like pretty much everyone else, i've been trying to get more organized in this new year. i'm working on a cooking and cleaning schedule. lack of sleep has left me without the desire to make new, interesting meals, especially dinner. so i've picked a handful of family favorites and have assigned a day to each meal. for example, sunday night i roast a chicken, then monday i make a ramen noodle soup with veggies and the leftover chicken. tues-thurs are still open. i'd go crazy if there wasn't a little variety. friday night was beans and rice, then it switched to an ingenious cook's illustrated recipe for macaroni and cheese where the noodles are cooked in a mixture of water and evaporated milk, then you stir in many handfuls of grated cheese. it is amazing and so much better than anything that comes out of a box. and of course it lends itself to adding in broccoli or cubes of ham or sausage. well, last friday night the kitchen was extra chaotic and i burned that milk and water mixture onto the bottom of my enameled cast iron dutch oven. my arm is still sore from scrubbing it off. so i might go back to beans and rice, at least for this week. i can't face more burned milk this week. anyway, saturday night is pizza night (of course). it is so much easier shopping when you are cooking the same things every week. my middle of the week meals so far have been teriyaki chicken and pasta with meat sauce; still super simple and everyone enjoys them.
as for my cleaning schedule, well i'm still working it out. what i really mean is i've written out a schedule, but i'm having a hard time executing it. this morning i vacuumed the blinds in the bedroom and am doing laundry. according to my schedule i should be cleaning the kitchen. instead i'm going to enjoy this last bit of quiet time (daughter at preschool, son is napping) and hopefully, finally, finish vincent's scarf while watching the season 4 premiere of downton abbey. i'm already 30 minutes into it and loving it!
Beautiful. You are right to choose to enjoy rather than clean. When we moved into the new house I made index cards with my cleaning schedule for each day and then laminated it with tape and use dry erase markers to mark off what I accomplish.... I don't always clean, but I'm consistent enough that if I skip a day it doesn't matter too much. Each room has a day of the week and then I divided it into chores I do every week and those I do monthly or semimonthly and then I try to accomplish two semi monthly chores each week. The one I always skip? Cleaning the oven. You make your home beautiful.
ReplyDeletemy schedule is similar. each day has a different room. i'm still tweaking it. today is the kitchen day because it's garbage day tomorrow, so it's a good day to clean out the fridge. alas, it's not happening today. full confession: i have NEVER cleaned an oven. i don't know how. i think ours is self cleaning, but i've never tried it. i know it needs cleaning; i can't see through the window in the oven door.
DeleteLovely images and I love the word homekeeping. When my kids were the age yours are now I started a cleaning schedule where each day I'd do one thing (like Monday - sheets, Tuesday - ironing, Wednesday - bathrooms etc) and it did kind of work. I never felt I had the time or energy to spend a day cleaning so I had to parcel it up. When my girl went to nursery in the afternoons and my boy was napping I'd make sure I sat down with a cup of tea for a while and rest. Sometimes I miss the nap times as they make you stop for a moment! Anyway, routines work for some but sometimes you have to seize the day! x
ReplyDeleteas much of a struggle and nuisance naps can be, i know i will miss that time when they are finished. it always feels selfish to use that time for me to doing something fun, but overall it really benefits everyone when i'm rested and happy.
DeleteHi Cassie! Just got done reading up on your blog and had a quick question. I was hoping that you could email me back when you get the chance. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteEmily : )