tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33374093112757308122024-03-12T22:27:33.071-04:00Homemaking DivaI don't know everything, but I'm learning, have great resources, and want to help. Being a Homemaking Diva is fun!Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-61965363944529238902015-01-10T23:19:00.000-05:002015-01-10T23:20:08.721-05:00Things are coming together<br />
Well, nervous as I am, things seem to be coming together. My procedure is set for Monday afternoon. It will be fine, it's just never fun facing this kind of thing.<br />
<br />
I feel as though I have left my colleagues in a good place with what I accomplished this week at work. At home, I'm caught up on laundry and almost caught up on the dishes (and I still have all day tomorrow).<br />
<br />
I have a meal plan made up that is full of easy options that my husband will have no problem pulling together himself until I'm back in the saddle.<br />
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I've done a little extra decluttering and cleaning this week, not as much as I should in a 'normal' week, but this week was not normal. <br />
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I'm even all caught up recording our receipts in my budgeting system and we have cash on hand to cover the ridiculous parking fees at the hospital.<br />
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All that's really left to do is to pack. I've been thinking about it a little and I believe I have a good idea of the bare essentials that I want to bring. I'll take care of that tomorrow.<br />
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Praying for peace and a speedy recovery.<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me on my journey as a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-18511614986162656042015-01-01T18:22:00.000-05:002015-01-01T18:22:19.911-05:00Alternate MotivationsWell, it's that time of the year again! Everyone has resolved to get fit, get organized, etc. Me? I am working on getting organized again, but I have alternate motivations. I have some medical stuff coming up and I won't be able to do much for a few weeks, so I would like to have things mostly in order beforehand, both at home and at work.<br />
<br />
It's funny, I've been following different organizing, homemaking, and productivity sites for years, so I've heard so many strategies and tips.... they all seem very repetitive sometimes and I start to see the patterns most of them use.<br />
<br />
That being said, all the information in the world is useless if you don't apply it!<br />
<br />
So it's January 1st and I'm jumping on the bandwagon with so many others, and there's nothing wrong with that.<br />
<br />
The main focus is baby-steps to avoid crash-and-burn. I don't need to be Wonder Woman, I just need to be me. It is also important that I spend some time with my husband, and since I work full-time, I need to take small organizing projects here and there, so I'm not spending all of my home-time ignoring my family.<br />
<br />
I'm going to work through 3 main systems and incorporate them into my life with baby-steps and all of the general knowledge I have.<br />
<ol>
<li>Taylor from Home Storage Solutions 101 has a Facebook group called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/882474821765361/">Declutter 365</a> that I am a part of. I joined sometime in December with the intention of starting today. She has created calendars with daily missions for decluttering and links to more detailed information. And there is a great community on the Facebook group that talk about each mission, ask questions, and share their accomplishments.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.flylady.net/">Flylady</a>, of course. I had definitely fallen off this bandwagon, but I'm working on baby-stepping my way back. Her set up is a great system of routines and encouragement. The only problem I've ever found with it was incorporating her zones into the layout of my house, which is quite different from her 'norm', but all it really took was a few minutes to sit down and figure out how to mesh it together.</li>
<li>The Secret. Lol! I'm also part of a 'secret' Facebook group that is a spinoff of a forum I used to be on. I'm making the commitment to join in on more of those conversations for the community, encouragement, and accountability.</li>
</ol>
Happy New Year! <br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me on my journey as a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-35340528453525454182014-11-29T21:42:00.000-05:002014-11-29T21:42:17.000-05:00Progress not Perfection?Progress not Perfection?<br />
<br />
I wish progress was going a little faster, but at least it's something. The process with the insurance company seems to be dragging out a lot longer than it should, but we will get there eventually.<br />
<br />
I'm currently working on setting up the new computers, figuring out Windows 8, and reconstructing the information from our budget spreadsheet.<br />
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Christmas is coming at the same rate, regardless of my situation, so I'm starting in on "all that stuff" also. My sister was over last weekend with her kidlets, who thoroughly entertained "Uncle Mark" while she and I did some baking. The kids helped some and we got done what we wanted to.<br />
<br />
Our family has traditional Christmas 'goodies' that we like to have each year. So my sister and I have developed a chart with recipe names across the top, ingredients down the sides, and amounts filled in the middle. The amounts for each ingredient are totaled in one column and then each is assigned to one of us. We each contribute some of the ingredients and split the goodies when we are done.<br />
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Do you get together with anyone for Christmas baking? Do you do a cookie exchange? Comment on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page!<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, it really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-90108970077934616752014-11-15T19:17:00.000-05:002014-11-15T19:17:10.108-05:00Dusting myself off to try againLife can really be complicated sometimes. When you concentrate on one area of your life you can do good there, but then, I find that other things start to slip. Add in some outside attacks and, all of a sudden, your house looks like a tornado hit it.... or is it just me?<br />
<br />
I started working as an Administrative Assistant for The Salvation Army about a year ago. And it is fantastic, I love my job. However, I am still trying to get into a reasonable home-life routine where I still <strike>have</strike> take the time to do some extra housework in the evenings and weekends. We've been scraping by OK and my husband is great, but I often feel like I should be doing more.<br />
