Jump to content

Menu

Corona Projects: Making Lemonade


KungFuPanda
 Share

Recommended Posts

Has anyone else started on projects they've been putting off?  My dance convention preparations came to a screeching halt, so I cleaned up my sewing machine and costume mayhem and went outside and fixed a wonky fence that has been judging me for six months.  Now I'm looking around and thinking this is a good time to do a few projects.  I can't decide what I want to do next.  I have materials on hand to make some plant shelves, redecorate my entry, clean up my yard, or paint and hang some bathroom shelves.  I have fabric for a few sewing projects. 

I should probably START by organizing all of my tools.  We never organized the tools when we moved in 18 years ago, so every project begins with hunting for tools.  I can lay them all out and organized them in my dance studio since I won't be holding classes there for a WHILE.  Lemonade.  I'm making lemonade.  Sadly, I'm MUCH better at starting projects than finishing them.

 

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Going to tackle the remaining sewing on my dd's prom dress (If she doesn't have prom we'll host a formal weenie roast in the backyard once all this is over. With flipflops) 

I have a Bible study I've been wanting to write about Leah, Naomi and Hagar.

But maybe it would be fun for me and the kids to brainstorm a murder mystery novel set when we are on quarantine for Corona Virus.

I have a couple of quilts to finish.

My closet desperately needs to be cleaned out.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would like to say that I will use my time to knit through my stash and finish some the mending and knitting projects BUT DH will be home from both his teaching jobs for at least the next two weeks and, honestly, I fear that I will just have *more* work to do. It's harder to get school work done when he's home, and I tend to cook more complex meals when he's home for dinner. There will be more people in the house, so more dishes, cleaning, etc...

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Noreen Claire said:

I would like to say that I will use my time to knit through my stash and finish some the mending and knitting projects BUT DH will be home from both his teaching jobs for at least the next two weeks and, honestly, I fear that I will just have *more* work to do. It's harder to get school work done when he's home, and I tend to cook more complex meals when he's home for dinner. There will be more people in the house, so more dishes, cleaning, etc...

I Feel you. If my dh's work goes to essential employees only, he will be here, working from home. Just feeding him takes so much more food! After he's eaten twice as much as anyone else in the house, he says "What else you got?" I'm used to handing him a muffin as he leaves the house, he eats at work for lunch and I just have to feed him supper. But having him home for a few weeks will definitely try my patience in the kitchen department.

  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, Noreen Claire said:

I would like to say that I will use my time to knit through my stash and finish some the mending and knitting projects BUT DH will be home from both his teaching jobs for at least the next two weeks and, honestly, I fear that I will just have *more* work to do. It's harder to get school work done when he's home, and I tend to cook more complex meals when he's home for dinner. There will be more people in the house, so more dishes, cleaning, etc...

I OVERstand.  My Dh has worked from home for a couple YEARS now.  I'm a bit sick of thinking about food.  There are many days when I run my dishwasher twice. I moved our big meal to the middle of the day.  That helps somewhat.  Right now we are both sitting in the living room on our laptops and he keeps randomly mentioning fish sticks to our son.  I'm wondering if, at some point, he's going to ask me to make them or actually get up and make them himself.  Wanna place bets?

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tried really hard to start a big gardening project for building a couple of raised beds thinking everyone is home and might pitch in. But, no, nobody wants to work in the yard even though it is in the 70’s outside. I am doing it all myself now. But I get interrupted so many times-Cooking is complicated when everyone is home for lunch and there is cleanup after that (which I am having to supervise if anyone other than me does it). Overall, more work and less time to do anything constructive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

I OVERstand.  My Dh has worked from home for a couple YEARS now.  I'm a bit sick of thinking about food.  There are many days when I run my dishwasher twice. I moved our big meal to the middle of the day.  That helps somewhat.  Right now we are both sitting in the living room on our laptops and he keeps randomly mentioning fish sticks to our son.  I'm wondering if, at some point, he's going to ask me to make them or actually get up and make them himself.  Wanna place bets?

 

2 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

He mentioned the fish sticks again.  This should be a drinking game. 😂

Oh, he definitely wants you to get up and make them, LOL! Have fun!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m glad I’m used to DH working from home for the past few years or I might be even more stressed out LoL.

i have some stitch projects to work on and relax me.  Plenty to go through and purge.  Catch up on grading.  

Because of my stock up 2 weekends ago, the pantry, linen closet, and meds/toiletry closet are all purged, stocked, and nicely organized.  DH even helped!

 

Edited by mlktwins
Poor writing LoL
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, goodness, yes. DH planted a few trees (stuff he had in big giant pots in the yard to get big/healthy/strong before going in our clay-holds water-floods/drowns trees soil), and has just been told (earlier this week) he'll be working from home for the foreseeable future, so has a list growing by the day. 

I made fantastic progress on a quilt project, and have several others in the wings, but truthfully....with DH home, I'll likely get less done. He likes to "make lunch" where the boys and I, when it's just us, grab what we want when we get hungry. DH likes to have everyone down, together, eating lunch. Every day. (also dinner) It's mildly exhausting sometimes, but I love him for it (he at least takes charge and cooks, usually, at lunch). 

With him home, too, though, and schools around us off (so not sure what our little homeschool co-op will do.....), we'll definitely be adding projects. More yard stuff for sure. Not sure what else. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

Ds doesn't like fish sticks. 

