Cupboard mess

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I have been cooking from scratch for several weeks. For the most part, it’s been great! Most of the food has been good and I’ve added a couple of meals to our favorites list.

Cooking from scratch requires that I buy a lot of food from the bulk bins: nuts, seeds, flours, rice, beans, dried fruit. Because of this, I am running into two problems.

1 – I’m slowly killing the environment with all of these plastic bulk bags. It’s ironic, as I use reusable shopping bags to carry my groceries home!
2 – My cupboard is overflowing with ingredients and it’s hard to find anything.

Help! Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could do to eliminate at least one of these problems?


My scary cupboard

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Procrastination – Don’t do it!

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I am learning once again the evils of procrastination. You’d think I would have learned this specific lesson by now, as I’ve been struggling with it my entire life.

In 13 days, my brother, his wife, their son, and their daughter will be arriving for their 6 day stay at our house. In 15 days, my mom and her fiancé are getting married.

Has my bridesmaid dress been hemmed yet? It’s in progress.

I planned a quilt for my 4 month old nephew; have I started that yet? Actually I did but I discovered today that I have to redo all of the work I’ve done so far (one full day’s worth).

Is my house clean for their impending visit? It’s not bad but I still have some work to do.

Have I started planning the family party that’s scheduled for the day after the wedding? Hmmm… nope!

Do I have any time this weekend to get started on any of the above list? Not exactly! Tomorrow is the Sabbath. On Sunday morning, I’m racing in a 5k just north of Phoenix. In the afternoon, I’m driving with my mom and her fiancé to pick up my niece and deliver her to my brother, who will be meeting us an hour south of here.

Am I complaining? Not really. Just lamenting the fact that I can’t seem to learn the simple lesson of planning ahead and being prepared. Some of my earliest school memories involve staying up really late and getting up super early to finish a project that was assigned a month earlier. Oops! That was 20 years ago and I’m still doing the same thing.

I’m claiming this promise:

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
Psalm 121

I’m not claiming it because I’m hoping God will help me get everything done in time. I’m claiming this promise because God cares about the deeper matter – my sin of procrastination. The Lord is my keeper and I know this is a habit He wants me to overcome. With His help and guidance, I can do it!

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Project progress!

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I decided to hold off on posting my thoughts on today’s Gospel reading. The verse I want to write about involves the Sabbath so I thought I’d wait until Sabbath to post it.

This week, I have been kicking myself off the internet and pushing myself to be productive. I have gotten so much done!

Projects finished

  • Taxes
  • Package for Japan
  • Package for hubby’s parents
  • Remembering the Kanji – 3 month project
  • Ordered my bridesmaid dress – hopefully it fits!

Projects in progress – intended completion dates in parenthesis

  • My grandpa’s quilt – next on the list, must finish! (end of April)
  • Several book reviews for various publishers (end of April)
  • Kanji supplement – only 98 more kanji to learn (out of 157, end of April)
  • Quilt for the church (beginning of May)
  • Order/find accessories for my bridesmaid dress – shoes, hair pins (end of May)
  • Clean/organize spare bedroom (end of June)
  • Homemaking binder (whenever)

Projects to start

  • Clean out oversized clothes in my closet and put together a list of clothes needed (Memorial Day weekend shopping trip planned)
  • Quilt for my nephew (end of June)
  • Overhaul my recipe book (whenever)
  • Research zero waste households (whenever)
  • Redo my blog design (July?)

It looks like quite a list but it feels like I’ve made progress just writing everything down and assigning due dates. Now to start tackling the list!

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Identity

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I really enjoy reading the articles at Passionate Homemaking but today’s really caught my attention. Titled Finding Your Identity in Christ, the topic has been on my mind since I read it this morning.

When I thought about how I define myself or derive satisfaction, it’s in my to-do lists. What I can do. What I am doing. What I’ve done. Did I complete today’s to-do list? Am I on top of my homemaking schedule? Am I able to complete this challenge or that opportunity? When I succeed, I feel on top of the world. When I fail, I get depressed.

