Happy Monday + Plans For The Week + To-Do List + Meal Plan

Good morning, everyone.

It’s 6.48 am and I’m in bed, giving Olívia her bottle. She’ll go back to sleep until 10ish and I want to sleep too but I should probably get up and start my day. I have a few things that I need to do as we ended up not getting home until 8 pm yesterday. The house is not as tidy as I’d like it to be, there’s laundry to fold and a to-do list waiting for me.

It’s an atypical week here. It’s Carnival tomorrow and my husband has the day off work. Our city takes Carnival very seriously and there’s a huge parade and all kinds of festivities. Partygoers come from all over the country (or from all over the world) to attend the event, everyone dresses up in costumes and there’s dancing and singing and drinking and general fun. I personally don’t care for Carnival but my husband loves it. We’re obviously not partaking in the crowded events but we are still dressing the girls up in costumes and going out to look at the city, so that’s part of our plans for this week.

It’s also Valentine’s Day on Thursday but we are not really celebrating this year. We try to always do something (we don’t really care for the day, it’s just another excuse to go on a date) and we might still, but we’re definitely having to include the girls. Maybe a post bedtime at home date? We’ll see.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at my To-Do list for the week.

Health:

1. Take Olívia to her 2-month vaccinations. (A priority) Schedule her 3-month immunization.

2. Rescheduled my ultrasound.

3. Go for my postpartum blood tests.

4. Schedule my dental appointment. (Urgent and overdue)

5. Check if I can get a dermatologist’s appointment for the next couple of months.

6. Schedule optometrist’s appointment for myself.

Home:

1. Fold and put away three loads of laundry (overdue, must get done today)

2. Clean shower.

3. Wash couch covers and cushions.

4. Wash some of Dalila’s toys.

5. Deep clean dishwasher.

6. Wipe down fridge, throw away damaged fridge magnets.

7. Vacuum and mop the whole house.

8. Dust living room.

9. Water plants. Transfer the ones that need a bigger pot.

10. Finally try that bread recipe.

11. Clean and organize my desk and office space so I have a dedicated place to write, plan, work, journal, etc.

Errands:

1. Pick up clothes from the seamstress (we take our clothes to be ironed) and drop off more. Take a couple of pieces that needed to be mended (little rip, missing button).

2. Go to the bank.

3. Wrap up, print labels and drop off items I’ve sold on Vinted. Maybe list a few other items.

My Things:

1. Schedule driving lessons.

2. Dye and cut hair (yes, I can cut my own hair and did it for the longest time) or schedule a hair appointment if I can’t find the time.

3. Reply to everyone on Peanut (mom’s app)

4. Create a Master To-Do List (more like combining and updating existing lists)

5. Write book reviews on a couple of books I’ve finished.

Blogging:

1. Finish updating About Page.

2. Go through older posts, delete some, better categorize and tag others, choose some to repost.

3. Organize and rename blog categories.

4. Decide on a blog schedule.

5. Work on new series.

6. Make sure I’ve approved/replied to everyone’s comments.

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I’m sure there’s more, but I don’t have my planner right now, and I’m pretty useless without it.

As for food, this is what I’m planning on making:

Monday – Pork roast with sweet potatoes.

Tuesday – Tuna lasagne.

Wednesday – Chicken soup.

Thursday – “Alho Francês à Brás” (Portuguese dish, I think. Vegetarian. Sort of a leek stir fry.

Friday – Not planning for this day. Homemade pizza again? Leftovers? Who knows.

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That’s today’s post. I’ll be back tomorrow for the Top Ten Tuesday linkup.

I’m off to drink some coffee and properly start my day.

I hope your Monday is a good one.

Love,

Cheila

Photo by javier Gonzalez on Pexels

Planning my Week: Sunday 26.01.2020

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Are you happy that it’s Sunday and you (hopefully) had the day to yourself or are you already feeling blue over the fact that tomorrow is Monday?

