Happy New Year

This is the last day of this decade and what a decade it has been! I got married, gave birth 3 times, Moved to 3 different homes, got a couple college certificates, learned a lot about my self. I have had the best things and some bad things happen to me. I will bid it farewell with fondness I think.

For the nest decade I have a few goals. I want to spend as much time enjoying my family as I can. My children are growing so fast I can see how one needs to make it a priority before it slips away. I want to explore my creative side more. I know I have so much inside that wants to get out and be expressed. I want to take full advantage of each moment and value it for it`s preciousness. I want to give of myself more to my loved ones and also to charity. I want to be better. I want to laugh more, dance more, sing more, love more, appreciate more.

I wish for you the very best of what the new year has to offer. Great health and happiness to you!

Cherie

I know I know! I am terrible!

My camera doesn't work so I haven't been posting. I have asked the man in the red suit for a new camera so if he comes through for me I should be back in business soon, I like blogging. Even if no one reads, it is beneficial to me because I think it keeps me accountable because it is out there.

Holiday Countdown Begins!

I have indeed started prep for Christmas! I have decided that this will be the focus of my blog for now to help me get prepared for a stress-free holiday. Each day I will post about the steps I take to achieve this goal. 

The first step I will take is to create my Holiday Management Folder. I use a pocket folder that I fold length-wise in half to create 4 pocket folder. Each pocket will contain a section for each part of my holiday prep. Special Dates & Holiday Cards, Gift Giving, Decorating and Feasting My inspiration for this comes from here:

http://christmasplanner.com/tour-christmas-planner/pocket-planners

I will post a picture of mine when I get batteries for my camera.

I do not make mine Christmas-y at all because it is for my eyes only so I do not wish to make it attractive to prying eyes.

There you have it, my Christmas prep goal for today. Tomorrow I will show you the pages I plan to put in it.

Goals for this week.

This week I plan to get the house ready for Canadian Thanksgiving. This is also a short school week so it means I have 4 days to prepare until the children are all here 24/7 and I want to spend the time having fun with them! I am going to do work in all my Zones to prepare.

Monday: Front Entrance and Kitchen
Tuesday: Bathrooms
Wednesday: Bedrooms
Thursday: Living Room and Dining Room.

I will be doing a general clean up in these areas and switching spring/summer items out for fall/winter ones. Hard to believe it is that time already!

It is that time of year again!

I have begun my crafting projects for Christmas/Yule. I try to make something for everyone on my list. I am thinking slippers for all the ladies and toques for the gents. Here is a picture of the first pair of slippers I Crocheted. Sorry for the photo quality. I took it with my phone`s camera.

Monday Morning Muffin

This morning for breakfast I made buttermilk Chocolate chip muffins. What a sweet way to start the week! I admit they have a lot of sugar but I figure a treat is OK now and again. I suppose one could use a sugar alternative...if one wanted to.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BUTTERMILK MUFFINS 

4 tbsp. butter
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. unsifted all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 large or 24 small muffin pan cups. Place butter in a small skillet and melt; remove from heat.
2. Beat eggs in a small bowl, using a fork, rotary beater or hand mixer.
3. Using a flour sifter or a large strainer, sift flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together into a large bowl. Using a large spoon, make a "well" in the flour mixture and add buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Mix gently, just enough to moisten all ingredients.
4. Gently stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into muffin pan cups. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly on rack, then remove muffins from cups with small spatula while still warm. Serve warm with butter.
Makes 12 large or 24 small muffins.

Calendars

A must when trying to keep everyone organized. They record Dr. Appointments, Work/School Activities, Family Events, Birthdays whatever you need to remember. That is, as long as you use them. There are a lot of different electronic calendars available usually for free with your Operating System on your computer, or you can spend lots of money on fancy leather bound planners or you can draw a grid on paper and write in the days of the weeks with their corresponding dates - Whatever! There are a ton of options. Last year I used a calender I got for free for spending money at Mrs. Tiggy Winkles, a toy store near my house. This year the Dollar Store had one that was magnetized so I could stick it on my refrigerator for everyone to see and update as needed. It has really big squares for each day, a handy feature for writing in information. I also carry a personal planner that I can fit in my purse for recording things when I am out that I can later transfer onto the Master Calender. After trying many systems this is what works for our house. So simple really! I am sure this is why it works.

