Tips and Hints - Cooking, Cleaning, Life in General

I am looking for inspiration and new ideas. What are some of your favorite life hacks for cooking, cleaning or any other task throughout the day?

For example . . .

Are there certain things you like to do each day?
When cleaning, do you focus on a specific room each week?
Do you have a certain cleaning routine you try to follow?
Or do you clean in more of a catch-as-catch can fashion?
How do you deal with the more seasonal cleaning or household tasks?
Do you make meals ahead and freeze them or use a slow cooker, Instant Pot, etc?
Prep veggies or meats to be used in the coming week?
Or do you do the 5-Oā€™clock, whatā€™s for dinner shuffle?

Hi struggling - what an interesting question, thank you!

First I have to say that fibrowise Iā€™ve become a radical splitter: baby steps of 1-5 mins. and task-switching between various kinds of cleaning and lying down (exercising, posting, working).
By nature I am/was somewhat hyperactive, chaotic, a collector, an eco and praps not to forget male,
by learning from friends and ā€œsimplify your lifeā€ I have become an energy-effectivizer, a simplifier and minimalist,
and to be sure I have a backup by well-worked out lots of electronic reminders in my laptop and pda, which go from really important things to as far as to remind me to drink and eat up to a certain time, and tend :roll_eyes: to help.

ā€œAre there certain things you like to do each day?ā€
Hmm, is that like or do each day? I like and also feel I have to pre-wash dishes/cutlery and plastic-trash using the water from cleaning my raw veg as soon as possible. I like to hoover, which I do pretty fast, and sweeping, for which Iā€™ve bought/got as a present! various good small and big (natural) brooms, but I donā€™t feel I have to do that each day. My wife cares for her guinea pigs and their pen, but Iā€™m the one who cleans up after them, when we allow them to run around for 1-2 hours every evening, at least every few days. That used to take me up to an hour a day, but I now put out and renew newspapers where they linger the most (some edges of the 3 rooms, fairly hidden), which has taken that time down to 10 minutes a day. When I see things (e.g. for trash, cellar) that have to be taken somewhere else indoors I take them with me whenever and as far as I go in that direction. But since learning to pace Iā€™m not combining outdoor things like table tennis and stores as much any more, taking breaks at home in between when necessary (all close distances).

ā€œCleaningā€: catch-as-catch-can! When I see something dirty or messy I think about cleaning it, usually do it immediately or put it on my inner list. And when my wife asks me I do it. Iā€™ve always hated scrubbing, because itā€™s so tough on my arms, wrists and hands, especially cleaning the mop or whatever after that, so I clean regularly in baby steps, with a small cloth. My wife thinks scrubbing needs to be done sometimes, but then thatā€™s hers. I also find pegging out the washing very painful, always have, my wife usually does that, but we both do most of it on several laundry racks without pegs, 2 machines once a week.
I actually would quite like to clean windows occasionally, but my arms hate it, and I have to divide it up into 1 minute stints. My wife would like it done 100% clean, but never does it anyway, and I think Iā€™ve got her down to 95% clean, but the arm-painā€™s been postponing it for months. We donā€™t know anyone who thinks itā€™s important to do, ever (but I used to know someone who did all windows every day, OCD I assumeā€¦). Iā€™ve also always found kneading dough very painful, but we never bake. I sometimes wonder whether these arm problems were precursors of fibro.

ā€œHow do you deal with the more seasonal cleaning or household tasks?ā€
Iā€™m (still) a wizard needing 1-2 hours to tidy the main part of an untidy room, cellar or loft up completely, cleaning, re-arranging everything, so it looks as if there was only 25% in it, and everything can be found quickly. Altho I only threw 10% away, if allowed. I love doing that and I love throwing things away tho. But I respect (almost) everything someone feels they need. And only do it, if something has gone really wrong (insects, mice or water damage) or am asked, directly or indirectly. I often go into a room (or part of it) like this and just sit down and let it sink in first, for 5 mins, which may inspire me directly or later or at night, how to quickly and effectively turn the chaos into beauty (itā€™s not just order to me, itā€™s the beauty of simplicity and an art).

