So This Is What We're Eating This Week...

I'm trying to get back on track with meal planning and freezer cooking after the holidays. As always, cooking dinner and cleaning up is the bane of my evening, even though I really do like preparing meals (not so much the cleaning). Our evenings are just so crammed after work, and getting into some routine again will be really helpful as we are going to attempt getting more sleep. So, here is our meal plan for the upcoming week- hopefully it will keep me on track!

 

Monday~ Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, rolls, and salad

Tuesday~ Small Group (we're bringing cheese & crackers) or grilled cheese and tomato soup

Wednesday~ Chicken Enchiladas, rice and beans, tortilla chips and guacamole

Thursday~ Leftovers

Friday~ Homemade pizza w/ peppers, onions, and chicken

Saturday~ Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and fresh green beans

Sunday~ Sausage, Potato, and Kale Skillet

 

I'm planning to make as much ahead of time as I can and freeze a couple of the meals so that I can cut down on how much I have to do in the evenings!

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty-three}: take a wife-cation.

So, a lot of "tips" that I read online or in magazines about balancing work and home are focused on how different things are in our culture nowadays. How women basically are juggling both things; how women don't necessarily have to make their home their first priority. We are in a society that doesn't require women to be the keepers of the home any more. We are in a society, although it still has a ways to go, of equality.

Contrary to what is popular or typical in my generation, I begin each of these posts with the understanding that women are called, even commanded by the Bible, to be the keeper of their home. Now, most people in our culture would choke if they read that. It is not considered acceptable. But before I hear a chorus of "amens!," I want to say that I don't hold to the standard of many Christian subcultures, either, in believing that a woman's job is to stay in the home caring for her husband and children. I think that God does lay it on many women's hearts to stay at home. But I also believe He gifts calls many women for the workplace. And that is something to be celebrated as well! I would love to see both of those roles and choices lifted up and admired, instead of judged and put down by those who are staunch in their position.

So rather than hold to any adamant belief about WHERE a woman should be, I would rather focus on WHAT a woman is to be. The Bible is clear that a "wise woman builds her home, but a foolish one tears it down." To me, that is a clear instruction, and a clear choice. Build your home. Whatever your home looks like for you. Whatever building it looks like for you.

And so, with the presupposition that a woman is indeed told to build her home, regardless of her occupation, I would offer you this tip-

Take a wife-cation.

I have this terrible database at work that I always seem to be behind in. Everyone in the state thinks this system is a beast, it's not just me. But it's something that, if I don't put aside time to work on, will never get done. So I do this thing where I tell everyone I am on a SACWIS vacation. (That's the database!) Everyone knows that on my "vacation," I am available for emergencies only, and otherwise I am focusing on this one thing for the purpose of plowing through some serious amounts of work.

If possible- if your job allows- take a day off every now and then to do all those things that you want to do but feel like you never have time to do. That may be something different for everyone. For me, it would be deep cleaning. I like things scrubbed out and organized and wiped down. I also like to do prep work type things in the kitchen- freezer cooking, baking, making snacks for the week, etc. When I feel like my house is clean and our food is well stocked, I feel ready to take on the large task of balancing work and home. It's better to take a day that your husband won't be home, or your kids will be at school, or you don't have other commitments. Take this one day to FOCUS on your home. Just imagine if your daily work for your career could only get done in small increments, at night, while you were tired and wanted to relax. You would be pretty overwhelmed, and probably behind on your tasks! The same applies to homemaking. You need to take time to immerse yourself in it, without distraction, from time to time. Think of it as a "catch up" time. Treat yourself to something relaxing at the end of your wife-cation day! Get a pedicure, or sit and read at a coffee shop. I don't know about you, but I feel much more relaxed and happy when I am on top of my tasks.

What do you do to help you stay on top of your homemaking?

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day twenty-two} : share the load.

I don't know about you, but I struggle with wanting to be a full time homemaker....along with being a full time employee. I want to have the home of someone who has their whole day to pour into it. I want to make more from scratch and clean more and have my laundry put away every day.

But the truth is that I can't do it all, and I definitely can't do it all alone. It will depend on your work schedule, and your husband's as to how much you can split the work. It's important to be able to rely on each other, and ask for help when it comes to the care of your home. Try sharing the work according to how much time each of you have off, or what kinds of chores each of you don't mind doing. For example, my husband doesn't mind folding the laundry, since that's a chore that can be done in front of ESPN. :)

Don't fall into the trap of thinking you have to keep everything going on your own. Be willing to share in the responsibility and the control of the home!

