Organized Home Challenge

I actually pinned this to Pinterest and forgot all about it til one of my online friends told me she was doing it too. Then I was all "oh yeah, I guess I should get off my butt" LOL! Pinterest is a beautiful thing that I discovered in my blogging hiatus and I'm sure I will refer to it often as I get back to blogging.

So I joined this Organized Home Challenge and hope that it will be a little easier since I just moved so *hopefully* I got rid of most of the stuff I need to get rid of and this is going to really be just an organizing the rest type of deal (even the back of my own head is laughing at me on this one!).

Week 1 is Kitchen Counter Tops. Mine are totally unorganized as a lot of it just just crap we haven't figured out where it goes yet.

We currently have a radio on the counter. My excuse was I wanted to be able to listen to the Christmas music on the radio even if the kids were watching tv. Well the radio stations stopped playing Christmas music 10 days ago and it's still there. It even has a planned place to go (my office), yet it still sits there.

There's also a box of some sort of kitchen stuff in a corner that's been there since the day we moved. I have no idea what is in it. We moved 45 days ago.

My spice rack is over by the fridge even though my stove is at the opposite end of the kitchen. This just now occurred to me as being dumb.

There's 3 boxes of cereal on it that really need to find a permanent home. I hate cereal sitting on the counter. They belong in the lower cupboards. Then again, the week we're supposed to sort through those lower cupboards will be a total surprise to me since Lee unpacked the stuff for them and other than the pot/pan cupboard I really haven't gone through them yet lol

There's still Christmas junk on them. As posted above, Christmas was 16 days ago *sigh*

Pardon the cat

First thing to go was the recipe box on my first window sill. I don't know why this was such a big deal to me, but it seemed like such an accomplishment! The radio stays while cleaning cause tunes are necessary while cleaning.

Got the microwave and toaster moved away from the window and WOW! There's so much more light coming in and I actually have counter space!

Ahhhhh... it feels all spacious and clean again!

New Years Resolutions - Blog Style

1. I resolve to begin blogging again. I took a break to get my business running but seem to have forgotten to come back. With my business, homeschooling the girls and adding my niece into our homeschool, I should have lots to talk about that I'd really like to record!

2. I resolve to read the blogs I follow again. I have a list of about 100 blogs that I used to get zillions of ideas and 2nd hand support from that I really enjoyed reading and like blogging I seem to have forgotten to go back to. I can't promise I'll remember to comment on a lot of them, but at least I'll be reading them again!

Menu Plan Monday

Sorry about suddenly disappearing. My Mozilla died and I had to figure out how to get everything working again. But I'm back!!!!

I am determined to go through the random foods in our house. I'm getting sick of over stuffed cupboards but "there's no food!". So.... unless there's a freaking awesome "stock-up" sale going on, I will be buying as little groceries as possible this month (other than dairy and produce).


Monday: Spanish Rice Casserole


Tuesday: Steak and Dijon Roasted Potatoes


Wednesday: Fish Sticks and Baked Onion Rings


Thursday: Taco Pie


Friday: YOYO (You're On Your Own)


Saturday: Crock pot Chili


Sunday: Thanksgiving!!


Linking up with Organizing Junkie.

Weigh In

*sigh* 168lbs. Down only .6lbs

Weigh In

168.6lbs this morning. Down 1lb. Not happy. I know it wasn't helped by Lee and my nephew's birthday BBQ last night. My eating wasn't too bad last week, but I need to get off my butt! I've been super busy with the start of our full school schedule (complete with last minute (literally, on Tuesday) curriculum buying), but that's no real excuse. 20 minutes doesn't take up my whole day!

10 Years

I slept through the actual event though dreamed of it. I woke up to horror in the real world. It played out like a movie, but CNN doesn't play movies. I went to my sister's house where my poor newly 4 yr old nephew thought it was his fault because it was his birthday (it took several years to have a happy birthday again). We watched in disbelief of what was unfolding in front of us.

Even here in Canada, all government buildings were evacuated just in case the next plane came here. My then-fiance worked as a janitor in one of those buildings and his boss would not let them leave. Threatened to fire them if they did. I was livid. Thankfully he made it home safely unlike so many others.

This morning I watched the "live" footage of that day with Brianna. It was like seeing a movie I've seen before with someone who's never seen it. Through her questions and comments, all I could say was "keep watching". I watched in as much awe and silence as I did 10 years ago.

In my thoughts are the people who lost their lives that day and the many since who have lost their lives fighting in the subsequent war.

Crafty Mama!

I've been bombed with craftiness the last few days! I have soooo much I want to make but so little supplies and with Lee STILL laid off, no funds to tornado-spree a craft store :( Here's a glimpse of some of the stuff I've managed to make with what's on hand...

Initial bow holders, an incomplete Halloween bow and a couple crayon/notepad rolls

A newborn tutu. The large one is Olivia's that I made for her birthday. The nb one is so teeny!