I am so glad that you are still with me on this pathway to organization!  We have been talking about putting important items on your calendar or to-do list as well as keeping our finances organized.  Last week, it was all about being organized for more summer fun.  But this week, I needed to remember everything I have ever learned about organizing!  Because, my daughter Grace is moving to Houston, Texas and I’m the one getting it all together!!

As I shared in a previous blog, everything she owned at college plus some is in my living and dining rooms.  We have had to organize by items, pack in boxes, label and rent a truck.  By the time you read this, we will be on the open road.  And Gracie will be ready for a new life and new adventures.

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Action Plan:  To tackle this kind of job you have to have a plan. You may be in the middle of a project in your home or your life right now: you may be in remodeling your home; cleaning out the garage; having the house painted or moving as we are.  I have found that if I have a plan it will go much more easily.  So, for my daughter’s move, we have planned to separate everything into two piles:  stuff staying (which, by the way, I do not want J) and stuff going.  The next step is to separate items for particular rooms, as all the kitchen stuff in one area to pack, bathroom in another, etc.  And once we get all these great stacks going, we will need to fill the boxes, which my sweet husband has already bought and taped.

We also have to have a plan of how to get all these items to Houston, so many phone calls and decisions had to be made.  The cheapest way is to rent a truck and move ourselves.  But, some of these boxes are heavy.  So, we have enlisted family to help load the night before and will have to (another phone call) get some paid help to unload and carry the items to a fifth floor apartment.  (Yes, nothing is easy!)  I have to admit that this is hard work, as anyone who moves knows clearly.  But, when something has to get done, you just do it.

On the plus side, I haven’t had this much time to spend with my precious Grace in such a long time!  For the past four years, it’s been maybe one day on a weekend and school breaks.  We are making sure to have fun together in between all the work.  If your kids are helping you in a house project, make sure you take breaks and do things that they enjoy.

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Manna from Heaven:  I am so thankful that God has given me the desire and ability to help others with organization. I can’t begin to tell you how much joy I feel when a new wife or mother begins to find her life easier by incorporating a tip or idea I have shared. “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”  I Peter 4:10 

Look at your own life and ask God to help you minister to others, for you will receive such joy.  “Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share.” I Timothy 6:18

But there are times I am too tired to do good!  Then, Galatians 6:9 has been such a source of encouragement for me:  “And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.”

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Emotional Check-Up:  I have found that when I have a huge project to do, such as packing for a move, I have to get myself prepared emotionally, mentally and physically.  So, I usually do something to get my heart pumping, as a walk.  Once I get my tennis shoes on and get out in the fresh air, I start to mentally get prepared as well as emotionally.  By the time I get home, I’m ready to get to work. 

Science backs this up.  When we have stress, our body spews out two hormones; cortisol and adrenaline.  These chemicals put your body into fight-or-flight mode, ratcheting up your energy level and causing your heart to pound and your muscles to tense.  Exercise gives you an outlet to release some of that tension.  A good workout also increases your levels of “feel-good” chemicals called endorphins.  Well, I hear Gracie calling for my help so it’s time for a walk!! 

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Healthy Fit-Fact:  The next time you are in a bad mood (like having to pack up for a move or take the triplets to the park by yourself!), remember to have a drink of water.  In a recent Tufts University study, college athletes who weren’t given fluids during practice felt more confused, angry, tense, and blue afterward than those who had plenty of water. (How many of us have felt that way just during a regular day?) “The level of dehydration was very mild – it could easily be compared with what busy office workers or a mom might experience if they forgot to drink enough during the day,” says lead researcher Kristen E. D’Anci, PhD.

Of course, how much you need to drink depends on the weather and your activity level and weight.  So keep a glass or water bottle close by to remind you to keep drinking all day long.

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Hope you are doing well and enjoying your summer “projects”!