<br />
Add to that the fact that someone broke into our house last week, and now it seems that much worse and that much more noticeable. Not only did some stranger violate our home and cause damage and steal things, but we've had the police over a few times, the insurance company sent a contractor over, I had my brother-in-law come (as he is also a contractor) and pretty soon, the workmen will be here to fix things.... that's a lot of people coming and going, and things are definitely NOT "company ready" around here.<br />
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Oh well, what can you expect, really. I do have a good reason for being so distracted. I believe I have most things organized for the insurance people, we're just waiting on a little paperwork and then we should be able to have the repairs done.<br />
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Now is the time to take inventory and move forward. With baby-steps I can make good progress on the house and soon I'll be able to add some Christmas prep work!<br />
<br />
<br />
It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment ask your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a>Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-31125324892158627192013-11-18T07:00:00.000-05:002013-11-18T07:00:01.203-05:00Thinking About Christmas?<br />
First off, I have to tell you, yes, in my opinion, it is still way too early for Christmas decorations and music. But, now is the perfect time to <b>plan</b>!<br />
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It's mid-November, craft shows are in high gear and we're starting to get into make-ahead season. Now is the time to set aside some extra time and some extra money (if you haven't already) to make sure that Christmas doesn't surprise you.<br />
<br />
I encourage you to spend some time thinking about what you are going to do this year. Just ask yourself some questions and write down the answers:<br />
<ul>
<li>Who is on your gift list?</li>
<li>How much money do you plan on spending on gifts?</li>
<li>What might you get for each person?</li>
<li>Are there any crafts you need to get going on? </li>
<li>How many get-togethers do you want to go to?</li>
<li>Are you hosting any of these get-togethers? </li>
<li>What goodies are you going to bake?</li>
<li>What baking can be made ahead?</li>
<li>And don't forget your family traditions!</li>
</ul>
November is a great time to get started on crafts and baking. A friend of mine has a craft show every year with her mother and one or two other vendors. I always go and usually get all my stocking-stuffers there.<br />
<br />
My sister and I bake together, and we had our first session on Saturday. It was extra fun this year because now my seven-year-old niece is old enough to help (not just busy-work 'help' but actually help). We make our list, pick our dates and split the groceries. It's always a lot of fun.<br />
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If you start planning now, you can beat the rush and avoid the malls on crazy December Saturdays. If you can swing it, try going on a weekday-day during November to get a head start on your gift buying.<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> or by email at <a href="mailto:homemakingdiva@hotmail.com">homemakingdiva@hotmail.com</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-66387776398160785262013-11-11T07:00:00.000-05:002013-11-18T00:47:39.309-05:00Breaking the Multitasking Myth: Rotate, don't flit!Multitasking is a very popular buzzword, but it is a lie. Humans actually cannot multitask efficiently. Multitasking means "<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; text-decoration: none;">to</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; text-decoration: none;">work</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; text-decoration: none;">at</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; text-decoration: none;">several</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; text-decoration: none;">different</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; text-decoration: none;">tasks</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default; text-decoration: none;">simultaneously</span></span>" and while, yes, I am thinking, breathing, and typing all at the same time in this moment, I am really only blogging. Breathing doesn't require thinking, so it doesn't count. And I'm thinking about what I'm typing, so that is one task.<br />
<br />
Any complex task that requires thought is your current primary task. If my husband came into my office right now and started talking to me, he would distract me from my primary task (blogging) and I would have to wait until he was done in order to continue. I <b>could</b> try and keep typing while he was talking to me, but I would really be doing a bad job at each of the tasks (blogging and conversation).<br />
<br />
The basic psychology is this: what we call multitasking is really "switch-tasking" (because you actually can't do two thinking tasks at once). And each time you switch tasks, you actually lose productivity because your brain needs to remember where you were and what you were doing as you go back and forth.<br />
<br />
When we try to "get it all done" we end up flitting around between tasks and rarely getting much done on any of them. So here is my solution for you:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEgYAZYTHIlxEkrSAsyeWgNSbbIVixzqpWBNQwgbAnIUw0FqTthjTgPNBjlyL17QaSV2aAzo97-07pWwKb2OjugWsWw_fVjLiPowjGxopoB-MTIdsMgqaAJBCIhnTGeD-e-daHQ_Aw0w/s1600/MultitaskingRotateDontFlit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEgYAZYTHIlxEkrSAsyeWgNSbbIVixzqpWBNQwgbAnIUw0FqTthjTgPNBjlyL17QaSV2aAzo97-07pWwKb2OjugWsWw_fVjLiPowjGxopoB-MTIdsMgqaAJBCIhnTGeD-e-daHQ_Aw0w/s1600/MultitaskingRotateDontFlit.jpg" /></a></div>
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When "multitasking" rotate, don't flit.<br />
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Be intentional about what you are doing in the moment you are doing it. When I sit down at my computer to "get stuff done" without a plan, I end up flitting around, doing lots of little things, but not actually feeling that I accomplished anything. I can spend hours online, know I was "working on stuff" but not know what I completed (if I completed anything at all). Flitting does not work.<br />
<br />
Instead, rotate! Rotating involves more purpose and slightly longer periods of time. Instead of going off on a tangent, ending up wherever your clicks take you, sit tight and complete one task before moving on. Use a time, a checklist, whatever tool that is a help you. Just remember to keep it simple. Decide what your goal is. Then finish one task before moving on the the next.<br />
