No.703: Homemaking Notes on a Monday // Vol.37

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The weather outside is //

Still going strong on Operation “See How Long We Can Go Without Turning on the Heat”!  This warmish week should help.

As I look outside my window // Most of the trees around our property are poplars and they’re always the first to lose their leaves.  We have a few evergreens and a few oak stragglers still showing off their colors, but it’s looking a little bare out there.  A different kind of beautiful.

As I look around the house // I have so much to catch up on after the excitement of last week (see below)!  Lots and lots of laundry in my future.  After an entire week off, I’m also returning to my new cleaning routine.  It’s nothing ground-breaking, but I started assigning days to rooms/zones and it’s working great!  Here’s my weekly plan:

• Monday: Living Room/Dining Room
• Tuesday: Kitchen
• Wednesday: Master Bedroom
• Thursday: Bathrooms
• Friday: Kids Bedrooms
• Saturday: Mudroom/Outside
• Sunday: rest day

We already have a basic level of upkeep (general tidying, daily laundry, vacuuming when necessary, washing/putting away dishes, etc) so this is really for those things that I should do, but never seem to get around to doing.  For example, on “Master Bedroom Day” a couple of weeks ago, I pulled down all of my curtains, washed, ironed and rehung them.  I’ve also organized my pantry, decluttered half of my closet, scrubbed bathroom cabinets, etc etc.  It feels so good to chip away at all of those little tasks that often get pushed under the rug.  One other task I also assign to each day is dusting and window washing because man oh man, do those things make a difference!  (I’m also obsessed with this reusable dusting cloth and this window cleaning kit!)

Recovering // from a gnarly bout of stomach flu that made its way through the entire family.  Thankfully, the kids bounced back quickly…me, not so much.  Getting old is hard.

Thinking // about a vivid dream I had last Friday night.  I don’t remember any of the back story, just that I was sharing with someone the impact my grandmothers made in my life and how much I miss them now that they have gone.  I woke up weeping and it was such a random, bizarre occurrence.  I never remember my dreams!  I wonder what it means.

On this week’s to-do list //
– try to see the total lunar eclipse (“red moon”) on Tuesday
– vote
– plant garlic
– mop hardwood floors
– go through the kids’ shoes and remove the unneeded/outgrown ones
– order Christmas stamps
– work on stocking stuffers
– order grit pads to continue sanding the laundry room walls

Currently reading // 

• Fiction: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte
• Nonfiction: We Have Been Harmonized: Life in China’s Surveillance State by Kai Strittmatter
• Religious: Padre Pio: The Stigmatist by Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty
• School Read Aloud: The Nerviest Girl in the World by Melissa Wiley

On the menu this week //

Monday: white chicken chili
Tuesday: sheet pan mini meatloaves with potatoes and green beans
Wednesday: scrambled eggs with ham and cheese crepes
Thursday: Refrigerator Clean-out Night
Friday: bean and cheese burritos