I'm sorry... I think I am confusing everyone this week. I'm moving some old blog posts from my Xanga account over here to Blogger. I'm trying to date them correctly, but I might have missed one or two. And I know they are all coming up in your readers.
Again, I'm sorry. Only about another 15 more months' worth and I'll have them all moved over.
Currently, it's HOT and HUMID here on the Prairie... it IS August after all. (August 2010, that is. lol)
We weaned all the spring calves. Surprisingly it was a fairly painless process. They only bawled for about 2 days. It helped that we moved the cows to a different pasture so they stayed away from the gate.
My garden is a mess of weeds. All of my beds are struggling. It's just too hot and miserable to deal with it now. September is coming.
Other than that, I've been catching up with the farm bookwork and vacuuming up centipedes. My life is so exciting I can hardly stand it.
Hoping yours is a little more interesting....
Hugs
K~
** "Believing is easier than thinking. Hence so many more believers than thinkers." ~Bruce Calvert
Showing posts with label Organization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organization. Show all posts
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Yes I know.....
Yes, I know the Mrs. Dash widget is so out of place and random. That's me... Ms Random.
Yes, I know it's been 32 days since my last "real" post. That's me... Ms. Forever Late-er
Yes, I know you are all STILL waiting for that video about the calves. Hope no-one was holding their breath, waiting on me, Ms. Procrastinator.
Yes, I know.... Spring is here and some of my Winter decorations are Still up. What?! Cardinals don't go with Spring Flowers? Those ice crystals could be rain drops if you squint at them and are going by on a fast horse.
But if you are still with me, I hope to have photos of my 2010 garden (The Spinach, Lettuce and Onions were up as of yesterday!!); the new compost enclosure (no more skunks in my compost pile!) and my newly organized & rearranged Sewing Studio (if that Farmer EVER gets that miter saw out of the room!)
And Yes..... I know.... that video....... s~i~g~h~~~~
Soon, Grasshopper, Soon...... (but don't hold your breath.... you know me.....)
Hugs!
K~
** "Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday." ~Don Marquis
Yes, I know it's been 32 days since my last "real" post. That's me... Ms. Forever Late-er
Yes, I know you are all STILL waiting for that video about the calves. Hope no-one was holding their breath, waiting on me, Ms. Procrastinator.
Yes, I know.... Spring is here and some of my Winter decorations are Still up. What?! Cardinals don't go with Spring Flowers? Those ice crystals could be rain drops if you squint at them and are going by on a fast horse.
But if you are still with me, I hope to have photos of my 2010 garden (The Spinach, Lettuce and Onions were up as of yesterday!!); the new compost enclosure (no more skunks in my compost pile!) and my newly organized & rearranged Sewing Studio (if that Farmer EVER gets that miter saw out of the room!)
And Yes..... I know.... that video....... s~i~g~h~~~~
Soon, Grasshopper, Soon...... (but don't hold your breath.... you know me.....)
Hugs!
K~
** "Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday." ~Don Marquis
Monday, January 25, 2010
Love me, love my Singer
He loves me....
but hates my clutter. lol
Blue-eyed Farmer that is....
He loves me, a lot....
But he hates my quilting clutter in the basement..... a lot!
But since he loves me, so very much...
He doesn't demand I get rid of it all, the clutter I mean.
(well, ok....he only sighed once or twice at the 7 sewing machines and suggested maybe one could be removed. That suggestion was not even considered for a second by me. We reached a second compromise....)
Since he loves me, but dislikes my clutter, he helped me plan out a new configuration for my stash and machines.
And this evening bought me 2 of these....
(BOGO free!)
All because he loves me.
I think I'll keep him.
Hugs
A beloved Farmer's Wife
** Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor,
after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.
-Hoosier Farmer
but hates my clutter. lol
Blue-eyed Farmer that is....
He loves me, a lot....
But he hates my quilting clutter in the basement..... a lot!
But since he loves me, so very much...
He doesn't demand I get rid of it all, the clutter I mean.
(well, ok....he only sighed once or twice at the 7 sewing machines and suggested maybe one could be removed. That suggestion was not even considered for a second by me. We reached a second compromise....)
Since he loves me, but dislikes my clutter, he helped me plan out a new configuration for my stash and machines.
And this evening bought me 2 of these....
(BOGO free!)
All because he loves me.
I think I'll keep him.
Hugs
A beloved Farmer's Wife
** Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor,
after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots.
-Hoosier Farmer
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Pantry Cooking
I'm not sure if you remember, but I'm doing a Pantry Challenge this month. We're trying to only buy dairy, produce and loss leaders at the store and eat out of the pantry and freezers.
