Nix9to5 » Time Management

WAHM Office Hours, Part Two

Nicci — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:00:35 +0000

In part one of “WAHM Office Hours,” I wrote about how staying up all night to get your work done is not the most effective use of your time. After all, if you are tired, you are never at your most productive. When I’m sleep starved, I think less clearly and do everything more slowly. Being slow and dull-witted are definitely not desirable traits in a copywriter. In fact, I can’t think of any occupation in which being dim and unproductive is a a requisite for hiring or promotion.

So how do you organize your time so that you can get everything done without burning the midnight oil? Well . . . to be honest, I haven’t completely figured that out. But I do know that MOST nights, I go to bed later than I’d like, but I don’t stay up until ridiculous hours. I also know that, if I were better at following my own advice, I could get to bed at a reasonable hour without sacrificing my to-do list.

I think it is very important to schedule “office hours” for yourself. When I set office hours, it helps me really focus on my work. If I’m working from the couch (like I am now), then it is too easy to watch what’s happening on TV (Clemson is up 17-14 over W. Virginia), to check Facebook (it’s my move on Words With Friends), or to peek at Pinterest (I could make “snowmen on a stick” for Bear’s breakfast using banana slices and apple pieces–how cute is that?!).

That’s not to say I never get distracted when I’m working from my home office, but I’m generally better able to keep it in check. It also signals to Hot Husband and Bear that I am working and not available for minor emergencies like locating keys or wiping pee dribbles off the toilet rim. Mostly, though, it helps me maintain my focus, so I even work from the office when I’m home alone. If you do not have an office in your home or a room that can be used as an office, consider making a designated work space for yourself. This may be putting a small desk in the corner of a room or even clearing a corner of the kitchen table and setting it up for use as soon as the dishes are cleared away. As long as you have a place where you can work, a place that helps you switch from parent/homemaker/chef to employee/entrepreneur, that will do just fine.

Home office in a closet. Love it.

As for setting office hours, that’s actually a new development for me, but one that has already boosted my productivity. Between Mother’s Day Out and generous in-laws, I am virtually guaranteed 8-12 hours a week of work time. It is shocking how easy it is to fritter that time away. By considering those hours to be my “office hours,” I eliminate time wasters, I dedicate time to work rather than errands, and I get much more accomplished. The first time I implemented WAHM office hours, I got nearly twice the work done (seven web pages written) and still had time to get my car battery checked; deal with the plumber; wash, dry, and PUT AWAY laundry; vacuum the house; and spend half an hour on the treadmill. Not bad, eh?

The great thing about being a WAHM is the flexibility in the hours. I don’t have to adhere to office hours each day. In fact, I don’t even have office hours each day. Instead, I look at one week at a time and plan my hours around the week. Here is how my office hours work in practice.

Bear has MDO on Tuesday and Thursday? Then office hours are 10-2 on Tuesday and Thursday. Oh–wait. I need to buy groceries and get my oil changed on Thursday. That means I can’t be behind a desk all day Thursday. So now office hours are 10-2 on Tuesday and 12-2 on Thursday. Beela and Papa can watch Bear on Monday, so I’ll have office hours from 10-3 on Monday. Hm–let’s see. My project list is too big to complete in only 11 hours of work. I’ll need to add in some hours during naps and in the evenings . . .

It’s not a complicated planning process. It’s mostly a matter of looking for pockets of time and committing myself to working during them. Some days “office hours” may only be an hour in the evening. Some days, I’m off work. By setting designated times to work, however, I make sure that I’m not procrastinating and ending up with more days “off” than I intended.

When setting your own office hours, there are really only a few things to keep in mind:

When can you reasonably work uninterrupted?
What goals/tasks can you reasonably accomplish during that time?
During what times of the day or evening are you sharpest and most productive?
What other non-employment obligations must you complete during the week?
Will your hours significantly impact quality time with your family?

If you plan on working for several hours every night after your children are in bed, when are you going to have time with your spouse? If you plan on popping your kids in front of the TV for two or three hours every afternoon, when are you going to play with them. Most people choose to work from home for the flexibility and the increased family time. If you aren’t careful, you can end up sacrificing that time.

As in anything else, working from home requires a careful balance of priorities. Setting flexible office hours helps you create that balance.

