So I am a day behind on my meal planning! James was sick yesterday. But here it is!
Since it is the end of the month and my food budget is running low, I am trying to plan meals based on foods I have in my freezer.
Monday: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Tuesday: Pork Tacos (last time my husband made pulled pork, he made a lot and we froze a large container. I think this week is the week to bring it out!
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Spare Ribs
Thursday: Pork Quiche (using that pork again plus wonderful local eggs from our chicken co-op)
Friday: Steak, Potatoes, Veggies
Saturday: Honey Dijon Chicken, Veggies
Sunday: Oven Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Corn
We'll see how that goes and we'll see how much money I spend. I think at the store I just have to get some fresh fruit and veggies. Most everything I have already!
Have a good week!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Busy Weekend and Sick Kids
This past weekend proved to be busy once again. Plus my little 10 month old was sick. Anytime my kids are sick, I seem to put housework on the back burner, especially on weekends. But I am learning that cleaning has to be a daily thing and it has to be a priority! It's kinda like the feeling like a kid and having to do your chores before you can go outside to play!
So last night after my kids were asleep (and thank heavens my son is starting to feel better) I got completely caught up in housework. I was pretty tired and tried to talk myself out of it, but I kept telling myself how great it would make me feel to have to all done. So I cleaned my kitchen, got caught up on dishes, cleaned my dining room, living room and vacuumed everywhere. Feels good!
Now to meal plan!
So last night after my kids were asleep (and thank heavens my son is starting to feel better) I got completely caught up in housework. I was pretty tired and tried to talk myself out of it, but I kept telling myself how great it would make me feel to have to all done. So I cleaned my kitchen, got caught up on dishes, cleaned my dining room, living room and vacuumed everywhere. Feels good!
Now to meal plan!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
My Favorite Thing so far ...
I have been working on a lot of things to stop being a crappy housewife. Mainly my focus on this blog has been centered around my house and cleaning. But another change I have made is making a consistent effort on meal planning. Meal planning is the key to so many things and I have been loving it!
What I have been doing is planning Monday mornings. I will plan the dinner for that week. I am trying to see what I have to make meals around my feezer. I have been also trying to make my meal plan more of a schedule. Like Tuesdays will also be Taco Tuesday. It was just vary each week depending on what meat I have. Wednesdays are crazy for us so Wednesday is slow cooker day and it will vary depending on what I have. I then make a grocery list and try to go shopping that day (which as long as my kids are not going crazy, that should work).
The cool thing that I noticed is that the simple act of meal planning helps so many other things. It is like a domino effect!
1. By Meal Planning, I am checking our family calendar so I can plan accordinly around school meetings etc. It gives me a heads up and sometimes a good reminder of what is happneing this week!
2. By Meal Planning, I am saving money. I know what we are having ahead of time and I am shopping for those items. I am not wondering what is for dinner and we are not getting take out! Plus I can check my coupons for specific items to save more money and check the clearance section for future menus.
3. By Meal Planning, we are spending more Family Time! We are having more sit down dinners as a family because I know what is for dinner! I can prep ahead and get the table set (no more take out in front of the TV!) My daughters LOVE helping me cook dinner and I can figure out specific jobs for them. It is such a wonderful priceless time that I get to spend with them while we are cooking! And we have great family talks at the dinner table! This is probably my favorite thing!
4. By Meal Planning, clean-up is a breeze! You would think by making a family dinner, that I would be making more of a mess. But the opposite is happening! When I walk into the kitchen, I know what I am making. While I am in there, I am cleaning up any messes from the day. I am not throwing things around looking for a certain ingredient. I know what is going on so I can multi-task with clean-up. Plus, with more family dinners, my kids are getting more involved with the clean-up after dinner. We each do our task and the work gets done right away.
5. By Meal Planning, I am just happier. Enough said! No stress and I am just able to cook/clean-up with my kids. I am having the best conversations with them. Priceless!!!
If you don't meal plan, I totally encourage it!
