I am now officially on maternity leave, and just 34 short days from now, our third child will be born. (The only good thing about a mandatory c-section is that at least I can make firm plans and know exactly when the baby will arrive, unless, of course, she decides to come early.)
Now that I am through working, I can focus on our house, which is in sore need of attention. Anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows that I love lists, so here is my list of things to accomplish in the next 5 weeks:
Clean our bedroom and rearrange the furniture so there is room for the baby.
Clean out our small dresser to make room for the baby’s clothes.
Clean our living room book case. The bottom two shelves where my 16 month old daughter can reach are very neat and full of her books. The upper three shelves are a cluttered mess, and now that she is growing taller, she is starting to reach up there. I can just see everything falling on her head.
Clean our entry way.
Write several freelance articles.
Make at least 15 freezer meals for after the baby comes, which should get our freezer meal total up to 20 to 25 meals.
Declutter the house. I am going to set the goal of getting rid of 200 items in the next 5 weeks.
List all of my son’s outgrown summer clothes on eBay and sell them all.
Most importantly, decide on a name for the baby!!!!
Showing posts with label time management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label time management. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
How Being Unorganized the Last Few Months Has Cost Us
For the last few months, ever since I returned to work, our lives have been chaotic and I have become very unorganized. Starting in August, I returned to work full-time; during that time, I have also been trying to give my husband ample time to work on his dissertation so he can graduate, taking care of two kids, trying to save money, running my eBay store, etc.
E-bay through me for a huge loop by pulling down all listings that do not have a return policy. I should have been able to bulk update, but because I needed to fix all my templates to reflect another policy change they made a few months ago, I could not bulk update. I had to update each listing manually. Because I have 2400 items in my store, that adds up to A LOT of time. (I am still not done!)
In addition, we found out we are going to have our third child in April. This is truly a blessing, and we are very happy. However, because I started feeling all of the effects of the first trimester right when I returned to work—nausea, sleepiness, etc—it through our schedule for a loop.
Here is how being unorganized and too busy these past few months has cost us:
--I recently discovered my $10 off your next order for Jewel expired 4 days ago.
--I found $4 ECBs that had expired
--While I am stacking up all of my coupon inserts, I have not clipped them since August and have not realized very many savings from them. Who knows how much I could have saved if I had diligently used coupons.
--We have a $17 subscription to Blockbuster for monthly deliveries, but we have not watched a movie since early summer. I need to cancel this!
--We have eaten out, albeit at cheaper restaurants, much more frequently than we used to.
--The library just called and said I have a magazine out that was due October 10th. I didn't remember that and have no idea now where the magazine is!
--Instead of making my own baby food as I did in the summer, I had to resort to store bought baby food frequently the last few weeks. Luckily, she is eating table food almost entirely now.
These are just a few ways being unorganized and too busy has cost us money. I am sure there are more, but I can't think of them all now!
E-bay through me for a huge loop by pulling down all listings that do not have a return policy. I should have been able to bulk update, but because I needed to fix all my templates to reflect another policy change they made a few months ago, I could not bulk update. I had to update each listing manually. Because I have 2400 items in my store, that adds up to A LOT of time. (I am still not done!)
In addition, we found out we are going to have our third child in April. This is truly a blessing, and we are very happy. However, because I started feeling all of the effects of the first trimester right when I returned to work—nausea, sleepiness, etc—it through our schedule for a loop.
Here is how being unorganized and too busy these past few months has cost us:
--I recently discovered my $10 off your next order for Jewel expired 4 days ago.
--I found $4 ECBs that had expired
--While I am stacking up all of my coupon inserts, I have not clipped them since August and have not realized very many savings from them. Who knows how much I could have saved if I had diligently used coupons.
--We have a $17 subscription to Blockbuster for monthly deliveries, but we have not watched a movie since early summer. I need to cancel this!
--We have eaten out, albeit at cheaper restaurants, much more frequently than we used to.
--The library just called and said I have a magazine out that was due October 10th. I didn't remember that and have no idea now where the magazine is!
--Instead of making my own baby food as I did in the summer, I had to resort to store bought baby food frequently the last few weeks. Luckily, she is eating table food almost entirely now.
These are just a few ways being unorganized and too busy has cost us money. I am sure there are more, but I can't think of them all now!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
I Tried Peapod and Liked It!
I am in the last two weeks of craziness at work. That means the end is in sight, but I have A LOT of work to do before life returns to normal. I was swamped this weekend and not feeling like fighting the grocery store crowds when I saw a commercial for Peapod. I decided to give it a try, and I was pleasantly surprised.
