Shirley Temple Peony Sunday

[FrenchFlybebe]

kitkat, sorry about the rain, glad you can go to the gym class nonetheless. To-do lists are like wish-lists, we can't know for sure when the taks will get done . What kind of recitals ?

trissie good luck juggling with everyone's calendars and homeworks. I suppose the vacation planning will be a challenge indeed, with your MIL's situation. I can't remember if you plan to go once again to the same vacation resort you enjoyed several times in the past ?
High Impact Reset is a good name for an interesting concept. (I'm taking notes)

Spent maybe two hours preparing interview (on and off). MrNG installed Zelda on the Switch console. It's not the kid version, DS10 seems to enjoy it, DS7 enjoys watching him play, so it's quiet. Good thing because it's a bit too hot and sunny right now for outdoors activities.

TADAs
brainstormed and researched interview
email DSisOlder (belated birthday)
MrNG cooked today's meal and dessert
family meal, partly cleaned-up, now coffee and leftover banana-chocolate chip cake

TODO next
maybe walk 1 mile on walking / running mill
home tasks, I didn't get much done this past week
plan ahead for the upcoming week, post list before tonight
time with the kids, not sure what, yet
shower early, self care -thanks for the suggestion
kids' homework
maybe guided relaxation or meditation, I feel like it
bed early if the kids let me

[kitkat]

FFly - nice that the dkids can relax during the hot weather.
My DLittles have a dance recital... 2 separate locations - b/c why should it be simple...
We also have to check on Dson's ddog in the meanwhile...
trissie - I was hoping to weed...
There are some giant ones in the yard....

Well:
gym is done
lol in
PUPAs done -main floor
DDog out/in X3 (looking for chipmunks...)
texts
shoe drop off at DD
meds for me X2

Next:
attempt walk
drop off DH
check on doggie

shower /wash hair

[trissie]

trissie good luck juggling with everyone's calendars and homeworks. I suppose the vacation planning will be a challenge indeed, with your MIL's situation. I can't remember if you plan to go once again to the same vacation resort you enjoyed several times in the past ?
High Impact Reset is a good name for an interesting concept. (I'm taking notes)

I actually took it right out of your book and had AI design it for me! Here it goes, if you are interested

First 30 Minutes (High-Impact Reset)
Focus: common areas + anything guests would notice first.

1. Quick declutter of living room & kitchen (8 min)
Put away items (dishes, trash, random objects)
Straighten pillows/blankets
Clear countertops

2. Kitchen surface reset (7 min)
Wipe counters + stovetop
Load/unload dishwasher or quickly wash essentials
Quick sink rinse

3. Downstairs bathroom refresh (3 min)
Wipe sink + faucet
Quick toilet wipe (seat + rim)
Replace towel if needed

4. High-traffic floor touch-up (5 min)
Quick vacuum or sweep: kitchen + living room main paths

5. Office tidy (4 min)
Clear desk surface
Stack papers, put items back

6. Trash check (3 min)
Empty kitchen trash if needed
Quick scan for full bins downstairs


Second 30 Minutes (Private Spaces + Light Reset)
Focus: bedrooms and maintaining overall calm.

1. Make beds (all bedrooms) (10 min)
Doesn’t need to be perfect—just pulled together

2. Bedroom quick declutter (8 min)
Clothes off floor
Clear nightstands
Return misplaced items

3. Master bathroom refresh (5 min)
Wipe sink + mirror
Quick toilet wipe
Straighten toiletries

4. Upstairs floors quick pass (4 min)
Vacuum/sweep main hallway + visible spots

5. Final reset loop (3 min)
Walk through house
Put away anything still out of place
Spot-fix anything noticeable

[trissie]

Frenchie, we decided to try something new this year and booked a week in Turkey back in December. So I've been watching the news rather worriedly wondering if Turkey will or won't be in war by the time we go!
kitkat, but the weeding will be so much easier after the rain softens the dirt!

I ended up taking a nap. The on-and-off rain is not agreeing with me at all!

TaDas
- lunch
- midday routine
- 45 on laundry
- load of towels washed and flipped to dryer

ToDos
- afternoon routine
- 30 in garden
- 15 on laundry

Braindump
work - didn't finish it yesterday so must get to it over the weekend
- finalize CC the report and send it off for peer review
routines
- evening routine
food
- dinner
organization
- homework and backpacks
- DBD's speech therapy
- update land contract
- 15 on filing
- plan for June
cleaning
- clean office
- strip and remake remaining beds
- clean out / reorganize attic
- spiff up DBD's room
- spiff up twins' room
- spiff up DS15's room
- spiff up master bedroom
- spiff up master bathroom
- spiff up kitchen
- spiff up living room
- spiff up downstairs bathroom and hallways
laundry
- load of linens
- load of cleaning rags
- ironing
- folding
- mending
- laundry put away
garden and outside - weekend
- run pool vacuum cleaner
- repot seedlings I bought
- weeding in veggie garden
- weeding in front garden
- work in raspberry patch - pruning, fertilizing, replanting
- prune fruit trees - blooming pit fruits
- prune bushes
- prune/tie/shape climbing roses
- pick up - front garden / porch
- pick up - backyard
- work on cleaning out the carpool
- work on cleaning out the garage
- fertilize fruit trees and bushes
- fertilize conifers
- fertilize vegetables
me time
- 15 of exercise
- Bible study
- reading

[Doggedly]

Hello, all. Thank you for starting us off and for the pretty peony, Kittykatt. Have a good time at church.

