A very nippy Wednesday!

Brrrrrrrrr!!!!

We started out the day with 13 degrees F, or -10 Celsius.  I am so cold, so very very cold, my poor toes and fingers actually ache.  It's been such a huge change in the weather, one day warm and then suddenly we're thrown into a very cold weather system.

Sweater weather, for sure!

Wednesday mornings, my husband has to be up at 6am to get to work and then straight to college for the rest of the day.  I could stay in bed, but I like to get up with him and make some coffee, chat a little and see him off before sitting down to watch my vlogs and check on my blog etc.

This morning however, I wanted to stay in bed so badly, and he told me to stay but the minute he left the bedroom the pugs woke up and wouldn't allow me to go back to sleep.  Miss Bella loves her daddy and so she whines and whines for him, Miss Lola on the other hand is perfectly happy on the bed with me but she scratches and licks and scratches again and walks all over my legs, making it quite impossible to get any kind of rest.

So I braved the cold and just got up anyway, nothing a hot cup of coffee won't cure right?

I sat and enjoyed my coffee, did a little computer work and then got my breakfast started. I wanted to make some buttermilk pancakes but completely forgot that I had no eggs, bummer. I decided to go with oatmeal instead.

Oatmeal with honey and coconut, so good, so filling, and warmed me right up.

While I waited for the oatmeal to cook, I set to work making Curt's lunch.  I usually make him a sandwich to take with to school, I would make him something more but it's all he wants.

Once Curt left for school, I got my day started. There is always so much housework to do, you would think that if you cleaned your house from top to bottom the day before, you wouldn't have much to do the next day, but you know that is not the way it works. There seem to be the same chores day in and day out, those that are never ending and totally repetitive, you really do have to look deep inside yourself to attack these tasks with the same conviction as if you were doing them for the first time, otherwise, I don't know....I think many of us would be running for the hills.

It helps when you take a moment to watch the beautiful sunrise outside the window.

Not for long though because my boy's laundry was waiting to be put away and his bed needing to be made.

By the time I got downstairs to clean the living room, I was so hot, I had to take my sweater off. Who says housework isn't good for anything? If anything it is a way of keeping us warm during the winter months. HA!

It seems like a never ending job lately with the dogs shedding, my poor vacuum gets a good workout and I'm afraid it's starting to get quite old.  I just can't afford a new one at the moment so I'm hoping it holds out for a little while longer.

I didn't take too long with the housework, by 11:30 am I was all done and just needed to get the school lessons for the day, prepared. 

Before I could do that though, the kids were hungry.  Usually they fix themselves something to eat, I keep sandwich fixings, soups, pizza rolls, hot pockets, burritos etc. , on hand, but I've been thinking that I would much rather start fixing lunch again and incorporating some healthier options.

Today I baked up some haddock fish sticks and steamed some broccoli.  They were so happy with the lunch and actually told me that they would love for me to start making meals like these, so I think I'm going to write down some ideas on my next menu plan and get started with this next week.

 You know as the kids have grown up, I kind of enjoyed their independence and knowing that if they got hungry they could fix themselves something to eat, but I also miss the times when they were toddlers and I was the one preparing the meals.  Much as I love their independence, I love them more and would rather see them eat healthier food.

Some days are so exhausting that by mid afternoon I find myself struggling to keep my eyes open and start counting down the hours until bedtime. Today was one of those!

By 3pm I was freezing cold and really needing a little pick me up, so a cup of hot tea was just what the doctor ordered.

Thank goodness for that cup of tea, it was the only thing that kept me going for the rest of the day.

From 4pm onwards it seems that the day is a blur of events, from dinner prepping to eating, to cleaning the kitchen and all that fun stuff in between.

Tonight I went ahead and started two batches of the No Knead Bread. They will stay on the table rising until the morning, then into the oven they'll go. We'll use one to make sandwiches for tomorrow's lunch :)

I'm tired and my warm bed is calling me, so I'm going to finish this cup of coffee and get some rest. We'll see if I wake up to snow or not, either way you know I'll be here tomorrow telling you all about it.

Goodnight friends.
xoxoxo

Preparing......

Oh my goodness, I am freezing!

Remember yesterday I told you that the weather predicts snow for Thursday and I was still a little on the fence about whether it will really happen or not?

I honestly have no doubt whatsoever that snow is on the way, like, no doubt in my mind.  It is freezing cold here, it actually seems to have shifted so quickly from 80 degree weather to freezing.

