Menu Plan Monday & Moving

I will preface this post by saying that the next couple of weeks will be inconsistent post-wise. I am hoping that I can schedule some posts ahead of time.

They slapped the SOLD sign on it! Woohoo!

Moving

We will totally be moving! We will move smallish items that we don't really need the first week. Then we will have help with the furniture the following week. We stopped by the house just to drive by and take a look-see. Ivy is pretty excited about her new house! Speaking of ivy...

I was digging around the front landscaping, just to peek and I saw some ivy growing!

Menu Plan Monday

Here is this week's Menu Plan Monday! Since The Final Move is approaching, we need to eat stuff that is in the freezer and the pantry. Why make a ridiculous amount of purchases that are suited to what we want instead of what we have?

Sunday -  Leftover roasted chicken, roasted potatoes, and steamed broccoli

Monday - Salisbury steak, macaroni and cheese, and steamed broccoli

Tuesday - Leftovers and salad

Wednesday - Chicken nachos

Thursday - Mock lasagna and salad

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - "Tasty Tilapia" and smashed potatoes

More Menus at OrgJunkie!

A word or two about the recipes. We are making an effort to improve our eating habits. It 'sort of' begins this week. You see I've added steamed broccoli and salad to the list. I'm trying to incorporate more vegetables and fruits. I have found a change up for Salisbury steak that changes the beef patties with a half-and-half mixture of turkey and lean ground beef. Um, okay. Gonna give it a try.

I've cooked tilapia with a parmesan/mayo "crust" and that's pretty fatty. 
So I found Tasty Tilapia! 

4 tilapia filets, thawed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teas garlic powder
1 teas ground mustard
1 teas ground ginger
1 teas paprika
1 teas coarse salt
1 teas dried oregano
1/2 teas black pepper
1/2 teas chili powder
1 TBSP lemon juice

In a shallow bowl, combine the olive oil and seasonings. Let sit for about 10 minutes to give the flavors a chance to blend. The oil will turn a lovely orange-red color.

Dip each filet into the bowl, making sure both sides are covered. Place on a greased baking sheet. If there is any of the oil mixture left, pour over the filets. Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Bake at 400 degree for 10 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Home Sweet Home

I think I will cross stitch that and hang it.

I had anticipated this kind of thing happening. I don't have much of a Week In Review for this week. There hasn't been anything going on. Just waiting for the shop to be finished with the car. We were told many different things - parts were damaged, parts truck hasn't shown up, we broke a piece. Finally frustrated with everything, we (Ryan) just picked up the car. We will be heading home tomorrow.

Home.

The last time I mentioned anything, we were starting to look for a house. After ten years of apartment living, it is time for us to finally own our own home. We looked at a first round of houses and made an offer on one. Our offer was not accepted. Then we found a house we wanted to look at in the first round, but it was in contract. After we put in that unaccepted offer, the house we originally liked went back on the market. We immediately got the opportunity to look at the house. We made the offer that night.

After a few days of anticipation, our offer was accepted. Then there was the inspection (which led to avoidable drama), a survey, and then the appraisal. There were concessions written into the contract and the sellers were more than happy to have everything that we asked for taken care of. They want us to be happy with our first home. Once we decided to continue with the contract, we set our closing date. All we have been doing for the past couple of weeks was waiting.

Closing is right around the corner... Monday! We will start moving some of our items into the house like small things we don't really need at the moment. Our official move-in date is July 8 - well, the actual day we will have all the major furniture moved in.

We have a house. Our first house. I cannot wait! So much decorating to do and making it OURS. And so many crafty things to do.

And the photos...

Click on "Read more" over on the left... No, you're other left. There! 

Click that and you can see more pictures!

TCOY Thursday: Create

Create Create Create

I really think that it is important to explore yourself in as many different ways as possible. This helps you to become a more rounded individual.

Sometimes I believe that I haven't achieved anything or that because I am not great at something or lack passion that I don't have anything that defines me. I usually define myself as mediocre. For instance, I like to sew. But I'm not a genius and the things I make are simple and basic. And I guess I'm okay with that. I LOVE to dance, but I don't have perfect turnout, placement or technique - but I guess I'm okay with that too. I suppose all this "mediocrity" or lack of deep passion or perfection in one area opens me up to explore a lot of things. And I'm okay with that too. 

