Monday Spruce Up-Plugging On

      Do you read or have seen the comic strip Pluggers? They are little takes on "normal" people (the people are animal characters)  life, and how nice and good and positive that simplifying life can be. Like yesterdays take, "You're  plugger if you have a bag to hold other bags."  Reading posts by others that are plugging along with life, not being ostrich's about the virus, the political climate, the earths climate and all unsettling things, but not letting these things consume their days has been good for me. I will try and embrace that tone as well. Last night I made a list of little spruce ups I want to take over the next seven days and launch for my family, the holiday season with feeling a bit more refreshed.

     I've been practicing no self care lately-five minute showers in and out, whipping my hair in a braid or bun and getting on with the day. I think my attitude has taken on that same  no care approach but writing down here so I remind myself to take better care of me. 

Physical me:

• Cut and color my hair. I think tt will just be self chop, and have one of the girls double check that it isn't too uneven, but the over grown mess has been weighing my face down. 
• Trim, file, and paint my nails. I am blessed or cursed whichever way you look at it, with fingernails that grow very fast I'll cut them low, and after several days, they seem longer than I'd like. They are now at a place where if they grow more I won't be able to type with them, but instead of just cutting off, I think Ill give myself a nice manicure. 
• Deep moisturize my body. I am developing dry patches all over, and I have  a bad habit of scratching and giving myself little sores. First though I need a neck to toe scrub, then oodles of good lotion.  
• Yoga, stretch, lift, etc. My walks are not cutting it for enough exercise, and I have not done as well as I keep telling myself I need to be.  My daughter  told me, I need to move more during the day and se is right. The yoga mat is by my desk as a reminder, and short videos are available. 

Mental me:

• Stop the YouTube highlights, lowlights of the political ping pong and  stress. I'm sure I'll learn what happens when something actually does happen. Until then, it is only arguing and posturing and I have gotten too sucked in. 
• Purge Twitter-no political  accounts. Again, I will still get breaking news if there is any, but I signed up for Twitter to stay on top of organizations I like, tracking a current event or topic and networking. Time to go back to just that purpose and stop feeding monsters. 
• Do it. On someone's side bar of their blog, I saw another blog has a title along the lines of "Things get done when you actually do them." I am sure I butchered the intent, but I think it means to accomplish anything, a person has to actually act. I can say I want a nice clean tidy kitchen, but guess what/ It won't be a nice clean tidy kitchen if I do not do it. I want to get better about saying what I want and then acting to make that happen. I see so much productivity with the extra time people have had. I am envious, but envy doesn't get things done.
• But...I have to stop comparing what I do and don't do with what others do and don't do. Getting ideas are great, but feeling bad about myself and my home and lack of progress and results just perpetuates my inaction. It's an unkind cycle I get myself in. Please keep sharing all your really great projects though as I need inspiration-while I table any misplaced envy. 

     I won't even do a to do list on what needs accomplished on my house. that would be exhausting. Each day/night I WILL tackle something. It might be minimal like moving the stove and sweeping and scrubbing behind and underneath, to something that the difference can be see like actually repainting the bathroom before Thanksgiving. I know I won't have a photo worthy home, even if that isn't the goal, if I keep letting inaction stop me from even starting. I've been sluggish lately unmotivated, and  let myself get down rabbit holes of untidiness -physically, mentally, and in my home. It's time I show myself the real plugger that I know I am.