Baby steps leaving footprints in the Winter snow

[roastparsnipsandbrusselsprouts]

I meant to say that I asked my dmum about the meal planning and she said she keeps meal plans from previous weeks. When she is lacking inspiration she looks back through them and remembers recipes she hasn't tried for ages. It seems to work for her. She keeps it all in a clip file so it doesn't create clutter either.

Is it sad that over time I realise more and more what a good job my dmum makes of running a household without major flap.

I am also just about to have a look at this blog to see if any advice is relevant

And Angel you are probably right. I had dd when I was 28. I am still though

My enthusiasm seems to have gone for a walk. I have picked up a case of CBA now.
Maybe I started out too early.
I was doing well with the washing up though, I think 1 more load may have cleared it!
Maybe I will have another go after lunch. --or do something else--

Come on black! Have a & think about what the most important thing you have to do today is, then set the timer for 15mins & do it!

I'm shovelling soup into DD2 atm, while thinking about what to do while she naps this arvo. We popped out to post some letters before lunch & narrowly missed getting caught in a downpour. I noticed a few loose fence panels on our walk too, so perhaps it's been worse than I realised?

Off to look at that blog now.

Okay, have downloaded that home routines app and am already on the "could try harder" bit

Kitchen is filthy and HAS to be done ....as soon as I summon the energy - like NOW!

Will report back when done!

Come on BlackCat - 15 mins of dishes - you can do it!

The enormous pile of laundry has been sorted (until I empty the airer anyway) and dh and I both have more ironing to do now. I will be very generous and let dh go first

Hello and welcome Dillydaydreaming.

I think I will get lunch for everyone then try and crack on with the washing up.
I need to do a "stock check" of the kitchen and decide what we are having for dinner later.

I think I am missing the adult company. (DH first day back at work today.)

Afternoon all!

Got back very late last night so sink didn't get shined like I hoped. Tonight it will, though! Made a to-do list before bed and have done a fair amount of it. Just trying to get back home after 2.5 weeks away is a challenge! ToddlerScout (TS) and I have our weekly swimming session this afternoon (we've been doing it since he was five months old and he's now 26 months) and then meeting some friends afterwards for a drink/play. Hopefully I'll be back into the baby steps properly this evening/tomorrow (did get dressed this morning, which is hard since TS and I have a routine of breakfast in our PJs THEN getting dressed) and I did 15 minutes declutter of the (eat in) kitchen (no dining room) while he finished his cereal.

Weather's wild here (East Anglia) and I got caught in a downpour while putting TS in the car from errands this morning (had lots of packages to collect from the post office and the silly collection part place shuts at 12:30 every day but one).

Sorry, I'm not sure who asked if my name is from a book but I'd have to say "no" because I don't know which book you're referring to.

Good luck with your jobs today, everyone!

That was me Scout - the main character in To Kill A Mockingbird is called Scout.

Oh -- I knew that. It's been YEARS since I read To Kill a Mockingbird. But no, that's not where I got my name from. It's an old camp name from when I was a teen/in my 20s and worked at Girl Scout camp (am American living in the UK).

Kitchen clean n tidy
Washing up done
Recycling sorted but need the proper bags as I've run out - can get them tomorrow.

Chill time now

Yay! Well done Dilly.

I have been ironing but am having a wee break.

hi scout we always breakfast in our PJs as with DD1(3) & DD2(8m) it can sometimes get a bit messy

black how's that washing up coming along?

DD2 is happily taking all her toys out of the box, so I thought I'd do one of the things on my to-do list which is to buy some new make-up. I ended up spending saving loads of money on the lookfantastic sale! Am now all stocked up on face cream and I also bought DH some fancy shaving stuff for his birthday (at the end of the month)

Had better tear DD2 away from her box of toys & get her ready for a nap. While she sleeps I am going to do my home blessing which you don't need to even think about until after you've finished all the baby steps

Joining black in CBA. Had a horrible dentist appointment and need to leave for the school run in 35 mins. By the time I go to bed I will have everything ready for tomorrow, shine sink and do 15 mins de clutter in hall.

Will do some ironing tomorrow.

Hi Eggrules.

We had lunch then I sat and watched some telly while DD had a mad half hour running around screaming (for fun!).

I am now MNetting and having another after which I am hoping to get going in the kitchen.

I have been chucked off the ironing by dh who is doing his just now.

oh you must be gutted about that parsnips!

I've vacuumed everywhere downstairs & emptied all the bins - had to wrestle stuff into the recycling bin as it is very very full & they won't empty it until saturday!

I also gave the vacuum cleaner a treat - I have cleaned it's filters. Oh and I did the same to the tumble dryer this morning & amazingly it's drying stuff much quicker now!

I'm having a sit down & a now before DD2 wakes. Still need to make the shopping list legible & have a few more online things I need to do.

I have done one more load of washing up and it's still not all done.(Needs a bigger draining board!).
I will go back in a bit to finish off.

I have also done my kitchen food stock take.
I need to meal plan next.

For those of you who are good at cooking- How do you go about it?
I seem to dish up endless crap!
Sorry just feeling a bit down on myself today.

Do you pick something you would like to cook from the cookbooks then go and buy the ingredients?

I never seem to have all the right kinds of food in.
Also fresh veg doesn't seem to last for many days so just wondered if you buy it the day you use it?
Or do you use frozen veg for recipes?
{hopeless cook emoticon}

black yes, I choose things from cookbooks I want to make, then write the ingredients on the shopping list. I try to do the things which need fresh veg as soon as poss, but that doesn't always work out & sometimes I pop out later in the week to get some bits. What kind of thing were you thinking of making? Perhaps we could help you choose a recipe?

DD2 is awake so off to feed & play

Thanks Bessie.
I think I need to look through my cookbooks then and choose something I would like to do. Then make a shopping list.
I think we are running a bit low again on everything (Apart from the freezer which seems to have random things that are left over)

Tonight we are having: Ready made meat and potato pies, peas and gravy.

BlackCat are you trying to do a budget meal plan or just a meal plan?

If I am just doing a meal plan I choose the recipes that I fancy and then write down the ingredients I haven't got on the shopping list.

If I am doing a budget shopping list and looking for meal ideas I sometimes go to the BBC good food website and enter in the ingredients that I have and see if any of the ideas it comes up with appeal.

On the fresh veg front I try to buy all of it for a week. I will put the meal using the brocolli early in the shopping week and things using peppers or courgettes later in the week as they keep quite well.

The other option is to cook large portions and once it is cooked it should keep a few days to be used later in the week

I find if I am doing a lot of new recipes my shopping costs go up as you sometimes need a tube or jar of something new that you haven't got in the store cupboard (eg marmite or mustard or redcurrant jelly) but that cost vanishes if you like the recipe and use it again and again as you can dip into the jar again and again.

What recipes are you thinking of trying?

BlackCat btw Jamie's mince pie (savoury sort) recipe is lovely.

hello all.still got a shiny sink.i started off excellent fettle today and managed to locate over half front room floor from the new toy clutter....then i ran out of steam(although i have done 3 loads of washing and an hour of ironing).on the tea vibe i always keep a supply of basics(pasta,rice etc.tins beans and frozen veg.cheese,tins tomatoes and tuna)then in an emergency always can rustle up a plan b tea in under an hour,some in 10mins.im trying to summon up the energy to wash kids hair(all 3 nearly waist long and needs to be nit checked before school restarts tom so inknow thats where it comes from).tonight we having rice,veg and tuna.baked apples and custard