To me, creation is personal expression. You can create anything you want in any form or medium that you choose. So long that you are creating something, you are enriching your mind. As adults, our childhood imagination and creativity has been squashed out of us so that we must conform to standards in society. Being creative and imaginative as adults can help us to succeed in our careers if we have some goofy idea for a product or project. If it's something outside the box, it just might work. 

Take the time to explore different things. It doesn't matter if you're perfect at it or even good at it. You're taking the time to massage those cells in your noggin into creative energy. Just do it!! If you don't like what you make, throw it out, start over, try something else. Repetitive cycle. And if you find something that you absolutely love, stick with it!

Here's my Creative list:
Cooking, knitting, and sewing are my top choices for being creative. I want to learn to crochet at some point. I am currently trying to get into cross stitch. My goal is to start this summer. I have all my supplies, I just need to make something. I have an idea... to make something sassy to go into our guest bathroom but I just cannot pinpoint what I want. I also have a LOT of ideas for other crafty ventures. Seriously, Pinterest is the source for being crafty and creative.

Wordless Wednesday

Cute, Cussing Cocktails

Sometimes you need something that makes you go "*squee!*Daaawwwwww!"
Some times you need a comical pick-me-up.
Sometimes you need a drink.
Maybe all three? Got you covered.

Today's Link Love features websites that don't really need boosting. This is more for me and helping me deal and get myself out of my head. The sites are already popular and have followers like whoa.

You're welcome. Every time. EVERY TIME I think of Keanu, I think of Bill and Ted and WHOA.

Extremely Qte Stuff!

• The first one is Cute Overload featuring terribly adorable animals being their natural, adorable selves. Sometimes I need to see squee-worthy animals and to gigglesnork at their antics. My students brought me animals pretty much daily and they'd get to hear my lovey-baby voice when I was talking to the non-humans. The kids loved it. I love animals. That's all there is to that. 

Seriously, how can a smiling puppy NOT cheer anyone up?!

image credit: Submitted image to CO.com

Cuss Away, Sailor!

• One of my friends Tweeted the link to a hilarious Tumblr - Thug Kitchen - a while ago. Then my husband found it again today. To my surprise, he thought it was funny. Beautiful pictures of beautiful food ... covered in profanity. Plus a the recipe and an additional helping of colorful language. Majority of the recipes are vegan.

image credit: Thug Kitchen of course!

Stick a Pin in it!

• I'm not going to deny it. I've even said it before. Pinterest and I... we go waaaay back, my friend. We all know and have read my posts about finding recipe pins and cooking them up. I am a PinWin. Get ready for Pinception! Are you ready? Ready?? Are you sure? Here it comes!!
• Pinterest Fail - Because people just can't figure out that some of the junk they see (especially foods and recipes) are done by professionals and foods are done by food artists. Some photos are also "doctored." No, women aren't the only objects of photoshopping
• Here's a story. My girl friend wanted to do the Fishbowl drink for her birthday. She saw the PinFail and asked me what I would do to avoid the mishap.
1. Premix the drink - with the exact ingredients.
2. Nerds ahoy!
3. The following in quick succession: Ice into the cups; Swedish Fish between the glass and ice; Pour the premix. 
4. Straw and garnish
5. Enjoy drink.
• Instead of a giant, shared fishbowl, girl friend purchased stemless wineglasses.
• Result?

Why, yes, I am amazing! Image credit: mine. Be jealous!

And that, my friends, is some Link Love! Enjoy your day!

Menu Plan Monday: Just in Case

Child In Flight

We are still visiting family. I'm certainly not complaining! We have been having a relaxing time. And my child has been learning to fly!

I mean, look at that kid! When we first got here, PawPaw almost had to be holding her hands and waiting close to the edge of the pool before she would jump in. Even then, she would have to wear her life preserver. However, she has since given her PawPaw her full trust, stripped off the life jacket and is thrilled to jump in and even go under the water.

The bad thing though is that our car is still in the shop. We should have been making our way back home today because Hubby had a training tomorrow. Whoopsies!

Menu Plan Monday

I am creating a menu plan that may or may not happen. We aren't sure when we will be going home. Even then, we don't know what day we will go to the store. We'll definitely need to stock up on some things.

• Monday - Eat out
• Tuesday - Eat out?
• Wednesday - Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes
• Thursday - Chicken nachos
• Friday - Mock lasagna
• Saturday - Tilapia & smashed potatoes

Menu Plan Monday @ OrgJunkie

Do ya want to smell delicious?

