around these parts {things that work}

I feel like I started off this year not seeing eye to eye with the month of January.

 Then things started to move quickly. Even our time that we would set aside to spend at home went by before we knew it. I realized that I needed to figure out how to live with this winter/spring/sometimes summer life that Ohio has been experiencing.

But now, oh my friends, I'm feeling in the groove. It probably helps that we're into our weeks off from school and I'm catching up on all sorts of this and that.

Be prepared, it is totally random...

Little bits of clean up: I've been better about the ten minute clean ups that my schedule allows. And I'll tell you that it really can make the difference in keeping the clutter at bay.

Planning meals: Somehow I got out of the groove of planning meals. I was doing well at the start of the school year - then life got going. Really sitting down and planning some meals has been such a lifesaver when I get home and have little time to throw something together. 

Writing Each Day: I've been saving sometime during the day to do some writing. Some days free writing, other days writing for work, sometimes writing for the blog. It has been a really nice way to start the day - something I've been missing from my schedule since last Spring. 

Quick Crafts: I always feel better when I have an ongoing creative outlet. Whether it is with photography, sewing, creating something for our home it is always going on. The past few weeks I've been knitting dishcloths for the kitchen. These have been a perfect craft for me to spend just a few minutes here or there and still getting somewhere. For gift making I've been really into these super simple baby blankets. They don't take too much time and always end up looking great!


Keeping the TV OFF: I've been really enjoying a few books already this year. And thanks to keeping off the TV and not renting tons of movies recently I've been getting pretty far into some books I had been eyeing.