I’m the latter. Not because I hate Mondays but because I never feel that I’m quite prepared for the week  ahead or organized enough. I feel like I’m always this half organized mess. Just last week, my husband was very proudly making a list of all the things we had accomplished over the weekend. As for myself, all I could think about was all of the things we didn’t get done. He says that the house will never be clean enough for me and that I tend to see the glass half empty but still… I definitely think I could do a lot better most times.

Anyway, apparently I don’t consider 3 planners to be enough (I shit you not I do have 3. Maybe I’ll blog about why I have 3 planners and what I use them for) so I’ve decided I might as well use my blog as a backup to do list.

 

Monday – 27.01.2020

Obviously I’ll have to work, because I need a roof over my head and to pay bills and eat. On the plus side, I do like my job and my coworkers are awesome.

I have a therapy appointment scheduled for 7 p.m.

We need to stop by the store and get some groceries as well, nothing special but I did have to make pancakes without eggs today. We didn’t go during the weekend because Rui was sick (serious case of man flu) and you all know by this point that I can’t drive and we live in the middle of nowhere.

Also, I’m in charge of buying the presents every time someone has a birthday at work and I’m very late this time so I should get that done ASAP.

 

Tuesday – 28.01.2020

Work again, unless I win the lottery over night.

Uni classes start on Tuesday. Which is very scary. I’m not used to being there. There’s kids there. By kids I mean 18-year-old students and they’re very scary and annoying. I don’t want to look like the geriatric student. Also, I’ll have to tell some professors that I’m a working student and that I won’t be able to attend class, only do the work via some sort of e-learning (reading all the materials, going to the tutoring sessions and handing in the essays), which some of them hate. Back me up, people.

 

Wednesday – 29.01.2020

Work, work, work, work, work, work. UK banking needs me. And one very angry customer needs help with “taking ya mum outta the tub”. That was one the best ever.

I’ll then have my appointment with a nutritionist at 5.30. I’m obviously nervous about this because I’ve actually met one who flat out discriminated me because I was fat. You’re a nutritionist, aren’t you supposed to make fat people feel like you have their back? I wish with all my heart that I was making this up. I left her office in tears. Well, this lady works at my psychiatrist’s office so I have a good feeling about the whole thing. We’ll see.

 

 Thursday – 30.01.2020

I’ll be working as usual. I could marry a rich guy but that would be illegal now.

I don’t think I have anything happening other than work so this would be a nice day to get home super early and like tidy something up like laundry and maybe the kitchen.

Oh, and we should go buy a present for our friend whose birthday is the next day.

 

Friday – 31.01.2020

You’ll be able to find me at work. For which you’d need to know where I work. Which I can’t tell you. All you need to know is that it is a banking related. UK. Angry customers mostly.

After work we have a birthday dinner for one of our dear friends, Sara. We actually got married in the same year, which is great because we got to share and experience so much together.

Saturday and Sunday –  Not planning yet.

Extras: We do cook at some point during the week, either of us. Usually for more than one meal and to take lunch to work. We also do laundry and put it away as we go, not as fast as we should/like to. Rui does usually clean the kitchen, though I’ve been trying it to do it more. The heavier cleaning happens during the weekend, but we do not clean the whole house top to bottom every weekend. I’d love to, but then I wouldn’t do anything else.

It’s 7.13 P.M and I want to start my bedtime routine soon so I will now publish this post, fix something very quick for dinner, make sure my purse is clean and tidy for the week, shower, mentally pick something to wear tomorrow and go to bed at about 9 p.m to read until I fall asleep.

What about you? What does you week look like?

What do you still have to get done tonight before you’re done preparing for your the new week ahead?

Have a lovely week!

Mrs. Martins (Chey)

Photo by Irina Iriser from Pexels

Things I Don’t Buy or Spend Money On – Part I

Good morning everyone,

I hope you’re all doing well and ready for Easter, if you celebrate it. If not, I hope you’re ready for the weekend, after all, it’s Friday eve.

I’ve been seeing this topic a lot, both on blogs and YouTube channels and I thought I’d write about myself. I thought long and hard about the things I don’t spend money on (for different reasons) and I think I came up with a decent list.

Paper Towels

They’re too convenient, meaning I’d use them too much. They’re extremely wasteful and so I stopped buying them years ago because I’d never use something like a kitchen towel or cloth because the paper towels were right there and I could just toss them after using them.

