Friday 8 March 2013

So, the plan is .........


                          A recent and regular visitor to the garden. Just before he hurried away!

Somewhere or other I likened trying to get - and keep - my life more organised, as like someone sitting atop a coach, driving a team of six independently-minded horses! As soon as I get one under control, one or more of the others breaks out and chaos reigns. (No pun on reins intended!)

Consequently stuff mounts up. Clutter proliferates (they don't call this Haemorrhoid House for nothing, there are so many piles about!) Food is wasted and gets thrown - despite freezing and planning ahead when THAT particular horse is in the lead. Sewing projects languish. Ironing mounts a protest from the TWO baskets in the utility room. Meals are scrappy and not very healthy when THAT particular horse isn't in the lead. The freezer is disorganised, which leads to disorganised shopping which in turn leads to unplanned meals and hence wasted food..... and so it continues. Meanwhile I am fed up with myself, wishing I could get stuck into some stitching but feeling I haven't got the time (or the inclination.)

Some of you are tutting to yourselves, never allowing this state of affairs to develop. Others will be nodding and saying"oh yes",  knowing only too well how easy it is to let things slip. I'm not apologising for it. I'm just fed up with it and determined to get things straight...and CONTINUE to keep on top of things.That is the salient point.

So, where have I gone with this so far? Well, lots of reading up and cherry-picking the bits that I felt applied to me and would be useful. Some of the more helpful blogs I will introduce to you as time goes on.

General Organisation:
I cracked and bought a little book (not as pretty as Penelope's, admittedly)to make my lists, menu planning, and so on.


                                         (Do you love those two little coloured pens??)

I've also made use of my MacBook's "Notes" facility to store my menu plans and ingredients lists.


Sorry, poor photo, forgot to take flash off. You can see how it works, the ingredients/shopping list continues as I scroll down. When I write a fresh note, the older one shoots to the left side until I need it again. It may be a 'belt and braces' kind of thing as I have my new note book and pens, those I can take anywhere,and will contain ideas and other spur of the moment thoughts.

I have also ordered 3 A4 wipe off boards and pens to hang on each freezer. Years ago, when we bought our first freezer (the 70's!) I was very organised, and colour coded everything, wrote everything down and crossed off things used.Sadly, that sensible behaviour fell by the wayside and eventually resulted in the disorganised mess that I lived with until this week. As things are put into the freezer they will be listed on the board, and wiped off when used up. Simple, isn't it? And it takes no time at all.

Another aid to organised living is "30 Minutes". I am going to apply this to those jobs which either I hate doing, or which have grown to such proportions that I feel too overwhelmed to deal with them. 30 minutes is not too long to set aside to clear a cupboard, whereas you may baulk at sorting out the entire kitchen/bedroom/bathroom etc cupboards in one go. Sorting one freezer took me about this long. Culling several bookshelves would take another 30 minute block. My sewing room, were I to attempt to clear it in one go, would take a couple of days, probably, and never likely to happen at that rate, but if I tell myself I will clear for just 30 minutes, I am more likely to start. I picked up this idea from Tawny over at The Frugal Hill Way - Simply Living a Richer Life. As a start I cleaned out my cooking oils tray, giving away a bottle I didn't need, washing greasy containers, organising the various oils into a sensible- use method. Not an essential piece of work, but useful, and my tray looks much nicer now!


Some of the blogs I've been checking out are about frugal cooking. Now I am in the fortunate position of not having to worry where the next meal is coming from, and able to decide where, if anywhere, I wish to economise. However, I do think it is thrifty to shop carefully, cook properly, and use up - one way or another - everything you bought. Because of my disorganised freezers, my food shopping was haphazard, we swung between well-planned, and hastily cobbled together meals, and I was throwing away too much spoiled/unused food.

So the menu planning will certainly help with that, as will the freezer routines. I've been making "freezer hash", that is chopping herbs, soup bases, grated cheese, bread crumbs etc and freezing in small pots, for some time now, since I read about it on Sue's wonderful blog"The Quince Tree". I shall be regularly, not just sporadically, batch baking, or cooking double meals, one to eat one to freeze. You know, I've been doing this for years, just not consistently. Here's what went in the freezer this week.


Two medium and one huge lamb pasties, with left over roast lamb and freshly sautéed carrot onion and swede.


Three portions for two of trout and spinach fish pie mix. We had the fourth portion yesterday.
Not into the freezer, but a good example of frugality, I thought, the remains of (sad to say) one shop-bought lemon drizzle and one chocolate brownie cake, bought for a visit from my brother-in-law and niece. I whipped up two 'use urgently' eggs, and milk, poured it over the broken up cake pieces, and cooked gently for an hour while I had the oven on for something else. It did us for pudding for 3 days!


