Becoming Wiser

Jan. 31, 2006 - Schedules and Routines

I have been trying a new twist in our daily routine. Instead of just allowing myself all day to get it done, I have it broken up in to "chunks." I've listed what I want done before I have to start getting lunch ready. I've listed what I want done before we start school. Then I've listed what I want done by the time I get ready for resting in the evening. This has helped me A LOT. It gets all the least enjoyable home maintenance out of the way first off, then it gets any other trivial stuff done before school. This way, I can focus 100% on the girls during school and I feel less like I'm being pulled in many directions at once. I have found it to be very motivating!

I am killing myself laughing right now. I just realized that I already posted about this!! HAHA! My mind's been a little out of sorts this week. Oops! I decided to delete the first post and keep this one instead. I think I explained it a little better this time. *shyly slinking away from the computer*

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Jan. 16, 2006 - Menu Planning

Yes, I do make a menu. I have switched back and forth between planning for one week, two weeks, or one month at a time. Lately, since I became acquainted with the Hillbilly Housewife (see link on sidebar), I haven't had to plan ahead as much because I generally have the ingredients for many meals for at least two weeks at any given time. I plan to work on a nice-looking menu plan and shopping list to add to this blog, if ya'll are interested. In the meantime, here is a list of the meals and snacks I will be throwing into my menu for the next month (I'm doing a massive grocery shop today).

NOTE: In November, we abandoned everything we know about health and nutrition in an effort to restore a more stable financial state. It worked. It's expensive to eat healthy. I have gotten our grocery bill down to under $400 a month. This month, I plan to use that really cheap plan, and add in some healthier habits again. Some changes will be more fresh fruit and veggies, and all whole grains again. This change shouldn't add more than $100 to our monthly grocery bill. While I think sausage and weiners and bacon are NOT healthy choices, I will be compromising by buying chicken or turkey versions of those products. (The Healthy Hillbilly website has more info on this. I do not agree with EVERYTHING she says regarding health and nutrition, her website has freed me to compromise TEMPORARILY for the purpose of eliminating the stress that comes with spending $800-$1000 on groceries each month because of my nutritional beliefs.)

BREAKFASTS

oatmeal
Cream of Wheat
biscuits
cinnamon buns
rice pudding
desert sand(the kids named this cereal. It's actually cornmeal mush.)
puffed wheat
corn flakes
toasted o's cereal
muffins
French toast
pancakes
eggs & toast
NOTE:All breakfasts always include fruit and juice, sometimes include cheese or bacon or sausages.

LUNCH

tuna sandwiches
egg salad sandwiches
black bean soup
"faspa"(This is a traditional German meal, usually consisting of buns - we use crackers a lot - cheese, pickles, cold sausage, etc. Just a bunch of cold finger foods. A light meal.)
lentil soup
peanut butter & jam sandwiches
macaroni and cheese (This month I will be buying whole wheat macaroni and then purchase the cheese powder seperately at the bulk foods store.)
hot dogs
beans and weiners
eggs, toast & bacon or sausages
pancakes and sausages
leftovers
bag lunches (just for fun or for days when we're out a lot)
salad lunch (recipe to come in future)
chicken barley soup
veggie beef soup
pizza buns or mini pizzas
NOTE:All lunches include veggies and/or fruit. Also, meals with sandwiches or soup are served with fresh, homebaked bread.

SUPPER

salmon patties, rice, creamed peas
pinto beans, biscuits or cornbread, green veggies (green beans),
boston baked beans, mac 'n' cheese, cole slaw, fresh bread
cowboy beans (chili), rice, cornmeal muffins, carrots
meat loaf, mashed potatoes, green veggies
spaghetti, meat sauce, breadsticks
pizza
chicken pot pie
fish, rice
chicken stir fry
taco soup
shepherd's pie
creamed chicken, spaghetti, broccoli
meat muffins and potatoes
salmon casserole, rice

NOTE: Please remember, this is just a rough list. Eventually, I will be making a more complete menu plan, including side dishes and vegetables. All the of the above suppers will include at least one vegetable. All are made "from scratch." I will be including links to recipes, or provide the recipes on my blog in the future. In the meantime, if you are DYING to know a specific one, please comment, and I will be happy to oblige!

SNACKS

animal crackers
graham crackers
cheerios
soda crackers
veggies
fruit
cheese
nuts
raisins or other dried fruit
chips and salsa
popcorn
NOTE: Snacks are usually served with a combination of 2-4 of the above.

EXTRAS & DESSERTS

stick dip
dill dip
unbaked cookies
cranberry loaf
banana bread
peanut butter cookies
oatmeal cookies
fiddle diddles (unbaked, chocolate oatmeal buds)
chocolate chip cookies
fruit gelatin (an excellent, healthier version of Jell-o - recipe will come in future)
sugar cookies
gingersnaps
granola bars (homemade)
puffed wheat squares
rice krispie squares
smoothies
cottage cheese
yogurt
snickerdoodles
NOTE:These are just used and eaten WHENEVER. All are made "from scratch."

