Getting Bits Done

Today so far has been a good and productive. I have been getting up early and by doing that it has made me feel energized and it has help complete many things. I today finished my Life Coaching Course, Completed a section of my Counselling course, wrote down all the songs for my radio show on Friday, and posted my Cheat Sheet, check out my blog site: http://everyonecanbuildacastle.com/2024/07/29/weekly-cheat-sheet-acts-of-kindness/ and also my blog site: https://theparentingadventurestipsandtricks.wordpress.com/2024/07/29/weekly-cheat-sheet-five-acts-of-kindness/

What you need not all the time but at the weekends and having a good time away from normality when everything is done. 

I like getting these little bits done and then it helps free up my time to go outside when it is good weather and don't choose to many things to do but what is important. So today I booked my Diabetic Review, as I had to cancel when it was booked, I couldn't make it so I rang the doctors today to book appointment. 

Noone wants to go to the doctors if they can avoid it and I got to book the dentist, but my fear of it is what's putting me off, so I am going to get this done and book for my son and not put it off anymore.

It is good to go through from bottom to top of your house or top to bottom and just picking up bits on the floor that shouldn't be on the floor as you go, making the beds or have your kids make their own bed and do it as soon as they get up and have a good routine whereby everything is done, not having to rush, and leaves time to get other bits completed to, that aren't so important but still need to completed such as going for a coffee and gets bits to eat and today bought a new toothbrush and personal items. 

It so good to manage my time that allows you to rest, get things done and feel that the day has been good, rather than a struggle.

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Living in chaos and getting your stuff together

Do you feel that life is chaotic? Not knowing where to begin? I do put things off but I bite the bullet and just do it. You never going to write a book if you don't write or spend time outlining it or having a clean bathroom and not want to look at it so you keep the door closed and not using it to go for its purpose.

Storage for books and regularly go through them and any books that we kept donate, sell or hand them down so another child can enjoy them.

Clear the main areas in your home that is the place where you spend the most time in and the areas you need to use weekly like our bathroom, where we get ourselves clean but that not going to be possible if you can't actually get in the bath because it has a load of stuff in it.

So start with one area like the bath which you use most of the time and the toilet.

We use is the Living room and the Kitchen a lot so we clean this areas first and then clean the rest of house afterwards and main station points, like the dining table, fireplace and windowsills, then the floor and the kitchen the hob, kitchen sink and oven.

I at the moment see that one of my windowsill in the living needs tidying again and staying on top of it can be hard but not impossible to do. 

Clearing it up will take two second so as I write this blog I got up and sorted it out rather than keep looking at it and now I don't have to think about it, and so now can focus on my son eating his breakfast and getting ready for the day. 

Getting out of chaos and organise one area whilst you children have the breakfast, can literally help with wellbeing and a little does go a long way along with tasks that take up the most time, like cleaning the entire house in one day. I prefer to break it up and as thinking about doing it in one day puts me off and why it doesn't get done and like not cleaning the food cupboard all the time, but just taking a two minutes to check to see what is to be used and what I can get by as it is Saturday shopping day, that we can use up that helps to keep it tidy and is laid out so it can see everything.

Then there is bags. I am a bag clutterer and find it hard to keep them tidy so I will make sure that before I use a bag that I go through it and any recipes is in a little purse to put them in or with my Filofax which I use to go through my finances and that I go through what I have in them and if I can downsize on some days and I have been good I have stuck with my main handbag for about two years and not bought a new one and feel good about that. 

When it comes to rooms I will go through my clothes once a week to go through them and what have some clothes in Epsom and in Wimbledon so go through what I have that I can keep in Epsom and what I can keep in Wimbledon. I like having a sort through and rotate my clothes and anything that I know I am not going to wear, goes. 

So just taking two to ten minutes to just go through different places can help control the chaos. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Making time for yourself

I talk a lot about this on my other channel Everyone Can Build A Castle as part of having a better life is to having time on yourself and what you want to do.

We don't all get the chance with everyday living, but is important to have time to let the pressure go from your mind and body. I like to have time do a workout with weights and use the treadmill listening to a podcast, audiobook or music. 

Walking through Ashtead 

According to google:

The mental health benefits of spending time alone may include a more regulated mood, reduced stress, and increased creativity and productivity.

