Of fishes and kids

This past Saturday we took Oath and L, our nephew, on a day trip that ended up being our first sleep-over. Hooray! 

Oath and L spend many afternoons together at my in-law's, and they are best friends as well as cousins. They love each other dearly and are always asking for each other's whereabouts. So, when it was L's 5th birthday last month, we decided we'd give him something more meaningful than a toy or some soccer-related stuff (which is his favorite thing ever): we would gift our time and Oath's presence, and take them both to the Aquarium.

The day, rainy and grey as it was, started later than we wanted for several reasons, and plans had to change a bit, but we all rolled with it. In the end, we picked L up at late in the morning and had lunch at my in-law's, where Oath had spent the night (there's been quite a lot of plan-changing, this weekend!). After lunch, we got in the car and off to see fishes we went!

They were very well behaved most of the time, and even if Oath kept having meltdowns for one reason or another (we still haven't worked out why, but my guess is he was too excited about the whole thing), L weathered his cousin's tantrums like a pro. The time we were in the Aquarium, though, they had so much fun they forgot about it all and kept laughing, pointing and squealing all the time. We have some videos and they are just like two caffeinated chipmunks, going from one tank to the other and gasping in delight at every new animal they saw.

Honestly, I had a blast too. I expected something much smaller, having been to some pretty huge aquariums in my life, but was pleasantly surprised. From sturgeons to turtles, all through sharks, nautilus, and penguins, there was plenty to be seen. They loved the sea-horses and the big shark tank where turtles bigger than them seemed to wave us hello. I was in awe at the shark eggs, where you could clearly see the tiny shark-embryos moving around, and the jellyfish in their blue-lit tank. Partner unexpectedly got all attached to each and every kind of starfish there, and it was so cute!

But the big hit? The big hit were the otters. Sadly, they were too sad for my photographer abilities, so all I've got is a bunch of pictures of a big blur of fur and bubbles. Oops!

Once we were back home they also had a blast playing and turning Oath's room upside down while we adults laid down to rest for a bit. I take my hat off at the parents of two closely aged kids: managing a 5 and a 3.5 year old just for an evening was exhausting!

There were pancakes for dinner and strawberries with milk for dessert, three books before bed and giggles up until nearly midnight.

All in all, it was a blast!

Oath's mom

Menu Plan Monday, 29 feb. - 6 mar.

I won't lie: one of the things that went out the window when I got sucked way too deep into this illness was menu planning. This meant that our nutrition went downhill too, because it meant that, as we had nothing planned, I would cook nothing and we'd make do with scraps or junk food. Thankfully, Oath had lunch (the big meal around here) at daycare, and now he's having it at kindergarten, so he did not suffer much from our bad diet. I knew that shouldn't be happening, but I had no energy to change it, so that was the state of things for about two and a half years.

I tried to start that habit again and again, but I never could keep it going for longer than a couple of weeks at a time. Partner wasn't particularly interested in helping me plan it out, and when I did he wasn't particularly interested in cooking his share, either, which coupled with my lack of motivation... well, let's say it was doomed from the beginning.

But then, I started my bullet journal.

I started it because I felt the need to do something towards organization without being too tied up to one strict method. It doesn't make much sense, I know, but it has somehow worked for me. Since then, in January, meal planning started to happen again. At first, it was slow-going, but then I found my pace and I am so glad I did! We spend much less, we eat much better, and there is less stress and frustration for all involved.

So, this week's menu plan is:

Monday:

• "A la cubana" rice
• Fish sticks + red cabbage salad 

Tuesday:

• Spaghetti carbonara
• Nachos 

Wednesday:

• Oven-baked mackerel with veggies
•  Hot-dogs

Thursday:

• Peas and ham
• Noodle soup 

Friday:

•  Mushroom and shrimp cream
• Chickpeas with "chorizo"

Saturday:

 We've planned a day-trip with Oath and his cousin/our nephew, L., so we won't have lunch at home. Probably not dinner, either.

Sunday: 

• Macaroni with tuna.
• French omelettes   

 Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie's weekly "Menu Plan Monday".

Oath's Mom

A weekend to catch up

It's a fact: a busy off-line life means a lack of online life. 

The silence on the blog just means that I've been running up and down, with lots of things to do and too little time to do them, not that I am gone. My mind has been occupied by my studies, mostly, and Oath's increasing taste for danger (his passion for outlets, power cords and trying to throw himself off of beds, cribs and couches are a constant source of activity in this house!) hasn't made things better, either.

But the blog hasn't been the only thing to suffer from my absence: our house is a mess. If I got a penny for every time I say this, I'd be rich soon, but it's true. When I have to let go of something to retain my sanity, order and organization are some of the first things to go (as is food, which explains my lack of menu planing lately). And oh, have I let go lately!

