My Week #7

I'm loving my new Filofax!  The Chameleon has such a slim profile compared to the other binders I have used in this size.  I got a few stacks of scrapbook paper and an A5 hole punch so I'm getting ready to really customize it!  I'm still using the Frixion pens exclusively until I find a system that works for me.  Then, I want to try the Ultra Fine Paper Mate Flairs.

Here is my BEFORE shot of Week #7:

So I decided to use boxes to mark scheduled events and the blank spaces to mark "to do" lists.  If there is something I need to do at work, it goes in the box for that work day.  I'm finding this extremely helpful for my Tuesday/Thursday job.  I was feeling overwhelmed and unorganized, getting emails all week long but only being in the office to actually do the work twice a week.  The lists help my brain relax and keep me from forgetting things.

There were also a lot of cancellations this week due to snow.  I could have erased them to make the week look a bit neater, but I leave cancelled events in the calendar for future reference.

And here is my AFTER shot of Week 7:

On an unrelated note, I bought my son a Red Pocket Domino Filofax and I really like it!  It is so much nicer than I thought it was going to be.  Yesterday, we sat down together to sync our calendars and decorate our pages.  I got him a book of Star Wars stickers and a book of Marvel stickers to get him excited about the planner.  He wants to get extra notebook paper to keep a file of his drawings!!

I going to try to make some dividers this week -- what sections do you keep in your A5 binder?  So far I think I need -- weekly calendar, monthly calendar, contacts, finances, medical/health, cleaning schedule, kids' schedules, one for each of my jobs for meeting notes and reference info (3 or 4).  Too many??

--Kristen

My Week #6 & Week #7 Preview

I'm balancing a lot of different jobs right now.  Besides wife and mother, which I try to keep as first and foremost, I am working as a tutor, teacher, church secretary, cemetery secretary/treasurer, volunteer elementary tutor, volunteer Scout treasurer, and my newest addition:  Tax Collector.  It's going to be a busy season so I'm focusing on mind-organization.  My best tool for that is my planner.

I was using a Franklin Covey zippered imitation leather binder, which I liked but the zipper was frustrating when holding a toddler in one arm and trying to open a binder with the other.  I was using the Day Timer Family Plus inserts, which I really liked.  Here is how I used them:  Events in purple - to do's in pink.




But, I decided to use my birthday money this year and buy myself an A5 Filofax.  My new inserts arrived before my binder so I filled them out ahead of time!!  Here is how I tried using the vertical A5 set-up last week:




This week I am trying something a little different.  To-do lists within my scheduled work hours... or personal to-do's written in the free-space.  I need a solid menu-planning area but we aren't eating at home much this week so I can add that next week.  I'm using my Frixion pens exclusively (freedom to erase and change my mind limitlessly) until I decide on a system that works for me.  Here is my "Week 7 Before" shot.  It has a little bit of Monday updates already but I'm sure it will look worlds different on Sunday night!

Time Savers: Clean Your Car

I lived in my car while I was in college.  I didn't sleep there... but I could have.  I had my books, my purse, a change of clothes, the diaper bag, toys, mail, some food scraps, countless cans of soda and water bottles...  all readily available in my car.  Did I mention I drove a compact?  It wasn't a pretty sight.

I have friends who clean (vacuum and wash) their cars weekly.  I wish I had the time or the dedication to do that.  My poor car is well-loved, and well-used.  It can get a little unruly.

We get to the bus stop 10 minutes early every day (because the bus has been known to be super early occasionally).  Once a week, I make an effort to tidy up while we wait.

• I bag the trash that has accumulated on the floor (tissues, fast food bags, old papers).


• I dust the dash and console with a dusting brush I got at the Dollar Store.


• I straighten up the trunk (stroller, diaper bag, hidden Christmas gifts...).

It takes me about 5 minutes and my car would thank me for it if she could.

Time Savers: Get the Dishes Done

When you call to your family that dinner is almost ready, do they immediately appear?  Mine don't.  I call a few times, then I hunt them down and make sure they really are hungry.  Sometimes I even get their plates ready for them while they mosey into the room.

While I'm waiting for the family to trickle in, I get the prep dishes cleaned so there is less clean-up after dinner.  I can clean anything that doesn't make it to the dining room table.  A mixing bowl, measuring cups, pans for breading, a spatula, any knives, or pan lids can all go straight into the dishwasher before we sit down to eat.

If we are eating something that made a cooked-on-mess, I transfer it to a serving dish and soak the cookware while we're eating dinner.  This is especially true for crockpot meals when the sauce has been baked onto the pan for 6 or more hours.

Then, after dinner, all we need to do is rinse our plates and start the dishwasher load.

Time Savers: Soak Your Dishes

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We go through dishes faster than our dishwasher can wash them.  If I start the dishwasher after dinner, the sink fills up with snack plates and milk glasses before the other dishes are clean, let alone dry or put away.

