Last week was a lost cause because of the previously-written-about stomach bug that attacked me and Isabelle… so this week I was bound and determined to get sh*t stuff done.

Since Clara is off of preschool (darn you, spring break!) this week, I have even less time than usual to get my ducks in a row. However, it is happening. My laundry pile is overflowing, we don’t have a meal plan, I haven’t worked out in ages, the house is generally a mess… I mean, you get the picture. I have no choice but to maximize my productivity.

Here are three steps I’m taking to maximize all of my time this week:

Minimize distractions.

I took the Facebook app off my phone and I don’t regret it. Yes I miss out on some things that I normally might have been interested in (I love our neighborhood’s ‘Buy Nothing’ group and the ‘PMT Challenge’ group for the spring style challenge is amazing!) but I needed those hours of aimless scrolling back. I truly feel like this one action has added time back to my days. Another option would have been to disable the notifications, but I know myself and that just wouldn’t have done the trick.

Don’t feel guilty telling (or expecting) kids to play by themselves.

As a SAHM I sometimes feel guilty when I’m ‘ignoring’ my kids. But here’s the thing: I don’t believe that (my) kids should need my constant attention. Yes, I need to make sure they’re safe, but they are more than capable of ‘reading’ by themselves and making up games and playing with blocks… they don’t shouldn’t need me to tell them how to keep busy and they definitely shouldn’t depend on me as a constant playmate. I might feel differently about this if I had less time to spend with them during the day (like if I was a work-outside-the-home parent), but as it is, I am constantly around and it’s okay if I take 30 minutes to myself every morning to get some things done.

Use a planner.

(This isn’t the one I use, but it’s pretty!) I’ll say it again and again, writing things down helps to keep me accountable. At the beginning of each week I write down high priority items that I need to get accomplished each day, and I make sure there are only 1-2 items every day that I really want to get done. I then write down lower priority items that I also want to do. This helps to keep me organized and motivated during naptimes. But, I must admit, it’s a rare day and an even rarer week when everything gets done!

Wish me luck getting all of the things done! Or at least some of the things. Maybe just one thing.