It's the Little Things

Somebody made my day today by stopping by our house to pick up some scaffolding that's been sitting on our front porch since we moved in 3 months ago. There are still half a dozen or so 5 gallon buckets of noxious liquids of various kinds, but just having the scaffolding gone makes my little heart want to leap for joy. It's the little things.


Speaking of little things, what little things do you like to do to make life easier or more enjoyable? Here are a couple ideas:

• Vacuuming has always been my least enjoyed chore. This chore has become more necessary since our move as our beautiful new flooring seems to create dust bunnies out of thin air, so while the frequency of vacuuming has necessarily increased, the chore itself still hasn't become any sweeter since moving into the new apartment. Why? I'm always afraid I'm going to pull a muscle getting the vacuum out of the closet! I have to pick the canister and wand up together (which at the angle they're at becomes quite awkward even though they're not very heavy) and hoist them over a pile of unused flooring (which I have admittedly made worse by putting a large unused crockpot on top of said flooring). Once the vacuum has been safely removed from the closet though, it's time to get busy. It sounds completely ridiculous as I'm formulating how to phrase this in my head, but I like to imagine I'm a great hunter off to kill as many Vicious Dust-Bunnies as possible. There's danger at every turn, and you never know if the next Dust-Bunny will be the end of you. Don't they just sound terrifying? Okay. So they're actually not that dangerous, and I honestly don't go through that mental routine every time I vacuum, but it doesn't hurt on the days when I'm feeling the most unmotivated. 
• Laundry rooms should be pleasant. I know many people are in the habit of doing very little to beautify this area of the home, but why? We housewives (and especially mothers of babies and young children) spend a lot of time in this space that is often tucked away into the darkest, dingiest, creepiest corner of the home. I like to find those little things that will make my laundry area more enjoyable to be in, whether that's attractive baskets to contain stain-removers and my homemade dryer-balls, or finding a pretty container to put laundry detergent in. If your laundry space is in a dark garage or basement, consider things like painting the walls a cheery color (not that I'd recommend painting the sky and clouds; in fact, my decorating senses would strongly oppose that particular idea), or hanging some fun artwork that you enjoy but wouldn't necessarily want in your main living space. Another little thing you can do to help make laundry day enjoyable is to keep your space tidy. Nobody wants to try to work in a space packed to the ceiling with with a mess of "stuff". Oh, it makes my skin crawl! If your laundry space is already packed with junk, start with the little things to clean it up. Before you know it you'll have a spic-n-span space that you can thoroughly enjoy working in.
• Hand-washing dishes doesn't have to be just about getting the dishes clean. Pick an all-natural dish soap in a scent you love (mine is Natural Pear!), and spend that time focusing on the little things. I keep a shelf full of small items that each remind me to pray for something or someone. 

Well I think that's it for now. What about you? What are some little things you like to do to make your day, your chores, your work easier and more pleasurable?