Jul. 30, 2008 - Getting Back On Schedule

Cleaning Chores & Schedule

For quite a few months, I have been flying by the seat of my pants in keeping up with my chores. I set a schedule and felt bound by it. I didn't allow myself enough flexiblity. Then, I sort of threw my schedule out the door. Things were getting crazy and out of control. I needed to find a happy medium. I sat down a few weeks ago and sorted out a new schedule. I have allowed for flexiblity. I think I have finally hit upon something that is going to work for me. Chores are being kept up with and things are running smoothly. I will have to tweak it again, I am sure. Candy, at Keeping The Home, says your schedule will always be a work in progress. It will change with the seasons of your life.(My revamped cleaning schedule is posted on my left sidebar.)

On Sunday night, I look at my calendar and see how many appointments, etc. we have for the week. Then, I work out my head my cleaning chores for the week. Here is where the flexiblity fits in. This week on Tuesday morning, we had an appointment and errands to run. We were going swimming in the afternoon. So I did Tuesday's chores on Monday. Today, I woke up not feeling the best. I decided not to clean our bedroom and bathroom. Tomorrow morning, DD has an orthodontist appointment and we have other errands to run. Since I won't be able to get groceries Thursday morning as I usually do, I will get them Friday. Our bedroom and the living room will have to wait until next week to be cleaned. I will try to clean our bathroom one afternoon or Saturday morning. If it doesn't get cleaned, I will at least wipe down the commode. I am trying not to let these rooms not getting there weekly cleaning bother me. They really aren't that dirty. Next week isn't going to be a busy, so I will have plenty of time to clean.

I have a schedule of monthly cleaning chores. I have these chores set up on a 4 week rotation. This week since I didn't do much cleaning, I didn't get to my monthly chores for this week. I will do them next week. Before, I would try to do this week's monthly chores next week, as well as next week's monthly chores. Now if i skip a week of monthly chores I just move them until the next week and pick up the rotation there.

I hope what I wrote makes some sense to someone.  I have plans to post my cleaning schedules so it might make more sense. I have had a little bit of blogging block. I think of ideas and then have no desire too type anything. I also have been busy being a wife and mother which is my most important job. I do want to share what I have learned and what has worked for me. I have been a stay at home wife for almost 19 years now. I see young women who are trying to be a godly wife and mother but haven't had an example or guidance growing up. I, myself, have had to look for an example and guidance. Although my mother was at home a good deal of the time, there was still alot of feminist beliefs ingrained in her. Ones, I have had to overcome. I understand the biblical mandate given to older, aged women in Titus 2. I, by no means consider myself old or aged, but I do have a few years of experience under my belt that may be of a benefit to someone. That is my prayer. God bless all the older, aged women that have shared their wisdom with me!

Mar. 9, 2008 - What's For Supper Saturday....

A Day Late

Yesterday, I caught up on everything I hadn't had a chance to do during the week. I even had all of the laundry folded before I went to bed, last night. (Well....I have a little confession. I didn't fold up a set of sheets and didn't get them put away.) Being so busy, I didn't have time to post my menu for the week. So here it is a day late.

This week is going to be very busy. So the menu wil reflect this because it is full of easy meals. Monday, we have KAH. We will be dyeing eggs and going on a hike. I work Tuesday and Thursday. DD has book club on Wednesday. We will pick her up, then go out to eat before we head to chapel for Bible study. We have some other appointments, too.

Saturday: Digorino's Pizza, Salad

Sunday: Breakfast-Monkey Bread, Strawberries w/ Fruit Dip

            Supper-Marinated Chicken, Cream Potatoes, Veggies w/ Dip

Monday: Cube Steak, Parmesan Noodles, Beans, Slaw, Pickles

Tuesady: Turkey Sandwiches, Popcorn, Veggies w/ Dip

Wednesday: Eating out Book Club/ Bible Study

Thursday: BLT Sandwiches, Popcorn, Fruit w/ Dip

Friday: Pork Roast, Shake-n-Bake Pot., Baked Beans, Veggie Salad

Not Complaining Challenge

Have I been 100% completely successful since I lasted posted an update? NO. How successful have I been? About 95%. Joining Tami in this challenge has opened my eyes to alot of things. It has really gotten me thinking about what I say to DH and how I say it. I am constantly questioning myself, especially if something comes out that I most likely should have not said. It is our  job to encourage and build up, not to ridicule and tear down. My DH deserves my respect. He works hard for this family. He is a wonderful man.

