How I Plan My Week

Filling out my planner every week is for sure one of my favorite activities.  I love sitting down at my desk with my favorite drink to write out all the things that I want to accomplish in the next 7 days.  But planning is for sure the easy part.  It's a whole other thing to get myself to accomplish all (or most) of those things throughout each day.  But I love the direction that it gives my days and helps keep me going.  Especially since a lot of my days are pretty wide-open as a stay-at-home/part-time-work-at-home mom.

So, lets get into it!

1. Make a latte.  Hot latte with my homemade caramel simple syrup.

2. Gather my tools.  That includes planner and stickers, pen, and phone.

3. Sit down at my desk.  Sometimes I sit at our kitchen island or on the couch beside my husband while he watches something sports-related on his phone. Lately I've been doing it at my desk and it's fun for something different.

4. Write down weekly rhythms and any events or appointments that are already set.  I almost always do laundry and my weekly cleaning on Mondays so I try not to schedule anything else that day. And during the school year we usually go to the library on Thursday mornings for storytime and I currently work at the office every other Friday morning.  So those are often the few things in our week that are on a set schedule.  I also like to include my husbands plans, meetings, etc. because it can effect if I have extra free time in the evenings or not.

5. Check the weather. I like to see what the forecast is for the week because (in the summer anyway) I let that dictate what day I'll be doing any amount of baking or other cooking if it's going to be a hot week.  And it also helps me decide which day to do errands in town or spend time outside.

6. Decide what to do on leftover free days.  There is usually at least one free day in our week so I try to schedule a play date or go to a park and do something extra fun and special.  I don't always have a good plan for what to do on the extra free days in my week and I want to do better at being intentional in spending it wisely!  Like going to visit someone or do something meaningful.  -- I certainly feel like I have more margin in my days right now to do extra things so I want to be wise with that.

7. Look at my planner every day and check things off!  I keep my planner in the junk drawer in our kitchen (and sometimes right out on the counter) so that it's easy for me to look at as I go about my day and remind myself what I should be doing. 

8. Meal plan.  I like to meal plan after I've done my weekly planning because then I have a pretty good idea of what kind of meals will suit better on certain days or what I want to cook according to our plans or the weather. 

How about you, do you plan your days every week or each day? Do you love it? Hate it? Or not plan at all and fly by the seat of your pants? :)

Tips for Getting Things Done

I'm as good of a procrastinator as the next person, but I also hate the feeling of putting things off for too long. And of course nothing feels better than checking something off your list that's been on there for a long time. I often, if only for a brief moment, feel pretty confident I could conquer the world after such times. :D

I work full time, most of which is from my home office. It's both a luxury and not at the same time. Because sometimes it's easier to do housework than paperwork and vice versa, and distractions are often plentiful. I've found that making separate lists for work and home has really helped me in prioritizing what to do and when. And it's a lot easier to focus on what I'm doing when I'm not trying to remember everything else I have to do in the back of my head.

So if you're thinking of things you need to do while reading this, stop right now and write them down. 

Here are my favorite list-keeping tips:

1. Set a goal/deadline. It's easier to get things done if you give yourself a deadline. Even if it's one you just make up for no reason it will help motivate you to get things done. Or aim for a certain number of tasks a day. Whatever motivates you most.

2. Check things off as you go.  This helps me keep momentum. If I finish one thing I'm more likely to do another, and maybe even another. Sometimes finishing one small task and checking it off your list is all the confidence you need to tackle something more difficult.

3. Reward yourself.  (The main reason I like to finish my to-do list in the first place. :D) I usually reward myself with some quiet time reading a new book or sipping a latte while I catch up on my favorite blogs. Or go on a walk. Whatever you like to do, make yourself finish some tasks before you indulge.

So, go and be productive! :)

Why I Share My Life Online

Recently on a slow afternoon I spent some time sitting on the couch scrolling through my social media feeds on my phone. This isn't an unusual occurrence, but I was particularly struck with the realization of how encouraged, inspired, and happy I felt after looking at other people's exciting adventures and beautiful talents, rather than discontentment and inadequacy.

One friend was sharing about the process of making wedding cakes and all the time and planning that goes into it. Another friend was also doing the sitting-on-the-couch-scrolling-through-Instagram thing (yay!). And another friend was shopping around local junk shops to search for unique treasures.

The information I learned from that "couch session" isn't pivotal to my life or well being, I could go the rest of my life without knowing those things about those people and what anyone else is doing with their lives. But I felt enriched to learn about what they enjoy and how they spend their time.. Each of them inspired me in different ways to try new things, look for hidden gems in my corner of the world, and that it's okay to take it easy once in a while and sit on my couch to admire the gifts and adventures that other people have.

I'm grateful they felt free to share their talents and everyday moments with their online community, and I believe each of them did so with the intent to inspire or encourage others.

