Gobnait tames the house

[Gobnait]

I want to make the house work for me more than I work for it.

 

Have the kitchen be clean once in the day.

(Between 30 and 36 is good, more is better.)

 

Kitchen checklist:

• cutting boards clean
• knives clean
• main counter wiped
• drain-trap dumped
• dishwasher status
• frying pans ready
• large lid useable

 

 

Less-important goals.

Account for the day.

Account for food waste.

Poke at messes.

Prepare sit-down projects that don't involve screens.

[Gobnait]

The wandering mogrelfolk encountered an enchanted cottage.  It was nice once, but had gone feral.  Crockery was dirty and spilling from the cupboards.  The rest of the rooms were in similar disarray.  It was livable, and better than sleeping in the forest, but it would be much nicer if it were tame once again.

 

Basically, my house is a mess, and I'm still struggling with making it work for me.  I will be accounting what I do during the day, but the main focus of what I need to do is narrower.

 

 

I'm thinking that the focus of this challenge should be to keep the kitchen clean rather than streamlining anything else.  With the kitchen clean, I can cook easily and not dread the task.  Basically it will start with the one counter, cutting boards, and knives be clean at least once per day.  Eventually I'll expand to as much as the kitchen as possible be clean without being annoying.  (I think it's more annoying to keep putting certain appliances away rather than leaving them out.)  7/7 would be amazing, 6/7 would be pretty cool, but hitting 5/7 is acceptable if I can get back to a clean kitchen with one day's effort.  I decided on 30-36 days in the next six weeks, but I can't slack if I make 35 in five weeks.  I can also "cheat" by pre-cooking so I don't use the kitchen, and having the dishwasher empty so I can just throw stuff in.  Dishwasher can't sit around when it's clean or when it's full enough to run.

 

I just noticed a way to cheat that I will disallow.  If I clean the kitchen in the evening, I can't count it as clean in the morning just because I haven't used it yet.  Or rather... if I can go more than 24 hours without needing to do anything to it, I'm either doing something wrong or something right.  I know what I mean, and I wonder if I can truthfully say that I didn't clean the kitchen because I didn't use it enough for it to need cleaning.

 

I'm also tacking in a goal to track food-waste.  It will be easier than it would have been last challenge.  We're getting into the season of root vegetables instead of things that go bad quickly, and the potatoes will be less likely to sprout than during the warmer months.  No scoring on this, just accounting for it.

 

I have some other non-important side-goals that I can work on when the kitchen goes easily.  Occasionally I want to work on the functionality of the craft room.  The supplies that are actually stored in it are negligible, so the idea is to empty of it of anything that isn't actually in-use for a current project.  Also, I want to tidy the living room to usable and start poking at the boxed junk.

 

No tea goal for me this time since there were days when I adamantly didn't want any, or got distracted, or just didn't want to stretch to plug in the kettle.  I will be getting a better teakettle to eliminate some of the struggle, assuming they are still at the store when I go back.

 

I also had problems with the non-screentime hobbies.  Some need room, some needed me to find supplies that were buried, the cross-stitch was fine until I didn't have the energy to cut out the next piece of aida cloth when I was thinking of it.  My bonus goal is to have some kits prepared and ready to go on a whim.  Extra bonus if I actually start dedicating my sit-down time to one of the things that don't need a screen.

[Gobnait]

I'm starting my accounting early.

 

I made cabbage stew.  I lost a few of the leaves because it was starting to develop a mold, but not too great a loss.  The chicken broth wouldn't have liked sitting around for much longer either.

 

I also had a sewing emergency inflicted on me.  I got it halfway done before I couldn't take anymore.  I would not make a good professional seamstress, especially in the days before machines.  I do pretty decent work though.  (The project would be either annoying, difficult, or impossible on my machine.)

[Gobnait]

I spent the day puttering around.  I moved some boxes to the upstairs storage, brought a few down to re-package, talked to my mom about the damn craft supplies that neither of us have time to use because we keep having to sort through them.

 

Turns out the emergency sewing was a waste... oh well.  I did get the important part done in a haphazard manner that I'm not happy with, but is acceptable.

 

I used peppers and grape tomatoes in making dinner... lost a bit of pepper and one tomato to rot.  The tomatoes were a bit too sick to eat raw anymore.  I didn't cut them so we have to be careful not to burn our tongues. 

