Productivity as a Coping Mechanism

I've come to realize that I am using productivity as a coping mechanism. If I have a list of 87 things to accomplish, I can't wallow or worry...I have to get them done. At the same time, I'm tired today. I have a lot to do today and probably put more on the list than the list can handle, but it keeps me going.

Weekly Spread

 Ellie had to be included this week.

Tending List

I've made some good progress on my monthly goals! I do need to a puzzle and work on weekly game nights. Why am I struggling with the fun stuff???

How are you doing?

Five on Friday: My favorite Covid19 Self-Isolating Pasttimes

For those of us not homeschooling, working 40+ hours from home, working 40+ hours in public, etc., this has been a very wild time of trying to fill hours that used to be filled with volunteering, lunches, church activities, etc. 

So, here are my five favorite self-isolating pasttimes...

1. Walking

I am really enjoying my morning walk with Ellie. We usually just do about 25 minutes.

2. Coloring

I have always liked coloring, I just never do it.

3. Baking

I have found my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and banana bread recipe. And I finally figured out how to do the make my grandma's cookies!

4. Cleaning

I have finished my spring cleaning and am working through some extra projects that I just never deal with...like cleaning out baskets and cleaning out cabinets.

5. Virtual Game Nights

We had been having regular game nights before all of this started and we have tried to continue as much as possible. 

What are your favorite things to do?

Its been 42 Days...

All I can say is WOW. This year has been the biggest dumpster fire. Its been 42 days since I last checked in. Nashville had just been hit by a devastating tornado and then the entire country went into a tailspin with the Coronavirus/Covid19 pandemic. Let me catch you up...

On March 7, I traveled to Northern Kentucky for a cousin's baby shower. On March 9, I returned home, bought carpet and went about my week. On March 13, we made the decision to begin self-isolating. I went to the grocery, a bird flew in my house, it was wild. Chris went in to his office for the last time on March 16 and we have officially been self-isolating since March 17. Today is Day 29.

I feel like I went through all the stages. Shock and panic. Inertia. Wild cleaning binges. Baking. Zoom calls. Lots more alcohol than usual. A bit of depression about the things we have to cancel. Resignation. And now, I am in a kind of zen state. I have finally found a rhythm, a sense of normalcy. Making grocery orders is less stressful.

There is one thing kind of lingering over our heads. Two weeks ago, my husband's company cut pay across the board 10%. We thought ok, this is to protect from lay-offs, furloughs, etc. Two days later, thousands of employees were furloughed. The following Monday, an email went out that said that the measures they took were not drastic enough and more furloughs were imminent. Talk about killing staff morale. We fully expect another round of furloughs to be announced Friday and are praying not to be on the list.

We have so much money wrapped up in our adoption plan and our safety net is not as plush as it once was, which is thoroughly frightening. We have already slashed our monthly budget to the bare bones and only have 3 streaming services left to slash...Netflix, Hulu and Disney+, which is only about what...$25 per month.

Anyway. I know people have it worse than we do, but the lingering threat of a furlough, the stress of waiting for adoption, the pandemic...its a lot to handle.

So, where am I now?

I have found a fun, daily rhythm.
6:00 - breakfast, get ready for the day
7:20 - Walk with Ellie
8:00 - Tidy the House and do my journaling/devotional
9:00 - Start the to do list
11:10 - Make Lunch
1:00 - Return to To Do List
3:00 - Watch the Covid 19 Conversations Instagram Live with Gretchen Rubin and Liz Craft
4:30 - Chris is usually done with work, so we go outside if the weather is favorable
6:30 - Dinner
8:00 - Shower, Dishes, Get Ready for Bed
10:00 - Bed

My goals for this week include things like Wash Windows, schedule Facebook posts for June, clean off the laundry room shelves and get our home study physical done.

Here are some things I am grateful for...

The ability to self-isolate
The ability to buy groceries online
The mostly favorable weather
Ellie and Chris
Keeping in contact with friends and family
All the essential workers
All this extra time with Chris even when I want some alone time
Entertainment companies unlocking their services to help keep us entertained
Stephen Colbert's Late Show from Home
Jimmy Fallon's Late Show from Home
Some Good News on YouTube
Here For You, a new daily podcast from the Forever35 podcast hosts
Audiobooks

Going forward, I want to blog more and I think I have hit a point in this situation where I can sit down and concentrate.


What are you grateful for? How are you doing?

