how do i do what i do?
Posted on April 30, 2009
I get a lot of comments and emails from other moms wondering how i get so much done during the day. Or how I balance it all. Or how I can survive on no sleep.
And I wish there was a secret potion b/c I would gladly give you the recipe! Or I wish I could say I was always productive, which I most certainly am NOT. Or that I never fell behind in anything, which I do ALL THE TIME. Or that I had my life organized and mastered and running like a well oiled machine, which is so far from the truth it is scary. But I do tend to get a lot done during the day so who knows.
So instead of sharing some kind of trade secret (which if you know of one please share it with ME), I thought I would tell you about my last three hours!
We got home from my mom's at 4pm and it is now 7pm as I type this, just to give you a reference point.
In list form…
- put Enchanted on for the kids
- give Gray a snack in high chair
- make chocolate milks for the girls
- wipe a bottom
- change the laundry
- vacuum four rooms downstairs
- pick-up morning toys
- get out baby toys for gray, put him in living room with girls
- clean table
- make dinner
- check emails
- twitter
- serve dinner
- eat dinner, kind of
- do dishes
- give kids bath
- mop upstairs bathroom floor
- clean toilet
- lotion+diaper+jammies three kids
- play with gray
- get blocks out for girls to play with
- organize kid's kitchen area
- pick-up playroom in general
- read books
- nurse grayson
- say prayers
- hugs and kisses
- mop family room
- clear table
- chat with angie
- check email
- organize DVR for tonight
- BLOG
And let's say that from 7pm-midnight I will be watching my shows and working.
So there is absolutely NO secret. Let's just say that I don't sit down much, and when I do I am working. I also don't give my kids unlimited time from me, unfortunately. I play with them and do art projects and go on walks and go to the park but inbetween all of that the tv is on or they are playing and i am running the house and working. Work during the day though is nearly impossible so I mainly try to keep up with emails and do most work at night.
I also drink a LOT of soda!
AND speaking of SODA…
WHO IS MY MOUNTAIN DEW FAIRY???
I was on the phone with my friend, Angie, and I hear Chris talking to someone in the front room so I go to investigate. It's the Imo's Pizza guy, who we love, with two fountain Mnt Dews. I went in there and asked C if he ordered sodas, which he didn't, and so I am guessing that one AMAZING blog reader sent me them???
If so… YOU ARE MY NEW BEST FRIEND b/c OH MAN OH MAN did I NEED this tonight!!!
Let's be BFF Mnt Dew Fairy!
Will you come forward so I can thank you??? PLEASE?
What a GREAT gift! Seriously! It was such a FUN surprise and SO perfect!!!
It made my entire day! THANK YOU!
Also, in keeping with HOW I DO WHAT I DO I thought I would share the three PS things I did to THIS photo:
To get it to look like THIS:
You all were SO close. SO CLOSE!
First I used CURVES to get the people to look the way I wanted.
Then I added a duplicate layer.
On the duplicate layer I adjusted the curves again to get the background the way I wanted it.
Then I used a LAYER MASK to erase the people so the original color would come through.
Then I used an UNSHARP MASK.
And done.
Three things. CURVES, LAYER MASK, UNSHARP MASK.
Usually I use a combo of simple edits like that and some of my favorite actions, but sometimes all you need is a simple edit and NO actions. I find it is SO easy to get lazy and only use actions OR get unexperimental and never use actions, so I try to mix it up all the time. Keeps it interesting you know?
Alright people and my new favorite person. Mnt Dew Fairy, I am talking to you. It is officially 7:30pm, time to call blogging done for today and move on to editing. And burning disks. And answering emails. And watching all my favorite shows!
I hope you all watch Grey's! You know it will be GOOD! GO!
