Style Journal: The Bullpen

For as long as I can remember, I’ve used part of my Sunday to set me up for success in the week ahead.  On Sunday, I change my sheets, plan for the suppers I’ll make in the week ahead, and organize my calendar for the week.  Each of these tasks is helpful but the best of my Sunday traditions is setting up the bullpen.  Each Sunday, I plan the clothes I will wear in the coming week.  I organize, steam or iron as necessary, and then hang them up on my closet door, ready for the early mornings that the week will bring.  Sweaters are hung up or folded and set at the ready on my dresser.  On Sundays, I tuck into bed grateful that the bullpen will steer me right come morning. 

As the week progresses, and the bullpen is less full, I know that the weekend is getting closer, which is also a pleasing side effect of my bullpen tradition.  This habit has served me well over the years, and I especially like this element of my organized life.

Style Journal: In Praise of the Bullpen

A few weeks ago, I read an article at The Every Girl about taking steps to make your world look more like a romantic comedy.  The article was directed toward women younger than me but I really love The Every Girl and articles like this is one of the reasons: a lot of it struck home.  I enjoy taking the time to make my daily life pretty.  Whether it’s decorating my house for the seasons or setting the supper table with nice dishes and pretty linens, I am all about making my days just a little nicer.  In that spirit, among many things I do to make things nicer for myself is my Sunday tradition of setting out the clothes I will wear to work in the coming week.  I call it the Sunday bullpen and I set one up every week.  

I have an app that I use to keep track of clothes and shoes and I use it to keep track of clothing and outfit combinations and to otherwise plan ahead.  On Sunday, I iron or steam the clothes I will wear for the week and just like that, every workday morning runs a little more smoothly.  Most mornings, I wake up in the dark and as my eyes adjust to the dim light, the items in the bullpen come into view.  Honestly, they make me glad to be awake.  Planning ahead helps me to both avoid indecision on busy mornings and also to really enjoy my clothes.  Morning Me is always grateful that Sunday Me took her time to plan for the week.  When I was younger, I would have been embarrassed about my desire to make life look nice, almost as if I didn't deserve it.  But 55 year old me is unapologetically glad that I take the time to look after myself.  Here’s to a life that is made nicer because it looks pretty.