Working, working, working

I haven't gotten my 15 minutes of blogging in for quite awhile now.
However, yesterday I started to get plans in shape to change that.  I was working on a schedule, and trying to get one in place.
I was also trying to get my family onto the same page as I was, however they were being confrontational about the whole thing.  There were a multitude of excuses of "why nots".

I hate "why....nots..."

Over half of the day yesterday, I was doing meal planning.  My version of meal planning is trying to get one dinner listed in my calendar for each night.  For the year.  Some nights are easy, like Christmas Eve.  We always have fondue on Christmas Eve.  Holidays are easy too.  It's the rest of the year I have trouble with.
Here's what I do:
Each day of the week is assigned a certain type of meal, generally by the protein, but not always.
Sunday = chicken/poultry
Monday = pork
Tuesday = pasta
Wednesday = soup/stew
Thursday = beef
Friday = sandwiches/pizza/vegetarian/breakfast for dinner
Saturday = leftovers

From there, I hit my cookbooks.  Yesterday I started with one I had only tried one or two recipes from in the past, and worked my way through it.  Now, I know that Wednesday is soup/stew night, so I found all the recipes for soup or stew or chowder or whatever, and filled in as many Wednesday night from that cookbook as I possibly could.
Sometimes, recipes for soup or whatever are in a different section, like chicken.  Or vegetarian.  It can be a hunt to find them, so I go page by page.  I went as far as I could in that cookbook for each day.
Once I had gotten through that book, I picked up another.  One that had a lot of recipes that I know my family likes.  I got all those into my schedule.  This way we have a nice combination of things we KNOW we like, and a whole bunch of new stuff too.
On days when I don't have any writing to do, I can go through and try to get some of these dishes made ahead of time, effectively turning them into freezer meals.  If they don't work as freezer meals, I can at least get most of the ingredients together into one bag, label them and put the date when we're suppose to have that particular meal.
Next on my mass re-organization of my life, I'm going to be coming up with a cleaning schedule.  Let's hope that works, too.

Or at least it's imperfectly perfect.

Cart For My Canning

Over the last few months, I have acquired a new hobby that is taking up a huge amount of space in my tiny little kitchen.  It's a worthwhile hobby, which is leading to other new hobbies for me.  The best part about these hobbies is that they will (hopefully) be saving my family money, in a lot of different ways.

The original new hobby is canning.  Yep.  I'm a canner and I'm not ashamed of it.  I'm slowly emptying out my chest freezer and canning everything in there that I am able to.  Money saving benefit of this is:  as I empty out my freezer, I won't need such a big, electricity hog, and will be able to invest in a smaller one.  My ultimate goal is to only need it to store milk, baked goods, and flat frozen freezer meals.  It's coming along.  However, I digress.  

The canning equipment is space consuming.  Canning pots (I have a water bath canner and a pressure canner) are BIG.  Really BIG.  They take up a lot of space, and that is space that is better used for food that has been canned, or dry ingredients, or just about anything else.  And then there are the towels, the funnels, the lid lifters, the lids and rings themselves, the jar lifters, the pectin, canning salt, citric acid...... The list is really endless.  And it took over my pantry space quite rapidly.  

Since I have been challenged by one of my friends to get my house cleaned up and organized before the end of the year, I figured this was a good place to start.  I had been on a hunt for a decent cart that can support a lot of weight (that pressure canner is heavy), and store a lot of stuff.  And it had to fit into an area that is about 30in x 25 in.  It had to be under $100.  It had to be sturdy and long lasting.  It had to look decent.  

TALLY HO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The hunt is on!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a couple of months of searching, something appeared at Overstock.com. (No, this is NOT a paid advertisement for them.  I'm not getting anything from them for mentioning them.  This just happened to be where we found the cart.)  Now, Overstock is not my usual go-to place for shopping (thrift stores are really more in my price range), but my mom pointed me in the direction of a really cool cart that just about met all my requirements.  

On Friday, it arrived (three days sooner than originally expected.  Awesome job Overstock!), and was put together.  

 It came with a handle, but I really didn't need it so we didn't put it on.  If there comes a time when I do need it, we still have it tucked away, and will be able to use it.  But it's just perfect handle-less.  