Some recent meals have included a new recipe for Vegetable Beef Soup (Cook's Illustrated recipe ), Meat Loaf & mashed potatoes, Pigs in the Blanket made from little smokies and canned biscuits, el-cheapo Helper boxed dinner, Pancakes and bacon and a fast lunch of frozen fish portions, oven fries and oven onion rings.
Sides have included the purchased produce: bag salad, bag baby spinach, carrots, bell peppers, potatoes in various forms, mushroom & leeks.
We've been eating apples (produce buy) and applesauce from the pantry for dessert & snacks.
I've been making our bread and desserts from pantry items and searching the freezers for remembered ingredients.
Recent purchases have been the produce, milk, cheese, cereal for Dh, and more flour.
I need to use up more pudding mixes, jello packets, and some mysterious bags of something in the freezer.
All in all, I'm rather pleased at our efforts. It's been freeing to not have to scour the ads for sales beyond the produce and dairy.
How are you doing on the Pantry Challenge?
Hugs
K~
** "Good bread is the most fundamentally satisfying of all foods; good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts!" ~James Beard
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Garden 2009 final report
Blog Jan 7
A small update on the Garden 2009, I finally had to toss the last 3 onions. 2 were very sprouted and the third was rotting. It was definitely worth the cost of the sets and the time and effort of planting them and harvesting them. I can’t say I did anything else to them. Matter of fact we had to hunt for them in the weeds & grass to pull them up. They lasted from a good 3-4 months in my pantry, resting in a coffee-filter lined colander.
The last 5 pounds of red potatoes are still in the pantry in a cardboard box.
A few of them are getting wrinkly and sprouted so I need to get them cooked up asap. I’ve been reading through some old food-preserving Yahoo group emails and found a method of shredding the potatoes, boiling them, then drying for 8-12 hours. When dried you can power them for “instant” potatoes. It may not be as good as commercial instant mashed potatoes but it’s better than throwing away 5 pounds of home-grown potatoes. That may be my project for this weekend. The dehydrator will help keep the kitchen warmer.
I also found a way to dry pumpkin, which was exciting to me. I did freeze some pumpkin pulp blobs last year but didn’t vacuum-seal them, so they are getting freezer-burnt. The pumpkin was free so I’m only out of my time and the electricity used to cook it, but still....
Speaking of freezer-burn, I’m so miffed at myself. I tossed 2 bags of frozen vegetables this evening, that were all freezer burnt. It’s been months since we’ve eaten frozen vegetables, so I shouldn’t have been surprised. Just erks me that they were wasted. There just wasn’t any way to save them. I doubt they’d even be good in soup or pureed and added to red sauce or meat loaf.
And that zucchini in the fridge, was wasted also. But the peppers are still looking good.
I also did a little pantry reorganization after the holidays it got to be a bit of a mess with all the big storage containers stacked up and then falling down. I can see I need to watch for some canned vegetable sales, but everything else seems to be plentiful for now. I need to do a thorough freezer inventory yet and then will have a complete restocking list. Right now I know I need walnut pieces and bacon. Also I think the cheddar cheese is low. I have a gift card to our local natural foods store and can’t wait to get some local organic cheese for eating fresh. We don’t drink alot of milk, so we get our calcium from cheese, half-n-half and yogurt.
Winter is also a great time to plan ahead for the growing season. Even if you don’t plan to garden, there are local farmer’s markets, pick-your-own farms, road-side stands, neighbors with extra produce; all that can be processed and stored for eating later. I would much rather eat locally produced foods.
Have you done a recent pantry and freezer inventory? What is your favorite long-term storage method? Canning? Drying? Freezing? Do you use what you store? Are you planning to learn a new skill this year?
My goal is to can some meat this year.... if I still have my pressure canner and if it works. I am hoping to have a neighbor help me do this. I’ve never pressure canned anything before.
Hugs!
K~
"Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end.
It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing;
it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it."
~ Margaret Thatcher ~
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Winter Storm #3 report
Blog 1/6/10
Here we go again Dear Readers. Winter Storm #3! We received about 4” (guessing here, as _I’m_ not going out there to measure!) of new snow and now the howling winds of 30-40 mph have kicked in. We are being warned of dangerous wind-chill temperatures. As in -30° and lower. All the area schools are closed, the highways are closed and snowplows will not be out on the country roads until the wind dies down.
But on a happy note, my Farmer and I are safe and warm. Ds2 is safe in the city. The power is on and we have plenty of propane and the infrared heater is going. As a precaution, Farmer-dear had the generator fixed, we have kerosene and that heater in the garage nearby. We have 5 gal of drinking water in containers, and a 5-gal bucket of “flushing water” if needed.
