So, a few months back I was feeling very overwhelmed (hence the lack of posts!) and every day I felt like I had a huge to do list and I spent my days asking Ruby to hold on for "just one more minute" while I finished something before I could play. I was feeling like I couldn't get enough done around here and I was feeling like I wasn't spending nearly enough quality time with her and the mommy guilt at night after she settled was too much :( I decided I had to try something different so I started a chore and a meal plan and it has made a huge difference for me.
For my chore plan, I just divided my tasks up among the days of the week. This way I don't feel like I have to try to get everything done every day and by dividing it up, I can feel like I've accomplished something each day rather than feeling like I have barely made a dent in a never-ending list. Here is my chore plan so that you can get an idea of how I divvied up the workload...
Monday - master bathroom and Sarah's bathroom
Tuesday - main floor bathroom and basement bathroom
Wednesday - glass cleaning
Thursday - deposit pay cheques and pay bills
Friday- catch up day/odds and ends
Saturday - Sarah dusts, we go through flyers to make a grocery list, meal plan and shop
Sunday - floors and changing all bed sheets
*emptying garbages, recycling and compost is done when needed
*laundry, dishes and general tidying is done daily
I sometimes get these chores done when Ruby is napping and other times I let her "help". I used to save everything for nap time because I didn't want her around the chemicals that I was cleaning with, but since making the switch to essential oil based cleaners, I don't have to worry about that.
Another area that I was struggling with was meals and the biggest task for me was trying to decide what to make each day and realizing that I didn't have a certain ingredient or that I wouldn't have enough time to thaw something. We ended up eating quick meals and take out more frequently than I care to admit and also ended up throwing food away because they would be expired before I would use them up. With meal planning, I try to plan based on sales and based on what I have already (if I have an ingredient that I know will expire soon, I try to incorporate it in to a meal). I alternate between meals with chicken and meals with other meats as Sarah doesn't eat red meat (this way we often have chicken left over from the night before for her and she can incorporate that in to the next day's meal). I also try to make enough to have left overs for lunches because otherwise we are often left eating take out for lunch more often than we should. So far, this has been a game changer for me! We are eating healthier, throwing away less food and meal prep isn't as annoying because I know the plan and have the ingredients to execute it. I'm not going to pretend that we are eating fancy over here and that we don't eat take out, but the meal plans helps.
One idea that I had for this year is to make one new meal each week. I often find that we eat the same things over and over and I'm looking to expand our meal list...and my palate. I will rely on websites like Pinterest and ideas from family and friends to accomplish my goal and when I find some yummy ones, I will share :) If you have a favourite meal don't hesitate to share it with me!
Lastly, I joined a running group in September and have been really enjoying it! I've never been a very active person and it's always been a goal. It's also the first time since Ruby's was born (she was two in October) that I've done something just for myself and I am certain that it is helping me to be a better person and a better parent. I love to have goals and there are always goals with running! My plan for this year is to do something each day for myself. This could be a run or some yoga or even just the plank for a minute wherever I am. This goal isn't because I am trying to lose weight or get a six pack or because of any vanity on my part (I am actually very proud of a body that carried my sweet girl and that has nursed her since day one and I don't have a single body issue!) This goal is only because I think something for myself is important, that goals are important and because I think that mama strength and overall health are great examples (not to mention helpful when carting a toddler around and pulling her and her sled all over the snow!). If you want to join me, I plan to add some at home yoga practice with 'Yoga with Adriene' on YouTube. She has a free program called Yoga Camp where she will upload a new yoga video each day for the month of January. She has so many great videos on her channel already too! Come on...we can motivate each other!! :)
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