101 Update

Tis the end of the month, and time for a 101 in 1001 update! I'm excited about this last month!

First, the things I finished! And look... 3 things in the month! My goal is to try to do 3 things a month (1 for every 10 days...).

20. Learn how to work the AgExpert Payroll, and do so (finished March 12)
I FINALLY did it! I've been working at this for awhile now, and now I know what I'm doing (for the most part). It will be so much easier to work with this on the program rather than to try to calculate it out anymore.

52. Redo children’s book and publish it (done March 15)
This one is not officially published, but the book is available to me. I'm waiting for my book proof to come in before I make the publication available for purchase, but otherwise this one is DONE! And it's been a LONG time! I actually made this book in 1998...

77. Take a cake decorating class (done March 22)
I really wasn't expecting to actually do this until September, but after finding out that the course was on in March and that I could actually take it... I couldn't pass it up. I really wanted to know how to decorate in butter cream for my daughter's birthday this next year (fondant is nice, but very time consuming). You can view my posts (and pics) on this here, here, here, and here.


These are the things I am hoping to focus on for the month of April.

3. Clean up garbage in ditch by house (1 mile) - I plan on doing this on the 22nd which is Earth day.
4. Put up a clothesline to use in summer - Another one planned for Earth day... we'll see how I feel.
51. Create website for published works - Just planning on maybe working on this one... not actually completing it necessarily.
71. Learn to play guitar - Another task I plan to just 'work' on.
72. Try knitting one item - I've already started practicing... I know the cast on, the knit stitch... and I've yet to master casting off... I'm hoping to be able to do some knitting in the hospital... if I feel up to it. It can get rather boring there if you cannot sleep.
100. Get a massage - Please please please please....

And here's one I wish to change... #47. Finish cross-stitch... I've worked on it so little and I find that I don't really enjoy it much. Nope. I think I'll keep it here for now, but if I get close to the end of my 1001 days and it still isn't finished, I'll change it to 'donate cross stitch... to someone who wants to do it'!

God is Good

Today was a good day. Yup...

It was absolutely beautiful outside... didn't need a jacket! And the sunshine was wonderful! I loved it!

I woke early this morning (well, earlier than usual by about an hour) and my brain wouldn't shut up, so I decided to do devotions early and get to work on painting the first coat of the change table I've been refinishing. Spent some time praying while I painted. I miss that. Early mornings with the Lord, no worrying about the munchkin... I really need to make a habit of getting up earlier... at least some mornings. I got to hear the rain on the roof as I worked in my workshop. It was so relaxing. And quiet. Nice and quiet. That 'still morning' type of quiet. The quiet that seeps into your heart and makes your whole day good.

Yes... my heart felt good. I felt at peace.

As usual, the day brought it's share of trials and successes. I got a bit done on my list, I played with my daughter, we 'exercised' on the wii (she mostly watched, and mimicked 'up and down', or jogged on the board while I jogged beside it). I longed for a nap but never took one. I painted my second coat on the change table while my husband and daughter took naps themselves. More quiet. More peace. It was better than a nap. Nothing like some work in the quiet by oneself to keep the brain from overworking itself in negative ways... and time to pray.

I even enjoyed cleaning up the garbage from finishing my painting. Walking to the barn with the sun out, the clear sky, the gentle spring breeze... no jacket...

It was wonderful.

I ached to go outside again. M was awake before I was really ready for her to be (hence the reason I had no nap), and I wanted outside so bad, but the timing was off. I had to wait till I could put the chicken in the oven, or go out for a short time, come back in, and maybe go out again afterwards. I opted for the first option. Put the chicken in a bit early... but it was ok. Dark meat is a bit more forgiving that way.

We went outside. M was thrilled! So was I. We walked all the way over to the fuel shed where we spotted daddy refueling the bobcat, and M got her first bobcat ride. She was thrilled! In fact, she was terribly upset when my husband had to turn it off! We surprised Grandma and Grandpa by coming into the milk parlour the back way. More thrilled faces, M was tickled pink to see her grandparents (I told her we were going outside to see daddy, grandma and grandpa... and she started saying 'baba?' (for the first time!!) and 'daddy?'). She pet the dog (and was super giggly about it, too), and watched her older cousin as he worked. She LOVES the barn, and the cows, and the interesting things inside. I'm so glad the weather is getting warmer. It is much easier to take her out now.

I need to get some barn clothes for her. It IS spring, and spring IS the time of garage sales... I don't have much in her size right now. Lots that she is growing out of... almost nothing for summer clothes (except size 2 which is quite huge on her yet). Oh, how I LOVE garage sales!

And the littlest member of our family... very squirmy today. Very. I had an earthquake belly for awhile (tried to video it, but of course, just like little M, this one stopped the second the camera was on him/her. Camera shy, maybe?).

All I can say is... the Lord is Good. I feel blessed. All the problems and issues we've had come up in the last while mean nothing. God has them in his hand. God will take care of them, He will continue to provide and sustain us, and I feel at peace.

I will continue to lift certain people up in prayer, as that is all I can do, but as for any issues that have arisen, I just need to give them to God and everything will be fine.

It's in the Plan

Yup, another list. I like posting these because it keeps me accountable. :)

Last week I didn't get everything done on my list. The cradle wasn't finished yet, so I didn't set it up or make the mattress. Everything else got done, though, so I'm pretty happy. (I make my lists at the end of each month for the entire month, so I assumed the cradle would be done already and was wrong. Ah well. By the sounds of things, I might be able to get those things done next week!). My biggest accomplishment was finishing the quilt! I'm so happy I have THREE photos for you! I love it!

If you look closely in the next pic, you will see that I zigzagged all the seems on the quilted side only. Yes, every seam was ironed open, and then zigzagged to stay that way through multiple washings (hopefully).

I'm so proud!

Guess what? It's a new month! And that means a completely new challenge! Aren't you excited?

So, for the month of April, the challenge is... cleaning the light fixtures! This week we are focussing in the living, dining, and entryway (and halls/stairs in my case). For me, that is a LOT of light fixtures (7 to be exact), so I'm doing 4 and getting my husband to do the other three (since 2 of those are upstairs in the hall and I don't find them easy to take apart, and the other requires a ladder).