 

I'm going to have to make up a magnet system to track my dishwasher use.  I think it started out half-dirty and I took it through clean to dirty to clean.  It's empty now so I have no clue.

 

I didn't care about the kitchen because I have until Monday to actually start paying attention.  There is vegetable waste on the counter right now.

[AlleyKat]

I love your goals and the magnet dishwasher idea! I'm going to follow ya.

[Gobnait]

I love your goals and the magnet dishwasher idea! I'm going to follow ya.

 

Well, most normal people would just need a magnet where if it's right-side-up it's clean, and if it's up-side-down it's dirty.  There are even fancy magnets that are pretty clear... I do have an easy-to-grab magnet where the position on the dishwasher is the indication of clean or dirty, but we've kinda abandoned that in favor of visually inspecting the plates.

 

What I need is just a visual indicator of where in the cycle I was in the morning, where I am at night, and how many times I round the horn.  I do have these bizarre mini-magnets that stand up or lie down on metal.  I might take three and just use them as tally marks.  (I really doubt I'll do three loads in a day unless I somehow dirty everything in the house.)

 

I'm following you too.  I love the concept of just being able to do what's required of you.  No formal exercise plan for me until I can stay standing long enough to do what needs doing.

[Gobnait]

I'm bored and resting because I overdid it yesterday, so I'm noting what I want to prepare for in future challenges.

 

Coming across my makeup and hair accessories made me wish that I had kept up on self-pampering and beauty routines.  I should use mud-mask and facial creams occasionally, run the epilator over my chin more often, actually do my hair instead of leaving it down or in a ponytail, wear scented lotion, the works.  I don't have many nice clothes, so I should be prepared to start sewing.  Of course, getting dolled up is a bit pointless without leaving the house, unless I'm just practicing, so I need to be prepared for adventures.  Of course, last time I went on an adventure, I ended up twisting my ankle, but hopefully that was a fluke.  I think that I should work on being ready to start on the habits by early March.

 

I want to be able to do any craft that I have the materials for with a minimal amount of fuss.  I especially need to get the sewing materials in order if I want nice clothing.  (I can take things in when I lose weight.)  That means actually getting all of my supplies boxed in a sane way and actually use labels.  This also means being able to play with any mindless toys I have, like the blocks.  Hopefully by January I'll be able to maintain the house well enough so that I won't have to start by clearing a space.

 

Sometime in the time-frame I have in mind, I'm going to have to start packing hubby's lunch.  I'm definitely going to have to lock-in having the kitchen ready to go.  Packing a lunch for my own adventures will also be fun.

 

Then there are the improvements to the house and decorating that I want to do, but I need hubby's help, so I'll have to wait for his schedule to be sane again.

[Gobnait]

Today I poked at messes but it looks like I accomplished more than the effort that went towards it.  I also potted some plants that I bought over a month ago.  I now have an aloe and jade in matching pots, a hens-and-chicks and the matching pot will eventually have tiny cacti or something, and an asparagus fern in the aloe's old pot.  I'll try to remember pictures once they are settled.

 

I ate a fancy brocoli-slaw kit that I bought last week, it was getting to the point where it was mildly slimy and about to the point of needing cooking except that it came with a dressing that covered it up.  Unless I buy anything else, I'm only staring down three small peppers, a pound of carrots, leftovers, and that miscellaneous stuff that is either trash or will keep.

 

I'm more than bored, I'm exceptionally bummed-out.  I tried playing video games, but meh.  I had enough energy to prepare a cross-stitch, but no interest even with everything sitting there.  Pinterest didn't have anything interesting, nor did the rest of the internet.  The butterfly game is one of those where you stay sanest if you only spend about five minutes poking at it every hour.

[AlleyKat]

Oh, adventures! I'm right there with ya on not getting all 'dolled-up'. I want to, and I like to, I just never seem to make it happen. This will be integrated into the next challenge.

 

I have to do the dish inspection, too....I always check a couple of 'em in case the first deceptively just looked clean...

 

Do you work from home?

[Feowyn]

Not having to clean the kitchen and dishes before you even start preparing a meal makes a big difference, not only with energy and mood, but also time. Your goals look good. A bit  each day makes a difference.  

