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Loida Casares Ruiz

Wife, Mother, Writer, Advertising Manager

Loida Casares Ruiz grew up in Northeast Houston. She graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Minor in English. She received a Master of Arts in Communication in 2001. She works in advertising by day and is a mother, wife, and writer by night. She has al...

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Skillets & Cleaning Help

Domestic Bliss

My nerves have been on edge the entire weekend with everything setting me off. I had a great time on Saturday with an early dinner and a shopping trip with some girlfriends, but even that stressed me out because I was totally second-guessing all my purchases. Very sad. I hate that I can’t even relax and enjoy myself without torturing myself about how  much money I’m spending and how much work I need to do in my house.

I have been feeling really overwhelmed for a while now and I know that’s it’s been worse since I stopped having someone come in to help me with the cleaning once a week. I erroneously thought that I could actually keep up with the cleaning myself. I was wrong. I have added a huge amount of stress to my life that is not worth the money I am saving.

It’s Sunday and I went to Target today for some grocery shopping, because my daughter needed a white t-shirt for a Stride 4 Stroke walk that she’s doing next Saturday and we’re doing it with her. (Yes and she’s also doing Jump for Heart this week.) We figured we’d kill two birds with one stone and we’d do our grocery shopping as well.

While going down the frozen foods aisle, my husband pointed out that they sold Skillets. I happily threw three different flavors into my grocery basket. Skillets are bags of frozen chicken, with either rice or pasta and vegetables. I cook up a bag and I always add a bag of frozen vegetables, like snap peas or broccoli, for added vegetables. They are a working-mom’s lifesaver.

It also reminded me of one time that I was grocery shopping at Kroger and I had a grocery cart full of these bags. An older lady stood behind me and looked at my basket with an amused look on her face. I don’t know how she started the conversation, but she asked me about my Skillets. When I told her that I loved them because I work and it leaves me little time to cook, she told me that she had something like ten children, worked part-time, and still managed to make them home made meals every day. I smiled sweetly and congratulated her on her super-woman strength while laughing inside. 

I guess it made her feel good to point out her own domestic virtues. More power to her! I, on the other hand, consider myself fortunate if I can even make it home to cook my Skillets. Thank goodness for modern-day conveniences.

What about you? What easy short-cut do you use that doesn’t involve driving through a fast food pick-up lane? Because I use that one too! But for those days when I don’t have time to cook a full dinner, and when I don’t want to pick up fast food, it’s good to have those Skillets.

I’m also getting my cleaning lady back this week before I lose it! Or her! Or both! I better go e-mail her right now!

Oh and if you are interested in donating to my daughter’s Jump for Heart effort go here and donate. Shameless mother promoting her daughter’s Jump for Heart cause.