Daily Plan 8/1

Today's Goals:

Power Hour
Laundry Re-Boot
Prep for PTO Treasurer hand-off
Complete Wills/POA
Wind Down

Errands:

Bank Forms for PTO (Noon)
Kinko's / FedEx
Borders Sale
Bank Deposit
Shop for Dinner

Results:

A fairly successful day today.  Power Hour did not include a workout - but I did take care of my skin and dressed in something other than sweats.  All errands completed and the house is in good order for bedtime.  Congratulating myself with a glass of wine.  Slow and steady wins the race :)

Goals for 2011-12

Goals or resolutions are typically tied to the New Year.  But, when you have kids, the New Year really starts August 1st as we gear up for school.  So my goals are:

Housework:

Laundry re-boot
Shiny Sink (thank you Fly Lady)
Daily Tidy
Weekly Menu plan

Personal Care:

Face routine (Arbonne) x 2
Teeth x 2
Floss
Shower
Gym or Physical Activity x 6
Shave 3x weekly

Work:

20-30 hours per week x 30 weeks

Volunteer:

PTO
Scouts
Room Mom
5-10 hours weekly on avg.

Pamper:

Weekly manicure/pedicure (home)
Weekly mask (home)
Monthly facial (spa) - as budget allows

Misc:

Wardrobe updates
Holiday Plan
Home decor
Garden Plan
Monthly dinner party
Date night out
Date night in

Looks like a long list, but some things are basics that really shouldn't have to be put on a list (brush teeth?!).

Power Hour

What is a Power Hour?  It's a solid start to my day, accomplishing all the things I need to do to take care of me.  In the same way that paying yourself first is the first step in saving money, taking care of yourself first is the best way to make sure you are in the best shape to take care of those you love.  My Power Hour includes:

30-minute workout (cardio and/or strength)
Shower/Shave
Facial routine (Arbonne)
Brush Teeth

It seems silly to put "brush teeth" on a list, but some days it just doesn't happen - so it goes on the list.

Cheap Eats

You just have to love the family dinner that only costs $4! An old cheap dinner classic from my childhood became even cheaper thanks to savvy shopping and our backyard garden. The details:

12-count box of Old El Paso taco shells (FREE after sale price, coupon and P&G in-store rebate)
Old El Paso taco seasoning ($1.09)
1.3 lbs ground turkey ($1.99)
Mixed greens ($0.30)*
Tomatoes (FREE from the backyard)
Salsa ($0.25)*
Mexican cheese ($0.45)*

* I'm portioning out the things where I didn't use the whole container :)

Feeling very frugal = Priceless

Successful Monday

It is really amazing how much difference those few extra hours can make! With both kids in elementary school now, I am child-free from 7:30 until 3:00 five days a week. Plus, with the kids needing to be at school so early, I am "up and at 'em" before dawn - that adds even more hours to my day!

Today's accomplishments:

PTO checks and forms delivered
45 minutes (450 calories) in the gym
3 beds made
6 clean bathrooms
2 loads of laundry
purchased new soccer cleats
supervised homework
homemade gumbo

That's a day to be proud of!

The calm before the storm

As much as I dread the beginning of summer, I love the end. Vacations and camps are behind me and the chaos of fall sports and the start of the school year is still off in the distance. These are the truly lazy days of summer. A few hours at the pool before the heat index reaches triple digits, then quiet hours at home puttering around while the kids take advantage of their last week of no schedule. Saturdays are free for visits to the farmer's market and trips to the zoo. Dinners consist of whatever I thaw to throw on the grill and a bounty of summer vegetables.

This year I'm using these last few weeks of calm to catch up on projects, plan for fall/winter, and get back on track with cleaning and daily routines. School supplies are stacked neatly on the kitchen table. I can see my kitchen counter at the end of each day - and doesn't that make mornings nicer! The daily laundry cycle is re-surfacing. Lists are being made - kids clothes, Halloween costumes, Christmas (I'm anal that way). I'm even sketching out my master garden plan to expand this fall.

I know the storm is coming, but I just can't be stressed about it yet. And, who knows, this year I might even be ready for it.

Exercise interrupted

Stumbling blocks come in all forms. Illness, overscheduled days, kids and boredom have all knocked me off of the fitness wagon before - this time it's a stress fracture in my foot. So frustrating.

But this time it's different - this time I want to be working out. I'm not looking for that easy excuse. The first day I pushed through 40 minutes on the elliptical and finished my arm & abs workout. The next day I rested - no way could I run. I gave it one more day of full rest (well, as much resting as you can do with kids around). It's not getting better. Today I marched myself down to the pool and swam laps, worked out in the water with pull-ups and flutter kicks.

I will not be run off the rails. But I will be buying new shoes before I get back on that treadmill.