DS10 could eat his weight in fish sticks if I let him. I have to cut him off at 3 servings. Seriously, 600+ calories of fish sticks is enough for one sitting! 

On a related note, one of the local supermarket chains had a buy-one-get-one-free sale on the large bags of fish sticks for Lent and I *may* have bought six bags. 🤣

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So exciting to have time to do things that have been on the back burner!  Being self employed, we have to keep working, and we're a service business, too.  Luckily? this is a slow time for our business, so the techs aren't visiting too many places.  It would be lovely to have the free time!

Edited by Tina
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m making a list of things we can do around here. I suggested pulling weeds today and it was met with a mutiny. So I’m listing tons of options because we need to stay busy. 
 

Also, I really need a fish stick update because now I keep thinking about them. 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, kand said:

This has been our plan for this time. We've never built raised beds before, though. Do you have any plans to recommend? We are not experienced woodworkers.

 

I did mine like this, but if you can just do it with cinderblocks and be done faster if you prefer.  Her advice about the star tipped screws is good.

47 minutes ago, Annie G said:

I’m making a list of things we can do around here. I suggested pulling weeds today and it was met with a mutiny. So I’m listing tons of options because we need to stay busy. 
 

Also, I really need a fish stick update because now I keep thinking about them. 

Sooooo I cooked the fish sticks.  I was going to just wait him out, but we decided to have pierogies with them and we also decided to fry them in bacon grease, you know, for science.  Once bacon grease got involved I was interested.  Also, I knew that left to his own devices DH would have made the entire bag of 44 fish sticks for three people AND the rest of a big bag of peirogies AND zero vegetables.  Yes, I caved, but we can repeat that meal later because I didn't let him cook it ALL then proceed to attempt eating it all.  He doesn't get portions and makes more than we could possible eat.

If you were betting on me you lost money.  We dined on fish sticks, pierogies, carrot sticks and a bagged southwest salad. Don't judge me too harshly.  He would have cooked but I needed the veg.  We used the last of the sour cream.  We'll never ride out quarantine without more sour cream.  

 

Edited by KungFuPanda
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, kand said:

This has been our plan for this time. We've never built raised beds before, though. Do you have any plans to recommend? We are not experienced woodworkers.

You don’t have to be an experienced woodworker to build raised beds. Here is my inexpensive and easy way to build the raised bed in a short while:

- buy 8 of these Planter Wall Blocks from Home Depot:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Oldcastle-7-5-in-x-7-5-in-x-5-5-in-Tan-Brown-Planter-Wall-Block-16202336/206501693

- stack them up, 2 for each corner of your bed.

- insert untreated cedar wood strips between the blocks.

- drive some precut rebar pieces also available at home depot into the holes in the blocks to anchor in place.

- that’s it. 
I did not line my bed with landscape cloth and did not use a staple gun or glue and it is holding well.
tip: if you don’t want to bend, stack more blocks to build a taller bed.

they have a demo model in the store if you want to take a look.

here is the video tutorial from the makers of the blocks that I followed:


Here is their guide for constructing several bed configurations for different layouts. This contains pretty much all the instructions that you might need to purchase the components and finish your bed: https://images.homedepot-static.com/catalog/pdfImages/c1/c1f866c9-434d-46ed-90a7-efaf896e709e.pdf

Have fun with building your garden bed. Growing your own food is the best thing that you can do with an epidemic on our hands. Good luck.

Edited by mathnerd
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

 

sooooI cooked the fish sticks.  I was going to just wait him out, but we decided to have pierogies with them and we also decided to fry them in bacon grease, you know, for science.  Once bacon grease got involved I was interested.  Also, I knew that left to his own devices DH would have made the entire bag of 44 fish sticks for three people AND the rest of a big bag of peirogies AND zero vegetables.  Yes, I caved, but we can repeat that meal later because I didn't let him cook it ALL then proceed to attempt eating it all.  He doesn't get

If you were betting on me you lost money.  We dined on fish sticks, pierogies, carrot sticks and a bagged southwest salad. Don't judge me too harshly.  He would have cooked but I needed the veg.  We used the last of the sour cream.  We'll never ride out quarantine without more sour cream.  

 

I totally would have cooked them myself, for several reasons. I make far less mess when I cook and I understand that some things don’t make great leftovers.  Tonight ds made a delicious pasta sauce featuring Italian sausage. He used TWO POUNDS of sausage and a pound of pasta for the three of us.  I scampered in there and put the leftovers in the freezer for another meal...if left in the fridge he’d eat it as a snack.  So yeah I totally get it!!       

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Annie G said:

I totally would have cooked them myself, for several reasons. I make far less mess when I cook and I understand that some things don’t make great leftovers.  Tonight ds made a delicious pasta sauce featuring Italian sausage. He used TWO POUNDS of sausage and a pound of pasta for the three of us.  I scampered in there and put the leftovers in the freezer for another meal...if left in the fridge he’d eat it as a snack.  So yeah I totally get it!!       

See.  That's another thing.  If I cook, things will get mostly cleaned up at the same time.  Dh wouldn't attempt that level of multi-tasking.  It sounds like our Dh's got the same misinformation about portion size.  Mine will also order appetizers at a restaurant without considering that the meal alone will be too much food for everyone.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...