20 Minute Challenge

I'm speaking to a new moms of middleschoolers group tomorrow (very excited!) so I spent some time finishing up my remarks today. When advising my organizing clients, I love to introduce them to the 20 minute challenge. Often times we put off doing things because we dread spending an entire day of drudgery battling through whatever it is we've put off for so long. More times than not, whatever task we're dreading really won't take as long as you might think to complete (or at least to get started and make some great progress!).

In the spirit of the presentation, I've decided to log my 20 minutes each day to see what I can accomplish in little over 2 hours this week. I have little daily routines that I've built into my day which keeps me mostly on track with housework, mail & the like. Things like unloading the dishwasher each morning so I can fill it up over the course of the day, going through the mail in the mornings to keep it from piling too high on the kitchen counter, etc. I'd like to say I maintain each routine daily, but, hey, I'm human too. I can say I do them most days, how's that?

So today, after I put Charlie down for his nap, I set the timer on the microwave & got started. I managed a full hand & knee scrub of the kitchen floor (long overdue...) and wipe down the lower cabinets before time ran out. I opted to spend another 5 minutes wiping down the upper cabinets too. I didn't want them to feel left out. I spent another 10 minutes sorting the laundry so that I have some piles I can toss in when I have a free minute here or there this week too. Not bad for 35 minutes!

That's another fun trick of the 20 minute challenge. You can stop after 20 minutes and feel great about reaching your goal, but often you feel so energized about what you've done, it's easy to keep on going!

Til tomorrow...

Charlie's First Birthday

We had a ton of fun at Charlie's first birthday party. Check out Amber's blog for a couple of videos of Charlie attacking his cake. Thanks so much to all our friends & family for sharing such a special day with us. And thanks to Charlie & daddy for making this past year the best yet!

Get Up & Go

Meet Butch Lumpkin - Golf Video Golf Channel

Shared via AddThis

I was really inspired when I was introduced to this video at a motivational sales seminar the other day. It's so easy sometimes to mope about things we don't have, the deal that didn't come together or some other disappointment. Reminders like this one always have a way of putting all our blessings back into perspective. Watch it & I think you'll agree.

Where do you want to go today?

New Listing!

Welcome home to Hearthstone! 1815 Fair Meadow is a fabulous entry point into this highly desirable Boone County neighborhood. Take advantage of the community pool, playground & walking trails. Wonderful cape cod features four bedrooms, fully-finished walkout basement, plentiful storage, upgraded kitchen with granite countertops, three full & one half bath. Could be a great opportunity for a mother-daughter suite with minimal changes to lower level. Call today for more details!

Quote

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." ~ Thomas Jefferson

Local Housing Market Heating Up

The Enquirer wrote yesterday that Cincinnati-area pending home sales in June rose 9% year over year compared to last June. (You can see the full article here.) That's great news! As I participate in the market daily, I can definitely see that activity is picking up. First time home buyers are really getting serious. They have to close before November 30 this year in order to take advantage of the $8000 tax credit. Additionally, those in the market to move up into their 2nd or 3rd home are having a hard time letting some of the current market deals pass them by. Savvy clients understand that there is a possibility that they may take a bit of a hit on the sale of their current home, but that they will more than make up for any loss with the bargains to be had on the buy side of the transaction.

One final note: current mls statistics indicate that fresh inventory is selling. Homes that have been listed for a while are sitting, while new listings to the market are generating activity & offers! Now could be a perfect time to consider listing your home for sale. Call or email me today for a free, no-obligation Competitive Market Analysis to see how we can best position your home to sell in today's market.

Drop In Daycare - A Real Lifesaver!

I've recently begun using Skidaddles, a local drop in daycare service, as a backup plan for our little guy. Both of my professions - realtor & professional organizer - often call for appointments outside of the traditional nine to five. Hubby is fantastic about helping me out, but our work & travel obligations don't always align just so. It's such a relief to have this in my back pocket now. My ace in the hole, if you will.