What I have been doing is planning Monday mornings. I will plan the dinner for that week. I am trying to see what I have to make meals around my feezer. I have been also trying to make my meal plan more of a schedule. Like Tuesdays will also be Taco Tuesday. It was just vary each week depending on what meat I have. Wednesdays are crazy for us so Wednesday is slow cooker day and it will vary depending on what I have. I then make a grocery list and try to go shopping that day (which as long as my kids are not going crazy, that should work).
The cool thing that I noticed is that the simple act of meal planning helps so many other things. It is like a domino effect!
1. By Meal Planning, I am checking our family calendar so I can plan accordinly around school meetings etc. It gives me a heads up and sometimes a good reminder of what is happneing this week!
2. By Meal Planning, I am saving money. I know what we are having ahead of time and I am shopping for those items. I am not wondering what is for dinner and we are not getting take out! Plus I can check my coupons for specific items to save more money and check the clearance section for future menus.
3. By Meal Planning, we are spending more Family Time! We are having more sit down dinners as a family because I know what is for dinner! I can prep ahead and get the table set (no more take out in front of the TV!) My daughters LOVE helping me cook dinner and I can figure out specific jobs for them. It is such a wonderful priceless time that I get to spend with them while we are cooking! And we have great family talks at the dinner table! This is probably my favorite thing!
4. By Meal Planning, clean-up is a breeze! You would think by making a family dinner, that I would be making more of a mess. But the opposite is happening! When I walk into the kitchen, I know what I am making. While I am in there, I am cleaning up any messes from the day. I am not throwing things around looking for a certain ingredient. I know what is going on so I can multi-task with clean-up. Plus, with more family dinners, my kids are getting more involved with the clean-up after dinner. We each do our task and the work gets done right away.
5. By Meal Planning, I am just happier. Enough said! No stress and I am just able to cook/clean-up with my kids. I am having the best conversations with them. Priceless!!!
If you don't meal plan, I totally encourage it!
Monday, February 20, 2012
Crapy Housewife Meal Plan Monday
It's that time again!!! I always have a hard time figuring out meals but this week I tried to look at what was in the freezer and meal plan that way.
Monday: Honey Dijon Chicken, Salad/Veggies,
Tuesday: Beef Tacos (I'm thinking we will always do Taco Tuesday! Makes it easier to plan)
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Post Roast, Potatoes, Carrots (Wednesdays will always be a slow cooker recipe because Wednesday are a crazy day for the kids and I. That way dinner is already made!)
Thursday: Chicken Rigatoni
Friday: Pork Tenderloin, Salad/Veggies
Saturday: Pizza Birthday Party at Papa's
Sunday: Chicken Stir Fry
Have a good week!
Monday: Honey Dijon Chicken, Salad/Veggies,
Tuesday: Beef Tacos (I'm thinking we will always do Taco Tuesday! Makes it easier to plan)
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Post Roast, Potatoes, Carrots (Wednesdays will always be a slow cooker recipe because Wednesday are a crazy day for the kids and I. That way dinner is already made!)
Thursday: Chicken Rigatoni
Friday: Pork Tenderloin, Salad/Veggies
Saturday: Pizza Birthday Party at Papa's
Sunday: Chicken Stir Fry
Have a good week!
Time to focus
So the last week has been a bit weird for me. Instead of joyfully figuring out this housewife thing, I turned down the path of trying to mentally figure it out. I was trying to find this magic answer of fairness and pride. What does it mean in this modern time to be a housewife? I asked myself if I was just a common slob. I still want to figure out those answers but while I was pondering these questions, my house was still a disaster. So time to focus back on the task at hand and that is to clean up my act! So last night I cooked and cleaned. I still have work to do today, but things are looking better. I guess I complain about deserving a day off but what is comes down to is that when it comes to housework, you can't take a day off. Things have to get done everyday for me and my family. I don't want my 10 month old James crawling around a floor that hasn't been vacuumed because they boy puts everything in is mouth! I don't want my girls not having room to play.
