Happy
April everyone!!!!! It is hot, hot, hot!!!! As long as I’m indoors, no problem;
but stepping outside is like walking into a preheated grill!
Coming to
how March was. In one word – busy. Summer also translates into summer vacation
here in Kerala. Schools close after exams in March, and reopen only at the
start of June. Yes, that’s a long holiday. Cub’s getting nearly 3 months of
summer vacation; to stop him (and me) from going nuts with the heat and boredom,
we’ve signed him up for swimming and painting classes.
This
naturally means some extra time taken out of my day, since I have to take him
to and from classes. Also, the rest of the time has him and the neighbors’ boys
running around and yelling. So, all in all, I have had a noisy, busy month.
1. Health – Being as hot as it is, food intake
has come down, fluid intake gone up. I’ve also been having more green and black
tea, skipping the milk. Fruit and veg intake has been low. We didn’t eat out
much, but the biggest problem I’ve had is my lack of exercise. I’ve let my
‘busy-ness’ take over and hardly exercised twice a week. And it shows on the
scale – 1 kg up from last month :(. Not to mention the general feeling of low
energy.
2. Family – Ever since school closed, Cub’s
become rude, disobedient and just plain naughty. Even the extra classes aren’t
helping. As a result, my yelling level has been higher. I’m making him help
around the house – watering plants, clearing the table, sorting dry laundry, and
he helps willingly (at times).
We hardly
read together, though we did some craft work, mainly from the Mister Maker website. It’s been a space theme for us, and we made the rocket and flying saucer.
I’m
thinking of getting him some books from Scholastic’s Learning Express series
and allotting some time a day for that :).
We got a couple of their books from a Book Fair at Cub’s school and
found them quite good.
3. Time Management – Okay, Time Management. I’ve spent
a lot of time on FB and Twitter last month, but a lot of it was for work/blog
purposes. I’ve installed Rescue Time but I’m scared to look at its
results. I’ve been waking up at 4:00 and still struggle to finish my To Do
list. I got some new work, and it coincided with Cub’s vacation starting, so it
was crazy. I had to do away with some things, and exercise was the first to go.
Not ideal, I know, so I plan to rearrange my schedule for April.
4. Writing/Blogging – This month has been good with
regards to writing work and sponsorship. Along with existing assignments, I
got two more clients, and I start work with a third one in April. That’s why
it’s been so busy, although I’m not complaining :). My blog has been a bit
slow, though I did keep it alive with posts. I had to skip the March Baking
Partners Challenge due to lack of time, but planning to go with it for April. I am in
complete awe of the people who’re doing the AtoZ Challenge in April – wow!!!
5. Budget – There were no extra expenditures in March. We ate out less and get this – I didn’t shop at all!! Except for
some gifts; I didn’t buy anything for myself, not even books. Not having enough
time is actually one of the reasons :). We’re planning a short trip to Kochi in April, so maybe
I’ll shop a little then :).
6. Personal – I have been happy in March
overall, although the extra work made me a teensy bit cranky at times. I didn’t
read a single book – yup, not one. Even my magazines are lying in a big,
unopened, unread pile. I did watch a movie – Queen - and I loved it!! I recommend
everyone who hasn’t seen it yet to give it a go; it’s not your regular
Bollywood factory production.
Yes, all these are yet to be read. |
March has
also been a month of friends. I attended the wedding of the brother of my
college BFF, where I met her after 9 long years. As mentioned here, I got a
beautiful gift from the awesome Swarnali,
accompanied by a thoughtful handwritten letter :). I continued the chain by sending
a gift and letter to the lovely Zeenat of Positive Provocations. Both receiving and giving were really, really fun and I am
enjoying this whole activity!!
Word of the Year – Although I’ve had more to do, I
haven’t let my mind wander much and have been focusing better. I’m attempting
being more mindful during my prayers too, rather than rushing through them on
autopilot.
That’s
how the madness was in March!! April has a few things planned - more work, a
birthday and anniversary in the family, voting, a short trip and maybe a little shopping :).
So how
was March for you? Anything special planned for the summer?
2 comments
March, I traveled a bit, spent a lil (hubby's bday) and shopped a lil. Aaagh, Kerala climate is driving me nuts, I don't even feel like coming to Cochin.
ReplyDeleteI am in Kerala and like you said it is like walking in a preheated grill especially since I am out most of the time :(
ReplyDeleteI am putting on weight too but starting today, I am resuming my swimming sessions!