And that my friends officially ends this weekend of introductions. I don't know about you, but I am completely worn out! I sure hope I don't get burned out before I even get started.
Tomorrow will begin day 1 of when I actually attempt to implement all this stuff (stuf n. a word used to describe something because I am too tired to think of anything clever). Expect anywhere between 3-5 short posts a day. The day will always begin by presenting the "theme day;" then there will usually be an afternoon post to give an update on how my zones, day tasks, etc is going; and then the day will end with a final synopsis of my entire day. As always, use the comment section to report your own progress.
I could use your encouragement and I thank you in advance for being my accountability.
I think I am a looooong ways away from a DRS remission!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Health Advisory Warning
Remember I have suffered with the active form of DRS for what will be 9 years in June. This plan was developed over the course of those years, not overnight. Although I have yet to be able to get all the plans going together at once, I have at least had practice at each of them individually; therefore, my risk for going into DRS shock is much less then those who have just recently been exposed to the disease.
My recommendation to those that are new to DRS is to start slow, take baby steps. Pick one element you want to work on and start there. Or, even better, create your own plan that you think will work for you and your family and then share it here and I will hold you accountable to it!
My recommendation to those that are new to DRS is to start slow, take baby steps. Pick one element you want to work on and start there. Or, even better, create your own plan that you think will work for you and your family and then share it here and I will hold you accountable to it!
January's Special Projects
Each Super Saturday I will list any deadlines or projects that I hope to complete during the month.
January 17th or 24th Garage Sale (haven't finalized date with friend). My goal is to try to price 20 items a day until the event. I will be on a daily hunt through all of our closets, rooms, and even dreaded garage looking for clutter that needs to GO! Sounds like fun!
I hope to use some of the proceeds from the garage sale to support my organization project of the month: Baskets for my bedroom armourer to hold our sweaters. I know this sounds boring but I have wanted those baskets for months now!
January 25 - 30 use this week to pack for our family vacation so I am not throwing everything together the night before we leave.
January 17th or 24th Garage Sale (haven't finalized date with friend). My goal is to try to price 20 items a day until the event. I will be on a daily hunt through all of our closets, rooms, and even dreaded garage looking for clutter that needs to GO! Sounds like fun!
I hope to use some of the proceeds from the garage sale to support my organization project of the month: Baskets for my bedroom armourer to hold our sweaters. I know this sounds boring but I have wanted those baskets for months now!
January 25 - 30 use this week to pack for our family vacation so I am not throwing everything together the night before we leave.
Book of the Month
I am excited about "the book of the month." I love to read. Reading is such good "me" time; unfortunately I don't often take the time to do it. So here is my excuse to schedule a little "me" time everyday. My plan is to do a brief review of the book on the 3rd Saturday of the month- so I better get busy reading.
I have always wanted to be part of a book of the month club because whenever I read a really good book I want to talk about it; and it is a lot more fun to talk about it with someone who has read it too- you know. So here is my chance.
The first "Book of the Month" will be The Shack by WM. Paul Young. I can not tell you how many (ok, it was 5- but anyways) people have asked me if I have read this book yet. I hear it is phenomenal. So I was pumped when Santa left The Shack in my stocking this year. Immediately, I knew this would be the first book for the review. I sure do hope someone out there will read it with me!
I also wanted to let you in on 2 more books I will be using this month, just in case I reference them in later posts:
Gotta Have God 2, fun devotions for boys ages 2-5 by Lynn Marie-Ittner Klammer- for the boys devotional time (they also have devotions for girls)
&
My Heart's Desire, living every moment in the wonder of worship by David Jeremiah, along with my Bible for daily quiet times. Got this book on the clearance rack at Christian Book Outlet this weekend for $7.97 if you wanted to pick one up too!
I have always wanted to be part of a book of the month club because whenever I read a really good book I want to talk about it; and it is a lot more fun to talk about it with someone who has read it too- you know. So here is my chance.
The first "Book of the Month" will be The Shack by WM. Paul Young. I can not tell you how many (ok, it was 5- but anyways) people have asked me if I have read this book yet. I hear it is phenomenal. So I was pumped when Santa left The Shack in my stocking this year. Immediately, I knew this would be the first book for the review. I sure do hope someone out there will read it with me!
I also wanted to let you in on 2 more books I will be using this month, just in case I reference them in later posts:
Gotta Have God 2, fun devotions for boys ages 2-5 by Lynn Marie-Ittner Klammer- for the boys devotional time (they also have devotions for girls)
&
My Heart's Desire, living every moment in the wonder of worship by David Jeremiah, along with my Bible for daily quiet times. Got this book on the clearance rack at Christian Book Outlet this weekend for $7.97 if you wanted to pick one up too!
Fill Envelopes Reminder
Did Donna pay the bills in the Stone family? I can't remember, but if she did I am sure her checkbook was never in the red!
I have used "the envelope system" to organize my budget for about 7 years. I will explain this system, in detail, in a future "Thrifty Thursday" post. But for now, bottom line- every dollar that comes in as income, gets allocated into an envelope to be used for future expenses. It is a tool I use to plan for all monthly and future expenses.
For example, I have envelopes for groceries, utilities, home improvement projects, Christmas, vacations, property taxes, and clothing and birthday envelopes for each member of the family. I currently have 47 envelopes in all, and the goal is to put a little into each one every month so when, for example, it is time to pay for our yearly termite contract, the money is ready to go without us having to stress about where the money is going to come from or putting the expense on the credit card. Make sense?
In the future, Super Saturday will just be a reminder to refill envelopes for the coming month.
I have used "the envelope system" to organize my budget for about 7 years. I will explain this system, in detail, in a future "Thrifty Thursday" post. But for now, bottom line- every dollar that comes in as income, gets allocated into an envelope to be used for future expenses. It is a tool I use to plan for all monthly and future expenses.
For example, I have envelopes for groceries, utilities, home improvement projects, Christmas, vacations, property taxes, and clothing and birthday envelopes for each member of the family. I currently have 47 envelopes in all, and the goal is to put a little into each one every month so when, for example, it is time to pay for our yearly termite contract, the money is ready to go without us having to stress about where the money is going to come from or putting the expense on the credit card. Make sense?
In the future, Super Saturday will just be a reminder to refill envelopes for the coming month.
Wellness Goal
My personal goal for Wellness this month is to find a back doctor and schedule an appointment.
I also need to recheck my metabolism (have not done this since before last pregnancy).
I also need to recheck my metabolism (have not done this since before last pregnancy).
How to Leave a Comment
I have had several people tell me that they are having trouble leaving a comment. I really want you to be able to leave comments because this blog is designed so that you can use it for your site of accountability too, plus your comments encourage me to keep up this madness!
Soooo, to leave a comment you have to be a registered google member (I believe you are already a member if you have a yahoo or gmail account, but I could be wrong), this helps cut down on spam entering the site- or so "Blogging for Dummies" told me it did.
To Register with google, you go to google.com and click on "my account" at the top of the page. From there, you simply register using your current email. Let me know if there is more to it then that. I really appreciate it!
Your DRS leader- Niki
Soooo, to leave a comment you have to be a registered google member (I believe you are already a member if you have a yahoo or gmail account, but I could be wrong), this helps cut down on spam entering the site- or so "Blogging for Dummies" told me it did.
