Happy Homemaker Monday August 25 2014

Good morning! I love participating in this meme, but today I am taking my daughter clothes shopping and any minute now she is going to come downstairs and tell me she is ready to go. So, I thought I would get as much done as possible and see what happens! Thank you Sandra for Happy Homemaker Monday!

Breakfast

A smoothie made from frozen fruit with bananas and water. Need that energy!

To Do Today

I already told you that!

Reading

nothing at the moment

TV

no tv today

Weather

Sunny and 75 degrees! Perfect!

On the Menu

You will have to ask my son! He has to menu plan for his cooking merit badge. We are working on that Eagle!

If I Have a Few Minutes to Myself

Ha, Ha, Ha!

Garden

Lots of cucumbers and tomatoes!

Photo

Happy Homemaker Monday August 18 2014

Monday, Monday. It was a busy weekend, and today I want to just sit around and do nothing, but my house is a mess, so that plan will not work out! It was a good busy though. Yesterday we celebrated my in-laws' 60th wedding anniversary. 60 years! I could not even find a 60th anniversary card! At least not at Target. Anyway, tis time once again for Happy Homemaker Monday, hosted by our friend Sandra at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom. 

Breakfast time...what's on the plate this morning

Ugh, I woke up at 3 am with such a sore throat, so this morning is a hard boiled egg and a smoothie made with 6 fresh strawberries, 1/2 a frozen banana, and 1/2 cup of orange juice.

On today's to-do list

Cleaning. My bed sheets are in the wash now, but mostly I want to tackle the main floor today and upstairs tomorrow. My house was relatively neat all summer with half of us gone, but now the boys are home (which I am glad, I missed them) and I am getting ready for seminary, my daughter is getting ready to move into her dorm, and we have been busy, which amounts to a mess! The dorm stuff is not going anywhere for two weeks, but we have to clean around it. Other than that, it is Monday and therefore Moe's Monday and I promised my peeps that we would go for lunch, which means I will have to take a shower and make myself presentable sooner rather than later.

Currently reading

I am back to jumping around, with not a lot of time to  spend on reading. Here is what is on my Kindle, but I do not know what I will get around to reading: A Handful of Pebbles, Postcards From Nam (started), The Virtues of Oxygen (started), and Portrait of a Girl.

On the tv today

nothing planned

The weather outside is

I am just waiting for winter so I can type "frightful"! But, it is not frightful, it is beautiful! Albeit it feels like a wonderful autumn morning, not summer and we haven't been in the pool in quite some time. Actually, I haven't been in the pool at all this summer. Right now it is 64 and sunny and today's high will be 78. All week will be in the upper 70's with one day hitting 81. No rain in sight though, which we desperately need.

On the menu this week

My monthly menu (which needs to be updated) can be found here.

If I have a few minutes to myself, I will

Nap, hopefully, it was a tough night of sleep. Also, work on seminary.

New recipe I want to try this week

When meal planning I want to look through this cookbook that my husband bought me for Christmas last year:

If I try any I will try to post it here.

In the garden

I harvested all of the ripe tomatoes a couple of days ago, but my husband tells me more are ready, which is perfect, because salad is on the menu tonight. I did get a green pepper last week, so crispy and good!

Favorite photo from the camera

My favorite photo is of my favorite thing.

My favorite people hanging around me, taking and laughing.

Homemaking tip

Sorry, I am drawing a blank today, probably because I have been lax on the homemaking!

Blog post to share

nothing this week

Praying for

my family and friends

Bible verse, devotional

Have a great week!

Progress

20 pounds!

Happy Homemaker Monday August 11 2014

Good morning! It was a busy weekend, but a very fulfilling one. I had training for my seminary class which was fantastic - I cannot wait to start! When I got home my daughter and I went to Target for goodies for her dorm. She bought everything. Love her sense of responsibility. Yesterday we visited with my in-laws and brought dinner. They are getting older and and it is nice to be able to do for them, they have done so much for us. So it is Monday again, and time for Happy Homemaker Monday, hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay At Home Mom! Go see her for more Happy Homemaker Monday and lots of inspiration!

Breakfast Time...What's on the Plate This Morning

Nothing yet! I may indulge and fry a couple of pieces of bacon and eggs - my favorite breakfast - along with a piece of whole wheat toast. By the way, I have lost 19 pounds so far! Then I may make a small fruit smoothie for more goodness. Everyone else is gone already.

On Today's To Do List

I have to call the oral surgeon to reschedule my daughter's follow up appointment (she had her wisdom teeth out last week), take my car for an emissions test, hopefully get my hair cut, a couple of loads of laundry, pick up around the house, quick vacuum of the main floor, clean upstairs bathrooms, and (hopefully) pick up my two boys from scout camp. I haven't seen them in three weeks!

