It is 5:00 pm and Cindy has no idea what to make for dinner. In the process of searching through the freezer, she causes an avalanche of frozen foods to fall to the floor. Meanwhile, her hungry baby is crying and the phone is ringing.
After checking the Caller ID to see it's another sales call, she grabs a cookbook to search through as she feeds Zachary. Cindy starts flipping through recipes trying to find something she can throw together in a hurry. Bingo! Here's something quick and easy.
The hunt through the pantry for recipe ingredients begins. Her pantry is in such a state of chaos that the process takes twice as long as she had thought and she realizes she does not have a can of tomatoes. The door bell rings. Forcing a smile on her face, she answers the door and finds a neighbor child asking if Nicole can come out and play. She sends Nicole out the door asking her to run to the neighbors to see if they have a can of tomatoes to borrow.
Meanwhile, Cindy decides to start the recipe but can't find an inch of counter space to cook on. The mail, school papers and dirty dishes are scattered everywhere. Nicole returns from the neighbors having had no luck finding a can of tomatoes. By now it is 6:00 pm. and Mike will be home shortly. Defeated, Cindy picks up the phone and orders pizza, again.
It's 6:30 am and as Tracy waits for her coffee to brew, she glances at her menu on the fridge and relaxes, knowing that she bought all the week's ingredients on her Monday morning grocery run. She pulls the cooked ground beef out of the freezer and begins unloading the dishwasher so the rest of the family can load their own dirty dishes.
At 3:30 pm, Tracy returns from picking up Brook at school. She sorts the mail before feeding the baby and sends Brook to the front door with the red light sign signaling the neighbor kids, "Do Not Disturb."
Next, Tracy talks with Brook about her day while going through her folder of papers. The phone rings but Tracy lets the machine answer. Tracy signs any papers she needs and delights in her daughters progress before throwing out unneeded papers.
Brook gets her homework and sits at the counter while Brandon joins her with a coloring book. Tracy wipes down the counters and prepares everything needed for tonight's meal. When homework is finished, Tracy gets the older kids started on their chores and finishes her recipe. Tracy then cleans up the dishes and puts dinner in the oven. Taking the timer with her, she puts the baby in the stroller and takes the kids on a short walk to the park.
With 10 minutes left on the timer, Tracy and the kids head home and run into dad pulling in the drive. At 6:15 they all sit down to have a meal together.
Mealtime Tips:
? Plan your menu at least one month in advance. It will save time and headaches!
? Start typing family recipes into your computer on a database.
? Making a grocery list becomes much easier using the cut and paste feature on the computer and it is easier to find than hunting through cookbooks or recipe holders.
? Run the dishwasher after dinner or at night so it can be unloaded before bed or first thing in the morning.
? Pull frozen meat out of the freezer and place in refrigerator first thing in the morning.
? Organize your freezer so you don't spend time searching for that frozen piece of meat.
? Brown ground beef needed for the week all at once to save on dishes and time. Once browned, ground beef can be frozen again in containers ( 2 3/4 c. browned ground beef is equal to 1 pound).
? If cooked chicken is needed for casseroles, boil chicken needed for the week all at once, chop and freeze.
? Have a place to sort and store mail so it stays off the counter.
? Create a sign such as a red light/green light system that tells neighbor kids when it is and is not OK to ring the doorbell.
? Just because the phone is ringing, doesn't mean you have to answer it. Let the machine answer and call back at your convenience.
? Designate labeled hooks low enough for the kids to reach for hanging jackets and backpacks. The closer to the door they usually enter, the better.
? Have older kids help with setting the table as part of their chores.
? Use paper plates on hectic days or even ordinary days to save on clean up time.
? Keep like ingredients in the same place. For example: Keep bottled sauces such as vinegar and soy together.
? Alphabetize your spices for easier retrieval.
Susan Stewart is a professional organizer and the founder of Perfectly Placed Professional Organization and Design in the Phoenix area. Perfectly Placed specializes in bringing peace and order to busy families through organization. You can find out more about Susan and Perfectly Placed at her website: http://www.perfectlyplaced.org
executive chauffeured services Bradford .. Madison to Airport car"The real question is, why do you want it? What... Read More
Chances are, most of you have a lot you need... Read More
1. Sink to their level. Get on your knees in... Read More
One of my mother-in-law's many oft-quoted and wise declarations was... Read More
What's in a Name?Everything.What do you do with all the... Read More
In part 1, we discussed a system you could use... Read More
The word "compartmentalize" means to separate into distinct parts. I... Read More
Spring is such a refreshing time- we are filled with... Read More
Getting and staying organized is critical to achieving your goals.... Read More
Clutter in any area of your home is a sign... Read More
Every day I find junk mail waiting for me, whether... Read More
1. A calendar is an essential organizing tool ? start... Read More
Decide When And Where To StartDecide when and where to... Read More
Keeping on task and getting organized starts with a basic... Read More
Do you feel like you are running around in circles,... Read More
Life with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) can be a constant... Read More
If you look at any major organisation, there is this... Read More
Have nothing in your houses that you do not know... Read More
Whatever your clutter problem the answer is the same: make... Read More
Laundry. You sort, you wash, you fold, you blink ?... Read More
Studies show that 80 percent of what we use comes... Read More
Today you have almost as many choices of spice racks... Read More
Take a look around you right now. Look away from... Read More
Are you overwhelmed by clutter wherever you turn? Here are... Read More
Spring is here and its time to sweep away the... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..Clutter is postponed decisions?. Here are some suggestions to simplify... Read More
Getting and staying organized is critical to achieving your goals.... Read More
Have you ever been totally overwhelmed by a massive task... Read More
1. The Law of the 1st StepA good first step... Read More
We previously noted that papers must be sorted before they... Read More
Use these 35 sanity savers this year to help you... Read More
Time has flown. It's been six months since you came... Read More
'A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view... Read More
Whatever your clutter problem the answer is the same: make... Read More
1. Divide big jobs into smaller jobs. Make a list... Read More
There is nothing worse then spending ten minutes looking for... Read More
There are eight distinct steps to constructing and executing an... Read More
"Junkyard Wars," a TV series showed two teams of experts... Read More
We are in a society where people are applauded for... Read More
It wasn't long ago that you spent an entire weekend... Read More
To make room for new things to come into you... Read More
Professional organizers and helpful-hint sources often recommend storage solutions such... Read More
Digging out from under stacks of paper might seem like... Read More
Whether you are in your own business or an employee... Read More
After more than 20 years as an entrepreneur and a... Read More
Cleaning out can seem overwhelming -- especially if it's been... Read More
Home organization means being able to find your stuff when... Read More
Individuals who are organized in their personal lives most generally... Read More
What's in a Name?Everything.What do you do with all the... Read More
The word "compartmentalize" means to separate into distinct parts. I... Read More
Get Organized - Organization |