Diddy Young Dancer
So, I read this post from Unclutterer.com at 530 this morning before heading out on my daily run (yes, I’m still running! woo-hoo!), which inspired me to totally automate my weekly schedule today.
Life around here since school started up again has been totally chaotic, mostly because our help situation, which was WAY over-the-top in the months after the boys were born (can we say 12 hours a day?) has settled back into a more normal 8 hours schedule, and that has simply proved to be … well … an adjustment.
THAT’s mostly because those 8 hours of babysitter time are dedicated to the boys, which is great – but I still have two girls who need to get driven to and from school, and to and from appointments and activities, so while theoretically I have 8 hours free each day, about 4 hours of that “free” time is me in the car with the girls.
Now, I love dropping my girls at school and taking them to activities. Truly. If I hadn’t been at Diddy’s ballet class last week, I never could have shot that amazing photo of Diddy looking like A Very Young Dancer (which ought to be subtitled The best book about ballet ever written how the hell could it have fallen out of print?).
But the fact is, I have to work. I have a screenplay commission to deliver, this blog to write and administer (despite the fact that this fall has kicked my blog’s ass, I do WANT to be posting more regularly), and a spec script that has so filled my every emotional cell right now that I am DESPERATE to put it to paper.
Plus a girlfriend and I are starting up a new business, which has inspired me to learn Photoshop so I can design the site for that (news soon!).
And I’ve got a husband who would like to see me once in awhile, and for whom my working until 1 am every night is not really … working.
Oh, and, sleep. Sleep would be good. Writing until 1 am and then waking up at 530 … well. Remember this? How I swore I would try better? EPIC FAIL.
Laundry. I wouldn’t mind doing laundry, now that I come to to think of it.
Yep. That’s how badly out of control my days are – I want to do laundry.
Anyway – back to Unclutterer. Thank you, Unclutterer!
First, you inspired me to WRITE this:
Checklist Mommy’s NEW Typical Schedule
Morning Home Routine
530 Run with dog
6 Drink a glass of water
605 Shower / get dressed for day
630 Wake up girls, make them breakfast, start coffee, empty dishwashers
7 Supervise girls getting dressed, make beds
730 Take girls to school (until 9 am) or:
Wake up boys, make them breakfast, get them dressed, start laundry
9 Sitter starts! Work starts!
Daytime Work Routine
9 #1 Important Writing Assignment (90 mins)
1030 Email / social media / drink a glass of water (60 mins)
1130 Lunch / home tasks (60 mins)
1230 #2 Important Writing Assignment (90 mins)
2 Email / social media / drink a glass of water (30 mins)
Afternoon & Evening Routines
230 Pick girls up at school, errands / activities
430 Start dinner
530 Dinner
630 Make lunches for tomorrow, bath time
730 Kids bedtime
Evening Work Routine
8 #3 Important Writing Assignment (90 mins)
930 Email / social media / home admin tasks / glass of water (60 mins)
1030 Organize tomorrow’s calendar, tidy office
1045 Pick out tomorrow’s clothes
11 BEDTIME!
Then, believe it or not, I did this exercise one better – I put all this stuff into my Google calendars!
Calendars, you say? PLURAL calendars?
Why, yes! MULTIPLE CALENDARS! Here’s why:
- The first is my basic APPOINTMENTS ((blue)) which is a shared calendar with my husband and our sitter, so we all know who is where and when.
- The second is my WORK ((yellow)) so I can see how many work hours I have available each day, and plan accordingly. I keep this on a separate calendar because neither MrBigIdeas nor our sitter needs to see that.
- Nor do they need to see my EXERCISE ((green)), but I do, or I don’t do it.
- EMAIL & SOCIAL MEDIA ((red)) are scheduled in, too, so that I DON’T kill time checking that stuff all day. I chose red because any time I click open Gmail or Twitter EVERYTHING. GRINDS. TO. A. HALT.
- Oh and: I’ve also got my girls’ school calendar ((different GREEN)), thanks to an administrative assistant over there who is a genius and makes it available to parents.
- Plus I use Tripit.com to organize travel plans, and that’s on my calendars, too (LIGHT BLUE).
Yeah, I know this sounds incredibly OCD. But really, I find it enormously freeing. First of all, having all this stuff on the calendars shows me when I need to switch shit up – like today, I mean, really, it’s a slaughter, I am SO not going to my gym class …
I only have 2 Work sessions, because I have Gaga’s Back to School Night, followed by dinner with friends. And I have to spend what feels like HOURS at the KIDS’s gymnastics class … but at least now I KNOW that!
And I can cope with that!
Just by moving all those little appointment boxes around!
How cool is that?
Unclutterer – I’m yours.
Thank you! Great calendar and perfect timing. I recently made a detailed calendar in Word of the 5yo and 6yo’s morning and afternoon schedules – including homework and reading time (to earn TV time). I’ve known for six years that I should make myself a daily, detailed schedule for ME but I’ve never done it. Now that we have a third child (1yo in Nov.), its evident that my time is more precious than ever. I want to get back to running so badly but had no idea where to add it in. My only option is to do it when you do – at about 5:30 but I’ve been resistant, especially since baby sometimes wakes that early. If you can do it, I can, too!
Jill, doing the 530 run is AWFUL but also: really good. There is science that shows exercise –> better, more focused, productivity, and I can say that when I run, my days ARE way more productive. Go you! That said: I didn’t pull the trigger on the runs until my youngest were 18 months. So you are way ahead of me, babe!
We use Cozi at our house and it color codes for us. I have ours broken down by family members, but I have considered having another for Bills (due dates) and I like your idea for having one specifically for appointments, especially since I am pregnant right now and have a gazillion appointments. And I love that we get a weekly agenda emailed to us every Sunday for the week ahead. Hubby doesn’t update the calendar on his own, but I know he is getting my updates now and I don’t have to worry about remembering to tell him about appointments (or telling him and then having him tell me that I absolutely did NOT tell him about it) I also have it set so he gets email reminders a day or 2 in advance of the appointments so that if he misses something on the weekly agenda, he gets a second reminder.
I have heard a lot about and Cozi and keep meaning to check it out … does it sync with Google calendar? Hmm. I think I’ll go look now!
Just discovered your blog and I’m intrigued… however, I’m a sahm to ONE little 11 month old boy and I already feel like I don’t have enough time for me / my partner / the housework / the cooking / the things I want to do… how on earth do you make it all work? Maybe there’s a thing or two I could learn here…
there is no way to get it ALL done, babe … but you can slowly figure out how to do JUST enough every day to feel like superwoman! honestly, i love this little tool to help me figure things out day to day:
http://simplemom.net/daily-docket-2-0/
good luck!
Good Lord, I am exhausted reading your calendar(s)— you are amazing. I have to say though, I too, do some things similar to you, not running, but pilates, boys (but only two), working, working on side projects blah, blah, blah… but organization is key— I thought I was organized, you’ve got me beat!
Donna, that’s hard to imagine
And I just added Pilates again … like a crazy person. Seriously, insane. We both need a few years off!