ā€œMealsā€: I donā€™t cook that much, due partly to my diets (nuts, soy, raw veg, no meat, yoghurt, wholemeal muesli & bread), my mouth, stomach and gut not liking hot food, and partly because my wifeā€™s hypersensitivity doesnā€™t like the smells. When I do itā€™s spontaneous, in normal pots (donā€™t like the microwave), and it lasts for a few days in fridge or balcony. I prepare the veg from scratch, keep it extremely simple. My last cooked meals were boiled potatoes in skin plus sweetheart and then white cabbage (braise-steamed), with a raw apple, a bit of salt with ProvenƧal herbs. I love the natural tastes without much seasoning. (In restaurants etc. I only ask for a big simple salad, with salt, oil and vinegar extra, because cooks seldom manage to cater for my IBSD).

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I focus on one room a week so that I can manage the cleaning in my house. Iā€™m lucky because my husband will run the vacuum as I cannot push it without hurting myself. I use the Swiffer products to sweep, mop and dust the house. So much easier for me.
I tidy the house every morning when I have most of my energy.
I grocery shop online as I cannot stand on hard concrete floors in the stores anymore.
My meals are simple. I prepare a large amount so when I cook we have enough to eat a second day later in the week. Usually I cook chicken in one of many ways. I also make a pot of soup that I reheat throughout the week for my lunch.
I use my food processor for chopping veggies as my hands feel arthritic. I have an electric can opener if I need to open a can. I use an electric knife to slice a loaf of bread.
These are my hints.

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Great thread, strugglinginKs! Iā€™m going to ā€œpinā€ it to the top and maybe there will be more handy hints.

Seenie

JayCS - A lot of good ideas, thank you!

Breaking things down is something that I still struggle with. I am bad about thinking that I have to finish and so I push myself - and then pay for it. :roll_eyes: Iā€™m learning, but that Missouri mule in me is sure stubborn sometimes. :rofl:

Until the 3-4 years it was mostly my shoulders, back and legs that gave me the most trouble. Then I started noticing I had troubles when doing some tasks like hanging the wash or braiding my hair. I can still do those things but the pain and hassle usually outweigh the enjoyment I would get. Which is a serious pity because I love hanging the wash out and I love doing my hair up in a French braid. I still braid it once in a while, but with it being mid-back in length I have to take several breaks! And then I have to remember where I was at exactly and I sometimes end up with some crazy twisted braids that look like that have a life of their own. :crazy_face:

The last couple of years especially I have noticed a marked difference in what I can do and canā€™t do; and especially in the last year with my arms and hands. Hence the decision to get Kori and train her.

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CathyO - Cooking and baking were always my favorites, but I lost my enthusiasm when mine all started out on their own. What I would fix then for a meal that might give a few leftovers (but usually not) would now last me the better part of a week. Somehow though it just doesnā€™t taste right when I try to make a smaller amount.

I like the idea of doing one room or section of the house each week - I started doing that some in this last year and I want to continue to work on that.

Usually I can handle the sweeper ok so long as it and I stay firmly planted on the ground. Was reminded this week that, NO I canā€™t stand on a chair with the sweeper to reach that high corner - that is why I have an extendable duster! :roll_eyes: :grimacing: My son yelled at me ā€œjust slightlyā€ for that one. A well deserved scolding. :wink:

Guess I should share my own hints!

I am still trying to figure out the cooking for 1 thing but have a couple of things I like to do sometimes. I donā€™t often have fresh veggies this time of year, but when I do I like to prep extras to use over the next several days. I will also sometimes fix a large amount of beans or rice and then parcel it out into several meals throughout the week.

