"Stressed" is "Desserts" Spelled Backwards AKA Lessons I Learned From Unloading My Dishwasher {Updated Post}

Life has a way of knocking my routines off the rails and I arrive home from work knowing that there is an insurmountable mountain of chores.  So, what do I do to keep from going mental?  Staring at the overflowing bins of laundry and various tasks looming over me is just about enough to send me over the edge.  One way I unwind is to watch TV. It isn't something I normally do and it requires very little thought A.K.A. energy.  I also love to read, but often feel compelled to finish books ASAP once I have dared open the pages.  Photography is another way I try to unwind, this activity is often mixed with walking and/or playing with my Little One.  Of course blogging is a fabulous way to procrastinate as well.  All of these things are a way to distract me from my normal way of dealing with stress ~ to zone out with a box of donuts or tub of ice cream with chocolate sauce.

I have been called a freak when it comes to revealing my other favourite past-time...cleaning.  I do like to clean, though get overwhelmed by it when vacations, work, and sicknesses knock me off my routine. There is an immediate sense of satisfaction when I look at the gleaming tile in my bathroom.  And yesterday while unloading my dishwasher I had a light bulb moment. You can blame it on the lack of sleep and the over caffeinated brain, but I realized you can learn a lot from looking at the contents of someones dishwasher.  #1- Garbage doesn't disappear like magic.  If there is junk in the bottom of your dishwasher, deal with it before it gets funky. Same lesson goes for life too!


More Lessons I Learned From Unloading My Dishwasher:

It's Just A Machine, Not A Miracle Worker- Sometimes you designate a task or chore, but still may need to do a  little work yourself.  Don't expect to have other people do ALL your work and to have it turn out exactly the way you hoped.  My dishes weren't coming out clean, in spite of switching to a different cleanser brand.  After removing the bottom rack I discovered quite a mess of residue in the bottom of the machine.  I ran an empty rinse cycle with vinegar and baking soda.  That didn't take care of the whole mess, I still had to get down and scrub.


Stuck On Food- Two minutes of scraping the food from your plates, will save a wasted trip through the dishwasher.  Five minutes of quality one-on-one time with your partner can help skip wasted time on arguments later.  You know, those arguments that drag up a months worth of issues because one of you has been bottling things up, or you haven't made the time to talk on a regular basis.  We have had to schedule "bitch-fests", an uninterrupted, safe time (no criticising or bashing) to air your grievances.

You Get What you Pay For- Cheap dishes (plastic) don't last as long as glass. If you're not willing to invest in something don't expect a long lasting relationship. When it comes to cheap-o dishes you can expect to be shopping every week. In reference to friends, building meaningful relationships without gossip and drama will save you looking for new friends too.

Too Many Mugs-  If you are washing only two or three types of dishes, you may need to vary your diet a bit more.  My dishwasher load yesterday was full of coffee mugs, spoons, sippy cups, and bowls.  I have been drinking crazy amounts of coffee, and eating crackers, yogurt, bananas, or cereal over the kitchen sink.  The sorry state of this weeks meals is a direct result of caring for a sick 2 year old since Monday night.  The only bright spot in our meals, was the fact that I had made a big pot of chili on Monday before I knew anyone was sick. And before hubby fractured his finger.

What do YOU do to survive getting knocked off your routine? And has your dishwasher revealed any profound wisdom?



*This was an archived post from my personal blog.  The original post date was September 09, 2011. The photo was borrowed from thereandbackagainalaska.wordpress.com