lots of holidays?

One of the thing that I hate is when people tell me that it's okay that I work long hours because I also get long holidays.

We have got to the end of one of those 'holidays' and I am feeling miserable. I have a list to do for work the length of an A4 page today. There are also so many other things that I haven't done. So to try and lift my mood I am going to try and count what I have done (in the nature of counting your blessings):

• had the in-laws to stay
• meal out with my husband
• meal out with a friend
  
• shopping with a friend and my goddaughter-to-be
• coffee with friends (4 times!! -different friends each time)
• took a friend's daughter out for the day
• read 2 books
  
• chose flooring for new kitchen
  
• moved furniture to prepare for kitchen
  
• washing and ironing (all caught up :) )
• detailed dusting in the lounge
• went into work and caught up on some filing
• decluttered a bit (still more to do but there always is!)
• WHB at the beginning of the week and again at the end
• Marked some work

Now seeing it all written down, I don't feel quite so bad that I have 'only' done 8 hours work, and still have a lot to do. I haven't wasted the holidays :)

edit: I realise that some people might think I'm moaning about my holidays. I'm not. it's just that I'm beating myself up over wasting them. I often leave a lot of jobs to the holidays, as I am working 50-60 hours every week, and then get annoyed when I don't manage to do them!

The start of the Kitchen remodel

In 4 weeks time the builders will arrive to completely demolish the inside of our kitchen and put in a new one. It will be about a 6 week process. At the same time they will re-plaster our hallway and re-do our cloakroom.

With 4 weeks to go DH and I decided that it was about time to get ready. That's right. Not the week before, 4 weeks in advance! So yesterday we moved out furniture from under the stairs. It fits nicely at the top of the stairs, and now there will be room for a fridge and a freezer with a piece of worktop over the top. -A makeshift kitchen. We will do that the weekend before they start.

Today my plan is to pack up one box of things that I won't need over the next 10 weeks. I'm doing it slowly. But I'm glad that I'm not trying to do it all at once. Much less stress!

2011 -the year of me!

It's been about 4 weeks since my last post. I have continued with these things:

• getting up earlier and having quiet time
• eating more fruit and veg -beginning to slowly lose weight
• making my lunch the night before, so not buying food at lunchtime

So it's been just over 7 weeks. I'm not noticing these things now so much as they are becoming ingrained habits. I'm feeling quite determined that this is the year when I really get myself sorted. The year of me!

I have also been keeping up with flylady routines, I'm moisturising my face every morning, and sometimes the evenings. Evenings are something that I need to work on, but it really is one step at a time. I'm trying to not burn out with these things but take them slowly!