Hello again,
Today I am going to share my tips and tricks on maintaining a schedule. My life revolves around maintaining a schedule. From the second I wake up to the second my head hits the pillow I have a schedule to keep. Over the years I have learned and adapted ways to help me keep as much balance in my life as possible.
Here are my tips...
1) Planner
I am a huge fan of a planner. I started using one in January. Well, no wait, that is wrong. Before I got an actual planner I had 1 calendar for me, 1 for Mr, 1 for bills, 1 for cleaning. Basically, I had a ton of calendars all over the place and it was a mess trying to get things organized. So I purchased a MAMBI Happy Planner. Now I have one place for everything. I mean EVERYTHING! Bills, things I need to remember, appointments, what is for dinner, all of that stuff gets put in the planner and then I don't have to think about it anymore. I just give my planner a quick glance throughout the day and I get things done much easier.
2) Set an Alarm to Get Ready for Bed
I have an alarm set for 8:30 pm. It goes off every night during the week. I know when that alarm goes off it is time to wrap up whatever I am doing and start getting ready for bed. This really helps to keep us on a schedule. As long as we really make an effort to get ready for bed when the alarm sounds then we can be in bed at a reasonable hour and get enough sleep before our super early alarms go off.
3) Prep in 3 Ways
Clothes- We always lay out our clothes for the next day the night before. Then you don't have to run around looking for a pair of socks in the morning.
Coffee- My travel mug and k-cup are in place the night before. Then I hit the "on" button and get that coffee brewing.
Lunch/Snacks- I make sure whatever food, snacks, or drinks are ready to go the night before. That way, in the morning I can throw them in my tote bag and hit the door.
4) Multi Task
We try our best to get laundry done during the weekend but sometimes a load or two need to get done during the week. I will start a load when I get home from work and let it do it's thing while I get other stuff done around the house. (Just be sure to keep an ear out for when the washer clicks off)
5) Eat Dinner Early
We try our best to eat dinner before 6 pm during the week. I know that seems so early but as long as we don't have to work late, we manage to get it done. It really helps to plan meals and grocery shop in advance so all of your ingredients are ready to go. Another thing, plan on making a litle bit more so you can have it for left overs the next night. We try to have left overs (which is usually grilled chicken) at least once a week.
6) Unwind at the End of the Night
I am the first to admit that we are on the go constantly. We have been really good about taking time to unwind at the end of the night. After dinner we plop down on the couch and relax for a while before the 8:30 pm "Get ready for bed" alarm goes off.
7) No Phones in Bed
This was a tough one for me because I like to catch up on YouTube when I can. I found that when I am on my phone in bed it is harder for me to fall asleep because I am being stimulated by what I am watching. So no more! The rule in our house is: Once we are in bed, the phones go on do not disturb and they don't get looked at till the morning.
8) Noise Machine or Fan
If you live in a neighborhood like us (where your rude neighbors let their dogs bark all hours of the night) Then you need something to drown out the noise. We have a fan in our room that makes quite a bit of white noise. I turn in on the 2nd setting and sleep like a baby! It's especially helpful on the weekends when all of the lawn mowers and such start early in the morning.
9) Ask for Help When You Need It
Mr. Adela Told Me is a HUGE help to me. If I need him to do laundry, dishes, take care of dinner, or whatever he will jump right in and help. Sometimes I am worn out and I just need a break (or a nap) and he is always more than happy to carry my load.
10) Be Realistic
Don't set yourself up for failure by making a huge to do list to tackle each day. Prioritize what needs to be done and then work your way down the list. I will write 3 things I need to get done each day and as long as those 3 things are done at the end of the night I am happy, and guess what? If they don't get done, there is always tomorrow!
I hope this helped you all. I get asked all of the time how I manage a household and work full time. It isn't always easy, but if you break it down and get yourself on a schedule that you can maintain then you will succeed! Please let me know if you would like to see more posts like this. I also have a system for meal planning and cleaning that I can share if you're interested. Let me know!
Until next time...
