**Revisiting this post from a few years back. And life is STILL just as busy, even though I don’t bake bread all day on Fridays anymore. I am still not perfect, and this is STILL a good reminder!**
As I have been sharing with our readers of Homemaking 911 Holidays or simple tasks to do each day up until Christmas- I am continually checking myself to see if *I* am on track. I found that I was getting into that “anxious, perfectionistic” mode I can get into and was beating myself up for not keeping up with my own assignments! Ladies- this is something we must continually battle.
You see on Fridays, I get up early in the morning and start getting ready for a major baking day. I cook all day on Friday. I do not mean this lightly. A young lady who works for me and I make dozens of cookies, 60 loaves of bread, we package and label everything, we clean the kitchen back to spotless, transport all the goods back home, then we still have to make sure we have all the bagged and labeled dry goods for the farmer’s market such as oats, corn, barley,quinoa, rice, etc.
This is a HUGE work day for me, and I often end it aching and exhausted, but am always delighted to be back with the children at the end of the day.
Then, Saturday it is up again to load the truck, go to the farmer’s market, unload the truck, set up and stand for 4-5 hours selling bread, giving samples, talking to customers, etc.
So, on Friday and Saturday- I did not complete my own self- assigned Holiday Quests. By Sunday evening I was feeling pretty down on myself. I really wanted to keep up- but instead of sitting down to do those tasks, I played with the kids, or rested my back, or straightened the house to catch up from the two days of not working on it.
Last night, I had a revelation. If one of my members had written to say it was impossible for her to do any of the Friday Holiday Quests because of her work schedule, I would have said: No worries, just pick up where you left off and on a day with a short assignment, you can catch up- friend, this is meant to be a tool to help you- not a slave master.
THEN it hit me. I was beating myself up for not being perfect. I was unhappy because I was putting the needs of my family ahead of a “list” that did not take my personal work schedule in account! I would never do that to someone else- so why to myself? Ridiculous.
So, just for the record- I will not be on task on Fridays and Saturdays! I may do the quests early or a few days late- no big deal. This is meant to me a blessing, not a curse!
AND, just for the record- I got all caught up last night. 🙂
Want to join us for the remaining 55 days Until Christmas?
Happy Homemaking!
