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A Slightly Slower Paced Week

Week in Review 4 Comments

The week moved at a slightly slower paced speed for the second week of November. As I review my week for you, I’m again sharing bits of gratitude I found in each day.

MONDAY

Worked half a day and would you believe it’s the only day I worked all week? I’m still in a bit of shock about that. In the afternoon, I ran to the grocery store where I discovered a new Starbucks favorite treat. Though I probably wouldn’t want it in today’s cold blustery wind, the 70 degrees on Monday was perfect for an Irish Cream Cold Brew. It’s definitely going to be my treat drink of choice on warmer days. Finished off the day by taking J to his lesson and reading my book for a bit.

Gratitude items from Monday: Beautiful weather, discovery of a much needed new favorite coffee treat, and a chance to work and see my favorite preschool kids. (Hint: They’re all my favorites!)  slightly slower paced

TUESDAY

Our beautiful weather continued on Tuesday. And since I had the day off work, I took the opportunity to finally go for a walk at one of my favorite local parks. After picking up J from school, I then went with my husband so he could complete his purchase of a new truck. He’s been driving an 2004 with many miles and has been looking for almost a year now. So it was quite exciting that he finally found what he wanted and got a deal on it (no small feat, it’s definitely currently not a buyers market for automobiles).

Gratitude for Tuesday: A beautiful much needed walk in the nature of the park, my husband finding a truck after a very long search, GPS in my car to help navigate rush hour (he found his truck on the Kansas side of the state line and I had to make my way home through downtown during rush hour traffic). 

WEDNESDAY

Another day at home for me. Such a strange week, needed the down time but still had lots of people in this house still needing me. Had to find insurance information for my husband. G borrowed my car for most of the day (better gas mileage) to do a school project. I spent a bit of time working on a new blog post about some of my favorite authors. Later, my husband took J and I in the new truck out to Culvers for dinner. A no cooking night is always a win!

Thankful Things from Wednesday: Another day to enjoy being at home, dinner out with (most) the family. 

THURSDAY

I found myself shocked (and if I’m honest, a bit relieved) to once again not get called into work on Thursday. Did a little birthday and Christmas sorting (J’s birthday is next week). Got a wild hair and baked a fruitcake, we’ll see how that turns out. And had a nice get together/Mom’s Night Out with friends. I missed the last one so it was nice to catch up with everyone.

Thankful Things from Thursday: another day to relax at home (almost caught up on the laundry even!), time to bake, a chance to see friends.

FRIDAY

We went from super sunny fall days early in the week to a cold, blustery 38 degrees currently. And I know I saw snow flurries earlier as well! So far today, I’m just having a lazy day. Ate some snacks, watched some TV. Honestly, I’ve done pretty much nothing so far with my free Friday. Did remove some weird looking white cocoon thing from my Meyer lemon tree (whole branch is gone now) but that’s about it. G even bought my lunch at McDonald’s so I didn’t have to worry about that either. 

Gratitude so far for today: a cozy warm house, spotting the weird white cocoon thing before whatever was inside it joined our family (we’re at occupancy around here!), a thoughtful older son who always asks if I want something when he goes out for lunch, a free day! 

Our Upcoming Weekend

For the first time in probably 2 months, I can sleep in tomorrow morning. Probably won’t but it’s nice to know we have nowhere to be. G and J have dinner plans with their grandpa but I don’t know what I’m doing yet. Sunday morning, J plays with his baritone instructor’s band during a church service so I’ll probably attend that. Chiefs game on Sunday evening of course. Over all, a nice slightly slower paced weekend even. And for that, I’m very grateful. 

Where did you find gratitude during the past week? Or what about the upcoming weekend makes you want to give thanks?

My Favorite Authors for Cozy, Comforting Reads

Books and TV Shows 2 Comments

In today’s post, I’m sharing my favorite authors for cozy, comforting reads. A few of these authors were on my summer reading list. Instead of sharing another list of books, this time I’m just sharing the names of the authors. I don’t think you can really go wrong with any of their books.