Good morning, Bama.

Oh, vacation planning sounds like a fun task, FrenchFly. You get to dream a bit, as well as exercising your practical muscles.

Wouldn't it be lovely if housework were one and done, trissie! I can see that you have a busy day ahead of you.

kitkat, I join you in underestimating how long tasks will take. I seem to be using an efficient 25-year old as my base for estimating, and that does not describe me.

I have spent much too long getting to the end of page 1, taking side trips to Reddit and side quests on shopping sites. Time to get up and do stuff.

Sunday
Heart pill for dog
Made coffee

[helia]

trissie, I hope you are able to go to Turkey. We went to Istanbul on a family holiday maybe 10 years ago and really enjoyed it. Different time then. Glad you got a nap. Are you not feeling well? (The off and on rain not agreeing with you.. . ) -- Such an interesting idea to have AI design the housework schedule!
You've done more than I've done this morning, Doggedly.
FFB, I hope you're able to go on a vacation this summer.
WTG on the morning exercise, kitkat!

Popping in. We're very tired and skipped church this morning. We got home from the reception venue around midnight after clean up. We still need to unload the cars. . . I spent the morning talking with ds, F, LP and MP - and holding baby I. She is generally very happy!

Everything went very well yesterday. We got compliments on the ceremony and the reception, that they were inspiring and meaningful. It was all beautiful. One of the vocalists is very talented - trained at the music school here and is in professional shows in NY now. I have to say, my family is very creative. Dd28 did all the decorations for the venue, and they were awesome. I think I'll post a picture of the cake + cupcakes she made and decorated. The theme was "bees" since dd30's nickname is "Bee". Dh made the wooden cake stand and a giant 6 foot wooden hexagon that was decorated for photos. Dd30 designed the cover of the bulletin and made a paper cut out card and wrote a personal note to each person at the reception. Dd30 also set up a table full of different crafts and puzzles for the kids. There was also a creative memory/ photo book for adult guests to contribute to - with polaroid cameras on hand to use. I made the quiz that was on each table with pens - and I made the cornbread.
https://ibb.co/album/c68GrH

Another event tonight - dd30 is hosting a cook out for all out of town guests. People came from Florida, Texas, California, and even Hawaii. And other states that are closer - TN, W Va., OH. Maybe 20-30ish people will come tonight?? Some already went home. She's smoking some chickens and we're making a big pot of chili. There are no veggies on the menu , so I think we'll buy a watermelon or 2 and maybe veggie trays. The idea is to hold it in her backyard and also have a bonfire (S'mores) - BUT we just had a rainstorm and it is still raining. I hope she doesn't want to move it to our house. We hosted 20 people here 2 nights ago. . .

Some ToDos!
- lunch -- at this point, it's now time. . .
- morning routine
- run dw at least once, probably twice
- grocery run
- go for a jog? OR a walk
- coffee out with ds + F and baby I
- help prepare food for the gathering tonight
- if hosting, tidy living spaces and s/s main bathroom
- otherwise, go to dd30's place
- unload the cars at some point and start putting (or throwing) things away

[trissie]

helia, I always get drowsy when the atmospheric pressure drops before rain (especially if it's sudden storms from hot weather - I've had to stop the car at the side of the road and wait it out couple times when it got really bad and I worried about microsleep while driving). I can push through, but I don't really see a reason when it's on the weekend and there's no emergency - a quick nap will take care of it Of course, the sunny-rain-sunny-rain weather means it's a never ending cycle of drowsiness today! BTW it was Frenchie who came up with the idea of using AI to design the tasks - I just did my own share of playing with the prompts
Dogged, I think we all tend to forget that we no longer have the energy of the youth!



TaDas
- afternoon routine
- run pool vacuum cleaner
- repot seedlings I bought
- weeding in veggie garden
- prune/tie climbing roses
- 15 on laundry
- pick up - backyard
- work on cleaning out the carpool
- work on cleaning out the garage

ToDos
- dinner
- homework and backpacks
- DBD's speech therapy

Braindump
work - didn't finish it yesterday so must get to it over the weekend
- finalize CC the report and send it off for peer review
routines
- evening routine
food
organization
- update land contract
- 15 on filing
- plan for June
cleaning
- clean office
- strip and remake remaining beds
- clean out / reorganize attic
- spiff up DBD's room
- spiff up twins' room
- spiff up DS15's room
- spiff up master bedroom
- spiff up master bathroom
- spiff up kitchen
- spiff up living room
- spiff up downstairs bathroom and hallways
laundry
- load of linens
- load of cleaning rags
- ironing
- folding
- mending
- laundry put away
garden and outside - weekend
- weeding in front garden
- work in raspberry patch - pruning, fertilizing, replanting
- prune fruit trees - blooming pit fruits
- prune bushes
- pick up - front garden / porch
- fertilize fruit trees and bushes
- fertilize conifers
- fertilize vegetables
me time
- 15 of exercise
- Bible study
- reading

[Doggedly]

helia, you have made my day that I have actually accomplished more than someone! You were taking a much needed and well-deserved break this morning, before you gear up for another big do tonight.
The ceremony and reception sound wonderful. I'm sure that the care put into the preparations was appreciated by the guests.

