We try, as a family, to keep our lives simple. The parental types in the house do not belong to groups. I am a stay-at-home mom, and volunteer locally once a week. I also put in a small amount of time for the progeny's activities (one each, only). Family events are not so plentiful as to be overwhelming. Dental, medical and other appointments are all of a regular, almost routine nature. The calendar has plenty of entries, but not to the point of saturation.
But this morning, it didn't work.
Here's why:
1. I didn't write everything down. My volunteer time wasn't there, because I do it every week, and trusted myself to "remember".
2. I didn't look ahead, last week, to see what was happening this week.
3. I didn't plan menus for this week.
4. I didn't write down the appointment when I found out about it.
5. I didn't read what my eyes couldn't see.
Of course, the upshot of this is that it wasn't the calendar that wasn't working: it was me. Notice that all five reasons begin with "I". So, to make your calendar work for you, like an unpaid assistant, here's what you need to do:
1. Write down all events *as you learn of them*. This allows you to see conflicts early and deal with them. Whether that means cancelling one event, calling for help, or rescheduling, the earlier the better.
2. Check the calendar each week to see what is ahead. Make adjustments as necessary.
3. Plan menus for the week, using the calendar as your guide. This lets you plan a quick meal on the night you really need the quick meal, and lets you leave the elaborate meals to the nights with more breathing room. It also keeps you from all-night baking sessions to meet the social requirements.
4. Write everything down on the calendar. Once you become dependent on a calendar, items not listed on the calendar cease to exist. They disappear until they are upon you, and life suddenly seems far more complicated than it actually is.
5. Look at your calendar. Read it. Use it.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Is Laundry Ever Done?
Well, no. Sorry. While you're doing laundry you're wearing clothes, drying your hands on a towel.
Producing more laundry.
Shift the focus. It is possible to finish a load of laundry. So focus on that. Have you washed, dried, folded and put away a load of laundry today? If you have, put a tick beside laundry for the day.
There will be more laundry tomorrow. But for today, it's done.
Producing more laundry.
Shift the focus. It is possible to finish a load of laundry. So focus on that. Have you washed, dried, folded and put away a load of laundry today? If you have, put a tick beside laundry for the day.
There will be more laundry tomorrow. But for today, it's done.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Easy Stock Recipe
I remember after Christmas dinner one year, my MIL's astonished reaction when she discovered that neither I nor my SIL made stock...that we would let that turkey carcass go to waste. At the time my defence was that my time was worth more to me than the $2.19 that a Tetra pak of chicken stock would cost me.
I think differently now.
A. I make pretty nearly everything we eat from scratch.
B. I want my grocery bill to be as small as possible.
C. I figured out how to make stock with the smallest amount of fuss and time output possible.
Here's how I do it:
1. After the roast turkey or chicken dinner, I remove the meat from the bones. This is easiest while the bird is still warm; simply pull it off. Slice it if you like.
2. Even before I do the dishes, I cut up onion, celery, and carrots. These are the key vegetables for making a good stock.
3. Put the vegetables and bones together on a plate, in a plastic container, or in a plastic baggie (whatever you use to stash leftovers in your fridge). You may want to separate these into two or three batches, depending on the size of the bones.
4. The next morning, I toss one batch into my CrockPot and cover with water. I cook this on the low setting for about eight hours.
5. Scoop out the bones and the vegetables. Strain the liquid (I use a strainer lined with paper towel). This will leave you with a clear broth and very little of the fat.
6. Transfer the stock to ice cube trays. For me, one batch fills about five trays. Put these in the freezer.
7. Once the stock is frozen, you can either use it from the trays, or pop out the cubes and put them into a container or plastic baggie.
That's it. Simple, painless, and frugal.
I think differently now.
A. I make pretty nearly everything we eat from scratch.
B. I want my grocery bill to be as small as possible.
C. I figured out how to make stock with the smallest amount of fuss and time output possible.
Here's how I do it:
1. After the roast turkey or chicken dinner, I remove the meat from the bones. This is easiest while the bird is still warm; simply pull it off. Slice it if you like.