Those sink-dishes get crusty while they wait their turn.  Then, they need scrubbed rinsed before they go in the dishwasher.  Did you ever find a sippy cup with leftover milk in it at the bottom of your sink?  Yea.

If the dishwasher is full, and the dirty dishes are filling up the sink, do a prewash.  Fill a dishpan with hot soapy water and soak the dirty dishes while they wait for a turn in the dishwasher.  It also helps keep the sink sparkling clean!

My husband doesn't always remember to rinse his dishes, but he will put them in a bucket of water if it's readily available.

Try a dish soap with bleach in it.  The dishes come out of the dishpan sparkling, before you even touch them with a scrub brush!

Time Savers: Air Drying

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Growing up, we didn't have a dishwasher.  Actually we did, but we used it as a shelf until we finally sold it.  Mom washed the dishes and one of us dried and put the dishes away.  Sometimes Dad washed and Mom dried.  Either way, it was a team effort, so it took half as much time.

I don't trust my seven-year-old to carry stoneware and glass across the kitchen, and he can't reach the shelves, yet.  I also don't trust him to get the dishes clean enough.  So, I'm without a partner for now.

To make my dish-washing time go a little more smoothly, I let God dry my dishes.  With air, that is.

Don't waste time standing at the sink drying the dishes (dirtying a towel that will need to be washed...).  Your dishes don't need to be dried by hand (unless you have really hard water and don't like spotty dishes).  Get something else done while the dishes dry themselves.

I wash all of my dishes, then I wipe down my counters and stove, then I sweep the kitchen floor.  And, when I'm done, my dishes are dry and ready to be put away.

 

Time Savers: Toss the Junk

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Where do you put your mail?  For awhile, we piled it on the dining room table.  Then, we put it on the kitchen counter.  Then the desk.  Then the trash!

More than half the mail that comes into this house is junk.  The other half is typically something that needs filed, never to be seen again.  Don't wait!  Do it right away!

I sort the mail over the trash can, and immediately toss the junk.  I can have it separated into "keep" and "toss" piles by the time I get to the trash.

Then, sort the rest of the mail and put it in it's place - coupons in your purse, magazines in the rack, insurance papers in the file cabinet, bills in your busy bag...

Don't wait until it all piles up!!

Time Savers: Commercial Breaks

Did you know that a show with a 30-minute slot on TV is really only 22 minutes long?  That's 8 minutes of commercials for every half-hour of TV you watch.  Do you watch any shows that are an hour long?  They aren't!!  You're watching more than 15 minutes of commercials every hour.

Now, we don't have cable or a satellite hooked up to our TVs, so the commercials we see actually interest us (because we haven't seen them more than 100 times, yet).  But, even an interesting commercial doesn't need your full attention.

Take those 15 minutes and tidy up a nearby mess!

• Pick up the toys scattered throughout the room.


• Find the remote and put it away.


• Gather up the snack bowls and put them in the dishwasher.


• Fold some laundry (you can do this while the show is on, too!).


• Run the vacuum.


• Dust a shelf or two.

A little daily tidying will make your weekly cleaning a lot easier.

Laundry Lessons: My Routine Today

With baby #2 on the way, knowing we were going to use cloth diapers, I couldn't handle three or more extra loads each week.  I would go insane...

After bargain hunting for a few months, we got a great deal on a new HE washer/dryer set.      It's HUGE!  I'm down to about 6 loads a week (including diapers!) when I used to 12 or more.

Sorting:

I only gather dirty clothes once or twice a week.  Because the washer is bigger, I can wash a lot more at a time and we need to go longer between washes.  If I see the hamper overflowing, I'll empty it.  Clothes still get sorted into three compartments:  darks, lights, and whites.  I keep cloth diapers in a small basket on the dryer and I keep socks in another basket beside the dryer.

Washing:

I try to wash load every day.  When there aren't enough dirty clothes to wash a load (said no one, ever), I was rugs or sheets. My washer has this awesome feature that warms the water, even on a cold cycle, to dissolve powdered detergent.  I got so used to skipping fabric softener and bleach with the old machine that I still don't use either.  Someday I'm going to try to make my own fabric softener.

Drying:

I use my clothesline only in the summer.  I haven't exploded any pens in my new dryer, yet, so I use it when it's too cold (or I'm too lazy) to hang the clothes outside.  I do love drying the cloth diapers in the sun.

Folding:

This is where I fail.  The dryer is on the floor, so I put a basket in front of it, open the door, and pull all of the clothes out into the basket.  Then they need folded, but I have other things to do, so I walk away.  I have to force myself to stand there and fold the clothes before I move onto something else.

Putting Away:

The loads are larger with this new set.  Which means, the baskets are fuller and heavier.  I fold the clothes, but I let the basket sit for my manly man husband to carry up the stairs for me to put away.