I’m still doing the Pantry Challenge, so while I did get a very few groceries on Monday, I did not go into a panic yesterday to get ready for the storm. I sat and thought of what I could possibly need if we were home-bound for several days (which we will be).
I have on hand the following: Milk, Bread & the ingredients to make more, Coffee and Juice, Soup, at least 2 dozen Eggs, a variety of Meat in the freezers, lots of canned goods and pasta, cereals and dry goods in the pantry and prepared dessert items in the pantry & freezers.
We have some produce and I purposely did not buy more so we would eat up what we have in the fridge. The bag salad is about gone, but we have some shredded lettuce for tacos or sandwiches. There are carrots, and if they are too limp for raw eating, will be fine cooked or juiced. There is a pound each of apples and oranges. I need to check on the peppers and zucchini that are in there too. They were fine last weekend but now, who knows. I may be cooking them and pureeing to put into meatloaf or soup.
I thought about foods that we could eat if the power did go out, things like protein bars, canned soups and mixes we could heat over the heater. Nuts and the fruit also.
I also mentally double-checked on dish soap, laundry soap, toilet paper and other personal hygiene items.
And then I thought about how we will keep our minds and bodies occupied. Of course there are the twice (or more) daily chores that we have for the cattle and cats. That gets us outside whether we want to go or not.
Farmer-dear bought me/us a Wii for Christmas. He has been playing that in the evenings and I join in occasionally.
I also stopped by the public library on Tuesday and brought home 5 books for me. I have a large personal library here at home, but I also want to patronize the public library.
Also in the entertainment department, we have our satellite tv and several dvds. We normally have our internet connection but today we are experiencing “outages.” I still have over 1500 emails from my email groups to read (food groups that are timely whenever I read them) and many quilt/craft patterns and photos to organize.
And of course I have my HUGE fabric stash and sewing machines for quilting downstairs.
All in all, I don’t think we’ll starve or be bored.
So, dear Readers... if you were snow-bound for 3-4 days, right now; would you be prepared? For those of you in warm climates, (who I am trying to not envy too much today), are you ready for hurricane, wild fire evacuation or high smog alert season?
What are the top 5 items you have to have to be happy? (Besides family & pets, basic food/drink, heat/cool & shelter)
My top 5:
1. Coffee with half-n-half
2. Some kind of dessert or means to make it
3. SmartWool socks! (I hate cold feet.)
4. A book or two to read.
5. Some way to play cds or iTunes or the radio
Looking forward to reading your comments on how you are prepared and what would make you happy in a storm.
Hugs!
K~
** Bundle me up in an old, worn quilt with hand-sewn stitches,
and soft cotton batting. Place a book on my lap,
a cup of tea in my hand, a light by my side,
and leave me in a world of rest and delight.
~Roy Lessin
Here we go again Dear Readers. Winter Storm #3! We received about 4” (guessing here, as _I’m_ not going out there to measure!) of new snow and now the howling winds of 30-40 mph have kicked in. We are being warned of dangerous wind-chill temperatures. As in -30° and lower. All the area schools are closed, the highways are closed and snowplows will not be out on the country roads until the wind dies down.
But on a happy note, my Farmer and I are safe and warm. Ds2 is safe in the city. The power is on and we have plenty of propane and the infrared heater is going. As a precaution, Farmer-dear had the generator fixed, we have kerosene and that heater in the garage nearby. We have 5 gal of drinking water in containers, and a 5-gal bucket of “flushing water” if needed.
I’m still doing the Pantry Challenge, so while I did get a very few groceries on Monday, I did not go into a panic yesterday to get ready for the storm. I sat and thought of what I could possibly need if we were home-bound for several days (which we will be).
I have on hand the following: Milk, Bread & the ingredients to make more, Coffee and Juice, Soup, at least 2 dozen Eggs, a variety of Meat in the freezers, lots of canned goods and pasta, cereals and dry goods in the pantry and prepared dessert items in the pantry & freezers.
We have some produce and I purposely did not buy more so we would eat up what we have in the fridge. The bag salad is about gone, but we have some shredded lettuce for tacos or sandwiches. There are carrots, and if they are too limp for raw eating, will be fine cooked or juiced. There is a pound each of apples and oranges. I need to check on the peppers and zucchini that are in there too. They were fine last weekend but now, who knows. I may be cooking them and pureeing to put into meatloaf or soup.
I thought about foods that we could eat if the power did go out, things like protein bars, canned soups and mixes we could heat over the heater. Nuts and the fruit also.
