Adventure

Having adventures is a big part of my life-balance manifesto. Planning trips and holidays gives you something to look forward to and a different way of looking at things.

My adventure this week was a family holiday in the beautiful country of Wales. North Wales to be precise, Porthmadog. We had such a wonderful week. We went to the beach, on a steam train, underground to a slate mine done up like King Arthurs Labyrinth, to a dogs grave in Bedgelert and had plenty of laughs along the way. Travelling of any form with kids is a military operation but it’s worth it to see the delight in their eyes throughout the week. So today after travelling home I am pretty tired. I’m just going to share a few pics then today.

   
            Do you love adventures as much as me? Where are you planning an adventure to? I can’t wait until my next one!

Love,

Imogen x

Most Important Tasks

In my Leonie Dawson workbook that I filled out at the beginning of this year there was a page called

12 Zen Habits (From Leo Babuta at Zen habits.net)

They are all pretty useful and zen and go as follows

1. Set your 3 MIT’s (most important tasks) each morning
2. Single task (focus your attention)
3. Zero inbox
4. Process emails once a day
5. Exercise 5-10 mins a day
6. Work while disconnected
7. Keep your desk decluttered
8. Clear & declutter home for 15 mins a day
9. Stick to a 5 sentence limit on emails (make your words powerful)
10. Say no to commitments & requests not on your important short list
11. Eat fresh fruit & veg everyday
12. Follow a morning routine

I think we can all pretty much agree that these ‘Zen Habits’ are worth thinking about as we go through our days. In fact I have them stuck on the wall in front of me right this very second look

My favourite one is number 1. I actually do use this one every day now. Having 3 MIT’s is great because it isn’t overwhelming. It its an endless to do list. It is just what actually matters to you the most on that day. Sometimes there is time for more. Some days I have achieved my MIT’s by 11am and I have the rest of the day to frolic..or whatever. I take 5 minutes every morning to figure out what the 3 tasks are for that day that i definitely need to do. If i think of 4 i have to choose which ones are the most necessary to my day.

Todays MIT’s for example are

• Write blog post
• Go to appointment
• Start assignment

Today is pretty standard actually. Often my 3 MIT’s have something to do with self-care (appointment-actually for hypnotherapy) something for my business (today-write blog post) and often something to do with studying because there is basically always something I really need to do for that.

Other days, I know immediately that My number 1 priority is self care. Sometimes my MIT is actually to find time for a quick nap, or a bath, or just to read alone for a while. On days when I’m not feeling that great I know that that needs to be taken care of first.

Some days it is to do something fun with my family, to visit my grandma, to clean something, to business plan, to organise something for charity, to find time for yoga or a walk or to write in my journal if I haven’t done that for a while, to create something if i haven’t done that for a while.

You get the picture. I need to sit down each morning and actually give myself a few minutes to think about what the day holds in store for me and how I can work out when to do my MIT’s.

Why don’t you try it? Could you list 3 MIT’s today?

Peace out,

Imogen x

P.S.

Have you signed up for self-care month? Free daily emails throughout June with self care tasks in for every day! Sign up here

http://eepurl.com/bl49EP

Hosting a stress-free kids party

  
Sometimes I feel like there is so many ideas going through my mind that I just want to run round and do them all before I forget them. Obviously I can’t do that because not only have I got kiddies to look after, I would seriously crash after a couple of days. Taking my time and easing into things is seriously a learning curve for me. I am still learning. But be prepared there are a lot of blog based goodies coming this way.

At the weekend it was my baby’s 2nd birthday party. I don’t know how other parents feel but these are usually times of great stress for me. Half the people that come are super critical, the kids are crazy and at least one of mine will have a meltdown, I invite too many people and I spend 90% of the time either cleaning up or making food and not enjoying the party at all.

  
This time, I wanted it to be different. I wanted to see everyone, I wanted it to be calm, I wanted everyone to get along. And actually, this time, I think I might have just about achieved it.

I decided before I planned the party that this would be the last kids party I do for family & friends and from now on parties will involve a few kids and a few parents for supervision. So what did I do this time to make it easier on myself? Heres a list of tips that made this party my most enjoyable one yet through 5 and a half years of motherhood.