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Here's what this has done for me. In the past, I have found that checking twitter can be a multitasking black hole. People to follow back, links to websites to check out, articles to read, etc. My problem with flitting starts when I don't define what I'm doing. I click someone's profile to follow back and before I know it, I'm joining a facebook page and jumping over to LinkedIn. But when I decide to rotate, I know that I'm not looking at everything right now. I'm just following people back on twitter. If I see an interesting link, I'll open it, but not look at the page yet. I keep going inside twitter until I'm done with twitter and then quickly look at the other links I've opened to see if I want to do anything with them. Sometimes they're short articles and I'll read them then and there and sometimes they're something longer and I grab the link and make a new to-do in Asana to check on later. And the good news is, that when later comes around (and I use due dates, so it <b>does</b> come around), I am more objective and can prioritize better. So instead of reading all of the somewhat interesting articles I find right away, I only end up reading a few of them later.<br />
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Rotating is also helpful with offline tasks. Flitting around "cleaning the house" can be disastrous. You know you worked hard all day but you don't have anything to show for it. But when you rotate and decide that you are going to finish the current small task before you start the next one, you end up having large, clear areas. (Putting away everything in the living room vs. putting away one or two things in each room of the house.)<br />
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<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> or by email at <a href="mailto:homemakingdiva@hotmail.com">homemakingdiva@hotmail.com</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-47159570397066300772013-01-02T09:35:00.000-05:002013-01-02T09:35:46.375-05:00A Welcoming Change - Peace<br />
Well, it's a new year. 2013. It's going to take a while to remember to write all my dates properly... I'm sure I'll be erasing 2012 several times this week :)<br />
<br />
A new year is a fresh start, resolutions, commitments, goals - all are floating through our heads. Yet, I'd like to caution you not to go overboard. The stereotypical 'get fit' resolutions that translate into 'go to the gym twice in January' resolutions are basically useless. We put too much pressure on ourselves, push really hard for a short while, then 'crash and burn'.<br />
<br />
I'd encourage you to make smaller, incremental, resolutions.<br />
<br />
I got a great form emailed to me from <a href="http://www.purposefultimemanagement.com/">Marcia Francois</a> called '2013 Intentions'. She asked us to choose a word for the year. I chose 'peace'. I want to make a calm home where we can relax and enjoy life. By focusing on my 'word for the year' I can more clearly choose my goals to fit inside 'peace'.<br />
<br />
Naturally, clutter and chaos in a home takes away from 'peace'. So decluttering is on my list - my house definitely would NOT qualify for Hoarders but it can use some work. The main areas are decent but can be tweaked and the 'extra' rooms, especially 'my' rooms need overhauls.<br />
<br />
BUT, I don't want to crash and burn, so I'm baby-stepping it. Easy as 1, 2, 3!<br />
<ol>
<li>Knock out something small - Instead of writing down everything I can possibly think of to do, I'm spending some extra time flitting around taking care of the small tasks that don't take very long.</li>
<li>Just 15 minutes - This one's ingrained in my from Flylady, you don't have to do everything, just work on it for 15 minutes and make some progress. You'll be amazed at what you can do in 15 minutes!</li>
<li>Add to routines in babysteps - Don't add 25 things to your daily to do list today, add one thing and work at making it part of your routine, when you feel comfortable with that, add one more thing.</li>
</ol>
Will you 1-2-3 with me? What is your 'word for the year'? <br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> or by email at <a href="mailto:homemakingdiva@hotmail.com">homemakingdiva@hotmail.com</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-934083825331881172012-12-06T09:30:00.000-05:002012-12-06T09:30:02.197-05:00Countdown to the Holidays! Chow DownChristmas is coming, Christmas is coming!<br />
<br />
We all have extra shopping to do in December, let's help ease the burden and chow down! I challenge you to do less (regular) grocery shopping in December. Eat what you have, go 'freezer diving', get creative, and save some money!<br />
<br />
I have the habit of putting leftover sauce into the freezer. Plus I usually stock up on the meat that's on sale for half price at my store. I know I have another half a bag of black beans, plus a few 'cans' in the freezer. And I REALLY need to finish that box of rice I bought... too long ago.<br />
<br />
Is your food storage in a similar state? Will you accept the Challenge?<br />
<br />
Chow Down Challenge:<br />
<ol>
<li>Wait as long as possible to go grocery shopping this month and buy as little as possible. (I'm talking about regular grocery shopping, not Christmas Dinner.)</li>
<li>Use up what you already have. Get creative. Dig to the bottom of the freezer and the back of the pantry.</li>
<li>Save some money. </li>
</ol>
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> or by email at <a href="mailto:homemakingdiva@hotmail.com">homemakingdiva@hotmail.com</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-59849251472515540212012-11-29T09:30:00.000-05:002012-11-29T09:30:02.434-05:00Countdown to the Holidays! - How's it Coming?Less than a month before Christmas. Really?!?! How's it coming?<br />
<br />
I have my Advent calendar ready to go. It's a fabric one with pockets that you re-fill each year. I added candies and little notes in each pocket and it is waiting patiently on my crafting table for December first.<br />
<br />
Baking is done. Well, part of it anyways. I probably will end up doing some more baking on my own, but all the baking I 'have to' do for my traditional Christmas is ready and waiting. I hauled baking stuff over to my sister's on three of the last 6 Thursdays and we baked... well two of those days I mostly just entertained my nephew (who was being clingy but oh-so-cute) which allowed her to bake. We have gotten together for the past few years to do our Christmas baking to have the 'goodies' we grew up with.<br />
<br />
Shopping is started. My friend, her mother, and her niece had a craft show at the beginning of the month. I brought my husband along and we made a good start to our Christmas shopping. Stockings are done except for one more thing, his parents and two friends are done except for some baking I'll add later. That just leaves the 'kidlets' (our nieces and nephews) who get Veggie Tales movies, his brother and sister-in-law who needs more brainstorming, and each other.<br />
