Time Management: The Final Installment

In Review:

So far you've learned that my tips for time management are as follows:
1. Spread housework out over several days.
2. Make your kids do the stuff you don't want to do.
3. Don't drink anything, thus saving time with consuming beverages, and potty breaks.
4. Hire a nanny.
5. Run around screaming at your family to work harder, faster, and stop dilly-dallying....

So, I guess not all of these tips are realistic, and some of them are certainly not helpful. My youngest has this familiar lament every single time we clean house: Don't you wish it was like Mary Poppins and all you had to do was snap and it cleaned itself up?

Well, since I don't want you to run around screaming at your family, and much as I might wish, I really don't foresee Mary Poppins dropping, how about we see what the real experts have to say?

We will begin today's tips with my sister, Dawn. She seemed to be disturbed that I was rude in my post in an effort to get more comments. To that, all I can say is: Whatever works!
"So, since you're going to be rude that I went ONE day without reading your blog......my other tip is to keep all the lights in the house dim so that you can't see the dust. And don't rearrange tables or shelves--the marks give your lack of dusting abilities away. AND inform everyone that it is the girls bathroom to clean--it absolves you of all responsibility for it!"

I love this advice. Especially since it combos one of my own current practices. All dusting is the girls responsibility. If it isn't done well, then I have no accountability for that. Now, I haven't made them start cleaning their bathroom. I can see me adding that to their list in the near future, however. Especially since Dawn does it. Hey, if it's good enough for my sister, it's good enough for me!

Next, we will visit Megan. Megan has this piece of advice to offer:
"Plan chores out and decide what can "take care of itself" while you are doing something else. Although, I usually just sit down and watch TV while the laundry is going…bad habit!"
I used to try and claim that I did 6 loads of laundry, so I got a lot accomplished. However, we see here that dear Megan has outed me. Laundry does not require babysitting and each load will take a maximum of 10 minutes to fold...Darn her logic. Thanks for debunking my delusions Megan. Thanks. A. Lot...

Next we will visit the vastly entertaining Taylor. Taylor obviously has my fondness for lists.
"I make a list of everything that is bothering me. Like if I see that the tub needs to be scrubbed and the kitchen floor mopped, as well as all the regular pickup, I get overwhelmed. But when I write down what is really bothering me, what really needs to get done, and I do it, things look much better! Also, the girls like to pick a thing or two to do on the list to help. And today, they scrubbed the tub. I have yet to check it. But for now, in my dreams, I shall imagine it clean."

Taylor obviously has my sister's sense of wisdom to delegate certain chores to children. Good for her. So many of you are smart to include the whole family in the housework responsibilities! I decided to take that advice and run with it Saturday morning...



I made a list. I even divvied up chores so there would be no complaining of one doing more work than the other...

The plan worked well, until their daddy needed help with this:

Gentle Reader, aren't you jealous of our 1969 Apache pop up tent trailer?

Then, I fear that all thoughts of the chore list inside vanished into the land of Ne'erDoChores...

Which leads me to this commentators bit of advice:
"Usually around here I assign chores and they do a horrible job. Then a month later I get really mad and yell at everyone. And they do a better job. This cycle has been repeating for 17 years."
Obviously, Freckled Hen & I are kindred souls.

So that's it! That's the extent of wisdom I have to share with you! Now, if any of you have a piece of advice that you feel I simply must share with the blogosphere, please don't hesitate to add your thoughts to the comments section!

Oh, and for some extra entertainment, please, click on the above links and go check out the contributors blogs! It's always fun to have glimpse into someone else's life!

Time Management

I have a very dear friend who recently started working full time for the first time in a long time.

Well, she used to be a dear friend...

Then, we both had to start working all the dad gum time, and now we hardly see each other. Now, we are more of "Hi! Nice to see you! I used to lunch once a week with a friend who looks a whole lot like you!"

Anyhoo, we ate Mexican with our families after church on Sunday. We discussed her new adventure in life...And the changes that always come as a result of a new job.

She said she was going to pick my brain about how to play this game of work and raise a family, and try not to let every thing else fall apart...