The old me would be so appalled that this happened that she would not know what to do. The new me (the mom me) knows what she has to do: start again, keep trying, not give up. Preferably before Monday.

Why? I do not work well when there's people around: if I feel watched, I turn into a clumsy bunch of nerves and nothing gets done. But Partner is gone this whole weekend and this means it's the perfect time to do a quick home rescue mission! Oath is here (but I can clean with him watching me, thankfully!), so a bit of organization and planning ahead is needed:

Click to expand

This is how my weekend will hopefully go. What about yours? Now that summer is just around the corner, are you taking time to relax or, like me, frantically trying to get everything in order?

Oath's Mom

Oath's Birthday

Some days ago my little boy turned one. I had expected it to be an emotional moment, or that at least I'd spend the evening thinking about all the feelings and pain and nerves that I went through one year ago. But nothing of this happened. I didn't even notice it when 07:07pm (the minute he was laid on my chest for the first time) went by. It was when we were coming back home, near 10pm, when I looked at him, so peaceful in his car seat, looking at the sunset and smiling at the trees, that I thought that he had been by my side for longer than a year.

So hard to believe, and yet so easy!

I had never cared about birthdays before, they just seemed like an excuse to celebrate and eat cake. Not that eating cake is bad, but... well, it wasn't something I looked forward to. Even my last birthday I felt like this. But with Oath's... Suddenly everything made sense. This is why we celebrate them! The joy of having lived a whole Sun revolution by the side of such an amazing human being was too big to not be celebrated.
And so I did.

I had wanted to host a party at our flat, and started preparing for it: I planned a cake, some party favors, invitations, some bunting to hang and under which to take a family photo... Things never go exactly as planned, though, so we ended up at my in-laws. Part of the reason was that my mom and my sisters were visiting, and our apartment is too small.

I had already done the crocheted bunting, which is now hanging on our bedroom's window, waiting patiently for the day Oath's room will be ready. Hopefully, that will be soon and he'll have a place full of color to play in (and our living room will have less toys on the floor!)

I also made the cake, and oh, was it good! It was just a striped yogurt and chocolate cake, with Nutella, straight from the jar, as frosting/glue (so yummy!). While decorating, I discovered that fondant is easier to work with than I expected, though it is extremely sweet.

And a batch of cookies following this recipe, but there are no photos: we ate them fast! I did not use vanilla (I don't like it, so I skip it in many recipes), and they tasted like pure cocoa, not too sweet. Perfect after the extra-sweet cake!

Everything else did not get done, but I don't mind much. Close family does not need an invitation, and I can still do the photo book with the best of this past year's photos. What is important is the joy, the celebration of the time spent together, the renewal of that mother's oath (which I may re-write soon, because life changes and grows and so do my promises to my little boy).

I love you, Oath. Happy birthday, my son.

Oath's mom

April evaluation

So, the kitchen month. It was a very short month, what with being two weeks away from home and starting studying right when I got back, but I managed to do some things. In fact, going by feeling alone, I manage to do quite a lot of things (we'll see if it's true, in the end!).

What did I do?

• Tackle the bags drawer. Get rid of the ones that can't be reused and fold the other ones, so that they aren't trying to take over the whole kitchen. Restrain those bags, ma'am! I'm halfway through it, and I'm keeping up folding the new bags that come home, so I'll consider it mostly done.
• Clean the cutlery drawer. It is the most organized part of the kitchen, so it might not need much more. Oops. Not done.
• Put some kind of order in the mixer and the bowls drawers. Done. Also, I cleaned it.
• Organize and clean the "plastic containers + mixing bowls + baking pans + everything else that fits here" big drawers. Done! As above, also cleaned.
• Same for the tiny cutting boards and wrappers drawer. Uhh... No, not really.
• Clean the pots and pans drawers. Done!
• Brave the fridge! Get rid of leftovers and food past its date (if any), clean, reorganize. I had also started reorganizing, but then a big meal with friends came and Partner took over it, and now any semblance of order is gone.
• Organize under the sink cabinet. If at all possible, replace chemicals with homemade cleaners. Not done. I managed to keep Oath very far away from it, though, does this count?
• Buy/find some alphabet magnets Oath can play with. My mom has some in his kitchen and he loved them! Not done, I haven't found any that I liked!
• Review the plans, see what worked and what didn't. Post. Doing it!

Well, what can I say? It certainly felt like more!

