Tampilkan postingan dengan label 2. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label 2. Tampilkan semua postingan
Senin, 21 Agustus 2017
Managing My Time Part 2 of 2
Here, in part 2, I will share with you my strategies for organizing bills, mail, and coupons as I manage my time as a mother of a large family.
This is part 2 of “Managing My Time”. *smile* In part 1 I talked about why it’s valuable for moms to manage their time, and then how I do that using my desk, a calendar, a day planner, how I organize reading material, grocery shopping & errands. Here, in part 2, I will share with you my strategies for organizing bills, mail, and coupons as I manage my time as a mother of a large family.
Being disorganized in the areas of bills, mail, and coupons can carry costly penalties. For the first 5 years of our marriage we did not have a good plan for managing these areas. Mail stacked up on the counter which caused bills to sometimes be lost or more often late because there was no plan for how to make sure they got paid by their individual due dates. And if a bill disappeared in the mail somewhere and never arrived at our house in the first place then we would not know it was missed, causing late fees to be accrued and credit to be damaged by late payments. Damaged credit scores affect the amount of interest people have to pay on loans and credit cards, and can even effect whether or not someone gets employment as employers are looking at credit scores now. When that missed bill did arrive the following month with twice the amount due, sometimes we could not afford to pay it in full which would cause a financial problem to have to manage until it was caught up. Once an organizational strategy was finally established, however, there hasn’t been any of these costly penalties – and the stress of disorder has been alleviated (which of course affects everyone in the family). *smile*
Being disorganized in the areas of bills, mail, and coupons can carry costly penalties. For the first 5 years of our marriage we did not have a good plan for managing these areas. Mail stacked up on the counter which caused bills to sometimes be lost or more often late because there was no plan for how to make sure they got paid by their individual due dates. And if a bill disappeared in the mail somewhere and never arrived at our house in the first place then we would not know it was missed, causing late fees to be accrued and credit to be damaged by late payments. Damaged credit scores affect the amount of interest people have to pay on loans and credit cards, and can even effect whether or not someone gets employment as employers are looking at credit scores now. When that missed bill did arrive the following month with twice the amount due, sometimes we could not afford to pay it in full which would cause a financial problem to have to manage until it was caught up. Once an organizational strategy was finally established, however, there hasn’t been any of these costly penalties – and the stress of disorder has been alleviated (which of course affects everyone in the family). *smile*
Managing the mail
When my husband brings the mail home every day now he places it on my counter/desk for me to organize. But I never let it stay there. Now, I have time in every day for that day’s tasks, but not for today’s and yesterday’s tasks (mail, laundry, etc.), so the mail must be dealt with as it arrives each day. I immediately throw away the junk mail, an easy first step which reveals what is left for me to put away. Then as soon as is convenient – but always that same day – I put the rest of the mail, mostly bills, away as well. Within about 3 minutes my counter is clean and functional again, and nothing from the mail will be forgotten or missed.Managing bills
To pay bills we personally do not choose to utilize automatic bill-paying options because we do not want to have chunks of money disappearing from our bank account when ever the bill-senders are ready to take it. We decide when the bills get paid ourselves (but still by their due date of course), in compliance with when my husband is paid.
Bills always get paid on time, we live within our means, but the timing needs to be managed by us. To organize our paper bills I purchased a simple 5x10-inch accordion file at the local office supply store. I labeled the first 3 tabs with the numbers 1, 2, and 3, representing each pay check in a month (most of the time there are two pay checks in a month, but occasionally there are 3 in one month).
When a bill arrives in the mail I open it up that same day, separate the bill stub from the rest of the letter, highlight on the bill stub the amount due and the due date so I can see those quickly and easily and there are no mistakes made (sometimes there are other amounts listed as well, and other dates). I shred the rest of that bill’s letter in our paper shredder. We bought a nice one off of Craigslist.com (“confetti style” shredding is important to avoid identity theft). I then file that bill in the accordion file behind either the #1 or the #2 tab, depending upon whether it needs to be paid from the first pay check or the second. Since my husband receives his pay check every two weeks, we pay our bills every two weeks as well. I simply gather the bills out of the appropriate tab and pay those as a group. With this method I see how much total money is going out in bills from that pay check, and how much will be going out the next pay check, to help us gauge what additional spending can be made at certain times. I can also make sure that bills are paid right off the top of a pay check first thing, so there is not over-spending and then discovering that there is now not enough money left to pay the necessary bills.
Next, to keep track of what bills we have, when they are due, and about how much is due on each one I made up a “Bills Due” chart (you may download a copy of my chart for free from DropBox if you'd like). I list our bills down the left side column in the order that they are due in a month. The tithe is always paid right off the top of the pay check. From there the rest of the bills are then listed in chronological order as to when they're due. The bill due on the 3rd is next at the top, then the bill due on the 7th, then the one due on the 10th, etc. down to the bill due on the 30th.
