Thanksgiving Breakfast Table

We got together with our extended family over the weekend so things are going to be pretty mellow for Thanksgiving Dinner. We are headed to my in-laws, but I wanted to do something festive still! And I really miss decorating our table!

 

Decided to do a little sleeping in special breakfast and decorate the table like I would for Thanksgiving, just toned down a little bit. I love the mix of rustic and gold! I'm not going to do too much, I don't want to come home to a ton of work to undo to get ready for Christmas decorations.

 

Making some Dutch Babies, Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, turkey bacon and some fruit salad with pomegranate. 

If I was going to go all out I would add some of these, antlers like these!
 I couldn't find any round here!

 

If it wasn't just us or we were doing dinner here I would add some more to the table too!

These napkin rings made of antler are so neat!

 

This could be a quick easy project, I am loving gold for Thanksgiving!

 

 

 

I LOVE these pumpkins!  If we had any left I would spray them!

 

 I would rather make tried and true recipes, even if they aren't pretty, over something that is suppose to LOOK good. I think some gold sprinkles can make even the most basic cinnamon rolls or pancakes a little special!

I love this for making everyday meals a little special

 

 

 Edible glitter! Veggies with a teeny bit of glitter are easier for picky kids to eat.

 

Wishing you all a super Thanksgiving with your families!

 

 

 



Preparing for Holiday Guests

Sometimes it feels like the Holiday's just rush to get here! If you are having guests over, it probably adds a bit more to your to do list!

 

Other than getting the projects around here done that have been put off, I do my regular

scheduled cleaning.

 

Between my weekly cleaning and Fall Cleaning things are usually in pretty good shape.

Do we have the type of house that is company ready in 10 minutes, well it depends on how long that company wants to stay!

Long enough for lunch and a visit? Sure, Long enough to need a bed, probably not!
 1 thing that I think is helpful to have on hand for guests is a welcome basket.  I am a fan of baskets, I love our Good Morning Basket , I'd like to find an equally cute basket or container to have ready for guests.

Not a detailed list but some ideas :
~Local history book, or something to read. Magazine etc.
~Snacks and some water bottles, or if y'all wanna get fancy, the cute mini bottles of sparkling cider
~Some nice lotion
~little alarm clock
~notepad and pen
~tissue
~candle and matches/lighter

Think about what your friend or family member might need for their stay, it doesn't have to be fancy, just that you thought about them will be perfect!
 

 And I LOVE this little idea if you need a little something for the guests to do.

 

 Don't forget to leave the bathroom goods in plain site so guests don't have to search or ask for those type of things!
 

 



Bedroom Fall Cleaning

That is what I have been working on this week, just the kids rooms, all 3 of them!

 

While it won't be as detailed as THIS list, I am trying really hard to just focus on the projects, not a 20 min cleaning but stuff that takes time!

 

In the kids rooms this week I hope to accomplish

~a big ol' toy purge!

~touching up the paint on the baseboards

~steam clean the mattresses

~Dusting all the high places I don't get every week.

~Fill nail holes and caulking the window trim

~Clean the window tracks

 

 

I've already cleaned the baseboards (baby wipes and magic eraser) in prep for paint, and cleaned the windows, goodness I didn't realize how long it had been! EWW

The microfiber was CLEAN when I started the windows!

 

Next week is the laundry room and Kitchen, just in time for Thanksgiving!



Our Little Entry Area

I have been looking for a little table or cupboard or SOMETHING for this area, and it had to fit some pretty strict dimensions.

When I saw this one a while ago I KNEW it was the one!
Those handles and the grey color were just perfect & it FIT!

 

Growing up my best friends parents had a hutch and each of their 5 kids had their own drawer. Not a big drawer, just a little spot in the middle of the kitchen/dining/living area to claim as their own. I have some fond memories of being a little kid and my friends keeping their candy money in their drawers, then little notes as we got older, lip gloss and makeup, boys phone numbers and car keys.

It was something so simple and not even mine but I loved the idea and have really fond memories of that hutch! I didn't really think we would be able to find something with drawers but there it was.

