This Week In My Home: Working Ahead

I had a bit of a revelation today.

I want time to read and to write, time to work on genealogy and time to tackle projects and to do the little bits of deep cleaning that will prevent the necessity of a big seasonal clean.  I want to spend our money on those things that I've truly determined we need for our home comfort or on wardrobe pieces that will work doubly hard, not impulsively tossed away on things for which I haven't planned  and which prove to be mistakes.  I've been caught in a cycle of waste.  Waste of time and waste of money.


Well, no more! 

It all started with a very long session of Pinterest.  I kept looking at all these make ahead breakfasts and quick prep lunch ideas and I couldn't for the life of me understand why I kept looking.  It's not as though I must rush out of the door each morning or have a packed lunch daily.   As I asked myself the question in my journal, the answer came.   I realized that I wanted to get off this endless train I'd been on.   I've sort of fallen into the habit of making a big breakfast every single morning.  I don't need to make a big breakfast.  I really meant to only do so on the mornings John came in from work after working all night and somehow I've been drawn into making a big first meal all but one day of the week.  And while lunch wasn't my focus, it was supper I had on my mind.  I've no idea at the end of most days what on earth we will eat for supper, nor what we might have on hand that would do.

As I've been purging my closet slowly and seeing fewer and fewer clothes I kept thinking, "I have nothing to wear!"  I do.  I realized I hadn't put together outfits ahead of time in months.  I have dithered about what to wear  and what to accessorize with and walked out of the house dissatisfied with how I looked.  Having outfits already set up and ready to go means I am dressed in a matter of a minute or two compared to the endless tossing of pieces as I determine they don't work...and that's making me late to leave and that creates stress.

I stood in Target the other morning, with no clue what I meant to buy in the line of cleaning supplies.  I had only a vague idea of what I had on hand.  It's true I didn't know prices, and couldn't until I was in the store, but I sure could have known where we needed to stock up and what we had enough of.  I'll be going back this week to work this buy $50 get $15 gift card all over again, by the way.  And this time around I do know what we could use (toilet paper, paper towel, waxed paper, Comet, Mr. Clean, scrubbers, stainless steel pads...) and where our money will best be spent.

Just taking the time at the beginning of each week to plan shopping, wardrobe, breakfasts and suppers as well as the main meals and the prep work I mean to do each week will hopefully stand me in good stead and allow me more free time for those other things I want to do.  That is the idea.  Now to make it routine practice.

Work:

 I thought I'd done only a little of what was on my list last week but I did more than I'd thought.  The week was such a mixture I didn't even realize how much I'd actually managed to do.  I guess I need to add that I should remind myself of what I've done at the end of each week.

I will make the time to prep ahead for our meals this week.  This week shall be easier since we've so many leftovers of main dishes we can use up.  I'll just need to make up salad mix and plan a few side dishes.

I didn't work on the slipcover last week and it really is something I want to do.  It just doesn't look as neat as it could.

Finish picking up the sticks and limbs I trimmed weeks ago while it's dry enough to get them up.

Carry the stuff I'm decluttering out to the shed.  The items meant to be donated will be packed in the car so I can take them to the thrift store when I'm in the area.

A day out with Mama.  I don't kid myself that this will be easy.  I know  she will need to buy groceries and that's hard on us both.     I have need of only two grocery items to complete a meal this week so I shall do my best to restrain myself from any impulse purchases.

I always start the week with a meal plan and most weeks I am able to implement it.  This past week we were out of the house three days.  Two of those were not planned (by me, lol).  At the end of each week I take time to plan the upcoming weekend, which happens before these posts go out.  So any prep work I can do towards the weekend meals will be done at end of this week, barring leftovers we might not be able to use due to unplanned outings.

Target has the cleaning sale on again this week.  I mean to go buy another $50 worth of supplies and get a second gift card.  I have a short shopping list for another item or three that I need and haven't been able to get elsewhere despite looking.