When a bill arrives in the mail, I mark on the Bills Due chart the date that particular bill is due. This serves two purposes. First, I can see at a glance if a bill did not arrive this month because there is no date written down for that bill. Second, I can know when a bill is due in a month (beginning, middle, end), so I can estimate how much will be due from the next two pay checks if I’d like, which helps us spend money wisely and carefully. See photo below (to enlarge double click on it). I keep this chart folded in half in the very front of my bills accordion file.
In the column marked “Amount” I write down for each bill either the exact amount (i.e. mortgage), or an average amount (i.e. electric bill) that will be due. This again helps me plan how much money will go out in bills in the next few weeks by knowing the usual due date and the amount.
In the row marked “tithe” there is a place for two separate check marks. From the first pay check I put a check mark in front of the back-slash to show myself that I paid it, and from the second pay check I put a check mark to the right of the back-slash.
My Bills Due chart is especially helpful for bills that are due every other month, and bills we get quarterly. These bills can be much harder to keep track of, and without this chart it’s very difficult for me to anticipate when they will be due in the future and hold that in my memory for 3 months *cringe* so I can plan our spending carefully.
When a bill arrives in the mail, I mark on the Bills Due chart the date that particular bill is due. This serves two purposes. First, I can see at a glance if a bill did not arrive this month because there is no date written down for that bill. Second, I can know when a bill is due in a month (beginning, middle, end), so I can estimate how much will be due from the next two pay checks if I’d like, which helps us spend money wisely and carefully. See photo below (to enlarge double click on it). I keep this chart folded in half in the very front of my bills accordion file.
In the column marked “Amount” I write down for each bill either the exact amount (i.e. mortgage), or an average amount (i.e. electric bill) that will be due. This again helps me plan how much money will go out in bills in the next few weeks by knowing the usual due date and the amount.
In the row marked “tithe” there is a place for two separate check marks. From the first pay check I put a check mark in front of the back-slash to show myself that I paid it, and from the second pay check I put a check mark to the right of the back-slash.
My Bills Due chart is especially helpful for bills that are due every other month, and bills we get quarterly. These bills can be much harder to keep track of, and without this chart it’s very difficult for me to anticipate when they will be due in the future and hold that in my memory for 3 months *cringe* so I can plan our spending carefully.
Managing coupons
Another way to manage money carefully and frugally is by using coupons. However, years ago the coupons that I clipped with the intention of saving us money never got used because they were not put in a place where I could see them, or use them by their expiration date, and remember to have them with me when shopping. You wouldn’t think it would take years for me to come up with a better plan *smile*, but it did. Now I only use coupons for the stores that I already shop at every week: Costco and Wal-Mart, and maybe for an occasional trip to Jo Ann Fabrics or Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I do not clip coupons for grocery or other items at lots of other stores because I don’t have time or the ability with lots of young kids with me to drive around to all different stores in order to “save money” with coupons. I would actually make up the difference in the amount of money saved by the gas money spent driving all around! *laugh* So I keep coupons very simple, and I usually have about 4-6 of them at a time clamped to the top of our refrigerator door, next to my Master Grocery List (See also - Charts and Lists That Save My Sanity). I do also shop at the dollar store periodically, Value Village, and the Good Will to save money, however. Before I go shopping each week I check to see if I have any coupons for items I’m already purchasing (I do not purchase items simply because I have a coupon for them). If I do have coupons to use then I’ll staple them to the top of my grocery list in an effort to not lose them, and to remember to use them.
For those of you friends who use crazy amounts of coupons *wink*, I do have an idea for you of how I would manage those if I needed to. I would try using another accordion file, like the one I use for bills, and I would mark the tabs one for each week in a month: “week 1”, “week, 2”, through “week 5” (for those rare months when there’s an extra week or part of one). Since using coupons within their due dates seems to be the main issue, I would file each coupon in the week that it would begin to be available for use. Then before shopping each week I would check in the pocket of that week’s coupons and see if there’s any I would like to use. If I choose not to use some that have dates which reach in to the following week, then I would move them to that following week’s pocket so that I have the option of using them still. Any coupons that I chose not to use or have expired I’d throw away. When coupons are good for as long as a month then I would put them in the first week’s pocket that they’re available for use, and simply move them to the next week’s pocket until they were used or expired. You could also do a similar system using paper mailing envelopes, clamped or paper-clipped together in order by week.
With an organized plan in place that has become habit, managing mail, bills, and coupons takes almost no mental energy or attention (the reason I forgot to include these systems in part 1 of “Managing My Time”! *laugh*). I simply keep these systems running smoothly, daily putting things where they belong, and leave them alone until I pay bills every other week. No worry, no confusion, and there are pretty much no mistakes. *beam*
Blessings on your efforts!
You may also be interested in some of my related posts:
Managing My Time, part 1 of 2 - Why it's valuable & How I do it
Orderliness - A Closer Look
Charts & Lists That Save My Sanity
Enjoying Being at Home
Managing My Time, part 1 of 2 - Why it's valuable & How I do it
Orderliness - A Closer Look
Charts & Lists That Save My Sanity
Enjoying Being at Home
Kamis, 17 Agustus 2017
Baby 3 40 weeks 2 days Final pregnancy post!