It's located in Florence - next to Miyoshi for all you locals. The hours are great - open til 9pm Monday through Thursday and til midnight on Fridays & Saturdays, so it's perfect for a last-minute date night too! Before, last minute calls & client requests could induce panic...who can I call? Am I imposing? Now, I can be just about anywhere with little more than an hour's notice. The staff has been great & Charlie seems genuinely happy each time I've picked him up. It's added calm & balance to our schedules which is really what it's all about. Now I can focus on my family and focus on my clients' needs too without having to worry that I'm shortchanging one for the other. Bliss.

One Sale A Day

I was just turned on to a fun website: www.1saleaday.com. The site sells one item per day at a deep discount. Each daily offer expires at midnight eastern to be replaced by the new item of the day. A couple of co-workers have ordered successfully from the site - loved the products & loved the price even more! Delivery was quick too. Check it out...you never know when you might score the perfect deal!

Chutney Chicken Salad & Dressing

We've had a jar of Stonewall Kitchen's Old Farmhouse Chutney in the fridge for a while now. I'm not sure exactly where it came from. I think from a very thoughtful gift basket a friend sent over the holidays. Anyway, I was mixing up a batch of chicken salad the other day & looking for a way to jazz it up a bit. I tossed in a few tablespoons of the chutney & it was delicious! We liked it so much a whipped up a second batch just a few days later. For the chicken salad, I usually just cut up a rotisserie chicken & toss it w/ grapes, celery, a little mayo mixed w/ plain yogurt, a squeeze of dijon mustard, lemon juice, parsley, salt & pepper.

After the second batch of chicken salad, I had a tad of the chutney left in the jar. Instead of just rinsing it down the sink & tossing the jar in the recycle bin, I poured some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, dijon, salt & pepper into the jar, put the lid on and shook it up. Viola - a perfect cruet for a quick & delicious salad dressing!

Unexpected fun...

I just learned that I have some free time this afternoon that I hadn't counted on. I'm headed downtown to catch a Red's game with Daddy & some friends. Have a great day everybody!

Cure for Stinky Exercise Gear

Now that the heat and humidity of summer are upon us, I have to tell you about a wonderful product I discovered a couple of years ago. My husband and I are golfers & exercisers and we love the newer high tech fabrics that wick sweat away from the body. Only one problem. They stink! I tried everything to get rid of the smell: washing in hot water, adding bleach, you name it. Upon doing a little research, I learned that the fabrics trap bacteria (yuck) which are nearly impossible to get rid of with regular detergent. My online research revealed several testimonials about WIN detergent. I found their website & decided to give it a try. What a difference! The bottles are small, so I usually go through a couple over the course of the summer, but it's totally worth it to be able to don our workout & golf gear without worrying about a big case of the smellies!

Time to tune out the noise

I hate to admit it, but I'm about talk radio'd out right now. I love listening to political banter, but it's not really banter anymore. It's shrieking from both sides - nobody's happy about anything. I heard this quote once and I can't find anyone to attribute it to, so if you recognize it, let me know if you know who said it. Anyway, it says "people who go out of their way to get their feelings hurt, rarely waste the trip." Doesn't that describe so well the many people shouting from the rooftops these days about this (probably perceived) injustice or that slight? So, I'm taking a break. No more news. No more talk radio. For a while anyway. If something really bad happens, I'm sure I'll find out about it if I need to know. If not, then I won't be bombarded with the negativity filling the airwaves. And that will make for a happier me. Here's to that.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to meeeee. Happy Birthday to me.

Another year older - check.
Another year wiser - hopefully.
Another year happier - beyond belief!

I'm looking forward to my best year yet! Hope you are too.

Open House - Sunday, June 14

Please visit me on Sunday, June 14 from 1-3pm when I'll be holding 9997 Cedarwood Dr. in Union open for viewing. Come check out this fabulous home situated on a lake & cul-de-sac street. Tons of space for the family - and only 1 block to the community pool! Recent price reduction to $350,000 - a real deal in Hempsteade!

My Current XM Lineup

When we bought our 2 new cars last fall, they came with a trial subscription to XM Satellite Radio. I'm not totally sold on the service, but I do like changing up my presets every now & then to get a taste of all that is available to me. I'm a closet talk radio junkie...NPR, politics, gardening, relationships...you name it, I'll listen to it! The vast musical options available to me are awesome too. Here's what I'm currently scanning on the preset dial:

1. 60's on 6
2. 80's on 8
3. 90's on 9
4. Nashville - 11
5. Dave Matthews Band Radio - 56
6. 2K on 20
7. All Star Talk - 155
8. Oprah Radio - don't remember the channel
9. America Right - 166
10. America Left - 167
11. Family Talk - 170
12. CNN Headline News - 120 (I think)

What are you tuning into these days?

Good times & rock 'n roll

I laughed to myself last night as I realized I was happy as a clam to be wandering the aisles of my neighborhood Lowes at 9:30 pm on a Saturday night all by myself. No baby. No hubby. Just me & the flowers, grills, & ceiling fans. I'm sure there was a time in my life that I would have found such Saturday night entertainment totally lame, but I don't seem to recall that time right now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, whatever form of entertainment may come your way.

Fusilli w/ Sausage & Greens

Much to daddy's chagrin, when I find or make up a new recipe that I really like, I tend to make it over & over again for a while. My newest favorite is a concoction of sausage, wilted greens, garlic, red pepper flakes, white wine, butter & a touch of cream over noodles (fusilli is my new favorite shape). Delish! The first time I tried this, I made it with many of the leftovers from the fabulous Mother's Day brunch daddy made for me: sausage, spinach, mushrooms, & champagne (there are only so many mimosas two people can drink at 10am and still care for a kid!). Anyway, I thought I'd try to use it up instead of just throwing it away. Turned out great!

Fusilli w/ Sausage & Greens

Saute 1/2 lb. of bulk sausage in a little olive oil & butter.
Add 1 clove of garlic and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes, salt & pepper.
Add 2-3 cups of fresh greens - spinach, kale, etc. - whatever you like best.
Add 1 c. of white wine & a splash of cream, reduce heat to medium low & let simmer to reduce for 5-10 minutes.

Toss with hot pasta & a little extra pasta water if needed to help the sauce coat the noodles. Top w/ parmesan cheese & a little extra fresh ground black pepper.

Lovely Blog Award

Neysa Ruhl, of Neysa Ruhl Photography (http://www.neysaruhlblog.blogspot.com/) awarded me the "Lovely Blog Award"! Thanks Neysa!

The rules of accepting the award are as follows:

1. accept the award

2. post it on your blog together with the name and link of the person who granted the award

3. pass the award onto 5 other blogs you enjoy following

Don't forget to let the recipients know they have been chosen so they can continue the links & awards!

My faves include:

1. Thistle Downs Wool Design (http://www.thisledownswooldesign.blogspot.com/) - I can't remember how I actually found this site...I think I was doing some online research looking for a particular type of yarn and I must have stumbled across it. At any rate, I love reading it and am thrilled to say I'm the proud owner of two fabulous bags handmade by Sarah. She put up a post that she was offering some great discounts to clear out some inventory, so I snapped them up! One was supposed to be for a friend for Christmas, but I wound up keeping them both (and getting my friend something nearly as fabulous, I'm sure!).

2. A Friend to Knit With (http://a-friend-to-knit-with.blogspot.com/) - I must have found Leslie's site from Sarah or the other way around. Another of my favorite reads...lovely photography, knitting projects, recipes. And she always seems so put together, but in a really good way. Not stuffy put together; cool put together.

3. Choosing Voluntary Simplicity (http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/) - I think I found Shirley's blog through an online organizing page maybe? Again, I'm really not sure! But I'm so glad I did. Great tips on living a simpler life; one that's based on what's important to you. It's something we can all get better at. I think what I like most about the blog is that it's never preachy...just really good insight into one family's choices on living more simply. So nice!

4. Working Moms Against Guilt (http://www.workingmomsagainstguilt.com/) - I discovered WMAG through an article in Cincy Chic (http://www.cincychic.com/) a few months back. As a new working mom myself, it's comforting to know I'm not the only one dealing diaper surprises (or worse!) just as we're ready to walk out the door. I don't always agree with every post, but who ever said we have to have 100% agreement on something in order to enjoy it? I can always count on a gem or two in Friday Finds.

