Weekends are for rest and relaxation, right? Then why am I spending it playing "catch-up?" I'm catching up on homework, catching up on laundry, catching up on quality time with the kids...and I'm STILL not caught up! Maybe I should just accept the fact that I never will be. Motherhood seems to be one of those occupations where there is no "I'm finished!" moment followed by permission to kick up your heels and relax.
Still, I am feeling a bit better now that I started a day without being woken up by an alarm clock. It also feels good that I've somewhat gotten a handle on my homework. I am concerned about a couple of things (one being a group project--only two other people have communicated with me about it, we haven't started anything and it's due next week). I keep thinking that if I can just get through a couple of weeks, I'll begin to get back into the rhythm and flow of things....or at least figure out the homework schedule.
On the upside, I'm SO glad I took my professor's advice and dropped a class before the semester began. First of all, I'd never be able to handle 12 hours of classes and a full-time job (especially since the class was a research class).
Another piece of good news is that the Education class I am taking for my teacher certification does not have assignment due dates; the only rule is that assignments must be completed in corresponding order. Then again, maybe this is bad news. I'd really hate for December to roll around when I'm being blasted with the Christmas holiday rush and suddenly realize that I've put off all of those assignments while trying to stay afloat in my graduate classes!
At any rate, I don't feel guilty hanging out with my kiddos, watching iCarly and painting our toenails tonight. At least I've caught up enough to do that!
Showing posts with label projects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label projects. Show all posts
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Preparing for a New School Year: Meal Planning
Recently, I mentioned that I was trying to make meal-planning a bit simpler. Well, apparently there's nothing like getting a full-time job to put your organizational efforts into hyper-drive! Here's what I've been doing to get prepared for the new school year:
Purse-Sized Meal Planning Grocery/Recipe Cards
Inspired after reading Nannygoat's 30 day meal plan, I downloaded some trendy & stylish recipe cards (here) and filled them out the most commonly eaten meals in our home. On the cards, I also included suggestions for vegetables and side dishes which are often a difficult decision in themselves. Since I made the JPG recipe cards and filled them out using Adobe Photoshop, I decided to send them to my local photolab for printing. I am slipping them into a small 4x6 photo album and will carry them in my purse. Now, when I'm out shopping, I can make sure I don't forget to buy that one pesky ingredient that I always seem to forget!
Once a Month Cooking (or OMAC)
I've heard a lot about Once a Month Cooking over the years. I've always meant to give it a try, but lacked the motivation and/or a free day to devote to cooking. However, the combination of the husband being out of town on Friday-Saturday and my desire to get things together before my first day on the job Monday gave me an opportunity to try it this weekend. The basic premise is that you buy groceries in bulk, spend a day cooking said groceries, package for freezing and enjoy your bounty of prepared meals out of the freezer for days to come. Many people actually try to make enough meals for an entire month, but I decided just to cook as much as I could and call it "good."
The most important part of this OMAC thing is the menu planning/grocery list stage. I spent many hours on the internet looking up recipes and tips for freezing. I found most of my recipes at recipezaar.com where you can search "OMAC" or "make ahead" and find loads of recipes. Some people plan their meals based on which meats are on sale, but I simply chose things my family would actually eat. Then, I made out a huge grocery list and divided it by the sections in our grocery store (fresh, cold, frozen, canned) to help find things quickly and easily. I was dreading the trip to the store. In my mind, I imagined that it would take hours on end to find everything. However, since I went at the end of a long day of back-to-school shopping and I was ready to get home, I simply stuck to my list and got out rather quickly. I was also dreading the final tally on the check-out receipt, but it was actually just bit over what a typical excursion to the grocery costs. (Another reason why people like OMAC: it prevents waste and saves money in the end.)
