Where Does The Time Go?

Ugh. I miss blogging on a daily basis. I was born to write. I need to write. But where-oh-where am I going to find the time?

I have a writer's voice in my head. It's a welcome balance to the other noises cluttering up my brain, like complex Calculus exercises and ever-changing strategies to clear out the piles of stuff in the garage.

So, here I am, not sure if I have anything specific to say and still finding the need to hear the clack, clack, clack of the keyboard beneath my fingertips. It feels good.

I'm working my way up to another staycation. The last one, reported on in January, was chock full of potential with mediocre delivery on that promise. I think I even opted out of blogging the last two days of my five day respite. That's because little Smiley got sick and while I spent three good days clearing and organizing and being blissfully alone, the final two were spent with a feverish sweetheart attached to my chest. She slept, I watched really bad TV. I didn't complain because that is my job as a mom, to be available when my kids need me. I love it when they need me.

I also love being alone. It's so rare these days to get a full day to myself, so when I do I really live it up. I'm a planner, too, so I'm already making lists (love lists!) of possible ways I can spend my time while I'm off of work next week.

I have learned not to overpromise what I think I can get done in a day or a week. I used to make lists and assume I could get it all done. Not anymore. I make a list of options. Each day I wake up and decide which options I want to accomplish that day and I also enjoy adjusting my expectations throughout the day so that I'm not ever (well, almost never) feeling disappointed with what I did or didn't complete. It's all about quality of life in those precious all-by-myself days. I do not need the added stress of being too hard on myself with unrealistic expectations.

Maybe this staycation I'll get massages and pedicures and catch a couple of movies... in the theatre, no less.

Ah, the sweet possibility of doing whatever feels right in the moment. It's-a gonna be a good one.

Staycation - Day Two Results

Tuesday turned out to be one of those emotional roller coaster days. Monday was full of clarity and focus, as I tackled just one major task and some quick easy wins, but with Tuesday I was facing a where do I start kind of feeling. I thought I knew what I wanted to accomplish this week, but for some reason I questioned my original plan and maybe that's where I derailed.

I do have to add that the sleep was totally crappy in this house on Monday night, so Tuesday morning began cloudy and grumpy for mom and dad. I know that being tired played a role in how my day unfolded. I was a bit lost at first, but then I found my way. Hooray!

And, when I regrouped, I realized my ultimate priority for this week was not to rid us of all clutter, not to organize and finalize every little decision, but rather to set ourselves up for ongoing, smaller improvements. I now have a vision of how we can get our house to where it needs to be. Having a manageable plan is making all the difference.

Accomplishments:

• Folded all the laundry in the house (this was no easy feat)
• Changed the lines on our bed - is there anything better than clean sheets?!
• Created 3 bags worth of stuff to take to the GoodWill - more to come, I'm sure.
• Set up toys to be rotated - finally, not all toys are cluttering up our living room at the same time.

Major Progress:

• New linen closet (sort of). I had a brilliant brainstorm yesterday whilst folding laundry. I was getting frustrated with how long our towels and sheets had been sitting in our family room. The leak in our shower (and the new hole in our linen closet) created this homelessness for towels and sheets. Seemingly unrelated, I have also been recognizing that our office closet is so very under utilized. Tons of random clutter and empty space... it's screaming for a makeover. Post-makeover, the office closet is now our linen closet. It's a start in the right direction and I'm hoping that very, very, very soon we make it a priority to get shelving into this closet - it has the potential to store a ton of stuff!

Before

After

OK. Laughing here... in looking at these pictures, the 'after' shot is not all that thrilling, yet it makes me so very happy. I alone know how much work and happiness went into this potential gold mine of a clutter buster.


Down Time:

• I didn't take much 'me time' today, but that's all right. I did manage to squeeze in some movie/tv watching while I was completing other tasks. I'm happy to say I'm all caught up on Top Chef (go, Nyesha), ready for tonight's new episode. And I watched the first episode of Project Runway - All Stars (go, Mondo). I know. Try not to be jealous.

Pedometer: 6,388. Not the greatest, but then I didn't leave the house all day, so maybe it's pretty good, considering.

Staycation - Day One Results

Accomplished:

• Put up 2012 calendar
• Took down Christmas wreath from front door
• Unclogged bathroom sink
• Swapped purses - I got a new from from super good friend L from California. :)  There is just something so lovely and organized with moving from one purse to another. I also made it so I can easily swap purses out on a daily basis. I've never been good at that, but I'm learning.
• Set an appointment with a contractor for our leaking shower
• Cleaned out coat closet; organized hats, gloves, scarves, coats.

Major Progress:

• Office clutter! I made huge progress on clearing out my office/desk area. I started the day with bags labeled, Shred - Recycle - Trash - Give Away, and the rest remains because it's either needed or I haven't gotten to it yet. At the end of the week, I'll post before and after photos... not done yet, though, and don't want to spoil the surprise.

Down Time:

• Started off the day by reading in bed
• Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks
• Watched some crappy TV
• Walked around the block, breathed in fresh air, counted my blessings

Pedometer: 7,909 (it was probably a bit higher, but I didn't think to put it on first thing in the morning)

Staycation - The Beginning

I have a really good job at a really great company. In this economy, I know I'm blessed. However, with my job comes the responsibility of working during what most people experience as a Christmas break. It's our busy season, so we work.

Now that our peak time is over, I am taking a week off. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaw!

I wanted to call it a staycation (stacation?), but in looking up the definition, it appears as if I should be sitting in or by a pool, drinking and reading all day long. That's not my plan.

I plan on tearing this house apart, and putting it back together. And I'm going to call it a staycation because it's my time away from it all (the job, my wonderful husband and kids), and it's just for me. I am thrilled to put away the clutter that is piled up next to this keyboard, and the stack of I-don't-know-what's sitting on all our bookshelves.

This unhappy clutter is distracting. This house needs some organization and I'm the type of person who loves organizing, so I'm gettin' 'er done.

First order of business? I sat in bed and read for 30 minutes. I also plan to have a beer with lunch in a pub at least once this week, and to catch a movie while the rest of the world sits behind a desk.

It's all about balance.

Now, onto that pile o' clutter sitting next to me!