bins in the laundry room, one for each child. I swore off folding and instead I toss their clothes in, saving me bunches of time.

I also have been slowly weeding out all pants except jeans so I don't have to "match" their outfits together. In the summer they will wear only dresses so I don't have to keep track of tops and bottoms. They like dresses anyway.

Simple ways to cut down on the processes we go through everyday. That is the plan.

I went through my wardrobe and put together 5-7 outfits for each occasion: home wear, workout wear and going out wear. I wrote down what I had, what I needed and then got rid of everything else. It was liberating. Why do I need 9 tops that I only wear on dates, and we only go on dates maybe twice a month? I really like how it has translated to my shopping budget. I know that I am looking for one more skirt outfit and two tank tops. So those super on sale shorts just aren't part of the plan. I just pass them by.

I am also working on a simplified menu. I have tried this several times, but I really want to make it work this time around. I would like to have a 7 day meal plan for each season. You know, Wednesday is spaghetti night. That would make it very simple to shop for groceries and I wouldn't be tempted to buy extras. Even when I use a list, which I always do, I still get distracted by the goodies on sale.

This is another reason I want dreads in my hair. I would like to only have to buy shampoo and nothing else. I like the idea of not having to "do" my hair everyday.

So, this is where I start. I love it. I really do.