The Week Behind: Mostly Fair

Saturday:  Gave myself a mani and pedi this morning.  I've been using the Jamberry wraps once again, mostly as accent nails.  I figure I have all this stuff I may as well use it and enjoy it, right?

I have enjoyed using the Clinique products but since winter came along, my skin has not been happy with them at all.  I'm switching slowly back to Cetaphil as products run out.  I'll save a little money and I know that I'm getting a fragrance free sensitive skin product.



I ate an entrée from the freezer for my lunch.  John wasn't interested in eating a meal midday.

Have been contemplating my 'new' living room  with it's new pictures and chairs and there will definitely be adjustments made in the week ahead.

After our dinner this evening, I put away enough leftovers for another single serve 'TV dinner' and put that into the freezer.  I had plenty of leftovers for another meal as I had planned to serve this as a second dinner one night later this week.

Sunday:   I've changed my menu plan up today.  After church we stopped in at the grocery to buy juice for John to sip during the day.  He didn't mention needing this until Thursday evening, and frankly I felt he should make do with what we had on hand at home but he insisted on going into grocery to get what he wanted.  Fortunately we kept the cost down to less than $25 today for which I'm grateful but golly the budget for our groceries is practically non-existent for the remainder of this month.

I picked up a frozen entrée for my lunch.  It was real food, quite decent and heated in a mere 8 minutes in the microwave.

I also bought the polska kielbasa on sale.   I'm keeping track in a notebook of when this goes on sale.  I mean to discover the cycle so I'll know how to stock up when a sale comes around.  In the meantime, I remembered that easy crockpot meal of Au Gratin potatoes with Kielbasa and peas that we call Brenda's Casserole.  It was easy to put together, used up some russet potatoes that were rapidly getting old and needn't cook overlong so we can plan to have a meal early on this evening.

Once home today, I unloaded the dishwasher while my lunch heated in the microwave.  I washed a full load last night after supper.   After I'd eaten, I took an hour to float about the house putting things to rights.  Not much out of the way thankfully.  I did contemplate that these Sundays where I work for hours on housework are at an end.  John hasn't missed but one Sunday at church in the past three months.  There's simply not a lot of time to do hard work on a Sunday when we've been to church and stopped at the grocery on the way home.  I'm not going to plan to accomplish more than mere neatening things up in the future.  I'll just cram all my work into five days a week.

Sat down with the calendar and plotted out paydays and such and informed John that he was quite wrong.  We will not go more than a month without a pay check and we should manage quite well with that one in February.

Noted on my March calendar page that we must renew prescriptions through the doctor's office as we're out of refills.  Thankfully we have a 90 day supply of all that we require.

Used a code to purchase sheets for the guest room.  They were already a rather good buy but the code saved me 20% over that price.

Monday:  We had a decent day yesterday and then it poured last night after dark.  I woke to rain pounding the roof in the wee hours this morning.  It would clear up slightly and then look sullen and rain once again.   It appears we'll have a rainy winter this year.

I was determined today to tackle that weekly to do list.  So after working through my workbook a bit, finishing up the bills, stripping the bed and doing laundry, organizing the fridge, etc., I started the freezer inventory.  I worked all morning and afternoon on pantry and freezer inventory and finally finished up about 3pm.  I am pleased with where we are though there are a few outages.  I've mentioned I have no tomato sauce, for instance, but we have a good supply on hand.

Of course of more interest to me is the things that come to light as you are working.  Not weird stuff but just things you might have forgotten.   I think I'm going to use my inventory list to plan meals since it highlights what we're most heavily stocked upon.

I often have one thing on the menu and then end up planning another meal entirely for various reasons.  The cheese cracker crusted chicken I'd meant to make...The crackers were GONE.  I suspect they were tossed last month since they were quite stale. In organizing the fridge I found a big jar of salsa that was open.  I put chicken breasts in the crockpot and poured over some of the salsa and sprinkled them with a little chicken tomato bouillon powder...I topped with Monterey Pepper Jack cheese when it was done and boy oh boy!  This was really good.  I had yellow rice and black eyed peas I'd cooked New Year's day in the freezer and pulled those out to go with this chicken.  Not quite enough yellow rice, so I tossed the thawed rice with some thawed rice cauliflower which took on the yellow color of the rice.  I saved back some of the chicken and all the broth and will attempt a Santa Fe Chicken Soup in the near future.  In the meantime I'm adding that item to my freezer inventory sheet.

I packed John's lunch for work tomorrow.  This is the last (?) shift he'll work...or is it next to last?  Well, he's getting very close either way.