I completed my online grocery shopping within 30 minutes, and it was all delivered to our house 13 hours later. They came exactly at the midway point of the two hour delivery window they gave us. The best part was that the produce was all so fresh, fresher than I can sometimes find in the grocery store. The produce prices were overall much higher than I can find in a grocery store, but there were some good deals to be had. I bought a 4 lb. bag of organic oranges for $4.99 and an 18 pound box of mixed seasonal fruit (apples, pears, nectarines) for $19.99.
It is true that in general, PeaPod’s prices were a bit more expensive (sometimes a lot more expensive) than grocery store prices (for instance, bananas at 39 cents EACH!), but it is possible to get a fairly good deal. I used the code TV2 to get $20 off my first order. They also accept coupons and offer various discounts. For instance, if you sign up for a four hour delivery period instead of a 2 hour window, they give you a $1 off your order. Likewise, they have food that is on sale just like a brick and mortar grocer. I also found that shopping online helped limit some of my impulse buying. I bought just what we needed.
I won’t shop with Peapod every week, but as I finish up this crazy season in my life, I know I will order from them again next week, and I will keep them in mind for other times when life just gets too hectic.
I completed my online grocery shopping within 30 minutes, and it was all delivered to our house 13 hours later. They came exactly at the midway point of the two hour delivery window they gave us. The best part was that the produce was all so fresh, fresher than I can sometimes find in the grocery store. The produce prices were overall much higher than I can find in a grocery store, but there were some good deals to be had. I bought a 4 lb. bag of organic oranges for $4.99 and an 18 pound box of mixed seasonal fruit (apples, pears, nectarines) for $19.99.
It is true that in general, PeaPod’s prices were a bit more expensive (sometimes a lot more expensive) than grocery store prices (for instance, bananas at 39 cents EACH!), but it is possible to get a fairly good deal. I used the code TV2 to get $20 off my first order. They also accept coupons and offer various discounts. For instance, if you sign up for a four hour delivery period instead of a 2 hour window, they give you a $1 off your order. Likewise, they have food that is on sale just like a brick and mortar grocer. I also found that shopping online helped limit some of my impulse buying. I bought just what we needed.
I won’t shop with Peapod every week, but as I finish up this crazy season in my life, I know I will order from them again next week, and I will keep them in mind for other times when life just gets too hectic.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Freezer Meals Made Easy
I always liked the idea of once a month cooking (OAMC), but I couldn’t get past the idea of buying a month’s worth of groceries, putting them all away and then cooking for a full day to make a month’s worth of food. Yes, it would be great to have all that food prepared, but the whole day of cooking sounded like drudgery, and I knew I couldn’t do it with little ones around.
Yet, when my leave of absence was drawing to a close, I knew that for the first two months back I would be too busy to cook every night. I did have one crazy day of cooking and managed to freeze about 12 meals, but that experience just confirmed that my original idea of not enjoying cooking ALL DAY was right.
After that, I found many slow cooker meals and made one every night for several weeks. All I did was double the recipe. We then took the leftovers and froze them in a large freezer bag or two. Voila. Freezer meal convenience without the cooking hassle.
I let the bags cool in the refrigerator and then flattened them out and laid them flat in the freezer so I could stack them to maximize room. Within a few weeks, I had nearly 40 meals frozen. And what a blessing they have been! As we struggle through this crazy time in our lives, these meals are helping to keep us well fed with minimal effort.
Yet, when my leave of absence was drawing to a close, I knew that for the first two months back I would be too busy to cook every night. I did have one crazy day of cooking and managed to freeze about 12 meals, but that experience just confirmed that my original idea of not enjoying cooking ALL DAY was right.
After that, I found many slow cooker meals and made one every night for several weeks. All I did was double the recipe. We then took the leftovers and froze them in a large freezer bag or two. Voila. Freezer meal convenience without the cooking hassle.
I let the bags cool in the refrigerator and then flattened them out and laid them flat in the freezer so I could stack them to maximize room. Within a few weeks, I had nearly 40 meals frozen. And what a blessing they have been! As we struggle through this crazy time in our lives, these meals are helping to keep us well fed with minimal effort.
Monday, September 14, 2009
A Blogging Break
Work is getting very busy. In addition to my regular work day, I am planning on several hours working at home this week in the evenings. It doesn't leave much time for much else, so I am taking a blogging break. I outlined my priorities here before I returned to work, and now it is time to implement them.
I plan to be back next Sunday, 9/20. Thanks for understanding and hope to see you then!
I plan to be back next Sunday, 9/20. Thanks for understanding and hope to see you then!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
On Exhaustion (Masquerading as Discouragement)
I have been back to work full-time for two weeks now, and I am utterly exhausted. I am big enough to admit when I have too much on plate, and now, I have way too much. For example, yesterday, I got to work by 8:30 a.m., left briefly from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to come home and see my kids, and then did not get back home until 7:30 at night. Once home, the kitchen was a mess because my husband had been taking care of the kids himself all day and had cooked dinner but didn’t have a chance to clean up. I wasn’t able to get all of the dishes done until this evening’s dinner.
