Doing things that aren't on any list

When it is comes to organisation there are some days where I like to do some tasks that aren't on any list, like now, illustrating my logo for my Life Coaching programme, I do each year using Canva and just going to try different ideas. 

My usual set up where I write and creating online projects if not the the dining table, on the sofa instead.

I began making my Trifle and yes planned to do this before Christmas so removed from the list and this evening I began makin it whilst making dinner. Looking at it in the fridge the Jelly has formed and now later will be adding custard. 

Also I find with To do list it can be restrictive and my mind will tell my body, "No I don't feel like doing that today" so will then answer in my mind "What is it I want to do?". 

I have been unwell so that has had an influence in what I can do with what I feel like doing. 

So I have been doing one task I planned and using the sofa as a my office and doing tasks that can be done not using the laptop. Example I set my Writing journal. 

I wrote ideas for a Cheat Sheet I do each Monday and give tips and ideas on looking after yourself and others, the home, building our feelings about getting you life somewhat together. Check out my blog Everyone can build a castle.

I wrote it down then posted it yesterday on my laptop and planning my meals for the week and watching educational videos or podcasts. I have discovered a new Youtube channel. It is live footage of Heathrow Airport and of planes taking off and landing. I know this may not excite you but as kid my nan would take us to Heathrow to watch the planes and still a love of mine. 

I find it therapeutic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwKHnAGiajM  

Okay perhaps that can be a sign of procrastination but I just like to be calm being that I have been super anxious but listening to my body and mind, have fed it what it needs. I don't want writing, feel like a chore but helps me to switch off and write what I would find interesting and like doing tasks that are not on the list at times and that I have started the day on a good note still in terms of organisation and the same when the day ends, but mixing things up.

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Getting tasks done in one go

Doing a bit a each day can help manage the tasks but I now seeing organisation differently. Doing some tasks in one go can help too. When I go through my finances I like to go through the transactions on my current account and then put it all on my spreadsheet. This means that I can focus on other things.

 Editing a vlog. I post every Wednesday and Friday. I will sometimes on the day before transfer the footage to my laptop from my camera but edit in in one go, as I can easily lose my place. 

So go through the tasks you want to do for the day and of what can be done in one go and what you can do bit by bit. 

There will be tasks that crop up so I do believe in being flexible as like now as I write this blog post, choosing music to listen to whilst I write this blog, gave me an idea of writing a list of songs I'd like to play for my radio show and so I jot it down. This will help me when planning my shows.

I do a show on Sundays 4pm to 6pm on Epsom Hospital Radio: https://www.epsomhospitalradio.org.uk/on-air/listen-live 

Some may say "Well that is a distraction" but I beg to differ. I like brainstorming ideas that come into my head as I write my blog posts as I like brainstorming and clears the distraction in fact.

When it comes to dinner if I can cook something together I will. 

Laundry? Well yes but always read the washing instructions on the clothing and check pockets as I have often forgotten and washed tissue that has ended up all over the clothing, but bedding yes and washing cushion covers and pillowcases, I would and making sure you have spares. 

Cleaning floors. The Kitchen is always done in one go as well as cleaning the kitchen sink and surfaces. 

I clean the sink everyday and the hotspots where germs can easily spread. 

Having good clear out of the fridge and bathrooms. I am lucky my husband tends to clean the bathroom but when I did I do it one go and my mum cleans in one go and the whole house. I find that too overwhelming but like the areas I have mentioned I will do one go.

I hope this has helped you and please subscribe if you wish to be notified of when I post a blog on this site and I share my content on Youtube and on social media:

Many thanks for reading.

Carrie X 

Doing to ten minute tasks or tidy 10 things

There are some tasks that can be done within 10 minutes like drying up and putting away kitchenware used at Breakfast time, then in the afternoon, items I used for my lunch and then dinner. On some days I will do laundry and go around making beds, tiding bedrooms and that my son has all he needs for school and set a challenge where he had to get dressed and tidied within 10 minutes and it worked a treat. 

There have been mornings where he has refused to get dressed and put his bed clothes away. 

I like to do a bit of tidying up in the morning to set the tone for the rest of the day. It is amazing at what you can get done in ten minutes and when using the treadmill I will often say to myself, do ten minutes then you've still done something and find myself walking for longer but helps remove the pressure of doing it. Not forcing myself but what I want to focus on, when doing tasks.

The Treadmill helps strengthen my legs as I do a long walk in the week when my son has after school club and Saturday, when I do the Parkrun. One of my life changes I have started is to make more of an effort with my appearance so I have created a routine that takes ten minutes or less and getting dressed too.

