Cooking up a storm

 Time to face the kitchen cupboards!

I know there's bound to be things lurking here, especially as I can't reach any of the top shelves to check what's there. Out with the step ladder and up I go.

Having defrosted the freezer and used up all the stocks of frozen goodies I need to repeat the process with what's in the kitchen cabinets. I'll do this in two chunks I think - this week it's the food and cleaning stuff and then the crockery etc. next time.

My first task has got to be checking that what's in the cupboards is okay to eat. I've already started a cull of the herbs and spices. The colour of some of them should have told me to dispose of them before I even looked at the dates. Once I've been through all of the shelving and tossed the past it selection throughout I'm going to do a grand reorganise so that I can see clearly what I've got all grouped together. The older packages, tins, etc. need stacking at the front with the later additions behind so that I make sure I use them in date order and stop any wasteage.

Combining small amounts of dry goods into their plastic containers is next - how have I got three containers all with granulated sugar in them - and two basmati rice - we rarely eat it!

I also seem to have multiple odds and ends of pasta in various shapes - again we only really eat rigatoni and linguine - I'll get back to using these spares in a moment.

The contents of the under the sink show much the same story - more than one kitchen spray, forgotten cloths and sponges. They all need to come out and be grouped so that I know what I've got and don't buy any more till they're all used!

Thankfully, the fridge - not being the greatest space saver in the world - doesn't give me the chance to stockpile - although there seem to be various chunks of cheese in differing sizes - time to pair this up with the pasta.

So back to that pasta mini hill (not quite a mountain). That's sorted tonight's dinner. I've written about my favourite way of using up these leftovers before. There's no magic to it really...

First I cooked the pasta ignoring the shapes as they can all blend together. They go into an overproof dish. Then I cooked up some passatta (or chopped tomatoes), herbs, tomato puree and (as it happens on this occasion a drop of red wine that's been occupying the counter having been left too long to taste great on it's own!). Adding sugar, balsamic vinegar and salt if tasting suggests it's necessary I mix this into the pasta. Grating up all the scraps of cheese comes next to add a topping to the dish before popping it into the oven to bake!

Phew, I'm not only sorted in the cupboards and tonight's meal is decided.... It's making me feel quite hungry..

See you soon....

Onwards and upwards

 Whisper it softly - I’m making progress…. Okay not a lot of cleaning has been done, but I have caught up with the washing and ironing I mentioned last week. The freezer is now defrosted and I’ve got most things tidied away.

Time to start decluttering and organising room by room. I’m beginning with some quick and easy wins. The bathroom has to be first on the list, that also includes the toiletries I’ve got stashed around the house!

The bathroom cabinet isn’t too bad so won’t take long. There are some opened tubes and bottles that seem to be well past their sell by dates so they’ll need thinning out first.

Then attention can go to the spare bottles of hand cream, moisturiser and shower cream that are lurking in my wardrobe for storage. It’s time I worked my way through these - I’ve been ‘saving them’ as special treats to use at the right time - well, I’ve decided, that’s now. So I’m going to use them up by putting them one at a time in the bathroom and then, just like my new approach to my chores list, I’ll concentrate on finishing one before looking at the next.

Finally, I need to check my drawer with cosmetics, facial moisturisers, nail polish, etc. on opening three of the polishes I’ve been able to ditch them pretty quickly as they were almost solid! Then I checked on a tinted moisturiser. I’ve tried using it for a few days and have decided it definitely doesn’t do anything for me - so that’s gone too. There's some other potions and lotions that fall into this category so out thry go too.....

I’m happy with how it’s going so I think I’m due a treat…. I seem to have accumulated some face masks, hand treatments and a foot pack (you can see from the photo that it was a Christmas present!). I can kill two birds with one stone by using them up over the next week or so to clear my stash AND give myself a treat too…

Very fetching ....

Here goes!

Catching Up

 I feel like I've been chasing my tail a bit.. In fact I thought I'd been away from here a lot longer than is actually the case, it's still too long though..

It's been quite a time of it of late, various 'stuff' both stressful and enjoyable and sometimes both at the same time!

With a final big, fabulous family happening at the weekend a chink of light has appeared in the timeline of getting stuff done. We were all involved in some hefty work  to prepare my sister's garden for the celebrations - hence the bunting. It was initially not so much for decoration as to cordon off part of the newly dug project. I was, though surprisingly happy with it.

SO now it's time to catch up. As usual I've done myself a mega, impossible to finish list that looks quite like all my posts from soooo far back. I even re-read the one about helping my friend to get cleared up after her husband ran off with the au pair. I was about to embark on one of my 'hit every area at once' campaigns when I paused over my morning espresso and read.

I can't even remember the name of the article/book I was reading. It was one of those 'get yourself sorted/declutterd/organised' ones. This, however, was in 52 steps. On reading the first part of it I recognised myself starting, once again, with 'I do that already' or 'that's a simple step' hit me with another so I can do it quicker. This suggested a slower pace. A get one thing in place before you move on.

I know - there's lots of advice like this, but I'm usually pretty efficient in completely ignoring it!

This time I'm trying to rein in the rush for outcomes in order to make it sustainable.

I'm going to do the same with my catching up.

I've realised I can't write or make or create when my brain is chock a block full of urgent things that need to be done. I also know that my brain can't clear itself if my surroundings aren't orderly. This means I need to start right back at step minus one to get life back under control (cue hysterical giggling). 

First I'm onto the 'set one task a day and don't attempt anything else from your list until that's done'. At the moment it's working.... My first task was to take my impossible list and prioritise those items that are both urgent and important to complete this week. 

So far I've caught up with the washing, started trying to eat from the freezer to empty it for defrosting, completed the finances (Monday was payday so that's one thing I always do) and nearly finish the ironing (that's next once I close the laptop). I also wanted to restart my SubStack and this blog as a way of focusing my brain forwards.

Phew! Will this plan work? Who knows? it's worth a try 

so onwards and upwards - I'll let you know next week how I'm getting on and what I'm planning to do next - planning is top of the list for the weekend!

I know I can get my focus in - I  made bunting after all.. well I was particularly pleased with that. It was both urgent and important at the time - I had  not, however, realised that it would bring something meaningful to the table.

Having decided on bunting it couldn't a)take a long time to do as time was tight and b) cost a lot either. On looking at the general fabric stocks in the loft (clearing that will take a lot more time and far better focus - but I have plans) I found a number of items that were the right weight and content. There were a couple of the toddler quilt covers that my sister sorted out from her airing cupboard as the children are now well past the toddler phase and a school uniform dress that all three girls have worn. Both of these weren't in a good enough condition to sell online so had been parked in the fabric stash to make 'something' rather than be thrown away. Then there was some of an old skirt of my mum's and curtains from our old house and finally some of the fabric given to my sister when she moved that I made into garden bench seats.

In my ribbons basket I found a number of lengths of bias binding from old projects, some ribbon I bought for next to nothing in a sale with no idea of what to do with it and a streamer of multi-coloured ribbon from a circus twirly thing that one of my great nieces had thrown out. I set to with the pinking shears to cut triangles then sewed then onto the ribbons and binding.

Lo and behold bunting for the family celebration with the added advantage of the fabrics telling a story in  a way. Bunting with real meaning - meaningful bunting... now there's an idea ... or perhaps not I can feel the tug of a distraction away from my catching up project. Still, I'll hold that thought - meaningful bunting for parties, weddings, end of term balls, birthday celebrations.... nooooooo - I'm almost off again.

Come on Susan, focus, focus, focus.... we'll see!