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Welcome back to another Why Don’t You! Inspired by one of my favorite blogs Brocante Home (who was in turn inspired by a feature in Harper’s Bazaar written by Diana Vreeland), Why Don’t You is a week’s worth of ideas for adding a little something special to your life. Simple ideas for lovely days!
Pick and choose what sparks your interest and fits into your schedule. Or use these simple ideas for special days as inspiration for coming up with your own ideas. Seasonally appropriate (at least for most people in the western hemisphere), these are ways to bring more joy and organization into your life.
Why Don’t You – Week of March 9
Celebrate the women in your life:
Yesterday was International Women’s Day and this is Women’s History Month. Take the opportunity to celebrate the important women in your life. I’m not just talking about your mother, daughter, or other female relatives. I’m not even just talking about your BFFs.
Think about the bigger picture and consider the teacher who made a difference in your life years ago. Or how about the kind waitress who always goes out of her way to be nice to your kids? Maybe you have a female hero you’d like to acknowledge.
You could tell your children about these women and how important they have been in your life. Or maybe you want to spend this week honoring a different woman on your social media. Perhaps you’ll choose a few and write them each a short, but meaningful email (dare I say – or handwritten note?) to let them know how important they are to you.
Change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors:
We do this with every time change! It’s so important to do this twice a year! You want to be sure your family and your home are protected so changing the batteries on a regular schedule is vital.
While you’re at it, give the detector covers a good wiping and vacuum out the insides of them. Dust particles can interfere with the efficient operation of these devices. Be sure to read the care instructions for your particular devices and don’t use cleaning sprays that might get inside them.
Don’t forget to check the expiration dates on these and see if you need new ones too!
Kidde 21026043 Battery-Operated(Not Hardwired) Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Voice Warning KN-COSM-BAKidde Nighthawk Plug-In AC/DC Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector with Digital Display KN-COPP-3
Check medicine expiry dates:
Remember that all medicines expire, including vitamins and supplements. To ensure your medicine cabinet is up to date, schedule a simple calendar reminder for twice a year – another good thing to do with the time change. This will remind you to check the expiry date and re-stock, if necessary.
What to do with the expired meds? Return them to your local pharmacy. They will dispose of them safely. If you have any medical devices that include sharp objects – needles, glucometers, and so on – you can also pick up a “Sharps” container at the pharmacy. Keep it on hand to protect your family and when it’s full, take it back to the pharmacy for disposal.
Do a brain dump:
Grab some paper (we’re going old school) and just start writing. Don’t overthink this. Write down any of those things on your mind that are overwhelming you. Those things that need to be done and keep getting added to each daily To Do list but then are never completed.
Jot down all of those things that weigh on your mind when you’re trying to go to sleep. From there, you can go through the brain dump list bit by bit. Cross some things off – just let them go! Give others some deadlines and add them to your planner so they get done once and for all.
Bring the outside in:
Late spring is a time of year that I love. Early spring and I have some issues – mostly because it makes me incredibly impatient. I’ve had enough of the snow and the rain and the brown grass and the empty gardens. Even those few crocuses out there poking through here and there just seem to be mocking me.
So, I “fake” spring inside. I buy myself spring flowers and place them around my house. I look for small inexpensive things like new tea towels in fresh spring colors (check your dollar stores or thrift shops) for longer lasting touches.
Get outside if/when you can or at the very least, get those windows open:
Fresh air can have such a revitalizing effect on your mood, especially if like me, you spent months mostly cooped up inside. My grandma always said that it was also a good way to rid the house of those leftover winter cold and flu germs. I don’t really know if that’s true but I figure it can’t hurt.
At this time of year, we start having some warmer days making a surprise appearance in among the last dregs of winter (today is one of those warmer days! Sunshine – hurray!) and that s the perfect time to get those windows open for a little while. Or step outside and sip your cup of coffee or tea on the back porch. If nothing else, it does the soul good!
Pamper your hands:
If yours are anything like mine at this time of the year, they could use a little end-of-winter pampering. You can make your own sugar scrub to use on them. My recipe is Pumpkin Spice, but you can easily change up the spices to be more suitable for spring. Try adding some dried peppermint and citrus essential oil.
I like to use a scrub on my hands to exfoliate them. Then I slather them with a heavy cream and put them in gloves. I fill a bowl with warm water and soak my gloved hands in it to help the cream to sink in really well. Remove the gloves and massage the cream in.
If you prefer, you can buy some exfoliating, moisturizing hand treatment gloves instead of DIYing it. They work really well!
Moisturizing Hand Mask 5 Pack, Exfoliating Deep Repair Whitening Anti-aging for Dry Rough HandsAHAVA Dead Sea Mineral Hand Creams
CeraVe Therapeutic Hand Cream for Dry Cracked Hands | 3 Ounce | With Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide | Packaging May Vary
What will you do to make your week better?
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