I make my own ketchup, pancake syrup, and tomato sauce. Recipes are on the Hillbilly website and are VERY quick, easy, and CHEAP! I also bake all my own bread, except for French toast. I use a bread machine to prep the dough, then I bake them in the oven. I use my bread machine to prepare dough for cinnamon buns and breadsticks. I make my own pizza dough by hand. I also buy only dried beans, so it takes some forethought to prepare a meal with beans.

Hope I inspired someone today!

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Jan. 15, 2006 - Flying

For those of you who don't know, I discovered the Flylady method last year and it really changed my life. (See link on right sidebar.) Here's a bit about the way it works in our home:

I have a routine that I do every day. Flylady has a morning and evening routine, but I just have a DAILY routine. I try to get it done before lunch. Usually it works, but if it doesn't, I don't beat myself up about it. I just make sure it's done before I go to bed. This is what it entails:

Quiet, alone time (reading, journalling,etc.)
Cleaning the bathrooms (I do the toilets, sinks, and counters every day. Showers wait till later. More on this to come.)
I jump on my rebounder for 10 minutes. This has turned into a really great therapy. I listen to a teaching CD or Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre during this time.
I have stretches I do for my back which help to keep my spine aligned and help to improve my posture. I absolutely MUST do these every day to prevent headaches and a loss of sleep.
Getting myself ready for the day. Either bathing or showering, doing my hair and make-up, etc. Believe it or not, there was a time in my life when this rarely got done before the kids were in bed at night. HA! Now, I take pleasure in doing my hair and makeup because it makes me feel more feminine and I feel more...I don't know...TOGETHER. It's almost embarrassing to me that this takes SO much effort and that it has to be a RULE on my To Do list, but seriously, I've just never been a natural at stuff like this. For me, it was always about COMFORT, not necessarily presentation! A Waste of TIME!!! Precious Time! But I'm learning and growing and enjoying it, too!
Gabrielle collects all the garbages and swishes all the toilets.
Making beds (the kids do their own).
One hard and fast rule I have for myself is to keep the kitchen clean. It is cleaned after every meal and snack and any food prep I do throughout the day. This is probably the number one most important thing I do that keeps the household running smoothly. It's really quite surprising.
And the other most important thing is I do at least one load of laundry every day. This keeps it from becoming overwhelming. It never piles up anymore! It's also helpful that Gabrielle is learning to fold and put away. She's actually done several loads by herself already!

Now, once, SOMETIMES twice a week I do what Flylady calls a Weekly Home Blessing Hour. I no longer use a timer, and it sometimes takes a bit more than an hour, but it's not about perfection - it's about maintenance. The Weekly Home Blessing Hour is usually done on Thursdays, sometimes Mondays as well, and this is what it entails:

Gabrielle does her daily routine as well as cleaning the garbage cans
Dusting (the kids help with this)
Wash bedding (this usually ends up happening only every OTHER week)
Vacuuming
Sweeping and washing the floors
Doing a thorough bathroom clean, including the showers
Cleaning mirrors and any appliance fronts or glass inside the house that need it.

And that's basically the only cleaning I do. It takes hardly any time at all to keep this up and the kids find it enjoyable. The deeper cleaning stuff I do on an AS NEEDED basis. And, quite frankly, sometimes it just DOESN'T get done. But you know what? Everyone thinks my house is the tidyest and cleanest they've seen. What matters to me is that I spend my time doing my WHOLE job as a wife and mother, and not much of that is really about cleaning. I use my routines to teach my daughters about homemaking and responsibility, and THAT'S more important than getting it done PERFECTLY. I make sure my house is at the level my husband expects and needs. Anything more than that is really a waste of my time. SO! Happy flying!

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Dec. 1, 2005 - The Best Snack Idea Ever

One of the best tips I got while searching for ideas in toddler parenting books was to put a bunch of finger foods into an ice cube tray or a divided veggie platter. Here are some examples of things I have put in our snack tray: baby carrots grapes pears (cut-up) pineapple (cut-up) pretzels whole grain crackers cheese cubes sunflower seeds dried fruit raisins rice cakes pickles unsweetened carob chips orange slices berries snap peas almonds cashews dried apple rings frozen veggies (you have to keep your eye on these. If they thaw too much, no one eats them) popcorn organic whole grain cereals veggie sticks Sometimes I add dip - peanut butter or almond butter, hummus, or yogurt fruit dip What I love about this snack is, I leave it out from about 9:30 till 10:30 and the kids are free to eat as much or as little as they want. I put a good variety in there. For sure a few different fruits and veggies with a whole grain or a nut section and a "treat" section. The treat section is the one that would contain dried fruit, popcorn, cereals or carob chips. They feel so independant and they feel like I've treated them. It's easy for me to prepare this the night before and just let them pull it out when they get hungry. I also take it out again in the afternoon after naptime. They can eat till about 4:30. The key is, I don't refill it. If the only thing left is celery sticks, then that's what they get to nibble on. My children have eaten more vegetables this way than any other thing I've tried. I think they like having control of it. Enjoy your snacks! Let me know if you have any other great ideas for what to put in my tray

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