Joyful Living
Sewing Project
I've been working on learning how to quilt for the past few years and recently decided to try my hand at sewing clothing. I've always had an interest in it. My mother has many many patterns in her collection and let me go through it and pick some that I'd like to try. I found a simple McCall's pattern for a nice robe. Trevor's current robe is quite short and makes him look like a Roman soldier, so I thought I give it a try. You can see in the picture the dark blue fleece I'm planning to use. I bought 5 1/2 yards of it (on sale, of course
) and it is super super soft! I got the pieces all cut out today and now I've just got to wait until I have the time to sit down and sew. Right at this moment, Monday looks like the earliest chance I will get. I'm looking forward to it.
Neat Site
I thought I might share a few links for some really great homemaking tips. They have some great ideas for anything from cooking and baking to sewing and cleaning. I've enjoyed looking through them the last few evenings.http://tipnut.com/50-tips-for-sewing/
http://tipnut.com/laundry-mending-tips/
http://tipnut.com/category/household-tips/frugal/
http://tipnut.com/category/cleaning/cleaning-tips/
At the bottom of each page, there are links to other lists similar to the one just viewed. At the top of each page, there are drop down menus with tons more information.
Fabric Gift Bags
In our family, instead of using paper for wrapping gifts, we've been making cloth bags to "wrap" our gifts. We use Christmas fabric for Christmas, and floral for Mother's Day, bright colored for birthdays, etc. We tie the tops closed with reusable fabric ribbons and will be making some with hook and loop tape and maybe even buttons. They are really cute, look more festive than paper, I think, and cut down on waste. Whenever there is a sale on fabric, I stock up.
Date Night With My Hubby - A Fun Date Game
Oh, what to do when money's tight and we're wanting a fun date night out!?I had read something somewhere awhile back about a game that can be played with a spouse on date night and decided to give it a try with Trevor tonight. Beforehand, we both decided on a fixed amount of money that could be spent. Tonight, we decided on $10 total. Then, we split it in half between the two of us and we headed off to Big Lots. We each had to choose a gift for each other using only the $5.
The fun isn't so much in the gift itself, but in the hunt! We spent about 2 hours roaming up and down the isles looking at everything and playing together. We would joke about buying each other $5 worth of toothpaste or giant foam swords and a blow-up jail house. We found ideas for future serious purchases and talked about ideas for decorating and how we wanted our home to be. We talked about how one gift would be great for so-and-so and how this other thing would be great for a little boy if we had one.
I finally settled on a new book for Trevor written by his favorite author and Trevor chose a headlamp for me. The lamp straps onto the head and has 9 LED bulbs. There are 4 different settings depending on how bright I wish it to be. He thought I would like to use it for reading in bed (and it can also aid me in late night trips to the bathroom). I look forward to trying it out.
This was probably one of my most favorite dates we've ever had.
Atlantic Beach
When Vanessa came out to visit, we went to Atlantic Beach. It's a beautiful white sand beach on one of the Barrier Islands here in NC. The water was quite warm despite it being mid October and we had so much fun swimming and riding the waves back to shore.
Update
I haven't felt much like blogging lately, but wanted to give a small update. My mom is still in the hospital. Her pneumonia is nearly gone, but the doctors discovered some things in her lab work that concerned them. They ordered an angiogram and found that her 4 stents are not working properly and they have now decided that they need to do a quadruple bypass immediately. They are waiting until she is strong enough to survive the surgery. She is severely anemic and malnourished (due to the bastric bypass). Her BGLs have been really high and they want to get those under control as well.The nurses have been hinting that they are planning to do the surgery next week sometime. Mom has been doing much better these last few days and I think they may be right. I have mixed emotions about this surgery. I know she won't be able to survive without it and I'm grateful that we caught it in time (I guess pneumonia CAN be a blessing), but I have some serious concerns. One fear I have is taking care of her properly after she is home. I've received some kind guidence and words from people who have been in similar situations, but I still doubt myself.
My other fear is also the one of the biggest and that is the fact that she is so high risk. The hospital she is at is in the top 17 in the nation for cardiac centers and her surgeon is a high risk specialist, so that makes me feel a little more at ease, but I am still so worried. After almost losing her this past summer, her car accident, the recent cancer scare, and now this, we've been on a rollercoaster of emotions. It feels like we are pulled back and forth between panic and relief faster than we can catch our breath. I wonder if the worst happens, how will we be able to take care of it all and... also pay for it? How will I cope if that's what is to happen?