My husband bought an Airfryer and Grill in the year just gone (2024) that can bake, grill, roast and fry food for meals less than 10 minutes and saved us money at the same time.

It is good to set up challenges for myself and my son. It makes it fun and not a chore. 

It inspired me to write this blog and a parenting blog on my site The Parenting Adventures Tips and Tricks and going to complete blog for next week. 

On Friday before my son got back from school challenged myself to sort out 10 things. So I got my bags in my husbands car for when we go over to Wimbledon, put table tennis bats on the toy cupboard. No point putting these inside the cupboard as he will only get them out again. I tidied the kitchen of cups and items used for Lunch. packed my rucksack, charged up my sons tablet and actually in the end sorted more than ten things. 

So block ten minutes or do ten things and honestly it is a game changer.

I will doing some Self Development training which will be about What is Self Development and not neglecting yourself and making choices to help with your development. I will be uploaded videos to my Educational Youtube channel and blog site Everyone can build a castle.

I do have Vlog Channel and if you want to be kept up to date with my content then please subscribe.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

Getting Organised in 2025/Using my time Wisely

 As I write this blog I have a lot of clutter in the Living room windowsill and got bags that need sorting through and doing lunch. It the new year where I want to make changes and go through what is important to me right now. 

Today is my last day of the Christmas Holidays, my son has an inset day so making the most our time together and planned to go to Morden which we did and now having a nice lunch. Tomorrow it is back to normal routine so going to use my time wisely. 

It means getting my sons school uniform ready which my husband has put out ready thankfully I ordered him some new shirts for school and PE Shorts and so it all done and not having to rush which I hate.

My son is very demanding at the moment so it is challenging to get bits done and so do little bits. Just now put the shoes in the living room to the shoe rack in the Corridor by the front door. Seeing clutter does make me want to curl up in a ball and snooze but its not going to clear its self and so if I clear one item it is still contributing to having more of an organised space. Check out this printable for tips on organisation: When you feel overwhelmed.pdf turning the things off and at the weekend went through my subscriptions and deleted ones I was not using and taking off APPs on my phone. 

I journaled and wrote down random thoughts and ideas and goals. What I would like to do in 2025 and starting new challenges and experiences. 

My son starts rugby again. Yesterday was when it was supposed to start but due to the weather it got called off and so we went on a bus ride instead and picked up a few bits for dinner. We stopped for a coffee and spent morning putting make up on whilst watching something on my youtube on my phone as when I go to Wimbledon where I live with my mum and stepdad, putting make up on as we had friends over for dinner and in the evening organised my Notion planner and going through my tasks uncompleted. 

This morning I did my cheat sheet that I post each week on a Monday but have made changes by posting on my blog site Everyone Can build a castle as I was posting it on two of my sites my parenting blog, see the link if you liked to check out my Cheat Sheets: https://everyonecanbuildacastle.com/2025/01/06/new-cheat-sheet-for-2025-it-is-planning-to-build-your-life-to-be-better-than-ever/

The other thing I do is make sure I take breaks from my laptop and a good chance to get other bits done and soon I will be making dinner so I will spend this time listening to something, like music, podcast or audiobook. 

So lets get organised and start 2025 on a good note and getting back to the usual routine, now Christmas is over and now in a new year.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

  

Getting tasks done when you are waiting for something else to complete

So what I am talking about is cleaning whilst the kettle is boiling and making sure our kids are safe and okay, we take out the bins to be emptied and whilst I wait for a vlog to upload, will clean the plates, cups and other items away that we used for Breakfast.  

I am not a fan of multitasking but am a fan of using my time wisely and making sure that the important things are done. Like today I have to take a picture of a fence that has fallen down and that my son is ready for school and write this blog whilst I eat my breakfast. 

I like to make sure I do some cleaning and tidying so will take a break from my laptop to do that as I can get burn out by being on my laptop all day. I like being productive and making sure my mind is healthy and feel good each day. I do get apprehensive and have an inner fear, but have these feelings managed. My son is challenging in the mornings as he has so much energy and not plain sailing and wants my attention a lot. 

So I will get up make sure he has his breakfast, is dressed and I'm dressed and whilst we share some toast I will go on my laptop and go through my Notion plan, today I went through my diaries to go through sone important dates for next year and what I plan to do today.  

Whilst waiting for my son to come home from school will play music and exercise, mainly legs and it is items that won't leave you procrastinating or distracted by leaving the tap on for hot water to come out, unattended. 

So short tasks that can be done whilst watching the sink fill up to clean the mugs we've used and have my morning coffee and get myself set up to do bits on my laptop and vlog. 