If you work at home, do you keep office hours? Are they rigid or flexible? Morning, evening, or scattered pockets throughout the day? I’m interested to hear what works best for you.

WAHM Office Hours, Part One

Nicci — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:18:21 +0000

The Nix9to5 blog was actually named by Amazing Amanda. I’m a little (lot) disappointed that I didn’t come up with it myself, because, well, I think the pun with my name is just so stinkin’ clever–you can also access this site via http://nics9to5.com. And I really don’t like it when people are cleverer than me. (Note: I was trying to be funny in using “cleverer,” and then I realized it is the recommended grammatical construction, so . . . yeah.) Anyway, when she came up with the name, I had no idea how true the name would become. I not only nixed the 9 to 5 in becoming a work at home mom, but “Nic’s 9 to 5″ is certainly different from most other people’s 9 to 5. Though I try to give myself scheduled office hours, even the attempt is pretty laughable at this point.

Most of my work is done while Bear is at Mother’s Day Out or playing with his Beela and Papa. However, there is generally more work than I can successfully complete in these roughly 14 hours per week of child-free work time. I also have to squeeze in working during Bear’s increasingly short naps and after he goes to bed at increasingly later times. I tell you what, I would kill for his ability to fight a nap or bedtime. If I didn’t need to sleep, I could get so much more done.

I’m trying to be more productive in short bursts of time, and I’m trying to develop better sleep habits so I’m able to work effectively without getting run down. I’m not the only mom, work-at-home or otherwise, who loses sleep in the attempt to Do It All.

Earlier tonight, I read an article on the At Home Mom Blog entitled “WAHM Advice: Pulling All-Nighters.” Now, in college, as the Queen of Procrastination, I was also the Queen of All-Nighters. I would stay up until early morning completing assignments, and then, rather than trying to sleep an hour or so before the alarm went off, I’d just stay up, knowing that there was no way I’d get to class if I went to sleep. Instead, I’d go to class, eat lunch, and come back to the dorm to sleep for a few hours before starting all over.

Now, however, an all-nighter won’t work for me at all, even if I’m desperate to accomplish things. That’s because staying up all night means excessive fatigue the next day. If I’m too tired, I can’t get any work done the next day and I am a colossal grump with Bear and Hot Husband and anyone else I encounter. One thing every mom of a three year old needs is patience; without sleep, I have none.

Unfortunately, sometimes you still have to stay up to get it all done–or even to get enough done to get by. The At Home Mom Blog gives the following advice for pulling an all-nighter, but I’m not sure I agree with all of the tips:

Take a Nap – If you have to stay up late working, you may not be able to function without a nap. I’ve certainly had to succumb to the lure of a nap a time or twenty, but I think it is much better to work through the nap and do your sleeping at night, rather than working at night and sleeping through the day.
Coffee – Mmmm . . . glorious coffee. I can’t start the day without it, but I don’t want to be drinking it at night to help me stay awake. That would wreck my sleep habits even worse than they are. On mornings after I’ve worked late, though, I’ll add a second, or even third, ~~pot~~ cup to help me get going.
Organization – I’m thinking that if I were better at organization, I wouldn’t have to work late so often. However, if you are working late, having a focused, organized task list can help you stay on track and finish more quickly.
Support – According to the At Home Mom Blog, “I find it very nice to have the connection on Twitter with other moms who are up late. It doesn`t necessarily help you stay awake, but it does make you feel less alone.” My advice? Don’t even THINK about looking at Twitter, or Facebook, or Pinterest, or ANYTHING BUT WORK. These are huge time sucks, and if you’d quit tweeting about how hard it is to be up late, and start working instead, you could get your happy little self in bed a lot sooner.
Fun - I’m all for taking little breaks to reward yourself and to refresh your brain after a predetermined amount of work and for a predetermined set of time, but not at midnight. Finish your work. Go to bed. Fun can wait until tomorrow. Would you rather spend a half hour watching TV infomercials in the middle of the night tonight, or finish working half an hour sooner and get to bed?
Exercise – When you are working into the wee hours of the morning, and you absolutely have to finish your project, getting up and out of your seat can help. Walk around the house, stretch, or do something to get your blood going and give you a little boost of energy. I’m not saying you should haul out your Jillian Michaels DVD at 2 a.m.–just wiggle a little to give yourself a mental break and a physical break from sitting so long.

