Time management - cooking, cleaning, and exercise

anupamag · Jan 28, 2015

Hello friends,

Tuesday:

Woke up at 6, prepared Aloo sambar and mixed with rice for lunch boxes, reached office by 9am, and left by 4pm. Came home and cooked cabbage upma and finished the remaining idli batter by making paddu with onions and chillies, DD loved it. Then dried one batch of clothes , helped DD with her assignments and had dinner and slept by 10pm.

Wednesday:

Made maggi for DD as both of us had working lunch. Came home at 4.30 pm and made some garlic bread and coffee and DD had garlic bread and now she's taking bath(Wednesdays evening is head bath) and I am browsing IL sipping filter coffee.
Tomorrow and Friday I work from home so no tension.

pinkRoseBud · Jan 28, 2015

Ladies I have a question for all of you. How did you start getting up early? Some people are morning persons. They are used to getting up early. Some people like me, I never liked getting up early as a child. But now I have to. So ladies how many of you were like me? And how did you manage getting up early at least initial days?

VaniVyas · Jan 29, 2015

Hello Friends,

My DH have started fasting on Thursday and would have meal only once in a day. But then i decided to continue waking up early and prepare lunch so that i feel fresh throughout the day.
Previous night :
1. Palak leaves were separated and kept in close container.
2.Carrot were peeled and chopped into small pieces.
3. I a bowl I had kept all masalas ready.
4.Water ready for cooking in a bowl.
6.All vessels on the stove.
Mrng :
1. Prepared palak rice . Made Horlicks and milk for my DD.
2.Cleaned the kitchen platform since i had time till the whistle settles applied oil to my hands and legs.
3.Kept fruits ready for DH.
4.Took bath by 6.00AM and was ready on time.
5.Wanted to keep my bf light so had a banana and Horlicks.
6.Reached office on time.

Planning to prepare burgers for weekend. Hope it comes out well..

kkrish · Jan 29, 2015

@pinkRoseBud
First make sure you get 7-8 hours sleep. So if you are going to bed late and getting up late you have to make changes at both ends. It is important to go to bed early.

There are two approaches to make the change.
Let us assume you are now getting up at 7am and want to get up at 6am.(one hour early)
You can set the alarm for 6 am and get up. But immediately after getting up do something active - exercise, yoga, walk. Have a shower immediately after that. Taking a shower helps energize.
Also it is important to have a morning routine - for example
-after shower prayers
-breakfast
-prepare lunch & dinner
this should keep you busy till mid-morning.
Also by this time you will be a little tired.
Take a quick nap- not more than an hour.
Have a plan for afternoon
-shopping - just walk around the mall
-hobbies
-small jobs in and around the home
Go to bed at 10pm sharp.
After a month of this strict regimen your brain will automatically wake you up at 6 am.
*****************
The second approach is gradual change.
Set the alarm for 6:50 am first day....
Get up at 6:50 for a week or two.
Then set the alarm for 6:40...
Keep pushing back the time by 5-10 minutes till you reach your goal.
Plan. Write down in your calendar that in two/three months I will get up at 6 am.
Draw up a plan - time table
It is your time, your plan, and you are answerable only to yourself.
Even one minute early a day will get you to your target in 2 months.
Just do it!
Best wishes.

veeramachaneni · Jan 30, 2015

Hi PinkroseBud - I was not a morning person either. I used to wake up at 7 everyday even during the weekday.

After my Daughter is born it started getting busy and i realized I am going to work late and coming back late and spending very less time with family.

Luckily my DH is a Morning Person. so He wakes up before me and then wakes me up in an interval of 15 mins. That works for me.

Thank you Kamala for nice suggestions.

My Updates:01/28/15-Wednesday
================================================

woke up at 5:30 had coffee and then started getting Ready.

I packed my Lunch and boiled Eggs, prepared Lunch to DD and left to work by 7:30

I reached home at 5:30 pm.

DH's friend is visiting us today. He is staying just for the night. I made Rasam and got food from Outside.

Had Dinner, Folder Clothes and put them away.

Cleaned Pantry and DD;s Play room

Read DD for 20 mins. Made her Brush her teeth and changed her dress.

While DH and His friend talking I took DD inside and made her go to bed. It is already very late for her 10:00 pm

After she slept I went to bed.

kkrish · Jan 30, 2015

Thank you Priya.
Actually I am going to take your last but one post to show how well you are utilizing time.

Time management involves not just planning, it also involves finding time in between tasks and utilizing it well.

When I read the post that I am going to quote below, I could pick those. I request you bring the attention of the readers to those critical points.
Otherwise at the outset it appears that you are doing one work after the other sequentially.
*********************
Here we go. I have highlighted in blue my observations and the possible statements you can add to show these important steps.

