managing time

Have you ever timed your mornings?

October 26, 2010

On Sunday night, I participated in a Twitter #stylechat about how long it takes to get ready in the morning. Sasha asked some great questions and the participants all had great answers. The chat itself was inspired by this: Yesterday, after the chat, I timed my morning routine. First 25 minutes: Shower, dry off, put on deodorant, brush teeth, brush hair, get dressed including shoes and jewelry and eat a bowl of cereal. Second 25 minutes: Get the three kids dressed. (Mark had already fed them.) Third 25 minutes: Get two kids into shoes and jackets and get all...

Daily schedule to end “drifting”

April 13, 2010

I’ve often wondered why I am able to be organized, proactive and on top of things professionally while my home is a mess, my library books are late and I’m in my jammies till noon. I found the answer — and it is simple — in “The Procrastinator’s Handbook: Mastering the Art of Doing It Now” by Rita Emmett.* She calls it the “Drifting Along” method of procrastination. Because home is less structured, without deadlines or a set schedule, I drift along all day, all week, all month without getting much done. I’ve tried many tactics to combat this...

Day 1 of the morning routine

March 16, 2010

7:15 Mark woke me to say he was leaving for work and I should go back to sleep because all the kids were still asleep and I’d been up with Ellie several times during the night. (She typically wakes only once in early morning.) 8:45 Ellie woke. I nursed her and we snuggled a little. 9:00 Grace (who slept in our bed, with her head at our feet) woke, looked at me, wrapped her arms around my feet and laid back down. 9:15 Connor came into the room. Grace woke more fully this time. They asked to watch TV...

Morning routine – two dreaded words put together

March 15, 2010

I hate mornings. I know a good morning is the key to a good day. But I just can’t get out of bed. The combined smell of bacon and coffee can usually lure me out. But a crying baby, poopy boy and hungry girl make me want to just crawl deeper under the covers. I want to like mornings. I want to wake up refreshed and start the day off with an uplifing routine. I’d love to do yoga with the kids like Carrie. Or read the Bible to them like Allison. Or get up and start the laundry...

My anti-procrastination progress

March 2, 2010

Since renewing my fight against procrastination, I have: Applied for three jobs in the marketing field. Reorganized the closet that serves as our pantry, game storage and broom closet. Kept half the kitchen clean. Cleared all the paperwork, mail, magazines, etc. off the hutch. Started a bathroom reorganization. (Expect a full post on this when it’s done.) Got half my grocery price database done. Walked home from preschool with all three kids. Three miles in 80 minutes. It was exhausting but felt good. And Connor got a good nap in. And Grace was excited that she got to “go...

I am giving up. Giving up procrastination, that is.

February 18, 2010

I’ve decided what I am going to give up for Lent. Procrastination. Uh, what? Yep, I know that’s what you’re thinking. When the idea struck me (like lightening), my inner self thought: You are The Recovering Procrastinator. Haven’t you been trying to give up procrastination for at least two years? Isn’t that why you started this blog in the first place? Well, self and readers, yes and no. Yes, that is why I started this blog: to chronicle my efforts to stop procrastinating, to share my success and laugh over my failures. But the focus has been lost, leaving...

Scheduling our days

August 4, 2009

I created a weekly schedule for us to help keep us all sane, so check that one off the to-do list. Here it is. Wish us luck. ———— To do update: I decided not to bother calling the chiro until I know what’s up with our insurance. Still haven’t called Kris. I’ve been putting it off.To do on Wednesday: Call Kris; grocery shop; pick up computer and library books.

Where did all the time go?

November 4, 2008

I decided at 9:30 Friday morning to head out to a friend’s house who wasn’t feeling well and needed a bit of company. How long do you think it took for me to: Shower Get myself and both kids dressed Pack a bag of stuff for the day (diapers, things for work, etc) Get shoes on everyone Stop at the pharmacy to pick up a prescription Drive 32 miles I’d have guessed that would require about 90 minutes, maybe a tiny bit more. Somehow we managed to make it there by 12:15. Yep, that’s two hours and 45 minutes....

What I found to do today

March 8, 2008

Connor napped for 2.5 hours so here’s what I ended up doing: Called preschools about getting Grace enrolled next year Straightened Grace’s room and put away her clean clothes Chatted with some friends online Scrubbed the kitchen countertops, stove top and inside the oven Cleaned the table and high chair and swept the floor Created some organization of my digital scrapbooking files Looked for embellishments for a digi-scrap page I had started a while ago Then Mark and Grace got home and Connor woke up, so I read Grace a book and talked to her about her night at...

Getting out the door is oh so fun

December 20, 2007

Mark had his last finals today — please pray that his Spanish teacher is feeling generous — so he went to school a bit later than normal. He brought Grace downstairs while getting ready so I got to sleep in until Grace came back to my room around 9. (Connor just finished cutting his first molars so he had a loooong night of sleep last night.) The extra time to sleep was wonderful, except that we need to be heading out the door about 9:50 to get to Mom’s group on time. And I was supposed to be watching...

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GROW WITH GRACES