Dear Anorexia,
I hear you knocking but you cannot come in. I will call you by your proper name - Thief. You rob me of my health. You rob me of my energy. You rob me of my joy. I will treat you like the thief that you are. I would not leave my front door open for anyone to come in and take what belongs to me. I shut my door and lock it to protect what is precious to me. In the same way I will shut my mind to your beckoning. I will bar the door against the temptations of skinny celebrities on glossy magazine covers and skimpy swimsuits on department store racks. I will safeguard my schedule to make your old habits inconvenient.
I can hear you laying in wait, until my children are all in school. I can hear you urging "you can skip breakfast with no one to yell at." I hear you call "you can work out for hours without interruption." Lies. Siren songs. I worked very hard to overcome your deceptions. Becoming a mother forced me to look beyond my selfish conceit. I cannot starve a growing baby. I cannot skip meals when children need my patience. I cannot run for hours when there are snacks to prepare and diapers to change and laundry to fold. I cannot destroy myself when my children depend on my strong arms to hold them.
Dear Anorexia - you are an old, familiar face, but you are no friend of mine. You are not welcome here. I am so much more than you want me to believe I am. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and I will live my life in the light of that knowledge. You and I are over. Stop calling my name.
Sincerely,
Not Sick Anymore
Monday, January 30, 2012
12 Week Makeover Week 3
So how did you do on Week 2: clearing out the clutter?
I did a little reorganizing of my house - I cut down a few clutter spots like the recycle area, the top of the dryer, and I did this overhaul of the foyer. I spent more time, however, getting together this organizing system for my week. The long and short of it being that I came up with some simple charting solutions that have made me SO much more efficient with my time and my mental energy. I cut out a lot of the 'clutter' of trying to keep track of all the things I needed to get done and all the scheduling I had to remember. It's been wonderful and my house has been noticeably tidier because of it (although, when I asked my husband if he noticed that the house had been a little neater last week he said "no" *sigh*).
Anyway, that brings us to this week.
Week #3: Practice Positive Thinking
This doesn't just mean "I will get that workout in today" or "I won't eat that cookie." It also includes consciously refraining from thinking anything negative about yourself. No more obsessing over fat thighs. No more beating yourself up for skipping the gym. If you catch yourself thinking something negative about yourself, turn it around and find the positive. Instead of thinking "I'm so fat and lazy" think "I have a great personality that people like to be around and I work hard." The more positive you feel about yourself, the better you'll do at losing weight and getting healthy.
And if you want to read the real articles about this challenge, don't forget to pick up the All You: Health and Fitness magazine at your local Walmart. There are tons of other great tips on working out and eating right in that magazine that will not be included in my blog posts.
So - this week's challenge sounds easy, right? I really hope it is for you! See my next post for a reason it won't be so easy for me.
And this week's stats:
Weight: 122 and holding *sigh*
Days I worked out: 2
Days I ate junk: 6
Oh well - I'm working on it. I did just buy Weeds Season 1 to keep me company while I work out.
Good luck!
I did a little reorganizing of my house - I cut down a few clutter spots like the recycle area, the top of the dryer, and I did this overhaul of the foyer. I spent more time, however, getting together this organizing system for my week. The long and short of it being that I came up with some simple charting solutions that have made me SO much more efficient with my time and my mental energy. I cut out a lot of the 'clutter' of trying to keep track of all the things I needed to get done and all the scheduling I had to remember. It's been wonderful and my house has been noticeably tidier because of it (although, when I asked my husband if he noticed that the house had been a little neater last week he said "no" *sigh*).
Anyway, that brings us to this week.
Week #3: Practice Positive Thinking
This doesn't just mean "I will get that workout in today" or "I won't eat that cookie." It also includes consciously refraining from thinking anything negative about yourself. No more obsessing over fat thighs. No more beating yourself up for skipping the gym. If you catch yourself thinking something negative about yourself, turn it around and find the positive. Instead of thinking "I'm so fat and lazy" think "I have a great personality that people like to be around and I work hard." The more positive you feel about yourself, the better you'll do at losing weight and getting healthy.