5. Triple BROWNie Delight (http://www.triple3browniedelight.blogspot.com/) - "...full of gooey and nutty news from Jeff, Amber & Noah." What else is there to know? Always a fun read to catch up on what's new in the lives of friends & family. Oh, and Amber is a budding professional organizer in the making...just you wait & see!

And a quick side note...I was having a devil of a time getting my links to link properly, hence the typed links in parenthesis. Happy reading!

Really Neat Featured in Cincy Chic!

A while back I posted about my friend, Neysa, including me in an article spotlighting our work together in her home office. Hot off the presses (or cyberlinks, or whatever it is we say now...)
you can click here to read all about it!

Really Neat in Cincy Chic!

Thanks Mom

All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his. ~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895
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Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. ~Charles R. Swindoll, The Strong Family
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There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it. ~Chinese Proverb
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Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories. ~John Wilmot
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To all the beautiful & inspiring mothers I know: Happy, Happy, Mother's Day

The Run for the Roses

Yesterday we had the pleasure of attending our very first Kentucky Derby. What a day! So much excitement, pageantry & tradition. We didn't come up big winners at the track - our 50-1 horse came in dead last, unlike the other 50-1 horse who was the eventual winner! Just our luck. Grandpa had Pioneer of the Nile across the board though, so he pocketed a cool $14.80 for the day. It was so much fun to spend the day decked out in our finest track attire - such great people watching! Wayne & Amber, Scott & Shawn - thanks for a fantastic weekend & Derby experience.

Easy Crustless Quiche

This is a super easy quiche from The Joy of Cooking that I often throw together on Sunday mornings. I made it for the first time about 5 years ago when I had a house full of guests and only 5 eggs in the fridge! And I like the fact that I don't have to mess with a fussy crust. It's great right out of the oven, but the leftovers might be my favorite part. They make a wonderfully quick, protein-packed breakfast I can eat by hand as I'm dashing around trying to get myself & an 8-month old out the door. Maybe that's just me though....Daddy can't stand the idea of cold quiche. If you're like him, the leftovers heat nicely in the microwave too!

Crustless Quiche

Pre-heat oven to 400. Butter 10" glass or ceramic pie plate.

Custard
Beat together until well combined:
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups light cream (I often use 1/2 milk & 1/2 Half n' Half)
1 T chopped fresh herbs, or 1 t. dried (optional)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly grated or ground nutmeg
Ground black pepper to taste

Filling
Totally up to you! I often saute spinach & onions or fry up some bacon or ham for the filling. Leftover salad greens are great too. If adding cheese, toss with a tablespoon or so of flour first. This will keep the cheese suspended in the custard during baking instead of it sinking to the bottom of the pie plate.

Stir filling ingredients into custard mixture & poor into prepared pie plate. Bake until set, puffed & golden - about 30 minutes. A knife inserted in the middle should come out clean when done. Let rest for 10 minutes, slice & serve.

Quilting Party

My mom is an avid quilter, so as you can imagine, Charlie has lots of fun floor quilts to play on. Grandma was visiting last week to help with Charlie while his sitter was on a much-deserved tropical cruise (thanks Grandma!), so I got to help her build a new quilt for him. We picked out the fabrics last summer (before we even knew about our little guy!) and Grandma got to work cutting and cutting and cutting! I had seen a quilt at a show with mom many years ago that had all of these little puffed-up, stuffed squares sewn together. I always had that in mind as the quilt I'd ask my mom to make when we had a baby.


Mom (btw, mom & grandma are the same person...just depends on what I'm feeling like calling her at any given moment!) brought her old sewing machine & showed me how to wind the bobbin & load up the thread & all that good stuff. I had so much fun sewing all the little squares into strips. I don't think I've used a sewing machine since 8th grade home-ec class, so it took me a while to get the hang of it. As we started to build the strips, I realized that I liked the texture of the pleated squares all by themselves with no stuffing at all. That's the great thing about making your own stuff. The creative process kicks in and things just kind of evolve into what you want it to be. I can see why my mom loves quilting so much. It's awesome to see the pieces come together to form something great. (I love this picture, because calculators come in very handy when you're designing quilts - who knew?!).

