Time Management

 Happy Monday Eve!!  I know most people dread Mondays, but I love them! It's a fresh start every week!  We are going into week 4 of high school from home and I have to say I am very happy with my son's teachers and the administration in general.  We started football last week, so I know my boy is feeling better and looking forward to a great year however it looks. 

I have never dealt very well with stress.  I know this about myself, so I am trying to put systems in place to eliminate as much stress as possible.  I have always taken on more than I could, and most of the time it was to make other people happy.  No isn't an easy word for me.  Years ago one of my mentors said you have to so no to good so you can say yes to great! When things start to pile up, I ask myself that question and make the decision according to what will be great.

Time management, when I do it correctly (I am human and fall off the wagon sometimes) helps me so much!  I have to be super strict with myself and schedule my day by the half-hour.  I found some fantastic FREE downloads on www.passionplanner.com.  Yes they have fabulous planners and I could spend lots of money, but for now free is fantastic! I color code my day to apply to my activities and my son's. It also has a place for me to separate work and personal projects.  I prioritize my todo list.  I know that sticking to my plan means I reach my goals.  I am setting a better example for my son to also stay on task.  He has big goals and I hope these little tricks will help him along the way.

To be completely honest, these are things I have struggled with, but I know I want better.  To have better, I have to be better.  We all have the same 168 hours in a week.  Subtract your sleep and your fulltime work week we are left with 112 hours. We are all guilty of wasting time, but time is fleeting and I want my time better spent. It's about achieving my goals and being present with my loved ones.  When I am unorganized with my time, my thoughts are on what did I forget or what else do I have to do, not so much who is in my presence. 

Make your lists and plug it in.  What phone calls have to be made? Emails sent?  Bills paid? Groceries and supplies needed? It feels so great to check things off your list and know you are closer to your goals! 

"Be selective with who you invest your time, wasted time is worse than wasted money."

Self care body care edition!

 I meant to get this out a little earlier today, but I had the opportunity to spend some time with my sister's family. I don't see them nearly enough.  We had tacos and brownies.  The bonus to dinner at my sister's is she ALWAYS serves dessert! Played a super fun board game which doubles as an ab workout because we always end up laughing until it hurts!  Simple pleasures....❤

I wanted to share a not so secret recipe I use to help my terribly dry skin stay soft. We all know our skin is the body's largest organ, but did you know we shed an entire layer every 30 days?  Did you know dead skin makes up for 85% of the dust in our homes?  Super gross, right?! After probably hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars on body exfoliation products, I now use a little do it yourself concoction.  First, you want to start with a natural bristle bath brush. DO NOT USE THE BRUSH WITH PLASTIC BRISTLES! You can find maps on Pinterest which will show you which direction to use the brush and the benefits for your body.  Basically, you will do this before getting in the shower while your skin and brush are dry. I do it in an up and out motion.  I start and my ankles and work up the body. Not only will this exfoliate, but it will also help to open the lymphatic system and detox the body.  Double win!!🎉🎉

The next product I use is something I mix up in the kitchen.  I'm currently using Johnson and Johnson's Shea and Cocoa oil.  I take a mason jar.  I use the 12-ounce size. 1 cup of sugar, I add the oil until I like the consistency. I like it more liquid than paste. Next, I add about an ounce of vodka. Mix it up and you will have an amazing and inexpensive exfoliant.  In case you were wondering, vodka helps to brighten the skin.  As we age our skin tends to look a little more dull, I know I need all the help I can get!!😁 I keep this product in the shower and use it twice a week.

I hope this provides a little spa day getaway from home!

Keeping our Sanity!

 Never in a million years did I think my son would be home-schooling!! I am truly blessed we are in a proactive district where the teachers are handling the actual lessons and Zoom class time!  I am also blessed my son is older and I don't have to make him sit still in front of a computer to attend class!! 

Some of our challenges this first week have been meals and mindset! I thought I would share some of my shortcuts that might also help you out!  

We are all social beings, and some more than others. These kids have been out of class for MONTHS and are missing their peers! My son will be playing football this year so I have encouraged him to reach out to some of the players he doesn't know. He met a new teammate and they will be working out together this weekend! (safety precautions, of course).  With older kids, they are geniuses at finding each other on social media. Maybe the younger kids could identify someone new in their class and send an email introducing themselves.  We need happy, healthy kiddos and sometimes it's the little things that can make sure that happens.

Keeping them fed!  I don't know about anyone else but I am so tired of washing dishes!!! Holy moly!!! To cut down on some of the work, I have been doubling everything I make.  This lessens the load on mealtime.  My son doesn't do cereal, so that means I'm cooking for breakfast, too.  I reheat everything on the stovetop.  Microwaving breakfast just isn't that appetizing. We have been doing chicken and rice bowls or chicken salad for lunch.  I bought pre-sliced chicken (because it was a great deal) and grilled it with ranch seasoning.  Made 2 salads and 2 chicken and rice bowls.  I had quite a bit of chicken leftover, so I put it in a ziplock freezer bag and stuck it in the freezer for next week.

Snacks!! Cheese sticks, carrot sticks, grapes, protein shakes, and pretzels. Crystal light in water bottles.  I prefer the Crystal Light sweetened with Stevia.

Kids feed off our mood or energy.  I'm working every day to keep my mood light and the stress to a minimum.  I have felt extremely grateful to have my son home with me this extra time.  They grow up so fast, before you know it this time is gone.  We got this, mommas!