Then get on over to Fortune Cookie Soap! I first heard about the Fortune Cookie Soap company through YouTuber Jennifer Ross (myhousewifelife). I was seeing such awesome reviews of their bath product samples and began anticipating being able to purchase a sample box or get a subscription.

My opportunity for a box purchase came in October - they were selling extra Halloween themed boxes. Shortly after that, their subscriptions opened and I immediately ordered my subscription. The sample boxes are sent out every three months and are based on the current holiday/season or fun theme. Every box usually contains a hand sanitizer, a fortune cookie shaped soap, and a lotion sample. The rest of the contents vary. Perfume, mud mask, bath fizzy, solid lotion, candle, etc. there is also a little extra - a packet of seeds, paper umbrella, candy.

FCS Summer 2013 Soap Box Review

• “I Scream, You Scream” Sugar Scrub - scents of chocolate covered strawberries and coffee. This is a gentle exfoliator. My skin feels moist and a bit more smooth in trouble areas of dry skin.
• “What? It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere!” Whipped Cream - this is the thick lotion. I absolutely love this product. To me, this lotion smells like a blueberry tasty-drink!
• “One In A Mellon” Fortune Cookie Soap -holy moly! This is a cute cute watermelon soap! It smells just like watermelon candy. It was the first thing I smelled in my box!
• “Aquaholic” Sea Salt Hair Spritz - I haven't used this product yet. I am a lazy person. I don't really do my hair. Especially during summer. I'm a low maintenance kind of gal. My hair is either up in a bun/ponytail or braided. Although I am very interested in trying it out because I love what being at the beach does to my hair.
• “Mother Pucker” Shower Steamer - this was supposed to fizz and scent up my shower? It instantly disappeared and only gave off the slightest lemonade scent. I may have used this wrong? 
• “Do You Salsa or Mango?” OCD Hand Sanitizer - another trusty hand sanitizer! This smells mostly of mango to me. It's not my favorite but I will still use it.
• “…Where The Sun Don’t Shine” Sunscreen Stick - I haven't used this product yet either because I haven't even thought about going outside so far. It's just too hot and humid. It smells like a banana candy though and it seems to not be greasy. I can't wait to use it.
• "Body Shot” Don’t Be Jelly - this was totally awkward. How are you supposed to use it? It looked like jellied liver! Ok, ok... It smelled amazing! Like raspberry Koolaid. I heard someone just slapped it in their hand and soaped up. So I tried that and nearly wasted the whole thing. And I knew it would tear apart and get lost in the sponge thing. So I finished off my shower with a bath and ran it under the water. The perfect solution, a bubble bath. 

I really love this box. Spring 2013 is still my favorite though! I am so thrilled I have a subscription to the FCS Soap Box. There are other subscription services that just wouldn't work for me. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to subscribe to these other things, but I'm not into those other 'things'. I have to take baths. I enjoy bubble baths and relaxing in the tub. The Soap Box is perfect for me.

I really enjoy FCS products. I've only made one non-box purchase so far. Trust me, I have been very tempted. I would actually love to take a mini-road trip to Oklahoma just to go to the store.

Why am I dreaming about this?!

We were going to have a garage sale today - but we all agreed to forgo it because its just so dang hot and humid. It's better left for the fall.

So I had an amazing dream about it even though I wasn't even thinking about it. It started off with the decision to not have the sale. Instead there was this weird breakfast and we were served some pink sloshy gelatinous goo. No thank you! My uncle Danny magically appeared and helped me to escape the horrid breakfast. We waled outside to see a huge mass of people descending upon the house to score some valuable treasures. I was turning them away in the snow.

Go away old people! Freeze for all I care!

I climbed into the car and he suggested Chinese for breakfast. Uh, ok? Chinese ended up being Dairy Queen which doesn't even serve breakfast. So we are there waiting for breakfast that doesn't exist and then I'm over it. I don't want breakfast anymore so I encounter a lot of former students as I leave. I just start walking back home. And by home, I mean DFW. By the way, it is instantly summer again. I am walking and trudging through all kinds of strange terrain for the area and I have to stay by the main thoroughfare which is easy because my brain is equipped with Google Maps. 

My brother shows up and has become all religious and starts walking with me and eventually gets me lost and meandering through groups of homeless people, his friends! I eventually leave him there with his folk and come across some building that is like the optical illusion.