I knew going back to work that the first 8 weeks would be crazy. That is when my load is heaviest, so the burden should be easing by late October. But it is like a perfect storm of craziness. My husband hopes to have the rough draft of his dissertation in by the end of October, so he needs a lot of time to work, time he is not getting right now. My eBay business gets busy in August and continues with steady sales until October. And there is something happening that I am not at liberty to discuss right now that contributes in a significant way to our exhaustion.
I feel myself wanting to lapse into old habits of eating out and buying comfort food. I don’t like my job much any more; my heart is at home. I want to be there with my kids. It is now that I have to remind myself of the long term plans, of the desire to save 5 months’ salary so I can stay home. I have to think of this every day so I don’t fritter away my money trying in vain to console myself because life in the short term is not the way I would like it to be.
My mom always says, “This too shall pass.” It will. And if I can follow the plans my husband and I have set out, hopefully this type of craziness will subside in April when I am able to quit, but that means I have to control myself now and muddle through as best I can.
I knew going back to work that the first 8 weeks would be crazy. That is when my load is heaviest, so the burden should be easing by late October. But it is like a perfect storm of craziness. My husband hopes to have the rough draft of his dissertation in by the end of October, so he needs a lot of time to work, time he is not getting right now. My eBay business gets busy in August and continues with steady sales until October. And there is something happening that I am not at liberty to discuss right now that contributes in a significant way to our exhaustion.
I feel myself wanting to lapse into old habits of eating out and buying comfort food. I don’t like my job much any more; my heart is at home. I want to be there with my kids. It is now that I have to remind myself of the long term plans, of the desire to save 5 months’ salary so I can stay home. I have to think of this every day so I don’t fritter away my money trying in vain to console myself because life in the short term is not the way I would like it to be.
My mom always says, “This too shall pass.” It will. And if I can follow the plans my husband and I have set out, hopefully this type of craziness will subside in April when I am able to quit, but that means I have to control myself now and muddle through as best I can.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
How I Plan To Survive My Return To Work--Part II
I don’t officially return to work until August 24th, but I have already been spending roughly 15 hours a week at work updating all of my work in preparation for the big return. Adding in that 15 hours has given me a taste of just how hectic life is to become. I will be adding in a lot more hours beginning on the 24th.
Dave Ramsey has a plan for those with irregular incomes. He asks them to make a budget by listing their most important bills first all the way down to the least important ones. On a lean month, one should pay those most important bills first and when the money runs out, it runs out, even if some of those bills at the bottom of the list don’t get paid. In a month where there is a lot of income, all bills are paid.
I plan to apply this strategy to my time. In the 10 months since I left work, I have added a baby to this family and created my blog, which I enjoy immensely. Still, my work load was heavy previously. Now I think it is going to be insane!
So, in the interest of keeping my sanity, here is my list of activities to spend my time on from most important to least. On very busy days, those at the bottom will receive little or no attention.
1. Take care of myself. I have a hard time doing this, but I must put myself first. That means making time to exercise, relax a bit and eat a healthy diet.
2. Spend time with family.
3. Complete responsibilities for my full-time job.
4. Ship out eBay items sold.
5. Write on my blog.
6. Take care of household responsibilities such as grocery shopping, paying bills, etc.
7. Pick up around the house.
8. Read other people’s blogs. I spend a little (okay, maybe way too much!) time reading other people’s blogs. I still want to do this because I find it personally fulfilling and I learn new things, but I am going to have to put it in its place, maybe only doing so for 15 minutes a day.
9. List new items on eBay.
10. Clean deeply.
In addition to this list, my husband and I need to simplify, especially in the area of meals. Those who read my blog know we like food. (Maybe too much.) In addition, my husband was raised in a family where there were several little side dishes in every meal. I was raised on one pot meals. We c ompromise with about two side dishes at a meal.
For this season in our lives, we must simplify. We will rely heavily on the meals I have made and frozen. Sometimes we will have to eat simply—grilled cheese and soup, frozen ravioli and canned pasta sauce, etc. It may not be the way we prefer to eat, but I do not want to waste money eating out. I want to save money so I can be a stay-at-home mom.
Dave Ramsey has a plan for those with irregular incomes. He asks them to make a budget by listing their most important bills first all the way down to the least important ones. On a lean month, one should pay those most important bills first and when the money runs out, it runs out, even if some of those bills at the bottom of the list don’t get paid. In a month where there is a lot of income, all bills are paid.
