Yes - yes, it's me. Haven't been here since earlier this year. Well I'm back and ready not only for the changing of the season, but the upcoming holidays. But it's nearly 11:00 and way past my bedtime. I'll come back tomorrow to share what my plans and goals will be as I plan for what I hope to be another joyful Christmas with my family and friends.
Good Night!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Progress on Christmas Notebook
Man o man, I've been having the time getting my pictures to download to my blog. I recently updated my internet explorer (to IE 9 Beta) and things were going a litle kooky and looking funny. Finally, things are working again.
During the month of January (into February), I spent a lot of time working on my Christmas notebook. I printed out all new pages from Organized Christmas. Started making lists - gifts ideas, food, shopping lists, etc. Even changed the look of my book. I had some red felt fabric left over from the advent I made for a niece and used it to cover my notebook. It's not quite finished though as I am stuck on how to dress it up. Someone suggested adding snowflakes. Good idea. I hope to have it completed before February Rudy Day.
To personalize my notebook even more I used a free program (HP Photo Creations) to make divider pages, using a combination of personal photos and clipart. I really love using this program and have been playing around with it for days. Here's what my divider pages look like:
During the month of January (into February), I spent a lot of time working on my Christmas notebook. I printed out all new pages from Organized Christmas. Started making lists - gifts ideas, food, shopping lists, etc. Even changed the look of my book. I had some red felt fabric left over from the advent I made for a niece and used it to cover my notebook. It's not quite finished though as I am stuck on how to dress it up. Someone suggested adding snowflakes. Good idea. I hope to have it completed before February Rudy Day.
Calendar: Here I keep important event dates (birthdays, anniversaries, wrapping parties etc.), Rudy Day activities, the Christmas Countdown and my 25 Days to Christmas activities sheet.
Holiday Grand Plan: A countdown to getting the home ready for the holidays - cleaning room by room
Crafts: list of to-do craft projects and craft ideas/instructions
Budget: An outline of my spending expenses for gifts, decorations, party supplies and an envelope for keeping all receipts in one place.
Decorations: Inventory sheets, Room by Room decorating plans, decorating ideas
Gifts: Master gift list, stocking stuffer ideas, "My" wish list, Gift closet inventory sheet, Online/catalog orders and Master shopping list
Recipes: Appetizers, Entrees, Side Dishes, Desserts, Beverages - Keep copies of all your old (and new) favorite recipes here. Better than searching through all those cookbooks.
Party Planning: Guest Lists, Menus, Party ideas, and grocery lists are kept in this section.
Addresses: Your loved ones' inforamation are at the ready in this section when it's time to mail out those Christmas cards and party invitations. Personalized address labels and postage stamps are kept in this section too.
Summary: Giving thought of the holidays, before and after, using the Family Values and Holiday Debriefing worksheets.
Movies/Music: Have a collection of favorite movie classics or starting a collection? Keep track of them with a handy list.
Miscellaenous: keep extra forms at the ready, or for jotting down notes/random thoughts
That's about it. Hope you like what you've seen.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
February Goals
Declutter: This month's focus are the kitchen and my desk area. Gingerbug (creator of MHH) suggests we set the number of hours we will committ to decluttering this month. I am dedicating 2 hours a week. At the end of the month that will amount to 8 hours. Not too shabby. Yesterday (Monday) I threw out a bag of shredded paper that contained old paystubs and other things I no longer needed. Now my file cabinet is nice and neat.
Purchase two Christmas movies. I didn't get a chance to buy one last month.
Celebrate Me: This month is about our beautiful faces. I have never had a full fledge facial done before so this will be a really special treate for me.
Locate Autumn/Halloween notebook. Actually I have a small folder I use during the autumn season. I don't do too much for Halloween or Thanksgiving. I have family and friends who go all out for those holidays. I just love the season itself - the leaves turning to those vibrant colors, the smell of a fireplace being lit for the first time of the season, things like that. To celebrate the season I invite a few friends over for a fun evening of food, drinks, games, etc.
Do you have things around your home you would like to get rid of? Then why not follow my friends as they participate in Move it Out Monday.
Purchase two Christmas movies. I didn't get a chance to buy one last month.
Celebrate Me: This month is about our beautiful faces. I have never had a full fledge facial done before so this will be a really special treate for me.
Locate Autumn/Halloween notebook. Actually I have a small folder I use during the autumn season. I don't do too much for Halloween or Thanksgiving. I have family and friends who go all out for those holidays. I just love the season itself - the leaves turning to those vibrant colors, the smell of a fireplace being lit for the first time of the season, things like that. To celebrate the season I invite a few friends over for a fun evening of food, drinks, games, etc.