My advice on pulling all-nighters is don’t do it. Trust me–I understand that every so often, you may have to, but don’t make a habit of it. Working when you should be sleeping is often a result of procrastination and poor prioritizing. Tomorrow, I’ll write more about keeping “Office Hours” as a WAHM, how to avoid all-nighters, and how to handle it if you’re forced to work third shift hours.

Productivity Apps for WAHMs

Nicci — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:41 +0000

I think one of the biggest struggles for work at home moms is organizing time and tasks for optimum productivity. Prioritizing tasks, taking advantage of “downtime” (ha), avoiding time sucks (Pinterest, anyone?), and keeping up with never-ending to-do lists is a challenge for anyone, but especially for someone working from a home office–or even from the kitchen table or living room couch–with a mountain of laundry in the next room and a toddler pulling on her shirttail. Of course, moms who work outside the home and stay at home moms struggle with balancing tasks and to-dos as well, and most of us could stand to be a little more organized and a little more productive.

I’m becoming much more aware of the necessity of organizing tasks on-the-go as well as at home. Over the holidays, we took a 12-hour road trip to visit family (including the Amazing Amanda). Knowing I’d have 24 hours in the car, I bought a car charger for my laptop and got ready to be held captive by my work while I was held captive in the passenger seat. Unfortunately, my laptop battery is completely, unchargeably dead, and the adapter I bought did not have enough oomph to power my laptop. In that 24 hours in the car, I got ONE article written. *sigh*

Because I was away from home, I wanted a good way to organize and check off my work to-do list. At first, I tried using a gTask Android app on my phone to integrate Google Tasks from Google Calendar. If you are looking for a completely basic to do list, Google Tasks and the gTask app will work fine. I find Google Tasks to be a little too basic, though. I can’t prioritize tasks, and I can’t have different colored labels for different task lists (I’m wanting separate to-do lists for each client and for personal tasks).

Because I’m not enamored of Google Tasks (which is sad because I heart Google), I’m moving on to something else. Currently, I’m trying Wunderlist. I like how Wunderlist allows me to easily see my separate task lists and to display a single list or all my lists. I can view by day, week, or more. Wunderlist also sends me an email each day I have tasks to complete (read: daily). But still, with Wunderlist on my PC, I have to open a new window and can’t simply work from my Google account. I know, I know–not a huge problem in any way, but it’s still not quite what I’m looking for. I have to juggle enough tasks–I don’t want to juggle task apps as well.

Beyond to-do list apps and task apps, I need to find some productivity apps for managing my documents as well. Currently, I’m researching the oh-so-generic term “productivity apps” to see what I think will solve all of my organizational dilemmas as a self-employed freelancer/blogger/household manager/(insert whatever else I’m forgetting here). If I discover the perfect app to organize it all and make productive use of my time, I’ll be sure to pass it on to you. The next apps I’m planning to research and try are as follows (if you have tried any of these, please let me know what you think of them):

In the meantime, have you discovered a can’t-live-without app? What are your favorite task managers/organizers/productivity apps?

Being a WAHM: What Doesn’t Work

Nicci — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:00:26 +0000

When I first started working from home, I did so with a complete fervor and dedication. I mean, I had to make this work. I was terrified that we wouldn’t be able to pay bills or that I’d have to go back to working outside the home and leaving my sweet boy every day. I worked late hours. I budgeted and clipped coupons and watched sales and scoured deal sites and coupon blogs. Whatever I didn’t earn through working, I made up through savvy shopping.

When everything worked out fine, I got a little lax.

I procrastinated writing assignments. I stopped watching the sales so closely. I let the coupon inserts pile up and remain largely untouched.

My income went down as I stopped getting quite so much work done. Our expenses went up as I stopped being so vigilant about shopping wisely. I started spending more on luxuries as well as necessities.

Procrastination and spending freely do not work well with being a Work at Home Mom.

