Whipping butts outta first gear...(Day 2)

In anticipation of Crystal Paine's Making the Most of Your Mornings Day 2 post, I tried my hand at seeing what I could accomplish last night to make this morning go smoother. I must say, I was able to get my to do's done...but still was up later than desired. 

The plus? Clothes were picked out,  ironed, breakfast quiche was made...so yes, the morning was MUCH smoother than normal!  Fortunately for me, Monday night isn't a night that I love watching TV...so I was able to kill a few birds, without feeling like I was missing something.  The minus? Put a pin in that...

So what got done last night?

• Leftover dinner
• Boys ready for bed
• Completed draft party invite
• Breakfast quiche made

• Dishwasher loaded
• 2 loads of clothes washed...but certainly not folded :)
• Clothes laid out and ironed for me and the boys
• Changed my nail color
• Meditation

So, Crystal believes

"To change your morning,

you need to first change your evening."

Deep, huh? You can read more about it here: Making the Most of Your Mornings Day 2

So, tonight's homework is to:

1.  Determine a bedtime (that will ensure 8 hours of sleep) and stick to it!

2.  Make a list of your top 5 to do's...and stick to it!

and I have resolved to:

 

Stick to a bedtime of 1030pm (for the next 3 weeks) and

Complete Top 5 Nightly To Do’s (hard to limit to 5):

1. pick out clothes for boys and myself
2. iron clothes for boys and myself
3. clean kitchen/load dishwasher
4. get documents/backpacks ready for next day
5. overall pickup of living space

The minus? I'm already trying to figure out how I can get business stuff done in the evenings without home life going ary.  With a 9 to 5 that does not support our side gig,  a lot of times I can only create our gift baskets in the evening, for example... so the verdict is still out on this approach...but I'm willing to try!

One thing I have learned already in Day 1 is that I've seen that by making a list, I can already see how others can help get things on the list done.  For example, our boys are now 11, 5, and 4.  I've gotten in the habit of pulling out their clothes so much that I'll wait til 0630 trying to rush and throw to together something for the younger two, only to hear them bicker about who wants to wear what.  So, I concluded last night that if I include them in the evening routine of picking out the shirts, we should have no issues in the morning of who's wearing what = more peace in my morning. 

Either way, at a minimum, if this process shows me nothing more than to involve others in the plan so that they can buy into it...I'll consider it all a win-win.

Looks like over 300 folks have signed up for the chall-onge...have you?

Aw, come on.....

Whipping butts outta first gear...

So, I must admit, 2012 has been a doozy when it has come to keeping up with the business, the kids, the husband, our ministry...and everything else that comes along with it.  I know...preaching to the choir, right?
There's one blog that I use as my sanity check on a weekily basis. It's my go to for all things free, discounted, peace-giving, etc.  So, of course, as I thought about making quiches this week to help our morning routine (since I have a ton of eggs left over from a recent cheesecake order, but that's a whole nother story), I went here to see what Crystal recommended.  What did I find glaring at me? Her Day 1 post on "Making the Most of your Mornings". Ok, God...are you trying to tell me something?

and with a rising 6th grader, a kindergarten-er, and a 4 year old chomping at the bit to jump into elementary, not to mention everything else that's going on, I was instantly reminded that:

• Yup, school starts in 2 weeks
• Yup, I need to get my butt into gear to wake up even earlier...and
• Yup, I STILL need to put a plan into motion to make the most of my time...sure I said that in January, and again at the beginning of the summer. Don't judge me. :)

Forgive me for trying to handle my personal life and letting the blog take a backseat.  I truly had the best of intentions on January 1st....only to share what happens with most of us, that time has, yet again, gotten away from me.

For the next three weeks, I'll be following Crystal as she talks about making the most of our mornings.  I hope to learn a few specific ways to improve our productivity in the mornings as well as ways to make the mornings less stressful and chaotic, and how to start the day off well.


So, yup, I'm going to try this chall-onge and hope that I'm able to whip my own butt outta first gear. There's still time to finish strong, right?

Are you in?!?!?! Come on.....

G8tr Enterprises has gone mobile!

You asked for it, and it’s finally here. G8tr Enterprises (including our children) is now mobile-friendly!

When you view our networked sites on your mobile device, you’ll notice a few things are different:

• Loading time is much faster.
• Content is now sized and organized so that it’s easy-to-read on your phone.

Check us out and share your feedback so that we can continue to bring our latest offerings to you....right at your fingertips!

G8tr Enterprises
Heaven Sown Event Planning
Blessed Beginnings Baby
Creme de la Creme Cheesecakes

Thankful Thursdays...Have you entertained an angel?

It's funny how we can get so caught up in life's hustle and bustle that we miss things. We miss how important things are to us....and before long, those things begin to take the place of people's importance to us.
We allow the moon and sun to come and go,
forgetting to make a difference,
forgetting to smile a little bigger,
forgetting to hug a little tighter,
or even listen just a little longer.

On Saturday, February 11th, the world lost a spirit with a remarkable voice, of which I'm grateful has been captured on vinyl. Her voice was angelic...truly not of this world. I'm saddened to know that I won't hear new revelations of it, but I'm comforted in knowing a few things:
the Giver of the voice, is able to give even greater gifts to be enjoyed by us all
her voice will continue to be heard and remind me of God's grace an mind-blowing power to exceed our expectations
the heavens must truly be magnanimous...imagine if we could hear angelic voices like her's all the time?

So, today, I'm so thankful that despite the fact that the world was unable to answer her call for help, we still have an opportunity to entertain other angels everyday.
We have the opportunity to pour into them as they've poured into us.
We have the opportunity to listen a little longer,
hug a little tighter,
smile a little bigger,
all the while, making a difference in the life of someone else,
Verse Source: Hebrews 13:2

We're headed down Lover's Lane...

Happy Valentine's Day!!
Spread a little extra love!

xo,
Heaven Sown

Wednesdays Word: What are YOU discussing?

Nuff said.

Last Call for V-day flowers + FREE cheesecake!

Need the freshest beautifully-arranged dozen red roses delivered to your Valentine?

Want a mini heart-shaped strawberry cheesecake thrown in for free?

Here's your last chance to do so (DELIVERED and sure to amaze) for only $90!

Call 800.252.2166 or email inquires@heaven-sown.com today and let Heaven Sown handle the details for you!

Our gifts are sure to amaze you!