Preparing for the Sabbath

Lately I have been trying to be better prepared for the Sabbath so it can be a more enjoyable and uplifting experience.  I have noticed a difference in how I think about what needs to be done on Saturday to have a nice Sunday.  For me, the thing that was hindering my enjoyable Sabbath day the most was having a messy house.  Instead of being able to sit and enjoy, I would sit and feel the stress of the mess.  As I have tried to get the house clean for Sunday, I have thought about what "cleaning" is appropriate to do on Sunday to maintain a welcoming environment.  One Sunday when I asked my children to pick up some toys they told me they aren't supposed to do chores on Sunday.  We don't live on a farm or have any animals that require to do some of those kind of daily chores.  As I thought about it I felt good about having the standard of:  we clean up any messes we made on Sunday.  So, whatever dishes we use, we clean; what toys the kids play with, they clean up; etc.   Since one of my favorite things about Sunday is leaving the earthly cares and stresses for a day, I only do things that require minimal cleanup because I don't love to clean, so why would I want to do more of it on Sunday than necessary.  It is amazing how having a great Sunday starts the week off right.  By preparing for Sunday we are more prepared for Monday.