Happy "Homey" New Year!!!

Here's to a very happy and healthy new year to all!

Since the kids arrived (years ago now) we have had a very cozy in house, homemade new year's celebration.

We make a banner, munchies, noise makers, and party hats. We sleep on the floor in the living room and if we make it that long we toast the new year with champagne and ginger ale. Usually hubby and Sunshine make it up and I fall asleep with the twins. Last year however, we all stayed up! We also each say at least one thing that was wonderful about 2008 and make a wish for 2009.

Make and takes blogged about the noise makers we make. She adds a hole... I can't wait to see what that does to the sound!

I have no real new years resolutions (besides "get healthy, get our money in order, and organization of course!). I am however, starting my courses soon... that's a resolution in itself!

Looking back, it's been a wonderful blessed year for our family. Here's to 2009 being just as good, and better for those of you who need the boost!

"It's a blizzard out there"

Can't you tell by the pictures I took this morning?? Look close... see the two specs beside the bluejay? Crazy snow I tell you!

OK, so it's not really. It is however, the excuse my husband gave as to why he couldn't go out to do errands! I laughed him right out the door and told him I was going to make his co-workers happy and blog about him. So, guys... this one is for you!

My hubby grew up in New England... Mostly in Maine. However, you would think he grew up in Florida. He is soooo funny when it comes to winter weather. If it snows a few flakes, it's an "unnessessary risk" to go out. If it's below 32 degrees you have to bundle up like your going to the artic! Yeah yeah, he can make his case and I love that he cares about us but geesh, can you say "Paranoia"????

Now I am a "Mainah" through and through. Snow and cold doesn't really bother me.... especially if there is something I want to or have to do.

I think that's why we are together. Like ying and yang we balance each other out. I will now wear gloves, I have snow tires, and I prepare if there is a sizable storm on it's way. Changing my plans still makes me cringe but if he makes a good point I will ;) Likewise, he will go out when there are snow showers to do those errands I asked him to do.

I do hope he makes it home in that huge blizzard we are having ;)

My first waffle making experience

That's my new toy, just cooling off from it's debut performance. Santa talked me into this when he found it at CVS on black Friday for $10. I had forgotten he mentioned it to me when we were discussing gifts (santa and I always meet to discuss gifts at least once before christmas) and it was fun to open on christmas day!

I have to say I have never made waffles before. I am a pancake girl. I have perfected the pancake after years of making them every sunday. I guess the family asked santa to change up sunday breakfast ;) I'm not against change per say but don't think I'm giving up my pancakes.

Today I opened up my waffle iron. It really is awesome for $10. It rotates like the one's I've seen at buffets. It even has the lights and buzzers to tell you when it's ready.

I read the directions and prepped. I found a recipe with ingredients I have in the house (I never have buttermilk or dried buttermilk in the house). As I was reading I saw that the recipe only makes 7 waffles. I have a family of 5 good eaters. I know I have to double the pancake recipe so I naturally doubled the waffle recipe.

OOPPS! These waffles are HUGE! Fluffy, light, delicious, and very filling. Each quarter is like eating one pancake. Who knew??? This is the leftovers after eating ourselves as full as we could.

They would make a great freezer item... if of course I had room in my freezer! Oh well, I'm sure they won't go to waste (though they may go to my waist!! LOL!!)

Other things I learned are: I need a low fat recipe. This thing was full of eggs and oil... ouch! Also, I need to put the waffle iron as close to the stove as possible so I don't have to walk your waffles all the way across the kitchen to warm them. Lastly, Put a wire rack on the cookie sheet I'm going to warm them on so they don't get soggy.

It was a good first try. They came out great actually (which is good since there are so many!). I'll be making them often, but don't think they are going to take over my beloved pancakes!

A merry little christmas

Just popping in to send warm wishes.
Life here in my little part of Maine is cozy, christmasy, and just plain happy (with stressful moments thrown in just to remind me how lucky I am for the good moments!!)

We are busy with all the snow (21 inches in a weekend!), christmas baking, parties, wrapping, and snuggling by the fireplace reading.

I will resume blogging after the festivities.

