One of our missionaries gave an awesome talk about goals a month or so ago. He said that we need not meet every goal we set to be headed in the right direction. I know that to be true. A year after I had joined the church, was I where I wanted to be? No, but when I looked at the progress I had made, I was very happy with how far I had come. Focusing on progress is great. Here are my goals for the year. I am optimistic about how much I can progress :)
- Make freezer meals. I really want to do this. I prefer home cooked meals to processed food. Chicken nuggets (Or my version: "Chikin Nuggets" aka soy nuggets) are a great occasional go to, but honestly, nothing beats a home cooked meal. One day, when I have a few hours and a clean kitchen (and maybe a deep freezer), I am going to make freezer meals so that I can feed my family a home cooked meal even when I do not want to make said meal.
- Learn to sew. This is something I have wanted for a while. Conveniently, my mama got me sewing classes for Christmas :)
- Make, keep, and maintain a chore schedule. Hopefully, hopefully, hopefully this will help me maintain my sanity between the toddler and baby.
- Find educational activities for my son. Holy Cow, he's old enough to start preschool in the fall. How the heck did that happen? I guess now is the time to make sure he is getting educational play.
- Complete one full year of 100% Visiting Teaching. I'm a decent visiting teacher.... my people know me- I think well enough to tell me if they need something. I hope so. I need to know so. Here is trying for twelve months of seeing, writing, calling, and serving my wonderful ladies.
- One new recipe a week. I got an awesome Moosewood cookbook for Christmas, and I intend to use it. I've made a list of meals for three weeks. Hopefully each week I can substitute a new meal for one on the list. Even if I only have a 25% success rate that means that next year I'll have 12 new meals we all love.
Good luck for your goals and resolutions!
4 comments:
Good luck and have fun!
We love freezer meals around here. We ride the freezer meal pony a lot-especially when
1)we know we will be busy,
2)The weather is colder (warm weather calls for fresh, non-freezable stuff)
3)A baby is coming.
In short, all three of these things are in play now. As one pregnant lady to another, here is my top hint:
Take a week at it.
Day 1: is planning and list making. Lists of meals (and how many of each), lists of ingredients (and quantity) needed, lists of preparation (Chop 14 onions, 25 carrots, and 10 pounds of potatoes, etc.)
Day 2: Buy stuff, and do some of the prep (chopping, bean soaking, etc)
Day 3: Finish prep, make 3-6 double or triple recipes
Day Four: Make another 3-6 double or triple recipes.
Repeat until your freezer won't hold any more. Freeze gallon bags flat so they're easier to store, thaw, and separate.
Personally, I can't pack it all into one day when I'm in the third trimester. It gets emotionally and physically overwhelming, even with the able assistance of 3 competent dishwashers and vegetable preppers working for me. And a toddler who is "helping..."
Those are great goals! You're awesome.
There is a major difference between goals and a very well forged rod for your own back.
What's important ?. The people in your family. Not meals, not chores, not outside involvements beyond church.
1. If you can afford it get someone in to clean the house. 2. And get another person in to attend to the needs of the toddler. He no longer needs to see you all the time and if he's off the K1 he will get one big shock if you've not trained him.
3. Food. Yes, you are correct. Home cooked is always best if for no other reason than you know what on each plate. But if you're going that route, you need to go industrial. This means a big freezer, a bacon slicer and about five timed more plates than you currently have. You'll also need an oven big enough to take two or even three joints. Just remember however many meals you have in store they will last half as long as you think. Three dinners per day by seven days is twenty-one plates. Your talking about a stack two foot high and a foot square inside your freezer.
4. With two kids you have a new job, manager.
5. Ignore all well meaning advise, including this, and form your own system that suits you and yours.
Best wishes.
V
Sam,
I am really, really excited about the freezer adventure. We've been looking for an upright deep freezer, and I cannot wait to fill that baby up! A week sounds much more manageable, especially since E's sit still and color or play with cars or eat only lasts for about an hour at max.
Vince,
I'm going to go with somewhat agree. The people in my family are the MOST important, but that doesn't mean that chores and meals aren't also important factors in our lives.
1. One of the great things about being a stay-at-home-mom is that I have way more hours at home and more flexible scheduling than some who works outside of the home 40 hours a week.
2. You and I have a difference of opinion about this one- I believe that I should be my child's primary (and by primary I mean most of his waking hours along with most of his sleeping hours) caregiver. I have seen him interact with other kids and other adults frequently in playgroups, sunday school, etc. and he is very confident and ready. It is my parenting tactic to give him security so that he will flourish when he is out in society.
3. Totally agree, but freezer meals are actually going to give me more time because I won't have to do dinner every night. I can just pull them out from the deep freezer and throw 'em in the oven :)
4. Word. Truth. Preach.
Happy New Year!
The point I'm making about chores and whatnot has to do with piling them up for yourself as well as wrangling two kids. You have to husband your energy to be effective, for nothing is more certain but when you are at your lowest energy the kids will require most attertion.
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