the weekend

345 & 346

How many of you unplug for the weekend? Do you stop checking email? Do you turn off the computer and cell phone?

I usually don’t. But I wish I did.

I feel obligated to check email, and so I do–sometimes obsessively. I need to change this. It’s not good for me, it’s not good for the family, and it’s not the person I want to be.

so I’m going to change it. It’s Friday, 4:04pm, and I’m turning off my drug.

this weekend:

keep up with the daily 7

wrap presents

spend time with the family

unplug.

341 Tuesday

341

Yesterday was a series of unfortunate events. Nothing went according to plan. Instead of fighting the apparent laws of nature, I decided to put on pajamas at 7:15pm and climb into bed with the girls and read.

It was a good choice.

I started a discussion on the forums about new year’s resolutions. I’m inspired by Melissa and Sandy to work out more. And I love CBeth’s One Minute Writer— being creative always feels so good.

Today:

daily 7

run errands

wrap/mail/etc.

TUESDAY. the end of November

334

I need to listen to November Rain. How is it that it’s the last day of November, and I haven’t heard that song once this month? I can’t even remember the last time I heard it—-it’s been months. Maybe even a year?

that’s a good song.

(lol. Now Adam’s out in the garage searching through the old CDs. )

Today:

what’s the status on the holiday cards?

don’t forget to eat. and shop. I always fall behind on meal planning this time of year, and we end up eating quesadillas and yogurt for dinner. or Taquitos and tater tots…

daily 7

perform three random good deeds today. make someone smile.

I’ve got some giveaways on Totally Together Reviews.

Have a fantastic last-day-of-November!

Tuesday–run errands, make sure your meal plan is set

320

Happy Tuesday!