Merry christmas to all and best wishes for a Happy and Healthy new year!!

My life is falling into place

Laundry is becoming a non-issue really but as I promised I would tell you... it was done at 11:00. I had to finish folding and putting away after sunshine's christmas concert! She was so awesome!!!

I had an wonderful experience today. I had been waiting for the girls grandmother's christmas packages. I recieved thing 2's a few days ago and was really worring about the other two. The mail had come and still no packages. I was about to call grandma and the doorbell rang. There was a nice lady with my packages! They had been accidently delivered to her house, over a mile away and not even close to the same address... who knows how really!!!! She knew they were for kids and couldn't bear for them to loose their gifts so she rushed them right over. I am so thankful for her kindness. That is what christmas is all about!!!!

My christmas is really coming together, I believe I'm all done shopping and making!! Now for wrapping... I even got a good chunk of that done today!! Life is good. I'm going to relax and watch the snow fall with a cup of tea and count all my blessings!!!!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!!

10 things I love!

1. That my laundry is completely done... at 10:30AM ( I said I'd post it every day!)



2. The no staple or tape paper chains we made. They are so easy! I found the pattern on crafty crow's Bella Dia website

3. How my centerpiece came out... love the red and white balls!

4. Chains of popcorn, cranberries, and pretzels... the girls love this fun tradition! Also great for reinforcing patterns!

5. Hand print wreaths... well, they were suppose to be hand prints! Very cute no matter what!

6. Our annual hand print santa ornaments... This is one of the early ones, how precious!

7. The snowmen and pinch pots the girls made at Sunshine's party! Can you tell which one is my creative thing 2's?? I love them!!

8. The festive smell of my stove top potporri. This simmering concoction is made with orange peels, cranberries, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon.... YUMMY!!

9. My huge splurge this year. I just fell in love with this snowman christmas ornament from Lenox. I bought it months ago and finally hung it on the tree the other night. Right before the tree fell! OMG! I was heartbroken when sunshine broke in 1/2... luckily it was 1 clean break. A little elmer's glue made it good as new. (This is not mine in the picture of course... 4 kids! wow!)

10. CANDY CANES!!!!! I just can't get enough of them!!! The uses are endless... not to mention they are soooo yummy!!!!

Those are my loves of the moment. Simple, precious, wonderful. What do you love right now??

My laundry is done and my day is going well!

Yes, 9:30 AM, and my load is completed. I was up early and in the basement getting my scrapbooking supplies to make christmas tags. I saw the pile of whites waiting for me and decided to grab what I could find in the main level of the house and get it going. Wow! 5am it was going and by 8:30 it was being put away.

Believe it or not I am almost caught up... doing 1 load a day! I didn't think it was possible. I really thought this test was going to fail.

It is reminding me of the other fly lady routine I implemented a few years ago. Dishes. I was floored when I timed it and found that it only takes 2 minutes to put away the dishes in the dish washer... 3 tops! Crazy, how when you get into a routine the things you dread become managable.

The day is going well. The snow is falling and the kids are going to school. House work is done so I can concentrate on some serious wrapping before they come home. Tonight we are having our annual brownies christmas party. Life is so good, I am blessed.

My merry little christmas

Always frugal, I made a lot of my own decorations, bought last years clearance items, and of course I've collected for years. I am most proud of the boughs and berries!

I made use of these Free items in a number of ways!

My bucket beside my door

In Window Boxes

Even inside as a centerpiece! (why spend $50 for the same thing?)

My outdoor display. Not bad for our second year with a yard!

Here is our tree as it was melting... I wish I could have kept the icicles...

so pretty!

My tree and stair case with hubby's collection of Oreo cookie tins

My Mantel

I have other little touches through the house too. It all looks so much better in person! I just love decorating for Christmas! Now, I'm going to enjoy my Christmas house with a nice cup of sugar plum fairy tea and listen to Christmas music. It is suppose to snow tomorrow and I am looking forward to it (as long as we still have school!!! LOL!!!) Enjoy the season everyone!!

1:15 and it's all done!

Oh yeah, Day number 2 and wooo hooo the laundry load is done!