What tips and tricks have helped you find a laundry routine that works for your family?

Time Savers: Matching Socks

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One of the most genius laundry tips I've ever tried was matching socks before you wash them.

Before I tried this, I would just wash all the socks in the laundry room.  Then, when they were dry, I would pair up what pairs I had, and toss the rest back in the hamper.  So, I washed a lot of socks multiple times before the mate made his way to the laundry room (because the "late" mate was obviously the husband, right?).  And, sometimes, the mate never appeared.

I have a separate basket in the laundry room, just for socks.  All of the socks that come into the laundry room go into this basket.  I like to wash socks in hot water, or at least warm, so I usually sort them when I'm doing a load that is going to be washed on a warmer temperature (sheets, whites, lights, etc.).

I match the socks and put them in a mesh bag (so there are no escapees!!).  If there are lonely socks, they go back in the basket for next time.

You can also buy special clips to hold pairs of socks together in the wash.  Then, when they are dry, they are already matched!!



 

Laundry Lessons: Starting Small - How to Keep up

Our house came with a stacked washer/dryer set.  It was small, but it worked well and we were blessed to have it.  I exploded a blue pen in the dryer once...  It was a good starter set.

With three people and a small apartment-sized washer/dryer, I eventually got into a routine... because I had to.

Sorting Laundry:

Each morning, I gathered the dirty clothes from each bedroom and bathroom.  I sorted the clothes into whites-darks-and-delicates.

Washing Laundry:

I washed a load of whatever was fullest.  I had to do our sheets in two separate loads, so I did that on Saturdays.  I put a tablespoon of homemade detergent in the washer and turned it on to fill.  When the detergent dissolved, I loaded the clothes.  There was no fabric softener or bleach dispensers in the machine, so I just didn't use either product.

Drying Laundry:

When I got home from work, I switched the clothes to the dryer.  If I got it in early, sometimes I hung the clothes outside to dry all day.

Folding Laundry:

My favorite part of that washer/dryer set was that the dryer was above my head.  So as I pulled clothes out of the dryer, I folded them and put them in the basket.  I didn't have to bend up and down and up and down.

Putting Laundry Away:

The loads were small, so I carried the basket upstairs and put away all the clothes.

Washing a load every day may seem like a lot of work, but it keeps the workload small.  I find it overwhelming to wash every thing on one day, because of the mountain of clothes that needs put away.


Next week, I'll share what I do now that we have a bigger family and a bigger machine!



 

Time Savers: Folding Laundry

Do you fold your clothes right away?  Or, if you use hangers, do the clothes go straight to the hangers?  Or do they sit in a basket for a few days hours before you get to them again?  Try this time saver to keep your laundry routine efficient!

If you use a clothesline...

In the summer, and on sunny winter days, I use an outdoor clothesline.  I recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to use one.  I've even seen them strung-up around porches, when no yard space is available.

Your clothes are so fresh and clean after being in the sun, and they should last longer.  All the lint you pull out of your dryer's lint trap is just a pile of pieces that came off your clothing.  Eventually, they will just wear out.

If you're using a clothesline, use this time saver.  Take the extra 5 seconds to fold each piece as you take it off the line.  Unless you are scrambling to get the clothes inside because you didn't know it was going rain... it won't take any extra time to fold as you go.  It will take extra time to pull each piece back out to fold if you wait until you get inside.

If you use a dryer...

Sometimes you just have to use the dryer.  I use the dryer all winter -- and when it's raining.

When we had a stacked washer/dryer set, I always folded the clothes as I took them out of the dryer.  Now that our set is side-by-side, I hate bending up and down and up and down to get the clothes out one-by-one.

Sometimes I'm in a hurry to get another load in, so I set the basket in front of the dryer and throw everything in there without folding it.  Then I always regret wasting time it when I have to go back and fold the clothes later.

What do you do to make your laundry routine go smoothly?

Laundry Lessons: "How Mom Did It" - Learning to Use a Routine

Laundry.

The never-ending chore.

I read somewhere that it's like shoveling during a snowstorm.  You work and work but the workload never seems to get any lighter.

You think you have everything clean... and it only lasts a few hours before everyone changes into PJs and you have almost a full load waiting for you in the morning.

And, do socks multiply?  Or do they walk off?  Because I think I've witnessed both...

It took me a long time to get into a laundry routine that made sense.  Finally, I found something that worked for us.  Then something would change, and I would have to readjust the routine.

Growing up, I only did laundry occasionally.  I learned to use the washer and dryer when I was young -- but then Mom got a new washer and a new dryer and it was a lot more complicated than the old set.  The front-loading washing machine was so intimidating!  I avoided the chore for fear I would either ruin the clothes or break the machine.

This is what I remember...

Sorting Laundry:

We sorted our dirty clothes into darks-lights-and-whites upstairs in a three-compartment-hamper that sat in the room next to the bathroom.  It was a central location between all of the bedrooms.  When one compartment was full, it went down to the basement to be washed.