I’ve been looking at my billing and our bills, and I realize that I need to get back to that dedication I had in the beginning. My office desk has become cluttered with arts and crafts supplies for me and for Bear. I need to clear it back off and move my laptop from the living room couch back into the office. I really think working from my desk helps signal “WORK,” not only to me, but to Hot Husband and Bear as well. I mean, if I’m typing on the couch, how do they know whether I’m working or browsing Pinterest or playing Words with Friends on Facebook? They are much less likely to interrupt me if I’m at my desk. Well–Hot Husband is. Bear knows no boundaries–including bathrooms. Sometimes, mama just wants to pee in peace, am I right?

I also think it helps to reframe how I think about some of my leisure time. Let’s say I decide to spend a half-hour catching up on Facebook statuses or reading the news or getting clever ideas off of Pinterest. Half an hour doesn’t sound so bad, does it? Now, if I look at it from the perspective of work, depending on the client, in that same half hour I’m messing around on the internet or watching TV or making some crafty whatnot for the house, I could be earning up to $55. Seriously, if you tried to CHARGE me $55 (or even $15 on my lowest paying projects) to use the internet for half an hour, I’d think you were out of your ever-lovin’ mind. If I start thinking of my time-wasters as expenses, I’m much less likely to waste that time.

It’s amazing what you can do (or do without) when you put a price tag on it. Several years ago, I was in a body transformation contest. The grand prize was $50,000. In twelve weeks, I did not cheat one time. I didn’t eat anything unhealthy, didn’t splurge for special occasions, and never missed a workout. I went from a size 14 to a size 4 during those twelve weeks. The way I managed to stay dedicated is that every time I was tempted to cheat, I told myself one of two things:

“The person who wins this contest isn’t skipping any workouts/eating dessert.”
“Man, that (cheesecake, nap, Mexican dinner) sounds good, but not as good as $50,000.”

I didn’t win the contest, but in looking at my before/after shots compared with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners, I feel certain that I was at least a contender. And a size 4. I accomplished that through hard work and a change in perspective. I’m going to apply that same perspective–a sort of cost-benefit analysis–to my work from now on, which should quite literally yield a bigger payout.

I also began the daunting task of organizing my coupons again, throwing out expired inserts and organizing current ones. It’s back to the coupon blogs for me. There is no sense paying $0.50 for a can of green beans (which we go through like crazy around here) when I can get them for $0.09 cents a piece with coupon matchups.

It’s a return to a strong work ethic and a frugal mindset for me.

Being a WAHM is one of my greatest rewards. I’m not going to let procrastination and frivolous spending ruin this gift. I worked hard to earn it, and I’m going to work hard to keep it.

“The Hurrier I Go, the Behinder I Get.”

Nicci — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:00:57 +0000

I saw that quote on a poster in one of my elementary or junior high classes when I was growing up. I don’t know which class, and I don’t know why it stuck with me, but it has certainly seemed to relate to my life lately.

A few weeks ago, I had a crazy-busy week with trying to meet work deadlines before the end of the month while simultaneously preparing for Hot Husband’s 80′s theme birthday party by making a Pac Man cake, cleaning furiously, preparing snacks, decorating, and putting together an awesome 80′s costume. Somehow, despite my stress and my unwavering belief that I couldn’t pull it off, everything got done, and got done well.

Here we are just a few weeks later–the house is messy again, I’m behind on work again, I haven’t been working out, my fridge is empty, and I just realized I have fewer than three weeks to come up with a theme for Bear’s third birthday and plan the party. At the end of September, I thought I was really getting it together. Today, I have no idea how I ever got so close to caught up or how I’ll get there again.

Does anyone else feel like you can’t let it go for even a second or it all falls apart? I think constant vigilance must be the key to success.

I think when I was writing about planning the birthday party, I promised some pictures. Well, I certainly don’t want to break a promise, so here are a few 80′s party pics:

Pac Man Cake

Rockin' the 80's Style

80's Movie and Band Poster Fridge Decor

Breakfast Club Movie Poster Re-Enactment

Any excuse to wear a costume . . . Only two weeks until Halloween!!

Tomorrow’s post will be from the Amazing Amanda, who’ll be sharing a tip on how she gets her boys to actually eat dinner without resorting to antics and without taking roughly 38 minutes between bites (if you have a toddler son, I have a feeling Super D’s dinner time feats will be shockingly familiar to you).

