Week one, day two

I've decided that maybe blogging frequently about this new method of staying productive will help me be successful. It will help me figure out what about my system works and what needs tweaking. Right now I am finding that one aspect of my "plan" is definitely going to help me stick to it.

This one thing that I think will help me a lot is that I don't have a set task for every single morning. I purposely left half of my mornings open so that we would have time for walks, playdates, appointments, etc. Well, it will also help for when I have an off night, like tonight. Let me explain...

Today during McKaleigh's nap, her diaper leaked. I stripped the bed to wash everything. Had the mattress cover in the dryer and the sheets in the wash and then totally forgot about it! Bedtime rolls around and then I remember... CRAP! So bedtime gets delayed by almost two hours because they need to be dried on low heat and it takes for-ev-er. Also, today I vacuumed half of the house, and since it's been awhile, I moved all of the furniture. As a result of this, my back is killing me! So now there are dishes on the counter, McKaleigh's toys are everywhere, and I just don't think I can bear to be on my feet anymore than is necessary.

But it's okay, really it is. The reason this system will work is that I'm allowed to have an off night. Tomorrow morning I will clear all the dishes and tidy up the play area. I won't let this one slip up ruin everything, because really it doesn't have to. I've done so great in just these two days, and not in the way I usually do. Normally I have a few days where I get so much stuff done and then I'm just so exhausted and get bored with it. I haven't gotten all that much done, just regular stuff, and only what I have scheduled to do. I think that makes such a big difference. I am making my expectations much more reasonable. Now I will end this post with a cleaning tip:).

Carpet spot/stain removal: This is for stains that have been around for awhile, not sure what to do when a stain is happening.

-First, I vacuumed over the area(necessary around here with all the dog hair.)

-Second, I sprayed with a solution of one part water and one part white distilled vinegar, then went and did some other stuff and let it set.

-Third, I scrubbed with a brush and a solution of warm water and Dr B's (I think the real key here is using a scrub brush and not trying to use a rag or sponge.)

-Then I just let it dry! I had these weird dark dirt spots in the middle of my living room that wouldn't come up from vacuuming alone, and then also had some bigger spots in the hallway from where the chihuahua likes to pee. These steps totally removed the stains! I'm going to be doing this on all of the spots in my carpet from now on:).

I think I finally got it!

It's only been one day since developing my new strategy for productivity, but I think I'm really onto something this time. The key this time? Having a WRITTEN plan!

I love all things google, so I opened up a google spreadsheet and got to work.

The first thing I did was make a section for tasks I want to do everyday. I broke it down by room, and each room has what time of day I should get those things done in. For example, I want to keep the dishes put away, either washed or in the dishwasher, NOT sitting on the counters. So I wrote it under "kitchen" and underneath wrote "after every meal," because if I let it build up, it just gets ridiculous! Another thing on my everyday tasks is simply tidying up. If you have small children you know that it feels like a never-ending battle. My solution to this? Twice a day I put everything away, during naptime and after bedtime. This keeps things tidy enough for my liking, but I don't go crazy trying to keep up with McKaleigh throughout the day, because I know I'll get to it a little later. Those are probably my two biggest things. If I can keep those done, seriously that alone will make me happy.

After I finished with the everyday tasks, I made another section of things I wanted to do every week. Split everything up by day and two different "time slots" in the day: "before lunch" and "after naptime." In these slots there's only ONE task. Some places have bigger tasks, some have smaller ones, or nothing at all. I'll vacuum one half of the house twice a week and the other half of the house two other times a week, sweep/mop the kitchen two times a week, and once a week I'll clean the bathrooms, always "after naptime." That's one area for everyday. It's enough to keep my house clean, but not too much that I will feel overwhelmed or over-exerted. "Before lunch" is saved for grocery trips, non-diaper laundry, and play dates.

I have a feeling that I will figure out more things to add over time, and perhaps will add monthly tasks, too. It's definitely a living document that will change and evolve. I had to start with something, though! I've been getting so annoyed with myself, not getting anything done. What I think will make this different than what I posted a few weeks ago, is that I do not have the energy to be doing as much as I expected myself to do with my other plan. This set up gives me plenty of time to get things done, so I can take breaks when I start to get too tired, but still get everything done.

It's definitely more realistic, for me.

I'll update later this week so we can see how week one went:).

Time and time again...

I disappoint myself, *sigh*...

I always start with the best of intentions, but my follow through is just awful! Honestly though, I'm really getting to the point where if I'm up doing things for more than half an hour, I become completely exhausted and my body aches all over! Plus for the greater part of the last two weeks, McKaleigh and I have both had colds. This has resulted in a huge increase in our TV watching time and internet using time.

I don't really know what the solution is. I mean, I know that I'm happier when I'm productive. Without fail, anytime I have a day where I get a lot done, it's always a good day, and I always feel good about it. So what drives me to being lazy? I feel like crap when I'm lazy! What's the payoff for me to continue this behavior? There isn't one! So why can't I just do the things I want to do? Have a clean house, spend more time playing with my daughter, and spend more time discovering new things that will make me happy, other than the internet and TV.

If you figure it out, will you let me know? There has to be something I'm missing.