Feb. 26, 2008 - Home Management/Time Management

Keeping Up With My Cleaning Schedule

My cleaning schedule works well, when I can stay at home and have nothing else to do. It also is proving to be flexible. You can read the post "My Cleaning Schedule".

Yesterday, we had  Keepers At Home, at our house. Afterwards, I worked on revamping my Home Management Binder. (You can find out what a Home Management Binder is by clicking here.) So none of my Monday cleaning was done. Tomorrow, we are going into town to the library and to do some comparsion shopping. So none of my Wednesday cleaning will get done. So today, I did yesterday's, today's, and tomorrow's cleaning. I had all of it finished in about 3 hours. I didn't have to do the monthly cleaning jobs today, so all the cleaning was rountine.Thursday, I will be working so I have to figure out what I am going to do about Thurday's cleaning.

*******************************************

My Routine

Candy, the professor of Home Management Binder University, suggests coming up with several routines. Crystal at Biblical Womanhood also suggests a morning routine. I have my Morning Routine down. (You can read it here.) I have been working on my afternoon routine. At first I didn't think I needed one, but I realized I had been doing an afternoon routine for a long while. I thought about and have refined. It is as follows:

My Afternoon Routine:

*Go around pickup misplaced items & put away

*Turn on the lamps in Living Room & Master Bedroom

*Straighten up the house/Close blinds

*Tidy hair & freshen up

I had been doing most of this so the house and I would look nice  when DH got home. I just didn't recognize it as a routine. I have morning and afternoon figured out, now I have to figure out my bedtime routine. 

******************************************

Feb. 23, 2008 - What's for Supper Saturday?

What's for Supper Saturday?

I thought, since I planned meals from Saturday to Friday(& we usually buy groceries on Friday or Saturday), it would be better posting my menus on Saturday.  So I am introducing my What's for Supper Saturday?

What's for Supper Saturday Menu:

Saturday: Spaghetti, Italian Bread

Sunday: Breakfast-Whole Wheat Pancakes, Homemade Applesauce

Sunday: Supper-Cube Steak w/ Gravy, Cream Potatoes, Corn

Monday: Marinated Chicken Breast, Pasta Salad, Grilled Squash

Tuesday: Fish, Baked Potatoes, Slaw, Pickles

Wednesday: Mac-n-Cheese Pizza Casserole, Italian Bread

Thursday: Marinated Pork Chops, Potatoe Salad

Friday: Baked Chicken, Noodles, Green Beans, Lima Beans, Slaw

Sunday's supper is a meal left over  that we didn't eat from last week. The pork chops will be marinated in a Southwest marinate and then grilled. The squash we are grilling is some I put up in the freezer this summer. I hope I can slowly thaw and dry it out in a low degree oven, then brush it with a mixture of olive oil and butter sprinkled with garlic salt and pepper. The mac-n-cheese pizza casserole is a favorite around here. All it is is a box of mac-n-cheese fixed, with chopped peppers, onions, mushrooms, pepperoni, and Italian seasonings added to it. I will have to post the recipe sometime.  That is what is for supper around our house this week.

Feb. 20, 2008 - Wild Wednesday

My Weekly Cleaning & Chore Schedule

Monday-Clean Laundry Room/Ironing

Tuesday-Clean Kitchen/Baking

Wednesday-Clean Living Room/

Thursday-Clean Master Bedroom & Bath/Menu & Grocery List

Friday-Cleaning Project/Errand Day

Saturday-Outdoor Chores/Baking

This is the schedule I have decided to try to follow to see if things go a little smoother around here. Monday and Tuesday went great. Today, the schedule was derailed. I had 1 expected guest and 1 un-expected guest. They required about 30 minutes of my time. I had to pick up my nephew from school, too. He came home with me and stayed for awhile. I helped him with his homework and signed all of his homework logs. When he finished, DD took over for me and kept him occupied while I fixed supper. So my plans to get the Living Room cleaned didn't happen. I got part of it cleaned. I did manage to put out some of our Easter decorations, too.

We just got back from Bible study and  I am ready to call it a day.

Good Night!

Feb. 19, 2008 - Tip-Top Tuesday

I wrote a few weeks ago how Tuesdays had become my new Mondays. I woke up this morning determined not to let that happen. I saw DH off to work at 6:20 and then I didn't go back to bed like I normally do. I played with Oakley(our inside dog-AKA spoiled child) for a few minutes until she decided to lay back down. I got on the computer,surfed, and made more changes to my blog. When DD woke up, I started my Morning Rountine.

