Yarn Along/Crafting On

A couple of things for Crafting On/Yarn Along:

Did I show you the progress on Mom’s sweater after I ripped out all the patterned body part?

Sorry for the too much flash.  I was trying to get the pattern to show up.  It’s a charcoal colour, but with a black base, not grey like in this picture.  I really need to start doing some focused knitting.  I hate giving half-made presents.

Ella having book club every Monday morning is really helping my purse knitting.  First sock is done, just finishing up the casings/bind off at the top.  I love making socks.

I know I haven’t mentioned it this fall, but I hope you all have been working on your Christmas countdown preparations.  I’m behind on the cleaning, but I’m done shopping (I think) and have lots of ideas ready for the Advent season.   Don’t forget, this Sunday is ‘Stir-Up Sunday‘, get all your ingredients ready for your Christmas pudding and cakes.  Follow the link to grab my recipe or just to see my adorable little helper.

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Christmas Countdown Begins….

 

Christmas is coming whether we are ready or not.  Want to be ready without all the stress and bother?  Join me in the Christmas Countdown and be ready to relax and enjoy the Advent season.  It also keeps you out of all the mayhem at the mall.

I really need to do the Countdown this year.  I don’t know how the house got so cluttered and dusty this summer.  I know all that heat doesn’t help.  So let’s get started with week one.  Also, daily ‘mission’ ideas can be found over at FlyLady.  And here’s the link to FlyLady’s Holiday Control Journal if you’d rather not make your own.  If you’re travelling for Christmas, she has a handy packing one too that I have found helpful.

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Menu Plan Monday -10 November 2014

 

Soon going to be time to change my Menu Plan button to the winter one.  It’s definitely chilly here now. That’s fine, so long as it’s dry.

Week Three of our Christmas Countdown.  I need to be on the look out for some pretty paper this year.  I checked the supply box and we’re almost out.  Didn’t get any of the Christmas cards done, so I need to get on those.  Maybe I’ll get Ella to help this year.

Monday:

A&W -just realized Ella doesn’t have any winter boots for tomorrow so we got lunch out

spaghetti

Tuesday:

sandwiches

beefsteak pie

Wednesday:

macaroni and cheese

meatloaf

Thursday:

pizza

leftover beefsteak pie

Friday:

pizza

leftover meatloaf

Saturday:

stuffed chicken

Sunday:

steak

What’s cooking at I’m an Organizing Junkie?

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Menu Plan Monday -3 November 2014

Wow, November already.  I forgot to start my annual Christmas Countdown a couple of weeks ago.  But this is the beauty of starting early, if you ‘fall behind’ you’ve got lots of time to catch up without feeling rushed.

Last week I started week one.  Mostly just planning and getting ready.  Our Christmas lights aren’t up yet but they are Colin’s job since I can’t reach -ha ha!

Week two this week is in the kitchen.  Time to give everything a good clean before the start of all the holiday baking and cooking.  Since we are at home this year for Christmas day there will be extra baking to be done.  I’m actually ahead of the game here because I’ve already ordered Ella’s Christmas dress from Hanna Andersson.  The twirl dresses were on for $29 the other day.  If you’ve got girls to buy for check out this company.  The dresses are so well made and such good quality.  Ella’s old ones look just as good as the new ones we got last year.  They are a nice length too, which is hard to find at Old Navy or Gymboree.  Shipping is reasonable and they even take care of the duty.  This is great because I hate to get a surprise at the post office.  Not sure what I’m wearing and Colin usually decides the day of depending on the temperature.

My poor table linens are waiting to be washed.  Our ‘wonderful’ sliding glass doors in the kitchen (his parents’ great idea in the 80’s) is leaking so much moisture (and air) that all the floor and window behind my Great Grandma’s sideboard were covered in mold.  It’s made all my linens smell musty.  I had to rearrange the eating area of the kitchen.  I’m not ruining my sideboard!

Monday:

French onion soup

enchiladas (didn’t make them yesterday)

Tuesday:

pancakes

casserole roasted pork

Wednesday:

spaghetti and meatballs

Wendy’s -it’s grocery night for the girls

Thursday:

pork sandwiches

leftover enchiladas

Friday:

tuna sandwiches

leftover pork

Saturday:

meat pie with the leftover pork

Sunday:

leftover meat pie

More great ideas at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

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Menu Plan Monday -2 December 2013

 

We got another dumping of snow this weekend.  It sure looks like December now.  Ella’s having a grand time.  Daddy has already started piling up Mt. Ella in the yard.  I need to find Ella a snow saucer, she has such a hard time with the crazy carpet and really the toboggan is too long for a short run.

Scaling back on school for December but we are looking forward to some Advent activities from Christmas Adventures.  And of course, lots of outdoor snow time.

