May is Cray. Here’s what to do…
Hey Friend!
I've said it before and I'll say it again and again, May is Cray! From field trips to graduations to birthday parties to Mother's Day to wedding anniversaries (22 years for us on 5/22!) this month is busier than any other. Yes, even more than December.
Because of that, I'm going to tell you the secret to navigating this crazy busy season. Ready?
"Do what you can, when you can, however you can, and the best you can given the circumstances. Let the unimportant go."
You are not the only one who feels like they are drowning right now. But even though you may be overwhelmed, you don't have to give up on everything. Here are a few things that help me navigate the May Cray (that really is just fun to say!):
1. Pause extracurricular activities that aren't mandatory. Two of my kids take gymnastics type classes after school twice a week, until May 1 that is. I explained to them that our May calendar was going to be swamped so were were starting our "summer pause" a month early. Huge relief for me and we've been so busy they haven't really missed it. I let the unimportant go. (Sidenote: even if they had complained, I wouldn't have done anything different. I am the parent, they are the children. I am the one in charge and I make the decisions that are best for our family as a whole. When they are adults they will have that responsibility.)
2. Prep your protein for dinners in advance. Earlier this week I tossed 8 baked potatoes, wrapped in foil, in my large crockpot and 8 chicken breasts, seasoned with ranch seasoning, in my medium sized crockpot.
I did this at 6AM before jumping in the shower to get dressed for work. That night we had shredded ranch chicken potatoes (with a bag of steamed broccoli) for dinner. I used the extra shredded chicken to make a quick and easy chicken pot pie (with a sourdough biscuit top from my starter!) the next night. I used the extra potatoes and some of the shredded chicken for my lunches this week. I could also have done BBQ chicken or chicken rice casserole, etc. for dinner. The crockpot did all the hard work and I made the most of it . I did what I could when I could.
3. Wake up earlier and/or use your morning time more wisely. You may have more time in the day than you realize. It could be as simple as waking up 20 minutes earlier or not picking up your phone until after your morning workout. Last night I was up late (for me) due to an event at my kids' school and a fundraiser in conjunction with the event that I was in charge of. This morning, my alarm went off at its usual time and even though I so wanted to stay in bed, I ignored my phone and told myself all I had to do was a low key 25 minute workout. I may not have been my most intense workout ever but I did what I could, however I could.
4. Grab dinner early and make it easy. Due to that same event last night, there was no Overstreet family dinnertime. Instead, I took the kids to Subway after school to let them order their favorite sub of choice. We went home, popped them in the fridge and then they gobbled them up soon after doing their homework and making their lunch for the next day. Early dinner, no cooking, no cleanup. Making it happen when I could and the best I could given the circumstances.
5. Give yourself grace knowing that you truly are giving your maximum effort and doing the best you can given the circumstances. You wouldn't expect more than that from anyone else so why would you expect more than that from yourself?! Show yourself some love and appreciation sister! Even though I grabbed my kids' dinner after school yesterday, I didn't do so well for myself. I had so much to do in fact, I didn't even allow myself time to eat and since I don't like subs, I didn't have a go-to dinner for myself. Instead, my dinner looked like this at 9PM:
(In case you're curious, I mapped my "meal" as 1P + 3C)
Could I have done better? Yes. But, you can't win them all. Grace given, moving on.
Your friend,
P.S. - How is your plank challenge going? Have you invited a friend? It's never too late to start!