I'm trying to get out of this stupid house and the magic contained within. I am somehow transported through walls and speaking to statues in French. The magic key to leaving is Grumpy Cat.

So I have to carry her throughout the rest of my dream. After I make it out of the house of weird, I am flung instantly into some strange playground and not only do I have to walk myself home, Ryan and Ivy have appeared along with a whole slew of daycare children that have to follow me. Not only do I have to tote Grumpy Cat (who is amazingly sweet and kitten-like), but I also have to carry around some dumb glass of water.

Poof! I wake up.

ANALYZE THAT!

Week in Review Friday

Happy official First Day of Summer! The longest day of the year. Although if you lived anywhere near me, summer started back in May! Well, another hot and humid week has slowly crept on by. It is exactly how I love vacation days to go by - slowly. I'm just going to jump right into it. Short and sweet. And if you can't tell already, my WIR covers Saturday through Friday.

Last Saturday was girls beach weekend. We had a full house. One of the girls didn't make it for Friday. I cooked my "famous" nachos. I also made some pretty awesome breakfast tacos, artistic cupcakes and equally artistic beverages. We walked on the beach and picked up shells and beach glass. We mostly stayed at the house though.

Sunday was time for me to leave. I made breakfast again, packed up and headed out. However, I raked the front end of the car on one of the piers under the house. Oh my word. This is the first time I have ever caused damage to a car. I was ultra angry at myself. Ryan was really level-headed about everything. I'm still so thankful for that. We ventured out to Aunt Wanda's for Sunday lunch. Ivy and the kids swam and had so much fun. I, on the other hand, was wound up over the car. On a side note, Aunt Wanda had her last chemo treatment this week. I am so proud of my strong, survivor, aunt!

Monday, we took care of business by calling our insurance about the car. An adjuster was sent out to total the damages. We also heard a great deal from our lender and realtor. 

On Tuesday, we took the car into the shop and spent time indoors. We consumed our time by napping and fiddling around on our respective technologies.

Wednesday, we took Ivy for her first dentist appointment. She has a chipped tooth but from what the dentist could see, since Ivy wasn't too cooperative, there wasn't much concern. Maybe next time will be better - hopefully with a female dentist.

Thursday, with three people vying for one car, we opted to stay in again. I have been feeling pretty cooped up. I kept thinking, "Oh! Lets go do something! Lets go somewhere!" Uh, nope. So instead, we just watched Falling Skies that we DVRed and the DIY network. Ryan also made soft pretzels from scratch.

And this brings me to today, Friday. We were supposed to get out car back from the shop today. We had not heard from them so Ryan called. Come to find out, the new parts were damaged and they were not going to fix new parts. We are still in SETX through the weekend. 

Maybe I will have a good weekend post!

Have a wonderful long summer day!

Book Review: The Moon and More

I enjoy Sarah Dessen's books. They are an easy read with realistic characters in realistic settings. I don't have to sit and interpret or puzzle out the real meaning of the book. It is there, right in front of you. I always look forward to Dessen's books in the summer. Her fictional setting is a beach community on the southern east coast.

The Moon and More is a look at summer flings. Our main character, Emmaline, is the product of one such fling. She resides in the beach community, as her mother did, working in the family business. One day, a small film crew rents a beach house and Emmaline finds herself assisting with the film being made. Emmaline 's paternal father is a recurring theme, as he is the summer fling that left her mother in the beach community. She discovers the type of relationship she is destined to have with him. Emmaline also wrestles with longing to have the type of summers that vacationers have. She is a local and any touristy location is nothing new to her. She longs for escape. 

A quick and easy read. Fairly predictable. Dessen writes similar conflicts in all of her books: a parent is missing; how will I make it in this world; what do I do with this love? The setting makes it a great vacation/beach book. Her main characters are well written, but minor characters seem pretty vague. It is almost as though there are too many. I found myself asking "Who is that, again?" 

I really like the book. 

4.5 out of 5

TCOY Thursday - Why Collections are Meaningful

Why do people collect things? Do collections somehow define people? Does a collection determine value? How many things constitute a collection?

When I was a young girl, I never really collected anything. Well, nothing that I considered my own "thing." My mom tried to get me into collecting Barbie dolls - she started the collection for me but our house burned down. I didn't really pick the collection back up. I collected them to play with them, but I wouldn't consider that a real collection.

