Merry Christmas!

Emergency Kit

So the weather forecast is calling for something like 6-12 inches of snow for tonight into tomorrow. I guess now would be a good time to get the winter emergency kit together for my car. I was a Girl Scout and I like to be prepared.

I take a canvas L.L.Bean tote and stock it with:

• An extra pair of gloves
  
• A winter hat
• A pair of warm/thick socks
• A pair of hiking boots
• An extra blanket (I keep one blanket in the car all the time)
• A ziplock bag with some diapers/wipes/hand sanitizer
• Cheerios and a bottle of water

In addition, I keep in the back of my car a fold-up shovel and a large ice scraper/brush.

I always have a traditional first aid kit and an all purpose emergency kit in the car at all times.

What's in your winter car kit? And have you ever had to use it?

Update on my Update...

on my To Do List.

I was able to make really good progress this weekend!

1. Write out remaining cards
2. Make peppermint bark
3. Make peanut butter fudge 12/16/09 (although it didn't set properly)
4. Finish wrapping presents
5. CLEAN HOUSE 12/17/09
6. Prep for holiday brunch on 12/20 12/18/09
7. Other Duties as Assigned
8. Make Chex Mix 12/17/09

I am hoping to take care of #3 tonight. And #8 on Thursday. All in all, I am chugging right along

Happy Hannukah

My Other To Do List

We are rapidly approaching winter break... that joyous time of year where I get a full two weeks off while the university is closed. TWO WEEKS PEOPLE! It can't come soon enough. There are a few projects that I would like to tackle while I am off. If history stands to repeat itself I will get one maybe two of these done while I am off, but definitely not all of them.

1. Learn to Needle Felt.
2. Make my Tan Skirt
3. Take doors of the pantry
4. Buy more boot stays
5. Clean/Condition Leather Furniture
6. Inventory and Clean out as much as humanly possible


I'll keep you posted on how much of this actually gets done.

Update on To Do List

So I made some progress on my To Do List last night, kind of.

1. Finish holiday cards I was able to finish my holiday cards except that I ran out of cards and pictures to go in the cards. So, I have to get cards so that I can finish them. As for pictures, sorry anyone from here on out is not getting a picture.
2. Make peppermint bark
3. Make peanut butter fudge
4. Finish wrapping presents
5. Find Hannukah candles (maybe this should be #1 since Hannukah starts tomorrow) Searched high and low only to discover that I don't have Hanukkah candles and now need to buy some.
6. CLEAN HOUSE
7. Prep for holiday brunch on 12/20
8. Put wrapped presents under the tree I was able to finish wrapping hubby's gifts and get them under the tree so that is something.
9. Other Duties as Assigned
10. Make Chex Mix

I was in such a frenzy last night to get the cards written, get the gifts, wrapped and put under the tree and trying to find the damn candles that I completely forgot to make/pack Nate's lunch for today. I, apparently, also forgot to set my alarm. As luck would have it Nate decided to sleep in and thus I was late for work. On the up side, my mom had some extra cards that I could have and Walmart actually had Hannukah candles (I was shocked).

So the new To Do List looks like this:

1. Write out remaining cards
2. Make peppermint bark
3. Make peanut butter fudge
4. Finish wrapping presents
5. CLEAN HOUSE
6. Prep for holiday brunch on 12/20
7. Other Duties as Assigned
8. Make Chex Mix

Things I Think People in My Life Need

1. Stuffed Sushi --Its sushi and its hugable... you need this!



2. Tauntaun Sleeping Bag -- you can really get inside a tauntaun without having to deal with guts... how cool is that?

3. Inflatable Leg Lamp (from A Christmas Story) -- "You'll shoot your eye out!" or maybe your neighbors will shoot theirs eyes out if you put this on your lawn, who knows?

That is all.

I Heart Etsy

I love craft fairs. I really do. Maybe it has something to do with going with my mom when I was little or maybe it is the thought of finding away to work around corporate America and support "the little guy" that I like, I don't know. Monday I tried to take Nate to a local Arts & Crafts Show that I have been attending since I was a child. I didn't work, or it didn't happen because of a run in with some stupid and insensitive people. Which got me to thinking that this particular organization really screwed themselves since I don't really need to go there to get my arts and crafts fill... because there is Etsy.com.

I heart Etsy . It is the Craft Fair that is open 24/7 365 days a year. I have found the greatest stuff on there. Jewelry, needle felted miniatures, Christmas ornaments, clothing, cloth diapers, more unlicensed Twilight stuff than you can shake a stick at, you name it.

Some of my Personal Favs:

• Beneath the Rowan Tree -- She makes the most amazing needle felted creations. I have bought from her countless times.
• The Lab -- Labrador lovers rejoice... customized lab ornaments!
• Cranky Pants Knits -- Is there anything Amy can't do with wool. The cutest longies ever. I am partial to the Jolly Roger Crankies myself, but the Sock Money and the Monster Booty are yummy too!
• Up From the Ashes -- Everyone needs fairy wings... I mean everyone!
• Steve Williams Pottery -- I found this potter years ago in North Carolina but never found him again... until I found him on Etsy. The rising moon pattern is simply Gorgeous!
• Black Bird Fashion -- Custom made sock monkeys and sock monkey's friend socktopus
• Jenn Gee -- Home of the coffee corset (too cute)
• And of course, jewelry, jewelry, and more jewelry!