And if you want to read the real articles about this challenge, don't forget to pick up the All You: Health and Fitness magazine at your local Walmart. There are tons of other great tips on working out and eating right in that magazine that will not be included in my blog posts.
So - this week's challenge sounds easy, right? I really hope it is for you! See my next post for a reason it won't be so easy for me.
And this week's stats:
Weight: 122 and holding *sigh*
Days I worked out: 2
Days I ate junk: 6
Oh well - I'm working on it. I did just buy Weeds Season 1 to keep me company while I work out.
Good luck!
Monday, January 23, 2012
12 Week Makeover: Week 2
To recap, Week 1: Keep a Journal, we were challeneged to find a journal or other method of recording the things we ate, the amount we worked out, and the way we felt about our health habits that week.
So how did you do? I'll be honest - I didn't get a whole lot of recording done. But I did make sure to pay closer attention to some of the things I was feeling about working out (or my lack thereof) and the way certain things I ate made me feel. I'm going to site getting a stomach bug as my excuse for having a really unsuccessful week - but really, I was just lazy. I'll get better about it this week. Ready for the next step?
Week 2: Declutter and Make a Plan
This week we have a 2 part challenge:
1) De-clutter your space - find the places in your house that piles tend to accumulate and figure out how to organize them. Is your kitchen counter covered in papers? You could set a pretty basket or letter tray on the counter to catch it all. Or, better yet, try this fun filing system to get your papers in order now and make them easier to sort in the future. (Or try this idea, or this one, or this one, or this one). Give everyone a laundry sorter to get clothes off the floor. Or put a "donations" basket in each closet to catch outgrown/unwanted items. Rethink the toy storage, go through the junk drawer - whatever area of your home is doing the most damage to your peace of mind - carve out a few minutes a day and chip away at it until you've got it squared away. Need some inspiration? Pinterest is a godsend.
2) Make a plan. Remember that journal you supposedly kept all week? Now is the time to go back through your entries and formulate a plan of attack. Scout out all the bad habits and come up with ideas for fixing them. (Ate a ton of chocolate every single day? Keep it in the freezer. Didn't work out once? Make a jogging date with a friend). You get the idea. Then look for the stuff that worked, the good habits you want to keep - and make sure you keep doing them. Keep going for that after-dinner walk. Keep adding an extra vegetable at dinner. Keep going to bed 30 minutes earlier. Whatever makes you feel healthy and happy and good about yourself - focus your energy on that. Whatever is bringing you down - figure out how to cut it out.
So - that's it :) Are you ready? I am! Of course, I'd be a lot more ready if I didn't see piles that need de-cluttering everywhere I turned my head...babysteps, right!? Thanks for joining me on this journey - and remember - if you follow along and post on your progress every week, you're in the running for a fun fun prize! Woohoo!
If you want to join us in our little FB group that we created just for tracking our stats and cheering each other on - come join up here.
Oh, and here are this week's stats:
Weight: 122
Days I ate junk:6
Days I worked out: 0
Well - that's a little progress I guess. 10 more weeks!!
In other news, I have felt a very strong calling to start working out more. I've had a lot of health issues (exhaustion, moodiness, sadness, etc etc) that I keep asking my doctors about and they keep on telling me everything is normal. Well, I feel like the Lord is finally getting through my thick skull telling me that many of my problems will get better if I just get my bum in gear and exercise! Which is really really hard to do when I'm just so tired because I got so little sleep last night because I was just so restless. But, in theory, the more I work out, the better I'll sleep, the more rested I'll be, the more I can work out, etc etc etc. And it's a great mood booster - I know this from the few times I've done it before. I just have to suck it up and do it! So, here we go. I'm hoping that I can squeeze in a nap and some eliptical time today, but if that plan fails I'm totally hauling my hand weights upstairs, turning on the Bob The Builder soundtrack, and busting a move with my toddlers after nap time. Because, frankly, they could use a little more movement to get the afternoon ants out of their pants, too. Wish me luck, I'm a slug by nature and a terrible time manager so this will be a big challenge. But God told me to, so I will. Right.
