It's Been a While...

...but on the cleaning front, things have been pretty good.  The only day I forgot to make my bed since I last posted, I remembered around 1pm and did it then, so it still counts.  Today I washed my sheets so I'll have to put new ones on and "make" the bed sometime tonight.  The laundry is getting done fairly promptly.  The kitchen is staying a bit cleaner.  I haven't had quite as much time this weekend as I would have liked, and a lot of things are not done and need to be, but as I get more organized in life it will get easier.

In the meantime, I've been cooking up a storm with the end-of-summer produce.  The greatest tip that I can give to anyone is to cook more than you need and freeze it for another day.  I've been at my job for 6 months, and I've bought lunch at the cafeteria ONCE.  If I don't have leftovers, I grab something from the freezer.  I've got chili (more than one kind) and the cornbread to go with it, a few different soups, lasagna, turkey meatloaf, muffins galore.  It's saved me loads of money, time, and likely calories too.

Cleaning Update

So over the past weekend we cleaned fairly thoroughly according to the lists we made (see the last post).  It's Tuesday night and we're still going strong.  There are a bunch of dishes and we'll need to wipe down the counters, but other than that, we barely even have to do any of our daily tasks - AND we've made the bed every day so far!  I know it doesn't sound like much, but I don't think our house has ever been this clean all at once.  I'm really impressed with what we have accomplished and I hope we are able to keep up with it - that should only require minimal effort going forward.

For now, I'll be on the lookout for some more quick fixes and anything else that can make our lives easier.  The feeling of satisfaction that I get from looking around and seeing that nothing needs to be done and I can relax is just so great right now as I am in such a busy time in my life.

The List

I live with my BF, and cleaning is something we constantly fight about.  We've tried pretty much everything - making a list, making a schedule, having assigned chores, asking nicely when we want something done... and none of it works.

Here are some things I've learned about myself during the 4+ years this has been going on:

• I don't like to be told what to do
• I don't like to be told when to do it
• I don't like to do things in the morning or right when I get home
• I don't like to get stuck with the worst chores every time (and neither does anyone else)
• I'm rarely in the mood to clean, but when I am, I can get a lot done
• Having the opportunity to check something off the list makes me want to do it more

So I've come up with a new plan - and for once it seems like it might work.

I made a list of things to be done daily, weekly, and less often.  Instead of assigning specific tasks to each of us, we sat down together and each chose things from the master list to put on our individual lists.  I came up with some suggested times to do some of the daily tasks - around 9 at night, when we've had time to unwind for the day, and before we get ready for bed.  I'm often sitting around until very late, too tired to get up to go to bed, and so I think getting up to do a few things around the house will actually help me get ready for bed earlier too.  Hopefully it works!

Daily

1. Make bed
2. Squeegee shower
3. Wash dishes (by hand)
4. Load/unload dishwasher
5. Clear and wipe kitchen surfaces
6. Clear and wipe bathroom counters
7. Sort dirty laundry
8. Take out garbage (if full)
9. Clean litterbox (if taking out garbage)
10. Sweep kitchen
11. De-fur couch and chairs

Weekly

1. Clear dining room table and coffee table
2. Wash and fold laundry
3. Take out recycling
4. Clear dresser and nightstands
5. Clean bathrooms thoroughly
6. Vacuum carpets
7. Mop kitchen and bathrooms
8. Change sheets
9. Clean shower
10. Clean microwave and stove
11. Clean surfaces of appliances

Less often

1. Clean out and wipe down inside of refrigerator
2. Dust, including fan and lights
3. Wash windows/mirrors
4. De-fur vertical blinds
5. Shredding
6. Wash garbage can
7. Wash mattress pad

So far, we've accomplished a lot - it's only the middle of the day on Saturday, so we actually have quite a bit of time to finish.  We're looking forward to next weekend, since everything we're doing will be even easier!  Hopefully this will lead to more happiness and less stress for both of us.