Xoxo,
Adela
Today I am going to share my tips and tricks on maintaining a schedule. My life revolves around maintaining a schedule. From the second I wake up to the second my head hits the pillow I have a schedule to keep. Over the years I have learned and adapted ways to help me keep as much balance in my life as possible.
Here are my tips...
1) Planner
I am a huge fan of a planner. I started using one in January. Well, no wait, that is wrong. Before I got an actual planner I had 1 calendar for me, 1 for Mr, 1 for bills, 1 for cleaning. Basically, I had a ton of calendars all over the place and it was a mess trying to get things organized. So I purchased a MAMBI Happy Planner. Now I have one place for everything. I mean EVERYTHING! Bills, things I need to remember, appointments, what is for dinner, all of that stuff gets put in the planner and then I don't have to think about it anymore. I just give my planner a quick glance throughout the day and I get things done much easier.
2) Set an Alarm to Get Ready for Bed
I have an alarm set for 8:30 pm. It goes off every night during the week. I know when that alarm goes off it is time to wrap up whatever I am doing and start getting ready for bed. This really helps to keep us on a schedule. As long as we really make an effort to get ready for bed when the alarm sounds then we can be in bed at a reasonable hour and get enough sleep before our super early alarms go off.
3) Prep in 3 Ways
Clothes- We always lay out our clothes for the next day the night before. Then you don't have to run around looking for a pair of socks in the morning.
Coffee- My travel mug and k-cup are in place the night before. Then I hit the "on" button and get that coffee brewing.
Lunch/Snacks- I make sure whatever food, snacks, or drinks are ready to go the night before. That way, in the morning I can throw them in my tote bag and hit the door.
4) Multi Task
We try our best to get laundry done during the weekend but sometimes a load or two need to get done during the week. I will start a load when I get home from work and let it do it's thing while I get other stuff done around the house. (Just be sure to keep an ear out for when the washer clicks off)
5) Eat Dinner Early
We try our best to eat dinner before 6 pm during the week. I know that seems so early but as long as we don't have to work late, we manage to get it done. It really helps to plan meals and grocery shop in advance so all of your ingredients are ready to go. Another thing, plan on making a litle bit more so you can have it for left overs the next night. We try to have left overs (which is usually grilled chicken) at least once a week.
6) Unwind at the End of the Night
I am the first to admit that we are on the go constantly. We have been really good about taking time to unwind at the end of the night. After dinner we plop down on the couch and relax for a while before the 8:30 pm "Get ready for bed" alarm goes off.
7) No Phones in Bed
This was a tough one for me because I like to catch up on YouTube when I can. I found that when I am on my phone in bed it is harder for me to fall asleep because I am being stimulated by what I am watching. So no more! The rule in our house is: Once we are in bed, the phones go on do not disturb and they don't get looked at till the morning.
8) Noise Machine or Fan
If you live in a neighborhood like us (where your rude neighbors let their dogs bark all hours of the night) Then you need something to drown out the noise. We have a fan in our room that makes quite a bit of white noise. I turn in on the 2nd setting and sleep like a baby! It's especially helpful on the weekends when all of the lawn mowers and such start early in the morning.
9) Ask for Help When You Need It
Mr. Adela Told Me is a HUGE help to me. If I need him to do laundry, dishes, take care of dinner, or whatever he will jump right in and help. Sometimes I am worn out and I just need a break (or a nap) and he is always more than happy to carry my load.
10) Be Realistic
Don't set yourself up for failure by making a huge to do list to tackle each day. Prioritize what needs to be done and then work your way down the list. I will write 3 things I need to get done each day and as long as those 3 things are done at the end of the night I am happy, and guess what? If they don't get done, there is always tomorrow!
I hope this helped you all. I get asked all of the time how I manage a household and work full time. It isn't always easy, but if you break it down and get yourself on a schedule that you can maintain then you will succeed! Please let me know if you would like to see more posts like this. I also have a system for meal planning and cleaning that I can share if you're interested. Let me know!
Until next time...
Xoxo,
Adela
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