Washing Laundry:

Mom had instructions on the washer for what settings and measurement to use with different types of clothes.  We used Era detergent and a fabulous smelling fabric softener.  Whites got bleached, and I always managed to spill some on myself.

Drying Laundry:

We had a dryer, but we also had a clothesline that we used whenever we could.  Mom always laid sweaters out on the radiators and the dining room table to dry flat.  She also had a rail in the laundry room where she could hang shirts and dress clothes right away to keep them from wrinkling.

Folding Laundry:

Once dry, clothes went up back upstairs to be folded.  Sometimes we dumped them out in a pile on the bed.  Sometimes we folded them while watching TV.  I have fond memories of helping Mom fold... or just sitting on the bed talking to her while she folded alone (oops).

Putting Away Laundry:

While folding, clothes were separated according to owner.  Then, each pile was delivered to it's owner for that person to put away.  My piles just stacked up all over my bedroom.  Mom finally started delivering clean clothes in a clothes-basket, because my clean-clothes-piles were getting out of control.  The clothes-basket at least kept them in one place instead of being scattered everywhere.

 

Looking back, that's probably the worst habit I brought to this marriage... What would you call it?  Never-putting-away-clean-clothes syndrome?  Wearing-clothes-straight-out-of-the-basket syndrome?

Next week I'll share the routine I finally settled into for our family of three with a very small washing machine.  Don’t miss a post!!  Subscribe to Trial and Error Homemaking.



 

Time Savers: Busy-Bag

Welcome to Tuesday Time Savers!!!  This is a new series that I'm starting to share the ways I make use of "little minutes" -- those times you aren't prepared to tackle a big job, but have just a slice of spare time to get something done.

• Your doctor's appointment is scheduled for 2:00 pm, but your name doesn't get called until 2:15 pm...


• Or, you have a list of errands to run and you got started a little too early.  The last store on your list doesn't open until 10:00 am and it's only 9:45 am...


• Or, your sister said she'd meet you for lunch at 12:00 pm, but you just got a text that she's running fifteen minutes late.

Make the best use of your little spare minutes!  If you're out and about you can't accomplish much unless you're prepared.  Make yourself a busy-bag, filled with things you need to do. I take my planner with me everywhere.  Inside, I have my calendar, address book, to-do lists, along with bills that need paid, envelopes, and stamps.

If I have to wait for a few minutes, I take out my planner, update the calendar, check things off my lists, mail a bill that's due soon, plan next week's meals, write a grocery list, etc.  Then I don't have to sit down and do all of my paperwork at home.

What's in my Organizer (Part 2)

Last week, I shared most of what I keep in my organizer.  All that's left is my calendar.

I use the Pretty Planner that I downloaded from Pretty Chaotic Mom.  First, because it's pretty!!  But, I also adore the set-up.  The planner, includes notes pages, to-do pages, monthly calendars, and weekly planners, July 2012 - July 2013.



I added Avery tabs to make each month easy to find.  The planner is designed with the monthly pages spread out among the weekly pages.  I like this set-up (as opposed to the Filofax set-up where the month pages are all together and the weekly pages are all together).



On each monthly calendar, I write down due dates for bills, library books, fundraisers, etc.  I also write down birthdays of family and friends.  If I have any projects I'm working on or any major "to-do's", I write these in the "to-do" section of the monthly page.  In December, I started planning my blog posts on the monthly calendar page.

  

My favorite part of the planner is the weekly planner layout.  Each week (Monday - Sunday) is displayed in a week-on-two-pages column format.  The page is then divided up into 6 rows.  There are endless possibilities for the rows, but I use one for each family member, one for our menu, and one for extras (blog posts, bible reading, etc).  I need to keep track of my work schedules (for two jobs) as well as my husband's work and coaching schedules and any activities that my kids participate in.  In  my own row, I write my work schedule and any major chores I need to get done.  In the kid's rows, I write any activities they attend as well as Raegan's day care schedule and whether or not I have paid for that day yet.  In Chris's row, I write any extracurricular activities or meetings that will keep him at work late.

A typical week-on-two-pages set-up is not structured enough for me.  A week-on-two-pages appointment planner with hourly marks on the columns only has room for my schedule, not the rest of my family.



I would be lost without my multicolored pen.  I remember using these pens in elementary school... and I was thrilled when I found out that Bic still makes them!  Each family member has a color, which makes things easier to find on a hectic weekly page.  Sometimes, I use it to doodle, too.

A pretty planner is just more fun to use... and if it's more fun to use, there's a better chance that it will BE USED!  I have so many students who carry around a planner, but never write anything down.

Planning saves you time!  Crystal Paine from Moneysavingmom.com shared that author Brian Tracy said, "Every minute your spend planning saves 10 minutes in execution; this gives you a 1,000 percent Return on Energy!"