And while I do enjoy a hold it in your hands actual book, most of the books by these authors, I’ve read on the kindle unlimited app on my phone. Never thought I’d be one for digital books but the convenience certainly helps me read more often. I love reading in bed at night and not having to worry about having a light bothering my husband. I can also easily read while waiting to pick up my son from various activities.

Giving a bit of credit where it’s due here, I must point out I came across a quite a few (maybe not all) of my favorite authors from their mentions on the blog, How to Hygge the British Way. 

Probably why more than a few of these authors are from the UK.

Pure Romance/Relationship Novels with Great Settings

  • Since I’m currently reading the end of the Willow Tree series, I’ll start with Alison Sherlock. The first book I read by her was The Village Shop for Lonely Hearts. It’s the first in the Riverside Lane series, currently 3 books). Her books all have great themes of friendship, community, and of course, romance.
  • Daisy James is one of the best for whisking me away to exotic or coastal locales. She filled her Cornish Confetti Agency series with fun mishaps and charming characters.  I found myself researching Greece for a dream getaway after starting in on her Hummingbird Hotel series. Snowflakes at the Hummingbird Hotel is on my list for this winter.
  • Of the three authors I’m listing here, Donna Ashcroft is my absolute favorite! I’ve yet to read a book by her where I didn’t absolutely fall in love with the characters and the location. A lot though not all of her books are Christmas themed. Perfect Christmas time reads. I’m trying to hold off on reading The Christmas Countdown until after Thanksgiving but I’m not sure I’ll make it. I’ve read all her others. You just can’t go wrong with her books.

favorite authors

A Cozy Mystery Author

Let’s come back to America for a moment. I only have one author in this category. Honestly, Ginger Bolton’s  Survival of the Fritters (A Deputy Donut Mystery #1) was the first book I read in this genre. And I found out the hard way, this genre is very hit and miss with me. And misses make me not want to read this genre for a while. However, the characters in this series feel like old friends and it’s set around a donut shop. Doesn’t tend to get as bogged down with food but does still make me a little hungry at times. Worth checking out if you enjoy this genre. Note: these aren’t free on the kindle app so check out your local library! I’ll definitely be looking there for her 6th book Deck the Donuts.

favorite authors

Authors with Books on My Christmas Wish List

And then there are the books I enjoyed so much, I would like to own so I could read them again.

favorite authors

  • At the top of this list is Natalie Normann with Christmas Island, set in Norway. When I read it last year in the kindle app, I immediately thought oh, I’d like an actual copy of this book. At the time it wasn’t available. However, now you can order it in paperback and it’s definitely on my wish list! Her other novel, Summer Island is also worth a read.
  • Meik Wikig was another author on my summer reading list. His books are small, hardcover easy to read books. Think like a small coffee table book. Comfort in book form. I have his Little Book of Lykke but would love to have the other two he’s written.  favorite authors
  • And I must add Helen Russell who started me down the path of seeking out Hygge type books back when I first read her book, The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country. 

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Who are some of your favorite authors for light, uplifting reading?

(And don’t get me wrong, I still love non-fiction, autobiographies, and intense suspense thrillers!)

(One last note: While I’ve linked all the authors up there to Amazon, I’m not an affiliate or anything like that, it was just the easiest way to get you their information)

 

 

 

Happy Homemaker Monday, Let There Be (Morning) Light!

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First, yes I know it’s Tuesday. Day late seems to be the usual for me lately.

And now, for my unpopular opinion at this time of year. I love when we switch off Daylight Savings Time. It makes me so happy to have daylight in the mornings again. No more taking J to school in the dark. No more missing the beautiful sunrises because I am already at work or busy with other chores.

My only complaint this year is the later switching really did mean it gets dark already at 5:30! Ugh. If we’d switched a bit sooner, we could’ve eased into the darker evenings a bit more.