We talk a lot online about comparison and showing our real lives instead of just the cute, fun moments. And, while I'm all about being real, I do know that sharing a photo of my messy kitchen isn't going to inspire you to go clean yours. So, while we can always overdo and overuse the things we have in life, we can use the resources we have wisely, for encouragement and inspiration rather than as a source for discontentment and comparison.

Inspiration. Encouragement. Community. 

That's why I share my life online.

What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear why you share parts of your life online.

Capsule Wardrobe

I know what you're thinking, another one of those posts. Capsule wardrobes are right up there with Plexus and politics, you either love it or hate it and you certainly have a strong opinion about it. And I would've agreed with you, until yesterday.

This week has been a sluggish one for me. I don't know if it's the rainy, cloudy weather, but I've been feeling foggy lately and I'm trying to find ways to shake it so I can knock some things off my to-do list. Ironically, last Friday I shared my current desktop wallpaper that is a marble background with the words "just begin." And then yesterday I came across a blog recommended by another blogger who was being interviewed on one of my recent favorite podcasts.*

So put the two together and yesterday you would've found me in my closet putting together a capsule wardrobe.

If this sort of thing interests you at all, The Vivienne Files shares a delightfully E A S Y way to put together a capsule wardrobe in her step-by-step guide: Starting from Scratch. And she doesn't even make you include all the Common Wardrobe pieces like a white tee, chambray shirt, and little black dress (all of which I actually like, too, btw).

After months of mulling over how to perfectly coordinate my wardrobe so I could have an infinite number of outfit combinations, and then weeks of hunting for the perfect pieces to add to it, I went through my closet and put together a capsule wardrobe in about 10 minutes yesterday.**

my capsule wardrobe color palette

So what have you been thinking about lately that you need to just begin? Or what is your experience with capsule wardrobes?

*concise version 

**slightly exaggerated

Afternoon Tea

I started a fun little afternoon ritual a couple weeks ago: tea time. :) So sometime in the afternoon I make a point to sit down and have some tea and a little treat. I love finding ways throughout the day to sort of perk up my day and celebrate my finished tasks by sitting down with a cup of tea and maybe a quick read. It feels good to stop whatever I'm working on to relax and take a little break.

Last week I had Lemon French Macarons to go along with my tea, and it made me feel extra fancy and French. :D 

I recently read the book French Women Don't Get Fat and it helped spur on this new activity (I highly recommend the book! I'll dish on what I love about it, but I'll save that for some other day). 

Be daring, be different,

be impractical, be anything

that will assert integrity of

purpose and imaginative

vision against the play-it-safers,

the creatures of the commonplace,

the slaves of the ordinary.

Cecil Beaton

What is a tradition you have (or want to start) to take full advantage of each day?

Schoola (Clothes)

Schoola is basically an online thrift store, but cooler.

I first heard about it from a friend on Instagram, and she offered her referral code for free credit to try it out. And who can resist free clothes? Not me.

So I signed up. Then I shared my referral link and some friends signed up under me which gave me more credit.  And basically I've gotten some awesome clothes without paying a penny. :D

It's also a great way to get rid of clothes. Schoola will send you as many bags as you request, at no charge. And for every $5 spent on the site, $2 goes to help a school! When you order a bag you can choose which school you want to benefit from the sale of your items.  So it's for a good cause as well. :)

The following are photos of a few of my favorite purchases:

I haven't had 100% success with each of the items I received, but that just comes with online shopping. But 95% of the stuff I purchased, I've kept and LOVED. I found that searching by name brands I'm familiar with helps with finding my style of clothes or sizes that I know will fit me. If for some reason they're unable to ship an item you ordered or something comes in worse shape than advertised, they will refund the price of the item and give you $10 credit to make up for it.

If you're interested in trying it out for yourself, you can get $10 credit by signing up under My Schoola. They're also running a special 50% off + free shipping promotion right now (until 4/30) if you use the code TIME2SHOP. Plus you can share a photo of your purchase with the hashtag #SchoolaStyle to be entered in a weekly drawing for $50 credit.

Happy shopping! :)

My Favorite Day

Monday.

Yep, the day that is often dreaded as it signals the start of a new week and getting back to work after a (usually) fun, free weekend.

I like to take negative things like this as a personal challenge to turn them into something good. I'm sort of a rebel, but in a good way. :D

So, on Monday morning you can probably find me listening to my favorite inspirational music while I clean up the house and do laundry. Then I sit down with my Bible and notebook and hot cup of coffee for a break. I write down what I need to accomplish that week and some things I would like to get done if I have the time or inspiration. It's like my weekly huddle. 

Why do I bother to make this dreaded day less dreadful?

Because I believe that every day should hold something special for us to enjoy, even if it takes extra effort. I don't want to only live for the weekends, I want to wake up every day excited and ready to live it to the fullest. If I'm too busy wishing for the weekend I miss the little things that I can learn to enjoy in each day.

You are what you are doing right now.

Stop talking about

what you'll be one day.

Today is that day.

You are already something.

What kind of person are you?

What about you, what is your favorite day, and why?