Easy Peasy

I’ve been thinking lately about my sweet life.  As crazy as life can be, I am just struck with how good I have it.  Seriously, I am so blessed.  Lately I feel like we’ve gotten into a pretty good rhythm and some days are even…dare I say it…easy.  Here are a few things that I’ve decided have helped make my life a little easier lately.

–Connor waking up to his own alarm clock every morning.  Now he comes in my room to wake me up instead of the other way around.  Except on Wednesday’s when I have to actually look presentable for bible study so I get up at 6:00 to get ready before the insanity begins.  He wakes up in a much, much better mood this way and it has made our mornings so much easier.

–Meal planning every week.  I’ve done this here and there over the years, but now I pretty much always do unless Derek is traveling in which case our meals don’t need planning.  It doesn’t take much thought to pop chicken nuggets in the oven and microwave a Lean Cuisine tv dinner.  This weeks menu: chicken stir fry, tilapia with toasted almonds, cheeseburgers, and Catalina chicken.  (Normally I plan more than 4, but that’s all we need this week.)

–My MomAgenda All in One Folio.  I realize it’s just a glorified binder and I probably could have put something together on my own like it, but it has made organizing my life so much easier.  It comes with a calendar, all these plastic sleeves I can label, and inserts to keep every phone number, birthday, etc. you might need.  I now have a nice, organized place for school calendars, class phone lists, papers that need to be returned, school work I want to keep, bills to pay, coupons, school pictures, PTA stuff, church stuff, recipes, etc.  I use this thing every single day and I love it.

–My awesome neighbors.  Most afternoons, both boys (and the girl, too) can be found romping in the backyard with friends.  They love and I love it.  They blow off steam and play hard, and I get to fix dinner or pick up the house in peace.

–Connor’s love of the bus.  He rides both morning and afternoon now.  He loves it, and I love our amazing bus driver who says hello and good-bye to each child by name (Good morning, Mr. Connor…), gives the kids goody bags at all the major holidays, and teaches them things like ladies first.

–The teacher’s who spend time with my babies when I don’t.  We love Connor’s first grade teacher.  We love Logan’s Pre-K teachers.  And we love the sweet ladies who love on Camryn during her two mornings a week at school.  I couldn’t have asked for better teachers.

–Letting things go.  Not aiming for perfection.  My house doesn’t have to be perfect.   I don’t have to be perfect.  I don’t have to do it all and be it all.  I just gotta do my best, love on my family, and that’s enough.  Who cares if the shelves are dusty?

–Quiet time and bible study.  I just started Bible Study Fellowship a week ago, but it is already making a difference in my attitude about things.

–A great husband who cleans the kitchen every night.  I love our “I cook, you clean” agreement.  I help sometimes, but it’s 98% him.

Of course, there are also a few things that would make my life easier that I don’t do or have.

–Making lunches and packing bags the night before.  I don’t know why  I don’t do this.  Our mornings really are pretty smooth lately, but if I’m scrambling at all it’s because of those lunches.

–Laundry that magically puts itself away.  This is only a problem with my clothes.  I have no problem putting the kid’s stuff away (and Derek puts away his own.)  But mine will sit in piles for a week or two.  I drive myself crazy with this habit.

–A cleaning lady.  I know I said I let my dusty shelves go, but oh how I would love a cleaning person just once or twice a month!  This is actually something I’m trying to work into the budget.  It would be worth every penny, I know it.

Do any of you have any tricks for keeping life easy?  I’d love to hear them if you do!

3 Replies to “Easy Peasy”

  1. That momagenda looks wonderful! I wish that kind of organization would work for me, but I always forget to look at things in book form unless they are, well, books!! What makes things easy, um, easier I should say, is our family bulletin board in the kitchen. It has a monthly calendar where we can fill in all of our activities and work schedules, the kids’ chore chart, and other little notes and lists that serve as reminders because I can see them everyday in a place where I spend much of my time. The neighbors here are a godsend as well. We have five year old girls on each side, couldn’t get any better! And I’m with you on the meal planning too, we probably wouldn’t eat without it. 🙂

  2. I tried to comment yesterday, but it kept giving me an error message. Anyway, I keep life simple by not bringing work home, or home to work. As someone famouse once said…or sang…or chanted…”You’ve gotta keep ’em separated!” It works beautifully!

    BTW, I will start trying to update more often. I just don’t have many good stories to tell at the moment. I finally got on last night and “wrote” two posts.

  3. I love your tips! Hmmm. what do I do that makes life easier? I’m not quite sure! We have our routine here, but I am not sure if I have any tips. I guess for me, keeping everything digital helps. I have my calendar on my iphone, it automatically syncs with my computer. All bills are on auto bill pay…etc. That stuff helps. 🙂

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