Another late night TWB Ramble

I have been so bogged down with fall canning, preserving, and preparing for the winter that I have let things fall off my plate. The one thing I tend to always put on the back burner when I get overwhelmed is myself.

I have been canning, picking, drying, freezing, and pulling so much from the garden my house looks like a commercial kitchen. Jars, lids, rings, pans, pots, and gadgets are strewn everywhere. I have been staying up later than usual to get all this stuff taken care of, and by the time I get things where I feel I have accomplished enough, I am pooped out.

At times like these, I forget to take care of myself. I forget to eat, work out, meditate, or do other fun things like going to a salon. With me trying my best to be more balanced, I am sitting here into the wee hours, unable to fall asleep because my mind won't shut down to relax.

My snuggle buddy

So, let's talk it through while I do a foot and face mask for some self-care. Killing 3 birds with one stone. That's how I like to do it anyway; if you have followed along, you might know this by now.

I have been leaving a mess in the kitchen because I am too tired to wash everything before crawling into bed. I rinse everything off but should stop pushing myself so hard so I have enough time to fully clean up before bed.

I reached out to my family and asked for help getting this done, so I do not burn myself out. Thankfully the kiddos have been some help by washing up all the supplies I use before I get home from work so I can get started canning as soon as I get home. We also started doing some of the prep for the produce I need to can when we do our weekly snack prep.

This has helped cut down on how much time I am spending in the evenings canning, making sauces to freeze, and preparing premade dinners that we throw in the freezer for when we are having those I do not want to cook nights. We just throw it in the oven and warm it up. If you are even more organized, you can use these in your meal planning and pull it out the night before or the morning of, and then it won't take as long to warm up in the oven.

When we get overwhelmed with life, we have certain things we tend to fall back on because it is comfortable. It is what we know. It is what comes naturally to us. What are we to do when trying to change some of those habits that we consistently fall back on because they are not healthy?

Recognizing that you are falling back into old routines is the first step to changing them!

Do not beat yourself up over it. We are only human, and none of us are perfect. Acknowledging the habit and moving forward is where we can make changes to improve ourselves.

Ask for help. When we get bogged down and life seems to be slapping us in the face, it is not a sign of weakness to reach out for help. Call a friend, neighbor, sibling, partner, or anyone else you can think of and ask for help. That help can be with the tasks you may need to complete, watching the kids so you can have some time to yourself, doing a load of laundry for you, or just chatting some things out.

Make a list of what you want to accomplish. Then break that list up. You do not need to complete it all in a short time. Yes, certain things just cannot wait, but others can.

If you miss a day or two or three or even a week of doing laundry. So what if you had to skip mopping the floor this week? It's not a big deal. And even if I do not get all of this year's harvest preserved before it can't be kept, I will share it with friends, family, and coworkers.

My Sweet boy

Would I love to have the root cellar fully stocked with stuff I grew and prepared? Absolutely! But if that does not happen, the world will not end. My family will not go hungry. I will not be less of a person, mother, or wife.

My family is fed, clean, under a dry roof, and in warm beds. We are loved and give love. Those are the things that really matter. If I miss out on preserving a few things, I miss out. My kids and husband will not be mad or think differently of me.

All these thoughts of being perfect all the time are in my own mind. No other person is pushing me to be a certain way. So, stop pushing yourself to fit into a mold that is not realistic. The internet, movies, magazines, and books all LIED to us. They made us believe we had to be a certain way to be perfect.

So yes, my dear friend, it can get overwhelming and frustrating that there are not enough hours in the day to get done everything you want, but tomorrow is another day, and you need your rest.

So do that meditation, work out, get your nails done, or read a book. The dishes will be waiting patiently and quietly for you tomorrow. You are only at your best when you treat yourself the best.

This is not a race. This is life; you can have a great one when you slow down and enjoy those moments.

I needed to be reminded of this tonight. I hope this helps you too! Sometimes we all need to be reminded it is perfectly ok to not be perfect! Our uniqueness makes us shine, and when we do not care for ourselves, we get dull and do not sparkle like the beautiful gems we are!

So slow down, rest, do some self-care, relax and know that you are perfectly imperfect, which makes you so beautiful!

I want to know. What do you think?