I am officially done Christmas shopping (minus stocking stuff, because I get that at the Dollar Store).

~~~~~~ducking while you throw stones~~~~~~~~~

I had a stack of tagged catalogs and cranked through them during the baby’s morning nap yesterday. I’ve already gotten shipping notifications for 3 out of the 6 retailers. I did a lot on Amazon, and then a BUNCH at UncommonGoods—a new-to-me site and catalog.

I bought a bunch of their recycled glass products for the Aunts and Uncles on both my side and Adam’s. I hope they’ll be pleased!

Today:

daily 7

run errands

order/print holiday cards

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task.  ~William James

307! Wednesday, clobber the clutter and cobwebs

307

How are you feeling today? Do you have a day-after-the-election hangover (figuratively, of course)? I’m so happy that the UNLISTED calls have stopped. I swear the phone has been ringing nonstop over here.

I shared a wonderful email chain with Sandy of God Speaks Today and The Amazing Adventures of Fitness Friday Girl yesterday. I’ve admired Sandy’s writing from a distance for quite some time, and it was so lovely to put a “face” to the name.

I shared with Sandy* that one of the ways I keep myself honest with the Daily 7 is to not check email in the morning. I try my hardest to not look at the computer until after the kids are off to school and the baby is down for her morning nap–about 9am. This is a recent development. I felt for a very long time (and still have twinges of guilt) that in order to “do my job correctly” (i.e. blogging, writing), I needed to be available at all times.

It’s just not healthy. The kids aren’t happy when they don’t have my full attention, and I’ve found that if I give them what they need, they are usually quite ready to then give me time to attend to work/email/etc in return.

But they have to come first. I’m sure as bloggers we’ve all been guilty of trying to just squeeze in one last email, tweet, comment, etc. with a kid standing at our shoulder chanting “mom mom mom mom.”

it happens. I know. I’ve been there. And since I’m aware, I can do better.

we all can.

* This isn’t actually what Sandy wrote to me about—she’s firing her cleaning lady. But somehow in my head I tied the two together! LOL!

Today:

daily 7

laugh.

cut yourself some slack. you’re doing a GREAT job

catch up with a friend and listen more than you speak. let her lead the conversation, and when she asks about you, answer concisely but then switch it back to her. Give the gift of listening.

To listen well is as powerful a means of influence as to talk well, and is as essential to all true conversation. –Chinese Proverb

Friday, October 29th

302

Chances are you’re as bogged down as I am with last minute Halloween details—school parties, church parties, scout parties, and community parties.

Be nice. Remember to have fun. Don’t freak out about the small things. It’s okay if the pumpkin cupcakes are storebought. It’s okay if the vampire blood is actually Strawberry Shortcake lipstick.

Enjoy the day.

Today:

daily 7

last minute Halloween prep and stuff

quick company clean

I’ll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.  ~Author Unknown

300!!! I think. right?

300!

I was wrong yesterday. Sara pointed out that it was actually the 299th day yesterday, not the 298th, which makes a lot of sense because when I posted the 2008 flashback thing yesterday on the crockpot site it said that it was day 300 (which again makes sense because 2008 was a leap year).

confused yet?

I totally am. THANK YOU, Sara, for having my back. I really, really appreciate it.

Today:

I’m pooped. We went out for a b-day celebratory dinner last night, and we had super slow service, and the baby is of the age where she does. not. want. to. be. contained. in a highchair at all. Nor does she want to have an inside restaurant voice.

so we got a late bedtime routine, and I was behind in answering email, and so I’m just pooped.

POOPED.

~~insert giggle and a: heehee, she said “poop”~~

daily 7

and that’s it.

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.–
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tuesday: run errands

291

I’ve been reading the book: The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris. It was recommended by a friend when I shared how much email I get in a day and how long it takes to sort. I’m enjoying the book—he has some interesting ideas about delegating and outsourcing, and I like the idea of batching like tasks together—such as answering email at certain times of the day, and not checking unless it is that time.

I try already to batch errands, and have found that an effective way to utilize time. I learned the hard way last week that I need to steer clear from Twitter unless the rest of my work (writing and housework) is done or I’ll follow link after link and time is sucked away.

Do you batch email sessions? Do you keep the computer off during certain times of the day? I declared email bankruptcy yesterday, and deleted 237 unread emails. I had them dating back to August 2, and while it feels good to see an empty inbox, I hate feeling like I’m letting people down by not replying to their note.

Today:

daily 7 (which one of the 7 is the biggest challenge? Do it today, and see if it makes a difference in the way the day runs/feels)

run errands (get them all done for the week if you can. if you can run them virtually, do it!)

Time is what we want most, but use worst. –William Penn

Wednesday: the 285th day of the year

285

I’m worried I’m getting cynical in my old(er) age. Did anyone else think it was a bit odd that the Chilean miners were rescued during American prime time tv?

and the Gap logo —was I the only one who thought the press releases and voting screamed marketing ploy?

I hope I’m wrong.

What about the new Quilted Northern commercial? OH EW.  I do not need to know that much about  bathroom habits and freshness. icky icky icky

Today:

quick dust, mop, vacuum

daily 7

if you have time, can you click over to the Smithfield.com site and say “hi”? I’ve accepted a freelancing gig for Smithfield Pork company (ironic, since I’ve only been unallergic to pork for about a year) and they would like site traffic.

FRIDAY

281

Thank goodness. I am at the BlogHer Food conference today and tomorrow and I am looking forward to some rest. It sounds odd to think of attending a conference as rest, but the whirlwind of the past few days to get things done so I *can* go away has worn me out.

I may skip a session or two and take a nap.

shhh.

This is the first time I’ve been away from the baby at night. Adam has them all for the first night and then will bring them to my parent’s on Sat and join me in SF. To say I’m excited is a ridiculous understatement.

woo hooo!

Today:

do something all for yourself.

daily 7

plan some family fun and togetherness for the weekend

anyone see this article about Gap trying to change it’s logo? Does that mean my old sweatshirt is going to be a collector’s item?

Motherhood has a very humanizing effect.  Everything gets reduced to essentials.  ~Meryl Streep

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