That's all she wrote.
So how did you do? I'll be honest - I didn't get a whole lot of recording done. But I did make sure to pay closer attention to some of the things I was feeling about working out (or my lack thereof) and the way certain things I ate made me feel. I'm going to site getting a stomach bug as my excuse for having a really unsuccessful week - but really, I was just lazy. I'll get better about it this week. Ready for the next step?
Week 2: Declutter and Make a Plan
This week we have a 2 part challenge:
1) De-clutter your space - find the places in your house that piles tend to accumulate and figure out how to organize them. Is your kitchen counter covered in papers? You could set a pretty basket or letter tray on the counter to catch it all. Or, better yet, try this fun filing system to get your papers in order now and make them easier to sort in the future. (Or try this idea, or this one, or this one, or this one). Give everyone a laundry sorter to get clothes off the floor. Or put a "donations" basket in each closet to catch outgrown/unwanted items. Rethink the toy storage, go through the junk drawer - whatever area of your home is doing the most damage to your peace of mind - carve out a few minutes a day and chip away at it until you've got it squared away. Need some inspiration? Pinterest is a godsend.
2) Make a plan. Remember that journal you supposedly kept all week? Now is the time to go back through your entries and formulate a plan of attack. Scout out all the bad habits and come up with ideas for fixing them. (Ate a ton of chocolate every single day? Keep it in the freezer. Didn't work out once? Make a jogging date with a friend). You get the idea. Then look for the stuff that worked, the good habits you want to keep - and make sure you keep doing them. Keep going for that after-dinner walk. Keep adding an extra vegetable at dinner. Keep going to bed 30 minutes earlier. Whatever makes you feel healthy and happy and good about yourself - focus your energy on that. Whatever is bringing you down - figure out how to cut it out.
So - that's it :) Are you ready? I am! Of course, I'd be a lot more ready if I didn't see piles that need de-cluttering everywhere I turned my head...babysteps, right!? Thanks for joining me on this journey - and remember - if you follow along and post on your progress every week, you're in the running for a fun fun prize! Woohoo!
If you want to join us in our little FB group that we created just for tracking our stats and cheering each other on - come join up here.
Oh, and here are this week's stats:
Weight: 122
Days I ate junk:6
Days I worked out: 0
Well - that's a little progress I guess. 10 more weeks!!
In other news, I have felt a very strong calling to start working out more. I've had a lot of health issues (exhaustion, moodiness, sadness, etc etc) that I keep asking my doctors about and they keep on telling me everything is normal. Well, I feel like the Lord is finally getting through my thick skull telling me that many of my problems will get better if I just get my bum in gear and exercise! Which is really really hard to do when I'm just so tired because I got so little sleep last night because I was just so restless. But, in theory, the more I work out, the better I'll sleep, the more rested I'll be, the more I can work out, etc etc etc. And it's a great mood booster - I know this from the few times I've done it before. I just have to suck it up and do it! So, here we go. I'm hoping that I can squeeze in a nap and some eliptical time today, but if that plan fails I'm totally hauling my hand weights upstairs, turning on the Bob The Builder soundtrack, and busting a move with my toddlers after nap time. Because, frankly, they could use a little more movement to get the afternoon ants out of their pants, too. Wish me luck, I'm a slug by nature and a terrible time manager so this will be a big challenge. But God told me to, so I will. Right.
That's all she wrote.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
12 Week Makeover
So who's up for a 12 week health makeover? Want to join me? I'm following the All You magazine 2012 12 week health challenge and I'll be docummenting it here. So, what are we up to this week?
Week 1: Get a journal
Seems easy enough, right? Find a notebook, pretty journal or blank wordprocessing document and start writing. Write down:
And so that I'm accountable, here are my starting stats:
Weight - 122
Days I eat junk - 7
Days I work out - 0
Well - it can only get better from here, right? So - will you join me?
p.s. - there might be a little *ahem* prize involved for one (or several) of you who do this with me and comment with your progress every week - just sayin'
Week 1: Get a journal
Seems easy enough, right? Find a notebook, pretty journal or blank wordprocessing document and start writing. Write down:
- Everything you eat (yes, breakfast, lunch, dinner and any random grazing - every bite!)