After I had finished with breakfast, I decided to start cleaning the kitchen. I dusted, swept, mopped, cloroxed counters, and put away my "Snowman" dishes. I also took down and put up all of the winter and Valentines decorations.I usually leave my "Snowmen" dishes out until the first of March, but since Easter is so early this year, I decided to go ahead and put them up. I plan putting out my Easter decorations tomorrow.

I have tried many different cleaning schedules. I have spent time making checklists to check off chores to be done once a week or once a month. I have tried cleaning all of the house in one day. Nothing seems to really work for me. I don't following a strict schedule. I can't deal when something happens to throw off my schedule and most of the tie that occurs. I don't like doing all the dusting on one day and then vacuuning on the next. That doesn't make sense to me. I like doing all the cleaning in one room and then move on to the next. So I am trying a new cleaning plan. We will see if it is better for me. Truth be told, sometimes I wonder if I don't get bored with a schedule and just try a new out of boredom. Who knows? I always manage to get the house clean. The most important thing I think is to keep things picked up and organized. I think that makes the house feel vleaner then it may actually be. I will share my new schedule with you tomorrow. It has been a long day and I am ready for bed.

Have restful night. God Bless You!   

Jan. 25, 2008 - 1st Day Of Blogging From Home

Good Morning! I just finished up my morning routine and have allowed myself an hour of computer time. I have fixed myself a cup of hot chocolate (I am NOT a coffee drinker) and am going to enjoy my time.

Crystal Paine on www.biblicalwomanhood.com has been running a series on Making Your Home A Haven. She suggests setting up a morning routine, just a few simple steps to get your day started. I thought I would share mine.

My Morning Routine

Get up, get dressed, comb hair

Put Oakley (our inside dog) out

Feed the outside dogs and chickens

Fix breakfast - start making up beds while it is cooking

Eat breakfast, read chapter in Bible while eating

Finish making up the beds and reddying up the house

I have been making mental notes of what I want to accomplish for the day while I am going about my routine. I have a plan and start my To Do List.

Many may notice that my DD isn't mentioned in my morning routine. Since she is 18 and pretty much self-sufficent, she has her own routine and makes her own plans for the day. She does consult me and ask my opinion. We are trying to give her a little independence.  As long as she takes care of her schoolwork and chores, we try to let her plan her day.

It is off to work I go. I will try to update my post as the day goes along and if I have time. Have a blessed day!

-------------------------------------------------------------

Lunch is over. I am half way through my To Do List.  DH is getting off an hour earlier today so the plant can take inventory. He has several errands to run this afternoon. Although he agreed to internet and got every up and running as quickly as possible for DD and me, I think he is not very thrilled with the idea of internet. I think he is afraid I will spend too much time on it. So I am trying to get everything done I want to before he gets home.

My To Do List

Clean the master bathroom

Make out this week's menu & grocery list

Clean out leftovers from frig

Organize outside Christmas lights & garland

My list isn't very long today. I cleaned most of the house yesterday. I have tried to keep things picked up. I do laundry every other day, so I had no laundry to do today. Although I am sure I could wash a load if I wanted to.

Supper tonight is as follows: Baked Chicken, Egg Noodles, Corn-on-the-Cob, leftover Baked Beans.

I have a renewed interest in blogging now that I can do it from home. Nobody will be able to keep me quiet.

Nov. 1, 2007 - Activities of the Week

Monday

• Reddied up the house, made up the beds, and feed animals
• Washed, hung out/dried, folded, put away 2 loads of clothes
• Cut up sweet pepper to freeze
• Cleaned out Grape Tomatoe garden bed, DD picked off all of the tomatoes (green or ripe, hopefully the green ones will ripen before they rot)
• Cleaned out summer flower pots, set out pansies
• Covered up remaining vegetables. expecting a heavy frost tonight
• DH started mowing grass when he got home from work
• Fixed baked chicken, dressing/stuffing, lima beans, slaw, and pickles for supper

Tuesday

• Reddied up the house, made beds, and feed animals
• Had to run errands, went to library, bought apples to make applesauce
• Made a Jello Strawberry Pie for dessert (DH's request)
• Set out more pansies, watered garden beds and flower pots
• DD did her ironing, I folded up those clothes and put them away
• DH finished mowing the grass when he got home from work
• DH grilled hamburgers for supper. We topped them with chili and slaw. We had peanuts and pickles with them.
• I worked on embrodiering Christmas gifts after supper.

