Keeping It All Together During A Hectic Season In Life

I almost forgot how to blog. It's true - it's been so long since I wrote a blog post that I had to putter around to find my way again.
In reality, I've been blogging in my head. I really have. I've been talking to you and showing you things around The Wren. Projects we've worked on. . . food I've cooked. . . crafts I've made. . . and of course, the grandchildren that won't stop growing. But of course, if I don't put my fingers to the keyboard and download some photos, then you have no idea what's going on.

During the past year, my jobs have taken up a lot of my time and attention. Most of my attention, actually. The problem? I had too many jobs. I was teaching preschool, running the preschool ministry at our church, staging homes for Realtors, and helping clients with organizing their homes.
Something had to give. I felt the Lord was telling me it was time to give up teaching. I argued with him for awhile. I knew I needed to obey, but I didn't want to. My penchant for uber multitasking was causing me to disobey my Lord. I offered to give up every other job. I offered to cut back my hours. That wasn't his plan.
"Yes, Lord", I finally said. "Not my will, but yours".
It really was freeing. I can't explain it except that when you know you're obeying God, nothing else seems to be a big deal. I didn't even cry on the last day of school. And let me tell you, I've ugly cried last-day-of-school tears every year for many years. This year - nothing.

As I looked back on the past year, I was wondering how I made it though the hectic-ness of it all. How did my house not fall apart? How did we manage to keep our bodies healthy? How did we work on anything or help anybody during this crunch time?
So here are some of my personal tips for handling a hectic season (God ordained or self imposed).
1. It pays to have an organized home. Sure I am a professional organizer, but I'm not a perfect housekeeper. One thing going for us is that everything in our home has a place where it lives. If it doesn't have a place, then it can't stay. I have a covered basket in my foyer where I put items that need to be donated. When it's full, I take the items to the thrift store.

2. Make sure your priorities are in the right order. If my time with God and reading his word is compromised, I have to give up something. Without my quiet time, I've learned that I'm a train wreck waiting to happen. Time with my Hubs comes next, followed by kids, grandlittles, friends, jobs and home maintenance. Everything else is extra and has to wait it's turn.
3. It's important to take care of your nest. Hubs has a spreadsheet to help stay on track with the home chores. He doesn't have to remember to change the air filters, check the tire pressure and fluid levels in the cars, or replace the smoke alarm batteries - the list tells him to do it. I keep a weekly list of the basics - dust, vacuum, wash, iron, etc. The only extra thing I do is clean out one drawer or cabinet each week. Because everything is pretty organized, it takes me less than 5 minutes to do it.

4. Don't forget about your people. We have regular family dinner nights when all of our grown children and our grandlittles come for dinner. It's a set date on the calendar. I knew that if we didn't have a regular date, then we'd never find the time. Have a few minutes with your spouse after work each day. Just a little bit of time to reconnect and share your day will help to set the tone for the rest of the evening even if you have to go to a meeting or an event after dinner. I also try to have time with friends whenever I can. It ends up being mostly quarterly, but it's better than never. Facebook and texting also help. Just letting others know that you care about them goes a long way.

5. Don't believe the "Go big or go home" mentality. Little things do mean a lot. Even if you can't clean your whole house at one time, clean some of it. Even if you can't sit down to a home-cooked dinner, sit down and eat (anywhere) together. Even if you can't exercise for a half hour - walk and stretch every chance you get.
6. A little planning goes a long way. I try to plan my meals out for a few weeks at a time. I don't plan what we will exactly have for each night, but I plan to have the ingredients in my pantry/fridge/freezer for 14 meals so I am prepared to cook. I do try to plan out tomorrow's dinner, today. That way, if I have to thaw or soak anything, I'll have it ready. I also cook double batches of many meals and we eat them for lunches or other dinners.

7. Evaluate what you call fun. We all need a time to rest and rejuvenate, but sometimes we do something just because it's a habit or because we feel obligated. During this hectic time, I've had to say no to to home-sales parties that my friends are having. I've had to say no to movies (Hubs and I decided it wasn't quality time with each other). I've said no to women's retreats and extra Bible studies - all very good things, but not the best thing for my life during this season.
8. Say yes to new improvements and goals. I made a big change in my life this past year in regards to my health. I decided to cut Gluten out of my diet. Sure, it took a lot of effort initially, but my improved health and mental clarity made up for it. Also, Hubs and I still continued to make improvements to our home - just at a much, much, slower pace. We've stuck to our goals and dreams, but taken the step #5 approach. We have taken small steps toward bigger goals. As we're able, we will take more and more steps until the projects are done.

Laying out the windows we will use for our new greenhouse. We've been planning it for years!
So there you have my take on how to survive through a hectic season in your life. What are your tips? What helps you get through the tough times?