There are, of coures, some tacky ad questionable things on Etsy as there are at any craft fair. If you want to see them, check out Regretsy.com

Holiday To Do List

I am trying not to feel overwhelmed by holiday preparation, I am trying to remember that I like to do all this stuff and that if I didn't like doing it, I wouldn't be doing it in the first place, but increasingly "overwhelmed" is creeping in. So in an effort to keep "overwhelmed at bay"here is my to do list. Organization is the key Molly, organization is the key!

1. Finish holiday cards
2. Make peppermint bark
3. Make peanut butter fudge
4. Finish wrapping presents
5. Find Hannukah candles (maybe this should be #1 since Hannukah starts tomorrow)
6. CLEAN HOUSE
7. Prep for holiday brunch on 12/20
8. Put wrapped presents under the tree
9. Other Duties as Assigned

ok, so looking at it numbered and in list form it doesn't actually look that daunting. What is on your To Do List?

Happy Birthday to Me!

I am 33 today!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fostersfrostings/3453604147/

Happy Turkey Day!

Good Luck at Goodwill

I was out running errands at lunch today and decided to pop into Goodwill to see what they had. My mom has been having tremendous luck at Goodwill lately, like finding 2 complete sets of Geotrax for $7! Merry Christmas Nate!

Anyway, I didn't have any luck in the toy department, but I was able to find 2 pairs of Old Navy jeans for me, one pink Old Navy Cardigan, a summer blouse, and a little pair of Roobeez soft soled baby shoes (for another baby? who knows, they may be a gift for a friend expecting twin boys!).

For $16.25 it was a good haul!

Inspiration

I am always inspired by Pleasant View School House, particularly the sewing projects. Anna really makes the most amazing dresses from vintage patterns I am constantly OOOOing and AHHHing over the things she creates.

Once upon a time I sewed... a lot. That time was in high school, but still it is a time that existed! I always have good intentions of sewing again... I even had a sewing room although I never used it and it was turned into the nursery, but still.

So when I saw this skirt and this skirt again.... I knew I really had to start sewing again. They are from the same pattern McCalls 5430. I love me a wrap skirt and since I recently ditched my old denim skirt I thought that I denim wrap would be a great project to start on.

The pictures are terrible (a comination of my iphone, crappy lighting, and dark, dark denim, but here is my finished product.


I was very pleased with myself. Not only did I follow all the instructions, I pressed as I went and even made a pretty decent button hole for my thrift shop button.

Homemade "funfetti"

I have a weakness for the "funfetti" cake mixes. Admit it, they are fun. The different colors baked right into the cake, seem more festive to me. I have been making my best fried a funfetti cake for her birthday every year since we were college roommates.

I needed to make a cake fir a coworkers going away party and really wanted a funfetti cake. I didn't have a mix in the house and didn't want to go to the store so I decided to make one from scratch. I found a good recipe for a yellow cake and threw in 1/3 cup of rainbow sprinkles... Voilà! Homemade funfetti cake!

Happy Halloween/ Happy Samhain!

Blogging via iPhone

Thus is my first attempt to blog via iPhone. Let's see if it works.

Free Pregnancy Tests

Pregnancy and ovulation tests can be expensive as you may well know if you are trying to conceive or trying not to conceive. Anyway, You can score up to any combination of 10 ovulation or pregnancy tests from http://www.freeopks.com/ completely and totally, 100% free. They will even pay the shipping. Check it out!

On the dockett for today...

1. Try onwinter coats
2. Put summer clothes away and bring winter clothes out
3. Make Chili
4. Make Cornbread
5. Make Caramel Apples

There is just something about the fall and the cold weather that makes me want to spend all day n the kitchen

Applesauce

I would love to tell you that I am the type of person who buys apples and makes all of my family's applesauce from scratch, but sadly I am not. There is a part of me that wishes I was and there was a time when I thought I would be that person... but life got in the way and I am not.

However, there is still a glint of that person in me somewhere because on Monday, as I stood at the kitchen counter looking at a bowl of apples beginning to wrinkle and rot I was seized with one thought... "APPLESAUCE!"

I gave Nate the keys to play with and started peeling and chopping. 45 minutes later I had a good sized container of homemade apple sauce and the satisfaction of knowing no fruit went to waste.

Applesauce is SUPER easy to make.

Take apples (however many you have, peeled and cored) and cut them into quarters or eighths. Put in a saucepan with a little bit of water (just cover the bottom of the pan). Put the pan on medium heat with a lid. After about 20 minutes check the apples. When they are soft get out the potato masher and mash the apples to a pulp. This will give you chunky apple sauce. If you like smooth, put everything in the blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

That's it! I add some cinnamon when I serve it, but no sugar, no junk, and no fuss!

ARRRRRRR!

This is Nate's newest diaper... a custom I had made by Preston's Pants. They are great diapers and fit Nate better than some of my other pockets. It is Black PUL on the outside and baby blue microfleece on the inside.

Back


Front



And a color coordinated tag!