How Do You Find the Time?

Shot with my iPhone 5S & Camera+ App (using the self-timer)

It's a fair question and one I receive every so often, especially from readers who are just discovering my blog. 

It's true that since 2008, I've amassed 600+ posts on my site, but it's also important to keep in mind that those posts were written over the course of 1-2-3-4-5-6 years. 

I'm not a prolific writer by any means, but I think I've developed a few habits that have helped me, year-in-and-year-out, carve out time to write.

But first, let's look at what I don't do...

I don't...

• Watch much television.  In the past, I've made exceptions for two PBS series shows, Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife. But oftentimes, I watch the episodes weeks after they've first aired, sometimes while running on the treadmill.

• Clean my home until it's spotless. I'd rather skip the dusting or put off cleaning the bathroom until later, so I have time to write.

• Browse Pinterest or Facebook or Instagram as much as I used to. When I go onto one of these sites, I love the inspiration, the eye candy, the sharing of photos and stories, but I know that I must set some kind of timer (usually on my iPhone), lest I fall into the social media black hole, never to return again. 

I do...

• Jot down notes everywhere.  Sometimes in too many places--to the point where I'll remember capturing my thoughts, but I can't for the life of me recall exactly where. I'll think, Did I leave a voice memo for myself? Or type it in an iPhone note? Or jot it down in a spiral notebook? 

• Set up my laptop on the kitchen counter. Some days, especially if I anticipate some down time at home (e.g. Noah is watching an episode of Jake and the Neverland Pirates or engrossed in playing with his trains), I stand at the counter and type away. 

• Read A LOT. Books. Magazines. Blogs. I find that new ideas bubble up to the surface as I read. Inspiration strikes. (Of course, not all the time, but sometimes.) 

• Take advantage of any "free" time I have. If my husband is going to take Noah grocery shopping with him, you'll find me typing away at my computer while they're gone. When Noah goes to daycare for a few hours on Fridays, I spend a good chunk of that time writing.

• Think A LOT. Over-think is probably more accurate. Some of my blog posts are written entirely in my head. I simply dump the contents out onto the page when I have a moment to type it up. More often than not, blog posts take a lot of time and energy-- tweak and revise and proof my writing.    

How do you carve out time for hobbies you enjoy?

Day in the Life | May 2014

Last Thursday, I documented our day, taking photos with my Nikon cameras and my iPhone as well as jotting down a few notes.

Here's a look at our day:

Welcome Home Daddy | When Noah and I got up about 7:00 am, I texted Brian at the fire station and asked if he would be willing to take a picture of Noah and me in the window when he arrived home. This is what Brian saw when he stepped out of his truck.  (Thanks for snapping this shot, babe!) 


Attire | Lately, Noah is quite opposed to wearing clothing. He loves just roaming the house in a diaper and sometimes, shoes.  On this day, he pulled his black boots out of the closet and put them on all. by. himself. And he didn't seem to be the least bit bothered that they were on the wrong feet. (Nikon D90)

Chatting | Catching up with daddy who worked a 72-hour shift. (Nikon D90)

Dog & Squirrel | Later on, our dog, Rudy, spotted a squirrel on the deck and locked eyes with it.  But Rudy didn't make a peep--no barking, no whining, no lunging at the door. Our dogs have very different personalities.  Rudy is quiet and timid. Lucy, on the other hand, would have been losing her mind! (Nikon D90)

Play | After breakfast, Noah played with his trains. (iPhone)

 

Running Errands | Brian, Noah and I picked up my Nikon D700 at Action Camera (they were great about shipping my camera to Nikon to have it repaired) and stopped off to pick up dog food at PetSmart. 

My favorite part? Getting a few minutes to myself to peruse the aisles at Jo-Ann's while Noah and Brian shopped at Costco. I snapped this quick selfie because I'm in love with this chevron print sleeveless top from Kohl's.

