A Simpler Schedule

The past couple of months here in the  Simply 'Burbs home, have seen some pretty significant changes. I talked a little about this in my last post (check that post out here).

So! -what did we do when we realized that life was getting too busy?

Well, this makes things sound very simplistic, but we just stopped.

And that is the very simplistic answer, but really that is about it.

I stopped scheduling so much during our week days, cut chores to the minimum, consolidated errands, and all round did less.

So, how does that look in our day to day lives?

~ We typically only have outside (drive somewhere in the car) trips for the Little Ones once or twice each week, rather than most days as we used to do.

~ We make every effort to consolidate all our errands on Saturdays, although we do often run these as family trips (time running errands together, is still time spent together!)

~ Sundays are kept as unscheduled as possible; they are family days. The last couple of week's Sundays have been spent listening to music, gardening in our yard, pottering around the house, reading ... we even (gasp) watched a movie together as a family a couple of weeks ago (something we so rarely do, it justifies mentioning!)

~ Although we still make most of our food from scratch, I'm keeping meals and snacks much simpler. Most meals are prepared with less than 15 minutes of hand's on time.

~ Rather than try to keep the house looking 'guest ready' all the time, we do a five o'clock sweep of the main living area. A five minute timer and some upbeat music, and off we go! Amazing what you can do in just five minutes. I aim to do a whole house sweep each week.

~ This last one is definitely a work in progress, but My Good Man and I are trying very hard to get more sleep, and be in bed by 10:30. This is probably the hardest aspect for me; it is just so hard to limit that little bit of down time that we have looked forward to all day.

Yard work with the Little Ones.

And the result of all this 'stopping'? We have more space and time in our days to just be;more reading, more crafting, more ... just hanging out. Stress levels have gone down for all of us, we're spending more time snuggling, playing and laughing, and less time driving around, rushing and clock watching.

Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't the ultimate cure all. And obviously, there is more to it than I could possibly cover in a single blog post. We still have full lives; with three young children, two working parents, and a home to maintain, life is never going to be dull, or empty. Some days are better, and simpler, than others.

But we're getting there!

Isn't the first step accepting there is a problem? We had a problem ... we're working our way towards a solution.


How is your schedule looking these days? Too busy? Too much rushing? Striving for balance? Feel free to share in the comments; I'd love to hear from you!

Simplicity by Default (aka When Everyone is Sick)

In the middle of the holiday celebrations, we suddenly had one, two, three Little Ones all come down with the nasty virus that has been going around. Then both of our house guests got sick, until it was just My Good Man and I who were still healthy and well. Not good.

Aside from the weepy children, the incessant hacking cough and the interrupted sleep though, there was a certain comfort to those days. We retreated from our schedule, and took to the couch with books and blankets. Simple meals and (gasp) a little television were the only distractions.

My Little Boy having a snuggle, with a Snuggie!

It was rather nice to have that snuggle in time; nothing to do and nowhere to go. It made me wonder if we shouldn't have those days more often!

I read a post by another blogger some time ago who called them Cocoon Days, those days of curling in, nesting and staying close and cozy.

So, here's to more Cocoon Days (hopefully, without the sickness next time though!)


Do you have a 'sick day' routine? Feel free to share; I'd love to hear from you!

A Breakfast Routine

But, first a little housekeeping! I'll be changing the blog schedule a little, posting four times a week, but don't worry - I'll still be here!

And now back to the post ...



I love routine and rhythm.

Really, really love!

I found the best way for us to avoid the breakfast time negotiations on what to eat, is to have a Breakfast Schedule.

 

"Let's go see what's for Breakfast today!" ... and we look on the list, and there it is.

It's hard to argue with the list! ;-)

What are your favorite breakfasts with Little Ones? How do you make your morning routine and rhythm just that little bit easier? Feel free to share in the comments below; I'd love to hear from you!