Getting Back on Track

I am finally feeling well enough to cook and clean - not up to my usual level of productivity, but getting better. I am still spending small stretches of time focusing on keeping the food down, and realistically, I still need a nap to get through the day happily, but there is still plenty of time to get things done.

Over the last two months, my schedule has been disrupted by morning sickness. Before that, I spent much more time dealing with moving my grandmother out of her apartment than working on my own home. And before that, I had an ovarian cyst that made it necessary for me to stay off my feet for most of the day. So I really haven't been on any normal household routine since August! (This makes me feel a little bit better about feeling so lost.) I've been keeping us up to date in laundry and dishes, and putting out other little fires as they come up - not the best way to do things.

I've been considering how to ease back into a more productive plan. Crystal and Monica's posts offered some good inspiration if you are working in this area too. I have considered going back on Flylady's emails for a little while, but I'm not sure I can stomach her kind of motivation (she's got a good basic system, but I'm just not a "purple puddles" kind of girl). So I've come up with a plan of my own.

Following Crystal's lead, I'm going to make a five item morning routine. I haven't decided if I want to try to get up earlier yet for certain. I am still feeling pretty tired, and I don't want to make it worse. But I love the morning, and it's usually a productive time for me. I think I'll see what my husband has to say about it.

Morning Routine

• Get up, eat something right away (keeps the queasiness away)
• Read Proverbs with DH and chat with him before he leaves for work
• Make the bed, shower, get dressed
• Do the dishes - usually putting away from the dishwasher running overnight, check menu plan for any necessary preparation
• Do a load of laundry

Later in the day, I want to practice viola for at least 15 minutes. There are many other things I want to work on, but others rely on me for this, so it's going in first.

The other approach is to make a list of things not in the routine that need doing. Some of these are weekly items (water the plants, vacuum), and I want to get back on schedule for them. Others are projects that need completing or areas where I have fallen behind. If I have the energy, I'll then have a list of things to do, instead of getting stuck in considering what I should do.

Hopefully between this and gradually getting more energy back, things will be running much more smoothly before long.