Reading | After Noah's nap, we read several books. I snapped this photo of the two of us using the free GorillaCam app with a self-timer. (iPhone)

 
Rain | After dinner, we received a spring shower. (Nikon D700)
 
 Bath | Here's Noah singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in the bath tub. (Nikon D700)

 
Bedtime | After Noah's bath, Brian and Noah read one of his favorite books, What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry. (Nikon D700)

One More Thing | Because Noah is talking so much these days, I wanted to document some of the more common words/phrases/sentences. Here's what Noah, at 28 months, is saying:

"Noey, do it!"
"Mommy, carry you!" (when he wants me to carry him)
"Where is my tractor?"
"My Rudy."
"I need milk." (he says this so matter of factly that I can't help but grin)
"Try it?" (when he wants to eat something I'm eating, which happens A LOT now)
"Go for a ride in truck." (daddy's truck)
"Cleaze." (Please)
"Play again, play again." (singing along to Luke Bryan's new song, Play It Again)
"I eat it." (again, when he wants to eat something I'm eating)
"Just kidding!" (This was the first time I'd heard him say this. Smile.)
"That's funny!"
"I need mail." (after watching Brian and me open our mail)

About a year ago, I documented a day in our lives. Looking back, it was interesting to see how some things have changed and others have remained the same.

Thanks to Ali Edwards for inspiring me once again to document a day in our lives.

A Lovely Gift for Mother's Day

Last Mother's Day, my two sisters and I collaborated on this gift for our mom.

It's a glass jar filled with 101 slips of colored paper.

Each slip of paper contains a reason why we love our mom. (There's a different color for each sister: Red for me, green for Nichole and turquoise for Katie.)  

Here's a look at what I wrote on eight of the 34 strips.

Mom, I love you...

• Because you taught me the value of thank you notes.

• Because you made me beef broth in the elephant cup when I was sick.

•  Because you took us on airplane flights--many times flying all by yourself with two or three kids.

• Because you assembled lots of photo albums with pictures of us as kids.

• Because you embrace new technologies.  New iPhone? Bring it on. A new computer? Yes, please. A Kindle reader? Definitely.

• Because you love to read, and you passed that love onto me. I enjoy words + stories today, in large part because of you.  

• Because you reminded me to move my elbows off the dining room table.

• Because you exposed me to lots of different types of music and artists: James Taylor. Earth, Wind & Fire. Dan Fogelberg. Willie Nelson. The Beatles. I remember listening to some vinyl records from your collection, lots of cassette tapes, and of course, CDs as I got older. 

The Process | First, I brainstormed as many reasons as I could, trying to be as specific as possible. I typed up the reasons in a Word document, and then went back a few days later, and chose my favorite 34 and neatly wrote them on red paper. After cutting the paper into strips, I folded them in half and placed them in the jar, which I bought at Beverly's with a 40% off coupon.  Score!

My sisters sent me their strips as well, and into the jar they went. I added some ribbon and a handcrafted tag, and it was ready for mom.    

Inspiration | I found this idea on--where else?--Pinterest.  Here's the original link, which contains a few other Mother's Day gift ideas.

While this gift is intended for kids to make for their moms, I'd argue that it's an awesome idea for adult kids, too.  Because I think moms of any age--whether they are in their 30s, 60s or 80s--would love to receive a Mother's Day present like this.

I know our mom did!

Your turn: What handmade items have you created to honor your mom on Mother's Day?

Right Now

I'm...

Loving this picture of Noah kissing his brand new cousin, Zoey, who was born yesterday morning.  (Congrats to my sister, Nichole!)

Attending Mother Goose on the Loose at the library.

Processing pictures from Apple Hill, Notre Dame, and Halloween.

Enjoying a breakfast date with my hubby.

Baby proofing the kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom cabinets.

Folding laundry.

Running short distances (2-3 miles) on the treadmill.  

Contemplating my next running goal now that I've completed a half marathon.

Writing a thank you note to a friend for her amazing strawberry jam.   

Printing pictures for Noah's birth mother.

Creating packing lists for our upcoming trip to Portland. 

Reading Extraordinary, Ordinary People by Condoleeza Rice, a digital title I "checked out" from the library.

Perusing the HearthSong catalog for kids' Christmas ideas.

Doing the Hokey Pokey in the kitchen with Noah.

Crafting an article about photography that is aimed at kids, ages 8-11.   

Welcoming the practice of daily gratitude, typing one thing I'm thankful for each day on my iPhone.

Right Now

Noah & Katie | September 2012 | Fort Worth, Texas

I am...

