Memorial Day definitely sneaked up on me this year, as it does every year. The last Monday in May is just another day off work for some, and for others it may be a weekend add-on day for travel.

I woke up this Memorial Day and consciously asked what this day is for me and my family and here’s what I came up with.

Memorial Day is…..

1. A day to celebrate with family and friends the freedoms that we share because of those who protect them.

An afternoon barbeque turns into tranquil chatter

2. A day to share my favorite grill recipes.

Grilled Herb Flank Steak from The Organized Cook, click here for recipe

3. Time to start wearing my favorite white jeans.

White jeans…. yes, tomorrow! Right now it’s an evening swing with kids in PJ’s. (check out the Las Vegas sunset behind us!)

4. A deadline for planting my Spring garden.

Read “7 Reasons To Grow a Home Garden” here

5. A time to make my #WineWork “To Do” list to catch up old work and clear my calendar for Summer.

Read “Wine Work” here

6. A time to start planning Summer family vacations.

Summer vacation in Carlsbad

7. A reason to have a lemonade stand.

Read “Lemonade Stand, A Family Bucket List” here

Many blessings to you and your family this and every Memorial Day!

Toni

Memorial Day 2014 via Instagram @ToniSpilsbury

Creating a master “to-do” list, scheduling pediatric dental appointments, paying medical bills, filling out field trip permission slips, planning birthday parties, locating the receipt for the dress I need to return, responding to emails and organizing my purse are just a few of the many jobs I include in my “wine work”.

Messy office in much need of “wine work”

What Is “Wine Work”?

A simple iPhone autocorrect is responsible for a new term that I like to use to answer that time-old question, “What are you doing?”, on days that I’m doing my dreaded busy work which never before had a name.

On a recent sluggish weekday morning I was weeding through the pile of paperwork and sticky notes on my desk when I decided to text my friend, Vanessa. You see, on my “to-do” list, was “schedule lunch with Vanessa” because it had been months that my dear friend and I were trying to carve out time to catch up.

“Wine Work” supplies

“What are you doing?”, I inquired on text, hoping we could connect for that long overdue lunch date.

“I’m in sweats doing wine work.” she replied.

Voila! There it was! The perfect name for work that once had no name. Oh how clever that Vanessa can be.

Later, however, I would find out from Vanessa that she’s not sure what she actually typed because she’s never heard of “wine work” and therefor it must have been autocorrected on her iPhone from her original message. Even more brilliant.

I’m not the only woman out there doing wine work today. In fact, countless women across the globe are going through their agendas, purses, cars, mail and emails to prioritize their wine work before picking up a call and trying to answer the question, “What are you doing?”

Some Myths About Wine Work- True or False?

Myth #1:  Wine work is not work. FALSE. Wine work is crucial for women, especially moms, who don’t want to live a frantic, hectic, unorganized and uninspiring life. Wine work is the work that we must get done and out of the way in order to allow new and inspiring work into our lives.

Myth #2:  You must drink wine while doing wine work. FALSE. Although, I do highly suggest it. A bubbly Prosecco or light rosé is perfectly paired with waiting on hold with your insurance company to check the status of your claim.

Myth #3:  You can do wine work with a friend. FALSE. Wine work is best done alone and in sweats… with a messy bun…. and no makeup….. wearing fuzzy socks or Uggs.

Myth #4:  You must schedule time to do wine work. FALSE. You’ve got to feel like doing wine work in order to do it effectively. If you don’t feel like getting your wine work done, it will feel like a chore and take forever. You’ll know when the time is right to get your wine work done. The planets and stars will align perfectly to allow you that window of uninterrupted time when you feel most inspired to do it. Trust the universe. It has never let me down.

Some Tips to Doing Wine Work

1. Light a candle.
2. Exercise beforehand to get the brain running.
3. Turn off the television.
   

   “Wine Work” Lunch

4. Wear comfortable clothes.
5. Don’t answer the phone to friends who’ll want to gab for a long time.
6. Do answer the phone to people on your “to do” list.
7. Keep healthy snacks nearby.
8. Don’t slow down your adrenals by eating candy or potato chips.
9. Don’t get sidetracked by surfing the web (darn you Pinterest!).
10. Reward yourself for a job well done…. with wine, of course.

This post is dedicated to all the ladies out there getting their wine work done today.