I have pulled out all my winter clothes and I've even had to wear my under armour thermal stuff, it is that cold right now.

Being that it was Veteran's Day today, we didn't do school, and the kids hung out all day on the couch, wearing their pajamas, covered with blankets and watching movies.  Curt and I had to run out this morning to get a few last minute things for my niece's birthday, she's now officially done when it comes to gifts.  Whew!

On the way home we decided to pick up some Tacos, we don't get a lot of take out food, I think I'm quite sick of junk food to be honest, but Tacos sounded very good at the time.

It filled us up, and along with that it has just given me tummy ache.  I love Mexican food but it does tend to mess with my stomach so I don't eat it that often.

Anyway, after getting back home, Curt had to go back out to work and I decided to get some things done around here in order to prepare for the incoming freezing temperatures and snow.

I stepped out back and everything was still kind of frozen. These leaves were on the deck, just look at how frozen they were? Not that it surprises me, a funny story actually, I mopped the floors yesterday afternoon and then set the bucket with water out on the deck and the mop as well.

I always set the mop outside to dry (during the summer and warmer weather) and sometimes the bucket of water too while I get other things done and then I'll come back a few minutes later and empty out the bucket, wash it out, take it back inside etc.  I completely forgot about the mop and bucket out there, like totally forgot until I stepped outside today to get things put away.

It didn't surprise me to find the whole bucket completely frozen.  I did let it sit out for a bit while I worked on the deck and then was able to pour out the water, but there was even a couple dead flies and bees in there, frozen solid.

So, anyway, I put all the summer decorations, pots and soil etc, into the big tub that I have for my garden, and then moved that into the shed.  Then I moved the grill up against the house and stacked the chairs and the table all neatly next to it.  I'm just waiting for hubby to get the furniture covers on them and we'll call it good.

While out there I noticed just how bare some of the trees around here are.  Not a single leaf left on a branch.

While others are still filled with orange leaves, like they're holding on for dear life not wanting to let go of summer.

I always look forward to Autumn and then just as quickly I start missing it because I realize how short the season seems?  At least this year, I feel like we had Autumn for a month if that, and now we're already heading to Winter.  Just crazy!

I didn't stay out for very long, after about 30 minutes I had to come back in because my nose was frozen and I was so cold I actually shivered.

By the way, as I'm typing this up the wind is howling outside.

Anyway, with that job out of the way, I thought it time to get the fire going, or try to.  What a pain in the behind it is to get a good fire burning.  If you have any suggestions at all, I would greatly appreciate it.

I did manage to get it started quite well and even used some homemade fire starters which consisted of cotton balls and vaseline, they work really well, my problem is keeping this fire going without dying out.

So yeah, if you have any tips on a better way to get it started, keep it going, and what kind of wood is best for it, just leave me a comment down below.

I'm hoping to perfect this before it gets very cold, I am hoping it will cut down on our bills this winter.

Miss Lola does not like the cold, neither does Miss Bella.....but Lola especially is such a blanket hog. She will not sit anywhere that is not a couch with a warm body under a blanket, just look at this brat. She makes me laugh!

I wanted to show you my favorite body mist of the moment.  I am out of my usual perfume and have one other small bottle which is almost finished too.  I wanted to buy some but I realize that Christmas is right around the corner and I usually get some either from my husband or other family members.

While at Walmart the other day I saw this Naughty and Nice mist from Bodycology, it was pretty inexpensive and I figured I would give it a try.  It smells AMAZING!!!  Then again I love musky scents, so this is Sheer Musk & Peony, but oh my word, so good.

Yeah, just thought I would share that with you.

It's just after 9pm now, I am showered and in bed and I've pulled out my big mink blanket because when I tell you it's cold here, I mean, it is COLD.  The house just seems to freeze overnight and the past few days Curt has had to get up in the middle of the night and turn on the heater for a few hours.  I usually turn it off when I wake up, or if it hasn't been running, then I turn it on for about an hour just to warm up the house and then off again.

Soon as I finish this post, I'm going to tackle the big pile of laundry on my bed, probably put something on Netflix to watch while I do that.......

and then finish up my night menu planning.

Exciting isn't it?

Right, well, I do hope you've all had a great Tuesday, I hope you're staying warm, I do know that a couple of you have already seen snow, yikes.

I will be back tomorrow with another day in my life post, and a winner, or rather winners, for the arm knitted scarves giveaway.

Night everyone :)

Yesterday......

