Cyber Monday

Today is Cyber Monday.

I usually don't buy into all the hype. I've never once gone to Black Friday. My wonderful hubby did do it one year for me to get me a laptop. That made my day. 

And I try to make my gifts as much as possible. My Baby brother who is now 21 is almost always an exception, I never know what to make him. I did see him at Thanksgiving and he asked where his quilt was. So maybe I should get on that. His Birthday is in May, maybe if I start now I can maybe get one made by 2013 for his 23rd birthday. ha!

I don't even think I knew what Cyber Monday was last year. 

However in honor of Cyber Monday I've created a coupon. 

Use

Christmas11

at checkout for 25% percent off your total purchase. That's a dollar off a card!

So Hurry over to Lilac Barries on Etsy and find a Chritmas card for yourself or a special gift for someone else.

Remember all sales are going to help build classrooms in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Meal Plan Monday

Week 9 W/E 12/4/11

December, yay!!!

Didn't do much cooking last week. Thanksgiving was fabulous. We had it at my in-laws and my mom and brother joined. It was nice to have everyone together for a change and not have to house hop. The pumpkin Prailine Cheesecake turned out fabulous. I took pictures so look back later this week for a review of the recipes I used.

We got back yesterday and decided to stop at the store before we even got back to our apartment. I had planned on only getting dinner makings for last night but I figured I was there so I might as well do some shopping. I didn't have a plan so I only ended up with 4 meals. Better than nothing

Monday: Spinach Pie (still haven't made this, thank goodness the spinach is frozen)

Tuesday: Chickpea and veggie yellow curry

Wednesday:Pasta

Thursday: Sweet Potato and black bean enchiladas. I FINALLY found the roasted red pepper soup I've been looking for to make this recipe. Trader Joe's is carrying it. It must be a seasonal item.

Friday: Leftovers- I'm babysitting for Sassafras and Snicklefritz. Which reminds me I need to finish the headbands I started for her birthday.

Saturday: Not sure yet,I bought frozen veggies and corn that I already had at home so something that uses those. 

Sunday: Something in the crock pot, choir practice again. I recently fell in love with broccoli and cheddar  soup at Panera and have been wanting to try making a version at home, maybe I'll try it
in the crock pot.

Meal Plan Monday

Week 8 W/E 11/27/11

Lets not talk about how last week went, lets just leave it at it basically didn't happen and move on.

This week we're going out of town for Thanksgiving so it's a pretty short list. Basically I'm trying to A)clean out my fridge so there's stuff not sitting and B)not really buy any groceries because we wont be home.

Monday: Some sort of Frittata, veggies will probably be involved.

Tuesday: La La La Pantry Meal? I'm on vacation mode, can you tell? 

Wednesday-Saturday: We're out of town. Turkey will be involved. I'm making a Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Pecan Praline topping. This is the only thing I'm really excited about cooking this week.

Sunday: No clue. we haven't decided when we're driving back yet, this will determine what does or doesn't get cooked and whether or not we make it to the grocery store before Monday.

This is pretty pointless. I don't know why I even bothered.You have any good or new recipes you're making for Thanksgiving? What easy meals do you make the week of Thanksgiving to save yourself from cooking before the big day?

Sunday Productivity

Image found on Pinterest

It never ceases to amaze me how much I can get done once I just start. This goes for quilting, card making and especially cleaning my apartment.

I've been dragging my feet over the last few weeks in the cleaning/organizing department. Because I have no sooner do I make some progress, then I start another project and my apartment goes BOOM! and stuff explodes everywhere.

Well Today I said enough is enough. I came home from choir practice and said I'm just going to start and go till at least the living room/sewing room/office area was how I wanted it.

Well I'm not completely done but it's about 90% there and the dining room is rearranged and the dining room table is cleared. Oh what is it about flat surfaces that always just gather stuff?

It makes me feel so better. Next project: the bedroom/laundry. Oh how I hate laundry. Someday I will have a washer and dryer in my home and it will solve so many of my clothing problems.

What did you do this weekend? Were you productive? Or do something fun?

Cozy Weekend

My Table from Thanksgiving last year

The last 3 year's I've hosted Thanksgiving at my house and my in-laws have come to San Francisco. This year  my Father-in-law is unable to leave home because he's on call for work so we're going there.

