In My Home This Week: Why Plan?

In my home this week:

...I don't know why I even bothered to plan my menu last week.  I didn't serve even one meal from it.  I didn't even use any of the ingredients meant to be in even one of the planned dishes.  I don't know why it all went kaplut but it did.   Why plan? That's what I asked myself this week.  I plan because it is a money saver.  Fortunately none of the meals we did eat were pricey ones.  I just didn't remember my own plan to thaw food for the next day the night before.  So what did we eat?  We ate leftovers of an entrée I made last week and had forgotten and I found in the fridge one day and John bought ingredients to make dinner at home one day.  I pulled a prepared frozen entrée from the freezer another day and we bought a half priced steak as a treat  and had a nice steak dinner.  Oh and we cleared the refrigerator of all leftovers at the end of the week.  We had dinner at church one day.  All in all we had a week's worth of food and never went over budget not purchased too many special items.  So yes, meals were largely unplanned because I didn't follow my plan.

However, on the other hand, all the work planned was tended to and then some, except plants for my front porch.  That was good.  Bess' mom came to our family day and that sweet woman arrived with a large pot of deep purple petunias.  I LOVE petunias and I was just longing for plants for the front porch ironing board.  This will make a happy addition. 

John did have a holiday air about him on his long week off, but he spent one whole day working on the yard and I worked hard indoors while he was busy outdoors.  Then I spent the whole of another morning in the craft room sewing and got quite a large stack of mending and altering and project items tended to.  Result:  Other than frosting cupcakes my day Friday was pretty much free.  A rest day prior to a family day is a huge help.

Our family day was absolutely wonderful.  We deeply missed those who weren't with us, but it gets pretty rollicking in our little home when there are 10 adults and 2 littles running and a baby wailing.  Especially when all the adults are talking at once, one over the top of the other.   But at the end of the day everyone had enjoyed more than a few good laughs, just about all the sugar that could be taken in kisses was taken from the littlest to the oldest of the grands and almost everyone had their arms about that little baby boy, who can roll over by the way!  At two and a half months, 1 month adjusted!  I told Bess this one is so eager to get ahead he'll be crawling and walking before the year is up. 

For all my love of family history, I am a poor recorder for my own family. Thank goodness the kids all have wonderful phone cameras that take lovely clear photos.  I'll record the facts but photos will likely come from the kids to back it up.  Mama pointed out Saturday that she always had mystery shots.  Everyone's head was cut off, lol.  Too true! 

Yes, Isaac is a serious little boy, but when he smiles it is such a sweet smile that you melt all over.

Well really, that's all about this weekend isn't it instead of this week.  It's a new month upon us and I've plenty of things to do to plan for it here on this last day of April.  My trouble today?  I have a holiday frame  of mind.  Let's blame it on the new housekeeping routine which has the house looking spruce once more and makes housekeeping a breeze.

...I plan my work:

I am still reading the Housekeeping Hints from Heloise book.  I have found  loads of good tips but nothing to make me feel my routines need to be added to in any way.  I also discarded another book when it proved to be best suited to the donation box from which it came.  That leaves me with A Medieval Home Companion.   I will go as far as I can with both books, but I have fresh plans for May and I don't mean to drag April over into the next month.  I like a new start on things and the truth is if I haven't continued to pursue a particular chain of thought I've most likely let it run it's course for now.

Painting:  the guest bath door, the chiffarobe

Cleaning:  the guest room door.  I finally got one whole wall cleaned of tape residue with the Goo Gone and a willing bent elbow.  Ugh.  The door must be cleaned in order to paint it fresh, so I'll work on that in fits and starts same as I did that wall.

Go out to the shed and try hard to find the pieces of kitchen, glass and dishes I've missed since I cleared the chiffarobe way back in October.  Also a good time to start sorting things for the next donation load, I guess.

Clean my closet. Time to set up outfits once again, too.

Plan May.  Three birthdays to remember, Mother's Day, Anniversary, vacation, Memorial Day...It's a busy month!   I need to get my lists made!

Set out my books for Charm School.

Research a new camera for myself.  I don't need anything fancy just a basic point and shoot and inexpensive  enough John doesn't have to breath deep when I show it to him.

...I plan meals:

I could just repeat all of last week's meals.  Seriously we didn't eat even one of them.  Instead I'll start with our family day menu and move on from there.

Fried Chicken, Herbed Potato Salad, Steamed Green Beans, Rolls, Iced Tea, Vanilla Cupcakes

on my own

out with Mama

Asian Lettuce Rolls, Brown Rice, Snow Peas, Ambrosia

Kielbasa, Potatoes Au Gratin, Black Eye Peas

Chili with Rice, Pineapple Salad, Corn Muffins

It's meant to cool off towards the end of the week and I'll likely serve this at that time.

Chicken Pot Pie, Cranberry sauce, Green Peas, Salad

...I plan my leisure:

I'm on a reading jag of late and I like it quite well for quiet time. 

Pull out the genealogy notebook and start to work on my dad's side of the family.

Do some window shopping.  I miss downtown store fronts but you know you can go into stores and look at story boards and products and just gather ideas without spending much of anything except time.