Do you have things around your home you would like to get rid of? Then why not follow my friends as they participate in Move it Out Monday.
Monday, January 17, 2011
January Goals
- Birthdays
- Vacations
- Already known family events
- All other important activities for you, family, friends, etc.
Work on Christmas notebook
- Make a new cover for my binder
- Print planner sheets from Organized Christmas
- Create and print pretty tab sheets
Pledge to declutter closets. I'm working on getting rid of the ugly shoe boxes that clutter the floors of my bedroom closets. While I'm at it, find a better way to organize my handbags on the shelves.
Purchase a holiday movie. I really want to increase my collection as I don't have many of the favorites.
Answer debriefing questions about the holidays.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Happy New Year
It's a new year and with it, new possibilties.
I have been feeling really confident that I am going to have a good year. Over at Magical Holiday Home, members are encouraged to spend time on their word for the year. My word for 2011 is CHANGE.
There's a lot of things I need to work on. The major thing is my health. See I have high blood pressure and most recently my doctor told me that my cholesterol was a little high. So my doctor changed me from the two medications I was taking for high blood pressure and put me on one type of medication that controls both the HBP and Cholosteral, as well as taking a low dose aspirin and iron pill daily. I don't want to have to take pills for the rest of my life, hence working on change.
Back in September of 2009, I started making and following a monthly menu plan. I did well following the menu for a while. That is until the holidays rolled around. I tried picking back up where I left off in 2010, but then summer came and I'd slacked off again. In the fall of 2010 I attempted to start over and did very well even when the holidays rolled around again. It wasn't perfect but I managed much better than the previous year.
I have cut out buying process foods. You know that stuff you can grab from the freezer (which has a high sodium content), heat in the microwave and you're done. No more of that. I go grocery shopping every week or every other week. I try to buy only fresh items. An idea I got from a cousin. My food tastes much better and I am trying new dishes I would never have thought of making before and I don't have a lot of headaches like before. The big plus is that I am beginning to lose weight. It's not a lot but it is a start.
Yes this year is all about change. Change for a better life, better health. Change to be a better me.
I have been feeling really confident that I am going to have a good year. Over at Magical Holiday Home, members are encouraged to spend time on their word for the year. My word for 2011 is CHANGE.
There's a lot of things I need to work on. The major thing is my health. See I have high blood pressure and most recently my doctor told me that my cholesterol was a little high. So my doctor changed me from the two medications I was taking for high blood pressure and put me on one type of medication that controls both the HBP and Cholosteral, as well as taking a low dose aspirin and iron pill daily. I don't want to have to take pills for the rest of my life, hence working on change.
Back in September of 2009, I started making and following a monthly menu plan. I did well following the menu for a while. That is until the holidays rolled around. I tried picking back up where I left off in 2010, but then summer came and I'd slacked off again. In the fall of 2010 I attempted to start over and did very well even when the holidays rolled around again. It wasn't perfect but I managed much better than the previous year.
I have cut out buying process foods. You know that stuff you can grab from the freezer (which has a high sodium content), heat in the microwave and you're done. No more of that. I go grocery shopping every week or every other week. I try to buy only fresh items. An idea I got from a cousin. My food tastes much better and I am trying new dishes I would never have thought of making before and I don't have a lot of headaches like before. The big plus is that I am beginning to lose weight. It's not a lot but it is a start.
Yes this year is all about change. Change for a better life, better health. Change to be a better me.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Happy Holidays!
It's two days post Christmas. I hope that everyone had a nice holiday. My holiday was fantastic, though there was almost a chance that it wouldn't happen.
Woke up last Tuesday with a terrible sore throat. I could not believe I was having the same issues I had during the Thanksgiving holiday. Still I continued to get things ready for Christmas Eve. Wednesday I had to go out and get the remaining groceries for dinner. I was slowly falling apart and by Wednesday night, I was feeling so bad, all I could do was lay in bed, rest and get myself together. I dranked a hot cup of Thera-flu which soothed my throat and relaxed me. I didn't even feel myself doze off to sleep.
Thursday morning when I woke up I felt a little better. I was supposed to be preparing dishes that could be made ahead of time but I ended up going out with one of my best friends to finish gift shopping. I didn't get to do it Wednesday because I felt so bad and didn't feel like going anywhere else after marketing.
Oooooh, I've got to tell you what I found when I walked into a Dollar Tree. I found Santa hats that fit over the top of your chairs.