Tuesday:  I wanted very much to just stay abed this morning and John encouraged me to do so but truthfully, I could not sleep any further.  My shoulder was aching and I always feel I must see him off if he's to be gone for a full 24 hours.

I had a lovely breakfast about 8 this morning: boiled eggs, crisp buttery toast with wild blueberry jam and hot tea.

After light housework I decided that today would indeed be a day to start decluttering.  I started at the shelf at the back entry which had several things that didn't belong.  I removed them, dusted the space and then stood back to assess the impact of removing those four extra items.  None of these things were to be gotten rid of, but to be put in their proper homes.  I deteremined  to fill the bird feeder and went outdoors to hang it from a branch on the tree.   I've been watching to see if the birds have discovered it yet...

Then I cleared off the top of the little cabinet we placed in the kitchen last December.  This is John's drop zone when he comes in the door.  I gathered up all the odds and ends and those I knew had a home were carried to that place.  The things I don't know what to do with but am sure have a purpose were put into a decorative tin can.  He can sort them out as he desires but in the meantime, they look much nicer.  I'm going to look for a basket for him (sure I have some somewhere about) to use, though experience has taught me the bigger the basket I allow him the more full it will become.  John's organizing systems and mine are vastly different.

I cleared the interior of the cabinet.  I have a plethora of cookbooks, which I seldom use.  I found one that I could toss, as I had a nicer copy of the same and it is one of the rare ones that I do use often enough to warrant keeping it.  I have some that are strictly sentimental.  I'll keep those.  But I have a stack of them to go through.  I put those beside my chair where I can take my time and look through them slowly.  Some are worthy of selling.  Some will be donated.

My final clearing of the cabinet was in the plastics in the bottom.  This is a variety of containers I've saved and use to store foods in the fridge and freezer.  I sorted to see which had matching tops and bottoms and those that did not went directly into the trash.

Then I went through the three drawers at the end of the desk end of the kitchen where I keep our dishcloths and thermal cup lids and zippered bags.  Easy enough to empty, organize and wipe out before putting the stuff back .

Next I sorted the cabinets directly under the sink.  Not a hard job there either but I did manage to get rid of one item, cleaned and organized the rest.

And last I tackled my desk area.  I've straightened two or three times a week for months now but to no avail.  It soon looks a mess all over again.  I got rid of a huge stack of stuff shoved under the desk.  Most all of that was trash.  I have a small bag of things to shred.  I cleared the desktop and moved a few things to a new home.   I'd thought my nail polish stash was looking rather slim...until I found nearly a dozen bottles hiding behind things on top of the desk!  Then I clipped coupons and I must say it's looking much fresher and neater than it's looked in months.

 At that point I decided I'd tackle my pre-algebra assignment for the day.  I am especially pleased with how today's session went.  I got most of the problems correct but I had a couple that just stumped me.  I worked with those over and over and over again until I knew just where I'd gone wrong before and how to arrive at the correct answer.  That I was able to figure it out by remembering the lesson notes I made before working on the problems and taking my time to see where I continued to go wrong is what pleases me.    I'm not saying that the same types of problems won't be difficult in the future, but I can say that if I work hard enough at it and try to apply the lesson focus to the problems, I CAN get the work done properly!  This is something I seemed to have missed in my junior high and high school years.

Made myself lunch of a reheated freezer entree (Tuna Casserole) along with a big green salad.  Made note on my inventory sheet that that item had been removed.

I thought long and hard about what I might do today.  Errands must wait as John has yet to get to the bank with his check.  I had toyed with the idea of going to a movie but missed the time frame to see the matinee showing and the next showing will mean getting home after dark.  I have my cookbooks to sort through, went ahead and pulled out my February vintage magazine issues, have my home notebook to organize a bit further and a couple of posts I'd like to work on...I think I've got plenty to do to occupy myself this afternoon.

Wednesday:  Foggy but sunny morning this morning.  It was lovely later to see the clear blue skies.  It feels like it's been forever since we had a nice sunny day.

We took advantage of the clear skies to head over to the county seat.  It was time to pay the property taxes.  We've emptied three sub accounts this pay period but that's what it's there for.  Now to fill them back up again.

While out we carried off trash, stopped by the hardware store, went by the bank and post office.  

In the hardware store John remembered to get a piece of chain for my bird feeder.  I'd put it up on the tree yesterday but the lowest branch strong enough to hold it put the feeder a bit too high.  The chain makes it a better height to see from the living room window.  Now I'm just waiting on the birds to discover it.

I took the last portion of the Kale Farro soup from the freezer yesterday to thaw.  I added some of the V-8 juice to it as liquid to reheat.  This was very tasty.   Now that bottle of V-8 is almost done.  I'm so glad I've found various ways to use it up.

