Time Management :-D

Hi Indoc - If you have any friends from Andhra they might had the same last name.

 

Can you some some parcel from outside when you come back from office ,at least some side dishes and dress it up as homemade ? : ) That way you just make roti's once you come back .

You can also freeze dal's etc in individual containers ahead for each day and heat it up on stove top or microwave.

 

I personally feel a maid is not required for 2 people, specially until kids come to the picture. But it is just my personal feeling because of my past experience with tough maids. In my part of the world, maids come with a baggage and it is often a risk financially, health wise and also security wise. Not all the maids listens to us nor do they adhere to our commands.

Having said that, I would simply plan my routine which is the first step of time management.

We have maids, but we never let them into our kitchen. There are times when we run out of maids, and manage the house all alone. Ours is a 3 story big house with many rooms and a huge garden. Also we have 2 naughty kids and an elderly mother at home.

During such times, I would wake up at 5.00 am. Make tea and keep that in the flask. So, others can serve it as per their preferred time.
I would then cook a basic break fast. Mostly pasta, noodles, bread and egg or something like that. When it is done, I would also keep them in the hot pack and leave at the dining table. Family members can serve themselves. Mom would feed the kids accordingly.

Normally I would cut the veggies, fish and meat on weekends. Basically the nights of Saturdays when we are done with our outings or restaurant trips. Both myself and mom (or H) would do the task. We would cut them and keep them in the refrigerator separately.

We use a lot of coconut. Either we scrape them in advance and refrigerate or use the instant milk powder

Curry is done when the ingredients are readily available. As for rice, you just need to wash it and put that into the rice cooker/or pressure cooker. But you don't need to wait at the kitchen till it is done.

I won't clean my house in the morning. But will do the cleaning part once I am back from the office in the eve. Specially kids are out of the main hall, but in their play room or sleeping.

Dusting and other main tasks can be done by husbands, that too on weekends. Not everyday.

Also, my H would take care of the laundry part. That is really a heavy work.

Kids are trained to keep their toys at the right place. Also my elder son, who is now 4 will sweep the floor where he used to eat or play with a small/toy type broom stick. Little one would help him.

My H would iron our cloths every day as per our needs. Mom would fold the cloths from the laundry.

We both do the gardening work on weekends, which we really love it as our passion.

My mom takes care of the bathrooms. We use only 2 bathrooms, so we need to wash them regularly. Other bathrooms are washed only when visitors come here.

We often eat out or eat easy food for dinner. Either fruits or some chapatis or bread from outside. So, not more than 10 mins is required at the kitchen for dinner.

In your case, make your H to help you at wherever he is specialized at. Make easy meal plans. Use this time to enjoy eating out until you catch diabetes and BP. Manage with simple but healthy foods, so no need to waste time at kitchen.

Fix a TV or some music system near kitchen, so that you can enjoy cooking. Do not run behind time. It is your house, so work relaxedly. If you can not meet the clock, then adjust.

 

Seriously ask him to pitch in .He needs to understand that just like him you also work in office and are tired when you come back.Please get him involved in the kitchen,like after dinner he can help cleaning up the vessels and heat the rotis when you make it.Let him help you,i am sure within no time he himself will find a maid

 

You can definitely manage without a maid!
Have been there..
It was only after our kid was born, that we needed help.

I guess you are doing away with the maid, because 'you' also want it that way. Am i right?

First part of time management is getting up early. Now, early depends on the individual. If you are really fast, an hour is sufficient to get ready. I was really really slow when i started.
Used to listen to music/ FM while cooking. You like that..? Try it.
Keep some healthy snacks to have, once you are back from office.

All the best! :thumbsup

 

Start new initiatives at the beginning of new year at home like - keeping healthy, clean home, peaceful mind (meditation), etc. Inform and enlist husband's support for these initiatives. Talk about these in a positive way, enlisting all the benefits. Say these are your resolutions for this year.

For breakfast, have cereals, fruits and bread, along with a glass of milk.

Get lunch from office some times, when you have too much work to do.

Prepare dinner at night, which will also be next day's lunch.