I was a little disappointed at first. I really love cooking and decorating my apartment. However now that we're less than a week away I'm really enjoying not having to do company cleaning, finding space in my teeny tiny fridge for all the extra food, shopping in the crowds or the general stress of it all. Don't get me wrong it's totally worth it in the end but it's nice just being able to putz around with my husband, go to the movies and leisurely clean.

It's been intermittently raining all weekend and the temperature has dropped just enough that it's nice and cozy under a quilt.

Have you seen my nifty little widget up in the corner? You can see my most recent card creations I've posted on Etsy. All sales through the new year go to Latin American Childcare in Guayaquil, Ecuador. My church is sending a group of about a 100 people to build classrooms for some very needy children. You can read all about the missions trip, Ecuador and Latin American Child Care Right Here

So my cards are pretty (if I say so my self) and are being sold not so I can make money but to help children receive some basic necessities. 

Meal Plan Wednesday

Week 7  W/E 11/20/11

Last week was another busy one, I'm chalking it up to that time of year.This week is shaping up to be another one of those days. Today I'm home from work with an epic Migraine. I really don't even know how I'm timing this but I'm so sick of laying down/sleeping and the thought of watching anything makes my brain hurt.

Monday: we ordered pizza

Tuesday: Taco Tuesday. Chickpea tacos with guacamole

Wednesday: Spinach Pie from last week

Thursday: Crock pot vegetable barley soup (what did we eat last week? half my meals are being carried over)

Friday: Yellow chickpea curry and vegetables

Saturday: Leaving this open, we have a free Saturday night so the hubby and I may actually get to go out on a date. If not I'll pick up something at the store easy to throw together. I still haven't been to the store this week

Sunday: Quesadillas

Meal Plan?

San Francisco City Hall all lit up for Christmas last year

I missed meal plan Monday. Look back later today for a Meal Plan Tuesday (really doesn' t have the same ring)

Today is my Wednesday or something. I work today, tomorrow, and a couple hours in the morning Thursday which I really don't count  then I'm off till the 28th. I'm very excited.

I was up early today, well more like on time. Since the time change I haven't been able to get my booty out of bed when the alarm goes off. I was up early to clean. In anticipation of a possible house guest and so my apartment is ready to deocorate for Christmas! I love Christmas. My birthday is in December and when I was little I hated it for obvious reasons. Now I joke that the whole world decorates for my birthday.*grin*

My hubby and I after The Nutcracker last year. He surprised me for birthday :-)

Ok I should go finish getting ready for work and check the bus schedule for the millionth time. I keep having issues. mainly I get there early and the bus I'm supposed to take is invisible or something because it's never there when it's supposed to be and then I can't take one because it's always full beyond capacity. Or the one day I'm late or just on time it's early.

Ok enough early morning ramblings

Snicklefritz

For the last year I took care of  two 2 year olds from two different families. My nick names for them were Snicklefritz and Sassafras. They would respond to it if I said it to try and get their attention and they would say it if you asked them what their name was. It was adorable and made me smile. 

Snicklefritz's birthday is the 14th of this month and Sassafras is the 23rd. Yes they are only 9 days apart, yes it was kinda crazy at times but I love those kids. 

For their 3rd birthdays I decided to make them gifts. Here's what I came up with for Snicklefritz, he loves all things Dr. Seuss. His mom took him to see Seussical the musical over the summer and it made his obsession all the worse. 

Front

Back

(forgive the cruddy cell phone pics, I'm impatient. My battery is dead on my camera and getting photos off the hubby's camera sometimes takes to long to actually happen)

I love embellishing plain t-shirts its quick, inexpensive, personal and just so dang cute. 

It's raining, its pouring

It's Friday night and I'm cozied up at home. It's been a long week. The little girl I take care of has been sick all week, so we've been cooped up inside. I did get some good cuddles though, that was nice. 

I'm fighting a cold that I really can't afford to have. I'm babysitting tomorrow for my old families, two 3 year old's and a 4 month old. fortunately it's not till evening.

The Hubby is off filming a wedding and I have an evening to myself. I really want to work on cards or finish the baby quilt I'm working on but I think I may just snuggle up under a quilt and watch tv. Right now Gold Rush Alaska is on in the background. Does anyone watch it? we've watched it from the beginning and a new season it starting up. Oh reality t.V. 