I also had that set of three clear plastic drawers tucked away in a closet, and had used them for some sort of craft supply, but I cleaned it out and am putting it to MUCH better use.   

The three drawers store my funnels, lid lifters, jar lifters, pectins of varying sorts, lid tightener, cheese cloth and jelly bag.  I'm probably going to replace the drawer pulls to something a little cuter, because that's how I roll.  

I also found two small crates when I was cleaning out, These crates are perfect for sorting my rings and plastic lids.  

I can now organize them according to size (wide mouth and regular) which will also speed up the process a little bit.  It was a troublesome having all the rings and lids in one box, and forever trying to sort through them.  Also, the crates aren't enclosed, so if the rings are still damp from being washed, they will be less inclined to rust, because the air flow is better.  Labels for these two crates are coming, and when the arrive and are attached, I will be showing them off.

I already had my lids (also known as "flats") sorted into plastic CD boxes I got from our local dollar store.  I sort them according to "Used" or "New".  The "used" lids are not used for canning, but kept on hand in case some sort of weird crafting bug strikes me, or I want a lid on a jar, but don't want to seal it.  I can use one of the used lids for that.  

I will be properly labeling the boxes later on.  These boxes are stackable, so when my supply of new lids gets out of control (and it will), I can have one box for wide mouth lids and one for regular lids.  

The top shelf is reserved for my "babies".  I actually took down all the large stock pots I use in canning and fit them into the large water bath canning pot on the right.  The lid rests on a pot on the second shelf.  Moving all my big pots to one location freed up space for my empty jars that are currently waiting to be filled with produce from the garden we are putting in (one of my other new hobbies, but that's a future post).  

I now have room under my pantry shelves for my 5 gallon buckets of bread flour and all purpose flour, which is great.  I also have an extra small bucket down there for empty bags or for berries when I get on a berry canning roll.  (It's easier to put unwashed and unprepped berries into the small bucket while prepping them for canning.  But more on that in a future post, when strawberries are ripe.)

So that's pretty much it.  It's a just another chapter in my perfectly imperfect life. I'm loving it, and it's coming along in an awesome way.

Files, Files Everywhere

For years, before I was married, I was a receptionist/secretary.  I also was a film librarian.  (Yes, it's a job.  Basically, I filed a LOT of x-ray, sonogram, mammogram and CT scan films.)  Most of my work experience has been filing.  Making files, filing work orders, bills, payments, x-rays, you name it.  I know my filing.

One of the greatest arguments between me and my husband was about the filing.  He didn't like the way I filed things, or the way I set the files up.  So, I told him to take care of it.  I stopped doing any of the filing.  Everything started to pile up.  At last check, we had THREE YEARS of unfiled papers laying around the house.  I was done.  

So, now that I'm taking control of the filing again, I decided I had to get the filing cabinet out of the guest room/man cave/playroom and into the living room, so I would have better access to it.  When I did that, I realized that an ugly black filing cabinet isn't really going to fit into the style of the living room.  

So now, the projected goal is to paint the file cabinet, and organize all the files in it.  I'm planning on painting it a high gloss white, which will help to lighten up the living room some.   

It's not pretty, but it's functional.  And I will be able to make do.  A fresh coat of paint, and some wonderful vinyl decals or labels from Sunhoney Studio  will certainly give it a great lift.  Maybe I'll even switch out the handles, if I can get them off the drawer front.  

I've got it all laid out in my mind.  It's just going to take a little time, and some cooperation from the weather.  Spray painting on a porch when it's raining outside don't really mix very well.  

I'm excited to show you the progress as it comes along.  Right now, I'm being impressed that I moved the full (overly full) filing cabinet from a very tight corner in the playroom to the living room, all by myself, without injury.  

Always keep moving forward, and when life tries to throw glitches at you, run right over those suckers!  

Holiday Traditions: Easter

"Easter is coming... The goose is getting fat...Please to put a penny in the old man's hat...."
Wait.  That's not right... Sorry.  Lost my head in the holiday confusion again.
I love Easter.  I love the fact that spring weather is right around the corner, that everything is just starting to turn green, the weather is starting to warm up.  It's just awesome.
Holidays always make me think of traditions, and how they are carried forward from generation to generation, and how each generation changes or adds to holiday traditions.
Here at the Landow house, we will start tonight by dying the requisite Easter Eggs, a messy and fun tradition.  We don't go crazy and color with food coloring, or all natural dyes, or anything like that.  I'm a traditionalist.  I like the PAAS egg dying kits that I grew up with, and now my kids are growing up with.  We still manage to get pretty creative with them.

