Recently my "to do" list has become full of things so low priority, it's hard to prioritise any of them and easy to work on none of it. Here are a few of the things swirling in my head:
I've been thinking of making zucchini brownies for over a week and yet the zucchinis still sat in the fridge (and I've started to eat through other less good chocolate in the house).
I haven't done the April photo albums. I usually update the family album and each kid albums monthly, generally at the start of the month. The kids albums take about 15 minutes each to update and the family album takes a bit longer. The whole process is somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half. And can be done in small parts. And I haven't started it.
I've thought of and forgotten a lot of blog posts
I have baby clothes to list on Vinted and try to make some extra £££
I have blog comments I keep meaning to make! You all write such interesting and thoughtful things.
My office is disorganised, but I rarely go into my office.
I want to draft out an ideal week plan but haven't started.
I want to read and enjoy the Modern Mrs Darcy summer reading guide
As mentioned earlier, I don't have much free time right now. I don't know when I'll get a one hour chunk of time to do any of the above. Or two hours.
And also, are any of the above worth one of my very valuable one or two personal hours? I am not complaining about lack of Rachel Time here - I've managed to get my hair both cut and dyed last week! I have a massage booked in 3 weeks! But through indecisiveness I haven't started any of the above.
Maybe I'm lacking low value time?
I realised with a low priority to-do list I may as well pick something and do it. So tonight, after the kids went to bed and before I tidied the kitchen, I made the brownies. They are delicious.
And then I cleaned the kitchen, went to the shop to buy potatoes for tomorrows dinner, and wrote this blog post.
Tomorrow maybe I'll do one of the other things on my low priority list.
Here are some things I've done recently, but not from my to do list:
I bought 4 used (but like new!) bibs for £6 from Vinted:
.HEIC)
My daughter had a strawberry on her head as well. I don't know if it ever went away entirely (she's 28), but it certainly flattened out and is not soft anymore. I think it's just a dark spot now, though it's on the back of her head so I don't know for sure.
ReplyDeleteI painted my nails last week for the first time in ages, and miraculously they have not chipped yet. I am using Sally Hanson Miracle Gel, if that means anything in the UK.
Congratulations on your genius twins and their reading ability! That's fabulous. ;-)
My daughter had bento box lunches when they were pretty new around here almost 20 years ago, and she was embarrassed by the attention that she got for it. I enjoyed packing the pretty lunches though!
My son had a tiny one on his tummy that I can see a bit, but it's very faded. I don't know what Nora's will look like when she's older, but it will also be under her hair line.
DeleteNice work on the painted nails!
I wonder if my son gets teased for his lunch boxes - he's never mentioned it before. He's not particularly attentive to that kind of thing so probably wouldn't notice. Whenever we are out and he pulls out his lunch other people love it - and i used the lunch box for my own lunch once too and definitely enjoyed it!
Well I loved this post. So many things to discuss!
ReplyDeleteI think I might have to cave and buy some Planet Box lunchboxes. They just look like...the best. I have never ever seen them at a thrift shop, but I think they're worth the investment? And the Lazy Genius raaavvvesss about them.
I had a strawberry mark on my head when I was born. Right in the middle of my face. It did fade completely within about a year.
I now paint my nails weekly. This is a very new routine for me (less than a year; before that, I'd probably only painted my fingernails a dozen times in my entire life...before that it was only toes). It's a lot of upkeep, but I'm not too fussy about it and it makes me very happy. So I paint my nails now!
That picture of them reading is so sweet!
Love the dinosaur find!
And everything is better with brownies. I just made black bean brownies again after about a year hiatus. They used to be one of my go-to desserts to have in the house since they are naturally gluten and dairy free!
The PlanetBox lunch boxes were crazy expensive but they have held up so well already - I've only had them a year or so. I heard Kendra mentioning them on the most recent podcast and I feel like they *do* make lunches easier because I know what kind of things I chuck into each compartment before I start.
DeleteOh interesting you had a strawberry too! I think Noras will fade and it's under her hairline anyways. I found it a bit startling when she was very little but it's part of her cute face now.
Yay on painting nails once a week! I think adding it as a weekly rythem might make me do it more - when I know I'll take it off and put it on again every week. I know I get a little bump of happiness seeing painted nails so it's definitely worth doing. Also I should probably pick up some colors that I like... not just what was on sale haha.
Black Bean brownies are on my list to make as well! I don't have a go-to recipe - do you?
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DeleteI do! I read it in a newspaper once and can write it out from memory!
Delete1 can of black beans - drained and rinsed (for me this is equivalent to 1.5 cups of black beans)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup white sugar (I use 1/4 cup instead)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla
handful of chocolate chips if you're so inclined
Put everything in a food processor and blitz for a minute. Put into a greased 8x8 - sprinkle with chocolate chips if you're feeling happy - and bake for about 30 minutes at 350F (180C).
I want someone to make a lunch for me with a heart shaped sandwich!
ReplyDeleteIf it was up to me, the MMD reading list would get top of the low priorities. The weather is so nice right now and the idea of lying outside with a book sounds really nice. Oh wait, I guess I just figured out what my top low priority is;-)
It was my first time making a hear shaped sandwich - definitely a mom moment.
DeleteAfter writing my list yesterday I couldn't fall back asleep this morning so I am aiming for one photo album and then MMD reading list! Glad it's your top low priority too :-)
I have always maintained that my list of goals is really a priority setting exercise. If something is on my list for days/weeks/months and never gets done, it's obviously not a priority for me. The totes under my bed are still a mess and despite me saying I would organize them for months and months, it never got done. Now it's not on my list anymore and that's okay. It's not a priority!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, anything related to my blog quickly becomes low priority when life gets insane. Skip the comments! Skip the posts! Just do it when it feels right.
I had a strawberry mark on my stomach when I was born and it completely faded.
ReplyDeleteLow-value time. Does that even exist? I think Engie is right about that it comes down to 'what's a priority'. If it isn't, it doesn't get done... but in a moment of "downtime", it might become a priority all of a sudden. Kudos to you for just starting some of these things on your list.
Oh interesting you had a strawberry mark too! I've heard it's more common in twins and girls. But it seems pretty common from the blog posts here!
DeleteAlso you're so right - what does "low-value time" mean??? I use these words without really thinking about them. I guess I was thinking of time when I couldn't leave the house because kids were asleep and I didn't have much energy. Or time that it's not worth negotiating with my partner over - I'm not going to call in some childcare favours to clean my office. But also if I want my office cleaned I probably do need to organise some childcare time... and if I organise childcare I would probably rather be riding my bike.
Thanks for your very good point!
I love that you have thought of and forgotten a bunch of blog posts! I do the same when I am hiking, walking, riding etc. However, sometimes it is good just to think the thoughts, although I have found that writing them down helps a lot; then when I have free time or am setting up a post, I have a list already ready. However, sometimes my notes are not great and I wonder, what does "running in Marin" even mean!?
ReplyDeleteOh I would so read a post about running in Marin! I need to get better about using (and checking) my notes app. I found some decent blog ideas there but now I just need the time to write them.
DeleteLow priority... Folding laundry. Ugh, it is kind of bothering me but right now we are so behind in life that it's low. Vacuuming. Social media.
ReplyDelete