The Homemaker Plans Her Week: Hot Summer Ahead

 

In my home this week, the heat is ramping up to summertime highs just in time for summer.  Forecasts and most weather apps stated the temperatures were in the lower portion of the 90's all last week.  I'm not saying they were lying but my thermometers here at the house and on my car, all were giving me readings of 100f.  This week the weather is being forecast for triple digit temperatures, so I'm expecting it will be a smidge higher than what they're saying.  That smidge is what's going to have me looking for the coolest way to do everything from cooking to cleaning and it's going to dictate how I plan my week.   

Work:

I felt very disheartened last week until I went through my list of goals for the week and realized that I'd touched on every single one of them except those tasks in the kitchen I keep saying I'm going to do...Not too shabby!  I'm pleased to see that at least I'm conscious of my goals even if I'm not sitting down each day actively reading them.

This week is Zone 4, porches and patios.  I'll focus on all three at some point this week, but only in the earliest parts of the day.  There's furniture to be painted and there's plenty of cleaning to be done and now that I have an idea of what I want my patio to be, there's that to work towards, too.  Since there is a readily available water source, I'm going to make that spot my kitchen garden area, all big pots or garden bags of vegetables and flowers.  Of course, I do realize that in this heat it's unlikely anything I plant will do well just now but I can ready it for fall planting.  I have a vision...which means that it will be pretty in a rustic country sort of way and functional and a pleasant place to be when I'm done.  

I know we're probably going to go over to the town house to mow the back yard.  I will try to load up some landscape blocks this time and weed that last section of flower bed.  Fingers crossed I can actually drag myself off to get mulch for that house.  I only need about six bags to finish up the current section and two more would polish off another nice sized spot.  I can almost see the end of this project and then we'll be down to just maintenance which is work enough.

While I'm purchasing mulch, I hope to get some six packs of annuals, one or two perennials to plant in planters here at the house.  

General housework.

And since I've said I won't work outdoors beyond the very earliest hours of the day, lots of quiet work indoors can be done especially on these very hot afternoons.  Lists to make of things I want to get done or see need to be purchased (like heavy duty black out curtains for the living room...)  Writing.  I'm also beginning to feel the need of polishing up on my frugal mindsets by doing a little 'bootcamp'.  I want to study some of my old homemaking books, past blog posts and pinpoint money saving ways I've let slide.  Some of those might well be worth reincorporating, in light of the prices we're seeing at present.  Oh, there's plenty of work that can be done and none of it need cause me to glisten with perspiration.  

Kitchen:

Shall I just repeat myself?  Cookie dough, brownie mix, a frozen pie or two...

Sit down and work out a cooler menu that requires less heat in the kitchen and lighter recipes than those we've been eating.  I'm finding this difficult because right now, what's cheapest are roasts especially chuck and shoulder roasts and whole chickens.  I use my toaster oven and crockpot a LOT in summer months, and again, those recipes that do best in the slow cooker tend to be heavier, slow simmering ones.  So yes, I'm going to look for summer fare that is a little lighter.  

Meals:  

Some of the meals here may look like those from last week.  There's good reason.  I didn't have some of these grocery items until later last week rather than early in the week as I'd planned.

Kielbasa, Cabbage, Potato

Gramma's Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Mac n Cheese, Sliced Tomatoes

Tomato Soup, Chicken Tortellini Salad

Shish Kebab of Beef and Vegetables, Rice

Taco Salad, Chocolate Pudding

Twice Baked Potato, Steamed Broccoli, Fruit Gelatin

Burgers, Fixings, Corn on the Cob, Chilled Fruit

Personal/Leisure:

Read.

Work on my new journal.

Continue with the new skincare routine I've put in place.  It's working very well.  I'm washing my face each morning, then using a Hyaluronic serum, followed by moisturizer.   In the evening, I remove makeup and wash my face, then use a Vitamin C serum followed by moisturizer.  I don't have wrinkles, but I do have dark spots that are considerably lightened, and my skin feels wonderful.  I'll work up a post with products I've found and am enjoying using. 

For my arms and legs, I'm patting barely dry after my shower, then I use one pump of the Phytoplex moisturizing lotion with 2 or 3 drops of coconut oil mixed in and rub that into the skin on my arms and legs.  My skin is a lot less dry and crepe-y.  

Make out a list of items I need for summer, like a white tank top, and perhaps a couple of pretty tops that are lightweight and summery looking that have some sort of sleeve, rather than being sleeveless, and a straw bag, etc.

Buy some flowering plants, perennials or annuals doesn't matter.  I love flowers and I'm ready to add to what I have now that I know where I could use some pops of color.