And so it begins... Countdown to Shavuos

Shavuos is quickly approaching.  We plan on being home the Shabbos before (with company) and the Shabbos after as well.  Lots of prep and lots of cooking.  I've already started on my lists and hope to even start the shopping and cooking over this coming weekend.  Stay tuned... I'll probably post my menus and lists in upcoming posts.

My Eyes

So, last week I decided to be fitted for contact lenses.  Of course, this was not covered by insurance, but I really wanted them and the price wasn't too steep.  I did well the first few days and wore them each day.  Then came Tuesday, the day of my follow-up eye doctor appointment.  I woke up with my left eye glued shut, which I knew wasn't a good sign.  My eye was bright red... I definitely had an infection.  Good thing I was goint to the eye doctor anyway. 

The doctor prescribed eye drops that I'm supposed to take 4x/day.  The bottle these drops came in is almost invisible, that's how small it is.  Don't let the size of the bottle fool you, though.  The price of the bottle makes up for its small size.  I had no choice- they got me.  I needed the eye drops, so I paid the price.

Now I'm wondering if this trip back to lenses was worth it.  I guess I'll let you know once I can start wearing them again.  I don't mind wearing my glasses, but how annoyed am I that I don't have my prescription sunglasses with me in the car for my commute to and from work!  DS1 found them in my bag the other day and wanted to play with them.  Of course I immediately took them away and put them in a place he wouldn't be able to find them again.  I figured I didn't need them in my bag anymore, because I have my lenses.  Apparently I hid them so well that I can't find them either. 

No-fail Shabbos Guest Menu

As I've mentioned before, we don't have company very often.  When we do, we like to have a good time and treat ourselved to foods we don't usually have.  We also like to make enough so we'll have leftovers for the following week ;) 

This past Shabbos we hosted DH's brother and this is what we served:

Friday Night-

• Gefilte fish
• Salad
• Roast chicken, minute-steak, potatoes, sweet potatoes, string beans (main dish and sides all in one huge roaster!)
• Zucchini kugel

Shabbos Lunch-

• Gefilte fish
• Salad
• Schnitzel
• Deli
• Broccoli kugel
• Zucchini kugel (leftovers from Friday night)

Dessert for both meals:  cranberry-apple crisp

Shalosh seudos- open a can of tuna, salad, and leftover gefilte fish.  If we're good, we hard-boil eggs in advance so we can have egg salad too.

It still takes time to prepare, but with planning, we can pull it off.  We can always pull a kugel out of the freezer, buy bagged salad, and make cholent instead of schnitzel.  We can also substitute a kugel for 5-minute couscous.  Sometimes we even add soup for Friday night.  It all depends on our mood.

There are a lot of variations, but the basics seem to work for us!

Mixed Emotions

I recently came across the blog of a girl I went to elementary school with. She openly discusses her transition from orthodox Judaism to atheism and intermarriage. I'm not sure how I feel about it.

On one hand, I am happy for her that she has found peace in her life. She is finally open about who she really is and not living a secret life. She has a successful career and a loving husband.

On the other hand, I am truly sad for her. Although she writes about how she tried to stay with her religion (and I commend her for the hard work she did) I always think she could have done more. It's like she closed herself off from the beauty that is within Judaism. She has chosen a life for herself and now refuses to see what she's missing out on. She is so angry at her parents for not accepting her non-Jewish husband into the family, but doesn't see how much pain it brings them.

I wonder what will happen when she has children.  She writes in her blog that she doesn't want them exposed to any form of religion, but I wonder if children will change that.  I hope that she will be open to her children's exploration of religion, the same way she wanted her parents to be accepting of hers.

I caved in

I finally called back our cleaning service.  Our house was a pig-sty.  I'm serious.  There were laundry baskets filled with (clean) clothing everywhere.  DS1 would walk around the house pointing and saying, "laundry" like every two steps.  There were suitcases from Pesach.  There was sticky stuff on the floor.  There were magazines and toys everywhere. 

We have reached a new level.  We no longer clean our own house.

Does this make us inferior?  I don't think so.  Everyone I know has/needs cleaning help.  It just took us (me) a little longer to realize that we cannot be completely self-sufficient.  At least not if we don't want to live in a pig-sty.  I cannot wait to finally have a clean house without the pressure and time constraints of doing it ourselves. 

Time to myself? Let's see...

A recent survey in Britain polled 3,000 mothers and they found that on average, working parents have 90 minutes a day of free time.  You can read the article here:  Free Time for Parents.

