Monday, August 04, 2008

Should be snoozing in bed but....

One of us didn't get the laundry done this afternoon or earlier this evening.

Seriously folks, I really need to work on some kind of organizational schedule so I can get my house in order. I am now home for several days out of the week, but it seems like I haven't gotten too much accomplished. I am going to give myself the goal of getting the master bedroom and bathroom in order by Friday.

This weekend is going to be devoted to getting the guest bedroom packed and cleared out. My oldest son moved to Iowa last year and the room is still full of his things, as though he were still living here. So it is time to pack it up and make it into the guest bedroom and my studio.

My shopping for the downstairs will entail finding a long curtain rod that will stretch the length of the double patio doors so I can make curtains. We've had long blinds on one side and the other side is broke. I have been waiting for hubby to buy and install another set, but today -- for some odd reason-- I realized that curtains would not only work as well, but be a little more decorative. I plan on shopping at Big Lots and trying to find the curtain rod, however I will also try Target and Wal-Mart if I don't find what I have in mind. I am trying to decide whether I am going to make curtains or just buy them pre-made. That will also depend on the price difference.

I am also looking for a small freezer. Hopefully I can find a small one that we can put downstairs so I can start doing some freezer cooking. I have several cookbooks where you make several entrees and freeze them, but I haven't done anything with these yet. One is the Super Suppers cookbook and several of the recipes look really good. Wouldn't it be great to spend a day cooking then have 30 days worth of entrees ready to just thaw and cook? When I go by Sam's Friday, I am going to pick up an industrial size box of freezer bags and aluminum foil to get myself ready. I am hoping to be able to get the kitchen in good shape and organized so I can do 15 days worth of recipes to try out some of the different recipes. If anyone in Wichita sees a great deal on a small freezer, email me and let me know. I'd definitely appreciate it! I don't think we need one of the really huge ones, but a small one would be great. Just something that would allow me to get a month's worth of entrees, plus other extra stuff (frozen pizzas, ice cream, etc.) in there so I can shop the sales more efficiently and buy in bulk when the good deals come along. Having meals in the freezer will also help out if I am ever down for the count like most of last week or gone from the house for whatever reason. Although hubby is an excellent cook, it would be great if all he had to do was pull an entree out of the fridge on days I am not able and he has worked all day or the boys could get dinner started in the oven before he gets home. It would just make things easier all around.

Big goals--now I just need to get some action behind them. Since it is getting cooler, I'd love to have the inside of the house in order so we can turn our attention to the outside of the house. There are several hedges that are not only severely overgrown, but in need of being removed. The previous owners planted them right up against the house and I noticed they were pushing up underneath the siding.

Not good.

So they are going to be either completely taken out or moved to the area between our house and the neighbor to the East. That would allow me to reuse and recycle, but I'm not sure all the bushes are the kind I want to reuse. One is really huge and will probably not make the transplanting, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

I know, much ado about nothing...

4 comments:

Lara said...

Getting cooler? What planet are you living on?! It was 104 today! 104!!!!!! The kids and I were melting out there getting registered for school and doing the school supply/grocery shopping. Ick.

Anyway, um, yeah. I've been thinking about the freezer cooking, too. I really do not like cooking, but could definitely handle condensing the bulk of the work to one day a month.

Rhonda said...

True--I should have said UNTIL it gets cooler I'm working inside. Because heaven knows I will not be outside sweating over the garden in this heat! I don't even make it to Twist or The Beadery without having to crank the a/c! How did our grandparents do without a/c?!

I do all my errands in the early a.m while kids are at football practice (since I have to get up early anyway)at 6 a.m...Now that's fun--try driving with the windows rolled up with a 3 or 4 teenagers in the car after they've had 2 hours of excercise in the sun...EWW.......LOL

Everyone I know that does freezer cooking swears by it, I just haven't had the block of time to commit. I guess that's a cop out. I am planning to do a mini session this weekend so I can try half a month's worth of recipes out.

Donna said...

I've had good luck finding long curtain rods at Lowe's. Do you have those in your neck of the woods? If not, perhaps Home Depot? When we bought out house, I took out all of the gross, old blinds and put in curtains. Much nicer!

Rhonda said...

Good idea Donna!

And it is great to hear from you!

Guess what? I am trying a lace pattern! Actually I'm doing it in worsted weight to try it out, but I figure I'll tackle a lighter yarn after I get the technique down.