And yes, I did get into my sewing room and get on with a few stitchy things. A few rows of quilting on the cuddle quilt:


And a wool cushion for someone-but-it's-a-secret!


The stitched wording is just for guidelines, this isn't how it ail look when finished. I may need to snip a bit at the front legs as it is meant to be a hare, and it looks suspiciously bunny-like! That is the moon below, BTW, not an exercise ball!

Phew, this is quite a long post, isn't it, again. Well, I wanted to get my plans for home organisation organised! There is still so much I wanted to say, but will leave it for another post. I'd like to thank those of you who write these helpful blogs; I may not be quite the person you write them for, I'm not in debt, trapped in a house full of rotting newspapers and mouldy food, or struggling to pay off a huge mortgage. But the very steps which help people who ARE in these situations can help all of us who just need a hand getting their houses in order, so to speak. I started by regularly reading DataCreator's posts on her blog Frugal in Norfolk. I also enjoy reading about Rhonda, in Down to Earth, she has LOADS of useful information. From their blogs you can find other bloggers in their side-bars.

Now I hope I haven't bored you silly, and that you will come back and read the next post. Catch you then!

25 comments:

  1. If your reorganising works Lynne, you'll have to tell me which bits are the easiest! ;0)

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    1. Oh I can tell you that now! The thinking about it! Next, the planning. And I can tell you hardest - keeping it going! Lx

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  2. Well I am in the "oooh I know it too well" category! I strive for organisation but I really no longer get stressed when I don't achieve it. A few good tips there on your blog already and I especially like the 30 minute rule. I do always find that people with messes are usually the more interesting folk and I always say that if you don't make a mess, you don't make anything. People ask me how I manage to make so many crafty things and do so much. It's because I don't iron socks and towels like one friend does, or clean windows and the flexes of all my appliances every week like another friend does. I don't watch QVC or any other daytime TV either.
    Have a great busy weekend and don't' spend more than half an hour cleaning or tidying, will you!?
    Jo x

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  3. Hi Jo. Thanks for your lovely comment! I think I need to say that the reason I am really trying to get ths sorted is that my disorganisation is paralysing me, if you know what I mean. I don't mind a bit of mess, and certainly not creative mess. However, it is my current inability to give a reasonable amount of attention to more than one area of my life at once....when I'm on a textile roll everything thing else gets pushed to the back burner - in a big way, when I'm heavily into meal planning and cooking, I can't be bothered to sew, and all the other stuff I should attend to gets done in the most cursory kind of way. I need to learn to be more even handed and consistent. Does that make more sense?
    I certainly don't aspire to be a sock and towel ironer, nor a weekly window and flexes cleaner!! Have a great w/end yourself, and I shall think of you while I'm tidying tomorrow! Lx

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  4. I too, have an 'interesting' house...... It does get stupid when an otherwise small job takes forever because you can't find what you need, I think I have read every book on the subject, however, the best solution I have ever found was moving!!! We didn't bring anything that wasn't either useful or beautiful to this house, and I kept it like that for several years :) sadly it is no longer like this, Time to move! I'm also quite envious of you having to throw food away! Do you want to feed my kids for a week? you will only have your meat and fish left.....
    SueXxx

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    1. Hi Sue, well, your kids would be welcome! No, I don't waste stuff in mammoth proportions, it's usually salad, veggies, fruit I forget is in the fridge, something I've cooked too much of and just popped in the fridge and forgotten about when I should have slung it in the freezer.

      We too did our share of moving when we were a Naval family, and you are quite right, every two or three years having a major uck-out is the way to do it. But we have been here in this cottage for over 20 years. See where I'm going with this!

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  5. Oh, how I can identify with so much of what you say, Lynne! When I'm not at work these days, I'm usually in my writing head or out at a poetry group/event. Or I just can't summon the energy or motivation to tackle the slow accumulation of...stuff! On the rare occasion I tackle a small sorting/tidying/cleaning/clearing job, I do feel 'better.'
    I, too, like the 30 minute idea...

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    1. Jayne, I found your comment late last night - or rather early this morning, but was too tired to do it justice!

      That's exactly the phrase I needed, 'having my writing head on', in my case it would be 'textile head' or 'musical head' or 'cooking and baking head' why can't I spread my attention and motivation over more than one area??

      And you are right, the feeling of self-righteousness having accomplished a job is out of all proportion to the size of the job! Lx

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  7. Enjoyed your blog Lynne I must admit I start something like you that I have perhaps put off for a while and then our phone rings so I deal with that and yes you've guessed it I moved off and I am doing something else
    the initial task forgotten til another day.

