Monday, November 05, 2007

I'm Gonna Do It!

It's time. I have decided to TRY this list thing out. I am NOT a list girl, and I have NEVER pretended to be. I think having a list for things is a great idea, but that would require you to stay on top of writing things down, periodically. You see, I do this mentally all the time, but it has always seemed like a hassle to, actually, WRITE it down. hehehe I used to make lists, but that was after I was already done with HALF of the list, just so I could scratch it off. So I realized that there was something VERY VERY wrong about that, and it was all about bringing me pleasure rather than any real purpose....lol

What has got me on this kick? Well its the groceries and such that have. I can no longer just depend on my boys to let me know when we are running low on something. For the most part this doesn't happen. It's more of letting me know when we are OUT, and this is almost always at the MOST inconvenient times. I have pleaded my case to the boys to explain that when they are out of dishwasher detergent I can not magically make it reappear. There is this journey I must take in a car, with some cash, and oh yeah I have to have TIME to make something reappear. Nonetheless, the boys are confident that I am a magician, and that I do have this secret ability. I hated to dash their dreams, or their confidence in me. I mean who knows what other powers they believe I have that help keep them in line, like "reading minds", "eyes in the back of my head", etc. So this has been a bubble that I have decided, cautiously, to burst, regardless of the other truths that they may discover about me....lol

So. the first thing I need to do is make a LIST (I can't believe I am saying this) of the main food items I absolutely have to have during the week to make meals. I am shocked by how much of certain foods I need, and rely upon; like chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, tomato sauce, etc. I cannot tell you how many times I will be in the middle of a meal and I have discovered I only have one can rather than the two, of something, that I need. Of course, I no longer begin food preparation without checking first, but even still it is discouraging to see that I don't have it and have to change dinner plans again. I just hate that!

The other thing we bought this weekend was a small chest freezer. It needed to be bought. Our inside freezer won't hold all the meat, fruit, and vegetables we need for an entire week, especially if we get the whim for a gallon or two of ice cream. Everything we eat is starting to look like we have to feed a village rather than a house of 5 boys (soon to be six?). I can't tell you how ready I am for this chest freezer to be put in place. It is still sitting in the back of our suburban. We sent River and Isaiah to go pick it up (teenage boys are so GRAND!). However, they didn't have time to unload it before they had to go pick Andy up (who is spending the week).

So that is my plan today. I am going on an organization binge. The boys have no idea. They are innocently doing their chores today thinking that they have some control of their afternoon. Oh little do they know that I am on one of my cleaning/organizing kicks. Poor helpless saps....hehehe

So I will take pictures of before and after to let you see my progress. Then I will keep you updated as to how this whole list thing holds up for me. I can always START something like this, but 6 weeks down the road is when it all falls apart. I see my weaknesses, but I am gonna try try again. WISH ME LUCK!

14 comments:

Sis. Connie M. said...

I try the grocery list thing, too. I try to have my family sit down on Sun and tell me the meal they want to have one day during the week. Then I can plan for the week. Of course, some of them ALWAYS pick the same thing. So, we had spagetti every week for a while until we realised she was choosing spagetti because she knew it came with cottage cheese. Now, I can throw cottage cheese in with something else and she will pick with some variety. LOL
I havn't had a lot of luck with it lately. Mabey I'll jump back on that bandwagon. Games every night happer my best efforts. Now, basketball is starting, so I back to crock pot every night in the hall at the gym.

Anonymous said...

Good Luck! If feels good to organize but before I know it, I am back to my old self. I like you am not a list girl. It seems like even when I try to make a list I still miss something. I have made my grocery list, remembered to take it to the store with me with pen in hand. I will get home and notice one or two items I forgot. Good Luck!!! Hope you do better than I!

PS Eric was here and I got to see a cute picture of Roman hugging one of Tish's kids! So cute! I think I could just eat his sweet face!!!

Trina said...

Connie: I should think about letting the boys pick out certain meals, but I am sure that some of them would choose the same one over and over...hehehe

Kim: We sound like kindred spirits when it comes to lists..hahaha I want to eat Roman's face ALL the time too! ROFL!

Marisela said...

Well all I have to say is good luck with that. Lists don't work for me either. But I wish you all the best, change is possible. I think if I were in your situation I would call up my good friend Chantel, and have her make my lists for me and recruit her to help me get organized...she's good at it! LOL But seriously I'm sure you will do great. Looking forward to the before and after pictures.

meNmykids said...

I'm not sure when I started using lists, but it has really helped me with my tendencies to "slip". 6 weeks down the line is definately my problem, but the list sometimes helps me to overcome. Good luck. The poor helpless saps!

Trina said...

Marisela: Please, if I called on Chantel she couldn't stop at just one list. She would have them plastered all over my house...hahaha

Gale: I broke the news to the poor helpless saps and the looks on their faces said it all...lol However, I reminded them how great it was to have Andy to help with such a great big ugly task. I am the ONLY one who found humor in it, but that is NOT abnormal...hehehe

Tish said...

I have this handy dandy notebook and pen that are magnatized to my frig; so that when I notice something that's missing or almost gone I can write it down before I forget. If it wasn't for it being that easy to do I would always forget to write my items down. I still forget things sometimes, but not too often. Some people seem to have an awesome memory, but I have gotten to know myself through the years and I forget EVERYTHING! So I have learned to write things down.

ByHISgoodGrace said...

Hey Trina...I have a master grocery list in MS Word of everything I ever buy. I have to add things here and there as I have forgotten something. It just needs to be printed up and when we run out of something you just highlight it. I have all the items categorized. A friend suggested this to me because it truly is a time saver instead of having to write out a list each time. Have a great day!

Mrs.Martin said...

You have to be mentally organized to a higher degree than most, to have that much company and that size of family and not use lists. So if you use the list haphazardly, you will get amazing results. This is a serious compliment to you Sis.

Jules said...

I just have to say "Good for YOU!" I once upon a time did make a list for what we were going to eat for the week, and I went to the store and bought only those items, and we saved SO much money. SO I think it is a great idea! It will take a lot of getting used to but, I think you'll be happy with the outcome :)

ConservaChick said...

I am a compulsive list maker! I even buy pretty list paper to "feed" my "issue" (; In fact, I am much better at making lists than following them! ~Karlie

Liberty said...

All I have to say is...YOU GO GIRL!

Lizzie M. said...

I am so not a list person either! My sweet husband has a list for EVERYTHING-very type A (or A+ as my f-i-l and I like to call them)!! The only list I do have is for the grocery store, I love baking and don't want to forget any of the ingredients for what I am/have been wanting to make :-).

Have fun!

Lori said...

good luck! I am a list person myself - live by them. Actually if I don't write it down, it often is forgotten!