3 ways to get life back to normal after the holidays

The holidays were a little crazy at our house. I overdid it and couldn't keep up. I tried to do an Advent calendar, Elf on the shelf and 25 books of Christmas in addition to all the programs, gifts, get togethers, etc. It wasn't pretty, I gave up on the Advent calendar around the 15th and we still have wrapped books under the tree.

I intend to spend this week after Christmas connecting and having fun with my family, as we are on vacation from work and school. I want to lose the pre-holiday craziness and get back to normal. Here is my plan:

• Rekindle rituals:: When we don't need a big meal on the weekends, we like to have a buffet where I cut up some meat, cheese and fruit. We did this for lunch today and the boys loved it.
• Spend time in nature:: Even though we live in the upper midwest, we have had beautiful weather for this time of year. This afternoon the boys and I spent time outside playing with Christmas toys and the sun felt so good!
• Get off the sugar and back to healthy eating:: It felt so good to get away from the Christmas goodies and get back to fruit, vegetables and real food. We made kale chips and whole wheat bread in the bread machine today to compliment the Pioneer Woman's Beef Stew.

We are going to incorporate these items during the rest of the week to continue to SLOW down and get back to normal. What works well in your family?

Month 1: Meal Planning

Shopping feels like such a waste of time. Every trip to the grocery store, Target, etc is time that I could be spending on something more important. To spend my time more intentionally...I am going to make a monthly meal & shopping plan (with a goal of moving to more than just groceries, household stuff too), so I can do most of my shopping in one trip. I'm sure I'll likely have to stop by the grocery store for milk, bread, veggies or fruit between my main trips, but it is a start.

Some of the criteria that I am working with:

• My husband isn't much of a cook, but he can put a meal in the oven or whip up a mean meatloaf or goulash. I need to tap into this more.
• He's also a bit picky and has a fish allergy.
• I try to make most of our meals from scratch and eliminate processed food.
• We eat a lot of beef. My husband grew up on a farm that raises cattle, so we get a 1/2 beef each year. However, I'd like to reduce the number of meals that consist of red meat.
• After watching Food, Inc. The scene of chickens that can't walk really stuck with me. So we don't eat many chicken breasts. Instead, we get whole chickens from a Hutterite colony.
• I would love to have a weekly meal routine like Simple Mom. Note to self: Either Dr. Oz or Dr. Weil recommended one meal including cooked tomato sauce, be sure to include this.
• Since I also want to declutter, I'd want to begin with using the food that is currently in our cupboards and freezers.

Off to work I go on my meal plan...

My reset button

I spent this past week on staycation with my two boys, savoring and enjoying the last commitment-free week before school starts. After a summer filled with many fun weekend trips (packing, unpacking, washing clothes, repeat), it was time to hit my reset button and refocus.

My approach:

• Few Expectations: I didn't approach this week with a list of things to get done or a schedule, I just took one day at a a time. I did quite a bit of de-cluttering and organizing, but I wasn't holding myself accountable to any list.
• Self-Care: This was a priority. I didn't set the alarm clock. I took advantage of the beautiful weather to go on walks and spend time at the park. I drank lots of water (funny, how I don't even crave soda when I'm not at work??) and ate real food including veggies from my garden. My Amazon order arrived just on time to dig into Rhythm of the Family, Simplicity Parenting & I Thought It was Just Me.
• Connect with my Family: Lots of free time with my 5 and 7 year old boys with few commitments was wonderful. After spending the summer doing a lot of running from place to place, they loved having days to play at home. Not to give anyone the wrong impression though...there was still plenty of the typical fighting and lots of boy energy. I think they appreciated the unstrutured time as much as I did. My poor husband had to work all week, but at least I still had more time for him.

We've done some school shopping and have run some errands, so I feel like it's also been productive. It's great we still have several days left...I plan to savor this end of summer sabatical.

My Simplify Project

I am tired and I am ready to make a change.

To be clear...I am tired of rushing from task to task: working, cooking, picking up, cleaning, doing laundry, paying bills and trying to tackle the items on my "to do" list. Is this really all there is to life for a working mom?

These things all must be done, but I need to find a better way. I feel like I'm stuck in a hamster wheel... I go to work, run errands over my lunch hour, pick up the kids, rush from task to task, fall asleep, then start all over again the next day. I spend so much time taking care of our "stuff" that I am missing out on spending time on what's most important...my family, my health and myself.

OK, enough complaining. Here is how I really want to approach life:

• Simple
• Intentional
• Mindful
• Grateful

Right now I am missing the boat. To make a change, I feel like I need to SLOW DOWN.
Over the next year I'm going to make one change each month intended to simplify my life, similar to The Happiness Project. This blog will chronicle my journey. If anyone else will find this intersting or helpful, I'm not sure, but it will keep me accountable.

Stay tuned for month one of my simplify project.