Tag: life

Cleaning and Organizing – Freezer and Deep Freezer

On By jackiblosblackisIn Cleaning, House, OrganizationLeave a comment

I finally, really, got around to organizing the deep freezer. Now about a month or so ago I had my Aunt stop by. I gave her about half of the contents out of the deep freezer. Most of it was meat that would get beyond eating before we got around to it. There was also quite a bit that would be better for the dogs. However, with Galaxy’s allergies I could not give it her. I in turn also dealt with the freezer.

First photo is of the freezer. It is not bad but you can see there are things in there that should truly be in the deep freezer. The lamb roast, cornish hens, and even shrimp do not belong here.

The second photo is of the deep freezer. This does not look like it was ever emptied. Things like the fruit and veggies do not belong in here. I also cannot find anything. Even if I wanted to cook a protein it would be impossible to find.

I bought two stack-able blue bins with handles from a local chain store. I think there were $10CAD each. I took the dimensions and looked online before choosing. I had chosen two different bins. I looked through the store and could not find the other one that was suppose to be in stock. I think these were the better choice anyways.

This bottom bin I have put all of the lamb into (minus the roast as I had not done the freezer yet). There is ground, sausage, meatball, and roast lamb all in there. Now the reason there is so much lamb. Missy needs to be use to the protein before we go to visit her family in China. This will common for us to eat in the area we are going and I do not want her possibly getting sick while we are there.

The top blue bin contains all other proteins. The only thing that is not actually in there is pork. I do not like the taste what so ever. I am not a bacon eater (I use it in cream soups only because I cannot get that salt ratio right with out it). I think there is a bit of ham in the pizza slices pack and I do have pancetta somewhere in the mess as well.  I tend to use pancetta over bacon.

One the left hand side I have boxed items stacked. Such as veggie burgers, breaded chicken, and I have a loaf of garlic bread behind that. On the right hand side I have more butter than I know what to do with! There is a bison pie in there too from a local producer and I have since added some quick breakfast options.

On to the freezer! All of the vegetables have been added here. In the back there are a couple bags of fruit. Most of which came out of the deep freezer.

The bottom left hand side is some proteins. Breakfast sausage, bread chicken fries, and I found the pancetta. On the right hand side I have a huge bag of mixed berries that would not fit up top. There are potato wedges and veggie tots(?). It mostly is stuff that I need to use up sooner than later or one off purchases. Stuff that I will forget about if it is not in here.

While I did this, I took a full inventory. This should help me figure out what to cook (it has not done that yet ha-ha) and help when shopping. I hate when things go bad in the freezer. I also hate being in the freezer aisle, seeing things at a good deal, and not knowing what I already have.

So far the system has worked out for me. I do need to really get use to using the inventory system for everything. I do not think I will be changing anything soon. I do need to inventory my pantry though with the expire dates.

A Week of Cleaning – Sunday March 24 2019

On By jackiblosblackisIn Bullet, Cleaning, House, Organization, PetsLeave a comment

I had a fail at doing a week mini series. Here is the thing though, the house will be a disaster for longer than I would like to imagine. As long as I can remember I will make a post. I still want to use the title that I  originally decided on but I will be adding the physical date as well. Eventually I will go back to update the previous posts that I had already done up. Practice makes habit and practice will also improve these posts. Please bare with me while they get there.

Now, Sundays are the days just to ease into the cleaning week. Very simple and normally it does not take very long. We do the deck, the entry, and the laundry area. The only thing that I did that followed what I put down for myself was the laundry area. We might as well start there.

Not much as you can see from the picture. I did put a way all the items that have been air drying much longer than what they actually need to be. I did not wipe down the machines or anything because no one but me will notice that I skipped a week.

This closet though has been weighing on me for quite a while. What you do not get to notice is that the dog shampoo bottle leaked all over the shelf who knows how long ago. Things are also not put where they should be.

I cleaned up the shampoo and put things back in their home. I also pulled ALL of the dog items that were expired. Which turns out to be all of them. The closet looks so nice and empty. Not for long I do need to put many things a way.

Now on to the whole reason why I only did the laundry area. I needed to start dealing with the kitchen. Despite that the kitchen is on Mondays schedule. It had been skipped to many times.

I took this in the morning and honestly I just slowly did things through out the day. I started with the dishes. Unloaded the dishwasher and then loaded it. Put a way the dishes in the drying sink and then washed the the dishes that were on the counter (not dishwasher safe). Took a break from there and made pancakes with strawberry topping.

While Missy was eating a way at those I decided to give the pantry a quick tackle. This will be a mess again tomorrow since Missy gets into it all the time.

