Category: Not So Busy

About a year and a half ago I shared 7 Things I Do to Make My Life a Little Easier. It was a fun post to write and to share with all of you. Well, I’m back with 7 more things! Why? I love to make things easier when and where I can!

(This post contains affiliate links, so thenotsobusymom receives a very small commission if you make a purchase through the links. Thank you for supporting the blog!)

1. I grocery shop one time per week. In my last “easier life” post I mentioned that grocery shopping online definitely makes my life a little easier. I also find that shopping just once a week (aka: ordering groceries once a week) makes my life a little easier. I don’t have to make multiple trips to the store, and I have what I need for the entire week.

2. I plan simple meals. While we are in the category of groceries, I find that planning simple meals makes things a whole lot easier. A meal doesn’t have to be fancy to be good. If you love making elaborate meals, go for it; but don’t let the need to make something super special keep you from feeding your family healthy meals each night. Simple is possible! Check out my prior meal planning posts to learn more!

3. I order the majority of our clothes online. If you have been around this blog for even a little while now then you know I am a fan of online shopping. I especially love shopping for my kids’ clothes online, and I find a lot of great deals at The Children’s Place. I tend to order many of my clothes from thredUP, a great online, second-hand store. I do enjoy frequenting some of our local thrift and consignment shops, but I avoid the mall like nothing else. Online shopping is the right choice for me right now. When shopping online don’t forget about Ebates. Who doesn’t want to get cash back on purchases?!

4. I do one load of laundry a day. There are countless laundry schedules you could follow. I find that doing a load a day keeps the pile in control. I don’t have to spend a whole day being a slave to my washer and dryer, and I keep the process flowing the entire week.

5. I have water proof mattress pads on my kids’ beds. Were you expecting to find this on my list? It really does make things easier. We recently bought 3 new twin mattresses for a great price, and I want to keep them protected. These pads keep me from having to spend time scrubbing a mattress that gets wet or dirty from water spills or other “accidents”.

6. I prep school lunches the night before. Anything you can do the night before a new day will save you time and your sanity the next morning. I like to make my children’s lunches while I prep dinner. Sometimes in the morning I have to assemble a few last things, but completing most of the process the night before makes for a much smoother start to the day.

7. I keep running lists. Lists (in general) are super helpful, and I like to keep running lists of several things including: clothing items I need to buy, books I want to read, and blog posts I want to write. I find that keeping these lists frees up mental space and makes so many future tasks easier.

I hope you found a little inspiration and encouragement from today’s post!

What about you? What do you do to make your life a little easier? I would love to hear your ideas, so drop them in the comments below!

Until next time,
Charissa

Continue reading “7 (More) Things I Do to Make My Life a Little Easier”

Tonight I walked into a grocery store for the first time in a couple weeks. In the last several months I have only been in a grocery store a handful of times.

Why?

I’m ordering my groceries online with Peapod.

Save Time

Last year I shared 7 things I do to make my life a little easier, and ordering groceries online was on the top of that list. Ordering groceries from the comfort of home is truly a game-changer. I save so much time each week by simply adding our needed items to the online cart. In fact, I usually begin by simply filling my cart with all the items I purchased the previous week. I do that with a simple click of a button, and then I adjust my cart as needed.

Save Money

Not only do I save time by ordering my groceries online, I also save money. I am not tempted by every tasty item or once-in-a-lifetime sale. I stick to my list and buy what we need. I have stayed below my grocery budget for the last several months by staying out of the store. I even included ordering groceries from Peapod in my favorites post last month for this very reason.

A Few More Tips & Tidbits

~You can always pick up your groceries instead of having them delivered. You don’t tip at pick up, but do consider tipping your driver!

~Peapod does accept manufacter coupons. Just hand them to your driver!

~While handing him or her your coupons, also pass them your old Peapod grocery bags. They recycle them for you!

If you are looking to make your life a little easier and if you are looking to save time and money, then I suggest ordering your groceries online. A number of major grocery stores offer this service, so check to see what your local store offers!

If you live near a Stop & Shop, then check out Peapod! First time customers can receive $20 off their order.