2. Even before I do the dishes, I cut up onion, celery, and carrots. These are the key vegetables for making a good stock.
3. Put the vegetables and bones together on a plate, in a plastic container, or in a plastic baggie (whatever you use to stash leftovers in your fridge). You may want to separate these into two or three batches, depending on the size of the bones.
4. The next morning, I toss one batch into my CrockPot and cover with water. I cook this on the low setting for about eight hours.
5. Scoop out the bones and the vegetables. Strain the liquid (I use a strainer lined with paper towel). This will leave you with a clear broth and very little of the fat.
6. Transfer the stock to ice cube trays. For me, one batch fills about five trays. Put these in the freezer.
7. Once the stock is frozen, you can either use it from the trays, or pop out the cubes and put them into a container or plastic baggie.
That's it. Simple, painless, and frugal.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Tournaments: 5 Tips for Parents
If you have a child who plays sports, then tournaments are also part of your life.
Tournaments eat up time, money and peace of mind faster than a kid can get in and out of his/her equipment. But, there are ways to minimize the damage.
1. Plan your route to each game. Yes, this means looking at a map. Talk to other parents, too; they'll often have tips about reaching certain rinks or fields, parking, etc. Planning your route also involves padding travel time for traffic slowdowns, weather and human error.
2. Plan your downtime. This is especially important when you're on the road for a tournament. Online maps often give you the option to search the area for restaurants, coffee shops and attractions.
3. Plan your meals and snacks. Where are you going to eat? If the game is at noon, will you have lunch before, or after?
4. Plan to socialize. While the kids are getting ready, conversation with other parents will be your main activity. You may be able to stake out a spot in the stands early and get some work done, but don't count on it.
5. Plan your budget. How much will you need for meals, entertainment and gas? Are you willing to shell out for photos, trinkets, raffle tickets? (If you're not, tell the kids ahead of time. Much easier than a conversation in front of the raffle table.) Decide your limit, then take cash. Small bills are best. Get this the day before the tournament, from your local bank or ABM. Nothing is worse than looking for a bank machine in unfamiliar surroundings.
Surviving a tournament is not only possible, it can be fun. The key, of course, is planning. Make your game plan, stick to it, and you might just make the finals with your brain still intact.
Tournaments eat up time, money and peace of mind faster than a kid can get in and out of his/her equipment. But, there are ways to minimize the damage.
1. Plan your route to each game. Yes, this means looking at a map. Talk to other parents, too; they'll often have tips about reaching certain rinks or fields, parking, etc. Planning your route also involves padding travel time for traffic slowdowns, weather and human error.
2. Plan your downtime. This is especially important when you're on the road for a tournament. Online maps often give you the option to search the area for restaurants, coffee shops and attractions.
3. Plan your meals and snacks. Where are you going to eat? If the game is at noon, will you have lunch before, or after?
4. Plan to socialize. While the kids are getting ready, conversation with other parents will be your main activity. You may be able to stake out a spot in the stands early and get some work done, but don't count on it.
5. Plan your budget. How much will you need for meals, entertainment and gas? Are you willing to shell out for photos, trinkets, raffle tickets? (If you're not, tell the kids ahead of time. Much easier than a conversation in front of the raffle table.) Decide your limit, then take cash. Small bills are best. Get this the day before the tournament, from your local bank or ABM. Nothing is worse than looking for a bank machine in unfamiliar surroundings.
Surviving a tournament is not only possible, it can be fun. The key, of course, is planning. Make your game plan, stick to it, and you might just make the finals with your brain still intact.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Weekend Wrapup
Backward
One of the kids had a tournament this weekend. The venue was about an hour's drive away, and the schedule for Day Two had a gap of some five hours to fill.
We were able to fill the time with a leisurely lunch and a low-priced movie ($2.99 a ticket!).
