Oh my goodness, you all seem to be working hard! The YMCA would be great for the colder months,
LadyM, that's a big plus... but having to get dressed to go there and then dressed to come home would be a drawback. We have a membership in a pool just almost within walking distance of our house -- but we have to get in the car and go there b/c it's a pretty good trek across a pasture to get to it. You would think, when it is less than 5 minutes away, that we would use it more. Instead, we just pay the membership fee every year and finally ds and family are using it. We basically quit using it when ds started playing baseball in the summers. So it's been a big waste of money for us -- and according to the "rules" -- ds and family really should have us there with them if they are using it, I believe, but I would defy anyone to question their right to use it, after 30 years of us paying $200+ for nothing.
THIS. This is why I do not need a fancy, pretty hour-by-hour daily planner:
The PLAN (written down in my cheap, ugly planner) for today was as follows --
BEFORE NOON: s2s, breakfast, vitamins, Bible reading
12:00-3:00: Strip bed, start/finish laundry, start/finish baking cookies
3:00: Go to drug store for dmom, co-op for rat poison pellets for dh to throw under the house in the crawl space
4:30: Start supper
5:00-6:00: Eat, s/s kitchen
6:00: Clean dh's shower, bathroom mirrors & exterior glass doors
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED:11:00-12:30: s2s, breakfast, vitamins (no, no Bible reading), helped dh with computer issues
12:30-1:30?: Talked to dmom approx 40 min, called pharmacy for her, got involved in FB argument w/dnephew re: football
(I know that is just too ridiculous to even type out, and yes, I am embarrassed a bit over it all, even to tell y'all. We are on the same side; we are arguing about whether or not we need a new coach.)1:30?-4:00: stripped bed, started laundry,DH wanted to go to town with me, and go for a ride in the forest... went to drug store, but not co-op
4:00: home, called dmom, flipped the laundry
continued FB argument, which ds had become involved in, and I took great enjoyment on giving dh blow-by-blow updates...4:30: dmom came to pick up meds and nebulizer, and I had to show her the demonstration the pharmacy tech had shown me
5:00-6:30: ate supper, s/s kitchen, went to store (just down the road) to get local weekly paper, continued laundry, FINALLY started the cookies
6:30-7:30: finished cookies, finished laundry (except sheets are not back on the bed and underwear is not folded/put away)
Note -- bathrooms, mirrors, and glass doors have not been touched, either.
But speaking of PLANNERS -- ddil very much wants one, and she agrees that $50-$60 could be better spent, so does not request the fancy E rin C ondren one, or any other expensive models. She does say she wants it to be "pretty." I am now trying to decide between these two. What do y'all think --
THIS -- Day Designer for Blue Sky 2019 Weekly & Monthly Planner, Flexible Cover, Twin-Wire Binding, 8.5" x 11"
or THIS -- myAgenda Desktop Spiral Day Planner (August 2018 - December 2019) Organize Your Busy Life with Our Unique Week-at-A-View Layout. Weekly Inspirational Quotes Included. (Blush Dot) (I believe it is 9" x 7".) (This is more expensive right now on amazon, but the momagenda.com page has it on sale approx the same price as the other.)
I can't get the hyperlink to do right.
I love the size and the flowery pages and plastic colored tabs on the Blue Sky... but it has a horizontal layout for the week (MTW on the left, Th/F/Sa/Su on the right), and personally, I would prefer vertical listings.
OTOH, the myAgenda has the vertical listings and is set up to include different spaces for each child (and the husband in this case) and all their various appts/events... and that would be VERY helpful for ddil. However, some reviews say the paper is thin in it, and it is definitely not as "pretty."
SIGH.
AND... OTotherOH... the MyAgenda gets bad ratings on amazon, so it's out. I keep going back to the Blue Sky but now I have another problem -- I forced ddil to choose big or small, and she said big. The big one is prettier, but the smaller one has the vertical layout and top three for the day on it. SHEESH.
SHEESH SHEESH SHEESH...
I may order both and let her pick...
For myself, I am just frustrated. Apparently, NO planner will solve MY problem(s) -- which are
(1) distractions from dh
(2) distractions from social media, self-inflicted
(3) distractions from dmom & ds/ddil/dgrands
(4) lack of self-discipline
(5) lack of energy
(6) a tendency to be lazy
(7) a tendency to procrastinate
(8) a huge tendency to give in to the donwannas