Okay, enough about that. Time to plan the rest of the week ahead by joining in with Sandra over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom.

Breakfast Plate…What Is On The Plate This Morning

Something different for a change! A pumpkin English muffin and a bowl of maple sugar instant oatmeal. Coffee and vitamins remain constant breakfast fare.

Looking Around The House

Giving it a decent tidying and perhaps some cleaning definitely on the list for today.

On Today’s To Do List

  1. Laundry
  2. This post/menu plan
  3. Write another blog post
  4. Figure out plans for J’s birthday next week
  5. Whatever the Flylady kitchen missions are for yesterday and today
  6. Write and mail a letter

Currently Reading

Midnight Kisses at Willow Tree Hall (book 4 in the series) by Alison Sherlock. I read a couple of her other books over the weekend. They’re not long reads and are just happy, feel good romances.

On The TV This Week

The Voice and La Brea tonight, Masked Singer tomorrow. Not sure about the rest. Probably finish up The Flash for my laundry folding show.

The Weather Outside Is

Beautiful! Back to a late summer/early autumn feeling. High of 70 degrees yesterday, low 60’s today. Still a bit windy though so not quite as warm. Cloudy this morning. Then, good chances for rain tomorrow and cooler temps for the weekend. It’s typical up, down, and sideways weather for us.

On The Menu This Week

Continuing to struggle with what to fix….went to the store yesterday but we’ll see if that helps me think of anything.

MONDAY: No idea what G ate, J and my husband had rotisserie chicken and I had a bowl of cereal *I worked 8:30-1* *J had a baritone lesson at 6:30*

TUESDAY: Hamburgers/cheeseburgers on pretzel buns, maybe I’ll make onion rings on the side

WEDNESDAY: Pork chops in crock pot, rice (depending on my mood, may just switch this and make tacos)

THURSDAY: Spicy potato soup

FRIDAY: Grilled cheese, soup

If I Have A Few Minutes To Myself, I Will

Take my camera and go for a walk!

New Recipe I Tried Or Want To Try This Week

I have a very few red tomatoes left from our garden (turned them red in a brown paper sack) and thinking I’m going to half this recipe for tomato crostini to use them up before they go bad.

One Of My Simple Pleasures

Seeing the sunrise in the early morning hours

Favorite Photo From The Camera

Didn’t take many photos at all last week so all my photos are of the same first day of no daylight savings sunrise. This one was my favorite of the bunch.

Praying For

Friends, family, strangers. That the people from the car accident blocking the road last night were okay.  A peaceful holiday season.

Quote For The Week

Darkness cannot drive out darkness.
Only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate.
Only love can do that.
(Martin Luther King Jr.) 

 

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First Week of November Happenings

Week in Review 2 Comments

Thought I’d hop on here and share a few tidbits about my first week of November. Much like the rest of 2021, it went by in a blur.

Since it’s November, I’m also going to share a few bits of gratitude from each of my days.

Monday was a slow day with J staying home from school and missing his baritone lesson that night as well. Didn’t quite know what to do with myself with a free Monday. It’d been a while. I’d like to say I accomplished a lot but honestly, I don’t think I did. Seems so long ago even though it was only a few days. Oh, I did manage to take down all the Halloween specific decorations indoors and started on outdoors but it started raining so today I’ll finish that chore. And I almost forgot the most important thing, we changed trash companies! No more 2 inch folder of customer service complaints to track.

Grateful for a free Monday and the much needed rain. And a new trash company!

Caffeinated and Vaccinated

Tuesday, J had no school and I opted not to work as I made an appointment to get a booster COVID vaccine shot. *Insert many unkind words directed to Johnson and Johnson regarding the one and done shot. Cruel trick to play on those of use very scared of needles* For anyone interested, the booster was Moderna, mix and match for me.