This quote hit home the most:

“God loves us so much that he willingly crushed His only Son so that we might be his and that this love isn’t based on our worthiness or performance. His loves does not fluctuate from day to day. It was settled the moment he set it upon you before the foundation of the world…If you neglect to focus on God’s love for you in Christ, your Christianity will soon be reduced to a program of self-improvement – just one of many methods to help you “get your act together”. Although that may be worthy, it is not true Christianity.” (Elyse Fitzpatrick)

Ouch. A program of self-improvement. Yes, I would say that’s how I live my life. Legalism, rules, and to-do lists. Trying to improve myself enough that I will be accepted by God. I even pray that God will not give up on me, begging that He will still love me when I fail so often.

Thankfully, the article doesn’t just convict me that I have a problem but offers a place to start on finding a solution. Down at the bottom, the author included a list of Scripture passages to study and also recommended a Christian book. I have not read the book, but I’m going to see if my local libraries carry a copy. If you struggle with this issue of misplaced identity as I do, maybe the article will also help point you in the right direction.

A final quote from the article: True transformation and freedom of our self-focused perspective can only come as we meditate and claim God’s love for us. When we cling to Him, lift our eyes off ourselves and simply have faith in that love, our thoughts, mindset, and feelings will be transformed. Let’s not loose sight of the gospel!

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Quick post

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I’m about to go work on my quilt but I wanted to quickly write a post. This week, I have found that turning off the computer does wonders to productivity. I’ve been limiting my online time during the day and my homemaking is showing a marked improvement. Sometime this weekend or early next week, I’ll elaborate on my “experiment.” But today I just wanted to offer encouragement to anyone who feels they don’t have enough time in their lives: try unplugging for awhile and see what happens. You’ll be glad you did!

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Preparation for Preparation Day

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Fridays are a big day for me, my busiest. I like having the house super clean for Sabbath, which means clean sheets, fresh towels, a spotless kitchen, etc. Also, sometimes we do part of our grocery shopping on Saturday night which means I need a complete menu and shopping list by Friday at sundown. Normally I’m rushing around an hour before sundown, trying frantically to finish everything. For me, a clean house is necessary for true Sabbath rest.

This week I’m trying something new. As I went about my housework today, I tried to think of additional things I could do that would save me time tomorrow. Things like vacuuming and sweeping have to be done on Friday afternoon, but other things can be completed in advance. So, today I…

cleaned out the fridge
wrote most of next week’s menu
completed 3/4 of the laundry
emptied the dishwasher

Tomorrow, I still have to…

wash sheets and towels
vacuum
sweep
clean out the litter boxes
finish menu and shopping list
scrub down the bathroom
wash dishes used on Friday

Hopefully I notice a difference! If not, next week I’ll try cleaning the bathroom on Thursday and do a quick wipe down on Friday. I also need to work on completing our menu and shopping list earlier in the week so it’s not a last minute chore.

I hope everyone else has a great Preparation Day!

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Sabbath is almost here!

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I am so happy that today is Friday and that it is almost sundown. Aaaah, an entire day of rest. No worries, no work, no pressure. Just an entire day to spend in close relationship with God and with my husband.

Friday is rightly called Preparation Day. Luke 23:54 says that “it was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin.” Amen and amen! Today was all about preparing for the Sabbath and I am very blessed with how much I was able to accomplish.

I followed my normal morning routine of Bible reading, exercise, and breakfast. Then it was time for work! I surface cleaned the kitchen, emptied the dishwasher in prep for tomorrow’s dishes, vacuumed, cleaned the cat boxes, scrubbed down the bathroom, wrote out next week’s menu and shopping list, wrapped the birthday present for tomorrow night’s party (my niece turned eight this year!), washed/dried/folded/ironed three loads of laundry, and picked up around the living room. Somehow, I also managed to squeeze in an entire hour of Japanese study!

The only thing I was unable to accomplish was preparing tomorrow’s lunch meal. It wasn’t a lack of time or energy but a lack of planning ahead and having nothing on hand to make in advance. It looks like we’ll be eating ramen after church.

Just for fun, here is Luke 23:54 in Japanese. I don’t yet understand all of this sentence (maybe 25%), but I’ll get there!

