Navigating Family Dynamics and Home Management

The PhD is almost over and I’ve been thinking about “What do I want?” When I committed to the PhD, I knew it was a lengthy commitment of time and hefty commitment of money. There are things we agree to in life and we know the long term commitment it will require! And now that the PhD finish line is in sight, I know it’s project time again!!  I love a meaty project and I’ve identified what I want to do over the next 120 days. I want to redo my living spaces, WITH a budget in mind so it doesn’t get crazy like it did last year with one project expense leading to another project expense. 

Do you struggle with this too? 

Up until I abdicated grocery store shopping and cooking, I hadn’t really been on the list. I’d always put my family’s needs before my own. If I wanted something, I’d think about the price, and I’d decide we could use the money towards something else the family needed. I’d also give them my time before using it for myself or business.  We took care of the kids’ living spaces last year. Joey’s plumbing got an upgrade which meant his bathrooms got an upgrade too. Then Abby’s space basically got completely remodeled, but honestly her life was demanding it. And now I feel like we have finished launching them.  And then I got to looking around my living space. And I am choosing to use available time and money for myself and Greg, I’m on the list again. 

My Wish List on a Budget

When Grayson came along, Greg and I started sleeping in separate rooms so I could help with the baby. And we like it, so, we are keeping it that way. Remember, use your home for your current phase of life! I want to cement Greg and I into the empty nest/grandparent phase. In my room, I look around and see all hand me down things.  I’ve dreamed of what this space could be and here’s what I came up with. I’d like to have a household manager command center, an office space dedicated to running our house!  I’d like to bring up all my Sunday Baskets® and binders upstairs and put them all in one bookshelf for easy access. And new bedding that makes me feel like a girl.  I want to rearrange the room to be able to open the curtains and make room for said bookshelf. And I want more light in this room for projects and scrapbooking. I’d like as much upstairs as possible because if I want to get anything done I have to hide from Grayson. He loves to play with me and I love to play with him but, but…I like to get projects done too! My dreaming didn’t stop there…  

Rezoning in the Woodruff Household

I’ve decided the room between Greg and I, which used to be the nursery and then a guest room,  should be reimagined into a gift wrapping room. On a previous episode, I suggested HDX shelving with a long counter top to be used as a gift wrapping station. I have not stopped thinking about that and I finally will have time to make this transition happen. I’m no longer using the kitchen as our home office so I’ll move those resources upstairs. I’d like to make communal items more easily available to Abby on the first level like band aids and things, maybe in the laundry room. I just need to go through the laundry room period now that Abby has her own and I’m doing all of this reimagining and functionality of our living spaces. 

Speaking of the laundry room, there’s more project supplies that I will move upstairs that aren’t for Grayson and I. Gifts for Grayson will go up because he knows the laundry room is my hiding place. AND, all in one washer dryer upgrade. It arrives tomorrow!!  I can’t believe I hit the purchase button. I did the cost analysis and it’s not good but boy is my lil heart excited! We got to talking about it in the small business mastermind and everyone encouraged me to get it saying how much they loved theirs. Also I’m keeping the dryer so I can get two loads done at once. So that justifies the cost a little too.  I wanted to get Abby her own washer dryer so I could get mine back. In the process of sharing my washer door would get stuck and then it started to stink! Now the washer smells despite my efforts to correct it. It annoys me! So it’s on it’s way! And Lastly, I think I’ll clean out the closet downstairs. Most of it will end up in my household manager command center and then Abby can get more storage. I hope you’ll join me for planning day to get your next projects planned for your next 120 days!

EPISODE RESOURCES:

• The Sunday Basket®

• Lisa’s Favorite Things

• Home Planning Day

• The Productive Home Solution®

• Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter 

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