As of this post I plan to return to my former way of doing things. I'd like very much to share my plan for my week before the week is done, as that makes me accountable for what I do! I will also plan meals and share those with you. Both my work plans and meal plans have sort of fallen into the 'by a wing and a prayer' category and this is not good. I hate hearing myself stammer when John says "What's for dinner?" and I realize it's 11:45 and I have nothing planned. Not that he fusses, but it flusters me to come up with a plan on the fly.
By the same token, while the house is clean and a few things are getting accomplished here at home it's hit and miss. Sometimes that is due to John's own plans which somehow always include me unless he's mowing, and the fact that these days I never know who's going to call or stop by. I don't mind the visit or calls, but I do mind finding myself at end of week with little to show for my time spent here. There are several of my old cleaning routines I'd like to start up again. There's deep cleaning that could be accomplished a bit at a time. I have a whole page of projects that require only time, because I have all the materials required, but haven't even been begun. I like looking back at the end of the week and seeing what I've done, or at least started.
I've been helping Katie to finish clearing Mama's old house and today, after we'd grocery shopped and returned back to her house, I told her, "I've been up since around 4am but I figure I've got a good 1 1/2 hours before I hit that wall of tired so what do you want done?" Let me tell you something, I finished two full tasks, two tasks that honestly looked a little overwhelming. And what's more, I had only used about 40 minutes of my 'extra' time. That left me enough energy to come home and put away my own groceries before I gave in to the wave of tiredness that hit.
I became very aware today that something can really be accomplished if you will just utilize the time rightly and hurry up and get started on it right away, so I'm going to plan to hustle this week and get some things done. Watch my dust!
I plan meals:
John works today (Sunday) and Wednesday and then he's off for five days. One morning we'll go out for a vision appointment for him. I expect he's going to want to mow grass this week even though there are only patches of grass which have shown slight growth. All of these are things that I must factor in my meal plans. I generally plan on leftovers for myself on the days he's working. He may want to go out to eat the day of his appointment. If he mows grass he will eat breakfast but not lunch and he wants something light and cool when he comes in from mowing. Factor in weather as well: high 80's, even mention of low 90's this week and that affects meal plans, as well.
Lasagna, Salad, Homemade Rolls
out with Katie
Parmesan Chicken Breasts roasted with Zucchini and Tomatoes, Green Salad, Garlic bread
possibly out with John/ Hamburgers and Fries here at home
leftovers
Tuna Pasta Salad, Crackers, Fresh Fruit
Potatoes au Gratin with Kielbasa and Peas, Tomato and Lettuce Salad
I plan housework: I thought I'd start Zone cleaning once again. I get far more accomplished when I focus on a specific area instead of trying to do 50 jobs in six different rooms at once. It's the first week of October. I'll start in the main living area this week and give it a good cleaning. I've decluttered well in this room and washed the slipcovers and curtains in August, so I'll focus on windows and blinds, polishing furniture, neatening up and spot treating slipcovers. I'll straighten the table linens in the buffet and give the toy box a good sorting out.
Project work: Wow...I have a long list of projects and I have material to do 98% of each of them. I think this week I'm going to try to get the back porch cleaned up a bit. I have furniture stacked on it that needs to go in a skip but John's said he's like to wait until it's cooler and that's not coming in the next ten days. He mentioned that some of the pieces can be broken down and stacked. There are things on the back porch that can go into the sheds, stuff that belongs to someone else that I could load in the car and take to them, etc. It's a big job, make no mistake but getting that much done would mean I could easily finish working on the porch railings and rafters and floor and get them ready for a fresh coat of paint. I happen to have a child who has some free time on her hands and she's never minded wielding a paint brush. Seems to me I should hurry and get this cleaning done so she can help me before her job starts.
6 comments:
I have a small notebook I keep my home activity in. My own zones etc. Well I also keep a list of projects I want to do..realistic things. I also mark a star besides the ones that can be done in 15 minutes to a half hour. That way when I do get some time and it is only that little I can quickly see what I CAN get done! :) Yes somedays that is all that gets done except the bed made, house straightened and food on the table and such but I DID get something off the list and it feels good ! Then also some jobs can be done in parts like you said and I sometimes mark down what can be done first second and such or parts. I heard years ago that a man had a small mountain of rocks he kept walking by and wanted moved to another part of his property. But how? Then one day he just took one each time he went by and got it to where it should be or at least further on until one day the whole pile was gone. That stuck and now when I feel a job is too much I take it one rock at a time. Like you will be doing on the back porch.
Right now I realize that any clutter is too much and whether it is clutter in my mind or the house it is too much!! :)) Tending to clutter leaves me less time to get other things done. It is in the way. As usual you have soured me on to get to work! With a good attitude. Sarah
Sarah, I knew the minute I started reading the comment "I keep a small notebook..." that it was you, though I Hadn't even looked at the name at the end, lol. I think this is a grand idea. Thank you for sharing it!
Sarah, We have to paint the back of our house before it gets cold here and the rock pile story is pretty much how I told my husband he needs to get it done. I told him that even if he only paints 30 minutes a day it will all get done.
Terri, I make out my 7 day to do list each Sunday afternoon and that is the only way we get anything done here. I also make the menus for the week at the same time or it will be run through the drive through. It is too easy when there are restaurants of every kind within a 10 minute drive.
The zone thing was part of Flylady I loved best. It made so much more sense than what you mentioned, Terri, about running all over.
My zones are 1-Basement, 2-Kitchen & DR, 3-Bedrooms, 4-Upstairs bathrooms & hall, 5-Living Room and entry. I have a list of one task per weekday in the zone. Two lists, actually, that I change back and forth to at the beginning of each month. Most don't take more than 15-30 minutes. Like today was to clean the basement windows. I vacuum the inevitable cobwebs & clean the glass.
Procrastination is really crazy, isn't it? And yet, I do it from time to time. I'll have a job I hate to do and I'll stall. I'll do other productive things, but not THE job. It hangs over my head and yet I go on ignoring it. After spending the day unhappy over it, I'll finally do it and think, "You dingbat! That could've been done by 9am and let your brain relax!" You think I'd learn lol...
Lana, I work best with a list too, hence why I'm starting up this post once more. I loathe telling you all I'm going to do something a dozen times or more and never getting to it. But if I make it a list of things I mean to do I am more likely to get it done.
Debbie, Yes, I loved that zone method of Flylady, too. It's one of my take aways from my days with her multiple emails, lol. It worked! And it's worked well this week as well. I've already picked my zone for next week, based upon our schedules for this month. I'm looking forward to refreshing my use of this method.
We got tired of paying hundreds for glasses so two years ago ordered from goggles4U. Four pair of glasses, two for me and two for my husband (one of them sunglasses for each)came to just over $100. They had a special for free shipping, so got that, too. They were perfect. We just ordered four more pair a few weeks ago for about the same price total. The only thing you need to do is have your eye doctor put the PD (pupilary distance) on your prescription, which they usually do not do. My husband wears bifocals, so his were a bit more expensive than mine but we are both thrilled beyond measure with the styles and fit. You might want to experiment with ordering one of the cheap pairs for less than $10 and see how you like them before going whole-hog. After I saw a 60 minutes show where they went to Italy and found the place the manufactures frames for virtually all the big eye glass purveyors in the world, and then the purveyors mark them up so that identical frames can be hundreds of difference in price, I was determined to change how I bought glasses. Especially when the owner was asked how he could justify the high prices of something by just putting a name brand like Coach on the eyepiece and he said something on the order of, "If people are stupid enough to pay this much, then why shouldn't I take advantage of it?"
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