7.10.14: Forty plus two: My last day being pregnant!!!
Today started off really rough---I'm going to be real with you guys. I woke up at 12:30 am to pee, and then again at 3:30 am and could not get my brain to shut off. Horrible thoughts swirling in my head, negativity, anxiety in the wee hours of the morning. Like, what if something is wrong with my baby and that is why he hasn't come out on his own? What if something is wrong with my body and the induction tomorrow will fail and I will always regret making this decision? A c-section is not the end of the world, and neither is a child with special needs. But I just am feeling a lot of WORRIES today because it's basically go time. I know, I know---it's awful to think this way, but this morning I lost the mental battle of staying positive.
So I came downstairs around 4:30 and worked on some belly picture montages, blog posts, etc. I was FINE when distracted. And when the kids came down with Nate later, he asked if I was alright and I lost it. You know that feeling when you are in a funk but holding it together and as soon as someone says, 'Are you okay?' you immediately start bawling? That was me. 'Just frustrated and over it and tired?' he asked. Um yes. All of the above and then some. He tried to comfort me, saying he was proud of me for hanging in there and doing a great job carrying his son---which only made me roll my eyes, because I don't feel like I've done ANYTHING (such as birth the baby) other than ride an emotional roller coaster this past week. It's been rough at times, guys. But it's going to be just fine.
Because tomorrow is induction day! Nate thinks I will go into labor on my own tonight and I think he is delusional (as I sit on the exercise ball and fight off a few contractions....which likely means NOTHING since they've been here all week+).
The rest of the day was fun. We took the kids to the playground, I got a nice nap, I took Truman to get a haircut and then we all went with Tony and Lois to dinner and to get dessert. We chose the same restaurant we ate at the night I went into labor with Cecelia and also the same coffee shop for dessert. No coincidence there! The kids were a bit wild and have been out of sorts today but I'm sure they can sense something is going on. CC is totally attached to mommy in the worst way, much more than usual. My baby. I hope she is alright tomorrow and the next day without me.
Tonight I kissed Truman and CC goodnight and explained that we can say an official goodbye in the morning (probably). We will leave here at 6:30 am to get the show on the road. Tony will come over to be with the kids, Lois will come after work and my mom and dad will fly in by 1:30. Such a special time!
It's all very surreal. I can't quite wrap my head around giving birth tomorrow. I mean, I've done it before and I know I can do it again but oh man, the nerves! I'm not sure of the plan for pitocin versus just breaking my water, or what. I hope it goes quickly and smoothly and I just want to see this baby boy. And kiss him and nurse him and tell him he is a stinker. And then hold him non-stop for a solid few days;) GAH, I cannot wait!!!
I feel like I've been pregnant forever. FOR.EV.ER. And obviously, the end result of pregnancy is a baby but it's odd to accept that this is my last night with this big belly. With this active baby rolling and punching and kicking me from the inside. Tomorrow he will be out: crying, nursing, pooping, peeing, being generally magical. It's so freaking cool.
I'll miss pregnancy though, which I know is annoying to say especially in light of how much I've complained about being overdue. Pregnancy is amazing, it's a gift, and it's something I will always remember with a tender heart. I like being pregnant. But I do not like being overdue;) So there's that.
Any and all prayers, good vibes, and thoughts appreciated of course. I am feeling the love already with sweet comments here, on IG, and FB from my virtual friends around the world----seriously, so appreciated. A few emails and messages I've gotten from you guys have made me cry because you get it. Being overdue is hard---not the hardest thing ever, and it will NOT matter after tomorrow. But it's been a wild ride. Baby boy is already teaching me lessons, like YOU CANNOT PLAN ANYTHING, MOM! Because obviously I haven't learned that in my 33 years, and two kids schooling me all of the time.
I will update here once he comes, and Instagram (@mrsjuliagoolia) and Facebook (My Life in Transition Blog) will be priorities, too.
A few final belly pictures for you, since I know you will miss being bombarded with eleventy-hundred angles of my bump:
Caught a picture of a contraction today---can you see the difference in the top of my belly? Suuuuuper tight. I had to flip one of the pictures to make it the same side view but you get the idea.
Video montage of weekly belly pictures--because why else would I take them but for a fun comparison at the end?
All third trimester belly pictures:
All belly pictures, weeks 5-40:
And finally, assuming I don't have this baby in my arms in the next 3 hours (ha!): The night before labor began with each baby. (Final belly pictures) Awwwwww.
See you on the flip side!
Sabtu, 12 Agustus 2017
Motherhood with Vitality! Part 1 of 2
In this part 1 I will cover practices to encourage being well-rested:
I am often asked by people who know me or just see me out and about, how do I have such vitality and joy with my children - and especially with so many children? I'm happy to share with you what I've learned along my life journey, and I hope it will bless you as well.