In between trips I managed to get a bit of baking and laundry done, but precious little else.
I'll post more about tournament survival on Wednesday.
Forward
I'm still working on the homekeeping routines. This week I'm going to try to get all FlyLady Kelly's missions done. We're in the kitchen, and the heart of my home could definitely use some attention.
I'm going to stick with the blogging schedule I set up last week. It helps to have a plan in place, rudimentary as it may be.
One of the kids had a tournament this weekend. The venue was about an hour's drive away, and the schedule for Day Two had a gap of some five hours to fill.
We were able to fill the time with a leisurely lunch and a low-priced movie ($2.99 a ticket!).
In between trips I managed to get a bit of baking and laundry done, but precious little else.
I'll post more about tournament survival on Wednesday.
Forward
I'm still working on the homekeeping routines. This week I'm going to try to get all FlyLady Kelly's missions done. We're in the kitchen, and the heart of my home could definitely use some attention.
I'm going to stick with the blogging schedule I set up last week. It helps to have a plan in place, rudimentary as it may be.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Weekend Wrapup
Monday morning rolls around and my thoughts turn Janus: looking backward and forward.
Backward: The Weekend
As a family, we didn't spend any money on fast food. We had some entertaining expenses, but not crazy-huge. The rink season is drawing to a close, with attendant year-end parties and tournaments. The kids are unhappy about it. The parents all look more than a bit desperate for it all to end.
Forward: The Week
This week I'm going to work on scheduling my online time. So this blog goes to Monday, Wednesday and alternate Friday postings. Twitter gets two looks a day, ditto for email and the Books and Writers forum where I like to hang out. Blog reading shifts to an evening-only activity.
I'm also going to continue working on the homekeeping routines. This is absolutely necessary if I'm ever going to live in a semi-clean house again.
Backward: The Weekend
As a family, we didn't spend any money on fast food. We had some entertaining expenses, but not crazy-huge. The rink season is drawing to a close, with attendant year-end parties and tournaments. The kids are unhappy about it. The parents all look more than a bit desperate for it all to end.
Forward: The Week
This week I'm going to work on scheduling my online time. So this blog goes to Monday, Wednesday and alternate Friday postings. Twitter gets two looks a day, ditto for email and the Books and Writers forum where I like to hang out. Blog reading shifts to an evening-only activity.
I'm also going to continue working on the homekeeping routines. This is absolutely necessary if I'm ever going to live in a semi-clean house again.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Menu Planning Day
Well, it's usually Thursday, but yesterday a migraine hit, so...
Back to the subject. Menu planning sounds daunting. Figure out what I'm eating for the whole week? Sure thing.
Think of your menu as the foundation for your grocery list. If you don't know what you're going to eat, how will you know what to buy?
Here's how I do it:
1. I have index cards and printouts with meal ideas on them. This includes a couple that just say: chicken - try something new, beef - try something new.
2. I have dividers labelled with the day. I bought the lettered ones and flipped them. I have enough for three weeks, but at the moment I use just the first week.
3. Look at the calendar. All our events are on the calendar, so I can see when we need crockpot meals and when we might be away from home for a meal.
4. I go through my stack of ideas (starting with the ones I didn't use the week previous), putting cards on the dividers. I make sure I vary the meat and side dishes so that we're not eating chicken with pasta four days in a row.
5. I write down the things that need to come out of the freezer on sticky notes. I put the sticky note on the day divider for the day I need to take the item out of the freezer. This only works if I check each day! There's nothing like looking at the menu for the day only to realize that the chicken I'm supposed to roast is a giant ice cube in the bottom of the freezer. It happens.
6. I put everything I need to make these menus on my grocery list. Anything that I have in stock I get to cross off the list.
7. I put the cards and dividers in order and store them in a recipe box.
8. Check the box every day (see pitfall above).
9. Cook and eat!
Back to the subject. Menu planning sounds daunting. Figure out what I'm eating for the whole week? Sure thing.