I also mentally double-checked on dish soap, laundry soap, toilet paper and other personal hygiene items.
And then I thought about how we will keep our minds and bodies occupied. Of course there are the twice (or more) daily chores that we have for the cattle and cats. That gets us outside whether we want to go or not.
Farmer-dear bought me/us a Wii for Christmas. He has been playing that in the evenings and I join in occasionally.
I also stopped by the public library on Tuesday and brought home 5 books for me. I have a large personal library here at home, but I also want to patronize the public library.
Also in the entertainment department, we have our satellite tv and several dvds. We normally have our internet connection but today we are experiencing “outages.” I still have over 1500 emails from my email groups to read (food groups that are timely whenever I read them) and many quilt/craft patterns and photos to organize.
And of course I have my HUGE fabric stash and sewing machines for quilting downstairs.
All in all, I don’t think we’ll starve or be bored.
So, dear Readers... if you were snow-bound for 3-4 days, right now; would you be prepared? For those of you in warm climates, (who I am trying to not envy too much today), are you ready for hurricane, wild fire evacuation or high smog alert season?
What are the top 5 items you have to have to be happy? (Besides family & pets, basic food/drink, heat/cool & shelter)
My top 5:
1. Coffee with half-n-half
2. Some kind of dessert or means to make it
3. SmartWool socks! (I hate cold feet.)
4. A book or two to read.
5. Some way to play cds or iTunes or the radio
Looking forward to reading your comments on how you are prepared and what would make you happy in a storm.
Hugs!
K~
** Bundle me up in an old, worn quilt with hand-sewn stitches,
and soft cotton batting. Place a book on my lap,
a cup of tea in my hand, a light by my side,
and leave me in a world of rest and delight.
~Roy Lessin
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
That Ole Holiday Feeling....
"We've got that holiday feeling
That happy holiday feeling
Our favorite holiday of the year..."
(The Caroling Corner)
I know... I know... It's barely November and I want to talk about the holidays!! (you exclaim)
Bear with me Dear Readers.... look at the ticker on the sidebar...there are less than 60 days until Christmas! Only 23 until Thanksgiving.
If you are like me, the weather has been delightful (not frightful) and it feels like late September instead of early November. If I let my heart rule instead of my head, I'll just sit back with a cuppa cider and watch the leaves drift down and daydream. I won't even remember the holidays are right around the corner.
And then I'll be running about in crazy circles in a few weeks. Especially when I add in that our workload at the office will be picking up ALOT in the next week or so.
I need to start planning now. I need to get organized now. (stop hiding those giggles... I can see you.... It could happen... I could get organized... maybe... somehow... with help.... **sigh**)
So... what to do? How do "we" get organized for the upcoming holiday season? I have several ideas and helps.
1. Go to this Flylady page and download (in your preferred format) her holiday Control Journal. I use it to help me keep all my ideas and planning in one spot. (Note to self-- Find your Holiday Control Journal!!)
2. While you are at the Flylady site, go here and print out Leanne's gravy recipe. Seriously good! (scroll down past making the turkey, etc) I could not make gravy for anything. It's a running joke in my family. Wall-paper paste or water this year? But the past several holidays I have not had to defend myself. I found this recipe and now my turkey gravy is Outstanding!! (thanks Leanne)
3. Another idea is to go to Cindy's Porch for some frugal holiday ideas. Doing and not spending. Great advice, especially the ways things have been this year!
Ok... found my Holiday Control Journal! (schwoo~~) Here's a few photos:
My control journal and my favorite cookbook. (the squiggle on the CJ is to hide the name of our banking institution. Recycling an old notebook.)
Inside you will find articles I've printed or torn from magazines. Notice the Flylady sheets from her site. And that blue folder... more on that in a moment.
Two pages from the Flylady Control Journal just to show you what they are like.(again squiggles to protect the innocent & hide last year's gift list.)
5. Ok, remember that blue folder. Inside are the rest of my holiday recipes. Some tried & true and some that might be someday. There are a few recipes in my everyday recipe boxes that I make all year long, but I know where to find them. These are the just for the holidays.I just read the forecast for this week and SNOW!! is in the forecast for Thursday night and Friday!! Um.... not sure I'm ready for THAT indication of the holiday season.
Until later....
HUGS,
Kay~
**"the weather outside is frightful and fire is so delightful; and since we've no place to go..... Let's go Sew, Let's go Sew, Let's go Sew"
~~paraphrase by D. Feit (my friend)
PS We did vote today. I'm not watching any of the returns and will sleep peacefully tonight. Tomorrow is soon enough to start celebrating or praying harder.
