April Goals: Production Line

 

I've just gone back to review the March goals and the number of things I didn't get done...Well, it's that sort of season of life.  I stayed busy enough.  I did things.  They just didn't happen to all be on the list of things I meant to do.

What did I do?  Some of these things were on the list and some weren't.  I more or less got the porches cleaned off, (less okay, it was less, but I did do something).  I weeded four flower beds.  I bought one new plant, a lovely hibiscus that has four plants in the pot.  I took Caleb to the playground at the fast-food place four times.  Go me!  I moved some items from the closet into the house drawer.  I made apple jelly, apple sauce and six quarts of chicken broth, bread, breadcrumbs, banana nut bread, meals most days.  I had four dates with John that we are now deeming 'Sanity Saver Saturdays' and they are truly saving our sanity.  We had a long discussion with Katie one night and after going over facts and figures we are all agreed she will be here through at least the end of this year.  I bought Christmas gifts for three people, I started a restock of the pantry that is going along slowly as I find deals and bargains, I learned to make better use of my grocery list and my online apps for savings.  I cleaned some of the excess items from John's music room so that he has less clutter to look at while he's practicing/playing.  I've done a world of thinking about so many things and really need to be making notes, but I haven't.

So, I was busy all month long but this month I want to be more purposeful and less random and at the same time be more productive.  

Here's what I hope to do in April:

Make the guest room more livable for Katie and Caleb.  I can move out my craft bins and I want to sort through the boxes of books (See decluttering below). I'd said I'd pack up the quilts on top of the chifforobe but kept forgetting to order the vacuum seal clothing bags.  I found one that Katie had apparently emptied her things out of, and I can repurpose that for quilts.  I'll encourage Katie again to get the dresser from her storage place to use in that room and double as a bedside table for her.  

Call the contractor.  This task will actually be on John.  We've been to price the items we need: flooring and vanities for baths, a new shower for the master bath (we had to look online for that) and the cabinetry, sink, and countertop material I want for the kitchen.  We know what the big things will cost us.  We didn't calculate faucets and grout and stuff like that.  Now we need to know what the contractor's work will cost us and what his schedule is like.  First things first, we need an appointment for the estimate.

Have a small family gathering for Easter:  This is in the planning process as I type (April 1).  I'm not going to plan the big family gathering just yet.  Every time I do, John or I feel terribly overwhelmed.  I want to invite the family across the field for a noontime gathering here on Easter Sunday.  We plan to attend the earliest service at 8am.  I figure I can keep the food simple.  Katie and Sam like to do an Egg hunt. Is it meant to be raining? Again, I want to keep whatever I do simple.  We are all at a stage where the less fuss the better as far as grown-ups are concerned.

Clean the soil from the flower pots, clean the pots, paint the pots to improve appearances and replant.  That is a LOT of work right there, but I'll do one pot at a time until I have them all fresh and pretty.  It might take more than a month to accomplish it all.

Plant herbs, tomatoes, etc.  I want very much to grow some sort of food items this year.  I've only had one or two small successful pot gardens but doggone I'm going to keep trying!  Those successes have made me determine that this shall be my next skill set.  I've seen some absolutely lovely plant starts at Tractor Supply and I'd like to return and pick up a few.

Produce something in my home every week this month to put into the pantry or freezer...but mostly the pantry.  I know I have several bags of cranberries in the freezer just now.  I can work with those.  I also have some more fruit that can be turned into jelly, jam or pie filling.  I've got a few apple cores that can be turned into apple cider vinegar. I'd love to have some homemade enchilada sauce on the pantry shelves.  It's so much better than what comes in a can!   That's the sort of things I mean to do.  

And if I take something from my kitchen to plant (potatoes with big eyes for instance), root ends of green onions or romaine, then I'll consider that too as being productive.

Continue to declutter.  I filled another bag with items to be donated.  It is in the car trunk waiting to go to the donation center.  I would like to fill another bag or two or even go one better and donate two boxes of books (that means opening boxes and sorting through them) for the Women's Club annual book sale during the Strawberry Festival this month.  I've just removed several items from John's music room so some will go to be donated, some will go in the shed and the rest will be trash.  These were MY things by the way, which John had kindly allowed to be stored in his music room.  I never ever declutter his stuff unless he specifically tells me he's ready to let it go and then I triple check to be sure he means it!

Continue to add to the pantry via sales.  This month I have instant potatoes, cereal (definitely short-term storage there but just as needed especially with warm weather ahead), mushroom soup, lemon pepper, celery seed, and another item already ordered to go into the pantry.  I'll be watching sales hard.

Be Budget Wise.  I was over grocery budget this past month and it wasn't me being frivolous or spendy.  Feeding four is just different than feeding two even if one of the four typically only eats one meal at home.  A 3-year-old can put away as much food as any adult.  They just eat smaller increments over snacks and meals.  I may have to increase my grocery budget just a bit more, but we'll see how it goes this month.

I also need to add our Sanity Saver Saturday to the budget this month.  We really need these days out for just the two of us.

Weekend Getaway with John.  John really wants to go to the beach.  I really don't, not for a long drive down, one night and turn around to go home!  Every idea I've broached with him thus far is non-committal.  He agrees we should go away but he doesn't want to compromise. I'm praying about this.  It's not a money thing it's a "We have a very limited amount of time" thing.   I continue to look at things I think will appeal when I remember to take the time to do so.  

Rest.  I rarely nap, this is very true, but here of late I've been working at writing during the quiet rest time of the day.  Well usually I'm quite tired by then and shortly after quiet time is over, I am miserably tired.  I get whiny.  And snippy.  I'm going to allot half an hour to my lying down on the bed and see if I can't alleviate these little afternoon tempers of mine.

Read.  I have a book of poems by the bed and make it a point to read every night before we lie down.  I've quite a few new to me books on the shelves that I want to read.  I keep thinking of books I'd like to re-read.  I call that visiting with old friends.  I have sequels to books I read last year and finally managed to get the complete set to finish reading.