Currently {7/29/2023}

 

 

Time and place: 10:57pm and I am in the dining room, typing up this post.

  
Eating: Nothing at the moment

Drinking: A big glass of water (always)

Watching:  Manifest on Netflix

 

 

 

Reading: I'm still reading Flowers in the Attic and plan on reading the entire Dollanganger series over the next few months. 

I'm also ready Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donleea

Loving: Being able to sit down after a long day of housework and taking care of my family and read my book for a little while.

Working: I'm still working on my meal planner. I cannot wait to see how it turns out! I'm so excited for this new project. I am also working on a weekly planner insert that I am excited about and a note pad that I have been wanting to design for a while now. I am also working on a monthly/weekly planner (that's almost done and should be ready in the next few weeks). I can't wait to see how these turn out. We will be launching our 2024 Weekly Planner on Amazon the first week of August. So, stay tuned for that announcement. My Etsy shop is open and I am adding new listings every week.

 

Here is the link to my Etsy shop:

 

Pen To Paper Designs Inc  

 Listening to: the TV.

Buying: Groceries for this month and stocking up on certain items that are needed. I'm also looking at clothes and other household items that are needed.

Planning: I have most of my posts planned for JulyI just have to write and schedule them. I am working on setting up some deadlines for my meal planner and other planners that I am working on. I am also working on some planner inserts. This should keep me busy for a while!

 

I'm working on homeschool lesson plans for my kiddos.

 

I'm trying to plan out a work schedule for this month. Hopefully I will figure one out soon.

Wondering: can I pull it off? How will I pull it off?

Feeling: tired, but happy, always.

 

5 Tips To Getting Up Earlier

Getting up earlier isn’t all about getting more done, sometimes it’s about just sitting and reading or listening in quiet or drinking a cup of herbal tea at the dining room table by myself.  Some days it’s going for a walk around the block and returning before everyone is awake, working on the day’s cleaning tasks, and other days it’s getting caught up on some emails or working on a blog post.  Take the time to journal, plan in your planner, or even work on your devotions.  Whatever isn’t getting time during the day, make it your purpose to get up earlier so you can do it.

5 Tips for Getting Up Earlier

1. Start the evening before.  Making this a good, sustainable habit begins the night before. I recommend a clean kitchen at night as one of the things that really makes getting up earlier a little easier.  Why?  You won’t have to wake up to a mess from the day before – you’ve already reset your kitchen.  This is a huge component in keeping up with this habit because you aren’t waking up to work.  You’re waking up to do something that will make your day run more smoothly.

2. Turn off the screens.  Turning off phones and computers and televisions a little earlier is the best way to get yourself ready for bed.  Stop sleeping with your phone – the EMFs (electro and magnetic fields) aren’t good for you and it messes with your natural body rhythms. Get an old-fashioned alarm clock and use that instead of your phone.

3. Go to bed when you’re tired.  Stop fighting through the tiredness and just go to bed. If you are used to staying up late, try going to bed earlier and see how you feel.  See if it makes a difference in your day.  Everyone needs to sleep but everyone’s perfect amount of sleep is different.  Make your goal 6-8 hours and experiment to find what amount makes you feel the best during the day.

4. Get your morning drink going.  Coffee, lemon water, a smoothie,or tea – whatever you drink first thing in the morning, get that going.  While I’m waiting for my coffee to brew I empty the dish drainer that sits on my counter by the sink.  This is a small, but integral step in starting the day off well because the sink and drainer are empty and ready for dishes.

5. Start small.  If you want to get up at 5 am but you’re getting up at 7am, don’t just jump into the two hour time difference.  Set your alarm for 6am for a week or so and go to bed earlier.  When you’re ready to make the adjustment to 5am work in 15-30 minute increments over a week or two.  If you like the results, keep going to bed a little earlier and waking up earlier until you’ve formed this habit.

 What are some your tips for getting up earlier in the morning? Please share you tips in the comments below!