I was supposed to come and do this post last night, but we got back from my brother's house around 9pm and by then it was pouring rain, so I quickly jumped in the bath and got into bed to relax.  It didn't take very long to fall asleep.

My weekend was good, quiet but good.  We have such a busy schedule during the week that we don't get to really sit down and spend much time together.  I can safely say that I see my husband less now than I did when he was in the military, save for the months when he would deploy somewhere.

Monday, Wednesday and Friday he is at school from 9am to 6pm and Tuesday and Thursday he has work from 10am to about 3pm, then he has to do all his schoolwork which if you have kids in college or are going to school yourself, you will understand that the work load is absolutely crazy.....there have been many days where he is up until late doing homework.

Anyway, we spent the weekend catching up, taking it easy and trying to spend some much needed family time together.

I didn't do much cleaning on Saturday, just the usual daily tasks of tidying up and cooking, and then yesterday I did my housework and pottered around.  I did take some photos and wanted to come in and share, I wish I could project through my blog just how much I love being a homemaker and taking care of my family and home, it gives me an immense sense of pride when I know that at the end of the day they can climb into warm beds, enjoy a slice of fresh bread just out of the oven, or sit in the living room covered with crochet blankets.

I started the day with a yummy breakfast, some leftover cheddar sausages that I grilled up in the oven, maple bacon, scrambled eggs and toast. We usually don't have a big breakfast during the week so Sunday mornings we like to go all out, sometimes it's stacks of pancakes drizzled with syrup and whipped cream, or big biscuits with gravy.

Next on the list, the dishes.  I always unload and reload the washer, but then keep some soapy water in the sink during the day and everyone dumps their dirty dishes in there, makes it easier to wash when they've been soaking for a while.

One of the jobs I know a lot of you can't stand, but I love, is ironing. So I grabbed my laptop, put on some of my favorite vloggers and got the task done.....and all before I even got dressed for the day.

I also put on a big ham to roast, let it bake for a few hours and then sliced it up.  Most of it will be for tomorrow's dinner, but the rest will be used for sandwiches throughout the week.

The bedroom cleaning came next. I had to go out and buy a mattress pad because the mattress is old but we can't really afford to buy a new one right now, the thing is the springs on there are just killing me and making it sore to lay on at night. Hubby helped me get it on the bed and then I quickly got things sorted out.

I am loving my yellow and grey bedding so much.

And it wouldn't be me without some sort of crochet right?

I also got some time to sit on the couch and enjoy my new book.  I am really enjoying the stories, and will be reviewing it here on the blog next week.

A nice cup of tea, a comfy couch and a few hours lost in a good book is what I call a great afternoon.

Sunday nights we usually go over to my brother's house to watch Walking Dead and we always have some yummy things to eat.  It's a nice way to get together at least once a week, catch up, laugh and enjoy a show as a family.

Before we left for their house, I made a Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding which was so yummy, I will have to make it again very soon.  I also had to paint my nails and these were the colors I settled on, the pink was the main color and then I did two accent nails on each hand with the silver glitter.  Love it :)

The weather had already started turning and there were a few drops starting to come down.

But goodness, by the time we returned home it was coming down so hard and very windy, not to mention the cold. I think it's safe to say we are headed straight into Winter without much of a transition from warmer weather.

I am actually looking forward to the first snow, you know how I love to photograph the first flakes that come down, so I'm quite excited for the end of the week, we'll see if it really comes to fruition or if it's another missed weather prediction.

So there you have it, my Sunday in pictures, hopefully it was able to convey the peaceful and relaxing weekend I had :)

Don't forget that tomorrow is the last day to enter my Arm Knitting Scarf Giveaway, if you haven't yet done so, go on and leave a comment on this post.

This old gal is headed to the shower, I am freezing right now and am ready for a hot bath and my fleecy jammies. Have a wonderful night friends and as always, thank you for taking the time to stop by and say hi :)

Happy Homemaker Monday - 11/10/2014

Good morning sweet friends, how was your weekend?

Mine was glorious, quiet, relaxing and filled with family time which is always a good thing.  Let's see what the week has ahead shall we?

The weather outside is::::

24 degrees at the moment with a high of only 47 today.  The week looks pretty much the same, except for Thursday.....you know why?  Because we have Snow coming down.  Ummmm, I love snow, I love winter, but I am not sure I am ready for it to start already.  Remember when I said I think we're going to have a really cold winter this year?  I was hoping I would be proven wrong, but I guess I'm right, better get ready. 