To Do - March 28-April 3 (focus: Living, Dining rooms, entrance, halls)

• sweep
• vacuum
• bathrooms/mirrors (my daughter slimed a whole bunch of them already)
• laundry
• exercise (Mon, Wed, Fri)
• farm books
• personal books
• put infant seat in vehicle
• start packing bags for the hospital
• scrapbook 2 pages
• dust baseboards/trim
• super-crazy-extra dusting
• clean entrance boot mats (and shoe rack)
• refinish change table (clean, sand, prime, paint, set up)
• bake buns
• clean light fixtures
• plan meals (m-shrimp stir fry, t-burritos, w-teriyaki chicken, th-spaghetti square, f-tuna burgers)
• scan/send amended T4's to accountant
• bake white cookies
• decorate cookies
• decorate for Easter
• make M's Easter eggs
  

I'm pretty happy with how much I managed to do today. Mondays are the days I seem to get the most done (but many of them are not huge tasks anyway... and M naps really well on Mondays due to being out all weekend). I'm trying to put as many things as I can on these early lists to get ready for baby so that the lists closer to my due date will be much easier. I've made them already. They are MUCH shorter (and I am REFUSING to add to them)!

So, how did your week go? Looking forward to cleaning light fixtures, or dreading it? I actually don't mind too much (except maybe the rooms that have stipple... not liking those rooms so much). They look so much nicer when clean (my dining room fixture looks black again... no more dust, and no more bugs inside by the bulbs... yech). Good luck this week! :)

Project 365

I'm a little late on this one. I like to do it on Sundays, but our Internet was down until late today, so I only managed to get on now. :)

Oh, and it may seem like I 'missed' a day, but in fact I actually have been incorrect in my day labelling. The last photo says day 293, and it should have been 294. It started sometime in November when I doubled up a day. Oops.

Day 295 - March 22
My final cake for cake class! I now have a certificate stating that I've completed the course!


Day 296 - March 23
Baby M LOVES the cupcakes. She has such a funny face when she sees them! Her eyes practically pop out of her head!

Day 297 - March 24

See? Unfortunately you cannot see her cupcake dance. It is hilarious! I tried videoing it, but she stopped when she saw the camera.

Day 298 - March 25
Supper... veggie lasagna... SOOOOO good! And there are 2 in the freezer for later! :)

Day 299 - March 26
The finished quilt (see, M loves it too)! I have better pics for you later (this is with my old camera... the new one takes SUCH nice pics... sniff... I missed it while it was gone).

Day 300 - March 27
M playing on the garden tractor at the lawn and garden show in our local mall.

Day 301 - March 28
Having fun at McD's!

Ups and Downs

First of all, let me say that this has been a very 'ups and downs' kind of week. No joke. My emotions have been rallying together for a crazy time. Par-tay... not so much. Yeah, it's been wild.

First, the bad news. Yeah, there's bad stuff in an up and down week. You must know by now how I dislike doing farm paperwork. It's so... boring. And annoying. Especially when I think "yeah, I'm all caught up" only to have my husband come in with the mail... including about 17 more bills that I need to enter 'pronto'. Sigh. Anyway, I got to work on it on Tuesday... only to find out that I had erased my cash flow. Actually, that wouldn't have been too bad. I could have retrieved it. Nope... worse still, I saved over it with another file. Now I had thought I called the new file by another name. I didn't. Somehow, last week Thursday when working with my projected statements, I saved a 'projected cashflow 2010' as 'cashflow 2010' and completely got rid of the three months of work I had done on the other file. This file is important. I use it to tell myself what I have entered into the program at a glance, and to know what I have left (according to the bank statement). It took me THREE HOURS (ok, more than that) to recreate this file the way it was (and it isn't the way it was... I had lots of 'notes' written in all over the place that I no longer have and will have to just 'wing it' when I get to that 'area'). I'm so glad for bank reconciliations on the AgExpert program as I was able to use that to figure out which items I already entered into the program, and which I hadn't. Crisis averted... for now. That is NOT to say that I DIDN'T have a complete breakdown at the realization of what had happened. It is also NOT as if I WASN'T tempted to huck the whole computer out our window and see what would happen (knowing deep down that it would solve nothing). I was livid. And the Internet causing problems while I was attempting to fix the whole problem didn't help matters either.

Ah well... c'est la vie!

Anyway, now that it's been fixed, I'm feeling much better. I didn't get as much done on my list as I wanted to, which is another downer, but not so bad. I realize that some things are outside of my control.

On to the GOOD news!

Yesterday we had a meeting with our accountant. She made me feel REALLY good about all the hard work I DO put into our books (even though I sometimes hate it)! She relies on my bookwork more than the previous accountant's work as the 'real deal'! How's that for a boost? Then we went to Liquidation world. They had a big sale on Scrapbooking supplies (Fiskars... which is an AWESOME brand). I spent less than $30, and I got 3 large stamp packs (the clear rubber ones), an oval cutting template, a foldable self-healing cutting mat (much nicer than the glass one I saw at walmart, and the walmart one was $20... this one retails at $28), a set of chipboard embellishments, a pair of scissors (with a spring in them), and a 'ruler' with a 'tearing' edge (always liked those... never willing to spend the $5 or more they cost)! SO STOKED! Later that day I worked on my pregnancy album a bit. :) Nothing like getting new supplies to get you back into scrapbooking!

Today has been pretty good too! I FINALLY finished the quilt this morning! It looks good. Not perfect, mind you, but really good for my first ever quilt (and being a perfectionist, that says a lot about today being a better day, ha ha). Then, who do I see pull up onto the yard? Purulator! Our camera is back! We mailed it on Tuesday! Express mail said it would take 2-3 business days to ship to Canon. Canon got it Wednesday and emailed us to tell us... and then today we get it back! WOW! Just WOW! And no more black spot! And I have my camera back! In FOUR days! I'm lucky enough to have it for Easter even (insert HUGE-smiley-face-with-shocked-eyes here)!! EEEEEEE!

Can you tell I'm thrilled?

So yeah... definitely an 'ups and downs' kind of week... thankfully more ups right now. Liking the idea of it ending on an 'up'... and the next week continuing on an 'up'.

Right now, I'm so excited I think I'll go take a nap! Or pop bubble wrap! >:)

Work, work, work...