Today`s Project: Sock It To Ya!

or away from ya ...whatever! lol I am sorting and getting rid of the odd socks! Some I will keep for crafts but holey, odd and worn ones are outta here!

It Figures!

Just as I am getting back into the swing of things I go and tear my Rectus Adominis muscle while picking my 4 year old up to sit on a 19th century bicycle. I really do mean to update this blog regularly but life keeps getting in the way! I have been on bed rest since September 4th. I am on the road to recovery. First I must have an ultrasound to ensure all is healing nicely then I need to work on strengthening my core. The doctor recommended Pilates. I was thinking maybe I might take this up someday and now I will make this a priority. You may hold me accountable. Actually, feel free to join me!

Autumn arrived tonight. It was very apparent as a flock of Canadian Geese flew past me in an obvious migration pattern - not the clumsy <">We are just practicing. of weeks past. Someone also has a fire place going in the neighbourhood. I love that sent of burning wood but I am not sure I am ready for winter. We hardly has summer! Oh Well! No sense whining about it.

The Launch Pad

For those of you with children in school you already know how important this is! The Launch Pad is the place where everything you need that day is placed ready for you before you walk out the door. At our house each school-aged child has a bench in which book bags, musical instruments and sport equipment(of the small variety)can be placed the night before as part of the before bed routine. In the closet is a shoe rack with one shelf dedicated to baskets that hold hats, scarves, mitts, sunglasses, umbrellas or what-ever else is needed before leaving the house. I have a coat rack that I use to hang my purse and/or backpack for the day. The coats, sweaters and hoodies are hung up and shoes go on the bottom shelves of the shoe wrack. This set up seems to work really well for us. The before bed and Morning routines along with the launch pad have made it so that we can be out of the house within an hour of waking up and it is done with no stress! The nice thing about being organized like this also allows me to not think about it. If you knew what kind of morning person I am you would know this is a very good thing. :D

Back to School- Back to Routines

Tomorrow my three oldest children go back to school. This means the care free days of summer are replaced with the routines of the fall. I have to say I am looking forward to it. I like routines. When I was living in utter CHAOS I swore I hated them, that they were incompatible with me. LOL Boy oh Boy! Do I know better now! Routines are helping to bring me out of the CHAOS; they are my lifeline. They give me that place to start and keep me from getting overwhelmed. I have three that I use daily. In their most basic form they are as follows:

Evening

Brush teeth
Layout clothes

Morning
Make bed
Get dressed
Eat breakfast
Brush teeth

Afternoon
File mail
Read to children
Make dinner

This is the very bare bones of my routines. I also review them and update if needed this time of year. I will be posting my updated routines this week. If anyone is reading this and wishes to share a link back to their blog where they have posted their routines that is certainly welcomed.

Spring Project- Culling and Storing Winter Clothes

I started working on this last week and I am nearly done. This is an important job because it gives lots of space in the closets back which in itself helps to keep things tidy. It also gets rid of clutter that I do not need. I do one child at a time to not get overwhelmed by the job. I gather 1 recycle box, 1 donation box 1 to be repaired box and 1 rubbermaid container. I put all of the child's winter clothing on their bed and I start the process. I pick up each article and ask a series of question and follow the flow chart. It really looks a lot more complicated than it is.

			Is it in good condition?
		YES		NO
		Will it still fit next year?		Can it be repaired?
YES	NO				YES		NO
Put in rubbermaid storage container.	Put in donation box.				Put in To Be Repaired box		Put in Recycle Bin

Once everything is sorted the rubbermaid goes in storage until next Fall, the recycle box goes out to the bin and the donations go to their launch pad for delivery ASAP. I cannot express how satisfying it is when the job is completed

I`m Back!