When Sunday morning rolls around this year, the Easter Egg hunt at our house will probably be pretty small.  I'll be having to take pictures of both boys searching and finding eggs, since my husband couldn't get the day off from work.  Their Easter baskets will be the same baskets that they have used for the last eight Easters.  Small, yes, but so very precious to us, because they were made by my dad.  This year, instead of using the highly annoying plastic Easter grass that winds up getting everywhere, (who's still finding pine needles from their Christmas tree in weird spots?  Be honest....)  I'm going to line the baskets with a bright, cheery piece of fabric. 
See?  A new tradition will be born.

After the egg hunt at our house, we will meet my mom at church, for Easter Mass, another tradition that dates back generations.  The parish we attend might change, but the ritual of dressing up and celebrating Easter at Mass doesn't.  After Mass there will be another egg hunt, with all the children from the parish.  They do this every year, rain or shine, and it gives the kids the opportunity to burn off a little of the sugar they have consumed. 
Then it's over to my mom's house.  This year, we're probably having brisket for dinner, instead of the usual (dare I say, traditional?) ham. And that's okay.  It might not be perfect for some, but for us?  It is perfect.  Perfectly wonderful.

I hope this Easter brings you all lots of blessings, lots of peace, and lots of joy.  And lots of perfection that is perfect JUST FOR YOU!

Treating Yourself On A Time and Money Budget

We all need to treat ourselves once in awhile, and take a little time for ourselves to relax, unwind, and make us a better worker, parent, significant other, and most of all, person.  I know a lot of people think that "treating yourself" or "taking time for yourself"  means a trip to the spa, or getting a mani/pedi or having something done for them.  It generally involves spending some amount of money and a largish chunk of time.  I prefer to not do this when taking a little time for myself.  I take little breaks, throughout the day to reconnect with myself, and relax a little bit.

Here are my top five ways I take a little "me" time throughout the day!

1)  I have free games on my tablet and that I have downloaded onto my desktop.  I allow myself little 5-10 minute intervals throughout the day, generally after accomplishing some task to play. 

2)  If a computer game doesn't sound relaxing enough at that time, I'll read.  I will read for 10-15 minutes.  Something relaxing.  Something that will take me away from the stress of whatever I am having to deal with at that moment.  My favorite place to get books is the library, of course.  Free books, that I can keep for several weeks, and enjoy at my leisure.  

3)  Create something.  I am an artist.  Just because I don't sell my works anymore, doesn't mean I stopped creating.   And I'm finding it MUCH more relaxing now that I'm not continually thinking "Is this going to sell?"  I can spend an hour or so painting or sketching or playing with beads, or "smooshing" polymer clay, free from the constrictions of the idea that it has to be "perfect".

4)  I crochet.  I'm one of those crocheters (hooker, if you will)  that loves to do it as a hobby.  And I always have multiple projects going at once.  Currently, I have several sets of baby booties, a couple of shawls, and several scarves that I am working on.  What do I do with these when I am done?  I donate them.  There are many organizations that love to receive hand crafted items, and are always in need of them.  It makes me feel good to do this.  I can't always donate time when they need it, and I can't really donate large sums of money, but I can donate my art.  It's a win-win situation all around.

5)  I try something new.  This summer, I'm going to try my hand at gardening.  My mother and I have rented on plot at our local community garden, and are going to try our hand at it.

So, what do you do to help yourself relax, or give yourself some time alone?

Spring Break? What Spring Break?

Ahhhh, spring break... a time for a quick family getaway, or a fun filled week getting ready for Easter.  Time to relax and have fun.
Right? 
Seriously? 
The only thing different different about Spring  Break for me is the kids are home from school. 
The time around major holidays are not a time when my husband can easily take off from work, so it is pretty much status quo around here.  The only real difference is Frick and Frack will be helping me get the work done.  I hope.

My goal for spring break this year is to work in the morning, and have time in the afternoon for something fun.  So far, we haven't quite made it.  But we're working on it. 