To Register with google, you go to google.com and click on "my account" at the top of the page. From there, you simply register using your current email. Let me know if there is more to it then that. I really appreciate it!
Your DRS leader- Niki
Daily Routine
The final housework comes in the form of daily routines: Morning, Afternoon, and Bedtime Routines.
Morning Routine- usually 7am - 8am (Please note I am NOT a morning person, therefore I try to keep my morning routine as light as possible):
Morning Routine- usually 7am - 8am (Please note I am NOT a morning person, therefore I try to keep my morning routine as light as possible):
- Quiet Time
- Breakfast
- Take Vitamins
- Get dressed for day
- Get kids dressed
- Dishwasher emptied and refilled
- Clothes in dryer
- Crockpot turned on (if applicable)
- Kitchen and Bathroom counters wiped down
Afternoon Routine- usually take 1-2 hours (this is done during rest time for boys or after work on days I work)
- Zone Work (Flylady says to spend no more then 15 minutes on this)
- Day Tasks
- Fold laundry
- Prepare Dinner
- Straighten up all rooms
- Return phone calls and check emails
Bedtime Routine- this starts after supper
- Clean up supper
- Pack lunches, backpack and diaper bag for next day (only on work days)
- Start Dishwasher
- Boys bathtime
- Start load of laundry (I do one load a day and alternate between permanent press and regular- but NEVER take laundry advice from me- I am horrible!!!)
- Wipe down toilet (this is done everyday because I live with 3 boys), sink, counters and Spray Shower Cleaner
- Bedtime routine with boys
- Gather up stuff for next day ex: phone, planner, etc.
- Lay out clothes for next day (work days only- I totally wing it on days I am home:)
- Plan for next day
- Reading time
Day Tasks
Day Tasks are weekly chores or activities, not included in the zone work, that are assigned to specific days of the week.
Monday: Library Day, Pay Bills and Office Filing
Tuesday: Vacuum or Swiffer floors throughout house
Wednesday: Clean inside Microwave and Mop Kitchen Floors
Thursday: Date Night (in my dreams!), Swish Toilets (swish v. 1. the action of inserting the toilet brush into the toilet bowl and swirling it around thus cleaning the toilet bowl)
Friday: Errand Day, Project Day, Feather Dust House
Saturday: Change Bedsheets, Family Fun Day, Clean out Refrigerator, Grocery Shop (if grocery game posts early enough)
Sunday: Cut up fruit and vegetables for snacks, Iron clothes for coming week, REST
Monday: Library Day, Pay Bills and Office Filing
Tuesday: Vacuum or Swiffer floors throughout house
Wednesday: Clean inside Microwave and Mop Kitchen Floors
Thursday: Date Night (in my dreams!), Swish Toilets (swish v. 1. the action of inserting the toilet brush into the toilet bowl and swirling it around thus cleaning the toilet bowl)
Friday: Errand Day, Project Day, Feather Dust House
Saturday: Change Bedsheets, Family Fun Day, Clean out Refrigerator, Grocery Shop (if grocery game posts early enough)
Sunday: Cut up fruit and vegetables for snacks, Iron clothes for coming week, REST
Master Cleaning Plan and Needed Supplies
In an effort not to overwhelm you, I am not going to post the entire cleaning routine on Super Saturday (S.S.). But at this time I do want to provide you with the zone schedule and my recommended cleaning supplies for each zone, so you can be prepared to join in.
Effective Dates (Tuesday - Monday), Zone, Supplies
January 13 - 19, Bedrooms and Closets, Windex, Dusting Spray, vacuum, Wet and Dry Swiffer (we have stained concrete in our bedrooms), paper towels
January 20 - 26, Bathroom and Living Room, Windex, All-Purpose or Bathroom cleaner, Toilet Cleaner and Brush, Tilex or other soap scum and mold killer, Mr. Clean Dry Eraser, Swiffer Wet or mop, Dusting Spray, vacuum, paper towels
January 27 - February 2, Office and Playroom, Windex, Dusting Spray, Electrical Appliance Cleaner, All-Purpose Cleaner or other Sanitizer, Swiffer Wet and Dry or mop and broom, vacuum, paper towels
Effective Dates (Tuesday - Monday), Zone, Supplies
January 6-12, Kitchen and Dining Room, Windex, All-Purpose cleaner, Oven Cleaner (I have an older oven with no automatic oven cleaner), Turtle Wax (to shine sink), broom, mop or Wet Swiffer, vacuum, paper towels. Dusting Spray or Furniture Polish (ex. Pledge)
January 13 - 19, Bedrooms and Closets, Windex, Dusting Spray, vacuum, Wet and Dry Swiffer (we have stained concrete in our bedrooms), paper towels
January 20 - 26, Bathroom and Living Room, Windex, All-Purpose or Bathroom cleaner, Toilet Cleaner and Brush, Tilex or other soap scum and mold killer, Mr. Clean Dry Eraser, Swiffer Wet or mop, Dusting Spray, vacuum, paper towels
January 27 - February 2, Office and Playroom, Windex, Dusting Spray, Electrical Appliance Cleaner, All-Purpose Cleaner or other Sanitizer, Swiffer Wet and Dry or mop and broom, vacuum, paper towels
January Master Grocery List
This master grocery list should cover all the ingredients for the January menu. Please note if I had to buy all of these ingredients there would be no way I could stick to my goal budget but I already have many of these ingredients stockpiled in my pantry or refrigerator (over the next few months your stockpile will grow too!) Once again, if I could figure out how to insert a table this grocery list would be easier to read and use, maybe I'll figure it out by February. One day maybe I'll even get so fancy on this blog I'll even be able to provide you with a checklist for your grocery list! Try not to lose sleep waiting for it.
