four things i do every day

Tierra randomly sent me this blog URL the other morning, and without hesitation, I clicked on the first "routine" post I saw.

Fun fact: I am a sucker for routines.

Morning routines, night routines, work routines, cleaning routines. I love them all. I love my routines. I love your routines. I love the routines of perfect strangers. I am a routine voyeur. What better way is there to peek into the world of another person? Routines are so telling and intimate if you look closely enough. The things we do every day without really thinking about it are pretty much built into our brain wiring, right? I love brain wiring insight.

👀

I have written about my routines over the years (work/morning), and even though they have changed as of late, I still hold on to some semblance of a system to get me through each day.

Here are some things I do daily, no matter what.

Make the Bed
I was recently on set for a video shoot at work, and it was all about putting on a duvet cover. My team and I were chatting about the specifics when someone asked if we make our bed every day. We were split. Half of us said yes and the other half said no. I was a resounding YES. I honestly, truly cannot remember the last time I left the house without making my bed. I was literally on bedrest healing from my c-section with the bed still made. Was it perfectly made? Absolutely not. However, I at least took the time to straighten the duvet and add some extra pillows. If my bed is a mess, I feel like my whole home is a mess, which basically means my life is a mess. We call this the transitive property of having your life together, and by "we" I mean all the perfectionist voices in my head.

I know my life can still be a mess with the bed perfectly manicured. I know there is no direct correlation here, but in a world of chaos, the state of my bed is at least one thing I can control each day.



Drink Coffee (and water and wine)
My coffee habit comes and goes, but it is here to stay for the moment. Having a five-month-old child, means I drink at least one cup of coffee each morning and usually (but not always) have a glass of wine each night. This also means I am constantly chugging water the rest of the day because coffee and wine are the enemy of hydration.

Clear the Kitchen Sink
My compulsion to make the bed each day also compels me to clear the sink each night. We have a dishwasher, so there is no reason to have dishes in the sink overnight. If I leave dishes in the sink, I might as well leave a sign on our front door saying all stray bugs and critters are welcome here because the leftover food is just a sitting target in my eyes.

Pump Breastmilk
Oh, look! Another chance to talk about my boobs on the internet! My schedule now revolves around these milk bags. Any time I want to leave the house for any reason, I have to consider how long I have until I start leaking. I pump three times while at work. I pump before I workout. I pump before bed. I pump before I go run errands. I pump before date night. I pump all the dang time it seems. If Gabriel will not be on the nipple any time soon, the breast pump takes his place.

Clean My Cartilage Piercing
This one is an oddball. I got my cartilage pierced over three months ago, and the healing process has been quite slow. I failed to realize how long it would take to fully heal, so I now diligently clean and apply tea tree oil to the area each day. I may not shower. I may not wash my hair. I may not floss, but bygollygoshdarnit I refuse to deal with a piercing infection so I have to be diligent about it, even if no other forms of self care take place.


I really tried to round this list out at five, but four was all I could come up with.

Welcome to my brain. Watch out for loose wires.

image credits:
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