It's Hard to Know Where to Begin
It has been quite a long while since I last posted here. Since the beginning of October, our life here has been a whirlwind of activity. I'll give a rundown now and then address the more exciting events individually in future posts.In the beginning of October through the middle of October, Trevor's sister came to visit us for about a week and a half. Then, 3 days after she left, we flew out to Denver for her wedding. I helped her do her wedding cake and decorated the sheet cakes for the reception. We had her bridal shower, wedding, and reception in two day's time. It was quite the weekend and I could sense the relief in the house when it was all over.
Then, the day we arrived home, my father came to visit us here in NC. He was here on business, but stayed with us for about a week and a half. We always enjoy his visits. Halfway through his stay, he and my husband left for a road trip back to Chicago to pick up my mother's furniture and belongings. They made the trip from Raleigh to Chicago, packed up her stuff into an open top trailer and pickup, and then headed back here to NC in 3 days total. They arrived late on a Sunday night and we unpacked the pickup that night. Needless to say, it was very tiring. We unpacked the trailer the next morning and spent the next 3 days trying to get as much settled in my mom's room as possible. That Friday, my mom and sister arrived. My sister only stayed for one day and then headed back to Florida.
My mom and I continued to get her stuff settled, but then last Saturday, she came down with a gastroenteritis which she caught while in Florida. We thought she was getting better by Tuesday, but she took a turn for the worse on Wednesday and took her to Urgent Care. It was quickly discovered that she had developed pneumonia and had to be hospitalized immediately. She's doing a little better now, but we don't know at this point when she will be coming out.
Did I mention that during all of this, two of my cavities on my upper 2nd molars decided to give me huge amounts of pain starting in the beginning on October? I've been trying to deal with the pain, but finally had to have surgery this past Tuesday morning and have both of them extracted (similar surgery to having wisdom teeth taken out). Poor Trevor had to deal with me being completely out of it from the anesthesia and vicodin, deal with changing my bandages, and also deal with my mom and try to work from home. The pain from the surgery peaked wednesday night (the night we put mom in the hospital) through yesterday. I'm feeling a little better today and hopefully it will continue to improve.
The sale on our house also fell through at the last moment. The seller has 3 days AFTER closing to change her mind and that's exactly what she did. Very frustrating. So, we're hoping to find another buyer soon. Because of this (and also having to pay for my surgery 100% out of pocket), I've decided to get a job. I'm going to be working nights so that someone will always be home with my mom. I have a second interview with the same company this afternoon, so that's a good sign.
The last month and a half have been so busy for us and I sure hope that things will settle down so we can enjoy the holidays.
Menu for Oct 11 - Oct 18
Saturday - Pig PickinSunday - picnic
Monday - Gen Tso's
Tuesday - Roasted chicken
Wednesday - Salad, tuna sandwiches
Thursday - State Fair
Friday - chicken casserole?
Saturday - Leek Soup
Plans for the week
My husband's sister is visiting us this week from Denver and so we've planned all kinds of fun stuff to do.Saturday - Pig Pickin
Sunday - church and a picnic
Monday - Museum of art?
Tuesday - Capital building, history museum, museum of science
Wednesday - Visit New Bern and the beach
Thursday - State Fair
Friday - Zoo
Saturday - haven't decided yet.
It will be a fun and full week. :)
Baby Afghan is Finished
I finished my baby afghan a little while ago, but haven't had the time to post pictures until now. It will be mailed off this weekend.
Baked Acorn Squash with Apple Stuffing (diabetic recipe)
Baked Acorn Squash with Apple Stuffing (diabetic recipe)1 medium acorn squash
2 small apples
2 Tbl diced celery
2 tsp minced onion
2 tsp melted butter
2 Tbl water
Preheat oven to 400*F
Cut squash in half, remove seeds, and place cut side down on a greased baking sheet.
Combine apples, celery and onion. Add butter and water. Put in small baking dish and cover.
Bake squash and apple stuffing for 45 minutes.
Salt squash with a dash of salt and stuff with apple mixture.
Exchanges: Cal 173, Fat 5, CHO 30, Na 175, PRO 2, K 606
Yield 2 servings
Menu for Oct 5 - Oct 11
Sunday - Broccoli Au GratinMonday - Leek Soup
Tuesday - Wilted Lettuce, tuna sandwiches
Wednesday - Sausage Casserole
Thursday - Tuna flying saucers
Friday - Asian Soup
Saturday - Pig Pickin'
My baby afghan is nearly completed
I've been making this afghan for my newest little nephew. I had thought that he wasn't due to come until the middle of the month, but found out on Labor Day that he was actually born on August 28th.