Think of your menu as the foundation for your grocery list. If you don't know what you're going to eat, how will you know what to buy?
Here's how I do it:
1. I have index cards and printouts with meal ideas on them. This includes a couple that just say: chicken - try something new, beef - try something new.
2. I have dividers labelled with the day. I bought the lettered ones and flipped them. I have enough for three weeks, but at the moment I use just the first week.
3. Look at the calendar. All our events are on the calendar, so I can see when we need crockpot meals and when we might be away from home for a meal.
4. I go through my stack of ideas (starting with the ones I didn't use the week previous), putting cards on the dividers. I make sure I vary the meat and side dishes so that we're not eating chicken with pasta four days in a row.
5. I write down the things that need to come out of the freezer on sticky notes. I put the sticky note on the day divider for the day I need to take the item out of the freezer. This only works if I check each day! There's nothing like looking at the menu for the day only to realize that the chicken I'm supposed to roast is a giant ice cube in the bottom of the freezer. It happens.
6. I put everything I need to make these menus on my grocery list. Anything that I have in stock I get to cross off the list.
7. I put the cards and dividers in order and store them in a recipe box.
8. Check the box every day (see pitfall above).
9. Cook and eat!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Top Money-Saving Planning Tools
Having a plan really can save you money. My favourite money-saving planning tools:
1. Menu. Yep. Every week I plan out what we'll eat for supper and lunch if there won't be any leftovers available. How it works: I'm never standing in front of the fridge at 5:30 pm pretending to decide what to make while actually deciding what toppings to order on the pizza.
2. Grocery list. You probably know this one. Make a list and stick to it. How it works: The list frees you from buying stuff that's in your cupboard and forgetting things you need. And you just know those forgotten things are another trip to the $tore.
3. Snacks. We always carry snacks and water bottles. How it works: If you never hear "I'm hungry" or "I'm thirsty" when you're miles from home, you instantly cut out those emergency snack buys.
4. Calendar. Seriously. How it works: I use my calendar when I'm planning menus. That way, I know when we'll be away from home around a mealtime, or breezing in the door when supper should be on the table. I can plan the days that the crockpot is on duty, days when a takealong meal is needed, or even a day when we can go crazy and pick up a meal.
5. Treats. Bet you didn't see that one coming. Sure, you've heard about all work and no play. But did you know it could save your budget? Plan ahead for treats. How it works: They're rewards for good behaviour, and we all need them. Without any treats, at some point you'll crack under the pressure and blow your whole system.
1. Menu. Yep. Every week I plan out what we'll eat for supper and lunch if there won't be any leftovers available. How it works: I'm never standing in front of the fridge at 5:30 pm pretending to decide what to make while actually deciding what toppings to order on the pizza.
2. Grocery list. You probably know this one. Make a list and stick to it. How it works: The list frees you from buying stuff that's in your cupboard and forgetting things you need. And you just know those forgotten things are another trip to the $tore.
3. Snacks. We always carry snacks and water bottles. How it works: If you never hear "I'm hungry" or "I'm thirsty" when you're miles from home, you instantly cut out those emergency snack buys.
4. Calendar. Seriously. How it works: I use my calendar when I'm planning menus. That way, I know when we'll be away from home around a mealtime, or breezing in the door when supper should be on the table. I can plan the days that the crockpot is on duty, days when a takealong meal is needed, or even a day when we can go crazy and pick up a meal.
5. Treats. Bet you didn't see that one coming. Sure, you've heard about all work and no play. But did you know it could save your budget? Plan ahead for treats. How it works: They're rewards for good behaviour, and we all need them. Without any treats, at some point you'll crack under the pressure and blow your whole system.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Moving in the Kitchen
Every four or five years, we feel the urge to move house. This time it is definitely not happening. It may explain why I felt the sudden urge to rearrange my kitchen.
