Weekly Update: Home Planner Project Week of 3/22 (& What I *Didn’t* Do This Week) 🏡

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I started this year determined to share updates on my 2020 Home Planner each week, but goodness, who knew 2020 was going to be this crazy! I'm going to try to keep it up though this week on Saturdays ~ but am going to keep giving myself a little grace on this one each week.

While this seriously is the weirdest season I think any of us have been through, there have been a few things I've done to make it easier to survive each day as we're all doing our best to just stay home, especially as a working wife and mom. Maybe they'll help you too today:

1. Run a load of laundry every day.
2. Only wear clothes that are super wash and wearable. Nothing that requires being hand-washed  or ironed ~ we're keeping it simple here!
3. Pull my hair back each day in a barrette or ponytail every day. It's silly, but it makes me less likely to touch my face. While we're 100% staying at home I have had to make a quick trip or two to the grocery, and have decided anything I can do to just have one less thing to worry about is worth it!
4. Prep dinner for the next day each night after dinner is over. While my family helps with the dishes I plan out what we're having and thaw out any meat for the next day. 
5. Keep a running inventory of what food we have on hand. 
6. Be flexible with my routine. Normally I workout first thing in the morning, but I've needed that quiet time to work quite a bit lately. So, I work first, then just make sure I get in some form of exercise each day.
7. Be more vigilant about social connections. I'm trying to be more consistent about checking in wit the PPP team, not missing our women's bible study (we're meeting up via Zoom), and have even done a Zoom video with one of my favorite friends – it felt like we were sitting together at a coffee shop and was just amazing even though we're hours apart! 

What's made life easier for you to survive the last few weeks? I'd love to hear your practical (and not-so-practical!) tips for survival ~ goodness, I know this won't last forever but it sure isn't easy. 

I won't give you all the details of my week, but I did manage to do a few fun things despite the crazy-corona-world we're living in each day. Here's a peek at what did go on at our house this week . . .

I baked a whole lot of bread, 

Cooked a lot (including trying out Tater Tot Casserole ~ recipe coming soon … my husband loved it!) 

Tried on some new clothes from my Stitch Fix Box, 

Ordered a cute new rug from Amazon 🙂 

Spent a lot of time mulling over ideas for the 2021 Home Planner at my desk,

Kept up with our More Money Challenge

and even submitted a $150 rebate form that's been sitting on my desk for 2 months. WOOT!

I checked out the almost final copies of the PPP Freezer meals (and worked on final designs for the Grilling series ~ the freezer meals should be on their way any day now, and grilling will be here mid summer!)

Pulled out scrapbooking supplies to do with Reagan (this is my girls Spring Break week so I'm trying to figure out what we can do!)

Made my happy bed each day 🙂

And shined the kitchen sink + challenged a few PPP'ers for some 5 minute spring cleaning list challenges (I hope you joined me!)

I found a little time to exercise (not as much as I'd like, but some each day!) and ran this morning four miles with James and Reagan. (We had to get out before the rain came in this afternoon for the rest of the week. Whew!)

In the meantime the PPP team did an amazing job behind the scenes with keeping up with oodles of deals, and even sent my girls out to snap cute pics of the best way to have a quarantine birthday.

I'm the luckiest. 🙂

What I didn't do?

I didn't change my closet over like my 2020 home planner checklist said. 🙂 

I didn't make perfect meals every day.

I wasn't very sweet much of the time to my family. (Y'all. I'm tired.)

And while I did do a LOT of things, I still feel like I'm barely skimming by, just like you.

Honestly? Deep down I'm worried in my heart of hearts that some-or-one-or-many-of-us are going to get this crazy virus. I truly believe most of us will weather it just fine (I have no desire at all to get sick, but truly, the vast majority of people are recovering ~ I just don't want to get sick at all!) So in the meantime, I'm hustling to get all my ducks in a row so that at least my big 2020 project work is done. 

So, for a few more days, I'm typing fast over here. I'm a little grouchy, a lot tired, and a fair bit worn out today. 

But we're close to being done on this big project work (thank heavens!), and I see the light just over the tunnel.

Maybe you have a deadline too.

Maybe you're working-from-home-or-not-working-from-home-or-wishing-you-were-working-from-home today.

Maybe you have oodles of kids at home begging to be fed and figuring out how to help your bunch with math and just dreaming of a place to hide out for a minute today.

Maybe you feel like there's this ticking time-bomb just waiting, and you've got to race ahead of to keep up with all the things.

I get it.

I feel that too.

And this time, I'm not gonna be the voice today that tells you just to chill out, relax, and let all the things fix themselves.

I am all about giving yourself grace. (Good gravy, if you've been here long, you know grace is my very favorite.) 

But if you have it in you, and you truly need to, keep up the hustle today.

Make the homemade meals.

Plan the menu.

Skimp in your budget.

Go rice-and-beans this week if you need to.

Look for a job.

Find a friend you can help.

Learn the math. Teach the spelling words. Cheer on your kids in whatever they're working on right now.

Be nice to your loved ones (um, even if you're a little tired of them. Ahem.)

And do your very best to be awesome today. 

GRIT AND GRACE GIRLS. That's what we're going to be today.

And then, when you've done your very best to live your very best, take a deep breath, grant yourself a well-earned nap, and hunt down some yummy chocolate with me.

Don't quit now. God has big plans for you and me both.

Praying the most beautiful gritty-and-gracious day for you today! 

In case you haven't joined us yet in this PPP Home Planner group, I highly recommend you checking it out here (goodness, the reviews we have on this planner have been simply amazing, and I love the sweet community we have inside too!) The physical copies of the planners are completely sold out, but we have the digital version still available and I know you will benefit from these lists if you need a little guidance in your  home each week.

Head on over HERE to check out the 2020 Home Planner PDF if you're interested in this one. And I'd sure love for you to leave me a comment if you're joining in the fun too (I'm cheering for you!)

Previous Home Planner Weekly Updates from 2020:

• How to Clean a Freezer (Home Planner Project Week 1)
• Organize Under the Kitchen Sink (Home Planner Project Week 2)
• Organize Your Spice Cabinet (Home Planner Project Week 3)
• Organize Your Plasticware Containers (Home Planner Project Week 4)
• Organize Your Cookbooks (Home Planner Project Week 5) 
• Organize Your Junk Drawer & Linen Closet (Home Planner Project Weeks 6 & 7)
• Organize Your Bath Towels (Home Planner Project Week 8)