Oops! So, I've been working hard to finish it up. The picture I have posted is what it looks like at this exact moment. I only have about 20 rows to finish the main part of the blanket and then there is a fancy lacey border. I may be able to finish both today, if not by tomorrow. I will post a picture next Wednesday of the finished afghan.I am really happy with this pattern. It works up quickly and was easy enough for me to memorize in just a few short rows, so I am able to watch a movie or listen to my podcasts without getting too distracted. I am always frustrated by patterns that are too intricate to do that. I much prefer to be able to turn my mind off while crocheting. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy advanced patterns, just that I don't do them as often and tend to prefer patterns I can memorize.
After I finish this afghan, I will probably work on the quilt I am making for my dad. I have all the blocks cut and pieced, I just need to finish sewing the top and then sandwich and quilt and then finally the binding. I already have five (probably more) projects lined up behind the quilt, so hopefully it won't take too much time. I will be glad when it really starts to cool down here. That always put me in the mood to sew.
Busy Day Soup
Busy Day Soup- 1 lb hamburger
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 can bean with bacon soup
- 1 can vegetable soup
- 2 cans water (use soup cans)
- 1 can tomato soup
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
Menu for Sept 7 - Sept 13
Sunday - Homemade egg rolls and leftoversMonday - Chicken casserole
Tuesday - BBQ Beef on rolls
Wednesday - Potato Pancakes
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Date night out
Saturday - Yankee Franks and Noodles
Orange Rolls
2 Tbl (2 envelopes) yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup water1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 ts salt
1 cup warm water
1/4 lb butter
3 beaten eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
Glaze:orange juice from 1 orange and powdered sugar
Filling: grated rind of 1 orange, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup melted butter.
Make glaze and filling. Set aside
Combine sugar, butter, eggs, and water. Add 3 cups flour and beat well with mixer for 2 minutes. Add rest of flour. Cover and let raise 1 1/2 hour. Pour on board and cut dough in half and roll to 18 X 6 inches. Pour on half of filling and roll up like jelly roll. Cut into 1" rolls. Put in greased muffin tins. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Let raise 1 1/2 hour. Bake 400*F for 12-15 minutes. Put on glaze and serve hot.
Menu for Aug 24 - Aug 30
Sunday - eggs and hamMonday - rigatoni, collard greens
Tuesday - tacos
Wednesday Chicken casserole
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - Date night
Saturday - Eiernockerln mit Goulascher Suppe
Date Night With My Hubby - Finished Bird Feeders
It took us two Fridays-date-nights to finish our bird feeders. They sure turned out cute. Trevor's is the one with the red roof and mine is the yellow roofed one.
You may not be able to see well enough, but there is iridescent glitter on the roof of the yellow and blue feeder.
Cleaning and Decluttering
There's something about decluttering and organizing that makes me feel so good. When I fill another box to go to Goodwill or the DI, and I see that empty space that I can now put to good use, my mind feels at ease and I feel my stress level decrease just a little bit more. Clutter hasn't always made me feel anxious. I'm not sure when or where it started, but now when I see a stack of boxes or a pile of papers, I just itch to get in and get rid of it and I feel weighed down by the stuff until I do.This week, I tackled 4 more boxes in my storage area. I boxed up the stuff I plan to take to Goodwill and What used to be 4 boxes of "stuff" is now down to 1. It feels so great to go back and see what I've already accomplished and anytime I feel run down and unmotivated, I revisit these spots in my home and I'm instantly rejuvenated.
Also this week, I found some plastic shoe boxes that don't have lids and I lined them all up on some shelves in a closet for my husband to put all of his computer components and electrical stuff in. He has about 10 little empty bins now to fill. Being a computer scientist, he has plenty of this kind of stuff and I'm sure he will put them to good use.
Noodles with Cabbage
8 oz pkg wide noodles4 cups shredded cabbage
2 ts sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1 ts salt
6 Tb butter
1/2 ts caraway seeds
If using fresh noodles, cut into wide noodles about 4" long.
Sprinkle salt over cabbage, toss lightly, and let stand 30 minutes. Squeeze cabbage to release liquid; discard liquid.
Melt butter in a wide frying pan over med. heat. Add cabbage, sugar, caraway seeds, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is crisp-tender. Keep warm
Cook noodles in a large kettle of boiling salted water until tender. Drain, then toss with cabbage. Makes 6 servings.
(sometimes I like to add sauted onions too)
How we plan to save on gas
This past Saturday, Trevor and I started our new plan to save on gas and wear and tear on the car. This past week, we bought a trailer to fit on the back of my bike. It holds 100 pounds and is completely enclosed and even is waterproof. It's meant for children to ride in, but we bought it to use like a trunk.