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day nineteen} : make double.

Today's tip is to double up! Whenever you make a meal that could be frozen or turned into lunches, make two! If you are in a two income family, chances are you need lunch ideas. Make sure you make enough for leftovers for the week. We tend to spend money on out to eat when we have nothing that appeals to us left in the fridge. Having enough to eat for the next few days really helps us avoid the fast food pitfall.

When you can make a meal that can be doubled for the freezer, you should! It is little to no extra work to double up on a recipe you are already making for dinner. Throw it in the freezer for day when you don't feel like making anything!

 

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31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day eighteen} : push through.

So, unfortunately, I skipped days 15, 16, and 17. On Monday and Tuesday, my hubs and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary! I decided to forgo any blogging and just relax. We both took off of work on Tuesday, and spent all day just relaxing and hanging out. We went to a nice dinner and watched the Presidential debate after that- so romantic, I know! Then Wednesday, I had another lovely allergy flare up and couldn't think straight....sleep was about all I could muster up. :(

So today, my energy is back a little bit, and in light of my house being neglected for a few days, along with the blog, my advice for the day is to push through. Do something, even when you don't feel like it. For example, I get up really early with the hubs to pack his lunch. Like 3 am early. After he leaves, I just really, really want to go back to bed. But before I do, I try to do a little something that I can be proud of- switch the laundry, load the dishwasher, straighten the living room- just one thing, just to make a little progress.

When you work, you probably won't have many days where you just clean your whole house top to bottom. You will probably have to do your homemaking in small increments. So be ok with that! Get used to doing a little here, and a little there. Make progress whenever you have the opportunity!

Even when you don't have time to do a lot, or you are really exhausted- push through and have a small accomplishment!

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day fourteen} : set a timer.

Do you have a problem area in your cleaning? I know I do- it's definitely our bedroom! I am pretty good at keeping our downstairs straightened up......by gathering everything and throwing it in the bedroom. :(

Here's an idea for managing a problem area: set a timer for 15 minutes every day and focus solely on that area. Don't feel that you have to clean the whole space. Fifteen minutes and stop.

If you consistently do this, your problem area will quickly become an area of discipline! Everyone can find fifteen minutes, even in a busy day. So devote a little bit of effort, and you can stop feeling guilty about that off limits zone!

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day thirteen}: take time off from the busy.

This weekend we are playing the role of "vacation home" to our five year old nephew. And it is FUN! And I will not think so when I have a five year old I can't give back, I'm sure. :)

Today I woke up to the sound of my husband and nephew talking about how they slept and came down to see them chilling out in pajamas on the couch. I made coffee and oatmeal and we watched Power Rangers all morning. It was completely non-productive, and I needed it.

I need to grocery shop, pay the bills, and clean the house. I need to do the laundry, and do my freezer cooking. Instead of all of those things, I was introduced to the (horrible) show, The Amazing World of Gumball. Have you seen that? Awful.

But although I was not impressed with the content of the Cartoon Network, I loved the chance to snuggle up and do a whole lot of nothing. We walked up to the Farmer's Market, and made lunch and dinner, and went out doe ice cream. My house is still messy, and the laundry still needs to be done. But a pumpkin is carved and glowing all night in his bedroom, thanks to LED tea lights left over from our wedding, and a little guy is having a good weekend.

 

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Sometimes that's what matters, and that time is what's needed to recharge for the work week.

31 days to Balancing Work and Home {day twelve} : sleep.

Sleep.....don't sacrifice it. I personally need about 8 hours. I never used to, but I guess that's what aging does. :)

When we stretch ourselves too thin, we won't be great at our job or in our home lives. Sometimes sleep is what we do with the few hours we have left over. It takes a back burner to or busy lives. But that's really no way to do it! If you make getting a certain amount of sleep a goal, you will have much better balance and, well...sanity in the rest of your life.

That's it for today. Short and sweet, because we are having our five year old nephew over for the weekend.

Get enough rest- even if it feels like you don't have the time.

 

 

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31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day eleven} : is it a good fit?

As with everything, we will eventually have to ask ourselves if our job is a good fit for our lives. In this economy, you can't be too choosy if you need to work. However, you do have to consider all of the factors. For example, is your paycheck still big enough to make it worth it, after you pay for child care? Is your job flexible when you have a sick child?



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I am so blessed to have the job I have. My boss asked me a few months ago what my long term goals were for my position. We were able to talk openly about my desire to go down in hours when I had a child, and what that could look like. In the meantime, my job is nice and flexible. If I am not feeling well, it's possible for me to work at home. If I need to leave early, it's easy to request that last minute. I can be somewhat confident that when I am ready to begin my family, I can work with my boss to figure out what my needs are and how I fit at the company.

