Two words that do not characterize my current state are planned and organized. Normally, I am the paragon of planning and organization. Since I have fallen away from my typically regimented routine (don’t worry, it happens to everyone – or so I tell myself), I felt this would be a good time to discuss my strategies. You know, so I can re-motivate myself back into submission.
I do not know about you, but when I fall away from my routine, my diet suffers. So does that of my family. I normally try to hold it together for Julian, but I cannot say the same for myself or my husband. For example, last friday night I did not feel like cooking so I just didn’t eat. I think my husband made a frozen pizza, so he was taken care of. I still cooked for Julian. I probably would have cooked for myself, but I only had enough salmon and veggies for one. Not having enough groceries in the house is usually the start of my diet downfall.
I have no good excuses, but hopefully this review of my techniques will help me get back on track!
The most important factors in a nicely organized existence are being well-rested and well-fed. When I’m tired and hungry I don’t care about organization, but in order to get back to feeling happy I require organization. It’s a lovely cycle. The key to meeting these factors is to stay on top of the game. When it works, life is a well-oiled machine.
I make sure that I get prepared for the next day each night. That means packing a lunch for my son and at the very least being aware of what I will take for my own lunch. This allows me a nice long 7 hour sleep, which allows me to stay alert and organized all that day. In order for that to happen, I need to make sure we always have fresh food in the house. However, I don’t have time to go to the grocery store more than once a week.
So, I always plan to shop on the weekend, normally very early Saturday or Sunday morning (when no one else is around). Or, I rely on my bi-weekly Bountiful Baskets arrival. Simply going to the store does not result in a planned week, however. I make lists to ensure I have what I need to make sense of the bags of food once I bring them home. I try to envision dinner recipes before making my lists, in an effort to stay on track. Otherwise, I will end up with what looks good to me on a Sunday morning and not what will be sensible on a Wednesday night.
The next step is to form these ingredients into the basis for quick meals, which I discuss more in my bulk-cooking series of posts.
Have I mentioned lists yet? I like lists on good old-fashioned paper. I keep a book of lists, have scraps of lists lying around and even have a few lists that manage to make it onto my smartphone. Mostly, however, I just use paper. No matter how you like to keep notes, I highly suggest a system of lists and reminders. I find that just the act of putting pen to paper helps me remember what to do when, even if I never again see that paper. These lists consist of what I need to do and when, what dinners I have planned and what appointments I need to transfer to my permanent calendar. Lists are an organizer’s dream.
All in all, I’m fairly certain that I would not function without strict organization. Take the past two weeks for example. I have hardly cooked at all, I haven’t updated my blog in days and I generally feel sluggish and slightly ill. I let my organization and planning go out the window. Sometimes that’s not a bad thing, though. After all, how can I appreciate the benefits of it all if not for the occasional break?
We’ve dealt with teething before. But this week, three teeth sprouted out of nowhere – one of them a molar more than halfway to the back of his mouth! He’s doing fairly well, but anytime there is crabbiness for seemingly no reason, excess drooling and the dreaded diarrhea, I know we’re in for fun times. He doesn’t seem interested in his typical teethers lately. I’ve tried cold wet cloth, ice, my husband’s shoe (see picture) – all to no avail. And now he’s found a neat new trick. He chews up his food and then spits it out. I’m not sure if that one is teething related, or just another special way he has of testing my patience. 
Pop Sizzle Eat: Life, Love and Food 