Before I went and tested my bravery, I made a very quick grocery run. Then, I went to my appointment at Walgreens. They were busy but I got in and out fairly quickly and even picked up a bit of bargain Halloween candy (May or may not have picked up some Halloween bargains at the grocery store as well. However, those purchases were put away for Christmas.). Really, most of the “caffeinated” part of Tuesday came from chocolate in the leftover/bargain Halloween candy. At least, I skipped the Starbucks this time.

Grateful for an amazing pharmacy tech at Walgreens who was super understanding and distracted me to the point the shot didn’t even hurt! Also, science. And Halloween candy on sale.

What’s on TV on Wednesdays

I could’ve have worked on Wednesday but didn’t want to take a chance on getting there and feeling bad. So, I basically had an all day TV marathon on Wednesday. Probably did some other stuff as well but can’t remember it. Netflix choice of the day: a complete catch up of DC Legends of Tomorrow and a start of seasons 6/7 of The Flash. Nothing requiring too much concentration. Wednesday evening we watched The Masked Singer.  

Thankfully, my husband had brought home a rotisserie chicken from Sam’s club so no dinner worries either.

Grateful for so many choices of TV programs, limited mild reaction from my vaccine on Tuesday (mostly just tired and a bit of a sore arm but nothing like the first time). 

Working for a Living

Since I didn’t feel too bad with vaccine side effects, I went ahead and agreed to work Thursday. A full day but it always feels like a shorter day when it starts at 7:00a.m. and ends at 3:30p.m. Can I just say driving to work as well as arriving there in full on dark stinks? Can not wait for mornings to be light once again. More excited about that than the extra hour of sleep most of us are getting back tonight.

Grateful for a peaceful work day in the preprimary classroom. And enough food in the fridge that I didn’t really have to cook for a 3rd day (leftover roast transformed into BBQ sandwiches for dinner)

Finally the Weekend

Friday started as a bit of a comedy of errors as I worked but the teacher that called me in also called in 2 other subs! Oops. Bit of a mix up but it was fine and I was only there for a half-day. Sometimes, it’s hard to work on Fridays but I do always enjoy seeing the kids as well as what they bring for share time (every Friday). Last night we didn’t do much, I watched a bit more of The Flash, not the best season, and we had pizza late.

Grateful for getting to spend time with so many amazing preschool kids at a job I still love six years later. Beautiful fall weather. Changing trees and more crunchy leaves under my feet each day. 

Today, I took J to all-district band tryouts early this morning, then he went to a friend’s house. Later, my husband and I are going out to dinner with friends followed by a game night, I think. Tomorrow, an extra hour of sleep and watching the Chiefs game are the main to-do list items. And getting outside as it’s supposed to be close to 70 degrees. 

Grateful for a chance to chat with the mom of a good friend of J’s during the tryouts (I rarely see her as she works weekends), friends, and fine fall weather.  

What things were you grateful for this week or weekend?

Final Thoughts on Attempting to Fly

31 Days Series FlyBaby Reborn 2 Comments

Suppose it’s fitting that I am publishing the last post in this series about being a flybaby reborn 4 days after the month’s end. And on anti-procrastination day.

Flybaby

(Before I get too far into this post, just a note, please forgive any grammar/spelling errors I miss. Had my COVID booster shot yesterday and head feels a bit swirly. Also, sore arm but hooray for the miracle of modern science and medicine. Nap in my future today for sure!)

When I started

Prior to this series, my kitchen was a mess most nights. And usually most mornings. I decided my main focus would be to “shine the sink” each night. While I never officially shined it using the Flylady method, I did clean it out and give it a good wipe down each night. Some day I do plan to give her method a try. Can almost hear my husband now when he sees me grabbing a bit of car wax for our kitchen sink. Perhaps I’ll make it a hunting season project for when he’s not home.