What about you? Have you ever ordered your groceries online? Share your experiences below! I would love to hear from you!

Until next time,
Charissa

Continue reading “Ordering Groceries Online with Peapod Saves Me Time & Money”

We are continuing to dig a little deeper into the hows of the not so busy life. Two weeks ago I shared that when you’re looking to make life less busy consider 2 broad areas of your life: life inside and outside your home. By dividing your life into these 2 areas and then evaluating the busyness of each, you can determine which area of your life might need more attention. For some of us, both areas can use a tune-up, so just pick whichever might be easiest to tackle first.

After determining which area you will tackle first, it’s now time to consider your priorities. Do the things you fill your time and your day with reflect those priorities? When we consider our priorities we can better fill our days, weeks, and months.

Grab a piece of paper and pen, find a quiet place to sit, and reflect on your priorities. You will use these priorities to help shape life inside and outside your home.

In a prior post I shared that my main priorities are:

• my relationship with God
• loving other people (family, friends, neighbors, people I meet, etc.) by reaching out, serving, encouraging, etc.

These are my overarching priorities, and there are many lesser priorities that also direct how I fill my days.

It will be your main priorities that shape your minor priorities that then shape the way you manage life inside and outside of your home.

What are your priorities inside the home: a tidy home? a home that is guest ready? a clean kitchen (and let the rest go)? dinner at home 4-5 nights a week? a peaceful environment? less clutter and more space?

These are just ideas. I don’t know what desires and priorities you have for inside your home. We’re all different but determining what you want life inside your home to look like will help determine how you spend your time in this area of your life.

What about priorities outside the home: do you want to be active in the community? are you looking to have your children involved in many extracurricular activities? are you hoping for more space on your calendar? is family time a desire? do you want to be more involved in your children’s school?

Again, each of us will have different thoughts and ideas about what life outside our home should look like. Do the hard work of really determining your priorities (and not those of the people around you), and see how and what you are doing outside of your home lines up with those priorities.

I hope that this post has encouraged you to do some deep thinking. I hope it has given you some of ideas for practical steps in the pursuit of the not so busy life.

What about you? Have you taken the time to consider your priorities? I would love to hear from you regarding this topic, so leave me a comment below!

Until next time,
Charissa

Continue reading “Determine Your Priorities (Inside & Outside Your Home)”

Today is the beginning of what will be a few posts looking more closely at the “hows” of the not so busy life.

If you have been thinking more deeply about the need and desire for a life that is just a little less busy then you might be wondering where to start.

I think the easiest thing to do when making this step forward is to begin by considering two broad areas of your life: life outside and life inside your home. It’s a simple step (perhaps not easy) that causes you to stop and reflect.

Life Outside Your Home

This might be where people generally point when thinking about the busyness of life. It’s a good place to look. Look at life outside your home.

How full is your calendar? How crazy is your month? And does that crazy month just lead to another crazy month? Are you spending hours upon hours driving here, there, and everywhere? What types of activities fill your days and weeks? What outside-of-the-house activities really seem to drain you?

Those are a wide-variety of questions to consider, but they are helpful in “taking the temperature” of your life outside the home.

Life Inside Your Home

I would say it is less common to look inside the home when considering the busyness of life, but it can play a role in the overall condition of your life.

Do you always feel “behind”? Is your home a source of stress? Are your to-do lists mounting? Do you feel burdened by the tasks that lay before you? Are you overwhelmed by household chores? Are you spending more time than you would like on the care and upkeep of your home? Do you spend many of your days simply managing your stuff?

Again, it’s an array of questions to ask yourself, but perhaps, as you do, the busyness of your home life will be revealed.

Find Your Busy

It might become quickly apparent which area of your life, outside or inside your home, is the main source of busyness. If you can pinpoint one as the major trouble area, start there. If they both seem equally busy to you, then just pick either (or perhaps the one that seems like you will tackle with more ease).

And tackle you will…

I won’t get into the specifics quite yet. I am saving that for my next post, but I wanted to get you started on separating your life into these 2 broad categories.

So, take a bit of time in the next few days to carefully consider these 2 broad areas of your life. Where do you find yourself to be most busy? Identifying the area is a good start!

