How to Simplify and Enjoy Your Week

Debbie’s Daily Dose of Food for Thought

With vacations behind us and children back in school and getting involved in many activities, it’s a good idea to plan ahead. As Pulitzer and Nobel prize winning author Pearl S. Buck once said, “Order is the shape upon which beauty depends.” Here are five suggestions to keep life beautiful and to make hectic schedules easier to manage, less stressful and more fun.

Make Out a Schedule

Create a weekly calendar and plot out everyone’s activities. It will serve as a master plan and facilitate knowing where and when each family member has to be somewhere. Post it in a visible place so everyone will be aware of what’s going on.

Consider Your Meals

Spend some time on the weekend making up menus and cooking for the week. Be sure to ask everyone in the family for input! Leftovers can become lunches or recipes for favorite meals can be doubled and be second meals or snacks for other days.

Organize Your Children’s School and Extra-Curricular Papers

Make up a folder for each child and keep all important papers together in one place. Also, mark your calendars now with days off from school and special events.

Set Aside Family Time

Play a game, watch a movie, or plan a special outing for a walk or a favorite treat once a week. This will be fun to look forward to and make wonderful memories.

Take Time for Yourself

Give yourself the gift of a new venture. Sign up for an adult education class, try a new hobby, go bird watching or make a promise to yourself to view every movie your favorite actor or actress has been in. Expand your horizons by shaking up your routine and learning something new. Have fun!