It's a new week, and therefore, a new list! (do I hear groans in the background? I know I'm sort of groaning inside).

Last week went well for me. I got everything done that I wanted to, including a rather large project... the kids book. This week is my last cake decorating class, which means that my lists will decrease even more in that regard (now if I have baking on my list, it'll be for freezing for the month after baby is born). I'm also planning on changing things for myself a bit in April... seeing as I'll be 8-9 months pregnant at that time and not in the mood to do as much exercise and 'hard' work. There will still be a few items on my lists that will be more strenuous, but not as bad as my previous lists have been.

So, for March 21-27 I am focusing in the bedrooms. The challenge... to clean the bedroom windows!

To Do

1. sweep
2. vacuum
3. bathrooms
4. laundry
5. exercise (Mon, Wed, Fri)
6. farm books
7. personal books
8. windows/mirrors (all dirty mirrors, and all bedroom windows/mirrors)
9. baseboards/trim (bedrooms)
10. dust (bedrooms)
11. diaper pail
12. organize in bedrooms (under crib, bedside tables)
13. flip mattress/swap bedding
14. make cradle mattress
15. pick up and wash crib
16. is cradle done? Set up
17. scrapbook 2 digital pages
18. make a few paper scrapbook pages for preg album
19. finish quilt
20. complete cake for class 4
21. start making meals to freeze (casserole (meat on mon, potatoes on tues,make on sat), meatless lasagna x2 (thurs), homemade mac n cheese (wed))
22. pull out 0-3mo clothes
23. espress mail camera out to be fixed (back already!!)
24. 'purchase' book proof
25. bake biscuits (do double batch; some pigs in blankets, regular, and cinnamon rolls)
26. sew church blanket

I went a bit crazy on the windows this week already. I haven't been doing our outside windows (due to needing a ladder for most of them, and it being too cold to clean them properly anyway). Today was beautiful... above 0 deg C! So, I opened the two bedroom windows that are on the second floor and proceeded to clean the outside from the inside. Don't worry, the only part of me that was actually 'outside' was my arm (and a quick-made apparatus for reaching the farther corners of the windows). I cannot reach these windows from outside anyway. They haven't been properly cleaned in years now, due to that fact. The ladder we have doesn't go high enough (and it goes pretty high) and I am not comfortable on it when it's completely stretched to the limit anyway. So, this is the first time in years I've seen these windows completely clean! And I am thrilled! Let the sun shine in! Oh, and as for dusting, since I needed my stepladder for the windows anyway, I used it to get the top shelves of our bedroom bookshelves... they look so nice and clean, now (even though you can't see them anyway, ha ha).

So, how did you do last week? Did you get most of your list done? Did you make a list (sometimes it's nice not to bother... although I haven't done that now for sooooo long... I'm SUCH a planner)? How much more sun do you feel you get with the windows getting cleaned room by room (I SO want to do all my windows outside now... they look SO much better... I wonder if I can just go buy a squeegee to do them with...)?

Good Luck this week! :)

18 Months

My dear, sweet little girl! I can hardly believe you are 18 months already!

18 months ago, you entered into our world and changed it forever... I cannot imagine my life without you!

You're sweet smile fills me with joy! And your little hugs and kisses make me beam! You have such a caring personality that is beginning to come through in the things that you do.

You are a constant bundle of energy... you adore being around other people, watching them, smiling at them and making them smile right back at you. You keep me on my toes... but that's not a bad thing. I love watching you as you explore your world.

You are a little 'girly-girl' at times... twirling in front of the mirror, putting any sort of item on your head as an accessory, and ready at any moment to blow kisses... which is absolutely adorable in itself, but even more so when you decide to pull on a pair of sunglasses either from your diaper bag or the nearest stand in the store... and you are never happy when we have to put them back.

You love to dance to music, and clap along with the songs in church. You enjoy when mommy sings to you, and you sing to yourself in the mornings when you wake up before mommy gets you out of your crib. It is such a wonderful sound!

You adore books... especially ones with music, but any book will do. I've caught you 'reading' to yourself on various occasions, and you sit nice and still on my lap after bringing me a book to read to you. You love to turn the pages sometimes, but are content to let me do everything as well. And flyers are a joy to open and browse through as well!

Nothing escapes your attention. You love to look out the window at the dogs playing in the yard, and will often squeal with delight when they look at you... or even if they don't. You have no fear. I find myself afraid that the dogs, in their excitement, may knock you over or hurt you, but you just giggle and laugh the whole time, screaming at me for taking you out of a potentially dangerous situation!

You have started speaking more, and I love hearing you say 'mommy' and 'daddy', 'hi', 'hello', 'buh-bye', 'eese' (please), 'all done', 'uh-oh', up and down... and so many other various words. It's so much fun to watch you try to sound out some of the words we say and mimic them back to us. And the giggles and laughter we get from you come from the silliest things... like chasing you around the table, or playing 'ring around the rosy' and falling down, or blinking our eyes at you (why this is so amusing I am not sure). You even attempt to play peek-a-boo with us... while you cover your face and make the most adorable 'oh' face with your mouth when you open your hands! Is that what I've always done?

You are helpful around the house, too... putting away some of your toys without me asking you to, and even putting things back where you found them when they are NOT your toys. You bring me the small things you find on the floor instead of putting them into your mouth (most of the time... you seem to like trying to taste rocks, however). You like to brush your hair, and you love mommy's hair. I can tell when you are tired by how you like to sit on my lap and play with my hair. You have such a gentle spirit, and you love people. Your sweetness makes others smile just by watching you.


My sweet little girl... how you have grown. I can hardly believe the little person you are becoming. It makes me smile inside. I am so proud of you. I love you so much.


This song describes so much of how I feel...

"I hope you Dance" ~ Lee Ann Womack

Week of Photos

Day 287 - March 15
The cupcakes decorated after class.


Day 288 - March 16
BBQ... mmmm... made the potato/veggies on the BBQ as well.

Day 289 - March 17

Two pics for you. First, M is trying her best to carry so many things... her teddy bear, her precious carrot, and her rolling pin. And wearing pants I just washed, which she grabbed from the laundry basket, haha.

