Sometimes it's hard to juggle it all!

Talking to you as a woman with experience, I know it can be ridiculously hard to juggle your home responsibilities with your work responsibilities. 

I work 7:30-4:00 Monday through Friday with a half hour commute either way.  Essentially, I am up at 6:00 to leave by 7:00 and then don't return home until 4:30. 

Between 4:30 and 7:30, I try to get the house clean and tidy, cook a meal, clean up after cooking the meal (also eat said meal) wash laundry, if needed, and then collapse into the couch at 7:30 or so. 

It can be frazzling to keep up this pace day after day! 

My suggestion to you-  make it easier on yourself.  

I always lay my clothes out the night before.  Our tiny closet doesn't have a light and my hubby is still peacefully sleeping in the warm cozy bed (as I longingly wish I were still there, too!) when I get up in the morning, so I don't want to turn on the big, bright overhead light.  It's so much easier to lay your clothes out the night before.  That way, you pick them up, and head over to the powder room, and when you're all showered up and clean, your clothes are right there. 

Don't take yourself, your housecleaning, or your cooking too seriously.  Don't get me wrong- it's an important job.  But really, if you end up missing washing windows one week or just skip making a meal and as a result, hubby eat leftovers 2 days in a row...nothing terrible will happen. 

Take 20 minutes and make up a chart.  This has really helped our house.  I have a set list of tasks that I should be doing after work each day.  It makes sure that everything gets attention and I'm not running around like an idiot on Saturdays, trying to clean every room in the house.  I like checking off what I've completed, too.  I like lists and organization...I'm just not all that good at it naturally!  lol 

I've talked about meal planning before, and you're going to hear about it again.   For heaven's sakes, make out a menu so you know what you're cooking.  The last thing I want to do after I come home from the office is look around and see what I have on hand and try to figure out what I'm going to cook.  If I meal plan, I know that on Thursday (today!) I'm going to be making spicy shepherd's pie (recipe here) along with broccoli and bread/butter.  I'm going to open a can of peaches for dessert.  And voila.  Since I meal planned on Saturday, I know I have everything I need to make this delicious dish, and I know it will get eaten, because both hubby and I like it.  Probably too much.  I mean...it really is good.  lol 

Pray.  Don't forget about this.  God can help you through any situation, and even if it's mundane He wants to know about it.  Put your cares and burdens on Him.  He's listening and He cares!   

Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Those are the few little things I could come up with off the top of my head.  I hope one of those suggestions will help if you're in a similar situation.  

This weekend we are going camping, so I feel a bit like I'm running around like a chicken with its head chopped off.  Tonight I need to make sure that I pack my clothes and the kitchen stuff we'll need to be taking.  Hubby takes care of the tent/tarps/camp stove/pie irons, etc.  Oh!  I need to bring sheets for the airbed too.  See?  I told you I'm running around in a tizzy! 

I hope we'll all have a nice time together.  It's the hubs and I on one site, his twin bro, wife, and daughter on the next site, and his dad, step-mom, and two step-sisters on the next site.  I'm sure we'll all have a fun time together.  My in-laws are really super nice people.  :)

Till next time, God Bless you, my blogging friends.  Enjoy your weekend and stay safe!