In my home this week, I plan to be at least as busy as I was last week. It's the season! Seriously, it truly is the season for getting things done, especially outdoors. You see, it's hot just now but not that deadly heavy heat of deep summer, when I know I am going to be outdoors only just long enough to water plants or for an early morning ramble to pick flowers and then retreat, panting and glistening to the porch, and then into the air-conditioned house and stay there.
Right now, the work season is here for planting, for painting, for puttering about making pretty spots in the yard. I'm doing my best to get outdoors at some point nearly every single day and DO things. When I do get discouraged or feel as though I'm spinning my wheels, I remember two things I've heard on two different vlogs. From Paige at Farmhouse Vernacular "Thirty minutes of ... every day." In my case just now it's 30 minutes of yard. From Kimmy at She's in Her Apron, "POP! Progress over Perfection!" So what if it isn't Pinterest Picture ready? You have to begin a project before you can get it finished and any progress is progress. And when all other motivation fails, Rhonda's motto reminds me "If you do stuff, stuff gets done." How's that for a pep talk?
Work:
This week I focus my energy on Zone 2 Living room, Dining room, Front Entry. It's time to pack away the afghan which means they must be washed before I store them. And it's time to do something about summer pillow covers. I need to determine what exactly we'll use to recover the two ottomans, a task I've put off longer than I meant to do. I should also order navy hand towels to use as armchair covers for the new chairs. Oh yes, this week will be about Living Room decor, on a budget of course!
I don't have a particular task I want to focus on in this area, except to clean the ceiling fans. I'll just do the regular dusting, vacuuming, tidying, etc. I'd normally do but giving that little extra bit of cleaning that makes a monthly cleaning so beneficial over the daily/weekly type of cleaning.
It's pay week. I'll need to go over the checkbook and bring balances up to date, make out a grocery list for Aldi, and do our banking. That will take up one morning.
Go grocery shopping.
I'd like to take the boys ack to the library but I'm going to check the activities list I was given. It seems Friday afternoons might be the better time to go for our local libraries.
Clean the front porch railings and sidings, at least get that job started. I can do the little bites method with this one if need be.
Pot up the coleus that has rooted and take more clippings to root. I'm going to need to re-pot that basket into a larger planter and give the coleus more room to grow since there are four very healthy and large plants in it. I want to plant in an old wheelbarrow that Bess gave me and I think some of the coleus will be a nice accent plant in that.
Push myself to get out and work on the last two mulched beds that need work. Then I can focus on starting a new bed.
Bully/Beg/Push John to go back to the town house to get a bit more work done. Our limit seems to be about 2 hours of work there which is a nice morning's work really. I'll bring home some of the landscape blocks and more brick. Even if he doesn't find time to go, I'll run over one morning to spread some mulch and get in my two hours of time.
Because it's pay week, I'll go to the garden center and see what pretty things I can bring home to plant in my yard... I do love this season of the year! I want pretty annuals for which I've planted seeds, but I'm going to try to get one or two perennials if they are reasonable.
Kitchen:
I can tell that I really must take time to get a few 'sweet' treats made and tucked away. Cookie dough and a frozen pie or two could go into the freezer and would make John happy and a lot less tempted to sneak a candy bar or four into the shopping cart.
While I'm in the kitchen prepping supper I'd like to get another entree or two into the freezer. I'll see if I can double a meal or make something from a leftover.
We were at Publix last week and I noted that the whole chickens are still just $1.01/pound. I know how to cut up chicken and instead of continuing to look for a sale on already cut breast or thighs, I'm going to just start buying those whole chickens and cut them into parts at home. I'm sure there are other means I can use to cut back on groceries as well, but this is one step I know will be a savings, especially when bone in chicken breasts are nearly $3 per pound.
Meals:
These are not in order of how I'll serve them this week, but just as I thought of each.
Pizza
Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Asparagus
Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Corn Pudding. The meatloaf would be a good thing to double for the freezer, as would the corn pudding.
Sloppy Joes, Corn on the Cob, Slaw Always good to have sloppy joe mix on hand in the freezer, too. I may just cook up a couple of pounds of ground meat and make taco meat as well. Another easy entree to have on hand.