<br />
Crafting is not really started yet... I know, I know! But I still have time. I have the fabric for the stockings, one is washed but the other isn't. And DH still doesn't know what he wants on his, but I can do mine first, that's OK. I need to just 'suck it up' and wash the fabric in the evening instead of waiting for the weekend (our electricity rates are hiked up the rest of the time). Adding that to my list now :)<br />
<br />
Thankfully the only thing I put on my crafting list are the stockings, advent calendar (done! - I made the little notes cute with scrapbooking punches), and these <a href="http://sweetsuite10.com/2011/12/diy-dove-christmas-ornaments/">mirror ornaments</a> I saw on Pinterest. I figure I can do them for $2-$3. (Scroll down about halfway on the link.) Mini mirrors from the dollar store glued to Christmas tree ornament hooks and placed on the INSIDE of your tree. It's supposed to make it more sparkly. I already have glue, so this should be an easy mini-project once I pick up the stuff.<br />
<br />
How's your Christmas progress coming? Is there something you need to take of your list to be realistic?<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> or by email at <a href="mailto:homemakingdiva@hotmail.com">homemakingdiva@hotmail.com</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-43136051702784749782012-10-31T09:30:00.000-04:002012-10-31T09:30:01.337-04:00Countdown to the Holidays! Feeling Crafty!Happy Halloween everyone!<br />
<br />
First off, I need to share my favorite Halloween tip with you before I forget:<br />
<br />
COUNT the kiddies! Do it however you want - make a tally chart, count how many bags of chips are left and compare to how many you bought (don't forget to account for the ones you ate). Do whatever works for you, but count them. Write the number down and somewhere logical (I have a page in my holiday binder that I made up with cute, free Halloween graphics). Then next year you have a good idea of how many kids will be coming and how much candy to buy (plus extra for you). No need to steal from your kids' haul or get egged for being stingy :)<br />
<br />
I hope you're all ready for the festivities tonight. My candy has been sitting by the door since we bought it, waiting patiently for tonight. I'll pull out my HUGE mixing bowl and pour the candy in and I'm all set!<br />
<br />
I know it's still early, but now is the time to think about Christmas crafting, if you do any, or want to start. PLEASE don't over-burden yourself. Don't plan to make everyone on your list a cool afghan and then beat yourself up because you couldn't finish. Sit down and think about how much time you realistically have. Not how much time you'd have if no one ever got sick, had an appointment, or a flat tire that took up some of your time. Realistic time. Then cut it in half. Really. You don't want to over-burden yourself. Decide what you can do in THAT amount of time (half of your realistic time). Maybe make something small for several people or something big for one person. Start thinking about what you will make and pick up any materials you need so you can get started by next week to keep the pressure off.<br />
<br />
I'm still learning to sew, so for me, this year all I'm committing to is stockings. I'm going to make us our own stockings. We've been using ones we just 'happened to have', but I want us to have OURS. I'm still having trouble deciding if I want to go 'classic' or 'fun' with them. But I have decided I want to do 2 or 3 coordinating fabrics mixing and matching for both stockings. So his will be made from fabric A and decorated with fabrics B and C and mine will be made from fabric B and decorated with fabrics A and C... make sense? Fat quarters should be the perfect size. I laid my stocking over a folded fat quarter, and there's lots of space for a seam allowance and extra decorating fabric. Now we just need to get to the fabric store :)<br />
<br />
My sister and started our Christmas baking last week. We're doing 3 days over 6 weeks spreading it out and sharing ingredients. We made the freezable stuff first and will save the icing for the last day. We'll be finishing up on November 22nd, if plans don't change. Now THAT'S a stress-free holiday. I'll probably do more baking on my own, just because I can, but I'll have my Christmas 'necessities' done and no pressure on anything else.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> or by email at <a href="mailto:homemakingdiva@hotmail.com">homemakingdiva@hotmail.com</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-28710805428937119432012-10-15T09:30:00.000-04:002012-10-15T09:30:01.727-04:00Countdown the the Holidays! Treats, no Tricks!<br />
First of all, I am NOT saying Halloween is a holiday. It isn't. But it IS part of the busy-ness of the Holiday Season :)<br />
<br />
I'm not big on Halloween at my place. I buy candy and turn on the outdoor lights and that's my prep. BUT for those of you who are going to be dressing up or have kids who will be dressing up, now is the time.<br />
<br />
Sit down TODAY (if you haven't already). And decide what you will be, and ask your kids what they want to be. Then, decide if you're making or buying costumes (or if you already have something that could work). If you're making it, get started as soon as possible. If you're buying, you'll still want to head out fairly soon so there's some selection and you're not rushed.<br />
<br />
Now is a good time to add the Halloween treats to your grocery list, too!<br />
<br />
And remember, have fun!<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> or by email at <a href="mailto:homemakingdiva@hotmail.com">homemakingdiva@hotmail.com</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-52294117833070322292012-10-10T14:02:00.000-04:002012-10-10T14:02:52.316-04:00Countdown to the Holidays! - Use it or Lose it!OK Canadians!<br />
<br />
If you still have turkey dinner leftovers in your fridge, this is your warning. You want to finish up what you can for dinner tonight and then freeze or throw out the rest. Tomorrow is officially cootie-ville! :)<br />
<br />
I had turkey dinner leftovers for lunch, and we'll be having some more for dinner. I've asked my husband to 'do' the turkey today (get the meat off the bones) and I'll be starting bone broth in the crock cooker when he's done and chopping the meat and freezing in baggies for other meals.<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> or by email at <a href="mailto:homemakingdiva@hotmail.com">homemakingdiva@hotmail.com</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-37168686310117831392012-10-07T17:23:00.000-04:002012-10-07T17:23:24.281-04:00Countdown to the Holidays - Are you Ready?Well, tomorrow is Turkey Day for me. Doing what I can now to make tomorrow easier.<br />
<br />