I also want to work on my role as a wife. I realize that we are not in the 1950's so as I dive into this topic, many may be turned off by this. Let me apologize in advance. This is just how I feel. I am not only a crappy housewife, but sometimes an unhappy one. I think I blame my poor husband a lot. I think he needs to treat me better when in all honestly, I am not treating him with the same respect that I am expecting from him. I complain a lot to him and that is not fair. So I want to focus more on him and our relationship. I want to be that wife that I know he wants. I had this epinphony at church yesterday that if I start treating hiim better, than the things that I want to change for me will. It's the idea of giving respect and taking respect.
This post seems a bit like jibber jabber but it is what is in my head. Thanks for reading and the comments thus far. Back to it!
I also want to work on my role as a wife. I realize that we are not in the 1950's so as I dive into this topic, many may be turned off by this. Let me apologize in advance. This is just how I feel. I am not only a crappy housewife, but sometimes an unhappy one. I think I blame my poor husband a lot. I think he needs to treat me better when in all honestly, I am not treating him with the same respect that I am expecting from him. I complain a lot to him and that is not fair. So I want to focus more on him and our relationship. I want to be that wife that I know he wants. I had this epinphony at church yesterday that if I start treating hiim better, than the things that I want to change for me will. It's the idea of giving respect and taking respect.
This post seems a bit like jibber jabber but it is what is in my head. Thanks for reading and the comments thus far. Back to it!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The idea of Fairness ...
I know one thing that keeps me a crappy housewife is the idea of fairness. I grew up as a twin where my parents strived to make everything equal and fair. So I have engrained in my head this idea of fairness ... everything in life should be fair. Well once you become a wife and a mother, the reality is that nothing is truley fair. We as woman take on everything for our families. It is our nurturing role. My husband grew up with a Mom who did just that. She took care of everything for her family. In fact, in my eyes, she is superwoman because not only did she do all the cooking, cleaning, laundry, taking care of kids, activities etc, she also ran a successful family business wiht my father in law. She did all the bookwork, invoicing, payroll etc. I dont think back then she was the kind of person who dwelled on whether ir was fair or not that she was working while do all the housewife work (2 full time jobs in my opinion). I think that was just her role that she accepted and she took pride in.
So now I come to my current situation. I stay at home with my kids as well as have many little part time jobs. We can't afford for me just to stay at home. The income I bring into the family is vital. Saturday I worked 11-2 at one job and 5-9 doing another job. Sunday I did a side job for a few hours. So we can say I was pretty busy over the weekend helping support my family. But I am also expected to do all the housework and while I was off all weekend earning money for the family (about $200), all the housework was piling up. And I am torn with this idea of fairness. Shouldn't my husband help with the housework especially while I am out working? Or is it all part of my job as a wife and mother and accept the reality that it will never be fair? Just something to ponder about ...
So now I come to my current situation. I stay at home with my kids as well as have many little part time jobs. We can't afford for me just to stay at home. The income I bring into the family is vital. Saturday I worked 11-2 at one job and 5-9 doing another job. Sunday I did a side job for a few hours. So we can say I was pretty busy over the weekend helping support my family. But I am also expected to do all the housework and while I was off all weekend earning money for the family (about $200), all the housework was piling up. And I am torn with this idea of fairness. Shouldn't my husband help with the housework especially while I am out working? Or is it all part of my job as a wife and mother and accept the reality that it will never be fair? Just something to ponder about ...
Monday, February 13, 2012
Here we go again ...
