The Long Commute

I don’t like driving.

My kids REALLY don’t like driving.

But my chef/husband loves to drive.

Thank goodness . . . because he spends 3+ hours in the car each day just to get to and from work.

Long commutes STINK!! (more…)

Time Management and the Chef’s Wife

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Being married to a chef, (and being a stay at home mom), most of the work to be done at home falls on my shoulders.  My husband works 70-80 hours a week, so the free time he does have, he uses to sleep and spend with us.  I don’t want to have a huge list of things I need him to do around the house during the few hours he’s off.  This seems to work well for us.

There’s only one problem.

I tend to get overwhelmed easily.

Combine that with the amount of work it takes to care for a family, a home and a small business and that can be a problem!!

I’m a list maker.  OneNote is full of lists of things to do today and in the future.  I have shopping lists for different stores I need to go to.  I have a list of weekly chores for myself and the kids.  Some days I think I’m really organized and can stay on top of things.  Other days, I just look at what needs to be done and sit there overwhelmed. (more…)

Tips for Talking to a Chef’s Wife

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Chefwives, you know the conversation.  You’ve just met someone and you’re making small talk about your family, the number of kids you have, where you work, where you live etc.

You know the question is coming.

Wait for it.

Wait for it.

“What does your husband do for a living?”

“My husband is a chef,” you say timidly, knowing one of the statements or questions that will most likely be coming next.

  • You are so lucky!!  I would love to be married to a chef!
  • You must eat so well at home.
  • Holidays must be AMAZING at your house.
  • What’s your husband’s favorite food to make?
  • He should be on Top Chef!
  • How is it that you don’t weigh a ton?
  • What’s your favorite food that that he cooks for you?
  • What restaurant does he work at?  (Insert restaurant name here.)  Oh I love that place!

 Then when people know you a little better, the comments tend to change. (more…)

Surviving on the One Income of a Chef

Surviving on the one income of a chefA family of 5 living on one income, the income of a chef . . . I would guess you’re either thinking, “How in the world do you do that?  You must be crazy!”  Or ,“We’re doing that too and I know you’re crazy!”  (Or I guess you could be thinking, “Wow!  Her chef/husband must be a Food Network star.”  He’s not.)

I say that jokingly, but really, I do feel like we are a bit crazy.

In the series, A Chef, a Wife and a Child, one of the questions I asked was, “What has been the hardest part for you and your chef/husband with the addition of a little one to your family?”

The #1 thing for us, without a doubt, was adjusting to living on one income.  This is by far too big of an issue to get buried in another post.  So here we are! (more…)