Routines and tips to make them better...

#MamawHutty with #RitaHutchesonCobbs during Saturday's Outings

When it comes to my daily schedule, well come to think of it, my month's calendar as a whole, I am pretty much a routine kind of girl. I love routine, but yet I am flexible enough to multi-task when needed as well as move things around when needed. However, when it comes to individuals with disabilities such as Alzheimer's or Autism, you pretty much stick with the normal schedule and routine. I love that about the two people I care for regardless of our care situation or it just be age, we had pretty much the same activities daily.

Sundays are set aside to worship and lunch at my son's favorite pizza. Then on Monday through Wednesday, we share among these days bowling, swimming and golf. Thursday and Friday, we focus on running and tutoring even though we still do those throughout the week. Saturday is Mamaw day where she gets pampered. Woven in those events is fitness, work, a tiny bit of grocery shopping (lol) and coffee with Garrett's regulars and then dinner with his Special Olympic friends once a week. Life get's busy even with a routine, but it is worth it for these amazing people to have their time of special moments that I will cherish for the rest of my life. 

It is with routines that we can get into ruts or we can use them as positive challenges. Planning for snacks, meals and eating out is important to maintain a healthy life style regardless what we are doing. Here are some suggestions when life is busy and you are having to be out and about:

*  Meal prep. Take a weekly or monthly calendar and at a glance think about meals you may want for suppers. go ahead and prepare freezer meals or do the chopping and dicing that needs to be done so that time is cut in half for those meals. When I bring groceries in, I go ahead and prep my food to save time. My meats go in the freezer with tenderizer and marinate. 

*  Eating out monies and menus. Make an envelope, putting designated monies inside for those time you need to eat out, planned and impromptu. Then look at the menus for those restaurants online to see what foods are healthy, the calorie content and ingredients so that you can stay within your food choices and the calories you have burned from the daily workout.

*  Workout times.  Regardless if you have one-hour or five-minutes, take the time to do it! Take the stairs where you are rather than the elevator. Park as far from the department stores or mall as you can and walk. Do wall pushups every time you go to the bathroom. Stand, march in place, then do four squats as you get up to march and as you sit back down, when commercials play on television especially now that football season is starting. Volunteer for Special Olympics in your favorite sport, they will love you, but please stay faithful and committed when you do.

*  Automobile care.  Saturday nights go fill up your cars for the week. Make sure you schedule automobile services every 3k miles especially if you are on the road often. During these times of waiting, walk their parking lots or seek a place that is buy or within a grocery store so that you can multi-task while the job is done. 

* Lists. Make lists for the grocery store so that you save money and time. My little family is great about the grocery list which hangs on the fridge. When the last package is opened, that item goes on the list so that it can be replaced. Paper products is about the only thing we stock pile now. We eat fresh vegetables and fruits most of the time. Make a list of errands to save gas and time. 

*  Gift Buying. Each week or at least every other week, purchase a gift for someone. If you have three girlfriends that you buy birthday presents for, a safe gift to get are candles. If my family reads that, they may chock I typed it...candles are something I normally don't buy for a reason lol. However, Christmas gifts for me were always bought by August 1st. I have a box of items that I keep because I have someone in mind for each item. Baby showers, I get diapers and wipes then place the receipt in the card in case the baby is allergic or the mom wants to get something else. Shop early, shop wise, save money.

More suggestions:

* Pack Lunches on Sunday for the week. I wrote a blog about this...

* Clean one thing every day and declutter one thing every day...wrote about this last week too...

*  I have a cleaning schedule as well..it rocks and makes my life easier: Monday, clean kitchen; Tuesday, clean bathrooms; Wednesday, change bedding; Thursday, dust; Friday, clean floors. I will be changing this soon, but this is a general idea of how it goes. 

* When you are out and about, always have a bag with you that contains a book, notepad, pen/pencil, and maybe something artistic, I take crochet...these things will help should you get stuck somewhere or have to wait for a long period of time. I make gifts for a neonatal unit and I use these times to crochet blankets and hats. 

I hope this will help make your routine a bit better. When you can't sleep at night or you need something to help you relax, read scripture. It brings peace of mind and victory over stressful emotions. Our lives can be overwhelming when instead lives should be healthy and lived thankful. May yours be so this week.

Hugs, Rita