Phew! Life has been so hectic these days, well at least for me. Each day went by like a swift moment. Woke up early in the morning; the next thing I know it is lunch time already that I haven't even finish the coffee I made in the morning! I wish I can slow down a lil bit but when I think of parts to be skipped, I gave up. I need to do it all, I mean all the routines I have to go through from the moment I open my eyes in the morning to the moment I finally close my eyes to sleep at night. Frantic morning, frantic workload, frantic evening traffic, frantic dinnertime, frantic bedtime. Frantic, agitated, distress. Do these words sound familiar to you too? We have to rush to complete one task because we need to rush another one! One after another and it goes again and again. No ends, no corners like a circle. A very vicious circle. I have realized this circle is not going to do me any better, it only makes me more stressful each day. Then it strikes me that I need to stop just for a while, get a pen and a paper to list down of areas I need to improve and possible ways to help me improve. Here's what I do (and still improving) :
1. Have things ready the night before (Grab and go concept)
In my case, I need to prepare my son's bag because we send him to a babysitter every morning. I also need to match my handbag with my outfit, and all important things need to be in that particular handbag.
For son's bag :
I have grouped his outfits (He needs 3 pairs a day), diapers, drink bottle, milk bottle, clean towel and his lunchbox (I cook every morning).
For my stuffs :
I identified beforehand the outfit I want to wear for the next day. I even think of labeling them (Monday to Friday) so that I will just grab and wear it. Maybe I'll do that soon. If I haven't got them ironed during the weekend, I make sure I iron it the night before no matter how tired I am. I even sit on a chair while ironing (that tired huh?) but who cares, as long as the work is done!.
The tricky part is changing handbag and transferring all stuffs. This is when the handbag organizer comes to rescue. There are various designs and sizes of this organizer, choose them based on your need. In this handbag organizer, I have few other small bags including my makeup bags, coins bag and brooches bag. Will blog more details on how I organize my handbag organizer in another entry. Here's the photos of my handbag organizer.
So where did I put all these bags? In a cute box which I call the 'Grab and Go' box, close to the entrance door. It contains all the important stuffs that need to go out with me. You can purchase any box or basket you like based on your needs (Daiso is my favourite place for cute plastic baskets), or you can do-it-yourself and decorate your baby's milk boxes with wrapping paper or cloth. (Tutorial coming soon!). Here's how mine looks like, with mommy's and son's bags. I may get a bigger one to cater more bags. In the meantime, just grab it and go!
2. Wake up 10 minutes earlier each day
The key is to wake up before your kids do. I usually woke up at 6.30a.m. When I decided to to this, I woke up at 6.20 a.m. Few days later I woke up at 6.10 a.m. Until I reached the desired and suitable time, I stop there and make it a routine. The reason is, I need to tell myself (and body) that I am making a progress and it is something to be proud of. (Who doesn't like progress?). You just have to push a little harder than usual. That 'little' progress is for your own happiness that you are going to be thankful later. Yes, I had a hard time to wake up too, especially after a long and tiring night. Don't be too hard on yourself, only be a bit more discipline.
With that extra 10 minutes each morning, I usually add a light exercise to my schedule. Trust me this exercise, though may seem tiring, will make you feel fresher and more energetic. I didn't do much, but I have a note on what to do each day. I recommend you have a small exercise note so you don't forget what to do or how many to do. My favourite is 'plank' (see photo below). 30 seconds of planking is enough to leave you breathless. You may search for 'morning exercise for beginner' and choose the one that suits you. Here is some example. Again, discipline is needed here!
Source :http://anytimehealth.com.au
For mom with small baby who wakes up as early as you do, try this :
Source : http://anytimehealth.com.au/
Isn't this cute?
3. Have checklist for everything!
Carry a small notebook with you everywhere you go. Take at least 10 minutes at night to list down all the things need to be done for the next day. I don't suggest to mix personal with work related stuffs. I have different planner for work, simply because I don't like thinking about work while having good time at home! Here are some suggestions on things that need to be listed :
To-do Checklist
All of us are familiar with this list, some even expert at it.
Cleaning Checklist
Have a daily checklist on area you want to clean each day. For example, if you do laundry 3 times a week like I did, you may put 'To do laundry' on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. Here's an example.
Menu List
I don't spend much time thinking and wondering what to cook tonight. I have menu list written nicely so I just grab whatever menu we agree on having as dinner and go cook it! In next entry Insya Allah, I will share on how I manage my cooking time. I usually cook my son's lunch in the morning and bring it along to the babysitter's house. I will try my best to cook dinner every day after coming home from work, unless I reach home really late.
I wish I can share more here but time is so limited. Part 2 of these tips will be coming soon!
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