Speaking of Super D–Happy birthday, little man!! We love you!!

So, What Do You Do All Day? (by Amanda)

Nicci — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:00:25 +0000

Note from Nicci: While I’ve been hard at work trying to get this new cleaning routine down from the I Hate Housework Challenge, the Amazing Amanda has been thinking about some of the ways she tries to make housekeeping manageable with two small boys. She shares some of her ideas here.

On days we stay at home, I feel like I work all day to keep the house clean, and by the time my husband gets home, the house looks pretty much exactly the way it did before (at best.)

First there’s the laundry. When I work hard at laundry – it’s all washed, dried, folded, and put away. (I’m not so great at getting those last steps completed. Usually clean, dry, and in a basket is as far as I get for a few days.) But the problem is, when it’s all done, you can’t see it. I mean, you know those t-shirts and undies don’t put themselves in there, but when you’re not the one doing laundry, I doubt you really stop to think about the work that goes into that magically-refilling drawer of socks and such.

I’ve realized my boys, approaching 3 and 5, are capable of folding the washcloths and stacking them pretty neatly, and they enjoy switching the clothes from the washer to the dryer, and pulling the warm clothes from the dryer to a nice folding area, so when I’m doing laundry while they’re up and playing, I try to remember to let them step up and start helping with household chores. Even the little ones can be pretty helpful with the small tasks! You just have to show them what to do (maybe a few times) and let them take some of the load off of you! It can take a bit of your “burden” and it’s teaching them responsibility and giving them a part in the housekeeping – of which my boys usually seem quite proud!

Another thing that I feel is completely unnoticed is the kitchen. I am pretty certain I spend the majority of every day in there. I get up and make breakfast for the boys and myself – now that may just be a bowl of cereal or Nutrigrain bar, but we eat, and immediately the kitchen is mess. There are crumbs on the table and floor, milk splatters on the table, and a start to the day’s dishes to be done… So, I clean up. It doesn’t take a lot of time (I keep a Dirt Devil nearby so I can grab it and suck up crumbs quickly* – before they get tracked into other rooms.) Then, it’s snack time. Repeat clean up procedure. Then it’s time to make lunch. And again, repeat clean up procedure. Then it’s time to cook dinner, and there’s a bigger mess from all the prep dishes and everything looks messy again when my Honey gets home. Frustrating. Oh, and if we’re having company?? I can’t clean until the VERY last minute. Or I’ll just have to do it over and over again.

One thing I’ve learned, is when I need the kitchen to stay clean, I let the boys have a “picnic.” When the weather is nice, we may go sit outside to eat. If it’s too windy or rainy, we sometimes set up a table and chairs in the garage where we can leave the door open and still get some fresh air (and I can just sweep the crumbs out the door.) And the boys’ all-time favorite, probably, is a blanket in the bonus room floor while watching a movie. Then all the clean-up involves is shaking the blanket outside and putting it in the laundry. (Which begins the aforementioned laundry cycle again.)

I don’t think anyone realizes how hard a stay-at-home mom works except for another stay-at-home mom. We know what we do all day that no one else will ever see/notice…

* Shortly after moving into our home, I noticed something had scratched up our hardwood in the eat-in kitchen. I just knew my boys must’ve done something. Then I realized it was a scuffed part at the end of my Dirt Devil!! I was horrified that I’d been “tearing up” our new floors!! I put small pieces of adhesive felt pads on the end of my crumb-sucking machine, and the problem was solved. I have to replace them on occasion, but that’s totally worth it! I love not having to pull out the Swiffer, broom, dust mop, etc. multiple times a day. (Or once a day, if I want to be a little more realistic about it.)

Productivity and Working at Home

Nicci — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Let me just start this post by saying, “Happy birthday,” to my wonderful Hot Husband. He’ll probably never read this post, but now you all know that it is HH’s birthday. It’s a pretty lame one, too, since he has Parent/Teacher Conferences and will have to work until 8:15 tonight. We celebrated early by going out to dinner at the Wedge (yum), and we’ll be celebrating late by having an 80′s theme birthday party Friday night to celebrate his Rhymes-with-Schmortieth birthday. I’ll post pics of the cake and our attire . . . well, that is, if I look like a cute 80′s girl and not like some old hag dressed in Goodwill 80′s garb (which I will be–the Goodwill part, not the hag part).

