I know that all moms say this, but I’m really a very busy person.
I’m a full-time mom, which means that I’m a tutor, a (not-so-fun) playmate, a driver, a snack fairy, a hot chocolate maker, and a TV buddy, among other things.
I’m also a housewife. This means that I do the grocery shopping, I attempt to clean, I empty laundry baskets, and fill up closets with nice-smelling, clean clothes. I make coffee and a packed lunch for MrC most mornings, and make sure that there’s a hot meal ready for him when he gets home after work.
I recently took on a new job, too. It’s been nearly five years since I quit my day job in favor of being hands-on at home, and I have absolutely no regrets. But, with Little MrC being at school all day, and the new responsibilities that come with living on our own, I knew that it was time to find work that I can do while I do what I do.
At the end of last year, I decided that I was ready to start chasing some of the big dreams that I parked when I got pregnant. Lo and behold, just when I did, an opportunity opened up. Ang galing lang. This gig’s gonna last for as long as it lasts, and I intend to make the most out of it while I have it. It’s a good one, and I’m excited to write about it when I can.
So, going back to my original point, I’m a very busy person. Now that actual work that involves being out of the house has been thrown into the mix, it’s become harder to be the homemaker that I want to be. It’s a good thing that, over the last few years of me being completely home-based, I’ve picked up quite a few tricks for making this whole home management thing easier. A lot of it involves Glad®.
When you look around our house, you’ll see that we really do use a lot of Glad® products. We use Glad® Storage Bags with zipper tops for everything from makeup to Lego to yarn and crocheted items to, of course, food.
I find that it’s the best way to store half-finished bags of cereal, chips, and crackers so they don’t get stale. This is perfect since I like to buy big bags of stuff instead of snack-sized ones. More food, less trash. Makes sense to me.
I also use storage bags in the freezer. My freezer is tiny, and this allows me to make the most out of the little space I have. As much as possible, I like to marinate meats before I freeze them so that all I need to do is thaw and cook later on. There are some things I like to cook a lot of and store, too, like pasta sauce, French toast and seasoned ground meats.
This is a total lifesaver, especially on days when going to work means being on-set by 6AM and home by 11PM. I simply leave a note for MrC, telling him what they can thaw and heat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This also makes school mornings easier for me. French toast, waffles and pancakes are awesome, because they can go straight from storage bag to toaster to plate to tummy.
In the kitchen, Glad® Cling Wrap is my go-to handy helper when I’m marinading meats. We don’t have help so I really try to not to use too many tools when preparing food. I typically marinate the meat in the same bowl that I washed it in, then let it sit in the fridge covered in cling wrap. I swear, this just makes it so much easier, not just to prepare food, but also to clean up afterwards.
Here’s a tip: Use cling wrap instead of aluminum foil. Many use aluminum foil to store food, and I did too, for a long time. The thing is, aluminum foil was designed for cooking not storage. It doesn’t keep out air and seal in moisture as effectively as cling wrap. Plus, when you’re marinating anything with tomato, the foil reacts to the marinade! I had to learn this the hard way, as I once had to scrape off foil bits that melted and stuck to a chicken I was preparing to roast. Hassle. And possibly unsafe lol.
When you really need a tight seal, Press N Seal is the answer. This one’s a little more expensive, but it’s so worth it. I first saw this product at an aunt’s house. She had a salad bar laid out, and her little bowls of condiments were covered with Press N Seal. She said she prepared everything way ahead, and things managed to stay crisp and juicy as they were supposed to. Plus, of course, clean. At home, I use it mostly to store glasses of taho in the fridge for the kiddo’s afternoon snack.
A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on
Like I said in the super corny title of this post, I’m just glad I’ve got Glad®. God knows it really does make my life easier.
If you wanna know more about Glad® products, visit www.glad.com.ph, and check them out on Facebook and Instagram.