Happy Homemaker Monday {3/30/2020}

Good afternoon Friends! I hope everyone is doing well. We are on day #16 of social distancing/self isolating. So far we have watched Frozen 2 about 1,000 times, we have had many dance parties, played every board game the we have, put puzzles together, learned some new card tricks, and we have been playing outside whenever the weather allows it. So far we are all doing okay. I have had a few breakdowns (mainly because I worry about not be able to feed my kids), I cry for a few minutes, take some deep breaths, put on some of my favorite music (80s rock is my favorite) and have a dance party in the living room with the kids. It's the only way I know how to deal with everything that is going on in the world.


This is something that I know we will get through. It's tough, but we will get through it one day at time.

Anyway, let's get to Happy Homemaker Monday! Shall we?

Weather:

It looks like we have quite a few rainy days this week. I sure the warm weather from last week.

Monday: Rain 55
Tuesday: Sunny with clouds 66
Wednesday: Mostly Sunny 72
Thursday: Cloudy 76
Friday: Rain 61

Saturday: Partly cloudy 71
Sunday: Rain 71

On the breakfast plate this morning:

French toast with some fruit

Outside my window:

It's raining at the moment with some dark scary clouds in the sky.

Right now I am:

Sitting at the dining room table working on this post and watching my youngest play with her stuffed animals in the living room

On today's to do list:

Laundry
Clean the bathrooms
Mop
Steam carpets

On the menu this week:

Monday: Hamburgers and chips

Tuesday: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, veggies, rolls
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Baked potatoes, veggies
Friday: Pizza with breadsticks
Saturday: Creamy chicken with rice and veggies

Sunday: Beans, fried potatoes, cornbread


Currently reading:

Small little things by Jodi Picoult

Big Little Lies

On the TV today:

We are going to watch some more movies on Disney+ and we will be catching up on The Masked Singer on Hulu. I am also watching some older shows on Hulu (America's Next Top Model, BH 90210, Full House)

On my mind at the moment: If the weather gets real bad, you know Tornado season is coming, where are we supposed to go since we don't have a cellar. Just something else to worry about, I guess. 

Inspirational Quote:

Trying Not To Break Down

I'm still having trouble processing everything that is going on in the world. It's hard to explain to my daughter why she can't go to school or even play with her friends. It breaks my heart when my kids get upset or even cry when they can't eat what they want to eat. Grocery shopping has become stressful and reminds of the supply runs that are taken on The Walking Dead.

The four of us have been social distancing for the past week. Which means we have been at home just being together. It's hard. I break down every now and then. I have a good cry, take a deep breath, listen to some music (80s rock is my favorite), and have a dance party with my girls in the living room.

It's a difficult time right now, but I know we will get through this and come out stronger than ever. We just have to stay home because it does save lives.

Good night and I will "see" you tomorrow!

Happy Homemaker Monday {3/23/3020}

Good morning Friends! I hope everyone is doing well. We are on day #9 of social distancing/self isolating. So far we have watched Frozen 2 about 1,000 times, we have had many dance parties, and we have been playing outside whenever the weather allows it. So far we are all doing okay. I have had a few breakdowns, I cry for a few mintues, take some deep breaths, put on some of my favorite music (80s rock is my favorite) and have a dance party in the living room with the kids. It's the only way I know how to deal with everything that is going on in the world.

Oh, and we wash our hands a million times a day!

This is something that I know we will get through. It's tough, but we will get through it one day at time.

Anyway, let's get to Happy Homemaker Monday! Shall we?

Weather:

This week's temps are going to beautiful!

Monday: Sunny with clouds 72
Tuesday: Sunny 77
Wednesday: Sunny 81
Thursday: Sunny with clouds 89
Friday: Partly cloudy 87

Saturday: Partly cloudy 65
Sunday: Sunny 70

On the breakfast plate this morning:

Homemade pancakes with some fruit

Outside my window:

Sunny and beautiful outside

Right now I am:

Sitting at the dining room table working on this post and watching my youngest play with her stuffed animals in the living room

On today's to do list:

Laundry
Clean the bathrooms
Wash sheets and blankets
Mop
Steam carpets

On the menu this week:

I'm still working on the menu. 

