Monday, September 23, 2013

Meetings and Deadlines

If you follow me on Pinterest then you know that I like the idea of DIY, repurposing and upcycling projects. I really love being crafty and creative but finding time is my biggest obstacle. Lately, we've had a schedule change that has given me a little more structure to my days. I think a pretty common stay at home mom struggle is a lack of structure. Without any real deadlines, start/stop times, meetings, managers or consequences, it can be a real challenge to stay productive and not get stuck in an endless loop of chores with no extra projects worked into your weeks. Here's a run down of what my new days look like:

Now that we have started Focus T25, David and I work out together around 6 am while Ayden is still sleeping. Ayden has been waking between 7:00 and 7:30 so the time between our workout and when he wakes up is when I plan spend some time on the computer. I have always set aside about an hour a day where I am completely focused on playing with Ayden and the rest of his awake time he is either playing independently or "helping" me do whatever I need to do around the house or we are running errands.  His nap time is now free time for me. I either get something done that was impossible to do while he was awake, have some more computer time or I just simply veg. Whatever I am in the mood for. We'll call it my "lunch break."

Today, I spray painted some stuff!
Then after dinner, if I have something I need to work on, David and Ayden will have alone time while I take an hour or so to work on anything crafty that I have going on.


Sometimes I can't help but take pictures of the cuteness!
We have some family play time just before we get Ayden ready for bed.


Tonight, Ayden read to us for once, haha!


David does the dishes while I put Aden to bed/write my blog posts. Monday nights are our at home date nights and all the other nights, David and I will work on individual projects in our office. We are still together but doing our own things. We go to bed together at 10 and do it all again the next day. It took a couple of weeks for us to work out the logistics of it all but with all of the birthdays and holidays we have coming up, it is important for me to get some craft time in. When we start our homemade Christmas, we will spend the time at night working on gifts together which was really fun last year. 

A month or two ago, I made a personal goal of being more of a forward thinker and it is one goal that I have taken seriously. If you truly want something you make it happen, right? Since I intend on hand making gifts, decorations, etc. for upcoming events, holidays and occasions, it was important to me to start making them ahead of time. Pulling all nighters before a birthday party or other special occasion takes a lot of fun out of not only the party (since you are so tired), but out of the whole giving of yourself process as well. It is hard to remember to make something with love when it is making you tired and cranky. 

My nieces birthday party is coming up this Sunday, October brings birthdays for my sister, my dad and one of my nephews, along with Halloween of course. My mom's birthday is in November, then it's homemade Christmas time and Ayden's birthday in late January. Shew!  It all sounds exhausting but I am looking forward to it. I really do love making gifts for people and with Pinterest at my disposal there is no lack of ideas!

In an effort to help my new, forward thinking self, I purchased supplies for my nieces birthday present a month in advance and told David that I was going to need his help finding the time to get it done. With his help and support I am proud to say that her gift is done almost a week ahead of time. This means I have time for extra finishing touches. The icing on the cake I suppose! 

My natural tendencies are to be a bit lazy, let other people do things for me and to live so much in the moment that an entire day will pass without my realizing it. I am still that gal sometimes but being that way all the time does not leave me feeling fulfilled at the end of my days. I feel my best when I exercise, am productive and look at a clock at least a few times throughout the day (with some lazy, stop-and-smell-the-roses days sprinkled in). Our new schedule is really giving me a little extra structure that I am needing at the moment. I'm sure once we get through the holidays, I'll be ready for a break from it but for now, it's just what I need!

When do you feel at your best?  Are you naturally that way or do you have to work at it?

~Sarah

Flashback!  Here's what we were up to one year ago today: "Into The Woods"



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6 comments:

  1. You often refer to yourself as slow moving and here lazy, but I just can't imagine it. You always do what you say you're going to do and you sometimes it seems you go to great extents to follow through. You're very good at recognizing your weakness and finding a way to work with it. Great job and good luck with the new schedule.

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    1. Oh man, it is a daily struggle and commitment to be productive. That is why I have lists and such and write about it here to hold me accountable and remind myself why I like putting forth the effort. I think self reflection is an important aspect of living intentionally, being the person you want to be and living the life you want to live.

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  2. I agree how organized you are. You seem very educated,, but as far as paleo diet goes, studies have shown that along with atkins diet, too much protein without carb balance has caused kidneys issues. You as educated as you are probably read up on that. I am more concerned about your son on paleo. He looks very underweight. Does his pediatritian know he is a paleo eater? Because his brain and organs are still developing, they need balances in all food groups including grains. His tantrums could escalate due to blood sugar imbalances due to imbalances of nutrients. I would never allow a toddler to eat paleo. I dont mean to overstep my boundaries, but i am just concerned you have been misinformed about paleo diet. Many opinions are out there and i caution you to not believe everything you read or hear. Pray about what is best. I believe all foods in balance and moderation are key, not witholding foods or dieting. Good luck to you.

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    1. I appreciate your concern because, you are right, there are a lot of people who will blindly follow something without doing any research and it is always better to be safe than sorry. Not researching something as important as nutrition is not really our style though... Something that a lot of people don't realize is that ALL plants (grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, etc.) offer carbohydrates and plenty of nutrients. For instance, a medium banana has 24 net grams of carbs, a medium sweet potato has 20 and 1/2 c of oatmeal has 14. There aren't any nutrients in grains that you can't find in other plant sources. We are aware of the needs of a developing child so we feed Ayden a lot of sweet potatoes, squash and other starchy veggies (and yes, his pediatrician is aware of and supports our lifestyle). Ayden is happy, healthy and thriving and that is all we could ever ask for. Thank you for commenting. It means a lot to know that Ayden has so many people out there who care about him. :)

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  3. I enjoyed the breakdown of your day as a SAHM! I work part time but have three days off so it almost seems like I'm a SAHM on those days. I like to compare schedules to other moms especially things like how much time is devoted to one-on-one time with the children. Sometimes I feel like I don't give enough designated focused time to my son and of course it just depends on the situation and he does have a lot of independent play. Right now he's learning animals so that's what we play together but he can only do that for so long! To see that one hour a day is good for your family reassures me that independent play is good as well. ☺ I really live in the moment as well and our tiny house is easy to keep clean so I don't have many chores but my husband really needs to complete tasks to feel human and I think I need a little of that quality. I think making homemade gifts is a perfect way to feel productive as well as save money and give thoughtful gifts!
    (In regards to the above comment, I myself am not worried about Ayden. He's just a small boy and I'm sure he's very healthy. His pediatrician would probably be impressed with his eating habits. Carbs don't just come from grains :D )

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    1. I am always interested in how other SAHMs spend their days! I bet you are working with your son more than you realize during your everyday activities. Thank you for your kind words. We would change our lifestyle in a second if we thought it was bringing Ayden any harm. The proof is in the pudding, we look at him and see him thriving and don't give any of it a second thought. Also, David is 5' 6" so Ayden being small comes as no surprise to us. :)

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