On Dasher and Dancer, it’s party time again!
Holiday cookie swap? We’re firing up the ol’ oven and rattling our cookie sheets.
Seasonal Open House? We’ve got a wheel of brie and some phyllo dough at the ready.
Ice Skating/Hot Cocoa/Gingerbread House-Making Extravaganza. Sharpen our skates, break out the marshmallows, and hit up the ATM for extra money for the dentist.
Elf on the Shelf Holiday Hoedown? Yikes! PASS!
Twitter party? We’ve got an open social media management tool and we’re not afraid to use it.
Sisterhood say what?
Twitter parties may not be your usual holiday fare, but this one hosted by The Century Council and The Motherhood was as welcomed as a peppermint stick in your mocha latte. You can check out some of the takeaways and impressions in the graphic below.
By far the most important takeaway was the realization that for EVERYONE the holidays are packed with love and memorable moments but also stress. And plenty of it. All of that merry-making and memory-crafting means less time doing other things that frankly don’t stop needing to be done just because it’s December. Sock Bag O’ Shame, we’re looking at you!
It’s a point of fact–the more stressed you are, the less efficient you’ll be. And less efficient doesn’t always look like a gas guzzling car, it looks like a hot mess with a little too many miles of road under her eyes, if you know what we mean. It’s most definitely NOT the look you want to be sporting at the office Christmas party–doesn’t really go well with your blow-out and Tory Burches.
None of the good stuff, most importantly your family creating memories with a loving, sane mother, will get done until you find your holiday zen. To which we have a great and sensible solution—a time diary. We all think we have no time. Here’s one way to find your stolen hour. You can even use it to learn to knit. Just stick to scarves and sweaters, PLEASE.
Think of the amount of time you spend on Pinterest or on the phone with someone you don’t even like or even matching socks. We guarantee, if you write down your day hour by hour, you will rediscover a little time for you. Time that you can spend at the gym, the mall, Starbucks, or hunkered down with a good book—whatever YOU want as long as it re-energizes you and keeps you steaming ahead through the season.
So Christmas is coming early to you all this year, because to demonstrate our great time diary idea, we thought we would give you. . .
A Day in the Life of Erin
6:00 am: Rise and SHINE!
Ellen: Oh, sweet Cheez-its! Do not start this off all peppy, Pollyanna.
Erin: It’s only peppy for about 5 minutes and then I have to get 5 kids to school. I could be in the army for all I get done before 8am.
6:05 am: Wake teen #1
6:10 am: Wake teen #2
6:15 am: Mediate teen argument over bathroom
6:20 am: Sign permission slip/check/birthright over to teens who forgot to show me the slip the night/week/month before
6:30 am: Mediate teen argument over bathroom/Say good morning to Boy #3 and Boy #4 who rise and shine like their Momma
6:40 am: Wake tween who hates mornings
6:45 am: Mediate teen argument over bathroom
6:50 am: Feed teens/ Remind them to make their lunches/Wake tween who hates mornings . . . again/Put Boy #4 in timeout for bodyslamming the cat
7:00 am: Mediate teen argument over bathroom/ Wake tween who hates mornings . . . Again/ Take Boy #4 out of timeout because I forgot about him
7:10 am: Wave goodbye to teens/ Wake tween who hates mornings . . . AGAIN/ tell Boy #3 and #4 to get dressed
7:20 am: Wake tween who hates mornings . . . (Help me)/ tell Boy #4 to get dressed
7:30 am: Wake tween who hates mornings . . . (HELP ME)/ tell Boy #4 to get dressed
7:40 am: Wake tween who hates mornings . . . WTH?/ tell Boy #4 to get dressed/ Give Boy #3 Cookies for Breakfast and tell him he’s my favorite because he is dressed, ready, AND has made lunches for his slacker brothers
7:45 am: Forcibly remove tween from bed/ Help Boy #4 get dressed
7:45 am-8:00 am: It’s a blur
8:05 am: Carpool to school
8:20 am: Home again drooling into my Diet Coke and Frosted Mini-Wheats
Ellen: I need a cookie for surviving reading that.
Erin: I’m dripping in sweat. And then it begins. . .
9:00 am: Phone call #1 from hubby: Can you pick up the dry cleaning? Shop for the office party?
9:15 am: Phone call #2 from long lost high school classmate: We haven’t talked in 15 years, but can you find the address of that guy who used to be my best friend?
9:30 am: Phone call #3 from school: Can you come in an hour early TODAY? We changed the day for mass.
9:45 am: Phone call #4 from friend: I’m starting a new business and want to go over the entire plan with you right now . . .
10:00 am: Phone call #5 from another friend: OMGeeeee, can you believe this? . . .
10:30 am: Shower
10:32 am: Ellen calls
Erin: You ALWAYS call during my shower. No matter what time I take it. I’m pretty sure I lose minutes of my life EVERY day looking for the hidden cameras.
Ellen: Melodramatic much? But you are missing the forest for the trees. WHAT do I tell you every time you get out of the shower to answer the phone?
Erin: That just because the phone rings, doesn’t mean I have to pick it up?
Ellen: You do listen to me! Just because someone invites you down a rabbit hole does not mean you have to tumble down it. If you want that hour, but really, if you NEED that hour, don’t let any summoning ringtone draw you away from it.
Erin: Noted. But pot, this kettle is calling you black.
Ellen: I know. Mine is even worse because it’s a silent Siren song: social media. I solemnly vow to put my money where my mouth is and record my time down the Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Instagram rabbit hole. I’ll probably find enough time to go to Starbucks, practice yoga, AND knit you a scarf.
Now go find your own hour and tell us what you’re going to do with it!
This post is part of our paid partnership with The Century Council’s #TalkEarly to your kids about alcohol campaign, but all opinions and time diaries are our own. We want you to find healthy ways to manage your stress because sighing, “It’s been a hard day, Mommy needs her wine,” could send the wrong message to your kids. Alcohol can be part of responsible celebrations, but it shouldn’t be the answer to stress.
-Ellen and Erin
I love how Erin describes her morning. This is often how I feel. And Ellen is right, social media is such a time suck. Especially when I’m on the computer “working” anyway. We are lucky because our kids are young and all go to bed around 7pm right now, so the hubby and I do get most evenings to ourselves.
Stephanie {Binkies and Briefcases} recently posted..Snow Day
That is a plus to young kids–early bed times! Ellen
My cousin just warned me today that friends will start calling me for “favors” because they don’t think stay at home mom’s do anything. Thanks for reinforcing her advice. I will change my phone number the day after my last day at work. (Next Friday!!!)
Now there’s a strategy. I just rely on Caller ID. 🙂 Ellen
Well, I have to say I’m definitely not looking forward to having teens now. But I do like your ideas about going through my day and trying to discover where the wasted time is so I can sit down with a good book — the one things that always brings me zen. Thanks for this!
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Teens aren’t so bad. They are great for comic relief. 🙂 Ellen
My takeaway? If 42% of moms say Pinterest causes them stress… 58% of moms are not yet on Pinterest.
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I could probably get about 5 hours/day back if I could just quit Facebook…
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Oh goodness. I have so many thoughts, but mainly, can Erin please come here and manage my mornings for me? Whether she means to or not, she just sounds utterly capable.
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