I'm a slacker. Ever since school started back up, I'm in a total tizzy with my schedule. Let me give you an example of what my Monday looks like each week.
Ok, now that I'm done making excuses for why I've totally fallen off the wagon the past few weeks, it's time to shake it off and figure some things out. I knew that Fall was going to have a ridiculously busy schedule. I knew that I had taken on too many things. I knew the minute that Shannon mentioned those Entenmann's donuts that I would seek them out at my grocery store. Sigh.
I have got to come up with a better time management schedule. I really believe in that motto "If you fail to plan, then you should plan to fail." That is me to a "T"! I think my biggest struggles these days are:
1. Seriously scheduling my workout time and not setting myself up for failure by planning a 5am workout when I got to bed at 12:30am. UNREALISTIC.
2. I have GOT to get to bed earlier. Cutting out the majority of my caffeine has helped and being crazy busy certainly makes me tired at night (and most of the morning & afternoon), but at night, I get amped up about all the things I want to accomplish and then the adrenaline is pumping and next thing I know, I'm falling asleep at my keyboard at midnight. I think I'm going to have to cut out computer time after 9pm. GASP!
3. I was doing SO WELL about cutting back sweets to like once a week. Yeah, that's all shot to hell. I went grocery shopping last night and brought home the aforementioned box of donuts, a bag of Lindt Truffles (YUM!) and a slice of bakery cake. It's a sickness.
4. I simply must start meal planning and stick to it. Obviously, I don't have time to cook a meal every night. Mondays & Tuesdays are a nightmare. And this is a house full of picky eaters (except for hubby), so I hate to cook things that are not going to be consumed.
Do you guys have any advice? What's working for you? Please, I need some positive stories from you guys because I'm searching for my mojo (and another 2 hours of sleep at the moment).
- 6:30am - Drag myself out of bed, wake up Big A & Little A, get them ready for school, feed 3 pets, pack lunch, shower and do various other tasks around the house
- 8:55am - Fly out the door with Little A to drop her off at preschool
- 9:20am - Arrive at my Kindermusik class to teach
- 10:30am - Head to gym to attempt an hour workout (this hasn't happened yet because of a funky preschool phase in schedule and commitments from another job)
- 12:15pm - Arrive to pick up Little A from preschool. Head home for lunch and (fingers crossed) a short naptime for her
- 2:20pm - Fly to pick up Big A from preschool
- 3:10pm - Arrive home to feed a snack, get a load of laundry done, catch up on emails, prepare an early dinner
- 5pm - Head back downtown for girls Kindermusik class and to teach my own evening class
- 7:30pm - Arrive home (hubby brings the girls home earlier) to try and feed hubby & I dinner, do dishes, catch up on more email and work
- 9:30pm - The time I should be going to bed
- Midnight - More likely the time I'm ACTUALLY going to bed
Ok, now that I'm done making excuses for why I've totally fallen off the wagon the past few weeks, it's time to shake it off and figure some things out. I knew that Fall was going to have a ridiculously busy schedule. I knew that I had taken on too many things. I knew the minute that Shannon mentioned those Entenmann's donuts that I would seek them out at my grocery store. Sigh.
I have got to come up with a better time management schedule. I really believe in that motto "If you fail to plan, then you should plan to fail." That is me to a "T"! I think my biggest struggles these days are:
1. Seriously scheduling my workout time and not setting myself up for failure by planning a 5am workout when I got to bed at 12:30am. UNREALISTIC.
2. I have GOT to get to bed earlier. Cutting out the majority of my caffeine has helped and being crazy busy certainly makes me tired at night (and most of the morning & afternoon), but at night, I get amped up about all the things I want to accomplish and then the adrenaline is pumping and next thing I know, I'm falling asleep at my keyboard at midnight. I think I'm going to have to cut out computer time after 9pm. GASP!
3. I was doing SO WELL about cutting back sweets to like once a week. Yeah, that's all shot to hell. I went grocery shopping last night and brought home the aforementioned box of donuts, a bag of Lindt Truffles (YUM!) and a slice of bakery cake. It's a sickness.
4. I simply must start meal planning and stick to it. Obviously, I don't have time to cook a meal every night. Mondays & Tuesdays are a nightmare. And this is a house full of picky eaters (except for hubby), so I hate to cook things that are not going to be consumed.
Do you guys have any advice? What's working for you? Please, I need some positive stories from you guys because I'm searching for my mojo (and another 2 hours of sleep at the moment).
13 comments:
Another bandwagon faller-offer here! My water aerobics does not start until after Labor Day - and in the meantime, I have made both brownies and peanut butter pie.
As far as your picky eaters...I can only tell you what we do. And that is that I am not a short order cook. I make dinner. You don't like it, fine. You must have one bite of everything - simply as a thank you to the cook. And then my girls are free to go. Or in some cases, stay at the table and talk to us. They get nothing else for the evening. But they pretty much can choose what they eat for breakfast and lunch. It works. They won't starve. And I only cook one meal.
I try to do prep work ahead of time. For example if I'm cutting up onion for one recipe I go ahead and cut the whole thing & then freeze the rest. Or cook 5lbs of hamburger at once and then freeze in 1 lb quantities. I find doing stuff like that saves me A LOT time in the evenings.
