Living in the Now: Worthy Meal Shortcuts

"If anything is worth doing, it is worth doing badly."  

G. K. Chesterton

 

Eating together as a family, even a single meal a day, has fallen to a rare normal.  A mere 27% of families eating together, only eat, drink, and converse at meal time (listen to Les and Leslie Parrot talk about this sobering pattern).  Eating purposefully, together, and regularly is indeed worth doing, but admittedly, sometimes needs a few shortcuts.  Create space to mealtimes.  Give these a try.  Be realistic.  Suggest a few of your own shortcuts in the comments below:

• Use paper plates.  Try fun colors or paper party plates.  Special touch for sabbath family meals.  Easier for you, you'll also win eager eaters.
• Try frozen entrees.  A reheated lasagna and fresh salad is a cinch to prepare, and is a step above frozen pizza.
• Prepare two, freeze one.  If you go to all the trouble of preparing a meal, save yourself some work by preparing double, and freezing half for a future meal.
• Rotate helpers.  Even middle schoolers can make a pot of mac and cheese and throw in some tuna and veggies for a one pot wonder.  To simplify, assign a specialty meal for each helper to prepare on their meal night.
• KISS.  Keep it Simple, Silly!  Have a regular finger food night that is simple to prepare and fun to eat.  Find a hummus recipe you like.  Dip veggies and bread.  Easy to make ahead and serve in a moment!
• Commit to 15 mealtime minutes.  Be realistic.  An average week night meal need not carry the pressure of a long drawn out ritual.  Focus on sweet and prompt times together.  You will be more likely to connect regularly if you set a reasonable goal.
• Think outside the norm.  Instead of family dinner time, try Saturday morning pancakes or Sunday pizza parties.  Spending a family meal together is most important.

Practically Speaking: 5 Reactions & Secrets to Couponing

Do you coupon?  What's your strongest reaction to the idea?  Coupons bring strong feelings to the surface:

1. Thrill: moving in for the kill.  The wide-eyed wonder of watching your bottom line disappear, pennies at a time.  Its you against the cash register.
2. Dread: the overwhelming work of it all.  The job is mundane, repetitive, and could make a sane woman loose her mind.
3. Guilt: mostly when you pay full price.  Once you're hooked, its hard to walk away from clipping your paper money.
4. Relief: stretching a tight budget even further.  Empowering to make your dollar work. 
5. Embarrassment: be honest, some folks judge.  Plus, some don't want to shop next to your tedious pace, nor get in line behind you at the cash register (solution: shop on senior discount days; you're more their pace). 

I confess, I do coupon.  These are 5 feelings I experience every single cycle of clipping and shopping.  Couponing is not my hobby.  I have never tried "extreme couponing"  In my little world, couponing is a necessity, and dare I say, a spiritual discipline.  Frugality, simplicity, stewardship, and all that.  On an average grocery trip, I "make" about $30/hour (including research, clipping, shopping, and putting groceries away).  That's good enough for now.  

Can you share any couponing secrets in the comments?   I need a few new ideas.  Planning gives me the peace of mind to be fully present for the task at hand, and not fully consumed.  Planning is freedom of heart.  A few secrets I've learned:

• Shop at your favorite store every time.  You'll know the prices, where to find items, and you will learn the coupon policies.
• Follow Coupon Mom.  Her book is sharp, her research spot on.  Get on the weekly email alerts.  Print the weekly database price sheets for your favorite store, and shop based on what is a good deal.
• Focus on a single product.  Commit to clipping and watching sales on laundry products only, or maybe meat, dairy, or beauty products.  Truthfully, I can't do it all.  But, I can handle one area.
• Dual ink your grocery list (uh-oh, my anal side is showing....).  Sometimes, a sale price is not the actual shelf price.  Girl, don't buy it if its not on sale AND you have a coupon!  Instead of sorting coupons in the aisle and deciding if it is a good price, I pull all coupons at home, based on Coupon Mom's weekly database.  My grocery item is written black for a normal, non-coupon item, and blue for a coupon item with the sale price.  Double check your research!  If it ain't a good deal, or the manager adjusted the sale price, keep walking.  Before stepping up to the cash register, sort your coupons one last time.

What's up with "being"?

The idea of "being" is based heavily on Brother Lawrence's, The Practice of the Presence of God (Download your own copy here). Being in God's presence is my breath. Your life, and my life, will be in stark contrast to one another.  If we aren't careful, we believe the lie that we should finish our check lists, race through scheduling, and run an efficient life so that at the end of the day, we can worship God.  Instead, I choose to purposefully live in the truth that living is breathing worship, a relationship with the God who is now-here. 

Brother Lawrence's fourth conversation brings such to light:

"He told me that all consists in one hearty renunciation of everything which does not lead us to God in order that we may accustom ourselves to a continual conversation with Him, with freedom and in simplicity. 

"That we need only to recognize God intimately present with us, and to address ourselves to Him every moment, that we may beg His assistance for knowing His will in things doubtful, and for rightly performing those which we plainly see He requires of us; offering them to Him before we do them, and giving Him thanks when we have done. 

"That in this conversation with God we are also employed in praising, adoring, and loving Him unceasingly, for His infinite goodness and perfection... That our sanctification did not depend upon changing our works, but in doing for God's sake which commonly we do for our own...

"That the most excellent method he had found of going to God was that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing man (Galatians 1:10; Ephesians 6:5) and, (as far as we are capable) purely for the love of God."

Book Review: Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook

Disclaimer: It takes a lot of courage to say Martha Stewart is my homekeeping hero, since many of my dearest friends would rather die than read a word by Omnimedia. Let me just say I love that her ideas, her recipes, her plans, always work the first time. No adjustment needed. Brilliant!

Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook is the ultimate, hefty bible for more than you ever wanted to know. I suggest buying this book for those upcoming wedding showers, as it is sleek, beautiful, practical, and timeless. Hardbound and heavy enough to kill an intruder, illustrations and instructions are given for organization, cleaning, maintenance, and planning. The stress and money saved by properly caring for your possessions will be well worth the read, and well worth the gifting. The charts are easy to use, fully comprehensive, and are simple to follow. The black and white illustrations are beautiful enough to frame. If anything, let this guide help you create space to be in your lovely home. As the dedication states,

"To all mothers and daughters,

fathers and sons

who have a room, an apartment,

or a home to care for."  

That's pretty much all of us. By far, this is the best of Martha Stewart. My hero.

Practically Speaking: Morning Rhythms

Confession: I'm a coffee-holic (shocking, I know). I have an espresso machine (Krupps 865), standard coffee machine, two french presses, one stove top coffee maker, instant Starbucks coffee (just in case), and can make a mean cup of drip coffee through a funnel. When camping, I'm as careful to plan my morning coffee routine as I am to pack my tent. Secretly, I scorn those who cannot man up enough to drink coffee strong and straight up black. Coffee is serious business. I've never given up coffee for Lent, and 2012 is not the year either.

All this nerdy confession points to the sweet bit of Sabbath I've found along the way. In my world, recovering from a heavy night of sleep requires a moment of numb, motionless rest first thing out of bed. If I'm not careful, I get stuck in this moment. 

In my early morning weakness, I'm learning to have my coffee machine pre-measured and raring to go in the morning. Slothing through the kitchen generally requires a mere flip of the switch, relieving the stress of decision making. Who knew that planning ahead--even laying out my favorite coffee mug--gives me a moment of relief first thing in the morning? Watching that dark drip reminds me of God's provision, how His love pours and provides and energizes. That's usually a deep enough thought to begin the day.

And, if I pair coffee and scripture, I'm more likely to begin my day with total refreshment, without sacrificing either, or adding to any stress. My mini-Sabbath is doubly refreshing and centering. What's your morning rhythm?

My Brain on Efficiency: Weekly Cleaning Chart

Confession: My brain has enough ADD patterns that I often loose my train of thought by walking into the next room (this probably isn't a shock to most of you). I'm the type to forget to finish my coffee, then forget I put it in the microwave to reheat...until I find it again the next day when repeating the pattern. Must. Focus. This weekly cleaning chart helps me track what needs to be done this week, plus brings a bit of satisfaction in striking off accomplishments. I recommend a big, red marker, for it is most satisfying:

	o Wipe surfaces, including sink, counter tops, the outside of the ventilation hood, fridge and cupboard doors, top of refrigerator, appliance exteriors, shelves, and furniture. Kitchen o Wipe the inside of the oven, microwave, and toaster oven. Kitchen o Flush drain with boiling water. Kitchen o Discard foods and beverages past their prime. Kitchen o Dust light fixtures. Kitchen o Wipe the inside and outside of trash and recycling bins. Kitchen o Vacuum and mop floor. Kitchen o Dust surfaces and objects, including furniture and light fixtures. Dining room o Vacuum upholstery and floor. Dining room o Fluff and rotate sofa cushions. Living room o Discard magazines and catalogs on coffee or side tables; store those you want to keep. Living room o Dust surfaces and objects, including furniture, light fixtures and electronics. Living room o Vacuum upholstery and floor. Living room o Sort through in-boxes: pay bills, file paid bills and paperwork. Office o Dust surfaces and objects, including furniture, light fixtures and electronics. Office o Vacuum floor. Office o Dust the tops and spines of books, shelves, and light fixtures. Library o Dust light fixtures. Entry and hallway o Launder machine-washable throw rugs and runners. Entry and hallway o Vacuum landing. Entry and hallway o Mop floors Entry and hallway o Change and launder sheets and pillowcases. Bedrooms o Fluff pillows and comforters. Bedrooms o Discard magazines and catalogs on side tables; store those you want to keep. Bedrooms o Dust surfaces, including furniture, objects, and light fixtures. Bedrooms o Empty trash. Bedrooms o Vacuum Bedrooms o Clean toilet, bathtub, shower, and sinks. Bathroom o Wipe mirrors. Bathroom o Change and launder bath mats, towels, and washcloths. Bathroom o Dust light fixtures. Bathroom o Empty trash bins, kitty litter. Bathroom o Vacuum and mop floors. Bathroom o Wipe hand and pet prints from windows and glass doors. Throughout o Sweep porch, stairs. Throughout o Water plants. Throughout o Carpet clean on small area. Throughout

Book Review: Simplify Your Holidays, Marcia Ramsland

While the last 8 weeks of holiday season are fresh in your memory, check out Simplify Your Holidays, by Marcia Ramsland. Find it on amazon.com for as little as $3.65, used. This system helps me remember details from year to year, plus offers flexible templates and customized plans. A bit of feedback:

AUTHOR: Ramsland is my home-making hero. I re-read her books for focused simplifying and practical organizing. Her website is helpful and streamlined.

FORMAT: Impractical because this is an odd, medium-sized, 3-ring binder. The rings in the original binding were quickly broken. Transferring the contents to my large, holiday binder was an easy solution. This lets me easily slip lists, copied templates, and annual updates into the binder chapters.

CONTENT: The thoughts are practical and simple to use. The templates are worth the price of the book, as there are four separate organization plans from which to choose. Pick what works for you this year, and you still have a solid game plan. Focusing your holiday vision into practical terms is a true life-saver.

MY FAVORITE: The templates! Can be copied, scanned, or edited. 

THE CATCH: The binding bugs me! Impractical.