using iCal

I realize this screen shots of my ical screen aren't very good, but I hope it will give you an idea about what I'm writing about.

Sheri Graham has really inspired me to actually do some of the things I've been meaning to do but never got around to doing!

I've wanted for years to utilize the iCal program on the computer for daily routines, menu plans, cleaning chores, coordinating family schedules and the like. Well that's what I started this morning!

The purple is the daily menu plan. I've always planned menus, but this past year I've changed my planning process. I plan meals around what's on sale & what's in my pantry. To do this long range planning I need a more open concept instead of fixed meals for each day of the month. In order for me to take advantage of my pantry/stockpile and sales, my plan is like this Sunday-Feast-Roast/Ham; Monday-Leftovers; Tuesday-Mexican; Wednesday-Pasta; Thursday- Casserole/Crock-pot;

Friday-Pizza; Saturday-Cook's Choice. Monday and Saturday can easily be flipped around.

The red line is the monthly cleaning focus for each week- wk 1-Kitchen, wk 2-Living Room, wk 3-Bedrooms, wk 4- Baths/Halls

The blue lines are the daily chores.

The green is the daily routine (if I could just get the family on board!)

Not totally convinced that I should do school assignments on the ical. It is so quick and easy to use my index card method, and easier to change around when needed.

Freebie

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House Cleaning

Been busy working around the house last week.
Cleaned ceiling fans
Lindy took down all the blinds, washed them and put them back up.
Washed windows
Got a new to us couch and table lamps from my mom, so we rearranged the living room and vacuumed under the furniture.
Washed the living room sheer curtains.
Straightened the laundry room


These are homemaking “rules” that I try to live by, but not always successfully.

1. Clean house before you leave for vacation so you don’t come home to mess-this is from my mom
2. Don’t go to bed without cleaning kitchen, no dirty dishes left overnight.-this is from my paternal grandma.
3. Plan your menus before you go shopping-from my mom. I also plan my menus to work around what is on sale for the week. This has kept my grocery bill under $100 for the week for a family of 5.
4. Write all family plans/activities on the same calendar. Plus keep a weekly planning sheet on the fridge.
5. No computer until chores/school are done. This is more for the girls. LOL

I know nothing earth shattering but it helps my home run more smoothly.

Getting caught up

Already January 17 2010, and this is my first entry.

Been getting back in the swing of school. Even if the girls don't admit it, I think they were ready to do somthing.
Our first week back went well. Here is the Second Grade lesson plans for weeks 11, 12, and 13. This is for weeks 14-15.
For History we all spent the week watching Drive Through History/America, Foundations of Charater. These are really great. Fun and loaded with important information. I've started taping them from TBN, and hope to watch at least once a week even if they don't coordinate exactly with where we are at in American history.

Started our yearly cleaning. So far we have cleaned all the window sills and washed the kitchen cabinets.

I've been reading a lot. I'm really loving the Redwall books. Crazy I know, but some youth literature are some of my favorite books.

*~*~*~Menu~*~*~*
Roast
Oven Chicken
Pork Chops
*Jerk Chicken Nachos
Fish
Tacos

*Jerk Chicken Nachos
Ingredients
6 tortilla chips
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 cups marbled cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons jamaican jerk spice, divided
1 red bell pepper
1 lime,
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
1/4 cup sour cream, plus
1 teaspoon additional jamaican jerk spice (optional)

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange tortilla chips in a slightly overlapping layer on a cookie sheet.
2.In a bowl, combine chicken, cheese and 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the jerk spice; diced bell pepper, juice of lime and zest of lime. mix gently.
3.Sprinkle chicken mixture evenly over tortilla chips.
4. add snipped cilantro
5.Bake 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted; remove.
6.If desired, combine sour cream and additional jerk rub in resealable plastic bag; trim corner to allow sour cream to flow through. Pipe sour cream mixture over nachos.

hatching an egg?

About 2 weeks ago the girls found a little blue egg that had gotten blown out of a nest. Bella and Olivia decided to try to hatch the thing in a basket with old socks and washclothes. Do I have to tell it the out come?

It didn't hatch, but today while Olivia was cleaning her room, it cracked and I tell you it was a powerful stink!!

We opened the windows and turned on the attic fan, thank goodness it didn't last too long!

Olivia has had a fascination with eggs. As a preschooler she made a nest with her special blanket and sat on a chicken egg from the refrigerator.

Kitchen Detective

No self respecting homemaker wants to admit that her house stinks. It reflects badly on her cleaning skills. But I've got to be honest, something in my kitchen stinks! I cleaned out the refrigerator, took out all the old leftovers and wiped it all out. I cleaned the trash can over the weekend. There are no dirty dishes in the sink, yet the kitchen smells like rotten chicken or rotten potatoes yet, I went through the potato bin last night and didn’t find any nasty potatoes. So I’m still on the hunt...wish me luck.

2009 To Do List

This is my 2009 Household To Do List, room by room.

My mom started working on this while she was here last week. She did a lot in the laundry room, and she washed all my kitchen cupboard doors, went through most of the drawers and cupboards, sorted, tossed and washed all kitchen linens, and did one bathroom cabinet. I did finished the bathroom cabinet Saturday.

I prefer have a list like this that I can work on throughout the year. This way if something BIG happens ( like your husband getting in a motorcycle accident) I step away from the deep cleaning for a while, or clean a drawer or two when I have time. I don't like being told "This week you must do ( whole list of things) in the Living Room"
What if we have doctor appointments, or other outside activities that make deep cleaning the whole living room impossible? But I might have time to wash the windows one day and dust the baseboards later in the week.

I'm going to be trying a couple different cleaning scheduling methods, until I find one that works for us. I don't like the whole notebook for keeping track of cleaning. I'm going to be doing something with index cards. I have had the book Sidetracked Home Executives by Pam Young and Peggy Jones for YEARS, and even had a file card system set up but that's about as far as I ever got with the program. I have no idea where my cards and file box are now so I'm starting fresh. I'll keep you up to date.