On the breakfast plate this morning::::

At the moment, just a cup of coffee with Pumpkin Spice.  I may have a bagel afterwards, or I might do porridge since it's so cold, not sure yet.  

As I look outside my window:::

Beautiful blue skies, not a single cloud, but terribly cold.  There is frost everywhere. 

Right now I am::::

Sitting in the living room, typing up this post and drinking my coffee.  Also sitting here wondering why on earth my backspace key, my print screen key and my number 4 on the number pad have decided to stop working.  UGH!!!   

As I look around the house::::

The sun is streaming in through the windows in the living room.  It's very quiet in here as the kids are both still asleep and hubby is getting ready to leave for college.  Thankfully I did most of my cleaning this weekend so I don't have much at all to do today, aside from the usual daily chores.  I am so ready to start putting up Christmas things, is that bad?  I know I really should wait a little longer but I'm afraid some small items may start showing up here and there.

On today's to do list::::

Laundry....Have 1 load of towels to wash, and one load that I ironed ready to be put away.  Cleaning....In the kitchen, Unload the dishwasher and reload with breakfast dishes, sweep and mop. In the living room....Vacuum the rug again, it's a daily thing when the pugs are shedding which they both are at the moment. Dust and tidy up a bit.
In the bedrooms....make the beds, pick up and tidy up, open curtains and blinds and windows to let in some fresh air.
In the bathrooms....clean the toilets, sinks and mirrors.
Homeschooling....prepare the lessons, check grades.
Outside....Put away all the garden items in the big tub and move it to the shed.  Bring the grill into the garage and put up the patio table and chairs in preparation for the snow and cold we're getting.
Crocheting....work on my new project, work a bit more on my niece's blanket and make the last 3 scarves for the giveaway.
Cooking.....for lunch I'm thinking soup, I may actually make a veg soup.  Dinner is Beef Curry. 

Currently reading::::

Still reading my Diana Gabaldon Outlander series.
Reading Glimpsing Heaven, oh my word, I love these types of books, so interesting

On the TV today::::

Yesterday's Downton Abbey, I can't believe this season is over already, now I have to wait for the Christmas special and it seems sooooo far away.
Watch the Doctor Who season finale this Saturday too and was just not impressed, at all.
Haven from last week.
Star Trek Enterprise with hubby tonight.

On the menu this week::::

Monday - Beef Curry with rice
Tuesday - Ham, Potatoes and Yorkshire Puddings with Gravy
Wednesday - Cheesy Kielbasa Bake
Thursday - Beef Stew, Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
Friday - Slow Cooked Beans and Ham
Saturday - Roast Tilapia, Roast Potatoes, Veggies
Sunday - Pea and Ham Soup, Dessert

What I am creating at the moment::::

Arm knitted scarves, blankets and other Christmas things. 

New recipe I tried or want to try this week::::

Made the Ajo Chicken (recipe coming this morning), it was divine.  Also made a Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding to die for.  (recipe also coming this morning). 

Favorite photo from the camera::::

Prayers, Inspirational Quotes or Devotionals::::

PLEASE, don't add links to this list that are not part of the Happy Homemaker Monday. I've asked numerous times, and I'm frankly quite tired of having to remove links to other posts that shouldn't be in this list. Please be respectful of my request!

Puttering around the house

It's just before 1pm, and I'm sitting down to write up this post.

I've spent my morning cleaning, organizing and doing the usual puttering around the house.  I do so love being a homemaker and taking care of my home, and I sometimes find that I don't get much time during the week to do all the projects I need or want to because I have homeschooling going on.

We usually take Fridays off, the kids are caught up during the week and Fridays are not only for relaxing but it's now a day that I use to catch up on Spanish with Jasmine, and get my homemaking and projects done.

I love being busy, I love the whole chaos and craziness of homeschooling 4 kids, but I also need time to myself to get my own things done, and it's not always possible, not to mention that time seems to just fly by during the weekdays and before I know it I have to get dinner on the table.

So anyway, today I decided to tackle my pantry and some of the kitchen cabinets.

When we moved into this house back in the middle of June, I organized things how I wanted them.  Truth is, you never really know how or if they will work for you until you've been living in that space for a while.

I've recently realized that a lot of things were not working for me and I've been meaning to tackle it for a while, so without putting it off any longer, today was the day.

As I said in my post about the cookbooks, I have a huge collection, and while I love that, they can be quite cumbersome and hard to find room for every single one.  I had some in the pantry, on the top shelf and then some in another shelf above my sink.  I guess I had them spread out through my kitchen in an attempt to find room for them all.

