Happy Tuesday, friends!
Listen, these high school and middle school sports days are days I am going to remember with so much fondness for the rest of my life. I am not wishing them away by any means. That being said, they are becoming frighteningly similar to when we had a newborn. Every morning at 4:00 AM, Andrew and I meet at the coffee machine and basically have the same conversation about how tired we are/how early we are going to bed that night/what time do we have to eat dinner in order to get into bed that early and so forth. When we had newborns, we would meet at the coffee machine and talk about how the night went/what kind of swaddle was that that made her sleep a bit better (or not as well)/what time is her next feeding/what time do we think we can lay her down tonight…seventeen years later and we’ve gone back in time.
The days are long, the years are short…the mornings are early 😉 .
No matter what end of the spectrum you’re on, friends, I’m up dark and early with you right now too.
Alrighty, it’s another edition of SQUARED AWAY 🙂 .
If you’ll recall, last year, I shared what prompted this blog topic/explained it:
Andrew and I listen to The Ticket (a sports radio station) here in Dallas every single day, and they often talk about things they do to make themselves feel “squared away”.
I was putting sheets on my bed Sunday afternoon and thought to myself “this makes me feel squared away”. You know…like I have my life together. It’s small and silly and pretty insignificant, but when my bed is unmade and my sheets aren’t freshly washed, I feel less squared away. Make sense? There’s a certain sense of “awww, my life is a little more together with this freshly made bed” feeling…thus being “squared away”.
And thus, a blog post was born.
In the last post, I spoke from the perspective of things I do that “make me feel squared away”, but today, I’m going to flip it and talk from the perspective of things that DON’T make me feel squared away.
These are, unfortunately, things I do that always make me feel like less than a squared away adult. I’ve included pics below from falls past because…they’re all so sweet 🙂 .
Here we go…
1: CLEAN LAUNDRY WAITING TO BE PUT AWAY
I am really good at washing and drying my clothes, but if I’m being honest, I can let a basket of clean laundry sit on the floor in my closet for several days. Each and every time I walk by it, I think “dang, I need to put those clothes away” and yet, I don’t. I feel even LESS squared away when I start pulling things out of it to wear. “Hmmm, I need a sports bra”…I’ll just get one from this basket of clean clothes instead of the drawer where the clean sports bras are kept. This is what my 15 year old son does, I do not need to be doing this too. Sigh.
2: STANDING BAREFOOT IN THE TSA LINE.
You guys know that I travel often. You also know that I don’t wear socks. Ever. Well, I am really, really good at wearing the right clothes/shoes/jewelry for the scanners at the airport, but occasionally, I’ll either set one off myself or I’ll get “randomly selected” for a full screening which always includes removing your shoes. Standing there on my tip toes barefoot while the TSA agent pats me down and then sends my shoes through to be screened always makes me feel super unsquared away. My bare feet on the nasty floor waiting for my shoes to pop through on the belt…it’s so pitiful (and gross!).
3: HITTING SNOOZE
I am going to make a bold statement here…I have never hit snooze and not regretted it. I always regret it. I always feel about 8 minutes behind. I always get a tiny bit rushed. It’s never a good idea nor something that makes me feel better and yet, occasionally, I will do it. I spend the rest of the morning feeling not squared away. At all.
4: MY PHONE ABOUT TO DIE
Geez, when I look down at my phone and see that I have 8% left, I feel very unsquared away. Be an actual grownup, Shay. Charge your phone.
5: MY PLANTS ARE DEAD
Let’s be real, Andrew either does or coordinates 99.9% of the yardwork at our house. Should something happen to him, I will have to sell and move into a condo with no yard immediately. That being said, I have one fern on my office balcony and one teeny tiny little herb/veggie garden that I am responsible for and for the love, I have a hard time keeping these things alive. I mean, it’s a fern and some basil. Both are super hearty. They basically take care of themselves. Occasionally though, I’ll look at both and think gosh, they’re pitiful. Why am I not maintaining them enough? Sad little plants that are on my watch always make me feel less than squared away.
6: FORGETTING TO WEAR MY JEWELRY OR PERFUME
If I show up somewhere and look down and realize that I’m not wearing my wedding rings or my watch or perfume or just whatever that detail is that I forgot, I don’t feel squared away. I feel “off”.