I had to keep repeating "It's just one load" and I almost didn't put it away immediately. I had just talked myself into going shopping first then putting away the laundry... then the phone rang. It was my mom on her lunch break. Yes, I believe my mom could sense I was going to shirk my responsibilities and caught me. She's had that power my whole life. So I talked to her and got the laundry put away. I feel really good about it too. Thanks Mom!!

First day done!

My load was completed at 2:00!! Not too shabby. I have to admit it was tempting to throw in the rest but it's ONE LOAD a day! Because it was the first day it was still quite a task. The load was very full and I put away all the extra clothes that have piled up in various places so tomorrow will be easier. I believe once I get this bulk under control it will become easier. Baby steps, it's all about baby steps!!

Tonight we are onto more important matters. We are baking homemade pizza and getting ready to decorate the tree! The music is on, the ornaments are sorted into piles according to who they belong to, and we are waiting for Daddy to come home from work. Here's to a merry little night! Cheers!

1 Load a day Challenge!

First off... yes! I have a camera again! My dear hubby gave me my camera on Friday! I will have no presents under the tree but I don't mind a bit!

Now to my challenge.

I hope all of you are with me on this one, I need support!

I pledge to do one complete load of laundry every day until the new year.

Wash, dry, fold, and put away!

I am a self proclaimed fly baby and have been following the popular "FlyLady" for about 5 years now. I receive all the e-mail about the dreaded "Mount Washmore" but I have continued to do my laundry in the crash and burn method. This means I do all my laundry on Monday... usually ending just before the put away part is finished. I have all intentions of doing a load a day but I'm burnt out by my marathon of laundry on Monday and the little voice in me says "There really isn't a full load here, let's skip it". So about Thursday / Friday I do another marathon of finishing putting away from Monday and catching up for the weekend... cause we are too busy to do laundry on the weekend! Such a vicious cycle!!!!

Finally somehow the flylady's mantra "one load a day keeps the chaos away!" sunk in this morning (as I was hunting frantically for socks for the family).

Today I am doing one load completely. I will finish folding and putting away the stuff from last week but I am not doing all 5 loads today. One load, every day... ONE LOAD!!

Join me on the challenge. We can beat "Mount Washmore" one load at a time!!

I will be posting every day when I finish my load... comment me when you finish your load too!

Good Luck!

About the picture: This is my lovely wash area in the basement. My old kitchen table makes a great folding table... when there is room on it! How embarrassing really, but I've seen it worse. Now that it's here for the world to see it's harder to avoid. It's my goal to have this area under control by 2009!!

Thank goodness!

Favorite things 6-10.... prayer!!!! My Hubby called just now! Thank you god! Now I can kill him for not telling me they were going out for drinks after work as a part of their christmas festivities.... wow, didn't I predict that??? Weird, really weird!

I'll feel better when he's safe and sound here at home but my blood pressure is slowly returning to normal.

Have a great weekend everyone. Kiss your loved ones and make sure they know you love them!

My favorite things:

I'm sitting here not freaking out that my hubby is over an hour late from work and not answering his phones! I am posting as therapy to take my mind off things.

Top 5 favorite things right now (no real order):

My new cell phone... I'm finally in the 21st century! It's awesome, mp3 player, camera, touch screen... too much for me really but hubby brought it home for me when I was sick, so thoughtful!

My Christmas decorations... I've been told by the kiddos that it looks like Christmas puked in here! I love it! Every space is decorated. My favorites are my angels in my hutch, my garland on my stairs, my Santa's on my mantel, and the candy cane lights hubby hung up last night outside. Who am I fooling?? I love them all!!!

The villain in the musical "Melton the warm hearted snowman"... why? She's none other than my Sunshine! She's really getting her lines and getting the voice right, finally! It took a while, she kept smiling and screaming her part. I taught her a trick. If you squint your eyes you can sound angrier... she said "oh that's what you do when you yell at us!" I said, "ssshhhh... don't let out my secret!"

*still freaking out and trying to bring my thoughts back to this post*

My babies... who aren't really babies anymore I guess... they are so fun and creative, smart and opinionated... very passionated as well. They have the ability to get on my very last nerve one minute and pull at my heartstrings the next. I love them with all my heart!

