In my home this week, I am currently listening to the dishwasher. The house about me is calm, quiet, and clean. This state of affairs is not due to last overlong. Within the next hour or so it will once again jump to life and be noisy, messy, and busy but right now it's quiet time and I am relishing my quiet space. John's napping. Supposedly Caleb is too but the sound of little feet running back and forth deny that fact. My feet are up and I'm resting my legs after a morning of puttering all around the house and being in the kitchen. Supper is simmering on the stove. Laundry has been washed, dried and folded. Two meals have been put on the table...I can see this day winding down.
And tomorrow? We start it all over again!
This week, I want to do something. What will that be?
Work: Zone 3 this week will be bedrooms and baths. Our bathroom is fairly clean. Too much stuff on the counters though. I want to work at putting some of those out of sight. Which means working on the cabinets. I never did get that under sink space organized. I found a system I thought would work and then postponed ordering that. I think I'll at least go put it in my shopping cart even though I won't order it until nearer the end of the month. It's also time to get an idea of what my bathroom inventory looks like so I can restock where necessary.
I just tidy the back bath a bit by sweeping the floor and swishing the toilet. Otherwise, I leave it pretty much alone since that is potty training central and not a guest bath but the bath being used by the other two in the household. I need new rug/rugs for that room. Ours bit the dust last week. Since I believe that rug was about 10 years old, I'll not fuss too hard over it falling apart.
Vacuum under the dressers, bed, chest, desk in our room.
Declutter and organize my household drawer and the trunk in the closet. If I get those attended to I'll do something more but that's quite enough until I know what I'm facing this next week.
I'll blow off the porches. There's little point in cleaning just now with all the pollen about but it does help to blow it off the porches and furnishings. Mostly we are at the point of avoiding outdoors. Both Katie and John have been particularly hard hit by the pollen war this year. Caleb and I seem to be doing just fine at present. Given the runny matted eyes of last year this is a major step forward for us both.
Remind/encourage John to get lab work done.
Play date with Millie? I do hope so this week. I'd planned for her last week but with John under the weather I felt it was more than he could handle to have two 3-year-olds at once. However, they both need to have someone to play with.
Potty training. I see no end in sight.
Read to Caleb at least once a day. I have to shorten stories considerably since his attention span is shorter but he's actually enjoying sitting down to 'read' with me.
Continue working on ABC's and 123's.
Call Mama.
Kitchen: Plan and prep breakfasts. Write out a lunch menu. I meal plan for supper and prep for it too but life would be so much easier if I stopped and made a plan and did prep work for mornings. It is lovely on those mornings when I have a plan and have prepped breakfast, because then I get the pleasure of sitting to have coffee while things cook/reheat without going into a mad scramble before coffee.
Lunch usually isn't a big deal and doesn't need prep work, because it often ends up being leftovers of some sort or sandwiches, but having a plan would still be a help. I often feel stressed trying to come up with an idea when I've no clue what we have on hand, etc.
Get back to making homemade bread. John, as usual, took a hiatus from eating homemade bread, but it's been about three weeks now and I'm sick of the bought sliced stuff. Homemade just tastes so very much better! I admit the pre-sliced mass-produced stuff is nice for sandwiches. It holds together better, but for toast and eating bread and butter with a meal...Give me the homemade every time.
Do a morning of kitchen prep work for suppers. And breakfasts!
Meals: We don't always eat what I plan. For instance, this past week, the beef pot pie was made and then put in the freezer. I just didn't want it when we got to that point in the week. It will make a lovely future meal.
Sometimes, the side dishes end up being switched from one meal to another. Or I choose to use them as the basis for a different dish than the ones I'd planned. The main point with my menu is that I have an idea of what we have on hand that we could prepare, and I am planning to use those things that need to be used.
Ham with Potatoes Au gratin, English Peas, Waldorf Salad, Muffins. Using ham from the other night.
Steak Fajitas, Yellow Rice, Refried Beans, Green Salad. Another night of using up leftovers.
John out with men's group for church. Yes, we eat on those nights when he's away, but I generally plan something he's less likely to want on those evenings like, Quiche, Broccoli Salad, Biscuits
Chicken Fried Rice, Chinese Garlic Beans, Potstickers, Egg Rolls
Alpine Chicken Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Coleslaw, Cranberry Sauce
Leftovers? Freezer entree? We'll see how our week goes foodwise.
Corned Beef, Cabbage, Red Potatoes, Mini Soda Breads
Personal/Leisure:
Finish reading Monica Dickens' My Turn To Make the Tea.
I've been longing to sock into some research on genealogy once more but haven't made the time to do it. So, one evening this week, once Caleb is in bed, I'm sitting down and going over notebooks and adding notes to pages and jotting down a few research questions.
Manicure/Pedicure
I need a new shampoo. Mine is simply not working for me at all. I'll check around and see which are recommended.
One cup of coffee daily while it's still hot.
One thrift store jaunt.
Work on a Chatty post.
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