Time management - cooking, cleaning, and exercise

IndianLady009 · Jul 23, 2014

Nice thread....For me some days are very hectic and some days are ok.

Yesterday...
Woke up at 5.15 and
5.30-6.30- Yoga class
had shower and came to kitchen around 6.50
6.50-8.20
Made breakfast for kids and DH(Omlet and Oatmeal)
DH made smoothie for me
Cooked lunch for dh.
Packed lunch/snacks for for kids/me/DH
Cooked dinner(one curry for DH as he is very choosy,one for us and Sambar)
quick pooja

8.30-8.45-got ready to work,drop off kids..
9-5-work
pick up kids and be home by 6.15
6.15-6.30-Helping kids to get ready
6.30-7.30-Dinner
7.30-8-HW time
8-9-Fun time with kids
9-10--Loading the dishes the with the help of DH...while watching Mahabharatham
10-Sleep.

Most of the days,my routine is the same:thumbsup

AkilaMani · Jul 24, 2014

Hi Priya,

You have my total envy!! growing watermelon, beans, bottle gourd!! It reminds me of my childhood when one of my uncles used to help us garden. I had loved watching the plants bear the vegetables.

My younger DD is very keen on dance. She started learning ballet when she was 3. When she turned 5+ she started asking for barathanatiyam, so we enrolled her for it. Now both of them are learning it. Though we encouraged her to learn ballet and baratham, she declined saying she likes baratham better.

Now I have registered them for vocal classes. Though they are not very keen on vocal, I feel that learning vocal at least at a beginner level will help them appreciate music better and they will grow to like it.

Yesterday, after reaching home, it was fully homework time. MIL had already prepared dinner, so after dinner and putting the kids to bed, DH and I went for a slow walk. I am talking it very slowly because of my knee pain. It is slowly getting better.

Did a bit of shopping - milk and fruits. Read for sometime before sleeping.

veeramachaneni said: ↑

Hi Akhila - I love reading but last couple of years I totally stopped reading. Now I am makings sure that I do things that I enjoy as I find more time now a days.

I mostly get story books for DD and she doesn't know how to read yet so I read to her everyday before going to Bed.

Nice that you get to take Kids and MIL for that ceremony. I love music and Traditional dance. But I never had the opportunity to learn either

If my Daughter likes it then I would love to enroll her. The age limit for Bharathanatyam is 5 here.

She is learning ballet from the last 6 months

Yesterday I cooked some food. (I premarinated everything ahead and I just had to bake it for 15 mins)

We ate Dinner and DH helped me load the Dishwasher

I watered our Garden.

I have beans and Watermelon , Bottle Gourd spreading everywhere.

I am new to gardening. I didn't do a good Job when planting the seeds. Now the garden is healthy but it is so crowded.

I am planning on spending some time tomorrow on adding some net to the creepers.

After that I read for an hr and went to sleep.
Click to expand...

Sonali222 · Jul 24, 2014

Hiiii IL its been long days in writing in this thread my work shift changed to 8 so waking up early by 6 30 cooking one curry and preparing chapatis for DH

Soaking rice for DH in a Pressure cooker he can manage by cooking and packing

I am getting ready by 7 30 and reaching work by 8

Reaching home by evening 6 relaxing till DH comes home then again dinner and sleep by 9 30

chithirainilavu · Jul 24, 2014

Hi akila, veera, manju mam nice to see all your updates. I read the updates everyday and give likes, but no motivation to type mine.

Manju mam - so nice to know that DS has gone to a good college. Initial days will be difficult, but later you will get use to it.

Akila - Envying you that you are always rocking. Infact it motivates me also.

Veera - Love your reading habit and reading stories for your DD also. Mine has taken a back seat now i will also start.

After we shifted to a new house, my routine has slightly changed. Morning 5 to 9, it is the same - cooking, getting the kids ready to school, sending DH to office etc. It is slightly a bigger individual house with a garden and a garage. So everything has to be maintained. I have started cleaning and maintaining the house is presentable manner. My DDs are so naughty, that they can't stand to see the house clean. The minute they come back from school, house will be full of toys, pencils, books, color pencils, papers. I have told them not mess around and sometimes they listen, sometimes not.

Since they are in upper KG they have lot to study and write, so more time allotted to finish the homework.

Being monsoons, it is raining continuously. We r actually enjoying rains, and our house is near to the sea, it is even more lovely to watch rains.

I go for a walk after dropping the kids at the bus stop with my friend. So exercise part is taken care of.

As I am updating after a long time, there may not be an order in writing, now that I will be regular next time it will be organized.

shara

veeramachaneni · Jul 25, 2014

Hi Akhila,Sonali,Shara,IndianLady -

Hi Indian Lady - That is a nice schedule. I am also doing Yoga on Thursdays and Fridays

Hi Akhila-That is so nice to know that both of your daughters are into Bharatanatyam. I really like classical dance.

Glad that you have some Help now. Right now my daughter is going to Swimming,Ballet.

Hi Sonali - I am also going to work by 7:00. Once you get used to it you will like that better

Hi Shara - Nice to hear about the new house. I am sure if it is bigger you spend more time maintaining it. I am in the same boat. we got a big house and

I am sure your kids will love Vocal once they get used to going to the classes.

Once the kids take out the toys let them clean it by themselves. I do the same with DD. Also I have big boxes to keep toys and at a time she can take one box of toys out.