Now, I know why it is: I organized the entry shoe-rack-thingie drawer, and the one in the kitchen that's full of warranty papers that I didn't think of while doing the plan, plus the one with the stick blender, the elastics and kitchen towels, and such. I also organized half the pantry cabinets, which aren't many, but there was quite a lot of work there. And, completely unrelated, tackled Oath's room again as we gave the beds back to Partner's brother. Keeping all of this in mind, I'd say it's been quite a good month.

8.5/10 for me, for the effort!

Oath's mom

PS: And yes, as I said, I have photos... but they aren't really interesting and it does not feel like they fit. If you want to see them, though, just tell me!

May plan

I'm going a bit out of order here, as I haven't done my kitchen month evaluation yet, but I hope you'll forgive me. I'll tell you, though, that I'm quite sure I succeeded, and that there's some photos this time (not amazing photos, mind you: my pots and pans drawer isn't a beauty...)!

 

In this new Ready, steady, clean! 2013 plan installment I am supposed to tackle the master bedroom (which is, to be honest, the only real bedroom as of now). I've been itching to put away the winter clothes and get out the summer ones, but have been postponing it until this month, so I am so glad it is May already!

But it doesn't matter how much do I want to do this month's tasks, because I am in exam mode. This goes two ways, so who know how it all will end up: on one hand, I must study because I have my priorities straight (right?); on the other, the only think that makes me want to clean more than anything in the world is studying (procrastination at it's best! In fact, I should be studying now... and what am I doing? Talking about cleaning. So predictable!). If I manage to follow this month plan, prepare Oath's birthday (one year already! My, time sure flies by!) and pass all my exams, I'm going pass out of happiness.

So, back on track.

 

The facts:

• My clothes need organizing. Badly. Specially because I no longer need five polar fleece jackets, and some more short sleeved T-shirts would be great to have on hand.
• Partner's clothes are a mess, too!
• But this month is full of things that need to be done: studies, birthday parties...

The plan:

• First things first: season clothes switcharoo.
• Organize my clothes.
• Organize Partner's clothes (after all, I am the one who puts them away after folding, so I might as well know where should everything go!). I'll need his assistance on this one, so he knows where everything is, too.
• That bit on the top of our small closet? Linens go there, and if I can organize them by bed-size, even better.
• Towels should be rolled up and stacked at the bottom right, for easy access.
• Organize under-the-bed storage.
• Clean outside the window! I always forget this one, and then wonder why it doesn't look as clean as I know it should...
• Review the plans, see what worked and what didn't. Post. 

I already did some things (like re-arranging the shelves and clearing the top of the dresser) before this month started, so it should be easy.

Wish me luck!

Oath's mom

April Plan

Nearly half a month late, my Ready, steady, clean! 2013 plan comes again. This time I have an excuse, as I've been out of home until some years ago, but this is not excuse enough to completely give up. Oh, no: if I've learned one thing from having a child is that giving up is not an option. So there we go!

April is the kitchen month. I've been looking forward to it, because there are so many things that can be done! So many cabinets in need of a serious organizations, and so many drawers that can turn into quick and satisfying projects.
Now, I can fail very easily: less than 20 days to do it, with my exams coming up on May... it will be easy to get distracted from this plan. But now that I enjoy being in the kitchen, that I can bake again, I want it done. So it means I'll have to do it.

The facts:

• Even though some years ago I wouldn't have believed it, I love being in the kitchen: cooking, baking, snacking...
• A little organization would make my cook like easier...
• ...as there is hardly any organization right now!

The plan:

• Tackle the bags drawer. Get rid of the ones that can't be reused and fold the other ones, so that they aren't trying to take over the whole kitchen. Restrain those bags, ma'am!
• Clean the cutlery drawer. It is the most organized part of the kitchen, so it might not need much more.
• Put some kind of order in the mixer and the bowls drawers.
• Organize and clean the plastic containers + mixing bowls + baking pans + everything else that fits here big drawers.
• Same for the tiny cutting boards and wrappers drawer.
• Clean the pots and pans drawers.
• Brave the fridge! Get rid of leftovers and food past its date (if any), clean, reorganize.
• Organize under the sink cabinet. If at all possible, replace chemicals with homemade cleaners.
• Buy/find some alphabet magnets Oath can play with. My mom has some in his kitchen and he loved them!
• Review the plans, see what worked and what didn't. Post. 

I know it isn't much, but I think it is enough to make a difference (while still being manageable). I'm letting all the pantry cabinets alone for now, and the dishes and glasses ones too, as we (somehow) manage to keep them pretty nice.

Wish me luck!

Oath's mom

One about plants

I miss spring.

I miss it so much that I am willing to sacrifice a tiny bit of time and effort to bring it into my life. But how?