Grandma packed up the goods (minus the old sewing machine - I get to keep that. She has a much fancier, experienced-quilter-type jobbie she uses) and is working to finish things up back at her house. I can't wait to post the final result once it's done!

Spring in California

We're enjoying our last day in California visiting friends & family. Charlie has loved getting to see GG & Nay Nay, his cousins Mason, Ryann & Landon, Uncle Cade & Aunt Chelsey, Grammy Bonz and so many others! He did great on the plane ride out and has officially adjusted to the new time zone - which should make the next few days back on EDT fun! The weather has been great - lots of clear blue skies offering beautiful views of Mt. Shasta & Mt. Lassen. Definitely a change of pace from the flat lands and rolling hills we're more accustomed to. We're headed to Chico today to have lunch at the Sierra Nevada brewery before heading back to pack and hit the road back to SFO around 5am tomorrow!

Sweet Surprises

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." Aesop

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I was treated to the most pleasant surprise today. My friend, Neysa, included me in an article about our work together at her house for an upcoming issue of Cincy Chic. I typically count myself a generally happy person, but I find that I'm smiling even more than normal today from such a simple act of kindness. Go spread your own kindness today - it's contagious.

Our 3am Pest

Boy, am I behind on postings! I feel like I have so much I want to share as I'm driving around, but when I sit down in front of my computer, nothing seems to flow! So, nothing terribly useful today, but I will share a funny story from this week.

For a few months, I've been vaguely aware of a family of raccoons that is nesting in our back wooded lot. I've seen the hole they crawl down & I've seen them loping along through the driveway sometimes late at night. To the best of my knowledge, they've stayed away from the house, so I've chosen to let sleeping dogs (or raccoons) lie.

One night this week, I was awakened by the sound of a terrible scratching noise coming from our bedroom door off the deck. It was awful! I honestly thought there was a pack of wild animals crawling through our attic. So I went over to the door to see what I could find. One of the raccoons was sitting on the deck railing, scratching & pawing at our door & doorknob! I seriously think the little booger was trying to figure out how to open the darn door! I bent down, looked him straight in the eye and told him to get lost. He kind of stared at me for a second, and sauntered off. I guess I don't have the ability to strike fear in the hearts of raccoons at 3am.

So as I lay awake the rest of the night I added calling pest control to my mental to do list (a real no-no, by the way...you should write everything down!) for the next day.

St. Patrick's Day Cottage Pie

One of the make ahead dishes I've turned to lately is cottage pie. I didn't know, but cottage pie is made with beef, while traditional Shepard's pie is made with lamb. Like most of my meals, this came about from a combination of recipes and changes based on what I have in the fridge on any given day.

1 lb ground beef
1 -2 T olive oil and/or butter (I usually use 1/2 of each)
salt & pepper to taste
garlic
1/2 bag frozen mixed veggies (or combo of onions, celery, carrots, etc. - again, whatever you have on hand)
2-3 T flour
1-2 c. chicken stock (or beef broth or water...you get the idea)

3-4 c. prepared mashed potatoes (make 'em any way you like)
butter

Saute ground beef & seasonings in oil/butter until no longer pink. If a lot of fat accumulates, drain off all but a couple of tablespoons. Stir in flour and cook for a couple of minutes to absorb the fat. Add liquid and stir to create a thick-ish sauce. Add frozen veggies - check for seasoning & adjust accordingly. If using fresh veggies, saute together with the meat before adding flour & liquid. Transfer mixture to 9" pie plate or other shallow dish. Cover w/ mashed potatoes. Dot a pat or 2 of butter (in small pieces) over the top of the potatoes. If all ingredients hot, broil to brown top of potatoes. If room temp or cold, bake @ 350 till warm & bubbly & lightly browned!

One note on the mashed potatoes. I recently added 1/2 package of garlic & herb Boursin cheese to my regular mashed potatoes for this dish. (Why? Because it was in the fridge, silly.) Delish!