March: In Like a Lion

A tornado hit Nashville last night and it was pretty devastating. It hit a lot of highly populated neighborhoods with a lot of Nashville landmarks.

On a personal note, we have a lot going on right now and we are both overwhelmed and edgy, so its been a bit rough. On one hand, February felt like it was a year long, but I also can't believe I already have to pay bills again. Isn't life weird?

Motivation for the Week

Weekly Spread

I love this book kit from Fabulously Planned. I supplemented it with some Planner Kate stickers and I used a Micron 03 and a Sharpie pen.

Goals for the Week

1. 1 hour of Digital Decluttering
2. 1 hour of Decluttering
3. 2 hours of Memory Keeping
4. 1 hour of cleaning the Laundry Room
5. Create a Budget
6. Work on scheduling Home Study Update Appointments
7. Create March Facebook Posts
8. Schedule Lunch with Chris
9. Start a Prayer Journal

Tending List for March

I didn't want to over commit to daily tasks this month because I have a lot of big tasks on my monthly list and on my weekly list.

Alright. Let's kick March's butt!

What do you have on your list for March?

Five on Friday: Netflix

So, I've basically just been clearing out my Netflix queue for the past few weeks and I want to share some of my favorite shows.

1. Locke and Key Season 1
Season one just dropped a few days ago and my husband, who hates watching episode after episode, has been completely alright with watching Locke and Key quickly.
Locke and Key is about a family who returns to the ancestral home of the father, who recently died. It is a murder mystery/fantasy.

2. Atypical Seasons 1-3
A friend recently recommended this show to me. It is about a family whose oldest son is autistic. There are three seasons and according to my internet research a fourth season hasn't been announced.

3. Grace and Frankie Season 6
Every season of Grace and Frankie makes my favorites lists. This show makes me laugh with its dysfunctional family dynamic and this season sets up the last season of the show to be beyond dysfunctional!

4. The Ranch Part 8
The Ranch finished its eight part run in January with a satisfying, but not overly heart wrenching ending.

5. The Crown Season 3
While this season was a bit slower, it was a nice introduction to the new actress that plays Queen Elizabeth.

Alright, back to Netflix...

Five on Friday: Happy Valentine's Day

It's been a while since I shared anything that I loved so here are a few of my recent favorites.

1. The Makeup Eraser
I love this reusable makeup remover. You just wet it with warm water and take your makeup off. I have two and I switch the towels out mid-week.

2. The Roku Channel
We are cord cutters and I usually stick to Hulu, Netflix and YouTube, but in January, The Roku Channel added Without a Trace and I have completely binged this series. The Roku Channel on the Roku has a lot of stuff to watch!

3. The Good Place and The Good Place Podcast
The Good Place is an amazing NBC sitcom that stars Ted Danson and Kristen Bell. It just ended a four season run by choice. It was not cancelled, they decided the story had been told. The Good Place Podcast is hosted by Marc Evan Jackson, who is an actor on the show. If you are at all interested in how TV shows are made, it is an amazing companion podcast.

4. The Pink Drink at Starbucks
I know that I am way behind the ball on this one, but until recently, if I was going to Starbucks, I needed full on caffeine, not lightly caffeinated tea.

5. Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
This is the third book in the Crazy Rich Asians series and I have to say...probably the best one of the series. I truly hope this becomes a movie.

What are your favorites this week?

Goal Getting: February 10-16

Ah, another week. I love the start of a new week when we can make a new, fresh, unspoiled to do list and then make a mess out of it.

Monday Motivation

A lot of my goals for this year include building a foundation and growing from that. Health has been an ongoing goal for years, but this year it needs to be at the forefront, because what is at the foundation of your life if not your health. And to meet this health goal, I need to move from where I am. What is more important to me...remaining healthy or the cookie from Chicken Salad Chick?

This Week's Spread

This week, I used another kit from Fabulously Planned to honor Valentine's Day. I am finally settling into my hourly planner. I struggle with not having uniformity across each day, but then, each day is not uniform.

Goals for the Week
1. Go to Mass
2. Call the Insurance about the Roof (TOP)
3. Read at least one book
4. Start a Prayer Notebook
5. Eat at the table 3 times
6. Have 2 Game Nights
7. Blog 3x
8. Disney Blog 1x
9. Start Filming YouTube again
10. Sugar/Gluten Free 5/7 Days
11. Facebook Posts
12. Organize Social Media Assets

What is your top goal this week?