• Delegate. I recruited my mum and my sister to help. Rather than them chatting and playing I asked them to help, and of course they didn’t mind. Mum washed up and sister made cups of tea. Thats all. It helped me immensely.
• Don’t offer different kinds of food. There have been occasions where I have separated children and adults food. That’s pretty crazy. They can all eat the same! And have in the past been running around topping up glasses of bucks fizz and wine and beers. Not this time, it was a tea only party.
• Simple food. Sandwiches were off the menu because of the time and effort needed to create them. I had quiches (pre-made) garlic bread, pasta salad (actually everything was pre-made lets just get that over with) coleslaw, cookies, bottles of flavoured water for the kids, grapes, strawberries, crisps, sausage rolls, carrot sticks, mini sausages etc.
• Make clearing up easier on yourself. I bought foil platters, paper plates, plastic knives and forks and popped it all in the recycling bin at the end of the party. Clearing up time seriously reduced
• Get them outside. Ok it rained, a lot. I knew it would be a squeeze to get everyone in the house so we borrowed a gazebo. Not that the kids minded, especially the birthday girl, she just got wet!
• When party time is over its ok to usher people out. If you have specified a start and end time on the invitation then people will stick to it. 2 hours is plenty.
• Some situations can’t be avoided. My boy caused a fight which wasn’t ideal. He was sent to his bedroom for a while which gave him time to calm down but as the party was drawing to a close it was getting more obvious that he had had enough excitement and I started to wind things down with a few songs and asked him to help blow out the candles.

  

• Arrange for some down time afterwards. I rewarded myself with a bottle of prosecco and a nice easy tea. The next day we spent time as a family and relaxed. It took me possibly about 3 days less to recover from than other kids parties because I gave us time to rest.

Overall I enjoyed my girly’s party. I had time to take photos of everyone, to greet everyone and even sat down to eat something at one point. Even with one or two little hiccups I would say that I didn’t get stressed. At all. really! Amazing isn’t it. There you go anything is possible!

  
Have a beautiful day guys,

Imogen x

Evening routine

Following on from my post yesterday about creating a weekly routine I want to talk about creating an evening routine. If you work in the day or look after your family then evenings are sacred time. They are your important time for relaxing and regenerating. If you’re tired (I certainly am) then it’s easy to want to spend your evening in front of the TV. I understand that and I do that sometimes too. That’s fine now and then but what I want to suggest is that you also use this time for personal growth, hobbies, socialising, exercise, creating and self care.

What I do first is make a list of 5 or more tasks that I feel I don’t have enough time for, or areas of my life that are getting neglected. My list looks like this

• Crafting/painting
• Self care
• Socialising
• Quality time for my relationship with my husband
• Exercise
• Time spent in nature
• Reading

Now I work out how to fit this things into my evenings. I choose one per day, it doesn’t have to be rigid, for example if the weather is good I will go for a walk and tick off some time spent in nature. Sometimes I can’t get out for a walk on my own if I am on my own with the kids and I’ll have to work that time into another part of my week. Here’s how a normal week night could work:

At 7:40pm both children are in bed and I have cleared up all the pots and toys from the day. If i can go out I would go straight out for swimming, or to a friends for a cup of tea, out for a meal with friends, or for a short walk down to the river. If I am at home I could get the paints out or make something from my Crafts To Do board on Pinterest. On a Thursday, as I have said before I like to make time to pamper myself a bit (see Pamper evening post). On Wednesdays I make time to watch a film. If Mr.H is around it gives us quality time together which is something we can top up at the weekend. Generally, any one of these activities normally lasts from half an hour to 2 hours, which then gives me time watch something on TV then to read a bit before I go to bed. I very rarely go to bed later than 10:30pm. I would stay up longer and do more if I could but I know that if I do stay up longer I will pay for it in tiredness the next day.

I think everyone knows how much sleep they need and how much they can fit in to an evening. You have to use your intuition to figure out whether you are trying to fit in too much or if you are too tired to do much one evening. My belief is that this time is precious and often overlooked as a time to be productive in your hobbies or socialising. Why not try it for a while and see if you can pull another few hours of activity out of your day? For any more help or advice on creating routines and fitting more into your life then email me at imogenjhope@gmail.com

Much love,

Imogen x

Daily routine



Well I am back online finally. Now I intend to do more with this blog and make it into the network of helpful tips, ideas, and advice on how to balance your life and make space for all the wonderful things you dream of doing but feel like you never have time for. Like, for example, myself-working on this blog, running my house, looking after 2 children, doing a degree, creating and looking after myself. All very important aspects of my life!

I’ve said it before but I don’t think I can ever say it enough. Routines are there as guidelines. Do not allow it to control you. Let it be flexible. If something comes up that you hadn’t planned DO NOT WORRY, just get on with it and come back to your routines when you can. When you keep on top of things that you need or want to do the odd day where you don’t follow it won’t make as much impact on how much you can get done.