What flattery! She thinks I've got it all together!

What a pal! What a gal!

Gentle Reader, I obviously have her fooled!

In all honesty, I do enjoy organizing. Planning. Making a list and checking it twice...

All of these things work for me. However, the reality is, strange as I may find it, not everyone wants to roll the way I roll...

Weird.

That being said, I have been thinking about her dilemma, and what a challenge it is to go from working occasionally to nearly full time, and the shock that is to the whole family.

Well, my very first recommendation, is to find a nanny. Particularly a nanny who will do your dishes, straighten your house, supervise homework, chores, and run your kids to various things such as piano lessons...Generally, the nanny needs to be able to step in and take over the vast majority of parenting responsibilities.

Because, let's be real, Gentle Reader. If Mommy's gonna work full time, something's gotta give...

Gentle Reader, if you skip this step, I fear there is little I can do for you...

Just kidding!

I do have tips for you. If you're interested, that is...If not, then I suggest you skip the next few posts, because I've decided to break this down into a few posts, so I have plenty of room to impart my wisdom to you, my Gentle Readers.

However, before I get too far in these posts, I'd like to know what questions you may have for me, a veritable fount of information. And, if by some freak chance of nature I don't have a good answer for you, well I fear I will have to stoop to desperate measures...And lie.

Oh! And, I would love to hear your tips for managing a busy schedule too.

So, bring on the questions! Give me your suggestions! Share your ideas!

Disclaimer: This author may or may not feel compelled to claim your ideas as her own...Depending on how good the idea is, that is! I certainly don't plan to pass on any more drivel than I already do!

An addendum to yesterday's list

So, here's why I don't make resolutions...Resolutions infer, well....resolve! And I don't resolve to do much! I plan...not resolve (unless it's carpet cleaner, and with the puppy, I get plenty of action there!) I feel compelled to show the updated list from yesterday. This is why I love lists. If I don't complete the list, it just gets transferred to the next list! Oh, and I know this is way too much info, but when I was in nursing school, working, and president of our local chapter of the National Nurses Student Association, I was so crazy busy, that I LIVED by lists....So much so, that if I did something that was NOT on my list, I would add it, just so I could cross it off....psycho, I know, but it's true. But, I've digressed, we're discussing the progress of yesterday's list....

1. Check blog....of course I did this, and I did it again today.

2. I did finish the laundry...5 loads, and I folded and PUT IT AWAY! Woops, except that small pile in a laundry basket on my bedroom floor...

Excuse me.......

#2 is done!

3.I did not empty and reload the dishwasher...No, instead I piled the dishes a mile high beside the sink, and my hero Studmuffin emptied and reloaded it after he put the girls on the bus this morning....And he emptied it again while I cooked supper tonight! And helped me put dishes away after supper!

4. I exercised...I overdid it. I programmed the TV to automatically change to "Gilad: Bodies in Motion" at 3:30. After it was over, I noticed a workout was coming on that used an exercise ball. I have one of those. So far all of the exercises I've tried on it weren't very challenging...I decided to give this one a whirl......Okay, it was a challenge. Bookworm did it with me on her playground ball. We had a lot of fun, but it turned out instead of a 30 minute workout it was ONE HOUR LONG! And every time he went to commercial we returned to "basic bounce" throught the whole commercial. I walked around on rubber bands the rest of the night. And my back was killing me at work today. I'm not sure if it was standing all day, and 2.5 hours of it being in a lead apron for ONE PROCEDURE on ONE PATIENT....I actually resorted to doing thigh stretches during the procedure it was hurting so dadgum bad. My buttocks are sore. My thighs are sore....But, it was a fun workout...bouncing on a giant ball, dribbling it, rolling across the floor on your tummy on the ball...I recommend it. It was on here on FIT tv at 4pm. Check it out. I do know that particular workout hour is different every day, but I think there's a system on days of the week. Oh, and my back could hurt because my girls could do a backbend over their balls, so I tried it too...without success.

