Christmas Eve 2011

For once, all the gifts are wrapped and under the tree. They were actually wrapped yesterday. For the first time ever. Usually I am wrapping on Christmas Eve. Until about 1 or 2 in the morning. So glad it got done yesterday!

Right now there is an Eggnog Cheesecake in the oven. I'm getting ready to make the sausage gravy for tomorrow's breakfast and prep my broccoli casserole. Then it will be time to stuff stockings and go to bed!

Enjoy your holidays!

New Year's

Hello my poor, poor neglected blog. I had such high hopes for us, but alas, life got in the way. This coming year though, I have reduced my work hours and will hopefully have more of that precious commodity...time.

I have never made resolutions on New Year's. I make goals. Something to strive for during the year. I don't always achieve these goals, but it's fun trying and I usually try something new. Here are the goals for 2012:

1. Blog everyday. I'm going to try and start this one now. I know I won't be able to do it everyday until the new year (there's just too much going on with the holidays), but I should be able to get some regular posting in. (not that it matters too much. I'm the only reader! lol!)

2. Continue to work my diet. It's not really a diet. It's an awesome eating plan. It's been working fabulously for the past few weeks, but again, with the holidays I've been pretty lax.

3. Learn to can.

4. Move away from processed food.

5. In conjunction with number four, make my own convenience foods and condiments.

6. Sew a seasonal (vintage) wardrobe.

7. Have (and maintain!) a container garden.

8. Keep my house orderly and clean.

9. Try and keep all gifts for giving homemade.

10. Knit a pair of socks (they are the bane of my existence!)

I may add to this as the year goes on. We'll see!

Menu Plan Monday

Whew! Last week certainly was busy! This week looks to be shaping up to be the same way. Luckily, my menu is made and once I find time to go to the grocery store (I was camping with Cub Scouts on my normal shopping day and I'm trying to see where I can squeeze it in this week), my suppers will no longer be a worry and I'll be able to cross them off the never ending to do list!

Monday-Chicken Paprikish, noodles, salad
Tuesday-Hamburger steak, cottage potatoes, green beans, chocolate Bavarian
Wednesday-Tangy ribs, bacon-tomato spinach salad, Sally Lunn bread, candy corn smoothie
Thursday-Pork chops, carrots with dip, scalloped potatoes
Friday-Rustic Autumn Soup
Saturday-Chili
Sunday-Roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, asparagus tips, peas, peach crisp, biscuits, candy corn popsicles



For a wealth of menu ideas, check out orgjunkie.com!

Progress

If you remember, Twila Jean is hosting a knit along for the 3-hour sweater. Here's my progress. I think it's coming along nicely, although it's been more than 3 hours! I usually work on it while I'm watching Project Runway, so this is probably about 4 hours of work. I did have to restart it once and I've made two mistakes. The first one I was able to fix, but I've not yet attempted fixing the second one. I just made the mistake, but didn't catch it in time to fix it right away. I think if this was the only thing I was working on it would be further along than it is, but I've also got a gray swing coat I'm working on for my new wardrobe and I've just cast on to make my oldest son a Harry Potter scarf.

P.S. Ignore the mess and the bit of fluffy tail!

Has it been a week already? Where is this month going? It will be over before I know it! Here' this weeks menu.

Monday-pork steak, salad, potatoes, buttered rutabaga  (left over from last weeks menu)

Tuesday-Meatball stew, salad, quick garlic toast, brownies

Wednesday-Marinated chicken, broccoli casserole, oven rice

Thursday-Pork chop stuffing casserole, buttered spinach, mashed potatoes, cupcakes

Friday-Out

Saturday-Camping

Sunday-Swiss steak, potato pancakes, salad, peach crisp

Do you struggle with what's for dinner? For hundreds of ideas, go here!

Weekly Menu

Monday-Spooky Shepherd's Pie, Salad, leftover pumpkin cake

Tuesday-Braised pork steak, mashed sweet potatoes, buttered cauliflower, apple dumplings

Wednesday-Chicken with gravy, peas, salad, chocolate pudding

Thursday-Out to dinner (our favorite local restaurant is closing :( )

Friday-Ham steak, fried cabbage, potato dumplings, pumpkin custard

Saturday-not sure entirely. Might go out.

Sunday-German skillet beef, buttered noodles, meringue ghosts

For more ideas, go here!

