Organizing My Time

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I have been oh so busy lately.  Taking on a new teaching position has left me with very little time to craft and surf Pinterest for new ideas that I just have to try ... right .... now!  My days begin at 5:45 with my feet swinging over the side of the bed and they don't stop until they drop back into bed at 8:30 or 9:00 pm.  Some nights earlier, some nights later.  It really depends on how many cups of tea I need that evening.

Halloween has passed, hunting season is upon us and Thanksgiving is on it's way.  Busy, busy, busy.  Hunters need to be fed, Christmas baking needs to begin soon, Christmas cards need to be written, gifts need to be bought and made, the house needs to be decorated.  Where will I find the time to accomplish all I need to do?!  

Am I stressed?  Not really.  I take each day as it comes and I move carefully, purposefully and focused.  I have a plan each morning as I rise. If that dessert doesn't get made or that card written, I let it go.  I have to.  We all have to.  The holidays are not about being the perfect hostess, baker, gift giver, cook, or decorator.  I am far from any of these so there is no stress.  I don't have any expectation to live up to.  I make things simpler each year.  I have cut my cookie list down to two.  Two that MUST be made.  Any others are a bonus.  I have cut down my dessert list.  Another two.  Any more than that are a bonus.

A schedule.  I created a weekly and daily schedule on the computer and I print out one a week that have the basics and daily chores that MUST be done.  Then the other side is my block of free time.  My free time would include cleaning, baking, sewing, crafting, organizing...anything that needs to be done.

I have been using this schedule idea for almost a month now and it seems to be working really well.  I keep on track and do not let time get away from me .... especially when I start playing on the computer.  I just don't know where the time goes once I open the lid of the laptop!

HOME SCHEDULE

DAILY

FREE TIME BLOCKS

5:45 – 6:00 – awake, start coffee, start washing machine	MONDAYS -
6:00 – 6:30 – drink coffee, check email, get walking clothes on, clean litter box	TUESDAYS -
6:30 – 7:30 – go for hike	WEDNESDAYS -
7:30 – 8:00 – coffee, shower, add exercise to MFP	THURSDAYS -
8:00 – 8:30 – finish makeup and dressing, prepare medication for father-in-law, make and serve breakfast	FRIDAYS -
8:30 – 9:00 – start supper, flip laundry, do morning dishes, sweep floors, run the vacuum, start bread, muffins, cookies for the week
9:00 – 12:00 – free block	SATURDAYS -
12:00 – 1:00 – lunch, do lunch dishes, get dressed for work
1:00 – 6:30 – work
6:30 – 7:00 –  make and eat dinner, do dishes, get coffee ready for morning	SUNDAYS –      -    prepare and lay out work outfits for             following week -        make weekly phone calls to family -          make grocery list and cut coupons -          meal plan for following week -     prepare some make-ahead meals for the freezer
7:00 – 9:00 – update blog, fold laundry and put away.   Monthly book club meeting time slot.

_______________  ____ to _______________ ____, 20___

As time goes by, I am sure I will tweak it a bit.  Remove or rearrange time slots and when I complete my daily tasks.  If I don't get a chance to finish something, I circle it in red so in the evening I can finish the chore and don't forget.  

Dinner is usually prepared in the crock pot or is a meal that was made at an earlier date, had been frozen, was thawed during the day and just needs to be re-heated.  I keep things simple during the week and meal planning really helps with that.  I don't have to worry about what is for dinner.  I already know.  It is just a matter of pulling it out of the fridge, freezer or pantry and get it started before I head to work.  If I want a fresh loaf of bread for dinner, I start it in the bread machine before I leave and I return to wonderful aroma and warm bread, fresh from the machine.  

So far, this schedule has been working well.  I would like to add this idea of Cluttered Mama's.  She has a checklist for keeping the house clean in under 30 minutes a day.  I could squeeze those 30 minutes in during my free block of time or in the evening or I could break it up between the two time slots.  This would free up weekend time quite a bit.  Hmmmm.

Do you work with a schedule or do you just let each day develop as it may?  I would love to hear some other ideas and if they have worked for you.  Remember to give your loved ones a hug ..... between everything else!

Busy Weekend

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This past weekend has been busy with company, housework, yard work and dehydrating. 

Potatoes was first on the agenda for the dehydrator as we were given soooo many and we really don't eat that many of them in the summer.  Our diet consists mostly of salads and fresh vegetables during the warmer months with a few bbq's tossed in but in the winter our diet changes quite drastically.  The body needs substance during the long, cold Minnesota winters.  Stews, soups, casseroles and meat and potato meals are the norm.   With dehydrated potatoes, it is easy to toss them into the stews and soups that are usually bubbling away in the crock-pot each day. 