In middle school, I had a friend who collected pencils and Troll dolls. In order to become more independent and find my own path, I started collecting pencils and Trolls too. I don't think those ever went too far. I was tired of dusting the dolls nappy hair. And honestly, I needed something to write with. Later on, I followed the example of one of my cousin's and started collecting Venetian masks and clowns. I don't know what prompted me, but I decided to start collecting frogs while I was in high school. Every frog I saw, I wanted. The frogs led into a Beanie Baby collection starting with the frogs then spreading from there. I also collected postcards, stamps, stickers, and coins. The collections stopped once everybody added to the masses of things with low quality pieces. 

Question: Collect for consumption or collect to acquire/admire?

I realized that I was amassing too much stuff. I was growing up and I really wanted to simplify. I did what sentimental people dread doing - I got rid of things. I really had to assess what was really important to me and which pieces meant enough to me to keep. 

Looking at family, I noticed that we all have our collections. 

For my maternal grandparents, it was salt and pepper shaker sets. 

One of my aunts collected cameos and candles.

Another aunt collects (or collected) butterflies.

My husband used to collect knives, old cameras, and found photos.

My mother-in-law has a Santa collection.

Ivy has "forced" collections. Bunnies... It really wasn't intentional. She seemed to prefer stuffed bunnies over other stuffed animals. Her other collection is from her Grandma. It's one of those yearly porcelain girls that commemorate each year of her life. It is currently my collection until Ivy is old enough to keep it herself. I wonder what she will find interesting enough to collect?

My current collections? Christmas ornaments (meaningful), salt and pepper shaker sets, owls, refrigerator magnets from places we have been, pressed pennies, and beach glass. I believe my collections now are manageable. They are small collections of special pieces and they are displayed. 

Why do I think collections are important enough to dedicate an entire TCOY post on the subject? It may help if I answer my opening questions...

Why do people collect things?  I cannot answer for other people. For me, I am currently collecting memories. "Oh, that shaker set? I remember admiring it at my grandparents house and I remember..." 

Do collections somehow define people? Maybe yes, maybe no. My collections define me and reflect my randomness and sentimentality. My husband's knife collection in no was defines him as a homicidal murderer. Although, Stimpy collected boogers and we all know he was one gross cartoon cat of the 90s. 

Does a collection determine value? Some people collect for monetary value, it'll be worth so etching when you're older. Some things evoke a valuable memory. Some collections are worn absolutely nothing at all.

How many things constitute a collection? I Have heard that the answer can Be as small as one piece. i collect owls. i only have one - I just haven't found any that suit my needs to purchase another (so not a true statement!). I will not purchase just to fit my collection, I look for the meaning or memory in the piece.

Where I am going with this, is that you should do something that you like to do and helps to possibly define you. People around you should understand certain aspects of you. If your loved ones know something about you and cherish you as they should, they take the time to help cultivate that in you. My husband knows I love strawberries and that I was starting to collect shaker sets. He gifted me that combo one day. He is also extremely patient and helpful with me in my pressed penny searches. Most recently, my girlfriends helped me collect beach glass.

Take Care of Yourself. If that means collecting something for value or for sentiment, so be it.

Wordless Wednesday

What would be a better Tuesday theme?

When I decided to "reformat" my blog, my intentions were to help me focus, to help me write, to give myself ideas, and to potentially drive up readership. That is really the least of my concerns. Well, the question is really "why blog if you aren't concerned with readership?" Currently, I want to improve my writing skills and then worry about readership.

There are articles that I have read to help improve blogging skills: 

1. How to title your posts to entice people to read your post.

2. Focusing on a single topic for your entire blog so you aren't picking up readers because of one topic and them losing them because you change your topics.

3. Include photos because people are visual readers - break up the paragraphs. 

All of this is meant to help people want to read what I write. However, it becomes less personal. When does my blog become more about you and less about me? Personally, I read blogs to look into the windows of other people's lives. I am a bit of a voyeur. I like reading memoir-style books. Yes, I do look at other websites that have a general focus because I'm looking for something specific.