Monday:

leftovers

shepherd’s pie

Tuesday:

pizza

spaghetti and meatballs

Wednesday:

pizza

leftover shepherd’s pie

Thursday:

pancakes

beefsteak pie

Friday:

tuna sandwich

chicken burgers

Saturday:

garden beef vegetable soup

leftover ‘pie’

Sunday:

smothered chicken

What’s cooking at I’m an Organizing Junkie?

Now that we’ve got food for the week figured out, how’s your Christmas preparations going?  If you’ve been working along with me we’re finishing up with week six of the Countdown.  The house is clean and organized (or enough anyway) and it’s time to focus on the Advent season and stay out of the chaos at the stores.  Sit back and enjoy the time of anticipation.

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Christmas Countdown

With all the business yesterday I forgot to share the links for this week’s Christmas Countdown.  We are in the bathroom and Ella’s room this week.  I think the bathroom is the hardest to keep clean.  But then Colin comes home dirtier than most husbands.  It’s really bad when he gets gear oil in the white sink.

I’ll share this post from Facebook yesterday, just as some encouragement to get planning:

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Menu Plan Monday -28 October 2013

 

Menu Plan Monday sees the Valley getting a little bit of ‘snain’ this morning.  Not much of anything but enough to send Ella into panic mode because she doesn’t want snow for Halloween.  Hopefully the sun comes out and the wind continues because Colin has to do beans for a neighbour and they have to be dry enough.

Back to school this week.  After being sick and then being away, we’re a bit ‘behind’.  But of course not really because we work on our schedule.

Speaking of being behind, last week should have been the start of the Christmas Countdown.  If you are new here, the Countdown gets us ready for Christmas the nearly pain-free way!  We do little bits for daily for six weeks and then we’re ready to relax and enjoy the Advent season and Christmas.  It’s so great to just sit back and watch the chaos at the stores instead of being in the midst of it all.  So here’s the link for week on of the Christmas Countdown.  Join me and have a stress-free Christmas.

Monday:

wieners and beans

sausage and potato cakes

Tuesday:

pizza

chicken a la king

Wednesday:

pizza

bbq meatballs

Thursday:  Halloween!!!

egg and potato pie

leftover chicken

Friday:  All Saint’s Day

tuna sandwich

leftover meatballs

Saturday:  All Soul’s Day

leftover pie

chicken cacciatore

Sunday:

leftover chicken cacciatore

More great ideas at I’m an Organizing Junkie

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Menu Plan Monday – 5 November 2012

Did you miss us?  My darling husband took me away for a surprise weekend.  It was our belated ‘anniversary away’.  We found a cute little bed and breakfast over in Bancroft.  Just far away enough to feel like a holiday but it doesn’t require driving for hours on end.  We had a restful couple of days and we even got to meet up with one of my high school girlfriends and her husband.

Week three of our Christmas countdown means we are working in our bathrooms and children’s bedrooms.

Monday:

tuna melts

shoulder chops

Tuesday:

hot dogs

roast beef

Wednesday:

pb&h

leftovers?

Thursday:

pancakes

leftover roast beef

Friday:

grilled cheese

perogies

Saturday:

??

hot beef sandwiches

Sunday:

French fries

spaghetti

Check out what’s over at I’m an Organizing Junkie

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Christmas Countdown 2012

It’s that time of year again!  Time to pull out our Christmas planners and get our houses ready for us to enjoy the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Week One starts this week and finds us making our plan of attack and starting with the front door/hall.  Start now and it won’t seem so daunting come December.

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Christmas Countdown -Week Six

We should all have our Christmas plans well in hand by now.  Our houses sparkle (or at least clean enough) and we are ready to start Advent.

To Do This Week:

• Keep up routines to maintain clean house.  This is where I have problems.  I hate housework and have trouble making myself dust often and sweep every day.
  
• Write and address final one-fifth of Christmas card list. Mail all cards by December 10^th.
• Complete the final one-fifth of gifts “to make” this week. If the gifts have not been completed, put them away for next year. Add any replacements to the master gift list.
• Complete gift shopping. Wrap and mail any send away gifts by December 6^th.
• Begin family Advent observance.  Plan a special activity for each day.
  
• Learn more about other holiday traditions.
• Order special roasts for holiday meals.

To Buy This Week:

• Purchase gifts for the final one-fifth of the master gift list, together with any gift substitutes for uncompleted “to make” gifts. This does happen to me occasionally.  This year I’m giving a lot of handmade gifts and so was very firm with myself to start working on them this summer.  Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t get something finished, maybe it would make a good birthday gift?  I’ve given people IOU’s for handmade things before too.  I’ve not found anyone who minds.  (don’t know what happened to my font here)

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