 

10 Way To Recharge

Mom burnout is very real. Burnout in general is very real and recently I experienced it badly. I felt like I was not the best version of myself for anyone. Not my kids, not my husband, not my friends, no one. I wasn’t doing my best work or my best at being a good mother and felt so much anxiety because of it. I had no idea that what I was experiencing was in fact,  burnout. I suddenly felt pulled in 100 directions and felt like I couldn’t catch my breath. What I needed was to recharge. I think there are so many ways you can do this depending on your personality and preferences so today I am sharing 10 ways to recharge when you really feel that burnout take over.

  

10 Ways To Recharge

Vent: I know personally venting to a friend or my husband helps so much. Sometimes venting to someone in the same season of life (another mom) is what I need because I need someone who just gets it. You know what? 9/10 times I feel better just getting all my frustrations out.  

 Take a step back: Realize that it’s only a season! I remind myself of this A LOT! But also ask yourself what truly matters and what you can let go of.

Go for a walk/exercise: This is number one for me. I truly feel my best when I work out. I have been waking up at 7:15 most mornings and getting in a full workout before the kids wake up and I feel so accomplished knowing that’s already done for the day. I also LOVE going for long walks in the morning alone or with my husband. 

Ask for help: Ask your spouse or a friend or a relative or outsource help! If you are able to outsource some of the things causing you burnout (cleaning, cooking, laundry, childcare, etc) do it! I know this doesn’t work for everyone but maybe see if you can trade some of it with a friend. Like hey, I can watch your kids on Wednesdays while you get things done and you watch my kids on Fridays.

Evaluate your routine/create a routine: I am big on routines and truly feel as though they make a HUGE difference in our lives. Without a routine, I really feel like I have no idea what’s going on. If you don’t already have a good routine make one and if you do have one but are experiencing burnout maybe reevaluate it and see where you can change things. I have to do this constantly! 

Simplify: A few things I have done to simplify: My oldest gets herself dressed in the mornings, and I lay the kid’s clothes out for the week on Sundays. I make lunches ahead of time, I lay everyone else’s clothes (my clothes and the girls') out the night before. I do a 20-minute clean and straighten in the mornings and another in the evenings. These things just make me feel a little more together. Even though we homeschool our girls, I find that doing this makes the mornings more efficient and we can get started with school at a decent time.

Make lists: I have a list going for everything! Things we need, daily to-do lists, weekly to-do lists, things I need to get done long term, work to-do lists, etc. Making lists relieves a lot of stress because then you can physically see written out what needs to be done.  

Read: Escaping in a book really helps me recharge! I love to take a few minutes a few times a day and read some of whatever book I am reading at the time. 

Get a massage: I mean when all else fails the spa always helps! Getting a massage and taking that time for just me, with no phones, no one talking to me, etc helps me recharge so much.

 REST: Nothing truly helps recharge quite like rest. So give yourself grace and time to rest. Rest will recharge you like nothing else.

What are some ways to recharge that you find helpful?

 

 

Happy Homemaker Monday {7/24/2023}

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to my blog. 

I hope every everyone had a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week ahead. 

Ours was filled with watching movies, spending time together, and some yard work. The yard work was very limited because of the heat. We have been under heat advisories for the last month. I am so ready for the cooler weather to creep in, since I'm more of a sweater weather girl.

Any way, Happy Monday and have a wonderful and productive week!

Happy Homemaker Monday 

 

The weather outside is:

Monday- Mostly sunny 105

Tuesday- Sunny 106

Wednesday- Mostly sunny 106

Thursday- Mostly sunny 104

Friday- Mostly sunny 103

Saturday- Mostly sunny 102

Sunday - Mostly sunny 103

As I look out my window:

The backyard need to be mowed and branches needed to be picked up and moved.

Right now I am:

Sitting at the dining room table writing this post

Thinking and pondering:

Summer is coming to an end quickly. It's going by much too fast. We also start homeschool in about 3 weeks and I need to start prepping for that. I also need to start planning my youngests birthday.

Listening to:

An episode of Gilmore Girls and listening to my girls play a game together.