Saturday was cooking day, and--I'll be honest--it was a long one. I started cooking at 8 a.m. and finished at 4 p.m. I'm sure I could have been a bit better with my cooking organization and saved time, but my "method" was to look around and ask, "What needs to be cooked next?" I also had two little kitchen elves who were a great help (and it felt good to be teaching them some cooking skills). I had to overcome my desire to constantly clean up and, instead, waited until the end of the day to clean up just once (though I did wash some dishes along the way). I used all my resources including my trusty crock pot and my bread maker. Here's what I ended up with at the end of the day (links provided to the recipes I used):
*Meat for tacos/spaghetti
*1 Chicken & Rice Casserole
*10 Breakfast Burritos (will do more after we see how they taste post-freezer)
*Shredded chicken (to use in casseroles or soups)
*6 Calzones (using this bread maker dough recipe)
*Pulled Pork for sandwiches (frozen in individual servings for lunches)
*Chicken Relleno (a new recipe, but quite tasty)
*6 Hamburger Steaks
*2 packages of homemade chicken broth (left from cooking chicken)
*10 slices of breakfast sausage (ready to be microwaved for a quick meal)
*Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread (thanks to my parent's overflowing garden--we made muffins instead of loaves)
*Fried Rice with Chicken (actually, I have the rice ready but I need to finish this meal today)
*2 packages of brown rice to be used as a side
I also froze pork chops and a roast beef that can be thawed and thrown into the crock pot. And, while I was at it, I decided to try my hand at Sticky Roast Chicken which I prepared and will be cooking for lunch today.
Yes, it was a long day, but I feel a little more under control and relieved knowing that, if all else fails, there is something in the freezer to eat!
Purse-Sized Meal Planning Grocery/Recipe Cards
Inspired after reading Nannygoat's 30 day meal plan, I downloaded some trendy & stylish recipe cards (here) and filled them out the most commonly eaten meals in our home. On the cards, I also included suggestions for vegetables and side dishes which are often a difficult decision in themselves. Since I made the JPG recipe cards and filled them out using Adobe Photoshop, I decided to send them to my local photolab for printing. I am slipping them into a small 4x6 photo album and will carry them in my purse. Now, when I'm out shopping, I can make sure I don't forget to buy that one pesky ingredient that I always seem to forget!
Once a Month Cooking (or OMAC)
I've heard a lot about Once a Month Cooking over the years. I've always meant to give it a try, but lacked the motivation and/or a free day to devote to cooking. However, the combination of the husband being out of town on Friday-Saturday and my desire to get things together before my first day on the job Monday gave me an opportunity to try it this weekend. The basic premise is that you buy groceries in bulk, spend a day cooking said groceries, package for freezing and enjoy your bounty of prepared meals out of the freezer for days to come. Many people actually try to make enough meals for an entire month, but I decided just to cook as much as I could and call it "good."
The most important part of this OMAC thing is the menu planning/grocery list stage. I spent many hours on the internet looking up recipes and tips for freezing. I found most of my recipes at recipezaar.com where you can search "OMAC" or "make ahead" and find loads of recipes. Some people plan their meals based on which meats are on sale, but I simply chose things my family would actually eat. Then, I made out a huge grocery list and divided it by the sections in our grocery store (fresh, cold, frozen, canned) to help find things quickly and easily. I was dreading the trip to the store. In my mind, I imagined that it would take hours on end to find everything. However, since I went at the end of a long day of back-to-school shopping and I was ready to get home, I simply stuck to my list and got out rather quickly. I was also dreading the final tally on the check-out receipt, but it was actually just bit over what a typical excursion to the grocery costs. (Another reason why people like OMAC: it prevents waste and saves money in the end.)
