Monday, September 19, 2016

I Believe in Cookies in a Mug, I Do Not Believe in Cleaning Schedules

Everybody has an unwritten code by which they live their life, a set of principles (big ones and small ones) that shape who they are and what they do.

Here's mine.

I Believe in Cookies in a Mug, I Do Not Believe in Cleaning Schedules -- Sometimes significant and sometimes not, everybody has a set of guiding principles for their life. So what if mine includes cookies in a mug?   {posted @ Unremarkable Files}

I believe in...


...the public library. The librarians at the circulation desk all know my name (except for one guy, and I can tell he's embarrassed because he sees me so often he should.) My kids are huge readers, and we easily have 75 items checked out right now. We use inter-library loan with reckless abandon. How could I not love a place where you can borrow almost any book or movie in existence for free?

...God. I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and love it with all my heart. I've written about our theology here and here, but what it all boils down to for me is that I believe God is my father and He's still talking to us. I believe Jesus is my savior and wants me to follow Him. And if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that I'm happiest when I'm trying to live a Christ-centered life.

...hand-me-downs. My younger kids don't even know that clothes come from a store. After one kid wears it, up to the attic it goes to wait until it fits the next one. I love thrift stores and garage sales and friends who are getting rid of their kids' outgrown clothes. I hate spending money on new clothes. Or on anything, really.

...online shopping. Does anybody even go to actual stores anymore? With the exception of the grocery store and CVS, I hardly ever do. It takes forever, requires a big chunk of uninterrupted time I don't have, and then they don't even have what I need in stock, anyway. If it tells you anything, I'm on a first-name basis with the UPS guy and can tell you all about his wife and kids. Let's just say we see each other a lot.

...chores. My kids work harder than any other kids I know. They know how to clean bathrooms and cook meals and change diapers. They help clean the kitchen after dinner and do their own laundry and pull weeds in the spring and summer. Most of it, they don't get paid for. I want them to know there isn't a magical clean-up fairy that will pick up after them, and that in a family we all pitch in to do our part. I think the world needs people who aren't afraid of hard work.

..cookies in a mug. I learned about mug desserts a few years ago and it changed my life. It takes 5 minutes to make a single-serve dessert, and leaves no trace behind except for a mug my children assume was used for some disgusting herbal concoction that old people like me and their dad would drink. My favorite is snicker doodles, but brownies, cake, and chocolate chip cookies all have their own special place in my heart.

...family. A plaque in our entryway reads "Families are Forever." In my religion, there's a literal ceremony that ties families together (spouses and children) for eternity, and that really changes your perspective on things. Occasionally I'll see a feel-good story in the news about a couple who's been together for 50 years and my first thought is "That's sweet" followed by "That's all?" Despite our lack of a family motto, I think our family has a pretty strong identity and each of our kids know they belong to a team.

I Believe in Cookies in a Mug, I Do Not Believe in Cleaning Schedules -- Sometimes significant and sometimes not, everybody has a set of guiding principles for their life. So what if mine includes cookies in a mug?   {posted @ Unremarkable Files}


I do not believe in...


...mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately. I've covered this before, but honestly, who has the emotional strength to wash even more dishes than you have to? Basically, I'm famous for turning every recipe into a dump cake and it works for me.

...cleaning schedules. I sometimes think I could be that person who is so organized that she actually mops the floor every Tuesday and washes the windows every Thursday. And then I remember that right now there are globs of oatmeal on the dining room floor and my kids' bathroom smells like a subway station, and what's the point, anyway? Know thyself, is what I say.

...nesting. Whenever I clean something and I happen to be in the third trimester of pregnancy, someone inevitably says I'm "nesting" and it makes me want to snap them in the head with my belly band. Nesting is what rabbits do when they pull out their fur to make a soft bed for their babies. I'm just cleaning out my nasty fridge because it's nasty.

...folding kitchen towels. In what is surely the biggest waste of time ever, I used to fold my kitchen washcloths and towels. Now I just transfer the whole rumpled heap directly from the dryer to the drawer, and to be honest, it ends up looking about the same after a day or two. I blame the children.

...teenage rebellion. I admit I don't technically have a teenager yet. I have a 12-year-old, so feel free to laugh if I end up eating my words later. But I don't think "hating your parents" is a necessary teenage rite of passage. Being occasionally annoyed/embarrassed/exasperated by us? Yes, by all means. But I just can't envision 16-year-old Agnes in 1800 screaming at her mother "I hate you and I am never ever going to milk that cow!" And if it wasn't normal 200 years ago maybe it's just not normal at all.

...paper cupcake liners. I can't stand buying something whose sole purpose is getting thrown away. I used to just grease the muffin tin directly without using anything; for Christmas last year I received a set of {affiliate link} reusable silicone cupcake liners and they are the best. Now I don't have to waste anything, not even space since I can use exactly the number I need (recipes that only make 23 muffins, I'm looking at you!)