I made the marshmallow salad (family tradition, NEEDS to be made 1 day ahead) and the white bean dip (from <a href="http://www.savingdinner.com/">Saving Dinner,</a> CAN be made a day ahead), I also chopped up a large cucumber, carrot, some celery, and a yellow bell pepper, and put them in a large zipplerware (ziploc + tupperware = zipplerware) container covered in water in the fridge. They're for dipping in the white bean dip, I'll fish them out with a slotted spoon tomorrow :)<br /><br />That's three things ready and done. I also washed all the dishes and did a <a href="http://flylady.net/">15 minute tidy</a>. Now I can relax, play with my sewing stuff, read, and hang out with my husband. (Which are great things to do on a holiday weekend!)<br /><br />Tomorrow, I'm making the garlic smashed red potatoes in the morning, and having them on keep warm in my crock cooker all day (with a little butter over the top). Plus I'll cut my bread for stuffing before we leave to pick up my in-laws.<br /><br />Sometime around noon will be time to preheat the oven, make the stuffing, and prep the bird. When the turkey's halfway done (or so) I'll make the pumpkin pie and pop it in the oven, too.<br /><br />Gravy and the green beans are the only things that'll need to be done last-minute and they're both pretty easy.<br />
<br />
Happy Thanksgiving!<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> or by email at <a href="mailto:homemakingdiva@hotmail.com">homemakingdiva@hotmail.com</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-29459459913401041212012-10-06T16:30:00.000-04:002012-10-06T16:30:25.510-04:00Countdown to the Holidays! - Thanksgiving PrepHello everyone!<br />
<br />
Since I'm making Turkey Dinner for my in-laws on Monday, I'm trying to spread my prep work out so I'm just doing a little each day.<br />
<br />
Today I turned my turkey over (hoping this will help it thaw more evenly) in the fridge. I went over my recipes again and pulled out the rest of the ingredients I needed out of the freezer so they will be thawed in time.<br />
<br />
I got out my turkey roasting pan (which I pretty much only use for Thanksgiving and Christmas) and washed it along with the rest of the dishes. DH put the dishwasher on for me, and I'm having my normal laundry day.<br />
<br />
I'll also have a '15 minute tidy' later on, to baby-step the whole 'cleaning the house for company' thing. It's not too bad, just needs some touch ups. :)<br />
<br />
It's cool and rainy today, maybe I'll do some baking, too. We'll see.<br />
<br />
Are you getting ready for the big day?<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> or by email at <a href="mailto:homemakingdiva@hotmail.com">homemakingdiva@hotmail.com</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-86913958025219076042012-10-04T09:30:00.000-04:002012-10-04T09:30:02.883-04:00Coundown to the Holidays! Getting it TogetherWell, they DID actually have turkeys in stock yesterday morning, yay! So now I have two. One is defrosting in my fridge for Thanksgiving and the other is waiting patiently in my chest freezer for Christmas.<br />
<br />
If you're cooking a turkey this year, it's time to get it thawing :) And while you're putting the turkey in the fridge, you might want to clean it out. Not clean-wash, clean-declutter. Well, you can clean-wash if you want to. I'll be cleaning out my fridge today to make room for Thanksgiving.<br />
<br />
<br />
While I was in town yesterday I also picked up bread at Westons - so much cheaper than the grocery store. They bake the name-brand bread and deliver to the grocery stores. What the stores don't sell the day of, gets returned, and I can get one-day-older bread at the Westons thrift store for less than half price! I was nice and grabbed two squished loaves as part of my purchase - they can be for stuffing.<br />
<br />
Today is Thanksgiving grocery day for me. I'm going to look at my Thanksgiving Planner and pull the recipes for the dishes I picked. Then I'll check the fridge, freezers and pantry for what I already have and make a grocery list for what I don't, then it's off the the store! Shouldn't be too much. I already did a 'normal' grocery trip. This is just holiday 'touch-up'.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me on the Homemaking Diva Facebook page: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva">http://www.facebook.com/HomemakingDiva</a> or by email at <a href="mailto:homemakingdiva@hotmail.com">homemakingdiva@hotmail.com</a> Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-62996933950323906262012-10-03T09:30:00.000-04:002012-10-03T09:30:00.222-04:00Countdown to the Holidays! Planning for SanityThanksgiving is going to be here soon, so I'm doing my best to be prepared. Hopefully by the time you read this, I will have purchased my turkeys. I am bound and determined to find some at a good price, so I will be going to Walmart for a THIRD time, first thing at opening this morning (I'm writing this last night). You'd think Walmart would realize that they should stock up on items that are on at a really good price; I mean, if you keep running out of the turkeys that are on sale, maybe you should start ordering MORE?? Maybe?<br />
<br />
Sorry. Rant over :)<br />
<br />
I did sit down and finalize my Thanksgiving menu and update my planner page.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>White Bean Dip and Veggies</li>
<li>Turkey</li>
<li>Stuffing </li>
<li>Gravy</li>
<li>Garlicky Smashed Red Potatoes</li>
<li>Nutmeg Green Beans</li>
<li>Marshmallow Salad (family tradition)</li>
<li>Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream</li>
</ul>
I've got the basics covered and a bit of my weird upbringing thrown in. The plan is to make the dip, chop the veggies, and make the marshmallow salad on Sunday. And the pumpkin pie can be baking somewhere around when the turkey's half done.<br />
<br />
My favorite trick (and one you'll love too!) is to make the mashed potatoes (whatever kind you like at your place) EARLY. Then put it in the crock cooker with a little butter over the top on 'keep warm' until dinnertime. One less thing to do later. Just be sure to test run your crock pot first (you can make a potato chowder if you want afterwards) you don't want scorched potatoes on the big day! I got that tip from<a href="http://www.savingdinner.com/"> Leanne Ely</a> who got it from <a href="http://www.flylady.net/">Flylady</a>.<br />
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I've got a few things to do each day from Thursday to Monday (including tidying the house in babysteps) so I'm not doing everything at once. Sounds like a plan to me!<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!!<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.com Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-23220526745884770042012-10-01T17:55:00.000-04:002012-10-02T22:39:58.834-04:00Countdown to the Holidays! The Turkey Hunt It's October! Can you believe it? Neither can I! But it is, nonetheless.<br />