I didn't realize how many habits I've gotten in to over the years until I listed them all in parts 1 and 2 together! *laugh* Writing out things like this is such a help to me, too. *smile* This is a great reminder for me to maintain doing what the Lord has shown me; and each of these things I'll talk about truly has a profound impact on my every day. Some of the items I'll share take discipline, and some of them are easy little "mom tips". *smile* Some things I do enable good, quality sleep which of course effects energy during the day; and some of the things I do in addition to getting enough rest. Doing life ON PURPOSE in the area of having energy for my day not only helps me feel my best, but energy and joy are also a gift to my husband and children.
- Adequate quality and quantity at night
- A weekly schedule
- Afternoon naps & "play alone times"
- No false energy
- Bedroom ready
- Regular bed times
- Exercise
- Being in shape
- Ear plugs
- Spiritual freedom
I didn't realize how many habits I've gotten in to over the years until I listed them all in parts 1 and 2 together! *laugh* Writing out things like this is such a help to me, too. *smile* This is a great reminder for me to maintain doing what the Lord has shown me; and each of these things I'll talk about truly has a profound impact on my every day. Some of the items I'll share take discipline, and some of them are easy little "mom tips". *smile* Some things I do enable good, quality sleep which of course effects energy during the day; and some of the things I do in addition to getting enough rest. Doing life ON PURPOSE in the area of having energy for my day not only helps me feel my best, but energy and joy are also a gift to my husband and children.
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Let's begin with practices that can encourage moms to be well-rested. There are multiple things we can do intentionally to make this more likely to happen.
Adequate night time sleep
It is absolutely crucial that moms, especially homeschooling moms, receive quality and adequate quantity of sleep most every night. I know this is no small matter, and believe me that I do not say this flippantly - but it really has to be a top priority if we are going to be able to be energetic, alert, creative, patient, peaceful, have something left at the end of our day to offer our hard-working husbands when they arrive home, and have endurance for not only our days but our entire week. I need 7 1/2 hours of sleep per night ideally. I protect this with great care.I am blessed to have a husband that protects my sleep with me as well. *smile* If I'm staying up later than is good for me, after a while he will gently ask me, "Are you watching the clock?" He encourages me to head to bed on time, and he is always understanding if I need to sacrifice something in order to get enough sleep. Some times I think I'll be able to do something on an evening, such as work on a post together with him, stay up to talk, or watch our weekly date night movie, but when I an just too tired he is always encourages me to go to bed. We actually quite frequently have "half a date night" at a time, because we're both too tired at the end of the week to watch a whole movie on Friday night. *chuckle*
If I am going to be able to rise up early in the morning and be productive and ready for the day, I have to get to bed on time. I know that it is tempting to stay up late and have quiet time to yourself - but if you're like me, your family will pay for your lack of sleep the next day. It actually is being responsible to get to bed at a regular time, and it is a gift to yourself, your husband, and your children for you to be well-rested. I'll talk more about how I get enough sleep in the following points of this post. I'm a much happier person, and I can generally handle life well when I'm well-rested.
A weekly schedule
A weekly schedule
It is absolutely crucial that I have a weekly schedule in place for myself and our children so that I do not expect 27-hour days out of myself, instead of my given 24 (which I used to do - and I failed at it every day *chuckle*). *smile* I am responsible for discipling our children (with my husband, under his authority and direction), homeschooling, keeping our home clean and orderly, preparing healthy meals, and maintaining my health physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I can only do this successfully when I am proactive about budgeting our time each week; deciding in advance what should happen, when it should happen, and making sure to get all of the most important things in ~ without sacrificing other important things. Getting a lot done has to be intentional - it will never just start happening one day if you wait long enough. *hugs* When I have a schedule in place I can rest better at night and even during the day time, because I know that there is a time set aside for all of the most important things in my life; I don't have to stress about "getting it all done" (generally *wink*)If you like, you can read more about scheduling in my posts: why a schedule is valuable, how I manage my time, how I go about creating a schedule exactly, schedules for varying family sizes, what to do with weekends, and more. *smile*
Afternoon naps & "play-alone time"
Giving our bodies a rest and re-grouping time is so, so good! We teach our children to nap through age 5, and they feel so good after having a rest, and their behavior reflects it in the afternoon for the remainder of the day compared to not having a nap. Our older children also have an independent quiet activity time during those same 2 hours every day, and when I've been pregnant or have had lots of young children I would usually have a nap for 30-45 minutes as well. Even if I don't sleep, my body is restful, my feet are up for a while, and I feel so much better. During our 2-hour alone time we can have uninterrupted thoughts, and no one disturbing our concentration and activities. It's a time to work on things that are not practical to work on with toddlers and babies around like during the rest of the day (not that the "littles" are a bother, they're just active and curious and things like sewing needles would be dangerous for them). The oldest children and I do a whole variety of independent things such as sewing projects or mending, baking, reading or listening to an audio book or message, painting, scrapbooking, drawing, organizational projects, letter writing, photography, or set up the whole play room with Transformers to play with without anyone knocking them down. *smile* Everyone is in a separate area. If an older child is in the family room or kitchen area with me we do not talk to each other during that time. All is quiet, and we come back together again after this time feeling renewed and refreshed.