And did you realize that toilet paper makes such a great mattress? Neither did I! I think M just saved us $60! And think, if we run out of TP we can just grab some from the mattress before picking up another set later in the day! Sweet!

Day 290 - March 18
A friend of ours had her baby earlier that week. We had to go visit her. Awww, isn't she sweet?

Day 291 - March 19
M loves to climb into the center console in our couch. Why? I don't know. Apparently it makes a great seat!

Day 292 - March 20

M is officially 18 months, and so we went to the conservatory in the city for a fun little walk (and to take pics). This is one of my fave non-M pics. More pics to follow... soon... ha ha.

Day 293 - March 21
I haven't posted one of these in awhile. I've only got 5 1/2 weeks left, and my belly is bulging! I feel good, though... most of the time, ha ha.

To follow... M's 18 month photos!

Oh... and I have a dilemma. I've got less than 6 weeks until the baby is due. We want to contact the store we got the camera from, but there is a defect in it. You can see the blurred darker spot on the above photo... right by my head in the top left corner. All close ups with lighter colored backgrounds show this spot. And this pic isn't even a closeup. If we send the camera to canon, I'm sure we won't get it back in time for the baby's arrival (and this one takes MUCH better indoor photos than our old one did). What should I do? We got it in November... it's been doing this since December, and I never sent it in yet (obviously). Sigh. Just a little dilemma I've been having. I LOVE this camera and I want it for when I give birth. If it works to just bring it to the store and get another one, I'm all for it. Otherwise I'm not sure what I should do.

Counting Down

I can hardly believe it's only 6 weeks until my due date! I have so much to do to get ready... which includes making sure my daughter will be taken care of and ready as well. Some of the things I wish to do aren't completely necessary, but I know it will be a long time before I will get to them again after the baby is born... so I'm putting them down as 'to do's' on my list.

Yes... there is another list. This one will be making it's way in bits and pieces onto my weekly lists, but it's good for me to make a 'master' list so I know what needs to be done (and what needs to be put on my weekly lists in general besides my basic cleaning and paperwork items).

To Do Before Baby Arrives (6 1 week and counting)
1. Finish quilt
2. Pack bags and put major one in van (mine and hubby's, M's, baby's)
3. Make a 'mattress' for the cradle
4. Finish cradle (mom is almost done this one!)
5. Set up cradle/bedding
6. Refinish change table for main floor
7. Put infant seat in vehicle (already washed and ready)
8. Get and fill out hospital papers (beginning of April)
9. Sort out 0-3mo outfits (neutral, girl, and the 2 boy I had from ages ago)
10. Disinfect bottles/pump (mid April)
11. Get meals into freezer (21/20) plus buns, bran muffins, cinnamon biscuits, cookies, apple muffins, cake for a party?
12. Pick names we like (yippee! Done!)
13. wash baby clothes (mid April)
14. get a crib mattress

I've started putting some of these items on my next few weeks lists, and yesterday I was bored so I went through the baby clothes. M thought that was lots of fun... started putting some of her old clothes on her head, ha ha.

Does anyone have ideas for easy freezer meals? Preferably something I can make where I can eat part 'now' and put the other part in the freezer for later? I have meatballs in the freezer right now, and I'm planning on doing lasagna and spinach lasagna, a hamburger potato casserole, perhaps shepherds pie, pigs in blankets, burgers, maybe some soups of sorts, and perishky (not to mention baked goods like muffins, cookies, buns...). I know I did a bunch of 'dump chicken' meals at one time, but I need to really plan those again and they take awhile to sort through (since I have to do them all in one day pretty much). I'm hoping to find a few really easy crock pot meals that just require throwing everything in without much prep. I was out of commission for quite a while after M was born, and I want to be prepared in case that happens again (I didn't clean my house for weeks... that oughta tell you how 'out' I was, ha ha!).

I've been rather exhausted as of late... not sleeping well at night and all that. I tried to nap yesterday, but M woke up from hers early and took to trying to climb all over me while I was laying down. At least I know I can lay down with her being awake and not worry too much about her. She likes to stay nearby... either in the living room where I am, or the dining room which is right next to the living room. That'll make things a bit easier when I NEED naps after baby is born. Both M and I were a bit 'off' yesterday. I didn't realize it for myself until I started crying over... well... nothing. I wasn't upset about anything in particular, my husband had just come in and we were making supper, and I started to cry. M was clingy and crying quite a bit yesterday too. I figured it was because she woke from her nap earlier than usual.

And this baby loves to kick... mostly on my left side, which doesn't help in the sleep department. :)

I've been working through a 'My Pregnancy' album I purchased from LW for $5. Filling in all the info. Need to print pics for it and insert them yet. I figure I want to make a few extra pages for M's preg album that were in this new one... things like showers and gifts and such, newspaper clippings and the baby announcement, designing the nursery, things like that. Especially since some of those things I'm not expecting to have with this kiddo (since it's not my first... generally you don't have showers for your second).

Would it be rude/inappropriate to plan my own baby 'party'? You know, come meet the baby, no gift required, kind of thing? I'm sure people would feel inclined to bring a gift anyway (which is not what I want), but I just want to have a party for this little one, too. It feels kind of sad to only have for the firstborn, and not for the others. Do I sound strange on this?

Anyway, that's all my pregnancy thoughts for the day. We're hoping to go to the city later so I can pick up more thread and a backing fabric for the quilt I want to finish (yeah... ran out of thread... sigh). And maybe visit the conservatory. I haven't been there for ages, and M would LOVE it!

Later, everyone. Have a great weekend!

EDIT: April 23 - my list is basically done! I just need to finish setting up the 'bedding' aspect of the cradle (which is fun, and won't take long)! I'm thrilled! And with only one week until my due date!

Pop!

So... question...

Does a popped belly button mean the 'bun' is done?

Just wondering.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

So, today is St. Patrick's Day. I didn't really do much in the way of 'green' today (besides wearing it). Made a little gift for someone that was filled with green jelly beans. This family gave us so many clothes and things for Baby M and our upcoming addition. I'm always up for free stuff! They even gave us a crib (although we don't have the hardware for it yet... ha ha). So, in the way of a small thank you, I made a baby jar filled with green and white jelly beans and decorated it, adding a handmade card. Not much, but I just really wanted them to know how thankful I am. Really... it takes a load off to know that I have so much and didn't have to pay for it. God really does bless us in so many ways!

