[August Update]
Turn off the internet for at least an hour every afternoon. I did it most days (unless I forgot)! It’s a good practice, though there was one day Mike thought something was terribly wrong because I wasn’t responding to emails, phone calls, or text messages. He even asked my sister to come check on me. Oops.
Take risks. Yep. Taking two kids to the grocery store has become old hat by now. (And leaving places due to screaming baby is also, sadly.)
Don’t try to do it all myself. Not so good. I’m realizing more and more that I measure my day and my worth by how productive I am, how many items I get checked off my to do list. Not the best quality of mine, but it sure gets things done. Who else is going to clean the house and cook dinner and do my work? (I DID send Mike a list of what he needed to make with the vegetables in the fridge. So tiny bit of win there.)
[September Intentions]
Don’t buy anything except gas and groceries. I’ve done a Buy Nothing Month several times in the past and it’s always a good reset for my spending when I’ve gotten into the habit of buying things. I’ve already broken it with one tiny purchase (pacifiers for Theo – though it was definitely a necessity and I had a gift card and and and YOU try to not buy pacifiers when you have a screaming baby and you can’t find the pacifiers), but I’m hoping it detoxes my recent tendency to buy stuff several times a week.
Craft a morning routine. I’ve been listening to a great audiobook about how to simplify everything and the section about creating routines for your day, morning, and evening really piqued my interest. I think I value the potential for flexibility and spontaneity too much to create a strict schedule (a huge perk of working from home for me was the freedom!) but I do think I’d benefit from more routines. I’ve started looking at others’ morning routines and have gotten QUITE inspired (with the understanding that I do have a 9-week-old baby and sometimes he wants to just chuck our routine out the window and make me spend the whole day comforting him).
Run twice a week. I got some new running shoes and have been easing into running. Love the alone time, love how it makes me feel, love how fast it is.
Find child care for Theo. I have several projects lined up already and several more in the inquiry stages – child care for the baby is a MUST. I’m exploring several different avenues right now – a few personal recommendations and a few responses to my online ad – but I need to finalize it ASAP.
Don’t criticize Mike. This is usually in the form of “You’re going to do it that way?” which I don’t intend to be critical but I’d like to be a better wife and I’m starting with this. Play nice!
Create some social media rules to get my usage under control. Like, no checking after 7 pm. Or no checking on Sundays. Things like that. To be determined.
Happy September!
I’m doing a kind of-sort of version of No Spend Month, except only pertaining to groceries. And I am spending. So…not the same at all, really.
My goal is to buy milk and produce to supplement meals, but to eat all the food we have accumulated in our pantry and freezer. Hoping and expecting that it will bring the grocery bills down a bit, but we’ll see:)
I am having to learn the same thing with the “why are you doing it that way?” with my hubs also! I think it stems from my being a type “A” personality, but regardless, I could also work on this!! Good luck finding care for Theo! (P.s. I sent you an e-mail!)
I used to be really awesome about no phone Sundays and then this year happened and all the craziness and so it feels weird if I don’t check in with my dad or my brother to see how they are doing. So. Need to try to be better about no phone Sundays. I loved it.
I had to bite my tongue several times while the kidlets were here re: how Knight would do things vs how I would do them. It’s tough!
I used to take weekends away from the computer but now that I’m working from home, sometimes I HAVE to work on the weekends – and “working” turns into “checking Facebook and Twitter and reading blogs …” I really need to be more disciplined. It’s hard to turn off the computer when it’s where you work, though, isn’t it?
I used to criticize the way Nathan folds laundry (I worked in retail for years, I’m a bit OC with my folding!) but then I got so tired of folding it all myself that I just let him do it his way when he’s willing to help me out. I have to bite my tongue (or leave the room!) but yeah. Now I have to work on not telling him how to load the dishwasher :)