Simple Solution to a Giant Meal Planning Blockade!

In my constant quest for better health, less waste, saving money, and simplifying household tasks so that I have more time to do the things I want to do, I have always and forever had Leave it to Beaver dreams of creating a weekly menu. Just imagine, a grocery list that only includes the things we actually need for the week rather than all of the random cravings that take me over when I'm actually at the grocery store. A refrigerator comfortably full of healthy food that will be eaten on its designated night rather than a fridge crammed with so much food we can't possibly eat it all before it goes bad. (This overwhelming fullness often leads me to eat things that are easiest to cook instead of healthiest so...more calories and more waste of the good stuff that goes bad faster). Best of all, a weekly trip to the grocery store to stock up instead of random daily trips to get odds and ends that for some unknown reason we need right nooooow.

Up until now, the menu idea has been a bust for me. I sit down, pen in hand, get through a couple of days, and then I hit a BLOCK. I don't fully understand what this block is yet, except that it has to do with my bad eating habits and my stuck-ness with my weight. I'm not going to get into all of that now, so let's just say, I'm working on my stuff. I even read this great post by Jen Neitzel on DIY Lounge about how her family plans their menus and all of the benefits it gives them. I drooled over her blank pdf menu (I'm a nerd about lists and planner-thingies), printed it out, and with a big I CAN DO THIS sat down and...got through a couple of days and hit that block again.

Now, if you're the kind of person that doesn't suffer from menu-writer's block, you should totally use her pdf 'cus it's awesome. But I think for me it was too set in stone. I had this completely silly feeling of being locked in to whatever I wrote down. In my head I whined, "But what if I don't waaant tacos on Thursday?!" My silly issues came up and food panic set in. So I forgot about the menu, once again.

Until now. There I was again, pining over some kind of Betty Crocker dream of an ordered household (I don't actually know if Betty Crocker cared about an ordered household, but this is the kind of thing I get stuck in my head), when it hit me. A way to plan out my week, but still have the flexibility I need to handle my rebellious side. I went and got 8 magnets and a boat-load of index cards, and Indigo and I made a list of all of the meals we like to eat and the ones we'd like to try. I wrote a meal on each card, one that says "leftovers" and one that says "eating out." Then we decided together what we wanted to eat for the week, and I planned my own days when she'll be at her dad's and viola! Menu! The 8th magnet is for my shopping list for my now weekly trip to the grocery store.

Indigo is in school all day and we basically eat the same thing for breakfast every day (and I am good at picking healthy things from leftovers or whatever for lunch), so we only did dinners. Evenings are when I'm tired and most likely to make poor choices, so that's what we needed to plan, but it would be super easy with some more magnets to add in more meals. I really needed to just get the ball rolling because this change felt urgent to me, so the cards are very plain right now. But I plan on adding some decorations and ideas for ways to make each meal healthier. Things I've never made before will have the recipe right there on the card.

It felt really good to finally get over this obstacle. It also felt great to involve Indigo and get her excited about it. She's always been a picky eater and I can't tell you how happy I am to get past our nightly, "What do you want for dinner?" "I don't know, macaroni and cheese?" conversations as well as my role as a short-order cook. I have more time in my life for the good stuff, like making art and spending quality time with the people I love. My refrigerator, wallet, and trash can are also all thanking me, and hopefully soon my waistline will be as well.

Natural Motivation

Punchbowl Falls at Eagle Creek

Working for myself, and especially working from home, has a lot of incomparable benefits. A flexible schedule. The ability to listen to my favorite new CD or to watch the X-Files on Netflix while I work. Being able to be home for Indigo when she's done with school, or if she is sick and needs to come home. No one looking over my shoulder, no one to be accountable to except for myself and my clients (who are all so super awesome!). This list goes on and on, and I consider myself incredibly lucky to do what I do!

But working for yourself is also filled with loads of challenges. Like self-discipline, panicky slow months, staying on track, not getting too distracted by the X-Files or the laundry, or the fact that your child is home sick. Staying out of the fridge when it's time to take breaks...

I have found in the past year, as I've been working to lose 50 pounds, (30 to go!), that one of the most important things for my sanity is getting outside. Whether it's a walk around the cemetery, a run through the park (who knew I'd love running?!?), or a hike through the city or in one of the hundreds of nature trails in the area, getting outdoors every day saves me.

It may seem counter-intuitive--getting outside helps you with your work? Are we still on the same subject here? The answer is YES. Every day that I can get outside and move around, even for 30 minutes, is a day that I feel motivated. My creativity is sparked, I feel good about myself because I got my exercise in, I am more focused when I have to sit at my desk to work. I am grounded and inspired all at once. There is something about being in nature that is so rejuvenating, and it's a feeling that lasts even when I have to go back indoors. Luckily, living in Portland, I don't have to go very far to feel like I am close to nature.

Morning Ritual Re-visited

"Flyaway," 2010, by Lea Keohane. All Rights Reserved.

There are certain times of day when the Muse is strongest. For every person it is different. For me, I learned a long time ago that early in the morning and late in the evening are the most creative. Then one of my teachers in college said to me, "Schedule a time every day to create, and your creativity will just start showing up." It took me a long time to get a regular practice, but I have found that for the most part she was right.

As a single mom who runs her own business, plus picks up a lot of odd jobs cleaning and helping out other artists and artisans, my days are incredibly irregular. Finding blocks of studio time on a daily basis is next to impossible, so I fit them in whenever I can. But I do have one block of time every single day--the early morning.

About 2 years ago I started this ritual: I set my alarm for at least an hour before my daughter wakes up for school. Dreary-eyed and fighting against every ounce of myself that wants to stay in bed, I pull myself up and put some coffee on (I am an addict, I admit). I flip through my iPod to find some music that fits my mood (TIRED), and pull out my sketchbook. I used to just draw anything that popped into my head, but recently I started something new.

At the end of every morning session, before I go wake Indigo up, I put a watercolor wash on the NEXT page in my sketchbook. The next morning, I pull out the watercolor from the day before, and stare into it to see what I can see. Whatever image appears is the one I draw. Once I have divined the image, I spend several more mornings on the piece until it is finished. I also use this morning time to play with different mediums and mix them together in new (for me) ways.

What about you? Do you have a daily ritual that helps support, maintain, or inspire your creativity?