My husband went and bought himself some Guinness for St Patrick's day, and I was going to make myself a 'green' colored milkshake, but we were rushed this evening, hoping to visit a friend in the hospital who had a baby girl earlier this week. We didn't make it, unfortunately. Ah well, perhaps we'll be able to visit her when she gets home. And maybe I'll be able to bring her something.

In other news, I finally started sewing the quilt today. It looks great so far! I'm making it into 6x6 squares, each will be 6" square after sewing (7" before the 1/2" seam allowance I'm attempting). I actually measured each one from the previous sew line to try to make sure they were actually the size I wanted. Once I made my 6 strips of 6, I ironed open the seams and then zigzagged the long edges of each (to help keep them from fraying). Next up is sewing the strips together. Then I have to find a way to keep the new seams 'down'... better than just ironing them... before sewing the back on (which I have yet to purchase. Need some white flannel... thought I had some but figured out it was a completely different fabric that will NOT work with the flannel already used). I'm looking forward to this one being done! It is so cute already! Totally worth the couple of frustrations I dealt with when I realized I sewed two squares upside down (the ones with the words... the others didn't matter) and had to stitch rip and re-sew. Then I forgot to do right sides together for the one and had to stitch rip it again... argh. I decided to quit after I fixed that mistake. I was going to take a nap, only to have my daughter wake up. That'll teach me to start on a project before napping. Ah well... always tomorrow, right?

Last Chance!

To everyone who wants to download it, this week is your last chance to get the Christmas Organizer for free. After this week I plan to put it up for sale (I won't charge much, just $5, but it won't be free anymore). So, if you really want it for free, download it now!

A Year of Christmas: Your Plan for a Happy Holiday
A Year of Christmas: Folders and Goodies

Pics

Day 281 - March 9
Baby M loves playing with these rocks. Just one of the decorative elements I have in my kitchen.


Day 282 - March 10
Another kitchen decor item.

Day 283 - March 11

We went to the 'RV' show (sorta... didn't actually go to the show itself, but did look at the stuff they allowed you to go to for free). We got a seasonal campsite, and we are thrilled about that. And this lil guy? They had a booth talking about rescuing wildlife, and this owl was there. Baby M LOVED him! I had to take a few pics. He was so pretty!

Day 284 - March 12

The graph shows my growing stomach...

Oh, and the baby LOVES to move... a LOT. You can see the kicks quite frequently now.

Day 285 - March 13

Went to the mall today (due to me being bored and not wanting to do any more work on my lists... and it being such a beautiful day for a walk). M thought dancing in front of the mirrors would be fun. I thought it was cute.

Day 286 - March 14

Baby M likes to put things on her head... all sorts of things. Her tights were a bit difficult for her to manage by herself, so we put them on for her. Looks like bunny ears. She had a ball with that!

In other news (ha ha ha), I just HAD to post what she did to me on Thursday! M gave me a kiss on the nose! It was so cute, and I was so thrilled, that she went and did it again! Awww! And it wasn't one of those yucky wet kisses either! Yesturday, she successfully drank a slurpee out of a straw (which is a big deal, seeing as she usually doesn't know what to do with the straw). How cool is that? She has tooth 11 poking through now, and #12 is coming... she's teething like crazy right now. And my latest favorite game with her (besides 'run around the table' or 'run around the coffee table' or 'chase me around the house') is ... well... getting her to point to people's noses and mouths. "M, where is your nose?" And she points to it. "Where is Mommy's nose", and I get a finger on the tip of mine... it is SO cute! Tee hee!

Yeah, I can hardly believe how fast this time is flying by... but it is so fun! I love being a mom!

The Dreaded Bath!

Ok, so I'm trying to get creative with the titles of these list posts... I'm not sure if I'm succeeding or utterly failing. Ah well... something different.

Last week I got everything done on my list that I wanted... except sewing. I did not know if I would get to that one or not anyway, and I did do all my prep for the quilt portion of sewing, so I figure I did some of that one. I just didn't actually take out the sewing machine. Which is why this is back on the list for this week. My biggest accomplishment would have to be my kid's book. It is completed... except for formatting a few pages to upload... then I can publish it! I am SO looking forward to that being done!

This week I will be focusing on the bathrooms and office. Our weekly challenge is to clean the windows/mirrors in the bathrooms and office spaces. Not hard. At least, I don't think so... I have to admit that my stomach is getting in the way of reaching into harder-to-reach areas already.

To Do March 14-20: Focus- bath and office

1. sweep
2. vacuum
3. bathroom mirrors and windows
4. laundry
5. exercise (Mon, Wed, Fri) - I'm almost thinking of just cutting this out already. I'm bushed.
6. farm books
7. personal paperwork
8. clean office window/mirror
9. dust baseboards/trim (office, bathrooms)
10. scrub tub
11. scrub bathroom sinks/faucets
12. scrub toilets inside and out (don't forget the base)
13. dust in office and bathrooms
14. clean bathroom drawers
15. reorganize anything necessary in office
16. finish 2009 Historical Farm Analysis
17. work on 2010 Farm plan
18. ice cupcakes for decor class 3
19. prep cake for class 4(bake it, and make icing)
20. publish kids book prior to 16th
21. finish 2 scrapbook pages
22. sew (so far, just the 6 strips of 6 squares are done now)

Not as long a list as last week (thank goodness), but still a lot of computer stuff. Sigh. I'm looking forward to being done all the computer stuffs. Especially the farm stuff (although that never seems to end anyway). And the cake class ends next week Monday. That's my last class! Where did the month go? So my lists will hopefully be getting shorter and shorter. I really can't handle having so many unfinished projects hanging over my head like a cloud, threatening to break me into tears at any moment. Really. I need to finish these unfinished things to rest my busy mind, but I need a break as well. I took one on Sunday, but still.

There always seems to be work that needs doing.

So, how did your week go? Did you accomplish something that you are super proud of? Are there any items that keep making their way back onto your lists week after week (I hate those items, ha ha)? Sometimes I find I just need to kick my butt into gear and sit down and start on those things, then they almost seem to do themselves (almost... not quite... would be nice if they really DID do themselves)!