7: MAIL ON THE COUNTER
Mail beats me down. If you’re not my Good Housekeeping, I really don’t want you. Any time I see our mail sitting on the kitchen counter, I don’t feel squared away. I don’t really feel motivated to open it/file it/shred it/etc either. I just feel disappointed that I have to deal with it AND that it’s not Southern Living.
8: NEEDING GAS
This might be my #1 today. If I get in my car and realize I need gas, I DO NOT FEEL SQUARED AWAY.
9: NOT HAVING MY SUNGLASSES/WALLET/GLOSS
Urg, any time I open my bag and realize that I don’t have my sunglasses or my wallet or my gloss or whatever it is I’m looking for, I do not feel squared away. As I squint and drive home with chapped lips, I feel less than an adult.
10: ILL FITTING CLOTHES
Whether it’s shoes, my jeans, my bra…whatever, if my article of clothing is too tight, too loose, too itchy, too uncomfortable, I spend the entire day feeling very un-squared away.
Okay, I could keep going and going and going, but I will stop for today.
I asked Andrew if he wanted to share a few ways he feels “not squared away” too today, and his list is below…
1: Waking up late or missing my alarm
2: A rushed or missed quiet time
3: I’m not sure I could enter the world if I hadn’t showered and shaved for the day. Just wouldn’t work.
4: Missing a meal…I turn into a fire breathing dragon.
5: Leaving for the day with the house cluttered or dishes in the sink.
6: Having technical or computer issues. That’s way above my pay grade.
7: Having a sick kiddo or doggy. Either way, things are off.
8: Moment of honesty here…I never feel squared away for my day if me and Mix and Match Mama aren’t on the same page. Usually I say/do something stupid and after a much needed apology from me, we can be on good footing. I have to be squared away with her in order for my world to be squared away.
Awwww, well, I love him so so much.
Okay, now it’s YOUR TURN! Please don’t make us feel like the only adults not squared away. Please comment and share 😉 .
I have this week’s TRAVEL TUESDAY post today as well, so make sure you hop over HERE and check it out.
Have the BEST day, friends! xx
Jennibell says
I cannot believe Andrew does not keep all the cars in your driveway fully gassed. That is one thing I never, ever do. Maybe, twice a year, I will have to pump my own gas because I will go visit my family out of state by myself…but that’s it. But if my boys are with me, they pump.
Just last night we got home from pickleball and he couldn’t remember if he had gassed me up this weekend (he had) and immediately went to check.
That one on your list surprised me – the rest??? Yes, yes, YES!!!
Mix and Match Mama says
He tries his hardest to keep them filled up but now that we commute so much for kids’ schools, it’s a never ending need to run to the pump.
Stacie says
I’ve seen several fuel service companies on IG that operate in big cities. They come to your home, workplace etc., and fill up your car. That is genius for busy people or people who can’t seem to remember to put gas in their car.
Jami Romano says
Love Andrew’s point… hubby & I are definitely off if we aren’t squared away! Fun blog post ◡̈
Elspeth Mizner says
I’m not squared away if I’m rushing in the morning, or if things aren’t tidy when i leave my desk at the end of the day!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Diane Moore says
A bad hair day. Every time I pass my reflection I think, “How can a woman get to my age and still be unable to figure out her own hair?
There are more, of course 🙄
Good post, good reminder that we are all in this life feeling the same in so many ways. 💕
MARY says
Totally agree1
Sto says
This was great…and I read this after hitting snooze twice. But it build those two taps into my morning, so I can slowly wake up 🤪.
faith says
The low on gas and phone low on battery never fail to slow the day down. However, Andrew mentioning a sick kid struck me the most- when you realize they are off and starting to get sick and you are not sure how severe plus the stressful anticipation of the other kids becoming sick- the opposite of being squared away. I do try to remind myself in those moments what a blessing it is to have kids who simply get a normal sickness and get better. There are many amazing mamas who take care of chronically ill kids all the time. Saying a prayer for those mamas now.
Molly says
This one has got to be the worst because it’s not just 1 thing… it’s a snow ball as you wait to see how bad the symptoms are going to get and who else in the family is going to catch it.
Jess S says
This post makes me feel so seen! 😂 Dishes in the sink, the car less than 100 miles until empty, or a basket full of clothes is a great way for me to feel off. The only other thing is being 5-10 minutes late, even for a timeline that is only in my head like starting a recipe or turning on a game. 😬
Natasha says
Overdue library books, unfolded blankets on the couch, and not having a started grocery list. Plus, a few of the things you mentioned, especially the mail. Grrr.
