“After the first four years the dirt doesn’t get any worse.“
~Quentin Crisp
I have bunches of hobbies, obsessions, and pastimes and I’m guessing that you do, too. But to my detriment, I never remember how to relax.
I’m always working on a little of this-and-that, and I just love-love-love a project. (It’s how I procrastinate.) I’ve been an artist my entire life and always have a painting-in-progress that I pick at now-and-again. I have a knitting project that, at this point, is so out-of-control it’s probably best not to even discuss that bundle of insanity. I’ve also been faux-finishing our dining room for the past five years, and am finally starting to see the light at the end of that particular tunnel. (You try painting an entire room with only an artist’s brush!)
But beyond the madness I manage to invent for myself, I also always manage to clean just a little every morning. After making a pot of coffee and tossing back at least half of it, I hit the ground running well-caffeinated. On an average day, for instance, like many of you, I’ll chase the vacuum cleaner around, run a load of laundry, and sweep the backyard—oh, and on a good day, I’ll write some of my weekly blog and work on the manuscript for my next book, too, all before noon.
And then there’s my list of other projects waiting in the wings—and I mean an actual list. By the side of my computer I have a running “to-do” list. That list includes things like patching the roof; finish painting some of the trim-work around the house, and somehow retiling the bathroom. Much to the chagrin of my partner and friends, I just can’t sit still.
S-C-R-E-E-C-H !!!
What was that!!?? No, not a car crash—that was the sound of me slowing down, me stopping to smell the something-or-other, me sitting still to take a breather. And ya’ know why? Heh?
It’s “No Housework Day.”
I’m not certain what smart-alek came up with “No Housework Day,” but for sure it was some wise-en-heimer with a laundry list of stuff to do like mine who made up the perfect-excuse-of-a-holiday as a way to put it all on a back burner. “No Housework Day” is a day all about just saying, “No.” (Nancy Regan would be so proud!)
Just say “No” to garbage. No to laundry. No to washing windows. No to cleaning grout. No to vacuuming. No to turning the compost. No to bundling the recycling. No to everything.
I’ve made a vow to honor this faux-holiday, as painful as it may be—and hope that you will, too. But in a day filled with the word “no,” how about filling some of it with the word “know.” What about something like: “Know how to have fun” or “Know who’s important” or “Know what’s important” or “Know what’s what.”
And know guilt—oops, I mean, and no guilt.
So instead of sweeping a room with a broom, sweep a room with a glance. Instead of hunting for dust-bunnies, let the suckers multiply. Rather than washing a load of laundry, take a load off. Today’s tip isn’t for cleaning it’s for cleansing. Try this one on for luxurious:
First, cut two lemons into super-skinny-slices and put them in a large bowl. Dribble half-a-dozen drops of olive oil onto the citrus slivers, and finish by adding three cups of sea salt and giving it all a toss. Now it’s hands off while the concoction cures for at least five minutes. Then pour your “citrus derma-dip” into your tub filled with hot, steamy water. Lock the bathroom door, put on some soothing music, light some candles, submerge yourself into your citrus soup, feel the warmth loosening you up, and settle in for a comfy, lazy, r-e-a-l-l-y l-o-n-g soak. (If they knock and complain…tell ‘em to cross their legs, ‘cause you’re busy doing nothing!) You’ll reappear recharged and revived.
Be good to yourself and know how and when to say “No.”
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.
About michael.dejong
Environmentalist, artist and author, Michael DeJong, was born in Chicago Heights, IL, in 1962, earning his MFA from the University of Illinois in 1987 before moving to NYC. Once settled, to support himself as a working artist, DeJong ran a housekeeping business for 7 years. In response to his own health challenges caused by multiple daily exposures to toxic commercial household cleaners, he began researching healthier, natural alternatives, using his clients’ homes as his “laboratory,” formulating and testing his eco-friendly, human-friendly and pet-friendly cleaning recipes. He currently lives in Jersey City with his partner of 18 years (Richard,) dog of 10 years (Jack,) and 3 goldfish of 2 years (Phil, Jill and Gill) who all benefit from his natural cleaning techniques. After launching a successful career as a commercial photo-stylist, he put aside his hundreds of cleaning recipes and notes, only to return to them in 2005, after a chance meeting with publishing legend, Joost Elffers, for whom he wrote the popular environmental cleaning book, “Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing” (Sterling Publishing/Joost Elffers Books, 2007). http://www.zencleansing.com/ Upon its release, “Clean” quickly found a large following and was Sterling’s best seller for 2007. DeJong and Elffers donated 2,500 books to Al Gore that were included in the “Trainee Tool Kit” for the international attendees of his “Climate Project” trainings. The book was also touted by Teresa Heinz Kerry in her lecture series, “Women, Health & the Environment,” and was auctioned by Bette Midler to raise funds for her “Restoration Project” in NYC. “Clean” has been quoted, reviewed and/or recommended by the Sierra Club, Women’s Voices for the Earth, Town & Country Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Martha Stewart’s Blueprint Magazine, This Old House Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, The Denver Post, The Seattle Times, USA Weekend Magazine, Lifetime Television and several other media outlets. DeJong is currently working on the next 2 volumes for his My Kind of Clean series of “green” cleaning, beauty, and lifestyle books. “Clean Body” and “Clean Cures” will be released by Sterling Publishing/Joost Elffers Books in spring and fall of 2009 respectively. Michael is currently the eco-cleaning advisor and weekly contributor to Hearst Publishing’s first online magazine, “The Daily Green," http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/blogs/nontoxic/ and was the eco-expert “Mr. Green” for the “Ask Mr. Green” column on NBC-Universal-Bravo’s new environmental website http://www.greenisuniversal.com/ask_mr_green.php . He is currently blogging for The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-dejong/ With Dutch and American partners, he is currently heading up an exciting, sustainable, social-entrepreneurial, “for-benefit” company in The Netherlands, OneCleanWorld Group, and beginning the OneCleanWorld Foundation in the US. OneCleanWorld’s first subsidiary, CleanHome&Body International will produce families of safe and eco-effective products based on the time-tested recipes in his My Kind of Clean book series. The first line of 15 eco-friendly household cleaners will be launched in late spring 2009 under the brand “CleanHome,” and as each new book in the series is released, a new line of related products will be developed and launched. The company is also developing an open-source, interactive, social-networking, “We-Think” style, web portal for environmentalists, activists, entrepreneurs and bloggers interested in improving the planet one-household-at-a-time. OneCleanWorld, it's subsidiaries and the OCW Foundation have a commitment to profits with principles, and royalties from all of the books and a percentage of profits from the commercial ventures will all go towards endowing and underwriting the foundation, which will focus on providing monetary grants, technical assistance and/or micro-financing for eco-projects worldwide.
Sounds good to me!!
Cheers ~
Penne & the CanDo! Crew
)
iLearn in Freedom Network
Everyday is no housework day for me! In all seriousness, I find cleaning to be somewhat relaxing but I can only do it when everything else is taken care of first.
In support of this
I feel inclined to echo Blazedale
Thank you for posting!
Sara