- All your exercising (even if you just write "had a dance party in the living room with the kids")
- How you felt when you ate or exercised (I was bored so I ate some chocolate. I ran a mile and felt a total high.)
And so that I'm accountable, here are my starting stats:
Weight - 122
Days I eat junk - 7
Days I work out - 0
Well - it can only get better from here, right? So - will you join me?
p.s. - there might be a little *ahem* prize involved for one (or several) of you who do this with me and comment with your progress every week - just sayin'
Monday, January 16, 2012
Loving The Shape I've Got
I've been thinking a lot lately about getting 'in shape.' It's the new year with new goals and I'm thinking ahead to swimsuit season. Sure, I'd love to have a swimsuit body by July. That's the ideal. But this morning, it dawned on me how much I like the shape I've already got.
Here are a few reasons why it's nice to have a little extra 'meat on the bones':
1) Ample hips are great for toting babies. Or, as I did this morning, toting a baby and a toddler at the same time. While chasing after the preschooler. What would I have done without the great baby-shelf?
2) Men (apparently) like curves. At least, that's what my husband claims. And lots of women's magazines claim. I'd like to believe they're telling us the truth.
3) In an apocalyptic situation, I'd last a little longer than the waif-thin models. When food is scarce, the body uses your extra fat. So, it's not really fat - it's zombie insurance ;)
4) I have extra padding for the inevitable jabs and kicks and other abuse I take from three rambunctious small kids. I can't imagine how bruised I'd be if I still had visible ribs and hip-bones. Ouch!
5) When I'm hungry, I'm not happy. When I'm happy, I'm more beautiful. I like to believe that you can hide a lot of love-handles behind a killer smile.
That's it for now. What are some things that you love about your shape?
Here are a few reasons why it's nice to have a little extra 'meat on the bones':
1) Ample hips are great for toting babies. Or, as I did this morning, toting a baby and a toddler at the same time. While chasing after the preschooler. What would I have done without the great baby-shelf?
2) Men (apparently) like curves. At least, that's what my husband claims. And lots of women's magazines claim. I'd like to believe they're telling us the truth.
3) In an apocalyptic situation, I'd last a little longer than the waif-thin models. When food is scarce, the body uses your extra fat. So, it's not really fat - it's zombie insurance ;)
4) I have extra padding for the inevitable jabs and kicks and other abuse I take from three rambunctious small kids. I can't imagine how bruised I'd be if I still had visible ribs and hip-bones. Ouch!
5) When I'm hungry, I'm not happy. When I'm happy, I'm more beautiful. I like to believe that you can hide a lot of love-handles behind a killer smile.
That's it for now. What are some things that you love about your shape?
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Checking In On The Goals
So, we're a few days into 2012 and I thought I'd check in to see how things are going with the goals. Here's a rundown of my year thusfar:
1) Make an effort with my appearance. In general, so far so good. Yes, I did wear pajamas home from the airport, but I got there at 4:30 am! And yes, I did wear yoga pants yesterday, but it was the last day of 'vacation' before activities started up again. Today, I made sure to wear my skinny jeans, a cute sweater, my usual jewelry and my favorite boots. I feel good, even if the only people who will see me all day (other than family) are the folks at the post office. And that was the point entirely.
2) I will work out every day even if I only do 20 situps. um--- haha this hasn't happened at all yet. Well, Monday we took a mile long walk along the nature trail - I guess that counts. Especially since I was toting a 4 year old for half of the walk. I'm really hoping to at least do my situps today. But somehow I'm so exhausted at nap time I barely get in my 'busywork' before passing out let alone a workout. Ah well - room to grow.