Carrie Martens says
It’s the jewelry for me. Heading out and realizing I don’t have my watch, or rings, earrings, or necklaces makes me feel not squared away. Also, if my bed is not made – that really makes me feel not squared away and I hate that feeling!
Jennifer P says
I DO NOT feel squared away with an unmade bed. Throws my day off (and to this day still think my mom will know and have words for me when I get home from work 🙂 ) When the alarm goes off at 4, I’m up, folding blankets and tucking in sheets. I’ve always been this way. Side Note – Make Your Bed by Admiral McRaven is one of those books I can read once a year and still pull something new out of it.
Happy Tuesday!
Carrie Martens says
I know, right? Can’t start the day until the bed is made 😊
Kara says
I have to run my sweeper EVERY day… if there are no lines on the carpet before bed/in the morning-I am not “squared away”. I am also with Andrew on leaving for work not on the same page as my husband.. makes my whole day off!
Susan Nohner says
So many of these ring true here as well – computer issues and clothes that just aren’t right stood out the most those can just set off the whole day!
Kelly Sites says
I feel NOT squared away, when I leave my bathroom counter messy. It’s usually the fist place I start my day, so if I don’t tidy it the night before, I annoy myself.
Not getting all the trash and beverages out of my car each and every time I leave it, makes me feel not squared away. I do not like a messy car.
Not doing my weekly skin care masks (3x a week) and teeth whitening, and eye brow plucking 🙂 makes me feel NOT SQUARED AWAY.
Not doing my sit down on Sunday plan for the week session makes me NOT feel squared away. I feel unorganized for the whole week if this isn’t done weekly on Sunday.
Jillian McCallister says
I love this post! I do not feel squared away when there are dishes in the sink before I go to bed. Waking up with dirty dishes feels like I am starting the day behind.
Colleen says
Why don’t you wear socks? At the airport just carry a spare pair to slip on if needed. No? Do you not wear socks when you wear sneakers to walk and exercise?
Mix and Match Mama says
I haven’t worn socks in YEARS. They make me a little claustrophobic. I don’t know? I just much prefer not to wear them. I’ve even skied without them on. I should keep an extra pair in my bag, but I don’t get stopped 15 times in a row, so I think “it won’t happen this time” and then it does and then I’m unprepared.
Natasha says
I don’t wear socks from about April through to October. And yes, I HATE being barefoot at the airport. And, once socks are off your radar, you just never think about them.
Deb says
I’m with Shay on the socks!
Kristy says
Skied without socks! Were you freezing?! Do you not wear socks in snow boots either? I’m amazed.
All the things you mentioned. And leaving the car keys in my purse and then someone else needing the keys. My college aged son just took care of keys back to school with him, he left them in his pocket!
Mix and Match Mama says
Well yes but that’s just because skiing is so cold, and I’m so terrible at it. Ha! I really and truly never wear socks.
Meredith says
I absolutely feel you with the sock claustrophobia! I’m the SAME!
Mix and Match Mama says
I feel so seen today.
Kellie says
I never EVER wear socks either! Most people think I’m nuts so it’s nice to find someone else who shares that “claustrophobic” feeling with their feet. Wearing socks would most definitely send me into Not Squared Away mode.
Mix and Match Mama says
YES!!!! I would think about them all day. I wouldn’t be able to focus!
TERESA L says
I do not like to wear socks either but hate how my shoes start to smell! How do you handle this?? thanks!!
Mix and Match Mama says
I get asked this a lot…I just don’t think my feet smell that bad. My shoes don’t ever seem to smell.
Holly Florida says
And you can throw Skechers in the washer!
Lindi says
My feet would feel sweaty without socks and that’s DISGUSTING!
Jamie Hanson says
I don’t feel squared away if I don’t have mascara on! I could go out to run errands with no makeup, but I must at least put on some mascara!
Lisa Thoreson says
I hear you Jamie! I hit the gym every day at 5am – wearing mascara 😉
Sheaffer says
My junk drawer needs to be organized. When it’s not, it makes me crazy. FYI, it’s not organized right now.
Paula Hobbs says
Girl………..!!!!!!!! You know the old saying “well, that Preacher stepped on my toes today”…??? Shay Shull just crushed my toes today. Bahahahahahaha!!!!!!!! All the praise hands and all the mama’s said AMEN!!! This squared away post was spot on!! But, those adorable pictures make for a sweet walk down Shull Family Memory lane!!!!!!! ADORABLE!!