Birth Parent Prayer Service

In addition to our regular goings on , I've also been busy working with other area families planning the Friends Through Adoption annual Birth Parent Prayer Service. Our lives have been so enriched through the beauty of adoption and this is one small way that we can honor & give thanks to the brave birth parents who choose to make an adoption plan.

The service is Sunday, March 22 at 3 p.m. at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 2718 Dixie Highway,
Crestview Hills. You can also read this article in the Kentucky Enquirer regarding the event.

Of course, the service is open to all and we would especially welcome those touched by adoption. Let me know if you have any questions - I'd be happy to answer any as best I can!

Where does the time go?

I can't believe it's March 11 already - where on earth did February go?? Life has continued to be a whirlwind of activity around here. Daddy had shoulder surgery last week and is recovering nicely, though it's still very hard for him to hold Charlie, which is sad for both of them. I didn't get to spend as much time last week during Matt's recovery phase on my real estate courses, but I'm determined to get through this and get things wrapped up next week.

I was very proud of myself last week as I spent nearly the entire day in the kitchen on Tuesday preparing a week's worth of meals to have on hand while caring for my patient. I made stuffed shells, cottage pie, chicken soup, chicken salad, banana bread & daddy's favorite Chocolate Cherry Cookies. I probably spent 6 hours or so in the kitchen and it really was nice to have a fridge full of food to just heat 'n eat until Sunday. I think I'll try to build a cooking day into my schedule over the coming weeks to prepare for busier work days ahead.

I did have to come up with a fancy trick to cool my two loaves of banana bread & two dozen cookies all at the same time. I'm not a huge baker, so I've only ever had one wire cooling rack in my arsenal. I created two additional "cooling racks" by inverting a pizza pan with holes in it over a base of 3 ramekins & by inverting a muffin tin on the counter. Both allowed the air to circulate around the cookies & bread just like a wire rack would. I'm always so proud when I come up with my very own "a ha" solutions around the house!

Comments

It's been brought to my attention by several readers (thanks!) that they've had trouble posting comments to the blog. I believe that I've addressed the situation. So please, comment away! I love hearing from you all! Feel free to send me organizing questions that you have or ideas of things you'd like to read about too. You know, things that would be useful for you.

A mother's observation

I used to find money in my pockets whenever I switched coats. Now I find pacifiers.

More Storm Damage

Whilst lounging in the living room last night, Matt noticed a slight drip...drip...drip onto the coffee table. I had already settled my little head in bed and kind of grumble grumbled to be rousted out to come take a look. After a little investigation, we discovered a 12" hole in our roof! Yesterday's rains had finally dripped through the insulation, floor boards & ceiling. The slight drip...drip....drip was growing by the minute, so we quickly moved the furniture out of the way & put down plastic & a trash can. More (and heavy) rain is in the forecast for today, so we did our best to cover the inside & outside of the hole with garbage bags & duct tape (yay duct tape!) until we can get somebody out to take a look this morning.

You may be wondering why we didn't discover this hole until the rains made it apparent. I have no good answer other than our deck is still out of commission with electrical wires hanging low from the tree damage so we haven't been terribly excited about walking around out there to survey the damage. The roof was covered with 6 inches of snow when our project estimator was out to take a look as well, so he couldn't see anything either.

So we'll be adding roof repair to our insurance claim first thing this morning & hoping for some quick assistance to get things taken care of as soon as possible!

Back in Business

Whew...what a week. We were without internet & cable a good part of last week due to a pesky tree that landed on our deck. Luckily, we escaped the incident with minor damage to the deck & house and no loss of electricity. Our insurance company has been very helpful and responsive thus far, so things should be cleaned up & back to normal in no time.

Sorry to have been out of touch for a while. Hope you're all weathering the winter storms well!

Growth - Part 1

I'm taking a big step today towards one of my growth focus areas for the year - growing my business - and am enrolling in pre-licensing classes in order to earn my real estate license. It's a natural extension of my current business, Really Neat. Additionally, as we're in our third home in seven years, it's also an area in which I have a fair amount of personal experience. I've set a goal to sit for the the state license exam by February 27 - I'll keep you posted on my progress!

I love the library!