Bottled Water

We drink tap water. I only buy bottled water if I’m out and about and forgot to bring water with me, which is stupid and wasteful. We do buy bottled water when we have guests because my mom and sister don’t like tap water. We also buy sparkling water because I drink it every day and you can’t get that from the tap, unfortunately.

Books

I own a few books, I’d say about 50, which isn’t much at all. I used to buy books all the time when I was younger but I don’t anymore. I’d love to have a huge library and I might someday but for now, I try not to spend money on something I can borrow from the library. Also, books take space and need to be dusted and I’m trying to keep less stuff. I used to be one of those “e-books are a crime” people but not anymore. I have a Kindle Unlimited subscription for which I pay about 10 dollars a month and I do use it a lot. I’ve read 42 books in less than 5 months, meaning about 9 books a month which makes those 10 bucks worth it for me.

TV Subscriptions/Movies/TV Shows

We don’t pay for Netflix or Hulu or HBO or whatever is out there these days. We download stuff illegally, like we’ve been doing for the past 10/12 years. We know it’s not the most ethical thing to do but we would end up doing it anyway. Those subscriptions are extremely limited and you may not find anything you like or the one show you want to watch and which you proceed to download anyway. Don’t call the cops on us, please. We do have cable, which is quite cheap in our country and we only have it because your internet is cheaper if you have cable and because Rui does watch TV.

 Music*

We don’t buy CD’s or anything on iTunes or any music at all. *Instead, we have a Spotify family subscription.

Pre cut fruit or veggies

No way. Not even a bag of chopped lettuce or salad mix.

Gym Clothes

Rui does because he runs and so he needs a few specific things. As for me, on the rare occasions I move my ass, I wear old leggings and an old T-shirt. I only buy gym bras and swimming gear.

Magazines

I used to by a Cosmopolitan every month but I haven’t for years. We don’t buy newspapers either. I get a few free magazines with my Kindle Unlimited subscription and we can always read news online. I do feel guilty because I don’t support paper publications but it’s either that or the environment. And my wallet, let’s not be hypocrites.

What about you? Would you care to share your list?

Even better if you write your own post and link it back here.

I’m sure we can learn a lot from each other so…

What don’t you buy or spend money on?

 Love, Chey

Plans and Goals for March

Good afternoon and happy Thursday! I’m sure you’re all happy it’s almost Friday, aren’t you? So am I. I’m kind of tired.

Although I love to make plans and to set goals, I’m not as keen on it as I have been before. Why? Well, only because I don’t want or feel the need to push myself to do too much at this time of my life. I do push myself a little every day, of course. I make sure I drink water, I try to read more, to be organized, to blog and so on, but only because life is so busy and fast-paced these days and we’d never get anything done if we didn’t make sure to make it happen. However, I think I’ve lost the my lifelong tendency to be mean to myself, so I make sure not to push too hard or expect too much, which is huge for the girl who once asked her doctor what’s the absolute minimum you need to sleep to function, so I could fit more into my day.

All of this to say I do make plans and have goals, I just don’t care too much if I don’t accomplish them. I try and like to be productive and crazy busy is my favorite mode, I mean, I’m still the same person, but I understand that’s not always the best for me.

If you are one of those people who like to keep adding to their plate and pushing themselves too hard, I strongly advise you to take a step back and take it slow a little. I’m speaking from experience here, trust me. You could be seriously damaging both your physical and mental health. Be kind to yourself.