I know not everyone has that. My heart goes out to those who can't stand being at work, or are looked over for promotions due to making their children a priority. It's a tough world out in the work force.

So ask yourself what yourself if your job is working for you as a family and home-oriented woman. If it doesn't, is there an option that could be better for you? Could you work at home a day or two out of the week? Could you cut back in some areas and work fewer hours? Is finding a different job a possibility for you?

I know this post may not be applicable to everyone. I just want to throw out some food for thought. I love working. But I also am very thankful to have a position where I can make my home and husband a priority. And I don't feel bad about that- about both of those things being important to me! The point of this is to think outside of the box. Get creative! Sometimes that's what it takes to find a balance in our lives.

31 Days to Balancing Work and Home {day ten} : just say no.

When I didn't get home until 11:30pm yesterday, I knew I'd need to skip Day 9. I had the best of intentions for sticking to 31 days straight of blogging, but I guess sometimes life gets in the way of plans!

So, anyway,picking up again with day 10, I want to talk about saying no. It's a tough thing to be working and homemaking. That means taking control of your time. And sometimes that means saying no to things. It's easy to pile your commitments so high that you can't do a few things well.

It's important to consider every slot on your calendar and weigh whether or not you should be filling it up. Focus really is the key here. If you want to focus on your home and family, you will have to let some other things go- especially if you are also working! Only you can decide which things you must keep and which things are not worth your time.

After you prioritize your time, you have to be kind to yourself. Stand by the decisions that you make and don't bad about it! You are the one that is accountable for the way you spend your minutes. So spend them investing in what matters!

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day eight} : maximize your minutes.

I barely made it to the computer before bedtime today. My hubby has been giving me the "you're crazy" look as I announce before bed, "I still need to blog!" But I'm doing it, and I'm pretty happy about it. :)

So today is simple- maximize your minutes. Find little slivers of time during your day, and make the most of them. Maybe you don't feel like you have a lot of extra time, but I guarantee you can find a little bit if you try. Make a few important phone calls on your commute. Write your shopping list in the waiting room at the doctor's office.

The key to making the most of your time is multitasking. For me, this works as an incentive. I can do things I have to do at the same time that I do things I want to do- like catching up on shows on my laptop while I chop veggies or do my freezer cooking in the kitchen. Or listening to an audio book while I'm cleaning. Find ways to fit in the things that make you happy with the things that make you proud of a job well done!

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day seven} : declutter.

I recently read this post over at Looking for Love, Luck, and... about purging your home of unwanted things. And I heartily agree with her.

Day seven is all about the purging and decluttering. When I get swamped with cleaning at my house, it is because there is stuff all over. Junk mail, laundry, books, dishes- you name it. I can tend to get kind of messy, but when I buckle down and clean, I clean deep. I am all about "a place for everything and everything in it's place." If it doesn't have a place, or a purpose, it's gotta go!

Today I spent a lot of time cleaning our bedroom, which is honestly a catch all space for me. I know, that's bad. I'm trying to get better. It is just so easy to clean up downstairs where people will actually see it, and then toss the leftovers in the bedroom and shut the door. Like, for weeks at a time. Today, I made a huge pile of things to get rid of. Tomorrow, I just have to muster up the self-discipline to take it to Goodwill.

Having too much stuff is a great way to always have a messy house. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to keep it clean. Period. So get rid of things as you clean! Do you really need to keep folding up that ripped dish towel and putting it away? Do you really need all 45 pairs of shoes? Could you pare down the number of Tupperware containers filling the cabinet?

If someone else could reasonably use something, like a pair of jeans that's nice, but you haven't fit in for two years, donate. If it is not something you would give someone, like old underwear- throw it in the trash. But by all means. purge.

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day 6} : plan ahead.

Welcome to day 6! I am pretty proud of myself for blogging 6 days in a row already. Just goes to show that I can make time for what I want to do; it's not impossible. Like Grey's Anatomy. Somehow I always manage to keep up with what's goin' on at the hospital. :)

So, the name of the game for day six is plan ahead. Having a plan in place will make your life go a lot more smoothly. And isn't a smooth day like gold for the working woman? Of course, our weeks will have their surprises, and sometimes no amount of preparation can calm the storm that is our home. But some good prep work goes a long way when home isn't your full time job. Below are some things we can plan ahead to help us stay organized!