Good luck, this week!

File Anxiety

Lacey at Don't Make Drugs made me painfully aware of how important it is to back up your computer (if you haven't yet, check out her blog)! I do... at least I try to... regularly. Much of the important stuff is backed up as I save to close the item down (on a memory stick). Pictures I organize once I have about 4GB and place onto a disk. However, it's the 'in-between' times that I kinda worry. I have a LOT on my computer that I would be devastated to lose.

One of those things (besides all the photos I haven't yet backed up) would have to be the children's book I've been working on.

I've spent HOURS on this thing. Literally, loads of time hovering over my bamboo, drawing and coloring away on Gimp, waiting for the program to load my enormously huge files before compressing them into something a little more manageable for the program so I can proceed to make them bigger yet again... I've spent far too much time on this thing... and I would be DEVASTATED to lose it.

Sure, I've got a hard copy (aka, really old paper copy of this book I made 12 years ago in pencil and pencil-crayon), so it wouldn't be completely lost, but I've spent soooo much time on this thing already. The pages are made, the gimp files are still there so it's easier to edit anything if I need to, the cover I completed today, I've got my ISBN and my bar code... it's almost a complete book already. So, to lose it all... well...

I'd probably cry for weeks.

Anyway, on that note, I took her suggestion, swallowed my penny pinching ways, and we went out and bought an external hard drive. Took us long enough. I really don't know why. Nice thing was, when we got to Future shop, the Iomega one we wanted had an even larger one on sale! 1TB for $99! And we had a $25 gift card, too! So, for just under $90 (after tax and all that) I now have a huge storage unit for all my files... files I don't have to spend hours upon hours organizing and paring down before dragging and dropping them in and backing them up. I can just throw them right on the drive!

Talk about nice!

So, I no longer have as many worries about losing all my pictures and files. No, instead I worry about fires and all my hard drives going berserk at the same time. Hmm... I think I need to take a lesson from Proverbs and 'be anxious about nothing'. Worry doesn't help... worry doesn't help...

Yeah. Deep breath. My files are safe... for now!

Cake, cake, CAKE

So, I started a cake decorating class on the first... and found out that our 'homework' is quite the job! We had to make and prep a cake for decorating, as well as bring all our icing already colored and ready for work. Not to mention practice icing.

So, on Saturday I baked two batches of never fail chocolate cake. I wrapped them once they had cooled and stored them in the fridge. Monday I decided to get these cakes cut, layered, and iced.

The cakes were ready, but the filling was not. I quickly whipped up some cooked vanilla pudding and was devastated to find it not thickening. Not one for patience, I cooked it longer, then put it outside to cool a bit before refrigerating it as well. Should have done that on Saturday or Sunday. Now I know for next time.

The icing was colored and everything was ready to go but that cake. Now that I could finally start on it, start I did! We were supposed to make our cake into four layers... for practice, our teacher had told us. That is a lot of filling, folks. The entire box of vanilla pudding was put into that cake.


I was impressed with how well I was able to cut the cakes in half. And a tip... when baking a cake, put a pan of water in the oven underneath it to help it rise more evenly so you don't have to cut off the top 'domed' area. Less waste of cake (although I guess it never really gets wasted, does it?).

It took me forever to ice the thing, and then I didn't like how it wasn't smooth enough and would try again, only to find it looking worse each time I tried again. I gave up after awhile and it ended up looking like this. I was able to smooth the top a little more, though, which was more important to me anyway.

In class we learned a whole lot of stuff... which meant less time for decorating... which meant I had to finish when I got home. I did the rainbow in class, and the white stuffs at home. I'm very impressed with my work! I got the stars mostly close enough (there were a few gaps here and there) but for having never successfully made a 'star' before, I felt really impressed with it!

And the 'Happy Day' was going to be "Happy Spring" or Easter or something... but I didn't have room... ha ha. I was feeling a little rushed near the end and didn't anticipate the space needed. Ah well, happy day it is!

And here is the finished cake! It is also my Project 365 photo for day 280. I'm loving how it looks!

Now I wish to freeze it so it can be brought to a gathering that I need to bring a dessert to anyway. Nothing like getting two birds with one stone!

Lil Diva

I couldn't resist... really. My husband pulled out the sunglasses we bought for her a year ago and tried to see if she'd let them stay on her face... and she did... all day! We walked into church with rose colored lenses! :)

Day 279 of Project 365 - March 7

I can hardly believe how much she's grown. She LOVES the mirror. If we put something on her that we want to stay on, we just need to place her in front of the mirror to admire herself for a little while, and the item will more than likely stay on her face. She loves shoes... keeps going to the area I keep hers and reaching for them, going "ugh, ugh", as in "Mommy, I wanna go out so put some shoes on me!" And hats. Ok, more like touques. She keeps grabbing hers from the bin by the door and putting it on her head to wander around the house in. I really didn't think I kept the house that cold...

And she's speaking more, too. Some of the words I hear regularly are "mommy", "daddy", "uh-oh", and "up, down". She's started saying 'no' and 'yeah', has said 'hi' for a while now, and is also repeating 'buh bye'. Recently I've heard her say 'cow', and she will mimic some words. Not very well, but she does try. The other day she told me 'all done' while I was feeding her. I wasn't sure that was what she said... although it sounded a lot like it... until I realized she wasn't letting me feed her any more. She did it yesterday morning at breakfast as well... only this time with food in her mouth, so I really wasn't sure. I'm trying to get her to repeat "tired" and "hungry" so that she can communicate that with us (and others) a bit easier. Right now, she prefers to make that kind of whiny sound instead while standing next to the fridge/high chair. As for 'tired'... I can just tell.

Pregnancy is going well. M likes to crawl on my belly every chance she gets... which I find VERY uncomfortable. I am having a harder time playing on the floor (although I still get down there). My lower back is the worst part right now, that and my stomach sometimes feeling like a moving bowling ball. Otherwise, things are great! I'm eating better (finally... although I have such temptations on the sugar side of things) and I'm getting tired quicker, but I can still tie my shoes and fit into my jacket. I've started finally prepping a few things for the baby. Two of three blankets are sewn, the bassinet stuff is washed and I found out that it also had an entire crib set included with it (which I didn't know... now I'm glad I haven't gone and bought one)! It will work for M if this little one is a boy (it has blue, green, tan, red, and pink in it), although the baby will use the bassinet (I guess it's technically a Moses basket) either way. Clothes are sorted, too. I still have a lot to do, but I'm not worried. Babies don't really need as much as we think they do in the way of material things. It's just nice to have and easier for us most of the time. Especially if they're pukers.