PPS. I started a major overhaul of my sewing room. Photos of the final outcome later.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Thrift Store Goodies and an Organized Laundry
It's been a long week for me and I'm definitely ready for the weekend. Although from the sounds of it, it may not be as restful as I'd like. We have several errands in the city that must be done this weekend. I can still hope for a relaxing Sunday afternoon.
One nice thought is the warmer temperatures that are in the forecast for the next week. Maybe some of the mud will dry up. I'd like to start cleaning up the yard and garden but it's been to chilly yet.
I wrote about some recent thrift store finds and tonight I took photos of my goodies.
The vintage romper (notice the handwork. Aren't the rabbits cute?)
The vintage doll quilt
The vintage apron (so very sweet!)
Scarves & sashes to use to embellish some spring-time fabric post cards.
I haven't had a chance to take those photos of the cattle yet, but I will. This morning as I was doing chores I noticed the baby of our older "new" mama was lying very still in the straw pile and she was worried and sniffing and shuffling around him. I suspected he had died in the night and Rick found that to be true this evening.
We had a frugal dinner tonight. I went "shopping" in my freezers. There I found turkey breast medallions (Schwanns), au gratin potatoes and green bean casserole (both of these came with the honey-roast ham I got from my bosses at Christmas). I heated the veggies in the oven as the package directed and grilled the turkey on the GFGrill (it was cooked, just needed heating also.) We also had homemade bread and chocolate cake for dessert. I thought it was all pretty good for a processed freezer meal.
I organized my laundry room today. (It is actually more closet size, than a room.) I bought a narrow, wheeled cart with a hanging canvas bag and three wire shelves at W-mart. Rick grumbled and moaned about "cheap crap" until I told him I couldn't afford to go to Crate and Barrel or Linen & Things, etc for a similar cart, but if he insisted I would. That shut him up.*wink* And it works just fine.
The canvas laundry bag holds our good clothes until I have a load-full and I have a shelf for my seldom-used liquid bleach, one for my kitchen towels (again, for when I have enough for a load) and the top holds my Oxyclean and Dye-catchers. Now the only things on my dryer are the dryer sheets, a basket for my "found" money and my big jug of Era. Much, MUCH better than piles of clothes on the floor and all that stuff on top of the dryer.
Here are 2 photos of the laundry room, dirty clothes and all! (OH MY!)
I am using my dehydrator again today. Some dear friends gave us some grapefruit from Texas. They are nice and juicy but we just don't eat grapefruit as a fruit. I considered juicing them, but there are more than I would want to juice w/ a hand juicer. The orange and lemon I was drying were finally done after several repeat trips through the heat. I powdered them today in the blender. What an awesome smell! I decided to try to dry half of the grapefruit. I sliced them and seeded them. I did leave out the pieces that were mostly rind. It seemed the orange and lemon rinds didn't power up as easily. I have about 6 grapefruit to eat fresh or I'll section them and freeze them for fruit salad this summer.
The powdered citrus will be nice in lemonade or iced tea this summer also. Or in my fluffy yogurt pie. MMMMMmmm
And so with the thought of summer in mind, I'm heading off to bed.
Kay
** Other women have shoe addictions;
I wear cheap sandals and buy books.
--Jenna Glatzer
One nice thought is the warmer temperatures that are in the forecast for the next week. Maybe some of the mud will dry up. I'd like to start cleaning up the yard and garden but it's been to chilly yet.
I wrote about some recent thrift store finds and tonight I took photos of my goodies.
The vintage romper (notice the handwork. Aren't the rabbits cute?)
The vintage doll quilt
The vintage apron (so very sweet!)
Scarves & sashes to use to embellish some spring-time fabric post cards.
I haven't had a chance to take those photos of the cattle yet, but I will. This morning as I was doing chores I noticed the baby of our older "new" mama was lying very still in the straw pile and she was worried and sniffing and shuffling around him. I suspected he had died in the night and Rick found that to be true this evening.
We had a frugal dinner tonight. I went "shopping" in my freezers. There I found turkey breast medallions (Schwanns), au gratin potatoes and green bean casserole (both of these came with the honey-roast ham I got from my bosses at Christmas). I heated the veggies in the oven as the package directed and grilled the turkey on the GFGrill (it was cooked, just needed heating also.) We also had homemade bread and chocolate cake for dessert. I thought it was all pretty good for a processed freezer meal.
