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ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ HOME

Anti-Procrastination Tuesday #76

Be Inspired, Be Encouraged, and Get Something Done!


Here are my goals this week:

Zone:
Storage Closet

Goals:
Get out all Christmas decor
Sort Christmas decor
Give away unwanted decor
Clearly mark Christmas bins
Decorate for Christmas!!!


Time:
15 minutes a day OR
1 hour 15 minutes in one day OR
35 minutes twice in the week


***Would you kindly “Follow Me” in the sidebar?  Would love to get to 1,000!



New Nostalgia

Last Week’s Most Clicked On Links:

Homemade Air Freshener @ Ask Anna

The Year Of The Handcrafted Gift @ The  Morris Tribe

Collection Of Homemade Cleaners @ Frugally Sustainable





NewNostalgia



Be Encouraged, Be Inspired & Get Something Done!

HOME/ Homemaking/ Kids/Family

Portable Puzzles & Lazy Winter Game Playing Days

I’ve written a post about portable puzzles before, but as the weather turns cold and we spend more time indoors as a family, I thought I’d share what we have been doing.  Today we are starting our tradition of puzzle- making.  Every year during Thanksgiving break, we get a new puzzle and try to finish it by the New Year. We are able to keep it portable and move it to whatever room we want to by keeping it on a bulletin board.  The cork on the board makes it harder for pieces to slip onto the floor. It usually stays in the dining room, house central, where we can sit for a few and leisurely work on it.  I find it is a great time to chill and chat with one of my girls.  It never fails, if I sit and start working on it, one of them will join me.  I love the memories we have made and conversations we have had while making puzzles, with candles lit and Christmas music playing!

Another way I encourage busy minds and hands is with a basket of card games sitting on a shelf.  My girls are getting old enough to play each other.  It is a great thing to encourage when I hear “Mom, I’m bored!”

I brought another shelf into the Living Room to put some board games on and also house some good family reading material.  We have a ton of great games, but I find if I don’t have them upstairs on display, they just won’t get played very often, unless it is a holiday.  I will switch the games out periodically as they play them so they don’t get bored with the choices.  Boggle, anyone?

Back to the puzzles, we always take a picture of the finished product, which makes the tearing down process much easier on little ones.

This puzzle is from last year.  I have vivid, precious memories of sitting there with my family and close friends, after surgery, working on that puzzle.  It was nice to have something to do while healing that was interactive and in a central location so I could be with my family.

~Does your family do puzzles?

~What games are your favorites?

Holidays/Parties/ HOME/ Homemaking

Getting Ready For Thanksgiving

The house is clean and smelling like Cranberry Pumpkin Bread! A mix from Trader Joes, I added the cranberries.
 I am ready for my 14 guests to arrive, and feeling very, very thankful. 
{Thanksgiving Day 2010}
Last year at this time, it was chemo week, the last of my 4 month cycle. I felt sick, weak, in a fog, my taste was off, my hair was gone, and I felt my body breaking down. I slept through most of Thanksgiving Day. I remember feeling so thankful that I didn’t have to have another cycle of chemo.  I knew my body would not have done well.
{I felt weird when photos were taken, like, are they taking my picture just in case?  I really didn’t know if there would be more Thanksgivings.  I was so fearful, despite the brave smile.}
 I have had no trouble giving thanks this year.  I do not take life for granted, and feel extreme gratitude for each and every day!  I especially feel thankful that the feeling of fear is gone.  I hated that.  
I am so excited to be hosting Thanksgiving again this year. I decided to keep things casual and simple, so I could really focus on the meaning of the day.  Paper plates pretty much rock…
…and so does Pumpkin Butter from Trader Joes!
My sisters laugh at my organization. I like to know what dish is going where, what order I will be cooking/baking it all in, and if I have enough pots.  I do the same with my serving dishes.
My two youngest are home from school today, and have been great helpers.

My youngest sat in the kitchen with me, in her fuzzy froggy jammies, and asked if she could “help.”  She loves writing lists, so I put her to work.  It helped to get the thoughts out of my head and on to paper!  Don’t you love the spelling of a nine year old?  So precious.
Happy Thanksgiving To You All,
ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ HOME

Anti-Procrastination Tuesday #75

Be Encouraged, Be Inspired, and Get Something Done!

***Would you kindly “Follow Me” in the sidebar?  Would love to get to 1,000!

I’ve decided to take a break from my zone work this week and concentrate on having my family for Thanksgiving and being thankful.  Speaking of..do you know how thankful I am for all of you?? Thanks for linking up, you all make my Tuesdays much fun!

New Nostalgia

Most Popular Post Last Week:

How To Save On Groceries @ Creating A Family Home

Master Bedroom Makeover @ The Rooster and The Hen



My Favs:

Make Your Own Washi Tape @ Jame

Pops Of Pillows @ A Blonds Do It Yourself Life

Freebie Deep Clean Bathroom Checklist @ Clean Mama


Bean & Butternut Squash Stew @ The Local Cook

Vegan Mac N Cheese @ Cottage Sisters

Give The Gift Of Smores @ Angela’s Sewing For Sanity

DIY Herbal Cough and Cold Syrup @ Frugally Sustainable

Homemade Beeswax Candles @ Frugally Sustainable


NewNostalgia 

Be Encouraged, Be Inspired & Get Something Done!
Brunch/ HOME/ RECIPES/ Simplifying

Oatmeal Freezer Pucks

If you have read New Nostalgia for any length of time, you will know I am a huge oatmeal fan.  I eat oats in some form every morning for breakfast, and usually end up snacking on another form of them during the day.  I eat them raw, cooked, in smoothies, in breads, in cookies and muffins.  I love my oats!