I also what to try doing the same with bread dough again. I used a recipe when mine were little that you kept in the fridge (it would keep for 4 or 5 days I think) and then you pull off a bit to make rolls, pizza crust, etc. I canā€™t do the kneading anymore but I just found a bread machine, so want to try using it to get the dough to the refrigerator stage.

For cleaning - I use a swiffer style mop, with a washable mop cover. And if I sweep, rather than vacuum, I have a dust pan with a longer handle - like what gas stations, restaurants, etc use. And I have a ā€œgrabberā€ for picking up things off the floor.

Weā€™ve mentioned a lot of this already, so Iā€™ve summed them up,
but thereā€™s a bit in here for us, for me: A#6 mop walk, A#23 service pups :wink: , B#9 video/audio of thoughts, B#12 phone holding cases (B#18 self-care).

#1, #4, #17 alternate I do anyway #14 similar, but no TV, so no commercials. #25 breaks.
#3 long grabber thing: praps! #4 & #15 mop for the shower
#6 mop walk: thatā€™s an idea!
#8 painterā€™s masks against mold/dust: hmm, obviously before CoVā€¦ :roll_eyes:
#9: I havenā€™t seen the quality of any infomercial items being worth their priceā€¦ but do you beg to differ?
#10: Hire someone: Letā€™s seeā€¦
#13: Place things more and more in the direction they belong in: do that. #19: using bags for each room? Well I donā€™t wait till it gets that badā€¦ and cf. #12: we donā€™t have/need/want that much. or cf. #22 if kids.
#16 & #26: relax standards: of course.
#18: vinegar and baking soda: Hmm for the piglets?
#20: Distraction to get more done?! No way - flares worse. Only for people who arenā€™t in a full flare.
#23: Service pups? What?! Now I know why you all have doggies! But we only have piglets! :worried: The only thing theyā€™ve learnt to fetch is ā€œmyā€ veggies!

#1 shower chairs: I prefer showering 2x1ā€™. Why more?
#2 Plan the day beforeā€¦ wellā€¦ yesā€¦
#3 Kitchen stools: Definitely!
#4 slow cooker. #10 batch cooker
#5 Only do 2/3 of 4 things, #11 breaking down & minimalism #4: Just say no!: Yesss.
#6 A basket for meds, so you donā€™t have to get up? Good glory: I need to move! (Meds only 2x/d)
#7 Ordering (grocery) online? I need to move, just keep it short.
#8 CareApp for control of symptoms, meds and appts: Similar, but more ā€œold-fangledā€.
#9 Video of thoughts to counter brain fog: Good idea, used that for my wife the other day.
#12 Phone and tablet cases that hold them up without you physically holding them: Ooh, I need that! How/Where do I find them?
#15 Camping chair instead of hard benches or standing: Yep, often thought of that, and asked for them in museums/art galleries.
#16 ER pack. Thankfully not nec.
#17 Specific comfy clothing for work: Yep.
#18 ā€œGive yourself the same love and compassion you would give someone you love or even your childhood self dealing with this.ā€ Very important!
#19 Use a rolling office chair doing things around the place, like cleaning.
#21 Pop-Tarts & Gatorade next to the bed?!? No wonder I cdnā€™t get out of it if ate that!
#22 Sunglasses indoors against sensory overload: Iā€™ll suggest that to my wifeā€¦ :roll_eyes: No sounds, no lights, no heatingā€¦ When my wife was away for a day now the ā€œboysā€ and I had a rumpus. OK, the boys donā€™t like sounds either, unless they can come into my carpeted room as a compensation, but they seemed to love the lights and heating.
#23 Asking for help - yeah, if it worksā€¦
The youtube-video is dead. But there are quite some under .
Tried one, but boring start, and in the comments someone said ā€˜My doctor says fibromyalgia is caused by a covid-related virusā€™ - thatā€™s turned me off, completely, what rubbish.

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Thank God for our husbands, mine cooks and more since he retired. Set small goals each day and donā€™t get discouraged if your 5min may only take u a week to do, listening to our bodies if the first rule of FB.

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