get cooking.

once the school organizing project was over, i decided to tackle another project i've been meaning to start for a while. organizing recipes. after cutting out various recipes from food magazines and printing recipes that i've found online, i set about arranging the recipes. i found a small expandable file folder and made different sections, appetizers, sides, soups, salads, main courses, desserts, and placed the recipes in their proper place. i'm not sure what it is about having everything in its proper place, in neat categories and in one neat container that amuses me. but it does amuse me.

now, i know this is another fairly small project, just like cleaning out my purse. but it was a project i've been meaning to do for a long time, and it felt good to complete. or, i guess, get started. plus, i've never had a recipe book before, so it's also a good first. i usually just look up a recipe online and read the ingredients and directions off the screen as a cook. i think now, by having the recipes at hand, i'll be more likely to use them, and will be able to use them more easily. i'll also be more likely to cut out and print as i find interesting recipes, and will be able to add to the book for years to come.

i read something in the book the happiness project last night about how doing small projects, like organizing recipes, can help give you more energy and, ultimately, happiness. the projects may seem a bit tedious at the time (for instance, cutting out recipe after recipe), and maybe not be the most fun while you're doing it. but, when they are complete, you receive a sense of satisfaction. so, even though i've been fairly tired this week, with work and with these mini projects, in looking back on the last four days, i feel pretty happy with what i've gotten done, and i feel energized and excited to do more.

next? my closet. it is a wreck and is in desperate need of help. the clothes are smothering each other, my shoes are all over the place, and i've stored the most random things in there for years (all my old nursing school books, for example). i already know, once i finish cleaning my closet out and organizing it, that will also be another check on the list of furthered happiness.