In addition to the ingredients I have provided you with the amount needed for the month, and the week the ingredient will be used. So it will be listed in the following format:
product, amount, weeks needed
Produce Section:
Salad Greens (side salads), 4-5 bags, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Sweet Potatoes, 1 x family members, week 2
Lime, 2, weeks 2, 3
Jalapeno Pepper, 3-4, weeks 3, 4
Tomato, 3 (or more if adding to side salad), weeks 2, 3, 4
Asparagus, 2, weeks 3, 4
Yellow Onion, 4, weeks 1, 2, 3
Spaghetti Squash, 1, week 3
Baby Carrots, 1 bag, week 1
Fresh Spinach, 2 bags, weeks 3, 4
Green Onion ,1 bunch, week 1
Zucchini, 2, weeks 1, 4
Fruit Salad ,1 meal, week 1
Fresh or Minced Garlic, 2 cloves or 1 jar, weeks 1, 3
Red Onion, 1, week 1
Jicama, 1, week 2
Broccoli, enough for 4 cups, week 4
Bell Pepper, 2, weeks 1, 2
Lemon Juice, 1, week 4
Meat Section
Chicken Breast, 5 x family members, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Salmon Steaks, 1 x family members, week 1
Ground Sirloin, 4 lbs weeks, 1, 2, 3
Lite Ground Sausage, 1 package, week 1
Talipia, 3 x family members, weeks 2, 3, 4
Pork Tenderloin, 1 lbs, week 3
Crab Meat (or imitation), 1 cup, week 4
Sirloin Roast, 3-5 lbs, week 4
Dairy Section
Lite or FF Sour Cream, 16 oz container, weeks 1, 2
Lite Mexican Cheese Blend, 4 16 oz packages, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Lite Ricotta Cheese, 7 oz, week 1
Mozzarella Cheese, 2-3 16oz packages, weeks 1, 2, 4
Grated Parmesan, 2 containers, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Milk, 1/2 gallon, weeks 1, 4
Feta Cheese, 1 container, week 3
Lite Butter, 1/2 stick, week 4
Egg Substitute, 2 cartons, week 1,2
Starches
Instant Mashed Potatoes, 1 package, week 1
Rice, 6 meals, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
WW(whole wheat) lasagna noodles, 1 box, week 1
WW Bread, 1 loaf, week 1
All Bran or Fiber One cereal, 1/2 box, week 2
WW noodles, 1 box, week 2
High Fiber Tortillas, 1-2 packages, week 2
Dried Pinto Beans, 1 bag, week 2
WW Hamburger Buns, 1 package, week 2
Cornbread, 1 pan, week 3
Butter Round Crackers, 1 sleeve, week 4
Thin Pizza Crust, 1, week 4
Cans
Golden Mushroom Soup, 1 can, week 1
Cream of Celery Soup, 1 can, week 4
Chicken Broth, 7 cans, weeks 1, 2, 4
Beef Broth, 1 can, week 4
Black Beans, 3-4 cans, weeks 1, 2
Pinto Beans, 1 can, week 3
Spaghetti Sauce, 2 jars, week 1, 2
Stewed Tomato, 2 cans, week 2
Whole Chopped Peeled Tomatoes, 28oz can, week 3
Black Olives (optional), 1 jar, week 3
Artichoke Hearts, 1 jar, week 3
Corn, 1 can, week 1
Mandarin Oranges, 1 can, week 1
No Added Salt Green Beans, 2-3 cans, weeks 1, 3
Pepperonchi Peppers, 1 jar, week 4
Salsa, 2 jars, week 3
Frozen
Corn, 10 oz, week 2
Spinach, 10 oz, week 2
Mixed Vegetables, 1 package, week 3
Scalloped Potatoes, 1 package, week 4
Orange Juice, 1 can, week 3
Apple Cranberry Juice, 1 can, week 3
Other
Kens FF Raspberry Pecan Salad Dressing, 1 bottle, week 1
Favorite Side Salad Dressing, 1 bottle, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Cheese Tortellini (in refrigerator section), 1 package, week 2
Pesto Sauce, 1 jar, week 4
Spices and Other Baking Ingredients Needed
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Cornstarch
Salt and Pepper
Dried Chives (if fresh will need for week 3)
Rosemary (if fresh will need for week 3)
Parsley
Garlic Pepper
Dried Mustard
Splenda
Cumin
Ham Bouillon
Italian Seasoning
Oregano
Cayenne Pepper
In addition to the ingredients I have provided you with the amount needed for the month, and the week the ingredient will be used. So it will be listed in the following format:
product, amount, weeks needed
Produce Section:
Salad Greens (side salads), 4-5 bags, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Sweet Potatoes, 1 x family members, week 2
Lime, 2, weeks 2, 3
Jalapeno Pepper, 3-4, weeks 3, 4
Tomato, 3 (or more if adding to side salad), weeks 2, 3, 4
Asparagus, 2, weeks 3, 4
Yellow Onion, 4, weeks 1, 2, 3
Spaghetti Squash, 1, week 3
Baby Carrots, 1 bag, week 1
Fresh Spinach, 2 bags, weeks 3, 4
Green Onion ,1 bunch, week 1
Zucchini, 2, weeks 1, 4
Fruit Salad ,1 meal, week 1
Fresh or Minced Garlic, 2 cloves or 1 jar, weeks 1, 3
Red Onion, 1, week 1
Jicama, 1, week 2
Broccoli, enough for 4 cups, week 4
Bell Pepper, 2, weeks 1, 2
Lemon Juice, 1, week 4
Meat Section
Chicken Breast, 5 x family members, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Salmon Steaks, 1 x family members, week 1
Ground Sirloin, 4 lbs weeks, 1, 2, 3
Lite Ground Sausage, 1 package, week 1
Talipia, 3 x family members, weeks 2, 3, 4
Pork Tenderloin, 1 lbs, week 3
Crab Meat (or imitation), 1 cup, week 4
Sirloin Roast, 3-5 lbs, week 4
Dairy Section
Lite or FF Sour Cream, 16 oz container, weeks 1, 2
Lite Mexican Cheese Blend, 4 16 oz packages, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Lite Ricotta Cheese, 7 oz, week 1
Mozzarella Cheese, 2-3 16oz packages, weeks 1, 2, 4
Grated Parmesan, 2 containers, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Milk, 1/2 gallon, weeks 1, 4
Feta Cheese, 1 container, week 3
Lite Butter, 1/2 stick, week 4
Egg Substitute, 2 cartons, week 1,2
Starches
Instant Mashed Potatoes, 1 package, week 1
Rice, 6 meals, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
WW(whole wheat) lasagna noodles, 1 box, week 1
WW Bread, 1 loaf, week 1
All Bran or Fiber One cereal, 1/2 box, week 2
WW noodles, 1 box, week 2
High Fiber Tortillas, 1-2 packages, week 2
Dried Pinto Beans, 1 bag, week 2
WW Hamburger Buns, 1 package, week 2
Cornbread, 1 pan, week 3
Butter Round Crackers, 1 sleeve, week 4
Thin Pizza Crust, 1, week 4
Cans
Golden Mushroom Soup, 1 can, week 1
Cream of Celery Soup, 1 can, week 4
Chicken Broth, 7 cans, weeks 1, 2, 4
Beef Broth, 1 can, week 4
Black Beans, 3-4 cans, weeks 1, 2
Pinto Beans, 1 can, week 3
Spaghetti Sauce, 2 jars, week 1, 2
Stewed Tomato, 2 cans, week 2
Whole Chopped Peeled Tomatoes, 28oz can, week 3
Black Olives (optional), 1 jar, week 3
Artichoke Hearts, 1 jar, week 3
Corn, 1 can, week 1
Mandarin Oranges, 1 can, week 1
No Added Salt Green Beans, 2-3 cans, weeks 1, 3
Pepperonchi Peppers, 1 jar, week 4
Salsa, 2 jars, week 3
Frozen
Corn, 10 oz, week 2
Spinach, 10 oz, week 2
Mixed Vegetables, 1 package, week 3
Scalloped Potatoes, 1 package, week 4
Orange Juice, 1 can, week 3
Apple Cranberry Juice, 1 can, week 3
Other
Kens FF Raspberry Pecan Salad Dressing, 1 bottle, week 1
Favorite Side Salad Dressing, 1 bottle, weeks 1, 2, 3, 4
Cheese Tortellini (in refrigerator section), 1 package, week 2
Pesto Sauce, 1 jar, week 4
Spices and Other Baking Ingredients Needed
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Cornstarch
Salt and Pepper
Dried Chives (if fresh will need for week 3)
Rosemary (if fresh will need for week 3)
Parsley
Garlic Pepper
Dried Mustard
Splenda
Cumin
Ham Bouillon
Italian Seasoning
Oregano
Cayenne Pepper
January Meals
I would love to put the monthly menu on a table or even calender but I currently don't know how to do that on a blog. Can anyone help? Until then:
Week 1
Chicken Elegante with instant mashed potatoes and a side salad
Raspberry Pecan Salmon with rice and mandarin orange green salad
Black Bean and Salsa Soup
Skillet Lasagna with green beans
Breakfast Casserole and fruit salad
Week 2
Super Cheesy Chicken Parmesan with Pasta and green salad
Firey Fish Tacos with Crunchy Corn Salsa with rice and beans
Pinto Bean Burritos with side salad
Lean Burgers with relish and baked sweet potatoes
Spinach Tortellini Soup
Week 3
Orange Rosemary Chicken with noodles and sweet green beans