After every meal, husband should help clean the kitchen and do the dishes.

Try getting up at 7:30, instead of 8. So, morning time will go more smoothly. Show your husband you are also trying. Reward him with praise when he helps you.

 

Clean and chop veggies, make gravy and masala powders on weekends ! Keep mixed chapati atta for the whole week in separate dabbas (You can ask him to do that - good exercise for those biceps!)

Wash and drain the veggies and let them air-dry and then you can chop (else the moisture will spoil the veggies) !!
Say you have chopped carrots, cauliflower, matar, beetroot, beans - mix all of them together and pack in 10 different boxes.

Also chop/grate/julienne some of the veggies for eating raw - carrot, capsicum, cucumber - for quick salads and quick sprouts bhel (recipe follows)

Use 1 kg tomato, 1 kg onions, 2 inch piece ginger and one head garlic - clean up and roughly chop them and grind to a fine paste in the mixie -

Now - use half the onions, ginger, garlic and fry them in oil till the oil leaves sides of the pan - add dhaniya, jeera, garam masala to it and add cashew (or melon or sunflower seeds) paste and store it in 5 dabbas.

The other half of the onions, garlic and ginger - fry in oil and add tomato paste and the garam masala, dhaniya and jeera powder. Store this also in 5 dabbas.

So you have one white gravy and one red gravy ready!!

Now - the whole week's menu is ready !
And just 1 dish to wash !!! No chopping, so no cleaning of counter !

When you come home in the evening - take out 1 roti dough box, 1 masala paste box and one chopped veggies combo box. Let them all come to room temperature - freshen up, put on music and dance with hubby

Put masala paste and chopped veggies, water to cover the veggies in a small 3 liter cooker with salt and haldi - 2-3 whistles and done ! Make fresh rotis and eat with mixed veggie curry and curd and pickle
Clean up kitchen !!
Pack the remaining for the next day's lunch or make sabji roti similarly in the morning !

Use cashew gravy paste and tomato gravy alternately for variety - or make more varieties of gravies !
For more variety - once in a while, make some dal - add tadka to a 3 liter pressure cooker, put some chopped veggies and add moong or toor dal and let it whistle while you make your DH whistle to your tunes

You can use the same gravies to make fried rice/pulav - so while you make mixed veg in tomato gravy sabji for rotis, add 1 cup any long rice with a tablespoon of cashew paste gravy and salt and haldi - add 2 cups water and your pulav is ready in 2 whistles !!!

Pack the remaining pulav for your lunch box, so you have to make chapatis only for DH in the morning !!

Make breakfasts easy and convenient -
1) get idli mix or rava idli mix or dhokla mix - steam and eat with any chutney made in the weekend for the whole week
2) sprouts bhel - on friday morning, wash and soak a few whole dals - moong, moth, channa - then when you're back on friday evening, hang it up above the sink in a cloth -wet it twice on saturday morning and evening - by sunday morning you would have some sprouts - spread it on a cloth and let dry - on sunday evening - mix the sprouts and pack in 4-5 boxes.
- Add the sprouts, some chopped/grated veggies - carrot, capsicum, onions, dhaniya, add curd or lime juice - try different combinations - will make a healthy protein packed quick breakfast that you can even eat on the way to office during commute - so no excuses to miss breakfast.
3) Any left over sprouts at the end of the week (if you've soaked too much or not had any!) - put in mixie with water and green chillies and salt - you get a healthy dosa/chilla/pancake batter for the weekend morning brunch !

Keep planning and revisiting your plans - you will come up with your own - and in a few months, you will be the one giving ideas on time management on indusladies

 

good that you are able to manage but did your husband contribute anything in any of the household chores . Else you will bogged down with home and work in no time . What will happen when kids come along . Think .

One more thing which caught my attention , you spend your salary according to your husband wishes ... This is red flag for me , please retain control on your salary, if you so not understand finance , it is good to ask him and and invest but please don't give up full control . You should be free to spend your salary of course after contributing to household. And learn up on how to do investments . Good and easy start subscribe to outlook money magazine , it is a good resource .