1. Meals
Having a meal plan not only helps you grocery shop wisely and save money, it keeps you from ordering pizza every night on the way home. It doesn't stop me every time, but it helps. There are definitely days where I scrap the plan and enlist the help of one Papa John.

2. Freezer cooking
Having some back up food in the freezer can also save you time and money. And help sever your relationship with the Chinese food place. There are times we work late, or I haven't had time to grocery shop, and it is really helpful to have a casserole in the freezer. I also like to have things in the freezer like homemade pizza crust, freezer burritos, and baked goods. We try to stay away from processed foods, so I love gleaning wisdom and recipes from ladies like Crystal at Money Saving Mom when it comes to freezer cooking in a short amount of time.

3. Outfits
I can't tell you how much time I waste and how much mess I make digging through my clothes trying to find something to wear every morning. My morning routine is something that is seriously lacking. Laying out an outfit at night before I go to bed would be a great step toward a smoother AM.

4. Days of the week
Get old fashioned or channel Sheldon from Big Bang Theory (any other fans out there?) and label your days. Make Monday your laundry day or Tuesday your freezer cooking night, or Wednesday your comic book store night  bathroom cleaning morning. You get the idea. I'm not talking about being rigid or inflexible, I'm just saying that if I always make sure I take 20 minutes to clean my bathroom on Mondays, I will have a toilet that I can allow impromptu company to use. And then I don't have to have another meltdown about how gross my home is and how tired and busy I am. Not that that ever happens. :)

How do you stay organized during the work week? What things do you plan ahead?

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day five} : messy or dirty?

There is a difference between messy and dirty. When you don't have time to do much cleaning, focus on things that will smell if you leave them for too long: dishes, garbage cans, wet towels, toilets.

I know that is over simplified, but if you're like me, a messy house is overwhelming. Because I want my house to look like this-

-I get discouraged when it doesn't measure up. Then I stop trying to maintain. I let my kitchen get crazy, and put off the dishes until tomorrow. Or the next day. (That's actually what I need to do right after I finish this post!) It's hard for me to focus on one or two key areas on busy weeks. And when you don't have a plan for busy times, work piles up.

So today's tip for a busy week is to settle for messy and aim for clean. Try not to run out of clean cups or panties, and forgive yourself for the rest.

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day four} : lose the pride.

My advice for today....buy the packaged cookies from the bakery.

Why such trite advice today? Because we put so much pressure on ourselves to perform. I know not every working woman feels this way, but I am one that likes to make things from scratch. It kind of kills me to buy any packaged food. Whenever I am signed up to bring food to some event, I like it to be something that I made. So, I have to ask myself at times if it is a matter of wanting to be healthy and eat whole foods, or is it a matter of pride? For our meals at home, I would say it is about health.

But yesterday, I had to scrap the baking pride and pick something up at the grocery store for a meeting while I was running late to work. I would rather wow people. I would rather be the person with the best, yummiest dish. I like people to ask for my recipes. That's pride talkin'!

This week I've been busy. This week, I've been trying to focus on my house. This week I didn't have time to make yummy things. Because I work all day. And you know what? That's ok. Bake when you can, buy when you need to in order to maintain your sanity and be a good steward of your time. That's what I'm learning.

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day three} : maintain.

 

Word of the day: Maintain.

 

When you work, even part time, you will have to come to terms with the fact that your house is not going to be clean 100% of the time. Truthfully, no one has a clean house all of the time, but it can feel like you are the only one who doesn't have time to work on your house.

 

 

I don't know about you,but I tend to get tired and let things go. I clean like a madwoman, and then I don't for like a week. Or sometimes two. And then I am sick of it, and I get overwhelmed and upset that I have so much to do. And then I clean like a madwoman. And the cycle goes on....

 

Wouldn't it be better to do a little everyday? That's what I'm working toward. I'm trying to maintain my home, a little bit everyday. I am trying to let go of unnecessary stress and forgive myself for not having a sparkling kitchen at all times. :)

 



31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day two} : no guilt!

Today will be short and sweet. Actually, my goal is to keep all of these posts short and sweet. I barely made it to this one; I have a little over an hour left to get today's post in! I am looking forward to the pressure of the challenge! :)

 

Here's the thought for today on balancing work and home:

Don't allow yourself to feel guilty about wanting to have- and be great at- both a career and homemaking. I think we are pressured to choose by many forces: our jobs, our friends, society, our own thoughts. It's ok if you want to be great on the job and great in the home. You can be! So set aside the guilt, if you struggle with it. Set aside the perfectionist expectations you may have for both aspects of your life. And revel in the fact that you have it in your heart to do amazing things in both of your realms of influence! It's not an easy thing, so let's get to work finding a balance, shall we?