Currently Reading

I am all over the place right now. Started a couple of books but didn't like them enough to continue. I just downloaded Letters From Nam but haven't started it yet. Now that seminary is near, my fiction reading will probably slow down.

On the TV Today

Probably nothing. With the boys coming home today we will want to catch up with them.

The Weather Outside is

Beautiful! We have had such a wonderful summer! This morning I have the windows open, it is cool and clear (humidity level is comfortable), 68 degrees according to Accuweather.com, with a high of 83. Looks like we may get some heavy rain the next couple of days, but that is okay because we really need it. That is the down side to so much beautiful weather, unfortunately we need a balance of both. Our pool's water level is too low to run the filter now.

On the Menu This Week

I will have my whole family back by the end of the week, so it is time to menu plan once again! I will be updating my monthly menu and you can see it here.

If I Have a Few Minutes to Myself, I Will

Probably work on seminary - there is a new teacher's manual I need to start reading.

New Recipe I tried, or want to try this week

I don't know if I will get to it this week, but this looks so good: 

beef enchilada dip

In the garden

We have gotten a couple of tomatoes and cucumbers, but with little rain we haven't gotten more than that. Cannot wait for more tomatoes - there is nothing better than garden grown tomatoes.

Favorite photo from the camera

My 17 year old's birthday with his favorite things - lots of friends!

Homemaking Tip

Found this on one of the memes you see on Facebook: cook fish on the grill without sticking by laying it on top of lemon slices. You are infusing it with lemon at the same time! Think I may try that this week.

Blog Post to share

With my kids getting close to leaving the nest, this is important to me (it is not specific to a particular church):

Three Common Traits of Youth Who Don't Leave the Church

Praying for

My kids, my mom, my in-laws.

Bible Verse, Devotional

Have a great week!

Happy Homemaker Monday August 4 2014

Good morning! The house is quiet - my teenager and young adult are still sleeping - and it's time for Happy Homemaker Monday! This comes from Sandra's blog at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. See her for more Happy Homemaker Monday.

Breakfast Time

We had family over to (finally) celebrate my daughter's graduation and 18th birthday, and this morning I am having some of the leftovers from my mom's fruit salad. I love it when healthy food is ready and waiting for me in the fridge!

On Today's To Do List

The house was cleaned for the party, and I kept up with the clean up yesterday, but there are a few things to do today. We have to empty the coolers of the leftover soda cans and water bottles, drain them and leave them open to dry. Rinse and bring all of the empties to the garage, a quick vacuum in the kitchen, and put away the coffee maker that is draining in the sink. Not a bad list! Oh, and fold and put away the towels sitting in the dryer. There is always some laundry to do!

Currently Reading

the namesake by jhumpa lahiri. It is a story of a couple from India who migrate to the USA and their adjustment, especially to the cultural differences in their children that become more Americanized.

On the TV

We have been watching Veronica Mars and John Adams via Amazon Prime.

The Weather Outside is

Beautiful, although a bit humid, thus the air conditioner is running even though it is only 70 degrees outside right now. The temp will continue to climb up to 86 for tomorrow. Looks like we will be having thunderstorms this week, typical for humid New England summers.

On the Menu This Week

I am sticking to my new eating plan, although I did indulge a little this weekend. We have tons of leftovers from yesterday, so tonight we will be having hamburgers, hot dogs, macaroni salad, and baked beans. (I will be having a chicken burger and a salad.) After that I am going to look to my freezer - I have various forms of frozen chicken in there, and I have been wanting to use up the food and clean it out before the summer is over, so I anticipate a lot of chicken cooked in the crock pot these next couple of weeks! There are still only four of us home, and I am anticipating a low grocery bill this week, which will be lovely. So far all I need to buy is milk.

If I Have a Few Minutes to Myself I will

Oh, I will have a lot of minutes to myself, woohoo! I will read and start preparing for seminary which starts the day after Labor Day.

New Recipe I Tried, or Want To Try

I don't have a recipe to share, but I do have a product:

It has about half of the sodium of Tostidos brand salsa (which is what I used to buy from our BJ's Warehouse Store), it is offered at BJ's, and my family liked it a lot! 

In the Garden

We have a couple of tomatoes! That means toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches, my favorite!

Favorite Photo From the Camera

I have less than a month with this wonderful child, and then we leave her at college.

Homemaking Tip

To go along with Sandra's tip this week on laundry stains: the sun will bleach out tomato sauce! My mother in-law told me this one and it works!

Praying for

My kids and parents.

Bible Verse

1 Chronicles 16:11 "Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually."

Have a great week!