How I am feeling:

Ever since I turned 50 my sleep has been awful. Horomones, I guess. So, I'm feeling tired.

On the breakfast plate:

Scrambled eggs and toast

On the lunch plate:

Since it's hot, sandwiches and fruit

On the dinner plate:

Leftovers from yesterday, Pasta bake and salad

On my TV this week:

I'm quietly waiting for new episodes of "Only Murders In Our Building" on Hulu. So I'm watching Manifest, Stranger Things, and Cobra Kai (again).

On the Menu:

M- Pinto beans

T- Tacos

W- Baked potatoes and salad

T- Spaghetti

F- Pizza and bread sticks

S- Baked chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies

S- Chuck roast

As I look around the house:

The living room needs to be picked up and then kitchen needs to be cleaned

What I'm wearing today:

A blue t-shirt and gray sweats

Currently reading:

Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea

To Do List:

Write this post

Deep clean the laundry room

Steam carpets

plan tomorrow's menu

Inspirational quotes:

 

 

 

Currently {7/8/2023}

 

 

Time and place: 4:09pm and I am in the dining room, typing up this post.

  
Eating: Nothing at the moment

Drinking: A big glass of water (always)

Watching:  Manifest on Netflix

 

 

 

Reading: I'm still reading Flowers in the Attic and plan on reading the entire Dollanganger series over the next few months. 

I'm also ready Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donleea

Loving: Being able to sit down after a long day of housework and taking care of my family and read my book for a little while.

Working: I'm still working on my meal planner. I cannot wait to see how it turns out! I'm so excited for this new project. I am also working on a weekly planner insert that I am excited about and a note pad that I have been wanting to design for a while now. I am also working on a monthly/weekly planner (that's almost done and should be ready in the next few weeks). I can't wait to see how these turn out. We will be launching our 2024 Weekly Planner on Amazon the first week of August. So, stay tuned for that announcement. My Etsy shop is open and I am adding new listings every week.

 

Here is the link to my Etsy shop:

 

Pen To Paper Designs Inc 

 

Listening to: the TV.

Buying: Groceries for this month and stocking up on certain items that are needed. I'm also looking at clothes and other household items that are needed.

Planning: I have most of my posts planned for JulyI just have to write and schedule them. I am working on setting up some deadlines for my meal planner and other planners that I am working on. I am also working on some planner inserts. This should keep me busy for a while!

 

I'm also working on homeschool lesson plans for my kiddos.

 

I'm trying to plan out a work schedule for this month. Hopefully I will figure one out soon.

Wondering: can I pull it off? How will I pull it off?

Feeling: tired, but happy, always.

 

 

Summer Blog Post Ideas

Summer plans have been made and some have already been accomplished. Summer is my favorite time of the year. Not so much for the heat, but for the slow pace and more fun attitudes that most people seem to have. So, tonight I am giving you 15 summer blog post ideas so you will have tons of fun things to write about during these summer months.

• favorite summer activity
• a summer recipe
• summer reading list
• June, July. August goals
• summer must haves
• kids crafts; summer ideas
• favorite summer TV shows
• recap of your favorite movies you saw over the summer
• share a summer playlist
• labor day/plans recap
• a full summer recap
• healthy eating tips/tricks
• favorite outdoor activities
• what's in your pool/beach bag
• Memorial day plans/recap

 

Interesting Facts About The Fourth of July

  Since today is Independence Day (more commonly known as the 4th of July), I thought I would share some interesting facts about this fun holiday!!

We all know the Colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776  and we are already familiar with the fireworks, parades, barbeques and other festivities like picnics, fairs, and concerts that take place on this day, but there are many things that people don't know about the Fourth.

Disclaimer: All facts were taken from this website: Academic exchange

1. Congress made Independence Day an official unpaid holiday for federal employees in 1870. In 1938, Congress changed Independence Day to a paid federal holiday.