The Importance of Basic Skills in the Kitchen

In my last post I mentioned an article that argues for Home Economics to be taught (properly) in schools to combat obesity in America.  Basic skills in the kitchen can go a long way.

I have a friend (a good friend whom I like very much!) who is not only a picky eater, but also hates to cook.  She survives on takeout and frozen microwaveable dinners.  Once, she wanted to bake cookies for a family party, and I had to have her come over so I could take her step by step through the recipe.  This person is real, but this also used to be me.  I think I've come a long way from calling my sister to ask how to boil water (yes, this really happened).

Lately I've been realizing just how proficient I have become in the kitchen since starting to learn to cook about 2 years ago.  I have developed a thorough knowledge of a few dishes which I can make without referring to a recipe or measuring anything out.  Over the weekend, while down the shore with my family, I whipped up a frittata without thinking twice.  Just today I made a pot of chili for my mom, using up odds and ends from the cabinets and the refrigerator.  Was it the best chili I've ever made?  No, but it was delicious.  My sister enjoyed it.  And I took what I had and made it into a decent meal.  Aside from the small amount of meat in it, it was all beans, vegetables, and spices - that's it.  Not once did I consult a recipe at least for some sort of vague inspiration - I got by on my existing knowledge and confidence alone.  I'm actually pretty proud of myself.  I hope my skills continue to improve, but I think I'm a good example of how anyone can learn the basics.

With these skills and just a little bit of passion and interest, I've been able to make "frozen microwaveable dinners" from scratch.  I'll never rely on takeout (though I'll always enjoy and appreciate it).  When I need to be a bit more budget-conscious (and that time is surely approaching) I'll have the skills I need to eat well and nourish myself properly.

Article: "Revive Home Economics Classes to Fight Obesity"

Just came across an interesting article in the New York Times, Revive Home Economics Classes to Fight Obesity.  The author suggests that teaching real cooking in schools can help fight back against the obesity epidemic in America, and I agree.  Beyond teaching the basics of food and nutrition, Home Economics can teach, well, home economics - those basic skills you need to be on your own.  I remember learning sewing in my Home Ec class in middle school - I don't remember any of it now, but I wish I did, as I have a pile of clothes needing tiny repairs and I am too often taking things to the dry cleaners to be fixed instead of just doing it myself for less time and much less money.  Basic cleaning tips would be helpful too - how to use baking soda to clean things, what not to mix together, should you go back and forth or in circles, etc.  Too many people don't have these basic skills (myself included, though I feel I've gone above and beyond with the food part by this point) and teaching them in schools would certainly help.

In the meantime, I'll be trying to pick up on some of these skills in order to better myself and feel more independent.

A Project

I'm working on a project...

Hurricane Cleaning

Something like spring cleaning... but not.

In preparation for the hurricane, while we were stuck inside from the rain, we completely cleared off the kitchen counter and wiped it down.  This may seem like something that needs to be done often, which it is, but we removed all of the constant items like my spinning kitchen tool holder and my platter of tomatoes and cleaned underneath them too.

I also vacuumed the bedroom! all by myself, and I vacuumed a lot of the cat hair off of the futon in the living room.

We cleaned out the refrigerator as best we could, since it's fairly likely that our power will go out.  If it's off for 4 hours, we will need to throw away perishables in the fridge.  My flour and vegetables will be fine.  I think my pickles and roasted cherry tomatoes packed in oil and homemade whole grain mustard will be fine too.  Milk, soymilk, 8 eggs, 2 pint cartons of egg whites will all have to go, and we'll have no way to cook them.  This is a good opportunity to use things up, so we're making "hurricane pasta" with some tomato sauce and roasted vegetables that are lingering in the fridge, plus mozzarella cheese.  The plan is to grab a plastic bag full of icepacks from the freezer immediately when we reach the 4 hour mark, put it in a cooler, and take all perishables out of the fridge into the cooler - then eat them as soon as possible.

Today showed me that individual cleaning things don't really take that much time.  If we can try to do them more often, instead of all at once, we will be doing the same amount or maybe even less work and things will look and feel better on a regular basis.