• Celebrate our 5th anniversary. We’re planning on maybe taking a little trip to a city I’ve never been to, here in Portugal. We have friends there too so we’re probably going to visit them.
• Plan a little getaway trip.
• Paint our house. We really wanted to have done this last Summer but ended up not doing it. I think we’ll do it this month instead of waiting for the Summer. We really need to paint all of our inside walls and our patio walls too.
• Spend Easter with Rui’s family. Although they’re catholic my family don’t celebrate Easter so we always spend this holiday with Rui’s side of the family, traveling to his hometown and spending the long weekend.
• Get little Easter treats for everyone, on a budget. I hate this time of year because we always spend so much on chocolate. I hate giving presents that people are just going to eat and be done with 😂
• Have my sister over for a few days.
• Watch the Oscars.
• Make sure the kids finish this term with good grades. Please, God! Put some sense into their little heads. They can be so lazy and careless. I try to do my part but I cannot study for them or force them to work.
• Finish my freelance work project until the 15th.
• Blog every day. There are a few things I really want to post this month:

1. Guest Post Sunday
2. Freelance Work and how I make money online
3. How we save money part II
4. Question of the day
5. The loveliest quotes

• Get our garden ready for Spring.
• Lose 10 pounds.
• Go to the pool at least 3x a week.
• Keep on decluttering.

What are your plans for March?

❤️

Weekend Plans: 23.02.18

Happy Friday fellow bloggers,

Let me tell you I’m very ready for the weekend. Not that I had a bad week or a particularly tiring one, I’m just in need of some sleep and “do nothing” me time.

I was out too much last weekend, which wasn’t that much, I just went for dinner twice, coffee once, a doctor’s appointment and a walk on the beach.

Our house needs some cleaning, desperately. I’m sort of behind on my freelance work project, meaning I’m on deadline but not where I’d like to be by now. My plants need some attention because I’ve been neglecting them for the past few weeks, while it’s rainy and still Winter. The weather is getting better and I need to make them ready for Spring.

Next week is going to be harder because the kids are preparing for their second and lasts tests of the second trimester. There will be so many hours of English, Portuguese and History tutoring. Fifteen kids for two teachers. Fifteen kids that are, more often than not hyperactive, overtired, nervous and anxious and nervous about the exams. Oh, have I mentioned their attention span issues? I’m in for a treat. Not that I mind, actually. I do love the business, endless worksheets, silly questions, dozens of exercises, hugs, jokes, kisses on their favorite teacher ever (yeah right, kid), gum begging, cracker crumbs, cellphone sneaking and laughter attacks. I love them, I have to admit. They are one of my biggest joys and sources of entertainment. However, they’re children. They’re 13, 14 or 15. They’re needy and childish and chatty and impatient. They complain and throw fits and call for me endlessly until I finally direct my full and undivided attention to them. They test me and push my buttons and make me mad. That can be harsh on your body and mind. It makes me tired for sure.

All of this to say it’s going to be a harder week. I don’t mind and I like the faster paced days but I get tired quickly and each day is a little more difficult, which then turns the weekend into a sweet, sweet reward.

Anyways, we’ll talk about next week when we get there, right? It makes more sense.

Tonight I leave work at 8, and we’re meeting friends for dinner, which always makes me so excited. We have come so far. When we were all working and going to college or having those entry level demanding jobs we would go 2 or 3 months without seeing each other and now we have dinner once a week, almost without fail. I love it. I’m feeling like pasta today, I think 🤔

It’s almost the end of February and I’ve done almost nothing of I what I wanted to do this month, so I know I’m not killing it when it comes to goals. I’ve been more active as a blogger and as a follower/reader, which is more than enough for me.

This weekend I really want to:

• Deep clean/organized the bathroom;
• Deep clean one of our bedroom walls that is getting moldy (there’s this perfect detergent that cleans any trace of mold or humidity marks without any damage to the surface);
• Deep clean/purge our kitchen;
• Laundry, always;
• Make a dental appointment;
• Schedule a vet appointment;
• Force Rui to schedule an eye doctor appointment;
• Meal plan and prep for next week;
• Charge my power bank;
• Work on my freelance project;
• Clean living room;
• Clean bedroom;
• Change bed sheets;
• Get two gym bags ready in advance;
• Get my clothes ready for the week;
• Do a little grocery shopping;
• Do some gardening;
• Watch a movie or two;
• Try making homemade granola/cereal bars;
• Get my eyebrows done;
• Write a few letters;
• Sell a few things online;
• Get something for my dry ends;

I know it looks like a lot but I’ll have help for the household chores. Rui does a lot and his brother, who is staying with us, is helping too.

Have a good weekend!

❤️❤️