Also, I'm not afraid to pull out some frozen foods - chicken tenders & fries can be my best friend on a busy night.
My family eats what I make too, except I am making a few substitutions for me b/c of FBD.
I think the "no computer after 9" rule will work out really well because no one knows better than me what a time suck it can be. I can waste HOURS on here (or FB, Farmtown, coupon boards, etc) so I've cut back on how long I'm on at home.
Oh, and don't be scared to leave the laundry dirty an extra day. It will be waiting for you when you get time. :)
I got no words of advice because it ain't much better here in Savannah. LOL
I fall in bed a frustrated exhuasted mess most nights all around 11 or 12 at that. I keep thinking there is some magic solution that I am missing because I swear all the other MOMS look like they got their STUFF together but maybe they really dont. HMMM
I wish you much luck because when you find that solution...EMAIL PLEASE HECK I beg you to email me with IT!
LINDT.....I need a 12 step program!
LOVE LINDT anything...you know LINDT stalks me? Everytime I go to Bed Bath and Beyond it is not for LINDT but LINDT always comes home with me....and that my friend is just plain wrong to have to be faced with LINDT CHOCOLATE at BED BATH and BEYOND!
Here's what I've got, and this comes with the caveat that I am still implementing this advice myself. But so far, it's working well...when I do it!
First - meals - two words. Freezer kits. Homemade, DIY, recipes that work and are good for you and best of all - cheaper and not a single one takes more than 30 minutes to put on the table (and that includes the time to sip wine while you cook ;-).
When you come down we will go through my stash of these recipes and you can take any you want! At the very least it will eliminate your dinner hassle for you and Jake, especially on busy nights. Some are the kind he can even put in the oven for you!
Second, on the computer time - I think you can probably tell from my blog that this summer, something had to give around our house - and the computer and blogging time is pretty much what got given, LOL! With work ramped up all summer, a busy travel and entertaining schedule and no time to even cook (let alone blog), and desperately trying to make time for solid workouts, coupled with my neck problem (which does not appreciate extra time at the computer after work), I have set a rule for myself - no more than 15 minutes in the evenings on worknights, and no more than 2 hours on the weekends. This includes all computer time - email, FB, blog reading, etc. I've been sad to feel so cut off from bloggy land and friends recently (and miss the outlet of blogging at least a couple times a week), but had to make a decision to put either my health and sanity first or keep trying to kill myself writing stuff in a hurry, and never feeling like I was putting quality and heart into my posts and reading/comments on others' posts. I'm trying to make peace with the idea that I can't do it all, all the time.
So now I realize I have written a novella. Hm... Maybe I can link back to this comment from my blog to let people know I am still alive?! LOLOL!
Love ya!
Don't feel bad, I've fallen off the wagon too. :-) I almost had it back together and we went on vacation...so I'm starting over again.
I've started making weekly menus and only shopping according to what we need. No extras. No ice cream, cookies, etc. THAT really helps. I do keep popcorn and sugar free popsicles around because I'm human. :-)
I now know that I have a TV problem. When I watch TV I feel like I need to eat; not that I get hungry but I WANT to eat -- so if there is nothing bad for me in the house, I don't sabotage myself as much.
Good luck! :)
Schedule, that's the killer for me too. I have no solution for that because I have 0 plan for now. Meals...I have 2 picky eaters the rest of them eat anythig I cook including me. Ever since Derek was little I've used the plan of having 1 thing the kids will eat for sure at dinner so everything else is optional. So if that means boxed mac n cheese a few nights a week with whatever we're having so be it, they eat it and life is easier with no fight. By the end of the day, I am out of fight over the eating habits of the little kids. So I just make it easy for me.
So is Little A going MWF now?? We need to talk!
Oh sweet Angie!! I don't know how you have time to take a you-know-what! Well I have to just committ 100% to something. If I slack up one day you might as well through the entire thing in the crapper. IF...IF you could get to bed early the early AM workouts might work for you, but until then a women needs her beauty rest! I love, love weight watchers. I log everything I eat online and when I am out of points...I go to bed hungry. I will be happy to share any recipes that I think are semi-kid friendly and low fat (as soon as I discover them). Right now my kids are running on chicken and mac and cheese. I have been such a slaker b/c it is so hard making two meals. A low fat one for me and a second child edible one for them. I hope to chat more soon? coffee? my treat :).
Sorry about the donut holes.
When I was at Publix today, they were out of 'em... good thing, or I'd have bought a box. Or two.
Just don't let the junk in the house. Allow yourself a treat, but the treat has to be consumed outside the house in public. That way you can't sneak and more or extras at home.
And crock pot it, baby! That saves so much time, it's so healthy (generally), and there is so much that you can do that kids will eat.
And are you writing down exactly what you eat (which shows you then the calories)? For me, that was always ummm depressing enough to help control things!
That and finding good alternatives. My current favorite snack is home popped popcorn. A litle olive oil, popcorn and a touch of salt. And soooo satisfying!
ah I swear I need to do all of those as well!! oh, p.s. did you ever send the recipe cards out? I haven't gotten mine :(
You need a book that has 5 ingredients or less to it, because you are super busy doing way too much :) I find using it really helps me plan out meals more. I have no idea how moms get it all done, I think that's the hardest job out there these days :)
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