Christmas cards: I cherish them!!! I make a year in review at shutterfly (the only service I have found with 9 picture capability) and my friends and family always complement me. I wait patiently everyday for the mail to arrive too! I love to get cards in the mail! It's great to receive the photo ones of the families we may or may not see so often. I have a picture frame / photo album I put out every year with all my picture cards. It's great to see how much each family has grown! You see how quickly time flies when you look at that book!

I was going to do 10 however, I just can't sit here anymore. I'm going to fold some laundry and try calling him again. God I hate this!!!! Please pray, I'm praying he's fine... he's fine right??? I'm sure he is and he just went to a bar and forgot to tell me and now he can't hear his phone... yeah, yeah... he never does that but I'm sure that's it!!!

AAAAHHHH.....

Yes, that's a big sigh, feel that bliss? I'm feeling well, the house is almost decorated, the trees are glistening with ice thanks to an icestorm which blessedly isn't as bad as the one we had in 1998. I wish it was snow but I can't deny it's beauty.

God blesses us in mysterious ways and I am grateful. Take a minute to count your blessings today, what are you thankful for??

too busy to be sick!

This weekend was chock full of events. On Saturday, My Sunshine had a Christmas concert for the coats for kids celebration at Shaw's. That afternoon, My husband and I took the kids to the Maine State Ballet's Nutcracker. Sunshine's birthday party was on Sunday. Sounds like a perfect weekend, right??

It was looking that way until my body added a kidney stone, a full blown kidney infection with a 101 temp, and a trip to the express care to the mix! Yeah, what perfect timing!! I am prone to kidney infections and my right kidney is dysfunctional. However, I haven't had one for years, and let me tell you it's making up for lost time! A KIDNEY STONE TOO...What a doozy!

I have to say my husband was great. I crawled out of bed for all the festivities and crawled right back into bed after they were over! Saturday wasn't horrible, it entailed a lot of sitting which made it livable. We also went cruising for Christmas lights. There are some wonderful displays out this year!

Sunday I stayed in bed most of the day. I was hot and cold, and achy... a total mess! My husband and the girls got the house ready for the party. Not like I would have but better than I could have at that time. (PS: Whatever you do, don't go in the back room! It's going to take a month to clean out! LOL!) Around 2 o'clock 15 8-9 year olds came bearing gifts and ready to party. A couple Tylenol and I was ready to do my best! A mom of one of the party goers stayed and helped out. I had a lot of crafts and games planned and couldn't have done it without her!!!! A huge thank you goes out to Angela!!!!!!!

Sunshine had a great time. We didn't get everything done and they were a bit ummmm... lets say active???..... but they had fun and that's all that matters.

Now I'm looking at a war zone of a house. Party aftermath, The laundry is piled up, etc.... My hubby did keep up with the dishes which is a blessing!! Am I going to do anything about it? NOPE, not today. I got my babies on the bus now I'm off to a long nap. Hopefully I will be refreshed by the time they get home from school. Right now I feel like dog doo doo. The antibiotics seem to be working but I'm still not myself and I hate it!

Tonight I have my mom coming down with a cake from Hillman's Bakery in Fairfield. They make the best cakes!!!! We are going to order take out and watch Sunshine open her presents on her "real" birthday.

I might be sick but the special events in my kids lives only happen once, sick or not! I'm just making the best of it and counting my blessings.

Sunshine's crafty 9th birthday

I'm busy preparing my Sunshine's 9th Birthday. It's always fun to juggle birthday and Christmas and I feel it makes this time of the year extra special! Every year I try to come up with something fun for her. She's had a cookie swap / decorating party, princesses dress up tea party/ McDonald's / Chuck e Cheese / and a Surprise party! We rounded these out with family parties as well.

This year we went to her list. Yes, she has a list of party ideas all the way up until she is about 20!! LOL, I don't think she's going to want to go rollerskating for her 21st birthday but you never know!! It is a good guideline for ideas though, and I never stifle creativity!