Monday: Pizza and breadsticks
Tuesday: Beans, fried potatoes, and cornbread
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Chicken broccoli aflfredo, veggies
Friday:
Saturday: 
Sunday: 

Currently reading:

Small little things by Jodi Picoult

Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark (still reading, but almost done)

On the TV today:

We are going to watch some more movies on Disney+ and we will be catching up on The Masked Singer on Hulu

Inspirational Quote:

4 Reasons to Start a Bullet Journal

If you've ever talked to me at all over the last few months, you've probably seen the blue and white striped notebook that never leaves my side. Now, even though I'm not keeping a diary or keeping a journal of all the things that I hear and see throughout the day that blue and white striped notebook is still very important. That's because I've recently put myself into the family of bullet journalists.

Bullet journaling is a fancy way of saying "I'm making my own planner out of to do lists and habit trackers". Now, don't get me wrong, I loved the Life Planner and the Lily Pulitzer planner. It's just that neither planner worked for me. Taking a notebook and a pen and designing my own layouts is what has started working for me.

If you are finding that it's difficult to keep your life on track and regular planners are just too hard to keep up with, then here are four reasons why you should start your own bullet journal.

4 Reasons to Start a Bullet Journal

1. You can make it how ever you like.

Even though there are general guidelines for bullet journals, ultimately the journal is something you create and work on until you're pleased with what you have created.

 2. It's just a bunch of "to do lists".

To do lists are a whole lot more satisfying to check off then just writing your tasks in your planner.

3. You can keep track of anything and everything.

I tend to keep track of meal plans, books that I want to read, movies and tv shows that I want to watch, habits, bucketlists, routines, and cleaning tasks.

4. It will definitely keep you organized.

Even though I still use a planner, my bullet journal also helps me stay organized.

Do you use a planner or a bullet journal?

How To Make Time For Each Other (when life gets crazy)

It can be hard to make time for each other as life gets busier. You get married, have kids, buy a house, and things just add up. When you do have free time there are a million things to get done. But relationships have to come first. They have to be the foundation for everything else. 

I want to share how to make time for each other when the rest of life can get crazy.

How to Make Time for Each Other (when life gets crazy)

• Schedule it in: Some people need to schedule their workouts in so there is nothing wrong with scheduling in date nights or time together. We make it a point to put date nights or potential date nights on the calendar. We are far less likely to skip them or cancel them.
• Unplug: When you are spending time together, put the phones away. This is something we are constantly working on being better at. The social media will always be there.
• Do a project: Maybe you need to organize a closet, or paint a bedroom or something else around the house. Doing a project together is a great way to spend time as a couple.
• Take advantage of days off: My husband teaches psychology part time at a local University so hours a very flexible and I work for myself so I can take a day off whenever. 
• At home date nights: When you have kids, an at home date night is sometimes the best you can do. While we make going out on dates a priority it just doesn’t always work. We’ve had to cancel dates because the kids have been sick. So cooking a meal together, or even picking up take out is fun. We have done puzzles, watched movies, played games, or just talked.

These are just a few examples of how to make time for each other. I would love to know if you have anything you’d add?

Friday Favorites {3/20/2020}

Hi Lovelies,

Oh man oh man!! Am I glad it's Friday. My biggest little celebrates her 10th birthday on Monday. She is growing up so quickly, time needs to slow down! This year we will not be having a birthday party for her due to the Argentine situation in our state. Everything is closed so we will be celebrating at home with her favorite meal (chicken tenders and mac and cheese) and her birthday cake. Hopefully once everything is back to normal we can have a birthday party for her.

Anyway, here is this week's edition of Friday favorites: 


Favorite throw back: Homemade Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli.  This was one of my favorite meals to eat as a kid. I'm so excited to have finally found a recipe for this!!

Favorite must have:  Chocolate cloud cupcakes. When I saw these I knew that I had to make them. I love chocolate and anything chocolate filled.

Favorite dip:  Peanut butter S'mores cheesecake dip. OMG!!! When I stumbled upon this recipe I laughed out loud at how insanely delicious this looked!!