No false energy
I've always been very guarded against drinking caffeine for it's obvious addictive tendencies, but also because it gives a false sense of being healthfully rested. Caffeinated coffee, tea, and energy drinks - they'll lash back in the end, from my experience, and from what I hear others talk about all the time. If we live day in and day out with out enough rest (commonly because we desire to "have our cake and eat it, too"; staying up late for our own personal time, but still having energy the next day from caffeine to function in our day) we're likely to bring on sickness from not resting our bodies enough. With caffeine people also experience irritability, increased appetite, and caffeine is a diuretic which eliminates the precious water I was so intentional to drink all morning. Many (if not most people I know) have migraine headaches and such when their caffeine wears off. In my opinion it's far better to simply make sure we have good sleep - quantity and quality. False energy will never serve me like real, genuine energy does. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that caffeine is a sin. *laugh* I do love my grande white mocha latte, but I get decaf. Once in a while, however, I do utilize caffeine, such as needing to get through the Sunday morning church service awake and learn something despite having been up repeatedly Saturday night with a child who has the flu. I choose to make exceptions when it would benefit me once-in-a-while, but it is not a life style. I'm actually even very hesitant to have caffeine on any morning because that tends to rob me of my afternoon nap which makes me feel so much better the rest of the day. When I've had caffeine and then miss my nap as a result (when I've need one), I've tended to get up from lying down scowling, tired, irritable, and not smiling when my husband arrives home for dinner.
I also do not have caffeine at night because then I'm very tempted to stay up and get lots of things done with that false energy, or if I do go to bed I likely cannot fall asleep. Either way I then begin the next day tired, and often times feeling like I can't do life. In my opinion, caffeine just doesn't do good things as a general rule.
Bedroom ready
I also do not have caffeine at night because then I'm very tempted to stay up and get lots of things done with that false energy, or if I do go to bed I likely cannot fall asleep. Either way I then begin the next day tired, and often times feeling like I can't do life. In my opinion, caffeine just doesn't do good things as a general rule.
Bedroom ready
Having our bedrooms at optimum sleep-enabling readiness can greatly effect both the quality and the quantity of our rest! I wrote a post called "Sleep Better - How to Make Your Bedroom a Better Place to Re-Charge", which explains how the amount of light, the temperature, the amount of stimulation, and the amount of messiness can hugely effect how well you sleep at night. I encourage you to read it. *smile* And I found the information for that post from a very sweet lady, author and sleep expert, Malia Jacobson, who has a great blog called The Well Rested Family. It is full of valuable information for adults and children alike - I had never before taken the time to read up on the "science" of sleep, but I am learning so much! And I highly recommend your checking out her blog!Regular bed times
I and the children need regular bed times. I know how much sleep I need for optimum health, and I know how much sleep each child needs for their optimum health - so establishing regular bed times helps make sure we get that amount to help us stay healthy and feel our best. After all, life is hard enough without adding exhaustion to it! If I don't get to bed on time, I can't easily get up on time either, which effects everyone in the family.It's time to be objective. The facts are, I need 7 1/2 hours of sleep at night for optimum health and energy. I also need to get up at 5:00 am in order to be ready for my day. So I simply back up on the clock from there to determine what time I need to, therefore, go to bed, which for me is 9:30 pm. Now I'm not legalistic about this; sometimes life happens and I have school work I have to finish correcting, or a child needs me and so I get to bed later. But I strive for, and have self-discipline for getting to bed on time. I am sometimes tempted to stay up and enjoy that quiet "me time", but if I'm honest, my family pays the price for that when I don't get enough sleep. I need to be my best to please the Lord, doing my very best with the task He's given me as wife and mother.
The children also need to be in bed on time for their own optimum health and well being! Their ability to have a great day is effected by their being rested; therefore, my day is also effected by their being rested. *smile* I need them to be well-rested! If I do not do my best to enable them to get enough sleep (to not be over tired, or under tired), then how can I realistically expect cooperation, obedience, smiles, good attitudes, servant's hearts, and accomplished academics from them?
Exercise
It's no secret that when we exercise, our bodies sleep better at night. I am very busy at home, and rarely sit down; and I even strive to get as much movement in to my day as possible by making that extra trip up the stairs even if it could be avoided. I hoist up those toddlers and carry them up the stairs, too, and not laboring under it but getting up strong! *smile*I have not been able to get out for exercise walks on a regular basis because of several reasons: I've had pregnancies and newborn babies back-to-back (10, 11, 12, 13 months apart); during pregnancy exercise would make me extremely nauseous for a few days afterwards; and my husband has never been home during daylight hours of the morning when I could go walking (I don't feel safe walking in the dark alone). There will be seasons later in life when I'll easily be able to get out for walks during the daylight hours.