Ninety minutes sounded like a lot to me, so I decided to see if it was true.  Here's my typical day:

6am:  DS1 wakes up, wanders from room to room, since no one else wants to get up with him.

6:30am:  DS2 wakes up, ready to eat.  That means I have to get up too.

7am:  Get out of bed.  Get ready for work. Get kids ready.  Make sure lunches are ready.

7:30am:  Out the door.  Put kids in car and off to daycare.

7:40am:  Back in car.  On my way to work.

8:30am:  Arrive at work.

Work work work. Pump. Work work work.  Lunch.  Work work work.  Pump.  Work work work.

4:50pm:  Leave work.  Rush to daycare (they charge extra if you're late)

5:45pm:  Pick up kids from daycare.

6pm:  Home at last.  Change clothing.  Use bathroom.  Spend some time with my boys.
6:30pm:  Snack time for DS1.  Feeding time for DS2.

7pm:  Bath time.  Get ready for bed.

7:30pm:  Put DS2 to sleep.  Read books to DS1.

8pm:  Sing to DS1.  Hope he falls asleep soon.

8:30pm:  Dinner time!  Make dinner.  Make lunches.  Wash bottles.  Pack bags for tomorrow.

9:15pm:  Shower.  Don't like going to work smelly.
9:45pm:  Get ready for bed.  Watch TV. 

Wow, so if I have nothing else to do (shabbos cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc...) and go to sleep at 11:30 every night, I will have 90 minutes of "me" time!

Spring is in the air

Spring is in the air and with every new season, I like new makeup. So, on my lunch break I visited the MAC counter. Since getting married, I only bought makeup once. I miss the excitement that comes with getting all dressed up with different colors.

I really wanted a light new lipstick. I went to the Clinique counter and they seemed to be out of all the lipstick colors I wanted to try on. I didn’t buy anything, but as I was leaving they gave me a free blush sample and cleanser. I love freebies!

I then made my way to MAC. I tried on a really light color, but it was too drastic, even for me. Then I tried on this thing called “Pro Longwear Lipcolour” in Durashell (that’s the color name). It’s an amazing thing. It never comes off! Even the sample is still on my hand- and yes, I was my hands frequently, for those who are wondering.

Now onto eye shadow to complete my look…

Time vs. Money- How I save both

I just wanted to include some of the ways I try to save time and money at the same time:

• I use my dishwasher. I barely ever use paper/plastic plates and utensils. The prices of paper goods can really add up. I also don't have to spend all night washing dishes.
• Amazon Subscribe and Save. The prices are great and it comes strait to my door. I don't have to make time to schlep around. Especially good for diapers and wipes.
• Employee discounts. For example, my company offers 23% off Verizon plans, 20 days of free daycare, store discounts. You can save money without really doing anything.
• I cook a lot for Shabbos, since that's the only time I seem to really cook. This way I will hopefully get 2 nights of leftovers out of it. If I make a kugel for Shabbos, I try to double it and put one in the freezer.
• Shop during my lunch break. Doesn't always save $, but definitely saves time. I work near Target, CVS, Shoprite and a mall, so I use my lunch break to shop for odds and ends that I need. If my kids need a bathing suit or more socks, I go during my break, so I don't have to go at night or on Sunday. I also try to print out a store coupon before I go...

I’m always looking for more ideas, so I’ll make sure to post if I think of any more.

Overwhelmed

There is just so much to do.  Grocery shopping.  Cooking for Shabbos. The laundry is already piling up. Folding clean laundry and wiping down the bathroom sink?  Yeah right.  Changing the linen!?!   Ha!  Maybe next week.

By the time Wednesday rolls around, I usually get this overwhelming feeling of "how will I possibly manage to get everything done??"  It's when I consider the possibility of paying people to clean my house.

I wish I had more time, but for now, I have my lists and they calm me down.

Relief

Funding for daycare next year was approved!!! 

We (along with many other parents) are so relieved!

The key to my success

The key to my success (and sanity) is my Weekly Schedule.  When I returned to work 12 weeks after DS2's birth, I felt overwhelmed with everything that needed to be done.  I also knew that I couldn't expect my husband to know what I wanted accomplished, so I put it all on paper. 

I update my chart every week.  It helps me remain calm when there is just too much to do.  I have dinner menus, Shabbos menus and shopping lists and it organizes each morning and night - all on one page.

click to enlarge