2. Only John Hancock actually signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. All theothers signed later.

 

3. The Declaration of Independence was signed by 56 men from 13 colonies.

4. The average age of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence was 45. The youngest was Thomas Lynch, Jr (27) of South Carolina.  The oldest delegate was Benjamin Franklin (70) of Pennsylvania. The lead author of The Declaration, Thomas Jefferson, was 33.

5. One out of eight signers of the Declaration of Independence were educated at Harvard (7 total).

6. The only two signers of the Declaration of Independence who later served as President of the United States were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

7. The stars on the original American flag were in a circle so all the Colonies would appear equal.

8. The first Independence Day celebration took place in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776. This was also the day that the Declaration of Independence was first read in public after people were summoned by the ringing of the Liberty Bell.

9. The White House held its first 4th July party in 1801.
  
10. President John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe all died on the Fourth. Adams and Jefferson (both signed the Declaration) died on the same day within hours of each other in 1826.

11. Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird but was overruled by John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who recommended the bald eagle.

12. In 1776, there were 2.5 million people living in the new nation. Today the population of the U.S.A. is 316 million.

13. Fifty-nine places in the U.S. contain the word “liberty” in the name. Pennsylvania, with 11, has more of these places than any other state. Of the 59 places nationwide containing “liberty” in the name, four are counties: Liberty County, Ga. (65,471), Liberty County, Fla. (8,276), Liberty County, Mont. (2,392) and Liberty County, Texas (76,571).

14. The most common patriotic-sounding word used within place names is “union” with 136. Pennsylvania, with 33, has more of these places than any other state. Other words most commonly used in place names are Washington (127), Franklin (118), Jackson (96) and Lincoln (95).

15. Fireworks are part of the tradition of celebrating this national holiday. The U.S. imported $227.3 million worth of fireworks from China in 2012. U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $11.7 million in 2012, with Israel purchasing more than any other country ($2.5 million).

16. In 2012, vast majority of imported U.S. flags ($3.6 million) was made in China.

17. Barbecue is also big on Independence Day. Approximately 150 million hot dogs and 700 million
pounds of chicken are consumed on this day.

18. Every 4th of July the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is tapped (not actually rung) thirteen times in honor of the original thirteen colonies.

19. Traditions place the origins of “Yankee Doodle” as a pre-Revolutionary War song originally sung by British military officers to mock the disheveled, disorganized colonial “Yankees” with whom they served in the French and Indian War. It is believed that the tune comes from the nursery rhyme Lucy Locket. One version of the Yankee Doodle lyrics is “generally attributed” to Doctor Richard Shuckburgh,a British Army surgeon. According to one story, Shuckburgh wrote the song after seeing the appearance of Colonial troops under Colonel Thomas Fitch, V, the son of Connecticut Governor Thomas Fitch.[2]

20. The tune of the National Anthem was originally used by an English drinking song called “to Anacreon in Heaven.” The words have nothing to do with consumption of alcohol but the “melody that Francis Key had in mind when he wrote those words did originate decades earlier as the melody for a song praise of wine.” http://www.colonialmusic.org/Resource/Anacreon.htm

Have a safe and Happy 4th of July!!!!!

 

Happy Homemaker Monday {7/3/2023}

Good evening everyone and welcome back to my blog. 

I hope every everyone had a wonderful weekend and are ready for the week ahead. 

It's 4:30pm and I am just now sitting down to write this post. Today, I have finished 3 loads of laundry ( the last is in the dryer), cleaned the kitchen (we had an early dinner) and I have pick up the living room. I just hope my week will be as productive as this day has been.

Happy Monday and have a wonderful and productive week!

Happy Homemaker Monday 

 

The weather outside is:

Hot with a chance of rain throughout the evening.

What we had for dinner tonight (instead of the breakfast plate):

Burritos made with homemade tortillas

As I look out my window:

It's cloudy and rainy right now.

As I look around the house:

The living room needs to be picked up and then kitchen needs to be straighten.