Fish-in-foil with rice and steamed asparagus
Spaghetti Squash Dish and side salad
Southwest Stew and cornbread
Spinach Pork Tenderloin with rice and mixed vegetables
Week 4
Jalapeno Chicken with rice and peppers and onions
Fish Roll-ups with noodles and side salad
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Italian Roast with Peppers and rosemary scalloped potatoes
Chicken Vegetable Pizza
Week 1
Chicken Elegante with instant mashed potatoes and a side salad
Raspberry Pecan Salmon with rice and mandarin orange green salad
Black Bean and Salsa Soup
Skillet Lasagna with green beans
Breakfast Casserole and fruit salad
Week 2
Super Cheesy Chicken Parmesan with Pasta and green salad
Firey Fish Tacos with Crunchy Corn Salsa with rice and beans
Pinto Bean Burritos with side salad
Lean Burgers with relish and baked sweet potatoes
Spinach Tortellini Soup
Week 3
Orange Rosemary Chicken with noodles and sweet green beans
Fish-in-foil with rice and steamed asparagus
Spaghetti Squash Dish and side salad
Southwest Stew and cornbread
Spinach Pork Tenderloin with rice and mixed vegetables
Week 4
Jalapeno Chicken with rice and peppers and onions
Fish Roll-ups with noodles and side salad
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Italian Roast with Peppers and rosemary scalloped potatoes
Chicken Vegetable Pizza
Monthly Meals
Each month I am going to "try" to post a month worth of menus for my family's evening meals. This will include 5 meals per week, leaving 2 open for leftovers or restaurants. Not only does meal planning get Donna's stamp of approval, it is also a great tip for saving time, money, and Calories. Although the planning stage for this process is very timely (took me about 3 hours to gather recipes and compile a grocery list for the month- lucky for you, you could just skip this part and copy mine); once the menu is posted I can prepare for my weekly grocery trip in a snap. I also save time during food preparation because I can often prep for some dishes while I am preparing for others. For example, if I was going to have Mexican Chicken Pizza and Chicken Tortilla Soup in the same month, I would prepare the chicken for both dishes at the same time and then freeze the chicken for the second meal until time to prepare that recipe.
I save money by stockpiling my ingredients as they go on sale throughout the month. For example, if I know that I am going to have 5 chicken dishes in a month, I will wait until the chicken goes on sale and then buy enough chicken to cover all 5 meals. It also saves me money because when I pre-plan for meals and even pre-prepare some meals I am much less likely to go out to eat which not only saves money but also brings us to our last benefit- saves you Calories.
Eating at home can easily save you half the Calories, fat, sugar, sodium, etc. etc. etc. then eating a similar dish at a restaurant. (Restaurant Eating is a soapbox I would love to stand on for a while but rather I will save it for a future "Wellness Wednesday" post.) If you choose to copy my menu for the month let me warn you- not all my recipes are necessarily "diet" choices but all can easily fit into a healthy meal plan. Each week I do try to plan for at least 1 chicken dish, 1 fish dish, and 1 meatless dish and I try to limit "heavy" recipes to no more than 1 a week.
At this time the recipes will not be posted until the respected week they will be eaten, however as I start to repeat recipes (thus have them saved on the blog and can just reference them) I will try to provide them with the Monthly menu post. Does that make sense? Hope this helps! I would love some feedback!
I save money by stockpiling my ingredients as they go on sale throughout the month. For example, if I know that I am going to have 5 chicken dishes in a month, I will wait until the chicken goes on sale and then buy enough chicken to cover all 5 meals. It also saves me money because when I pre-plan for meals and even pre-prepare some meals I am much less likely to go out to eat which not only saves money but also brings us to our last benefit- saves you Calories.
Eating at home can easily save you half the Calories, fat, sugar, sodium, etc. etc. etc. then eating a similar dish at a restaurant. (Restaurant Eating is a soapbox I would love to stand on for a while but rather I will save it for a future "Wellness Wednesday" post.) If you choose to copy my menu for the month let me warn you- not all my recipes are necessarily "diet" choices but all can easily fit into a healthy meal plan. Each week I do try to plan for at least 1 chicken dish, 1 fish dish, and 1 meatless dish and I try to limit "heavy" recipes to no more than 1 a week.
At this time the recipes will not be posted until the respected week they will be eaten, however as I start to repeat recipes (thus have them saved on the blog and can just reference them) I will try to provide them with the Monthly menu post. Does that make sense? Hope this helps! I would love some feedback!
Friday, January 2, 2009
Super Saturday is here!
Welcome to your first official Super Saturday master plan roll-out! In the future, Super Saturdays will get straight to the point but today I will provide a brief explanation of each plan. Lets start with the big guns- The MONTH OF MEALS!
Super Saturday
Tomorrow will be a BIG day for the blog, as will be true for every Super Saturday.
Super Saturday occurs every first Saturday and is the day I present the master plan for the month. The biggest post will be the Month of Meals and corresponding grocery list. The day will also feature the "book of the month" and the "project of the month" as mentioned in an earlier post. You will also find several first of the month reminders such as "refill envelopes" and "plan wardrobe." Try not to be overwhelmed with the posts, it is more for my benefit then anything else. I will try to help you slowly ease into the whole process over the coming months. See you tomorrow!
PS I promise the blog will be a whole lot less overwhelming with easier to read posts after tomorrow- hang in there!
Super Saturday occurs every first Saturday and is the day I present the master plan for the month. The biggest post will be the Month of Meals and corresponding grocery list. The day will also feature the "book of the month" and the "project of the month" as mentioned in an earlier post. You will also find several first of the month reminders such as "refill envelopes" and "plan wardrobe." Try not to be overwhelmed with the posts, it is more for my benefit then anything else. I will try to help you slowly ease into the whole process over the coming months. See you tomorrow!
PS I promise the blog will be a whole lot less overwhelming with easier to read posts after tomorrow- hang in there!
Sonday Sunday
I can tell you this: By the time Sunday rolls around, unless I have spent some time preparing for Sonday (Son meaning Jesus- but you knew that already) Sunday- I truly will go crazy. For Sundays are the days I will hold myself accountable to daily quiet times and scripture memorization.
Most Sunday posts will be kept very simple. I will post a verse I hope to memorize for the week, and maybe a quick thought or praise for what God has done in my life or in the lives of others.
Every now and then I might attempt a short devotional on what I have been learning or working on during my quiet times.
One thing I want you all to know is- although this entire blog pokes fun at my desire to be Donna Reed my ultimate goal is for my life to mirror Christ. A goal that would be impossible to reach- but by the grace of God!
