New Year

Hi all and a happy new year to you, hope you are all well and have had a wonderful Christmas!

i have taken a break for a while from blogging but am back now and in full swing!

today is the day before the kids go back to school so from tomorrow i can get into a routine!

The simpl womans Daybook

For today, 9th november 2009








Outside my window... a chilly autumn day





I am thinking... how i need to pop to the shop to pick up somethings and how i must post an important letter before i pick the kids up from school





I am thankful for... the peace and quiet that i get from living in the countryside





I am wearing... jeans, a long-sleeved black to, and black ankle boots





I am remembering... when my husband was off work for a week last week and miss him





I am going... o do a school run soon





I am reading... reposition yourself by t.d.jakes





I am hoping... to fit in my bible reading time tonight





On my mind... how cold the weather is getting and that i have an assignment due in by friday





From the kitchen... welsh cawl on the stove and warm bread rolls





Around the house... all clean and tidy ready for the return of the family





One of my favorite things~ my family...i just love them dearly





From my picture journal...





one of my sightseeing pictures from our trip to Dublin

Monday

Ok so my husband is at work and the boys are in school. its just me and pippin at home and it so peaceful!

ive put in place my new routine from ideas i got at http://simplemom.net/, and i feel so much better for it today.

normally when i leave the house at 8.45am for the school run i look at mess, hair tied back no makeup, creased clothes etc. but not this morning, my makeup was on, my hair was done and my clothes were ironed. i felt sooo much better for it, then when i got back form the school run i felt ok to takle the housework.

the only thing i havent devised yet is a morning routine, this i want to sort out tonite ready for tomorrow morning. so all the works done and i am going to get on with some studying before the next school run

kat
x

Sunday organizing

So the washing machine is still going, i am nearly at the end of it all. i got the kids to strip their beds this morning ready to wash, the reason i made them do it was because as i had been looking through http://simplemom.net/, partically at creating a home management book, one particular free download caught my eye and that was the childrens chore list. so ive decided this is what i am going to do for both my boys, so tonite i will be having a good think about what i am going to put on their list.

Yesterday and today are really all about getting organised at home, i want the house to look spick and span. my husband has been off work for holidays for 9 days and before that i had the kids off school for half term for 10 days and also in that time i bought a puppy. so i want to be all sorted by tonight ready to start tomorrow off to a fresh start, because tomorrow is going to be the first day of the rest of my life.

On reading http://simplemom.net/, i realised that i am an amazing time waster in the home, i can waste hours when the kids are in school and before i know it, it's 3.15pm and the kids are finishing school. well http://simplemom.net/, information is going to help me to overcome this.

I too have followed her advice and created a home management file:

so with the help of the http://simplemom.net/ site i have labeled my dividers as:

1.Daily Dockets

these free printables can be found courtesy of simplemom at http://simplemom.net/tools/downloads/

on here i will record the date, whats for diiner, things i have to do, very important things i have o do, and much more!

2.Cleaning

simplemom has provided free downloads http://simplemom.net/tools/downloads/, for a master weekly cleaning list. i have looked at this and tweaked it to suit me by typing out a daily cleaning checklis which contains cleaning i have to do daily, and then a weekly checklist.

3.Grocery

in this section i am going to type out a grocery list of things i always buy, then when i run out i will then just tick the particular item and i know what to but next time.

4.Recipes

i will include my favourite recipes in here

5.Bills

i am going to type out dates when bills will be coming out my bank

6.Bible
i am going to have a bile reading plan which i will follow everyday

7.Contacts

this will include a list addresses and contact numbers

8.Important Dates

this will be a list of birthdays, anniversarys etc

9.Me

going by the title this is obviously going to be abou me, logging my food, exercise, water intake etc

10.Dog
and the last section is going to focus on my puppy pippin and her training.

one last thing that caught my attenion on http://simplemom.net/, was the benefits of having a morning routine, things you do to prepare yourself for the day so i am going to set one up tonite,


back to cleaning

kat

p.s how do you organise? do you have a morning routine?

please share!

Update - beef stew

Well i had decided to make welsh beef stew tonight, i got all the ingredients out ready as you can see:

and i enlisted the help of my younger son with the vegetables:

but then when i got so far making it i realised the recipe called for 1/4pint of cider to be added, as i was serving this as a family meal with the kids i didnt fancy doing this so at he last minute i changed my mind and made beef stew the way my nana makes it, and mmm it was delicious!

my oldest son really enjoyed his hot bowl of stew when he got back from watching the rugby, and he said the most sweetest things to me 'mam i love your beef stew, you make u make i so nice', aww its nice to know that i am appreciated!

so heres the finished product:

mm and it did taste delicious, i always remember as a kid going to my nanas house and she had this bubbling away on the stove.

Heres the easy peezy recipe:

as much cubed stewing beef as you want

3 carots, peeled and sliced

2 onions, sliced

as much baby potatoes as you want

gravy granules

in a pan, put the beef and onions and fill with water so it is covering (you will need to keep topping up the water)

bring to the boil then let it simmer for about 4hrs (this can also be done in the crockpot and left for 8hrs on low)

after the allocated time add the carrots and potatoes and turn the heat up a little for 30 - 40 mins

once this is done, add gravy granules to the water in the pan, srtirring constantly to thicken.

serve in bowls with lots of salt and pepper and plety of bread and butter!

enjoy

kat

x

Blog reading

i love to read other peoples blogs and find that i get loads of tips from them.

ive decided to start leaving comments for the blog posters as i love it when someone leaves a comment for me, its nice o know someone is reading this!

so today i am looking at http://simplemom.net/ as i love her ideas on home management, so while i have a quick 5 mintutes in between all the laundry and cleaning im going to have a quick look

kat
x

Saturday

So what are you all up to today??

its dreary, cold and grey here, but there is a slight chilly wind which i am taking full advantage of by hanging out loads of laundry.

I'm quite excited because for the first time in 8 years we have bough a new, yes brand new washing machine! i have had my husband buy me second hand ones thinking it would save us money but in the long run i didn't because we needed more repairs on them. but i was just grateful for a washing machine that works.

i feel so blessed today to have a brand spanking new one, i keep going into the laundry room and just kept watching he cloths going round and round!

so my new washing machine, washing line and tumble dryer are taking a beating today as i have loads and loads of laundry to do, but the only job i hate it having to iron them and put them away, maybe the laundry fairy will visit!


ive included photos of my newly forming piles!

ive only got one son at home today as my husband and other son are going to the stadium to watch a big rugby game so i can get lots done.

for dinner tonight i will be making welsh beef stew, i'll post the recipe and pics later

kat

x