Make it your New Year's Resolution to be more productive!!  Find a planner that fits your lifestyle and your preferences, and USE IT!



 

Pretty Chaotic Mom has graciously offered my readers a 50% off sale on the 2012-2013 Pretty Planner.  Just follow this link and use the code "prettyspecial".

Or... you can enter the GIVEAWAY below to win a 2012-2013 Pretty Planner download for FREE!

• Use the Rafflecopter widget below to earn as many entries as you can!


• The giveaway will run from January 2 through January 9 (at midnight).


• One winner will be selected and contacted next week.


• The winner will also be announced in a blog post next week.


• The winner has one-week from the announcement to contact me for prize arrangements.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's in my Organizer (Part 1)

Awhile ago, I shared that I was looking for a new organizer.  I didn't get either of the planners I looked at... but I chose the one I got because of the inserts.  I'm currently using the Day Runner Harmony Organizer.

I like using an A5 organizer.  It's not too bulky to carry in my purse.  I can make my own pages much more easily than when I was using a Filofax Personal size.  I have not found a hole-punch set up for these rings... but I just use a handheld punch for now.

The inside cover has four large card pockets and one full length pocket.  I try to keep organized.. but sometimes it gets crazy in here.



So, I did a little clean-up to show you where things usually are kept.  I keep receipts in the big pocket.  I keep appointment cards and records in the bottom pocket, then membership cards above that, then bills in the two top pockets.



The organizer came with dividers, but I made my own dividers with a pack of scrapbook paper that I bought at WalMart for around $5 and a set of page protectors from Avery.  The page protectors are slightly wider than the pages I use, so they made good dividers.  I don't have them "labeled", but I don't keep a wide variety of things in my organizer.



Behind the front divider, there are a few "to-do" pages that came with the organizer.  The pages are so pretty that I try not to use them!  Most often, I write my to-do list on a sticky-note and put it here for easy reference.



On the back of the "Notes" tab that came with the organizer, I keep record of gas:  prices, amount bought, miles-per-gallon.  I don't always write it down, but I like to keep track of my MPG at times.



I keep a running list of books I'm reading and what I've finished.  I also add books that have been recommended to me on a sticky-note.  And, yes, that is my final list for 2012.  I only finished 7 books.  Last year the list was even shorter!!



If I stumble upon a quote or verse that really means a lot to me, I scribble it down in the notes section of my organizer.  This verse from Joel was important to me when I was on maternity leave and worrying about making ends meet.  Speaking of making ends meet...



This next section of my organizer houses my budget management papers.  I prefer to keep track of the budget with pencil and paper, but I have not found an extremely efficient method, yet.  For now, I'm tracking our major financial goal:  Pay off the house in the next FIVE years.  In the first page, I'll track expected/actual income, expenses, and extra mortgage payments.  My income varies every season.  It's nice to see the whole year at once so we can see where we fell behind and where we are able to catch back up.



On the next page, I keep track of individual budget categories, by month.  I like to let budget categories roll-over-- so if we only spend half the grocery budget one month, we can use the leftover next month.  But, if one category is consistently under-spent (or over-spent), then we need to reevaluate that category.  Our budget software does this on the computer, but again, I like to be able to see the whole year at once and I like to do it with pencil and paper.



I have an address book, but I mostly only have business information for paying bills or making phone calls.  I do have some addresses for friends who don't live close by.  Behind the address book, I keep a zipping pocket (that came with the organizer) with stamps and envelopes for bill-paying.



 

The back cover has a notepad slot, which I also use as a pocket sometimes.  I keep a blue or black pen for writing checks and addresses, but I also use a multi-color pen for my planner (calendar) pages.

Next week, I'll share more about my planner and how I use it to keep our busy schedules.  Don’t miss a post!!  Subscribe to Trial and Error Homemaking.

Busy Mama {Why I Work Two Jobs}

I have two part-time jobs (not counting being a mom, a wife, or a homemaker).  A few days each week, I work during the day, tutoring.  And a few nights each week, I work night-shift waitressing.



 

Tutoring is my passion and my expertise.  My day-job is the one that will supposedly "take me somewhere", even though I'm not looking to go anywhere!

• The hours are flexible.


• I love the content.


• I love my students.


• I love my coworkers.

It's the career I never knew I always wanted.

My night job is waitressing.  I took the job because I don't tutor during the summer and I wanted to keep working.  I kept the job because it is something I thoroughly enjoy doing.

• I meet new people every day.


• I get a new opportunity to cheer someone up and make their day special, every time I get a new table.


• I run around and burn extra calories.  It's honestly the only "real" exercise I get.


• I get to try new (delicious) food, which is another reason it's good that I burn extra calories!!


• I get spiritually refreshed. I work with some amazing Christians who inspire me daily to walk closer to Christ.

