I'm Trashing My Home Management Binder!

I was just commenting to hubby yesterday that this year is whizzing by so fast! I know it's cliche' but time does fly when you're having fun! And I have been enjoying life as it comes my way.
Along with that, I have to be honest, I have not kept up at all with my plans to scrapbook, exercise and blog daily as I had planned and that has giving me that nagging feeling of failure. How can such little things plague us with such BIG guilt, like a tiny gnat that buzzes around us relentlessly?
Well, I will say that when I ran across this lady's blog post , I felt sooo much better about myself. Because no matter how I've tried (and I have tried and tried again! All the time I've spent trying to create the "perfect system" could have been better spent actually accomplishing something that needed to get done, when all it ultimately accomplished was more mother guilt...why, WHY do we do this to ourselves?!) to organize myself by creating schedules, binders, routines, etc., etc. I just seem to fail miserably (there's that "f" word again.). And it's because life just doesn't neatly unfurl itself on a daily basis. And I'm not highly energetic. But I do get things done that need to get done. Because of a little list I make most days of the important things that need to get done in a day. Usually no more than 5-6 things that need to be accomplished in a day. And everything else can land where it may. AND, if something on that itty bitty list doesn't get done, it goes on the next days list. Simple. Easy. And it works for me. Guiltlessly.
So, thank you "Ivory" for letting me see that there are other "lazy" ladies out there like me, rather than the legions of binder making, Fly Lady routine following women (who do so with military precision) that I run across online all to often. Don't get me wrong here, I absolutely admire those people that can keep to a schedule and have amazing household binders, otherwise I wouldn't have tried so long to be like them. It just doesn't work for me.
Thank you for setting me free!

Feeling Crafty? Save $ @ Michaels!

Since I was planning to stop by Michael's today, this coupon couldn't have come into my sights at a better time!

Holding My Plans Loosely

We all only have one life...

I believe God wants us to enjoy the life He's given us!

Recently, I posted that I was trying to figure out a workable schedule for myself that would allow me to accomplish all the things in a day that I wanted to do. After much pondering and much anxiety that it put on me when I was trying to order my day in a way that I thought I could, I finally loosened the reins and "settled" for a big variation. Ahhh, the relief that that brought. And I found myself actually enjoying and looking forward to doing the things that were putting (self inflicted) pressure on me, resulting in a lot of stress and disappointment in myself because I couldn't seem to manage to "do it all".
I originally wanted to try and treat my apron business like a part time job, eventually working it full time job hours (8 a day, Monday through Friday). I wanted to work it during the day while my husband and daughter were at school and work. I figured I would do housework and errands in the evenings, just as I would have to do if I were working outside the home. And each day, I would wake with those lofty goals ahead of me and each day never quite panned out like I wanted it to. So many things "needed" doing during the day and I never would quite make it to the sewing room. Each day would come to a close with me feeling stressed about it, not having sewn one stitch, and thinking about the fact that I failed. Again. And that resulted in me not enjoying the time when my family was home because I was dwelling on the "problem" and trying to figure out a way to "fix" it. And not enjoying the time when I did sew, instead feeling pressured by it. And that's NOT what I wanted.
Well one day, the clouds (in my mind) parted and the sun shone on a new concept for ordering my day. I wanted so many things: I wanted to do it all AND enjoy my family and my life. But how?
Well, I'll just begin by saying I had to give myself permission to embrace the season my life is in right now and work with what I've got. I think this bible verse helped me to see that light and put things in perspective:

From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. Act 17:26 NIV

What I took from that was the saying "bloom where you are planted". I needed to quit swimming against the current, quit trying to covet and live someone else's life, and enjoy these very moments that I have been given. Enjoy these very precious people that he has placed in my life. Because children grow up & move away and loved ones can be taken from us in the blink of an eye. I decided to put my priorities back in place: God, family, work, everything else. And you know what? Now each day feels delicious, luxurious and just right.

I don't aspire to sew four hours a day, or even eight. I sew in the evenings with my daughter in the room with me and we listen to music or she might watch an old video from our archives while my machine hums away in the background. After I've spent some time with hubby & we've had dinner (& he'd just as soon be able to watch his sports & programs & decompress from his day at work anyway.) We're all under the same roof and that is comforting and enough and it suits us to a tee. It's our family's rhythm and we like it just fine.
There may come a day when sewing four to eight hours a day is doable AND enjoyable. But that day isn't now. And each day, I will hold my plans loosely, because sometimes God has different plans for my day. And those are ALWAYS much more wonderful than anything I could've come up with (:

If I had to sum up the lesson learned here in just one sentence I think it would be this: When we are doing what we're put on this earth for, we feel at peace with our lives.
Because:
Proverbs 10:22 Amplified Bible (AMP)-
The blessing of the Lord--it makes [truly] rich, and He adds no sorrow with it [neither does toiling increase it].

Just for fun, here's a peek into my old & new daily to do's:

OLD

Wake, make breakfast & lunches & take Ari to school.

Computer stuff (check emails, check for free lance jobs, etc.)

Time to read my bible & meet with the King

Sew (hahahaha)

Run any needed errands before picking up Ari from school

housework/dinner prep

a relaxing evening with the family (do you hear the little birdies singing in the background?)

night-night

NEW

Wake, make breakfast & lunches & take Ari to school.