Most Sunday posts will be kept very simple. I will post a verse I hope to memorize for the week, and maybe a quick thought or praise for what God has done in my life or in the lives of others.
Every now and then I might attempt a short devotional on what I have been learning or working on during my quiet times.
One thing I want you all to know is- although this entire blog pokes fun at my desire to be Donna Reed my ultimate goal is for my life to mirror Christ. A goal that would be impossible to reach- but by the grace of God!
Scrapbook Saturdays
Scrapbook Saturdays will be a hodge-podge of posts; or sometimes it might simply be a day off- anything goes.
I will probably use this day to write about some of the funny or memorable things the boys did over the week so I have a record of it- you know for all those times I think "I should write that down."
Saturdays will also host the "book of the month." Where once a month I hope to read and review one book. I will announce the book on Super Saturday (previously referred to as "Rollout Saturday" in a prior post only because I could not think of a"S" word- how hard was "Super"- duh!) and then will invite you all to join me in reviewing the book on the 3rd Saturday of the month.
I also hope to do one organizing or home decor project a month and will post pictures and instructions, if needed, on the project.
Saturdays are also the days I might check myself into a psych ward for thinking I could possibly do everything I am writing about doing:)
I will probably use this day to write about some of the funny or memorable things the boys did over the week so I have a record of it- you know for all those times I think "I should write that down."
Saturdays will also host the "book of the month." Where once a month I hope to read and review one book. I will announce the book on Super Saturday (previously referred to as "Rollout Saturday" in a prior post only because I could not think of a"S" word- how hard was "Super"- duh!) and then will invite you all to join me in reviewing the book on the 3rd Saturday of the month.
I also hope to do one organizing or home decor project a month and will post pictures and instructions, if needed, on the project.
Saturdays are also the days I might check myself into a psych ward for thinking I could possibly do everything I am writing about doing:)
Familytime Fridays
I am so selfish in picking my topics because these are areas that I need to work on- I hope you will find them helpful too.I can not tell you how many nights I have peeked in at my sleeping babies and thought do they know how much I love them? Did I spend enough time with them today? Do they even care that their sock drawer is organized?
And it is in those moments that I vow to be a better mommy- and I come up with a plan.
A product of one of these moments was the Family Fun Can you see to the left. The idea of the can was that we would come up with some fun activities to do as a family, write them down, and then once a week we would draw an activity out and do it. Great idea..... but it requires actually doing it to be effective. Plus on the rare times we do draw out of the can I find I take advantage of the fact that my son is too young to read and instead of "Dressing up like Pooh, Tigger, Darby and Buster and going around the neighborhood playing Playhouse Disney's Super Sleuths (Colby's idea for the can)" I read out loud "Family Movie Night."
Another idea that I tried to put into daily practice was to have scheduled "Devotional Time," "Learning Time," and "Craft Time" with the boys on Mommy Days (the days I don't work). Now I loved this idea because even though I might spend no more then 5-10 minutes on each activity, the boys loved it and it made me feel so Donna like. The problem was that on the all-to-often days my to-do list was a mile long- guess what got pushed aside? Sooooo....
I am going to use Familytime Fridays to post about the different activities I plan to do with the boys the following week; and ideas I will try to implement for devotional, learning, and craft time. I highlighted the word try because all to often when I present a neat craft or devotional idea to my 4 year old he has his own ideas for what we should do. I mean why should he want to make a snowman out of cotton balls when he can use pipecleaners and yarn to make a "bad guy" catcher- sometimes I have to let go of the control.
What do you think?
So what do you think of the blog so far? Am I completely nuts? Do you think you will be a regular visitor? Do you think you will find it helpful with your own DRS? Please leave a comment. Remember DRS sufferers are very sensitive to criticism so be nice:)
Thrifty Thursday will be coming soon!
Thrifty Thursday will be coming soon!
Thrify Thursdays
Ok, this is one that I am really excited about. Remember it was coupon blogs that first introduced me to the world of blogging.
On Thursdays I am going to blog about the deals I have found throughout the week. Honestly, this topic would be most helpful on Sunday after you get your Sunday newspaper's coupons, but lets face it "Savings Sunday" just doesn't have the same ring to it as "Thrifty Thursday". But no fear, I will have thrifty alerts throughout the week to let you in on deals as I come aware of them. To participate in these deals you will want to start saving up your Sunday newspaper's coupons now. If I remember correctly from last year, January is one of the best months for coupons because you will find lots of coupons for healthy food products.
I will only be posting about the "best" deals I find in our local stores: Kroger, Walgreens, Target, and Walmart. For a more extensive list of deals in your area I recommend the following websites http://www.thegrocerygame.com/ (don't forget me, if you sign up), http://www.moneysavingmom.com/, and http://www.thethriftymama.com/- these are just a few of my favorites but there are TONS more couponing sites out there.
Plus I need your help. If you find a deal please let me know so I can pass it on!
I am also going to use Thrifty Thursday to stay accountable to my budget. I am probably the biggest nerd in America- but I LOVE budgeting. I love figuring out the best way to allot our family's income and the challenge of seeing if I can stay in or even under the set budget. So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered the blog http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/ This woman has an annual budget of $800 dollars to feed herself and her four girls for the whole year! It is incredible! Every week she chronicles her shopping trips and expenses and keeps a record of her $800 count down. She finished 2008 with $7 and some change and has a goal to do it again this year. Can you imagine?
Well, you know my DRS made me want to do it too! Now I am realistic enough to know that $800 is not going to cut it for our family; but I am going to challenge myself to an annual budget of $5000. This budget will cover all food, toiletry, house cleaning, and OTC medicines I buy. I know my goal is not near as impressive as Jane's but it will still be a BIG challenge for me to keep my weekly expenses to less then $100 per week. Hope you will watch me try and even join in on the challenge. Gotta go... Just found out about an exciting giveaway on Jane's website!
On Thursdays I am going to blog about the deals I have found throughout the week. Honestly, this topic would be most helpful on Sunday after you get your Sunday newspaper's coupons, but lets face it "Savings Sunday" just doesn't have the same ring to it as "Thrifty Thursday". But no fear, I will have thrifty alerts throughout the week to let you in on deals as I come aware of them. To participate in these deals you will want to start saving up your Sunday newspaper's coupons now. If I remember correctly from last year, January is one of the best months for coupons because you will find lots of coupons for healthy food products.
I will only be posting about the "best" deals I find in our local stores: Kroger, Walgreens, Target, and Walmart. For a more extensive list of deals in your area I recommend the following websites http://www.thegrocerygame.com/ (don't forget me, if you sign up), http://www.moneysavingmom.com/, and http://www.thethriftymama.com/- these are just a few of my favorites but there are TONS more couponing sites out there.
Plus I need your help. If you find a deal please let me know so I can pass it on!
I am also going to use Thrifty Thursday to stay accountable to my budget. I am probably the biggest nerd in America- but I LOVE budgeting. I love figuring out the best way to allot our family's income and the challenge of seeing if I can stay in or even under the set budget. So you can imagine my excitement when I discovered the blog http://jane4girls800dollarannualbudget.blogspot.com/ This woman has an annual budget of $800 dollars to feed herself and her four girls for the whole year! It is incredible! Every week she chronicles her shopping trips and expenses and keeps a record of her $800 count down. She finished 2008 with $7 and some change and has a goal to do it again this year. Can you imagine?