Anyway, I’ve mentioned before that this week is going to flat run me into the ground, and I’m about there. However, I will say there is nothing like a deadline and pure panic to motivate productivity. Remember that list I posted the other day about how many projects I needed to complete by the end of the week? Well, I wrote sixteen web pages today. SIXTEEN. That’s twice my previous record of eight. Man, that’s pretty, pretty good. I’m starting to feel as if maybe, just maybe, I’ll get it all done.

Well, probably not, but I’ll be a lot closer than I thought possible.

I’ve been doing a great job with the I Hate Housework Challenge, too. Yesterday when HH came home from work, he took one look at our kitchen and passed clean out from shock and joy.

Okay, maybe I exaggerate, but he NOTICED, which is pretty substantial for most men.

Yesterday I accomplished all the daily tasks on the list, including the room of the day (dining room). The dining room part involved cleaning windows, dusting baseboards, and even climbing on the table to clean the light fixture thoroughly. I even took it an extra step and cleaned the “Tupperware Cabinet” in the kitchen. You know, the one you can’t open when guests are around because everything will fall out and you’ll be flat mortified because their “Tupperware Cabinets” are probably perfect? Well. Mine’s perfect. I should photograph it. And the linen closet. And under the sinks in the bathroom. They are, quite frankly, works of art.

Today I didn’t get everything on the IHH Challenge completed. I didn’t do the living room windows or dust thoroughly, and I didn’t do the daily Swiffering in the kitchen. I’ve even got a dryer full of clothes that need to be put away. But did I mention that I wrote SIXTEEN web pages today? Or that my cabinets are the most beautiful gems of organization or that my dining room light practically sparkles? The rest of the house is “clean enough,” and we’ll get more of the deeper cleaning accomplished Friday morning when we get ready for the party.

So what are the secrets to my productivity the past few days? Well, I’ve given it some thought, and these are some of the things that have helped. Take what you can and leave the rest:

Priority Determines Capacity - I cancelled some appointments and focused my energy on the things that really need to be done. And no, Pinterest doesn’t really need to be done.
I moved my laptop back into the office. I don’t watch TV or anything when I’m working on the couch, but I really do feel more like I’m working and not like work is interrupting potential lounging time if I’m at my desk and not on the couch.
The Amazing Amanda - She has bailed me out with several posts on times when I just wouldn’t have been able to get to it. I hope she doesn’t mind being paid back with a Pinterest scarf rather than money. Because this blog, as she has discovered, ain’t a paying gig.
Beela and Papa – Bear’s grandparents, as always, have stepped up to care for Bear when I just absolutely had to have more time to work.
Bear himself – My goodness, that little guy has been helpful. He’s finally at an age where he wants to “help” me clean. I give him the Swiffer and he goes to town. I give him a dust rag and he wipes everything in sight. I give him a spray bottle, and Hello, Dolly, it’s like he’s won a prize. He has been patiently watching Disney movies and has been just as sweet as he can be this week. I could not love that little boy any more or my heart would just absolutely burst into a million pieces.
Hot Husband – That handsome man took over Bear duties so I could work. He ran to the store and picked up milk, taking Bear with him, when I mentioned we were running low. He took over bedtime, reading to Bear, so I could work. Bless his heart, he’s so exhausted from his long days at work during conference week, that when he rocked the Bear to sleep, he rocked himself to sleep.
Flat Out Panic – I’ve been so stressed that I won’t be able to get everything done before the end of the month (read: by deadlines and in time to put on this month’s invoices and before guests arrive for the party) that I’ve been working like a madwoman to get it all done. The sheer terror I’ve felt has really motivated me to get a lot accomplished. Tomorrow is going to be another challenging day, but I feel confident that, even if I don’t get it all done, I’ll be close enough that none of my clients are annoyed with me.

I guess my best suggestions from that list are as follows: set your priorities, carve out a space dedicated to work, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it.