This may seem painfully obvious to most of you, but do you realize how great the library is? Seriously! I'm in love with the library! Over the past several years, we've developed the devilish habit of buying books - lots of books. We love books. Funny thing is though, there are only a few cherished volumes that I refer to more than a handful of times. Most of the books sit idle on our shelves - good for decorating, perhaps, but not so much for learning. So anyway, I've recently re-taken to the idea of borrowing books instead of buying books.




And most library websites are so user-friendly these days. Just yesterday - in about 15 minutes - I was able to search for books via keyword, title, author, etc. I requested 5 books be put on hold for me (for some research I'm doing) & created a list of another 10 or so (casual reading & more research) that I'm interested in checking out, but can request for hold later. The library will send me an email when they've collected all of my requested titles and they'll be waiting at the checkout desk for me to pick up. Simple as that. Wow!


If it's been a while, go re-discover your library today. I don't think you'll be sorry.

Quote

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"Paradise is where I am." ~ Voltaire

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How many times have we found ourselves mesmerized by the grass, that distractingly bright green - surely greener than here - grass, on the other side of the proverbial fence? Stop. Consciously take stock of your position and count the blessings you have with you here and now, on this side of the fence. I'm not saying don't take risks or make changes. Be assured, both are necessary for survival & growth.

When you do make changes or take calculated risks, however, do so with an understanding that easing the burden of everything you carry with you over the fence will often require much more than the greener (that's strange; the color change seems almost imperceptible now from over here...) grass your heart seeks.

History in the Making

Daddy & I are both taking tomorrow off to camp out on the couch & watch the Inauguration festivities. I don't and I won't discuss politics here, but whatever your affiliation, I hope you take pride in being an American today & every day.

First project off the needles for 2009!

I finished a quick hat for a late Christmas gift last week. We spent a lovely weekend with dear friends to celebrate birthdays & the relative peace & quiet of the post-holiday season. The hat is another pattern from Zoe Mellor. Charlie served as my model, somewhat begrudgingly, but I figure it's the first of many duties he begrudgingly assists mommy with over the course of his lifetime. The actual pattern in the book is a beautiful and very colorful fair isle knit, but time (and perhaps my skill!) didn't permit me attempting such an intricate project. I opted, instead, to go with a soothing, soft cream-colored wool for a clean & simple, yet still fun, end result.

Cookies

Daddy requested chocolate chip cookies the other day, so I set out to find a yummy (and easy) recipe. I decided to try "Chocolate-Chunk & Cherry" cookies from my Williams-Sonoma Baking book. Cookie baking isn't always my forte, but these turned out great and scored lots of rave reviews! I used Ghirardelli chocolate squares chopped into big pieces. I think that made a big difference - so much more chocolaty than plain old morsels. Try some this weekend - I think you'll love them as much as we did!

Chocolate-Chunk & Cherry Cookies, Williams-Sonoma Baking

1 c all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 c plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 c firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

8 oz semisweet chocolate, cut into 1/2 in pieces

6 oz dried sour cherries, dried bing cherries or dried cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt into a bowl; set aside. Cream butter, brown sugar & vanilla on high speed until fluffy. Beat in the egg. Reduce speed to low, add the flour mixture & stir just until combined. Add chocolate & cherries - mix on low a couple of turns to incorporate.

Drop the batter by slightly rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until golden brown - about 16 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Store in airtight container for 4-5 days - but they won't last that long, I promise!

Makes about 2 dozen.

Be Happy

One of my favorite books on my shelf is 14,000 things to be happy about., by Barbara Ann Kipfer. If ever I'm in a bad mood, feeling down, or struggling to see the brighter side of life, it's easy to flip through a few pages - a smile is sure to emerge in no time at all. For instance, page 6 reads:

• ..."dim, low-hanging factory lamps
• a dimly lit room with candles flickering in red jars
• hemming your clothes
• smooth, muscular arms
• snorkeling
• homemade cider jelly
• long hands
• miniature artichokes
• pink butcher's paper
• Montego Bay, Jamaica
• 10 cent ferry rides
• window spray de-icer
• winter as a master miniaturist
• candy-stripe shirts, unironed
• cinnamon coffeecake
• snow outlining the elements of trees' architecture
• dinner with laughter
• funny toes
• knowing there will be many surprises in the future
• stuffing a phone booth with people
• rooms with polished pine floorboards and doorjambs that tilt and slant and
  extra touches like silk flowers and current issues of antique and wildlife
  magazines
• snow-white carpeting
• sports-art galleries..."

