All About Life Without Maids

[2ppaamm]

mocharita:

Anyway, where do you place your potatoes, onions, gingers and garlic? In the chiller or cabinet? All my maids put them in the cabinet and I followed. Due to x’mas and New Year festivals, I didn’t cook for a week. This morning, I saw buds and tiny eggs in the cabinet. I threw the whole container out, and stress me.., cleaned up that stinky cabinet! If I could rip that cabinet out, I would!

Maybe others do it differently, but I do not keep these things in the cabinet, they do stink up - quite badly. I leave them in baskets , in the open to \"air\". If the potatoes grow buds or turn green, I throw them out. If the onions and garlic grow shoots, I plant them in some soil to get spring onions or chives, if the gingers grow roots, I also plant them. When I need ginger, I go and dig it up and cut some to use, then I bury that ginger again. I have ginger month after month without having to buy much.

If you have a cabinet that air can pass through, you can keep them there, but those that are closed on all 4 sides are not meant for these.

If you are very stressed about cooking for now, get a caterer. Those tingkats that bring food to your home. Maybe a twice or three times a day to start with, or start with all 5 days and then decrease as you learn to cope. Weekends, make sure you go out and eat well. Does not matter if it is hawker food lah, just find some time when you don't have to worry about food.

If you still want to cook, can I suggest pre-prepared mixes for now, like sauces. So you don't have to worry about your onions and garlics, just use a packet a time. You won't need to worry the right amount of sauce to use. But they are not very healthy. Just aim to reduce it slowly, perhaps over months as you start to cook faster. They cook in minutes, so that reduces your cooking time tremendously.

Both iron or steamer are good. Perhaps a steamer works faster, but I have been ironing since 7, so I am not sure if a beginner can use a steamer. I use a $20 iron, and it works great.

Why do you iron the hankies, bedsheets and others besides clothes? Just pull them straight before you hang dry, they will be straight enough to use. Not as good as pressed, but given the current situation, I'd rather spend that 1 or 2 hours sleeping. Wrinkled hanky? Nevermind lah, use tissues for the time being. If you must absolutely have crease free pillowcases and bedsheets, how about using that ironed ones only during festive seasons? Or try satin ones, they don't wrinkle so much.

I don't even iron T-shirts nowadays. But, I make sure all the T-shirts are folded immediately after they dry, and not left in the basket to get wrinkled. I straighten with my hands and stack them up in the cupboard neatly. Because of the weight and pressure, they will straighten out. Saves a lot of ironing. The next time you buy T-shirts, look for those that don't need ironing.

For dishes, how about using disposal ones for the time being? The serving dishes can be 'real' ones, and use disposal ones for personal. Throw them out after using. Cups? Label each for each person - 1 cup each. Ask them to wash up after drinking. Otherwise, they have no cup to use.

I thought these out for you, hope this helps... and not confuse you further... That's what I would do if I were in your position.

[en107rn.01056yahoo.01056com.01056sg]

[quote]I don't even iron T-shirts nowadays. But, I make sure all the T-shirts are folded immediately after they dry, and not left in the basket to get wrinkled. [/quote]
I do mine just a little bit different. I used to fold immediately. But these days, it's faster to put them on hangers. I get the kids to hang their own clothing & put them in their respective cabinets. I do mine and dh, cause dh too old to be trained.

[2ppaamm]

EN:

I do mine just a little bit different. I used to fold immediately. But these days, it's faster to put them on hangers. I get the kids to hang their own clothing & put them in their respective cabinets. I do mine and dh, cause dh too old to be trained.

O yes! If you put the T-shirts on hangers to dry, the work will be even less. You just keep the hangers together with the T-shirts and they go straight into the cabinets. I forgot...my mum used to do that. Wise... :celebrate:

[jimmycathy]

2ppaamm:

EN:

I do mine just a little bit different. I used to fold immediately. But these days, it's faster to put them on hangers. I get the kids to hang their own clothing & put them in their respective cabinets. I do mine and dh, cause dh too old to be trained.

O yes! If you put the T-shirts on hangers to dry, the work will be even less. You just keep the hangers together with the T-shirts and they go straight into the cabinets. I forgot...my mum used to do that. Wise... :celebrate:

Thanks for the topic..I am just moved back from overseas with 2 kis.. Was about to interview the maid..but seem not necessary now. But also :salute: :salute: :salute: all mums here..dont know if i can cope..
Any idea if i still travel overseas for a week? How to arrange things at home when i am not around???

[Andaiz]

2ppaamm:

If you put the T-shirts on hangers to dry, the work will be even less. You just keep the hangers together with the T-shirts and they go straight into the cabinets. I forgot...my mum used to do that. Wise... :celebrate:

2ppamm, just to let you know that T-shirts drying on hangers would become misshapened because of gravity and the water. Yes, straighten them, hang them at the middle on the hanger, then when they are dry, flick them out to straighten them further and into the cabinet they go!
I still do that :celebrate:

[Andaiz]

jimmycathy:

Any idea if i still travel overseas for a week? How to arrange things at home when i am not around???

would you be able to arrange for someone to \"house-sit\" your place for a few hours when you are away? This trusted person could be there while your part-timer comes in, if you would. Else, just make sure plants and pets are baby-sat...all else can wait!

[daisyt]

mocharita:

When you said that you would prepare all the ingredients on Sunday, does that mean you were getting ready all the ingredients for cooking for the next few days’ meals? As for meat, do I need to season them on Sunday and ready for cooking for the next few days meals? After seasoning meat, do I put them in the freezer or chiller? Putting veggies in a plastic bag won’t go soggy?