In the mean time my husband and I purchased a really nice, used elliptical exercise machine off of Craig's List - and we LOVE it. It's the best exercise I've ever done, giving a full body work out that makes me pour sweat, plus it's in our garage for access whenever I can get to it! I've had seasons of working out in the mornings, and seasons of working out during the children's nap time, which I've preferred surprisingly enough. I really can't get up earlier than 5am because I can't get to bed regularly before 9:30 pm. So - afternoon time it is. *smile* I shoot for 5 days a week, and then if I miss a day or so at least I got in 3-4 times. I haven't been able to get back in to exercising again quite yet since our last 4 babies all were born within 22 months, but soon I will be back in to it. I so look forward to my body feeling strong again and being my trim self! And even if the Lord gives us more babies in the interim (we're praying!), we will not be in baby season forever and then it will be the time for getting aggressive with getting in shape more again.
Being in shape
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Just to mention here along with exercise that if a mom is pretty over weight, it's unlikely she'll be able to achieve ample energy and vitality. Weight really burdens us all down, and we need freedom from it. I fairly recently learned about, purchased, and read Wendy Jeub's book called, Love in a Diet. Wendy has 16 kids, and she is trim and energetic! Her book is small and only costs $7.47, but it's packed full with practical tips for every day moms to enable them to lose weight and find that freedom! I lost 10 lbs. after I read it...then I quit for a while feeling overwhelmingly busy with babies and kids *chuckle*...but then I got back into losing that baby weight again. *smile* And if you're interested, here's how I recently pursued, Losing the Baby Weight! and lost 65 pounds; and part 2, of Losing the Baby Weight!, including the book, Trim Healthy Mama, and a really important book called, Made to Crave.Ear plugs
I had become such a light sleeper with so many babies I was listening for, either on baby monitors in their own bedrooms. And my husband's loud breathing and/or snoring kept me awake for years. I didn't want to use ear plugs initially because I was afraid that I'd miss a child's call for me. But eventually I learned to trust the Lord that He would enable me to know when I was needed, or that Bobby would hear the calls for us, and I tried Mac's silicone ear plugs. Miraculous! I've used them for years now and I sleep so well! And, which is truly amazing to me, I still hear our children if they cry or have coughing due to being sick. God is faithful. My husband's breathing/snoring no longer keeps me awake, and I sleep soundly. So, so nice. These ear plugs can be found at all the grocery stores I've been to, or they can be ordered online.Spiritual freedom
I struggled for years with insomnia, but I didn't realize it for years. And I've been free from this struggle since then. After hearing dozens of personal testimonies about a great ministry called Be In Health, I finally read pastor Henry Wright's book called A More Excellent Way. He shares strait from scripture about people's health both physically and emotionally and how it is connected with spiritual issues. I also attended 2 classes on this material. I've also found freedom from over a dozen other struggles. It is life changing; I highly recommend it. *smile*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, I hope that having a window in to how I enable myself to be energetic and joyful in life has given you some good ideas for your own life as well! The Lord is so faithful to teach us how we can best serve Him when we ask him. Now just so it's said, I haven't always felt vivacious and joyful. *chuckle* I have had my very difficult times and days just like anyone else. But those days aren't a life style; enjoying life is my life style.
This information may seen like a lot to think about, but I want to encourage you to take your parenting seriously and take your vitality seriously. Parenthood is really a career and should be treated even more seriously. We need to always be learning, studying, growing, implementing what we learn, and working hard. We can just "get through it", but that's really torturous; or we can embrace where we are and achieve success and vitality in life!
Blessings on your efforts!
You may also be interested in reading:
Losing the Baby Weight, part 1 and part 2
Recommended resources:
Malia Jacobson's, The Well Rested Family blog
Love in a Diet, by Wendy Jeub
Trim Healthy Mama,by Pearl Barrett & Serene Allison
Love in a Diet, by Wendy Jeub
Trim Healthy Mama,by Pearl Barrett & Serene Allison
Selasa, 25 Juli 2017
Potty training tips for 2 year old boy
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Jumat, 21 Juli 2017
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Senin, 17 Juli 2017
A Day in the Life part 2
I've been thinking about doing this post for many months now. I did the first installment at 3.5 months and I've always wanted to do a few for comparison, because my how the routine changes with time. The ironic thing is that every time I start to write this post I stop because each day is so variable, it doesn't seem like one day can capture the 'reality' of our routine. Since in reality, every day can be vastly different from the next. But you know what? That's life---always changing and never a 'typical' generic day, I suppose. This post isn't supposed to be a 'one day fits all' thing, and it definitely doesn't represent each and every day of our lives. Just a glimpse...
Beginning of February, 11 months old:
5:30 Baby alarm goes off in the nursery. Talking, whining, and babbling to tell us he's ready to start the day.
