August 23, 2010

Back to the Grind...

I don't know about you, but I have been feeling stressed out lately.

Since Sassy returned to preschool last week, we have been working on getting into a new "routine". I use the term loosely, since my work schedule fluctuates so much from week to week. I still have hope that things will reach some sort of normal once the dust settles. I guess time will tell.

Afternoon preschool is weird. It seems like we have just enough time in the morning to not get anything productive accomplished. Is this what I have to look forward to for the next 9 months?? By the time the girls wake up, eat breakfast, brush their teeth, and get dressed, we scarcely have enough time to run a local errand or get to an appointment before it's time for me to prepare and serve lunch and get Sassy off to school at noon.

I guess I'm not sold yet.

Oh, and then don't even get me started on Little A. For months, I have looked forward to a quiet afternoon with Sassy at school while Little A naps. You know- time to complete paperwork, blog, organize and edit photos, the likes. So, yeah... point-2 seconds after Sassy started preschool, Little A has decided to go on nap strike. For reals. I didn't have problems with Sassy giving up a nap until 2.5. Not ready for this!! As we speak I type, Little A is up in her crib yelling and propelling her 6,792 stuffed animals and blankets over the side rail.

Family dinners, how I loathe planning, shopping for, and preparing thee. We have attempted to start the school year off on the right foot with our healthy eating. I need suggestions, friends- how do you plan and organize for meals? How many do you shop for at a time? How do you stay withing your budget? For whatever reason, I am having a hell of a time with this lately, which typically equates to grabbing takeout way more often than is healthy or financially sound. Help!!

Am I the only person on the face of this earth that absolutely, positively despises putting away laundry? I can wash and fold all the live-long day. Actually taking the clothing to respective bedrooms and placing in proper areas of clothing storage- I'd rather stick needles in my eyes. Oh, and speaking of laundry- please share your best tips on cleaning your washing machine. I have done several cycles of vinegar and even resorted to bleach, which I actually had to go out and buy for the occasion (I HATE bleach), and it still smells less than stellar. I have taken Q-tips soaked in cleaner and physically cleaned away the build-up, too. What gives?

Well, I could likely go on and on, but I'll save the rest of my bitching for another day. Ta-ta...

9 sweet tweets:

Cat said...

It was good to see you the other night! It's been a long time :)

I plan out 5 days worth of meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) on Friday night, then shop on Saturday - we usually wing it on weekends for food. I try to plan around what's in my freezer and make more than one meal that uses the same ingredients (aka lasagna and chili can use the same jar of sauce) to keep costs down. I also make my own homemade broth and make a lot of soup. And loads of stir-frys and the like that use lots of cheap frozen veggies and brown rice. (even so, we still go over budget a lot of weeks - how does that happen?)

The only advice I have for the washer, you probably already do. Never put clothes in there until you're ready to start the wash, and leave the lid up after the load is done so it can dry/air out. I really hate putting clothes away too - I'm especially guilty of re-starting the dryer 'just to be sure it's really dry' when really I just don't want to get things out and put them away :p

Your girls are adorable! Hope to see more of you soon :)

rduxler said...

So... I just left you a long comment and then lost it. Don't have time to re-create now, but here's a synapsis:

1) What Cat said on the menu-planning/grocery shopping thing. I pretty much do the exact same thing.

2) Try Tide washing machine cleaner for your washer. You have to use it something like every week at first, but then you can cut back to using it once a month.

3) Hang in there momma! We are all with you on the griping, and I don't know anyone who has it all pulled together. And the reason I don't have much time is because Eli is yelling at me from his room after 2 hours of trying to get him down for a nap (because HELLO?!? You're rubbing your eyes and fighting to keep them open). {{{HUGS}}}

rduxler said...

Okay, now that Eli is up and both kids are happily playing with play dough here (something I'm sure I'll regret...), I was also going to add that I do a lot of food prep on Sunday afternoons when I can. Cutting up vegetables, making sauces/salsas, putting small snacks together, etc. If I can get away with it, I will also prepare meals at this time too. That way during the week I can put together meals pretty quickly. It also helps to have my fruits and veggies all cut up because then I can just set those out if the kids are hungry while I'm making dinner, and I don't have to feel bad about them 'snacking' before dinner. This in itself, while it sounds so simple, has actually cut down on our eating out a lot because I'm more prepared to throw meals together without a lot of time.

Sherry said...

I'm looking forward to reading all the comments people leave about the food prep and stuff...that's a challenge at our house as well. The local restaurants know us by name...pretty sad.

Sorry to hear about the nap strike. I've got no advice for you there, knock on wood, Ethan is a pretty good napper.

And the laundry ordeal, honest to God, I've got one full basket of clean clothes sitting at my feet this very moment. Two more full ones at the top of the steps and one full of dirty clothes at the end of our bed. Why is it that our husbands are oblivious to these white baskets???? :)

Lisa said...

We do the same thing Cat does but on Sundays. Andrew and I make a list of meals from Sun-Fri. We will look through the Dillons ad to see if we can make things from what is on sale to keep the cost down. A big thing we do is buy meat that we can cook and then make several different meals out of. Saturday we designated as our eat out day for one meal and then just wing it for the other.

I also despise putting laundry away. Andrew and I have gotten really good at putting ours away after we put the kids to bed but the kid's clothes will sit in their baskets for days.

Anonymous said...

Don't have anything new to add about the meal prep thing. I definitely am with Lisa about checking the dillons ad for the week and planning meals according to whats on sale, especially when it comes to produce. I also do a lot of stir-fry like Cat mentioned using frozen veggies and brown rice, both very cheap. And you know me, I freeze EVERYTHING!!! If there is an absolutely killer deal on something, I stock up, or I just divide it into portions and freeze it. We have a foodsaver vacuum sealer that you can use on anything from meats to produce.

Doesn't it feel good to gripe once and awhile?!

Anonymous said...

I still cook every night even though it is just me and the kids. I loath fast food or eating out. I try to do a fish, chicken, beef, pork, and a crock pot meal each week. I am am all about fresh, fresh, fresh. We wing it on Friday nights or do something fun and eat with the parents on Sundays. I stay in budget by ONLY buying what I must have that week. ONLY. And I use coupons and shop the ad.

Kendra said...

First off- you clean your washing machine? I didn't know that was needed...oops!

Second- JUST LAST NIGHT, I went to the grocery store with a list a mile long and some of those foil baking pans. Tonight I am preparing 4 meals ahead of time to freeze in those foil baking pans. I will then add the baking instructions on top with a sharpie or a post it or something, along with a note about what needs to be added (i.e. "chicken breast supreme. Bake at 350 for 1.5 hrs. Make rice as side). Will see how it goes!!!

Third- there is currently piles of clean, folded clothes on our bed. Tonight I will probably move them from the bed to the floor so I can crawl into the bed. Why don't I just put them in their drawers? I don't know. I just hate to.

Elainne F said...

Three words - Day of Rest!!! It the only way I keep from falling off the ledge!!