day 19–gather important dates

19

I hope you had a good “day off” yesterday. I had a lot I wanted to get done, and was able to get about 30% of it accomplished. That’s a pretty good day!

Today:

weekend recovery, if needed

daily 7

make a list of family and friends to call or email to gather birthdates and anniversaries. give yourself 1 week to call/email everyone and write the important dates on your daily calendar

yesterday: MLK Jr. day

tomorrow: speed dusting/quick mopping

God could not be everywhere, and therefore he created mothers–Jewish Proverb

day 18–weekend recovery; MLK Jr. Day

18

Today’s a holiday for a lot of people, and chances are the kids are off school. The weather guy is predicting a storm (although he also swore it’d rain all weekend the past few weekends and was way off), so the girls and I are hunkering down with projects. I’ve got a lot of writing and slow cooking I need to do, and my eldest is knee-deep into the second Harry Potter book.

My goal is to not plop the 5-year-old in front of Noggin all day, and to keep the binky IN the baby’s mouth for more than 3 nano-seconds so I can plug in some crockpots.

I aim high, I tell you.

Today:

make out a meal plan if you haven’t already

get the Daily 7 done, and if you’ve got kids home, put them to work!

weekend recovery (since it’s a holiday, you may have a difficult time with this (I know I will). Don’t stress—just do what you can, like empty the lunch boxes from Friday and pick up stray stuff around the house.

read the PROM article. We’re going to start PROMing very, very soon.

order and send out baby announcements (this may be just for me. I keep putting it off…)

yesterday: weekend stuff

tomorrow: gather important dates

days 16 & 17–the weekend

16 & 17

It’s the end of another week. It’s hard to believe that we’re half-way through January already. We have nothing planned this weekend, although we may take a run to IKEA.

I love IKEA.

This weekend:

spend time together as a family

keep up with the Daily 7

if Monday is a holiday, jot down a few ideas to keep yourself and the kids busy so you don’t drive each other nuts. I love the Family Fun website for arts, crafts, and cooking projects.  We also got a lot of use out of this site when the kids were preschool age.

stay warm and cozy!

yesterday: weekly reflection

day 15–weekly reflection

15

Happy Friday! I’m am pretty tired today, and am so happy that the weekend is approaching and there is nothing on the calendar.

How did this week go for you? Anything you can do to ensure next week runs a bit better?

Weekly Reflection:

What went really well this week?

Have you been able to plan out some kind of weekly family meeting or activity?

Any important milestones or events that are noteworthy?

Take some time to list your top 5 priorities, starting with the most important.

do your daily happenings reflect these priorities?

Have a wonderful weekend!!

yesterday: exercise stuff

tomorrow: weekend fun

Day 14: Remember the WoMom–exercise dvds

14

Was one of your New Year’s Resolutions to exercise more? Mine certainly was. Although I had good intentions to work out during my pregnancy, I pretty much stopped after about 10 weeks in. I’m not the best pregnant person, and was cranky, nauseaus, and wanted to do not much more than eat ice cream and In and Out Burger daily.

That means that now I’ve got some work to do. I’m only 8 days post-partum, but I’m already planning my exercise strategy. I’ve been walking to and from school with the kids (the baby stays inside cozy with grandma!) and yesterday I actually did a few stomach crunches. It feels good to move again.

I really like exercising at home, and have fallen in love with the QuickFix series (especially the full-body one), and look forward to getting back to them after my 6 week check up.

My absolute favorite DVD workout of all time is the 1 Minute Workout with Minna Lessig, but it looks like it’s been discontinued. I wonder if you could find it through Netflix, EBay, or the library?

I got 15 days through the 30 Day Shred last year before deciding I’d rather have a baby and gave up. I could tell though, that it’s a very good workout. Super hard, but effective.

What are you favorite workout DVDs? I am really drawn to short workouts, and like how I can squeeze them in during an already pretty-packed day.

Today:

exercise!

daily 7

catch up on the shower challenge, weekend recovery, and speed dusting 101

Day 13–Speed Dusting 101

13

It’s lucky number 13 today! Congratulations on making it halfway through another week. How’s it going with meal planning? Are you keeping up with the Daily 7 for the most part? Remember that this isn’t a competition—-no prizes will ever be doled out for the best-kept house—just do what feels right on any given day. If you are having a particularly taxing day today, it’s okay. Tomorrow or the next day is bound to be better and you can make it all up.

No worries.

Speed Dusting 101

How often you dust and vacuum is dependent on how dusty your home becomes. In our first apartment, we had a construction site right behind us. If you live near a construction site, you’ll notice more dust than you will in an established neighborhood. Carpeting collects dust and dirt, but you won’t notice it as much as you will notice dust bunnies on hardwood flooring. Dark furniture shows more dust than light furniture will.

I try to dust and vacuum weekly, although sometimes our schedule just won’t allow it, and I go a bit longer. In the summer, when the kids are home, and are tracking more dirt and sand in the house, I need to vacuum more often.

Do what’s right for you. On average, once a week is plenty for most families, although I’ve heard that the Duggars vacuum their living spaces a few times a day.

I like microfiber dusting cloths. I like the way they trap the dust and don’t spread it all around like dry dusting with a towel does or fluff it into the air like a feather duster. If you don’t have microfiber cloths, it doesn’t matter. You’re still going to have to dust.