I Hate Housework Challenge Day 1 (and Other Assorted Stuff)

Nicci — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:00:30 +0000

I cannot thank the Amazing Amanda enough for her guest posts on the Nix9to5 blog. I’m pretty sure that without her, I’d already be lapsing on posts. I’m telling you, I don’t know how she manages to have time to make and implement all these ideas with her boys. I mean, it takes me weeks to even round up the supplies, much less start and finish a project. (True story: I decided to knit a baby blanket for the Bear when I found out I was pregnant. I just found it in my closet. It is exactly half finished. Bear will be three in a little over a month.)

As far as getting things accomplished, this week is going to be CRAZY. I have to finish all of my work projects before the end of the month for billing, and I just took on another project for a client. I asked him if I could start it next week, but he needs it sooner, so I’ll be shuffling priorities and working extra late to make sure I get it all done. By the end of the week, I need to write about 32 pages, 18 social media updates, and 9 product descriptions. That doesn’t count any Nix9to5 posts or a few other pages that I should get done this week, but are secondary to the other bazillion projects (give or take). I also have an all-day business meeting/work group on Saturday.

Oh, and did I mention that I’m throwing an 80′s themed birthday party for Hot Husband this weekend? I’m not saying how old he will be, but it rhymes with schmorty.

I’ve already cancelled on appointment for the week, and I’ve already called in Babysitting Reinforcements in the form of Beela and Papa today. Still, I’m not sure how it will all manage to get done.

In the midst of all this, I have officially begun my I Hate Housework Challenge. I didn’t manage to get everything done–kitchen cabinets are still cluttered, and I didn’t sweep the floor, but I did at least buy new Swiffer cloths to help in this endeavor. We went out to dinner tonight for an early birthday dinner for HH, so there weren’t too many dishes to load/unload, but my sweet HH did it anyway, even though it was his BIRTHDAY DINNER. (Note: If I did dishes on my birthday dinner night, I would pout about it. Just so you know.) I did, however, make the beds, sort the mail by taking care of what needed attention and trashing the junk mail immediately, tidy the living areas, and straighten and organize a bathroom (which wasn’t on the list). And yesterday, I took the master bath and cleaned it so well that it turned into an all day ordeal. You should come look in my linen closet and under my sinks. Gorgeous.

Anyway, I’ve got work to do, a party to plan, and a house to clean before I pick up Bear from Mothers’ Day Out in a few hours. This week is going to be busy, but it sure should prove to be productive!

What a Crock!

Nicci — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:38:10 +0000

I’ve shared with you before my love of the crock pot as a ~~lifesaving~~ timesaving tool for busy moms–WAHMs, SAHMs, and WOHMs alike. Obviously, I’m not alone in my belief that a slow cooker is integral to being able to prepare a hot meal for one’s family while still managing all of the other Mom Tasks one must accomplish. In just a couple of days, the Crock Pot Girls went from a brand new Facebook page to having over a million fans (by comparison, Nix9to5 has been up for a year and a half, and I’m up to 245 fans. Holla.). If you haven’t heard of Crock Pot Girls, I can only assume that this is your first time using the internet EVER, and in that case, I’m wondering how you found my page. Welcome.

Anyway, I was wondering what it would be like if I cooked dinner for a week only using recipes from Crock Pot Girls. Not such a crazy venture when you look at Stephanie O’Dea’s Crockpot365, in which she used her slow cooker every day for a year (by the way–awesome recipes there, too).

Anyway, I’ve made two recipes in the last few days that I found on Crock Pot Girls. Following are the recipes, my tweaks, and my reviews. For the record, I’m posting the recipes EXACTLY as I copied them from the Crock Pot Girls discussion board.

Mexican Fiesta Chicken

2-4 boneless chicken breasts (I’ve done it with them still frozen!)
1 large can black beans
1 can corn
1-2 jars of your favorite salsa (I say FAVORITE as it will be a predominant flavor in the dish)
1 block of cream cheese

Put all ingredients EXCEPT cream cheese in crock pot, cook on low for 8hrs or high for 4-5 hrs. When it’s done, fork shred the chicken and put the block of cream cheese on top. Recover with lid and let sit for 15 minutes. Open and stir now-melted cream cheese throughout.

This dish can be served a variety of ways: over Mexican rice; as a quesadilla filling, as a taco filling with all the usual taco trimmings.

