The Funk

Here is a little Friday stream of consciousness for you... Happy weekend! :)

It is funny. All that time spent in graduate school has given me a new perspective post-graduation. While I am SUPER grateful to be done with homework, late nights reading articles or textbooks, or group projects, I am finding that this time after graduating has been fun and relaxing, but different. While life and work and normal responsibilities still are moving at a fast pace, I am finding that all the things I thought about doing post-graduation, I am lacking the routine or discipline to actually do them. I had projects GALORE I wanted to do once being done with school. All those nights I was writing or meeting virtually with group members on projects, I had a list of "man, I wish I was doing [insert some form of fun that doesn't involve schoolwork here]". I even wished I had time to clean...like clean your whole house clean. Now that I have that time, I am having a difficult time making a routine. Scheduling my days to accomplish something outside of normal work hours. Once I get home, I just want to watch tv. I have never been a big tv watcher, but now, that's much of what I find myself doing. My books I have from the library even remain unread. What is going on?!  I need to get myself back on track and find a good rhythm. When you are forced to do hours of schoolwork, you just do it. It is hard, not fun, but it forces productivity. I can't handle not doing something productive. Just sitting is so foreign to me it makes me feel almost guilty for doing it. I guess, like in all things, I need to find a balance. I need to balance sitting watching tv time with doing projects or other household activities. I mean, I have been keeping up with routine cleaning, etc better than when I was in school, but the extra projects seem to be just waiting to be addressed and I keep putting it off. I am not a procrastinator, for the most part. Why am I suddenly doing this? I need to get out of this funk. This "wanting to be lazy" funk. I need to get on a schedule...you know I love a good list:) looks like it is to the drawing board on "being productive post-school".

I'll let you know how this all turns out... :)

Dear Future Self: Time & Valentine

Dear Future Self,

For the past several days, I have been basking in a lesser homework load. However, that lighter workload couldn't have come at a better time as work got kinda crazy all at once. So having a little less to work in the evenings after some very busy days has been great.

Valentine's Day was a nice, simple day for us. We ordered food and brought it home and watched a movie. I don't watch many movies while in school, so sitting a being able to watch one was fantastic. Nothing too extravagant, but it was just perfect. I had my husband-valentine and my pup-valentine...I am one blessed and happy lady:)

Other than that, things are just plugging along. Amazing how life's days are so filled yet there seems to be little going on, all at the same time. But I am trying to treasure these days of just normal busyness because as we all know, crazy happens so quickly. So I am trying to enjoy the feeling of "what do I do" because I am so used to having a to-do list that is so long I don't know where to start.

Well, I guess cleaning should be happening, since that is an ever-present need that always is on the list. Maybe I'll start on that...maybe :)

Happy Weekend!

~AMK

Not 36 hours ago...

Every have one of those days where you are completely overwhelmed and have so much on your to-do list that you just do nothing. Nothing. I mean, your list is screaming at your for attention, yet you sit on the couch, watch TV and eat like crap, when you know you should be up and moving and getting stuff done. You even have conversations about how you need to get so much done, yet you still sit there despite your best efforts to pump yourself up.  Instead, you watch 3 movies in a row and neglect grocery shopping, cleaning and all other things you need to get done on those precious 48 hours we have of our own called, the weekend. Yeah, that was yesterday. I sat on the couch ALL DAY. I think there is a permanent mold of where I was lounging. Well, I lie. I did shift from one couch to the other as the evening went on. Then fell asleep on the couch until 2 am when I finally made it back to the bedroom. OH Yeah, productivity at its best:)

But I will say, sometimes you need to have those days.  You get yourself so worked up and worried about all that needs to get done that you don't actually have any energy left to do those things. So Sunday, was my day of rest. I did some homework in the morning, but I did NOTHING the rest of the day. I didn't realize how much I needed it. I think I would have gone crazy crazier if I didn't just do nothing. It was so nice.

So now, I am refreshed. My task list doesn't seem as daunting as it did just 36 hours before. I am ready to tackle it now.  I am ready to do all those things that I set aside for some much needed rest and laziness.

So here is to revitalized energy and going full force into my to-do list....

 And here is to you too...because we all know everyone's lives are crazy at times....go you. :)

~AMK

Advent of Crazy?

Dear Future Self,

Today, I sit here at my computer feeling like the world is going so fast around me and I am in slow motion. You know that feeling, future self, don’t you?  The feeling that lines are blurring, and you standing there with your life circling around you, and it is going so fast you can hardly keep up. I think the Christmas season is like that for many of us. We have more gatherings, more cooking, more cleaning, and more crafting than we typically partake in for a whole year! The hustle and bustle is so fun, but it sure is overwhelming too.