First, I thought I might buy fresh flowers every once in a while, but then I realized that I always feel sad for the poor flowers, so it kind of defeated the purpose. Pity, because that would have been an easy one.

And then, it dawned on me: I had those packets of herb seeds hidden in a drawer. My MIL gave them to me as a gift when I moved here (more than two years ago!), after she heard me say that I would love to have some herbs on the windowsill. Useful herbs, full of scent and flavor, that I could cook with. Parsley, mint, basil, thyme... and some lavender, that it's not that tasty but smells divine.

I loved the gift, but never got around to plant them. First, it wasn't the season. Then, I was pregnant and doctors around here want pregnant women to stay away from dirt and gardening. Then, Oath was born and I had other things on my mind: to prove it, I'll admit that the basil my mother bought me around that time died a sad death because I couldn't remember to water it for the life of me.

But now... now I have things a bit more under control, I'm starting to develop some routines (or so I hope!), so I was sure I'd remember to water them. And I've been dreaming of green for months, so it seemed the best moment to do it.

So I grabbed two pots (the one of the poor old basil and another one), prepared the dirt while Oath looked at me and babbled incessantly, and tore open two of the packets: parsley, because I've heard it's pretty indestructible, and basil, to redeem myself. Also, those were the two that the packs said could be planted earlier in the year.

The parsley. You can even make out some seeds if you look closely.

The new basil in the old basil's pot. Fingers crossed this one will make it!

Now they are basking in the late winter sun, next to their neighbor the aloe, the only plant I've managed not to kill since Oath's birth... 

...except for a Phalaenopsis that, amazingly, thrived in my not-so-good care! My mother bought it a few days after Oath was born, full of flowers (with the basil... the poor basil) and it's been a fighter. The flowers lasted a month, and then it started growing new leaves and an aerial root (or whatever that is). Look at it now, so green! It gives me hope that I can do it.

We'll see if the parsley and basil actually sprout and make me happy. For now, I'm trying not to drown them!

Any of you miss spring too? What are you doing to lure it closer?

Oath's mom

March plan

Today is already March 2, so I am a bit late for the next installment of my Ready, steady, clean! 2013 plan. But better late than never, right?

This is going to be the living room month, and -I must admit it- it scares me. Quite a lot, in fact. Our living room is also our dining room, and so it turns into the most used space of the house. We spend all our awake time here, except potty and cooking breaks (and some cleaning that has to be spent elsewhere, of course), so there's always something going on. It might be me with a crochet project (I still haven't learned to put them away between each crocheting session), Partner working on his computer, Oath playing on the mat we have specially for him (so he doesn't bump his head too hard when he, inevitably, tries to stand unassisted and falls), TV watching... or everything at the same time! I know it is difficult to clean something we're using, and let's not talk about organizing.

But it must be done, and this is the month. Wish me luck! (I'll need it!)

The facts:

• The living room is a mess because it is the most used room and there's always someone there, except while we sleep (and, sometimes, even then!)
• It is, also, where we settle when we have guests, so it is the room other people see most... and they judge our house for it.
• There are way too many things there, but since they're not mine, I can't purge them. Organization it must be, then.
• I do not like the TV stand/cabinet/thingie, but it must stay. I hope to like it a bit more if it stays organized. (I do not have high hopes, though.)

The plan:

• Organize the cabinet.
• Organize the table end where our printer, modem and some office supplies live.
• Get rid of the random stuff behind the big couch, so the mat can be properly stored there when not in use.
• Organize the small shelves and my university items (bags, books, odds and ends) corner.
• Move the small sofa and rescue all the toys that rolled beneath it. I'm sure there will be a handful waiting patiently to be found!
• Turn the wine shelves into toy shelves. Move the wine into the bar-cabinet or down into the storage room. We don't drink wine, anyway, so we do not need it here.
• Organize the TV thingie, being careful not to leave anything dangerous within Oath's reach.
• Empty the chair corner and put the chair back on its spot by the table.
• Then, buy the extra chairs we need and move the mismatched ones to the storage room.
• Baby-proof everything! Drawers, corners, sockets... We've already started on this one, so I am one step ahead. Yay!
• Take care of the plants. Get rid of the dead ones, replant some, clean the ledge...
• Review the plans, see what worked and what didn't. Post. 

I think all of this will be too much, but all that gets done will take me a step closer to having a living room I can like... and a living room I like is something I need in this period of life I am in.

What about you? Is there any room that you could like a bit more in your home?