Other Items

I tried to somewhat follow her schedule or establish a routine for the week. While anti-procrastination day helped me accomplish a few things, the other days proved harder to maintain. Blaming my unpredictable work schedule mostly. However, I do like the idea of a weekly routine. And Diane in Denmark often stresses to make the routines work to your schedule. So perhaps I’ll give this area more thought and work on getting some daily routines in place.

One area I still dislike with the whole Flybaby business is all the e-mails! So many e-mails. I like the ones regarding the daily missions and routines for the week but lots of sales/testimonials that I don’t even read. Used to be able to streamline. Definitely need to see if that option is still available.

Will I Continue?

I think perhaps I shall continue with the Flylady way. It turns out I rather enjoy waking up to a (mostly) empty sink each morning. Currently, my sink is empty and the dishwasher is running (need to work on the habit of pushing that darn button!), the counters are also clear. Quite an accomplishment as we had a crock pot meal last night. In the past, the day after the crock pot meal, the poor crock pot kept its place on the counter for way too long. Now, I find I don’t mind cooking as much since I’m not starting from a place of a large mess.

Building on the Routines and Habits

Now, that I have a somewhat solid start (not completely but baby steps and all that), I’ll continue to build on this foundation. Continuing on in the Flylady way does indeed make me a Flybaby Reborn, I guess.

This is the end of my series. I hope you’ve enjoyed following along with me in my attempts. Have you ever tried the Flylady ways? How did it go for you?

 

Happy Homemaker Monday, Welcome to November

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My calendar says November 1 but my e-mail says Christmas! and my mind says, wait what happened to August? Ha. Guess we’ll just have to believe the calendar.

Hope everyone had a good Halloween weekend. Mine was busy but good. Friday I helped out at the preschool Halloween party, exhausting but fun. Saturday morning the high school band marched in a local Halloween parade and then that night my husband and I attended a bonfire at a friend’s house. Yesterday was a bit more low-key. I made taco soup in the crock pot, watched a few Harry Potter movies, and we all played Uno while waiting for the trick-or-treat kids to arrive. Not as many as last year. However, lots going on around town this year.

And of course, my boys are excited to see leftover candy in that bowl. Unfortunately, J woke up not feeling great today so he’s home with a sore throat. No fever so I’m hoping it’s not serious and since tomorrow is a no school day (election day) that he’ll be back on track for Wednesday.

Time to plan the week ahead with Sandra over at Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom.

Breakfast Time…What Is On The Plate This Morning

Something different today. Pumpkin spice English muffin and then the usual vitamins and coffee.

Looking Around The House

Time to pack up the Halloween specific decorations, fall can stay though.

On Today’s To Do List

  1. Finish paying bills
  2. Cancel our trash service (We are going with a new company! Local and cheaper!)
  3. Laundry
  4. Take down outdoor Halloween decorations (Hoping it warms up a bit today)
  5. Make grocery list/maybe go to store
  6. Write and publish final post in my 31 days series, didn’t make it quite the full 31

Currently Reading

Just finished Christmas in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft. She’s definitely one of my favorite kindle authors. I’m only sorry I didn’t save this one for the Christmas season. On my “real” book pile, I’ve started Ten Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier. Very interesting so far.

On The TV This Week

The Voice, La Brea, hopefully, The Masked Singer is back, also watching Legends Of Tomorrow on Netflix. And may finish up my Harry Potter movie marathon I started (made it through 3 movies yesterday).

The Weather Outside Is

Chilly! It was nice for the parade on Saturday but now it’s turned and we’re getting lower than normal temperatures for the first week of November. It’s 43 degrees this morning. Predicted lows in the upper 30’s all week with highs in the mid 40’s to upper 50’s. Cloudy out there as well.

On The Menu This Week

Trying to eat out of the freezer this week a bit. However, I also have an appointment for a vaccine booster on Tuesday morning so they might be on their own depending on how I feel later. I’m going to try and keep it simple.

MONDAY: Maybe leftover taco soup, rottessire chicken?

