Why am I doing this?
I’m standing at my kitchen counter, eight plastic bags lined up in a row in front of me, half full of various ingredients, like chopped carrots (eight pounds of them), tomatoes, zucchini, and more, with printed recipes leaned up against the backsplash. I’ve been chopping vegetables and pouring ingredients into bags for more than an hour and my feet hurt, my hands are feeling a bit achy, and there’s a lot more to do before I’m done.
My goal was to prepare and freeze eight meals at the same time, following instructions (that guarantee my life will be changed) from New Leaf Wellness. Then, I’d have a supply of meals stacked up in my freezer that I could defrost when needed and cook in the slow cooker the next day.
It's a good plan. But now, standing in front of the big mess I’ve created, realizing I've misjudged how much time it was going to take and it's now past dinnertime, I’ve forgotten the reasons why I thought making eight meals at once was a good idea in the first place.
I’m in the beginning stages of a 14-week long program to write and publish my second book, this one about baby sign language and parenting, a collaborative project with my husband, Bill. Fourteen weeks doesn’t sound like a long time – and it really isn’t – but I keep telling myself that I accomplished it last year when I wrote The Well-Crafted Mom. Well, that’s not exactly true. I extended the program last year by adding three extra weeks to the writing process. This time around, I won’t have that option.
The answer to why am I doing this is clear – to take better care of future me.
So, on Saturday, with the half-finished project in front of me, I focused my attention and my love for my future busy self and got back to work. I called in my husband and the boys and put them to work to craft last night’s leftovers into dinner (my 13-year-old made a plate of delicious fish tacos for me.) I made room in the freezer for seven meals, all loaded up in plastic freezer bags, and left one bag in the fridge to put in the slow cooker for dinner the next night.
I’m hoping this new system will allow me to continue to feed my family well – even while I’m super busy. I hope that I’ll be able to free up the time and attention that I normally give to food planning and preparation so I can focus more on the book – and still sit down for a stress-free family dinner, well-prepared in the past by me for future me.
Now that's life-changing.
In my March groups, moms will be taking a look at the hard responsibilities, the obligations that feel obligatory, the tasks that can’t be ditched or delegated. We’ll all dig deep to decide why these pieces earn a place on our schedules. Why we choose to commit our precious time to doing what doesn’t always bring us immediate joy. Knowing your why can give you purpose, ignite your own passion, and keep you motivated when you need a reason that’s bigger than the task at hand. For more information and to register, visit thewellcraftedmom.com/life-craft-cafe
I’m standing at my kitchen counter, eight plastic bags lined up in a row in front of me, half full of various ingredients, like chopped carrots (eight pounds of them), tomatoes, zucchini, and more, with printed recipes leaned up against the backsplash. I’ve been chopping vegetables and pouring ingredients into bags for more than an hour and my feet hurt, my hands are feeling a bit achy, and there’s a lot more to do before I’m done.
My goal was to prepare and freeze eight meals at the same time, following instructions (that guarantee my life will be changed) from New Leaf Wellness. Then, I’d have a supply of meals stacked up in my freezer that I could defrost when needed and cook in the slow cooker the next day.
It's a good plan. But now, standing in front of the big mess I’ve created, realizing I've misjudged how much time it was going to take and it's now past dinnertime, I’ve forgotten the reasons why I thought making eight meals at once was a good idea in the first place.
I’m in the beginning stages of a 14-week long program to write and publish my second book, this one about baby sign language and parenting, a collaborative project with my husband, Bill. Fourteen weeks doesn’t sound like a long time – and it really isn’t – but I keep telling myself that I accomplished it last year when I wrote The Well-Crafted Mom. Well, that’s not exactly true. I extended the program last year by adding three extra weeks to the writing process. This time around, I won’t have that option.
The answer to why am I doing this is clear – to take better care of future me.
So, on Saturday, with the half-finished project in front of me, I focused my attention and my love for my future busy self and got back to work. I called in my husband and the boys and put them to work to craft last night’s leftovers into dinner (my 13-year-old made a plate of delicious fish tacos for me.) I made room in the freezer for seven meals, all loaded up in plastic freezer bags, and left one bag in the fridge to put in the slow cooker for dinner the next night.
I’m hoping this new system will allow me to continue to feed my family well – even while I’m super busy. I hope that I’ll be able to free up the time and attention that I normally give to food planning and preparation so I can focus more on the book – and still sit down for a stress-free family dinner, well-prepared in the past by me for future me.
Now that's life-changing.
In my March groups, moms will be taking a look at the hard responsibilities, the obligations that feel obligatory, the tasks that can’t be ditched or delegated. We’ll all dig deep to decide why these pieces earn a place on our schedules. Why we choose to commit our precious time to doing what doesn’t always bring us immediate joy. Knowing your why can give you purpose, ignite your own passion, and keep you motivated when you need a reason that’s bigger than the task at hand. For more information and to register, visit thewellcraftedmom.com/life-craft-cafe
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