I organized my laundry room today. (It is actually more closet size, than a room.) I bought a narrow, wheeled cart with a hanging canvas bag and three wire shelves at W-mart. Rick grumbled and moaned about "cheap crap" until I told him I couldn't afford to go to Crate and Barrel or Linen & Things, etc for a similar cart, but if he insisted I would. That shut him up.*wink* And it works just fine.
The canvas laundry bag holds our good clothes until I have a load-full and I have a shelf for my seldom-used liquid bleach, one for my kitchen towels (again, for when I have enough for a load) and the top holds my Oxyclean and Dye-catchers. Now the only things on my dryer are the dryer sheets, a basket for my "found" money and my big jug of Era. Much, MUCH better than piles of clothes on the floor and all that stuff on top of the dryer.
Here are 2 photos of the laundry room, dirty clothes and all! (OH MY!)
I am using my dehydrator again today. Some dear friends gave us some grapefruit from Texas. They are nice and juicy but we just don't eat grapefruit as a fruit. I considered juicing them, but there are more than I would want to juice w/ a hand juicer. The orange and lemon I was drying were finally done after several repeat trips through the heat. I powdered them today in the blender. What an awesome smell! I decided to try to dry half of the grapefruit. I sliced them and seeded them. I did leave out the pieces that were mostly rind. It seemed the orange and lemon rinds didn't power up as easily. I have about 6 grapefruit to eat fresh or I'll section them and freeze them for fruit salad this summer.
The powdered citrus will be nice in lemonade or iced tea this summer also. Or in my fluffy yogurt pie. MMMMMmmm
And so with the thought of summer in mind, I'm heading off to bed.
Kay
** Other women have shoe addictions;
I wear cheap sandals and buy books.
--Jenna Glatzer
Saturday, March 3, 2007
A Constructive Saturday
It's a sunny, but cold day on the prairie.
March certainly came in like a Lion this year! We had 4-6" of snow over Wednesday night on top of ice. Rick and I stayed home from work on Thursday. The roads were treacherous and I was glad we didn't have to travel. I felt badly for the girls basketball teams and their fans who had to be out in it.
We had more snow overnight and still a lot blowing, so we are staying snug inside (after doing chores, of course).
He's watching the state girls' basketball tournament. I cleaned the living room and am doing some much-needed organizing and decluttering in the office. It may look like winter outside, but it says "March" on the calendar and that means time to start Spring Cleaning!
Fun Sites for Crafts for Children
In a pile of miscellaneous papers on my desk I came across a page torn out of the April 1, 2007 Womans Day magazine (pg 105). On it was a list of fun sites for children's crafts. I have listed them below:
Oriental Trading Company (inexpensive party items, goody bag filler, craft items. Some Biblical based.)
Kaboose.com (DIY projects kids can make and take home.)
DLTK-Kids.com (Thousands of free printable coloring pages, easy crafts and activitiy ideas.)
Shindigz (Decorations to fit any theme a child is wild about.)
Discount School Supply (craft supplies)
I haven't looked at all of them, but am familiar with Oriental Trading Post. Think of the junk you get at the county fair. Some of it isn't bad and it is inexpensive.
I really like the dltk-kids.com site. I just made a nifty pink kitty card for the twins and then printed off some kitty posters and some flower coloring pages (on heavy paper). The girlies are only 16 months, but it's never too early to start sending them their own 'specials' in the mail, right? :o)
Organizing My Office
My desk has been a source of mental stress lately. I had to move all the mess off the desk and from around it this week when the wireless tech came to hook us up.
I had piles and containers along the banister and it just was not a good look. So today was the day to do some organizing.
The left-hand side tower cupboard in my desk was a mess. I don't have a tower cpu. I have an all-in-one Mac, so that space was a catch-all for "stuff". I bought one of those locker shelves last fall and it fits perfectly in there. Way in the back I have the boxes and instruction manuals for our cell phones and the digi camera.
Also the extra scotch tape and staples. Under the wire shelf I have the camera bag and our boxes of new checks.
On the shelf I have binders for our bank statements, photo paper, and expanding files for our insurances and Rick's farm maps/ASCS paperwork.
The small shelf above this cupboard needs a flatter basket or tray. It holds my post-it note pads and my password file. I want to get a rolladex for these important numbers. I have them stored on my computer but it maybe that sometime I may not be able to access that software or folder.
Under the desk by my feet is a case of computer paper and the trash can. On the floor by the side table is my portable wire hanging file and a second lidded plastic file for "To Be Filed" papers. I asked Farmer to deal w/ the paper sludge this weekend. Most of his "important farming & banking papers" I don't know what to do with. I'm not sure if I can file them away with last year's tax records or if he'll need them during this year. He will also organize those tax records for storage so we can start all over again with filing the 2007 receipts.