 

Each of our kiddos has their own drawer. Considering they are little it's nothing major right now. Ipod here or there, some lipgloss and popcorn money. Notepads and ds games and school papers that are waiting for daddy to get home to see. I just love that I can open a drawer and see what's on their mind and in their little hearts that day.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want them to grow up too fast but I hope they love their little drawer and appreciate having a place to keep their little treasures but I'm excited to see what comes after lego's, lipgloss and bubbles.

We use the top drawer for our key drop off, phone and ipod charger. It's a tangly mess.

 

 Do you have a little area convenient for the little folks little treasures at your house?
I want to see them!

 



This week was way more productive! Bedroom Fall Cleaning ~

I don't know how! Even working overtime I managed to get every drawer, basket and cubby in our bedroom organized, emptied and cleaned out. Even under the bed!!!

 Before

 

 

After

 

Everything dusted and vacuumed, the baseboards all scrubbed and the paint touched up. Window tracks cleaned out (and these ones are HORRIBLE). 

I also moved the dresser I found recently into our room, the size is perfect even if the color isn't, we will make it work. It makes the room feel so much bigger, seems strange to me.

Finally hung some picture frames we have had  in a drawer for 5 years!

Picked up a nightstand for the Mr. and took my girly one back, and finally cleaned all 3 of the drawers out! Receipts and boarding pass from 2 years ago, really?! And hubby's old homework list and school books from last year. Someone around here *might* have some hoarding tendencies, but I'm not naming names. ;)

I don't care that the nightstands don't match. I actually prefer that they don't.

Got some extension cords for all these things that have to be plugged in. Phone chargers, lamps, tablet charger and alarm clocks. I REALLY dislike seeing cords!
Before :/

 

Much better, just need to clip that one back better

 

I have a couple of shelves that I am not going to attempt to hang myself, I am horrible at that stuff. And I am still looking for a few more cute things, I need something big for on top of our armoire but then I think I will be done in there! Until I decide it needs a re-do hehe.

Overall though this week was pretty alright in the late Fall Cleaning I have going on. We are having family over for a Christmas get together, In only 5 weeks. I am hoping I can get everything done by then! If every week was like this one it would be a snap!


Anyone else have projects to do before family comes for the Holiday's?

Black Friday Fun!!!

I LOVE Black Friday. I like being out with all the nutters waiting for that deal. I rarely HAVE to have something but I will still go, help friends get their must haves and enjoy the insanity.

It's practically a party, and if it's a party there should be a goody bag,
or at least a prepared for crazy bag!
A few things I know I need for waiting in lines and dealing with the crowds and crazy folks:

Most importantly is my charm and patience ;)
Gloves/Mittens
Chapstick
Mug for Coffee
Chocolate

Coffee
  Pen and paper

If you WERE going to make it a party you could put all those things in a cute mug as a favor!

The other thing that could be fun is a after shopping breakfast!  I know that I would have NO energy to actually make anything after shopping on no sleep.
But I could probably pull off a pre-prepped brunch with the crock pot.

 French toast bread pudding in the crock pot would be easy and delicious. I've made one similar, I rarely use a recipe but this one looks closest! I use a little less milk add some OJ.

A prep ahead fruit salad and some oven cooked turkey bacon!

You could decorate the table with these CUTE little carts!

 

This Black Friday I am working OVERTIME!

I don't know if I said what I was doing for work, but once I tell y'all it will be clear why I have had the chance to do all this OT!
I'm working at our state's Health Insurance Exchange, yes we are in the news all the time, and no things haven't gone as planned. I still love it! I work with amazing people!

I'm still going out to be with my crazies for a while in the morning!

Keeping it real.. didn't get it all done!

And by not all, I mean hardly any!

Sometimes that is just the way it works.

 

 We (by we I mean hubby) got the tub and toilet re-caulked.
Shelf built
wood trim re-caulked
and I cleaned out all the drawers and cabinets, no idea how I collect so much stuff in there!

I could not find a table that fit in this little nook, ended up snagging an IKEA plant stand a couple months ago, just getting around to using it.