Almond Chicken, Rice, Egg Rolls, Ambrosia
Chicken Curry, Rice, Tomato and Cucumber Salad, Naan
Tuna Salad Plates, Baked Potato, Muffins
Personal/Leisure:
I picked up two books at the library and I think I should make sure I've read them if I'm going to be an example to the boys, lol. Not that it's a hardship to read these days. I'm back in full swing, finding I want to spend less and less time on the internet, especially in the evenings.
I received new makeup this past week, a foundation powder and a brow pencil. I'd like to spend some time playing about with some of the techniques I've seen on You Tube. I'm never going to put fourteen eyeshadow colors on my eyes, but I could be a little more adventurous.
I love puttering in my yard but it's very hard on my hands. Serious hand care is required this week!
I can be a little too focused on work. I want to take time to sit on the porch and just ENJOY the yard, the hummingbird that is coming to the feeder, the flowers.
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7 comments:
Hello friend, I’ve been getting lots done like cleaning our garage, a good clear out in Jeff’s shop and lots of yard work.
I’ve been doing lots of housecleaning too but with 7 people here, that almost feels like snow shoveling during a blizzard.
Hugs to you, I think of you often. Hope you get everything done this coming week that you’d like to
I'm like Rhonda- I feel like I'm shoveling during a snow blizzard also! But that's part of my job so I'm keeping at it. Hubby works from home now and 2 of the four children are here for the summer so it seems it is a never-ending cycle of clean, wash, dirty up, clean, wash, dirty up- I guess it is really. But so thankful to be able to be home to be able to do these things. After my Sunday afternoon nap today I'll make up my list for the week. So far I have been diligent about getting out and working in the garden early in the morning before the heat and the bugs get unbearable. I hope I can keep it up. Went to the store yesterday for milk, lettuce, and tomatoes (ours aren't ready yet) and hope to make our meals from what we have here. I have several house projects I want to accomplish on top of the normal maintenance. Hope you have a wonderful week Teri!
Rhonda's tag line is one I tell myself often, and now I think about your 30 minutes each day, and that's inspiring as well. So many projects, I get overwhelmed and end up not doing any of them. This week I'm listing them, then will work on each during the week. Some will be daily, some will be for an hour one day. At some point I'll be able to see progress. Lol.
Terri,
I am enjoying your blog so much this summer and love your ideas for saving money on groceries. I looked up some of your suggestions for other blogs and found them helpful and a reminder of ways to save money…I am soaking a label off of a container as I write this! I am so glad you are taking the grands to the library…brings back such sweet memories of my little girls 30 years ago. I am going to try and do thirty minutes a day on those tasks that I want to get done…I am working on both my printed photographs and digital ones. This is a big task but progress is better than perfection. Regarding how gardening takes a toll on your hands, I keep a box of nitrile gloves from the pharmacy and always put them on under my gardening gloves. Keep the gloves near each other and I rarely do any yard work without them. This has helped my hands so much and I also use them in the kitchen or when cleaning. They are pricey but a box lasts at least 2 or 3 months. If I have just used them in general cleaning, I wash them well with hand soap, let them dry and then use them in the garden. Please know I read every post and appreciate all the effort you put into each one. Have a great week. Robin
Rhonda, I recall that feeling oh so very well!
And so far the week isn't going per plan at all, lol. But what else is new?
Mama Hen, I didn't realize you had a similar situation going on at your house.
Tammy, it's fun that we've so influenced one another all these years isn't it?
The only place we're having a hard time seeing progress is at the town house. There's so much neglected yard work that must be attended to over there.
Robin, I need to buy some more gloves and gardening gloves as well. I bought a pair last year that didn't last through one job. I have leather gloves that are great for heavy lifting but not great for finer work like planting. I'll keep those gloves in mind and see about getting some.
And thank you so much for your comments on the blog. I'm so happy you're getting something from my sharing.
Love the Bon Ami ad! I still use Bon Ami, my mom used it and she also used Old Dutch cleanser.
Thirty minutes at a pop, I can do that! Too many times I think that a task will take a lot more time and effort that it actually does. Your posts and comments from your lovely readers are encouraging.
Donna, Until I started reading vintage magazines I knew nothing of either of those cleansing powders. Mama and Granny used Comet and Grandmother preferred Ajax so I thought that was all there was in the world, lol.
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