You can see friends and can be included in time for yourself as we get so caught up in the pressures of living that we can forget to enjoy it and have that you haven't seen in your life or if you just want time away from others, and have a single life, just for an hour or two, to have a mooch around the shops, read a book in the garden whilst the kids are at school then schedule and have that time or listen to an audiobook.

I talk about walking a lot, because doing my weekly walk on Thursdays as my son has after school club reminded that I have always been a walker and done some really long walks and enjoy it, I may go back into running but will see as when I began last year I picked up an injury as I raised the bar to high and became something I felt I had to do, rather than chosen to do, so for now will be walking and using my weights with a video, podcast or music. 
This feels like time for myself. There is nothing greater than being around nature and so love to walk through parks and commons, and lose myself. 
I always thought  I was a bit of a shopper, but the momentum goes and like to spend time indoors with a coffee and write, and love my first cup of tea of the day and something I have done since I can remember. 
Have free choice time, which I like to do and break up my day, having a nice lunch and then watch a bit of TV and read a book before bed. 
So have time for yourself as we have to put ourselves first at times, to recharge and refocus, to deal with daily tasks and challenges for a good wellbeing as we are all important so make sure you give the time you need. 
Many thanks for reading, 
Carrie X 

Organising for the summer holidays and half term

It is half term, well almost, and so organizing for half term can bee hard. I have been there with my son, travelled to London thinking it will stay warm and dry, with my son and got drenched, due to the heavens opening up. 

Local park where I like to walk through in Epsom

Also it's money and I am on a tight budget, so I go through ahead of time of booking my son to go to a holiday club he likes to go to, in the holidays and is a company called Youngstars: https://www.young-stars.co.uk/holiday-camps/

If not that then I look at what is available locally and living in London and Surrey they will often in certain areas have a funfair near by. It can be expensive, so I take in consideration of what is cost effective and right age of your kids, as often theme parks and funfairs have restrictions on some of the rides. 

I like to take Henry by train to different places and have a list of the places he wants to visit and check for deals on travel and what is there at the place we visit and how long it will take us to get there.  

Then it is the challenges, If there is going to be industrial action that will affect travel and have a plan B and good way to set up games that they haven't played yet, as my son has lots and check what films are on that the whole family can watch. 

At the weekend it is the FA Cup final and a great time to get out the dips and snacks or hot dogs, burgers and to have friends round who have or don't have kids, but a great event to organize a get together. To those that like football that is, and this weekend we are going to my brothers rugby club and if its not rainy play out on the large pitches it has. 

Then Monday plan to stay local but it is good to not have a plan as such but ideas. I will be seeing family in the week and so Monday perhaps is weather is good, to have a picnic and my son can go around the local parks on his scooter and when he is at the holiday club and sunny want to sit in a park and read, do some writing with a nice cold coffee and pastry. 

So you can still have time to yourself and delegate, if you can and so you not on your own trying to entertain your kids. 

Have a good weekend and have a super if possible, half term.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Managing your time

When it comes to time I find that if I don't plan ahead that my to dos take over my wellbeing and I become self destructed and overwhelmed so now I like to manage my time to make sure that it gives me a boost and I get my life together by completing tasks and setting targets for myself. 

Good book to read that has helped manage my time 

Check out this video I did for my Life Coaching Programme "Summer Project 2024" https://youtu.be/Z6MghO0ZSqQ 

I like to spend time planning my days making sure I take breaks and get some form of exercise as I can get quite stiff when seated at the table using my laptop, so breaks are essential. 

It is good to hydrate through out the day and I am not always good with water but make sure I have some and I am focusing on my eating habits at the moment as this can affect me in managing my time. As an example snacking and picking, not having a meal, especially around lunchtime.

So I have been sorting out my eating times, the type of food and concentrate on having my three meals a day. Still a working progress but been well in that I haven't gone for the biscuits.

I try not to do too much each day, but if I feel like working on other projects then I will, but keep note of my time. I ask myself, how much time can I spend on each task? 

I keep the lists I make as small as possible each day so I don't get burn out and that I know I can complete. 

Remember SMART, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relative and Time. 

How long will it take you to clean the kitchen?

What if I do the longest task first or should I get the small tasks done first and set an alarm as I do each task and what doesn't get done, can it be done tomorrow? 

I do a brain dump each Sunday and then see which day of the week I can realistically get it done. What have I got going on already planned ahead in the week, go through my list and see if there is anything overdue, to be done, and is there anything I can do on a later date.