If she wants to play with another box she needs to clean the box she opened and put the toys back. Some times she does , some times she doesn't but I keep on telling her to follow that rule.

My Routine : 07/24

Woke up at 5 had my shower, Coffee, Got ready and Lil chit chat with Dh

Started to work at 6:30 and I was at work by 7:00

In the lunch Break I walked

came back home by 6:40PM

I made Egg fried rice and baked some Samosas (Pre Made)

After that I went to bed with DD and read her books. She slept around 8:30

I finished my book while DH is watching TV. Around 10.00 I am done with book and we went to bed.

AkilaMani · Jul 25, 2014

@IndianLady, Welcome to this thread
Yoga for an hour in the morning sounds wonderful!! and your routine also is very nice.

@ Sonali, Early shifts are good dear, you will get time in the evenings.

@Shara, nice to read your updates. As Priya says, bigger house takes longer time for maintenance. Try training DDs with helping you to put back their toys and school works in the right place. yes, sometimes kids don't listen or will plead that they will do it later, but continuously reminding them and positively rewarding them will pay off in the long run.
Enjoy the rains dear and am glad to know you are going for walks, keeping fit is also important. All in all, great going

@Priya, I too love classical dance, but never got a chance to learn during my childhood. Am just glad that DDs like it and am not forcing it on them
Do you make the samosas and freeze them? Sounds like a nice idea to bake the samosas... i have never tried. May be will try sometime.

My update (07/24)

Morning - usual of cooking and getting kids ready for school. Left for office at 9 am.

Afternoon - During lunch went to the mall to get gifts for my friend's kids.

Evening - Four of my friends from office visited another friend's house. We were long overdue to visit her lil one who is now 8 months. Her older child is 4 and was full of energy and the lil one was soooooooooo adorable. We all had a wonderful time and we ate dinner at her place.

Night - After returning home helped DD with homework and got them to bed. Later after a chat with my DH went to bed and read for sometime before falling asleep.

Sonali222 · Jul 25, 2014

Hiiiii Akila ,Shara Indian Lady & Veeramachaneni Good morning

I used to be the early riser i nmy home but after marriage i cant wake up by 7

my shift changed to 8 i am hardly waking up by 6 30 today itself friday as a auspicious day for ladies i want to do puja but i woke up by 7 hurriedly cooked food and got ready reached office

did cabbage fry for lunch upma for break fast and for me did chapatis and had badam milk

veeramachaneni · Jul 25, 2014

Hi Sonali - Try waking up by 5:30 am. I know it is hard and I am sure you will get there. I am the same with waking up early. but now I can get up early.
Good that you were able to make Cabbage fry, Upma and Badam Milk although you have short time in the morning.

Hi Akhila - I did not make the Samosas. I purchased some Spinach and Goat cheese samosas from Costco. They were pre made. Just needed baking for 11 mins.

What Book are you reading?

Mu Updates Yesterday :

I woke up had some coffee and woke DD up

Gave her Milk and Made Poori and aloo Curry for break fast

After that my neighbor called about where to take kids out and I asked her to come for BF. She came and helped me with frying. Her DD and My dd ate BF together.

after that we both went out to take our DD;s to wild flower center. (It is a botanical garden where they explain kids about local plant types, Water conservation...etc)

Since my DD is young she played in the play area they have and then she played Echo in the cave and played with butterflies in the butterfly garden.

She learned parts of a plant and parts of a flower.

After that we came back home and I made Maggi for lunch.

I made her go to bed. I strated reading a new book.

After she woke up we took her to Park while DH played Tennis with his friends.

My DD played with all other kids around her age and we came back home at 8pm

I made pulihora for Dinner and DH helped me to Feed DD.

After that I have so many pickles from India I never opened. I opened them and arranged them in new boxes.

Made idly Batter

Made Yogurt

Unloaded the dishwasher and loaded all the dishes.

Scrubbed the sink and went to bed.

IndianLady009 · Jul 25, 2014

Nothing changed much Yesterday...Except that there was a huge fight because of In-laws..:drowning

Could not sleep well,because of the thinking etc...and yet the schedule didnt change much,except the Yoga(today no Yoga class,as its friday..so..just did some meditation)

Packed the lunch for the kids and DH and myself
Dropped off the kids at school.
Came to office and was busy with work as usual and sometimes,lost in thinking
Evening,picked up the kids as usual.
Got them ready,had dinner,played Ludo with Kids for some and finally slept

veeramachaneni · Jul 26, 2014

IndianLady - Hugs to you. Hope tomorrow will be a better day than today.

My Updates 07/25

Woke up Had coffee started cleaning.

I dusted living room, entry way and dining area.

I wiped down all the mirrors , Dusted and wiped the granite counter tops in the bath room

Cleaned Kitchen Counter tops, Microwave,Fridge, Dishwasher and Oven.

After that I took shower and Did pooja.

In the afternoon I did sanity load of all rags I used for cleaning.

After that I Ironed clothes that I was letting them sit in the laundry room for awhile.

I started cleaning my under the stairs room but got interrupted (a friend stopped by)

after chitchatting for sometime I made dinner while talking to her.

I did pooja again and ate my dinner.

Took DD to Park and spend 2 hrs there

We are back and DH helped to feed DD.

I am all set to go to bed.

Tomorrow I am planning to make a menu for the next week do groceries and vacuum my Carpets, clean and arrange Laundry room.