5:40 I finally succumb and ask Nate to go get the boy and bring him to the boob. Our one and only nursing session for the day is the sweetest time ever. I'm propped up in bed, Nate is laying back down, and Truman is staring up at me and grabbing my hair while slashing my neck with his razor nails. Must remember to cut them today.
5:50 Enough of that nursing stuff. T gets restless hanging in bed with us because he knows we are trying to stall the process of actually waking up. He plays with both alarm clocks and requests to see Henry before demanding to get on the move, and so we are off to the nursery.
6:00 Remove jammies, remove diaper (which is totally full of poo this morning---no wonder he woke up at 5:30 with this load). Pick out adorable outfit for the day and apply to babe while he wiggles around the room.
(whoops! someone forgot his pants today...but check out those puffy saddle bag hips!)
6:15 Nate's making the coffee and I put Truman in his high chair for breakfast: he starts on his graham crackers and puffs in the family room while I make my own breakfast in the kitchen. Truman peeps the news and fills us in on what we've missed overnight.
6:20 I eat my breakfast (still PB and honey on a bagel!), sip my coffee and feed Truman his blueberry yogurt while watching the news with T. Nate takes Henry out and I do not envy them for experiencing the cold this early in the morning.
(breakfast time!)
(and what the boys must endure outside....deadly daggers!)
6:35 All done! Nate hops in the shower while T and I play a bit in the family room. Usually Little People Farm is a huge hit.
6:55 Nate's out of the shower so it's my turn while daddy watches T. I shower, get dressed, pull my wet hair back into a mommy-pony, and quickly apply a bit of makeup. By this time Truman has found me in the bathroom and tries to eat the toilet knobs. Great.
7:15 Done with that nonsense, so now I'll make my first trip to my car to drop off all three of my bags while Nate is inside with T: pump bag with lunch bag inside, Truman's daycare bag, and my work backpack. Plus my giant water cooler jug. I learned the hard way one day that I should never try to do this trip while Truman is in the house waiting on me alone. Bad news bears complete with meltdown. Also, I start my car to blast out some of the Wisconsin chill.
(ridiculous amount of loot)
7:20 Nate leaves for the day and Truman and I start getting him together--diaper check doesn't show a Code Brown so we are good there. Stuff his arms into giant winter coat. Place adorable hat. Brush my teeth. Put Henry in his crate and kiss him goodbye, turn off lights, and we are out the door.
(bundled up, what?)
7:30 Strap Truman into carseat, sip some more coffee to go and head to Lori's. Talk to Truman along the way as if he is a fully grown adult, of course. It's taking longer to get there today because I hit some major middle school traffic. Silly 'tweens. Get outta my way!
(Truman in his convertible car seat! Such a big boy).
7:50 Arrive at Lori's. Make drop off as quick as possible since Truman's bottom lip is quivering while I hand him over after a smooch. Tears are shed before I can get out the door and my heart squeezes a little harder. Suck it up, sister. He's going to be just fine.
8:10-8:45 Arrive to the office. Deal with paperwork. Call some patients. Put on the PT hat.
8:45 Leave office, but not before pumping in my car. Front seat, hands-free pump bra, and nursing cover = totally appropriate way to pump and be in public. Get about 3-4 ounces of the liquid gold. Store it in the back of my mobile office, aka my car.
9:15-10:00 First patient of the day. Talk about Truman.
10:00-10:30 Drive to second patient. Think about Truman. Also contemplating a Starbucks search.
10:30-11:15 See second patient. Talk about Truman's party.
11:15-11:30 Drive to third patient. Definitely want that coffee asap.
11:30-12:15 See third patient. Whip out pictures of Truman and discuss party details with said patient. A proud mama can't hide those pics!
12:15 Leaving patient house, looking for a place to park and pump. Find a gas station, fill 'er up with gas, use the bathroom, then pump in my car again while eating my packed sandwich. Get about 3 ounces. Make some phone calls for work. Do some paperwork---all while pumping. Thank goodness for my hands-free pumping bra and modern technology!
12:45-1:00 Drive to fourth patient. Search endlessly for good music on the radio. Realize my CDs are incredibly old and worn out, too. Settle for the same Katy Perry song that they've played 15 times today.
1:00-1:45 See last patient of the day. Counting down the hours to see baby boy.
2:00-3:30 Drive to a nearby Starbucks to complete all paperwork and treat myself to some black gold. Make phone calls, wrap up the day. Use the bathroom before heading out---a nice clean bathroom is hard to find on the road sometimes.
3:30-4:00 Drive to Lori's to get my little man. Wheee!
4:00 Arrive at Lori's and get a report. Can't stop kissing mister man! He had a good day today and got a thumbs up for good behavior....plus he smiled and reached for me when I walked in. Score!
4:10-4:20 Drive home with buddy, constantly stare at him in the mirror to assess the cuteness.