Pamela G says
I feel like my whole day is off if I don’t have my quiet time or my bed isn’t made. Like I NEED my quiet time with Jesus and I CANNOT have an unmade bed 🤣
Jan says
My father always told me, (needless to say he was a very proactive man) “It doesn’t cost anymore to fill your car up with half a tank of case than a full tank.” To this day, I am “not squared away” when my gas tank is below one half full.
Beth Valenta says
My number one is any dishes in the sink or pan not cleaned. I MUST organize this aspect before I leave for school. Speaking of that, I must have my lunch made the night before, if I am chopping some random stuff up in the AM, I feel like I am sweating. I too feel lost without my usual watch and jewelry and need to at least put out the top portion of what I am wearing to school or I will end up with a pile due to various weather temps.
Andrea says
A big YES to both your lists, and Andrew’s #8 is the sweetest! I’m also immediately not squared away if I realize after I’ve already left the house that I forgot to put on mascara. I feel almost naked without it. I also get up an hour before I have to start getting ready, even if that means 2 am when we have an early morning flight. If I don’t have time to ease into my day, I feel immediately unsettled.
Jessica says
I’m surprised you don’t have TSA precheck. We have it and love it. Even if someone in my family gets randomly stopped, we don’t have to take off our shoes.
Mix and Match Mama says
I do have TSA precheck but if you go through and get “randomly selected”, they almost always make you take your shoes off to go through.
Lindsey says
If I forgot to thaw chicken for dinner I get very flustered and don’t feel squared away. Also, if I’m out and about and realize I don’t have a snack with me, I feel kind of panicky, lol!
Beth Knecht says
This is fun…
Bed not made.
Dishes in sink.
Waking up late.
Missed quiet time.
Random stuff on the counter.
The fridge too full.
All of those things make me feel unsquared away too!
Sonya Zamora says
2 of my biggest are 2 on Andrew’s list. When I am rushed through my quiet time and when hubby and I are “off”. Those two things make for a very pitiful day. 😔 Andddd when I don’t drink enough water…then I am like that sad little fern in your office! LOL
Leslee says
Wait! You don’t wear socks when you exercise?!
The gas thing…realizing I do not have gas right before running errands will basically ruin my day.
Mix and Match Mama says
I do not wear socks when I exercise. I have run 20+ miles without socks on.
Alison says
I have to leave the house with a cup in hand, whether it’s a Stanley, a smaller tumbler, or even just a plastic water bottle from the pantry. I like to have something in the cup holder of my car. It’s probably a silly crutch but if I’ve forgotten, I do not feel squared away. As if dehydration might ruin my day. 😂
Patti says
I can completely relate to #9 – I have to have something on my lips at all times! I have so many lip balms/glosses it’s ridiculous. Purse, night stand, kitchen, bathroom, work – and when I can’t find one I semi-panic because I NEED something on my lips ASAP!
Michelle Etheridge says
Such a good list.
sandi says
I own a few pair of grippy socks for Pilates and a wool pair that is worn around the house during the winter. But when I put on my shoes, the socks come off. Tennis shoes, boots, it doesn’t matter, I don’t like the feel of socks. The seam at the toe, the thickness it adds to shoes is just not my favorite.
Taeryn B says
I relate to so many of these! Another one is running out of something like milk. It hardly ever happens but if it does it feels so wrong.
I live in the UK and here you are expected to take your shoes off when you go into people’s houses so I keep a spare pair of socks in my bag as it just feels weird being barefoot in someone else’s house with chipped nail polish or on cold floors!
Sarah M. says
I really can’t understand no socks, but to each their own. What I do love are all the photos of your kids when they were little, so sweet!!!
Debbie says
My workouts! If I don’t work out first thing in the morning, I don’t feel squared away.
Lauren Palmer says
THINGS THAT MAKE ME FEEL UNSQUARED AWAY: when the sink isn’t rinsed out and little bits of food remain, not washing hands or using sanitizer after going to Walmart, not having a jacket at all times just in case I feel cold (even in Texas summers), not having head phones with me just in case I need to drown out what’s going on around me, traffic, lots of stop lights, when I’m hungry, when a worker is at my house and asks me questions and I have no idea what to tell him, when the kids ask me horrible “would you rather” questions I about have an anxiety attack, when they ask at the grocery store if you want your drinks in a bag–do some people not put drinks in a bag??? Aren’t all groceries put in a bag to make them easier to carry? I don’t understand why you anyone would put some things in a grocery bag and some things not in a grocery bag. NOT SQUARED AWAY for sure!
