Monday Q&A | My Schedule, My Blog Plan, and Sanitizing Used Shoes (or not!)
Every Monday, I answer a few of the questions that my readers send me. If you have a question you'd like me to answer in a future Q&A post, just leave me a comment here or email me (thefrugalgirl [at] gmail [dot] com) and put Q&A in the subject line. I look forward to hearing from you!
When I did my Q&A about Aldi, one of you had submitted a question about Aldi's double-seater shopping carts (wondering if all Aldi stores were going to switch to these). I actually had no idea that any Aldi stores had these Costco-type shopping carts, but I emailed my contact at Aldi, and she said that they do indeed, and that the decision about whether or not to switch to these carts is a store-by-store decision. So, you all will just have to wait and see if these new-fangled carts come your way!
Being the nosy person I am, I am very interested to hear more about your current schedule. What does your daily schedule look like now? I'd love to see an updated "day in the life" sort of post.
Also, I'm very interested about your decision to have your personal schedule closely follow your husband's rather than you're children's- meaning the times you wake up and go to bed- as that is not something I hear of often. Has that changed now that he has such an opposite schedule? How has that affected the quality time you spend with your husband?
My brother-in-law works nights and my sister-in-law works days and I'd love to be able to share some advice with them. This schedule is new for them and with a new baby in the mix, I know it must be difficult to maintain a close relationship. Thank you!
I promise I'll do an updated schedule post once we get this figured out a little better! We're still working out the kinks. 🙂
As for your other questions, my husband's schedule is the only one that's set in stone. Since we homeschool and I'm self-employed, the kids and I have the flexibility to adapt to Mr. FG's varying job schedules, it makes sense for us to be the ones to bend!
I personally find that staying on the same sleep schedule as Mr. FG is good for our marriage...when we operate on different schedules, we don't get much of any alone time together and we just feel less connected. His schedule has been ALL over the map since we've been married, and for the most part, I've always managed to make my sleep schedule match the one dictated by his job (for the last two years, that's meant sleeping from 8:30pm-4:40am and now it means sleeping more like 11:00-7:00 or 11:30-7:30.)
I don't think every couple necessarily needs to do this, but for us, keeping our sleep schedules coordinated seems to be the right choice.
Your brother-in-law and sister-in-law are definitely facing a bigger challenge than we are, though, since they both have inflexible schedules. I don't know quite how I'd handle that situation!
I have just come across your blog, and I am loving it! I have a blog of my own, (www.athomefordinner.wordpress.com) and I love working on it, but I find that I fall behind on it. You mentioned in a recent post that you have a blogging calendar. It left me wondering about what this is and how you put it together.
Sarah
Hopefully you won't be disappointed when I share that it's nothing remotely fancy!
I simply print out a free 5-day week calendar (I recommended that calendar-printing site when I wrote about some of my favorite free internet sites) and I fill in post ideas for all of the days.
I don't think I've ever perfectly stuck to a whole month's worth of blog post plans, but brainstorming and writing ideas down for a month helps me to be more organized and helps me to do prep work for posts (for instance, taking photos of something I made or something I bought).
Also, if I have a blog post idea written down, that puts that topic into my brain, and I can think about it while I do other things. This pre-pondering helps me to be more efficient when I actually sit down and write the post...while I was folding laundry or doing dishes, I already kind of sorted out what I wanted to say!
(Rachel Meeks talks about this in her book, Simple Blogging, which I highly recommend if you want to simplify your blogging life!)
I just read a older post about a pair of cute shoes you found at Goodwill.
I do a lot of shopping at 2nd hand stores. I look for both clothing and household items. One of the qualities I look for is washability. I get a queasy feeling putting my feet into shoes that other people have worn. I do look at the shoe rack for water shoes and slippers because I can throw them in the wash, other shoes I just pass by.
What, if anything, do you do to kill germs on second hand shoes?
Linda
The pair of shoes you're referencing appeared to be in brand-new condition, so I didn't worry about sanitizing them. They didn't seem any more dirty than shoes at a regular retail store (which have often been tried on by multiple people). But then again, I'm not the most germophobic person on the planet, so you might want to consider that when taking my advice!