In the summer, my favorite fast breakfast is raw oats, almond milk, and frozen raspberries.  I let it sit a couple minutes for the oats to soak and raspberries to thaw.  It is a great on-the-go breakfast when thrown in a small mason jar.  I sweeten it with date paste or maple syrup.  Yum.

Now that it is getting chilly outside, I want the comfort of a warm porridge in the morning.  I love steel cut oats and their slightly chewy texture, but did not like the amount of time they take to prepare in the mornings.

Enter Trader Joes.

I found already prepared steel cut oats in the freezer section of Trader Joes.  I loved how they came, frozen in pucks and ready to heat.  They had simple ingredients with no preservatives.  I loved everything about them, especially that they spurred on the idea of this post!

The price at TJ’s is good, but I knew I could make them for much less money, and sugar.  So I did!
I bought Bob Mills Steel Cut Oats.  Any brand will do!

 Prepare according to package directions.  Let cool slightly.  Pour into muffin tins.  I did not grease mine, it was not necessary.

It made 6 large pucks and 12 small ones.  I had a couple leftover servings in the pan and ate ’em up!

Here is how I placed them in the freezer.  A simple cookie sheet in between the pans did the trick. 

I froze them solid, then took out of the freezer.  I filled my sink with an inch of warm water, let the bottoms of the pan soak in it for a couple minutes, then used a knife at the edge of each puck to pop them out.  They came out very easily. 

The small muffin pucks were the perfect size for my three lil’ muffin girls.  They love helping themselves to a frozen oatmeal puck in the morning.

The larger size was perfect for me!  

Keep in freezer bags, and pull out when needed.  Microwave 2 minutes for large, 1 minute for small.  Stir.  Heat in additional increments of 30 seconds until heated through.  Serve with maple syrup & cinnamon, and whatever toppings you prefer!

 More Of My Oatmeal Loves:
Cinnamon Apple Cranberry Oatmeal
Cinnamon Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal
2 Minute Steel Cut Oats (another fast way to make them)
Oatmeal Whole Wheat Quick Bread
No Cook, Overnight Chia Oatmeal
Oatmeal Fully Loaded
Chewy Granola Bars/Best Chocolate “Candy Bar”

ANTI-PROCRASTINATION/ HOME

Anti-Procrastination Tuesday #74

Be Encouraged, Be Inspired, and Get Something Done!

***Would you kindly “Follow Me” in the sidebar?  Would love to get to 1,000!

I’ve decided to try something new here at AP Tuesdays.  I feel myself getting behind on this house of mine, so each week I am going to focus in on a different area (zone) and write some goals here at AP Tuesday. You can all hold me accountable!:)  Here are my goals for this week...want to join me?

Here are my goals for this week:

Zone:
Kitchen




Goals:
Stove/Oven-inside and out
Wipe out refrigerator
Wipe Outside of Cabinets
Wipe down walls
Microwave-it is gross right now!
Straighten inside of cabinets
Sweep/Mop

Time:
15 minutes a day OR
1 hour 15 minutes in one day OR
35 minutes twice in the week
















Last Weeks Most Clicked On Posts:






















Organizing Cords @ Ask Anna













Easy Pizza Rolls @ While He Was Napping

My Favs:














Organizing Kits @ Intentional Womanhood













Brown Paper Bag Countertop @ Compulsive in Texas

























White on White @ Homework

























Sweater Leg Warmers @ Brassy Apple













TP Roll Mosters:) @ One Artsy Mama













Homemade Probiotic Deodorant @ Frugally Sustainable

Be Encouraged, Be Inspired, and Get Something Done!



I have done away with the 2 different link parties.




I decided to keep it simple and combine them.


What Have YOU Done Lately


HOME/ Simplifying

A Giveaway From UPrinting!

I recently got my hair done at an uber cool salon here in Lincoln.  As I got up to leave, my stylist handed me her business card.  It caught my eye, because it was not the typical, square cut business card.  It actually was round, and had an image that also oozed coolness.  It was too pretty and unique-shaped to get lost in my pile of typical business cards. I loved it, and as I stuck in in my purse, I thought, “I would love to have my own card for the blog.”  
Shortly after my I got my new hair do, I was contacted by UPrinting with an offer to do a giveaway and have my own set of custom business cards.  I jumped at the chance.   UPrinting is an online printing company that offers different print products such business cards online

The word “custom” got me excited and I explored their website.  They offer standard business cards, but also Die-Cut (Specialty Cut) Business Cards.  I am going to get my very own, round shaped business card after all, and one of your lucky winners will also receive your own Die Cut Business cards.
Remember, you don’t have to have a business to use these cards.  They could be printed with your own personal information and used as an easy way to give out your digits. 🙂
The site is very easy to use.  They have a “create your own design online” where you can add your own images and text, or you can use one of their ready made templates.
_______________________________
Here are the prize details:



~250 pcs Die Cut Business Card for one winner

~1.75” x 3.5”, 2” x 3.5”, or 2” x 2”; 2.5”
Diameter (Circle) Rounded Corners, Leaf, Rounded Single-Corner,
Half-Circle Side, or Circle; 14pt Cardstock Gloss / Matte / High Gloss (UV), or
13pt Cardstock Uncoated,

~6 Business Days Turnaround, *Free shipping

~die-cut business card templates available for download

~Restriction: Limited to *US residents 18 years old and above only.

~You can follow UPrinting on Facebook and Twitter, but not required for the giveaway.


~Giveaway will end next Thursday, November 17th.
_______________________________

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment below with a way that I can contact you.  

You could also tell me how you would use these business cards if you won!  


_______________________________

 Disclaimer:
This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive a die-cut business cards for hosting.

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