I'm on the cusp of a working mama weekend. Today is unfortunately not my Friday off, and Sunday night I'll be in the office at the summit of a project that has been months in the making.
So I'm thinking today about what I can do in advance to keep from being off my game too much Monday morning and also limit the impact of my working odd hours on my little family. I took care of grocery shopping last night because we have family coming in to spend tonight and tomorrow with us. (No fancy cooking involved. In fact, they are taking us out for supper. Yay.) We also have the church Easter egg hunt Saturday morning, so really just Saturday afternoon is available to put my household back together for the next week.
That is life these days--always planning for the next week. Some day perhaps I'll do that mythical "live in the moment" thing that people speak of, but usually that just stresses me out. I need a plan. Without one, we eat Chick Fil A every night (at the dinner table though, because that's how we/I roll), the baby ends up wearing the same socks two days in a row (the shame), and the husband is asking "should I not drink the last of this milk?" And of course, if I let any of those things happen, I'm totally judging myself. I mean, as if Jack and Mr. G would complain about CFA every night (and they put milk with the kid's meal.)
I just don't like settling for less than my best.
What about you? Do you let the laundry pile up and do it all at once or is it caught up throughout the week? Are you a meticulous menu planner? (If so, will you send me a menu and a grocery list? Or better yet, cook it for me?) Or are you in the grocery store every other day picking up the two ingredients you forgot the day before?
So I'm thinking today about what I can do in advance to keep from being off my game too much Monday morning and also limit the impact of my working odd hours on my little family. I took care of grocery shopping last night because we have family coming in to spend tonight and tomorrow with us. (No fancy cooking involved. In fact, they are taking us out for supper. Yay.) We also have the church Easter egg hunt Saturday morning, so really just Saturday afternoon is available to put my household back together for the next week.
That is life these days--always planning for the next week. Some day perhaps I'll do that mythical "live in the moment" thing that people speak of, but usually that just stresses me out. I need a plan. Without one, we eat Chick Fil A every night (at the dinner table though, because that's how we/I roll), the baby ends up wearing the same socks two days in a row (the shame), and the husband is asking "should I not drink the last of this milk?" And of course, if I let any of those things happen, I'm totally judging myself. I mean, as if Jack and Mr. G would complain about CFA every night (and they put milk with the kid's meal.)
I just don't like settling for less than my best.
What about you? Do you let the laundry pile up and do it all at once or is it caught up throughout the week? Are you a meticulous menu planner? (If so, will you send me a menu and a grocery list? Or better yet, cook it for me?) Or are you in the grocery store every other day picking up the two ingredients you forgot the day before?
Oh my! I feel your pain. Laundry is done on a must-need basis this time of year. :) Kate purposefully has 10+ pairs of pajamas so I don't HAVE to do the laundry every other day. Skillet meals, Stoufer meals, and frozen casseroles that I've made ahead are MUSTS. Plus our crock pot. Can't live without it! Good luck getting your project wrapped up. I know work almost feels like a vacation once a big deadline has passed.
ReplyDeleteI really should be better about using the crock pot. Life is so wonderful when I do because there is usually leftovers for supper and lunches.
DeleteYou are so right...work does feel like a vacation once the deadline passes!
After 10 weeks of having this little one around (but only four back at work), we're still trying to hit our stride with all of this stuff. I'm glad I'm not the only one! So far, I've been successful at getting the laundry and grocery shopping done on most weekends, but the house has not yet been as clean as it was before she arrived.
ReplyDeleteAnd the crock pot is a favorite for us too!