• Processing photos from our trip to Dallas.  (This is one of my favorite shots!)

• Harvesting vegetables from our garden.  (I'm surprised and excited that our plants are still producing!)

• Typing up two article outlines and one story outline for my writing class.

• Caring for Noah as he battles his first cold.  (Hyland's tiny cold tablets seem to be helping.)

• Writing in my new journal. 

• Flipping through The Poky Little Puppy (the board book edition) with Noah.

• Listening to music by Kari Jobe, a Christian singer I learned about while we were in Texas.  (Thanks, Preston, for the recommendation!)    

• Babyproofing our home, little by little. 

• Running on the treadmill, at the park, and around my parents' neighborhood.  

• Singing Noah's favorite song right now: The Wheels on the Bus.  Our bus has dogs and cats and even monkeys sometimes.  Noah laughs whenever I make the animal sounds, so I just keep adding more critters.       

• Sipping hot apple cider.

• Cleaning door handles, TV remotes, light switches, and toys with antibacterial wipes. 

• Enjoying play time with Brian and Noah.

• Browsing the internet for Halloween costume ideas.

• Reading Writer Mama, Writing Down the Bones, and Daring Greatly. 

• Embracing all that is fall.  

What's happening in your world right now? 

Five Favorite Things

Hello there!

This week, Brian is working two overtime shifts, so I am spending lots of time with the baby, grocery shopping, cleaning the house, reading, and doing some writing for my class.  

I'm also in the midst of writing a blog post about traveling with a baby, but today I just want to share my five {favorite} things.  Here they are:

1) This cookbook is awesome!  So far, I've made four dishes, and they've all been super duper delicious.  The copy I'm currently using belongs to our local library, but I hope to have my very own book soon.  

2) I'm loving my herbs and plant markers!  In mid-April, I planted basil, cilantro and oregano in our yard.  While the oregano never materialized, the basil and cilantro (pictured above) are growing strong.  After seeing these Etsy plant markers, I decided to make my own using twigs from our yard, alphabet stamps from Studio G, and Stampin' Up! stamp pads.  The ink color is already fading, though, so if I make a future set for our vegetable garden, I'll be sure to heat set the ink before placing the markers outside.

3) This target is one of my favorite things, too.  I know some of you might be thinking, What in the world?!  You shot a gun?!  Why, yes.  Yes, I did.  Let me explain: Recently, I took a basic pistol course to learn how to safely shoot a handgun.  During the 8-hour course, I learned a ton about revolvers and semi-automatic weapons, and then shot a .22 at an indoor range, along with five other women.  Was I nervous initially?  Heck yes I was!  Did I enjoy it?  Heck yes I did!  The best part: I didn't shoot myself or anyone else.  And my target doesn't look half-bad, considering it was my first time shooting a handgun.  Just call me Calamity Jennie. :-) 

4) Now that Noah is sleeping in his own room, I can again read in bed before nodding off to sleep.  Right now, I'm reading Quiet:  The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking and Growing Up Amish. 

5) I've saved the best for last: Noah's leg rolls.  Aren't they just the cutest?!  I absolutely adore our chubby baby boy!

What are your five {favorite} things right now?

J

On My Nightstand

SEVEN: The number of library books stacked on my nightstand right now.

But let's be real: Am I reading all seven concurrently?

No.

FOUR: The number of books I'm currently reading.

The first is Stephen King's memoir On Writing, which I'm really enjoying even though I'm not a fan of his other books.

I found two adoption books, The Adoption Sourcebook and You Can Adopt, at the Auburn Library last week. I'm hoping to skim them in an effort to learn more about how adoptive families have successfully located birth mothers.

I just started reading The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker, but I hope it will provide me with some new and fun ways to organize my scrapbooking supplies.

TWO: I've started and stopped two books, Laugh, Cry, Eat Some Pie and Boys Adrift. I'm still contemplating whether or not I want to continue reading them or just return them to the library. I used to feel the need to finish every book I started, but now if I'm not enjoying a book, I see no reason to read it cover-to-cover.

ONE: I plan to devour the remaining book, Lydia's Charm, just as soon as my summer break commences.

What are you reading right now?

J

P.S. Just 10 more work days until summer...but who's counting, right?!