The Homemaker Plans Her Week: Start Where You Are

 

I was nosing around plants this past week and was surprised and delighted to find that my forsythia was blooming.  When I went out to the shed I found the grapevine wreath I've used for years now for Spring on my door.  I'd woven some faux forsythia in the vines.

This is an old photo but the front door is still that same color.  I think I'd really like to change the color to navy blue.  I've gotten tired of the red.  

Last week was not stellar as far as getting work done.  This week I hope to be far more productive. Not all of it is due to my having children underfoot.  A lot has to do with my own personal habit of thinking I should rest all afternoon long  Here's where I have to make up my mind to get up and get busy each day or plan to work all afternoon long!

Work:  

Zone 1: Front Porch, Entrance, Dining Room, and Living Room.  I am including the living room because my front entry, dining, and living room are all one big room.  I'll be following Fly Lady's list and we'll see how it goes.  

Weekly Home Blessing times 2 (Sunday and Friday).  

Pull meats from the freezer and put them in the fridge to thaw.  That way I can stick to my menu and not use excuses to avoid making meals that are more labor-intensive than I feel I want to bother with at the end of a day.

I know that this schedule with the Fly Lady sounds intense at the moment, but there are other jobs meant to be done weekly (Monday is mopping the kitchen) as well as daily routines, etc.  It sounds like a lot of work and yet I assure you it is not.  It averages out to about 2 hours daily to do the routines and that's taking my time.  If I have a full morning to devote to the tasks then I should be able to accomplish all the tasks with time to spare.

Get some information for the lady researching the cemetery.

At least change the bedding in the guest room.  And do something in the guest bath.

Have Millie over one morning.  This would be a good day to plan to work on the front porch.

Finish that project in the bathroom that I had started and then get the mess I left on the back porch cleared up.

Pot up the bit of forsythia I accidentally rooted.  And mark the daffodils that popped up in the area where I thought I'd gotten them all up.  They are a little too deep in that area so don't bloom, but why waste bulbs?  Come fall I can dig them up and replant.

Kitchen:  

I really need to go to the grocery store and do more than a running walk-through as I did on Sunday.    I'm out of or low on canned tomatoes, sugar, flour, applesauce...You know, all the sort of stuff that one typically uses when cooking from scratch.   On the other hand, I have many items in my pantry that are expired or near expiration. I know that most of those items are good beyond their 'best by' date. I'm anxious to use them because these items are already well beyond their expiration date.  I'd like to use them before I lose them.  This means I am going to have to be very creative.

In the fridge, there are oranges and mandarins that I need to use up.  And half a head of red cabbage.

I've begun to feel meals are heavy.  Part of this feeling has to do with sensing the change of seasons, I'm sure.  Trying to find that balance between hearty cold-weather meals and lighter warm-weather meals is where the struggle gets difficult.  I'm going to try to add in more salads.  This won't be a problem.  I picked up more lettuce on Sunday and now have six heads in the fridge.  By all means, let's use the lettuce!

Meals listed this week are for the week ahead, starting with Monday.  Over the weekend, I bought and made foods that we consider a treat meal and we had leftovers which we ate on Sunday.

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Alfredo sauce, Pasta, Green Salad. I have spinach in the fridge that I need to use.  

Mock Chop Suey, Oriental Green Beans, Fruit Salad

Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Collard Greens, Carrot and Raisin Salad, Corn Bread.

Oven Fried Chicken, Sweet Potato Casserole, Black Eye Peas

Chef's Salad, Tomato Soup, Toast.  I have 19 cans of tomato soup...I obviously was not paying attention when I was stocking this.  My plan is that we'll eat tomato soup in some form or another about every other week.

Personal/Leisure:

I have found myself with an increasing anxiety of late. I can lay it right at the feet of listening to far too much of the news lately.  John's always been a sort of news hound and he has cut back considerably but I've spent too much time sitting alongside him listening to what he's listening to instead of distracting myself with a book or music.  I also notice I start to get tense when I've been too much on the computer as well, even if it's seemingly innocent sites related to homemaking or saving money.  

I know it's getting to be pollen season, but it would no doubt be worthwhile to get outdoors for a few moments every day as well.

And journaling.  I pick it up and then let it go.  Yet, I know it to be beneficial to me.

My self-care last week never happened, either.  This week I'd like to attend to that.  

Get my wardrobe set up for the first part of March.

On the other hand, on Saturday I did get out alone for a bit less than an hour.  I went into the thrift store in town and then to the grocery. I was disappointed in the outing only because there was absolutely nothing of interest in the flea market.  I'd liked to have come away at least inspired if not with actual treasure.