Holiday Season Part 1

I just read this:
Very entertaining, AND it got me in the mood to prepare for Christmas. I highly recommend finding fun Christmas books at boot/garage sales and used book stores and putting them away to pull out in November. It gets you in the mindset before everything starts in December!

A few other tips:

1. Many websites have fun Christmas puzzles that you can print out. I plan on printing out 25, one for each morning to have on hand for Tate while I drink that precious first cup of coffee.

2. Make a few desserty things and freeze them. (Chocolate chip cookie dough, apple bars, etc.) That way, when people pop over unexpectedly, you have a treat for them.

3. Preshop. Before the craziness, Soleil and I went into town just to look around. It gave me an idea of what I need to get and will save time later. In fact, I might just order the things I found online and save me the trip later.

4. Stay at home. If you have 10 events scheduled during the holidays, do 7 of them. You will be glad when you aren't all frazzled at the end.

5. Light a candle. The delightful scents can only help you relax during this busy time.

Felt in the Autumn

I kept my favorite Halloween pillow out until Thanksgiving.This hat used to be a sweater that Paul shrank. I added the bird with some felt and the pattern is from Amanda Soule's Handmade Home.We are listening to this. It started out slow, but Tate is really starting to enjoy the story when he gets home from school. (He is usually exhausted and loves to draw while listening.)I am no longer letting Paul dress the baby...

Returning from overseas

I will be back to properly post soon!

We just returned from the States and we are still jetlagged.

I am really looking forward to crafty endeavors in the next few weeks. Bring on the holiday season (if it means snuggling in at home...)

What fun things do you have planned between now and the New Year???

WIshful To Do List

I checked my blog posts...I didn't start this blog until Tate was almost 1. I have to remind myself of that when I am frustrated that I don't have time for ANYTHING. I guess it is ok that I just hold my babe. (She is happily playing for her 5 minute window...)

• change blog design--looks too washed out
• bake something apple-y
• make hats and mittens from felted sweaters
• make a christmas gift list
• pack for upcoming US trip
• clean (last on list for a reason.)

And.... my 5 minutes is up. Have a great day!

UPDATE: Made these amazing apple bars. You can freeze them and pull them out when you need them!

Made a hat from Soulemama's book using a sweater Paul shrank (is that a word??). Totally cute. I hand sewed a little felt bird to the front. Photo to come..

Chicken Pie!

The weather is cooler, and I am craving warm and cozy foods. I made a chicken pie and froze it for later in the week. Here is how you make it. I apologize, I can't remember the exact amounts.

1. Chop chicken breasts into small pieces and salt and pepper the pieces.

2. Chop veggies into small pieces.

3. Melt a knob of butter, add onions and saute until clear. Add rest of veg, and cook for a few minutes. Then add chicken, and a little thyme and salt and pepper.

4. Once chicken is browned, add some flour and cook for a minute.

5. Add 2/3 C of milk and chicken broth (about 1.5 cups) and boil until thickened. Make sure chicken is cooked all the way through.

6. Add to premade pie crust. Poke a few holes in the top to vent. Cook at 400 degrees F until browned.

7. Eat and Enjoy!

** We had a good portion of extra filling after making the pie and added it to some cooked macaroni. It was really good as well.

Fun Halloween Stuff

Click on the banner/button and it will take you to her site:

My Favorite time of the Year!

I love Halloween. It is my favorite holiday, and the only person I can think of who loves it more is Martha Stewart.

Two Peas in a Bucket

Martha Stewart

Oriental Trading Company

Mommy Holly

Good Housekeeping

Fancy Flours

Pottery Barn Kids

Cleaning La Casa

Have you read this book?? It is amazing. I am halfway through, and I can barely set it down. It tells about life as a black maid in Mississippi in 1962. 1962!! That wasn't that long ago, but as I read it, I kept thinking, "surely this is a lot longer ago" due to the way the maids were treated. It isn't a downer book, though... it is just a really good tale from 3 of the characters' perspectives.

It was actually motivating, as I read about how the chores were organized each day. It made me want to scrub my house clean! I might actually consider organizing the tasks each day as the maids did in the book.

Because I was tired of giving the boy ABCs and 123s

With a 3 month old in the house, meals are sometimes not healthy around here. I hate that. Wayyyy too many times, I heard myself ask my husband to heat up some Chef Boy-ar-dee ABCs and 123s for Tate. And then Paul would heat up frozen corn to go with it. And maybe a PBJ.

To remedy this horrible eating pattern, I decided to take most of my Sunday and make some nutritious meals that I can freeze and heat up easily through out the week. I also prepped my veggies, so that they are easier to combine. Sometimes, if the carrots are cut up, I am more apt to use them...

So I made:

Mom's Beefaroni: pasta, groundbeef, italian spices, petite diced tomatoes, pureed tomatoes, shredded cheddar.