I plan to apply this strategy to my time. In the 10 months since I left work, I have added a baby to this family and created my blog, which I enjoy immensely. Still, my work load was heavy previously. Now I think it is going to be insane!
So, in the interest of keeping my sanity, here is my list of activities to spend my time on from most important to least. On very busy days, those at the bottom will receive little or no attention.
1. Take care of myself. I have a hard time doing this, but I must put myself first. That means making time to exercise, relax a bit and eat a healthy diet.
2. Spend time with family.
3. Complete responsibilities for my full-time job.
4. Ship out eBay items sold.
5. Write on my blog.
6. Take care of household responsibilities such as grocery shopping, paying bills, etc.
7. Pick up around the house.
8. Read other people’s blogs. I spend a little (okay, maybe way too much!) time reading other people’s blogs. I still want to do this because I find it personally fulfilling and I learn new things, but I am going to have to put it in its place, maybe only doing so for 15 minutes a day.
9. List new items on eBay.
10. Clean deeply.
In addition to this list, my husband and I need to simplify, especially in the area of meals. Those who read my blog know we like food. (Maybe too much.) In addition, my husband was raised in a family where there were several little side dishes in every meal. I was raised on one pot meals. We c ompromise with about two side dishes at a meal.
For this season in our lives, we must simplify. We will rely heavily on the meals I have made and frozen. Sometimes we will have to eat simply—grilled cheese and soup, frozen ravioli and canned pasta sauce, etc. It may not be the way we prefer to eat, but I do not want to waste money eating out. I want to save money so I can be a stay-at-home mom.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
How I Plan To Survive My Return To Work
In about a month (can it be true?!) I will rejoin the ranks of the full-time employed. In addition to my full-time job, I am also a wife and the mom of a five year old and a 9 month old. I have two side passions at home--my eBay store and this blog. Put it all together and it is alot to juggle.
Here are the ways I am preparing myself (and family) so the transition is a smooth one:
--Put myself on my work schedule beginning in August. I plan to exercise before work, so starting in about 2 weeks, I will begin getting up around 5:30 or 6 a.m., the time I will need to get up when I am back to work. (It also means I have to start going to bed earlier.)
--Finish decluttering and deep cleaning the house. A clean, clutter free house is easier to maintain when time is at a minimum, so some of my effort next month will go to finishing the job I started in May.
--Finish my monthly goals I set several months ago.
--Create new monthly goals when I return to work. My husband and I need to manage our time and money wisely during this next period of life so he can graduate with his Ph.D and I can become a stay-at-home mom.
--Learn to become more organized. I am currently reading Organize Your Life by Ronni Eisenberg. I plan to implement many of the strategies to best utilize my time daily.
--Continue to make freezer meals and find new slow cooker recipes. I have been busy making freezer meals and plan to continue that for the next few weeks. It will be such a blessing to have meals I can just pull from the freezer when I am busy and/or stressed. In addition, these last two weeks I have been relying heavily on my slow cooker and have loved it! Having a meal in the slow cooker means I can avoid the 4:30-5 p.m. craziness that always seems to surround the time right before dinner. I plan to use my slow cooker A LOT this fall.
So, those are my activities so far to try to make the return to work smoother. With any luck, by next May, I will be able to be a stay-at-home mom.
Here are the ways I am preparing myself (and family) so the transition is a smooth one:
--Put myself on my work schedule beginning in August. I plan to exercise before work, so starting in about 2 weeks, I will begin getting up around 5:30 or 6 a.m., the time I will need to get up when I am back to work. (It also means I have to start going to bed earlier.)
--Finish decluttering and deep cleaning the house. A clean, clutter free house is easier to maintain when time is at a minimum, so some of my effort next month will go to finishing the job I started in May.
--Finish my monthly goals I set several months ago.
--Create new monthly goals when I return to work. My husband and I need to manage our time and money wisely during this next period of life so he can graduate with his Ph.D and I can become a stay-at-home mom.
--Learn to become more organized. I am currently reading Organize Your Life by Ronni Eisenberg. I plan to implement many of the strategies to best utilize my time daily.
--Continue to make freezer meals and find new slow cooker recipes. I have been busy making freezer meals and plan to continue that for the next few weeks. It will be such a blessing to have meals I can just pull from the freezer when I am busy and/or stressed. In addition, these last two weeks I have been relying heavily on my slow cooker and have loved it! Having a meal in the slow cooker means I can avoid the 4:30-5 p.m. craziness that always seems to surround the time right before dinner. I plan to use my slow cooker A LOT this fall.
So, those are my activities so far to try to make the return to work smoother. With any luck, by next May, I will be able to be a stay-at-home mom.
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