The Housewifely Routine

My contract wrapped up on Monday so for now I am officially unemployed. Don't feel sad though - very exciting things are happening on the job front for both of us - just a matter of signing paperwork now! It still means, however, that I have around nine weeks of "down time" ahead and the changes in SB's job mean it is unlikely he is going to be able to take much time off at all! Our beach holiday plans have gone down the can.

So what's a girl to do when she's on her own for a few weeks? If she's a nerdy super-planner like me, she makes a routine!

I'm wanting to embrace all the opportunities available to me - I doubt that there will be any time in the future where I will be as free to chase those opportunities as I am now (with my stupendously wonderful fiance's support). I'm also wanting to remain flexible - Bestie is on maternity leave in two weeks and I want to be as available as I can be to her and to my mum as she starts her new chemo.  Thus - the guidelines!

The weekends take care of themselves! We don't have a single weekend day free between now and Christmas and I'm so looking forward to the fun those events will entail! It's the weekdays that have the potential to drive me mental! I do deserve some time to relax - especially after the insanity of the last ten or so weeks - but I don't want to settle into the complacency of slothfulness! Likewise, I want to get some big days out in but I do need to be aware of budget - we are a one-income household as my holiday pay has already been earmarked for different things. So....

Each week will have 1-2 Weekday As, 2-3 Weekday Bs and 1 Big Day Out - in theory. Let me show you how this works for next week:

Monday - Weekday B (meeting up with @marytairua in the afternoon!)

Tuesday  - Varied Weekday B (helping Mum out with getting their house in order for C to come and stay)

Wednesday - Weekday C (heading into the city, meeting up with several different friends, big walks once in town)

Thursday - Weekday A

Friday - Work (another weekday type that will occasionally be slotted in, not frequently enough to be on the list)

Some people can be laissez-faire and blow wherever the wind blows... I just can't. I think that the routine will really help me gain everything I need out of this sabbatical from the "busy life".

So do you think I'm a giant nerd? Do you plan out your holiday time this way? How do you ensure that you have balance?

Busy, busy...

I'm keeping up with my intention to use downtime efficiently at the moment - the reality is that I need to if I am to keep things in order. My days are really full at the moment so it's good to be able to use that quiet time before a class begins to check on net stuff for the business and The Shrinking Violets - or in this case talk to you!

What's making my life so busy? Here's a sample week :)

Monday - wake, check emails and read RSS to do with the business, work day-job 8.20-4.30, home (where I do more business stuff, more wedding planning, exercise, marking of students' work and try and be a good housewife!) - I'm hoping to add in a hot yin yoga class this day also.
Tuesday - same as Monday, with the addition of aquarobics in the evening
Wednesday - early work finish of 3 pm, this is generally when I try and complete major errands and decent cardio exercise
Thursday - same as Monday, considering adding in an additional aquarobics class
Friday - same as Monday, usually date night for SB and I

The weekends tend to be solidly packed with social/personal commitments at the moment, surprising because in previous years they have tended to drop off in winter. Things are only set to get busier in the next couple of weeks as I'll be taking on tutoring for extra cash. It might seems like this is crazy or really unenjoyable but I'm loving it. I feel fulfilled in almost every area of that life and that's a good place for me. I have my phone diary and task list to keep me in line and this works well for me :) I know it seems pretty peculiar to my friends that we're booking out coffee for three weeks ahead but if it's what makes it work, it makes it work.

I guess what I'm trying to say, Scribblettes, is don't let others judge you for the way you live your life. I know that some people think I'm taking on a lot, but I'm happy. If you are happy with the way you live your life (and the people that are important to you aren't disadvantaged), do what makes you happy. After all, isn't that what really matters?

Waiting, waiting, waiting

If you know me IRL, you'd know that patience is something I struggle with. Why put off tomorrow what you can do today? I'm sure I drove SB up the wall while I was waiting for him to propose. I was mentioning to my mum the other day that sometimes I feel like saying "Stuff the wedding, I just want to be married now!". I'm sure I would ultimately regret that decision but it does show my impatience when waiting for exciting things!

I'm trying to foster patience at the moment for a multitude of different things:

• my business logo is currently being designed by Nikki Hassett. As soon as I sent the email I was so excited to see what she could come up with... now I need to be quiet and let her work!
• launching the business - once I've created my corporate identity, all systems are go!
• more sports bras from We Love Colors (free shipping to Australia and New Zealand at the moment) but I need to wait until next payday when it isn't so much of a stretch
• trying on wedding dresses! I set a size goal to get to, I'm going to make myself stick to it!
• my students! They can be a trying bunch, they just don't seem to realise how serious their assessments are this year and it can be so frustrating!

