My apartment was greatly improved by the furniture rearrangement. Now the unused bed is “hidden” by the sofa’s back and the head of the bed is not across the room from all light switches.
I have to buy lightbulbs, though. Turns out that a loud noise I heard yesterday was a lightbulb dying. That room is way too dark with only two lightbulbs. The ceiling lamp attracts and kills little bugs: I washed it when I got the apartment (5 weeks ago) and it’s already filthy
I’m used to not needing to clean the bathroom. The shower itself gets rinsed when I’m done using it, any spills are cleaned inmediately… the only time I’ve seen mold in a bathroom of mine was as I was just moving in to a new apartment whose previous occupants didn’t know about leaving the curtains stretched out instead of bunched up. My brother just moved out on his own and he’s been amazed at how much of a difference he can make by applying that method rather than letting things acumulate for a month. Usually, I’d pour some bleach down the toilet now and then more as a matter of “prevention” than out of need. But there must be something in the local water or whatever, the toilet was acquiring a certain… crustiness. So WC Mallard (called Pato WC in Spain, heh) was acquired and applied. I’m glad to report it worked beautifully.
Today is kitchen day, so I will try to tear myself away from my sewing machine for long enough to do that.
Taco soup is a pantry meal for cold nights. It doesn’t take long and is yummy, but is not very strong on vegetables. Try using low-sodium cans of things.
Taco soup: Brown 1/2 pound ground beef with a chopped onion and some spices (one of those taco spices envelopes works well–use part here and part later). When that’s all cooked, add 1 large can crushed tomatoes, 1 8oz. can tomato sauce, and 1.5 cups water. Then add some corn (frozen or canned), some black or pinto beans (2 cans), and the rest of the spices. Let everything warm up, and serve with a bit of sour cream and shredded cheese. It’s good with tortilla chips or cornbread.
I’ve had some success, now, at keeping the public areas cleanish. (I’m having a new dishwasher installed tomorrow, so I gotta get everything off the countertops tonight, but at this point it’s totally doable.) The bedroom, however, just defeats me. It’s just totally depressing and impossible to get motivated about it. I put a whole day in, and I did get a lot of stuff, uh, washed, but that just moves the pile to the laundry room. I have no ide awhat the top of my dryer looks like. It’s just… intractable.
Ack! I’ve got a memory like swiss cheese! Sattua, the book arrived safe and sound on Monday, thank you! This week is too full of extra meetings and such, but I think I’ll be able to read it this weekend – it doesn’t look very long – and then I’ll get it back on its way to the next reader.
Dangermom, thanks for the recipe! Looks like a great thing to whip up on a day when otherwise you’d fall back on take out.
Today’s decluttering assigment is the floor of my hall closet. As in, at the end of the day, I hope you’ll be able to see that there is a floor in there. :o
Can I give a Slob Reform Testimonial? Ever since I cleaned my kitchen and bathrooms, they’ve stayed clean! Usually I clean them and then they get dirty again a few days later and I don’t care. But now…the trash is no longer threatening to devour the kitchen, the bathroom is shiny, and the cat litter is under control (mostly, but that’s due to my cat FLINGING THE LITTER AROUND WHEN HE LEAPS OUT OF THE BOX). This is a great reminder to get stuff done around the house.
Now if only I’d remember that promise I made a couple of weeks ago to take the trash to the dump every week. :o
You guys, we’re doing so well! I’m so proud of us! There’s an actual workman coming to my house tomorrow morning and all I feel like I need to do is clear off countertops for a few minutes before bed and make sure the kitchen floor is swept. I guess I could move the plants, too, to make it easier to bring the dishwasher in. I won’t even have to apologize for how the house looks! We’ve all done such a great job, it’s really unbelievable.
Tomorrow I’ll make a February thread, so we don’t get unmaneagable. I think we all deserve a huge pat on the back, though!
My kitchen was beautifully clean, until I started making ancient Greek food. Now it’s a wreck, and the triangle things I made are baking. But I just have to tidy it a bit. And I did a load of laundry, folded the laundry that was waiting for me, and did some other dutiful things. So, yay me!
Does anyone have a suggestion for a good salad to go with a creamy potato soup? We’re having guests Friday and I’m not very good with salads! Help!
Just MHO, but with a creamy savory soup, you want to provide a bit of a cool sharp tangy contrast. Try a simple baby green salad topped with mandarin oranges, toasted pecans (or almonds) and bleu cheese crumbles. Serve with a sweet vinegrette or French dressing. (Yes, French dressing on bleu cheese crumbles. It’s divine, I tell ya!)
I’ve been so inundated with work work that I’ve only done my maintenance cleaning this week, plus laundry and changing sheets on the bed, but I have to say that just doing the maintenance cleaning is so amazing for me! And it’s so easy when I do it every day! I definitely can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks, guys, for keeping me on track!