What I'm wearing today:

A blue t-shirt and gray sweats

Currently reading:

The Ex- Wife

On the TV this week:

Right now I am watching How I Met Your Mother, Blossom, shows on Hulu and on Netflx I'm watching Cobra Kai and Manifest. On Paramount+ I'm watching Fatal Attraction.

On the Menu this week: (I'm still figuring out the meal plan for this week)

Monday- Burritos

Tuesday- Hamburgers, fries, brownies and cheesecake

Wednesday- Chicken tenders, mac and cheese and banana pudding (we are cooking across the states and Alabama was our first state)

Thursday- Spaghetti and garlic bread

Friday- Pizza and breadsticks

Saturday- Leftovers

Sunday- Beans and fried potatoes and cornbread

To Do List:

Write this post

Deep clean the laundry room

Steam carpets

plan tomorrow's menu

Inspirational quotes: 

 

 

July 2023 Goals

It's hard to believe that 2022 is now officially halfway over. Weren't we just writing about all of our resolutions for the year? Yikes! As cliche as it may sound, time has really flown by this year. Even with all of the craziness that has been going on lately.

July is one of my favorite months of the year because it's full of so many fun traditions like: celebrating Independence Day, going swimming, making ice cold pitchers of lemonade, breezy nights with the windows open, lazy summer storms.....so many good things. Even though we are still staying home and only leaving house when necessary (groceries and other essentials, this is our choice, so no judgement please) we are going to make the best of this summer.

Personal Goals

• drink more water
• meditate for 5 minutes before bed. Stretch for a few minutes when getting up.
• get better quality sleep by going to bed earlier
• walk 10,000 steps every day
• Complete one Bible study
• start a new online business
• start on a new and exciting project

Family Goals

• Bubbles in the backyard
• Celebrate Independence Day.
• Rent some movies and have more movie nights with the kids

Blog Goals

• Post at least 3x per week.
• Make a new list of blog post ideas
• Schedule posts until the end of the July
• Create an editorial calendar for the rest of summer (in progress)
• Start a food blog

I hope your July has started out as a fantastic month. Have you set any goals yet? Any fun summer plans? Have you started to cross things off of your Summer Bucket List? 

Please stay safe!!!!

 

 

7 Ways A Planner Will Organize Your Life

If you don't use a planner to organize your life, then you are missing out! Here's why....

I love planners! Honestly, I don't know how anyone manages to stay organized without them. For as long as I can remember (I think my obsession started in junior high), I have always used some sort of planner. The ones I used were the small calendars, but once I upgraded to a bigger planner (horizontal), I never looked back. It's amazing the difference it makes in keeping me organized  and if you're not already using a planner to organize your life, here are 7 reasons why you should:

 7 Ways a Planner Will Organize Your Life

1. A planner will help you remember your appointments

Most doctor's appointments and dentist appointments are made well in advance (especially for my kids) as well as hair appointments for all of us. My planner helps keep track of these appointments so I am less likely to forget them. 

2. A planner helps keep track of work commitments

As a blogger, I have various commitments that are all due at different times. I keep my blogging schedule in my planner and I have recently started a twitter schedule  that I also keep in my planner. My planner helps me keep track of all these things do that I don't miss a deadline.

3. No more belated birthday wishes

I love how Facebook often reminds of everyone's birthday but what happens when I don't log into Facebook that day? Because of this I have probably sent just as many belated birthday wishes as regular wishes. So, if it's in my planner I can see it in advance and send the birthday card on time or even early.

4. Keep various school activities and events straight

Using my planner for all of daughter's school activities was a life saver this school year. From school pictures, to field trips, to the last day of school, everything was in my planner. I even had her school lunch menu in there as well. 

5. Pay bills

Using my planner for bill payments is an absolute must for me. All of our bills are due on different days so it's nice to be able to check my planner and know what amount is being paid, to who it's being paid to, and on what days. Believe it's useful.

6. Remember past events

I have serious mommy brain and sometimes I can barley remember what I had for dinner the night before much less what year it was that certain events happened. I've saved all of my old planners because they have become like mini diaries to me. It's fun to look up certain things (like my second pregnancy) and reminisce about them.   

