WIP Wednesday

When I read Mrs. H's post about listing finished works, I looked back to all my works-in-progress, and I realized that I don't post pictures of finished works, so I won't link back to them.  Here is a blanket that I am trying to get finished now; I started it back when I was pregnant with Daniel and just never got around to finishing it.  I picked it back up last week after I finished the blanket for John's friend.  I saw this pattern in a magazine and really wanted to make it, but I don't know what I will do with it.  It's fairly big, and I have several blankets that size that I don't use.  Oh, well.  It's a pretty pattern, so I'm glad that I made it.  I only have two more rounds to crochet, and it will be done.

This blanket is made from five panels, but this picture just shows three (two are repeats).  You can see the detail a little better from this close-up.  

As for my other work-in-progress, the upstairs spare room, well, it has been put on hold until next week.  My mother and grandmother came over to visit this morning.  As soon as they left, two of Laura's children came over to play while their daddy picked up their momma and new baby brother.  So I've been too busy today to work up there.  Besides, only Angela and her husband Dustin will be staying with us, so I think they will be okay sharing the guest room. 

If you have a work-in-progress, you ought to join me over the Place of H.

A Good Day!

My good, real-life friend Laura had her baby yesterday.  You can go here to see a picture of her new little boy.  Doesn't Laura look good for just having had a baby?  Of course, this is number five, so she's been through it all before.  I'm so excited about getting to visit her this evening and seeing her new baby!  I've been hankering after a Chick-fil-A milkshake lately, and I thought she might appreciate one, too.  I remember how hungry I am after I deliver a baby.  

Here is the spare bedroom after I worked on it this morning.  Does it look any better to you?  It may not, but there is more order to this mess than there was yesterday.  I got all the toys sorted into different bins and boxes.  Right this very minute, I am printing out the pictures I will tape onto the boxes.  I think our children have too many toys, so tomorrow I plan to re-sort the toys into "keep" and "giveaway."  Don't all children have too many toys?  Honestly, shouldn't it be that way?  Not that we want them spoiled, but it's nice to be able to provide our children with nice things, isn't it?

Happy day!!!  Angela is coming this weekend, and she's staying with me!!!!  I'm so excited because I didn't know if she was going to be able to come or not.  Of course, I'm also excited that Dayna is coming, but I already knew she was coming.  I haven't seen either of them (or their families) since Angela's wedding three years ago.  I can't wait for Friday!  I was supposed to work this weekend, but my sweet boss (who does not read my blog) found replacements for me.  Yea!!

It's a good day!  A new baby in our church family and cousins coming to visit!

Our Week Ahead

John took all of last week off, and it was nice to have him home with us all week.  However, it is also nice to get back into our routine this week.  Sarah Beth, Daniel, and I are all tired.  I think we need a few days to recover!  John has Thursday and Friday off this week, also, and he looks forward to a four-day weekend.

We have company coming this weekend.  My cousin Dayna and her family are coming, along with her parents, and our grandmother.  I hope that Angela and Dustin will be able to come, too, but I haven't heard back from her yet.  We haven't figured out where anybody will stay, but somebody (-bodies) will be here with me and somebody (bodies) will be with my sister.  My grandmother will stay with my mom.  Anyway, I tell you all of this because it is the incentive I need to tidy up the upstairs extra bedroom.  I plan to do a little every day this week because, well, that's how I work best.  And I plan to share my progress with you as I go along.

Here is what the room looked like this morning before I started.  Those boxes have some of Sarah Beth's outgrown clothes in them and other things that need to go into the attic.  Hopefully, John will be able to get to that this weekend.  As you can see, we also use the room as a catch-all for toys.  The ones that aren't downstairs to be played with live upstairs in this room.  I have a plan to sort them this week, also.

Here is the pile of stuff on the bed.  What a mess!  I have been storing these boxes up here so I can put Sarah Beth's and Daniel's outgrown clothes into them.  

This picture is the "after" picture from this morning.  There are a couple of more boxes because I boxed up some of Daniel's old clothes.  (Does it make you sad to do that?  I love some of those outfits, and I really hope we have another boy to wear them.)  I also brought up the plastic boxes I plan to sort the toys into.  I don't know how successful I will be keeping them sorted, but we'll see.  I will take pictures of the toys and tape them to the box so that Sarah Beth can help sort them.  

Yesterday morning, Daniel got me up earlier than everyone else.  After he ate breakfast, while I was making muffins for the rest of us, he kept getting into trouble.  If this is how boys usually are, he will run me ragged, I'm sure!  First, he climbed onto the hearth so he could eat some of the rocks inside the fireplace.  After I got him down, he crawled to the bathroom and pulled up on the toilet so he could play in the water.  (He can't quite reach the water yet, though.)  Then he crawled to the phone cord to play with it.  After all of that, he ended up on his knees at the end table, stuck, needing help to get down.  All of this occurred within twenty minutes.  (Speaking of toilets, I just had to go wrench him away from it again!  Sarah Beth didn't do this; boys certainly are different than girls.)

One of my friends is having a baby this morning; if you think about it, would you send up a quick prayer for her?  I know she would appreciate it.

Three Days Until Christmas!

Are you ready? I think I am. At least, I think I have all of the gifts bought that I need to buy. (John still has a couple to buy, I think.) Of course, I still have almost everything to wrap. My dining room table is covered in wrapping paper, so all I need to do is sit down and do it. But there is never a good time. I cannot wrap presents when Daniel is around because he will make a beeline for the Christmas tree, and I will spend all of my time chasing him down. I cannot wrap Sarah Beth's presents when she is awake, and I cannot wrap John's when he is home. Oh, my! But it will get done...probably in shifts. How about you? How are things coming at your house?

Today is laundry day. When I am finished, I will have washed and dried five loads. I don't usually let it pile up so badly, and I'm not sure how that happened this time. I'm waiting for that last load to finish washing, so I can stick it in the dryer. Then I still have to fold everything. I taped A Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart, and I think I will watch that while I fold clothes.

Tomorrow I am going to visit some friends. One lives in Connecticut, and the other in Houston. They are in town for Christmas. I went to school with one of them from the third grade on, and we graduated high school together. The other one is her sister, and we are fairly close as well, just from being around each other so much.

Wednesday I will be busy getting the house ready for Christmas dinner. It is my turn to host my family this year, and I'm looking forward to it. There are nineteen of us: nine adults and ten children. It will be fun! I need to wash my china because I plan to use it. We have it, and we may as well use it! I also need to clean off the dining room table which means I have to get my wrapping done before then. I have a couple of pies to make, too. Oh, and we have a service at church, too.

Holidays are supposed to be busy, aren't they? In the middle of this, I am starting to wean Daniel. I wanted to wait until after the New Year, but I had a scare last week that I had developed mastitis again. I don't want that, so I moved the weaning up a little bit. So far so good!

I will try to be around some this week, but it may not happen as much as usual. I hope you have a good week!

Recipe Fun Friday -- Taco Ring

I am sorry that I am late with this post.  I got behind this morning and was not able to get this up before I left to run errands.  

This week I want to share an easy recipe that I like to make when I don't have much time to prepare supper.  I got this recipe from my sister, and I think she got it from Pampered Chef.  It is easy, and it is yummy.  Those are two of the best ingredients I can think of for any dish!

Taco Ring

1 pound ground beef

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 packet taco seasoning (use as much or as little as you like)

2 cans crescent rolls (we use the reduced fat ones)

Brown the ground beef, and pour off the fat.  Add the taco seasoning and cheese.  Mix well.  Unroll the crescent rolls, but leave in a sheet.  Put the meat mixture on top of the rolls, and fold the rolls up over the meat.  Bake according to the directions on the can of crescent rolls.

It will look something like this when you're done.  It doesn't look like much, does it?

This is what your slice will look like.  It still doesn't look like much, does it?  But it sure does taste good.

Do you have a recipe you would like to share this week?  If so, please leave a link.

Eclectic Post

I have several things I would like to share with you today, and I would also like a little advice, if you can help me.  However, first things first, as they say.  The winner of the Christmas coasters is Mykidsmom.  Congratulations!  I know that you have been wanting a set since you first saw them this summer.

I watched the latest Chronicles of Narnia movie last week and this week.  (Yes, I watched it twice.)  Since I haven't seen anyone else mention it, I thought I would.  Although there are a few differences, the movie is fairly faithful to the book, and I was impressed by that.  I thought the movie was very well done, and I recommend it.  Of course, there are some fight scenes in it, so it is not appropriate for young children.  If you need a last minute gift, you might want to consider this movie.  By the way, I hope they continue the series because The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is next, and it is my favorite. 

Is tea an acquired taste?  I have several flavors of tea that sound wonderfully delicous, like candy cane lane, gingerbread spice, and apple cinnamon; but I just don't like the taste.  What am I doing wrong, or what should I add to make my tea worth drinking?  Do you know?  Please help!

I have a dentist appointment today, and I look forward to having nice, clean teeth this afternoon!

WIP Wednesday

Are you tired of looking at this baby blanket yet?  I'm sorry if you are, but I'm not done with it.  And, in case you're wondering, I am not tired of working on it yet.  It is nice to work on when I don't want to think about the project I'm working on.  As you can see, it is getting pretty big.  

I also included a close-up so you can see the pattern a little bit better.

For other works in progress, visit Mrs. H at the Place of H.

Don't forget to enter my Christmas coaster giveaway!

I'm Dreaming of a Cold Christmas....

Did you hear that in Bing Crosby's voice? That's how I'm singing it today. I'm dreaming of a cold Christmas, just like the ones I used to know. Okay, maybe not. I do live in Georgia, and I have always lived here, and we don't have white Christmases although sometimes they are cold. Anyway, the high today is 70, and tomorrow it's supposed to be 77. And so on until Monday. Then it's supposed to cool down to 57. Even this is warmer than usual. I admit that I am jealous of some of my blogging friends' cold weather. It seems so strange to read about being snowed in when I am wearing a short-sleeved shirt.

What kind of Christmas are you dreaming of? I may have shared this before, but the only white Christmas I have ever experienced was down in Jacksonville, Florida. Angela, do you remember that? It was long, long time ago, at least twenty years. Oh, and it was ice not snow.

I'll go back to singing now. I'm dreaming of a cold Christmas....

300th Post Giveaway

Due to popular demand, I will be giving away another set of these crocheted Christmas coasters to celebrate my 300th post.  (I wonder if I blog too much sometimes.)  I only lack three, and I should be able to get those done easily in this coming up week.  If you would like to win them, leave a comment.  If you want another chance to win, post about this contest on your blog and leave another comment stating that you did.  I will have John (or maybe Sarah Beth) pick a winner Wednesday evening, so this contest will be open until 8:00 EST.  I should be able to get them to the post office by Friday so you should get them, hopefully, before Christmas.  Good luck!

Christmas Tree

We put our Christmas tree up last night.  Sarah Beth thought it was really fun that we have one in our house because she thought they only lived at the store or in other people's yards.  Typical toddler, however, she had more fun playing with a piece of trash (a plastic stick from the tree stand) than decorating the tree.  Daniel was asleep in bed, so he did not get to "help."  It will be a lot of fun (do you hear the sarcasm) trying to keep him away from it.  Ugh!

For pictures of other people's trees, head here to Dishpan Dribble.

Recipe Fun Friday -- Gingerbread

What is it about gingerbread that makes one think of Christmas?  I honestly do not know why gingerbread is associated with Christmas, but we enjoy it this time of year.  When I asked John the other night if he wanted me to make it, he gave me a resounding "yes!"  So here it is.  Unfortunately, I cannot share the recipe with you because it is not mine to share.  Apparently, a couple of women in my church spent some time trying to come up with the perfect gingerbread recipe.  They shared it with  me, but I don't feel I should share it with you.  I'm sorry.  Here is a similar recipe, if you want to try it.  These ladies recommend making their gingerbread in a bundt pan, and I really wish I had taken a picture of it before I cut it because it was pretty.  Oh, well.  As they say, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride.  The thing I find funny is that gingerbread does not have any ginger in it.  Isn't that weird?  It has molasses which is a little strong for me, but the whipped cream cuts it nicely.  And whipped cream is good on just about anything, isn't it?  Except maybe broccoli.

Do you have a recipe you would like to share?  If so, leave a link!

Look at Daniel!

Doesn't he look proud of himself?!

WIP Wednesday

First, I want to show you the placemats I finished and how they look on our table.  We also bought that little Christmas tree which is actually a rosemary plant.  It smells so good, and now I have fresh rosemary when I need it.

I have also been busily working on those coasters.  I think I will have enough to have another giveaway for my 300th post next week.  Stay tuned.

Lastly,  here is that baby blanket I'm still working on.  Another of my friends is having a boy in April, so I look forward to working on that blanket, too.

For other works in progress, head over to the Place of H.

Children's Antics

You'll never believe what my children have been up to lately.  Actually, you will because your children probably did the same things, that is, if you have children.

Daniel has started pulling up.  The first time he stood on his own was in the bathtub which was not a good place.  He is not pulling up very much, but the other day he tried to follow me up the stairs.  Before you panic, he only got as far as on his knees holding onto the bottom stair.  I am not ready for him to pull up, and I am definitely not ready for him to walk.  (Boys don't walk, do they?  Don't they go straight to running?)  I have a plan, though; I will start knocking his feet out from under him.  Hopefully, that will slow him down a little bit.  John took this picture last week.  There are lots of fun things on the end table.  He is already getting into trouble!

Who can resist this smile, though?  Isn't he cute?!

I don't have pictures of Sarah Beth's antic; actually, I do because John took them, but they are too disgusting to share.  Saturday while I was at work, when Sarah Beth woke up from her nap, she decided to have a little fun with her diaper.  Can you see where this is going?  She took her full and smelly diaper off, and she smeared the contents all over the wall and got a bunch on the floor.  Gross!  Poor John had to clean it all up, but he did a good job.  You would never tell what she had done except it does smell a little in her room still.  Does she look capable of such a thing?  

Have your children been up to anything "fun" lately?

Marva's Marvelous Mixes

My good, blogging friend Marva just opened an online store in which she sells mixes and such at reasonable prices.  You ought to check it out here.  If you need some Christmas gifts, she has something for you.  If you would like some easy recipe mixes, she has things for you there as well.  I'm still trying to figure out what to buy because it all looks sooooo good!

Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Christmas coasters is Big Sis at Through the Eyes of the Creator.  Congratulations!  For those of you who did not win, there is a possibility of another coaster giveaway next week to celebrate my 300th blog, but I am not promising anything!  I have two little ones who actually like to spend time with their mommy, and I still have to make a bunch more coasters.  But I will try!

Recipe Fun Friday

I'm glad that I opened this up to all recipes, not just new ones because I did not try any new recipes this week.  John left for a work trip Monday and got back home last night.  I hate cooking for just Sarah Beth and me, so I usually don't.  But I have used a bunch of recipes in the past couple of weeks that I could share with you like the Easy Key Lime Pie or the Cornbread Casserole.  My dad's birthday was this past weekend, too, and I made Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting because he really likes those.  Oh, wait!  I did try a new recipe, and I could share about the Chocolate Pecan Pie that Mrs. H told us about; I made it for Thanksgiving, too.  