Julie Bohlman says
You have inspired me to try tennis shoes sans socks! I am an anti sock person 100% the time…I agree claustrophobic for sure, the only time I wear them is tennis shoes which means workouts and my 12 hour shifts at the hospital. Question- do you feel like shoes get stinky/hold stench?
I agree with Andrew- unsquared away when I am not on the same page as my hubby. A heart felt apology and reset does wonders for a day! Not worth being stubborn.
Mix and Match Mama says
I personally do not feel that they get stinky at all!
Amber says
“Let’s be real, Andrew either does or coordinates 99.9% of the yardwork at our house. Should something happen to him, I will have to sell and move into a condo with no yard immediately.”
I feel this deep in my soul. I do not want flowerbeds, because I do not want to keep the weeds pulled.
I do not feel squared away if it’s 5:00pm and I still have no idea what’s for dinner. That way lies madness and sandwiches.
Jennifer says
I know there are Type A & Type B people, but I believe I am Type Z. So I never feel squared away because I am always a disaster:) I’m fascinated by how other people handle things though!
Love all the older photos…makes me realize how long I’ve been reading your blog!
Maureen Harpring says
Type Z here too!!
Kerry says
I feel so off if my bed is not made for the day. I loathe crawling in to a bed with wrinkled sheet. Just no!!!
MelanieL says
“As I squint and drive home with chapped lips”…LOL! I don’t feel squared away when I’m in my husband or kids’ cars. All my stuff is in my car (sunglasses, tissues, glasses cleaning cloth, CHARGER). If we take a short trip for anything in any vehicle other than mine, I am rendered useless. And I complain about not having anything. 🙂
GMVL says
I never feel squared away if my bed isn’t made. Something small but mighty for me:)
Allison says
“As I squint and drive home with chapped lips”… LOL! The TSA line hit home to me! I’m super weird about shoes and floors and how dirty and disgusting they all are, but any time I’m going somewhere sunny by golly I throw on my sandals and am standing barefoot at TSA regretting that decision whole-heartedly. I never learn.
Erin H says
I have to reset the house before I go to bed. Kitchen and living room picked up. My daughter is back in a build-a-fort-in-the-living-room phase and I get in trouble every morning because I’ve put the pillows back on the couch. It makes me twitchy to leave them on the floor! And yes, I should be making her pick them up when she’s done but I can’t handle the battle at this moment in time.
Candy poels says
Extra lip gloss and lotion always in the car. Arizona heat I don’t care, it’s a must!
Heather says
So funny!! I think it’s so sweet that husbands keep their wives cars fueled up. We had a sweet lady at church who asked our pastor to go with her to help her learn how to pump her gas after she lost her husband. I’m pretty sure she was in her late 70’s. ♥️I have always gotten my own gas and as I have gotten older just feel like if I have half a tank I need to gas up!! This is a control issue for me, lol!! Once in college I had to call my then boyfriend/now husband to rescue me for running out of gas. That was over 35 years ago and (by the grace of God), it’s never happened again. 😂
Carol says
I need to wear at least a **little** makeup to feel squared away — even if it’s just the Colleen Rothschild tinted eye cream with tinted moisturizer and mascara. When I look blah, I feel blah! I need to wear shoes in the house, even if they’re just slippers or flip flops (I have an inside pair). If I don’t wear shoes, I am not productive AT ALL.
Stacie says
So many things make me feel like I’m not squared away:
1. Flowerbeds that are not fresh. Right now, my summer plants have seen better days and I need to rip it all out and replant for the cooler weather we hopefully will get soon. Fellow Texan here.
2. When my supplements and meds run out of my little daily pill sorter. Such a small thing.
3. An empty Keurig.
4. Cluttered surfaces (specifically the kitchen island).
5. Not having a meal plan for dinner each night.
Paige E says
The gas one, the clean folded laundry needing to be put away one, and an add – if I need groceries, like the cabinet and fridge are ole mother Hubbard I feel unsettled and not squared away. If I have an errand that needs to be done – taking back something to the store or picking up something for one of the kids, that can throw me until its done. The ill fitting clothing can also make or break the day for me. I’m a fussy little thing. 🙂
Denise says
I always laugh at your ‘no socks’ comments, because I’m the complete opposite. I love socks! They are the pinnacle of coziness to me! In winter, I even wear socks with slippers lol.
