Since I made this move to Atlanta, I have pretty much immersed myself into the routine of caring for my granddaughter five days a week.  While it has been a delightful and wonderful experience, we have recently undergone a new milestone.  She now has a Nanny share experience two days a week, where we drop her off at a friend of the family who has a Nanny for their son.  This shared experience gives my granddaughter the opportunity of expanding her world to include another child and to begin to develop those social skills needed and necessary for healthy development.

So how does this benefit me?  Well, I now get two days a week just for myself!!!!  I no longer have just the weekend for me time.  And I am loving this!  Since this is relatively new, right now I am kind of aimlessly enjoying this time without too much focus or planning.  But my desire is to be more intentional with my time and really do some things that I have been wanting to do.  So right now, as I sip my coffee and write my blog, here are my thoughts on making this time more productive:

I have a desire to:

• Get back to writing my blog more regularly.  As you all know, I have only been posting every now and then since last September.  That is because I am exhausted at the end of the day taking care of an infant.  No complaints, mind you, just an acknowledgement that I am no longer a spring chick, so to speak.  What I easily did in my twenties, the first time around now is exhausting.  LOL!  So my first step is to set goals and plan on posting a blog more regularly and this free time will ensure that it has a better chance of happening.
• Take some classes.  Right now I am looking a free classes or ones with a minimal cost.  Our local library has a  30 minute meditation class on one of my free days which intrigues me.  So I am definitely going to try it out.  I am looking for some senior classes around my area also, so my search is on.
• Schedule appointments.  I now can schedule doctor appointments well in advance because I know my free days ahead of time so this makes things very convenient.  Or if I know I need to put something on the calendar, I know the days that works best.  This is a huge help!
• Explore the city.  While I have been getting out with my granddaughter, it does become cumbersome to haul the stroller in and out or do things around nap time, bottle time, or between meltdowns.  LOL!  These extra days allow me to see the city during the week, before the weekend crowds get out and make it another entirely different experience.  I love going out during the day because it means fewer crowds, less traffic and I can be home in a timely manner.  There are so many things to see and do here in Atlanta.  I need to make a list and prioritize what I have been wanting to experience.
• Just pause and relax.  These two extra days also afford me an opportunity to do nothing.  I have gotten back into reading more and fully enjoy going to the library on a regular basis.  I am loving sitting on my patio during the day and chilling out.  And I love being home!  Home is my good place.  I love my apartment and love the time I choose to just do nothing and relax.

So, these are my plans going forward.  But keep in mind we all know that the best of plans….have their way of falling through and we sometimes look back and ask ourselves, “What happened?”  However, I believe, if you don’t plan or actively set out to do something, you may end up actually never accomplishing your desires.  Each night, I have been jotting down 5 things I hope to accomplish the next day.  And I am finding this works perfectly for me.  Sometimes I do all five.  Other days I may do three or four of the five.  And that is totally fine.  Just add it on to the next time.  And keep pushing forward and enjoying each day I am given!