7. Piece of mind

There's something about being organized that just brings piece of mind. You don't have to try to remember a million different things because you can open your planner and it's all right there in front of you. Having a planner really makes life in general so much easier. 

How do you organize your life using a planner? 

 

 

5 Simple Ways to Stay Organized

 Lately I've been thinking alot about habits. I'm realizing more and more that habits are so important because they are what we resort to when we are going through the motions of our day. Forming good habits and sticking to them over time can build phenomenal long term results.

Today I thought I would share 5 habits that I've either gotten into already or am trying to get into that will make life more productive. These are all easy things to d that I think will help my days run more smoothly.

5 Simple Ways to Stay Organized

1. Make your bed. I never used to make my bed, but I quickly found out that If I made my bed my day was more productive. It gives a more positive start to my day.

2. Clean the kitchen and quickly straighten the house. Cleaning the kitchen and straightening the house are the two things that I strive to get done before going to bed each night. Like making the bed a neat and tidy house before going to bed puts me in the right mind set for keeping the rest of life organized. I do love waking up to a neat and tidy house.

3. Use your wait time. I used to be good at this before I had a cell phone. It I was heating up something in the microwave, I would use those minutes to wash dishes or wipe down the counters. I am amazed at what I can get done when I am waiting on something to finish in the oven when I commit to using my time wisely.

4. Make your to do list. I a good to do list. I mean, who doesn't? Right? I love checking things off and sometimes I make them just so I can check things off of them. 

5. Get some sleep. Sleep has everything to do with productivity. My natural inclination is to stay up as late as possible to get things done. Then the next day I'm tired and unproductive. Since realizing this I try to get to bed earlier so that I can get enough sleep.

So, there are my 5! What would you add to the list?

 

6 Basic Steps Towards Easy Meal Prep at Home

One of the best pieces of advice that I have for people in terms of saving money is to get into the habit of preparing your own homecooked meals at home – Restaurants are expensive. Takeout is expensive. Delivered food? Expensive. Prepackaged meals? Expensive. All of that stuff drains your wallet far faster than you might realize.

So, what’s the argument against cooking at home? Many meals require some degree of skill to make and although that skill level is often pretty low, it’s still present. There’s also the time issue and the energy issue and the equipment issue – each solvable, of course, but they again provide resistance against preparing food at home.

So, here are six basic things you can do to work towards effortless meal preparation at home.

1. Experiment when you have more time in the kitchen. 

The time to learn how to cook is not when you come home from a long day at work and feel absolutely exhausted, or when you just don't have the time and can’t afford anything going wrong. Often, people find themselves in these positions without any sort of cooking skills which makes cooking feel overwhelming or impossible.

2. Plan a little.

While it’s fun to imagine a home chef just throwing things together based on whatever’s in the cupboard, the truth is that it only really works if you have a lot of staples on hand, and if you’re reading this article, you probably don’t have a lot of staples on hand and also probably don’t have any ideas of how to use them.

That’s why, at first, it’s a really good idea to follow recipes carefully. A good recipe tells you what you need to have on hand right at the start, so plan ahead a little and make sure you have all of those things on hand. This will probably involve a trip to the grocery store, but it’s far better to do that before doing anything else.

3. Make a dump meal. 

This is about the easiest thing you can make at home. It basically just requires a slow cooker – it’s really the only kitchen implement you need for this. All you have to do is just put a small set of ingredients in there in the morning, turn it on low, and come home to a finished meal. Some of the ingredients might require a cutting board and a knife to chop up a vegetable or slice up a piece of meat, and you might need a can opener. It can’t get any easier than this – in fact, I find such meals to be less hassle than actually ordering food or going to a restaurant, and they’re cheaper, too.

4. Make macaroni and cheese.

 Almost everyone likes macaroni and cheese. It’s such a simple, pleasant food that can be made incredibly straightforward to please children or fancied up to please almost any palate. It’s also one of the easiest things on Earth to make, so I usually encourage people to make this as one of the first things they prepare in the kitchen. Each of my children – all of them pre-teen – have pulled this off with success.