TUESDAY: Roast in the crock pot  *Election Day* *No school* *I have an appt at 9:30*

WEDNESDAY: Chicken strips, French Fries

THURSDAY:  No idea, maybe minestrone?

FRIDAY: Frozen pizza, salad

If I Have A Few Minutes To Myself, I Will

I don’t know. Sleep?

New Recipe I Tried Or Want To Try This Week

The taco soup was my husband’s grandmother’s recipe and I’d never made it before. It turned out good and we all liked it. Husband wanted a bit more heat but I thought it had good flavor.

One Of My Simple Pleasures

Covering up with soft blankets or throws while watching tv or reading

Favorite Photo From The Camera

Another week where I just didn’t pick up the camera very much. The two other photos in this post were from my cell phone & I grabbed this one with the bridge camera as it was handy. Holiday treats from the “good” bakery. Two words: pistachio cream. YUM (Okay, that was 3 words) 

Praying For

My son that it’s nothing serious and he wakes up feeling fine, friends especially those dealing with grief, family, strangers. The neighbors I always hear yelling. Teacher at work who has to quarantine for 2 weeks. Bit of bravery for myself tomorrow.

Quote For The Week

 

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 
(2 Timothy 1:7)

 

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Clean Sink Catching On

31 Days Series FlyBaby Reborn 2 Comments

It’s been almost a month of emptying the sink each night. Still not to the shining it phase. Maybe some day. However, something exciting happened tonight.

I made dinner. Okay, maybe two exciting things happened tonight. Ha. One thing I’m finding is that I’m a bit more inspired to cook dinner when I start with a clean kitchen. Makes it a little easier to prepare meals that take a little extra counter space (something in short supply around here).

Since it was a rainy, cool day, I made stuffed peppers tonight. Finally, a fall meal with proper fall weather. I had to run the dishwasher right after putting the meal in the oven with all the lunch/dinner prep dishes. Nothing too new there except it was empty enough to hold them all. That meant, of course, all our dinner dishes went into the sink.

I Didn’t Empty The Dishwasher Or The Sink Tonight

However, once the dishwasher finished, I didn’t empty it. Or the sink. I planned to do it. Usually, I do it right after I prep some items for J’s lunch.

However, tonight, my husband emptied the dishwasher and the sink! All month as I’ve been emptying the sink, I’ve been doing my very best to not say anything/not be a martyr like the Flylady directs. That’s probably been harder than actually emptying the sink if I’m honest.

While I’m still going to need to go do a bit of lunch prep, it’s so nice to not have to worry about the rest of it tonight. It appears an empty sink is catching on around here!

Still Fluttering Along

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Guess I’m going to need to rename this an almost 31 Days Series. However, life happens. And since this blog is a hobby not a job (no influencer here!), I have to prioritize. Sleep wins over new blog posts sometimes. A lot of times.

Though I’ve not been posting, my last post in this series was Friday morning, I’ve still been clearing my sink out each night with the exception of last Friday night.

A little Saturday morning reality for you:

One day of waking up to a sink full of dishes made me realize I much prefer to wake up to the (mostly) empty sink each day. While I didn’t take a second photo, I did clear the sink (and put the plants back, I water on Saturday mornings) before we left for the all day band competition. It was certainly nice to not come home to a sink full of dishes as well!

Same Old Sub Story

I’m still struggling with developing and maintaining routines around here while working a very varied schedule. There’s not really a set routine with subbing and saying no to work comes with it’s own level of guilt (today, I turned down work twice because I have a lot I need to do around here plus honestly, I needed a break).

Thinking that the key is perhaps to start small. Simply emptying the sink, running the dishwasher each night (if I remember to push the button! SIGH) is probably the most basic step. Before, I’ve always tried to jump in doing it all and become quite frustrated. Finding a time/day for the weekly home blessing also frustrates me. And it circles back to the varied schedule.