Pardon me for my being ignorant because, because, I’m simply ignorant. :oops:

Anyway, where do you place your potatoes, onions, gingers and garlic? In the chiller or cabinet? All my maids put them in the cabinet and I followed. Due to x’mas and New Year festivals, I didn’t cook for a week. This morning, I saw buds and tiny eggs in the cabinet. I threw the whole container out, and stress me.., cleaned up that stinky cabinet! If I could rip that cabinet out, I would!

I’m all ready to get a dishwasher, dryer, but my kitchen and laundry area won’t permit due to the layout of my home. Anyway, is an iron better than a steamer? Or vice-versa? I don’t dislike ironing but I don’t know how. I’ve tried learning from friends and youtube but still having a hard time with it. I’ve tried laundry service, but they have minimum kgs, which means I have to collect enough soiled clothes for this service. I don’t want to do that because dirty laundry stinks after a few hours. I’m good at ironing flat sheets like hankies, bed sheets and pillow cases but not others. I am pathetic, I know.

hi mocharita,

For meat, I season them and put in container, then to the freezer (the place we put ice, is it freezer ? Ya thats the place). I prepare for one whole week (4 days). Pork and chicken. The other day, I cook plain porridge, fry mince pork with egg, a vegi, sardin, salted egg and here goes a simple dinner.

Vegetables, I don't prepare on Sunday. I wash and cut in the morning, put in plastic bag, poke a few holes and cook them on the same night. No, it won't turn soggy leh.

Side dish like fish, always go for steam, so its easier. In the morning, just lay the ginger, add soya sauce, put on a plate, cover with plastic bag. At night, it just go straight to the steamer.

For other side dishs, I try to make it simple, steam beancurd with oyster sauce and shallots, fry tomato eggs, fry big onion eggs, steam egg with mince pork. All the ingredients are ready and fast to prepare.

Garlic, I bought those already finely chopped from supermarket, transfer into air tight container.
Ginger, I chop them finely myself, put in air tight container.
Onion, just cut and also put in air tight container - use for cook pork or fry eggs.
Potatos, for cooking soup, after cut into pieces, put in a container with water and add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Carrots, for cooking soup, cut into pieces, put in plastic bag, poke a few holes for the carrots to breathe.
All the above, just put in the normal chiller, I prepare for one week portion too.

We put our clothings into washing machine every 2 days. I use 30mins quick wash with my washing machine (to save power and water), so before washing, I would soak the soil cloths for overnight.

Ironing, I never try steam ironing, so cannot comment much. And I am very lousy in ironing, always cannot get it very straight, but everyone accept this fact and just bear with it. My hubby is very good in this, sometimes he would help.

Ai yo ! I don't iron bedsheets and pillow sheets lah. Anyway, once you lay them on the bed, just straighten with your hand and its straight enough to sleep lor.

[daisyt]

As 2ppaamm mentioned about the cups, yes we practise that at home too.


And the ready ingredients, I use the curry chicken, curry fish and curry vegetables ones.

[jenybc]

daisyt:

Hi mocharita, one thing we have to learn, from the stage of having maid to no maid, is to to lower our expectation. The house would never be sparking clean and neat as before. We have to bear with that, do our best and not tired ourselves up. Also try to get all family members to be involved in housework.


Don't be so stress up, its fine if the house is not sparking clean. Most important is the peoples who live in the house are happy.

dear ladies, may i join this \"used to have maids but none now club\"? :oops:

after having maids for the past 4 years and now without one... i have learn to accept that the house is not going to be 100% clean 24 hours a day since i have no helper nowsaday...

and yes i do see the changes in my kid too, she used to be :- xxxx, i want water, xxxx i want to eat, nowsaday, she will help to set the table for dinner, get drinks for us, etc...and sincerely, after getting the family to be involved in housework with me, felt we are much closer now....do you felt this way too?

just wonder, any mummy got good recommendation for a student care? i am living in the east..

thanking all in advance...xie xie

[Fairy]

daisyt:

Garlic, I bought those already finely chopped from supermarket, transfer into air tight container.
Ginger, I chop them finely myself, put in air tight container.
Onion, just cut and also put in air tight container - use for cook pork or fry eggs.
Potatos, for cooking soup, after cut into pieces, put in a container with water and add a 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Carrots, for cooking soup, cut into pieces, put in plastic bag, poke a few holes for the carrots to breathe.
All the above, just put in the normal chiller, I prepare for one week portion too.

Daisyt,

For garlic & Onion, my experience is that if you prepare them ahead and put in the fridge, it stank up the whole fridge and the smell lingers for days everytime we open the fridge door. This happened despite the fact that I put them in a few layers of plastic bags. I've resigned to preparing the ingredients only before I cook and this is the part I hate about cooking. I hate the smell on my fingers after working with garlic & onion. Dipping my fingers in lime juice does not help much. I tried wearing dispossable gloves but find them getting in the way when I am cutting/chopping.You mentioned air-tight container, any recommended brand?

For laundry, I wash the whites, the dark colours, the towels, the bedsheets & school uniforms in separate loads. We changed bedsheets everyweek and bath towels every few days. Sometimes, 2 loads per day also not enough.

Dust is my worst enemy. It's everywhere and accumulates almost immediately after i've cleaned it off.... on table top, display shelves, book shelves, TV...the piano is a magnet for dust.

I've been without a maid for the past 2 years (after having one for >10years) and still hating housework. Btw, this thread is fantastic. Thanks