Oath's mom

February evaluation

 This "kid's room" month has been, in my opinion, a success. If you take a glimpse at the list it doesn't look much like it, but honestly, the things I haven't done are the small ones. I might have not gotten rid of the desk, but I have tidied it up and it looks like a desk again. I haven't even looked at "our" side of the closet, so the shoes and coats are still a mess, but Oath's side is all nice and pretty. At least, as nice and pretty as it gets around here! And my sister G. had a clear bed to sleep on, which was the ultimate point of this month's plan.

So:

• Store the kid's clothes and bring them to the storage room, or to my in-laws, or somewhere they do not add to the mess in this room. Partly done.
• While I'm at it, organize the clothes that still fit him and the next size, so the closet stops trying to spill its guts onto the room's floor. Done!
• Organize the other side of the closet, with all the shoes and suitcases and coats.
• Get rid of the desk and all the things on it. At least, of the things on it.
• Keep the laundry routine going, closing the clothes' rack if the clothes are dry and the next load is not ready. It does not solve the problem, but at least some days it will look like the problem does not exist. Done!
• Clean! Sweep, vacuum, mop, dust. While I am at it, clean the window too. Partly done.
• Change the bed sheets, and make the beds. Done!
• Review the plans, see what worked and what didn't. Post. Doing it!

Give myself an 8.5/10, because the big things got done and, even though it's not perfect, now I smile every time I enter the room. Ah, the joys of clear floor space! I have even started gathering ideas on Pinterest to slowly turn Oath's room into something I love... before he gets a say and I have to give in to his preferences. I shiver to think what will he become obsessed with (Pocoyo? Lightning McQueen? Who knows!), but there's no way to know yet. I'm sure I'll be notified, eventually, don't you think?

What about you? What have you done this month?

Oath's Mom

Oath's room clean-up: the table

Oh, that table... If you read the first part of this month's organization (or, more likely, clean-up) project, you have gotten a glimpse of the state of the table. I am not sure I am ready to show more than just that glimpse.

You see, this table was my desk back when there was only the two of us, Partner and I. I had my important files tray, my art supplies drawers, the colorful hanging folder for uni papers... Partner had his desk, as big as mine, on the other side of the room, with all his stuff. And then, we had to get rid of one of the desks to fit the bed in there, so we could have people over (I was pregnant and my family wanted to visit us). 

So all his stuff was moved over to my desk, and I started working on the living room instead of there, because there was so much stuff. And the stuff (are you tired of that word yet? Not as much as I am of seeing the actual stuff there!) just kept growing. Multiplying. I am quite sure it even bred.

And we got to the point we were then, were there was not a single square inch of free flat space on the table.

I was torn on whether I should clean it up completely and store it (it's only a board and two small sawhorses, nothing fancy) or keep it there but organized. So I just started cleaning, sorting and organizing as I went, as I did with the room.

And you know what?

It was easy. I had been dreading it until the last minute, and that made me wait until it was nearly too late, but once I got started it was a breeze. Fast and easy, as it happens most of the time.
 
Oh, well... Live and learn, eh?

Oath's Mom

February plan

February is here! Time for a new monthly plan for my Ready, steady, clean! 2013 plan.

This month that's just beginning is my kid's room month, so all my efforts will go towards that room in my home. Which, incidentally, is also our guest restroom, and my sister is coming towards the end of the month, so I have less than 28 days to turn it from a storage room into a decent bedroom!

The facts:

• The kid's room is a mess because:
• Oath sleeps in our room, so he's never used "his" room.
• We have no dryer, and no clothesline outside, so the clothes rack lives in that room and is used constantly.
• I still haven't stored all the clothes that Oath no longer fits in. So, they live on the guest bed, and on the unused desk there, and in the now no longer used pram... So, a mess of clothes is everywhere.
• The stroller also lives there, because it has no place anywhere in the house... nor is there space to park it anywhere else. The joys of a small flat...
• We need a guest bedroom soon enough!

The plan:

• Store the kid's clothes and bring them to the storage room, or to my in-laws, or somewhere they do not add to the mess in this room.
• While I'm at it, organize the clothes that still fit him and the next size, so the closet stops trying to spill its guts onto the room's floor.
• Organize the other side of the closet, with all the shoes and suitcases and coats.
• Get rid of the desk and all the things on it. At least, of the things on it.
• Keep the laundry routine going, closing the clothes' rack if the clothes are dry and the next load is not ready. It does not solve the problem, but at least some days it will look like the problem does not exist.
• Clean! Sweep, vacuum, mop, dust. While I am at it, clean the window too.
• Change the bed sheets, and make the beds.
• Review the plans, see what worked and what didn't. Post. 

What are your plans for this month?

January evaluation

So, how has my January plan gone? According to my yearly plan it was the study month. Well... if there's anything I am completely sure this month, is that I have studied. A lot.

