Week Three: 21 Days to Becoming an Effective Wife Challenge

This is it folks! The last week! Only 7 more days to really turn it out and really come together with all you wanted to accomplish these past couple weeks. Isn't it amazing how time flies?

So, how did this week go? Did you follow the rules you set for yourself? Why or why not? For me, it seems like I follow the same weekly pattern. I'm happy that I set out on this little challenge because I never really noticed it. So, let's break it down into positives and negatives.

Good job, Southern Housewife! :

• I have really enjoyed waking up early. When I hit 7am, I feel like I've slept in! My goodness, who would have ever guessed that I'd be saying that one!? But I can't say it enough- me getting up early is what makes me productive. When I sleep in, I feel like the rest of the day is ruined, so I just give up on it. Waking up early ensures that Southern Hubby gets a yummy lunch, the coffee gets brewing, and most importantly, that I get my time in with God.
• I've been doing pretty good with keeping up with the laundry. Thursday and Friday weren't that great- I loaded them up and dried them but didn't do the folding and putting up. I just hate that part so I try to avoid doing it at all costs. Of course, avoiding things never gets them done. I just end up with wrinkly clothes that I can never find.
• I don't know about you, but making the bed makes my home seem in order. What is it about a nicely done bed that just changes the whole demeanor of your home? I definitely love having my bed made and have been working really hard on making this habit stick!
• One habit I added on late was to start taking more pictures. I have this awesome camera, have taken two classes on photography, have books out the wazoo, and even have Photoshop- so why am I not taking pictures daily?! There is this challenge out there that has women take one picture at least every day for one year. They upload them to flickr and share. I think I may try to do this at some point because I don't want my camera to sit on my kitchen table forever. ;)
• Lately, SH has been on me to start saying no to more things. I overwhelm myself with things to attend to, crafts to finish, rooms to clean, things to bake, etc. I mentioned the other day that I was going to a Junior League prospective members meeting. After thinking about it a bit, I decided that my husband was right. As much as I wanted to join, it would just be adding another (quite major) thing onto my already full plate.

Better luck next time, Southern Housewife! :

• Working out. How disappointing that I can't even make it to the gym once. I don't even like to drive by it because I get such pangs of guilt. Arrrgh- what is wrong with me?!
• Clipping coupons is so overwhelming for me. I did a good job for a while but it takes me such a long time to search for them, print them, and then sort them. I know menu planning is the only way to go, but adding this on to clipping coupons just makes it impossible for me to get started. Does anyone have an easy routine for this?
• Once Thursday comes, it might as well be the weekend for me. I just get it in my head that the week is over and I want to be done and start having fun with SH. A laundry routine goes out the window, some dishes get put in the sink here and there, resulting in a mound by Monday. I think one of these days I'm going to take a picture of it and post it here so people can lay the guilt and shame on me! Maybe that is what it will take!
• I have such a hard time getting dressed in the mornings. I'm all about wearing the comfy clothes but I know that SH does not want to come home to a big frump at night. This is one thing I'm going to try extra hard to step up to this week. Wish me luck- cause I love my yoga pants!

Other than these things, I've been doing pretty good. The main thing for me is to get up early. Once I'm up, the hard part is done and I can start preparing myself for my and SH's morning. It makes things go so much smoother. If you're struggling with routines, this is the best advice I can give you: wake up early and read His word!! It will have such a profound effect on your day. Good luck in the last week of habit changing! I can't wait to see what we've all accomplished.

Don't forget to check out Miss Ruthann and her spiffy new blog! I haven't seen it yet, but I do know a couple of the tricks she has up that little sleeve of hers and I know you won't be disappointed!

*Update: Oh me, oh my! Finally got to check it out. She did a fabulous job redesigning! I could spend hours on her super cute website! Hurry up and head on over there. And you might just see a little something from me, too! ;)

Next Monday, I will be participating in Making Your Home a Haven once again. I think I got confused because there were several going on and I don't know which one is the original, but I *think* this one is it. If not, please let me know! After this little challenge, I know participating will be a great way to keep my momentum going. I'm loving this quote by the host, Tammy:

"...the 'Making Your Home a Haven' challenge isn't all about cleaning, working, or to-do lists. It's about having a spirit-filled heart and loving our families enough that we strive to make ourselves and our homes a welcoming, joyful, and peaceful haven to them! "

What an amazing sentence. It's easy to get caught up in the list of to-dos and the sparkle (or lack thereof) of the floors and counters. I urge you to join. And most of you already did last week's challenge- a morning routine!

Oh, and last but not least, I wanted to share something SH and I did over the weekend. We participated in Earth Hour! I should have posted about it this week, but I didn't really even hear about it until Friday. During Earth Hour, participants were to turn off all electricity wherever they were for one hour in an effort to to raise awareness towards the need to take action on the global climate change. After looking around on their website, it seems that a lot of the world participated, even shutting down major landmarks like Big Ben and Westminster. I got a bit teary looking at all of the pictures of a dark Earth. It's amazing how mankind can come together in unity to change Earth for the better.

One hour in the dark was pretty fun. We had plenty to giggle about trying to use the bathrooms, play with Southern Puppy and just maneuvering around the house in general. Candles definitely came in handy! I was glad to document us in our first year to participate. If you missed it this year, be sure to catch it next time around!

Happy Monday!! Start your week right- spending time with God!

xoxo Y