Pre-Bedtime Routine

I've been going on a few days of my new morning routine now, and I am happy with it, but I have really been struggling to get up before the kids, so I've had to make changes accordingly each day.

I have come up with a pre-bedtime/evening routine which I will be trying to complete each evening once the kids have gone to sleep. We will see how this goes, and I will make changes if needed.

Here's a look at my new routine. I'm hoping it will help my mornings run a little smoother, and my days in general.

BEFORE-BED ROUTINE

Run through the downstairs room and pick up anything that has been left out (shoes, clothes, scarves, toys) - 20 minutes tops

Make sure all laundry from the morning’s load has been put away

Clean up the kitchen - shine the sink, wipe down the countertops, lay out a clean dishcloth and start the dishwasher

Clear a “hot spot” for a timed 10 minutes, if there is one (any area with visible clutter)

Lay out clothes for tomorrow for children and self

Get into pajamas

Reflection time/Self time: Journaling, blog time, reading time, time with hubby

Read something spiritual before bed

Say evening prayers (apart from the ones that are said with the kids)

Food for Thought

As soon as I read this quote, I had to share it with you. It comes from the book, Children in the Church Today,by Sr. Magdalen.

"A mother at home, although she may be busy, is more free to pray than anyone at work outside the home. In general, a working mother must be earning away from home for really valid reasons and without her losing the feeling that her family is her first duty. Her salary must be a genuine necessity for the family. A change from home may be psychologically necessary in some cases, but this does not mean that a mother needs a full-time career. A mother's presence in the home has a positive influence on the spirit of the family; this is well expressed in the saying that "the mother at home is like the heart in its place." A mother's spiritual role in the family "organism" is more valuable than any financial assistance she can provide; and it is irreplaceable, especially in the modern nuclear family."

New routines...

For months now, I have been meaning to re-vamp my daily routines because they have not worked for me at all for probably a year now. Ever since my 3rd pregnancy exhaustion hit, plus having 2 toddlers in the house, I got away from housekeeping and I have had a hard time getting back into the swing of things. Now that my little one is almost 6 months old (this week!), I am hoping that I can get her to sleep through the night soon (she's almost there...I just need to gain the courage to sleep train her fully), I'm hoping I can start feeling a bit more rested each night (who am I kidding?!)...

Anyway, housework is a constant challenge for me because I simply have no time for it. That's not even an excuse..it's the truth. I spend every second of my day either running after one of my kids (or two of them at a time), cooking, feeding or diapering. By the time my husband gets home from the office, it's the dinner marathon, followed by a little family time, followed by bedtime. I'm sure I lose time during the day every time I check my phone, for example, but that's the only time I really can think of that I "waste." These days I've really focused on trying to only look at my phone during nursing sessions so that my kids don't see me on my phone too often. It's hard, especially in this day and age when phones are "tools" in people's lives on a regular basis. 

The point is that I have decided to write down my routines (fix the ones I wrote 2 years ago, really), and keep them laminated in my housekeeping binder so that I can try to follow them and hopefully, waste less time this way, leaving some time for the house each day. If I can spend 15 minutes of time cleaning each day, I'll be happy. This does not include laundry time or dishes, which I have always tried to keep up with. 

Here's what my morning routine is, starting tomorrow morning. Side note: Swish & Swipe is a term used by FlyLady, which means literally swish the toilet once over (with a Clorox wipe, for example), and swipe the sink.

I'll update with other routines as I create them and start enforcing them in my life.

MORNING ROUTINE

Wake up(before the kids) and thank God for a new day

Get up and make the bed

Check weight

Shower 

Swish & Swipe in the bathroom upstairs

Get dressed to the shoes

Grab some laundry on the way downstairs

Make coffee

Do hair and make-up

Start the laundry

Sit down, sip coffee, and read something spiritual

Check the calendar/planner for today’s routines and activities

Empty the dishwasher

Prepare breakfast for the family

Take vitamins and give the kids vitamins and any medication necessary for that day

Check what’s for dinner and see if anything can be prepared in advance

A prayer

This morning I felt at my wit's end way too quickly. Just in time, I picked up my copy of The Ascetic Lives of Mothers, glanced through it for the most appropriate prayer for me today, and read this beautiful prayer for a mother of little ones:

"O my God and King, help me to be a peace-bearer in my home. Tending to my little ones takes so much time; help me to focus and order my day in a way that is effective in training and loving them and, most importantly, honoring to You. Help me to use kind words and give loving encouragement. Give me the wisdom to direct these precious little ones to love You. During the trying days, remind me that the investment I make in their lives is worth each sacrifice. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Frugal living...