31 Days of Balancing Work and Home {day one} : intro.

For the month of October, I'm linking up over at the Nesting Place, where they are having a 31 day blog event. I heard about via Sarah Mae, who is by far one of my favorite bloggers out there- check out her site! There is always something good for my heart when I read her writing.

I found out about this kind of last minute, but I am eager to join in the fun, and accept the challenge of blogging for 31 days straight! Judging from how busy my life got as soon as I committed to writing The Working Girl's Guide series in September, this will be a tough goal for me.

But October is my favorite month, and I am feeling energetic and ready for adventure! So, since I haven't had a lot of time to decide what my 31 Day topic should be, I am going to continue to share about balancing work and homemaking. Rather than lengthy posts, this will be 31 days of tips and tricks, my own life's mishaps, and sharing tidbits from my heart. I hope you all share your own moments in the comments as we all strive for balance and the building up of our homes and lives!

I'm cheating a tiny bit and making Day #1 an Intro. :) I'll be back to share tomorrow with something a little more substantial. I'll also be announcing the winner from September's giveaway, so stay tuned!

What's on the Menu 9/30- 10/6

Here's what we're eating! It's been a while since I've posted regularly, so I'm hoping to be up and running more often in October. :) Do you have a menu plan? Feel free to leave a link to your menu post in the comments!

Sunday- We went to some friends' for dinner, so I didn't have to cook! Yay!

Monday- It's band night for hubby, so we just grab something on the road. Nice part of not having kids: we don't really have to plan anything for dinner if we have things to do. Bad part: we eat more Wendy's than we should.

Tuesday- Small group- we are bringing salad toppings. This will be a good way to use up some end of season garden tomatoes!

Wednesday- Chili and cornbread- hoping my crockpot doesn't burn my food this week. I really don't want to buy a new one. :(

Thursday- Fish tacos with rice and mango salsa

Friday- Meatball subs and salad

Saturday- Beef stew and biscuits

Make ahead and freezer cooking- This week I need to keep dealing with garden tomatoes and figure out what to do with those. :) Also, I'm going to make Freezer Lasagna Casserole, cookies, and granola bars. Hopefully.

The Working Girl's Guide, Week #5- Determine Your Future Goals

Here we are at the last week! Thanks for joining me and reading along. September has been a crazy month in our house! It seems like anytime you commit to something, five other things pop up that make it hard to do.

I'll tally up and announce the winner of September's giveaway tomorrow, by the way. My plan had been to do it today, but keep checking back for the big news! :)

So, for this last week, I wan to talk about determining your future goals. Why? Because what we want to have eventually affects what we do and what our attitudes are like now.

#1- What do you want long term?
Do you want to stay at home with your kids, or even without kids, to care for your home? Do you want to continue in your career? Do you want to work a little bit but focus on home? Do you wish you were able to stay at home, but need to work for financial reasons? It's hard to make these kinds of decisions. I don't have kids yet, and I'm already stressing out about it. :) Some women feel called to be at home full time, and some do not. But, whatever path you are going to take- whether being a full time homemaker, or balancing work and home, those goals will affect how you keep your home now.

#2- How can you reach your goals?
If you plan to quit working, maybe now is the time to be planning financially and preparing to transition out of the work force. If you are planning to continue working, now is the time to learn some balance and homemaking habits that will make life a little easier. Even if being at home seems like a distant dream, be thinking of what you can do now to reach it. If you want to enhance your career, how can you achieve being great at that, and also being a great homemaker? Learn the skills and habits now that will increase your chances of success at work and homemaking, in whatever combination you choose.

#3- Being content in your current role.
This is the real kicker. Whatever it is you do now- whether you are a working mom that wants to stay at home, a stay at home mom that wants to work, a single girl that wants a husband and family, or a married girl without kids yet- that's what you are, right now. Instead of focusing on what you don't have, be content with what you have in the present. It's good to have future goals, and then work toward those. But it is also important to embrace the role you are currently in. This is hard if you just don't think you have the life you want- if it's hard for you to be at work when you just want to be at home. Or to want to have children and be a mom, but you haven't had the opportunity yet. These aren't small heartaches- but hold on to the fact that God has you in this role for a reason, and use the time to it's fullest!

Thanks again for joining up with my blog- I hope you keep coming back, and I hope you enjoyed The Working Girl's Guide to Proverbs 31!