I'm pleased to start my series on making home life a priority today! I have broached this subject in the past, and have even written a book on the topic (At Home With Madame Chic), however, this topic remains a passion of mine, and I still have so much to say on the subject.
This will be an on-going series over the course of the year, and today we are talking about distractions. The last time I discussed this, I urged you to cut your distractions. Cutting needless distractions is very important, but in today's video, I also give encouragement. Oftentimes you can make your distractions work for you to sweeten the process of getting your work done.
The first step? Write your distractions down on a sheet of paper so you can look at them honestly. Screens, in any form, are the biggest distractions: smartphones, television, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Netflix, etc.
Now, figure out if you can make your favorite distractions work for you. Can you watch a YouTube video, while folding the laundry? Can you listen to an audiobook or podcast while cleaning the kitchen or cooking dinner? You can do these things while feeling motivated to organize, de-clutter and tidy the house on a regular basis. And what should we do about those pesky Facebook and Pinterest addictions?
Check out this week's video to hear my thoughts on the subject. To see the list of my favorite YouTubers, check out the info box below today's video.
News
ELLE Magazine tries out the ten-item wardrobe!
Pepper and Gem shares her ten-item wardrobe.
Lizzbert shares her ten-item wardrobe prep.
Comment of the Week
Thank you to everyone who watched my first episode of Teatime with Jennifer! Everyone contributed such lovely comments, it was hard to choose my favorite. I did love this memory from reader, Maureen...
Maureen @ Raising the Capable Student writes:
I loved this story too! When my oldest son was born (22 years ago!), he spent a week in NICU. We always dressed nicely for our visits, and on the day we finally brought him home, I wore a dress and my husband wore a suit. It was a day of grateful celebration, and we wanted it to feel that way. It's a great memory!
Hi Maureen, I'm sure that time when your son was in the NICU was incredibly stressful. I'm sure that your dressing well for his visits reflected your hope for him. What a great memory to finally bring him home! Thank you for sharing it with us.
This week I would love to know... what are your distractions? How could your home life use improvement? How do you plan to make home life a priority this year? Let me know, and your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog!
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11 comments:
Hi Jennifer! I'm a grad student who rents a house with other students. I find that when my room is clean and organized it is much easier to organize my time and that helps with distractions. When the house is messy, it seems like everything I'm doing besides cleaning is procrastinating (even if it's doing my work for graduate school!) and that makes it easier to justify a Netflix binge. But when things are in order, it's as if my mind moves to the other important work I have (like studying or class prep I need to do) and suddenly the distractions fade into the background. I'm fortunate to have some great roommates that make their home life a priority too, so our household runs pretty smoothly, and it's a productive place to focus.
Hi Jennifer! I loved your daughter's flower bouquet. She's mastering the art of homemaking already!!! Congratulations to you...
I often get distracted, and find out punishing myself later because now all the chores delayed overwhelm me. Google for me is a big distraction, youtube, whatsapp, etc....
But, this year I´m hoping it´ll be different. I'm asking for focus during my morning prayers, and help to be in control of my cell phone.
I like to listen to sermons while I do my morning power walk and exercise routine. I also like to listen to music while I fold laundry or clean up. I guess that I also kind of feel lonely after everyone gets to go to school and work. And I like to hear a little bit of noise instead of my own thoughts. :)
I am watching this whilst tidying my kitchen in the space between my youngest daughter's bedtime and my oldest daughter being dropped off from Beavers!! It has become part of my Monday routine..... I like podcasts and audio clips too, and my mum has started sending me these as much as interesting articles as it is easier to find the time to listen and tidy than to read. I find the time of day makes a big difference too. If I check Facebook or the news late evening I get terribly distracted because I am tired. So I have tried to think of times earlier in the day to catch up in a time-limited way that helps me feel connected and rejuvenated instead of distracted.
Hi Jennifer! I just finished your video while was on my stationary bike! Very productive :) :)
Hi Jennifer! I'm interested in your favorite youtube channels! You mentioned in your video that you would link to them but I didn't see them in the text. Thanks!