  Pinterest didn't have anything interesting, 

I don't understand what this means    In 2 1/2 years I've acquired over 12,000 pins. I have a problem lol

[Gobnait]

Oh, adventures! I'm right there with ya on not getting all 'dolled-up'. I want to, and I like to, I just never seem to make it happen. This will be integrated into the next challenge.

 

I have to do the dish inspection, too....I always check a couple of 'em in case the first deceptively just looked clean...

 

Do you work from home?

 

I'm a homemaker.  I work, but all of it costs money instead of making it.

 

Not having to clean the kitchen and dishes before you even start preparing a meal makes a big difference, not only with energy and mood, but also time. Your goals look good. A bit  each day makes a difference.  

I don't understand what this means    In 2 1/2 years I've acquired over 12,000 pins. I have a problem lol

 

It is possible to get to a boring part of the internet.  I'm following a lot of people right now whose taste in pins doesn't match mine well somehow.

[Countess D'If]

I unfollowed so many pinners and boards, it was out of control and I HATED a lot of what I was seeing. I felt all smug and superior afterwards. 

[Gobnait]

I unfollowed so many pinners and boards, it was out of control and I HATED a lot of what I was seeing. I felt all smug and superior afterwards. 

 

Wow, I don't hate the pins, but a lot of the stuff doesn't catch my eye.  I should unsubscribe to some of the chaff.

 

Okay, I spent the weekend sick.  Saturday I would barely leave the bed.  Today I woke up from my ankle hurting, dragged myself to Sam's, and set myself up to face-plant on the food-waste goal.  I'm giving myself permission to waste half the onions, lose some potatoes... I'll still get my money's worth, but I will also feel bad about it.  I'm probably going to cook the salad tomatoes. 

 

I did cycle the dishwasher clean-clean-clean, but it wasn't well-loaded on all the cycles.  I got some work to do in the kitchen tomorrow.

[Gobnait]

Morning check-in because I'm going to forget... Dishwasher is dirty and good as empty, there are a few stray dishes but not enough to make a load yet.  Kitchen isn't clean, but there is enough space to work so I'm going to assemble a casserole and see if I can't get the kitchen clean before dinner and then keep it that way.

[Gobnait]

Let's see, first I tossed the freezer to see if we could order a whole cow instead of buying stuff at the grocery store, but there isn't enough room.  (Though I did find a bunch of mystery food and stuff that needs to be used.)  I spent the rest of the morning marathon-cooking.  I turned five pounds of ground beef into meatloaf, horribly-bland taco filling, two meals' worth of burgers, unstuffed pepper casserole, and I just need to brown the stew mix or get a lid on it.  I need to figure out what gets frozen since we also have chicken breasts and I don't want to freeze all of them to eat ground beef all week.

 

I got my checklist done, started wiping down the stove, and finally figured out how to remove the heating elements so I gave the stove a real good scrub-down.  I'm not finished, but the drip-pans are horrible with burnt-on crud.

 

I need to make a meal-plan or inventory or something so the stuff I prepared today doesn't sit around, even in the freezer.

 

Further report...

 

Dishwasher is cycled and is empty except for some bowls that need more drying time, hopefully I'll toss them into the cupboard before tonight is over.  I actually tossed some stuff from the pot cupboard into a box because I needed some lids out of that horrible mess.  It's still a mess, and the stuff can't stay in that box.  My only regret is not snapping a "before" picture.

 

I did some hand-washing, but there is still a pile and "the stuff the dishwasher leaves dirty" is piling up.

 

And I'm going to look pretty sorry on my food-waste goal since I decided to start thawing mystery-stuff and it will end up with a year's worth of "should've tossed it" piling up all at once.

 

Further damn report...

 

This isn't just husband complaining or challenge beginning, though there was a bit of pre-challenge rest.  Mostly this is a day when I randomly want to keep going until I fall down, even if it takes sixteen hours.

 

Put the stove back together even though it wasn't pristine.  I wiped the part of the dishwasher that collects dirt, did the normal maintanence of removing the filter and using the dedicated tweezers to remove the hairballs and gunk.

 

I had a casserole ready except for cheese, cut the cheese for my husband, ended up snacking on cheese and crackers instead of actual food because I wasn't interested in actual food.  (Actually, I had lost track of time and didn't throw the casserole into the oven until hubby got home, and it took forever to cook.  I distracted him with an appetizer of carrot sticks that I had cut up because I randomly took out too many carrots.  I wasn't interested in actual food even with it staring me in the face, the cheese and crackers was an after-dinner snack.)

