Laundry Nightmares

Today I am doing laundry, I do laundry everyday but I don't count it as done until it is folded and put away.

Do you also end up with three or four or ten baskets of clean laundry stacked up waiting to be folded and put away? Mine end up on the second couch, you know because if they were on the floor I would think they were dirty. Anyway the laundry got switched a few times this weekend, maybe four, but never got folded or put away. I don't mind folding, but I hate putting away the kids laundry. When I don't put it away they throw every item into one drawer so it is over stuffed and they still can't find anything, and half of it ends up on the floor and needing washed again before it was ever worn.  I guess they are still too young to put away their laundry.

I will occasionally fold everything and divide it into baskets for each child and hope that my husband will take the hint and put everything away. He often does not have the time after getting off of work late to help with laundry (and I think he hates it as much as I do). So the kids dig their clothes out of the baskets for a few days until I can't stand the mess and I fold everything again and put it all away.

We have a horrible laundry room, in that we don't have a laundry room at all. We rent and we found a house with laundry when we moved, but what it should say is washer and dryer hookups at the end of the kitchen between the oven and the pantry. It is a huge step up from the laundry mat but there is no storage for laundry and no room for folding of any sort. I was looking on Pinterest for ideas that I might actually be able to implement to make this never ending job a little easier or less chaotic.

I dream of this

This is about the space I have

Then I found this blog, the inquisitive mom. She has a great post on how to get each kids laundry organized, I will implement her two baskets per child idea for my two older kids and add it as the little ones can get into putting their clothes into their own basket. At this point I am lucky if they put their clothes into any hamper. They are often left on the bathroom floor or my bedroom floor.  So I am definitely going to have my husband ad the little shelf under the washer and dryer, this weekend. And hopefully I can get the older kids at least a little more organized on laundry.

Pinterest Dinner Board

In an attempt to eat healthier and be more organized, I have decided that I must make a meal plan.  This is not the easiest thing in the world for me, but I am going to do it.

I already have a ton of food on my Pinterest boards, so I created a new one.

Dinner this week 

And (fingers crossed) every saturday I am going to update the board with all new ideas for dinner, create a shopping list, and then follow through by making those items for dinner all week.

 Doesn't this soup from Rachael Ray look delish? My family will be eating this for dinner on Thursday, I will let you know how it works for me and if my picky kids will even try to eat it. 

So here is my shopping list for the week:

Shopping List – Dinner this week – 9/22-9/28

Already Have  

From Pantry

2 cans corn

2 cans black beans

1 can tomato sauce

1 can tomato paste

8oz Penne

½ cup chicken stock

2 cups marinara sauce

1 cup dried lentils

4 cups beef stock

¾ cup stone ground polenta

¼ cup brandy

½ cup panko bread crumbs

From the fridge

onion

2 stalks celery

garlic

1 beer

butter

fresh peas

fresh basil

feta

6 eggs

5oz fresh shredded cheese (Mexican blend)

carrots

milk

Spices

cumin, coriander, oregano, cilantro, chili powder

salt and pepper, thyme, dried basil, dried parsley, 2 bay leaves, fresh rosemary, dried chives

Need to Buy   

Meat

1lb ground beef

1lb pork sausage

Canned Goods/Condiments

2 cans chili beans

Red wine vinegar

Dairy

1 cup grated parmesan

½ cup ricotta

grated pecorino Romano cheese

1/3 cup soft goat cheese

Produce

Spinach

Apple

5 bell peppers

1 pound asparagus

2 cups cherry tomatoes, 2 large tomatoes

1 pound butternut squash

2 cups cooked spaghetti squash

I potato

* Here's hoping this becomes a habit*

I'm so proud of my girl!

Sorry for the terrible picture. I meant to take my camera and then in the mayhem of trying to get ready all I had was my phone.

If you can tell thats my sister (she's seventeen) and sophia behind her, at the first Poetry Slam my sister ever put together. I am so proud! She did all the work and the proceeds went to benefit a woman's hospital in Somaliland. Just a short little shout out to my most amazing sister. It was an amazing event and the first I hope of many!