This Side of Perfect

While many of you are snowed in (or at least have a snow day), here in GA, it's raining and warm(er). It's also a furlough - meaning no work. (Or, not getting paid to work. I HAVE work. Today, is a work day.)

A couple of days ago, I shared how I came to have a panic attack. I outlined why it happened, how I got over it, and my game plan to prevent it from  happening again.

Well, logically (there's that word again), I know I can't prevent it from happening. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen.

But I can put routines, strategies, and habits in place to put the odds in my favor that I'll be able to handle overwhelming thoughts (as opposed to completely shutting down).

So, here is what I did right (so far) this week:

Monday - Laundry Schedule says, "Wash sheets and blankets" So, I did. Everyone's sheets and blankets got washed, dried and put on beds. Baby Girl's pillow saw better days, so I went out and bought her a new one. (And be…

Great news: This Side of Perfect is getting a face lift!

I'm working with The Man Beast to completely update my blog.

I'd like to get back into writing and feel that the whole blog needs a bit of tweaking. I love my header (made by TMB), but I need an update.

Hopefully, I'll be able to give you all snapshots of the changes before it goes fully updated.

Stay tuned!
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Let me start out by saying that I don’t mental health lightly. This post is by no means makes fun of anyone who is afflicted with this horrible and debilitating illness.
That said, I’ve suffered two panic attacks in my life. My second one happened just the other day.
The first time I had a panic attack, I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening. I have had friends try to explain the feelings associated with a panic attack to me and without actually experiencing one personally, it was difficult to fully grasp what it actually felt like.
To an outsider, a panic attack is a lot like any other mental illness. We are quick to dismiss it as an “overreaction” or “illogical”. By talking to friends, I understand that for many, it happens when they are overwhelmed. Rather than take what is happening at face value, analyzing the situation, and coming up with a solution to it, they think about it in such a way and for so long that they are literally paralyzed by it.
As with a lot of mental illnes…

I recently posted a flashback post I had originally published in January of '09. Just two short years, I post this. Clearly, I do not have it together!

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I have a confession to make: I am terrible at keeping up on laundry. Terrible. I have a schedule and it has worked for me for the past couple of years. Everybody knows the schedule. Even the kiddos have it memorized. But as of late, the only time I recognize that I need to do laundry is when The Man Beast starts looking for clothes. Even then, I'll usually get to so far as to wash and dry them. Rarely are they folded and they are hardly ever put away.

I could make a million and one excuses as to why I'm so terrible at
keeping tabs on my laundry. Work. School. Scouts. Laziness. (Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!)

With school officially being over, I can't use work as an excuse any longer. Scouts are winding down as well. School? Well, that really doesn't take all day long to complete, now does it? NO.

So, I need to …

This post was originally published January 4, 2009.

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About a year ago, I guess, I decided that I was going to put my family on a laundry schedule. 

I booted up the computer, opened up Word, and set to work.

My schedule was simple: Mondays were for sheets and blankets, Tuesdays were for the Man Beast's and my clothes, Wednesday were for Baby Gurl's and the Boy's clothes and Saturday was a catch-all - all clothes that needed to be done, were done on Saturday. Thursday, Friday and Sunday were No Laundry days.

After I spent 30 minutes making my schedule pretty, I printed out fourcopies; one for each bedroom and one for the laundry room.

I then directed my brood to the schedule and explained when laundry would get done. I also explained that as part of chores, I expected laundry to be put in the laundry room. I didn't expect much but I was pleasantly surprised.

To this day, everyone in the house has the schedule memorized by heart!

I figured I was onto something so since my in…