Favorite bite: Italian meatballs.  No words needed!!! 

Favorite funny: 25 Husbands that must be stopped. I laughed until I cried reading through this.

Favorite sip: Slow cooked spiced white hot chocolate.

Have  a great weekend!!

Motherhood is.......

To me, it is---

- waking up every time she makes a noise on the monitor and find it nearly impossible to go back to sleep.

- finding new and creative ways to get her to eat because she is such a picky eater. 

- sneaking into your child's room when they are sleeping to watch them dream.

- kissing boo boos and telling them it will be okay.

- cleaning up the pile of toys and books only to have them scattered all over the floor five minutes later and realizing that it is okay and to just go with the flow.

- crying at random times because you hope you are not screwing them up.

- going shopping only to find yourself spending money on clothes for your kid instead of on yourself without even realizing it.

- loving another so unconditionally and knowing that you are willing to sacrifice anything just make sure that their needs are being met. 

What is motherhood to you?

How to Pre Plan For A Successful Month

The start of a new month can mean many things for some of us.  For me, the feeling is like the start of a new year.  I like to evaluate what I´ve accomplished and what I need to work on.  Before writing out my daily to-do´s all over the place like a crazy woman, I like to do a session of pre-planning.  Which leads us to the question of what exactly is pre-planning and how can it help us create a successful month?

PRE-PLANNING: PLANNING TO PLAN

Pre-planning is obtaining the information you need to anticipate and prepare for the future, before solidifying the actual action or scheme of doing something.

It is setting up all your upcoming events and scheduling your tasks around them.  There is a short but sweet process I like to go about at the beginning of each month and I thought that perhaps it could be interesting or helpful to some of you.

It is true that sometimes things don´t go as planned but if you dedicate a few minutes to work around your ideas you can create a general outlook of everything to best accomplish your goals.

Why is it beneficial?
 
You will be focused exactly on what you have to do because you´ll have everything mapped out and ready to go.  Consequently you won´t waste un-necessary time trying to schedule appointments and remembering important dates.

Reaching your goals will become much easier once you have a clear  plan and the ways to fulfill it. Thanks to this process you´ll become aware of your strengths and weaknesses.

WRITE THINGS DOWN

Take a few minutes to sit down and brainstorm the upcoming month.  I like using a trigger list to brain dump all of my thoughts, sort of like creating a big master to-do list.  Don´t worry about it being pretty or organized.  You can even dedicate a separate notebook for this or a plain sheet of paper to write out everything and anything that comes up in your head (this can include tasks, notes, reminders, appointments, etc.). This is the moment when you shouldn't leave anything out, even the simplest thought like buying butter at the market or that your knee hurts should be written down.

This exercise comes in great to make your brain feel a lot less cluttered.  So go ahead and schedule a few of these sessions if you need them.  Personally I only do them once a month, but if I´m having one of those days where I feel like my head is going to explode from stress, working on a brain dump always makes me feel better.

DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE AND FOCUS OF THE MONTH

Once you have relieved your brain of all those pestering to-dos and struggles, you should now have a clear head to really consider and identify what success will look like.

I´m not talking about earning more money or getting a promotion at your job, I´m talking about thinking of that one thing that you really want to accomplish but have been putting off.  This can be ANYTHING, from organizing your office space, to walking 40.000 steps in 30 days, to painting wall art, to reading 10 books, ANYTHING.  What may seem like something silly to someone else can be a huge milestone for you.

So think about what you want to focus during the month and write it down in BIG BOLD LETTERS. If your goal requires several steps, make a separate to-do list, or even create a mind-map about your mission.

At this point grab your planner and open it to your monthly spread.

ORGANIZE YOUR IDEAS INTO PLANS

Now you´re all set to start organizing and grouping all those thoughts, ideas and tasks you wrote out during your braindump.  Batch similar tasks together, think about how much time each task will take, re-write them in order of importance, see if there are things you can delegate to someone else.

Don´t forget about your month´s focus and how you´ll be accomplishing it.

