Making memories

I posted on facebook that we were closed for the weekend. Mother's Day is a working holiday on my sister's farm: www.riversidealpacas.com. Its Shearing Weekend and it takes a lot of hands to shear and maintain 60 alpacas. This year's team were awesome, focused and dedicated. So well organized by my sister: she has found her own way to manage her personal life and two businesses and her passion for her industry.

Chris is a list maker. Long ago she made lists when going on vacations, or having a weekend party for 100. Recently she and I were talking about how a mom can be accomplishing so many tasks and still be a great parent , daughter and wife. We were focused on how to manage the tasks. Her task list includes caring for 60 alpacas, three dogs, various cats and the land and the house and her son and her mom and her husband and representing her industry in two different fields and maybe reading for pleasure.

I have used a paper planner since high school. I need the feel of writing it all down, the exercise of it. I gave her a planner system one year for Christmas. She did not really like it. She felt bad, a kind of failure. What I have learned in the many years of planner use is this: find what works for you. If something does not feel right and you cannot make it work, try something else. Now Chris uses a notebook. filled with project lists, broken down into shopping lists and task sets. For the weekend with tons of extra people on hand for meals, she had already made a menu, outlining each meal, creating and completing shopping lists. She had a real ease about the weekend and a confidence which allowed her to focus on the work to be done.

Try using one notebook, make lists and lay out projects. add phone call lists and shopping lists. Or buy a fancy planner with tabs and a leather binder. Keep trying till you find what works for you. Don't give up. Ask friends what they use: how they manage.

Let DinnerSmith help you plan a weeks or months worth of meals. Have a menu you can count on so you can have an ease and confidence to tackle some projects or get some personal time. Now even easier with online ordering