Weekly Check-in #12

This week was a break week for our homeschool, and I spent most of my time in the house. I didn't get as much accomplished as I wanted, but some things went well.

Blog more.

This was not happening this week. It just wasn't going to happen. But I am still ahead for the year.

Keep the food budget to $400 per month.

I am starting a new approach to this. We spent about $250 at Aldi, getting just the basics we use from there. I spent about $80 at Walmart, getting mostly necessary things. There are still a few things we need to get, but we might make it closer this month.

Start a garden.

I did absolutely nothing for this this week. It was cold and I spent my time inside the house. 

Pay more attention to my health.

The No S Diet is slowly working. I am down again, just a few pounds. This is a long haul kind of goal and diet. It's not going as fast as I want it to, but that may be a good thing over time. I looked over the past 3 months, and it's been really slow, but it has been a decline. If I stress my body with less sleep, it doesn't want to release the weight. I also started making sure I was getting either 4 or 5 sleep cycles a night, and that has really helped. I also found that some flavored water helps me drink more. I try not to rely too much on this, because it's hard to break.

Read 50 new books this year.

I finished another book this week, bringing my total to 6. Here's the list so far:

How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time, Mystie Winckler 

Poor Richard, James Daugherty

The Empowered Wife, Laura Doyle

Fortress of the Lost Amulet, Michael Webb

Different, Sally Clarkson

Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe

I am still working on a few others, and hope to finish 2 others before the end of the month. I have been trying to take a break in the middle of the day, with lunch, to read a bit. I also try to read a little in the mornings and before bed.

Declutter our home and make it hospitable.

I spent half my week cleaning and organizing the girls' room. I only got half of it done. It was that messy. It's still in process, but the shelves are up in their closet! That gives more storage space. I may try to do a little here and there, throughout the week, to keep some momentum going in their room. I pulled several small containers from the storage unit to sort and store small things. I am also getting a drawer unit from my in-laws' house for storage. I was at a standstill until I had more appropriate places to put things.

I got rid of 18 paint cans in the utility room as well. That was a huge help for space back there. I haven't fully organized everything back there, but that did allow for some tidying, which was really helpful. 

Other than trying to spend a few minutes daily in the girls' room, I think my focus this week will be our bedroom, bathroom, and closet. I will try to spend 15 minutes in there each day as well, doing something. It never seems like it's a lot of time, or that much can be done, but it always surprises me when I do it to see what happens. I have several pieces of furniture that I can get from the storage unit for our bedroom. Maybe I can make progress this week to get one to the house.

Complete 12 craft projects in progress.

My sweater is still in progress. I haven't quite made it to splitting the sleeves yet, but I am close I think. 

I have a list for tomorrow, and it includes several things I didn't get to this weekend. I figure I will have to spread them over the week, and maybe really catch up on the weekend. How was your week? Are you making progress on your goals?

Weekly Check-in #10

I am happy with my progress this week, and I want next week to be even better.

Blog more.

I managed at least one other post this week, so that's good progress. 

Keep the food budget to $400 per month.

I didn't get a breakdown done. I am thinking of yet another approach to this, in listing the essential things we always need/buy. Maybe I can back into a smaller budget number that way. 

Start a garden.

While I didn't do much outside, I started collecting some milk jugs to make some mini greenhouses to start seeds. I hope to start them this week, once I get a couple of things from our storage unit.

Pay more attention to my health.

Still following the No S Diet, but the weight went up and back down (just normal fluctuation). I noticed that if I take better care of myself during the day (regular self-care), I have more energy and I make better/healthier meals. I also move more. I drink more water. So, I am going to try one more month of self-care and the No S Diet before I completely switch gears.

Read 50 new books this year.

I finished another book this week, bringing my total to 5. Here's the list so far:

How to Use a Planner Without Wasting Time, Mystie Winckler 

Poor Richard, James Daugherty

The Empowered Wife, Laura Doyle

Fortress of the Lost Amulet, Michael Webb

Different, Sally Clarkson

I am working on a few others, and hope to finish at least 2 more this month. I should be reading about 4 books a month to stay on target. I know during the summer I should have more reading time, as I won't be homeschooling. I will be filling my time more with home projects though. Speaking of...

Declutter our home and make it hospitable.