But the recipe that I want to share with you this week is Chocolate Mousse.  I'm sure you know how much more difficult it is to take care of little ones when you husband is out of town (and if you don't know, you are fortunate).  So when John is gone, I make this recipe as a treat for myself.  It is really good, especially with some whipped cream on top, and fairly easy to make.  After I get the children in bed at night, I like to sit on the couch and savor every bite.  Yummy!  One of the good things about this recipe (or one of the bad things, depending on your point of view) is that it only makes two servings.  When I make it for John and me, we eat it one evening, and then it is gone.  It is not like cookies and pie that linger for a few days.  I'm sorry that I do not have a picture, but I don't have any "nice" containers to put the mousse in, so it would not have been very photogenic.  

What recipe would you like to share with us this week?  Remember that your post will be counted as an entry into my giveaway.  

Angela's Giveaway

My cousin Angela is giving away a blog makeover.  Who doesn't need one of those?  I know that I do, but her husband is already going to do one for me.  For free.  That's one of the perks of being family.  I get a blog makeover, and she gets free drugs.  Just kidding!  Anyway, you can read more about it here.

WIP Wednesday

Unlike Mrs. H, I did not get much crocheting done last week.  I'm not exactly sure what happened, but I was just too busy to crochet.  What a shame!  I was looking forward to getting a lot done.  Oh, well.

I was able to get a few rows done last night on this baby blanket.  The more I work on it, the more I like the pattern.

I have also gotten a few more of these coasters done.  Since I plan to give a bunch away for Christmas presents, I had better get them done.

By the way, don't forget that I am giving away four of these coasters.  You can see more about the contest here.

For more works in progress, visit Mrs. H at the Place of H.

It Matters Which Catalog You Use

Lately, I have noticed that I don't have many winter outfits to wear to church, specifically, I have three.  Well, there is one more, but I cannot wear it right now because there is no way to feed Daniel in it, if you catch my drift.  I used to have several more outfits, and I couldn't figure out why I have so few now.  Oh, yes.  Two and a half years ago, Sarah Beth was born, and I will never wear those skirts (or pants) again.  *Sigh*  And last year, I was pregnant, so anything I bought had to be BIG.  

I don't know about you, but I like to have a little variety in my wardrobe; I get tired of wearing the same clothes week after week after week after week.  I would like to have one outfit for every Sunday that I go to church (remember I work one weekend a month) every year.  Just kidding!  But I would like to have four or five, or maybe even six.

All of this leads to my experience yesterday.  I have been eying some dresses and things in a JC Penny catalog, and I finally got around to ordering them yesterday.  I like ordering from Penny's because I get 4% cash back via Ebates, they have nice clothes that are reasonably priced, and I can return things to the store in town which means no return shipping.  So anyway, I placed my order which came out to be waaaay too much, but I figured the catalog was old, so the prices weren't good anymore.  I had a couple of online codes to use (another reason I like Penny's), and I planned to try both to see which one would save me more.  

Neither code worked!  I immediately called Penny's, and a very helpful lady figured things out for me.  The catalog I had used was expired, and since I had used the item numbers from it to look up my purchases, the codes would not work.  I still don't quite understand it myself, but she re-keyed in my order and checked the codes to see which one saved me more.  Guess what!  By doing this I saved more than half of my original order.  

I pass this on to you so that you will learn from my experience:  it matters which catalog you use!  Be sure to use the current one.  Honestly, I had no idea!

By the way, don't forget to enter my give-away!

New Computer

John bought a new computer this past weekend, an Apple.  We had a Dell, but it was several years old, and it wasn't performing like it should.  John had been talking about getting an Apple, but the clincher was when he used one of our friends'.  He fell in love!  When the Apple store in town had a sale, he bought one.  Yes, he talked with me before he purchased.

I tell you all of this because all of my "favorite" internet places are stuck on our old computer.  I can still find all of my blogging friends because of my side bar, but the blogs where I "lurked," well, I may never find them again which makes me sad.  

I also have a document that I need to type up this week, and I have no idea how to do that on this new computer.  And John is not here to help me figure it out!  Oh, well.  I shall survive.

By the way, don't forget to enter my give away!