4.20.2011

of doilies and homemaking...

so....doilies....i really, really don't like that word. hate seems a little strong....but i strongly dislike the word doilies. try saying it over and over again....weird, right? anyway...doilies and i have had a bit of a rough relationship. my great-aunt (who is more like a grandmother to me) makes doilies...crochets...by hand...these intricate little table covers. the amount of time and love that goes into each one of these pieces of art is worth noting.

so, for the past um....several....years, i've been boycotting doilies. not sure exactly why...makes dusting slightly more challenging, one more thing to wash, not sure they go with the "modern" look i wish i could better emulate...there are reasons, but i'm just not sure what they are...but i know that none of them are good enough.

i was recently looking at some pictures of a home and it looked so cozy. and guess what i noticed in the pictures....DOILIES! hmmm....... then, i was recently reading an exhortation to mothers/wives on their duties of homemaking...and one of the things mentioned was making a home comfortable and appealing through the use of linens....ahem....doilies, included.

so...it got me to thinking that maybe i should try incorporating some of my doilies (that are in fact special to me....because i hadn't gotten rid of them) into my decorating. and it has been so fun. i love walking through my living room and seeing reminders of my aunt throughout the room.

this little antique telephone table sits next to our front door. i hope to recover the seat one day, but for now, it is dressed up a bit by the doilie and pewter plate. (which should have mints/candy on it, but it is within reach of my toddler and dog, neither of which i trust!)

both the doilie on the telephone table and this one above on the buffet are trimmed in a sage green, so they coordinate well.

this one still feels odd to me because it seems like there should be something ON it...but the prettiest part of it is the flower in the center, so i can't bring myself to cover it up.

the piano wins the prize for the piece of furniture with the most doilies...two of these are actually my daughter's, but she lacks a good place for them in her room, so i am using them for now...

the buffet in the dining room is usually seasonally decorated and the doilies really help to brighten the spring glassware.

so....doilies it is. and i'm so glad. but, if doilies aren't for you...we can still be friends....family, even. :-)

to schedule or not to schedule...

today is wednesday... and that means i cleaned the kitchen... not that i don't clean the kitchen every day, but today i CLEANED the kitchen.

wednesday kitchen cleaning means i clean all of the countertops with disinfectant, and not just the parts that are exposed.... ALL of the countertops. and, any appliances that need cleaning, get cleaned.
as if that wasn't enough, i also cleared off some stuff that had starting hanging around on the counters... too bad i forgot to take a before picture so you can't appreciate how nice and un-cluttered this after picture actually is...

i grew up following a schedule. it was awesome. too bad i didn't realize it at the time. thankfully, i see now just how beneficial it was for me...but somehow, despite knowing the benefits, i have resisted scheduling my time for many, many months. but, several weeks ago (months even!), i took some time on a saturday morning (alone. at panera.) to make a schedule. i made a monthly schedule of the major tasks that i need to accomplish and a daily schedule. the monthly schedule has been great and i follow it most days. the daily schedule was a bit too rigorous for this stage of life and we have more of a "routine" that we usually follow rather than a set "schedule." it works for us. and that's what matters. i still have some tweaking to do, and there are things that i would like to add/improve, but all in time.

so if you're wondering what i'm doing on any particular day....here's a good start at what i'll be hoping to do....

MONDAY: laundry, clean bathrooms (shower/tubs EOW), empty trash

TUESDAY: wash bedding, dust/vacuum, mop EOW

WEDNESDAY: ironing/mending, clean kitchen, coupons

THURSDAY: church work - women's leadership team EOW, missions EOW, empty trash

FRIDAY: vacuum, grocery shopping EOW, projects/fun day EOW

i don't need to mop my floors every week, so i alternate the mopping on the weeks when i don't clean the showers/tubs. my back thanks me for this. i coupon....don't worry there will be posts about this eventually. couponing takes work and that work requires its own place in my schedule. i serve on two committees at our church, the women's leadership team and the missions committee. both of which come with responsibilities. having 2 set days each month for each of these makes them so much more manageable. i grocery shop every 2 weeks. it coincides with payday, i save money by NOT shopping EVERY week, and i only have to get ready to do it 2x/month. the other fridays that we're not shopping, i hope to either work on projects (cleaning out closets, finally learning how to use that sewing machine, etc...) and/or have a fun day with C. saturdays are family days and usually involve some preparation for sundays (especially if we are having people over), and sundays are worship/family/rest days. and that is what a typical week looks like around here....at least the scheduled part... sometime (soon?) i'll post an example of a typical day at the eagle's nest...because i know that would be fascinating for you all. ;) and now, i'm off to clean bathrooms....because, i don't always stick to my schedule...

4.19.2011

yum!

. . .and that is why i love spring.

bbq chicken fajitas (aka our dinner last night)




you can find the recipe HERE also:
1lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 each, green and red pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
8 flour tortillas (6-inch), warmed
1 cup mexican style finely shredded cheese
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup sour cream

Heat grill to medium high heat.

Combine chicken, vegetables, and barbecue sauce. Let stand 5 minutes. Poke holes evenly in bottom of 13x9 inch disposable foil roasting pan with fork or skewer. Place chicken mixture in pan; place pan on grate of grill. Cover grill with lid.

Grill chicken and vegetables 20 minutes or until chicken is done and vegetables are crisp tender, stirring occasionally.

Spoon onto tortillas; top with remaining ingredients. Roll up. Enjoy!

what we're doing...

thanks to my friend, mandy, for a fun way of quickly updating folks on some interesting(?) parts of mylife/our lives...

reading: Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts, also see list on the right -------->

drinking: lots of water thanks to this nifty water bottle, think i'll go fill it up again right now.

listening: songs that Jesus said, keith & kristyn getty...C loves the upbeat tempo (everytime i put it on she says, "jesus! jesus!" and i NEED to hear it...oh for faith like a child!

feeling: warm spring breezes blowing through the house! loving the open windows!

watching: some friends' new baby on a streaming webcam in the hospital room. love technology!

snacking: fresh fruit!! love spring/summer foods!

wearing: jeans & tanktop, my outfit of choice!

cooking: last night i made BBQ chicken fajitas....will post that recipe soon. they were yumm-o!

paying: lots of medical bills from a visit to the ER in december...whoa....adds up fast!

dreaming: of the ocean.

loving: spring weather, playing outside in the garden, C's new discoveries

anticipating: easter with my parents! :)

4.17.2011

starting over (again...)

as some of you noticed, i shut down the ol' blog for awhile to regroup....that's what we'll call it. i've been struggling with whether to continue blogging at all, make it public, keep it private, personal posts, homemaking posts, frugality posts, so many thoughts swirling in my head. i finally realized that i just love having this outlet to post whatever suits me each day, and really, isn't that what blogging is all about anyway?!? so, here we are, back again, with a new look (that i'm still working on). the plan is to post about whatever happens to come to mind...but i'm open to suggestions...things you'd like to see, etc. i am thinking of "going public" again, which means i'll be keeping things pretty anonymous (and ask the same of you in comments). so, here goes...hope you're entertained, and more importantly, blessed by this glimpse into our lives.
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