Zone:  Kitchen.  The cabinets are looking dingy outside and I suspect inside as well.  There's more decluttering to do in that room though I did remove four fairly large appliances.  The floor must be mopped while it's dry enough to let it dry in a timely manner.

Meals:

Breakfasts:  
Breakfast casserole, fruit salad
Cereal with Toast (My cereal has protein in it and I will add chia and flax seed to it to increase the protein still further)
Bagel for John, a half bagel for me with a boiled egg
Sausage and egg muffin cups, Potato Pancakes (using leftover mashed potatoes)
breakfast burritos, sliced apple
oatmeal x2

Corned Beef, Cabbage, Mashed Potatoes
Lasagna, Salad
out with Mama
Reuben Sliders, Chips, Pickles
Leftover lasagna, Three Bean Salad
on my own
Corned Beef Hash, Green Beans

Nachos with leftover taco meat
Turkey Sandwiches
Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie with slice of toast (just me at home)
Turkey and Apple Salad with Crackers
Leftover Breakfast Casserole, Oranges
Single Serve Tortilla Pizza (just me at home)
Quesadillas, Fruit Salad

Scanning the list, I see that I shall need to make the sausage egg muffins and breakfast burritos ahead.  I will freeze extras of both of these for future breakfasts.  I'll wash and cut salad stuff. I can dice potatoes and put in water until we decide to have our corned beef cash.  I have a smoothie kit in the freezer.  I just need to add chia seed, milk and yogurt to blend.  I'll  slice up oranges and apples (dipped in lemon water) for the week ahead.  I think I can go on and fill the tortilla with cheese and slip those into a plastic zippered bag for the week, as well.  As I said this will be an easy week to prep for and I appreciate that as I am still thinking of things we'd like to eat.

Later note:  I stopped long enough here to get busy with this prep ahead business.  One hour later I have a pile of clean dishes that I've just washed up.  Four baked potatoes which will become twice baked potatoes and will go into the freezer, 8 pre-formed quesadillas and 10 breakfast burritos are in the freezer, six of the sausage and egg muffin cups (might be nice to have cinnamon rolls with some of these one morning) and  diced potatoes and onion for my corned beef hash.  I cut 6 oranges into eighths and washed two heads of romaine lettuce for salads this week.  I decided against cutting into salad because should we not be timely the cut edges tend to rust.  I also decided against cutting the apples.  Those can wait until we eat.  I'll only cut those should I plan to carry one with peanut butter for a snack.  I feel I've made a good start on cutting down on breakfast work and will make pancakes and French toast later this week for the freezer just to expand upon my inventory.

Leisure:

One thing I did this week that was beneficial and no kidding...On those early rising mornings with John when I'd had too little sleep, I went right on back to bed and slept a bit longer after he left.  Let me tell you that is most definitely to my good.  Both times I got twice as much done in half the time because my head was not fuzzy with lack of sleep and I lasted longer both days.

I didn't read at all after last Sunday.  And why not?  Because I put away certain things when the boys are coming over, including books which Isaac loves but is at the stage of loving to rip apart.  So I hid The Scent of Water and looked for it in spare moments all week long...I recalled last night at midnight that I'd slipped it in the back of the basket of magazines and puzzle books I keep at chairside.  Sigh.  I'm going to get to be reading this week.  I'll have to pick up my pace a bit to make that 52 books in 52 weeks goal I set.

I did spend some time with my genealogy on Saturday.  This week that involved getting notebooks set up properly with page dividers for each family name.  I need to start a new notebook with Daddy's side of the family which I've just begun working on this past year.  I also have small notebooks with some of John's family information and one for Amie and Sam for their dad's side of the family.  I am excited to get back at this task!

The weather is meant to be very nice all week long so I want to plan to spend some time outdoors, not working outdoors just sitting and enjoying.  I mentioned to John that I've noticed three different birds flying up to the front porch to snack on the bits the cat leaves behind.  I'm going to see about getting a bird feeder or two this week.  I'll try to remember to buy that while I'm out.