Keep the Windex under the bathroom sink

February 1, 2011

Today’s Bit of Advice….

“Keep the Windex under the bathroom sink”

Why not keep it with the other cleaning supplies in a closet?  Because then you have to go get it when you need it.  And it’s easy to say, “I’ll just grab it later”.  Or, “I’ll do that on Saturday”.  Or, “where did I put the Windex?”

How do I know this?  Story of my life.

But, since I learned to keep the Windex under the bathroom sink with a cleaning cloth, I no longer have mirrors covered in toothpaste splatter.  The faucets are shiny.  The countertop is clean.  The toilet tank and seat aren’t yucky.  I can walk into any of our bathrooms and say “ahhhh” because I can easily do what needs to be done without giving myself an excuse.  I have what I need where I need it.

Here are a few more things I keep where I need them:

In my car, I always have an extra pair of winter gloves in case the steering wheel is chilly or I have to pump gas and don’t have my regular gloves with me.  Likewise, I also have a spare pair of sunglasses.  You’ll find a $20 hidden in my glove compartment (maybe I shouldn’t have stated that to the world!!) in case I need cash unexpectedly.  The trunk area is always stocked with a blanket or sheet – great for impromptu picnics, laying over a wet bleacher seat, protecting the car mats from potting soil, or covering a nauseous kid and surrounding area in the event of vomit.  (Notice, I cover the child BEFORE the vomit instead of using the sheet to clean it up later - J).  Lastly, I always have baby wipes and a hair brush in the back.  My kids have no excuse to arrive at our destination looking like the just rolled out of bed.  Oatmeal and milk smiles be gone!  Take the snarls with you!

My nightstand has three very important things.  A flashlight, a notepad, and warm socks.  I don’t want to try to find scared children in the dark when the power goes out.  Mommy with a flashlight is a welcome sight in the middle of the night.  The notepad is for my dreams, story ideas, to-do lists, reminders, and love notes.  Not love notes I write.  Love notes my 8 year old likes to write and leave for me in the drawer.  It’s sweet.  The socks are very important.  I cannot sleep with cold feet and I certainly can’t get out of bed and walk across the cold floor to go get them.  The socks must be kept handy.

In my desk drawer at school I have a little box with two of the most important things a teacher can keep in their desk.  A mascara and a deodorant.  Nothing ruins my day faster than realizing I went to work without one of those two things on my body.  I only use them once or twice a year at most but the investment of keeping extras at school pays off every time.  Just sets my day to right.

Last, but not least, I keep a red, plastic carabiner in my purse.  Don’t know what that is?  A carabiner is a clip with a metal loop and sprung or screwed gate that can quickly connect things together.  Comes from the German word “Karabinerhaken”.  (I’m not really that smart - I looked it up on Wikipedia).   Carabiners are used by mountain and rock climbers, sailors, and anyone else who needs to stay attached to a rope like window washers.  They can also be found in less physical settings as water bottle and key holders.  What do I need a carabiner in my purse for?  Well, tons of reasons.  But my favorite reason is to clip all my reusable shopping bags together and hook them to the outside of the grocery cart.  No need to take up space inside the cart and they stay handy.

I have what I need where I need it and it makes my life that much easier.  Some people may wonder why I do the things I do and my answer would be “because it works”.

“Keep the Windex under the bathroom sink”.  It’s a good start to an easier life for you too.

Now tell me what you keep in a particular location and why.  I’d love to know.

Hope you enjoyed the read.