 

So we did get some stuff done, it wasn't a total failure for the week. In spending additional time in there I realized we needed to change some things.

I've always hated our tp holder, it was just never right, it's getting replaced!

And I feel like there are far too many lights for this smallish room,
alternate light fixture coming up!

And while I spent 80% of my cleaning time just in the bathroom this is what happens

 

 Beds not made, laundry all over, yeah the whole rest of the house is like this. Dishes are done though that is about it. I really stuck to just the bare minimum everywhere else.

I don't know if I will ever really get this whole balance of work and home to match my previous standards. Stuff just gets to me when it's messy!

Not making a special trip into town for a light fixture or tp holder, but those will get done soon.
This week I am working on our bedroom, and if I finish it, our sweet girly's bedroom.
 



Fall Cleaning.. almost too late!

I realize we are not far off from this being Winter cleaning but I am hoping to get it all done before Winter, then it counts, right?!

 

Usually I follow the routines here, it's worked great in the past. This year is different, I am still a homemaker but I am not HOME nearly as much.

 

I am going to try and really buckle down before Thanksgiving and get it all done!

No tidying, no vacuuming, those happen anyway.

Just the stuff that always gets pushed to the end of the list.

I am starting with our 2 upstairs bathrooms, they both have a few things that need dealt with.

A new shower head

Some kind of storage for a small area,

 

the window sills need the paint touched up,

the cabinets might need some touch up

and I need to get rid of some stuff.

 

I started Monday by making the list, starting at the top of what needs to be done.

Decided who was doing what.

Giving all these kids each some little jobs, they are old enough to pitch in.

Hoping to finish these by Sunday!

 

Who else does Fall cleaning? Are you done this year, just starting or somewhere in between?

 



Goals for the year, only 2 months left!

I almost forgot about this entirely! We have had so much going on with Halloween and sports and life but here it is, just a few days late. Thank you for all the kind words and encouragement. I don't think we would have stuck with some of this as long as we have without them!

  

 

HOME

I don't think we made any major changes last month. Still keeping on track with my bag a week of stuff that has to leave, either to donate or resell. We need to do a big toy purge this month. Kids will be playing inside more and to reduce the frustration and chaos we need make sure we only keep what they are playing with.
 

I have still been sticking to my weekly cleaning schedule. It doesn't take as long because a lot of things just don't get as dirty. But it's not ideal either. I feel like all I do is stay on top of things and if I wanted to get to real deep cleaning or any projects I would have to do the cleaning first and then there is no time for the project. Something has to change, I have floor boards that need touched up and organizing to do. I think I will start with basic tidying of the main places and then focus on 1 room per week. Deep cleaning and projects might have a better chance of getting done then!

First up will be our Master Bathroom!

 

BUDGET

Starbucks and I broke up! Less than once a week and not missing it at all, I had one yesterday and I didn't even enjoy it. I think my 2014 goal will be cut it out entirely!

I have already grocery shopped for the main stuff this month, and still have $60 left of that budget for milk, fruits and veggies a few times!

I intended to keep ALL of our receipts but tossed the Trader Joe's one, where I bought frozen artichoke hearts, 2 packages of tortellini and mini cookies. $12. I also spent $20 at Costco on string cheese and clementine's. $16 then $4 on yogurt at another store.

I have had the opportunity to work some overtime, taking advantage of it here and there when I know it won't interfere with anything else. We were able to pay off another big chunk of a credit card. So far this year, between budgeting, sacrificing and a little overtime we have paid off $37,000 + in debt!
 Not out yet but closer and closer every month!

 

SELF

Our building at work has a gym and it's free!

 Working on kicking my pop habit, hoping I can break it over the next 2 months and be caffeine free in the beginning of 2014!
Super excited for Black Friday!

 

FAMILY

 

 We have been spending lots of time with our chosen family, they might not be blood but they feel like family! Lego kids fest, Disney on ice, trick or treating all helped October fly by.
We have family photos today, unless they get rained out.
November is full of chances to make fun memories, we don't plan on letting those go to waste!