3) Eat a healthy diet 5 days a week. Hit and miss. I've been planning really healthy, veggie-filled meals. I gobbled up a HUGE plate of veggies and hummus at lunch today. Unfortunately, I still have a ton of leftover snacks and sweets from the holiday in my pantry. I can't seem to make myself part with them, so my next best solution has been trying to eat them all up as quickly as possible and then attempt not to acquire any more. We'll see how that goes. In the meantime, I also bought a couple new "clean eating" cooking magazines and I'm really excited about some of the recipes I've found - so at least healthy meal planning will be fun :)
4) Get up at 6:30. The weekend was a mess, but we were recovering from travel. Yesterday, I slept in until 7 (we were up till nearly midnight the night before). BUT the kids slept until 9 so I still managed to finish all my blogging and get ready and even relax on the couch with one of those cooking magazines for a bit before I had to make breakfast. Today I almost made it, but then I spent too long on the computer so the morning was still a rush. Tomorrow, I will be awake at 6:30 and upstairs making toast by 7:30. Yes I will.
5) I will make quiet-hour shorter. Big fail. I feel like I'm way behind in playing catchup with blog stuff and store stuff and all the people I have to call about appointments and all the cleaning I want to get done and getting up earlier means I definitely have to nap or I'll be a total pumpkin by dinnertime. Whew. But I'm working on it. My piles of to-dos are slowly getting smaller, and I'm trying really hard to get to bed earlier. So hopefully in a week or so quiet hour will be more like an actual hour. We shall see.
6) Spend less time on the computer. um, nope. I've been madly rushing to catch up on my blogs and put things in my shops and list things on craigslist to sell and then I get caught up in filling out giveaways and chatting and.....Oops. I have been leaving the computer downstairs and it's been a huge change for the better. More time with my kids and I'm getting things slowly organized - it's really nice. I'm just wasting a LOT of time at naptime and in the morning still, so I need tow work on that.
7) Keep a tidier, cleaner house. Getting there. I'm in the "things look worse while I'm making them better" stage. I'm totally redoing my filing system, which means I have notebooks and piles of papers everywhere - but it should be easier to file the papers that tend to pile up when I'm done. Next, linen closet. Getting a 'real' toy box for the kids tomorrow so we have one big place to corral all the stray toys. Moved H's clothes from his closet to his dresser so they're easier to put away. I'm making progress. My main goal is to streamline things enough that it's easier to keep things clean once I get them there. Even if it means making a bigger mess in the process.
So that's where I am. It's a process. These are goals. I'll get there. It's good to check in now and then to keep track, though :)
1) Make an effort with my appearance. In general, so far so good. Yes, I did wear pajamas home from the airport, but I got there at 4:30 am! And yes, I did wear yoga pants yesterday, but it was the last day of 'vacation' before activities started up again. Today, I made sure to wear my skinny jeans, a cute sweater, my usual jewelry and my favorite boots. I feel good, even if the only people who will see me all day (other than family) are the folks at the post office. And that was the point entirely.
2) I will work out every day even if I only do 20 situps. um--- haha this hasn't happened at all yet. Well, Monday we took a mile long walk along the nature trail - I guess that counts. Especially since I was toting a 4 year old for half of the walk. I'm really hoping to at least do my situps today. But somehow I'm so exhausted at nap time I barely get in my 'busywork' before passing out let alone a workout. Ah well - room to grow.
3) Eat a healthy diet 5 days a week. Hit and miss. I've been planning really healthy, veggie-filled meals. I gobbled up a HUGE plate of veggies and hummus at lunch today. Unfortunately, I still have a ton of leftover snacks and sweets from the holiday in my pantry. I can't seem to make myself part with them, so my next best solution has been trying to eat them all up as quickly as possible and then attempt not to acquire any more. We'll see how that goes. In the meantime, I also bought a couple new "clean eating" cooking magazines and I'm really excited about some of the recipes I've found - so at least healthy meal planning will be fun :)
4) Get up at 6:30. The weekend was a mess, but we were recovering from travel. Yesterday, I slept in until 7 (we were up till nearly midnight the night before). BUT the kids slept until 9 so I still managed to finish all my blogging and get ready and even relax on the couch with one of those cooking magazines for a bit before I had to make breakfast. Today I almost made it, but then I spent too long on the computer so the morning was still a rush. Tomorrow, I will be awake at 6:30 and upstairs making toast by 7:30. Yes I will.