5. Bible Study: did it!

6. I actually decided I didn't need to go to the store!

Well, I don't think I'll be able to post for a few days. I work again tomorrow. Studmuffin's grandma passed away, so we are going to her funeral Thursday, and then I work again Friday. So, I may not chat with you for a few days! Let me know if I miss anything exciting. Be sure I will analyzing my life for "bloggable" moments!

Lists

Remember how I like lists? Well, I've been inspired by all of the New Year's lists that my blogger friends have been sharing. But, first a confession (I love confessions), I never make New Years resolutions. Why resolve to do something I know I'll give up on? But lists? I like lists.....

So, here is a list, for your reading pleasure:

What I will do today

1. Check my blog: done! Yeah, one thing off of my list already!
2. Do laundry: 2nd load going right now.
3. Empty dishwasher. Reload dishwasher. (I hate this chore)
4. Exercise. (Can you say: See it jiggle, watch it wiggle? Unfortunately, I can see WAY too much. I've slacked off on exercise since before Thanksgiving. Time to get moving again.)
5. Bible Study: Ummm, why must I put this on my list? Why hasn't it became a daily routine, as vital as my morning coffee? I want to emulate devotion to God for my girls, I nag them about obedience to Him, and yet, I'm disobedient....Okay, that's next on my list, move this up to number 2!
6: Go to the store. It's Monday y'know...shopping day.

A 2nd list for your reading pleasure:

What I WANT to do today:

1. Read a book
2. Get a massage
3. Get a pedicure
4. Take a long hot bath.
5. Take a nap.

And yet ANOTHER list for your reading pleasure (I like that phrase today):

My wishes for 2009

1. New counter tops for my kitchen. This used to be a possibility. Now, it's a dream. I had to finally ditch my van and get a new vehicle. I'll tell you that story some day. Seriously, it was only a bobblehead chihuahua short of total redneckdom. Or a hula girl. And, if you have either one of these, I'm sorry, but you are a redneck.
2. Since new counter tops are no longer an option, I plan to paint them. Please do not tell Studmuffin of these plans. He thinks it will not be durable. I plan to use counter top paint. I will have to do it on a day before we leave town for a while, as the counters cannot be used for 2-3 days while the new surface cures. It may not be as durable, but I ask you...Can it be worse than burn marks, stains and scratches? I will use my Christmas money that I have stashed away to buy the supplies, so even though I'm disobeying my husband here, at least it isn't out of the family budget.
3. Build a new fence for the backyard. My requirements are small...It can be chain link. Many of you are saying "redneck" in your head. I concede your point. I am a redneck, and I don't want a privacy fence blocking my view of the field behind me and "my" herd of cattle (no, they're not mine, but I love watching them, even if they do bring in kazillions of flies.) I have to concede redneck status due to several irrevocable facts about myself. But the most blaring is this: My favorite Christmas gift was a new welcome mat that reads like this "Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit, look who's here!" I love it. It makes me laugh every time I walk in my FRONT door.
4. I can't think of anything else right now...Okay, actually, I can...but that would make me sound greedy, and focusing on all of the things I want depresses me. I like to focus on what I have, and try to ignore the other. Like a pantry that's too small. Or a kitchen light that is so dark I can barely see to cook at night. Or carpet that I want to rip out and replace with hard floors.....Or new light fixtures in my bathrooms,a s well as all new faucets through the entire house...And a new ceiling fan for our guest room (the one in there works, but in all honesty it is the ugliest ceiling fan I've seen in my life. No kidding.) No, I won't dwell on the things that annoy me about our house we've lived in for 6 whole months...I will dwell on the fact that it has a pool...which is work, but I love it. And it has a shop for Studmuffin to build me things in, and to park our boat in. And, no one lives behind me.....And, it actually had grass when we moved in...This is the first house that we moved in that actually had landscaping. And, it has a big living room, so I can fit all of my STUFF in it. And it has a jetted tub. And it has 2 closets in the master bath, so Studmuffin can no longer gripe about my STUFF on the floor......

That's all for now...I seriously need to go and do the new #2 on my list: Bible Study.