Work-Life Balance

Is there such a thing?

I'm finding it harder and harder to achieve it, if it is even possible. I got a new boss a few months ago, and it's been crazy ever since. A different work style to get used to. But slowly, I am. I think the hardest thing for me is my long day. I get up at 5:45 or so, leave by 6:30, work the day, and get home at 6:00 p.m. Add to that getting dinner on the table, bathing the kids, reading stories, cleaning up, and putting Melia to bed... It makes for a really long day. I don't usually get to sleep until about 11:00.

My goal is to be able to have more free time. Free time to spend playing with the kids, free time to read for pleasure, do crafty things... maybe even clean! But as it is, I'm so tired by the time the kids go to bed (at 9:30!) that I don't want to do anything except go to bed. Shane is a tremendous help and a wonderful father and I am blessed to have him in my life.

My New Year's resolution is to be more organized. One of my first tasks to achieve this has been to plan dinners for the week, which, so far, has been going pretty well. It's amazing how simple things like taking out meat and putting it in the fridge to defrost the night before can make dinner preparation so much quicker! I also invested in an awesome slow cooker and that has been great so far. I'm continually on the lookout for tasty, healthy recipes to try it in. But the ability to throw some ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a finished meal is fabulous.

The next step is to figure out how to clean the house... and keep it clean. Any hints, tips, or tricks?