NaNoWriMo is slang for National Novel Writing Month. It takes place every November.

I decided to do NaNoWriMo in 2015 hoping it would motivate me to get a book out. It didn't. An infant and a toddler combined with a sleep deprived mother does not make for good writing.

My sole success for 2015 NaNo was a case of writer guilt piled on top of mommy guilt. Sure I wrote a little. I even made the daily word count target. Twice. In the first week.

Then I got sick. That bone tired with a heaping of chills kind of sick. As a stay-at-home mom, I don't get days off.

Just as easily and thoughtlessly as I had committed to NaNo, I chucked that commitment.

I still beat myself up about it. But here's the important thing:
The NaNo 2015 fail, had I been more aware at the time, could've saved me a trip to the doctor for postpartum anxiety in mid-December. 

Hindsight. 

At any time I generally have between 5 and 15 things that I want to be doing. The difference between now and then is that I am learning to limit myself to 1 a day. One thing to do outside of routine child and household chores is it for me. 

Best news, it's actually working. Feel my heartfelt sigh of relief through your screen!

Interested in learning how I arrived at this solution? Stay tuned. Over the next few weeks I'm going to walk you through it. Let's just say that some of it was completely a palm to forehead experience.

The first 2 weeks with the new menu options went alright. I did one massive shopping trip then started batch cooking those meals that could be frozen. Things like meatballs, spaghetti sauce, casseroles, and such.

I typed up our menu options and laminate it. This version is way easier to read. Plus, my husband will actually look at it since it hangs on the white board at eye level. ​

This has been a step in the right direction. It is not perfect though. I find myself a little prone to second guessing meals due to the number of options. That issue will resolve itself with time and more practice. 

Also, this menu thing is only for dinner. I find myself eating the exact same 2 egg scramble and coffee for breakfast every day while the kid munches on poptarts or sausages. As for my husband, no idea what, if anything, he's eating. Lunch for me is leftovers with a salad. The kid likes modified lunchables--think pickles, olives, pretzel thins. And my husband is on his own. 

There's plenty of room for improvement but dinner has gotten easier. Much easier.

Update 8/8/2018: I am still using this rough menu plan. I never did get it any fancier, but I have added a few more meals to the list that we eat regularly.

My mother loves puzzles. So do I. Now I'm raising kids to love them too!

Our 4-year old can already do 48 piece puzzles by herself. She's willing to help me with my puzzles. Even my husband will sit down and look for pieces.

I'm hopeful that this activity turns into a family love affair. One puzzle at a time...

Puzzles shown at top are clickable links to those pages on Amazon to purchase. They are not affiliate links.