I have a new puter and updated software! I am so excited to be getting back into the swing of things! I have missed blogging so much!

And Everything in it`s Place

Never has the old saying A place for everything and everything in it`s place made more sense to me. As I am on the journey to organising my house I have learned a lot of nuggets of good information; tips for cleaning, Ideas of how to store things, ways to plans what needs to be done. If I had to sum up the whole process in one line however, this would be it! Really it is what it is all about isn't it? So simple and I have always know this too! I cannot even remember the first time I heard this phrase! Through Flylady I learned that before I brought anything in the house of when I decluttered to ask myself "Do I need this?" " Do I love this?," " Do I have one already?"." I now ask myself "Do I have a place for it?" By doing this I have eliminated several ignitions of my hotspots. This is really big because the hotspots were a huge deal here. Mess would just be shoved from spot to spot until we were overwhelmed with it. So there you have it! One of my new mantras: A place for everything and everything in it`s place!

HAPPY FAMILY DAY!!!!!!!

A day off to hang out with the people you love! What could be better? Nothing I tell you! We are going to start ours off with a big breakfast of fruit salad, omelets and bacon orange juice and coffee. Then we are going pull on our long-johns, extra pants sweaters, snow-pants double knit mitts and toques (and take them off and put them on again because someone needs the bathroom), grab our skates and head to the rink for some fun. When we are done we will come home for hot chocolate, chicken soup and home made beavertails! Then I hope to spend the afternoon engaged in a rousing game of Cranium. I think I will find a good crock-pot meal so that I can play too. Then after the kids are bathed and pajamaed, we will tuck in for a bed time story. Then mom and dad will cuddle on the couch and likely pass out from our fun day with our little bundles of endless joy and energy. I love Family day!

I know some of my readers are from Ontario. Tell what will/did you do for Family 2009?

My Poor Little Sickies

My children are all at various stages of a nasty flu. It is heart breaking to see my babies so miserable. The menu on days like this is. chicken soup, tea and popsicles.

I make my soup from scratch. I save all the bones from the roast chickens and when I have at least 3 carcasses I put them in the crock-pot with 3 washed onions that have their tops and bottoms cut off but the skins left on. Next I add a head of garlic, a bunch of carrots and 6 ribs of celery treated the same way as the onions. I put my bouquet de garni (usually tarragon, savory, sage and parsley) in a tea diffuser and place it on top of the mountain of food goodness. Then I cover the lot with cold water and a splash of vinegar, turn the crock on low and let it go about 24 hours. When it is done I strain it. If the patient is experiencing tummy issue then I will serve as is in mug but if sustenance is require I will add chopped chicken and fresh peeled and chopped veggies and rice or noodles. I will often make a loaf of bread to go with it. I swear you can see the colour return to their little faces!

Fun Things to do in Cold Weather

Winter is getting me down! Especially with how cold it has been! We are back to -30C (-22F) Needless to say playing outside isn't always an option. I have decide to list some of the things we do to cope. I hope those reading this will list any ideas they have too. As you can imagine we ae starting to get bored with what we do. So here they are:

Have a Pajama Day!

Usually only possible on weekends. We do not get dressed we stay in our jammies. Yummy snack food and hot chocolate is a must and so is a stack of favourite movies. In heavy rotation currently, Alvin and the Chipmunk, Arthur and the Invisibles, kung Fu Panda, The First Star Wars trilogy

Games, Games and More Games!

Again yummy snacks are needed but they cannot be the type that make your fingers messy, We have a huge stack of games we can choose from - Monopoly, Connect 4, Battleship, Snakes and Ladders, Checkers, Chess, Trivial Pursuit, Cribbage, etc.etc. Our favourite thee days is Cranium! We have so much fun!

Arts and Crafts

This is usually reserved for when Hubby has to work. I will usually have an idea but really I just dump supplies in the middle of the table fire up the glue guns and let the children have at`er!