Waitressing is something I do for me.  Trust me, my husband would love for me to be home every night.  It might be selfish, but I can see a distinct change in my attitudes about everything and it started the summer I took the job waitressing.

The restaurant where I waitress is very Christ-centered. I work with a great group of supportive and inspirational people.  When I'm there, I know without-a-doubt that I'm in line with God's will.  He's doing great things there and I'm glad to be apart of it.

We could "make it" if I didn't waitress.  But we don't want to "make it".  We want to be debt free.  I want to call Dave Ramsey on a Friday and scream it at the top of my lungs.  And I want it to happen soon.

We may be working at it with less-than-gazelle intensity.  But, we're making some changes for 2013 that will hopefully make a bigger dent in those student loans.  Maybe I'll share our debt-free progress every month... Anyone interested?

I am beyond blessed to have both opportunities, as crazy and my schedules may seem.

Trial and Error Routines: A Work-NIGHT Routine

I work two jobs -- one during the day and one at night.  I'm blessed to never have to do both on the same day.  I waitress at night and it's more of an "as-needed" position to fill in when other girls are away at college or when business is up and extra staff is needed.

This day also has the simplest routine!!  Yay for simple!

7:00 am - Wake up, feed Raegan, breakfast, pack lunches.

7:30 am - Get dressed, dress kids, feed dog, take dog out.

8:00 am - Leave for bus stop.

8:30 am - Hit the road.  Sometimes I have a meeting in the morning.  When I do, we leave as soon as the bus comes.  Raegan and I go out to breakfast at Friendly's.  I hope that we can still do this when she is older.  Then, I take her to the meeting.  If I don't have a meeting, I run errands around town in the morning.  If, by some miracle, we don't have errands or meetings, we go home and clean a little.

11:30 am - Volunteer.  Once a week I tutor elementary kids at the school.  I just take the baby with me.  The kids love her and she is usually sleeping.

12:00 pm - Lunch, wash uniform, cook dinner.  While lunch is cooking, I make sure my uniform is clean for work.  If it's not, I wash it.  I usually let it air-dry because I end up with a lot of stains and I don't want the dryer to set any stains that I missed.  If Chris will be home, I get dinner ready so he can just reheat it when he gets home.  He can make pizza or tacos but most often he eats some leftovers that need to be used up.

1:00 pm - Naptime!!

3:30 pm - Pick Landon up at the bus stop.  My start-time varies but I usually have to be at work at 5:00 pm.  If that's the case, I take the kids home and I get ready.  Landon starts his homework while I get dressed.  I make him some hot dogs or waffles as a snack.  Chris is usually home before I leave so I don't have to worry about a sitter.  If I have to be at work earlier, I take the kids to my grandparents' or parents' house and leave straight from there to go to work.  If Chris is busy or working late, I do have to get a sitter, but that has only happened once or twice.

4:30 pm - Leave for work.  I can get there in ten minutes... ten minutes exactly.  But, if I try that, I risk getting a speeding ticket again.  Apparently getting there in ten minutes requires that I go 45 in a 35... according to the officer.

8:00 pm - Pump break.  Again, pumping is so unpredictable.  Some nights, if I think I'm going to be going home early, I will try to get done before I need to pump.  Other nights, I feel the need to pump pretty early in the night so I take the break as soon as I can.  I usually get about 3 oz, which matches what Raegan drinks while I'm gone.  She usually drinks what is left from my work day pumping and I freeze what I pump on a work night.

10:00 pm - Go home.  Again, I'm wired.  No headache.  Not tired.  I want to tell Chris all about my day and hear about his.  I don't mind watching him play video games, but sometimes we watch a favorite show on NetFlix.  He usually wants to go to bed before I do.  I usually end up in bed by 11:30 pm.

 

Tomorrow, I'll share a little bit more about why I work such a crazy schedule.  Don’t miss a post!!  Subscribe to Trial and Error Homemaking.

Trial & Error Routines: A Day Off

Wednesday is the only weekday I have "off" completely, for now.  My schedule will completely change in January.

But for now, I start my day with a frantic rush to fix anything that has gone haywire during the first two days of the week.  A stove piled with groceries that can't be cooked on, an overdue library book that no one has read, couches being used as book shelves or a makeshift coat closet, a dining room table taken straight from an episode of Hoaders... It's amazing what can happen in just two days!

7:00 am - Wake up, nurse Raegan, snuggle Landon.  Since I don't have to "be ready" when Landon leaves for school, we make some chill-time in the morning.  We usually watch an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond from NetFlix.  We say goodbye to Daddy.  We talk about school.  We play with the baby.  It's just a special time for the two of us.

7:30 am - Make beds, get dressed, get kids dressed, breakfast, laundry, take the dog out, feed dog.  I heat up Landon's waffles and start on lunches right away.  Then I make myself a shake and take care of the dog.  Landon feeds the dog when he's done with breakfast.  I throw diapers in the washer for the initial rinse cycle before we leave.  We're not in such a rush to get to the bus stop, because it's not a problem for me to just take him to school if we're running behind.