Tomorrow the quilt class from church is having a field trip to Beverly's to pick out fabric. Some people need fabric for setting squares and there's a couple new people who just need fabric to start a project. I'm going to get some Dr. Seuss fabric to make another applique shirt. This one is for the little boy I used to take care of, he turns 3 on Monday. I also need to pick up yarn. My good friend Lulu is making me a cowl, she's crazy talented with a pair or knitting needles. She has a knit wear business but mainly her calling is to serve God. She's an intern at my church. Boy oh boy the interns work hard, they amaze me.

Ok, I think this is long enough and I have leftover Chinese food calling my name. Hope everyone is having a cozy evening and isn't sick. 

Meal Plan Monday

Week 6 W/E 11/13/11

Week 5 was crazy. Everything got switched around and 2 meals flat out didn't get made so they're being carried forward. I do have to say coming home to my tortilla soup yesterday was just what I needed. It was cold and rainy yesterday and it hit the spot. I added soyrizo to it this time and it changed the flavor a little bit and thickened it up. Still good, just a little different. 

Monday: Sweet Potato Enchiladas. These are in the oven as I type this. I'm a little frustrated though, I was all excited to make this enchilada sauce and I can't find the roasted red pepper tomato soup to save my life! I know I've seen it, just don't know where. oh well, I fortunately had a bottle of my normal sauce in my pantry.

Tuesday: Lentil stuffed peppers, must make these or something else with the peppers before they go bad.

Wednesday: Pumpkin ravioli with Alfredo sauce. I froze a bunch of the ravioli's when I made them a couple of weeks ago and I think I'll be safe using Alfredo sauce from a jar, no garlic to burn. 

Thursday: Spinach pie. I have a hunch this is another frittata posing as something else but I'm ok with that, I like spinach.and frittatas. This is a recipe from a free kindle cookbook I found on amazon. I think it's more like a  booklet, it has a week of dinner recipes 

and some desserts. There is only one or two recipes that sounded good to me, we'll see how this turns out. 

Friday: Leftovers. The hubby will be filming a wedding that day and I have no idea when he is going to be home or what I'm doing. We were originally going to our friends house but I think that has to be rescheduled. 

Saturday: Chick pea tacos with fresh guacamole. I never actually got around to making these last month and I don't know why, they're always good.

Sunday: Crock pot barley bean vegetable soup. It's soup season, and choir practice season so to the crock pot I go. I'm kinda sorta use this recipe. Gotta love google, found this from googling vegetarian crock pot recipes.

Nap Time

Its nap time (i'm a nanny) and im writting from my kindle. not sure how this will work but i'm board with reading for the moment. i'm currently reading the Chronicles of Narnia books I never read them as a child. I love the Magican's Nephew and am now onto The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I'e found that I have a hard time gettig into them but once i'm a little ways in im hooked.

Ok this is painfully slow. I shall end this with a question:

Have you read the Narnia books? If so which is your favorite?

Just Another Manic Monday

Meal Plan Monday will be up later. My brain wasn't quite ready to think about the week ahead this morning. Instead I cleaned a little because I've been working on cards all weekend and my apartment has exploded.Also I smashed my finger and realized I had no hair brush, just one of those mornings where I wish I could stay in bed.

My wonderful hubby has offered to drive me to work after he gets off so I have a few extra minutes to blog. 

I spent a good portion of Saturday evening and yesterday evening working on cards. I even have a new one designed and half done, haven't decided how I like it yet. 

Here's another Christmas one I came up with. 

You can find all my cards on My Etsy. All sales through December are going to  Latin American Childcare in Guayaquil, Ecuador where my church Glad Tidings will be going next summer to build classrooms. So even if you can't buy one tell your friends, it supports a great cause!

Christmas!

These will be available on my Etsy  Tomorrow by 9:00 P.M PST

It's my favorite time of year!

It's finally starting to feel like fall around here, the temperature has dropped and it's even raining today. 

This has all put me in the mood to be crafty. I worked on the baby quilt this morning and now I'm working on cards. Here's a little sneak peek of Christmas cards. I love these! I have a couple of other designs I'll be doing but I love these little wreaths so much I could do 50 and be perfectly happy. Maybe I'll make these for my personal Christmas Cards.