I had two exams (subjects A and B), and essay (B) and a presentation (B), plus two more essays for subject A that I did not mention on my plan because I was still brainwashed from all the effort. I did everything I had to do: the end result was sometimes good and sometimes not that good, of course, but for having to juggle the writing, studying and preparing with caring for an active boy, Christmas with the family and traveling, I'd say I did the best I could.

The results? All passed! I did not do too good on subject B, as I got a mere 5/10, but hey, I passed and that's what matters right now! Some years ago I would be all sad and down about this, but I've had to learn that my priorities change, and this reflects it: my kid goes first, even if it takes away time that could have been used to get great grades. Subject A was 6.5/10, so not that bad but not brilliant either. Oh well, at least one of the essays there was perfect! 

The last part of the month was to be spent organizing my computer, and well... I tried. I honestly tried, but I was so tired from the exams (I know, I know... just two subjects, not that many assignments... but it wore me out so much) that I did not do much. My desktop looks way better, and thing are mostly in the folder they should be, but I never even got near the Downloads or Images folders. Oh, well. I can tackle it again on the Odds and Ends month (I think that's December... plenty of time for my files to get really messy!)

Long story short:

• Find or re-download, read and organize all the materials for both A and B. Done!
• Then, study one subject every day, alternating until the 10th. Done!
• Study subject A until the 14, while organizing all the materials needed for B's essay.
  Done!
• From the 14th to the 17th, get all stressed out studying for B and actually writing the essay.
  Done!
• Take the 18th as a free day. Breath deep, resist the urge to cry. Also, sleep a lot.
  Done!
• 19th to 22nd, prepare the presentation.
  Done!
• Morning of the 23rd: do the presentation. Afternoon and evening: breathe deep again.
  Done!
• Then, time to start with the computer organization by:
• Organizing the Documents folder and all it's subfolders (specially the Studies one) The Studies one is done! The rest, not so much.
• Organizing the Downloads folder. This one it's the one that gets worse.
• Organizing the Documents folder again, because I know how I am and it will have been turned upside-down this fast.
• If there's time, start with the Images folder.
• Review the plan, see what worked and what went wrong. Post it to keep accountable. Doing it! 

If I had to grade my work this month... I'd give me a 7 over 10. Could be better, but at least the most important things got done, and got done right!

What have you done this past month?

Oath's Mom

Ready, steady... clean! - A 2013 plan

As I promised, I'm posting about my yearly plan to organize my life and mi home. The one which, sadly, consists mostly of cleaning. I am still at that stage where things have to be cleaned/decluttered/found/straightened before they can be properly organized, so no pretty containers or amazing new systems for my linens. I hope someday I'll get to them, and I'll have a pretty home, full of little details that make my heart sing with joy, but today is not that day. This year is the year I do my best to get one step close to that day.

And this is how I intend to do it:

• January. The study month.
• February. The kid's room month.
• March. The living room month.
• April. The kitchen month.
• May. The main bedroom month.
• June. The bathrooms month.
• July. The blogging month.
• August. The bathrooms month, take two.
• September. The bedrooms month, take two.
• October. The kitchen month, take two.
• November. The living room month, take two.
• December. The odds and ends month.

As you can see, I've assigned roughly two months to each room in our house (yes, it's a small flat, there are not too many rooms around here! I am both thankful and sad for it.) This way, I'll make sure they do not get too much out of control before the end of the year, and maybe I'll be able to sneak in some actual organization projects and start the prettifying. A girl can dream, right?

 Also, I might change some months of order (for instance, at first February was the living room month and March was the kid's room one, but my sister will come to stay for some days at the end of February... and the kid's room is also the guest room! I need it clean and nice sooner than the end of March, as you can understand.), but apart from that I'll stick to it. Hopefully. With a bit of help from this blog, I will.

Expect from me, then, at least two posts every month (one the first, or as close to it as I can get; and one the last day of it) about this 2013 plan. Hopefully, I'll have more to share than that!

And, last but not least, if you want to join me, feel free! I'd love to have some friends walking this road with me.

Oath's Mom

Menu plan Monday in the middle of December

Goodness! I managed to forget writing this post before hitting publish, many hours ago. At least I did write this week's menu plan! If you have come here just to find a duplicate of last week's post, I am sorry. My brain died on me, or something.