I made good progress this weekend. I got all the holiday decorations back into the shed, after sweeping it out. I swept off the back patio a bit, and am getting a couple of things from the storage unit to put on it. This will also help the garden some. I am keeping up with some basic cleaning routines too. The bathrooms are staying clean with a daily swish and swipe. The kitchen is staying clean as well, since I make sure to run the dishwasher nightly and wash any pots and pans. It sounds like a lot, but when the bathrooms take 2 minutes a piece and the kitchen takes 15 minutes, it's not too bad. And it's spread over the day (2 minutes in the morning, then 15 minutes after dinner, and 2 minutes again when I get a shower). These simple routines make all the special projects easier to accomplish, because I don't have to do intensive regular cleaning on the weekends. I also got some screws for another project that I was missing. My list for home projects keeps getting a little longer, as I find more small things that need to be done when I finish a project. 

Complete 12 craft projects in progress.

I am still working on my sweater, but I finished the short-row section I added to the back, and have joined the neckline (it's a top-down sweater). 

I'm not sure if using pantry items qualifies as home improvement or a craft project. I have several items I want to use up. What do you think?

Self Care

"You can't pour from an empty cup."

"Put on your own oxygen mask before helping someone else."

"Take care of yourself."

These are all trite sayings, but there is a definite truth in them. I started practicing more "self-care" recently. It's not selfishness, or at least I don't mean it to be.

As a stay-at-home mom, I do a lot for others. I cook multiple meals per day. I wash dishes. I clean all the linens (towels, wash cloths, sheets). I make sure everyone has clean clothes. I make sure the pantry is stocked with items for meals and snacks. I make whatever food I can't buy or can't find that tastes good. I find items that are "lost" (read: not laying in the middle of the floor with a neon light blinking around it). I scrub toilets and sinks and tubs. I make sure the animals in our house have water, food, and a clean place to sleep. I shop for all the glamorous things like toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, vitamins, socks, and craft supplies. I put all these things away. I make sure all the bills get paid and the checkbook is balanced (thanks accounting degree). I arrange for all maintenance work to be done, and follow through with it. 

As a homeschooling mom, I teach 3 children approximately 8 subjects daily. And plan all those lessons. I arrange for friends to get together, for lessons outside my wheelhouse, for doctor appointments. I make sure everyone gets there. I check work, do 3 math lessons a day, and help emerging writers. This isn't to say how great I am. This is to show how full my days are and how much time I spend doing things for others. 

As a Christian, I live to serve. I really do love it. I wouldn't trade this life for anything. I also know that if I don't take the time to center my focus and let God fill my energy, I will rapidly deplete what little I can muster. I have learned that if I don't make myself a priority, no one else will. Jesus went off multiple times during his ministry to pray. He left his friends and all the crowds to spend time alone with the Father. I need to do the same and follow his example. 

I finished a book this week, The Empowered Wife. It's a marriage book, and I read it with a group where we discussed it. In it, the author states her purpose of ending worldwide divorce. She introduces 6 intimacy skills to make better marriages. While my marriage is a happy one, we could all use some help and improve. One of her first skills is self-care. She tells the reader to make a list of 20 things that make you happy. These can be anything from a walk at sunrise to getting a pedicure to a great cup of coffee on your front porch. She also encourages to make the time to do one of them 3 times a day. While this book is not written from a Christian perspective, the principles transfer. In order to serve more effectively, we need to spend time with the Father. In order to do our duty cheerfully, we need a break now and then. 

I have been practicing this, and I'm happy to report that I have more energy, am more relaxed, and get more done. You saw my list of what I do - it's exhausting just typing it. Taking a little time for myself during the day makes a big difference. I start with my devotions in the morning, which includes a lot of prayer time. While I eat breakfast, I am listen to a podcast. Then during lunch, I read.  Sometimes I will craft a little during lunch. My children can find me and I can/will stop if they need me. But usually they have a little break and play, read, watch a little TV or craft during lunch. This also gives them a good break. After dinner, before I clean up (and some afterwards), I craft. Is it a time waster? Maybe. The work will be there waiting for someone whether I take time for myself or not. Instead of doing it with bitterness and grumbling, I am able to do it with cheerfulness and a smile. How do you practice self-care? Do you notice a difference?