Time management - cooking, cleaning, and exercise

hi ladies !!

i had been missing in action for past few days as i was busy filing tax returns for my self, DH, MIL,FIL & my father..phew

my DDs dont have fever now but have severe cold with running nose, my mother was also visiting me & she also got unwell with stomach infection so iwas tending to three sick people , dont have much to update, still:
reached home by 6.30pm , since my mother was unwell for whole day so i just bf my younger dd & then we all walked to the hospital. got back by 8.00 pm, mom didnt take any food & just took medicines & slept. i made poha for myself & older dd, milk & some bread, nursed the younger dd & hit the bed by 10.00pm but i was so tired & couldnt sleep till 11.30.
woke up at 6.30,cleaned the counter top kitchen, folded the bed sheets & made the bed, my bro had come to pick my mother & they were off by 7.00 am & dh is also on tour so i was left alone to manage my two dds.
spent the next two hours running after them,nursing , cleaning, bathing the two, packing their bags for daycare, getting ready & heading to office. my older didnt want to take a bath & created a lot of ruckus , by the time i got to office i was already half spent.had bread & milk for breakfast.
hope i should be able to post better tomorrow.

ps:
manju - that was wheat flour halwa .

 

Nice Jeni, you got your maid back. It is good she will take care of cooking too.

Hi Gorgeous, Take care of your DDs. Of course this tax filing takes lot of efforts. Mentally tiresome for so many people. Hope soon your mother also gets well soon.

My Updates:

Monday: Got up at 5 as usual. The day was nothing special. Did walking in the treadmill. After that Only usual chores and some stitching. Evening DD arrived, she told she will be having exams from Tuesday itself instead of Wednesday. DS had special class. Picked him by 8.15. May be this whole week he will have. So wanted to give something for snacks too. In the evening itself soaked chana dhal and ground it in the night, kept in fridge for making vadai next morning.


Tuesday: Got up at 5. Along with b/f and lunch did muringa keerai vadai also for the evening snacks and packed. For others too made, but had at different times. Did some warm up and 5 sets of suryanamskar. Since the van comes very early for her afternoon exam, I preferred to drop her myself little later, just 30 min before exam. In the night baked a cinnamon raisins cake, so that I can give this as snack for Wenesday to DS. Kneaded dough for chapathi for next morning’s b/f.


Wednesday: got up at only 5.15. But managed to finish doing b/f, lunch and pack it by 6.20. Wanted to change my meal plan, so that I can restrict rice intake in any form. So skipped b/f , but had banana. Has second cup of coffee (which I want to cut it), since I have my first cup around 5.30. Went to temple along with DD(holiday) being Aadi Krithigai. Went to veggie shopping. After coming home by 11.30 had my brunch. At that time DD wanted to sort veggies by herself and keep in fridge. So without even I noticing she sorted, with much difficulty kept the basket also in fridge. She didn’t want me to enter into kitchen. Only in the evening I noticed the basket. She has put all different veggies in different covers and knotted it. The basket looked very neat. Gave her a big hug. I spent little more time in laptop, watching a stitching tutorial in youtube. Had light snacks of biscuits and coffee. Evening went to music class. For dinner made ghee roast and tomato chutney for kids. For us made soft dosa without oil.


Thursday: Got up at 5.20. Since I had cut the veggies the previous night. Could finish cooking faster. Today too morning had coffee. Did warm up and 5 sets of Suryanamaskar. Around 8 had half pomegranate, other half kept for hubby’s lunch. By 10.30 had lemon rice and curd rice. Helped DD to completely revise for today’s test, went to see Dad who again fell sick yesterday. Spent some time there. DD had lunch there. By 12.30 left to drop DD at school, on the way back, bought women’s Horlicks (a step to avoid second coffee), marie lite (to avoid heavy tiffin in the evening) and brown rice, then to bank to do some of my Dad’s requirements. Came home/ boiled potatoes for makin aloo parantha for dinner, now in IL.

Ps: I always buy fruits on regular basis while I don't consume as much as I insist kids to have. Now I have made up that I should make it a practice. I love salads but too lazy to make it only for myself. Now I should do it for the evening snack time.

Regards
Manjukps

 

Hi Sound, Please avail those comp off anyhow. otherwise u tend to ignore and miss the offtime. I lost 14 days last year and now making a point to take it as and when i work on weekends.
Hi Gae,nice routine, i see u have lots of walking included in ur day. That is a very good exercise and also keeps one energetic. I was a brisk walker before i got preg.
Hi Manju,right, we are experiencing all these fun now and tomm as you said we will remember that and laugh at them.
Hi Jeni, great news, ur maid is back. They kind of stress savers to us. Or maybe I think so since I get paranoid if my maid is on suddenly leave without advance notice.
Good that you'll get some relaxation now.
Hi Gorgeous, try giving ur DD some tulasi juice with honey (just 1 spoon) to fight the cold. I am doing that to my DS whenevr he has the bad cold. It is very effective.
Hi Magee,Akila,Shaluu, nice reading ur updates
My update:
Tues: regular day, prepare dosa with multiple atta and chutney for bf. Oats for DS, DH didnot want anything for lunch so prepared only rice and rasam for maid and dal for DS.
Left to office at 11am, I was very lucky my manager got extra lunch which she had prepared (pulao) and i got to have that.
Went back home at 7pm, maid left and I was playing with DS, watching my favourite serial "tarak mehta ka ulta chasma" and cooking dinner. I do this slowly while playing with DS as he doesnot allow me to be in the kitchen for too long.
Had meeting at 8.30 - 9.30. Joined the call and muted the line and was on speaker for me to hear.
Fed DS, had little dinner and after DH came served him dinner, cleaned the kitchen and went to put DS to sleep and slept after he was asleep.
Yesterday: I was working from home, so gotup little late and prepared upma for brkfst, DS had same. made chapatti, palak dal sabji, rice and tomato saar for lunch and beetroot playa for dinner.
Worked and evening went out to get nasal drops for DS as he is having cold and nose gets blocked, brought tulsi leaves for his medicine, got my dress from tailor, brough bread and butter for today's brkfst. 6.30 maid left and I went for a walk with DS. But his cold increased as the weather was very cold outside and whole night he was awake and kept us awake.
Today: DS slept at 6am, so i gotup brough milk, filled drinking water, cleaned bathroom and took bath. Said prayers, made tea for DH n myself. Gave bread butter and jam for BF for DH and DS woke up at 10.30 when my maid came. She fed him brkfst. i prepared jeera rice and dal fry for lunch and came to office.