I was just browsing through the store while my friend was grabing some things she needed, and there was one hanging on the rack. I asked a worker if this was all they had left and she said yes. I was so devasted, but I didn't give up. I searched high and low through the shelves hoping to find three more. Just when I was about to give up, I found them, hiding under a bunch of tissue paper. I had to laugh at myself for the way I was acting. When I got up to the register the cashier said she was surprised there were any left. She said they knew these would go fast so they just dumped them all in a shopping cart and left it at the front of the store instead of putting them on the shelves. When my friend saw them she wanted two so I went back and found two more. These will be used next year.
We got home from shopping just before the evening rush hour started. When I got in I decided to take it easy. A hot bath, warm pajamas and a cup of Thera-flu and I just layed in bed and rested. The food prepping would have to wait until Friday.
Friday morning, I was up early with no problem. I got in the kitchen and got busy. Just took my time and did not stress out about all the food I had to prepare. Know what? It worked. Got everything done and still had time to relax before the guests arrived. This was the menu.
Appetizers:
cheese/ham spirals
crab-red pepper dip
caribbean style wingettes
Entree:
Pork ribs
Bourbon glazed chicken
Steak with carmelized onions
Sides:
roasted potatoes
macaroni & cheese
green beans
fresh garden salad
fresh baked dinner rolls
shrimp salad
deviled eggs
Dessert:
variety of homemade cookies
large punch bowl of eggnog with vanilla bean icecream
The ribs were a last minute thought. Just had a taste for some. The only thing I didn't get around to making were the cupcakes but it was okay. Noone cared. I tend to go overboard with the menu. I just like to make sure that I have something that everyone would like.
The evening went off without a hitch. I even got a nice surprise. Some relatives came in from New York whom I hadn't seen in three or four years.
After dinner we opened presents. Everyone was very pleased with the gifts I got for them. Especially the one who received the Washington Redskins car mats. He completely lossed it. After I watched everyone open their gifts I opened mine. I got a cute bath set (rug, shower curtain, hooks, towel set), a soft hooded robe with some soft slippers, 3 piece glass candle holders, another candle holder set that has some beautiful writing on them (will go nice with the new bath set), a bottle of Moscoto (my favorite wine), perfume, a 15 inch tall nutcracker (from my neighbor), a gift card for Lane Bryant, a lovely spa set, a digital photo frame (I've always wanted one) and the nicest gift of all - a new laptop computer.
Back in the summer my mom decided to buy herself a new laptop and she would give me her old one. Well for months I had been waiting for her to give it to me but she kept saying that she was transferring information from the old laptop to the new laptop. So on Christmas while we were opening gifts she surprised me with a brand new laptop. When I tore off the wrapping paper I thought it was some glassware. It wasn't until I turned the box around to open it that I realized it was a laptop. I was so happy - like a kid. I couldn't open the box fast enough. Now I can sit in bed or on the sofa and use the computer instead of being stuck at my desk. Ooooh, it's a nice one too. It has a built-in web cam (Now I can chat with my newphew whose in college on Skype) and something called light-scribe. Light-scribe adds designs to your cd/dvd. No more do I have to buy the paper and waste the ink from my printer to make labels. I'm still learning all the programs installed. Yep, she got me good.
Christmas day for me was a day of rest. I layed in bed most of the day and watched holiday movies. My poor feet were hurting so bad. I could barely stand when I got up to get something to drink. Usually I am in a coma after partying with the family the night before, but I think because I made sure to get proper rest all week, I was feeling okay.
Well, let me stop boring you guys. It's almost 8 in the evening and my Monday night line-up of shows are about to begin. More tomorrow. Good night!
Woke up last Tuesday with a terrible sore throat. I could not believe I was having the same issues I had during the Thanksgiving holiday. Still I continued to get things ready for Christmas Eve. Wednesday I had to go out and get the remaining groceries for dinner. I was slowly falling apart and by Wednesday night, I was feeling so bad, all I could do was lay in bed, rest and get myself together. I dranked a hot cup of Thera-flu which soothed my throat and relaxed me. I didn't even feel myself doze off to sleep.
Thursday morning when I woke up I felt a little better. I was supposed to be preparing dishes that could be made ahead of time but I ended up going out with one of my best friends to finish gift shopping. I didn't get to do it Wednesday because I felt so bad and didn't feel like going anywhere else after marketing.
Oooooh, I've got to tell you what I found when I walked into a Dollar Tree. I found Santa hats that fit over the top of your chairs.