FrenchFly, getting an interview is a big accomplishment in today's work environment so big WTG on that one. Keeping fingers crossed for you for a new, better job.
High Impact Reset sounds like getting hit in the head with a cartoon hammer. I would want to observe it before trying it myself.
--OH, and here is trissie's organized list for us. I think that I will give it a try for fun, as I don't have specific goals for today. We'll see how far I get. Thank you for sharing, trissie!

Sorry about the spreadout locations, kitkat, but I hope that the recitals are enjoyable.

Yes, trissie, and I also fantisize that I am a person who likes to be outside, is organized about cleaning and tidying, has time and space for hobbies, and knows how to sew when I am making decisions. Part of me wants to meet this version of myself, and part of me is afraid to.

I have lost a lot of time to a weird issue today: I have sticky fingers. I have been noticing for a while that things that are clean feel a bit sticky to me, and that my hands often feel sticky even after being washed. I changed out the kitchen towel, thinking that it might have been transferring something sticky back on to me. Today it came to a head. I had been handling both the dog's turkey and my chicken, which is probably where the stickiness came from. After I washed and dried my hands, they were still a bit wet but once they dried I noticed that my fingers were sticking together. I washed and dried my hands three times, and then went and washed them and scrubbed them with a surgical scrub in case it was the liquid soap in the kitchen or the new kitchen towel at fault. I was still sticky. It's not too bad right now, but I'm eyeing the box of baking soda to apply to the surgical scrub.

Sunday
Heart pill for dog
Made coffee
Cleaned up after dog
Scrubbed out sink and basin
Scrubbed water bottles
Fed dog
Put on a pot of rice to cook
Changed dog bed in bathroom
Filled water bottles and put them in the fridge

[FrenchFlybebe]

trissie very interesting Yes AI can be a great help for check lists, programs and other motivational tools. Another reason to procrastinate, too!

helia the reception seems to have been a success. I hope you don't have to host dozens of guests tonight because of the weather.

Doggedly I hope you discover the cause for the stickiness. As for holiday planning I both like and dislike it. Yes, it's like pre-living the vacation and dreaming, but it's also a reality-check about the prices for summer rentals, the incredible distances between places, and the shortness of the vacation break in the end. So, yes, practical muscles to optimize time / distances / prices.

kitkat I hope the recitals are enjoyed by all. I agree with trissie, weeding is way easier after a good rain.

The afternoon has come and gone. MrNG and DS10 braved the hot temps to go play table tennis while DS7 tried his luck at Zelda. I vacuumed, froze a few payroll lunches, did a lol, folded another one.
Dinner is ready (lentil salad with smoked truit, potatoes, tomatoes, pickles), homework is done, it's a sunny Sunday night. Time for dinner.

TADAs
walked 2 kms
home tasks
homework
self-care

TODO next
plan ahead for the upcoming week, post list before tonight
maybe guided relaxation or meditation, I feel like it
bed early if the kids let me

[Doggedly]

Thanks, FrenchFly. I haven't found the cause of the stickiness, but I think that I have hit on the cure. I gave all of my fingers a full rub down with rubbing alcohol and that has cut down on almost all of it.
You have hit on an important distinction. Since I only actually travel to visit my db, looking at travel is all pleasant fantasy for me, with no thump back to earth when bank account and schedule enter the chat.
Good for Mr. NG and DS10 for not giving into the heat. Our heat has broken. I'll take the rain, when it is accompanied by livable temperatures. Last night we had high winds and storms, and they blew the air conditioner insert out of position so I'll have to tape that back in place later.

I have the perfect soundtrack for your and trissie's vacation planning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8anTDznRlt8

I have been having fun with trissie's list, spending the time alloted and seeing how far I get with it. But I'll have to set it aside for a little, as I have the dw cart pulled out in front of the door, and the cutlery tray half loaded, so I should make more progress in the kitchen before I turn away from it.


Sunday
Heart pill for dog
Made coffee
Cleaned up after dog
Scrubbed out sink and basin
Scrubbed water bottles
Fed dog
Put on a pot of rice to cook
Changed dog bed in bathroom
Filled water bottles and put them in the fridge
Worked on putting away purchases
Restocked the kitchen drawer with cheesecloth and parchment paper
Pulled out the dw cart to put extra cheesecloth and parchment paper in walk-in closet
The extra-extra parchment paper left near stair-walking handcart to go to basement locker. Seriously, I should never be allow in Costco without an attendant in a white coat following me around.
Pulled out the fly trap that I bought some years ago and never used. Our patio doors let insects walk right in through the drainage holes, so I’ll try to catch them on their way in
Wiped down accessible surfaces
Started loading cutlery into the big holder for the dw
Washed the dishes that were soaking
Put rice pot in to soak