Picked up the cans, put a way snacks, and emptied out bags sitting in the kitchen that had dry goods in them. It really does not take all that long but putting Missy to bed, diaper change, bath, or food trumps putting things a way. This goes for cold items as well. I just take the bag and shove it the fridge or freezer.

Missy eventually went down for her nap and I went on to roast some onions and mushrooms. This way I had something quick in the fridge for the next few days. Creating more dishes. Yay!

Not perfect but I got everything done on the left side of the kitchen sink. The pans on the stove just need to be put a way and the items by the sink need to be washed out before going in to the recycling. A little bit was done on the right side of the kitchen sink. Really it was dishes that needed to be done.

Keep in mind this was not a kitchen day. The dishes really are part of an everyday thing but the pantry and fridge were kind of bonuses. I did forget to take pictures of the fridge. Do not get me wrong it was not nasty or anything but it was stuffed. Which meant I was not getting to items that needed to be used and they were past the usable time period.

They ‘Got Done’ list…. see upgraded from the pen and paper. Spelling errors from dictating but that is real life and I am not concerned about it. You can see a small overview of the day. The only other huge thing I did was that I gave Bullet a quick haircut. It is not perfect but it is a start and it may still get cold out again. I will touch him up in couple days. By than he would have a bath and everything would be settled back in. Plus the razor died and needs to be recharged.

 

 

Self Care

On By jackiblosblackisIn PersonalLeave a comment

I recently went to the doctor’s due to a chronic problem I’ve been having. I am talking about at least four years now. My shoulder, neck, and head just give up on me pretty much ha-ha. The first time I truly seen someone about this was me going to the emergency. I was in SO much pain that I could not move my head and cried so long/hard that I could not keep crying. I went in because it scared me that somehow I seriously injured myself. I was told it was a muscle spasm and given the same anti inflammatory I already took in a stronger dose.

We forward two years. I got headaches and shoulder pain. I jump between reasons why it’s happening. I may have seen my primary care once and was told to try and find a way to relax as a first step. But at that two/two and a half year mark, I went to emergency again. Not so much because I wanted too but because Mister insisted on it. Things had gotten so bad. I guess my symptoms resembled a migraine and that is what I was treated for. Now I can say the treatment worked as they gave me painkillers and Gravol (which knocks me out). I was left with my shoulder and (apperantly) migraines being seperate issues. I got some medication but never really felt like it helped. I also became pregnant only a few months later.

Honestly I cannot remember if it continued during the pregnancy. So much was happening and I had so many other aches. It absolutely has been happening since Missy’s birth though. I finally decided that I cannot just hope for the best and I need to see my primary care. The results were not bad but nothing is really going to change.

It is a muscle spasm(s) and what I need is self care (or self love really). It is where I apperantly carry my stress. It is great that I do not need medication but I was kind of hoping for a quicker fix or a bridge to help. My headaches (not migraines) are caused my my shoulder and neck. If I get that under control my headaches will be under control.

The problem I currently face is things are going to be so much more stressful before the become less stressful. That seems to be the way life goes generally. I just do not always feel like I have enough energy to push through it. Change is hard but it is possible. Being able to recognize the signs my subconscious sends me would be fantastic too ha-ha. Self care seems to be what I am always prescribed 🙂

A Week of Cleaning: Monday February 04 2019

On By jackiblosblackisIn Cleaning, House, OrganizationLeave a comment

I did not forget today! I just had a really late start so it is not quite as satisfying as I would look forward too. I just simply needed to try and get some sleep.

You can check out what I did on Sunday but this is about Monday. Monday consists of the kitchen and dinning area. The reason I do the kitchen on Mondays is because Tuesday is garbage day. Makes sense to clean out the fridge, pantry, and freezer out the day before. That way in the summer things do not start to go rancid before it is off my property. The kitchen I tried to get to all day but Missy was not in the mood to deal with cleaning. Lot’s of in progress pictures.

I snapped these before’s really quick Sunday night before I went to attempt to sleep.

I did put all the groceries a way though. Pantry is a bit of mess but I do not actually have homes for anything I put in there.

This is the before for Monday. Or an in progress picture since I did take one the night before. My counters are terrible I know. Not where I start though.

I started by opening two parcels that have been kicked around the house for an entire month. The Oatbox was just granola and I put those bags in the pantry. The Walmart box was all stuff for my nieces and nephew. The second picture is showing the box of a small portion of their gifts. It is all together now though till I wrap them.

I added an oven lock and knob covers on the stove next. I have only had them for a few days. I thought this was the best opportunity to put them on. Also Missy was asleep and the directions say to put them on when the child is not around.