<br />
October is time to officially kick off your holiday planning. And I'm not just talking about Christmas. There's Thanksgiving (and even Halloween) thrown into the mix, too. (Plus Hanukkah, or whatever else you celebrate at the end of the year.)<br />
<br />
Head's up, Canadians! You have just one week until Thanksgiving! Turkeys are on sale, pick one up ASAP. Ninety-nine cents a pound for a frozen turkey is a good price. If you can afford it, pick up two and you have Christmas dinner handled also! That's my plan. I'm heading to town tonight. There are two stores that have turkeys on for ninety-seven cents a pound, so I'm picking up two turkeys. One for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.<br />
<br />
Later this week, I'll do the rest of the groceries. But I don't want to be going to 7 grocery stores the last weekday before Christmas hunting for turkeys EVER again! (That's what happened last year - boo!)<br />
<br />
I like to keep my holiday meals simple and make up a 5-day plan (or so) I just recycle and tweak the last one, most of the time. I spread the meal prep and house cleaning over 5 days and then I only have a little bit to do each day. That'll be the job for tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!!<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment here or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.com Valerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-65883766234975189052012-07-30T09:00:00.000-04:002012-07-30T09:00:06.165-04:00Homemaking Diva Routines TwoMore work in the kitchen! How are your dishes doing? I hope you're doing well and aren't too overwhelmed. Next step: Having food ready to cook.<br />
<br />
Now, I work for <a href="http://www.savingdinner.com/">Saving Dinner</a>, so I do have a bias with them, but they ARE really good in and of themselves, and I am NOT getting paid to promote them here :) So if you don't know WHAT to make for dinner, we sell all kinds of plans for you that give you the recipes and the categorized shopping lists to make life just that much easier :) But that's only part of what I'm talking about today.<br />
<br />
Today what I really want to talk to you about is setting up routines to get your food planned, into the house, and out of the freezer.<br />
<br />
Planning meals: This doesn't have to be complicated. Look at what's on sale (to keep it simple, try sticking to just one store), think about what you and yours like to eat, and see what matches. And don't forget to check what's already in your cupboards, fridge and freezer. Think breakfast, lunch, and dinner. List a few things, see what you need to buy, and make your list. If you're just starting out, you can do just a couple days, I like to do a week at a time. <br />
<br />
Grocery shopping: You've made your list, you've checked it twice, it's time to head to the store. The. Store. Singular. That's right. Actually, you can do whatever you want, I don't have any Homemaking Diva Police (yet) to come and fine you if you go to multiple stores, but hear me out. Every store has a sale every week, most stores will have everything on sale at different times. I do all of my grocery shopping at one store, yes chicken is on sale at another store this week and I eat chicken, but chicken was on sale at my store a couple weeks ago and it will be on sale at my store again. To me, multiple stores are not worth the hassle. Plus, since I only go to the one store, I made my grocery list to fit my store, so I know which aisle everything is in, plus I'm familiar with my store, so I can get in and out quickly.<br />
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Today and Tomorrow, Everyday: Remember my chicken sale example? Well, chicken was on sale a couple weeks ago at my store, and I bought it then... actually I stocked up. And that means that if I want to eat chicken THIS week, I have to thaw it out because it's in the freezer. So, everyday need to think about what's for dinner today and what's for dinner tomorrow. When I think about today I consider if there's any extra prep work that needs to be done early (marinating, crock cooker), and I need to pull meat out of the freezer for tomorrow.<br />
<br />
You routines to build:<br />
Everyday, think about what's for dinner today, and do any preparations you need to. And have meat in the fridge for tomorrow's dinner so it's not frozen when you need it.<br />
Weekly, plan your meals, make your list, and go shopping!<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.comValerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-27941275059585063522012-07-26T09:00:00.000-04:002012-07-26T09:00:22.150-04:00Homemaking Diva RoutinesLast time, I told you that routines help you know everything will get it's turn and allow you to relax. Let's talk about how to set up some great Homemaking Diva Routines.<br />
<br />
Start SMALL; Rome wasn't built in a day. If you go too hard, too fast, you'll just crash and burn. Babysteps are KEY here. Choose one or two small things that you can work on and then work on them consistently. That is your goal. Two small things, consistently. After a few weeks (not 15 minutes, not 1 day, a few weeks) of doing your two small things consistently, you can add a third small thing, and your babysteps can grow. But only slowly. If you go too fast, you will get overwhelmed and you will stop.<br />
<br />
I like to start in the kitchen (but I do work for <a href="http://www.savingdinner.com/">Saving Dinner</a>, so I may be slightly biased). In any case, everyone needs to eat, and eating tends to require a little cooking, and both eating and cooking tend to create some dirty dishes. (Now, you can start anywhere you want, this is just a good example, feel free to start with the laundry or clearing your desk, or whatever works best for you.) If you decide to start in the kitchen like I usually do (yes, I am not perfect and I have started more than once), there are two simple things in the kitchen: washing dishes, and having food ready to cook.<br />
<br />
Washing dishes: PLEASE don't wash all the dishes for 2 hours straight if you are far behind. We're starting small, remember? If you have a dishwasher, empty any clean dishes, put those away, fill the dishwasher up again and turn it on (even if it's not quite full), then do ONE load of dishes at the sink. You're letting the dishwasher do most of the work, and you're making progress. That is IT for day one dishes. Day two, empty the dishwasher, put away the dishes you washed by hand, and wash one more load at the sink. From now on, the dishwasher gets emptied within 24 hours of when it was turned on. Preferably closer to 12 hours. Part of emptying the dishwasher is putting any waiting dirty dishes into it. Also, whenever you're starting to run low on something that is in the dishwasher, run the dishwasher (we tend to run out of spoons first). Incorporate one load of handwash dishes a day plus checking on the dishwasher into your new daily routine.<br />