For those days when we might get a reprieve or we just cannot take another day inside...

Skating on the Canal

Long johns, snow pants, balaclavas and warm mitts and skates are required. We are so lucky to live in Ottawa where we have the amazing Rideau Canal lined with wonderful shacks that contain the delicious treat we call a beavertails

Do You Take Time Out Everyday For Exercise?

This is my new habit for February. At least 15 minutes a day of physical activity. I promise myself that I will walk, swim, dance, workout, skate, or whatever other activity I come up with each day . I will use February (which happens to be Heart Month) I made Januarys Habit to eat properly and I m happy to report that I lost some weight and I an back in a single digit dress size! Yay me!

Monday Monday...

I am so ready for warmth. It is so cold out there today. -25C (13F). That isn't even the coldest it has been! I love Canada! I really do, but I wish we were rich enough to go elsewhere warm this time of year. I will have to pretend i guess. If the day is sunny I can do this in my living room. We have large southern windows there that suck in the sun and heat. I can stretch out lazy and feline-like in the sunbeam and forget my cares for a while. I can even ignore the snowplow rumbling by shaking the foundation! hmmm What I need is a glass of sunshine to to complete the fantasy!

Sunshine in a glass

Shake together equal parts pineapple juice, orange juice and lemon juice. Strain over ice cubes, top with ginger-ale and splash in a little grenadine. Garnish with a slice of pineapple, or a pineapple chunk and a cherry on a stick, drink with straws. umbrella mandatory!

Crafting Challenge! Complete One Project a Month

I am challenging myself to complete one project a month. I thought it would be cool if others would join me. On the first Monday of each month I will post a photo of my completed project. If you post a comment with a link back to your completed project your name will go into a draw for a small prize. Because it is already the end of January I am not expecting too many to sign up this month but I hope you will join me for the rest of the year. I will be posting my first complete craft on February 2.

Friday Night-Date Night!

Many happily long married couples I have spoken to all seem to have a version of regular date nights in common. Is it the reason they stayed so happy? I cannot say for sure but I have heard equally as often, from those not so fortunate that one of the main reasons their marriages failed was because they grew apart. Often the early years of marriage are the busiest, with busy careers and child rearing taking most of the precious time. Time together often is neglect if couples don't make it a priority. My husband and I recognize this and this why we have scheduled Date Night each week. Tonight we are going to see a movie. We do a variety of things for Date Night. We will go for dinner with friends or invite friends in for cards or board games, we will rent a movie and cuddle while watching it after the children are in bed... it doesn't matter as long as we are doing something together. I love Date Night! It gives me something to look forward to each week. It is grown-up time, which is very much appreciated. I hope it is a tradition we still have 20 years from now when we are empty nesters.

Making a Play Room

We are making our children a play room. We have a huge master bedroom with a huge closet and a huge south/west window for lots of sun shine. (sorry no picture due to camera mishap ) This play room will require storage for crafts, storage for toys, an area for a queen mattress we use for jumping, and a place to make and display art work. When tackling a job like this I need to make a plan. I outline my steps then decide what I need to do to accomplish them. This is so important for a few reasons. It helps me stay on task, keeps me from getting overwhelmed and lets me see what I have achieved so I don't get discouraged. I thought I might post the steps today and then describe each task in future posts.

Empty Room

Clean Room

Paint Room

Decide Window Treatment

Create Floor Plan

Set Up Art Closet

Set Up Play Room

I`m Back!

I know I disappeared for a while but I had so much on the go I was starting to feel the stress of keeping it all together so I took a break. I have a computer that is really out dated and that also contributes to my lack of desire to blog! I do have a new computer. but my hubby needs to set it up for me ...in his free time. I also dropped my phone which is also my camera and my MP3 player into the toilet, so I have been in mourning.

I can`t promise daily posts but I never did that anyway. I miss blogging and I have many ideas for posts now ...so those of you asking about me that is where things stand. I also want to thank you guys for making me feel like someone actually reads this blog!