For this year, our first year being married, we are taking in all things us. We are going to our friend’s parties, we are creating our own traditions, we are enjoying decorating our first place together and are doing our shopping and crafting and preparations with feelings of excitement and newness. Having our first Christmas as a hitched woman is starting off great so far this season. Loving that there is going to be so much time to spend with those we love and care for. And, we are missing all those that we are not able to be with too. But, we will be sending our love and hopefully doing some Skyping too J (Future self, do you still use skype or has teleportation become the latest and greatest?)

So while I am here at my computer, looking at my calendar that is quickly filling and my to-do list is growing with little being crossed off yet, I am trying to focus on how awesome this time of year is. How grateful I am for this holiday season and all the life it brings to us. It stretches us and makes us do more with what seems like less time. So I am getting my list-making skills at the ready because its gonna be a busy but fun ride!

Basking in the holiday cheer,

~AMK

Dear Future Self: The Home Stretch

Dear Future Self,

So we are on the home stretch of wedding planning, KGK and I! We are putting all the final touches to all things pre-wedding and pre-family arriving into town! :) We are so unbelievably excited!! :)

almost there!

So here's a few things that I want to remember when I look back on the last days/week before our wedding:

***

~I am nervous. Not about getting hitched, but about all the details. We are planners so that helps, but man! It still makes ya nervous. :)

~I have been doing really well with working out and plan to keep that up for the last little while before the wedding. I really enjoy water aerobics, cycling classes, core/abs classes and walking Buddy. I know he likes it when I decide to stay home and walk him instead of hitting the gym!

~I'm getting all my homework done and some from the week of and after the wedding. Staying on top of homework is one thing, but getting ahead...UGH! But I am doing it! Trying to stay positive! :)

~Have a few last minute things to buy, but other than that, all my accessories and dress stuff is taken care of for the most part. PHEW! That's always a big relief!

~Gettin' my tan on! Trying to have a little color so I'm not the stark white chick in the stark white dress;) So just getting a little rays to give me a good ole fashion glow.

~One of my good friends gets married just before us!! We are very excited to see them get married too! :)

~In honor of cooler temps and fall, I have a crock pot full of homemade chili waiting for us for dinner tonight. YUM!

***

So there you have it. Just a few things going on the last stretch before the BIG DAY!  Buddy, you are gonna officially have a Daddy! ;)

Buddy lovin' a car ride!

Until next time...

~AMK

Pinterest Find: 18 Ways to Deep Clean Your Home

This list sounds like it is just what I need to get our home ready for all the family and friends coming into town in just a few weeks...

You can find the entire post here.

But, I have copied and pasted the list for me to use here:

18 Ways to Deep Clean Your Home

1. Wipe down the legs of all your chairs. Dust tends to accumulate on these.

2. Wipe down all your baseboards with a wet cloth. Follow up my rubbing a dryer sheet on them to prevent dust from sticking. While you are doing this you will find so many tiny weird little corners like these that are so hard to clean! Have mercy on whoever had to install these.

3. Clean behind and underneath all furniture. Move beds, scoot dressers away from the wall and get all the dust that builds up.

4. Dust all fan blades.

5. Wipe down all cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom. Lots of grease and fingerprints build up on these.

6. Wipe down or dust all light fixtures (chandliers, lampshades, etc.)

7. Touch up any spots on the wall with paint that need it. Stir the paint really well first.

8. Recaulk any areas that need it (especially around the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, or bathtub.)

9. Wipe down all blinds. The easiest way is to vacuum them or remove them and spray them down with a hose outside.

10. Clean out the fridge.

11. Clean out your freezer. Discard any old food and organize all that stuff you've thrown in there over the past months.

12. Clean your couch. Vacuum off any pet hair and remove cushions to vacuum.

13. Wipe down door handles and light switches.

14. Clean your microwave, stove top, and oven.

15. Wipe out kitchen drawers. Crumbs tend to collect there.

16. Dust and wipe down the top of your cabinets and fridge.

17. Clean floor vents. Remove metal vents and air registers. Spray them down with hose outside. Vacuum or wipe down the floor around the vents as dust gets trapped under the edges of the vents. If you have wooden vents just vacuum them really well.

18. Wipe down the front and back of all the doors in your house. You will have more doors than you think!

So there you have it! Another list! You know I am a happy girl:)

I am off to tackle some of these...

Until next time...

~AMK

(All credit for the list goes to the D and T Tabb blog)