Day 3: An extra box in the freezer will save you one day

My boxes of doubles in the freezer

When you are making a dish , such as chicken curry or anything for that, it doesn't matter if you make one family of four portion or double it. I do this very often with beef, chicken, fish and veggies too. I make double portion and divide it into two or three (as per the quantity). We have one portion for dinner and I freeze the other.

So one day when I busy or lazy, and haven't got a chance to do grocery, or haven't had the time to cook, I can just defrost one of these boxes and tada a wonderful meal ready. Most of the time the sauces to the curry thicken and the flavors go deep into the meat. Yummy!

Day 2: Circle of Life: Laundry

Laundry is one thing I detest doing. There is no point to doing them especially when you have boys. By the time its washed, occasionally ironed and put in its drawers, its back in the laundry hamper in no time. Why bother?

For a while I used have four baskets and the most work I would do is separate them after wash into each family member and pick out clothes for each day from there. So I skipped the part of folding and putting it into drawers. It worked for a while. Then it got all mixed up with dirty and clean clothes and the boys looked and smelled wonderful (sarcasm).

When we bought our first home last year we had space for a proper system. I wanted the washing machine and dryer to be downstairs in the kitchen extension room we had(The Dutch call it "bijkeuken" , a room next to the kitchen). That gave me the opportunity to hang laundry out when the weather was good. Typical Dutch homes, usually have the provision for the laundry department in the attic room or corridor outside the attic. Many times I would be in denial, since I never saw the laundry. There were those smelly days when I would forget to take the wet clothes out and hang it to dry or use the dryer. Thankfully, I remember a week later. On wash cycle once again! With loads of nice perfumed softener to take the moldy smell out.

So, with the washing machine in the bijkeuken and the dryer on top of it, these two machines were nicely tucked away in the corner hiding behind the door to the playroom. We also placed a stand cum pull out shelf (the entire length and width of the machines) in between them. This gave me the opportunity to place the basket of wet clothes on the pull out shelf and load them into the dryer at the height of the dryer. And fold clothes immediately out of the dryer into the basket.No bending down.

We also bought a Trofast Ikea shelf with a single bucket in each section (three in total). This was going to be our solution to the laundry flow. One of the buckets would be used as dirty laundry, the second when the clothes are dry and I haven't had a chance to fold them and the third as and when I fold and iron them. This way I wouldn't have baskets of clothes on top of my breakfast nook table and that room looking like a mess. I have enough space to set up my ironing board and iron when I have time.

My breakfast nook

The laundry system on the bottom. The top boxes are for paper waste, plastic and bottles for recycling.

Also fixing a laundry day and folding/ironing day helps. So you know those are your days and you are not dealing with piled up laundry from two weeks at some point.

Now, this is a system that is now working. It might all go wrong later, perhaps. But for now, my family has clean clothes and the bijkeuken doesn't look like a outlet store disaster.

Day 1: No day like today

Ok.. I am severely late to start the 31 days, due to my birthday, a wedding and last day of work before yahoo ! maternity holidays. Those are all good reasons to state and make use of. I guess.Nevertheless, here is........

 Day 1: No day like today

You know all the post and great advertisements that pile up on the table by the hall, or the kitchen counter, or even the dining table?

The best way that has helped me, is to tackle it the day it arrives. If you have 2 minutes to stare at that pile, you have the time to deal with it. I usually separate them into two piles. "A discard immediately pile" and an "action pile". Those advertisements, junk mail, I immediately put in the discard pile. And hide the toy store advertisements away from the kids and for me to scan later on.

I open up the rest and scan through its content. Those that deserve to be in the "action pile", gets there. The envelopes are in the "discard pile", unless there is a sender address sticker that I want to save. All those in the "action pile" get transferred to the office room , to the various file trays marked  "to pay" , "to file" , "to read and act upon". Okay, this might take a minute more than 2 minutes. But its sorted and the kitchen counter/dining table/ hallway table stays clean everyday.


At the end of the week, or when I get a chance to go through my file tray(ideally in the same week itself), bills are paid, documents are filed in the right files, action is taken to those you need to do something about. My husband tends to scan them(even bills we wish to keep) too and maintain a digital record. I haven't reached that phase yet.


Another new thing we have started is have a shared family calendar synced on our devices. Those things that require both my husband and my attention , such as a football game, a doctors appointment, a dinner party etc... get tagged with the "Daniel family" color coded tag. So we are both aware of something that requires both our attention. This helps us not to make another appointment when we can't call or reach the other person at that moment.



Also, the usage of Evernotes has helped in me not nagging him to do certain things around the house. I just add it to his action points and tag them urgent. Like " hang curtains in baby room" . "Fix leaky faucet". It has also helped us individually to put a tag on things we need to do at various urgency levels, make lists, clip internet links we want to use later on and aid in our purchase. I even put " one day project" ideas in a folder to think about later when I have time. So, its documented and not forgotten and gives me the freedom to take it up when I want.




