Gettin' Real

The busy-ness of my business over the last 6 months has taken a bit of a toll.  I was feeling like a massive failure, but I've decided that I don't need to. I need to be a great wife and mother. I need to be trustworthy and honest in my business dealings. I do not need to spend hours that I don't have doing chores. When I look around me at all of the lovely ladies I hold dear, I realize that no one "does it all."   In 2013, I'm allowing myself to feel blessed for having help, not like less of a woman for needing it.  I'd like to live a simpler, healthier life.  Here are the things I'm giving up/taking on to rech my goal:



. Cleaning the house.  Our house is messy until the cleaning service comes.  I held out for MONTHS.  I couldn't imagine paying someone to clean up after us.  My mom kept the world's cleanest house when I was growing up, and I put pressure on myself to live up to that.  It was stressful to keep trying and failing.  So, I budget in a cleaning service and I get to snuggle with my little girl instead of wiping baseboards.


2.  Laundry.  The most embarrassing for me is that I can't do my own laundry anymore.  I work a lot.  Sometimes 14 hour days, sometimes 7 days per week.  Our laundry room is in the garage, so there isn't a good place in the house to organize dirty clothes.  It was moving from room to room as it piled up.  Lexington Dry Cleaning will do your standard laundry (fluff & fold) for $1.70/lb, which is better that I was expecting.  Along with cleaning out all garments that aren't absolutely loved, we are making organizational progress and living simpler.


3. Cooking gourmet meals each night.  I've never really done this, but now Everyday Gourmet makes our meals, or we eat out.  I'm working on simple meal solutions that are healthy and quick.  We are purchasing all of the meat from one grass fed cow in January.  Whole Foods Market moved to town and I want to schedule in trips twice per month for essentials.  This is one area that I let go a long time ago, and I want to take it back.  Business is good, but not good enough for a chef :)


4. Exercise.  I don't do it.  I blame work, but I wouldn't do it anyway.  This is another area that I'm taking back.  We are cleaning out one of the garage stalls to create an exercise space for P90X and my dance DVD's.  It's a New Year's resolution that we need to make a habit.



Any end-of-the-year habits you are trying to make or break?  Any areas that you've felt guilty about that you are finally letting go of?