Blog Archives
#35 Time Management Tips
Aside
Below are 35 quick tips to help you manage your time more efficiently. Try adding one a day or three a week, into your routine. They are in no particular order.
1. Make a monthly menu calendar.
2. Plan your week out on sunday night before bed.
3. Schedule multiple appointments on one day.
4. Buy groceries for the week.
5. Have the kids lay out their clothes the night before.
6. Set timers for activities like social media, email, Pinterest, etc…
7. Turn the dishwasher on before you go to bed at night.
8. Pick one or two days a week to do all the laundry, including putting it away on the same day.
9. Pull out the meat to thaw in the morning, before breakfast.
10. Use a crock pot at least once a week for dinner.
11. Delegate chores between the kids.
12. Make up the bed first thing in the morning.
13. Have a set bedtime for the kids.
14. Don’t stay up late.
15. While folding laundry review your kid’s school work for the day or week.
16. Have the kids set the table, while you are making dinner.
17. Start your day early.
18. Limit your extra curricular activities outside the home.
19. Get dressed for the day first thing in the morning.
20. Limit time on the phone.
21. Wash and cut fresh veggies and fruits right after your grocery visit.
22. Have set places for toys, towels, shoes, clothes, linens, basically everything.
23. Put things back in there place when you are done using them.
24. Exercise and Diet
25. Prep for laundry day the night before by sorting all the clothes.
26. Schedule bills a month in advance.
27. Run errands only once a week.
28. Have a regular cleaning schedule.
29. Learn to say no to outside distractions.
30. Write down your plan for the next day, the night before.
31. Tidy the house before bed.
32. Read one tip a day on time management (this will help keep you motivated).
33. Do the worst, most dreaded task first. Once completed you will notice a burst of energy!
34. Value each day, each hour, each minute, and ask yourself is this task worth this much time.
35. And last but not least, KEEP MOVING. Body at rest stays at rest, body in motion stays in motion!
1 Timothy 5:14 I desire that the younger women…guide the house.
Lord give us wisdom on how to manage our time and our days more efficiently. May we see the true value in each day and honor it with the time you have given us. In Your Name Amen
Lack Nothing!
Aside
Why do I make New Year’s Resolutions?
I make New Year’s Resolutions because we can always be better and there is something about a new year that screams do over, second chance, let’s try this again! Just like college football teams that review their previous games, we should review our previous years. Take notes, pray and search out the areas you can improve in. Professional athletes of all kinds will watch videos of themselves, they watch for weaknesses and mishaps, so the next time they don’t do the same thing. I believe we can apply that practice into our own lives. We can always improve, we can always be more (1 Thessalonians 4:10)!
How do I stick to my New Year’s Resolutions?
I first write down my New Year’s Resolutions in my prayer journal or on a piece of paper. Next, I pray over them everyday, asking God to help me in the areas of improvement and to not lean on my own ability, but on His (John 15:5). Last, I share my resolutions with someone I can trust (spouse, parent or accountability partner), someone who can encourage me when I fail or forget.
I am a proud parent of four beautiful children. Everyday I pour into their hearts and minds. I am consistently teaching them, disciplining them, and encouraging them. There are days that I feel I’m doing all three every five minutes, and yet I do this because I have high expectations for them. I want them to be the best they can be…I want them to shine like bright stars in this world and I want them to make a difference. As much as I want this for them, even more does God, our Heavenly Father, desire this for us!
Don’t settle for an okay you or even a good you, strive for great! God has high expectations for you and believe me, He’s cheering you on.
But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. -1 Thessalonians 4:10-12
Dear God, thank you for 2013, thank you for the times of laughter and thank you for the strength during the times of pain. I pray our hearts will be open to Your voice, so You can reveal the areas in our life that need improvements. Help us to not be content with who we are today, but strive to be more like You. Dear Lord, bless our new year, may we abide in You, for without You we can do nothing. In Jesus Name Amen
Let’s Go Swimming!
Aside
It’s the 1st day of Summer, the sun is shining and the beach is calling our name. We live in the sunshine state, that is surrounded by water. Every year around this time, we notice people wearing less and less, especially the closer we get to the water.
About four years ago we decided our girls wouldn’t wear those tiny little bathing suits. The colors and styles can be so cute on a little toddler’s body, but if we wouldn’t allow them to wear that when they are 15 years old, then we’re not going to let them dress that way when they are three years old.
Victoria innocently asked me the other day, while I was searching for a bathing suit online, “Why is that girl wearing just her panties and bra?” Funny but true. Society says it’s okay to wear itsy bitsy bathing suits and even encourages it, but you wouldn’t walk out of your bathroom into your living room, while guests are over, in just your panties and bra.
God has made each of our girls beautiful, from their long eye lashes to their soft tiny toes. We are raising them to dress with dignity and to honor their bodies, not to flaunt it for everyone to gawk at.
Here’s an example of our fun sandcastle beachwear….cute, stylish and you don’t have to worry about anything popping or hanging out 😉
The bathing suits are from Children’s Place and the boardshorts are from Old Navy.
Exhausting Grump!
Aside
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing” Philippians 2:14
One of my favorite verses of the Bible!
Experiment One:
*Scrunch your eyebrows downward.
*Turn your lips downward.
*Tighten your arms across your chest.
*Grumble, “I can’t!” five times.
Experiment 2:
*Relax your face.
*Raise your eyebrows.
*Smile.
*Say, ” I can do it!” five times.
What difference did you notice between the two experiments? Which one took more energy the frown or the smile? It actually takes 43 muscles to frown and only 12 muscles to smile.
So turn that frown upside down and you’ll have extra energy to play all day with a positive attitude 🙂
From The Committed Heart 