Day 9: Princesses, Tea & More Cleaning

Yep, she's no longer a toddler. She's a real kid. My Sophia is 3 years old today. She woke us up early, proclaiming that it was her birthday. It amazes me how they go from a squishy looking baby to a walking, talking, thinking being.

Wowser! The princess birthday tea party was a success. After only 5 hours of sleep, I woke up early to grocery shop for the party this afternoon, including picking up the requisite princess cupcakes. We had a low key celebration. She invited 2 friends, and we also had some friends and family. The kids were sooo cute and civilized, sitting at the little table sipping their "tea" (diluted apple juice or herbal tea) and eating little sandwiches and treats. Of course, the princess dress made another appearance. She even twirled in it for a while!

I opted for a small celebration for this party. It's so easy to get sucked into the commercialism of birthday parties. Maybe it's the DC metro area. We've attended several toddler birthday parties this year, and some are big productions. Do you really need 16 kids at a 3 year old's birthday party? And of course, you have to hold your birthday party at some other place, not your home. I looked into one place. It was over $300 for 2 hours. No kidding. My 3 year old will barely remember her 3rd birthday party I'm sure.

To prepare for the party in our little apartment, we have been cleaning all weekend. I'm not the greatest housekeeper; cleaning house definitely isn't my favorite thing to do. Plus I've been doing a lot of parties, so it just seemed like such an effort to load the dishwasher. Hubby definitely did the bulk of the cleaning. He's great about it when he sets his mind on it. He even cleans the bathroom. And no, you can't have him. He's all mine!

For Day 9, positive affirmations cleanse your energy/spirit as you clean a physical part of your home or body. Normally when I'm cleaning, I don't think about how cleaning can clear the way for positive energy into your life. I usually zone out. I guess it's like meditating, right? However, I definitely feel it after I've cleaned. I'm sitting on my couch and I can actually see the floor! And my coffee table doesn't have sticky fingerprints nor does it have dried play dough stuck to it. It feels good to have everything neat and orderly. I promise myself every time we do this crazy cleaning, that I'll keep it up. This time I really mean it.

I know Day 9 isn't just about cleaning. It's about being aware of your daily actions. Don't just go through the motions. Think about the meaning of your actions. I have to say, today's preparation and culmination of the party definitely made me feel all warm and gooey inside. The pigs in the blanket didn't hurt either.