Low Stress Lunch

My Spring Cleaning is coming along nicely.  My unplugging from Facebook and Fox News has left me lots of extra time to get things done!

Last week I was perusing Pinterest when I saw a Doris Day photo with the movie title Pillow Talk that struck a memory that someone had mentioned that movie to me before.  I sent a text to the friend that I thought had mentioned it and, sure enough, it was her.  We started chatting a little because we rarely get to see each other anymore (we used to work together as well as go to church together but we've since moved on).  Anyway, she suggested we should get together, which we've tried numerous times over the past year or so and never seem to get it to work out.  I told her I would be free on Thursday (yesterday) and she said she thought that would work for her. 

Fast forward to yesterday I hadn't heard from her again so just assumed lunch wouldn't work out this day either.  Much to my surprise as I was heading home from Kroger at 9:00 am I got a call and B asked if I was still free for today.  Of course I told her yes!  I was so excited to see my dear friend!  We haven't seen each other in so long.  So many things to catch up on, so many things to talk about!  One lunch wouldn't be enough but I'd take it!

I got home and looked around the house and much to my surprise and delight my finding better use of Facebook time had really paid off!  The house was in good shape so I didn't have to fly through like a maniac spending the next several hours trying to get the house presentable for a guest.  Instead, I was able to try two new recipes from Pinterest!  Yay!

I ended up making Raspberry Cheesecake cookies and a salad made with chickpeas, tomato, cucumber, peppers, and onion with a cilantro lime vinaigrette.  They were both delicious! 

We spent the next several hours catching up with each other's lives and it was wonderful!

If I have any praying readers I would like to ask you to pray for B's son.  He's 25 and grew up with my children and is such a sweet boy (man ;) ) and he has Lymphoma.  He is married and has 3 precious boys.  He's been fighting this for over a year now and I'm not sure what the long term prognosis is because I can't bring myself to ask, but I don't know that it's good. We comfort ourselves with the knowledge that only God knows the day and the hour He'll call us home and it could be today for any of us!

Today I plan to move along with my cleaning and I've actually added some things to my list.  In addition to the added little things there's also daily cooking, dishes, and laundry that need to be done.  There are so many things to fill a homemaker's day.  I just don't understand the "what do you do all day?" questions from people when they find out I am a homemaker.  But, I suppose that's a post for another day.  ;-)

Spring Cleaning

I've made my Spring Cleaning list and, boy, is it long!  As in an entire notebook page long. 

By nature I am a list maker.  I enjoy making a list and I get a sense of complete satisfaction when I'm able to cross something off my list.  If I can "see" my work completed on paper then I feel more satisfied than just knowing it's done.  Sometimes a homemaker has those jobs that no one will notice but her.  You know the ones, dusting the ceiling fan and wiping the window sills.  That's why I enjoy a list and marking off each completed item.  It also helps my family to see what I've been doing.  Nana hasn't been sitting around eating bon-bons all day.  ;-)

I thought I'd share my list here.  Some of the things are pretty self explanatory but others may not make sense if you've never been in my home.  And, because I'll be working on these tasks as I have time I also broke them down into smaller increments so I can mark them off as I complete them.  For example I broke down cleaning windows into each room.  That way if I only have time to do one room I can go ahead and mark it off.  It also helps me keep track of what's been done and what hasn't.  I don't have to try to remember if I cleaned all the windows or just a few. 

I don't think my list is complete.  I'm sure as I walk through the house I'll see more things that need doing.  And, this is only the upstairs main living area.  We also have a finished basement that has a large family room and two additional rooms.  I haven't included those on the list.  Also, the list isn't in any particular order.  I may have a kitchen item, a living room item, and then another kitchen item as I was jotting things down as I walked through our home and as things came to mind that I know need doing.

Here goes for anyone who's interested!

• Dust ceiling fans
• Dust all pictures
• Wash light globes
• Lemon oil desk
• Wash all dishes on dining room corner shelf
• Clean/lemon oil corner shelf
• Lemon oil mirror/shelf in foyer
• Clean off book shelf in sun room
• Wash sun room ledge
• Wash sun room windows
• Clean tops of door frames/knock down cobwebs if any
• Swiffer and polish all wood floors (under furniture)
• Clean out spice and organize cabinet
• Clean out and organize lazy Susan cabinet
• Clean out and organize baking dish cabinet
• Vacuum couch cushions
• Vacuum love seat cushions
• Clean refrigerator
• Clean pantry
• Clean out and organize laundry room
• Clean washing machine
• Clean dryer
• Clean toaster oven
• Clean microwave
• Wash kitchen windows
• Lemon oil sills
• Wash Bedroom windows
• Lemon oil sills
• Clean living room French doors/ wash windows
• Wash screen door windows
• Lemon oil baseboards

That's all for now.  I may add to this list as I look around and see more things to do.  Also, I've been working on some cleaning already and have completed some things.  Yay!