The idea of a craft birthday came from wanting to make clay pots. Not a plaster fun time type place where you paint ceramics. She wanted to go throw pots on a wheel with 20 of her best friends! I convinced her that we would enroll her into a pottery class however, it would be hard to do with so many people in 2 hours.

I used my brain to find a suitable (cheaper) alternative. We will have a craft party at home! I bought a pound of Sculptey clay. It dries in 15 minutes in your over. PERFECT! I have never used it but it was in with the polymer clays and the directions sound easy enough.

They will each receive a pre-cut piece of clay. I will give them the option of making an ornament or a pinch pot. I purchased glossy acrylic paint in Christmas colors and glitter... got to have glitter! In my mind it looks amazing... I hope it comes out OK!!

We will also be making snowmen out of mini terracotta plant pots (I bought kits at AC Moore for $0.60 a piece) and window clings with puffy glitter paint. I think that combined with sculpture freeze dance, cake and presents should take up the 2 hours I have planned for the occasion.

What is sculpture freeze dance you ask?? Good question! Sunshine made it up. The children pair off in teams of two. One is the sculptor and the other is the clay sculpture. While the music is playing the sculptor shapes the "clay" then when the music goes off the kids have to freeze. Yes, we decided both partners have to freeze. They will take turns being the sculptor and the clay. Again, in my mind this sounds perfect! If it doesn't go as planned there is always regular freeze dance.

To add to the excitement, I am making a cake (it's cooling as we speak). If you remember correctly I'm not the cake baking mom. It will hopefully look like an artist's paint palette. I baked 2 9-inch round cakes. (confession time, they may be a little over done but now I have no fear of salmonella from all the eggs!)
Tonight, I am going to attempt to put them together then cut it into the shape of a paint palette (thus taking off the burnt edges... Ha Ha!). I will then frost it with white and then pipe colorful circles for the paint. I will add a new paint brush for accents. Sounds easy right?? Hummmm.... there is still time to call the supermarket bakery if I fail ;)



I am planning on having a large table for the crafting and an 8 foot folding table set up with sheets of wax paper with the child's name on it for their crafts, and the other crafts prepped.

This is my timeline:

2:00 Kids arrive
2:15 start clay pots
2:45 Clay in the oven
kids start snow men and clings
3:00 take that clay out of the oven before it looks like my cake!!! put outside to cool quick!
3:15 start the painting of the clay sculptures
3:30 cake
3:45 presents
4:00 sculpture freeze dance til parents come!

That of course is a guideline. You never know how much time they will spend on each project. If we finish early then they can play in the playroom if we finish late most of the parents understand that!
OK... I have now idea now that I realize I need to add cooling time to the clay. Hummm... I guess I will do presents and cake then paint??? We will see!!!! Getting nervous!

Wish me luck! This is going to be one crazy, fun, festive weekend!! I'll write on Monday to tell you how it went!

I feel like it's been a long time....

I was on a roll for a while now, I'm just so busy I haven't had time to write. Ideas come to me when I am not ready then when I have a moment to spend on the computer they vanish!

Things are well. Thanksgiving was full of family, friends, and fun, just as it should be. I think I did everything I wanted. I even got to sneek out to see Twilight (which was AWESOME!!).

Now I'm getting ready for Christmas! I can't say I'm completely ready for this task but I always say "fake it til you make it"!

On Sunday, my lovely neighbor brought over Christmas boughs which are now overflowing my flower boxes and a basket by my door. I set out this morning with my trusty pruning sheers in hand to find bittersweet berries to accent the greens. I couldn't find them at first but once the frost melted they were easy to spot! My girls thought I was crazy since I kept pulling my minivan over to look through the brush on the side of the road. I gathered enough for all the flower boxes, basket, a swag for the door, and more!! Each girl held a bunch and were so happy to help! It was a fun morning!!

I also added a few of the many pinecones that have fallen from my trees. I think it looks amazing. I'm excited to set up the lights... then the outside will be complete.

I wish I could take a picture of my creativity but again I'll complain that I haven't gotten one yet. We have gone a few times to pick one out but we get so nervous! It's really a problem. I am going to go right now to sign up for a membership to consumer reports online. It's the only way I can be sure we get a good deal!!!