Managing Monday #8

So this morning we had success! I changed my daily routine list a little bit. I mean the items on it didn’t change, but me adding time periods to it did.  I usually make a list that looks like the following:

4:45 up – get coffee and breakfast started

5:00 unload and load dishwasher – fluff dryer

5:15 news- blog – coffee

5:45 shower – get ready

6:15 wake girls – get girls ready

6:55 – out the door

I make a time frame for each project to be done – and it puts my OCD in overdrive when I screw this up.  I decided to experiment a little and just make a list of things to accomplish and goal times.  My daily routine list looked more like this today:

Morning:

Coffee and Breakfast

Dishwasher – Laundry

Blog – Enjoy Coffee and News

Get girls up and ready

6:55 goal time to be out the door loading the car.

Success happened for us today! It was such a smoother morning – I was happy! I think I have found that if I don’t make a strict list – I don’t feel so much pressure to get it all in and done. It would cause me to feel like a failure for not getting everything right (based on my timetable).  With the new format I can make it all fit and if I am not feeling it, or we have no bread to make breakfast sandwiches, or no laundry to fluff – I can linger longer on other tasks and not feel bad!

Isn’t it funny how little things can affect us in such a large way?  I am going to try to do this with a few other aspects of my life and see how well it works!

Managing Monday #5

I have got to get out of this funk! I try my hardest to keep everything going and make sure things are in order and nothing gets missed.  I just still can’t seem to shake whatever it is that I am in.

My awesome husband got me a yoga mat for no reason. He heard me say I wanted one and then went and brought me home one! He rocks to say the least.  I am hoping to incorporate yoga into my day in both the am and pm to help. I think I need to focus some more attention to my mental health. I worry about getting things done for both my kids, the house, and I think that I just need to schedule me in.

Today I am going to try out a couple new things.  Things for me. This will in turn help my family out I am thinking and then we will all be in a better place! For me Mondays are always a great day to start something new as it is the start of the weekly routine. Why not add something in at the beginning, that is what I always say!

You could say I am going to manage myself this Monday.

I am going to practice more yoga. When researching on yoga some this is what I found on the Gaiam Life Homepage: “Yoga can help women find physical and emotional balance, as well as self-acceptance.” Yes please. I think I am going in the right direction!

I am going to make it a habit to read everyday. I am going to have a couple of books going at the same time. That way I can read for whatever mood I am in. Humor, educational, spiritual, self-help, or maybe just some good old-fashioned mystery reading. I have always enjoyed it, so why again did I stop?

My dear friend Martha made a spot on comment in her blog. She said it is the getting started part that is another story. I love to run, but the thought of getting ready to go do it sucks. I need to get over that and just start running again. It gave me so much energy and just made me feel good. I think I am going to sign up for a St. Patrick’s day 5K and the Run with the Reindeer race to give me some motivation since my running partners are still in North Carolina and I am not.

Last but not least I am going to try to give back some. I don’t think this will be a daily practice just yet – but I want to make it a practice. I feel it is something that I need to show my kids. You should help others if you can. That is just how it is.  I have been reading online some things that other people have done and I like some of them and others I don’t. I feel that helping others is good for the soul.

What are some things that you want to put into practice in your life? When will your start?

 

Managing Monday #4

So….at work if we use the fitness facility, or take a fitness class offered on campus at least 3 times a week – we can earn a paid hour off of work the very next week. No hoarding the hours – you HAVE to use it the next week. I think that is a good thing personally. I like to see the benefit quick, what can I say?

I have been doing this and finally the weather allowed for me to get in all three workouts as it was ABOVE ZERO.  It was nice 🙂

I am thinking about going into work 1 hour later ever Monday (as long as 3 workouts are done the previous week) to help my kids cope with the awful Monday syndrome when it is a really bad Monday. I know I should just make them get used to getting up, but I personally would like the extra hour to make Monday more manageable some days. I can still make them get up, but maybe a warm breakfast or just cuddle time on the couch to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse together.  I just really think that my whole family can benefit from it.

Now – this doesn’t mean I can’t change what I do with this hour. Like maybe I want to take a 2 hour lunch and go do something – I can do that.  It is my hour.

The week of Valentines I will be using my hour on Valentine’s Day so that I can make my kids heart-shaped pancakes and feed them strawberries. I will fill their tummies with love 🙂

Managing Monday #3

I am back to my planner! I was so happy to get mine on sale for $2.50 this year! It is plain but it works! I literally have everything in it. No joke.  On Saturday or Sunday of each week I review the upcoming two weeks worth of things that are going to happen. I then plan when I need to have items done so that I am completely ready beforehand for it.  I write it all down – I mean everything no matter how big or small. I can’t rely on my brain to remember anymore after having kids – I swear it went out the window!  I give the girls a bath every other day and I have that in my planner so I can remember to plan for it that evening.

I have also started to use my phone for reminders as well. I always have it with me so why not? It is a smart phone, so it should start being smart!  I can use it to start lists or input quick reminders. Those on-the-go “ah-ha” moments don’t get lost that way!  I also like to use this tool on the weekends when I review my schedule and then I can write those things that have been captured all week into the planner with the rest of the items.  That way I don’t have to look to more than one thing each time I check what I am supposed to be doing.

This allows for me to start my week of right on Monday morning by already knowing what I am supposed to be doing. That way there is no surprises to ruin the day.

My other saving grace (I hope) starting this week is meal prep and menu planning. I stress over meals – especially the Monday night meal. I want a good meal my first day back to work for the week. I don’t get home till around 6 with my new job and I usually like to feed my kids no later than 6:30 pm.  Nick gets home anywhere from 30 minutes before us to hours prior. More of the 30 minute range on most days though. So to help everyone out this week I made meals for Monday-Wednesday yesterday, also yesterday’s meal was a soup that I could bring to lunch today and tomorrow.  It was easy to put together with a lot of the same items I used for during the week!  I am not talking silly meals….We had meatball soup yesterday, chicken salad today with chili and garlic crusted chicken, aloha chicken, and meatloaf. YUM!  I also was so inclined to make two pies!  One blueberry  that I am not so sure about and a pear pie which I can’t wait to try today – for national pie day.

These are some things that help me!