8:10 am - Leave for bus stop.  This bus can be super early or super late, so we never know what's going to happen in the morning.  I usually bring along spelling words to practice or make my to-do list for the day while we wait.

8:30 am - Laundry, feed Raegan, tidy-up.  I try to start the wash cycle for the diapers as soon as we get home, but sometimes I don't remember until halfway through the morning.  I give Raegan her baby-food breakfast and not long after that she's ready for her morning nap.  Sometimes I rock her, but sometimes she falls asleep in her bouncy seat.  Then, I start to scramble to tackle something before she wakes back up.  Usually it's a kitchen counter or the dining room table.  Sometimes it's a cluttered living room that I get ready for vacuuming (read: remove all Legos from floor).

10:00 am - Raegan wakes up, nurse Raegan, laundry, watch TV or computer.  I try to switch the laundry when I hear it beep, but Raegan's sleep schedule is my back-up reminder.  When awake, Raegan sits on her own and can entertain herself for a short while.  We cuddle and babble and if she's hungry I nurse her.  If she's content, I check my email, read blog posts, and watch YouTube videos.  She's fine as long as she can see me.  Sometimes she watches with me.  She's a big fan of Taylor Swift's new video, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together."

"I also just learned to stick out my tongue and I will show you at every opportunity."

11:30 am - Lunch, laundry, dishes, prep for dinner.  Raegan loves sweet potatoes, but she'll eat almost anything.  She eats about half a container of baby food for lunch and I make myself pasta, eggs, or a shake.  I switch the laundry over to the dryer (or if it's nice outside, I use the clothesline).  I get the dishes done and get out anything I need for dinner.  Sometimes, I try to get some freezer cooking done.  I might I start the crockpot with something like chicken breast that I will shred and freeze.  Or I might make a batch of waffles.  Or I might chop up some potatoes or onions to freeze.

1:00 pm - Naptime.  Yes, we both nap.  Raegan still doesn't sleep through the night.  She can, but she rarely does.  Nursing also sucks up all of my energy (but burns a ton of calories!!)

3:20 pm - Pick Landon up from the bus stop.  While I'm waiting for the bus, I tidy up my car and go over my weekly planner to add things and check things off.  Sometimes I take something to read, but my car gets pretty messy so cleaning it usually takes up most of that time.  Once, I tried to skip the nap, and I fell asleep in the car waiting for the bus.  Oops.

3:45 pm - Put things away, homework, start dinner (sometimes).  As soon as we get home, I try to put things away and get them ready for tomorrow.  Landon starts his homework while I finish things up from the day.  Every other week, I cook dinner for Chris and I.  Every other week, Landon and I go to church with my family and we go out for pizza.  Chris doesn't get home from work in time to go with us because he works late every Wednesday.  Those weeks, Chris eats leftovers or stops to get himself fast food or makes himself a pizza at home.

5:45 pm - Dinner and church.  If I cooked, this is when we eat, then I leave for Bible Study at 6:45.  If not, it's when we leave to go to dinner, and we go to church straight from dinner.  Raegan eats her baby-food dinner with us.  We always go to the same pizza place.  It's a fun little event that Landon looks forward to every week.  Every Wednesday he asks what time his grandparents are picking him up or if I'm taking him.  One night in October, there was a trick-or-treat event at the local college so I suggested we all go.  Landon said, "I'd rather go to church.  God is what is really important, anyway."  Such wisdom from my little man!

8:30 pm - Landon's bedtime, nurse Raegan.  If I'm at Bible Study, Chris puts Landon to bed as soon as he gets home.  Since bedtime is later on Wednesdays, because of church, I let him sleep in on Thursdays.  Whenever I get home I nurse Raegan.  Sometimes I do it while I'm reading Landon his devotions.

10:00 pm - My bedtime.  I'm usually wired and want to tell Chris all about what I learned that night.  I want to hear about his day.  And, I need to put away all the laundry I did that I piled on our bed.

All in all, Wednesday is really a catch-up day for me.  But, I don't get headaches and I don't feel like crashing into bed at 7:30 pm.  The house looks almost presentable when I turn out the lights and that's a good feeling for me.  It's ready for the other half of my week, when I work nights instead of days.

 

More to come in this series!  Next week I'll be writing about what I do when I work in the evenings.  Don't miss a post!!  Subscribe to Trial and Error Homemaking.

Trial & Error Routines: Work-Day Routine

Some of you know, I started "back to work" in October.  I say that with quotes because..
#1... I only work two days a week at this job
#2... I started waitressing in the evenings when Raegan was 6 weeks old.

Even though I had been working for months, starting back to a daytime job meant some major routine changes for us.  Raegan goes to a daycare center while I am at work.  Landon stays with my grandparents after he gets off the school bus and until I get home from work.