That was the first thing to tackle......

I moved them all out of the pantry and to the cabinet above my stove, was able to fit most of them in there and kept some on another shelf in the cabinet above the sink.  They're more at hand now and not so spread out as before.  I'm happy with that.

With my recent obsession with chalkboard paint, I came across these labels at the dollar store and I really like them.   Yes the chalk will rub off if rubbed against, but for the most part, they are on the jars in the pantry and not really being messed with too much.

I just love how they look and I like the fact that I can also change the contents of the jar as needed, and just edit the label to reflect what is inside.

As the months have gone by, the pantry has gotten progressively more disorganized. The kids and the husband go in there every day, whether to find lunch foods, or get cereal or a snack and they don't always put things back as neatly as I would like.

I gave it a good clean, went through everything and threw out things that were expired, and organized them by baskets according to needs, baking, cooking, pastas and rice etc.

Top Shelf.....all my jars with flour, sugar, rice, pasta, coffee and beans etc.
Second Shelf.....baking supplies.  From the left I have all my pie filling cans, a basket with cake, muffin and cookie mixes and chocolate chips, coconut etc.  Syrups, molasses, baking powder, cornstarch and extracts.  The small light blue basket holds food coloring, decorating items and such.  I also have my oils and bisquik mix.
Third Shelf....Canned goods, a basket with ramen noodles and other lunch items, the first big white basket holds snack items (I placed this basket and the ramen noodles for easy access to the kids), the next white basket holds all my pastas and rice mixes, instant mashed potatoes and stuffing.
Fourth Shelf.....all my cereals and porridges, potatoes and onions and my plastic tupperware containers that I use for leftovers.
On the very bottom....I have a big plastic container that holds different kitchen items that I don't use very often.  The two black and white containers next to it, the bottom one holds stuff that would usually go in a junk drawer (I don't have one in this kitchen), and the top container has smaller kitchen utensils like pastry brushes and rollers, apple corer etc.  Then I have a white basket for napkins and paper plates and right next to that all the 2 liter bottles of drink we have.

I think it looks a lot better and definitely much cleaner and tidier than before. :)

I wanted to quickly show you some other things around here, starting with my plants.  My chili plant has decided to give me some more chilies before winter.

My beets are also doing quite well

and so is my basil, don't you just love basil, it smells amazing.

I did a bit of baking, some weeks I tend to bake more than others, but this week was one of those where I was craving certain things and had to make them.

Date and Nut Loaf, you can find the recipe over at the blog. 

Between the organizing and the usual housework, I also got some mail in. Two movies from Netflix, The Purge and The Invoking, I don't even remember putting these on my Queue but I'm sure I did or they wouldn't have sent them along. We will probably watch these either tonight or tomorrow night.

The other item that came in and got me really excited, was a box from Jamberry Nails for a review that I'm doing on Monday of next week, so stay tuned for that. So excited to try these over the weekend.

From the left, Galactic for Jasmine, The white tips with bows for Tiffany, the Rose Sparkle for my sister in law Hayley and the Vintage Chic for me, of course, if it looks anything vintage or even remotely Cath Kidston inspired, I am all over it.

Let's see....what else did I want to tell you about?

You know before I started writing the post I had all these things to chat about and now I can't remember them all.  Go figure!

Right, I better go switch my laundry from the washer to the dryer and fold the load that is coming out.  Need to sort things to iron and put away, etc., then I think it's time for a cup of coffee and a sit down for a few to help Jasmine with her Spanish and other lessons, and if possible and we're done early, I can watch something on the Telly.

I have to tell you about The Passing Bells, it is a 5 part series set in World War I, I watched the first episode last night and really enjoyed it, have 3 more to watch and the new episode aired earlier today in the UK, so I'll try to catch that one later too.

Also have The Great Fire to finish watching, and a series of great documentaries on BBC called When Gothic Was Born.  So yes, lots to keep me busy the rest of the day.

Of course I'll have to take a break at 5pm so that I can get dinner done, tonight it's Chicken a la King with Rice.  Yum!

We don't have anything planned for this weekend, other than spending some much needed family time, cleaning, and organizing our garage and taking care of the yards, need to get them ready for winter because I have a feeling it's right around the corner.

Lots of ice every morning, as you can see by my patio table

and the trees are really bare around here.

Anyway, I hope you all have a fantastic Friday night and a wonderful weekend :)