Monday, November 29, 2010

Mistake #1

 Word of advice....be careful where you get your sewing instructions. 
   Following duvet making instructions from a miscellaneous site, I bought the listed amount of material for the proper bedding sizes.  Unfortunately there was no where on those instructions that told me this would only cover the front!
   I thought at the time, "This is a lot of material!".  Not once did I think it wouldn't be enough. 
   While I only need a 15 x 84 inch piece for the Twin Cover, I'll need another 5 1/2 yards for the Double.  NUTS!
  I am beginning to think it would have been cheaper and easy to buy covers.  I would have, but the ones I liked were at least $100, the cheaper ones where not as pretty.  I have beautiful material, the kids are going to love it.  If it gets done!
  I've spent $189 on 3 duvet covers so far, how much more will I need to spend?? 
 
   I am currently undoing 1/4 of the stitching I did late last night.
  
   Mistake #2 Sewing while tired = miss calculations in measurements.  OOPS! 

Sunday, November 28, 2010

The "Getter Done" List

The plan for this week, along with all our regular daily tasks:
 ~ Detailed Cleaning of the Kitchen, Dining Room, Living Room and Entrances in preparation for decoration.
 ~ Shopping with the children so they can buy gifts.
 ~ Shopping without the children so I can buy gifts.
 ~ Baking Cookies with enough to freeze and last us through the holidays.  (maybe) (That's maybe last not bake.)
 ~ Decorate the house for Christmas.
 ~ Make all gifts that need to be made.
That last one I am starting right now.  I am off to sew Duvet covers, catch ya later when I'll let you know how the "list" is going.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Love/Hate Relationship.

  I believe I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas, and winter.  
  I love Christmas for the fact I get to visit my family that I haven't seen most of the year or at least since summer.  I hate that the roads are yucky and sometimes scary this time of year and my beloved family is traveling on them.
  I love giving gifts to people.   I hate that gifts often take away from the real reason why we are celebrating in the first place.  If I had it my way there would be no presents on Christmas, the big spending and hoopla would be on your Birthday!!
  I love all the good food, and baked goods.  I hate that how I feel when I eat to much of the yummy, yummy food!!
  I hate being cold, I hate keeping the fire going (which reminds me I need to run and put wood in the furnace!).
  I love how quiet it gets outside at night when everything is covered in white.  It looks so beautiful that I forget that it's cold out and I just stand and stare.  The stars are even brighter and time disappears.
  I love that the kids have so much fun out there, building snow forts and snowmen.  I hate that 3 out of 4 of them never seem to remember to knock the snow off outside or hang up wet stuff! GRRRR!   But they do play nicely (mostly) for hours. 
  I hate that the kids are always thinking about what they want, well the younger ones anyway.  I haven't heard much about it from the older two.   I love that they are old enough to shop for and think about, what the person they are buying for would like.
   I hate that the stores are crowded with people.  It makes grocery shopping a pain.  I love that Ten Thousand Villages is open this weekend and so is the Farmers Market fair. 
  
   I am thankful for the true meaning of Christmas, above all the hoopla (my new word of the day).   
That true meaning being the Creator of Heaven and Earth gave His only Son to pay the way for us to be reconciled to Him.  Christmas celebrates His birth, but really it's about the Cross.  And I can't leave it there, cause He didn't stay on the Cross, no He didn't.  He rose up from the dead to sit at the right hand of God, preparing a place for those who will follow Him.  That is what Christmas is truly for, to remember what He gave, and remember why we're here. 

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Sittin' in the Rain, Water on Your Brain, Got a Hole in Your Boat

  That's  how I feel when I'm sick.  Do you remember that song?  I think it was a Michael W. Smith? (Wow I totally drew a blank on his name!) 
 
"Sittin' in the rain,
water on your brain,
gotta hole in your boat. 
Tryin to stay afloat,
has got you down. 

