Back to my list

I've been a list maker all my adult life but It has been 3 weeks since I made my last weekly to do list.

I am feeling good and motivated and ready to get back to my normal.  

Maybe you all know about the vast product line of Erin Condren life planners, I just discovered them, and apparently just writing out a list on whatever paper you have is not enough.  You need a fancy personalized book with Washi tape and stickers and tabs to it all right. 

I think it is a great idea but it sounds like a job in itself to just keep it all up.  I won't be doing Erin Condren. 

I wrote out my list night and thought I could attempt to make it pretty.  My husband is used to me doing lots of crafts and fixing things up but when I told him I was going to decorate my to-do list, he looked at me like I was daffy and said "you're gonna do what?"  

So,  here is my decorated to do list.  I just used some rubber stamped designs on plain ole notebook paper.  

Now it's time to keep working on this list! 

Have a good Monday everyone!

Cooking and playing

We're having winter weather so I have been mostly at home this week.  I spent more time cooking too.

No pictures but I've baked 2 batches of raisin bread.  I use 1/2 of my grandparents Bread recipe as the base for each loaf, then mixed it in the bread machine and baked in the oven.  I double the sugar and add heaping 1/2 cuts of chopped raisins and walnuts and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.  Raisin bread is delicious toasted either for breakfast or dessert.

We had some Texas gulf shrimp in our freezer that our son brought back from vacation.  I don't cook shrimp very often but when I do, I usually boil them and this time I decided to fry it for a change.  I used this Recipe for Crunchy Fried Shrimp from All Recipes.com.  The fried shrimp were perfect and I think this method would work for just about fried anything.
Two grandsons spent the night with us and had this fried shrimp.  This morning when the oldest one woke up, he told me he really liked  last nights supper.  His little brother, though, only ate the crunchy breading and left bare shrimp on his plate.

Grandsons having fun in the snow.  

Our snow is pretty and fluffy and a nuisance for driving.  Thankfully it is not as heavy or last lasting as the snow the north is having. 

Off schedule....

I had a long lasting stomach bug almost 3 weeks ago. I've been better for awhile but I am still off my normal regular daily activities.  Not sure if it is just from being a little weak or if this winter weather is slowing me down or what. 

So that is my explanation for so few blog posts.  

Right now, I am waiting for these cinnamon rolls to cool.  My husband asked me to make them so he could share them at work, but he didn't request them until after supper or I would of started them earlier.

I am not a night owl and am normally asleep by now, but since I've been so off schedule, I am happily baking cinnamon rolls.  I wish you all could smell them- they smell great.  Once they cool off, I'll cover them up for the night and then in the morning, I'll frost them and maybe sprinkle with chopped nuts. 

I made 2 trips to CVS and combined manufacturer coupons and store coupons and sales and extra care bucks, the purchases below cost me 59 cents cash and my other similar purchase but is not photographed was less than $2.  And I have more than $20 in CVS bucks to spend on future purchases. 

If you are wanting to stretch your budget, I really encourage you to pick out a local store and look up their deals online, especially on a Facebook group or YouTube videos, as I've posted about before.  

It does take some research and organization but it really can add up to big savings.  

I shop CVS because there is one in my town and in a close convenient location.  

I see posts about great deals at Target, Rite Aid, Publix, Kroger- and others.  

Getting deals stretches our budget and it's fun! 

I think those rolls might be cool enough to cover up now and I am going to bed.  

I should have very sweet dreams as our home smells like a Cinnabon bakery 

Good night for now

Mid week catch all post

What have I been up to?

I've been sewing on an American flag inspired quilt that a son requested. His birthday is in April and I hope to have it finished for that. 

I also made 1 visit to 1 thrift store. 

I got all these nice Oneida spoons and forks for 25 cents each.

I also got this pile of children's clothes- minus 2 pair of jeans that my daughter was so tickled to see as they were like new and fit long legged and slim Elizabeth perfectly.  This pile was surprising as most of the clothes are for the older grands.  Like I mentioned before, the bigger size children's clothes are harder to come by so this was a good buy. 

This is an odd fabric product- it feels more like a heavy interfacing than fabric - not sure what I will do with it but I really like the kitchen theme design.  It is 1 yard of 60 inch wide and was 50 cents. 

Beside the Valentine family party,  we had another big weekend event.  We went to a gender reveal ultrasound for grand baby #7 who is due late July.  

In this photo, the baby is looking right at the camera and has both arms up beside the head.  We also saw a yawn and a thumb suck.  So sweet! 

Before we went to the ultrasound, we had lunch with the parents, another aunt and the maternal grandparents.  A friend made these pretty cupcakes with pink and blue mini pacifiers so we could predict what the baby might be.  

They were delicious, but most of us were wrong,  we pedicted a boy baby but 

It's a girl! 

And just what big sister Andie requested.  

Happy Valentines Day 2015

We just had a very fun family Valentines party. We celebrated with pizza, snacks and homemade Valentine  boxes.

We started doing this years ago when we homeschooled. The one thing the children missed most about public school was the parties. So we decided to sort of replicate a school party at home with homemade Valentine boxes. 

There were some especially creative boxes this year. 

Gavin used a basketball with a slot cut in it.

Son in law John made a Bat Mobile. 

Daughter in law Sheena made a very cute frog princess. 

The grandchildren really had fun - they like playing with their cousins and glow sticks and of course they like the candy, 

We just fill the boxes with little gifts and treats for each other.

Hope you all had a happy Valentine's Day too!