On the right-hand side of the desk I have rounded shelves. Not very practical, but that's what's there. On the back ones that are hard to reach, I have ...
(I had to look and then to do more decluttering....sheesh!).... I HAD a Longaberger® basket of all the stationary and note cards I've been missing! Also found a stack of cds that don't really play on my computer and that I don't want. They will go to ds1.
On the front shelves I have my reference books on the bottom shelf and a pile of computer paper, card stock and misc. notebook paper on the upper shelf. That shelf doesn't look very organized and I need to do something.... **Thinking**..... I think I have a 9x13 size basket in the sewing room. That would work to corral this mess. Or I'll store it in the plastic hanging file container since it only holds temporary files. There would be room in it.
So in the last few minutes I organized my stationary and put it all in one basket instead of two; organized and decluttered the other office supplies in containers and baskets on my desk; and moved the printer over to the side table and gave myself more room in front of the computer. Opened up some breathing room, as it were.
(I also peeked at my bread dough and found it was ready for shaping and the second rise. I also started a batch of Honey/Cinnamon Breakfast Rolls in the bread machine.)
Other Organization
Earlier today I reorganized my family photo frames. I needed to update some of the photos and put some of the frames away. Somewhere I read you should only have 7 frames grouped together. I have 8 on the parlor table, but one is a larger areal photo of the farm. It is way in the back so really, I only have 7 family photos.
I also organized my Bible Basket. I have a Longaberger® basket that holds my Bible, my Sunday School binder, my prayer journal and small versions of Bible study help books, and my hand lotion. I took out my fiction books and stacked them along side the basket.
I've been ruthlessly tossing the books I don't love. Yes... I said TOSSING, as in the garbage! Some of you are having heart failure, I'm sure. I figure they were thrift store bargain buys and it wasn't worth the mental stress to try and remember to take them back for reselling or to store them for giving away "someday". At 25 cents to maybe a $1, I can afford to throw them away. It is a freeing experience.
I also did some piggy feeding (piggy Bank). I found a handful of coins in one of the baskets and a bunch of coins and bills in another. The bills went into my "fun stash" and the coins will be turned into bills later when that basket is full.
***************
Tomorrow afternoon I plan to spend in the sewing studio. I was able to machine-stitch the binding on 2 quilts in the past week or so. I now have hand-work for tv nights.
I'm not sure which project I should work on next. I have so many ideas fluttering around in my head. The idea that keeps coming to the forefront is to make some Spring fabric postcards. I guess with all this snow and cold I feel the need for some Springtime color. (Another idea just popped up! Paper-pieced spring flower blocks...hmmm....)
That is the news from the farm today. I just got myself a cup of Chai and I have that pile of paper to take care of on the shelf and need to watch my bread in the oven and finish up those rolls.
Hugs
Kay
** Spring Cleaning
March bustles in on windy feet
And sweeps my doorstep and my street.
She washes and cleans with pounding rains,
Scrubbing the earth of winter stains.
She shakes the grime from carpet green
Till naught but fresh new blades are seen.
Then, house in order, all neat as a pin,
She ushers gentle springtime in.
--Susan Reiner
March certainly came in like a Lion this year! We had 4-6" of snow over Wednesday night on top of ice. Rick and I stayed home from work on Thursday. The roads were treacherous and I was glad we didn't have to travel. I felt badly for the girls basketball teams and their fans who had to be out in it.
We had more snow overnight and still a lot blowing, so we are staying snug inside (after doing chores, of course).
He's watching the state girls' basketball tournament. I cleaned the living room and am doing some much-needed organizing and decluttering in the office. It may look like winter outside, but it says "March" on the calendar and that means time to start Spring Cleaning!
Fun Sites for Crafts for Children
In a pile of miscellaneous papers on my desk I came across a page torn out of the April 1, 2007 Womans Day magazine (pg 105). On it was a list of fun sites for children's crafts. I have listed them below:
Oriental Trading Company (inexpensive party items, goody bag filler, craft items. Some Biblical based.)
Kaboose.com (DIY projects kids can make and take home.)
DLTK-Kids.com (Thousands of free printable coloring pages, easy crafts and activitiy ideas.)
Shindigz (Decorations to fit any theme a child is wild about.)
Discount School Supply (craft supplies)
I haven't looked at all of them, but am familiar with Oriental Trading Post. Think of the junk you get at the county fair. Some of it isn't bad and it is inexpensive.
