The Homemaker Plans Her Week: The Great Outdoors

 

In my home this week, I'm going into the great outdoors. No.  I'm not camping or hiking.  I'm going to work outdoors as much as I can this week.  Just in time for what I'm told will be triple digit temperatures but the weather app on my phone says no such thing.   That app actually says the temperatures will be slightly cool, just barely warm.  I'm so hoping that app is right!  

I lay awake mid-week last week, one of those nights when I couldn't sleep, and planned and planned all sorts of yard work and porch work and plant work and was just itching to get outdoors.  I'd meant to do as I'd done the morning before, rise early and go right outdoors to get started.  Instead I was awakened by a call saying I had to pick Caleb up from nursery.  

So during his nap time I settled down with my notebook and wrote out a long list of things I mean to do this week.  Let's get started!

Work:  

Zone 4 Porches and Patio.  This week I plan to focus solely upon the front porch.  I'm not going to scatter my efforts all over creation as I am wont to do at times.  Front porch.  Period.

I have four chairs and a little metal table that could use fresh paint.  I have a new floor mat.  The railings have green algae from wet winter weather that must be cleaned off.  The old gate I use as a backdrop to the old ironing board is looking a bit sad.  I want to do something fresh there.  Do I have a clue what?  Nope.  Nor any idea what I've got that I'll be working with, but I just know if I look hard I'll find a variety of things I can use.   I'm going to move plants outdoors,  get them all rearranged, and the pots prettied up.    

John purchased my anniversary gift last week.  I'm putting the tile topped table I've been using as a desk on the back porch because it will be super handy for grilling. I'm moving the little cafe table and folding chairs around to the front porch for the summer.  We never use that table on the back porch, but it will offer two extra seats on the front porch so that means I can remove two of the chairs I've got there now and put them back with my patio table, a piece I'm still debating I might let go of.

Is that enough outdoor work?  Perhaps so, but I'm probably going to work on repotting a few things, adding soil to the herb garden, add compost to the shed flower bed and get that soil broken up so I can plant seeds.

At least that is the plan...

Will I do housework this week?  Most assuredly!  I'll not be outdoors all day long.  I'm planning on going gangbusters for two hours or so and then I'll head indoors to cool off and do the housework.  I'm sure come afternoon I'll be more than happy to settle to do blog work.  

None of this is likely to get done the first three days of the new week however.  Sunday we're having a family dinner here to celebrate an early birthday for Taylor.  Monday I'm baby sitting for a few hours in the morning, as well as keeping Caleb for the night.  Katie has to attend a work seminar and I will be taking him to and picking him up from nursery on Tuesday.  

Kitchen:

  

Make bread.  I didn't bake bread this past week because I had a whole loaf of white mountain bread in the freezer that I felt I needed to pull out and use.  I know we'll want some fresh bread this week, so I'll make a loaf early on.  I'll make a second loaf towards the end of the week for Shabat.

I want to pull out that vintage Brownie Mix recipe and make up a jar of Brownie mix to keep in the pantry.  Also make up some taco seasoning...though I'll confess after we ate tacos so much last week, I might be tempted to postpone making up that mix, lol.  I thought I'd try to make up a couple of batches of cookie dough and pop in the freezer as well.

Since I've planned heavily for the porch work this week I'll leave off planning too much more.  It will be enough to keep up with the housework.

Meals:  

Last week I did a plan free week and it worked out okay.  We had fewer leftovers and didn't use any of the freezer meals I'd thought we might.  Do I want to do a plan-free week all of the time?  Not really.  I prefer the weeks where I plan but it was a change and sometimes it's refreshing to do something different.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole, Green Beans, Sliced Tomatoes 

Taylor's birthday party:  Hot dogs with all the fixings, Chips, Cupcakes, Ice Cream, Pink Lemonade, Sodas   This is a slight change of my original plan. It's easier than having something only some  of the children will want to eat.  I do not expect to have any leftovers so I won't plan for them.

Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Salad

Chicken, Broccoli, Sour Cream and Chive Potatoes

???It's our anniversary.  We've had a busy week and a half by this point.  Do we want to get Chinese take out, or buy steaks???I'm leaving this day's menu up in the air and we'll plan according to what we want to do that day.

Hamburgers, BBQ Baked Beans, Chips (Oven Fries if I buy potatoes at the store)

Vegetable Soup, Cornbread 

Personal/Leisure:

Look for a Vitamin C serum.  I've read that it will help fade dark spots. I want to see if I can find an affordable one.

After looking over my wardrobe, I've decided I could use two or possibly three new tops.  I'm going to see if I can find anything online at my favorite store, Cato.

It's been really humid but the mornings are nice.  I want to start taking my first coffee on the porch each morning.  I'll take my devotional readings out with me.