Returning to Our Routine

Staycation was good, but I still feel derailed because the Expedit is in the hallway. It will be so nice when that all gets back to normal (soon)?

Tonight I'm working on the pillowcases and listening to more Ranger's Apprentice. The crochet project is DONE (la la lallaahaalalaalaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)!

Update:
IN PROCESS-go through cubbies
IN PROCESS-help my daughter purge and organize her room
-go through several bags and boxes of plushie accessories and organize
-finish handmade pillowcases
DONE-finish taxes
DONE-finish quilt (gift)
DONE-finish handmade napkins (gift)
DONE-finish a huge crochet project (gift)

Staycation CONTINUES

This has been so good!

We are going into week two of our staycation...it might get extended even further, we'll see. Here's where we are:

IN PROCESS-go through cubbies
IN PROCESS-help my daughter purge and organize her room
-finish a huge crochet project (gift)
-go through several bags and boxes of plushie accessories and organize
-finish handmade pillowcases
DONE-finish taxes
DONE-finish quilt (gift)
DONE-finish handmade napkins (gift) 

Wednesday (tomorrow) is a busy day. Thursday we're babysitting for the first half of the day and the second half, we're going to my Mom's to paint two walls for her. Friday will be another day for projects. I'm feeling REALLY good about getting free of these dangling projects!

Sarah loves to celebrate holidays, special occasions and birthdays. The next event on our calendar is Oreo's first birthday. Yes, the cat's birthday. Today Sarah made him a special catnip-filled pillow. Oh my word, Shadow is already onto it! She finally wrapped it and HID it! He'll be receiving it in a couple weeks. :)

I'm feeling ultra motivated now that a few things are finished. Ah, just thinking about the hooks being up, the taxes being DONE, and a few projects brought to completion makes me feel R E A L L Y good.

I just didn't realize I don't have to live like this...I've always had so many things in process and always starting new things. I'm excited about the prospect of FINISHING many of these projects and perhaps WAITING to start anything new (though I already have a list going)!

I feel like I'm coming into a new season...a season of freedom. Thank you Lord, I'm looking forward to it!

Staycation Day 5

We've made good headway in Sarah's room! We emptied out all the stuff that was on her floor. It is soooo wonderful for her to see her floor, the beginning of good things.

On Day 2 of our Staycation, we discovered the water dispenser in the dining room had been leaking. On the h.a.r.d.w.o.o.d floors. WOW. We had to empty and move the big Expedit, relocating it to the playroom/living room and hallway! That kinda took the wind out of my sails. BUT it certainly is going to help me finish the cubbies for that Expedit! It might take a week or two to get it back because the floor has to dry.

We haven't had my family over for dinner in YEARS. We hosted my Mom's birthday tonight and had a great dinner on the patio and a campfire, what fun we had! I need to blog a bit about entertaining...it used to be so difficult, but having everyone over was really pretty simple since the house is pretty organized and tidy. We needed to do a little picking up so we could vacuum, but everything else was ready to go (except for the cooking, of course).

As of Sunday night, here's the status on my projects:
-finish a huge crochet project (gift)
DONE-finish quilt (gift)
DONE-finish handmade napkins (gift)
IN PROCESS-go through cubbies
IN PROCESS-help my daughter purge and organize her room
-go through several bags and boxes of plushie accessories and organize
-finish handmade pillowcases

I gave my friend 16 handmade napkins for her birthday LAST YEAR. I actually only gave her TWO and had intended on finishing the other 14...soon. Well, I just finished them! Hooray!

Another project was started in July for a different friend's birthday and I just completed it. I made a quilt with cheater fabric for the top. I've made patchwork quilt tops that I've sold on Etsy, but never have made a quilt with the batting and backing and binding. I gave it to her without the binding and then told her I needed it back so I could finish it(!) I started hand-stitching on red bias tape, but it was really ugly. I went to a local quilt shop and received instruction on the binding. I learned how to quilt using YouTube, but the binding was kind of beyond me and I needed someone to show me. Ah! What a difference THAT made! I decided to remove the bias tape and made my own binding and attached it. It is NOT the world's most beautiful quilting job, but I'm proud nonetheless!

Staycation Day 1

Last week I was thinking about the unfinished dangling projects and several other things I just don't seem to get to.

We've been pushing ourselves since we moved and all of us need a breather. Enter "staycation".

The kids and I are going to take the week OFF. Well, not entirely, chores must be done and the projects attended to...here's the list:

-finish a huge crochet project (gift)
-finish quilt (gift)
-finish handmade napkins (gift)
-go through cubbies
-help my daughter purge and organize her room
-go through several bags and boxes of plushie accessories and organize
-finish handmade pillowcases

I doubt I can finish everything this week, but I'm going to make a huge effort toward it all.

I've schedule our weekly meals to include...get ready...FROZEN MEALS! Yay, I won't be cooking dinners this week at all.

Tax Return 2 and 3

This is really a GREAT feeling! I meant to take photos of the checks, but they got deposited before I got to it.

We got back the other two checks...$$$! We no longer have "the taxes" on our "to-do" list!!!

But the most satisfying part, which feels a little surreal, is that we are CAUGHT UP. The first ten years of our marriage, we did our taxes every year. Then somewhere along the line, we didn't and fell behind. We've been limping along for the past ten years having this project constantly hanging over our heads. If we had a weekend with nothing planned (rare), and we had a moment to breathe, inevitably one of us would say, "we could do the taxes".

I feel like I've shed a huge burden. And got paid for it!!!

Tax Return 1

I'm in SHOCK!

We received one of the three tax returns back...that was really fast!

Yippppppeee! Not only am I excited about the $$$ we got back, but the fact that it is DONE!

The Hooks Are UP

The hooks have been on the "to-do" list since March 1st...and today was the DAAAAAAYYYY!

Organized the shoe shelf, and wait for it, the best part is I put our "shower shoes" and "beach shoes" that we take camping or to hotels in the back closet in a bankers box-PERFECT! LOVE having a shelf for electronics (iPods and Kindle) and a shelf for my purse and camera, along with a spot for me to put things that are "in process", like lists or checks to cash when I go to the bank.

Worked outside on the back patio, yay, that's getting picked up, too!

LOVE having all the coats off the floor! OH, and the brooms, dust pan and Swiffer all got a nail, so they are hanging up off the floor-AH! To the left of the door, I hung the hats and visors and those lower hooks are Sarah's.

Did some pinning of boot trays and after all was said and done, I'm going with the cheapest (Target $4.99) because it is the right size, can't wait, it fits right under the coats. Muddy and stray shoes can get tossed on the tray and the tray will be super easy to clean...love that!