I wanted to talk about how, now that Oath has started eating fruits, I'll have to start menu planning for three: our menu, on one hand, and Oath's menu. For now it's just introducing one fruit a week (pear, apple, and this week orange) but I'm sure that soon it'll get complex enough that I'll need to plan it to not get overwhelmed. Not this week though:

Monday

• Lunch: Pasta & tuna
• Dinner: Ham and cheese puff-pastry roll

Tuesday

• Lunch: Rice "a la cubana"
• Dinner: Fish with caramelized onions

Wednesday

• Lunch: Pumpkin creamy soup
• Dinner: Bacon wrapped chicken breasts

Thursday

• Lunch: Fried rice
• Dinner: Chicken and cheese fingers

Friday

• Lunch: Spaghetti with bacon
• Dinner: Bread with brewers yeast, sun-dried tomatoes and old cheese.

Saturday

• Lunch: Somebody's wedding
• Dinner: Probably at the wedding still

Sunday

• Lunch: Chicken soup
• Dinner: Sushi

Linking up at I'm an Organizing Junkie and at Erin Branscom link-up!.

Oath's Mom

Back to routine #4: where I failed (but it doesn't matter)

I planned, got my home to a "just messy" state, started over and then... failed. The fourth step of my back to routine plan never came to fruition.

I went a week back home so my family could see Oath (boy, it's that kid growing fast or what? He's not even 6 months old and he's already wearing 12 months old's clothes!) and when I came back the house was back in the disastrous state that made me start this "back to routine" series. Awful. Really, really bad.

I think what I had to learn this time is that I can't trust that Partner will keep things as I leave them. Because he won't. He may try, but he just does not see messes (I talked about that before, didn't I?) as I did not see them some years ago. Lucky me.

So,  the week that had to be used, supposedly, deep cleaning, was used getting the house to just messy again. I felt like I was watching a movie I had just watched. But what's a girl going to do? Cleaning is like a movie in repeat in the best of circumstances, too (in the worse it becomes a horror movie!) so I just started again without fussing too much.

And now I am somewhere in the middle of the process: NaNoWriMo started, and that never helps.

I have to say, though, that the first three parts of the plan worked, and that's much more than what would have happened if I hadn't even tried. So yay for trying, and let's start again!

Oath's Mom

Back to routine #3: start over

After planning and spending one week trying to get our home just messy, it's been time to really start over. 

I have to admit I thought it would be harder, but the world wanted to help me a bit, it seems, and sent my in-laws to visit us on Monday. Which I don't mind, but the house was in its "just messy" state. Desperation! Mondays are the main bedroom cleaning days, and that had been done, but I couldn't entertain them there, now could I? It would have been really weird, and if they do not think already that I am a bit cuckoo that would have been the last straw. So, turning the messy living room into an in-laws ready living room was in order.

And I did. I even called Partner (it was and impromptu visit, and he was working and could not help me gather most things and hide them in the guest room) when I finished mopping to tell him that if he ever wants me to clean fast, to tell me his parents are coming. Yep, I trust him to not use this knowledge against me, though sometimes I'm sure he should.

This meant that I started the week more tired that I should, but with less mess on my way, which in the end caused less stress. I do not recommend it, but the visit certainly helped me get on my way and achieve what I had planned for this week!

I did not loose that momentum, and have kept up with weekly room cleaning; loading, running and unloading the dishwasher; doing laundry (4 loads, and would have done more if the weather had been better and the last load had dried today)... I even sorted the 7 (7!) bags of baby clothes I hadn't even looked at! Now the clothes I don't like/need are apart, and the ones that I might use are already sorted by size and kind, all neatly folded!

I love it when things happen as I planned them! Don't you?

Oath's Mom

Back to routine #2: from war zone to messy

Sunday...

Glorious, glorious Sunday! How I wish you wouldn't end... and so I wouldn't have to face Monday.

Today ends the week I should have used for turning my disaster home into something a bit more manageable. I look around and can't see much change, but I feel it. Something has changed and my home does not throw me into as deep a despair as last Sunday. Sure, there's still everything everywhere, not a single clear flat surface on sight, but I have the feeling that once I start working on it tomorrow it'll be easier to manage. Something has changed... but what? And, most importantly, how?

This might sound very similar to what Nony from A Slob Comes Clean does, and it is: I believe that this kind of approach is the best for cases like this. So, how have I turned a disaster into another less threatening one?

