Yearly Archives: 2010

Domestic Blitz

Baby steps to home organization

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Works-for-Me WednesdayA quick tour of my house confirms that I am what one might call Challenged in the Organizational Arts. Much as I’d like to have Molly wave her magic wand and tidy things up, I know that isn’t going to happen. What needs to happen is this: I need to start Throwing Stuff Away. I have a hard time letting go of books, and I share my home with a dedicated pack rat with a strong sentimental streak. This has made it somewhat difficult to pare down the clutter.

And so, I am taking baby steps toward an organized home. Rockford has a bowl in the living room for his wallet and pocket things. I have a tray on the kitchen counter that’s designated the Stuff Catcher. It’s small, and when it’s full it’s meant to be cleared of Stuff. Said Stuff is supposed to then be put away. (I say “supposed to” because that doesn’t always happen as planned.) I try to keep the library books in the Library Bag, and the art supplies are all confined to one space. (A very disorganized space, but at least they’re together.)

But my most favorite and definitely most successful organizational effort?

Battery organizer

It’s a battery organizer.

I bought it a few years ago using a gift card Rockford’s uncle gave me for my birthday. Making it both exciting and luxurious. Sarcasm aside, I really do love the battery organizer. It’s one of my favorite purchases ever, and it soothes my soul every time I open the doors to the laundry and see it hanging there, all organized and lovely. It makes me believe that maybe there will come a day when my house won’t be quite so cluttered. It’s also so very helpful when the kids need batteries for one of their 10,000 battery-operated gizmos.

I know there are people out there who live in clutter-free homes. My dad is one of them. Are you? What’s your best tip or product suggestion for living an organized life?

menu plan Monday

Surrendering to the kids’ culinary wishes

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menubuttonMacaroni and cheese and fish sticks again? Sometimes I feel like we’d be doing just as well to go to McDonald’s every night for dinner. I haven’t talked all that much here about how frequently Rockford is away, but it’s often enough to make it difficult for me to get into the habit of making a real dinner. Poppy isn’t the world’s most adventurous eater (ha!), and it’s just too discouraging to make a meal for three that one person so vehemently won’t eat. Pete’s a good eater, but his five very enthusiastic bites just don’t make up for her meal-time crabbiness. So I make something I know they’ll both eat, and then after they’re in bed I have a tuna fish sandwich or a bowl of oatmeal. Because guess who doesn’t like fish sticks? That’s right: Me. (Unless they’re on a sandwich. Poppy’s food peculiarity has its obvious roots.)

(Note: I know this is a wrong and terrible way to look at things, but some days I am doing my best to hang in there. So. Mac & cheese and fish sticks it is.)

My, that was a downer of a menu-plan intro. I blame the weather. It’s the greyest of greys here today, and stormy to boot.

Monday: Breakfast for dinner

This will be eggs, veggie sausages and toast. It’s always a hit, which is why we have it at least one night most weeks.

Tuesday: Macaroni & cheese

I was going to make this from scratch, but then Target had the blue box on sale for 90 cents.

Wednesday: Fish sticks

We bought a giant bag of fish sticks a few weeks ago. I’m hoping we’re near the bottom of it.

Thursday: Chicken-apple sausages

I hope it stops raining by Thursday, because I want to grill these. We’ll have them with Alexia oven fries, which are delicious.

Friday: Homemade pizza

I finally made pizza dough for homemade pizzas last week, and they were quite lovely. The pizza dough recipe is here, and I can’t recommend it enough. It takes some time, but it is so easy. Last Friday’s pizzas were pretty standard-issue; I’m thinking I’ll do something different this week. Rockford and I both really like Thai chicken, and I’ve been toying with the idea of a banh mi pizza. I’m just not sure what to do for the sauce. The sauce I make for the sandwiches has mayo and Sriracha in it, but I don’t like the idea of mayo on a pizza. Any ideas?