So yesterday was spent peeling, cutting and popping them in the Excalibur......all 50 pounds worth!  The potato chips I mentioned here, did not turn out as planned but I have a few other ideas I will try and will definitely let you know if they turn out....they won't go to waste though as I will use them in the same way as the other dried potatoes.

I find this type of work is very satisfying...I'm not sure if it is the rhythmic peeling and slicing of the potatoes, the friends who kept me company and enjoyed a cup of coffee while I was busy or the comforting idea that slowly, the pantry will be re-stocked.  Whatever the reason, tasks such as these make me happy.

Today is errand day....groceries, banking and of course I have to check out the thrift stores so I better get at it.  The sun is beginning to rise and I still have to go for my morning hike.  Have a great day everyone and remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Settling In

Pin It The old routines are returning and I am settling in.  Early morning walks on familiar trails,

time for breaks in the afternoon

and watching the gorgeous sunsets each evening.

The air has a nip to it.....I think we are in for an early autumn.  It is sad to watch as the warm days of summer come to an end but I do love crisp cool mornings and watching the leaves turn....and yes some of them are turning already.  I look forward to bundling up in sweaters, sipping hot chocolate and curling up under a quilt with my knitting though.....autumn has always been one of my favorite seasons.  I have lots to do yet before I can enjoy these activities so I best get the day started.  Some shopping, laundry, gardening and dehydrating are on my to-do list.  I hope the day brings you much joy.

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Fiddling around on Friday

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The day was sunny and bright yesterday....just perfect so I thought I'd fiddle around my Mom's yard and get some things done.

She lives in a small town and I always joke with her that her yard is the size of a postage stamp.....at least it seems like that compared to our 20 acres!

She needed a new lawnmower so we had picked one up and I had the job of putting it together....

for those men who might be reading this.....NO, there was no oil or gas in the new mower yet!  LOL

I gathered some tools.....well what tools my Mom happened to have.  Luckily she had a vise grip and a pair of pliers!

Notice the phone is right there just in case I have to give hubby a quick call for an explanation!  LOL

Sir Humphrey, my Mom's cat laid back in the shade and I could have sworn I heard him chuckle a few times while watching me fight with the mower.

Done!  Now on to the next project....

My Mom has a real cool bike.  It is an electric bike.  It runs by battery and she can travel 35 mph with it!  It helps her to get around without a vehicle but as you can see she has worn out her bike seat!!!!

Well she picked up a brand new one at a yard sale last weekend...it was still in the package for $3.00 and it was a Schwinn seat which is the brand of her bike!

Changing the seats was easy peasy compared to the lawnmower and in a matter of minutes, it was done.

It is a wide seat to accommodate her wide butt (according to her!) and it fits the bike perfectly.  

Pretty cool bike, isn't it?  Now where is that glass of iced tea?!

Remember to give your loved ones a hug!

Working and Wheeling

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We were blessed once again with beautiful weather today. I am very thankful as I know what will be coming soon weather-wise. Bob has been extremely busy in the shop lately with repairs and the cars are lined up in the driveway waiting to be serviced. So when it is busy like this, Luke and I spend the day in the shop with him to give him a hand with anything he might need.

I always have a bag of knitting with me. I get so much knitting done on days like this!





Tigger likes to help too.

Here is a better picture of Tigger's perch. He just hangs around all day, oblivious to the noise surrounding him.

Sammy is the same way.....oblivious.

Here is Bob diagnosing a car out in the driveway....they are lined up ready to be serviced!

You can tell autumn is here when the cars are lined up in the driveway. Everyone panics once the cooler weather hits...they want their cars ready before the snow flies.

So after a hearty dinner of sloppy joes on homemade buns, salad and homemade apple pie for dessert...we decided it was time to go wheeling again.

So I brought the camera along one more time! :)

When we go four-wheeling off the property, we go riding down the 'grate'. The 'grate' is an old railroad track that the city removed and now it is used only for people who ride four-wheelers. The picture is a little blurry as I was sitting on the back...going about 40 miles an hour!

This track runs for over 20 miles with lots of little stops along the way. Many trails go off the main one ...with lots of little surprises along the way.

I thought this flower was just so cute! As you can tell it was getting dark already.

Stopping for a break.

One spot we found was right along the St. Louis River. I loved the sign.....

It was getting dark and someone, on a previous visit, had left more than enough firewood for a small fire.....who could resist?!

The temperature was dropping quickly after the sun set and I was still in shorts and a t-shirt so I made sure I warmed up well by the fire before we headed for home.

One last picture before total darkness.

As we were driving toward home a very large owl almost landed on Bob's shoulder. It scared us to death and I didn't have the camera ready.... dang it! and then we were driving along, two deer also ran across the road right in front of us....a few minutes earlier and we would have been road kill!

Arriving home safely, we munched on hot chocolate and cookies. A perfect end to a perfect day. We love making memories that will last a lifetime.