5) I will make quiet-hour shorter. Big fail. I feel like I'm way behind in playing catchup with blog stuff and store stuff and all the people I have to call about appointments and all the cleaning I want to get done and getting up earlier means I definitely have to nap or I'll be a total pumpkin by dinnertime. Whew. But I'm working on it. My piles of to-dos are slowly getting smaller, and I'm trying really hard to get to bed earlier. So hopefully in a week or so quiet hour will be more like an actual hour. We shall see.
6) Spend less time on the computer. um, nope. I've been madly rushing to catch up on my blogs and put things in my shops and list things on craigslist to sell and then I get caught up in filling out giveaways and chatting and.....Oops. I have been leaving the computer downstairs and it's been a huge change for the better. More time with my kids and I'm getting things slowly organized - it's really nice. I'm just wasting a LOT of time at naptime and in the morning still, so I need tow work on that.
7) Keep a tidier, cleaner house. Getting there. I'm in the "things look worse while I'm making them better" stage. I'm totally redoing my filing system, which means I have notebooks and piles of papers everywhere - but it should be easier to file the papers that tend to pile up when I'm done. Next, linen closet. Getting a 'real' toy box for the kids tomorrow so we have one big place to corral all the stray toys. Moved H's clothes from his closet to his dresser so they're easier to put away. I'm making progress. My main goal is to streamline things enough that it's easier to keep things clean once I get them there. Even if it means making a bigger mess in the process.
So that's where I am. It's a process. These are goals. I'll get there. It's good to check in now and then to keep track, though :)
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
New Years Goals
I can't believe that January is almost here! My holidays have been a diet disaster. I keep telling myself that I'll only indulge on the holiday itself - but I've been out to eat or carb-loading pretty much every day since Thanksgiving. Ooof. So - I've given myself permission to go nuts until the New Year. It's going to happen anyway (despite my best intentions to get hot before Miami) and I'm tired of beating myself up over it. But, I've also already compiled my list of New Years goals. I call them goals because I don't like "resolutions" - when I resolve to do something, I feel like a failure the first day I stop doing it. When I set a goal, I recognize that there will be setbacks and I feel awesome when I make any progress toward the goal.
I'm hoping that this year will be the year of getting healthy. Physically, mentally and emotionally. I want to get myself organized - get my house in order, get my schedule cleaned up and really crack down on discipline. Here's my plan, in no particular order:
1) Make an effort with my appearance. I will attempt to dress presentably and wear makeup at least 5 days a week. Ideally 6 days a week. I can wear yoga pants and sweatshirts if I'm really going to be doing a lot of cleaning or yard-work, but that's it. When I feel like I look good, I feel good about myself. And when I feel good about myself, it positively impacts every other part of my life.
2) I will work out every day even if I only do 20 situps. Usually, if I get a start, I want to keep going. It's motivating myself to get my tush out of my chair to do something that's the hard part. But if I tell myself I only have to do 20 situps or 5 minutes of running, then I'll be more likely to start. I can quit after my tiny goal. But odds are, I'll want to keep going.
3) Eat a healthy diet 5 days a week. I have a HUGE sweet tooth. And I love carbs. And in winter, telling myself I have to eat healthily is like telling myself I'm going to lace up some boots and climb Mt. Everest. I'm a lot more likely to eat fruits, veggies and grains 5 days a week if I know I can bake a pie on Saturday (or have a bagel for breakfast on Sunday - or whatever). To this end, I can't keep junk in the house. If there is chocolate, I will eat 9 pieces in an afternoon. If we have bread 'on hand,' I will eat toast all day. If I've got mac'n'cheese in the cupboard 'just in case we're snowed in,' I will make it for lunch the next day. I am a weak weak person and I can't keep junk in the house. Which means I'll have to plan my menus carefully. It means I need to have healthy 'in case of snow' meals in the freezer. It means I have to have lunch pre-made in the morning so I'm not seduced by the call of Panda Express when we're all ravenous after preschool. It's doable - I just have to make myself do it.