So, with that, today is Tuesday and with my blog reformat I am considering Tuesday as "LinkLove" day. I'm not certain how long I will keep this Tuesday format. I am honestly not someone who searches for or frequents new websites. I have been a reader of the following blog for well over a year. I would say that the blogger an I are acquaintances. We were never close during childhood though we grew up in the same city and schools. We know each other through mutual friends. She allowed me into her life as a friend on Facebook but she made the decision to release her life from that social media website. Facebook is how I learned about her blog. Ever since then, I became a follower of her blog.

She writes about her mostly daily life. She is a strong young lady - she has faced some challenges in her life that I would not be able to see myself through. 

This is Joy. Her blog is Brand New Day.

Where is my Menu Plan Monday?

We are on vacation. we aren't really planning what we are eating. I am fresh off of my mini vacation-within-a-vacation to the beach with my girlfriends. So, in lieu of Menu Plan Monday, I am listing out my favorites and not-so-favorites of beach weekend.

Favorites
"Early" morning solitude and being able to read and relax
Slightly salty tinge to the air and the cooling breezes in the shade
Being with friends and enjoying food, drinks, & laughter with them
The cocoabutter scent of sunblock
Strangers willing to help out & friendly animals
Walking along the beach, wading in the water, and collecting shells, beach glass, and sand
Stars, clouds, sea birds, dolphins, & small sea cretures

Not quite as awesome
Mosquito bites
Sore feet
Hot & sticky sand
Pink skin and sunblock that doesnt seem to work when and where it should
Bathing suits that no longer fit

Pinterest recipes: Beach Cupcakes, Fishbowl drink; Pinnacle root beer "slush ice"; Austin street-style breakfast tacos. Look for links and recipes soon!

I finished my book yesterday morning and the last line resonated with me. "[...] I would always feel at home when I touched sand."  The Moon and More, by S. Dessen. Look for a book review soon!

MenuPlanMonday @ OrgJunkie

Week in Review Friday

I am currently at the beach and not very sure if or when this may actually upload. 

Last Friday was my and my husband's 10 year wedding anniversary. We packed up pur things and headed to Southeast Texas for our annual vacation to visit our family. Out of nostalgia, we had dinner at the restaurant we got married at. The flavors have not changed. Such memories!

Things that have happened since last Friday, 

On Saturday, we went to my cousin's wedding at a historic Masonic temple. We even got a tour and small history of the building and some Masonic information. It was rather nice to see and experience such an old building. 

Sunday was spent at an aunt's house for a weekly family lunch/dinner. We had hoagies and i made some yummy cheescake-stuffed strawberries.  

The majority of the week has been really low-key. Naps and reading are my favorite summer vacation activities. Ivy has been swimming every day. I am so happy the incident last fall did not deter her from swimming - she loves it so much. Her PawPaw is even starting to teach her how to swim. 

Thursday, we took Ivy to the Houston Zoo. Ryan and I had not been there since before we got married. It was really hot, especially since factoring the humidity that we are no longer used to. There was a small, childrens' splash/sprinkler park within the zoo. Since Ivy was hot and we had a spare change of clothes for her, we let her play and cool down before we headed back to our home-away-from-home. 

Today is girl's beach weekend getaway. I made cupcakes and got groceries and drove to the beach. I am currently pn the deck, alternating between sitting in the sun and shade, sipping a cola and reading my current book - The Moon and More. 

What do you have planned for the weekend?

Have a wonderful weekend -whatever you do!

PS: Welcome to Mommyhood, Joy! (She had a bouncing baby boy during the wee hours of June 11.)  I am posting from my phone and lacking a nice "easy button" to post a link to her blog. 

TCOY Thursday

What do you do to take care of yourself? Do you need to recharge? How do you do it?!

TCOY = Take Care of Yourself. Sometimes I need a reminder to take care of myself. I get so wrapped up and stressed that I don't do anything for myself to calm down. I started TCOY when I actively used LiveJournal. I am amazed it still exists! I had a set list of things to include in my TCOY posts.

I welcome you to TCOY Summer Edition!

Book: I am currently reading "The Moon and More" by Sarah Dessen. The plot takes place in Colby, the fictional beach town of South (or North?) Carolina. As I haven't fully read the book, I cannot review it yet. But the story is that a girl is working for her family's beach property rental agency the summer before she goes to college. She meets someone making a documentary film and she starts to question her "permanent vacation" life. Dessen is one of my favorite authors. I like her writing style and that all her stories, while separate, all fall in the same universe. I think some of her characters find themselves in other books. This book is perfect right now because it is a summer/beach theme.