Meatballs: 1lb ground beef, 3/4 C breadcrumbs, 2 TBS parmesan, s&p, oregano, basil, 1 beaten egg. Bake them on a cookie sheet at 350 F for 15 min and they will be 3/4 cooked. Finish off in spaghetti sauce. Alternatively, cook them a little longer in the oven until fully cooked, then freeze them individually on a cookie sheet and transfer to a freezer bag. You can pull out a few and microwave for little ones. I use them for meatball sandwiches as well.

Apple Cake: will post recipe later. Got this one from a fellow blogger and have to ask permission first! (IT WAS SOOO GOOD!)

Roasted Beets: These are for my beet, avocado, feta, pepperoncini, italian dressing salad that I plan on having today.

Pot Roast Prep: defrosted meat for crock pot today. I add onion soup mix, whole mushrooms and water and leave on low for the entire day.

Any great freezable ideas that you might have?

How Tos...from other people and The Quilt

I finally finished the quilt. Yep, I owe you the last step in the tutorial, which is binding off the edges. IT WAS SO HARD TO FIGURE OUT!! (But then again, it was pretty easy to execute.)

I owe a big thanks to the bloggers at DIY Dish, who simplified the process while being adorable at the same time.
After I was done, I thought I would try a tutorial that I saw on Angry Chicken. Ok, now I am obsessed with making reusable snack bags. It was soooo easy. Amy of Angry Chicken uses cotton, so that she can throw them in the washer, but I think I am going to try oil cloth later. In any case, CUTE.And here is Soleil, age 3 months. She is so snuggly!

Apple Blackberry Jelly Tutorial

Ok, so I have had a hard time posting on Mondays. LIFE IS BUSY right now! Ms. Sunshine has decided to sleep only in my arms and I have been really really trying to change that.

Anyway, I have been able to make jelly from the apples from our tree and blackberries that we picked while Paul has been home.

Here is a step by step tutorial:

1. Boil equal parts of blackberries and baking apples just covered with water. (I used about 5 cups of each). Keep the cores and skins on the apples--they have lots of necessary pectin for the jelly to set.

2. Once all of the fruit has cooked down to mush, line a colander with cheesecloth over a bowl and dump mix in to drain juice. Don't smoosh down--it will make the jelly cloudy.
Here is the juice. (I let it drain overnight.)
3. Use a big pot. Add the juice and sugar. Most recipes call for the same amount of juice as sugar, but I used 5 cups of juice and 3.5 cups of sugar and it turned out great.

4. Boil until the mix resembles maple syrup, about 220 degrees F, or passes the plate test (put a little of the mix on a cold plate and see if it sets up after a few seconds.)
4. Boil jars to sterilize for 10 min. Use tongs to extract from water.

5. Fill with jelly--it will be liquid-y. Tighten lids and put in a big pot of water and boil for 10 minutes to sterilize.

ENJOY!!

Texture Craft

On rainy days, we always try to find a craft that is new and different. We found this one on a website that I can't remember right now..

• Cut up pieces of felt, fabric, sandpaper, textured paper, velvet, anything with texture. It is amazing what you can find in your house once you start looking.
• Put the little pieces in bowls, give your child a glue stick and some paper, and let them create.
• For smaller children, Make buildings, and cut out squares of the textured papers and have each building's "windows" have a different texture. Have them feel each one afterwards.

Trip to the Seaside

Ok, I know it isn't Monday (and I said that would be my posting day...) but I actually had a few moments to myself :)

This weekend, we went to Weston Super-Mare. It was cold, as British beaches usually are, and Tate made the request to go to Spain. I still think he had a good time, however.

"Caution Sinking Mud"
Little Soleil bundled inside her buggy.Making Sandcastles.And you can't go to the seaside without stopping for some Fish and Chips!

Monday Monday

I love Mondays.

And for this reason, I plan on making Monday my blogging day. You see, with a newborn, blogging is not easy. If I plan on one day a week I get to post a few pics, say a few words, and read a few blogs, it will make me happy and I will actually get a few postings up.

So until further notice, I will try to post on MONDAYS :)

A few things in my world that currently make me happy:

The first apple of the year off of our tree.

A drawer full of new papercrafting supplies. (Courtesy of MOM)Trying to make my bathroom like a spa. I love fresh white towels stacked neatly. These were wedding presents from our friends, Jean and Rick. I think of them almost every time I reach for one.
Beautiful blackberries picked from the bushes near our house.Foot Scrub from LUSH.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITES RIGHT NOW??

Lions in Bath

All over town, there are these Lions, decorated in all sorts of ways. It is VERY exciting for a 5 year old boy to find them and then insist that we take a picture of the ones we find.

This is the Monopoly Lion:

Scrabble Tile Lion
Football Lion:
Flowery Union Jack Lion: (my favorite.)

Fun in Bath, UK

Right near our house, you can pick up a boat and take that into town instead of the bus, driving, or walking. It was awesome. It is almost the same price as the bus and you don't have to worry about the 4 hour time limit at most car parks. The boat is called The Pulteney Princess and is a very relaxing way to get into town.