My distraction is... well... YOU. Not just you, personally, but a bunch of bloggers that I follow who all seem to post at the same time! I want to read them all as soon as they post, and I get up absurdly early so that I can have time to myself to do a mise en place for breakfast, exercise, meditate, dress, and read blogs before I have to wake up my husband. But as I am reading the blogs, I tell myself, "I have time for one more." No. No, I don't. But I read it anyway, and then I run around like crazy, trying to catch my own tail. My only computer is a tabletop model, so I can't move it around to various rooms with me, and I'm not great at multi-tasking anyway. I just have to learn to locate the "off" button at a certain point.
Hi everyone, thank you for commenting! Lisa, as mentioned in the blog, if you go to my YouTube channel and click on the info box below my video, you will see a list of my favorite YouTubers, along with links to their channels. Best wishes, Jennifer
I get through a ton of books listening to them while I clean and cook. I do however, have to be careful what I listen to with littles around, so that has been a challenge, as even some young adult books have "naughty" words in them. I also have a Bible app on my phone that I just recently realized has an audio option with every chapter. I have been listening to that, and it is really enlightening to me how much more I get out of it, especially listening to it first and then going to read the text later when I can. I often do that while I'm making breakfast in the morning. It's my new favorite find.
I also have been saving my Netflix episode binges to be when I hand sew and or bind quilts I make. It makes the binding go faster. On the Netflix note, have you watched The Good Witch TV show, from the Hallmark Channel? It is a wholesome show and I just love the main character's poise and calm in all situations. The first season is on Netflix right now. I've been enjoying that.
Thanks again for the encouragement to better our lives and our family, I appreciate it.
Hi Jennifer. I really liked your video this week as I know I am one of those people that can be distracted without even knowing it. I feel upset with myself when I do this and let things slide and then start to feel overwhelmed with the state of my house. "Procrastinate no more!" was my mantra last year and I am keeping it for this year as well. I tend to get caught up in old movies and British TV but I have found a solution that works for me. I only allow a certain amount of TV time and during commercials I race around and do whatever needs doing. It's amazing how much can be accomplished in a few minutes and I don't feel like I've missed out on something I really wanted to see.
Hi Jennifer, Thank you for your post. My biggest online distraction is... shopping! I'm surprised you forgot to mention this particular pitfall, but then it's probably not much of a distraction for you anymore. The ten item wardrobe is a great solution for the online shopping distraction. You mentioned previously that you plan to discuss less expensive ways of creating a ten item wardrobe. Clearly, looking for high quality items that have been marked down at the end of the season is one way to do this; however, one has to be careful when hunting for bargains since it can become addictive. Again, to have the ten core item limit is very helpful. Also, it is extremely useful to know one's energy type and style type, so as to be able to sort the chaff from the wheat, for oneself personally. For me, it has been a seven year adventure learning to know exactly what to buy for myself and why and what not to buy. Carol Tuttle, Wendy Mak, and Kim France/Andrea Linett are good authors I can recommend to others in addition to your own books, Jennifer.
Warm best,
Alexandra
Thank you for this inspiring post, Jennifer! I am so excited about your focus on home life in 2017. My chief distraction is without a doubt my iPhone and shopping on Amazon. I laughed out loud when you shared your story about checking the weather on your phone because for me, that's how it always begins--checking the weather! :)
I have to tell you, this video came at the perfect time for me. As I've shared before, I'm a new mom (my son is 5 months old now). I am also back to working full time, and after putting him down for bed, I am exhausted! I know you can completely relate. This month, it's been my intention to get back into an exercise routine, and while I've diligently done my online workouts some evenings, other nights, I'm simply too tired. This video reminded me of your sage advice to get exercise through cleaning, organizing, and other home activities. Although I'm tired (too tired to do a workout video), I was motivated to get up, walk through my house, and tidy up! Now that is the kind of exercise that I feel capable of, and I know that having a tidy home will greatly lift my mood and benefit the whole family! Thank you.
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