I thought I'd give y'all a little update on our new routine, just for accountability purposes. I've made some pretty drastic changes that have helped my sanity a lot. Don't worry, it won't be minute by minute or anything.
1. I started showering at night. It is wonderful showering without someone screaming at you. It is wonderful being able to get ready in 10 minutes each morning. It is wonderful having time to do something with my hair since it's already clean and dry. Why didn't I think of this sooner?
2. Each morning (around 10:30 AM or so) I spend one hour of quality time with Millie. I usually try and do a planned out activity, which makes me feel like Super Mom, but sometimes we just play with toys and read books. During this one hour I cut us off from technology, unless it has to do with our activity. So don't try calling me then :) Of course if we have a friend over or go to play group that counts as our one-on-one time. The above picture is one of our activities. Coloring a box while sitting inside it. It was a huge hit.
3. I plan out a month's worth of dinners at a time. This sounds like a huge thing, but it really was pretty simple. One Sunday evening I just sat down with our calendar and a few cook books and planned it out. This way I could space out the nights we have pancakes (hehe) better. I could also look at "cook once, eat twice" strategies (like making a pot roast then using leftover shredded beef for tacos the next night). It has been great having a plan in place for those weeks I only have a second in the grocery store so I pick up the bare minimum. I saw something much cuter at my friend Jessica's house a few years ago, it just took a while for me to try it out.
4. I bought a treadmill off of Craig List for $25. It isn't in the best shape, but now I have no excuse to at least walk each night. I figured out how to hang the ipad on the top so I can watch Drop Dead Diva on Netflix. I don't (usually) allow myself to watch it without walking, so it motivates me to see if Jane had told Grayson yet...
There you have it. I feel like Millie is learning and growing, and I'm helping. I feel like I'm still taking care of myself. I feel like I'm feeding my family well. For now, everything else seems to fall into place on its own. Of course we still get more than our fair share of screaming, throwing, crayon eating, messes, and endless amounts of untamed laundry.
great idea to look for a treadmill on craigslist. ill have to keep that in mind.
ReplyDeleteI love these ideas! I think Harper is getting to an age where implementing some of these tricks might do wonders. Especially the shower at night thing. I've tried that, but sometimes I just feel so tired and lazy! Happy walking!
ReplyDeleteWhat? someone else watches Drop Dead Diva besides me?? I'm still waiting on new episodes on Netflix! Oh, and I need to try the shower at night thing...I take a shower with a baby banging her head against my door every day!haha
ReplyDeletei'm curious about this drop dead diva show, i'll have to check it out! i love your scheduling and how on top of it you are (i would expect nothing less) and you are right, everything does just fall right into place!
ReplyDeleteI'm really impressed with the month of meal plans. I only ever plan a week at a time! And Drop Dead Diva IS pretty awesome. But the third season just ended, so it will probably be awhile before they put it on Netflix. Want me to tell you what happens? ;)
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