We decided to put it to the test and rode 4 miles to our grocery store and then loaded the groceries into the trailer. I'm happy to announce that it worked perfectly! Not only did we save money on gas, but we also got some really good exercise, helped the environment, had a lot of fun together, and made a few people smile along the way. Plus, we can use it when we do finally have children. It even has a handle bar that can attach so it can be used as a jogging stroller. We plan to do this for all of grocery trips from now on.
Menu for July 16 - July 22
Saturday - Spinach stuffed rigatoniSunday - Sandwiches
Monday - Egg Salad
Tuesday - Roast Chicken
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Chicken Casserole
Friday - Date night out
Date Night With My Hubby
Trevor and I like to do something together each Friday night. A few weeks ago, we decided it would be fun to decorate a bird feeder together and hang it out on our back porch. So we went to Michael's and picked out this cute little bird feeder.
Then we had to pick out the paint. Trevor wanted to do one in bright primary colors, but I wanted to do one in pastels. After much yelling
, punching, gouging
, gnashing of teeth
, hair pulling
, kicking, screaming
, and threat of divorce, we found a solution to our problem. (scroll down).
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I'll post the pictures after we finish painting them this weekend. 
Finished the laundry room cleanup
I forgot to take a before photo, but here's my after photo anyway. I completely removed everything from the laundry room, wiped everything down, and put everything back neatly. Those bins are filled with all of my holiday decorations and the brown box has my Christmas tree in it. The big pot is what i use to make my laundry soap in and underneath the pot is my laundry soap making ingredients. That light blue and silver thing on the bottom shelf is my Scooba and next to it is my tool box and magic eraser stash. The second shelf up is home to my small pile of cleaning rags, dustpan, package of clothespins, extension cords and energy saving light bulbs. The laundry room is also where I keep my broom, dust mop, iron, and sh-mop. I keep my ironing board behind the laundry room door. I will be getting an on-the-back-of-the-door-rack to hold it and my iron soon. :)
Also this week, I've been working on going through the stuff we have in storage. I got rid of enough stuff to empty 4 18 gallon sized rubbermaid totes and one large (30 gallon???) sized tote. I still have a few more bins to go through, but I'm still pleased with the progress I've made so far. :)
Baby Afghan for New Nephew
I crochet afghans for all of my nephews and nieces (1 nephew, 3 nieces so far) when they are born and I have another nephew on the way. He's due in September so yesterday I started an afghan for him. It's a really pretty pattern with a really nice border. I don't know how well the pictures will show the color, but it's a nice light green.Here's what I have done so far.
Here's a close up of the stitches.
It's a really easy pattern that works up really quickly. I am happy with how it's turning out. I hope to have it done in the next week or two.
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Sewing ProjectNeat Site
Fabric Gift Bags
Date Night With My Hubby - A Fun Date Game
Atlantic Beach
Update
It's Hard to Know Where to Begin
Menu for Oct 11 - Oct 18
Plans for the week
Baby Afghan is Finished
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| VIOLET |
You surround yourself with art and music and are constantly driven to express yourself. You often daydream. You prefer honesty in your relationships and believe strongly in your personal morals.
Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!
| The Road Trip of Your Life |
 You live life at a fairly leisurely pace. You take time to enjoy the sweeter parts of life, even when you're busy. You don't like a lot of risk or randomness in your life. You prefer to stick with what's known, even if it's a bit boring. You tend to be a workaholic. You overwork yourself without ever realizing it and sometimes suffer the consequences later. In another life, you could have been a great novelist. You have a knack for describing things in an interesting way. |
| You Are a Strawberry |
 You are popular, but there's nothing you ordinary or average about you. You a very interesting person, and you have many facets to your personality. Sometimes you feel very conflicted. Your different sides of your personality pull at you. You are a very sensual and passionate person. You are fiery... you can't help it. In general, you keep your passionate side under wraps. You are only wild in private. |
| What Your Fridge Says About You |
 You tend to be a fairly thrifty person. You splurge occasionally, but you're mostly a saver. You don't tend to be a very adventurous person, but you do surprise everyone now and then. You have a bit of a wild side. You are responsible, together, and mature. You act like an adult, even when you don't feel like it. You are likely to be married - and very busy. |
| Your Thinking is Concrete and Sequential |
 You tend to get to the point and get things done. Difficult, detailed work is easy for you. You take things step by step. Time limits aren't a problem for you either. You work well with deadlines. What does drive you crazy is any sort of task that isn't precisely laid out. You don't like anything to be ambiguous. You prefer to deal with the facts at hand. |