I feel the not putting away clean laundry SO HARD. I’m great at washing/drying loads of laundry and keep only a single hamper for dirty laundry. Meanwhile, I have 3 baskets of clean laundry and one load folded on my coffee table but not yet put away…. Sigh
Elizabeth says
100% agree with the landscaping! My hubby could make a full time job out of maintaining our landscaping/yard. I’m responsible for our potted flowers. And they are pitiful in comparison. Condo living all the way 😆
Faith says
Yes to all of it! Running late, when my lunch isn’t ready the night before, clutter in general (if it has been a busy week and I just don’t feel like dealing with it)….I feel naked without earrings m, waiting to get gas (always regret it!), putting off the grocery store……I’m a mess 🤦🏼♀️
Gail says
There are so many…..but if I can feel dirt on the floor and know that I need to vacuum the house, I just feel off. Sand from the sandbox, grass clippings, dirt from gardening. Even with a no shoes in the house rule, it still makes its way in and I feel on edge until that job is done. My hubby can’t feel it, but I can!
Jennifer says
A messy counter or kitchen table makes me feel uneasy.
If I don’t vacuum the living room rug nothing seems peaceful in the house. I have a dog that sheds a ton.
Collagen in my coffee has changed my morning. If by chance I run out I don’t feel like I’ve started the day right.
Plants whether it’s indoor or our outdoor are problematic for me. I love the idea of them but after a bit I forget to water and then am said when they don’t bloom or produce and vegetables.
My car ugh…It’s not disgusting, but it’s never like my friends’ cars. Between shuttling them from school and sports and eating on the run, it never seems together.
Dinner planning. Lots of times I have the idea but that doesn’t mean I’ve taken the items out of freezer or thought ahead to purchase all the ingredients.
Debbie Mayfield says
Things that don’t make me feel squared away.
1. Unmade bed/dirty sheets
2. Pillows and throws not put away in family room / remotes not in holder (I set the world straight every night by placing the pillows and blankets where they go before I go to bed.) I love the look of a beautifully decorated home. Lived in and picked up. Gives me so much peace.
3. Dirty dishes in the sink
4. Dirty floors / leaves on patio and pool area (I use my Dyson stick vac and my Ryobi blower every single day. I love the kept look. It only takes 10-15 mins each.)
5. Messy bathroom
All of that goes out the window when the grandkids are here! The pillows and toys are everywhere, tents are up, and they are running around playing hide-n-seek. So much fun!
Hope you have a wonderful day!
Sarah Mitchell says
It’s rare that this happens, but when I wake up to NO coffee. I think maybe tea will cut it for the morning until I can get to the store, or if I run to the store to grab it before everyone is up I still feel off. It just ruins the entire day leaving me and those around me very NOT squared away!
Mix and Match Mama says
That is an emergency situation around here!
Katie says
I’m very Type A—I schedule in two snoozes on my alarm so I’m not behind, can’t leave the sink full of dishes in the morning, and I absolutely cannot stand seeing laundry sitting outside the washer or dryer. But… I never wear socks, my car is constantly on empty from shuttling the kids around, and my phone is almost always low on battery. Ironically, the three things I can’t live without in the morning don’t faze my husband, while the three things I could care less about drive him crazy if they’re not done!
Kimberly Gray says
Ohhhh this post. Reading it like YES ! Exactly !
One of my big triggers is forgetting my lunch on office days AND if I don’t take a second to love on whoever is up in my house. Dogs, cats, kiddos, hubs. Taking one moment to stop…smile, say a sweet hello , quick hug etc.. makes me (and them?) start off right. Too often I’m just running out , rattling off lists or schedules or…
AliJ says
I NEVER hit snooze – I just get up and get ready. I feel squared away as long as my bed is made, house is picked up, dinner is planned for the day, and no dishes in the sink. I like for everything to be in its place. It causes me anxiety to see piles of stuff on the counter or on my husband’s side table. He laughs at me but I worry he’s missing paying a bill or an important document is in that pile that we need for our files.
Jen W says
If we don’t pack lunches for kiddos the night before
If the dishwasher is left un-put away by me in the morning
If I haven’t meal planned/grocery shopped by the end of the weekend for the week
Laundry not folded by Sunday night (we do marathan laundry all in one day on sundays if possible with sports)
Homemade dinner made and stuff prepped on Sunday.