So now my house is a mess! Here we go again! This is what happens ... I get all excited and gung ho (is that how you spell that?) and I am doing great for a few days to a week. Last week my house wasn't perfect, but I felt a good groove and I felt good. Well then the weekend hits and I am busy or I decide that I can take a day off every once in a while, and then my house goes to crap again. And this I feel like a crappy housewife. How do I move past these hurdles? Will I ever be able to take a day off? Back to work!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Satruday Morning Waffles
Even though I have deemed myself the Crappy Housewife, there are a few things that I think I do pretty well. I love baking and there are things that I love to bake from scratch. The 3 things that I can do well is bake cookies (perfected witht he help of my sister-in-law Amy), pie crust, and waffles. Baking the scratch is great and it is cheaper than the mixes out there. Plus my kids love to help bake with me and get their hands in flour. Seriously what kids doesn't want to make flour hand prints on their bootie!
Saturday morning around here is all about waffles! We love making waffles plus it supports my cooking and homesteading goals(cooking from scratch)! Now I used to be a Bisquick gal. And there is nothing wrong with Bisquick! But let me tell you, once you make my waffle recipe, you will never go back!
Crappy Housewife Saturday Morning Waffles:
Wet Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
3/4 stick of butter, melted and cooled (I always melt on the stove because if you do it in the microwave, you will have exploding butter and a mess)
3 capfuls or vanilla
Dry Ingredients:
1 4/4 cup of flour
2 TB sugar
1 1/2 ts Baking Powder
1/2 ts salt
Mix up the wet ingredients. Mix the Dry ingredients. Combine wet to dry and mix. Pour into waffle iron (don't forget a little cooking spray) and cook. Yummy!!!
Saturday morning around here is all about waffles! We love making waffles plus it supports my cooking and homesteading goals(cooking from scratch)! Now I used to be a Bisquick gal. And there is nothing wrong with Bisquick! But let me tell you, once you make my waffle recipe, you will never go back!
Crappy Housewife Saturday Morning Waffles:
Wet Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
3/4 stick of butter, melted and cooled (I always melt on the stove because if you do it in the microwave, you will have exploding butter and a mess)
3 capfuls or vanilla
Dry Ingredients:
1 4/4 cup of flour
2 TB sugar
1 1/2 ts Baking Powder
1/2 ts salt
Mix up the wet ingredients. Mix the Dry ingredients. Combine wet to dry and mix. Pour into waffle iron (don't forget a little cooking spray) and cook. Yummy!!!
Friday, February 10, 2012
Overthinking my Routines!!!
You know, I can talk myself out of doing ANYTHING! I think that is one of the issues I have with following a daily routine. Sometimes I don't do parts of the routine and other times I skip it all together because I need a break. Problem with the break philosophy is once I would take a day off, they next day the house would be far worse and I would be overwhelmed and not want to clean the following day. Seeing a pattern?
The biggest excuse I use to talk myself out of doing my routine is time. I am one busy lady and most mornings I will get up and think I am so busy and I have no time. I will talk myself out of emptying the dishwasher for example and tell myself that I don't have time and I will do it later etc. Of course, if I just had emptied the dishwasher before I had wasted my time thinking about it, I would have had it done quicker. Make sense?
So this morning I woke up EXHAUSTED! My lovely 2 year old DID NOT sleep last night. But instead of telling myself that I didn't have to start my routines because I was so tired, I just got right to work! I emptied my dishwasher and got water in the sink for the breakfast dishes. I started a load of laundry and put away the laundry that I folded last night.
Good start!
The biggest excuse I use to talk myself out of doing my routine is time. I am one busy lady and most mornings I will get up and think I am so busy and I have no time. I will talk myself out of emptying the dishwasher for example and tell myself that I don't have time and I will do it later etc. Of course, if I just had emptied the dishwasher before I had wasted my time thinking about it, I would have had it done quicker. Make sense?
So this morning I woke up EXHAUSTED! My lovely 2 year old DID NOT sleep last night. But instead of telling myself that I didn't have to start my routines because I was so tired, I just got right to work! I emptied my dishwasher and got water in the sink for the breakfast dishes. I started a load of laundry and put away the laundry that I folded last night.
Good start!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
You know you are a crappy housewife when ...