As I was searching for a link online for the book, I discovered Dr. Kipfer's website devoted to the "happy about" franchise. Check it out - it's fun. And happy.

www.thingstobehappyabout.com

Happy weekend to you.

Letter Perfect

For Christmas this year we decided to make name wall hangings for all of the kids on our list. We had a ball wandering around various malls & shopping areas snapping pictures of signs to crop down into individual letters. I had intended to use pre-matted collage frames with the appropriate number of spaces, but I had a surprisingly hard time finding just the right ones. Instead for most of the gifts, I bought individual frames for each letter. This was a blessing in disguise, as shipping costs were greatly reduced by the smaller package weight & size.

For some of the names, I hot-glued a length of ribbon to the backs of the frames as a more decorative hanging option. The pictures were a hit - and so much fun for us to make & give!

Routine

Building routine into your life is a great way to stay on top of the small tasks that we often find to be frustrating obstacles to reaching our "big picture" goals. One of my biggest "big picture" goals is living in a warm & welcoming home environment. One of the biggest detractors to that goal, in my opinion, is a sink full of dirty dishes. To combat this, I've built dish duty into my morning routine. Each morning, right after I start the coffee pot, I empty the dishwasher from the night before. Often, I've left a pan soaking in the sink overnight, so I also quickly wash, dry & put that away as well. I even have time to run up the driveway to grab the newspaper before my coffee pot gurgles to announce it's ready.

Throughout the day, I can simply rinse any used dishes and immediately stash them into the dishwasher instead of letting them pile up in the sink and on the counter. I set the timer on the dishwasher to run in the overnight so it's ready for my dish duty routine in the morning!

Think about your day - what small routines can you build in to keep you on track towards your big picture goals?

Updated Calendar

I still use an old-fashioned wall calendar to remember appointments, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I spent a few minutes yesterday adding names in all the right places so I'm able to send timely cards to friends & family. Of course, there are many electronic calendars that keep track of this info annually as well, but I find the wall calendar works perfectly for me.

Christmas Traditions

I'm a little out of order on my posts for yesterday & today. So, first off, Happy New Year! Hopefully you're enjoying a nice day off to rest and relax before tackling your new year to do lists.

I wanted to share two of my favorite family gift-giving traditions that were every bit as much fun this year as they've ever been. The first is our annual secret stocking exchange with Matt's family. All of the adults trade names and get to spend $20 to fill a stocking with goodies. This year Chelsey (Matt's sister) drew my name. I got a bounty of goods: paperback book, tons of harry & david treats like moose munch, chocolate covered pretzels, popcorn, etc, travel size bath & body works goodies, post it notes, a magnetic grocery list for my fridge, Wine Spectator magazine, and more! I think she may have gone a wee bit over on the 20 bucks, but who's counting, anyway?? I drew Lynn (Matt's mom). I filled a re-usable grocery bag as my stocking with a paperback book, lip balm, post its, picture brag book, travel size lotions, & some other small goodies. We exchange a couple of other gifts in addition to the stockings, but it's what I look forward to most with the Swendimans!

On the other side of the family, we held our 4th Annual Selby Mall Dash on the day after Christmas. We've usually done it on Christmas eve, but calendars didn't permit it this year. Anyway, all of the adult kids (me, matt, my brother don & his wife, tina) have 60 minutes to spend a crisp $100 bill any way we'd like...but only on things for ourselves! It's so much fun to splurge for an hour on things that we normally won't buy for ourselves totally guilt-free! This year I scored a new pair of slippers, a wallet, a cashmere sweater, a mandolin slicer for my kitchen & noah's ark cookie cutters! All for $107...not bad! Matt got two new games to go with the Wii that Charlie and I got him for Christmas!

So again, I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday season with family & friends. Best wishes in the coming year! Any resolutions or traditions you'd care to share??