Simple Mom

Meet Tsh (it’s pronounced “Tish") and her two littles.



She runs Simple Mom

Tsh is a wife, a mom to two, a graphic designer, a writer, an avid coffee drinker, and a friend. She lives overseas with her family, so she experiences daily language blunders, cultural faux pas, and otherwise confusing issues that come with raising children cross-culturally as American expats. She is cute, fun and is wonderful and staying close to the roots and keeping things simple.

~Girl I needed your site 6 years ago but so glad to have found it now.
Friends, do read.

Also below a great peek post from Simple Mom

Your Morning Routine: Start Your Day Off Right From  December 24th 2008

Photo by Terry Johnston

Moms, particularly stay-at-home moms, are in short supply of a regular routine.

Don’t get me wrong, we constantly do methodical things over and over – laundry, dishes, chauffering to ballet class. But in the midst of that, we’re putting out fires left and right, stopping our chores to put on an impromptu puppet show with the kids, and answering email and phone calls about who-knows-what.

Sometimes, it helps to have a predictable, regular routine, just for yourself.

And while it might indeed be “for yourself,” in reality, it’s for the benefit of the whole family. Kids and The Hubby love and appreciate a Mom and Wife who’s pleasant and has her act (somewhat) together.

Crystal has often written about having a morning routine, and I completely concur. Doing the same things, again and again, first thing in the morning in order to prepare yourself for the day, has enormous blessings. You focus on your priorities. You have a few minutes of quiet to yourself. You channel your efforts on preparing your day, instead of letting it prepare you. In short, you’re on top of things.

I’m not necessarily talking about habits, though for you, it could involve changing them. I’m talking about those things you’re probably doing anyway, but deliberately choosing to do them in a logical, predictable way.

Let me show you what I mean.

In the morning, I make breakfast, check email, make coffee, shower, get dressed for the day, read my Bible, take vitamins and meds, refer to my Daily Docket, and get the kids ready for the day. But without a routine, I do all these things haphazardly. Things that aren’t necessarily important get my best energy, leaving the dregs for the stuff that really matters.

But when I wake up and do the most essential things first, I get a good start to my day. They set my mind for focusing the rest of my day on things like my Most Important Tasks.

Crystal recommends having five things you do the same thing, in the same order, each morning.

Here’s my routine right now (which changes monthly, it seems, with a baby in the house!):

1. Wake up, take my meds and vitamins, start coffee
2. Read my Bible and spend time in prayer
3. Check email; moderate and/or respond to blog comments
4. Shower; get dressed for the day
5. Make breakfast

After those things are done, I feel like I can really start my day. But on those days when this routine doesn’t happen first thing, I just feel… different. I’ll be just fine, but I’m just not as on top of my game as when I start my day in the way I want.

An hugely important note about a morning routine: it is not your taskmaster. While the point is to establish routine to your day, life happens. When your husband or kids need something urgent, we moms just need to set our list aside for the benefit of those we love. We can resume later. It’s important, but it’s not that important.

I recommend adding this list to your Home Management Notebook, on your fridge, your bathroom mirror, or wherever you might see it as a reminder. After all, we’re talking about the morning here – you might be too spaced out to remember what you’re wanting to do! A little note helps me, that’s for sure.

So after finding her and reading this and this and this. I 'll admit I'm addicted. I am on my own journey to declutter and destuff my life. Tsh you are a great help to me and others!!

The giveaway today is for these great baskets to organize stuff found here.


Just leave a friendly comment and share with me a link to your fave LOVELY site.

Comments

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[Amanda G.]

I love Simple Mom!!! It was one of the first blogs that I started reading everyday. I couldn't get enough. I also adore http://www.smallnotebook.org...which I found the same day through Simple Mom.

[Gina]

My favorite recently is http://www.mysweetchaos.com/

:-D

[Sarah]

Simple Mom is one of my favorite blogs. Here's another good one for you:
thirtyhandmadedays.blogspot.com

[melissa kaye]

My favorite lovely blog/site is this one:
http://www.jarsofcute.com/

=)

[PS~Erin]

Simple Mom was one of the first blogs I started to regularly visit. Such great tips and inspiration there!

[Stacie @ newmommyhelp.net]

I've been reading Simple Mom for a while. Glad to find this site now:). One of my favorite sites to visit is http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/. I need all the help I can get when it comes to home decorating.

[Brittney]

What a great giveaway. I'm getting ready to feather my own nest and organization is a great need!

Some of my new favorite inspiration blogs are

http://thefrostedcakencookie.blogspot.com

and

http://awednesdayafternoon.blogspot.com/

[Mel]

Love the colors of the baskets! I like to check out www.whatiwore2day.blogspot.com almost daily. I love her fashion style!!

[Tressa S.]

Routines make me feel normal too. One of my favorite blog is: urbangraceinteriors.typepad.com

[mandie]

I really love http://mycakies.blogspot.com. Rubyellen is sweet, soft, and spunky! :)

[Heather G]

So glad to find your blog by way of SimpleMom. Another favorite site is Pioneer Woman.

[aimee c.]

hi! your site is definitely lovely. i follow ohjoy.blogs.com lots of eye candy!

[Wendy A.]

Oh how I could use organizing baskets. Two of my favorite sites are: http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/ (I homeschool my son)
http://www.pa-dutch-travel.com (This is my son and I's website we started recently)

[Sarah Jean]

Hello! I love Simple MOM and would love to win some goodies too.

[jodi @ back40life]

I'm hooked on joyshope.blogspot.com right now as well as nestingplacenc.blogspot.com - I'm also a big SimpleMom fan!

thanks!

[Kiley Smith]

My favorite lovely site is:
http://cherryblossomsbaby.com

I also love bakerella.blogspot.com

[Sarah]

Balancing Beauty and Bedlam is a very lovely blog.
http://inpassionatepursuit.blogspot.com

[Heather D.]

I could definitely use some of these organizing baskets for papers, coupons, etc.

Another fun and inspiring blog I like to visit is adailyscoop.blogspot.com