Saturday was cooking day, and--I'll be honest--it was a long one. I started cooking at 8 a.m. and finished at 4 p.m. I'm sure I could have been a bit better with my cooking organization and saved time, but my "method" was to look around and ask, "What needs to be cooked next?" I also had two little kitchen elves who were a great help (and it felt good to be teaching them some cooking skills). I had to overcome my desire to constantly clean up and, instead, waited until the end of the day to clean up just once (though I did wash some dishes along the way). I used all my resources including my trusty crock pot and my bread maker. Here's what I ended up with at the end of the day (links provided to the recipes I used):
*Meat for tacos/spaghetti
*1 Chicken & Rice Casserole
*10 Breakfast Burritos (will do more after we see how they taste post-freezer)
*Shredded chicken (to use in casseroles or soups)
*6 Calzones (using this bread maker dough recipe)
*Pulled Pork for sandwiches (frozen in individual servings for lunches)
*Chicken Relleno (a new recipe, but quite tasty)
*6 Hamburger Steaks
*2 packages of homemade chicken broth (left from cooking chicken)
*10 slices of breakfast sausage (ready to be microwaved for a quick meal)
*Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread (thanks to my parent's overflowing garden--we made muffins instead of loaves)
*Fried Rice with Chicken (actually, I have the rice ready but I need to finish this meal today)
*2 packages of brown rice to be used as a side
I also froze pork chops and a roast beef that can be thawed and thrown into the crock pot. And, while I was at it, I decided to try my hand at Sticky Roast Chicken which I prepared and will be cooking for lunch today.
Yes, it was a long day, but I feel a little more under control and relieved knowing that, if all else fails, there is something in the freezer to eat!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Mama Tired. Very Tired.
Today is the most tired I have been in a while. I'm really dragging.
It may have something to do with the fact that I didn't go to bed until almost 1 a.m. and then the sunshine pouring through my window woke me up before 6 a.m. the next morning. So, instead of rolling over and going back to sleep like a normal person, I got up and went to the gym hoping to beat the "regulars" to the elliptical machines. Instead, the girl at the desk asked if I was there for the morning class. I was feeling rather adventurous, so I simply answered, "Sure." Then, for the next hour I was taking part in "Track Attack" (you pretty much get the drift of the type of exercise I was doing). I came back feeling rather refreshed, productive and ready to tackle my day.
Of course, had I remembered what the day was to entail, I might not have felt so optimistic.
Last week, I truly enjoyed our class. The topics aligned with my interests and abilities well and our assignments ended up being so much fun. We literally laughed until we cried making a funny promotional video! This week, however, is one of those classes that is a required drudgery. It's a topic that just doesn't really inspire anyone. It's "Cataloging and Classification" which means that we are learning about all the different ways that books are cataloged/organized for libraries. Very technical. Very dull. It's a necessary evil--you can't have a library unless books are arranged in an orderly fashion and can be easily located--but it's still a very stale topic.
That's not to say that I can't find the silver lining: my teacher is wonderful and has great ideas for lesson plans, my group is amazing--we work so well together and enjoy one another's company, and we have been able to use some of the tools that we learned about last week to make our group project a little less difficult and more entertaining, etc.
But the bottom line is that this class--or today anyway--has exhausted me. Even if I had gotten more sleep last night, I still think the end result would be the same. I ended up collapsing on my bed for a few minutes after dinner, then my friends took me to Sonic for a little caffeine wake-up call. I'm feeling much better and looking forward to a quiet night of either movie watching or book reading. Here's to hoping that Mama's batteries get recharged for another long day tomorrow...the day we find out what our next two assignments will be!
It may have something to do with the fact that I didn't go to bed until almost 1 a.m. and then the sunshine pouring through my window woke me up before 6 a.m. the next morning. So, instead of rolling over and going back to sleep like a normal person, I got up and went to the gym hoping to beat the "regulars" to the elliptical machines. Instead, the girl at the desk asked if I was there for the morning class. I was feeling rather adventurous, so I simply answered, "Sure." Then, for the next hour I was taking part in "Track Attack" (you pretty much get the drift of the type of exercise I was doing). I came back feeling rather refreshed, productive and ready to tackle my day.
Of course, had I remembered what the day was to entail, I might not have felt so optimistic.
Last week, I truly enjoyed our class. The topics aligned with my interests and abilities well and our assignments ended up being so much fun. We literally laughed until we cried making a funny promotional video! This week, however, is one of those classes that is a required drudgery. It's a topic that just doesn't really inspire anyone. It's "Cataloging and Classification" which means that we are learning about all the different ways that books are cataloged/organized for libraries. Very technical. Very dull. It's a necessary evil--you can't have a library unless books are arranged in an orderly fashion and can be easily located--but it's still a very stale topic.