Because I like to get the most bang for my buck, I generally won't buy shoes second-hand unless they're in brand new or nearly brand new condition. So, the shoes I buy are not normally very dirty.
I'd say that if unwashable second-hand shoes squick you out, it might be better to just buy brand-new shoes. Some people say that buying brand-new shoes is better for your feet anyway, and you shouldn't feel like you absolutely, positively must buy everything used. 🙂 Do what works for you!
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Do any of you bloggers use a blog plan? And if you're a second-hand shoe shopper, do you have any helpful advice for Linda?
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Today's 365 post: She's a blur.
Joshua's 365 post: A tree! What a surprise!
I'm kind of a nut about germs, and yet it never occurred to me to sanitize used shoes. Weird.
I only buy used shoes if they are in brand new or 'only wore a few times' condition, because they haven't conformed to someone else's feet yet.
If you're set on buying used shoes (or someone gives them to you as a gift or whatever) and you're not cool putting your feet where other people's feet are there is a disinfectant spray:
http://www.bowlingindex.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=BI&Category_Code=BS&Product_Code=SH-508
That was the first link on Google I found. I'm sure if you check your local bowling alley they might even be willing to sell you a can. I wouldn't be surprised if Goodwill et. all didn't already do this.
I prefer Converse Chuck Taylor oxfords as my everyday casual shoes (I even wore them during my wedding!) so I watch sales and use coupons. Failing that, Airwalks at Payless are good too.
Oh, that's a great idea!
I'll try not to let it go to my head.
Yes, Thank You!
we only buy used if they fit right. Then we take them home, dump a box of baking soda into them and wait 2-3 days. then we vacuum them out, wipe them down and we are good to go.
I think Wendy's is a good idea. A shot of Lysol spray is another option. It's a bowling alley tactic. Better still is the timeless Amy Dacyczyn gem: practice selective squeamishness.
I never thought about using a blogging schedule but I probably should. Currently I can blog everyday one week and then go three weeks without anything at all. I think that spreading the posts out and making it all more consistent is a really good idea. And maybe planning what I'm going to say will push me to think about some new ideas as well.
Thanks for the idea 🙂
Google toenail fungus and then put your bare feet in a second hand pair of ballet flats that were 'only' worn a few times. Yuck. That's why I only buy open toed shoes used. You could have the same problem with shoes that were tried on in the store of course....but that is a more limited exposure than actually wearing them for hours. There are UV (I think) lights that are supposed to kill fungus in shoes but I haven't researched them.
I'll buy used shoes that I can wear socks/stockings with and look barely worn. For those I'd wear with bare feet (sandals, flip flops, etc), I tend to shy away from used. Just something about having my skin inside a used shoe...
I have purchased second hand shoes in the past however, they have all been in basically new condition so I didn't think twice.
Can I comment on the first question ... yes? ... okay. =)
I work night shift and my husband works days, well, is in school actually. While we don't have any kids, we have found a few things that work well for us.
- We talk about my sleep schedule a lot - what works well, how much i need to sleep, if I think I'll sleep more or less on a certain day. It helps that he knows what to expect.
- We both find value in the time that is quiet while the other is sleeping. Having some built in alone time has been good for our relationship.
- We plan time to spend together and we stick to it.
- When it is possible for me to flip back to a day shift schedule, I try to do so because we both miss sleeping at the same time. Also, when he is able, my husband sometimes lays in bed with me for a couple of minutes before I go to sleep. It seems kinds silly, him "tucking me in" but it gives us a few extra minutes to connect before I sleep and he continues on in his morning.
- It has taken us a year or so to find our pattern with my night shifts but we do what is best for us, which I think is the most important thing.
It is so not silly to have your husband "tuck you in." I think it's sweet and speaks volumes about the connection you have 🙂
Before I finally succumbed to an i-phone I made copious notes on an equally copious number of stickies. Now I made very prelim notes on my phone as they strike me. Then I use the calendar to roughly decide when I'm going to post and then I start to write in blogger and schedule the specific publishing date. I don't often stick to everything but I find this makes my life a bit easier and essentially it becomes my meal planning for the week.