Computer stuff (same as above)

Time to read my bible & meet with the King

Tackle my daily to do list

Run any needed errands (sometimes before, sometimes after I pick up Ari, depending on what the errands are & if I have enough time to squeeze them into the day before I pick her up)

pick up Ari

housework/dinner prep

time with hubby/dinner

Off to the "woman cave II" to sew (Woman Cave I is mine & hubby's bedroom where Ari & I go sometimes to watch "our shows" & escape the 24/7 sport-fest on the living room television, lol!)

Let's all go out & MAKE IT a great day!

This Recipe's a Winner! Cabbage Minestrone With Chick Peas

I made this delicious recipe the other night and it turned out to be a major winner with young & old alike in our household. The yums & mmm mmm mmm's kept coming. It's a very economical dish and filling without any meat. I did a bit of tweaking as usual:

I used half coconut oil & half olive oil. (1 Tbsp of each) I had a can of garbanzos/chick peas on hand so I used that instead of the dried version.
Hubby's not a fan of cooked onion so I just left out the fresh & sprinkled in a bit of onion powder for the flavor~not too much.

I love my OXO can opener! It's the kind that doesn't leave sharp edges on the lids & interior of the cans.

Another tried & true kitchen gadget that I use alot & love is this Terraillon scale. I put the empty container on it, turn it on and the weight starts at zero (it doesn't add in what the container weighs so no adding & subtracting.)

I used the whole head of cabbage.

Happily bubbling away. I cooked it for about half the time that the recipe called for since my beans were precooked.

It's a great winter's eve soup but would be equally fitting any time of the year!

Bread Pudding Tweaks~A Frugal Way to Use Up Those Leftover Bread Bits

I have made this bread pudding recipe in the past, and although we like it enough to make it again and again, I wasn't crazy about the vanilla sauce that is to be served with it. So, I poured the sauce over the pudding after it was done baking and left it in the oven after turning off the oven and just let it sit in the still hot oven for about a half hour. Long enough to let the sauce soak in and evaporate a bit. We liked it SO much better that way. And no side dish of congealed butter sauce to deal with.
I had enough bread bits left over and socked away in the freezer to double the recipe, and then some. (I had two extra cups worth so I went ahead and threw that in too. Didn't hurt it at all.) There was even a gluten free blueberry muffin in my stash that I added to the recipe.

The gluten free bread was a cinnamon raisin bread with a decent amount of raisins in it so I didn't add any extra raisins (that the recipe calls for). I also greased my baking dish with organic virgin coconut oil.

(butter, milk & sugar getting heated up to pour over the bread crumbs. I never use margarine.)

(cinnamon for the egg mixture to pour over the bread & milk concoction)

(cinnamon, vanilla & egg mixture)

Ready to go into the oven!

Fresh from the oven. Warm, moist & a bit of crunch.

Can you tell I just had to try it?

All the tweaks & changes worked just fine. The gluten free bread worked, we couldn't tell the difference. (Even though there was some regular homemade french bread that went in too. And that blueberry muffin!)

As of this writing, (the morning after) half of that big ol' pan of bread pudding is gone!

Have a great day!

It's Thursday!

We are one day closer to the weekend, which so many people look forward to. I love each day just about equally but I do enjoy the days most when the whole family is home & gets to be together. Yes, I do work most weekends but am only gone for about 6 hours at the most.
Speaking of loving certain days of the week, Wednesdays are one of our favorites because it is a designated day that we go out to dinner to one of our favorite nearby restaurants. So, that being said, I had forgotten yesterday was Wednesday and had planned on trying this new recipe but had to postpone it 'til today. We went to an Italian restaurant and hubby had pasta while DD & I had their white pizza with extra garlic and a dish of marinara on the side to dip the crust in P:. So good.
Today I've been cleaning house, mostly focusing on our bedroom. Where DOES all that dust come from?!
I also made bread pudding to use up those odds & ends of bread that I have been stashing in the freezer. This time I used some gluten free cinnamon raisin bread and a gluten free muffin that DD lost interest in before it was used/eaten up. I've never used gluten free bread in the recipe so I'm interested in how it will turn out. I'll keep you posted.
We finally got our rain yesterday and some cool weather followed. I'm in heaven on earth. I'm convinced I was meant to be living in London or some other equally gray and dreary area...I love that kind of weather. I'm a weirdo I know!
I still have yet to do a scrapbook page but I have been working on new aprons for the shop. I have a new apron that I call "Mamaw's Favorite Workaday Apron". My grandson calls me Mamaw & the style of apron truly is my favorite style when I have messy work at hand so that I can protect my clothing. Many a time I have forgone donning an apron only to regret it when the first splatter of grease or sauce hits my blouse.
Well, I'm off to wrap up the days doings...

Where's the Rain?

After a season of drought in our area, this rain lover has missed rain more than ever. The forecast for today was rain & lots of it, but so far only light rain and clouds interspersed with a bit of sunshine. Time to do a rain dance.
I'm still Somersizing (with a few minor cheats & treats here & there) and can happily say I've lost 6 pounds since the beginning of January! I have a plan of getting up early each weekday & going for a walk with the dog to get that exercise in that has been eluding me lately. Today was day one of that plan. Wish me luck because I am SOOOOO not a morning person!
And last night, I gathered some supplies to get to work on those scrapbooking pages (that I haven't done yet /: ) Progress.
Since it's a cloudy(-ish) winters day, and I have all the ingredients on hand, I plan on making this: Cabbage Minestrone With Chick Peas for dinner. Looks & sounds yummy.