That's not to say that I can't find the silver lining: my teacher is wonderful and has great ideas for lesson plans, my group is amazing--we work so well together and enjoy one another's company, and we have been able to use some of the tools that we learned about last week to make our group project a little less difficult and more entertaining, etc.
But the bottom line is that this class--or today anyway--has exhausted me. Even if I had gotten more sleep last night, I still think the end result would be the same. I ended up collapsing on my bed for a few minutes after dinner, then my friends took me to Sonic for a little caffeine wake-up call. I'm feeling much better and looking forward to a quiet night of either movie watching or book reading. Here's to hoping that Mama's batteries get recharged for another long day tomorrow...the day we find out what our next two assignments will be!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
College Student Communication in the 21st Century
Now that I find myself back at one of my old colleges, I can't help comparing how things have changed since I was a nineteen year old freshman. The campus is a little different--there are new buildings and landscaping and such--and it also seems a lot smaller now that I'm "all grown up." The food seems to have improved (we finally got to eat in the cafeteria....much better!) and there are many computer labs to choose from these days.
One of the main differences I now see between life for a college student today versus latter years is the availability to keep in touch with people. Just today, I have used my cell phone to call at least three people, texted the same people, IM'd (instant message) a friend (while I was in class, no less), checked my e-mail, and communicated with friends from all over the United States via Facebook.
When I was a traditional undergrad, very few people had e-mail. No one had a cell phone. To keep in touch with my friends and family, I primarily wrote letters. Can you imagine a college student today whipping out paper and pencil to write a letter to someone? If I had only had a few of those communication conveniences back then, I think I would have adjusted much more easily to college life.
So, all-in-all I'm glad that these things exist to keep people connected. I definitely feel less homesick knowing that my friends and family are just a click or a phone call away.
As for today....it was kind of a long one. It started out with the unexpected announcement that the cafeteria is being renovated, so we have been rerouted to the Ball Room for mealtimes. That means we don't have full access to the range of cafeteria foods normally offered. Still, it has been an improvement. At least there is salad, veggies and fresh fruit! Also, the afternoon class time was very long. We worked in front of our computers from one to almost five o'clock without a break--without so much as standing up to stretch! On the positive side, we did seem to accomplish much more today and we are starting a fun video project. Plus, part of our assignment was to set up a Google site, so I was able to get a head start on my electronic portfolio. Yay! Now, I'm off to finish my warm green tea (something I had never tried but was encouraged to do so by a classmate--now I like it!) and read a book (The First Year by Harry Wong) before bedtime. I have to rise and shine early so I can get a warm breakfast before they put it all away and only leave cold bagels or cereal for the late risers.
One of the main differences I now see between life for a college student today versus latter years is the availability to keep in touch with people. Just today, I have used my cell phone to call at least three people, texted the same people, IM'd (instant message) a friend (while I was in class, no less), checked my e-mail, and communicated with friends from all over the United States via Facebook.
When I was a traditional undergrad, very few people had e-mail. No one had a cell phone. To keep in touch with my friends and family, I primarily wrote letters. Can you imagine a college student today whipping out paper and pencil to write a letter to someone? If I had only had a few of those communication conveniences back then, I think I would have adjusted much more easily to college life.
So, all-in-all I'm glad that these things exist to keep people connected. I definitely feel less homesick knowing that my friends and family are just a click or a phone call away.