この日は準備の日であって、安息日が始まりかけていた。

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Productive means less computer time

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I’ve been very busy the last few days, which means less computer time. I really haven’t minded. Here’s what my days have looked like this week:

Wake up
Bible reading
Exercise
Shower
Breakfast
Cleaning
Organization project work (some small project in a different room each day)
Lunch
Japanese studies
Quilting
Dinner
More Japanese studies
Read
Bed

I’ve really enjoyed this schedule. I’m getting a lot done and feel like I’m progressing in both my house cleaning and my studies. I’m starting to stress about getting my Grandpa’s quilt done, but that’s my fault because I procrastinated on it for so long. So now I’m trying to work on it every single day. If I have time tomorrow, I’ll post pictures of the progress.

Tomorrow’s plan: Mostly the same as the above, but I have a lot more cooking to do. In the morning, I’ll be baking a pumpkin so that I can make pumpkin pie in the afternoon. I’ll also be putting together a lasagna for Sabbath afternoon so that all we have to do is bake it after church. I’ll probably shorten my Japanese studies to compensate for the additional cooking time or I’ll just have to clean very fast!

An update on my mom – We’re sitting and waiting. The insurance company is slow about pre-authorization so she can’t schedule anything yet. All we can do is wait and pray.

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Thursdays – Master Bedroom/Bathroom

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Yesterday was not nearly as productive as I had hoped. I allowed myself to not feel guilty about it as it was my birthday. I’m 28 already! I think I finally feel my age. I’ve always felt older than my actual age. I spent a good portion of yesterday trying not to be upset that I’m 28 and childless, but I didn’t mind getting older. After all, 28 is just a number!

I don’t know why I did this, but I scheduled a visit to the optometrist on my birthday. My last eye exam was in 2006 so I was overdue for new glasses. She dilated my eyes and they also took photographs of the inside of each eyeball. Very cool! My eyeballs are healthy, though my vision is worse. Yay.

After the doctor’s visit, hubby took me to Chipotle. I had to stay in the car while he picked up the food, as the lights were bothering my dilated eyes. Then we came home and watched The Reading Room. I didn’t realize it was a Hallmark film, but it was quite good! After that, my eyes were really tired. It might not have been a good idea to watch a movie right after doing an intensive eye exam, but I sat far away from the screen so that I could actually focus on it. Reading anything up close was impossible. It’s very weird to lose your ability to focus on something within a foot of your face!

Today was much better for productivity. I forced myself off the computer, set the timer for an hour, and got to work. After lunch, I did another hour long session. I was able to wash the dishes, sweep the kitchen, vacuum the apartment, tidy the living room, make the bed, wash two loads of clothes, hang up one of those loads to dry, clean the cat boxes, sweep the master bathroom, wash off the counters, and scrub the master bathroom’s toilet. Whew!

Then I sat down this afternoon and studied Japanese for an hour. I’m going to implement another aspect of study. I was thinking this morning that studying Japanese is good. However, I need to start trying to read primary material. At first I thought I would try reading the Bible in Japanese. Unfortunately, that is way over my skill level. Next time we go to the library, I will check out some children’s books in Japanese. I think 3 sessions each week, 15 minutes each session, tacked onto my normal study time will be very beneficial.

My quiche is almost ready to pull out of the oven and then we’ll be finishing up this week’s episode of The Biggest Loser. I hope everyone else is having a great evening!

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Tuesdays – Living Room

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Tuesdays are my day to work on the living room/dining room. Our dining room is actually just an extension of our living room. The “dining room” contains my desk (in all of its messiness) and our kitchen table, which is my husband’s laptop desk. Sometimes I’ll ask him to move so I can sew there or we will play games on that table, but most of the time it’s covered in paperwork and a laptop.

Our living room has the game shelf, my husband’s main desk with his desktop computer, our printer stand, sofa, and two end tables. That’s it. We still live like college students and probably will for a couple more years.

Today I completed all the basic cleaning – the bar between the kitchen and dining room, dusted, vacuumed, and picked up. I was supposed to work on my desk for an hour but I got really shaky this afternoon and couldn’t do anything for awhile. So my desk remains messy until next week or until I finish a room early and have extra time.

Tomorrow I’ll be working on the spare bedroom. I’ve posted pictures of that room before, both clean and messy. Right now it’s messy because I pulled out everything that had been stored in the closet. The spare bedroom is our “storage” room and we really need to get rid of everything we don’t use. I can’t wait until we can move into a smaller apartment because we don’t need the extra storage.

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