I love whiteboards. I love laminated worksheets. I love organising. I love finding homes for things. I love clean and tidy. I love fresh smelling. I love quiet.
I did a reasonable job attempting to be a more chilled out version of myself now that I am a stay at home mummy, however, that actually made me way way way less chilled out. Ironic. Sometimes you need to embrace your inner control freak organising dry erase cleaning self, and let it be okay. Because it's who you are, no matter how hard you may try to not be this way. I have photos of myself aged 5 years old in my bedroom, and I know, from looking at my little serious face that the reason I had the photos taken was because I was particularly proud of how tidy my room was at that point. At college, I was the girl with the desk sized Filofax. It was my whole life in there. I've sinced moved on to the monthly moleskine (it's good and less bulky) Some people may recall my colour-coded dry erase monthly wall planner in room 503 in Florence. I updated it every 2 weeks. I scent (and occasionally colour) match my cleaning products (really I do). I have trialled various different 'clean scent' candles chasing that perfect scent of fresh laundry/cut grass/dewy morning/sunshine feel. I plan my meals monthly- I don't stick to the days, but I know what we'll eat this month. Most of my pinterest time is spent on looking for more creative organising solutions or quiet activities for my children. Achieving at least some quiet with two small boys is a major accomplishment and one in which I pursue mightily.
Last week I couldn't take trying to be chilled out and go with the flow girl anymore. Back into action sprang Laura -Type A. A few hours later I had drawn up a schedule - daily, weekly, bigger tasks and monthly goals. I created a daily routine sheet, detailing hours from 8am -10pm, with a goal for the day at the top. I took them to Staples and had them matt laminated, so I could write on them with pencil. Because that's the smarter option if there is any risk they might ever get wet. Achieving a day where my counter top is not completely soaked because of a car wash/hand wash/washing up/waterfall incident is rare. I put my fresh laminated sheets in a cute bird ring binder, bought a new eraser, sharpened my pencil and got down to business. (I was pretty excited, I have to be honest)
I did a reasonable job attempting to be a more chilled out version of myself now that I am a stay at home mummy, however, that actually made me way way way less chilled out. Ironic. Sometimes you need to embrace your inner control freak organising dry erase cleaning self, and let it be okay. Because it's who you are, no matter how hard you may try to not be this way. I have photos of myself aged 5 years old in my bedroom, and I know, from looking at my little serious face that the reason I had the photos taken was because I was particularly proud of how tidy my room was at that point. At college, I was the girl with the desk sized Filofax. It was my whole life in there. I've sinced moved on to the monthly moleskine (it's good and less bulky) Some people may recall my colour-coded dry erase monthly wall planner in room 503 in Florence. I updated it every 2 weeks. I scent (and occasionally colour) match my cleaning products (really I do). I have trialled various different 'clean scent' candles chasing that perfect scent of fresh laundry/cut grass/dewy morning/sunshine feel. I plan my meals monthly- I don't stick to the days, but I know what we'll eat this month. Most of my pinterest time is spent on looking for more creative organising solutions or quiet activities for my children. Achieving at least some quiet with two small boys is a major accomplishment and one in which I pursue mightily.
Last week I couldn't take trying to be chilled out and go with the flow girl anymore. Back into action sprang Laura -Type A. A few hours later I had drawn up a schedule - daily, weekly, bigger tasks and monthly goals. I created a daily routine sheet, detailing hours from 8am -10pm, with a goal for the day at the top. I took them to Staples and had them matt laminated, so I could write on them with pencil. Because that's the smarter option if there is any risk they might ever get wet. Achieving a day where my counter top is not completely soaked because of a car wash/hand wash/washing up/waterfall incident is rare. I put my fresh laminated sheets in a cute bird ring binder, bought a new eraser, sharpened my pencil and got down to business. (I was pretty excited, I have to be honest)
I'm reaching the end of my first week with my new planning system in place. It's kept me focused and on task on the days Joel is in pre-school, so that my house is clean, jobs are getting done and I can have downtime with the boys resting in the knowledge that I have that time and I don't actually need to be getting on with anything other than building duplo, or making rubbish for the rubbish truck, or reading books, being a tickle monster, giving cuddles, playing alphabet games, singing songs and generally just being fully present with them. Because, as they grow up, I know they won't really care whether the house was clean and tidy, or if I was on top of the washing or the ironing. As long as I feed them, the won't care that I plan meals monthly. But I know they will care, and they will remember a mother who was fully present with them. And they will care and will remember if I was being the best myself I could be, rather than a stressed version of what I thought I should be. And they'll remember I had the time to make silly faces in the camera phone with them.
And that is what is most important in any schedule.
p.s. The perfect clean scent is 'After the Rain' from Arran Aromatics in Scotland.
Pricey but so worth it. Breathe deep, breathe clean, breathe calm. Repeat.
p.p.s. I had sticky toffee pudding and custard today. I didn't make it, and that made it even better. Sometimes tesco's finest is better than mummy's.
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