1. Start with what MUST be done. There are things that can wait, but others just can't. I'm sure you know them when you see them: trash that has to be taken out, dirty clothes that have to be washed (or you'll be without clean underwear tomorrow, and that must not happen!), everybody has to eat so food should be bought...
2. Put away what you use if you can. If you are like us, maybe the mess does not let you put half the things you use in their place. But if you do an effort and put away the other half, everything will slowly come together without you realizing it.
3. When you go to another room, first look around to see if there's something near you that belongs there. If there is, do not leave empty-handed.
4. When you have the time to clean, start with the easy things. Do not try to achieve perfection, nor to tackle that long hard project that's been bugging you. Instead, unload the dishwasher, rediscover your coach that has been buried beneath cushions and blankets, or put your coats away. It makes a difference, word.
5. Every once in a while, give yourself a break. Specially if you catch yourself about to start scolding your 4 months old because he keeps waking up crying and does not let you do anything (I felt such a shame! Poor boy, probably having a nightmare or feeling unwell, and his mom wanting to tell him to stop! Thankfully, I stopped myself before I opened my big mouth), or wanting to scream and throw things at the wall (shame, shame! In my defense, it was only a pillow. But... shaaaaame!). Stop, breathe deep and ask yourself if a cleaner house is worth that much stress and hurt. Then buy yourself some Ikea chocolate cookies and crochet a zebra hat for your kid.

 I've been doing this all week (except the screaming and scolding, which I managed to not do), and while new messes have popped up here and there, I wouldn't declare the house a war zone today. It is very messy, indeed, but not THAT bad.

Tomorrow starts the real work. Wish me luck!

Back to routine #1: plan

I do not think I have said it here yet, but I am a planner.

Sadly, I am only a planner, and have not a single speck of doer in me. This leaves me having grandiose, amazing plans... that I hardly ever carry on. Which is a pity, believe me, because I know they would work incredibly well if I could just follow through with them.

Oh, well. I am working on it.

So, following my usual inclination, I planned how to get back on the housekeeping bandwagon:

1. First, I need to take our house from war zone to messy, just so I can really start working. I guesstimate that this can take me a week (which means I should be halfway through it right now. Umm... Errm... Yeah.)
2. Then, I have to start over with my weekly tasks, to bring the house closer to normal (but not quite there yet). This should take another week.
3. Next comes another week (I seem to like to plan by weeks, don't I?) of fake deep cleaning. You know, not only wiping but actually scrubbing, mopping on top of vacuuming... the kind of things that aren't really deep cleaning but that do not get done every time I clean.
4. And, at last, maintaining. Once I've done the fake deep cleaning it should be easier to maintain the house in a decent state. And though we know that "should" doesn't always mean "will", I hope. 

This will take all of October, because I am going home 5 days on the middle of it, so my "Back to routine" mission will have to pause for a while. By the 31st everything should be as much under control as I can have it.

Which makes me think about November, and the plans of actually organizing something that I have for then... but that will have wait.

What about you? Do you have a special plan to get back on track or do you just jump back in where you left?

Oath's Mom

State of house: war zone

No, I haven't disappeared.

Yes, I've had some hectic weeks and I'm in dire need of getting back into something close to a routine.

Just to let you know how bad it has been, a week ago I threw my towel and decided I'd rather live with the mess than try to keep up fighting it. I quit. I closed my eyes and overlooked it, wishing it didn't exist.
But, oh boy, how does it exist!

As getting back into routine at the beginning of September had been so easy it hadn't given me the opportunity to blog about it (really, I was just back and BAM!, everything fell back into place), I decided to document it now, while I discover how to do it.

 Right now, all the house is in the worst state I've ever seen it, full on war zone. Random things everywhere, strewn all over the place, even where they do not make one bit of sense. I've found socks (clean socks, mind you) in the kitchen!! I don't know how they got there, and I'm quite sure I don't want to know.
It's not only my fault, though, and I feel better knowing it. Partner has been very busy and stressed out, and that means that messes appear everywhere he goes (I do not think he is aware of it, but he's the Mess Father when he is busy. Fingers crossed Oath won't inherit/learn that from him!). And my brother-in-law chose this week to drop off about seven bags full of baby clothes... which I am thankful for, but I have no place to put them! I should muster the strength to go through them, separate the ones I know I won't ever use from the ones I might dress Oath in, and all those from the few I really like. Then divide the two latter by sizing, return the "I-don't-want-to-look-at-them-thank-you-very-much" ones,  put away the "maybe sometime..." ones on some boxes, and wash, fold the lovely ones and...

Conclusion? I'll never get to it. I'd better be a realist and admit that I will choose the few I like, wash them, and then get all stressed out because there's no place to put them and my brother-in-law won't take the rest back and OMG I CAN'T TRASH THEM OR MY INLAWS WOULD KILL US, WHAT DO I DO?
Roll up into a ball in a corner and cry for a while.

But sometime I'll have to get up and work. Baby clothes or usual messes, they have to be gone as soon as possible, so I'd better get working.

My first goal? Turning this war zone into a messy house. Then, we'll see.



I am back at square zero and there's so much work to do... let's do it!

Oath's Mom