Perhaps I need to look at carving a set day to myself each week. We used to have sub who was unavailable on Thursdays and Fridays (I picked up a lot of work those days). Perhaps I need to advocate for myself a bit more. However, I’m flexible enough that perhaps I’ll just say no last minute requests on a certain day. (I don’t mind working a full week for someone if they give me notice.) Something to ponder.

Today and The Rest of This Week

Today is once again anti-procrastination day in Flylady land.

I do have quite a few unfinished tasks to tackle today like bills, letters/cards to mail, laundry, and that freezer inventory (been putting that off for too long). Also, if I have time, I need to run somewhere and get some Halloween candy so we don’t end up handing out peanut butter kisses. Blech! My husband thought we should get those to hand out the first Halloween we were married. Vetoed that. Does anyone actually like those things?  It’ll be fun sized Snickers and packs of M&M’s around here most likely.

Speaking of holidays, everywhere even in Flylady land seems to be focused on preparing for Christmas! Well, except the local news who keeps going on about the cost of the Thanksgiving meal. I probably should go through my Rudolph Day/Christmas gift tub and see what’s in there.

Tomorrow is errand day but I’m not sure if I’m working yet. I might try and get my running done today as it’s supposed to rain all day tomorrow anyway. One of my hold books is in at the library. Technically, returning the books I do have could count as an anti-procrastination tasks since I renewed them all last week just to avoid the worry of returning them.

Friday, I get to go help out at the Halloween party so that should be a fun morning. The parade on Saturday, possibly a bonfire at a friend’s house on Saturday night (just us, doubt the kids will go), and then, Halloween on Sunday. Hoping to get lots done today so I can simply enjoy all the fun without a large list of overdue to-do items looming in the background.

What are you hoping to accomplish today?

 

 

 

Happy Homemaker Monday, Feeling A Bit Behind

HappyHomemakerMonday 4 Comments

I’m feeling a bit behind this week. Probably because once again I’m posting on a Tuesday. The end of last week and the weekend were both busy with work and activities. And I also worked again yesterday.

Today, I woke up ready to take back the house and maybe do a little bit of planning for the upcoming busier months of the year. And as always, I’ll link up to Diary Of A Stay At Home Mom where Sandra hosts these Happy Homemaker Mondays each week.

Breakfast Plate…What Is On The Plate This Morning

A bit of a change up today. Pulled the pumpkin spice English muffins from the freezer so toasted one of those and added a bit of butter. Plus coffee. And vitamins.

Looking Around The House

Did I mention I was on a bit of a mission to take it back today?  (Just a quick note: If you’ve been following my 31 Days Series, I haven’t forgotten. Life just got busy without much blogging time.)

On Today’s To Do List

What isn’t on today’s list would take up less space. Just a quick sampling of today’s list:

  1. Wash all the household bedding (Long overdue, in progress)
  2. Regular laundry
  3. General house cleaning
  4. Pay rest of the bills including the once a year big ones (homeowners insurance, car insurance)
  5. Clean out fridge/freezer
  6. Outdoor tasks, not sure if it’s too late to plant bulbs? Need to trim the peony leaves (to try and stop disease)
  7. Perhaps a bit of Christmas planning
  8. Return library books
  9. Work on blog/computer stuff
  10. Make a list for errands/maybe go to store to get all the stuff I forgot last night

Currently Reading

Finished Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte last week. Started a bit slow but once I got further into the story, my interest increased. Also, read Boston Scream Murder (Deputy Donut Mystery #4) just because it sounded fun. Not my favorite though I do love this Ginger Bolton series. Needing something quick to read during J’s lesson last night, I downloaded Christmas in the Scottish Highlands by Donna Ashcroft.

Also floating around on the kindle app on my phone is the Chaos to Clean: in 31 Babysteps by Marla Cilley. Not making much progress. I do better with physical books on that type of subject matter. And in the pile of actual library books half-started is Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You by Jen Hatmaker. Not sure why I couldn’t get into it. Going to try one more time before I take it back to the library.