I reworked my daily routines last week as it is something that needs doing often when my life changes regularly. I have vague distinctions between days because of different commitments etc. And my version has a lot more specific detail but i’m sure you don’t actually need to know what days I wash my hair or paint my toenails etc! (Yes, I am that organised! If i don’t plan toe-nail-painting I will never do it!) But, anyway, here is a basic version of my weekdays.

7am-8:20-Getting ready for school/put a load of washing on/school run

8:45-10am-Wash up breakfast pots/cleaning tasks for the day (will include how i separate cleaning tasks through the week on another post)/Tuesdays I nip to the shops or market for any bits I have run out of

10am-11:30-Usually go out with baby to My grandmas/playgroup/park/swimming/the library

11:30-Lunch

12pm-1pm-Blog/craft while baby naps

2pm-Exercise, usually hula hoop, yoga, Pilates just at home

3pm- 3:30-School run/homework

3:30pm-5pm-Play games/play in the garden/read together

5pm-7pm-Eat tea/clean up/watch TV

7pm-7:40-Getting kids ready for bed and getting them to sleep.

I will post specifics about evening routines on another post. This is a really important time (especially for parents of young children) to look after themselves, to relax and to create things for themselves. Sometimes studying or work runs over into these times but thats ok. As long as we get some time to really do what it is that makes us who we are or who we want to be.

If you need any help creating your own routines then please contact me via the contact page or email imogenjhope@gmail.com, I would love to help you.

Have a gorgeous day,

Imogen

Weekends; A to-do free zone

My weekends can be pretty hectic. Or they can painfully quiet. There never really seems to be much of an in-between. My main rule for my weekends is that any routine and schedule that is kept during the week basically goes out of the window. Which makes enough freedom to be spontaneous. It is perfect for when you get an unexpected sunny spell to go to the park or the forest. Or for when you run into friends and decide to go for coffee. Obviously some plans have to be made and kept even at weekend. And somethings have to be done at some point, for me that is studying. But as I say its so nice to have no pressure, to be free and to enjoy your time.

If you need any ideas of fun things to fill your weekend with I recommend The Wonderful Weekend Book by Elspeth Thompson. It is full of fun, weekend joy. Now I’m going to spend my Friday doing as much studying as I can in order to have some free time this weekend. I hope you enjoy whatever it is you are doing with yours.

Imogen x

10 facts about me

Morning all. I am very tired today. It is only the second day of half term and I am completely drained! I think it is more to do with the packing up a house of 4 than the extra child being here in the day. But the sun is shining and its pancake day so i’m happy!

So here is a little snippet of my life; 10 facts about me that you (hopefully) won’t already know…

1. My favourite shop is Holland and Barrett. I love experimenting with super foods and anything that gives me energy is priceless to me!

2. Every time I buy something new (even if its from a charity shop) my mother accuses me of being ‘Decadent’

3. My favourite ‘story’ ever told is A Midsummer Nights Dream. Ever since studying it in high school 15 years ago.

4. I cover the telly in my bedroom with a scarf when it is not in use because I think it is ugly. Mr.H thinks I have lost it.

5. I hate wires. They are taking over my house.

6. I declutter on a monthly basis. There is always space to be made and things no longer needed.

7. I think this week will be full of ‘list-posts’

8. Actually I totally love lists. They are the best way to sort the muddles inside my head.

9. I was so shocked when I found out that I was having a baby girl. Sometimes I still look at her and am amazed that she wasn’t a boy.

10. I love getting older. I love life lessons and becoming wiser and more comfortable in my own skin.

Well now I am off to have pancakes with my Grandma and the kids, then time for more packing and a lot of playing and some yoga to relax. Have a gorgeous day!

Imogen x

Half-term aka. school holiday survival

Ok, if you don’t have children then the term ‘survival’ in the title there may seem a little dramatic. But that is what it feels like. You have to get through the day without the children killing each other, without them driving you bonkers and while still trying to get done all the things you have to get done if you work at home like I do.

Everything has to change for that week. I have to make sure that they don’t get bored. That they expel enough energy. That they aren’t watching TV all day. That they get time outdoors. That we have activities together that we all enjoy and therefore enjoy our time together as a family and make the most of it.

Here’s a little list of the things I try to fit in each day

~Get out somewhere (somewhere free hopefully) the library, swimming, the park, a museum, a different park, a friends house etc.

