How to Organize a Night Time 'To Do' List"

"How to Organize a Night Time 'To Do' List"

As we are moving into Winter and we tend to try and find a warm corner to curl up in I thought this suggestion might be well recieved right now.
I know most of our subscribers use a 'to do' list, but have you ever thought of writing a separate list, specifically for jobs you can do at night when the kids (if you have them) are in bed? I used to rely on my memory to get little jobs done at night, but found that unfortunately my brain just wasn't up to the task!

Now that I write these sorts of jobs down on their own special list, I quickly refer to it of a night time before I sit down to watch a show or the like, grab what I need and get a few odd jobs out of the way at the same time.
Some of these jobs are really a great excuse to sit in front of a warm fire or rugged up on the couch and be able to say - I'm actually working!!

1. Some of the odd jobs you may find useful to do at night include -

· Putting photos in albums Great to do while the kids aren't around!

· Darning socks or anything else that needs mending.

· De-pilling jumpers One of those boring jobs that should only be done when there's nothing else to do except watch TV!

· Cutting & Filing nails a great job to do in front of the TV. I also do the kids nails while they are watching a favourite program, so that they are distracted and are less likely to protest, (or notice that their feet are ticklish!)

· Updating an old to do list. Something that is easily forgotten, which then makes us avoid looking at the messy list, and therefore not getting the jobs done.

· Personal phone calls - Hard to do at the end of a long day, but if you look at your reminder list and see a friend's name staring back at you, you're more likely to pick up the phone and just do it. They will appreciate the effort, and you will be glad you did too!

· Sending emails via lap top/or your PC If phoning friends at night is too hard for you to do, then keeping in touch via email is a great idea instead. If I don't do this at night I find it's always the thing that comes last during the day, when work/kids etc come first. But I can hoon through several emails in one night time sitting focusing.

· Doing any internet research again either on a lap top, (so you can do it out of the office/study), or on your PC. You may have wanted to look into something crafty or to do with gardening. This quieter time is perfect for personal interest jobs that you usually don't get a chance to do.

· Going through your kitchen/phone drawer it never ceases to amaze me how quickly my kitchen paperwork drawer fills up, since the last time I went through it. I just get a rubbish bag, pull the whole drawer out, put it on the coffee table and sort through it putting everything in one of three piles - Rubbish, Filing Cabinet.

Although some of you may thing that these jobs may sound too small and insignificant and not necessary to write a 'to list' for, as I've said before and I'll say again "The weakest pen is better than the strongest memory" Anom

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Mothers Day - How To Ensure You Pamper Yourself As A Woman For Mothers Day

Quote – Mothering myself has become a way of listening to my deepest needs, and of responding to them while I respond to my inner child. – Melinda Burns


Mothers Day is fast approaching and many women are fortunate to have families polishing the silver and going shopping for gifts to treasure; others families are busy after school making cards and gifts of affection while staining their clothes and carpet in the process.
If you are fortunate enough to have small children bringing to your bedside a bunch of flowers and burnt toast with a half a cup of tea on Mothers Day, then you are truly blessed. Enjoy the efforts of your family and love them with all your heart.

Maybe you are the nurturing host in your family who has Mum over for lunch and then the in-laws for dinner. Although we love the idea of being able to provide for family, upon reflection, Mothers Day is not much more than a Sunday spent in the kitchen!

For many too we acknowledge that Mothers Day can be a difficult day; possibly without a mother or a child; a day rather skipped than celebrated.

No matter how you do, or don’t, celebrate Mothers Day, Organise Your Life wants to help you to ensure that you do carve some time out in the first week of May to call your own: to plan, to anticipate and to do what you truly want to do.

Plan something that from just thinking about it during the week will make your heart sing, and give you a feeling of joy and happiness. There is no saying – “I don’t have time ...I’m needed this week, I don’t have the money….”
None of these are valid reasons: everyone around you will benefit from you doing this for yourself, so there is no excuse.

Plan some time into the first week of May to ensure you don’t miss out – take out your diary now and look at the first week or two of May and find time for you. Then write it in! – make it a date with yourself. Schedule with your partner, friend or sitter to care for kids if that is needed.

With that done comes the next fun bit, planning what you will do. The time of day you have allocated will most likely dictate what you will plan but planning and anticipating will bring you possibly as much joy in the next week as the actual hour or so you will spend on yourself.

After you have decided what you are going to do, look at the activity creatively and think “How am I able to make this time more enjoyable and memorable? What indulgence can I include?” Pop into a specialty shop or even the supermarket and get some cheese, chocolate, bubble bath, fruit, scented drawer sachet, etc that you don’t normally buy but love. It can be as little as $5 but will make you feel delightful.

Time on your own might be anything

It could be that you are tied to the house with sick kids; so to get out and go to the local pool for a swim or a walk at the beach might be just what you are hanging to do.
Curl up by the warm fire with a great book and something yummy to munch on, even better if you have had a warm pampering shower or bath first.

Hire a movie you have wanted to watch –or see again! – something the rest of the family “don’t get”. Play it on your laptop while you sit in a bubble bath and eat choc dipped strawberries!

Go out for a manicure or massage, and a decadent dessert from your favourite restaurant – who said you had to have entrée and mains every time?

Play your favourite music and rearrange your treasured collections of pictures, books, plants, furniture etc and give your space a fresh feel. If you don’t have your own space at home, create one. Think of new ways to surround yourself with the things you love.

Turn off the mobile phone, go and kick the autumn leaves in the park and bring a few home or to the office and stick on the fridge to remind you of that weightless feeling. Don’t worry if anyone sees you – they will only be wishing they were as uninhibited as you.

What ever you decide to do be sure to do it, enjoy it and why not then schedule more time next month….
Let us know how you go and tell us what you did – we’d love to hear from you!
claire@organiseyourlife.com.au


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For more Organizing tips and ideas go to our Organize Your Life website.