Find a stack of old rags, t-shirts, cloth diapers, socks without mates, etc. Grab a bottle of your favorite dusting spray, or use a bit of warm water–all you need to do is super lightly moisten your cloth.

Pick a room and start moving. Tackle all horizontal surfaces from the top to the bottom and move in a clockwise manner until the room is finished. Don’t worry about ceiling fans or blinds right now. We’ll get to them, I promise.

Try not to get compulsive about dusting every little knick-knack perfectly. Pick it up, wipe it off, and move on. Only spend a few minutes per room. The name of the game is SPEED.

When the house has been uncovered from it’s layer of dust, dig out the vacuum. Crank it up and quickly move from room to room. If there are things in the way, vacuum around them. Do not move furniture. Quickly vacuum all flooring including the kitchen and bathroom flooring.

TIP: I like to use an extension cord when I vacuum (20-30 feet is usually a good length) and plug it in a central location. This way I can move from room to room without needing to stop and move to a different outlet.

that’s it!

have a fantastic day.

yesterday: efficient erranding

tomorrow: exercise? what’s that?

Day 12–Running Errands Efficiently

12

Efficient Erranding

Do you have an errand day? I didn’t for the longest time, but when I made the decision to run errands on a certain day of the week, I found that it really helped with my planning, and kept me from constantly “quickly running out” a few times during the week, which resulted in much more valuable time.

Your errand day will be whatever fits into your own schedule, and is dependent on where you need to go on a daily/weekly basis. If the places you need to visit are far apart, it won’t make sense to do everything on one day. If you know that on Thursdays you’re right by the library anyway for karate class, then save your book returning to that day.

Use your best judgment.

I have a few places that I need to go on a weekly basis for errands: Trader Joe’s, Safeway, the library, the produce stand, the post office, and usually the drug store. Once a month we need to go to Costco and to the dry cleaner. Just knowing that these stops occur on a regular basis, is enough to try to incorporate a few stops at one time. I don’t like to go to Safeway and Trader Joe’s on the same day–even though they are super close to each other. It wears me out.

Figure out a plan that works for you and your family, and write it out and on your calendar. Knowing what you have to do on a given day relieves a lot of undue stress. Many people plan their shopping according to store circulars and coupons. Do whatever works!

continue with the Daily 7

yesterday: weekend recovery

tomorrow: how to speed dust and vacuum

Day 11–Weekend Recovery

11

Happy Monday! We’ve got a brand new little one in the house this week, and I am SO SO SO happy that the past few weeks before her birth I was in complete nesting mode and the house is in good shape. I’m happy to report that we’ve been keeping up with the Daily 7, and so far so good—I don’t feel nutty and overwhelmed.

~~knock on wood~~

How to Recover from a Weekend of Fun

Mondays are tricky. Although we (me) try our hardest during the weekend to keep up with the household stuff during the weekends, things go a bit haywire. Instead of stressing about it, just realize that come Monday morning, you (and your spouse, and your kids!) are going to have to do a bit more in order to have a smooth week. Soccer, softball, baseball, scouting events, birthday parties, family obligations, and social visiting happen on the weekends, which inevitably leads to a bit of aftermath.

Figure out the best way to deal with this natural occurrence. Is it best to wake up a half hour or so earlier on Mondays? Go to bed a bit later on Sundays? Plan your Monday work load a tiny bit differently? Since I work from home, I usually wake a tiny bit earlier to make sure the kitchen is in good order before the kids get up, and put things away here and there throughout the day if need be. When I worked out of the house, I used about 30 minutes on Sunday night to swirl around the house and get things in place before the new week began. There doesn’t seem to be anything decent on TV on Sunday nights, anyhow.

Today:

Daily 7

Weekend Recovery: Quickly straighten the living spaces of your home. Grab a laundry basket and move quickly from room to room and gather stray items. Put items away, or in the proper bedroom for your children to put away.

People are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.   –Abraham Lincoln

yesterday: weekend stuff

tomorrow: efficient errand running

Days 9 & 10–the weekend

9 & 10

Alright! It’s the weekend! Time for some family togetherness. In our family we usually plan our upcoming meals on the weekend, and go over the calendar to make sure we’re all on the same page.

If you haven’t meal-planned before, it’s a fantastic way to:

1) save money

2) get the kids to eat different food

3) promote “the family is a team” mentality

helpful stuff:

Meal Planning for Dummies (or for normal people)

I’m an Organizing Junkie–menu plan Monday

$5 Dinner Mom

Once A Month Mom

What’s Cooking With Your Kids?

This Weekend:

continue on with the Daily 7. It’s tempting to take the weekend off, I know. I really, really know. But you will thank me if you stick with it. Don’t be an ogre—just be consistent. :-0

take down the last of the holiday decorations. for reals.

if you haven’t done so already, jot down a few goals for the family for 2010

yesterday: weekly reflection

monday:

8–Weekly Reflection

8

Happy Friday! I hope you’re happy with the way your week went. Take some time to reflect upon what worked this week, and what didn’t. Do not waste any time beating yourself up for anything. It’s still New Year time, and change is hard, no matter what the change is you’re trying to make.

Today:

the Daily 7

spray or wipe down all doorknobs, remote controls, telephones, and light switches with a disinfectant spray or disposable towel

Weekly Reflection

What went extremely well this week?

What happened this week that makes you feel proud?

Any important events or milestones that are noteworthy?

What needs to be accomplished next week?

yesterday: day 7–shower challenge

tomorrow: weekend activities

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