<br />
I find now, that I'm mostly caught up, I'm just doing one small handwash load of dishes on weekdays. Plus it's a LOT easier to wash more 'recently dirty' dishes than 2 week old spaghetti pots :)<br />
<br />
We'll talk more about having food ready to cook next time!<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.comValerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-37731155467605585242012-07-23T09:00:00.000-04:002012-07-23T09:00:01.540-04:00Homemaking Diva HabitsHow do you become a 'Homemaking Diva', and more importantly, how do you succeed at being a Homemaking Diva? It's easier than you think!<br />
<br />
Step one: CARE. Being a Homemaking Diva means literally that: Making a Home. A Home is not where you live. That's your house or apartment (or wherever you are) a home is more personal. It's the happy feeling associated with being in your house, not because of what is there, but because of WHO is there. I love my husband. And one of my major goals is to make our house a calm home for us to live in together.<br />
<br />
Step two: ROUTINES. I don't know about you, but I find it very difficult to relax when there's a lot of things that need doing. I'll be sitting beside my husband watching a DVD and my mind will be racing through various tasks that I 'should' have done that day or that need to be done soon. When I'm on a routine and I know I did a decent amount of 'Diva-ing' today and I will get around to everything in it's turn, I feel better about it and I can relax. We'll talk more about routines next time :)<br />
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Step three: RECHARGE. It's the old airplane analogy. The flight attendant will always tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first before trying to help anyone else. If you are burnt out, you're of no use to anyone. Take care of yourself so you can take care of others. If you care about making a home for your family and if you have good routines in place, you can take a break and recharge without guilt, and know that your routines will keep things from falling through the cracks.<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.comValerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-32996758827344894162012-06-29T09:00:00.000-04:002012-06-29T09:00:12.636-04:00Clear and Free!Well, after my <a href="http://homemakingdiva.blogspot.ca/2012/06/snowball-is-melting.html">last post</a> I got to work. I cleared some space in the spare room downstairs that is going to be storage and a guest room eventually. Then I started to declutter up in my dressing room (also crafting room). DH was wondering what I was doing as I took load after load of stuff downstairs.<br />
<br />
I did not just move my junk. I decluttered a bunch of stuff, put several things in more logical places, and even took my beautiful angel candle holder OUT of the box and put it on display in our front entry. Admission - it's been in the box since we got it.... but I'm using it now!<br />
<br />
I took care to only put things downstairs that made sense to be there for storage: The luggage, extra pillows and blankets, 'decor' items not currently in rotation, and containers (nice boxes, empty plastic totes...).<br />
<br />
The plan is to build my sewing table (cool idea I have from <a href="http://pinterest.com/marksvalerie/">pinterest</a> using bookshelves) in the middle of the room, so I moved what was left towards the walls. I grabbed my <a href="http://shop.flylady.net/pages/FlyShop_rubba_sweepa.asp">Rubba Sweepa</a> and pulled up a bunch of hair :S Then I vacuumed really well.<br />
<br />
I pulled out one of the bookshelves to build and discovered that it's a two person job, so it's going to have to wait a bit.<br />
<br />
For now I'm enjoying my accomplishment. In the near future I'll have the table and start learning to sew!<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.comValerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-91862382667074796362012-06-21T21:36:00.000-04:002012-06-21T21:36:53.135-04:00The Snowball is Melting!Yep! That's right. The snowball is melting! Not so much because I've been accomplishing it (I HAVE done a bunch, and DH actually went through half a closet.) but because I'm lowering my expectations... I set the bar way too high on that one.<br />
<br />
The original idea was to completely declutter/ rearrange half the house with the final step being setting up my craft room. The problem is, most of the stuff isn't mine. So I need to wait for days when he's off and I think of it and we feel like it. Few and far between, but we are making progress. But since I am NOT just going to throw out all DH's stuff - that's not nice, I need a new plan. (You can read more about the snowball <a href="http://homemakingdiva.blogspot.ca/2011/10/joyous-snowball.html">here</a>.)<br />
<br />
So the new plan is 'Do what I can'. What a concept! I can't declutter DH's stuff for him while he's at work, but I can move some of it over now that he has partially moved into his office. That will make enough space for me to move the luggage and a few other things out of my dressing room so that I can declutter my stuff and then set up my crafting area.<br />
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No worries, we will still be doing the DH decluttering, but now there's no pressure and I don't feel like I won't be able to work on learning to sew for months and months.<br />
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Wish me luck, I'm diving in!<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.comValerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-2435105290683419002012-06-19T08:30:00.000-04:002012-06-19T08:30:00.386-04:00Do You Post-it?Are you one of those people with stickies all over your desk and computer screen?<br /><br />I used to be. Now I'm trying a system I'm making up that uses the stickies. Full disclosure! Not my original idea. I'm actually combining <a href="http://jenhewett.blogspot.ca/2011/02/msel-jen-hewett-guide-to-managing-it.html">two</a> <a href="http://cornflowerbluestudio.blogspot.ca/2012/02/diy-rotating-goal-list.html">ideas</a> I saw on Pinterest. (Are you following me? It's in the sidebar.)<br /><br />I
have regular ones that are 2" square or so and small ones that are
supposed to be book markers or something they're about 3-4" x 1". BTW, stickies is one place where you want to go brand name. Dollar store ones don't stick for more than 5 seconds.<br /><br />I
use the little ones on my calendar and the big ones in my book. I
bought a 'sketchbook' that you're supposed to draw in and I put the
stickies inside. Each page (or pair of pages) is for a specific purpose.