I really like the dltk-kids.com site. I just made a nifty pink kitty card for the twins and then printed off some kitty posters and some flower coloring pages (on heavy paper). The girlies are only 16 months, but it's never too early to start sending them their own 'specials' in the mail, right? :o)
Organizing My Office
My desk has been a source of mental stress lately. I had to move all the mess off the desk and from around it this week when the wireless tech came to hook us up.
I had piles and containers along the banister and it just was not a good look. So today was the day to do some organizing.
The left-hand side tower cupboard in my desk was a mess. I don't have a tower cpu. I have an all-in-one Mac, so that space was a catch-all for "stuff". I bought one of those locker shelves last fall and it fits perfectly in there. Way in the back I have the boxes and instruction manuals for our cell phones and the digi camera.
Also the extra scotch tape and staples. Under the wire shelf I have the camera bag and our boxes of new checks.
On the shelf I have binders for our bank statements, photo paper, and expanding files for our insurances and Rick's farm maps/ASCS paperwork.
The small shelf above this cupboard needs a flatter basket or tray. It holds my post-it note pads and my password file. I want to get a rolladex for these important numbers. I have them stored on my computer but it maybe that sometime I may not be able to access that software or folder.
Under the desk by my feet is a case of computer paper and the trash can. On the floor by the side table is my portable wire hanging file and a second lidded plastic file for "To Be Filed" papers. I asked Farmer to deal w/ the paper sludge this weekend. Most of his "important farming & banking papers" I don't know what to do with. I'm not sure if I can file them away with last year's tax records or if he'll need them during this year. He will also organize those tax records for storage so we can start all over again with filing the 2007 receipts.
On the right-hand side of the desk I have rounded shelves. Not very practical, but that's what's there. On the back ones that are hard to reach, I have ...
(I had to look and then to do more decluttering....sheesh!).... I HAD a Longaberger® basket of all the stationary and note cards I've been missing! Also found a stack of cds that don't really play on my computer and that I don't want. They will go to ds1.
On the front shelves I have my reference books on the bottom shelf and a pile of computer paper, card stock and misc. notebook paper on the upper shelf. That shelf doesn't look very organized and I need to do something.... **Thinking**..... I think I have a 9x13 size basket in the sewing room. That would work to corral this mess. Or I'll store it in the plastic hanging file container since it only holds temporary files. There would be room in it.
So in the last few minutes I organized my stationary and put it all in one basket instead of two; organized and decluttered the other office supplies in containers and baskets on my desk; and moved the printer over to the side table and gave myself more room in front of the computer. Opened up some breathing room, as it were.
(I also peeked at my bread dough and found it was ready for shaping and the second rise. I also started a batch of Honey/Cinnamon Breakfast Rolls in the bread machine.)
Other Organization
Earlier today I reorganized my family photo frames. I needed to update some of the photos and put some of the frames away. Somewhere I read you should only have 7 frames grouped together. I have 8 on the parlor table, but one is a larger areal photo of the farm. It is way in the back so really, I only have 7 family photos.
I also organized my Bible Basket. I have a Longaberger® basket that holds my Bible, my Sunday School binder, my prayer journal and small versions of Bible study help books, and my hand lotion. I took out my fiction books and stacked them along side the basket.
I've been ruthlessly tossing the books I don't love. Yes... I said TOSSING, as in the garbage! Some of you are having heart failure, I'm sure. I figure they were thrift store bargain buys and it wasn't worth the mental stress to try and remember to take them back for reselling or to store them for giving away "someday". At 25 cents to maybe a $1, I can afford to throw them away. It is a freeing experience.
I also did some piggy feeding (piggy Bank). I found a handful of coins in one of the baskets and a bunch of coins and bills in another. The bills went into my "fun stash" and the coins will be turned into bills later when that basket is full.
***************
Tomorrow afternoon I plan to spend in the sewing studio. I was able to machine-stitch the binding on 2 quilts in the past week or so. I now have hand-work for tv nights.
I'm not sure which project I should work on next. I have so many ideas fluttering around in my head. The idea that keeps coming to the forefront is to make some Spring fabric postcards. I guess with all this snow and cold I feel the need for some Springtime color. (Another idea just popped up! Paper-pieced spring flower blocks...hmmm....)
That is the news from the farm today. I just got myself a cup of Chai and I have that pile of paper to take care of on the shelf and need to watch my bread in the oven and finish up those rolls.
Hugs
Kay
** Spring Cleaning
March bustles in on windy feet
And sweeps my doorstep and my street.
She washes and cleans with pounding rains,
Scrubbing the earth of winter stains.
She shakes the grime from carpet green
Till naught but fresh new blades are seen.
Then, house in order, all neat as a pin,
She ushers gentle springtime in.
--Susan Reiner
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