Yesterday, a friend and I met up at a kids' consignment shop to do some browsing for the little ones. My kids don't need much for the summer season because I got them all they needed already, but I did browse for a few things that we needed, and for next season as well (I like to shop mostly a season in advance).

I always go to these stores (there are a few around here) before I go out to a retail store. I find that most of the items in these shops are always chosen with taste, which leaves me the job of finding tasteful clothing for my kids..and on top of that, if you go to the right area (like a prestigious one), you can get quality name brand clothes for a fraction of the price. Now why would I shop at a real Hanna Andersson store, if I could find my kids Hanna outfits for less than $10, in great condition, at a second-hand store?? Check it out. I got my girls mostly Hanna Andersson clothing, and a dress from an Australian popular store, Pumpkin Patch. All of this (6 articles of clothing) for $27.

My point is, when you're living on a frugal budget (not because you necessarily want to, but rather because you have to), you can still dress your kids in nice, quality clothing if you make a little bit of an extra effort.

My other favorite way to shop is, as I already mentioned, a season ahead of time. What I do usually, is I'll go to stores like GAP, Gymboree, OshKosh B'Gosh (just b/c those are my favorites) and shop their clearance racks for out-of-season clothes, looking for the next size up for each of my kids. Every pair of my son's shorts for this summer were bought last winter for $6 or less a pair. The stores want to get rid of their off-season clothes badly by that point, so they mark them down to just about the lowest price you'll ever be able to get. Usually, you can use a coupon on top of these clearance prices, too! I'll never forget the time I scored my middle daughter a gorgeous Gymboree dress brand new for $2.95! That's even better than you'll find at a second-hand store!

One of the most popular second-hand kids' stores is called Once Upon A Child. They have these all over the country. Other than that, a popular branch out in the Midwest is Kid-to-Kid. You can always check Google for your local consignment shops, too, though.

I have to mention that I've gotten some great deals through the years on EBay, too. I decide if an item is a good deal with the shipping calculated into the cost, because sometimes shipping can really make or break a good deal. If it's equal to or less than what I'd pay for a similar item in a secondhand store, I buy it. If not, I leave it.

I love a good deal!!

Wisdom of Elder Thaddeus...

Some motivating quotes I read this morning from Elder Thaddeus:

"It seems that we do not understand one thing: it is not good when we return the love of those who love us, yet hate those who hate us. We are not on the right path if we do this. We are the sons of light and love, the songs of God, his children. As such we must have His qualities and His attributes of love, peace, and kindness toward all."

"The Lord called every one of us into being with a certain goal and plan in mind. Every little blade of grass on this earth has some kind of mission here on earth, and how true this is of human beings! However, we often disturb and interfere in God's plan. We have the freedom either to accept His will or to reject it; God, Who is love, does not wish to take this freedom away from us. We have been given complete freedom, but we, in our foolishness, often have many useless desires."

"Parents always want their children to be happy, content, and thankful to them for all their work and sacrifice. So when they see their children in a bad mood and unthankful, they're saddened. It's the same with our Heavenly Father. He has given us everything, but we are always unsatisfied and gloomy. Instead of thanking and praising God for everything, we only express our thankfulness with our lips, and our hearts remain cold. Joy is thankfulness, and when we are joyful, that is the best expression of thanks we can offer the Lord, Who delivers us from sorrow and sin."

"The fear of God is not the animal-like fear of this world. Our fear is like that, and we must strive to conquer this. Such fear is from hades. Our life is filled with fear. We fear what tomorrow will bring, what the future has in store for us...That is an animal-like fear. The fear of God is when you love Him, when you truly love Him with all your heart and you strive never to offend or sadden Him - not only with your deeds, actions, and words, but also with your thoughts. You try to please Him in everything you do or say. That is the fear of God - the fear of doing anything that might sadden or offend our Parent."

Friends

I spent the day with a good friend today. She came over with her 6-month old baby boy, and spent most of the day with us. It was so nice to let go of our routine for the bulk of the day, and sit and chat and play. Of course, my dishes and laundry got backed up but it was worth the extra work. Mamas need friends more than anyone else, I think. Sometimes it's fun to be "irresponsible" for a few hours!

Another nice thing about today was that this morning, both my hubby and I managed to get up before the kids. I was actually really impressed that he was up before me, because that doesn't happen much these days unless he's serving that day. So I got in my shower while he made coffee, and then we sat and talked for a few minutes while sipping our coffees. Then he went to watch some news while I did some of my daily reading from Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives.

Here's a nice quote I came across the other day.

"Everyone you come across is fighting a silent battle you know nothing about. Be kind, always."