4) Get up at 6:30. My poor kids are suffering from my own laziness. I sleep in as late as possible in the morning, dawdle with getting out of bed, putter around with email and odds and ends and then get them up in a big fat rush because I keep trying to get them all fed and dressed and out the door in 20 minutes. So, I WILL get up at 6:30 every day. I don't have to work out. I don't have to shower. But I will do a devotional (what better way to get myself prepared for the day), quickly check my email and get myself dressed (nicely - with makeup) for the day and have breakfast started and clothes laid out before I get the kids up - hopefully by 7:30. If I can do that, we should cut down on a LOT of morning angst.
5) I will make quiet-hour shorter. Quiet hour lately has drawn out to quiet-two-hours (or more). Which is fine for the younger two who nap that long. And fine for Mommy who gets done a ton of blogging and cleaning and crafting and sleeping. But it's miserable for big brother who does not nap and, though he is ingenious in his creative use of such a long chunk of time in his room by himself with a box of toys, I know he misses Mommy. We used to spend naptime together reading books and playing. Then Mommy realized she was a nicer person if she got a SMALL break in the afternoon and we instituted quiet hour. And then Mommy realized how nice quiet hour was and it has gradually gotten out of hand. Therefore, I resolve to do what I must to make quiet hour stick closer to the hour-long mark. Nap first, errands second, clean third - the rest I'll have to fit in somewhere else.
6) To that end - Spend less time on the computer. I blog a LOT. Which is ok if I plan things out in advance and do as much of it as I can before getting up for the day. But I also enter all kinds of online giveaways, play around on Pinterest and generally waste tons of time on the internet. Time that I could be spending napping, cleaning, crafting and doing all those other things that make quiet hour so long. My plan is - leave the computer downstairs. That way, I can't work on it while I'm with the kids. They (and the house) get my undivided attention, and I'll have to learn to prioritize what I do on the computer during "my" time.
7) Keep a tidier, cleaner house. By bedtime, I'm pooped and don't want to clean. In the mornings, I'm in too much of a rush. And in the afternoons I know that anything I do will just be undone again by bedtime. So it never gets done. But I'm going to work toward both a) cleaning more with my newfound time that I won't be spending on the computer or frittering away at quiet hour, and by b) re-organizing the house to make it more efficient. If there's a spot that is always dirty or always covered in piles, it needs to be re-thought. And I can learn to multi-task. Clean the bathroom while the kids bathe, wipe down the kitchen while the kids eat breakfast, use vacuuming as a discipline tactic (my kids love to vacuum). There are lots of ways to keep this nest a little more nicely feathered - if I take the time to plan. Time that I'm hoping to gain back by being more efficient in all the above ways.
So - wish me luck - it's going to be a journey and I'll have a lot of setbacks I know, but I think it will be more than worth it in the end. I'm so tired of feeling scattered and hurried and cranky and disorganized all the time. I need to rework my life and make it run a little more smoothly or I'm really going to go off the rails some day. So here goes!
And how about you, what are your goals?
I'm hoping that this year will be the year of getting healthy. Physically, mentally and emotionally. I want to get myself organized - get my house in order, get my schedule cleaned up and really crack down on discipline. Here's my plan, in no particular order:
1) Make an effort with my appearance. I will attempt to dress presentably and wear makeup at least 5 days a week. Ideally 6 days a week. I can wear yoga pants and sweatshirts if I'm really going to be doing a lot of cleaning or yard-work, but that's it. When I feel like I look good, I feel good about myself. And when I feel good about myself, it positively impacts every other part of my life.
2) I will work out every day even if I only do 20 situps. Usually, if I get a start, I want to keep going. It's motivating myself to get my tush out of my chair to do something that's the hard part. But if I tell myself I only have to do 20 situps or 5 minutes of running, then I'll be more likely to start. I can quit after my tiny goal. But odds are, I'll want to keep going.