Today I'm having Frick and Frack go through their bookshelf and get rid of all the magazines that are in bad shape, separate out any books that are too young for them, and basically tidying up that area. 

MUCH more neat and tidy... Now, to get rid of the trash.

I need for them to help me make some room for the pegboard I'm going to be hanging in there for their backpacks, so we aren't tripping over them at the front door anymore.  

They just don't stay on the pegs.  Plus, the pegs are falling out.

This is soooo much better!  And out of my way!

I'm really happy with the way it has turned out.  One side is red, for Frick, and one side is blue, for Frack.  I have a friend who makes vinyl wall decals and sells them on Etsy in her shop, Sunhoney Studio.  She will be receiving a custom order from me for two sets with the kids' names, one for where their backpacks hang, and then one for where their coats/seasonal jackets will hang. I can't wait to see order them and see them!  (Shhhh..... if the boys are still into Minecraft around Christmas time, I'm also going to be ordering some wall decals in a Minecraft theme for them. But don't tell!) 

Tomorrow I will be taking Frick and Frack to the library to drop a bunch of stuff off for the summer program.  They needed a bunch of stuff (tee shirts, fake flowers, embroidery floss....) that I happen to no longer need, so I'm more than willing to donate supplies and stuff to that cause.  (Just wait until I really clean out my craft closet and go through all my beads and stuff.  They are going to have much more than they know what to do with.  Just saying.)  

All in all, we're planning on having a productive spring break.  Some fun, some work.  We're on a time limit for our house, and plan to put it on the market in 3 years, so we have a LOT of work to do before we can do that, so everyday has to be a concentrated effort on one or two projects of home improvement.  It might not always be a perfect way to live for some people, but it's perfect for us.  

Stay perfectly you!

Fast Forward: Where I Want to Be in a Year

Now that 2015 has settled somewhat comfortably around me, it's time for me to figure out where I want to be in a year. 
I'm hoping for better health, once my painful dental problems are cleared up.  (Side piece of advice, kids take care of your teeth.... dentists are your friends, and so is dental floss.)  I'm hoping for less pain, everytime I breathe in.  I'm hoping for no more teeth falling out... You get the picture. 

I'm working towards finishing many works in progress for my house:  the crocheted t shirt yarn rug for my kids room, walls repaired and painted,  bathrooms repaired,  and clutter out of the house.  There are so many projects I've got my fingers into right now, and the number is growing (as always), and I spend most of my time just trying to keep up.  

In a year, I'm hoping that things might be on more of an even keel.  Yes, I know that life will always be chaotic because of my husband's work schedule, my schedule, and the children's schedules.  I'm hopeful, but I'm always realistic.  I'm just hoping that we won't be lurching from one crises to the next, always feeling like the rug is being pulled out from underneath us.

I'm hoping that the garden I put in this spring will be fruitful, and I will be able to put up a lot of veggies for my family, reducing our food bill.   I'm hoping that the weather this spring and summer creates an optimum growing season for all the fruits and berries in the area, so I can make a lot of yummy treats for my children and husband.  I want to spend my summer canning all the fruits and veggies I can so that we will have enough next winter.  

I will sort peacefully through my recipes and get them organized, into binders and folders.  

Basically, in a year, I want to be more organized, on a better financial path, and healthier than I am now.  

Funny, though.... I think that's what I wanted last year, too.

The Law of the Land(ows)

I always used to think the expression "If Mommy isn't happy, then nobody is happy" was pretty silly.
 
Then I became a wife and mother and realized it is nothing but the plain truth.

Not only am I the one to set most of the rules in the house, I'm the one who sets the punishments, too.  There have been a few struggles in our house over things like money and chores over the years, but my family has learned that my ideas are sound, my rules are fair.

My husband and I have had struggles about punishments for the children, stemming from one time when he forbid them to play with their Legos for a weekend.  Since that was their favorite toy, it because a serious bone of contention.  It was winter, very cold and yucky outside, meaning the kids couldn't go outside to play.  I was trapped in the house with two boys, who couldn't play with their favorite toys, and in the end, who really suffered?  It wasn't them.  It was me.  So I told my husband that the new rule was that all punishments had to be okayed by me. There was no point in making me suffer more than the kids were. I was the one who was having to come up with things for them to do.