[Gobnait]

I didn't feel up to much today... no energy left after yesterday.

 

Dishwasher was empty this morning, didn't have enough dishes to make a load.  I skipped out on wiping the counter because I didn't use it today, really I just had to wash the cutting board and knives and dump the drain-traps.  Then I told hubby to get leftovers for dinner and he made some work for me.  I'm taking today's point and dealing with that mess tomorrow.  I did hang the wire shelves I got to hold the cutting boards.

[Gobnait]

Dishwasher was dirty and almost full, I ran it and got it halfway full dirty again.

 

I didn't need to do the full checklist, I could let the counter go or just wash it before bed, but I'm taking my point.  Decided to cook the meatloaf instead of freezing it.  I'll slice up chicken and freeze what we don't want to eat this weekend tomorrow.

 

I poked at messes, but mostly I just got overwhelmed and didn't have energy to do much.  I'm thinking about adding more to my checklist, but I'll see what happens when I run out of food that is already prepared.

[AlleyKat]

Homemaker = hardest job EVER and many times under-appreciated.

 

You could try keeping track of your mood and energy levels with your cycle. Mine is always up and down at the same times every month. I haven't had the time to research what I should do to fix that, but it helps to know I'm cycling, not JUST being off. There's prolly electrolytes and stuff that could bring more stability into energy and mood levels. I dunno.

 

Your doing great!!!!

[Gobnait]

Hormonal IUD

 

Homemaker = hardest job EVER and many times under-appreciated.

 

You could try keeping track of your mood and energy levels with your cycle. Mine is always up and down at the same times every month. I haven't had the time to research what I should do to fix that, but it helps to know I'm cycling, not JUST being off. There's prolly electrolytes and stuff that could bring more stability into energy and mood levels. I dunno.

 

Your doing great!!!!

 

Hormonal IUD means that my cycle is pretty non-existant.  I'm more willing to blame November, general laziness, or hubby's stress.

[Gobnait]

I don't even remember all of today.  I didn't cook except for throwing leftovers in the frying pan, and I did wash that, and I washed the dishes I used.  I'm taking my point because going the whole day without needing to do more than run the dishwasher is allowed.

 

I poked at messes, but there's nothing to account for my swollen ankle except that maybe lacing my boots to the top wasn't the right thing to do.

[Countess D'If]

Isch, swollen ankle = boo. Do you need to wrap it up and ice?

[Gobnait]

Isch, swollen ankle = boo. Do you need to wrap it up and ice?

 

I think that I made a very muddy statement.  When I said there was nothing to account for my swollen ankle... I twisted it a couple months ago.  What I meant was that I didn't do anything to cause it to hurt and be swollen more than normal, especially since I did less than normal amount of house-maintenance.

 

 

 

 

Okay, today the kitchen got trashed and I did nothing more than make sure the dishwasher was empty.  I did wash the frying pan, but that was between breakfast and lunch and normal "need it twice in one day" emergency.  Cutting board is too gross for cheese as well.

 

Food-waste failure... a couple days ago, I opened a bottle of wine that hubby bought and I declared it undrinkable.  I drew his attention to how he had bought a chunk of beef that I wasn't going to cook, the open bottle of wine, and a bowl of sliced onion that was my fault.  He agreed that the wine was undrinkable, put half on the stove as a reduction.  I forgot about the wine reduction and completely did not realize why I kept thinking about burnt popcorn even as the kitchen filled with smoke.  I'm not sure how much of this is my fault, but I'm going with the argument that we should have opened it a couple weeks ago, which means it should have gone from undrinkable wine to undrinkable vinegar before my decision anyway.

[Gobnait]

I got my checklist done for you guys.  Not for me, not for my huband, but because I would have to tell you if I didn't do it.

 

I had to ask hubby why he was helping a coworker move when he couldn't manage what I ask him to do... he had some very good excuses.  Mostly it was "social obligation" and "karma."  I'm irritated, but he's right.

[Mekong]

I got my checklist done for you guys.  Not for me, not for my huband, but because I would have to tell you if I didn't do it.

It's amazing how well that accountability thing works, even when you just don't feel like it at all.

[Feowyn]

Looks like you've accomplished a lot already. Great job!