Well, you know my DRS made me want to do it too! Now I am realistic enough to know that $800 is not going to cut it for our family; but I am going to challenge myself to an annual budget of $5000. This budget will cover all food, toiletry, house cleaning, and OTC medicines I buy. I know my goal is not near as impressive as Jane's but it will still be a BIG challenge for me to keep my weekly expenses to less then $100 per week. Hope you will watch me try and even join in on the challenge. Gotta go... Just found out about an exciting giveaway on Jane's website!
Wellness Wednesdays
Let's face it- Wellness is the only thing I am truly qualified to talk about so I felt it must be included on the blog. Donna might have been a nurse but I feel my job as a dietitian gives me the upper-hand when it comes to this topic.
Disclaimer: For the few patients/clients I personally invited to view my blog (didn't feel most of my patients were ready to meet this side of me- might think I was crazy or something) I want to apologize. I do realize that the message of DRS is completely opposite of what I preach to you: "All things in moderation," "You don't have to be perfect," " So you ate the chocolate, give yourself a break." But please understand that it is my DRS that helps me understand the danger of trying to shoot for perfect. That is why I am passionate about teaching you to "live in the middle" somewhere between Black and White, All or Nothing, Binge and Diet.
I will say that nutrition is one area of my life I feel I have a healthy balance. Not to say that I have "perfect" eating habits, but I do have a healthy relationship with food. In other words- I am not obsessive about what I eat. I DO NOT live life on a diet but I am mindful of my food choices. I believe that all foods can fit in a healthy lifestyle and that guilt and food should not be associated. I personally need to improve on portion control and could always eat more fruits and vegetables. These are the kinds of things I will ask you to hold me accountable to on Wellness Wednesdays.
In addition, I will use Wellness Wednesdays to blog about all aspects of wellness- from fitness and nutrition to environmental and dental health. Also check in to find the product of the week- most often food that I have found to be tasty and nutritious.
Disclaimer: For the few patients/clients I personally invited to view my blog (didn't feel most of my patients were ready to meet this side of me- might think I was crazy or something) I want to apologize. I do realize that the message of DRS is completely opposite of what I preach to you: "All things in moderation," "You don't have to be perfect," " So you ate the chocolate, give yourself a break." But please understand that it is my DRS that helps me understand the danger of trying to shoot for perfect. That is why I am passionate about teaching you to "live in the middle" somewhere between Black and White, All or Nothing, Binge and Diet.
I will say that nutrition is one area of my life I feel I have a healthy balance. Not to say that I have "perfect" eating habits, but I do have a healthy relationship with food. In other words- I am not obsessive about what I eat. I DO NOT live life on a diet but I am mindful of my food choices. I believe that all foods can fit in a healthy lifestyle and that guilt and food should not be associated. I personally need to improve on portion control and could always eat more fruits and vegetables. These are the kinds of things I will ask you to hold me accountable to on Wellness Wednesdays.
In addition, I will use Wellness Wednesdays to blog about all aspects of wellness- from fitness and nutrition to environmental and dental health. Also check in to find the product of the week- most often food that I have found to be tasty and nutritious.
Tidy Tuesdays
As I look around my house I feel Tidy Tuesday can't get here soon enough! My kitchen table is the "hot spot" in our home where everything seems to pile up throughout the day. This picture was taken at 9:45am this morning, I'm scared to think about what it will look like at 5pm this evening.!
Tidy Tuesday to the rescue! Each Tuesday of the month I will post a different "zone" with respective cleaning schedule for the week. A zone is a specific area of your house. The goal is to break your house into 5 zones so that each zone gets tackled once per month in "Spring Cleaning" like fashion. I have broken my home into the following 5 zones:
Zone 1- Kitchen
Zone 2-Bedrooms and Closets
Zone 3- Living Room and Bathrooms
Zone 4- Office and Playroom
Zone 5- Outside, Laundry, Garage and Car (I can not remember the last time I actually did zone 5- but anyways)
Feel free to divide your house up however you think will work best for you.
Now I know what your thinking. I can't just clean my bathroom once per month-gross! Don't worry that is where daily routines (morning, afternoon, and bedtime) and Day Tasks come in. Just trust me when your truly "in the zone" your house will never be so Donnaesk.
Even though the weekly plan will just be posted on Tidy Tuesday, I will give you a "Tidy" update at least once per day to keep myself accountable. I would love it if you joined me on this and used this site for your own accountability. I am getting excited just thinking about it!
Mealtime Mondays
Mealtime Mondays is my solution to making sure a healthy homecooked meal hits my table around 5:30pm five nights a week. Each month on "Rollout Weekend" (to be explained later) I will present a master plan of menus for the month along with a complete grocery list. Then on Mondays I will provide recipes complete with nutrition information for all of the recipes I "plan" on cooking that week.
I will also take advantage of the fact that I don't work on Mondays to try to prep for as many dishes as I can for the week. That will give me the convenience of just poping a meal into the oven on days I did work outside the home with little to no prep and very little clean-up. Doesn't that sound nice. If you work on Mondays, you might want to work a week behind my menus and do your prep on the weekend.
In a perfect Donna Reed World I would have my 4 year old assist me with meal preparation, complete with miniapron for quality together time during the baby's naptime. We'll see how long cooking holds his attention. Oh no, must go... Cohen has just shattered a glass bowl on our concrete floors. Check back soon!
I will also take advantage of the fact that I don't work on Mondays to try to prep for as many dishes as I can for the week. That will give me the convenience of just poping a meal into the oven on days I did work outside the home with little to no prep and very little clean-up. Doesn't that sound nice. If you work on Mondays, you might want to work a week behind my menus and do your prep on the weekend.
In a perfect Donna Reed World I would have my 4 year old assist me with meal preparation, complete with miniapron for quality together time during the baby's naptime. We'll see how long cooking holds his attention. Oh no, must go... Cohen has just shattered a glass bowl on our concrete floors. Check back soon!
Introduction of features
Today will bring my first challenge to blogging. Yesterday my husband was home to help me with the boys; therefore, I was able to spend a little extra time at the computer. Today I don't have that luxury. Good thing for me, I got the hard part behind me yesterday when I took you through the history of Donna Reed and DRS. Today I am going to simply introduce you to the different features I hope to regularly provide you on this blog.
And just as Donna would do- each feature is neatly placed inside a cleverly themed day of the week. Starting with Mealtime Mondays.
And just as Donna would do- each feature is neatly placed inside a cleverly themed day of the week. Starting with Mealtime Mondays.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
My story- Bringing you to date.
Cohen, is my second born. His birth brought immeasurable joy and unbelievable chaos to my life. I guess, I just thought because I had a hard core system in place, complete with a personalized handbook, and 3 years of experience in motherhood, my transition from pregnancy to baby would go much smoother this time. Boy was I wrong! I now had to learn to balance work, housework, and life with 3 boys! (The fact that I live with 3 boys still cracks me up considering I spent the majority of my life scared of boys- we will discuss this at a later date!)I had forgotten how priceless and necessary those mommy naps were (you remember the advice "nap when the baby naps") until they were no longer available to me. Mommy naps were replaced with time spent with big brother out of fear Colby might feel uneasy about the shift in attention the new baby brought to our family. The guilt hit a new high as each child vied for my attention and the house screamed for a bath. Add in severe sleep deprivation plus trying to go back to work at 4 weeks postpartum, and it was a recipe for disaster. I felt my life was completely out of control.
