Mom Life with Adrienne

 Hey friends. It is Maycember. Have you heard the phrase before? It is the craziness time of the year minus the gifts and lights of December and no cute Hallmark movies to make it all better. For the next two months there is as least one thing on the calendar each day, if not numerous things. This is the first year that it is like "wow omg we have a lot going on". With 3 kids, end of the year activities, field trips, tests, school projects, concerts, sports, holidays (memorial day, mother's day, Cinco De Mayo), birthdays, graduations, regular schedules, summer school (ours starts the week after school gets out), safety town, and more. Let's not forget spring cleaning, yard work, and house projects that are never ending. In our house thrown in some extra kids I am watching and Brian has to go out of town for a week for work. We have a lot going on. I could sit here and stress about it or I can get organized and prepared for the craziness of the season. Let's get organized and remember this is just a season. 

5 Tips to Stay Organized in a Busy Season

1- Write it all down. Weather you prefer a paper planner or digital planner or dry erase board. Make sure everything is in the calendar. In our house we have all 3. It maybe overkill to some, but it is what works for us to stay organized.

I personally am a visual person (I love me a to do list) and I need to have a paper planner with everything laid out in front of me. Yes it is color coded per person and everyone's events are on there. 

Brian and I share digital planners through google calendar. This way I know when he can't help out if he has a meeting. Also if I am somewhere and I don't have my physical calendar I can look at my digital calendar to make appointments or commitments. 

Our dry erase calendar hangs in our office, it is also color coded, but 99% is the kids schedule. My kids can look at it and see what is going on. I will put on it if Brian and I have something going on in the evening where we won't be home, but it doesn't have Brian's work schedule, just assume he won't be home until dinner time. 

2- Plan Ahead. Now that you have everything write down you can see what you have going on. Is there a time when you need to ask for help because you can't be more than one place at a time. (There is a day I need help all 3 kids have something going on at the same time) 

3- Delegate. You can't do everything yourself. Brian is coaching baseball and soccer for my two youngest, so he has to be at that event. So far nothing has overlapped (but we don't game schedules yet). Brian had work meetings that are the same time as other events so I know I have to take all the kids. 

Don't plan your own Mother's Day. If you are like me do the cleaning a few days before it will be fine. Let you kids plan and do the rest. We host brunch for our families and Brian is in charge of everything. I will be taking the kids to church while Brian stays home and prepares.

Ask for help, get the kids involved with cleaning.  

4- Meal Plan. I am big on having a meal plan. It not only saves money but it helps with the stress of what's for dinner. When planning look at your calendar for what events are going on, and plan accordingly. If it is a busy night plan something you just throw in a crockpot.

5- Say No. It is ok to say NO. If it doesn't work with your priorities, your schedule, you need a break or you just don't want to do something. It is ok to say no. 

Is your calendar also crazy busy the next month or so?