Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Pace Yourself


It never really is one thing at a time, is it?  Happily, the "evenings and weekends" part of my job is on the back burner for the next few weeks, but life is still busy: it's Passover right now and I'm getting ready for my trip to England with Mom and Dad in mid-April and finalizing as many wedding-related things as possible before we go and preparing to move into my new apartment as soon as we get back.

Wait, what?  Yes!  While I love living at home with my parents and it's been wonderful to reconnect with them after a couple years across the pond, we've all become increasingly aware since I got back that I would, sooner rather than later, need to find my own place.  I'll share more details later, but for now it means that I'm spending all of my free internet time searching for deals on furniture, picking paint colors, and researching ideas for how to lay out and decorate my space.  I really took a break from this sort of thing after I moved into my second flat in London, almost exactly two years ago, so I don't remember where to look for inspiration - do let me know about your favorite sites, please!

While I'm obviously really excited about this new adventure and I'm delighted to have the excuse to fill up my home&garden board on Pinterest, which had been mostly bare because I didn't really want to tease myself with aspirational homes when I was ages away from having my own small space, it does mean that my blogging will suffer a little.  Well, actually, that's only half true.  My participation in the blogging community has been negligible for the past two weeks because of all this craziness and, I'm afraid, it won't be much better for the next two.  I find that I need to write my posts - it's incredibly cathartic for me, you know, and rather than feeling pressured to publish regularly I feel more calm and creative when I make the time to stick to my editorial calendar - but it's harder for me to keep up with your blogs.  So for that I'm sorry, and I'm sure I'll have a blogging binge when things let up a bit.  I really am looking forward to my next sick day (as long as I'm not disgusting and miserable and comatose and things) when I can curl up with tea and grilled cheese and my laptop and catch up on everything you've been thinking and doing and sharing - I love all the comments you're leaving here, especially on last week's faith posts, but I do miss seeing what you're up to!  So yes: I'm sorry and thank you and much love to you all, dear readers, as I continue to try to pace myself.

And, while I try, tell me how you make time in the day for everything you need to do!  Help - what are your tips for pacing yourself?  We all know that "one thing at a time" is easier said than done...

17 comments:

  1. We're dealing with craziness around our house, too - in two months, we're moving out of our house in New York and juggling several trips and conferences, temporary living arrangements while I go to a six-week course to prep me for my next job, and then we're Hawaii bound! Exciting, but I had a serious stress-out moment this morning about all the things we had to do (I know I'm stressed when my husband looks at me and says, "I wish I could pour you a glass of wine right now"). It always helps me get organized when I make an outlined to-do list - big task on top, all the supporting sub-tasks below, and as much as I can, I put dates next to the subtasks so I know when I need to get them done and then start actually putting them into my datebook so I know I've got the time built in to get them done. It sounds a little compulsive, but it actually helps me stay on top of things. I'm excited to see what people post about house inspiration for you - we're on Houzz and I subscribe to a number of design blogs, but we need some new resources for upcoming renovations. Oh yeah, I have to add that onto the to-do list, too... :p

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  2. I really need to learn how to pace myself, but there's so much to do and so little time!

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  3. It's so hard, but one thing at a time, one day at a time works for me. Looking at the big picture is so tempting, but can be so overwhelming! This goes for personal and work life...also, wine. Wine helps lots.

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  4. well, last night we did Passover AND wine - does that count? hehe :)

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  5. I know! it's a universal problem. we need an extra day between Sunday and Monday.

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  6. Man we are hitting all of life's milestones together, Rob and I are looking to move out of our parents' places too! I honestly never have enough time in the day. When you figure it out, let me know ;)

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  7. Congratulations on your own apartment!! I can think of nothing more fun than a blank canvas to decorate!!

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  8. Writing is so cathartic. I agree. :) You'll catch up! I find it helps to just FOCUS. Easier said than done, of course. As great of a multitasker I (along with everyone in our generation) thinks I am, everything goes smoother when I just FOCUS. One thing at a time. Knowing I can't move on to the next thing until I finish the first, well, it's incentive for me to hurry it up and just focus! :)

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  9. thank you! it's an amazing opportunity :)

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  10. TWINS. I'll share my secrets with you - once I've deciphered them!

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  11. i just focused on your email - and I did it! it worked :)

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  12. oh my goodness! that's exciting. is it an assignment? (not sure what the military lingo is, sorry...) but YES can your husband occasionally call me and ask if I would like him to pour me a glass of wine? because that would help for SURE.

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  13. One of my big "me" goals is to keep pushing myself to write more personally on my blog. I was up to my ears annoyed today by people, and so that's why I wrote today's post about manners...and yanno what, it felt good! Otherwise, I do blogging binges too, where I sit for hours going through everything that I've missed from my faves.

    As for furniture, when I moved back to LA, I got all the big stuff at Ashley Furnite, and I did the majority of my smaller stuff (kitchenware, bath towels, bath mats, throw pillows) at Cost Plus World Market. I found my bed stuff at Bed Bath & Beyond and then all the after thought stuff at Target! Hope that helps give you some ideas of places to browse!!

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  14. There's really no substitute for a good man who knows the right time to be a partner, the right time to be a therapist, and the right time to be a sommalier! :)

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  15. I'm drafting a similar post - watch out for it next week! - and it's SO cathartic every time I refine it to say exactly what I want.


    my mom and I are going to BB&B next weekend - I'm totally going to stock up!

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  16. ah, moving out is so exciting! I completely understand aout being behind on reading blogs. I am ALWAYS behind and usually play catch up on the weekends

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  17. I wish I had some tips for pacing yourself but I don't. The only thing I can say is take a step back, and take a deep breath. And don't worry about us, we'll still be here! x

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