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!

New year, New me

Sorry, no update for ages. Thought I'd squeeze one in now. Since January 1st the following transformation has happened:

• 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

Small things but they are beginning to roll into each other! Hoping I can get a routine going. 3 weeks is good so far. Especially as I didn't make any new year resolutions!

Got to look after myself and getting up earlier is taking it's toll. So at 8:40pm I am going to go and pamper myself and get to bed really early.

hope you are also doing well.

update

Had a busy week, got up earlier every day which did help at work but I often found myself actually managing to complete a morning routine when I'd usually miss something (laundry etc). Getting to work earlier meant I was less stressed (and less stressed driving in!). I didn't gain anything in the evenings because of how much work I had (some evenings I was working until 10pm) and the BBR needs some work. I'd like to add getting laundry ready for the morning into the evening.

Violin wise, I did do some practice at the weekend, which is better than none. I need to step it up now as I have been asked to play in a school assembly.

Feeling very tired this morning, but that is probably because of a new dose of medication. I will keep trying to get myself into a better place. It does help!

twist and shout

Today I spent a lot of time on flylady chat. I think that this is a good thing as I get motivated. Today it was definitely useful. I was introduced to a game called "twist and shout" you write a numbered list of 5 things (one of which is a pamper mission) and someone calls a number. you then do the thing associated with that number. it takes 10 mins then you rest for 5. I certainly felt like I was getting a lot done. I used my violin practice as a pamper mission and really enjoyed it.

I had issues today when the car wouldn't start and my dad had to come and help. That upset my plans. So I am going to have to do some work tomorrow, as I lost a couple of hours. :( so much for work-life balance.

I wrote down everything I ate today and made healthy(er) choices. Just need to keep it up!

I definitely feel more relaxed, and like looking around me and being pleased with what I see. In the couple of hours I played the game I certainly made a dent. Need to keep this up! Thanks for the encouragement, here's to continually making life more peaceful! :)

wish list

I've just got back from an appointment with the nurse, and was thinking I need to re-evaluate a few things. I was going to write them on a piece of paper, but then thought "why not blog it?".

Although Flylady is going really well (there's work to be done, but I'm reasonably happy with where I am) there are other areas of my life that really need attention, and probably some flylady principals.

The appointment with my nurse was about my weight, now I know that most women are obsessed with weight, but I am not in a good place. I need to lose weight. full. stop. I want to lose weight. full. stop. I don't want to change my eating habits. Oh dear. I've promised the nurse that over the next two weeks I will do a food diary. somehow I need to force myself to do it!

so that is change number 1, there are some other things that I would like to do too...

2. violin practice.... I have lessons but haven't practiced for a year!!! Oh boy, can't believe it's been that long. I need to fit that into my schedule!!

3. a work-life balance! I tend to work a base-line of 50 hours a week, often more. The work has to be done. so sometimes I work weekends too. Not nice. I am wondering what simple changes I can put into place in order for this to get better. I'm thinking that if I could get up slightly earlier and get out slightly earlier (say 30mins) then that would be 30 mins less needed in the evening. Now going back to flylady I wonder if there is any of a BBR that I'm not doing that would help get out earlier? Maybe I'll try getting up 15 mins earlier and see what happens. There are other things that if I can do at work might help, like thinking about things further ahead. In fact some flylady type routines would be useful for work. Not sure how to start though.

4. Do my physio exercises. I have real issues with my health. I have one leg shorter than the other, and the sprained ankle has caused a lot problems. Having intensive physio which will help, but only if I actually do the exercises. I need to try and fit them into my day (and remember which is often a problem!)

Okay those are 4 goals to be getting on with, which I am going to try and do. Any ideas, help, encouragement greatly received.

How flylady has changed me

It's been a while once again since I updated this, part of that is not having ideas, or time! It's been going through my head lately that I should document on here how flylady has changed me, as really that's where the anti-procrastination idea came about.

Last week I worked a 70 hour week. Normally I work between 50 and 60 hours, so 70 was a bit of a shock. I was away one night too as part of that. Before Flylady when I was working 50 hours I would spend most of Saturday cleaning and I still didn't have a clean house. I would use holidays (I'm a teacher -yes teachers don't finish at 3pm!) to get the house clean and then in term-time it would deteriorate. I always liked people to think that I was a domestic goddess so would only invite them in during the holidays!

I've been following Flylady for quite a few years and over time things have become more even, I keep on top of things much better and have realised that some things don't take very long, especially if done regularly. During my 70 hour week things didn't fall apart. Yes, the laundry didn't always get done, and the basket was overflowing by the end of the week but it hasn't taken me very much to get back on track. I've just gone back to the normal stuff and I'm beginning to catch up. We were even able to have people to stay at the end of the week! Now that's progress even if it's not perfection :)

3 minutes

I've been laid up for a few days with a painful sprained ankle. The medical advice was to rest and elevate it for 3 days and then slowly begin to do stuff. Today is my first day of doing stuff. Now, I hate being ill off work (but when you can't walk...), particularly because as a teacher I feel responsible for education! So, when the doctors said a week off work I cried inside. But then I listened when I was told that it could take 8 weeks to heal properly and if I don't take a week off I could make it worse.
I've been feeling frustrated by the state of the house as I haven't been able to do anything, but this morning thought... why not just 3 minutes? So I've done little rescues in 3 minute chunks and rested as needed. After that I wondered about baking, remembering Diane's post last week. I thought that I might try shortbread, as that is easy and I had the ingredients.

So I set the timer for 3 minutes
and started measuring out the ingredients. Shortbread is easy as you do a 3:2:1 ratio of flour, butter, sugar (I got this the wrong way round when I first measure but fixed it by doubling the amount of butter and flour!)

That was about the first three minutes. I had a break and then carried on. You have to beat the butter until it is soft.



Then you add the sugar. It was at this point that I realised I'd got butter and sugar the wrong way around! I quickly measured out some more butter and flour, softened the butter and carried on! You stir the sugar in and you get a creamy paste. After this you sieve the flour in and stir and knead. In the middle of this another 3 minutes was up, so I rested and went back to it!


once you get it to the right consistency flatten it into a baking container, I scored mine (not so neat!) into fingers and sprinkled some more sugar on the top. Then it goes in the oven at gas mark 3 for 40 minutes.


Take it out of the oven once it is golden and leave it to rest for a couple of minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack.

Leave to cool and perfect with a cup of lady grey tea.