I’ve got a wind in my sail
Rubber boots and a pail
I’ll throw you a line
Rest assured that i
Won’t ever let you drown


Chorus:
’cause when you’re up against the wall
You know I’ll be here for you, for you
When you rise and when you fall
I’ll always be here for you, for you


When the plans you make
Fall through and take you
For a loop
Or some bird has flown the coop
And left you stranded
Just lean on me
And together you see
We’ll carry the load
Even if we don’t
Quite understand it



     I'm not really sinking, just feeling sorry for myself.  When I'm under the weather and not myself all the things I wanted to get done and can't bother me.  Like grocery shopping, my workout, lesson planning.  I just don't have the energy and I can't see through the cobwebs in my brain. 
      We're in survival mode here.  I make waffles, toast and ichaban to keep the children fed.  They do the dishes and whatever school they can without me.  Then they play games and watch movies the rest of the time.  Don't worry they are supervised.  I counted there are 4 here!  Ok that means one is missing but I remembered that he went to Oma's:)


    Hope you all are avoiding the annoying coughs, colds and flus.  I am going to take more Vitamin C and drink some tea.

Monday, November 15, 2010

HOUSTON!! WE'VE GOT AN EGG!!

  Finally! One of my little chickens is earning her keep! Yesterday morning Bradon came in beaming with the first little egg in his hand.
  It's actually bigger than I expected.  I was thinking they'd be like robin's eggs.  They are a pretty good little size.


Sunday, November 14, 2010

Here We Go 'Round the Cough, Cold, Flu Bush.

  A mulberry bush sounds like more fun then the circle we've been traveling the last few weeks.  Bad coughs, one puker, all day fever, runny noses.  I am hoping this cycle ends soon, I'm tired of keeping the sick ones locked up.  With sending out the healthy ones I'm still afraid we're infecting others, or bringing in more germs! 
   I am however thankful that it is more annoying than it is really ugly.  We are not doing that badly, we're doing pretty good all things considered.  The baby toddler is not throwing up.  Only the oldest one did, he handled it well, I didn't even know about it until the morning (poor guy).   All those in between had their turn with a runny nose and 2 with coughs.  So over all we're good!
   There was that one year....well lets not go there again (shudder).
  I was feeling pretty queasy myself, so I've been downing the silver water, vitamin C and acidophilus.  I felt good enough to do my workout!
  

Thursday, November 11, 2010

What do I want?

  I have a pretty good idea of what getting for others.  Well the kids mostly.  Adults are a little harder.  Especially the none picky ones.  Which means yes they are easy to please, but I want to try harder to make in meaningful, that takes more brain steam. 
   I know what I want Josh to get me, well a few things, he can pick one!
First of all I've always wanted a fondue set.

       A Kitchen Aid pasta maker attachment would be nice.
              I would love to have the Canon Rebel camera or a Nikon.
Or let me go clothes shopping!  That would be nice too:)

Really though these are things that I can accumulate over time and don't really need for any reason. 

Now I will go write a post about how Christmas is not about getting or giving, it's about Christ.  'Cause now I'm feeling guilty.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Workout

   I don't like working out.  It's boring and well hard work.  
 I would much rather be drinking Lattes at Starbucks!
   But there comes a time in a girls life when things just aren't as they were.  When she (me) realizes that it's not going to get better unless I apply a good effort.  And regardless of how comfy it is in the sand I must pop my head out long enough to see that I'm only 16 yrs to the age my Dad died.  
   His death could have been avoided by a healthy lifestyle. 

So I feel the need to get healthy. 
I started a workout video called 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michaels.  It is done in 3 levels.
Level 1 isn't so hard that you have to be super coordinated.  I could manage all the low impact moves.  But boy was I huffing and puffing!  My cardiovascular system is baaaaad!
I had a hard time recovering after, catching my breath!!
After 5 or 6 workouts though it became easier.  By the 7th or 8th I could do more of the higher impacted moves.
  You are suppose to do 10 days of level 1 but, I  did 12.  I wanted to have the level 1 a bit better before I moved on.
  Level 2 is a lot harder than the first.   I've done Level 2 seven times now.  I still can't do the higher impact.
   I also read Jillian's book about Mastering your Metabolism.  It was a lot about hormones and how the food we eat and our lifestyles effect them.  Some really good info.
  Here's what I've been doing.
I eat some protein and healthy carbs, and healthy fats at Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and a snack.  I do not eat again after my last meal or at least make sure I don't eat after 9pm.  I try to get to bed by 10:30/11:00.   I try to work out every day.  The work outs are circuit style and 20mins each.  The most I've gone without working out is 2 days. 
  I've done a totally of 19 workouts.  I've lost 5lbs.  I feel stronger, I have more energy and my clothes are much looser fitting.  I haven't taken measurements.  Maybe I should have.  Really I just want to feel better and have more energy!  And it's working:)