My New Routine That's Changing Everything

You know how everyone says making the bed is THEE WAY to become more productive and put together? After decades of avoiding bed-making, I've made the switch. I'm making the bed every day, and I can tell you with confidence, they're all wrong. Having a well-kept bed has helped me keep my clothes off the floor, but that's about where the productivity and organization stop.

The new routine I stumbled into that seems to have a far more significant impact on our family is Sunday baking. Sometime early this year I decided I was going to see how many Sundays I could bake. I'd gotten a new, darling cake stand that I was eager to see in action. I probably started with a tried-and-true cookie recipe, but that's almost irrelevant now. I've experimented with loads of cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and breads. What's wonderful is that since starting this routine, I've gotten to be creative, learn new things, and help set our home up for the week.

The dynamic food plays in all our lives is fascinating. It is an exciting escape, unique form of expression, and a classic way to bring people together. But it's also just a necessary element of survival. My mom, a dietitian, saw food in all its roles and really loved the creativity and connection it was capable of. It's taken some intentionality for me to enjoy cooking, but there's always been something about baking. That something is probably a strong sweet tooth or the fact that with baking, the ingredients are often similar. Either way, I've gotten so much joy listening to an audiobook while creating sweet treats on Sunday afternoons.

Learning new things is hard as an adult. As babies, we study the world around us, so motivated to figure out how to do/understand everything. But as adults, we expect ourselves to just know things, so when we don't, we feel vulnerable and defeated. Maybe it's because the messes are often yummy, somehow, baking alone in the kitchen gives me a place to try and fail without pressure or worry. It's low-stakes, but I think in those seemingly insignificant moments I'm learning to be more comfortable with the vulnerability and inadequacy of new things.

Many would agree that the worst part of baking is the mess, especially when experimenting with a new technique. The system of cleaning as you go is cool and all, if you have a dishwasher. Which I do, but after many years without one, I admit it's a game changer, necessary in making "clean as you go" successful. What makes this cleaning concept radical, is that I somehow wind up doing and cleaning far more than my baking mess. That junk mail that's been sitting on the counter for days waiting to be moved the 3 feet to the garbage? Chucked. The peppers that will be used in Tuesday's dinner? Chopped. That mysterious goop stuck on the oven? Scrubbed away. There's something about entering into the flow in the kitchen, audiobook rolling, delicious treats baking, everyone else napping (this isn't a requirement but somehow always happens during at least part of my Sunday baking) that allows for extreme productivity. Maybe it's that productivity breeds productivity. Getting started is the greatest hurdle but once we get one task done, it's easy to piggyback another thing.

Having routines you love that serve you can be crucial in seasons of change. When we first moved into this house, immediately after having a baby, our house felt so foreign. But having a routine of regular baking has helped me feel grounded in our home, creating memories and rhythms that bring peace and comfort in the mundane.

There's something about going into the week with a clean kitchen, elements of upcoming dinners prepared, and a sweet, homemade treat that just makes life, well, sweeter. ☺

-J