Sometimes significant and sometimes not, those are a few of my guiding principles. What would yours be? What do you believe (and not believe) in?

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19 comments:

AnneMarie said...

I love these! Your comment about the UPS guy made me smile-I don't think we order stuff THAT often, but once when the UPS guy came to our apartment complex and saw me outside in the parking lot, he was like, "Hey! I have a package for you!" He also got pretty excited another time when, again I was outside and he saw that I was no longer pregnant and instead had a baby with me :) I'm so excited to hear from another one-bowl person! I don't know if I've ever used separate bowls for the wet and dry ingredients. I always, always mix the wet ingredients first, then dump all the dry ingredients on top and kind of mix those together before incorporating all of them into the wet batter. Thanks for mentioning baking cups-I hate cleaning out the cupcake/muffin tin, because even when I grease it liberally it turns into a huge mess. I need to look into those some more! OH-and I never understood "teenage rebellion" when I was a teen in middle school and high school. My classmates would complain about their parents, and I'd be like, "Um, I like my parents!?" The "rebellion" part came in when I was in my older teens, and that wasn't because I hated my parents, but was more like super independent, bullheaded me was more than ready to stretch my wings at college.

Katy said...

Oh my word cookies in a mug sound devine! Where have I been?

LOL interlibrary loan with reckless abandon. :)

Julie @ Just the Joy's said...

Lol! The nesting comment cracked me up! Well so did a lot of other things... Amen to the online shopping. There's a few stores (no where near our house but near our camper) that offer curbside grocery pickup (order online delivered to your car in the parking lot) and I use it ALL the time! Even if it's out of my way it's a life saver!

Alicia @ Sweeping Up Joy said...

I also do not fold kitchen towels. :) I do not believe in cookies in a mug, though, because the handful of times I've tried mugcakes they've ended up weird.

The Lady Okie said...

Folding kitchen towels! Oh my gosh. I do this! Why? You're so right about it being a waste of time.

PurpleSlob said...

The only time my towels get folded usually is when my Mama comes. Yet today I folded towels, washcloths, and kitchen towels. What's wrong with me??
Mug cakes- I haven't tried one yet, but my daughter is a devotee. I have some GF brownie mix, and a can of pumpkin just calling my name. This will be a first for me- pumpkin brownies!

Jenny Evans said...

I don't know, Katy. Where HAVE you been? Those are only the tastiest thing ever.

Jenny Evans said...

I know you're way over in Michigan... but I'm willing to relocate. That sounds amazing.

Jenny Evans said...

I was a little nervous at first about the whole eggs-in-a-microwave thing, but I'm a convert now.

Jenny Evans said...

Also, I eat raw cookie dough all the time so it seemed kind of illogical to fear.

Jenny Evans said...

The first time you jam them in the drawer without folding will feel sooooo good. Do it!

Jenny Evans said...

I've never gotten into the whole pumpkin thing. I know, fall is coming and I'm going to get shot for saying something like that. I'd better be careful.

Queen Mom Jen said...

I have never made cookies or desserts in a mug, but after reading this I feel as if it might change my life.

As usual, I love reading your posts :)

O'Babies said...

Jenny- We are basically the same person. And I love you.
Love Mandy, your summer friend.

Jenny Evans said...

It's both flattering and scary to think that there are two of us out there!

AiringMyLaundry said...

I love libraries too. And online shopping!

I rarely fold kitchen towels ;)

Crystal Green from Sharing Life's Moments said...

The more I read your posts the more I think you are a sister I never knew I had. We share so many of the same beliefs and likes and dislikes. I look forward to your next posts too.

I just found out my library offers things I didn't even know it did the last time I was there. So, I'm super thrilled about that one. (I'll share that on my book reviews this month.)

Jenny Evans said...

I haven't even gotten into eBooks which I know they have. And now they have these cool little personal audiobook players called Playaways (which we've never gotten because they cost $50 to replace - but it's still cool that they're there.) And learning kits for kids with books, puppets, and activities all in a bag on a certain theme. So much cool stuff is there. For free. Blows my mind.

Unknown said...

I would owe the library a million dollars. We have a huge collection of books that we own and library books are ONLY allowed in the car. Somehow, I have had to purchase half a dozen over the years that were lost and later found in our house somewhere. I give up. We have a sign that says Foose library above our three bookcases and that will have to do! Plus they have tablets with even more books now.
It takes guts writing the teenager thing. Two of my three have gone for more of a 'Why do you hate me?' thing rather than saying they hate us, but it is pretty unpleasant. I made the thirteen year old sit at the little kids table today at lunch and she is still P.O.'ed!