Okay. I made this using 4 frozen chicken breasts, a jar of cheap salsa plus a half jar of salsa verde I happened to have on hand. My black beans were beans I made myself and had frozen, not canned. Other than that, I made it according to directions. The first day, I had it over rice, and it was okay. The second day, I had it wrapped in a tortilla, and it was okay. The third and fourth days (I should have frozen half of it), I put it over salad, and it was really, really good. I’m not sure if it got better with age, or if “taco salad” was the way to go. Verdict: I’ll make this again.

Beefy Mushroom Rice
2lbs ground chuck -browned
2-10oz cans Beef Consomme
2– 10oz cans French Onion condensed soup
4 T butter
2- 7oz cans of mushroom pieces(drained)
2 cups long grain rice(not instant)
cook on low for 4-6 hrs.

I made this exactly like it said and cooked it for 4-1/2 hours, which was too long in my crock pot. My crock pot actually seems to always cook at the low end of time or a little shorter. Anyway, the rice was a unique combination of overcooked/mushy and undercooked/crunchy. Also, this made my whole house smell like French onion soup, which is NOT a good smell to come into after an hour at the gym. Running makes me nauseous anyway, but top it with a beefy, oniony smell . . . ugh. However, despite how gross this looks and smelled after a run, I was pleasantly surprised. We sprinkled it with pepper, and both Hot Husband and I, who were both kind of dreading it, actually enjoyed it. Here are the tweaks I will make next time I make it:

Cook rice separately
Replace one can of French Onion soup with a can of Golden Mushroom soup

I don’t know how that will go, but I think it will make it less oniony, and it will make it taste more like my mom’s roast . . . only in hamburger form. Also, I think the thicker Golden Mushroom soup will make it work better as a topping for rice if the rice doesn’t cook with it and absorb all the liquid.

If you are using Crock Pot Girls, make sure you copy and paste the recipes as soon as you find the ones you want, or you may never find them again.

What are your favorite crock pot recipes?

“Priority Determines Capacity”

Nicci — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:00:27 +0000

I joined a Mom’s Group that began today. The first class talked about time management and priorities, which, if you’ve ever read this blog before, you know I need. The lesson today didn’t teach me anything new or earth-shattering, but it certainly put things into a perspective I could understand.

To begin the class, we watched a video from Andy Stanley‘s “Time of Your Life” series. In this video, Stanley gave a demonstration of how when we prioritize correctly, all of those things we think we don’t have time for suddenly seem to fit. I wanted to share a clip of the video with you, but I couldn’t find it. I did, however, find another blog that had its own pictures of the demonstration, so I’m going to share them with you (providing attribution and hoping that the author doesn’t mind me sharing with you).

Kim Staudenraus used these pictures to show Stanley’s theory that “Priority Determines Capacity.”

This first picture represents all the things we try to do in a day (or week, or month, or year . . . whatever). The big rocks represent all of the really important things you need to do: play with your kids, take care of your family, earn a living. The smaller rocks are things that you really should do, but maybe aren’t as big a deal as the large rocks: spending time with friends, “me” time, exercise, volunteer work. The sand is your basic time wasters–maybe things you like to do, but aren’t essential: Facebook, Pinterest, reading, watching movies, shopping, playing video games . . . whatever else you do in your leisure time.

This next picture shows what happens when you try to just cram everything in without prioritizing. If you’re like me, this is what your jar looks like. You can’t seem to fit everything in, and the thought of trying to add just one tiny thing leaves you practically hyperventilating:

Now look what happens if you prioritize, putting your “big rocks” in the jar first, followed by your smaller rocks, and finally filling with sand:

Miraculously, everything fits. Even the sand. And you even have a little extra space at the top for something extra that pops up. You can add it into your jar without collapsing in a fit of tears or neglecting a “big rock” to make room for a little rock–or even some more sand.

I’ve been trying to apply this philosophy lately without even realizing it, and you’d be surprised at how I’m able to accomplish so much more already. Know that I’ve seen it in action through this visualization, I’m going to make a conscious effort to put my big rocks in the jar first.

Thanks to Andy Stanley, Kim Staudenraus, and the MOM’s Group at Crossings Community Church for helping me truly see this.