I have (off the top of my head): Daily, Today, Tomorrow, this week,
Monday, Tuesday..., Next Week, this month, monthly, and upcoming.<br /><br />It's
a little intensive as I'm shuffling stickies all the time, but not
really. The Monday, Tuesday... pages stay 98% the same, each sticky on
those pages is something that needs to be done on that day every week.
Something that needs to be done THIS Friday would go on the this week
page (or the tomorrow page now), not the Friday page.<br /><br />About once a
week, I flip around and move stuff up from the 'long term' pages, but
day-to-day I'm looking at the today page and the 'Thursday' page (or
whatever day it is).<br /><br />I also have pages with themes that I use to
corral ideas. For example, when I have an idea for a lesson, I write it
on a sticky and put it on that page. Last week, when I needed to
brainstorm, I just opened to that page, looked through my stickies and
was able to put together another year's content!<br /><br />This is a new system and I'm still figuring out the kinks, but I really like it so far <img alt="smile" height="15" src="http://www.getorganizednow.com/forum/images/graemlins/default/smile.gif" title="smile" width="15" /><br /><br />What do you think?<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.comValerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-69585588969448409062012-06-17T17:15:00.001-04:002012-06-17T17:15:23.478-04:00Five Ways to Save Money - In the BathroomNobody wants to light five dollar bills on fire, so here are some helpful hints to save some money:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Soap is soap: This one is directly 'stolen' from <a href="http://flylady.net/">Flylady</a>, the idea is that you don't need a different kind of soap for every single thing. Leftover shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, etc. can be used for cleaning the sinks, tubs and toilets. I keep bottles of hand soap and laundry detergent when they're "empty", add some water, shake it around and use that to 'swish my toilet (with a brush and some elbow grease).</li>
<li>Don't buy shaving cream: This one's for the ladies. Use shampoo or conditioner to shave your legs. I've been using conditioner to shave my legs for about a year now, and it works perfectly fine. The only difference I notice in the shower is that it's much easier to fit everything on those little shelves with one less bottle. You can use the same as you use on your hair, buy cheap stuff especially for this purpose, or use up a shampoo you didn't like.</li>
<li>Don't buy makeup remover: I paid $10.49 plus tax for a 125mL little bottle of L'Oreal makeup remover. Can we say expensive? NOW, I use Johnson's head-to-toe baby wash. A 444mL bottle runs somewhere around $7.00 plus, I water it down. I fill my L'Oreal bottle about 1/3 full, and top it off with water, shake and I'm ready to go. If it's safe for baby's eyes, why not mine? (Plus I have semi-sensitive skin, and no problems).</li>
<li>Use what you have: This always applies. We all have those stashes of "nice" creams and stuff for "special" occasions. Go ahead and use them. You are special all on your own, you don't need an occasion. </li>
<li>Try cheap: Touch and go with this one. I've done the cheap-o Q-tips and was not impressed, so I only buy brand name for them. But I buy the cheaper "Daisy" razors, no name cotton balls and cotton pads. If it's something you use a lot, buy a small package of a cheaper version or brand and see if it'll work for you.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!! <br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.comValerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3337409311275730812.post-59139436627666667032012-06-14T16:08:00.002-04:002012-06-17T17:16:38.950-04:00Frugal HospitalitySome of you may remember <a href="http://homemakingdiva.blogspot.ca/2012/06/its-here.html">last time</a> I told you that I was going to try and be especially frugal for the next while as we just invested in a sectional.<br />
<br />
On Sunday, we decided to invite my in-laws over after church. This is frugal for us because we often end up going to a restaurant for lunch. But that meant I needed to figure out what to make. :)<br />
<br />
Brunch is always a delicious and frugal choice. It doesn't get much cheaper than eggs and toast. Especially since I get my bread from Westons for 99 cents! (They're the bakery that makes the bread for the grocery stores. Whatever the grocery store doesn't sell gets returned to Westons and sold in their 'thrift store'. Bottom line, the bread is one day older and a heck of a lot cheaper. I go when I can and get some for now and some for the freezer.)<br />
<br />
I almost made lasagna for dinner, but that meant buying a ricotta, and the day ended up being way too hot to turn on the oven. I decided to make burgers. I originally didn't want to because I'd just pulled the ground beef from the freezer and knew it would be VERY cold on my hand mixing it up later. But then my brain clicked and I decided to let Todo do it. Todo is my stand mixer... we named it that because it's shape reminds us of two droids from Star Wars, one of which is called TODO-360. (Yes, I'm weird.)<br />
<br />
But aside from the fact that I've named my stand mixer, it really IS handy and makes a good burger. I used the Basil Burgers recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and the regular 'blade' in the stand mixer. Want to know ANOTHER ground meat trick? Doesn't matter if it's meatballs, meatloaf, burgers, or something else. Mix all the 'stuff' together first, THEN add the ground meat. Everything goes together faster and more evenly.<br />
<br />
So we had burgers for dinner, and I had everything on hand for them. Score more frugal points!<br />
<br />
We all enjoyed each others' company and tried out the new sectional while watching some episodes from Shark Week :)<br />
<br />
None of it cost me a cent!<br />
<br />
<br />
Thank you for joining me, and I hope I can help you! It really is fun to be a Homemaking Diva!!<br />
<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
<br />
Valerie :D<br />
<br />
Please comment or send your questions to me at homemakingdiva@hotmail.comValerie McInallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417178191368204365noreply@blogger.com0