Day 12: Finding My Needles, My Family Room, Myself

Here it is, Day 12 of the FlyLady BabySteps process (I took a break in the middle to get more sleep into my schedule), and things are going great. Yesterday's BabyStep was to add a page of inspirational quotes to my control journal -- the notebook FlyLady suggests to keep track of routines and other important information. Here are a few of mine:

• "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor Roosevelt
  (guarding against judging myself according to the expectations of others)
  
• "Housework done incorrectly still blesses your family." -FlyLady
  (guarding against perfectionism)
  
• "Don't try to catch up -- just jump in where you are." -FlyLady
  (guarding against overwhelm)
  
• "Why do I want to do this?" -Me
  (looking at my own goals rather than anyone else's shoulds for my home and family)
  
• "I can do this." -Me
  (go, me!)

Today was easier: Keep doing what I've been doing, and delete all the emails in my InBox from FlyLady. Check.

Meanwhile, I've been using my decluttering and room-rescue time to work on the family room/my office in the basement. I have cleared out more than 20 boxes of stuff in the last six days and organized it on those great shelves we installed. I ordered some magazine files and paper storage boxes, now on the way, to corral runaway piles. I might need a few more miscellaneous containers, but it's looking good! I'll show you some pictures once I get things containerized.

I'm ecstatic to have all my knitting books, yarn, and tools -- plus the same for quilting and sewing -- in one place! And I found my set of double-pointed needles!! (You can see some of them in the photo below - they're KnitPicks Options metal double-points.) That might be the best find yet, among many great finds in all those boxes -- missing toys, CDs, tools, craft materials, and much more. And now, there's actually space for the couch we want to put in the family room for lounging, sleeping, and watching the occasional video together. Hurrah!

Okay, victory dance done for now. Here's some calmer stuff:



Working on some cotton/suede slipper socks for DD to wear inside at school. The kids get muddy on the play yard there, so they change to slippers when they come inside. The plan was to use some blue and purple (natch) Mission Falls 1824 cotton for these, but after several tries, I just couldn't get it to be soft enough to feel right, so I'm using some KnitPicks Crayon, also cotton, from my stash. DD heartily approved the rainbow color scheme I have in mind. Should be suitably psychedelic. The slipper soles are from my LYS, Shuttles, Spindles, and Skeins.

Finding myself? Well, my husband Tim has been reading a book called The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play, by Neil Fiore, and he's sharing choice bits with me as he reads them. One bit he shared yesterday is the effort to move from "push" motivations (I have to, they're making me, I should) to "pull" motivations (I want to, my goal is, I'm deciding to). Most people are much more eager to start or carry on with a project if they're motivated by "pulls." It goes well with my quote above, "Why do I want to do this?" The answers to that question are illuminating and motivating. And I have to tell you, unpacking is usually one of my very least favorite jobs. But now, I want to do it -- I yearn for it! -- because I'm tired of using the corner of the living room couch as my office. Once this family room/office is usable, I'll be able to do my email, bill paying, blogging, and other computer stuff there while DD plays in the family-room part. It's almost a room of my own. And frankly, I'm a little envious of my husband's office! Tim works from home, so he needs more stuff and space than I do for my desk work, but darn it, I need some too! Now I'm getting it. So there! ;)