~An activity to do together. Either a big board game session, crafting, baking, drawing

~Some down time reading, doodling, watching a film. A nap for baby.

~A bit of cleaning/clearing. As little as I can get away with. Normally 1 small task a day during holidays.

~Hula hoop & yoga for me.

~Time to write, for me.

~And the extra thing that has been added on for me in this half term in particular. Packing to move house!!

Today is the first day and it is only a 1 week holiday so I am not too worried. I have managed just about to fit in all that we need to do today and if it was the big summer holidays I would be much more willing to spend money to keep us entertained!

I hope I can continue to keep up to date with blog posts during the week. Although i’m sure you will forgive me if they come about it little later in the day than usual :). Please share any other tips you may have for keeping busy and staying sane in the school hols.

Also, my Pinterest boards Mummy things to do, Jonah and Baby Violet all have ideas of crafts and bits to do to help keep you busy and so you can enjoy your family time together. Enjoy!

Imogen x

Feeding the family

As I have mentioned on the blog a few times, food shopping and making is a big issue for me. I forget to food shop and so frequently run out of things. I am trying hard to be more organised in this area. Also ideas for meals trip me up regularly and I often end up running out for food last minute or getting Mr.H to pick things up on his way home from work and on his lunch breaks.

While working on creating new routines I have created 2 time slots a week for shopping. The main one is on a Friday at 6pm when Mr.H gets home. I can go alone and take my time looking for everything that I need. I create an ongoing list on my phone through the week and pick up everything else we get every week. The second slot is on a Tuesday morning when I am in town to take Vi to a baby group. Before we go i’ll get any fruit and veg i need for recipes and snacks from the market and get anything else that we need from the shops in town that I can’t get from the supermarket. This normally includes cleaning stuff that i can get cheaper than the supermarket, health foods, toiletries and such. I have tried to keep this system going for a couple of weeks and so far it seems to be working pretty well.

The other thing I tend to have difficulty with is providing actually meals for my family. It sounds terrible but I just haven’t been organised enough. My children don’t want to eat the same food as i do. I think this is the main problem. I try to be healthy and cook proper food whereas they would probably live off fish fingers and waffles. I don’t really want that so i try to make the best of both worlds. The breakfast staple in our house is cereal, the kids have it and Mr.h, its easy and they seem to wake up ravenous so I need to get them something quick. I generally have porridge with cinnamon and agave nectar or scrambled eggs with vegetables. Everybody seems happy there. Snack-wise, the kids are totally fuelled by fruit and the odd breadstick. For lunch we all love natural peanut butter on wholemeal bread when not at school. School dinners are free these days so i know J gets a big, varied, proper meal everyday. And cake, everyday. hmm. Anyway tea times are the main issue for us. I try to keep it simple during the week. The last thing I want to be doing is slaving away cooking for hours when we could be playing or reading. My kids love pasta so often they will have that with pesto and some vegetables. They absolutely love scrambled eggs on toast, well one of them does and theres no way I’m doing them different meals! Pancakes, Staffordshire Oatcakes, Beans, Sausages, spaghetti Bolognese are all eaten regularly and it seems to keep it simple enough for me to not be driven completely crazy. I sometimes make myself a huge salad while they have that. Or a stir fry or now and again I’ll just have what they’re having.

I like to make a bigger deal of meals at the weekend. Especially tea. I like us all the sit down together and eat the same thing. This give me a chance to try out a new recipe off pinterest or to have something bubbling away in the slow cooker all day long.

Do you have any tips on how to simplify meal times and shopping?

Imogen x

Snow Day

The snow really starting coming down today and sticking on everything. The town comes to a stand still as typically we are never prepared. I don’t think one road has been gritted. After only 2 hours at school we are asked to pick up the children if possible. I debated whether to wait or not but considered the weather actually could get worse and decided just to get it other with. I am not a fan of snow or cold at all. I’m fine if i can hide indoors but venturing out isn’t something i would class as fun.

So i wrapped up the baby and off we went. Into utter chaos at school with children and parents all over the place and actual queues to pick up the children. Lucky for me she was entertained by eating fresh snow of various things. Yet it took an hour between leaving home and getting back home and was completely exhausting.

So a snow day for the kids equals a snow day for me. This little post is the most work i will be doing today and the rest of it will be spent snuggling and cosying up with my family. We are currently awaiting the arrival of my sister who has been stuck in the snow for 3 hours in what normally is a 25 minute journey and keeping our fingers crossed that Mr.H makes it back safely from NY in the morning. Hope you are all staying safe and warm wherever you are.

Imogen x