Knit A Long

The lovely Twila Jean blogged about knitting the 3-hour sweater and I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon. Partly because I've attempted it before and what I was able to knit was fairly easy, partly because I'm trying to get my wardrobe together (slowly but surely) with vintage and vintage inspired clothing, but mostly because she mentioned she was doing hers in mustard and that's my new favorite color.

I had to take my youngest daughter to school today and afterward I stopped by Michaels. Sadly, they weren't having a sale on yarn, but the yarn I found was reasonably priced and the color was gorgeous, so I bought it anyway. Along with some grey for another project I hope to start soon.

This Week's Menu

I've gotten away from making my weekly menu and I really need to get back to it. It really makes my life easier.

Sunday-Beef stew, biscuits

Monday-Chicken and rice, salad

Tuesday-Company Casserole (new recipe)

Wednesday-Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans

Thursday-Stuffed pork chops, salad

Friday-out

Saturday-Pumpkin sausage soup

Vintage Set

I've been trying to be more vintage in my styling. It's a look I strive for, but is not easy to achieve. I don't live in a vintage saturated location, so any vintage I find tends to be way overpriced, and I admit that I'm not savvy enough to spot authentic vintage when I'm out thrifting. I do look for, and sometimes find, vintage inspired things, and I do use those. It's an ongoing process, one I hope to incorporate more and more until it is an everyday thing.

Today, well, last night, I used this fabulous tutorial to set my hair. I have to say I am extremely pleased with the results! I have shorter hair (it's growing out so very slowly. Maddening!), but was able to roll it.

Next step: Creating my wardrobe.

Recently I purchased several long sleeve t-shirts and a few cardigans in my vintage color palette. Red, Grey, a grayish Navy, Ivory, and Mustard. Now I have to decide on bottoms and accessories. I need more time in my days, for sure!

House Update

In between Scouts, work, and school functions for the kids, I've been trying to get my house in order while, at the same time, produce a workable schedule. It's going a bit slow, but hopefully by the end of the week I'll have a halfway straightened house that can be improved upon week after week while continuing to stay clean with the schedule. Clear as mud? Sorry, the boys are being distracting while we wait until it's time to get the bus.

I worked a little on the kitchen the other day.  Last year I think, was when I reorganized the cabinets so they are looking pretty good. I did purge somethings from a few cabinets and switched two cabinets around. I plan on really working hard in there tomorrow as Wednesday is going to be my designated kitchen day. Today it's bathrooms, so I guess I'd better get moving!

Supper-Baked potato soup, garlic cheesy biscuits, chocolate chocolate chip brownies

Messy

I've decided to start from scratch with my house. Even though I've decluttered and organized areas, I've realized I can do better. Our house is small and we have a lot of stuff, but we also have four kids. There's bound to be some kind of mess going on on a regular basis. I mean, I have one into every type of arts and craft there is (the latest is origami and there's origami paper everywhere), two that are really into Lego's (again...everywhere), one of the Lego fanatics is also still very into trains (Thomas anyone?), another who is a girly girl and at any given moment wants to have a tea party, and they (along with me and DH) all love to read so everywhere you look there are books.

Having to start somewhere, I started with the front closet. Which will also be a cleaning closet because we need somewhere to keep the mop and broom (storage is a small problem). Having been through it once already, I was somewhat amazed by all the stuff I pulled out. Gone are the multiple coats. Hats, gloves, and scarves are held neatly in containers. The clean floor holds soda and the mop and broom plus a bucket. It is still a little crowded in there because I took some of the jackets hanging on hooks for the children and put them in the closet so that lunch boxes can be hung on the hook and taken out of the kitchen, thus making the kitchen less cluttered. All part of the Master Plan.


However, in creating this clean, organized, work of art space, I have created a big mess that still needs cleaning up. A bag for DAV that can't go into the van because it needs to be cleaned out first. Some seasonal things that I need to find a home for. A bag of trash that needs to go out. There's always something. Guess I should go take care of it!

Organizing

I've been trying, unsuccessfully I might add, since 2002 to organize my home. 9 years. I know it's been that long because I was pregnant with my oldest son, had and almost 2 year old running around, and signed up for Flylady.

Now, I love Flylady. I really do. I learned a lot, followers send in great tips, she's very motivational, but...she didn't work for me. I can't really say why, it just didn't. I bought a book today on organizing. I picked up a few good tips, but a lot of it I already do. But house is still a wreck. I'm going to get organized if it kills me!