Progress already

One of my goals for the new year is to get our lives organized so we're not just doing chores all night. I'm happy that I've already made progress on this goal!

I've always tried to plan our meals each week. It helps in grocery shopping. But even though I planned meals, we still had a hard time getting that dinner on the table every night. So often Doug and I would decide to just stop somewhere and bring food home. This is a temptation thats even bigger now that there's a Taco Bell next door!

Even if we didn't go out for dinner, we'd make lazy food. Or I would make the planned meal, but I wouldn't make it until after Allie went to bed, meaning we wouldn't eat until after 8. I like to try and go to bed at 9, so that limited the evening hours.

For awhile we fed Allie first thing when we got home because she went to bed almost right away sometimes. And even as she's started on solids and table foods we'd feed her separately, then let her play until it was time for bed.

But recently we've finally started having family meals! Allie has even eaten some of those family meals. We get home, Dada and Allie play while I prepare dinner, and then we all eat. Allie goes to bed around 7:30 and then magically I have an hour and a half before I go to bed!

It helps as I'm starting to go to the gym some nights. I like going to bodypump and Wednesday night works best for that. And we get to have some reading or TV time at night. Its great.

What's even better is that I clean up the kitchen as I cook and then we clean up after dinner and the kitchen is left clean! Thats been another of my complaints is that I feel like I'm doing chores all night.

Now if the laundry could just wash itself...