4:20 Home at last. Unload Truman, all three giant bags, and water jug---most likely in two trips, because I fail to have 5 arms for this task.
4:30-4:45 Truman goes into high chair for some snacks, I change out of my germ-infested clothes. I take Henry outside and pet him a few times. Unload pump bag, mixing freshly pumped milk into bottles for the night and next day. Wash all pump and bottle parts. Save the rest of the 'chores' for later if I can stand it, so that I can play with my bubs.
4:45-5:15 Play time on the floor with buddy, and I allow the toy box to barf all over the family room! Maybe a diaper change, too, as needed. Nate calls and is on his way home to join in on the fun.
(toy box barf:)
5:15-5:45 Kitchen time---attempt to throw something together for dinner while Truman scurries around on the floor playing with semi-forbidden kitchen items. Pick your battles, people. But then realize he's probably actually hungry as he tries to eat the table leg. Place him in his high chair to start his dinner. Multitask like a madwoman---feeding Truman, washing dishes in sink left over from breakfast, and assemble our dinner, too.
5:45-6:00 Nate is home! Time to chow. Eat together as a little family and discuss our days. Truman chimes in on the chatter of course, with much to say about his exciting day at daycare.
6:00-6:45 Family play time! Clean up dishes and kitchen then out to the family room to watch Jeopardy! (Truman loves Trebek and the blue screens, duh) and play with Truman on the floor. And magically at 6:45 he hits the wall and is ready for bedtime routine.
6:45-7:00 Get T-man nekkid, give him a bath in big boy tub. Watch him splash around and grin like a goofball baby boy.
7:00-7:15 Change into fresh double-stuffed diaper and jammies, then time for about 5 books in the rocking chair. Nate and I alternate days with this task and tonight it's my night to read. Nate preps the bottle while Truman flips my pages with authority.
(our favorite jammies: wool longies, tee shirt, and socks)
7:15 Both Mommy and Daddy kiss Truman goodnight. Bottle time---half in the rocker, then he lets us know when he wants to lay in the crib and down the other half.
7:30 Done with bottle, sleepy eyes is ready to pass out. Walk out of the room with a sigh.
7:30-8:00 Feed Henry for the night; change into my own jammies; lay out clothes for next day; pack my lunch; pack Truman's daycare bag; pack pump bag with supplies. I've totally consolidated this prep time and it's not such a time sucker anymore.
(bottle stuff on a light day)
8:00-9:00 Free time!! Some on computer, some with party crafts, some time knitting. Sometimes I have to be a grown-up and do more paperwork for my actual job during this time, too, but tonight it's all funsies.
(did I tell you I took a knitting class in December? I did and obviously I'm a pro now)
9:00-9:30 Last pumping session of the night, done in front of the computer. Get about 3 ounces while surfing the next, contemplating blog posts, and returning numerous emails.
9:30-9:45 Wash pump parts, brush teeth, wash face.
9:45-10:00 Waste time on the internets some more. Or maybe pull out the old paper journal.
10:00 Hit the sack after saying prayers, thanking Him for a good day and a blessed life.
So when you compare my days now to back in June, I'm 'sleeping in' a little more these days if you can call it that, until 5:30 instead of 5:15. There really was a nice chunk of time in the recent past when Truman slept until 6:30 or 7 every day. THAT was heaven and I'm hoping it's his norm, that this earlier time is just a phase. I leave for work at 7:30 now instead of 7:00. I get off work at 3:30 or so now, instead of 5:00. I get home with Truman at about 4:20 instead of 5:30. And the biggest difference? Truman goes to bed at 7:30 instead of 9:00 which means a LOT more free time before I go to bed myself. Oh, and he sleeps through the night now which is pretty much The Bomb, and it means he is still in his crib in the mornings instead of being in our bed as we get ready. And we don't nurse for 30 minutes at a time (ha!) multiple times per day but I do have a lot more bottles to clean instead.
Overall I'd say I have more time at home with baby boy because of my new job in home care, and with Truman's earlier bedtime and more restful nights we all have more time to just chill out. Less hectic then the early months as a working mom although it's still pretty crazy around here in the mornings and evenings.
My biggest tip for any working mom out there is to prep all that you can the night before. Yes, I spend a big chunk of my evenings getting ready for the next day but it's so worth it to have less stress in the morning as we try to get out the door in one piece. You have to be organized or you will certainly feel like you are drowning.
Also, my husband is amazing and without him I'd be a total disaster. This statement fits well into this post because there were a few nights when Nate had to work late and go to work early. So I was basically a single mom in the mornings and evenings and let me tell you, I missed my teammate like crazy. Single working moms are truly rock stars for managing it all solo. I cannot imagine that I would remain sane without Nate as my partner.
There you have it---a day in the life of a working mom to an 11 month old boy. A little different than our life at 3.5 months, and dare I say even more fun?
And with that....since it is Superbowl Sunday in Wisconsin----GO PACK GO!!
Minggu, 16 Juli 2017
How to potty train a girl in 2 days
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