Erin says
Stuff on the counter that belongs to either my husband or my kids and I have 1. No idea what it is and 2. I have no idea where it goes.
Madness, I tell you.
Tami says
So many things I share with your list! My big one is Carmex on my lips at bedtime. If I get to a hotel and don’t have it, my sleep is ruined! If I can even sleep 😴 🤷♀️😂
I don’t like socks either! It’s why I have precheck. The random checks are my nightmare!
Natasha says
If I am EVER caught without my Carmex, I absolutely don’t feel squared away. I have been wearing Carmex for over 35 years and I have to have a container of it everywhere. They are all over our house and in each of my bags! Hahahaha!
Holly C says
I feel you on all points…..especially the yard thing, I too would have to resort to condo life if, God forbid, something happened o my husband….don’t do yard work!
Darcy says
This is such a fun post! Thank you for sharing the darling pictures too…that one with Kensington in the navy and magenta…adorable! I have now realized that I would like to wear that color combination more often. I’m laughing about the socks as I’m like your reader Carol that needs to have something on my feet even in my own home (indoor slippers, flip flops, thick socks, etc) and I am definitely not squared away if asked to remove my shoes in the airport (YUCK!!!), or even at someone else’s home (I have learned to bring slippers when I visit my parents or mother-in-law). I would recommend the Stance no-show socks for having in your bag at the airport…just in case! 🙂
Paula says
I have gone rouge. I don’t wear deodorant since your post about 99% of the time….until…I realize I the car I am about to be around a LOR of people and I may stink. I keep perfume and deodorant in the car for my freak out moments. 😆
Marisa says
When I used to have to be at work by 4am I kept deoderant in my glove box bc it was a PROMISE I would forget it!!
Julia says
If I skip my morning coffee, I do not feel squared away!
Libby says
Returns!! So many, so many stores, so little time.
Lisa Thoreson says
Great post! I feel ALL of those things. But I just wanted to say – thanks for the trip down memory lane with the photos of your kiddos. I can’t believe how quickly they have grown and thank you for sharing!
Elizabeth L says
Yes to so many of these!! My biggest things though are 1. Laundry that needs to be done and 2. Dishes that need to be done. I hate the thought of someone having a full laundry bin. Just hate it. I do laundry pretty much every single day. People think I’m crazy, but I cant imagine waiting for it to pile up and having to spend an entire weekend day doing laundry! Dirty dishes in the sink are my pet peeve. If there are dirty dishes, the entire kitchen feels dirty to me. ALSO–I think it was you that said many moons ago that you hit wash on the dishwasher every night before bed, and wake up and unload it. I started doing that the last year and I absolutely swear by it! If I don’t wake up and unload the dishwasher right away, I don’t feel squared away! I used to not feel squared away until every single toy was put away…but I have a 2.5 year old and 5 year old and well, this year I’ve kind of just learned to embrace *some* of the mess. If im too tired to put it all away, it at least gets shoved into a corner in a pile! lol
K.K. says
So sweet, Andrew!
Marlq says
Love this !!
I don’t feel squared away if
1) I don’t shave my legs every day
2)dirty dishes or if the dishwasher is not unloaded
3)I haven’t planned dinner
4)it’s late in the day and I haven’t read Mix and Match Mama
5)I don’t moisturize my body after I shower
6)my nail polish is chipped
The list goes on……lol! Nothing better than an organized day 🙂
Karen says
Off subject…….Why do I not remember Kensington & Smith being that young when you added Madeley? Time really needs to slow down.
Karleigh Johnson says
Okay I loved reading these! I do have a question for you Shay (or anyone else who wants to answer), but how do you DO all of these things that make you feel squared away when you have little babies or kids at home? Prior to having children I made my bed daily, cleaned my house, filled out my planner, etc. My life was organized and I felt like I had the time to be organized. I want to continue that so badly but I just don’t have the time or frankly, sometimes, I don’t have the energy either! Having children has humbled me because it made me realize how I was living before was likely a direct result of having a chaotic childhood, so I’ve had to do some soul searching…but it certainly made me realize what’s actually important and it’s not a perfectly made bed everyday or a color-coded planner. However, I’d love some tips or pointers on little things I *can* do to stay organized and feel squared away with simple, yet achievable tasks. SOS seasoned mamas lol
Jill says
The bed must be made every day. Thankfully my husband is “on board” and will make it if I get up first.