Do you need to get up earlier or bed later? Check out the video I did today: https://youtu.be/_Hymsm7Kugk

If you have kids and work from home, can they do some chores? Can I delegate tasks to my spouse/friend/family member?

Can your kids cook a meal a week whilst you watch some TV or need to do some tasks on your laptop?

Doing a rota is a good method. When we and my husband agreed when we moved to Epsom that he will take care of upstairs and I would take care of downstairs. 

On Sundays my husband will mainly make dinner and I make the dinners in the week. 

So spread out your tasks and include breaks and then you will find that your time is with you not against you. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X  

 

Multi Tasking as a parent

I am not a fan of Multi tasking as it would burn me out, especially when it comes to being a parent. 

Focusing on one task at a time is a lot better for me. 

Image from my walk to my sons school through Ashtead

This morning I was trying to watch something on Youtube on my laptop whilst making breakfast and wasn't working and realised multitasking is not me. 

I schedule, and block my days of what I want to do on each day and of things that I need to remember like with my son's week, as he does swimming with his school and sticking this on my calendar reminds me to write on my daily and weekly task page, on One Note to focus on getting his stuff ready. 

There was a time where I was not using my google calendar because I kept getting alerts and was clogging up my email inbox and so changed it now and found a better way of using it, where this doesn't happen but still am notified and make sure that all errands for the day get done, by focussing on one thing at a time. 

I do find I can get distracted by other things so try to stay focussed but playing some music, when on the bus little to music or an audio book, and when cooking or cleaning. But focus on one thing. 

Now he does an afterschool club I will focus on walking to his school to pick him up, as the taxi he gets for school not able to pick him up, but I don't mind as I have been enjoying the walk. It is a long way but for one day, its fine and that I make sure that we get back and then have dinner and then bed, and make sure that he has bathed and concentrate on making sure he has a good nights sleep. 

In the evenings I make sure I finish on my laptop for the day so I can get his dinner ready, and we usually will cuddle up on the sofa and chill until bedtime and that he has brushed his teeth and gone to the toilet, and just focusing on making sure my son is alright, helps me then focus on myself and that I have all that I need to do for myself done to make sure I can focus on my son and just helps stop getting overwhelmed. 

As a parent there are lot of things to remember so taking my time, and thinking, when he gets up he will watch his tablet (please don't judge) its so I can get bits I need to do in the morning, then do his breakfast and then have him get dressed, get his bag ready and then wait for his taxi to take him to school and when not doing after school club, wait for him to come home. 

I hope this helps you and see that you don't have to do everything all at once, and schedule so you still get jobs and tasks done.

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Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Clean and organize one place a day

I like to take my time when it comes to cleaning and organizing. I am not always enthusiastic about cleaning or organization, but doing it step by step helps, as it helps lesson the pressure of getting it done.

My journal and drinks I love when cleaning and organizing

Getting up early has made a difference too, having a routine on a Monday setting out my week and go through my to dos, spread across the days of the week and that I don't get overwhelmed. 

Also getting some bits done the night before like clearing the dishes and setting up our mugs and Henrys glass he uses out already by the sink and kettle. Check out my cheat sheet I do each week as I did one sharing tips on Saving time. https://theparentingadventurestipsandtricks.wordpress.com/2024/04/22/new-cheat-sheet-saving-yourself-time/

Each Monday I go through my finances, going through previous week of what I have purchased and plan my spending for the week, and have no spend days and changed my budgets and make sure that I don't overspend and have money I can save and just make sure that I know what has gone out, what is going to come out and just stay on track. 

I now put up on the kitchen food that bought for meals and when they have to be used by. I am writing down what meals we are having this week and if we have enough food for meals in the week, and that it gets used, to eliminate waste. 

It then gives me time to set my projects I am working on each week and that I don't waste time and taking breaks and now I give myself Free Choice time and set it out on my google calendar.

I make sure I take a break from my laptop and no longer spend time in the evenings on it so make sure that I get things done on it in the day and then I can concentrate on making dinner, spend time with my son and wind down for the evening. It has made a real difference as I get a good night sleep. 

It is about how many hours you work but what you've done in the day that can help you have a good and feel like you've haven't done anything constructive and have just wasted a day. 

So now I prep and now ready to start another week ahead to get things done and do want I don't enjoy to what I do. 

Many thanks for reading

Carrie  X