Saying Goodbye to Survival Mode Challenge--Day Three

 

I highly recommend Crystal's book, "Saying Goodbye to Survival Mode" which comes out in two weeks.  If you are tired, weary, or overwhelmed, you will find it to be a great resource.

 

Today, for the challenge, we were asked to create an evening and morning routine of five items to help our days go smoother. 

I've listed the things I'm currently doing and the things (in green font) that I'd like to add to my current routine.

 

Morning Routine:

 

1.  Wake up early and read 2 chapters of the Bible, my devotional book, a section from Early to Rise and pray.  Read a chapter or two from a non-fiction book (my current read is "Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child").

2.  Shower and get dressed.

3.  Set out the breakfast things.

4.  Light a candle or turn on worship music to set the tone for a wonderful day.

5. Prepare the school table with lessons and supplies before the noisy brood awakes.

 

 

Evening Routine:

 

1.  Put a load of laundry into the washer and fold what's in the dryer and put it away.

2.  Take my vitamins. (This is very important preparation for staying healthy and happy!)

3.  Straighten up the kitchen and run a load of dishes if possible.

4.  Read 2 chapters of the Bible and a few chapters of a fiction book.

5.  Jot down a list of priorities/chores/goals for the next day in my notebook.

Saying Goodbye to Survival Mode Challenge--Day One

I'm on the launch team for Crystal Paine's new book, Saying Goodbye to Survival Mode, so I got to read it a couple of months ago and it's really, really good!  It's a down-to-earth book that shares Crystal's heart and her struggles, and I think just about every woman out there will benefit from reading it.  It comes out in just a few weeks.  I plan to order several copies for my friends who are exhausted and overwhelmed.  If you've ever been intimidated by Moneysaving Mom or felt like you just couldn't measure up to her you will love this window into her soul!  This week, Crystal is leading a 7-Day Challenge encouraging her readers to "Say Goodbye to Survival Mode."  Today's challenge is to learn to say "No!" and to cross 3 items off of your to-do list.  Here are my 3 things I'm saying no to today:

1.  Cleaning my bedroom.  It could use a good deep-cleaning, but today, it is more important that I get the kids started on their schoolwork for this brand-new semester.

2.  Taking down the Christmas tree.  Our tree is still up because though I planned on taking it down this weekend, I ended up cleaning up an enormous broken glass mess the kids made in my homeschool closet, and I de-cluttered our school supplies once again.

3.  Making homemade bread or biscuits.  It's a chilly day and I know homemade bread would taste good with our turkey soup tonight, but I just remembered we have some sourdough loaves in the freezer.  I'll pull one of those out instead of baking my own!

This is a good exercise to get in the habit of doing because for some reason I seem to always expect more out of myself than I can accomplish in a day.  It's good to simplify!