Working during the day means rushed mornings, packed lunches, and less time to clean the house while everyone is gone.  It also means I am even more tired than before and I started getting migraines.

It was rough for awhile.  Routines go a long way in helping me keep my sanity.  Our routine has finally settled in enough that I can share what we do to make our mornings and evenings go smoothly.

7:00 am - Wake up, nurse Raegan, make beds, showers, breakfast.  Depending on when Raegan wakes up, sometimes I nurse her before I get up.  Sometimes she isn't hungry because she ate earlier in the morning.  Landon makes his own bed. Landon eats waffles that I make up in big batches.  I just reheat 2 for him each morning.  I make myself a breakfast shake/smoothie.

7:30 am - Get dressed, get kids dressed, pack lunches.  I wish I could get into the habit of setting out clothes the night before.  But, I don't.  Most of this time is spent looking for Landon's shoes.  I pack him pretzels or cereal for snack, and a large apple for lunch.  I know, that's a terrible lunch, but he doesn't even finish the apple.   If I pack more he brings most of it home uneaten.

8:00 am - Take dog out, feed the dog, and leave for bus-stop.  Landon feeds the dog while I take the dog out for a potty break.  We start out the door at 8:00 and somehow, everyday, it takes us at least 10 minutes to travel 4 blocks to the bus-stop.

8:30 am - Hit the road.. I have a fairly long commute.  But, I budget enough time that I get to work at least 15 minutes early most of the time.

9:00 am - Drop Raegan off at daycare.  She takes about 6 oz of expressed breastmilk and 2 bottles (1 is an extra).  She rarely drinks more than 1 oz as an afternoon snack.  They also make her rice cereal with some of the milk she brings.  The day care provides baby food that she eats for morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack.  She uses disposable diapers at daycare that I send in.  If she happens to have a cloth diaper on in the morning, they just put it in her wet-bag for me and I take it later.

9:10 am - Arrive at work.  This time varies depending on how quickly Raegan settles in to play at daycare.  If I have time, I try to pump before the workday starts.  Sometimes I don't get anything.  Sometimes I can pump 4 oz.  I also have to check my email before I start to see if anyone has cancelled their appointments.

11:30 am - Visit Raegan, lunchtime feeding.  I have been making shakes and taking them for lunch so I don't have to go eat lunch myself.  I can drink them while Raegan is nursing.  Then, I can either rock her to sleep (if she hasn't already napped) or play with her for a little while.  Her teachers are very friendly and they make me feel very welcomed in her classroom.

1:00 pm - Back to work.  This is actually my first appointment slot.  I'm usually back in the office before 12:30, unless I need to run errands or actually stop to eat lunch.  I try to answer emails again before my next appointment.

2:30 pm - Pump break!  Pumping is so unpredictable.  Sometimes I get 6 oz, sometimes less than 1 oz.  I have enough milk saved in the freezer that I don't stress about how much I get.  It only takes me 10-15 minutes.

4:30 pm - Last appointment.  Email check.  Leave.  Sometimes it takes more than a hint for my last appointment to realize time is up.  I check my email one last time, file my paperwork, and pack up the for day.

4:45 pm - Pick up Raegan.  Raegan is usually sleeping when I get there so I try to gently pack her into her carseat and she sleeps the whole way home.  Her teachers give me a record of her diaper changes, feedings, and naps.

5:30 pm - Pick up Landon.  Go home. As soon as we get home, Landon starts his homework.  He does most of his math homework alone, while I let the dog out, clean up the kitchen, and get dinner ready.  Then, he does his reading homework with me (while I nurse Raegan) and we practice his spelling words.

6:30 pm - Dad comes home.  Eat.  Sometimes Chris, being the amazing husband that he is, stops to get groceries on his way home from work.  Once he's settled in, we eat dinner, then we veg out together in the living room until Landon goes to bed at 7:30.

7:30 pm - Pjs, Devotions, Bedtime.  I cannot believe my second-grader goes to bed at 7:30, but if it's any later, he is a huge grump!  We read from the The Adventure Bible Book of Devotions.  He turns on his radio and snuggles up with his one real dog and countless plush dogs.

10:00 pm - My bedtime.  Raegan still sleeps with me.  I nurse her when I'm ready for bed and she sleeps for awhile.  If she's really sound asleep, I put her in her crib and she sleep.  Otherwise we co-sleep and she nurses throughout the night.

I rarely get any housework done on the days I'm working.  If I do, it's a full dishwasher that doesn't get emptied.  On a really good day, I can do a load of laundry.  That has happened once or twice.  But, I think I've found my rhythm.  In this series, I'll share my routines for the weekend and the days I'm "off".  Don't miss a post!!  Subscribe to Trial and Error Homemaking.

What time-savers do you use to make your day go more smoothly?