3) Eat a healthy diet 5 days a week. I have a HUGE sweet tooth. And I love carbs. And in winter, telling myself I have to eat healthily is like telling myself I'm going to lace up some boots and climb Mt. Everest. I'm a lot more likely to eat fruits, veggies and grains 5 days a week if I know I can bake a pie on Saturday (or have a bagel for breakfast on Sunday - or whatever). To this end, I can't keep junk in the house. If there is chocolate, I will eat 9 pieces in an afternoon. If we have bread 'on hand,' I will eat toast all day. If I've got mac'n'cheese in the cupboard 'just in case we're snowed in,' I will make it for lunch the next day. I am a weak weak person and I can't keep junk in the house. Which means I'll have to plan my menus carefully. It means I need to have healthy 'in case of snow' meals in the freezer. It means I have to have lunch pre-made in the morning so I'm not seduced by the call of Panda Express when we're all ravenous after preschool. It's doable - I just have to make myself do it.
4) Get up at 6:30. My poor kids are suffering from my own laziness. I sleep in as late as possible in the morning, dawdle with getting out of bed, putter around with email and odds and ends and then get them up in a big fat rush because I keep trying to get them all fed and dressed and out the door in 20 minutes. So, I WILL get up at 6:30 every day. I don't have to work out. I don't have to shower. But I will do a devotional (what better way to get myself prepared for the day), quickly check my email and get myself dressed (nicely - with makeup) for the day and have breakfast started and clothes laid out before I get the kids up - hopefully by 7:30. If I can do that, we should cut down on a LOT of morning angst.
5) I will make quiet-hour shorter. Quiet hour lately has drawn out to quiet-two-hours (or more). Which is fine for the younger two who nap that long. And fine for Mommy who gets done a ton of blogging and cleaning and crafting and sleeping. But it's miserable for big brother who does not nap and, though he is ingenious in his creative use of such a long chunk of time in his room by himself with a box of toys, I know he misses Mommy. We used to spend naptime together reading books and playing. Then Mommy realized she was a nicer person if she got a SMALL break in the afternoon and we instituted quiet hour. And then Mommy realized how nice quiet hour was and it has gradually gotten out of hand. Therefore, I resolve to do what I must to make quiet hour stick closer to the hour-long mark. Nap first, errands second, clean third - the rest I'll have to fit in somewhere else.
6) To that end - Spend less time on the computer. I blog a LOT. Which is ok if I plan things out in advance and do as much of it as I can before getting up for the day. But I also enter all kinds of online giveaways, play around on Pinterest and generally waste tons of time on the internet. Time that I could be spending napping, cleaning, crafting and doing all those other things that make quiet hour so long. My plan is - leave the computer downstairs. That way, I can't work on it while I'm with the kids. They (and the house) get my undivided attention, and I'll have to learn to prioritize what I do on the computer during "my" time.
7) Keep a tidier, cleaner house. By bedtime, I'm pooped and don't want to clean. In the mornings, I'm in too much of a rush. And in the afternoons I know that anything I do will just be undone again by bedtime. So it never gets done. But I'm going to work toward both a) cleaning more with my newfound time that I won't be spending on the computer or frittering away at quiet hour, and by b) re-organizing the house to make it more efficient. If there's a spot that is always dirty or always covered in piles, it needs to be re-thought. And I can learn to multi-task. Clean the bathroom while the kids bathe, wipe down the kitchen while the kids eat breakfast, use vacuuming as a discipline tactic (my kids love to vacuum). There are lots of ways to keep this nest a little more nicely feathered - if I take the time to plan. Time that I'm hoping to gain back by being more efficient in all the above ways.
So - wish me luck - it's going to be a journey and I'll have a lot of setbacks I know, but I think it will be more than worth it in the end. I'm so tired of feeling scattered and hurried and cranky and disorganized all the time. I need to rework my life and make it run a little more smoothly or I'm really going to go off the rails some day. So here goes!
And how about you, what are your goals?
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