First I did a bit of plastic decluttering. Then I did a cull of the cereals, etc. Then I got them to switch places. Now I have my flour right where I want it. Too bad I didn't know it til now. I also shuffled my mixer from one corner to another and flipped the drain board to the other side of the sink (that one might be the toughest to get used to).
So now it feels a bit like a "move", with no heavy lifting or labelling or cardboard boxes involved. Yippee!
First I did a bit of plastic decluttering. Then I did a cull of the cereals, etc. Then I got them to switch places. Now I have my flour right where I want it. Too bad I didn't know it til now. I also shuffled my mixer from one corner to another and flipped the drain board to the other side of the sink (that one might be the toughest to get used to).
So now it feels a bit like a "move", with no heavy lifting or labelling or cardboard boxes involved. Yippee!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Better Homecomings
Going away?
First, clean up before you leave. Get all the laundry done, vacuum, dust, clean the bathrooms and set out fresh towels. Do the dishes (I mean really, is this the time to further science?)
Second, when you get home, unpack before you sit down. Yeah, it's hard. I just did this. The pile of bags gave the impression that we had been on a major bus trip and everyone on the bus had left their baggage at our house. The kids were bouncing from sleepless nights, too much restaurant food and overwhelming joy at returning home. The cats were loopy from the sudden reintegration with domesticity. I was tired as an 80-year old woman's chest, and there were no fewer than ten new calls, all from one BIL. No messages. A neglected inbox. Who am I kidding? Neglected inboxes up the wazoo.
Still, I raced around the house, tripping over cats, and bags, and cats again. Tipped laundry into hampers. Emptied the cooler. Fielded food requests. Tripped over cats. Cleaned out the cooler (trust me: clean out the cooler before you put it away again). Heard about BIL's reason for thousand and one phone calls (it was good).
Then I looked around. Because I had cleaned before leaving, once Baggage Mountain was conquered, there was Nothing on the floor. Nothing! Imagine it. I went in to the bathroom. It was clean, and there was a clean towel hanging there like housekeeping had been there. It was like a hotel. But it was better: it was home.
First, clean up before you leave. Get all the laundry done, vacuum, dust, clean the bathrooms and set out fresh towels. Do the dishes (I mean really, is this the time to further science?)
Second, when you get home, unpack before you sit down. Yeah, it's hard. I just did this. The pile of bags gave the impression that we had been on a major bus trip and everyone on the bus had left their baggage at our house. The kids were bouncing from sleepless nights, too much restaurant food and overwhelming joy at returning home. The cats were loopy from the sudden reintegration with domesticity. I was tired as an 80-year old woman's chest, and there were no fewer than ten new calls, all from one BIL. No messages. A neglected inbox. Who am I kidding? Neglected inboxes up the wazoo.
Still, I raced around the house, tripping over cats, and bags, and cats again. Tipped laundry into hampers. Emptied the cooler. Fielded food requests. Tripped over cats. Cleaned out the cooler (trust me: clean out the cooler before you put it away again). Heard about BIL's reason for thousand and one phone calls (it was good).
Then I looked around. Because I had cleaned before leaving, once Baggage Mountain was conquered, there was Nothing on the floor. Nothing! Imagine it. I went in to the bathroom. It was clean, and there was a clean towel hanging there like housekeeping had been there. It was like a hotel. But it was better: it was home.
Monday, March 2, 2009
First Step of the Journey
Welcome to my new blog!
I'll be posting here about the ways I'm taking control of the elements of my life. From grocery shopping to exercise, from childrearing to housework, I'll grouse about how I'm working to live life in the driver's seat rather than as a passenger looking out the window of a high-speed locomotive.
This is my journey to the tamed life.
I'll be posting here about the ways I'm taking control of the elements of my life. From grocery shopping to exercise, from childrearing to housework, I'll grouse about how I'm working to live life in the driver's seat rather than as a passenger looking out the window of a high-speed locomotive.
This is my journey to the tamed life.
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