Tiffany, I am still trying to hit my stride, so you're in good company. :)
DeleteLaundry gets done all at once at this house (usually the weekends). Cooked dinners happen at those "super mom's" homes. We are here to eat about 2 nights a week (not kidding...this church has a meal with every function). AND lastly the grocery list is done once a week. However, we often buy in bulk at Sam's (church perk) and hardly run out of the essentials. I AM A PLANNER THOUGH. Yesterday, Steve's grandmother in Minnesota died suddenly. We leave on Sunday to go to MN and it is throwing me for a CRAZY loop. We are driving because the airline tickets are too expensive for us to fly. Fun times await us in the car! aaah! (Oh and by the way, Laura Beth had the stomach virus the last couple days...I wonder who is next in this house to get it? on the road?)
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry about Steve's grandmother. What a long trip!!! Hang in there, mama!
DeleteI'm a meal planner for sure, otherwise we'd eat out every night, and I'm not working full-time! It is just hard, working or not, to get it all done. Have fun with family and watching Jack get those Easter eggs! So fun!
ReplyDeleteAnd YAY that the big project seems to be done?? You rock!
It's almost done, and then I'll move on to the next one! ;) Jack still won't keep the eggs in the basket. Even less so, when he realized he could throw them at the ground and they would split open. BOYS.
DeleteI'm lucky that my husband is a laundry nazi and takes care of it for himself and our daughter (and even does a little of mine occasionally). I maybe do a couple of loads once a week? I know, I'm lucky!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I am in charge of grocery shopping, meal planning and cooking, and I am pretty all over that, as food is important to me. And, like you, we'd eat crap if we weren't planned. Sometimes it's a drag to spend all the necessary time with food prep, sometimes I enjoy it.
Good luck with your work project...
Haha, this made me laugh. My husband texted me Friday to say he thought he broke the washer. My response, "what are you doing washing clothes?" (It was just a breaker issue, all is well.) It was such a help to come home and have his and the baby's stuff clean.
DeleteI agree...when I have time, I love to cook and can take my time.
Welllll, given that I don't have a job at all, you probably didn't mean me =) BUT, meal planning is a big deal around here, not so much for time purposes, but budget ones. I can't really go with the flow as easily as I'd like to, even if I don't follow the plan to the letter I need to HAVE a plan. =)
ReplyDeleteI know it is to you, you awesome foodie! I need someone to teach me good ways to prepare fresh veggies. (blog series hint hint...)
Deleteooh what a great idea!!! coming right up =)
DeleteI'm a planner. Six weeks before I go back to work (a fact I'm trying not to think about) and I'm already trying to figure out what our daily schedule is going to look like and how everything (including the basics...like showering and working out) are going to be accomplished. One thing that we have done to simplify life is looking for prepackaged frozen meals that we can keep on hand for days when dinner just doesn't come together. Then I try to make a salad or veggies to round out the meal. Schwan has been a great help...go online, pick out and pay for a few things (the Fiesta Lime Chicken is great) and they deliver your order to your door (even if you aren't there, they have a bag they leave frozen food in our your porch). Our Schwan delivery guy even knows our preferences now and I can count on him coming every other Thursday evening.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm looking for ways to prioritize and simplify things so that I can maintain our quality family time and my sanity once I return to work! Any advice would be appreciated and your blog is very inspiring for the working (or soon to be working) mom! Keep it up!
Leigh, don't think about it. Just hold and smooch on your baby. A LOT! :)
DeleteThose Bird's Eye skillet meals are some of our faves. I'll have to check Schwan. I didn't know they were still around delivering. In particular, I'm going to need some of those orange sherbet push-up pops. YUM.
I'm definitely a planner on the shopping! No running to the store for more milk when you live an hour away from town! And I usually keep up well with laundry. But cooking? I make sure the kids are fed something healthy, and then it's a on-your-own meal plan around here most nights. Kudos for finding your routine, whatever it may include!
ReplyDeleteOh I bet, girl! No running to McDonald's when you don't feel like cooking! Bless you!
DeleteHope you survived your crazy working weekend. I have something right up your alley. I am hosting an Easter Basket link-up on my blog this upcoming week. Stop by and post a pic of your little guy's basket, once the Easter Bunny has it ready. : )
ReplyDeleteI love this! :)
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