.JPG)
You know you are a crappy housewife when the SIMPLEST idea creates the biggest "ah ha" epiphany moment! My friend Melissa told me that she always keeps about an inch or so of soapy water in her sink throughout the day. That way her kids can put their dishes in and it can get a pre-soak so when she can get to putting the dishes in the dishwasher, they are all rinsed and ready to go. BRILLIANT! I know some of you are wondering why this is such a cool thing for me because you guys already do the water in the sink thing. I realize it is a BIG DUH! But these are the type of ideas that I love hearing because it is so simple and it really helps. And since I am a crappy housewife, these simple ideas don't come to me naturally!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Figuring out a daily routine
Everything I read says that I should have a daily routine! I like the idea of a routine however I have issues trying to stick with one. Everyday seems a little different and most evening I feel useless because I am so tired. So what kind of routine can I set that I can do everyday? On my worst day when I am so tired, what is the basics that I need to do? Here is what I am thinking:
Empty Dishwasher in the morning so it can be filled throughout the day. Run dishwasher at night
Clean up after meals
Do a load a laundry - which means wash, dry, fold, and put away
Wipe down bathroom
Quick Toy pick-up
What are your guy's daily household routines?
Empty Dishwasher in the morning so it can be filled throughout the day. Run dishwasher at night
Clean up after meals
Do a load a laundry - which means wash, dry, fold, and put away
Wipe down bathroom
Quick Toy pick-up
What are your guy's daily household routines?
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
7pm is the new midnight in my world!
Why is it that I am completely useless after 7pm? Here I am trying to work on my routines and such and then 7pm hits and I am not wanting to do a thing?? I am so tired from the day and I think I have hit my coffee consumption max so even if I had a caffeine IV drip, nothing would seem to get me going to get stuff done! What do you guys do in the evening to keep going?
Monday, February 6, 2012
Crappy Housewife Meal Plan Monday
I'm starting Meal Plan Monday! Mondays are a great day to look at the week ahead, plan meals according to our various activities, and grocery shop. Planning meals will save me money and time. I could use this saved time to play with my kids or fold the 5 loads of laundry that have been taunting me!
Week of February 6th - this is a busy week for me! I am starting a Girl Scout Troop for my daughter Ashley. So I need easy meals that I can make quickly or make ahead in the crockpot or dutch oven.
Monday: Girl Scout Parent Meeting - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with some kind of veggie
Tuesday: Another Meeting for Girl Scouts - Spaghetti (I can make this ahead of time)
Wednesday: I have Church stuff on Wednesday nights. I sing in the choir and my kids have fun activities at church. Plus during the day is crazy. So Wednesday will always be leftover night!
Thursday: Teriyaki Chicken and Rice with veggies
Friday: Turkey Tacos
Saturday: I have a Scentsy Party this night so I will be supplying Jason with some kid friendly and simple Mac and Cheese
Sunday: Meatloaf and potatoes
What are you guys having for dinner this week?
Week of February 6th - this is a busy week for me! I am starting a Girl Scout Troop for my daughter Ashley. So I need easy meals that I can make quickly or make ahead in the crockpot or dutch oven.
Monday: Girl Scout Parent Meeting - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with some kind of veggie
Tuesday: Another Meeting for Girl Scouts - Spaghetti (I can make this ahead of time)
Wednesday: I have Church stuff on Wednesday nights. I sing in the choir and my kids have fun activities at church. Plus during the day is crazy. So Wednesday will always be leftover night!
Thursday: Teriyaki Chicken and Rice with veggies
Friday: Turkey Tacos
Saturday: I have a Scentsy Party this night so I will be supplying Jason with some kid friendly and simple Mac and Cheese
Sunday: Meatloaf and potatoes
What are you guys having for dinner this week?
Goals of a Crappy Housewife
As a crappy housewife, I have learned what I want to change and how I want to be. I can see it in my head but obviously my lazy a$$ can't see the vision! So I think that if I write some goals down for me and the world to see, then maybe my a$$ will catch up.