As for today....it was kind of a long one. It started out with the unexpected announcement that the cafeteria is being renovated, so we have been rerouted to the Ball Room for mealtimes. That means we don't have full access to the range of cafeteria foods normally offered. Still, it has been an improvement. At least there is salad, veggies and fresh fruit! Also, the afternoon class time was very long. We worked in front of our computers from one to almost five o'clock without a break--without so much as standing up to stretch! On the positive side, we did seem to accomplish much more today and we are starting a fun video project. Plus, part of our assignment was to set up a Google site, so I was able to get a head start on my electronic portfolio. Yay! Now, I'm off to finish my warm green tea (something I had never tried but was encouraged to do so by a classmate--now I like it!) and read a book (The First Year by Harry Wong) before bedtime. I have to rise and shine early so I can get a warm breakfast before they put it all away and only leave cold bagels or cereal for the late risers.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Group Projects
Group projects: you either love 'em or hate 'em.
If you love 'em it's because...you are a slacker hoping to get a good grade with minimal effort on your part by allowing your group mates to do all the work.
If you hate 'em it's because...you fear being "stuck" with a slacker and having to do all the work on your own lest it jeopardize your grade. You also probably hate the possibility of spending extra time outside of the classroom working on projects and/or the difficulties associated with trying to coordinate a bunch of incompatible schedules to do so.
I have always disliked group projects. Even when I was a "true freshman" I hated them. Back then, I was working crazy hours--sometimes up to forty hours a week. I barely had time for "regular" homework, much less anything extra time consuming. Plus, I felt out of place. All of my group mates didn't have jobs which meant that they had plenty of time on their hands to meet whenever they wanted; I was the only holdup. It was frustrating.
When I started back to school, I still disliked the thought of group projects mostly I because I worried about being paired with kids who could care less about school and don't mind sabotaging my GPA. (I'm clinching my jaws just thinking about it.) I also feared feeling out of place again, but in a different way. Nobody wants the "old folks" to be in their group, right?
I must admit, my back-t0-college experience has been the opposite of what I expected. The traditional-aged students have been welcoming if not downright befriending to me. In one class, my constant partner and I are "PB&J" because we work together so well and totally depend on one another. In another group project, I'm paired with three girls who are probably ten years my junior (I got a reality check when they all admitted to being too young to remember much of the Columbine shootings--I was pregnant with my first child when that happened!), but we have a great time studying together, encouraging one another and laughing...a lot. Plus, I know that I can count on these girls to do their part and they are as concerned about making a good grade as I am.
For me, group projects are no longer a thing to dread because I'm having so much fun doing them! Maybe the key is that my professors let us pick our own groups and that has allowed us to pair up complimentary personalities.
If you love 'em it's because...you are a slacker hoping to get a good grade with minimal effort on your part by allowing your group mates to do all the work.
If you hate 'em it's because...you fear being "stuck" with a slacker and having to do all the work on your own lest it jeopardize your grade. You also probably hate the possibility of spending extra time outside of the classroom working on projects and/or the difficulties associated with trying to coordinate a bunch of incompatible schedules to do so.
I have always disliked group projects. Even when I was a "true freshman" I hated them. Back then, I was working crazy hours--sometimes up to forty hours a week. I barely had time for "regular" homework, much less anything extra time consuming. Plus, I felt out of place. All of my group mates didn't have jobs which meant that they had plenty of time on their hands to meet whenever they wanted; I was the only holdup. It was frustrating.
When I started back to school, I still disliked the thought of group projects mostly I because I worried about being paired with kids who could care less about school and don't mind sabotaging my GPA. (I'm clinching my jaws just thinking about it.) I also feared feeling out of place again, but in a different way. Nobody wants the "old folks" to be in their group, right?
I must admit, my back-t0-college experience has been the opposite of what I expected. The traditional-aged students have been welcoming if not downright befriending to me. In one class, my constant partner and I are "PB&J" because we work together so well and totally depend on one another. In another group project, I'm paired with three girls who are probably ten years my junior (I got a reality check when they all admitted to being too young to remember much of the Columbine shootings--I was pregnant with my first child when that happened!), but we have a great time studying together, encouraging one another and laughing...a lot. Plus, I know that I can count on these girls to do their part and they are as concerned about making a good grade as I am.
For me, group projects are no longer a thing to dread because I'm having so much fun doing them! Maybe the key is that my professors let us pick our own groups and that has allowed us to pair up complimentary personalities.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