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    1. Thank you, Lesley. Now let's be honest, I am retired, you have a 24/7 PA job to a businessman with two jobs! You are excused!!!! Lx

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  8. Well these days we have a small freezer only, so I have to be careful about buying food for it as there isn't the room. This tends to mean I never have things lurking in the back, forgotten. Nor do I batch bake/cook several meals at once, there just isn't the space. I freeze meat to be used in small batches, and often make one of them last for two meals.
    I only ever use sunflower oil, so don't have a tray of different ones to clean.
    I admire you for making a pudding last three days, I would get bored with it!
    And I have been doing 30 minutes housework as a means of exercise, three mornings a week now, doing something that gets me out of puff a bit, but being overweight that's not hard to achieve! Luckily we live in a smallish house, Himself helps with the housework, and I tend to be organised in my own workroom, and ignore Himself and his muck! Sorry, creative space.....
    And yes, I LOVE those pens... love pens and notebooks to enjoyed a drool over them!

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    1. Re freezers, MAggie, I think you make a conscious decision whether you are going to bulk buy - batch bake etc etc and choose your freezer accordingly. It really helped when I was working shifts at the hospital to shop / cook this way, so that's how I've gone on doing it.

      I'm right off sunflower and other plant oils, I use olive and coconut, having read the science about saturated fats and the Big Lie put about by American farmers in the early 50's (soya, sunflower, cannola (ugh!) and other)

      Pudding, well we seldom have one anyway, so three days having a slice of eggycustardycakey pud was no hardship! Now the 30 minute thingy is not your housework - housework is a given, obviously. The 30 minutes is for tackling those things that have mounted up to be tackled all at once, or stuff you really hate doing. Yup, we share the housework too, (and why not?)A fair distribution of labour is a good thing, eh?

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    2. Oh dear, I don't have things that have 'mounted up'. Because I never know how I will feel from one day to the next, I tend to try and keep on top of things. But even when I was a younger housewife, I never had baskets of washing waiting to be ironed. It was all done and dusted on the same day - well, except when it couldn't be pegged out of course, and isn't this rain the pits! And if it's stuff I don't like doing, then it makes sense to me, to do it as needs must, rather than be faced with a whole mountain to climb. Different strokes and all that!

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    3. Now, Y'see, you are at the stage I want to be at! And where I used to be, darn it! When the boys were little all my downstairs rooms were dusted and vacuumed every day, upstairs weekly. Washing one day, ironed the next and put away there and then. It's only gradually over the years that things drifted and I fell out of the routines I used to have. (I haven't always been a slob!!!! ;) )

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  9. Bored silly? No way! The haemorrhoid house thing really made my LOL I've never heard that before, it's hilarious, still making me chuckle ;-)
    I need organising too but I fear the only way to do it would be to get rid of my laptop and tablet but even then I'd probably sit and read or watch telly more often than I should :-/ but I will TRY the '30 minute' tip. My main problem is lack of self discipline! The pasties look wonderful as does the fish pie mix. Great idea for the leftover cakes.
    Anne x

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    1. LACK OF SELF DISCIPLINE. WHich ever way you dress it up, this is what the bottom line is, isn't it Anne?

      But I am getting back into the swing. Great to hear from you. Lx

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  10. Not bored, though feeling slightly as if I just spent five minutes with a whirlwind! I am very impressed so far ... organised organising ... good luck!

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  11. Ah well, Annie, I can move if I am motivated! Problem is the motivation dries up. WHich is exactly the problem. However, I shall forge ahead, and we'll see what transpires. Lx

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  12. I try to be more organised every now and then but always seem to slip back into old habits. You have inspired me to give it another go, especially the freezer idea.
    Gillx

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    1. Gill it is exactly that, the slipping back, that is getting me down. Good luck with your own plans! I'm loving getting my freezers organised! Lx

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  13. No then Lynne, when you've Sussex it all please let me know....then I can try! Good luck! :) x

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    1. Oh Ada, that's SO not going to happen, but I'm hoping for small improvements! I'll be blogging about them, don't you worry! Lx

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  14. Lynne, your lists book is just fine and dandy. I do hope it helps you feel more organised :o) Not sure about you but when I write down all the chaos in my head I feel I can cope and handle things better. Looking forward to see that hare come to life, I know its going to be a beauty! Loving your Spring coloured quilt too.
    ps.My hubby made us have a small freezer so we didn't overfill it, he is the thriftiest bloke i have ever met (can be a tad irritating trait too !! ha ha) xox Keep cosy and see you soon x Penelope

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    1. Hi Penny. Well, I'm quite happy with my note book, but it sure isn't as pretty as yours! You are exactly right, putting it all down on paper does straighten out the chaos to some degree. I think you go one of two ways with freezers; either have a small one and freeze minimally, or go large and incorporate freezing as part of your overall planning strategy. Either wya, if properly used, can be an aid to thriftiness and organised living. Lxx

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