The Martha Stewart Workout Plan

1. Walk into bedroom to grab your yoga bag.

2. Notice that something’s off.

3. The room isn’t as bright and functional as it once was.

4. Strip your bed, setting all linens aside so the mattress and pillows can air out.

5. Remember to place all pillows on your bedside chaise lounge or bench while you work (never on the floor!).

6. Unbag your Martha Stewart Home Collection Lush Blossom 6 Piece Queen Comforter Set.

7. Maintain a clean workspace by disposing of all tags and packing material in a wastebasket alternative.

8. Iron all new linens using your portable ironing pad or by building your own oversized board for the job. (They’re queen-sized, so it’s worth it!)

9. While it’s out, you might at well do the routine iron cleaning using iron cleaner gel and a soft terrycloth towel (a white or pale towel will help you keep track of when the dirt is completely gone).

10. Once that’s done, try steaming your clean iron over some plain cloth to make sure that you’ve gotten all of the cleaners off of it and it won’t stain your next project.

11. Before we get any further, this is the perfect opportunity to rotate and flip your mattress if you’re at that point in your 8-week cycle.

12. While you’re down there, might as well vacuum the mattress and box spring.

13. Make your bed, taking great care with the tucking at the corners.*

14. Give the pillows their daily fluff before putting them in their new cases.

15. If the room still isn’t looking as finished as you’d hoped, now is a good time to paint the bed frame.

16. If you do paint the frame, make sure you update all under-the-bed organizers to match.

17. Or forgo the frame altogether and embrace the simplicity of a new damask, paintable wallpaper headboard.

18. Alternately, paint and hang a spare door you have stowed away.

19. Wash, iron, and fold all of the old linens and store them appropriately.**

20. Actually, before you leave the closet, make sure that your organization system is useful, orderly, and attractive at the same time.

21. Slide on a pair of heather grey fair isle socks.

22. Put on your sneakers.

23. Grab your yoga bag.

24. Go to the gym.

* remember, fitted sheets are a last resort; but if you must use one, fold it correctly.

** wrapped in buffered, acid-free tissue and stored in an acid-free box or tube with a photo of the sheets taped to the outside (as always: no wire hangers!!!)

Christine Friar lives and writes in New York.