Planning and Organizing 101

Good morning friends! We are beginning week 6 now of quarantine. I’m sure nobody really thought it would last this long. I know I didn’t. As we continue in this new normal, one of the biggest struggles has been what to do with all this time. I’ve written blogs on organizing and fun ideas, but at a certain point, we just have too much time on our hands. My husband and I have made a point since we started dating to have a date night every week. It has carried into our almost three year marriage, and we hold to it religiously. I genuinely believe that our marriage would not be nearly as strong as it is without these weekly date nights. But, as with everything else recently, date nights have suffered fro the quarantine. Don’t get me wrong, we still have date night, but there’s only so many weeks in a row that you can watch a movie and eat fun foods before it gets a little old. So I thought I would make a list of 10 stay at home date night ideas. Who knows? Maybe by the time we do all...

Good Morning Friends! We are now closing out week 5 of quarantine as numbers of COVID-19 cases continue to rise. In other words, we might be here a while longer. Even if you have no problem relaxing and doing nothing, unlike me, you are probably reaching a breaking point. So I thought I would put together 10 simple habits to help you stay sane during this time. 1. Make your Bed. I know it may not seem like much, but it really does help. When you leave for work in the mornings, you don’t see the unmade bed for the rest of the day, but when you’re walking in and out of the room all day, it can be a real downer. Making your bed in the morning is a tiny little thing you can do to help boost your morale in the morning and keep your mood up all day. It’s all about finding small ways to be productive. 2. Cook your meals at home. I have some family addicted to take-out, and while it may be easier than cooking at home, it is not as healthy or fulfilling. If you have the resources an...

Good Morning Friends! I apologize for the tardiness of this blog. I have been hosting Passover for the last two days, so I haven’t quite had time to sit down and write out a blog. Today, I wanted to address something we will all be dealing with this week, no matter our faith- holiday dinners. For those of us who celebrate Passover, we’ve been there- done that this week, although Shabbat will be here in 8 hours. But for those who celebrate Easter I wanted to give a few little sanity tips for holiday dinners in general. Now I know that right now we are in the middle of quarantine, so I realize that this year may be a little different for a lot of people. We ended up doing Passover over Google Hangouts with all the people who would have been physically at our Seder. The odds of this being the case next year are pretty slim, however, so while these tips may be lost a little this year, there are so many holiday dinners yet to come. So without further ado, here are my 5 Steps to th...

Good Morning Friends! Today’s topic probably sounds a bit oxymoronic. Planning a day off? Isn’t that kind of counterintuitive. You see, some could probably argue beautifully that the entire point of a day off is to be, well, off. And I completely agree. But if you are anything like me - and by the fact alone that you are reading this blog, I have evidence of that- then days off are actually stressful. Right now, we are in this unique situation called the COVID-19 pandemic. And as such, many of us in the US are experiencing shelter-in-place or stay at home mandates, giving us, at least, lots more free time than we used to have. For some, this mandate has given whole days off, and while one day or even a weekend is a welcome change from the shuffle of the work week, this is over-the-top stressful. What am I supposed to do with a week or two of days off? Okay, so let me make a disclaimer. Yes, as of right now, I am discussing those compounded days off we are having during this very ...

Good Morning Friends! It is now week 2 of the national quarantine from COVID-19. Fun times! People all over the United States are having to learn new skills. Parents, who now have to homeschool are developing a new appreciation for teachers. Grocery store clerks are continuously putting themselves in the line of fire. People are slowing down a little and smelling the roses. My husband and I were finally able to finish this house. It’s done! And it is beautiful. Ironically, this dark time has become one of real positive changes. But, with all the positives that we as a culture are seeing, it can be really boring to be at home all day. I mean, seriously, there’s only so much binge-watching Netflix or at-home workouts or reading you can do. So, I thought what better way to mentally survive a quarantine than to dream up some big, beautiful family vacation! So, for grins and giggles, let’s plan a vacation. FYI: This would be a great family activity. Get the kids together and brainst...

Good morning Friends! Right now the United States is in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the last few days, the world has felt upended. I thought about posting a more humorous post about how to plan for the end of the world, but then felt that the current subject was actually more appropriate for the situation. Some background. I am currently in my final semester of college as an education major, which means I am engaged currently in clinical teaching. Over my spring break, the world fell apart, school has been suspended for a second week, my university has moved to online classes, and my plans have been thrown out the window. You see, this semester is carefully laid out to meet the expectations of the Texas Education Agency and finalize my certification to become a teacher. In palpable terms, what that means is I have to get 70 days in the classroom before I can graduate and get my teaching certificate. What that also means is that the coronavirus has interrupted my v...