But in true DRS fashion, once again I had a plan. I decided to give myself a deadline for when my life should be fully back in order. So sometime in early February I counted out 6 months from Cohen's birthday and marked in ink the date my life was to be back in order. (I have provided you a picture of my 2008 dayplanner as proof of this experience.) Well Cohen's 6th month birthday came and went and my life was no more close to mirroring Donna's life then the day Cohen came home from the hospital. Daily, me and the house battled; and more often then not- the house won! Countless times I tried to get back into the zone with my housework but I just could not get back into the groove.
Meanwhile, in the midst of the chaos, a new obsession emerged- couponing! I discovered "The Grocery Game" late one night as I spent some "quality" time with Cohen who was still not sleeping through the night. I watched as this lady demonstrated how she was able to get $150 worth of groceries for nearly half the $ amount by utilizing coupons and advice from "The Grocery Game." Knowing that Donna would approve, I had to try it myself. Sooooo in January of 2008 I became an official member of "The Grocery Game" and my budget has never been the same. (You will learn more about "The Grocery Game" and other tips for saving money on Thrifty Thursdays)
I bring this up because it was couponing that eventually introduced me to the world of blogs. You see, I had no idea what a blog was until a few months ago when a friend suggested I check out the blog Money Saving Mom. From the moment I linked on I was hooked. Not only did this blog take me to a whole new level of couponing, shortly after I started following this blog Money Saving Mom did a series of posts on blogging for profit. I was intrigued. I asked myself: Is blogging something I could do? What would I write about? How would I have time to keep a blog up and running when I don't even have time to empty the dishwasher? How do I even go about getting started? What would Donna think?- there was no precedence of blogging on The Donna Reed Show.
That was when the light bulb went off! I could use my blog to educate America about the symptoms of DRS while at the same time creating the perfect medium to achieve ultimate Donna Reed status in all aspects of my life- world wide accountability!
The Story Continues
How are you doing? I know this has been a long and lengthy process of explaining DRS and my story, I just felt it was important to spend the day introducing you to Donna so you can fully understand my desire and need to create this blog. I sure have appreciated the comments and encouragement I have received throughout the day- the support you have given me makes me feel I am not alone in this battle. (Am I cheesy or what!?)Ok, last I left you I let you in on the secret to what I thought would catapult me into eternal Donna Reed Status- FlyLady. Although, as you can see by the picture I provided with this post- FlyLady does NOT resemble Donna Reed in body; I believe she too is a victim of DRS. For only someone with Donna Reed in their blood could come up with such a tried and true system for keeping your house decluttered and company-ready all with a kitchen timer and a game called the "27 Fling Boogie" (I am not making this stuff up- you can read about FlyLady's plan in "Sink Reflections" by Marla Cilley). With FlyLady's instructions I divided up my home into 5 different zones and documented my monthly, weekly, and daily cleaning plan/goals in my Family Control Manual- I labeled (and I do mean labeled) mine "The Thompson Family Handbook. As is true with most things I do (I believe this is another symptom of DRS), I became obsessive about my zone cleaning and often would try to do several days worth of zone cleaning in one day which was a direct violation of FlyLady's cardinal rule: Spend no longer then 15 minutes a day working in the zone. (For those of you who are completely lost in this paragraph, I will provide a detailed description of zone cleaning when I introduce you to Tidy Tuesdays).
I won't lie- it felt good to be in complete control of my house. And when I feel good, I want others to feel good too, so I began to encourage my friends to jump on the FlyLady wagon. Some looked at me like I was crazy, but others, those with undiagnosed DRS, craved the control I talked about and joined me. One such friend and I began to email each other several times a day to hold each other accountable to our zones. This accountability took my Donna status to a whole new level. On days I just did not want to pick up my feather duster my friend would write me and let me know she was already 1/2 way through her daily zones and day tasks. Just knowing her house was getting clean while mine sat with dust on top of the refrigerator was enough to get me going. (This experience with email accountability played a major role in my desire to create this blog.)
So what happened? How did I get to a point that accountability with one friend was not enough? Why do I feel I must now seek assistance from the world wide web to regain the level of Donna I once achieved? One word..... Cohen!
The next post will be the final for the evening. Tomorrow I will spend the day explaining all the features I plan to offer on this blog. See you soon!
My battle part 3
I am so confused how this blog is posting, I thought that each new post would show up at the top of the page, but then the last post was under the one before it, so I don't know what to tell you. If you are tuning in for the first time, this is the third post of the series. On with my story....
For a while my DRS was well controlled, I was able to keep our home running somewhat smoothly, Dear Husband (DH) had learned that "the house" was a sensitive subject and held back all nonessential critical comments, and at any given moment the house could be company ready within a 45 minute time frame. It was by no means Donna Standard- but at the very least I did feel "in control" of my life and home. That all changed with the birth of my first child.
The third trimester of my pregnancy triggered a major DRS flair-up. Most women call it "nesting" but I knew the truth- DRS was rearing it's ugly head again. I can remember being on modified bed rest and being in a state of complete panic that I was going to have to bring my baby home to a house with an unscrubbed tub and dusty baseboards. Lucky for me, my parents recognized the symptoms and came to my rescue and cleaned like only Donna could until I was content and Donna would be proud.
When I brought Colby home from the hospital I quickly progressed to a whole new stage of the disease- Mommy. I looked at my precious baby boy and knew that he deserved the very best- he deserved Donna. So during a time in my life when I was experiencing a whole new level of love I also experienced a whole new level of guilt. If I was holding Colby I was feeling guilty about the laundry that wasn't getting done; and if I was doing the laundry I was feeling guilty that I wasn't giving my child my full attention. I knew that I should be reading to him and teaching him the itsy bitsy spider but instead he would sit in front of the TV watching Baby Einstein while I was picking up the house or cooking supper (at least it was educational programming- right?). Add in the fact that Colby was a late walker and talker and at times I felt like a complete failure as a mother.
But, as is always true with DRS, I could not accept defeat and once again convinced myself all I needed was a new plan and a little more organization and I could still one day achieve Donna Reed status. So you can imagine how excited I was when I discovered the ultimate blueprint to home organization and housework- Fly Lady!
For a while my DRS was well controlled, I was able to keep our home running somewhat smoothly, Dear Husband (DH) had learned that "the house" was a sensitive subject and held back all nonessential critical comments, and at any given moment the house could be company ready within a 45 minute time frame. It was by no means Donna Standard- but at the very least I did feel "in control" of my life and home. That all changed with the birth of my first child.
The third trimester of my pregnancy triggered a major DRS flair-up. Most women call it "nesting" but I knew the truth- DRS was rearing it's ugly head again. I can remember being on modified bed rest and being in a state of complete panic that I was going to have to bring my baby home to a house with an unscrubbed tub and dusty baseboards. Lucky for me, my parents recognized the symptoms and came to my rescue and cleaned like only Donna could until I was content and Donna would be proud.