What about you? Which area of your life seems to be the bigger source of busyness? I would love to hear from you, so drop me a comment below!

Until next time,
Charissa

Continue reading “Are You Looking to Make Life Less Busy? Consider These 2 Areas of Your Life”

My blog went live just about a year ago. My thoughts and feelings about pursuing a full life without all the busy have been rolling around in my brain and heart for much longer than that. I did know and do know that perhaps the pursuit of the not so busy life is not as popular as another blog theme would be.

It’s true.

You see, if I called this blog The Very Busy Mom or The Life of the Busy Mom then I might get more readers and followers. The online world and the advertising world appeal to this idea of the busy mom all the time. It’s not uncommon to find articles and posts with titles similar to the following:

10 Cleaning Tips for the Busy Mom

5 Life Hacks for the Busy Mom

How the Busy Mom Can Make the Most of Her Day

Meal Ideas that will Inspire the Busy Mom

I know that posts like those attract many people. In fact, they probably attract many more people than my posts with titles such as:

5 Ways to Be Just a Little Less Busy This Week

A New Year, A New Not So Busy You

4 Traits of the Not So Busy Mom

My Problem with the Busy Mom

My posts are for the woman pursuing a life that’s not so busy. My posts are for the mom who desires to live with intention without getting caught up in the busy. My posts are for the person who is looking to live out her priorities on purpose and with purpose.

My posts might not be as popular. Not so busy is not so popular, and I’m okay with that.

A lot of times some of the most important and necessary ideas aren’t that popular. And because my desire for a life that’s just a little less busy is not as popular as the busy mom, well, it just gives me all the more opportunity for people to pause and consider a different way.

I hope that my readers find that I have something new and encouraging to say.

I hope that my readers hear a new voice with a challenging perspective.

I hope that my readers discover fresh words for the not so busy life.

Not so busy is not so popular (and I’m OK with that). I hope you are too!

What about you? Does the “not so busy life” appeal to you even if it’s not so popular? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Until next time,
Charissa

Continue reading “Not So Busy is Not So Popular (And I’m OK with That)”

I often wonder if people see the term “not so busy” and think “lazy”. I mean, how can someone call themselves “not so busy” in this crazy world we live in? Not so busy just can’t be a reality. Everyone is busy. It’s just the way things are, and we have to jump on the busy bus with everyone else.

Don’t we?

Isn’t any other choice just being lazy?

A first glance at not so busy might conjure up thoughts of saying no to everything. It might create this idea of a bland life that only considers the needs of itself. Maybe it sounds boring or wasteful. Maybe it sounds way too slow. Perhaps it sparks a picture of a lazy life.

For me, all of this is so far from the truth.

The not so busy mom is not lazy. The not so busy mom is intentional.

Living a life of intention means considering thoughtfully how you spend your days. Living a life of intention means not filling your calendar with particular activities just because that’s what you see everyone around you doing. Living with intention means valuing your life, each day, as a gift that should be handled carefully.

I don’t want to live a lazy life. Although I am okay with a slower pace. I’m also okay with not looking like everyone else. I’m good with making choices based on my priorities. I’m very happy to pursue a full life without all the busy. I don’t want to waste my days, but I also don’t want to fill them with things just for the sake of filling them.

Intention. That’s the word.

It’s the word I choose to use, and it’s the word I would invite you to consider as you pursue the not so busy life.

Everything (and everyone) around you will scream, “Do it all. Don’t stop. Drive yourself crazy. Be busy. Don’t slow down. Go, go, go.”

You’ll choose otherwise and wonder if you’re missing out. You’ll choose not so busy and think that maybe you’ll be looked down upon by others.

It’s okay. You know that’s not true. You know that you are choosing to let go of the busy, and live a full life. You know that your life has purpose, and you are going to choose wisely.

Not so busy isn’t really about the “not”.

It’s about what you are choosing to do…to be.

What about you? What do you think of when you hear “not so busy”? Are you drawn to living a life that is less busy than those around you? Drop me a comment below; I would love to hear from you!

Until next time,
Charissa

Continue reading “Is the Not So Busy Mom Lazy?”