Anyway, I've been feeling the need for a rest. I have one more thing I really wanted to do today (that doesn't require much activity at all) and then I want to nap... or maybe pop some popcorn. Because we all know that I LOVE popcorn!

EDIT: I just have to write this in... M has started blowing kisses now. It is absolutely adorable! And she is putting things where she found them as well. For example, she takes her chair, puts it by the table and pulls something down, plays with it for awhile (lately it's the rocks from my one decorative plate, or maybe a book), and then she will go back onto her chair and place the item back where she got it. She did the same thing the other day in our room. She took my lipstuff from the bed table, brought it over to the other side of the room, and when I asked her to come so we could leave the room, she brought it back to my table, put it down, and then proceeded to exit the room ahead of me. I'm so proud!

Kitchen Week

So how did everyone do on their lists last week? I'm pretty happy to say I actually did everything on mine! I didn't think I would, but in the end I managed to pull off the last few things on Saturday! Mainly sewing, working on the book, and printing a few pics to put into my daughters frames (she had 4 really small ones that had no pics in them yet... now they do!).

One thing I didn't manage to finish was the letters on my walls. I didn't have the right paper to do it, and I don't wish to paint them on since I may want to move them later. So, I put up a 'preliminary' set, along with the two frames I'd been wanting to mount up for the last few months.

I'm thrilled with how it looks! Now to find some craft paper that is clear and sticky (preferably). I'm thinking if they have such a thing as printable wall cling paper, that would be what I want. We'll have to check later on.

Anyway, on to this week's challenge: The kitchen window!

I know... doesn't sound that impressive. The kitchen week for me is always such a huge one though, since there are so many appliances to scrub. Anyway, here is my list for the week. We'll see if I finish this one.

TO DO: Focus in Kitchen and Laundry room.

• sweep house
• vacuum house
• mop house
• bathrooms
• laundry
• exercise (Mon, Wed, Fri)
• farm books
• personal books
• shine sink
• clean appliances (microwave, toaster, fridge, stove, oven (scrub racks too), dishwasher)
• wipe counters/cabinets
• wash drying board
• kitchen dusting (remember top of fridge)
• kitchen window
• find space for course baking supplies
• dust, sweep, vacuum laundry room
• wash bassinet items
• clean diaper pail
• ice/layer cake for class 2 (and prep stuffs)
• prep for cake class 3 (bake, make icing)
• start on a meal plan
• work on book (bugs&shells, bubble numbers, text, cover, other pages)
• finish payroll (and redo SOP's)
• sew? (So far I've cut my pieces for the quilt and arranged them to start sewing)
• 2 scrapbook pages

I know... it's long... again. And I tried making it shorter looking by putting all the appliances under one line. Sigh. At least I got a lot done today. And the class stuffs is kinda required, so I know I'll do that.

Why don't my lists get shorter? At least next week's looks pretty short (in comparison, ha ha).

Oh, and on the fitness front, I'm pretty impressed! I lost 1.5 kgs over the last week... just by cutting out so much sugar! I didn't eliminate it completely, just limited myself, and voila! And I was expecting to gain weight, seeing as I'm pregnant and all that. At least I know the weight I'm losing is the 'bad' weight! As for the number of steps, I averaged about 8000/day. There was only one day I was below the 7500 mark... which was a strange day to say the least. I was expecting to hit at least 8000 (my workout day) but for some reason barely got 6500. I think my pedometer probably reset sometime during the day. Who knows. I generally get 10000 steps on workout days.

Anyway, I've just gotta finish up the last 'coat' of icing on my cake, make supper, change, and I'll be ready for class (it starts in 1.5hours). I'm so glad my in-laws live next door. They are more than willing to care for Baby M during those 15 minutes that neither my husband nor I are at home. Grandma and Grandpa LOVE their granddaughter! :)

So, how does your list look this week? How did you do last week? I'm glad I made the challenge 'windows'... they aren't too difficult and I've got so much else on my plate that I don't think I could handle a tough challenge this month (ooh... wait till next month, ha ha).

Project 365

Day 273 - March 1
Peek-a-boo


Day 274 - March 2
Bathroom decor.

Day 275 - March 3

This is how she likes to spend her time... wearing mittens all over the house, and cloths and things on her head.

Day 276 - March 4
We went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather, and we had to visit daddy while he worked!

Day 277 - March 5
My new course materials, and the cake caddy my hubby got me on a half price sale at Walmart while he went on his distillers run. $10... I'm thrilled!

Day 278 - March 6

I FINALLY started sewing! Finally! And I did two of the three blankets now. The blue one is a single layer of fleece (I double folded the edges under and ironed them before sewing... of course I did a zigzag on the raw edges first... hence the double fold so you don't see it). The green is the one side of the two sided blanket, and the mottled fabric is the other side. I zigzagged that together, then stitched a proper stitch with a half-inch seam allowance, turned it inside right and ironed it, then made one more stitch about a half inch from the edge to give it a trim look. It was a lot of sewing, but so worth it!

This one I sewed around the edge twice to give it a different edge. I like the effect it has.

Now I just need to start the quilt! Once that one is done, all three of my blankets will be finished. I'm looking forward to that one!

Let them eat CAKE!

Ok, so I know in my previous post I talked about consuming less bad sugars, and I'm still planning to continue in that, but I just HAD to post about this!

I'm officially taking a cake decorating course this month!