 Money has also become my domain, and what I say, goes.  If there is a big a purchase we want/need to make, we talk it over, and figure out how to budget it.  If it is just a want, then there is a lot of compromise that has to go on. We learned that from what I refer to as the "XBox 360 Incident".  The XBox became a serious issue for us, because it was bought without any discussion, and caused us some financial issues, that we are still digging out of, over 5 years later.  It wasn't the main thing that caused the issue, but even though it was a fraction of the problem, it didn't help matters.  It was at that time I came up with the rule that all major purchases had to be okayed by me, especially if they were for pleasure, not home improvement.  

We're still learning, because our kids are growing, and circumstances are changing all the time around us, so the rules have to be as fluid as our lives are.  Old rules go away.  New rules come into play.  It's a learning experience for all us, and it is just perfect.  For us.  

No Electronics? No Problem!

I'm one of those weird moms who has almost no electronic devices for my kids.

They are nine years old, and only just this past Christmas did they each get their own controller for my husbands Xbox 360, and their first games, Minecraft and Lego Star Wars.

Yes, it is odd in this day and age, I know.  And there are several reasons why we haven't given our kids any electronics.  The main being is that they are expensive, and since we have twins, we would really need to get two of whatever device we decided they were responsible enough to have.  And since they have inherited my unerring gracefulness, I can guarantee that the screens would be cracked, or it would be broken, in no time flat.

I have had some moms ask me how I keep the kids occupied without electronic devices.

At home, the boys build and play with Legos, Lincoln Logs,  and other building toys.  Or they spend hours drawing, and creating fabulous comic books.  (Someday when I can find it, I'll post the classic of "Super Foxy and Super Radar Against the Poop Monster".  Seriously.  It's a classic in the making.)

When we travel, or have to go somewhere where there might be a waiting time, they read.  A lot. We have been reading to them since they were born, and both boys are addicted to books, almost as much as I am.  A big deal for them is going to Goodwill and getting "new to them" books.

I have also come up with a notebook for "Travel and Waiting Games".  Some are fun, some are educational, but they all pretty much are things that help pass the time and keep them occupied.

I bought a three ring binder at my local dollar store, and made a really classy cover for it.  

I also bought a pencil bag, along with some dice, dry erase markers, and threw some rubber bands in there too.  (I'm not sure why the rubber bands, but better to have them and not need them....)

One of the games I put in was a game I cut off the back of cereal box.  Heck, it might be a simple game, but it will occupy them for a while.

I also scored a bunch of Mad Libs pads.  When I was a kid, I was always disappointed when we would finish a Mad Libs pad.  I remedied that by tearing up the pad, taping the pages together, and slipping them into page protectors.  The words can be filled in using the dry erase markers, and then erased later on.  Reusable Mad Libs!  How cool is that?

I also have a bunch of shapes that have been cut out of cardstock.  I believe they were used in one of their math classes, but the boys love playing with them, creating little scenes and characters.  If you look close, there are also flash cards in there.  You wouldn't believe how attractive a simple board game looks when being offered the opportunity to run through the flash cards.

Other things I have been known to throw in with the notebook are colored pencils, an odd coloring book, a sketch pad, or a graph paper pad.  Graph paper pads are great for Tic Tac Toe, Hangman, or Dots and Lines.  Pretty much any pen and pencil game.  

So, there you have it.  Simple ways to keep kids occupied when having to wait or travel anywhere.  When all else fails, we talk.  I love learning about my kids' lives, their dreams, their goals.  

How do you help keep your kids occupied without electronic devices?

 

Everything Old is New Again

When living on a restricted budget, and in a very small house, the search for attractive storage is almost continual.  Especially when one is an avid rabid reader.  Books accumulate.  Stuff accumulates.  And even if this stuff is used on a weekly basis, it still needs to be stored somewhere.

Have you priced furniture lately?  It's expensive.  Even trying to buy used furniture can add up.

I'm always trying to figure out ways to redecorate on the cheap.

I had these two great pieces that I acquired from my mom. Two sets of drawers with hutches on top.

Initially, I had them in my dining room.  The hutches made a nice display for things that I used every day, or at least every week.  But they were too small for what I wanted.  My cookbooks didn't fit on them, either.  I wanted something a little more all inclusive.  