We'll be eating leftovers tonight.  I will add new sides to dress them up a bit.

Today I came very close to finishing up the kitchen declutter.  I found a few items that I'd just forgotten I had saved.  I figure if I've forgotten them they are good for donating.  I obviously didn't miss them over the past year and there's no need to put them back.  I did some rearranging of things in the kitchen that I hope will make it work better.

I have one more space to clear and clean and organize.  It's the broom cupboard/cleaning closet and then the kitchen will be done.

Thursday:  We slept in this morning...It's not often John will stay asleep past 6am so on those rare mornings when he does, I try to lie still if I do wake and let him continue sleeping.  Not half the hardship I make it sound, lol...Who doesn't enjoy a little lie in of a morning?

John washed a full load of clothes and as soon as they were done, I washed a full load of dishes.  I think we're doing a whole two loads of laundry per week these days and just about that of dishes at present.

My first task, right after morning tea, was to tackle that broom closet. I removed a few items, found enough space to store what I hope is a year's supply of paper towels (12 rolls) in the upper portion of the cabinet.  It took far less time than I'd thought it might take to attend to that last task.  I went on and organized and decluttered the buffet in the dining room.  Living and bedroom and our bath was done last month.  I'm down to the guest bath and guest bed/sewing room.  After that it's out to the shed and I'll have made my rounds.

We've had very warm weather...so warm that I was forced into pulling forward some more lightweight items to add to my winter capsule.  I expanded it by four tops more, all lightweight but long sleeved.  I had planned on temperatures maxing out at 60-65.  80F was not in my plans and so with the extra warm temperatures I found myself forced into wearing the same three tops over and over and over since the sweaters were just too hot.   I'm not entirely sorry about this.  One top was a thrift store purchase and I find it a little too short for my comfort.  I'm thinking that is going to go back to donations.  It's really a nice top but I just prefer something a little longer.

Off to the grocery store this afternoon and I must say that my total for the month of January is shocking to say the least...and that's not including all those extra cleaning and paper supplies.  Sheesh.   We seem to have hit a set point of spending at Aldi and that's sending up a cautionary flag for me.   Well never mind.  February is going to be a challenge month for me and I won't be hitting a set point...and come March, we must stick to a hard budget.

John and I wanted supper and I wasn't necessarily wanting my own cooking.  I compromised and got some Asian chicken, egg rolls and stir fry vegetables from Aldi.  This was delicious.  And it was far cheaper than the last Chinese take out we had.  Cooking was minimal, so I was happy.

Friday:  John planned our dinner for tonight out yesterday.  His intention was to have Katie and Chad over to eat, but he failed to count on the creature of habit that Katie is.  She's accustomed to coming here midday to eat, not in the evening...so I was caught when she pulled in shortly after noon today.   I sent home food with her to cook herself and we'll have ours later this evening as planned.  For one reason and another we couldn't pull it off at noon, hence the invite for early evening.   No harm done...Grampa got lots of smiles and chirrups from that chubby little boy baby and Gramma even received one or two smiles,  as well.

I'm happy to say that my decluttered items have found a new home.  I think Katie took home all of them except the egg cartons I'd saved for Bess which weren't needed.  I'm not sad to see a bit of it go.  I'm glad they will be useful to Katie.

I mopped bathrooms and front entry this morning, washed the kitchen rugs and hung them to dry.  I cleaned the new armchairs yesterday afternoon with Resolve Carpet and Upholstery cleaner and the few spots on them came up like a charm.   I come into this Shabat evening feeling my home is better organized, a good deal cleaner than it was.

Katie trimmed my neck hair and about my ears.  My haircut is barely ten days old but was already showing signs of being shaggy.  She cut John's hair, also.  We pay her for her time and skill as we appreciate not having to go to Warner Robins to get trims.  John's hair cut is one that requires attention every three weeks so the savings to us is greater than you might think when you consider the cost of gasoline, two hours or so of time, etc.

Brandy mentioned something on Facebooks (Prudent Homemaker) this week that I'd never once thought of.  I've often bought egg noodles for specific dishes but generally must make a special trip to get them.   I almost always have pasta on hand.  She said she'd been buying Fettucini noodles when she could get a good deal on pasta and used those instead of egg noodles. I think that is downright clever and let's face it, a pound of egg noodles is going to run around $1.50 to $2, but like Brandy I can often buy pasta at about 49c a pound.  HUGE savings there.  I'm going to put in a small supply of Fettucini for future needs.

That's our savings for this week...What did you do to save?  Share in the comments!