When I brought Colby home from the hospital I quickly progressed to a whole new stage of the disease- Mommy. I looked at my precious baby boy and knew that he deserved the very best- he deserved Donna. So during a time in my life when I was experiencing a whole new level of love I also experienced a whole new level of guilt. If I was holding Colby I was feeling guilty about the laundry that wasn't getting done; and if I was doing the laundry I was feeling guilty that I wasn't giving my child my full attention. I knew that I should be reading to him and teaching him the itsy bitsy spider but instead he would sit in front of the TV watching Baby Einstein while I was picking up the house or cooking supper (at least it was educational programming- right?). Add in the fact that Colby was a late walker and talker and at times I felt like a complete failure as a mother.
But, as is always true with DRS, I could not accept defeat and once again convinced myself all I needed was a new plan and a little more organization and I could still one day achieve Donna Reed status. So you can imagine how excited I was when I discovered the ultimate blueprint to home organization and housework- Fly Lady!
My battle continued
Sorry to keep you hang'n like that, but "Blogging for Dummies" told me that readers preferred shorter posts so I thought you might need a break. If you are just tuning in, please scroll down to the previous post and begin there.
Where was I, oh yes... Never did I imagine that my casual viewing of The Donna Reed show would have such life long implications. You see, sometime between 1985 and 1994 I was exposed to Donna Reed Syndrome or DRS. DRS, in short, is a fictitious disease that makes women believe they can, and should, live up to the Donna Reed standard of womanhood, which of course is impossible to do. In most cases, as was true in my case, the symptoms lay dormant for years until the day the woman says the fateful words "I do" at which time the disease attacks the woman with a vengeance.
At first I did not recognize I had the syndrome, I just thought it was fun to put on my apron to tidy up the house (apron was short lived, and proud to say my disease has yet to progress to the heels and pearls) and I enjoyed the challenge of trying to time our evening meals to hit the table right when my husband walked in the door from a hard day at work. But as the newness of our marriage wore off, I slowly began to relax in my chores and dinners became less elaborate. I was entering my first remission period since the disease turned into full fledged DRS and I was unprepared for the ugly side effects of coming off a Donna High.
You see, the most dangerous side effect of DRS is that the unsuspecting and often clueless husband of the DRS sufferer begins to think this "Donnaesk" lifestyle is the norm, and therefore feels blindsided the first time a cold sandwich is placed before him for dinner. He then will proceed to make an innocent comment about the meal or the stack of laundry piling up in the bathroom. Now most healthy women can handle a little criticism from their husbands and move on, but for the woman with DRS even the slightest hint of criticism will send her into a deep depression and feelings of failure and guilt. Unfortunately, for this reason, most remission periods are short lived. And sadly enough the disease often attacks harder with the next bout because the woman convinces herself she can fix what went wrong last time with just a little more planning and organization. So sad, huh... To be continued.
Where was I, oh yes... Never did I imagine that my casual viewing of The Donna Reed show would have such life long implications. You see, sometime between 1985 and 1994 I was exposed to Donna Reed Syndrome or DRS. DRS, in short, is a fictitious disease that makes women believe they can, and should, live up to the Donna Reed standard of womanhood, which of course is impossible to do. In most cases, as was true in my case, the symptoms lay dormant for years until the day the woman says the fateful words "I do" at which time the disease attacks the woman with a vengeance.
At first I did not recognize I had the syndrome, I just thought it was fun to put on my apron to tidy up the house (apron was short lived, and proud to say my disease has yet to progress to the heels and pearls) and I enjoyed the challenge of trying to time our evening meals to hit the table right when my husband walked in the door from a hard day at work. But as the newness of our marriage wore off, I slowly began to relax in my chores and dinners became less elaborate. I was entering my first remission period since the disease turned into full fledged DRS and I was unprepared for the ugly side effects of coming off a Donna High.
You see, the most dangerous side effect of DRS is that the unsuspecting and often clueless husband of the DRS sufferer begins to think this "Donnaesk" lifestyle is the norm, and therefore feels blindsided the first time a cold sandwich is placed before him for dinner. He then will proceed to make an innocent comment about the meal or the stack of laundry piling up in the bathroom. Now most healthy women can handle a little criticism from their husbands and move on, but for the woman with DRS even the slightest hint of criticism will send her into a deep depression and feelings of failure and guilt. Unfortunately, for this reason, most remission periods are short lived. And sadly enough the disease often attacks harder with the next bout because the woman convinces herself she can fix what went wrong last time with just a little more planning and organization. So sad, huh... To be continued.
Introduction to my battle with DRS
I was infected with DRS at an early age although the symptoms lay dormant for years. You see, I was a very sheltered child, so while my friends were watching MTV and reruns of Three's Company, I was at home watching Nick at Nite. Nick at Nite was home to all the classic oldies, from My Three Sons and The Patty Duke Show to Mary Tyler Moore and Mister Ed. Every night starting at 8pm I was transported back in time to a world of black and white; where homes were kept in perfect order, families sat down "together" for home cooked meals, children respected their parents, marriages were kept sacred with separate beds, and the closest thing to profanity was an occasional "gee whiz." Although every family represented during this era of TV Land was happy, loving, and capable of solving all of life's problems in a 30 minute time frame, one show in particular epitomized the "perfect" family- The Donna Reed Show.
The Donna Reed Show starred Donna Reed as Donna Stone, the always put together housewife of Dr. Alex Stone, and mother to teenagers Mary and Jeff. Most episodes followed a similar 3-part order of events:
1. Alex would kiss Donna at the door as he headed off to work.
2. A typical family crisis would occur.
3. Donna would swoop in (dressed in heels, pearls, and an apron of course) with a solution and a batch of homemade cookies and all would be well again in the Stone family.
Donna was the heart of the home and her family adored her. She made balancing work (she worked part-time as a Nurse), housework, family time, and civic duties look easy. She never raised her voice to the children, she wouldn't be caught dead in sweat pants, and always had time to sit down with a neighbor in need. She was SuperWoman! (To learn more about The Donna Reed Show go here.)
The show sounds harmless enough, right? That's what I thought...... To be continued in a couple of hours.
The Donna Reed Show starred Donna Reed as Donna Stone, the always put together housewife of Dr. Alex Stone, and mother to teenagers Mary and Jeff. Most episodes followed a similar 3-part order of events:
1. Alex would kiss Donna at the door as he headed off to work.
2. A typical family crisis would occur.
3. Donna would swoop in (dressed in heels, pearls, and an apron of course) with a solution and a batch of homemade cookies and all would be well again in the Stone family.
Donna was the heart of the home and her family adored her. She made balancing work (she worked part-time as a Nurse), housework, family time, and civic duties look easy. She never raised her voice to the children, she wouldn't be caught dead in sweat pants, and always had time to sit down with a neighbor in need. She was SuperWoman! (To learn more about The Donna Reed Show go here.)
The show sounds harmless enough, right? That's what I thought...... To be continued in a couple of hours.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Welcome from My Life- accountable
Thanks for following me over to this blog. Sorry about the confusion. I fully expected to use the blog my life-accountable until Monday night at 10pm when I decided it just didn't fit the right "mood" of what I was trying to create. So after hours spent preparing drafts for the other blog I made a spontaneous (this is about as spontaneous as it gets for me folks) decision to start all over with this idea. Why Donna Reed Syndrome you ask? Who in the world is Donna Reed you ask? Join me over the next couple of days as I introduce this blog and Donna to you. Check back soon!
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