Journal of a Busy Mom

living one day at a time

7 Day Challenge Day #3: Create a Morning Routine

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The third challenge in the 7 Day Challenge: Say Good bye to Survival Mode is to Create a Morning Routine. This challenge was an easy one because I already have a morning routine thanks to Flylady. I have followed her principles for many years and the one that has stuck the longest is a morning routine.

So here is mine:

Wake up between 5:15-6 am

Make bed, pick up clothes, tidy bathroom

Make coffee

Go over to-dos

Vitamins

Quiet time (30-45 minutes)

Computer time-emails, blogging, Facebook, etc

Wake up kids and get them going for school which we start at 8:30 on good days 9:00 on not so good days.

Laundry

Breakfast

Kitchen clean up

10 minute tidy

get ready for school (me get dressed, showered if needed, get school stuff ready)

What I need to adjust:

1. One of Flylady’s  mantras is “get dressed to shoes” and I don’t usually do that. I think I should, though, so I could feel more productive right off the bat. I like to walk around the park in the morning but I don’t because I am still in pjs and robe.

2. Actually getting up with my alarm. Today for example, I had a horrible night sleep and I ended up turning off the alarm. I started off on the wrong foot and feel “behind”.

Maybe I need to give myself some GRACE. I do a lot every morning. My morning routine has always helped me get things going. In fact, on days that I don’t look at routine, I feel lost. Sounds silly, but its true. So, thank you, Crystal, for reminding me of it’s importance.

Ligia

7 Day Challenge Day #2: My Gifts & Talents

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Challenge#2 was to think about my natural gifts and talents. Not an easy task. I don’t feel very gifted or talented when all I do is stay-home all day, drive the kids around, clean, cook and clean some more. I don’t feel I have much to offer when I barely get my house in order and YES I still have my Christmas tubs in my house!

But upon forced contemplation I was able to come up with a list:

1. Organization-My friends always tell me how organized I am. I have a “control center” and a “menu board”. I keep all my recipes in my recipe binder. I have a Christmas binder, for goodness sakes!
2. Throwing parties- family/friends enjoy my parties. I really try to give my 100% to throwing my children parties. Maybe it’s because I only had two birthday parties that I can remember. Or maybe it’s because I feel someday they will look back and remember with gratitude all the effort I put into making their day special.
3. Writing-Writing, like everything else, takes practice. Sometimes I feel like I can’t express what I am trying to say very well, but other times I write in my journal or I write a prayer and I blow myself away.  I used to write short stories and I really miss that. Someday, I think I’ll explore that again.
4. Rising above (resilience)- when diabetes, celiacs, dyslexia, homeschooling, and ADD came my way, I tried to tackle it head on, learn everything I needed to know to face my fears about it.
5. Creativity- I am creative. I may not come up with the ideas, but I love crafting, scrapbooking. I know I would love sewing and cake decorating if I had the time.
6. Helping others- my greatest joy is helping others who are struggling with something I am struggling with or struggled myself.
7. Teaching- I love teaching! My kids and other kids. Right now I love my K-1 movement class that I am teaching for our co-op. I am already planning what I want to teach for next year and I am so excited.
So there.
I thought of 7 really positive gifts and talents.
Actually, I thought of an 8th. The gift of compassion. It may not sound like much of a gift or talent, but this is a different gift. Along the lines of helping others, these are gifts given by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:6-8: We all have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If its is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach, if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
I can honestly say that he has given me the opportunity to exercise all of these gifts (except prophesy). I am thankful for this challenge because I realize that I am not just a Busy Mom. I am an important member of Christ’s Church and I have worth!!!
Ligia

7-Day Challenge Day #1

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Yesterday I got my first email For the 7 Day Say Good-bye to Survival Mode  but I am going to be starting today. Mondays I have a homeschool co-op from 9-4pm so I did not have a chance to check emails. Today’s Challenge is to list all my to-dos for tomorrow and cross out three. Today I am focusing on eliminating unnecessary things from my life and trying to re-prioritize.

So here is my list:

5:15 Get up For Quiet Time

Blogging

computer work

Getting kids up and ready for CBS which includes making breakfast, getting them to do morning chores, etc

9-11 am CBS-Community Bible Study

Make Lunch

Clean Kitchen

1-3:30 Homeschooling

3:45-6:00 Buddy- Stop Motion with a Friend

Make Dinner before going to gym

4:30 Go to Gym with KD

6:00 Get kids home to eat dinner and get ready for AWANAs and 180 (youth group)

6:30-8:30 Awana/180

I come home and usually clean after dinner

Watch show with hubby

Organize my desk area

Get school stuff ready for tomorrow

Pick up kids at 8:30

Bed by 9:15.

The only thing I crossed off is make dinner. I think I will try to double up on lunch and have that be dinner and lunch. Sometimes, I cook three times a day (that is exhausting). So tomorrow I will only make lunch and have dinner be left overs.

Ligia