I am aware that when I am "waiting", I'm also avoiding living in the moment. I keep telling myself to focus on what I can do and not what I cannot yet do... or in the case of my students, what is completely outside of my control!

Scribblettes, do you often find yourself waiting? What are you waiting for?

I'm on a buzz...

I have SO much energy at the moment! I had a nutritional consultation on Tuesday morning and definitely got given some "food for thought". You'll be able to read more on The Shrinking Violets tomorrow about the rest of the consult, but one of the biggest changes to come out of it is my new-found love for green smoothies!

Now maybe I am totally the last one on the boat about this but wow! The recipe I'm following is so easy - one chopped up banana, two cups green leafy vegetables (any) and two pieces of any type of fruit. I whizz it all up in my "Amazing Bullet" and it's a deliciously creamy start to the day. Before anything else I've had a good solid shot of nutrients and it really seems to be putting me off on the right foot :)

So what have I been doing with this new boost of energy? It's school holidays at the moment so I've been tearing through the house on a cleaning and organisational bender. Yesterday I tackled our kitchen - it is tiny so it doesn't take a heck of a lot to make it cluttered and hard to use. Reshuffling cabinets and putting things in places according to frequency of use. One thing I won't miss when we move on from this place (don't worry, no plans to move yet!) is that tiny kitchen!

Today I ventured outside the house to get some storage solutions for a few areas in the house that were bugging me. Being winter, a lot of the outer layers of clothing I wear can get more than one use; I feel weird about putting these items back in the dresser or wardrobe. I've been using my "floordrobe" but it's so untidy. I grabbed a flexi-bin that fits neatly between my bedside table and the wall - amazing the difference that it makes!

I also tackled that abyss known as the bathroom cupboard under the sink with seven containers - we now have cleaning (mouthwash, soaps, shampoos, etc), grooming (manicure kits, creams, hair spray, etc), contacts equipment, face cloths, medical (pills, plasters, ointments, creams), first aid kit and *ahem* lady stuff (tampons, etc). I got rid of so many expired items that I am sure we have been dragging from house to house and NEVER use.

So I haven't had the most thrilling holiday, but I'm feeling good with how productive I have been. How about you, Scribblettes? Does it give you a kick to see things well-organised or are you far more laissez-faire?

Holiday Routine

The past few weeks have been so choppy-changey that it has been hard to get any sort of order to them. Christmas was quite time-consuming this year as I took on Christmas dinner for SB's family and more responsibilities for food prep for my family's big Boxing Day do. We barely had time to let the turkey settle before we were off on the road for five days of holiday fun! We've been back since Monday night but with SB still on holiday we've been a little bit up in the air with what we are doing each day... and that's been great for the spirit but not so good for my fitness and health goals.

With SB heading back to work, I figured that it is time for me to get back into a routine as well. I want to make the best use of the time available to me. I've crafted a time-table to ensure I get the maximum benefit out of my days. It's completely flexible as I want to take full advantage of opportunities to socialise with my lovely friends but should hopefully get me off my rear on those days when I have absolutely nothing on. You know the ones where you just sit around like a vegetable watching day-time tele? Not for me anymore.

The Sensational Scribbles Mon-Fri Holiday Timetable

6:30-6:45 Get out of bed

6:45-7:30 Breakfast w. SB

7:30-7:45 E-Admin (emails, banking, whatevs)

7:45-8:15 Chores

8:15-9:15 Workout (this time is sacrosanct and won't be changed even on a social day)

9:15-10:00 Have a shower and get dressed/ready for the day

10:00-12:00 Computer time (I have a couple of little projects I'm working on over the holidays)

12:00-12:30 Lunch time

12:30-2:30 GOOTGH time (get out of the g*ddamn house time - the park, the library, just somewhere that isn't the house)

2:30-5:30 Chores/Chillaxing time (once chores are done, I can relax, read a book, whatever)

5:30 onwards - dinner prep, SB comes home, maybe a walk after dinner

By sticking to this schedule, I think I can make the most of the three weeks of holiday I have left while still feeling like I have a holiday.

How about you Scribblettes? Do you structure your down-time or are you more of a free spirit?