When cooking dinner I will play music and dry up from Lunch keeping things out that I need for dinner and during the afternoon will prep for dinner, depending on what I am making for dinner and again to take a break from my laptop and if I am going upstairs take an item that needs to go upstairs and love running a bath and scrolling on my phone or listen to audiobook or music.

If it isn't a bath night for me but for my son, I will get into my PJs. 

So to save time do tasks whilst you waiting for the kettle to boil or cooking dinner, etc and remember to have breaks and in evening you wind down to have a goods night sleep and that you feel good in what you have done today.

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

My Daily Routine 2024

It is good to have a daily routine as this helps with developing new habits, like I will at 6:30am I get dressed and is when my son is supposed to put his uniform on, even though today, as I write this blog got dressed at 7:20am this morning but it is okay. As long as he puts it on and in time for when he is picked up to go to school, then that is what I focus on. 

Being flexible has helped me stay on track of my routine so this morning I won't be on my laptop only now because I will be taking a notebook to have a coffee as I have some bits to pickup like food and my husband wants a watch he has seen in one of the local charity shops and I like to check out the  clothing and accessories, then coming back home to then, use my laptop. I try to keep my time on my laptop to a minimum of an hour or two hours through the day as if I work on too much I get burn out and effects my sleep if on it in the evening so I will work on it up to 2pm each day and stop. 

Then through out the day I will tidy up the kitchen drying up the crockery used for breakfast lunch and put it all away keeping out what I will need for dinner and usually my husband will wash up and dry. Do a bit of cleaning in the other areas at home and fit in some exercise. I no longer give myself too much to do, but what I can realistically do. 

I use Notion to plan, today I am waiting for a Academic planner I got from Amazon only £5.99 (not sponsored) as I missed having physical planner as when I write it down aswell using digital resources, stays in my mind better and going to reuse my Personal Size Planner to take with me, to keep up to date with my son school events and term dates and other appointments, as I couldn't remember when I had my Mental Health Review and wrote it down on a bit of lose paper but had to go searching so to make my routine to have physical planners and diary to help. 

Having dinner at the same time has helped to wind down the evening for us to relax, catching up on TV, but on Wednesdays my son has an afterschool club so I will be walk to his school which takes about an hour and half, so my husband will cook and come back by train and picks us up. This is why it is good to be flexible, for my son as he enjoys it and it is nice to have some days where I don't cook and at the weekends we go back to our home in Wimbledon and I stopped bringing my laptop to concentrate on spending time with family and I work on the local hospital radio station and my son goes to a rugby club and I make sure that I get out and about and helps with my mental health to do different things at the weekend ready for the regular weekly routine. 

Thank you for you those who are regular viewers of this blog. I write many and if you'd like to read more blogs then please check out my Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/thetypicalLondongal/

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie X 

When you have a lot of responsibilities

It really is a funny time of year as my motivation to get things done gets harder. I feel more tired and I know it is just my body adjusting to the season because of the change of daylight. Yet I have to get up making sure my bed is made, look after my son to help make sure he is ready for the day and getting few tasks done before my son's taxi arrives to take him to school. Then once he is at school pop out if I need to pick up any groceries or other items, work on my content and then be ready for when my son returns and tidy and clean up after breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Meal we like to have shops and vegetables and mash potato 

Having a lot of responsibilities comes stress, so I take my time and give myself less to do on each day and like I am clearing out my closet and just by doing a bit each day I can already see the room take shape and have more space so I can organise my clothes. The items that has been stored, my craft items in the closet, is to go in the shed we have in our back garden which is going to be where I will be doing my crafting. 

So I am focusing on what I can do still to work towards these plans and each morning I have been working on another book and finding secondary schools and means putting other things I want to do on hold and do what I can. 

I will wash up through out the day as I don't have a dishwasher so wash by hand and that we have all eaten and that my son has his schools clothes ready along with his clothes to change into when he comes home from school.

Divide the tasks, going through what is your main focus? This time of year I do a reset programme, called, Autumn reset to get certain tasks complete to prep before the festive season and focus Christmas and holidays leading up to it and do this reset from September to October. Check out my blog Everyone can be build a castle. 

Divide your year up into quarters. we are now in the last quarter for 2024 and I use Notion to plan, google calendar and notebook. 

To plan meals I use a planner and put this up on the kitchen wall and when it comes to shopping go through what is to be used in a food cupboards and fridge, to check your essentials, like ours is bread, milk, tea bags and coffee, food, like cereal, fruit and what we drink all of the time and plenty to make a meal out of. 

So spend sometime just going through what is the first thing you want to do and put on some good tunes, audiobook or a podcast and lets spend time getting our lives together. 

Many thanks for reading,

Carrie  X