Music: I usually have a summer playlist. But right now, I'm totally digging on the original songs that were featured in Pitch Perfect. Titanium and Bulletproof are at the top of that so-called list.

Movie: I haven't seen any movies lately. The new Superman is coming out and I don't know if I'm seeing it. I will probably end up watching Dirty Dancing at some point before August. So, this category is a bit of a bust. So I'll throw in a random!

Food: Tomorrow, I head off to a weekend beach getaway with some girlfriends to celebrate our birthdays. My role is host, bartender, and chef! I will me making beach theme cupcakes, build your own nachos and hot dogs. As far as tasty beverages go, I am looking forward to piña coladas! 

Random: I love to do my nails. I may have a small, yet growing, addiction to fingernail polish. I am currently sporting Naughty Nautical by my favorite brand - Essie. It is a soft turquoise with a minuscule glitter shimmer. It is perfect for this time of year. 

How do you Take Care of Yourself?

Wordless Wednesday: Summer Vacation Part I

Ten!

Things get lost in Internet space. I had this post written and published. I don't know where it went.

Our ten year anniversary was on the 7th.

We look so young! We were young!

(We still look and are young.)

Oh the many events in our ten years!

College graduations and certifications.

A major move.

Three careers.

Two new cars.

One child.

And one... house on the way.

I cannot say it has been easy. We have had our rough patches. But we came through them.

We met through high school. We hung around the same group of people but we didn't interact much. I knew he was the quiet type. He was a year older than me and was in the same graduation class as my brother. Right after they graduated, we started dating in 1997. However, I had known him since 1994.

We got married in 2003. And the rest is... history

I don't think I would be who I am without him. 

I Have this.... Thing

I have a thing for lists

I am a list maker. I thrive on writing things down. I am bombarded with things that I need to do or to remember. Writing a list helps me remember what has to be done. I take pride and joy at completing the tasks. I feel accomplished when I physically mark items off the list. It's almost a thrill seeing my pages scribbled like this. And a bunch of scribbled paper wrinkles ever-so-satisfyingly in a spiral. 

Technology is helpful in that I can have a small, legible list in my hand/pocket/purse. It's also helpful to have the gentle reminder of a chirp or a buzz on my phone. I just don't feel the sense of excitement of tapping a check box that I do with scratching items off on a pen/paper list.

The only complaint I have is that it hurts to write. I don't know what happened but my index finger on my dominant/writing hand hurts. It feels as though it is in constant need of popping.

Thinking Ahead

There are things that I want to get out of my head. Just so I can clear it out and focus on something. Today, I'm thinking about summer. It's a week away. And like every summer, I plan things out. You'll see a few lists pop up here depending on what's happening in my life at that point.

Today I'm thinking ahead about chores. I really fancy the idea of tackling chores on scheduled days. I think it would really help me out in the long run to have scheduled chores instead of one big cleaning day every month or so.

I've seen a few blog(gers) that have similar ideas or schedules. I will include my references at the end of my post. I'm also adding in blogging days as well. I'm trying to rev up my writing skills. Those are indicated with this dark blue color.

Here are my plans...

• Sunday - Laundry & kitchen deep clean; Get ready for the week ahead
• Monday - Linens & towels laundry; Bedroom cleaning; Menu Plan Monday
• Tuesday - Floors & bathrooms; Resources
• Wednesday - Public areas (living room, entry ways, etc), Wordless Wednesday
• Thursday - Wrangling day (put everything it's place);  T.C.O.Y. 
• Friday - Plan following week's menu; Process paperwork; Week in Review
• Saturday - Grocery day; Errands; Family day

• Dailies: Make beds, wipe-downs, dishes, quick pick-up and laundry as needed.

Blog Planning Explanations:

• Menu Plan Monday - Linking up with OrgJunkie on a weekly basis to share menues with others
• Tuesday Resources - A few of my favorite blog posts or videos that I think deserve a bit of recognition - as small as my blog is.
• Wordless Wednesday - A few photos without explanation.
• T.C.O.Y Thursday - Take Care of Yourself - I used to write a weekly journal of things that help me take care of myself and thought they would be helpful to others. Inspiration for me and you!
• Week in Review Friday - I guess things that happen during the week. A more personal check in.

My Resources:

• HomeEc101: Weekly Chore Schedule
• 5-Day House Cleaning Schedule