5. Make scrambled eggs.

If you like to eat scrambled eggs at all, I strongly encourage you to learn how to make scrambled eggs. It’s an incredibly simple and flexible thing you can make for yourself or your family, it works with every meal, you can mix in almost anything savory, and it reheats well if you have extras.
Just crack a number of scrambled eggs in a bowl – however many you like – and beat them with a fork until they’re consistently yellow, a minute or two. Add a bit of salt and beat that in for a few seconds, then let the bowl sit.
Take a teaspoon of butter and put it in the middle of a skillet. Put it over medium heat and let the butter melt, then use a plastic spoon or a spatula to move the butter all over the skillet until the skillet is coated. Add the scrambled eggs and let them cook for a minute, then slowly pull that plastic spoon or spatula along the bottom of the skillet to pull up egg curds off of the skillet’s bottom. Do this over the entire bottom of the skillet, then repeat every thirty seconds until the eggs look like slightly wet version of the scrambled eggs you’d normally eat, then remove from the heat, wait a minute or so, and serve.
You can obviously mix lots of things into this recipe. Almost any savory vegetable works, as do most cooked meats and most cheeses. It all turns out delicious and with such little effort.

6. Handle Dirty Dishes the Smart Way

One of the big obstacles for many people in terms of cooking at home is dealing with the cleanup. If you eat at a restaurant, it’s done for you; if you get takeout or delivery, you can just toss the wrappers and other items. On the other hand, if you cook at home, you have to deal with all of that stuff.
A dishwasher makes it much easier, but even then, there’s some extra work involved. Also, many apartments and some homes (like my parents’ home) don’t have a dishwasher and don’t have space for one.
 Here are a few strategies I know from having lived most of my life in places with a kitchen too small for a dishwasher.

Have good tools. Have a strong scrubbing brush and a dish rag at your sink, along with good soap at hand. If you don’t have those things, it’s going to take far longer to wash dishes.

If you have a two bin sink, keep one sink full of water with a bit of soap in it. Just block the drain, fill it perhaps a quarter full with hot water, and add a bit of soap. Then, put your dishes right in that soapy water throughout the day, perhaps adding a bit more hot water once in a while. Just let the dishes soak. It’ll make it much easier to wash them when the time comes, and the other sink bin will be free.

If you have a one bin sink, get a large plastic bin, put it beside the sink, and keep your dirty dishes in there. This keeps the sink free of dishes so that you can easily start in with cleaning whenever you’re ready. Just toss dirty dishes in the bin for the moment, then wash everything in the bin at once when you’re ready. Since the sink is empty, you can dive right in. If the bin is watertight, you can put a bit of hot soapy water in there to soak some of the dishes, as noted above.

If something has caked-on grease or food pieces, pour a bit of vinegar, a bit of baking soda, and a bit of soap in it and fill it with hot water and let it sit for a long time, like a day. After that, it becomes really easy to wash. This takes care of basically every nasty caked-on grease problem I’ve ever faced.

Wash things in “streak order.” What do I mean by “streak order”? Start with stuff that will show streaks easily – glass items – then move onto silverware, then plates and plastic items, then pots and pans.

Have a drying rack beside your sink to put dishes in to dry, plus a ton of drying towels. Most things can air dry relatively quickly once rinsed, but a drying towel is great if you need something dry immediately.

Buy dish soap in bulk, then have a pump to dispense it. You don’t really want a bulk bottle of dish soap at your sink because it’s heavy and it takes up lots of space and when you pour it, it dispenses large amounts of soap. However, bulk soap is cheap.
These tactics turn hand washing dishes into a pretty easy task, even if you don’t have a dishwasher.

Final Thoughts 

If you can handle the things above, you’re already well on your way to cooking a wide variety of things at home. Move on to trying other simple dishes – pasta, for example, is incredibly simple – and try variations on the things you already know, like adding tarragon to the scrambled eggs.