Saturday woke up had coffee got ready
· Already mixed henna on Friday Night. So I applied henna to my head at 7:30 am
While waiting for the henna to set:
· I did one load of laundry and dried them and put them away.
· I boiled eggs and gave it to DD
· I played puzzles with DD
· I gave DD shower and got her Ready
· After that I took shower and got myself ready.
It is already 11 am.
· We took DD to a tutoring place and got her assessed. We will be sending her an hour every week to that place.
· After that we went out to eat, picked a gift from Toys r us.
· Came back home wrapped the present. Made DD write Happy bday on the card.
· We went to Bday party at 5 and came back around 7:30 pm.
· After that we finished our dinner, Fed DD and went to bed.
· I went to bed by 9 pm

Sunday:
· Woke up had coffee and got myself ready.
· My Cousin got married on24th so all extended family members came to our home(My Parents) and wanted to see my Daughter.
· I got myself and DD ready and showed her to them.
· After that made idly and boiled eggs
· Gave DD Eggs and DH Idly. Made coffee again after BF.
· Neighbor stopped by with her Daughter.
· I did one load of laundry and dried them and put them away.
While the washer was running
· I started cooking food. Made Sambar and Kheema
Placed clothes in the dryer and while the clothes were drying
· After that I boiled pasta shells
Folded and put away the clothes
· Took DD out for Bike riding with neighbors kids
· After that we went out for Non- Indian grocery shopping.
· Came back home had Dinner.
(Here add a comment on how preparing dinner before going out helped relax because food being ready when we come back after an outing is the best feeling)
· Came home took a head bath, dried my hair, did Face Routine and ready to hit bed.
· I went to bed by 9pm today.
*******************************

Please do not get offended.
I see these wonderful things and do not want them gone unnoticed.

Have to leave.

I will come back Tuesday to highlight another post of another poster on a similar topic.
TC

veeramachaneni · Jan 30, 2015

Thank you Kamala. I feel so flattered :thankyou2:

My Updates :
=====================
· I woke up Brushed my teeth and had coffee.
· Got myself Ready
· Packed lunch and Boiled eggs to work
· Reached work by 8 and came back Home by 5
· After coming home I ate Dinner
· Took DD to library and I let her pick some I can read books and I placed Hold on 3 books and they are available. I got books for me and DD.
· Gave DD Dinner
· Gave her Bath and changed her in to Pajamas
· After that I took a long relaxed bath.
· After DD playing with her Puzzles I gave her Milk
· Read with her for 20 Mins
· She went to sleep by 9
· I went into the kitchen Loaded Dishes in the dish washer
· Scrubbed the sink
· Kept everything in its place.
· Took a bottle of water to Bed Room
· Watched TV for 20 minutes and went to bed.

veeramachaneni · Feb 2, 2015

My Updates Saturday:

Woke up had coffee

Made Idlis and ate BF

Cleaned the Guest Bath room and Master Bath room , Emptied all trash, Changed trash covers.

Took Shower did Pooja

Made corn Vadas and chilly chicken (friends are coming for lunch -Potluck)

Did a load of Laundry

folded them and put them away

dusted the house and wiped kitchen walls and cupboards

Friends came at 1 pm and stayed till 7 pm

I made Tea around 3pm

After everyone left the house I sprayed wood floor cleaner and cleaned the kitchen living room and Entry way

I sweeped the floor

Loaded all the dishes in the dishwasher

Cleaned all counter tops and finally the house is clean.

I cleaned my closer applied moisturizer and went to bed reading a Book.

kkrish · Feb 2, 2015

Good morning

Below is another poster who is utilizing her whole day effectively but those moments are buried because they are not highlighted. (bold)
She exercises, cleans the home in small batches and allotted special time for her daughter.
Also for formatting instead of "then" I have used a bullet.
*******************************
@anuriesh
hi
my updates
busy busy busy
monday

wake up had exercise and had a cup of tea

had my bath

wake up dd give her milk and bannana

start preparing breakfast upma

wake up dh and prepare tea for dh

had my b/f dh and dd

give bath to dd

started cleaning /mopping and washing vessels and preparing lunch

bathroom cleaning

lunch :chappatti and salad and dal fry

watch tv for sometime and had lunch by 2.30

wash vessels and play with dd till 3.00

we both had nap till 5.00

wake up dd and prepare tea for both of us and for dd juice

watch tv for sometime and clean the whole fridge

started preparing dinner rajasthani daal chawal

wash vessels

its 7.00 teach my dd what is your name? what is your dady name etc

all of us had dinner and clean the kitchen counters and load a vessels in dishwasher as i was feeling lazy

watch cartoon pocoyo with dd

i listen to song and iron some of the dresses

read a story to dd

make her sleep

its 10.00

i did my bedtime routine and read a snippets of life

in indusladies and some of the posts
i like to chit chat with induslady buti think all ladies are busy in other activities so they are not chatting
and posting nowadays regularly
*********************************

The two examples should give an idea on what information need to be highlighted when posting.

Others, please do not be offended. It is just that I don't have time to go back and bring everyone's posts
But each of your contributions are just a valuable. Have no doubts about it.

Take care.
Have a great day.

meenurani · Feb 2, 2015

I find this thread very interesting and now I realise what a lazy person I am. You ladies are real motivation for a lazy person like me.

My routine would be as follows:

Wake up at 7:30am ,
DH makes tea for both of us
Abhyangam(Hot seseme oil full body massage), shower , moisturise
Get ready , I buy clothes which doesnt need ironing
Have oats with loads of stuff, mango, banana, berries,nuts, seeds and take omega 3 and vitamin d
Start to office at 8:40am
Reach back from work at 5:30
Make tea for both of us and watch TV( friends repeats, comedy nights with Kapil,Big bang theory) and chop/cook dinner (Idly/dosa/paratha/appam/etc with curry and lots of salad) and lunch (rice+curries) together. I cook so fast, as i dont like to spend whole evening in kitchen.
7:30 -Do yoga for 1 hr

8:30 onwards we discuss, gossip,play xbox for some time/go for a walk together
9/9:30 dinner
10:00 we both wash and clean kitchen and more chats
10:30 to bed

We do shopping only during weekends and we both are not fussy eaters. But we make sure we eat lots of organic vegetables