Slow down week

It's been a very busy 4 weeks here with a big birthday party, Easter celebrating and house guests 4 weekends in a row.

The house was in pretty good shape Monday morning, and I was feeling a little tired, so I did not make my usual weekly to-do list. I plan to just do the upkeep that really needs done and in my free time, I will just do things I want to. 

Not that I am sitting around and just eating bonbons.....grands will here 4 days, I did laundry and changed sheets yesterday and cleaned the tile floors this morning.  

But I am not making a list and scratching things off, so I just feel more relaxed.  I am sure next week, I will be back happily working my to do list.


I sewed  a quick hack project this morning.
grand daughter Elizabeth had a queen size comforter that she wanted cut down to fit her toddler bed. 

so, I just cut off the size that would fit- I used the edge so there were just sides that needed to be finished off.  

a few weeks go, Elizabeth saw this Minnie Mouse blanket binding in my sewing room and asked if I would make her something with it.  It was perfect to finish off those edges - so I killed 2 birds with 1 stone. 

there was enough binding to go around 3 sides, which makes it look more balanced, and less of a hack job.  

That scrap of the binding is all that was left.  

hopefully she will have sweet dreams with this cozy comforter,  now just her size


we went to our favorite  thrift store Saturday.  

I found more spoons and knives and these are really nice,  Community Stainless. They were 2/25 cents.
Now we have more than enough flatware for big meals.  

2 dresses for me $3.50 each

and would you believe one more Ethan Allen piece? a tall hutch,  all maple and birch for $140!  

Thursday doings

No little grands here today so I am doing stuff that I can't really do when they are here.

In the crockpot, a big batch of pinto beans are cooking with jalapeños, cumin, chili powder and garlic. 

When they are cooked, I will make them smooth in the food processor for the most delicious Refried beans. We will have bean burritos and a big salad for supper, the rest of the beans will go in the freezer.
here is how I do them 

Yard work - first I mowed the back, then I planted the onion sets my brother brought. 

I put them in big pots, and enriched the soil with homemade compost.

While I was planting onions, I brought over the rest of the posts and planted them too. 

More tomatoes in 2, dill in 1 and flowers in the others.

For now, the pots with new seeds are under the pergola roof. They will still get quite a bit of sun but the roof should protect them from heavy rainfall we may get soon.
if you look close, you can see some of the cherry tomatoes I started from see are doing great and I put the support cages on them today. 

A close up of the katawpa tree- I think it is funny and looks like a drawing from a Dr Suess book.

in the yard, I found some eggs that the grands did not find Saturday - one egg was hanging from  our clothesline, I wonder which of my clever children or brothers hid it there? 

My list for the week is almost done!  :)

I am going to clean our bathroom, have some hot tea, and then I plan to sew all afternoon on 2 dresses and 2 tops for me. 

hope you are getting stuff done this week too!  

List update, today's shopping, and my 5 little ones

I posted my list yesterday and you all had some nice comments and some funny comments too- thank you!

I worked hard yesterday and surprised myself getting so much of the list done.

One year old JJ was here but he was so tired from the busy weekend that he took 2 long naps. That gave me lots of work time. He sat happily in his stroller with some toys while I worked in the front yard. 

Grandson Braeden is with me today. 

We did just a couple errands this morning. 

We stopped at Dollar Tree and got these

The Airborne is their item of the week. I don't like to swallow pills, especially big vitamin pills. This Airborne has lots of vitamins in it and will be easier to swallow. 

The next stop was my favorite  thrift store. Sorry, no amazing furniture finds today........

There were 19 of us here Easter Eve. I decided we needed to add some forks to our kitchen and was happy to find these - All 11 for $1.

Shorts for the youngest grandsons. Some were 50 cents, some were $1.

Little boy shirts

A 3 yard length of a heavy cotton knit for $3 - I think it could sew up to a great summer top

We had a very fun Easter Eve. The grands like hunting and dyeing eggs but after supper, they seemed to like playing with play dough the best.

Monday morning list

Good morning everyone

I like lists, they keep me on track. Here is what I need to get done and hope to get done this week. 

I could write more but my paper is full and realistically, I don't think I could get more done anyway. 

Hope you all have a good week and gets lots done. 

Anyone else writing out their to-do list this morning?

Easter 51 years ago......

The first little girl in this photo is me. The boys are my older brothers. 

We were all outside playing that Sunday afternoon.

Happy Easter everyone. 

Take some photos to remember it.