She’s an online phenomenon, that FlyLady.
(And she’s certainly changed my life.)
When I was first married and living with James, I drove him up the wall. See, like I said, I was a slob. He’s the neatest man alive. We constantly frustrated each other.
“Why can’t you leave the dishes until tomorrow?” I’d ask.
“Why can’t we just do them now?” he’d ask.
And lo, Flylady arrived. She has some excellent tips for getting tidy and staying that way that have stuck with me through the past five years. Her “morning routine” tip is one of the most helpful.
Every morning I:
Wake up, pulling my blankets back up as if I’m making my side of the bed.
Walk the dog (or as she calls it, “Blessing my Heart”)
Make coffee or tea
Stretch
Write my morning pages
Empty the dishwasher
Make James’ lunch
Wipe down the counters
Make breakfast, eat breakfast
Take my vitamins
Put breakfast dishes in the dishwasher
Shower, get dressed and put on makeup
Wipe down the bathroom (or as she calls it “Swish and Swipe”)
Poof! I’m ready for my day.
I’d read from the book “You on a Diet” that habitual meals make it easier for your body to feel full. When you eat a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries every morning for breakfast, your body recognizes that food and amount.
That when you’re constantly zipping all around in the types of meals you eat, your body doesn’t always recognize that it’s had enough. I think the morning routine follows the same principle.
I follow these steps every day. I feel weird if I leave one out.
It took a while, I had to write it down. I had to check it off.
But now, it’s my morning routine and it keeps thinks in line.
I have an evening routine too.
LOVING your daily routines, and esp. the explanation about them. Pantry stuff, too. Go HJ!
i love that you follow a routine… i definitely TRY to stick to a routine, i find that my life is less hectic when i am following one. following a routine makes for a cleaner house, more clean clothes to pick from, and best of all, healthier skin (because i’m actually washing my face before bed now). i need to settle into a tighter routine with my eating habits, and what you said makes TOTAL sense. thanks for the tips.
as a side note: nutritionists say that it is much better to vary your diet than eat the same at a meal each day.
Dude, you seriously make me want to be a better person. Yesterday I did the baking soda/vinegar/kettle thing and felt like a champ. That said, your morning routine looks like my whole weekend’s worth of housework.
p.s. I had a dream last night that you and me and Aubs were out having a fancy dinner (and flirting with the waiter, you naughty girls!) and you opened up your purse and dumped out this container of teeny tiny little mints in all kinds of fun shapes and colors–pink gingerbread men and orange sunshines and baby blue unicorns. It was awesome.
hmmm…I have the same kind of routine and I didn’t realize it until I read this.
Great point Hubs! You’re right!
Darn it when I have to decide between nutritional maximization and optimal fullness