WOO HOO! I've LONGED to take a cake decorating course since before I got married... when I saw all the tools, and the cakes, and the icing, and thought to myself, 'hmmm, I think I could do that someday... just for fun". I've made a few cakes in the past, and I really enjoy designing and decorating them, but the problem I have is how long it takes. It usually takes me twice as long to decorate a cake as it should because I just don't know the tricks. I'm learning. I use trial and error (and I HATE error... because he means I need to start over, grrr). So, I talked with my husband this weekend about how I would LOVE to take a course (or maybe all 4), and that I know they offer them at a local cake shop. He decided to check it out when he was in town yesturday, and lo and behold... yesturday was the start of a new class. The next one is in April... running until my due date. I'm NOT willing to do that. And the following one is in September (due to spring and summer being 'wedding' season... no time for classes with all the wedding cakes, which is totally understandable). So, I signed up... 1 1/2 hours before class started! As you can imagine, I was a bit rushed to get there. But I got there on time! And now, I'm gonna learn how to properly decorate cakes!

This course covers the basics with buttercream icing. Yesturday we learned how to properly prep a cake (now I know one of the major reasons I kept having so many problems with mine). I'm looking forward to taking what I learned yesturday and applying it to my own cake which I need to make for next Monday's class. We are going to do a rainbow cake using the star tip technique... you know all those cute cakes using decorative cake pans (like Dora, and teddy bears and such)? I have NEVER been able to get my stars to stay 'stars'. My frosting was all wrong (they taught us that yesturday too)!

I'm so excited!

So, each week for the next 3 weeks, I'll be making a cake for class! We have some freedom in color choices and such, which is nice! I'm thinking I'll get two birds with one stone and make these cakes for specific occasions (she taught us how to freeze an already decorated cake properly as well!). I'm looking forward to this!

I hope to document my 'progress' in the course (and on what I'm doing at home to practice) over the next month. Oh, and when this is over, I'll have accomplished another of my 101 goals! Hee hee! (why is this so exciting? Really? It's like I've never made a cake before...)

Goals... and 400 posts...

So, I just saw that this is my 400th post! Wow... that is crazy!

Anyway, I feel pretty good about how things went last week. I got the majority of my list done... the only exceptions being work on the last 4 items (which, like I said, were just suggestions on my part, ha ha). I did not work on my cross stitch at ALL (I don't even know why I have that on my list, besides it being an unfinished project. It's so hugely massive, and it's my first cross stitch... which I was given as a gift... and I just don't enjoy it much). I did work on the blankets, but all I did was prep the fabric. Now sewing done yet. I'm hoping to do a bit of sewing this week... if I allow myself the time. Otherwise I feel good about what I got done.

This is a new month, and therefore there is a new challenge! I was going to do something different, but in the end I'm finding myself tired so quickly so I decided to pick something a little more 'normal'. So, for the month of March, our challenge will be to clean the windows/mirrors/glassworks in the focus rooms of each week!

This week we will focus on the living room, dining room, and entrance/hallway. A large area, but generally not many windows overall, am I right?

To Do: March 1-6, Focus: Living, Dining, Entrance areas

• sweep
• vacuum
• bathrooms
• laundry
• exercise (Mon, Wed, Fri)
• Farm books
• Personal paperwork
• window, TV, glass doors in Living Room
• windows/mirrors in entrance/dining areas and hall
• dust baseboards and trim (in focus areas)
• extra dusting in entrance/dining room
• extra dusting in living room
• organize entrance closet
• put up frames in entrance
• make 'words' and put them up with the frames (only rough up right now)
• plan and print photos for other frames
• Farm Data collection apptmt: Thurs
• Doctor Apptmt Friday
• bake oatmeal cookies
• scrapbook 2 pages
• work on kids book
• work on payroll
• sew blankets (2 of 3)
• bake cake (and make buttercream icing) for Monday's class

I must admit, I am getting tired a lot quicker lately. That would be one of the reasons I don't have a load of stuff crossed off my list as I'm posting it. I hope to do a number of these things today yet (after I put my daughter down for her nap), but I have to admit to being tired very quickly lately. I don't know how much I will get done on those last two items, but I'm hoping to get rather far with the rest of them.

I have other goals as well that I wish to pop up onto this post while I'm at it.

My exercise goals have changed from month to month, much like the house challenges have. January's goal was to work out on the Wii Fit Monday-Friday for 30minutes or 100 calories. February my goal changed to 3 days a week instead of five, and I started measuring my waist weekly and logging my steps. My goal was to hit 10,000 steps Mon, Wed, and Fri, and 7-8000 steps Tues, Thurs, and Sat. I didn't log any steps Sundays. I managed to do pretty well with that. Yet again, however, I am changing my workout goals.

I will keep trying to exercise 3x a week, but the step counts are... a lot. I noticed that I generally log 5000 steps a day just doing normal work, but even normal work is getting to be more difficult lately. So, I think I'm going to try to average 7500 steps daily over the week (again, not including Sundays). We'll see how it goes. My other goal involves food. I have had very little willpower where sweets are concerned, and that is due to my not caring how much I consume. So, I decided to not allow myself more than 200calories of unhealthy sweets per day. That means one dessert only. No joke. And sometimes only half of one. Ok, mostly only half of one. However, I cannot allow myself to continue consuming so many sugary treats if I'm decreasing my activity level (again, due to need. I cannot physically keep up with myself). That's less than a third of what I have been eating, folks. I'm not joking. I've been a bad girl (funny thing is, I generally don't have a major thing for sweets... that just happened with this pregnancy). So, I'm stocking up on fruit to help satisfy my sweet tooth, and I'm going to start baking healthier sweets once again (ones sweetened more with fruits than sugar or chocolate). Wish me luck!

Another goal I'm attempting to do is one where Lent is concerned. I haven't posted on this yet, but our pastor has been challenging us on a weekly basis to do something different until Easter. Yesterday it was to read a chapter in Proverbs and James each day. The week before it was to give up something, and in place of that spend time in prayer (a TV show, internet time, a specific food, etc). I decided to give up that extra 15-30 minutes I spend just lazing in my bed in the morning before my daughter wakes up (a major struggle for me), and spend more time in God's word than I have been in the mornings. It was successful for the first few days... until my daughter started actually waking up about 20-30 minutes earlier. Sigh. And the fact that I have not been sleeping well hasn't helped my resolve either. I think I need to add 'go to bed earlier' to the list.

So, how are your goals coming along? Have you met your last weeks goals? What was your biggest accomplishment on your list? How do you feel about the challenge for the month of March? I wish you all the best on your lists, goals, and relaxing (if that is what you choose to do this week... I'm thinking of having that as one of my weekly challenges yet, haha). :)