No pictures but after this I emptied and loaded the dishwasher. I proceed to wipe off the counters after clearing them off. Most of which ended up on the dinning table.

I think it looks a hundred times better. I know it is not completely done but I made an impact. That is what counts.

This the before of the dinning area. Before I did the kitchen so the table was not quite so bad at this point.

Yes my Canadian readers, I have a walker. Even if it was not banned here Missy does not use it as a walker. With the exception of a time or two. She likes to push and pull it around. I am also not shaming any one for using one. Missy can walk I have witnessed it but she simply just does not want to yet. The only thing she ever really liked that was confining was her bouncer.

The after of the dinning area. Again not completley clear but I did put a LOT of things a way. I also took some stuff with me when I came in to write the blog post. The one box contains stuff my Brother needs to come pick up and the other box (that you cannot really see) is full of recycling. I do not have a home for the speaker at the moment. When I asked to borrow it from my Mother, she made it sound like it was a portable….it is not actually portable. I do need it for my Kindle and I got on the Audible train.

I also cleaned out the fridge. Not much was thrown out. A few things that I did not purchase and a thing of mushrooms that I did not get around to using. I needed to put things where they fit though. I just threw the groceries in there from Saturday.

I did have the intention of doing the freezers today. They badly need to be organized but I just do not have the time at the moment.

 

My ‘Got Done’ list is much better for Monday though. Besides a whole lot of laundry. I switched out all my main light bulbs. I had a white light in them and it was just too much in such a condensed area. I switched to a warm white. So much better. I put a way seven parcels! Scary that I still have two more to deal with. First two weeks of every month is when the donations are received in the mail. They pile up fast. I did condense the recycling in to empty boxes. It is very cold outside and that is why it has not gone out yet. The other thing is I have all the items from the car sitting in the house. Again the weather, it is just too cold to be out there for more for something that does not seriously need to be done this second.

Tuesday is just a floor day. If I do something I will try to remember to take pictures. I may get the freezers done. I am not going to take before and afters of the floors. If I even get around to doing them. Still a lot of stuff in the way. I cannot promise that there will be a post on Wednesday.

A Week of Cleaning: Sunday February 03 2019

On By jackiblosblackisIn Cleaning, Donations, House, Organization1 Comment

I almost forgot about this! Which is horrible since Sunday is such an easy day. My weekend also was not as productive as I hoped it would be but there is nothing I can do about that now. Just try to be better the next.

This is my weekly cleaning schedule and also for supper meal planning. There is no meal planning this week though. Maybe one day….

Now with Sunday we have the deck, entry, laundry area, and floors. Right off the bat I can tell you the deck is not being done. It is simply just to cold outside. I also did not get the floors done either since there is so much crap in the way every where. Reality is that the house should be picked enough for me to do a quick vacuum and wash. Lets see the before and afters.

Not that bad really. A few groceries to pick up and move to the kitchen. I need to put a way our outerwear. I am also going to wipe a few things down with a water, vinegar, and essential oil mix.

I mean it does look better. The wall of boxes are donations that I need to drop off eventually. Until then I just keep adding to the pile. The blue basket that is on top of the deep freeze is stuff that needs to go to the shed. I store all the too big clothing out there and NaiNai sends a lot of stuff for her Granddaughter. The couple boxes by the microwave are going to a clients as they are having a baby and I thought I would help out. I also have a second Christmas Cactus as I have killed the one Missy got when she was born. I have to move it out in the summer so it does not get sunburned.

Laundry area is pretty simple as well. Just needs to be picked up and a quick wipe down.

The iron is still there as it needs to go to the recycling. I did do a quick vacuum of the floor and the entry way. I switched over the laundry and pretty much moved everything off the floor.

That really is all I got done ha-ha

I also said I would include a copy of my ‘Got Done’ list. You can actually see my entire weekend. I had an appointment on Saturday so I went to that, went to help a client get paperwork together for their other accountant, and grocery shopping. We did nothing really Sunday morning. After Missy’s nap, we went and gave Grandpa his birthday card. I lazed on the couch until I remembered I was going to do a blog post.

Now this bad boy has been very picture heavy. I also know it was not overly exciting. What I am going to do is include the before pictures from when I was going to try to do this short series. You want to talk about real life in such a small place. Those are it. I just had a good week this time.

This was only a week ago. After another day off shopping. It is also a lot of other junk from a build of other weeks. You can see where I need to break some bad habits though. Like putting the shopping a way immediately. Or putting parcels a way once I open them. It is so hard when the rest of your house is in disarray though and I think a lot of you can understand that.

Monday we have the kitchen and dinning area. That will be quite the job compared to every where else. Something to look forward too!