Wednesday

• Feed the animals
• Cleaned (dusted and vacuumed) the master bedroom and living room
• Cleaned (dusted and swept) kitchen and laundry room, also disinfected the kitchen counters
• Washed and dried 2 loads of clothes (I got lazy, I didn't fold or put them away)
• Swept off the front and back steps and the deck
• Played Army with my nephews. They were in their camos. They would hide in our yard or in the pasture near our house and I had to find them. I found them all 4 times. Although the last time they hid separately. I found the youngest but not the oldest.
• Fixed Double Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper, tomatoe slices, and garlic toast for supper. I know food from a box but it was a DH request.

Today

I plan on accomplishing the following:

• I have already reddied up the house and made up the beds
• Go to my in-laws to wash 2 loads of clothes (I have to wash all of our good light clothes there due to the amount of iron in our well water. It can ruin a whole load of clothes.)
• Fold and put away all of the clothes from yesterday and today
• Work on a menu and grocery list for next week
• Get started on making applesauce
• Pick up my nephews from school
• I don't have to worry about supper tonight, we are ordering out

Tomorrow

I hope to accomplish the following:

• Reddying up the house and making up the beds
• Finish menu and grocery list
• Finish making all of the applesauce
• Setting out the rest of my pansies
• Wash all of the animals food and water bowls
• I plan on fixing fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn-on-the-cob for supper

Saturday

I have not thought that far ahead. It all depends on what I get finished the next 2 days. I know there will be more clothes to wash. I honestly do not know how 3 people mess up that many clothes.

What do the activities for your week look like?

Aug. 16, 2007 - Tomato Juice and A New Arrival

Some many of you have left me notes saying how impressed you were by me canning. Thank you, but don't let that spurt of busyness fool you, I can be as lazy as a hound dog under the front porch. LOL. However, in my striving to become a Proverbs 31 woman, I am trying to fill my time with worth while activities. I am also trying to do everthing I can to help save money on groceries which seem to cost more every week. I have had a request to explain how I can tomato juice. It is very easy. I use the juice a base for sauces, stews, and soups.

I wash my tomatoes then cut them up into wedges, making sure to cut out any bad spots. I put them in a pot with just a little water in the bottom so they won't scorch when they first start cooking. I cook them until they are almost mush. While they are still hot, I put them in a food meal and meal them until all the juice is squeezed out. I put all the juice back into a pot and bring it to a boil. I pour the juice into sterlized pint jars. I put the pint jars into my pressure cooker. I bring them up to 5 pounds of pressure and immediately turn the cooker off. If you use quart jars, bring it up to 10 pounds of pressure. It really doesn't take very long.

Our new arrival is our nephew. He arrived this morning around 8:00. Momma and baby are doing fine. Things will be interesting around my in-laws house for the next few years. My grandmother is in a private room, now. They moved her there late Tuesday . My grandmother is still doing well. Hopefully, she won't have to stay there much longer.

Jul. 23, 2007 - A solution for Summer Squash

If you have been reading my blog, you know I have asked for different ways to fix summer squash. I have been asking everyone I know because it has been running out of our ears. I have fried it, steamed it, and put some up in the freezer. Someone suggested grilling it. Oh, my goodness! Was it delicious! This is what I did.

I melted about 3 Tbsp of butter. I mixed about 2 Tbsp of olive oil with it. I sliced the squash long ways. I sprinkled the squash with pepper, garlic salt, and Lawry's seasoning salt. I took the butter and olive oil mixture and brushed it on both sides. My DH grilled for around 5 minutes. Oh, it was so good! DH, who only really likes it fried, really liked it. YUM!

A WARNING! Everyone needs to check their cabinets for any products of canned meat made by Castleberry. I very rarely watch the morning shows, but I watched this morning because I read it on the ticker that GMA runs across the bottom of the screen (which is how I get my morning news and then I turn off the tv.) Sure enough, the can of chili we had in our cabinet was one of the products that was being recalled for botulism (I'm not sure of the spelling. I don't have a dictionary handy right this minute.) I don't know the lot numbers of the products, but I am throwing out our can because it was made at the plant in question. You might want to check.

Have a wonderful day!