After examining the bookshelves in my living room, I realized that this one that I had painted in lovely pastel shades.  I cleared all the books off it, and cleaned it up a bit.  I switched the sets and it became an excellent exchange.  

I'm now looking into exchanging the set of cabinets and drawers just to the left of the bookshelf into the playroom/man cave/guest room.  There's another bookshelf in there, and since it matches the one that is in the dining room, it would be much better in there.  It would offer storage space for some of my appliances (toaster oven, yogurt maker, blender, things like that), and will make life a little more convenient.  

Because I have managed to organize things a little better, I might be able to swing getting a worktable for things like my bread maker and mixer.  

This is what life is all about.  Compromises and simplicity.

Utility Bills and Saving

I have a dream that we move out of our subdivision, and onto a lovely piece of land, use solar and wind power, and have a well instead of city water.

Until that magical day comes, we will scrimp and save and try to manage our bills as best we can.

One way we manager our ever-growing water bill is to put a bucket in our shower.

It's not pretty, but it is HIGHLY functional.

Try this sometime:  Take a large plastic tub that's empty and put it in your shower.  Turn your shower on, and wait until it is up to the proper temperature for you.  Now, look in the tub.  What do you see?  Water that YOU have paid for, literally going down the drain.

Now, I don't recommend keeping a 20 gallon storage tote in your shower.  However, a three gallon bucket is very do-able in most cases.  It's three gallons of water we have paid for, and will use.

I will use it to flush a toilet, water plants (especially if there is no soap in it), throw it into the washing machine, wash a car, mop a floor, the possibilities are endless, really.  *** Keep in mind, this is considered "greywater" and should NOT be used in cooking or drinking, ONLY for cleaning, flushing toilets, anything where it will not be consumed!***  By saving at least three gallons of water per shower we save 9 gallons per day.  It is a tiny savings.  Minuscule, actually.  But every minuscule change leads to slightly bigger changes.  It is the bigger changes that we strive for.  Working for those changes in an imperfectly perfect way.

To Budget or Not To Budget...

Can I tell you a secret?

I don't really have a food budget.
Now, for a family that lives paycheck to paycheck, that might seem kind of shocking, but it's the truth. However, there is a good reason for it.

We never know what is going on clearance at the grocery store from one week to the next.  Mostly what we buy on clearance is meat.  Since we have a nice size chest freezer, and I'm kind of turning into a canning freak, buying up a lot of meat that is on clearance turns into something of a steal for us.

Here's how it works:  Meat, like fruits and vegetables, have "seasons".  Sort of.  So your local grocery orders the usual amount of, say, ground beef from the warehouse around the holiday season (Thanksgiving to New Years).  But really, who is buying ground beef during that time?  Most people are buying turkey and ham and roasts and stew beef and things like that.  Most people are not wanting a lot of ground beef.  So, the ground beef winds up going on clearance.  My husband (who is a meat cutter, and therefore can alert me to the really great deals) will call me and ask me if we have enough money to get extra meat.  I will let him know what the finances say, and tell him how much he can spend.  This past holiday season, we wound up scoring over 30 lbs of ground beef for less than half what it would have normally cost us.

We also shop all the special sales.  When the bags of frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts go on sale buy 2, get 3 free, yeah, we go crazy.  We will buy the max number we can, which is usually 10 bags.  There are generally around 7-9 breasts in each bag.  We use, AT MOST, three per meal.  So generally, what I will wind up doing is opening the bags and re-packaging them with our FoodSaver machine.  (I really recommend a FoodSaver machine.  It is fantastic and is great for helping preserve food.)  (This is NOT an affiliate link.)  We do the same with the chicken leg quarter family packs.

Basically, we stretch the meat out as far as it will go.  Casseroles and soups go a long way in our house.  They might not be fancy, but they are filling, and that is what we are looking for.

All our other staples- flour, eggs, sugar, etc- we buy in bulk whenever we can at our local big box store.  I love to cook and bake, so buying the basics in bulk makes my life a lot easier.  I do the same with our spices and herbs.

 Buying in bulk means having to store a lot.  But it also means that I know I will have on hand what I need, when I need it.

It's my imperfectly perfect way of doing things.