Cocoon of Chaos

A Weekend of Doing Nothing

This summer has been a busy one. We've visited every New England state in the matter of 6 weeks, yes, my kids are road warriors, and have not really slowed down. I must be honest and say this whole road trip challenge was a defensive mechanism. I've had a rough and unpredictable 8 months and rather than stewing in sorrow or pity, I needed to get the hell out of Dodge. So, we did, and remarkably, we all came out alive and still liking each other. 

Friday night rolled around and we had zero plans for the weekend. I headed to my writer's group Saturday morning and came home with still no plans. It stayed that way all weekend. This is a true challenge for me. I'm not good at doing nothing. I suck at it. I'm constantly thinking of what needs to be done, unfinished projects, things to do with the kids, etc. It is a wee bit maddening at times, my friends. So, like we challenged ourselves to a New England road trip, I challenged myself to do nothing all weekend. I'm happy to report, I succeeded. Saturday the laundry sat, the kids destroyed their rooms with play, and Devin and I sat on the couch, reading (me) and playing guitar (him). It was divine. Really and truly, to just sit and enjoy the silence of free time. Yes, of course I was a bit ticky and itchy at first running through the things I should have been doing, but once my nose was in that book (Rules of Civility, great read) my mind stopped. As the pages turned, my guilt for doing nothing slowly dissapated. 

Today was much of the same nothingness. We went to lunch, enjoyed a Margarita outside, and took the long, scenic way home. With full bellies upon arriving home, the kids grabbed their books, we grabbed our pillows and we all enjoyed 2 hours of quiet time. I'm telling you, utter bliss. A nap, my friends, is pure indulgence. (So is having two very responsible, lovely daughters that don't mind reading to their brother for hours!)

In this "busy" world of ours, it seems we are getting farther and farther away from just being; either being still, or in the moment, or not distracted by our phones. We are told we must always be doing something, but what I've learned this weekend is doing nothing is just as important.

Happy Sunday, my friends. This is our last full week of summer before we all head back to school and we're going to make the best of it, although we have no plans. 

Project Organize: Art Cabinet

 One of my many summer goals was to get my house in order. Not chaos order, where I have an idea of where things may be, but a clear organizational system that helps myself and the four other people I share this house with find our stuff. Rather than wasting time looking for things, we are working on finding homes for every single item in this house. It is a long process, my friends. My first project was our art cabinet, the command center of the house. (Also the first thing to get trashed!)  When I took this organization manifesto on, I really wanted to commit to not buying anything "extra". I'm working on limiting the clutter, not adding to it. So, rather than use store bought containers, we used recycled materials like strawberry containers, shoe boxes, and these very cool bags we made a while back using grocery bags and duct tape. I was amazed at the before (above) and after (below) images, as this project was a bit daunting at first with the amount of stuff in that narrow cabinet. We weeded out quite a bit of stuff, donated some to our local thrift store's education program, and prioritized on things we really need. I must say this whole organization thing is very invigorating. So much so, we've arranged a sleepover for the kids so we can attack the kids' rooms this weekend. How's that for a romantic date night?! 

 

 

Sunday Ritual

Since I was a kid, I've always loved Sundays. They usually included relaxing mornings of reading the Arts and Comics part of the Sunday paper and not doing much of anything. I've tried to continue the relaxation that the last day of the week provides as an adult, and have a bit of a Sunday ritual I thought I'd share here.  Once the Privacy Please sign is hung on the bathroom door, the kiddos know to stay away. (A little souvenier from my last trip to Washington D.C.)

 

My morning usually starts with a hot yoga class at 8 am that really lets me focus, release the past week, and prepare for the next. I love this class, it is the highlight of my week.

Once I arrive home ridiculously sweaty, I concoct my Sunday shower accompaniments, a salt scrub and hydration mask. These could not be easier to make and truly do wonders for my skin.

Salt scrub (some people prefer sugar, but I like the purification properties of salt):

small jar

kosher salt

oil of some sort (some use baby oil, I prefer the natural olive oil)

essential oil, optional for scent

Mix salt and oil to consistency that works for you, it should not be too oily, as it can cause a slip in the shower, I usually use just enough to soften the salt

Place on your body, let rest for a few minutes, and rinse off. A warning: if you have a cut or have recently shaved, avoid adding salt, it burns.

Face Mask

plain yogurt

honey

a bit of lemon juice (very small amount)

mix a small amount of yogurt, honey, and lemon juice. leave on for a few minutes, avoiding your eyes,  rinse off, and apply moisturizer. the yogurt moisturizes, the honey purifies, and the lemon brightens and smells amazing.

A weird tidbit: my very first publication was in 2005, explaining just this routine, in Real Simple Magazine; and 9 years later, I'm still going strong with my Sunday ritual. It is important to take time for ourselves as parents, even if it means rubbing salt and yogurt all over your body!

Realistic Lists

To say I've been overwhelmed as of late, is a gross understatement. Like so many of us, when I have a billion things to do, the only thing I want to do is surrender defeat and sit on my rump all day. So, as to avoid this, I've started making daily lists. I should say, I am a bit overzealous  and unrealistic with my lists, oftentimes writing things that there is no humanely way possible I will ever get done in one day or in the near future. Like clean out the gutters, ah...yeah right. I have now instituted a rule for myself. I can only write 3 things down and those 3 things must be attainable and I cannot go crazy if they are incomplete at the end of the day. Easier said than done, my friends. For example, yesterday I wrote vacuum upstairs and downstairs, Garden Club blog posts, and put the new houseplant in a pot. Well, yesterday was a bit of a wash with a feverish Pippa, a whiny Oliver, an anxious Bea, an absent spouse, and an exhausted me. So, at the end of the day, I only crossed one thing off my list and staying true to my promise, I did not freak out that I did not complete the other 2 tasks. Rather than looking at what I didn't accomplish, I need to look at what I did accomplish. This is huge for me, not only to pair down but expect less of myself. I need to work on that...one list at a time.