I find it easier to organize my to-do´s around what´s happening each month.  For example, I have a future log at the beginning of my planner where I write out the holidays and events that are taking place (national festivities, birthdays, movie/book premieres, etc.).  I schedule all those things first in my monthly calendar to get a general overview of the time I´ll have free and then distribute everything else around those events.

The key is to PRIORITIZE what matters most.

You don´t have to schedule every single to-do from your brain dump.  I´m sure there are a ton of ideas that can be put on hold for next month´s pre-planning session, so don´t feel obligated to find a spot for everything.  Though if you do that´s awesome and totally okay too.

SOLIDIFY THE ACTION

Woohoo! Now your month is ready to tackle and take action on all you've pre-planned. Get ready? Set? DO! DO! DO!

As you can see the process is very very simple, and only requires you to create to-do lists and sort them out by order of importance, scheduling them on to your planner with a sticky note or pencil, in case you need to move it around later on. Having the basics in your planner is key so you know what´s happening.  I can assure you that just the act of writing it all down will already work wonders for some of you (I know it does for me!), your head will clear just a little bit and give you space for other things.  I´d love to hear how you all like to prepare your planners for a successful month, so please let me know your process in the comments below or if you found this post helpful and it inspired some new ideas to incorporate to your system.  Let me know!  

Talk to you soon!

Happy Homemaker Monday {3/9/2020}

Good morning Friends! I Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. We the weekend at home just relaxing and spending time together as a family, reading, and watching movies. We did have a rainy Sunday, which meant we just stayed in and did some projects around the house and I worked in my planners. It was a great weekend.

Enough with the chatting let's get to today's post!

Weather:

This week's temps will be very warm with some rain thrown over the weekend. 

Monday: Sunny with clouds 77
Tuesday: Sunny with clouds 76
Wednesday: Sunny with clouds 81
Thursday: Sunny with clouds 83
Friday: Rain 58
Saturday: Rain and62
Sunday: Rain and 63

On the breakfast plate this morning:

Just had some waffles with a glass of milk

Outside my window:

Sunny and beautiful outside

Right now I am:

Sitting at the dining room table working on this post and watching my youngest play with her stuffed animals in the living room

On today's to do list:

Laundry
Clean the bathrooms
Wash sheets and blankets
Mop
Steam carpets

On the menu this week:

Monday: Spaghetti with garlic bread
Tuesday: Chicken fried steak bites with mashed potatoes and veggies
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Chicken and rice with veggies
Friday: Pizza and breadsticks with salads
Saturday: 
Sunday: Beans and cornbread with fried potatoes

Currently reading:

The Outsider by Stephen King. I am determined to finish this book even if I have to read the rest of it online. I will finish it by the end of the year!

Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark (still reading, but almost done)

On the TV today:

We are going to watch some more movies on Disney+ and we will be catching up on The Masked Singer on Hulu

Inspirational Quote:

March 2020 Goals

Happy March! Hard to believe we are almost through winter. I decided to sit down this morning and organize my March (in my planner) and to jot down some goals that I want to accomplish.

So here's what I'm planning for March in the terms of goals:

1. Implement a cleaning routine

In order to accomplish this I will be following The Flylady. I have seen this on facebook and it seems to be working for most. I just hope I can stick with it this time. I have tried a few times and have just given up. This time I will stick with it and my house will be clean and decluttered by the end of the month. 

2. Plan A's birthday party.

We have the place reserved for the day, I have activities planned and I know what type of cake I am going to make. She is having a Minecraft theme thus year. 

3. Have a fun spring break.

We need to plan a fun trip and I will be celebrating A's birthday during this week as well. Her party will be the week after. 

4. Read at least one book (maybe 2).

I have quite a few books that I have that just haven't taken the time to read. Hopefully I can at least get through one book (maybe 2) this month.

5. Work on editorial calendar for Spring content.

6. Schedule blog posts for this month. 

7. Post more consistently on intragram and increase my followers.

8. Set up a twitter account for my blog.

9. Schedule posts for my blog's facebook and keep it updated.

10. Figure out how to use Intagram stories. 

Well, those are my goals for March. What goals do you have planned for March?