I had a work schedule that had me sleeping 8pm-4am, out the door by 5:30am when DH and I were first married. His sleep schedule was more like 11pm-6:30am, out the door at 7:30 or 8:00am.
Our solution was kind of like RachelB's - we'd enjoy our time in the evening after dinner, he'd lie down and cuddle me while I fell asleep, then get up and do something else for a few hours, usually work-related (he was finishing his Ph.d.). On the weekends I didn't work (I worked every other weekend), we'd aim for a good mid-point so I wouldn't totally lose my sleeping rhythm but we could still have breakfast together.
I think the most important part of dealing with dueling sleep schedules is to talk about it, be clear about how much sleep you need, and respect your partner's sleep needs as well. Being clear about diving household and childcare duties is also important. I'm now a SAHM, so my schedule tends to flex around DH's, but I need an hour more of sleep per night, so we still talk about who's going to bed and getting up when. If we want to go to bed at the same time, he knows he's "on call" for the kids in the morning. If we're going to be going somewhere together in the morning, I go to bed an hour before he does.
We have a lovely family that gives us hand-me-downs for our girls, including shoes. She tells me that she just throws the shoes in the washing machine.... they always come to us very clean. So I have taken her idea and always wash my kids shoes, sandals, dressy shoes and winter boots at the end of each season. This of course would not work with leather shoes, but I have had great sucess with running shoes, any typs of sandals that aren't leather, winter boots, man-made suede boots, etc! And if any of you are wondering, I use a front-loading machine. At first I was concerned that this would dent the drum, but this hasn't ever happened and the lady who gives us hand me downs also uses a front-loader.
This is me officially de-lurking.
I discovered your blog through Chris H.'s interview with you a few months back. I went to the archives and started at the oldest post you have here and have now reached this most recent one, 'cause I'm weird like that. 😉
I'm looking forward to seeing how you make life work with the later work schedule. My husband's schedule can vary dramatically over the week, but he never works earlier than 7am and never gets home later than 9pm. I feel fortunate that he doesn't have to work later than that. 🙂
Welcome, welcome!! 🙂 I love it when readers de-lurk.
Just another thought..... washing shoes would not sanitize them, but washing clothes doesn't sanitize them either. Unless you have a cycle on your washing machine that uses boiling water (most in North America do not) washing clothes just cleans the dirt and smell off, it doesn't sanitize or kill germs. so if you are truly adverse to germs, you will have to use a different method. For my part I am content to use my washing machine and leave the rest up to God.
Hmm, I never thought about sanitizing shoes! We did it when I worked at a bowling alley, of course, but it never occurred to me to do it with used shoes I buy! But I really don't worry much about germs anyway.
I recently bought a cute pair of shoes (inspired by that picture, actually!) which were definitely worn (a little scuffed, but not terribly) and I didn't even think to sanitize and I'm OK!
Hmmm, blogging schedule. Now there's an idea I should implement! I have a bazillion excuses for the random posting schedule on my blog - I'm working long hours, I'm in my third trimester, my computer is VERY slow (read dying), etc. (Wah wah wah) but I honestly have to say a lack of planning (and a bit of perfectionism) probably has a great deal too do with my sporadic posts.
I'll brainstorm ideas for December, and set a schedule. Then there will be one more thank-you I owe you Frugal Girl!
I have a type of a blog plan. I prep posts to about 95% completion (I need to add photos, etc) on the weekends and save them as drafts. Then all I have to do is post them when I get home at night. I found that I can't keep my blog current if I don't do it, and since I post a lot of finished projects posts I can't keep up with them if I don't write them when I finish the project.
Thanks for the e-book suggestion. I just downloaded it and I can't wait to check it out! I love the schedule idea. I did see you share a photo of your blog plan once... it doesn't have to be pretty to be effective. Thanks for the reminder!
Thanks for the info! Starting the new year off right with these new blogging ideas might be just the thing I need!
Thanks for addressing my questions!