Crappy Housewife Goals:
1. Daily Household Routines: I need a routine so I can keep up with my house. Doing a little bit everyday and keeping up on things is so much better than living in a house that has exploded. I know there is FlyLady.net out there and I have read and tried her stuff many times. But it hasn't clicked. So maybe I need a Crappy Housewife Routine!
2. Meal Planning: I need to plan our meals. This will help me so much more organized and save money from grabbing the last minute pizza n going through a drive-thru.
3. Cooking: I guess if I am going to meal plan, I need to cook more right? I want to learn how to cook. I know a lot but I want to be more confident in the kitchen. I also want to involve my kids in the kitchen.
4. Homesteading: I'm really into this idea of homesteading - living more simply and off the land. I want to do more gardening, cook from scratch, more frugal finds, canning, etc
5, Decorating and Organzing: I want to get rid of the clutter and decorate my house. I don't think I have a lot of decorating sense but I know I like simple ideas. I want to make my house a home! Also I want to organize activities for my kids. They always want to do crafts but I am not that crafty plus all of our craft supplies are all over!
I'm sure more goals will come through but those are my top 5. What are your goals?
Crappy Housewife Goals:
1. Daily Household Routines: I need a routine so I can keep up with my house. Doing a little bit everyday and keeping up on things is so much better than living in a house that has exploded. I know there is FlyLady.net out there and I have read and tried her stuff many times. But it hasn't clicked. So maybe I need a Crappy Housewife Routine!
2. Meal Planning: I need to plan our meals. This will help me so much more organized and save money from grabbing the last minute pizza n going through a drive-thru.
3. Cooking: I guess if I am going to meal plan, I need to cook more right? I want to learn how to cook. I know a lot but I want to be more confident in the kitchen. I also want to involve my kids in the kitchen.
4. Homesteading: I'm really into this idea of homesteading - living more simply and off the land. I want to do more gardening, cook from scratch, more frugal finds, canning, etc
5, Decorating and Organzing: I want to get rid of the clutter and decorate my house. I don't think I have a lot of decorating sense but I know I like simple ideas. I want to make my house a home! Also I want to organize activities for my kids. They always want to do crafts but I am not that crafty plus all of our craft supplies are all over!
I'm sure more goals will come through but those are my top 5. What are your goals?
Sunday, February 5, 2012
A little Introduction
I am a Crappy Housewife!! I am admitting this!I do not like, nor do I know how to clean, organize, decorate, etc. I like to cook but I never know what to cook and there is currently about 5 loads of laundry on my couch waiting to be folded and put away! No Joke! Problem is I like a clean house! I want to be more organized! But after years and waiting for a magic pill or thinking that the "Seen on TV" cleaning products was going to be my miracle, I've now come to the realization that the only miracle worker is myself. It's time for me to change my ways and to learn how to be a better housewife!
Let me introduce myself ... I am a 30 year old stay at home Mom of 3 awesome kids. Ashley is 5, Sarah is 2 and James is 10 months old. I was always a working woman but once I had Sarah, the cost of two kids in daycare was ridiculous. The funny thing is I always wanted to be a stay at home Mom and dreamed of being home with my kids and being a housewife. That was 2 1/2 years ago and I still suck at it (honesty is the best policy!)
My hope with this blog is to work on my crappy ways and learn to be a better housewife. I hope that others may read this and feel inspired and not alone! I also hope to get great tips and ideas from readers as well as share tips I learn throughout this process!
Let me introduce myself ... I am a 30 year old stay at home Mom of 3 awesome kids. Ashley is 5, Sarah is 2 and James is 10 months old. I was always a working woman but once I had Sarah, the cost of two kids in daycare was ridiculous. The funny thing is I always wanted to be a stay at home Mom and dreamed of being home with my kids and being a housewife. That was 2 1/2 years ago and I still suck at it (honesty is the best policy!)
My hope with this blog is to work on my crappy ways and learn to be a better housewife. I hope that others may read this and feel inspired and not alone! I also hope to get great tips and ideas from readers as well as share tips I learn throughout this process!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)