On The TV This Week

Watched Dune over the weekend and really enjoyed it. Never saw the original so wasn’t sure what to expect or even the plot. Probably a good one to see in theater if you’re into the series (I watched on HBO Max).  La Brea tonight and The Masked Singer tomorrow unless the World Series pre-empts them. Not sure about that. Whatever catches my eye on the streaming services. Thinking of doing a Harry Potter movie marathon on the weekend, depending on the weather.

The Weather Outside Is 

Much cooler though it’s supposed to get up to 61 today. The mornings have been in the low to mid 40’s.  We had some storms (most went around us) over the weekend and are due for 2 solid days of (much needed) rain tomorrow and Thursday. It’s supposed to chilly and sunny on Saturday (nice as we have a Halloween parade to attend, high school band marches) and then, just partly cloudy but still nice on Sunday, Halloween. Fall is finally here, I think.

On The Menu This Week

I’ve been struggling so much in this area lately. Not even sure why. Feels like we’ve just been doing the same meals on repeat but it’s been too warm really for the homey, meals of fall/winter. Maybe this week.

MONDAY: G and I had BBQ pulled pork (from freezer), husband had leftover tacos, and J had pizza rolls *I worked 8:30-5* *J had a lesson at 6:30*

TUESDAY: Chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes

WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti, breadsticks, salad

THURSDAY: Stuffed peppers

FRIDAY: Leftovers/Out/Cereal *I work 8:30-12:30*

SAT/SUN: Not sure about Saturday but I plan to make taco soup for Halloween.

If I Have A Few Minutes To Myself I Will

Probably waste it playing a stupid game on my phone. Or hopefully instead of that, read. Maybe sit outside if the weather is warm enough.

Petunias just keep on blooming!

New Recipe I Tried Or Want To Try This Week

Might give these quick yogurt scones a try with some of the Flip yogurts as we seem to have an abundance of cookies and cream flavored ones (A certain teenager burned out on that flavor after I bought a bunch, not my favorite breakfast flavor either).

One Of My Simple Pleasures

Getting into bed at night when the sheets are freshly cleaned.

Favorite Photo From The Camera

Still working on getting back into the groove of picking up my camera more but I didn’t want to miss the full Hunter’s moon last Tuesday night. (Note: these two photos were with the bridge camera as it has a special setting for the moon.) 

Praying For

Friends, family, strangers. The neighbors. A healthy “normal” fall/winter season for all of us. A lessening of the all that divides us and return to civility, respect, and kindness.

Quote For The Week

This verse popped into my head just now as I typed the end of my prayer list.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26)

 

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Pretend It’s Yesterday

31 Days Series FlyBaby Reborn No Comments

So, here’s an area where I struggle a bit. First, the obvious one of posting every day during a 31 days series! Ha. This was a last minute decision so I’m giving myself a pass on that. Normally, I might’ve had a few posts scheduled in advance. Some fun Beatles music for you while you read the rest of the post:

My struggle is in regards to the Flylady routines. They are extremely easy (to an extent discounting days when motivation issues abound) when my schedule is routine. However, as a substitute, my schedule often changes and at the last minute as well.

As you probably guessed by now, I worked unexpectedly all day yesterday and work all day again today. J is off school so I have a few extra minutes to post this morning (no school carline today, hooray for that!). It is very hard to come home after a full workday and find motivation to do any type of evening routine. One thing I’ve found so far, however, is earlier is better for cleaning out the sink. I did at least, accomplish that yesterday. And that is all I did.

This morning, my husband brought all the laundry baskets full of clean clothes up so I’ve been on and off folding those and started a load of laundry. I’ll go ahead and run the dishwasher once I’ve eaten breakfast.

Anyway, no errands or other bedroom cleaning happened yesterday. Perhaps later tonight but I doubt it as Fridays at work tend to be a bit exhausting.

How do you keep to your routines when things change last minute?

 

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