Clearing the mind as much as possible with the "things to do" is the purpose. And of course changing the action tag to "action completed" brings me so much of pleasure. No more paper bits, different places on the phone. I am only doing doable items for this day and not staring at an entire list and missing them everyday.Peace and calm.

31 days : A writing challenge every October, every year

31 Days is an online writing challenge started by home blogger, Myquillyn Smith (The Nester) where bloggers pick one topic and write a post on that topic every day in October. We all link up just once on day one (linky opens on the evening of October 1st) so that we can see all the topics and read the ones that most interest us. The linky will stay open through October 5th for late comers but will be closed after that.

As a writer, 31 Days challenges you to go deeper into one topic.

As a reader, 31 Days will most likely have a few topics that you are curious about, it’s a great time to get to know some new bloggers.

To read the 31 Days Topics starting in October simply click back to the home page scroll down and pick any category from the black squares and click on it, you’ll be taken to a plethora of wonderful ideas, enjoy! To see past 31 Days topics, click here.

To join in writing for 31 Days (#write31Days) simply sign up here or on the sidebar. Then link up once between October 1 and October 5th and write a post every day in October.

So this is what "31 days of " is all about. I will pre write a few days worth of posts and post one each day. Especially with less than a month to the arrival of baby number 3. Nothing is predictable. But I still wanted to do it this year. I did one in 2012. So here goes!

Oops! Before I forget. Here is what I will be writing on for the next 31 days.

31 days to organizing the home.

A wonderful visit from my brother

Since my brother joined his new work in Palo Alto, California after his Phd, we knew there were chances of him coming here since he was required to visit the Bosch companies in Germany. A quick visit was planned this weekend, initially an attempt was made to make it a surprise one. But many other factors came into play, so he had to let us know he was coming to Stuttgart.  We didn't tell the kids who were coming. But somebody really close.

He was scheduled to arrive in Eindhoven Saturday morning around 11. Around 8 am he called saying he overslept and thought it might be good to cancel, since driving 5 hours after a late start would be pointless, since he would leave Sunday evening.

It was his way of trying to squeeze in another mini surprise. He was right outside the door....
When the kids heard me talk to him in Malayalam on the phone just before he appeared in our drive way, Benjamin deduced from other clues that this is a "Malayalam Guy"! The kids jumped on top of him when they saw him.Like a pair of monkeys!

Even though it was such a short visit, it was so nice to see him , 9 months after his wedding. Cooked his favorite food, like cutlets, kachimor with rice. He sure was tired of eating all the potatoes and meat in Germany.

The spread and him

Focussed on his lunch

Wine, cheese, olives and sausages

Sunday lunch at Happy Italy, Eindhoven Centre

Goofy Kids

The boys

He ate his ice- cream and ate mine while I went into a shop

one more last one

Goodbye

Expecting more visits from him in the near future.
Bye, Tutu mama!

Five minute Friday : Hold on

Joining in with  Kate Motaung and hundreds of women across the globe, writing on a single prompt for 5 minutes. Unedited. Fluid. Here goes.

HOLD

GO
It's so human that we hold on to past hurts, and things that didn't work rather than to those that did, and the answered prayers.

We listened to Max Lucado's "Fearless " Sermon in our cell group last night.  He said," Fear numbs our memories, creates a form of Spiritual Alzeimer's . We unknowingly hold on to the fear rather than to Him. He asked "Why are you afraid?"to the disciples when the storm shook them and their boat. Without an answer or further questioning he calmed the lake. They were so fresh from the miracle Makers wonders. The healing, driving out demons, raising from the dead and yet they held on to their fear:"Why don't you care , Lord?"

As we progress in our journey, we learn and relearn lessons. He waits patiently for us , every step of the way as we play this game of holding and leaving his Hands. He waits for our firm grip, never leaving grip, lasting until the end of our journey.

STOP

Five Minute Friday : Whisper

Joining in with  Kate Motaung and hundreds of women across the globe, writing on a single prompt for 5 minutes. Unedited. Fluid. Here goes.

Whisper

GO

The last stretch, and the OOO's and Ah's for everyone have subsided. The kids and husband have an attention span of a few seconds when I rush them to see the baby kick and move around. The kids need reminding that there's a baby and I am not going to jump with them, or pick up toys a million times. Especially those tiny Lego's.

But, for me , little one, every movement , after all these weeks, are precious. Its as if it's the first kick I can see and feel. It's though you are whispering to me through every movement. I am here. I am awake. I hear you and my brothers. It's feels like the first time.

I imagine how you would look, and images of a little Benjamin or little Elijah pop. Who would you look like? You know O Lord! This little one will be just how You designed him to be. Exactly what the Maker has planned.

STOP