Mid-Week Musings

For the past week I've been reflecting a lot on time. It's an odd thing to stop and think about because thinking about time takes time and we all know there there is never enough time in the day, the week, the month, the year... 

My husband and I are embarking on a new project together which has me trying to structure my day better and reflecting on how I spend my time. I love the quote with my picture above. I find my toddler to be the embodiment of that quote. He wakes up each day with a smile and seems to have no concerns about anything that happened yesterday, he is always ready to embrace the new day!




In trying to get more done, I found myself skipping some of the things I typically do which I enjoy... I like to start my morning by catching up on some websites which inspire me and I found myself skipping this task to rush straight into trying to write on my blog or work on our new family project.

I found when I skipped my daily reading, I really missed it. Here are some of the best things I've read this week...

How to Make a Gratitude Journal - Great post for an activity with kids older than mine. But hey, it looks so easy to do and her's is so cute perhaps I will make one for myself. Links to all the supplies you need. Check out her gorgeous photos while you are on the site.

Reconsidering the Merits of Slow Acquisition - Another fabulous post from my current favorite minimalist blog. I've been wanting to redecorate my house pretty much since I moved in. My husband lived here for many years by himself before we met. This really touched home on the merits of finding just the right thing instead of ordering anything that will fit the bill from Wayfair. Quality matters which is why I searched out solid wood furniture for my boy's nurseries. Cost also matters which is why I bought their furniture used :-)

8-Minute Pantry Dal - Great looking easy meatless weeknight meal. I want to incorporate more meatless meals into my family's diet and have ordered the Oh She Glows cookbook. I have inspirations of cooking my way through the cookbook and hope something tangible will encourage my recipe planning. I tend to read recipes online and pin them, but fail utterly at actually getting around to making them. This is such a great blog, the author had her second child this past year so there are also some specifically toddler-friendly items and baby posts.

Chickpea Pasta with Basil Pea Pesto - Another favorite food blog of mine, I love how she writes about food - so full of passion and joy. Not everyone can appreciate making pasta from scratch. I have a bag of chickpea flour in my pantry and a dusty kitchen aid mixer pasta attachment just itching to be used!

A Guide to Friendship Between Parents and Non-Parents - A contribution from my husband. We've recently been trying to see friends more. Some have kids, some do not, and I've found myself suddenly realizing that I'm talking too much about my kids. It's hard because people are polite and ask about them, or just ask what's up with us. And unfortunately what is up with us is that we have a baby and a 2-year old. At these ages, our kids tend to eclipse our days from sun up to sun down. We both have a work life too, but who wants to talk about work on the weekends ;-). This article had some helpful tips.

And on that note, back to time... Our recent project was to write daily on a shared blog. Not a whole post, just a note. In doing this, I discovered I prefer getting onto the computer in the morning. I also learned that if I really want significant time to get something done before the kids get up at 7:30, I need to set an alarm clock. I haven't set an alarm for daily life since I started working from home in 2014. I'm having trouble adjusting to the idea. 

Things I get done while my kids are awake: Work 40 Hours at my Day Job, Clean my House, Do Laundry, Cook Meals, and (of course!) Time with my Kids. Some of these things get done during naps, my kids tend to have at least a little overlapping nap time each afternoon but M-F that takes place during my day job hours.

My priorities for time while my kids are asleep at night (around 12 hours) include: Exercise, Reading, Planning Blog Posts, Writing Blog Posts, Picture Editing, Meal Prep, Meditate, Work on Projects, and Time with my Husband. Oh and sleeping, LOL, just read my list and I can't believe I forgot sleeping cause I definitely prioritize that over a lot of the other items.

I could really use some tips! How do you keep track of everything you'd like to get done in a week? And how do you make sure you get things done?