I’m the opposite about socks – Must Wear Socks or Slippers – unless I’m wearing sandals.
Laura Holmes says
When my to do list is longer than I know I can actually get done that day… it makes me feel frazzled. Or, when too much is running around in my head-I need to get it down on paper so that I can move on in a productive way.
lisa says
I actually set my alarm so I can hit snooze! Then I don’t regret it.
Knowing the date of an event but not immediately putting it in our shared calendar definitely makes me feel not squared away. If it’s not, I’m trying to constantly remember the date so I can put it in while trying to remember a million other things.
Karen in VA says
Shay. I never, ever wear socks either. Winter, summer… It doesn’t matter the season. I cannot be bothered to put them on and it doesn’t matter how cold it is outside. It’s probably been 15 years. Only bad thing about this is that my feet tend to smell worse without the socks in the shoes. Lol I need a good foot spray. Any suggestions?
Pam Gaston says
This article definitely made me smile because I can so relate!
I definitely feel off if I go to bed with dishes in the sink, living room isn’t picked up/put back together before I go to bed, don’t make my bed in the morning and definitely if I don’t shower at some point during the day.
To go back to the sock thing: You should add to your packing list a pair of emergency socks in your carry on. I LIVE in flip flops, but HATE if I have to walk through security without them!
Molly says
Having a cluttered car. Who wants to open their door and have receipts and water bottles falling out?
Kacey says
I relate to so many of these! Especially… “Our love fern! It’s dead!”… my mind immediately went to that classic when you were talking about your plants LOL. I’m not the best plant mom either =/
Heather S says
Anything that is out of order in the main level
of our home. I am petrified someone will
randomly show up and judge my mess!
When my hair isn’t clean. I absolutely can’t stand greasy looking or feeling hair.
Marisa says
When I was a single FT working mom to an elementary kid we used to play a game called “secret maid”. We made sure everything was tidy and dinner was planned before we left the house at 7am and after a full day of work and school we had forgotten we had even done it (hence secret) but it made our weeks run so much smoother. Now that I am older and he is out of the house I still play this with myself and if I happen to run behind I feel UNSQUARED and spend my whole work day fretting. PS–20 something year old child sometimes does it too 🙂
Marisa Patel says
I am a serial procrastinator so on top of all those that you’ve already listed, I don’t feel squared away when my deadline is at the front door!!!
Julie says
I can relate to all of these so hard! The one Andrew mentioned of being off with you, hits me hard. If I’m off with my husband at all, I don’t feel good until we connect and communicate clearly. Great post! 🧡
Ashlee says
My cousin (22) travels with me (42) fairly often and she’s started being an extra pair of clean socks because she cannot stand the thought of my sock hating self having to be barefoot in the airport 🤣
Also I’ve raised children who will not wear socks either. Do yours?
Katie Stewart says
I’ve never felt closer to you. 😂😂😂
Sort of frightening how similar we are in this way!
I never wear socks. Couldn’t even tell you that I have ONE pair in my dresser drawers right now.
Mail on the counter means my life is currently in disarray. Cannot handle it.
An unmade bed, I think about it all day. I immediately make my bed after waking up.
A cluttered vehicle can also make me feel really frazzled. With four kids I know it’s bound to happen but right now, my clean vehicle makes me feel like I’ve got life figured out. 😉
Amanda wilson says
Yes yes yes to all,of these.
Add in I do not feel squared away if I don’t read your blog first thing in the morning pre_quiet time.
The gas one is my nemesis…..no matter how hard I try I am always only filling up with my gas light on…..I get mad at myself every time!!!!
Also I don’t feel squared away when I need to cancel/book appts….I work as a teacher assistant so I only have breaks to do these things during business days….so I usually am running to washroom to eat to respond to texts but also im putting it offf then it nags at me…..
Why don’t I just make the call!!!!
Lisa N says
Another fun and relatable topic!
Jen says
I can’t believe that with all of the traveling you do, that you don’t have TSA Precheck??? You won’t have to remove your shoes!!!!!
Mix and Match Mama says
I do have TSA precheck and actually now, everyone gets to keep their shoes on (with or without it), but if you keep making the security screener thing go off and/or you’re randomly selected, they make you take your shoes off. Urg.
Deanna Gemmer says
I love me a good “lounge” day in sweats or leggins, but I never feel fully squared away when I’m not fully dressed in clothes I’d go to lunch in.