I was just browsing through the store while my friend was grabing some things she needed, and there was one hanging on the rack. I asked a worker if this was all they had left and she said yes. I was so devasted, but I didn't give up. I searched high and low through the shelves hoping to find three more. Just when I was about to give up, I found them, hiding under a bunch of tissue paper. I had to laugh at myself for the way I was acting. When I got up to the register the cashier said she was surprised there were any left. She said they knew these would go fast so they just dumped them all in a shopping cart and left it at the front of the store instead of putting them on the shelves. When my friend saw them she wanted two so I went back and found two more. These will be used next year.
We got home from shopping just before the evening rush hour started. When I got in I decided to take it easy. A hot bath, warm pajamas and a cup of Thera-flu and I just layed in bed and rested. The food prepping would have to wait until Friday.
Friday morning, I was up early with no problem. I got in the kitchen and got busy. Just took my time and did not stress out about all the food I had to prepare. Know what? It worked. Got everything done and still had time to relax before the guests arrived. This was the menu.
Appetizers:
cheese/ham spirals
crab-red pepper dip
caribbean style wingettes
Entree:
Pork ribs
Bourbon glazed chicken
Steak with carmelized onions
Sides:
roasted potatoes
macaroni & cheese
green beans
fresh garden salad
fresh baked dinner rolls
shrimp salad
deviled eggs
Dessert:
variety of homemade cookies
large punch bowl of eggnog with vanilla bean icecream
The ribs were a last minute thought. Just had a taste for some. The only thing I didn't get around to making were the cupcakes but it was okay. Noone cared. I tend to go overboard with the menu. I just like to make sure that I have something that everyone would like.
The evening went off without a hitch. I even got a nice surprise. Some relatives came in from New York whom I hadn't seen in three or four years.
After dinner we opened presents. Everyone was very pleased with the gifts I got for them. Especially the one who received the Washington Redskins car mats. He completely lossed it. After I watched everyone open their gifts I opened mine. I got a cute bath set (rug, shower curtain, hooks, towel set), a soft hooded robe with some soft slippers, 3 piece glass candle holders, another candle holder set that has some beautiful writing on them (will go nice with the new bath set), a bottle of Moscoto (my favorite wine), perfume, a 15 inch tall nutcracker (from my neighbor), a gift card for Lane Bryant, a lovely spa set, a digital photo frame (I've always wanted one) and the nicest gift of all - a new laptop computer.
Back in the summer my mom decided to buy herself a new laptop and she would give me her old one. Well for months I had been waiting for her to give it to me but she kept saying that she was transferring information from the old laptop to the new laptop. So on Christmas while we were opening gifts she surprised me with a brand new laptop. When I tore off the wrapping paper I thought it was some glassware. It wasn't until I turned the box around to open it that I realized it was a laptop. I was so happy - like a kid. I couldn't open the box fast enough. Now I can sit in bed or on the sofa and use the computer instead of being stuck at my desk. Ooooh, it's a nice one too. It has a built-in web cam (Now I can chat with my newphew whose in college on Skype) and something called light-scribe. Light-scribe adds designs to your cd/dvd. No more do I have to buy the paper and waste the ink from my printer to make labels. I'm still learning all the programs installed. Yep, she got me good.
Christmas day for me was a day of rest. I layed in bed most of the day and watched holiday movies. My poor feet were hurting so bad. I could barely stand when I got up to get something to drink. Usually I am in a coma after partying with the family the night before, but I think because I made sure to get proper rest all week, I was feeling okay.
Well, let me stop boring you guys. It's almost 8 in the evening and my Monday night line-up of shows are about to begin. More tomorrow. Good night!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Cookies
I spent some time today reading the blogs of my friends at MHH . One of the ladies Leann was quite busy baking all kinds of goodies. She had made 19 different kinds of cookies and 4 kinds of homemade candies. Everything looked so scrumptous. I know the receivers of those sweet treats are very happy campers. And I thought the 10 I did was an achievement. My hat goes off to Ms. Leann.
Last weekend I spent time in the kitchen baking away. I love baking. I've only been doing it for about 4 years or so. I think I'm getting better every year. I hope to one day try some real fancy baking, especially decorating. I filled 3 large cookie tins, handed out two at the office and one to my neighbor and her son. They were well received which made me very happy.
I have several cookie recipe books I've collected from BHG over the years. I think I will take a look through them for some ideas for next year.
Last weekend I spent time in the kitchen baking away. I love baking. I've only been doing it for about 4 years or so. I think I'm getting better every year. I hope to one day try some real fancy baking, especially decorating. I filled 3 large cookie tins, handed out two at the office and one to my neighbor and her son. They were well received which made me very happy.
I have several cookie recipe books I've collected from BHG over the years. I think I will take a look through them for some ideas for next year.
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