 

Akila, Even i also do like that. But all your responses are so friendly and warming. While reading itself i feel that you are directing telling to me.So sweet of you.
Hi Gae, i am hand washing clothes for various reasons. First thing is i feel it as a exercise for me. Second, as i am not earning so i can save some energy(power), i feel go guilty using w/m for the daily use clothes.(my own opinion) i will use the w/m for my hubby's dresses and the bed spread.But in rainy season i will use for heavy clothes. Third, my son's white uniforms will be like a dusting clothes after the school . so that i have to soak for overnight and again wash it in the morning.
Hi Manju mam, Thanks for you appreciation. I am in weight loss mission. If i don't do exercise i feel so guilty. so upto my level i am trying my best.It is very nice that you are teaching slokas to your kids.
Hi Jeni, Good that you got the maid. Now relax for atleast 1 -2 days with the kids. Gradually start your rotuine.
Hi gorgeous, Take care dear.

Hi all, past two days relatives were at home. so loads of work and cooking separately ,as my hubby left before 6:30. In all these 4 days woke up at 5(same as Manju mam) tomorrow also hubby will leave early.
Today prepared full meals with two curries, vada, kheer with pappad(aadi kirthigai- special star in tamil month of aadi). Then i got headache. I think because of early waking up and late night sleep. So complete rest today. did only cooking and cleaning vessels. Took rest from 10:00 to 12:00. Was in a good sleep(normally i won't sleep in day time. Especially in week days), the bell rang and somebody came for donation. I was cursing them. and the head ache starting again. Thought of getting outside air went for bi cycling and tailor shop.
Then felt better. Need to do things... to make idli batter, to prepare wheat upma, to make ds to study, to fold clothes( if i am ok and had time).
Manju mam's and abi's post are pending (to read). will continue tomorrow. bye .

 

Yesterday afternoon handwashes cloth diapers, loaded w/m and spread them for dry. Watch tv for sometime by lying down. Then ds wakeup and spent time with him. Did exercise for half an hour. Folded all the clothes. Declutter the living room and arrange the newspapers. 5.30pm, went to pickup DD. 6.30pm, maid has come and prepared dinner. Feed dinner to dd and take dd and ds to car parking for sometime to play. return back at 7.30pm.

arranged all the folded clothes and spent some time with DD in writing(oh.. for the last 2 months i haven't concentrated on her studies.. poor dd). Though i love to do cooking and cleaning, i feel happy to spend quality time with kids. DD and DS went to sleep and i had my dinner with DH. Spent time with ds again and went to bed by 1am.

 

Hi all, Hope the weekend went well.

Hi Manju mam, so great that your dd is helpful to you. My hugs to her. SO nice recipes. For what reason you are avoiding coffee? Any health problems?

Two days went well.
Friday: As usual visited the temple for 'Lalitha Sagasranamam', Then prepared kichadi for lunch, charkarai pongal as prasadham for Aadi velli and also prepared channa dal sundal. Managed the dinner with the left overs.

Saturday: Woke up at 6:30. Did 30 min of workout. Then mopped the floor then went to temple (for navagrahas), After coming home started preparing elaborate lunch as rice, sambhar, rasam, bhendi curry, banana stem curry, sabhudana kheer, channa dal vada with pappad. Did pooja for the kitchen tap for Aadi 18(In 18 th of Tamil month Aadi day ,we will work ship water ). After lunch cleaned everything and took a nap. DH dropped ds to drawing class. Sorted out some issues with dh(in the absence of ds). :thumbsup Fried channa dal vada and had it with hot tea with DH. Then went to pick ds, there stuck in the rain for 1/2 hr. After that watched tv with all. After the dinner watched tv till 11:30.

Sunday: woke up at 7:30. did 45 min of work out. mopped the floor.Had aval(poha) with jaggery and prepared dosa for ds.Then went to veggie shopping. After coming prepared melon smoothie for all, prepared veg salad for us and noodles for ds. Arranged everything in their respective place. While preparing noodles, cut the veggies for tomorrow's cooking, cut the coconut into pieces and put it in the freezer. Now in IL and also collecting some pictures for ds's project from the net.
Need to do things: to prepare idli and tomato chutney for dinner, to go to temple for prasodha pooja(between 4:30 to 6).
Because of too much of rice intake, i gained 1 kg of weight this week. Need to loose those weight first.

 

Manju mam, your daughter is so sweet!

mahe, as usual your menu is too good! I dunno when I will cook like you

A big Hi! to krish mam, akila, gae3, magee, gorgeous, jeni, abhigail and gorgeous!

 

My Today's plan:

1. Fold all clothes
2. Arrange the clothes in cupboard and declutter if necessary as the cupboard space has become really cramped
3. Office work