I love my mom:)

This was posted on today's Sunday Secrets on postsecret.com. It spoke to me as soon as I saw it and I even teared up a little. People always act like turning into their mother or father is the worst thing in the world. I can honestly say that I don't feel that way. I think my mother is an amazing woman, and I would be proud to be like her. I can only hope that my daughters will be as close to me, as I am to my mother.

Are we still in the honeymoon phase?

My husband and I were wed on November 1st, 2007. It has been 2 years, 6 months, and 1 week. Would you believe me if I told you that we've never really had a fight? Sure there are times when I've been mad at him, or he has been mad at me. In these instances though, the other person knows and admits to being in the wrong, and it is always resolved quickly. We have never had even one of these instances last an entire 24 hour period. I always hear people say that the beginning of marriage is one of the hardest times, and one of the periods when you are very likely to divorce. So it has been making me think about why marriage comes so easily to my husband and I, and what sets us apart from the typical young married couple in America.

First and foremost, and something that makes us really just lucky... We have practically identical expectations of each other. Our thoughts on what is okay and isn't okay are the same in almost every instance. I think that being so like-minded is the main thing that has made our marriage easy.

Secondly, neither of us is irrational, and in the rare case that one of us does behave irrationally the other never responds irrationally. When conflict arises between the two of us, it is a one sided event. One person is mad at the other person. Neither of us brings anything up upon first thinking of it. We both sit on a subject for quite awhile and think it through very thoroughly, before we'll bring it up. I think this gives us a more realistic view of the situation at hand. When I think something through first, it lets me think about how I want the events to play out. Thinking alone first, may help me calm myself down, so as not to attack my husband and make him defensive. Many times this makes me realize that what I'm mad about is a little silly. I still bring up whatever I had been thinking about, even if I realize that I was being irrational, just to get it off my chest. Almost immediately after something is brought up, it is resolved. I think part of that goes back to point number one, we have similar ideas of what is wrong and right, so if one of us is mad, the other person totally understands and apologizes.

Neither of us is too proud, nor too stubborn to admit they are wrong or say they are sorry. I don't care how proud or stubborn you are with every other person in the world; with your spouse, there should always be room for submission, from both parties. Neither of us feels inferior or weaker for saying we're wrong or sorry. I think, if anything, it makes us respect each other more. Of course it's not always easy, and I may delay a minute or two, but once I realize that I am wrong, I admit it very soon after, as does he.

So these are just a few of the main things that I think make my marriage so successful and easy. I didn't write this to show off and say "look at how awesome we are," although we are pretty awesome, if I do say so myself;). I just think that in a society plagued with divorce, it's important for me to share what helps to keep my marriage a happy one. I know two and a half years isn't long, but most people who get married at the age that we married, have already divorced before the two year point, so I think we're doing pretty well. I have trouble believing that two people who have been as happy as we have been for these last two and half years will ever split up. I know anything can happen, but for now I'm sticking with saying that it won't happen to me;).

Ella Belly mei tai giveaway!

Part of my crunchiness involves crunchy parenting. This includes babywearing, as you may have realized from my earlier babywearing post. Well it can turn into quite an addiction, haha, and makes you want to try out as many different kinds of carriers as you can get your hands on! I've never tried a mei tai before and have my first one on the way right now. That is not enough of course though... I want to try more!

A friend of mine has a blog, Newly Wed, Newly Bred. If you've never read her before, you should, because she's hilarious! And she has lots of great giveaways! What's better than free stuff??? Ummm, just about nothing! Right now she has an Ella Belly giveaway. I've never tried one before, but Megan is by no means a new babywearer, so I trust her judgment!

Follow this link to get to the review and giveaway blog.

On second thought, don't, because I want to win! Hehehe.

My plan to become more productive

Awhile back I started leaving the TV off for a majority of everyday, with only catching up on my favorite shows via Hulu. For a few days I got a lot of stuff done, then it started to taper off and I just ended up spending so much more time on my computer!

Half the time I'm not even actively doing anything, just switching back and forth between pages, trying to figure out what to do. I don't know why, but the internet just sucks me in! Even when I'm not doing anything interesting!

So I have decided that I am going to start limiting my time on the computer. If McKaleigh is awake, I set the timer for 15-20 minutes and that is all the time I allow myself. When she is sleeping, that is when I can feel free to just waste my time doing nothing on the internet. I just put her down for a nap, so that is why I am writing this now. Another exception will be when my husband is online, but he can send a message to my phone to prompt me to go to my computer.

Today I have had two timed periods of time on the computer, plus some random time during lunch. That's really good for me! Normally I would just be on the computer all morning long, and the time I spent on the computer today would probably equal the time I normally spend not on the computer. When the timer goes off, I actually turn my computer off and shut the lid, instead of just setting it down, because I always seem to drift back to check stuff.

I have gotten so much done today compared to normal! We've lived here since November, and I finally just hung up a few pictures in the living room. I tidied up, since my daughter loves to tear up junk mail and spread it out all over, that alone took quite awhile. I also dusted in my living room! It needed it so badly, and that was quite a task. I still have quite a lot to do to get this house looking the way I want it to, but I think I'm off to a good start. I need to make more lists, that's for sure!