Hump Day

Mason and I finished piecing the second baby boy quilt today then got them sandwiched and pinned, now to decide how I want to quilt them when I have the time. I am thinking free motion but straight line quilting is much faster, guess I will know when the mood hits me.

Other than playing around with the quilts and the regular household chores we had a very laid back day. Mason man practiced his tummy time which he is protesting less each day. I practiced the art of getting up and down on my belly which I am liking less each day.

One of my buddies became a grandmother last night for the first time. Her baby grand girl came into the world at 4:30 AM weighing in at just 4 pounds and a few ounces (forgot how many) Mommy and baby are doing great despite her tiny size. I need to work on her tag for the quilt I made her at some point tomorrow so I can get it in the mail. I will have Karsyn and Mason tomorrow so it might be a late night project.

GO, GO, GO

 Mason man, napped while I finished the baby quilt I needed done by the first of April.

 By the afternoon the quilt was ready to hang.

 Super sweet fabric, "Puttin on the Ritz" by Moda

The backing is in a satin light pink fabric, hard to tell by this photo

Karsyn's favorite word right now is go, go, go, it feels like all I have done lately is go, go, go!!! I didn't need this quilt until the first of  April but wanted to get it knocked out before I started my Christmas cheer, just in case, you never know about first babies. After Mason and I got the quilt done we started on supper and M&M cookies to send home for Tyler. I was feeling very ahead of the game until...

The baby girl this quilt is for has decided today will be her Birthday!! We are now on baby watch, this will be my friends first grand so of course she is a nervous wreak and over the moon excited as we all are. I am thinking tomorrow I will be getting her name tag, date, and all embroidered out to sew on this quilt, then in the mail, it seems to never end! 

Tomorrow is a lay low day if at all possible, we have leftover taco meat to use as taco salads or leftover Italian beef for sub sandwiches, no cooking for me. I need to recharge my batteries for Thursday and Friday when the little girls join in the fun. Maybe I can get an action plan in place for my Christmas sewing and begin to get things cut out and set up but I don't expect to get much more accomplished in the sewing department for a few days.

Are your plans for March moving on or are you like me just trying to find the time for it all?

Food inventory continues

 Sunday I cleaned up our canning shelf, we are just about right on target for the food I canned last summer. I think we may have more tomatoes than we really need but I have a little something on its way that will change that this season (I hope)

 I am to lazy to return empty jars to the garage each time we use something up. I just put them back with the canned foods then do a clean out every now and then. Out of curiosity I did a quick count of jars we have on hand. The total is 460 jars, no wonder I am ready to rest at the end of canning season!!! 

 Sunday was also dehydrating day for the BOGO onions I picked up. We were down to about a 1/4 quart jar of onions from last summer, hope to do better this year so I won't have to buy anymore onions!

 I use a french fry chopper to work up the onions. After the first cut I do a cross cut to diced the onions, quick and easy!

 All those bags of onions dehydrated down to 2 quart jars, plenty to use until the garden gives us whatever it decides. One of the additional super cool things about dehydrating is I don't have to cut onions for recipes again for close to a year, and NO storing 1/2 and onion in the refrigerator only to be shoved to the back then go bad.

OK this black forest bread looks gross but it is super yummy!!! The recipe calls for Maraschino cherries, instead I use the ones I cannned last spring so the color isn't near as pretty but oh so tasty. Thanks so much North of Wiarton for the great recipe.

Mason man and I had a full day continuing to clean up pantries and bulk food. We are running lower on sugar than I thought so another trip to BJ's will be in my future once I get my list in good order. I checked out our extra dehydrated food I have stored, we are in really good shape other than carrots but we have some in the garden now. I will let the dehydrator air out another day or so then pull the carrots we have and work them up. I have now had my hands on every single food container, box, bag, jar or can of food in the house, not a single thing is out of date!! Woohoo no food waste.

Also had to vacuum the entire house and mop the hardwoods. Knowing that black forest bread was setting on the stove for tonight's snack kept me motivated to keep going. I have high hopes of getting back to a little sewing tomorrow, need to finish up a baby quilt so I can move on to some Christmas cheer.

Busy Sunday

 Strawberries (from last spring) and pound cake, desert for tonight.

 Here is the mug rug I got in the mail this week from Carla as a drawing winner during our low spend declutter challenge. How stinkin cute it this!!! But something is missing.

Much better with cookies don't you think?

I love, love, love my new mug rug from Carla over at 1/2 dozen daily!!! All the hard work of February has paid off big time, not only in a more organized home but now with this cute mug rug that is all MINE to enjoy a cup of tea with. I think it looks like spring, all happy, fresh and colorful. Thank you so much Carla. If you are looking for some cute little gifts check out her blog she has a tab with her handmade items listed all at really good prices and very well made!!!

Today was WAY to busy for a Sunday!!!!! Now that I have all the little ones during the week my weekends are full of running around doing the things I can't get done when the Grands are here. Hubby is in town for now so he got participate in all the ripping and running, he is as whipped as I am tonight!

We started our day dropping AJ the beagle off for a bath and pedi, then on to breakfast out where we ran into a neighbor we haven't seen in ages, nice little visit. Then off to BJ's to pay yet another membership fee, grrr. We picked up lots of things we were getting low on that I can't get for a better price at the grocery store even on sale and with coupons. I know prices well enough to buy only what is the best deal, that is until hubby takes off on his own with the buggy. I drug him out of the candy isle by assuring him I had a nice stockpile of M&M's at home so he won't be going hungry for a sweet treat. We did really well and would have stayed way under budget if we would have skipped the book isle. Hubby found one book that he assured me was needed (he is reading it right now, miracle!) I found a perfect book for a friends upcoming BIG birthday and of course a cookbook since I only have a million on had. We were still under budget so I am a OK with the splurge.

Back home to get Sunday dinner started, desert made, clean out the back pantry and canning jars then on to getting the pile of onions in the dehydrator. Hubby has never been around for dehydrating onions, garlic or cabbage, he was not to happy with the aroma that filled the house to say the least!! I have the dehydrator running in the garage, it is really stinky stuff and will make your eyes water. Thankfully the weather was nice so we opened all the doors and windows and I gave the kitchen and floors a good scrub so the smell has cleared out.

Sunday dinner is done, the kids have headed home to get the little ones to bed, hubby and I are both dead to our feet and in the bed as well. We are SO BLESSED that our girls live close enough to us to see them often and share Sunday dinner each week, but man alive it is a lot of work!!

Saturday Stuff

 We headed to Cosco to do a little bulk buying this morning. After paying $55.00 for a membership We bought very little, the old store we bought at (BJ's) has much better prices grrrrr Wasted $55.00 but I did pick up enough nuts to last what I think will be close to a year.

 I then vacuum packed them into 4 cup, 2 cup, and 1 cup portions.

 Sometimes the vacuum pack fails so I bag them in zip lock bags just in case before they head to the freezer.

 Then it was on to wrapping this quilt for my sisters BD

 I love the cute flip flop fabric on the border. The backing is done in the same pink polka dot as the inside border and binding, very girlie.

Here she is finally hanging on the clothes line.

Why is it sometimes the simplest things in the world turn out to be the hardest? This simple quilt is one of those things. I can't begin to tell you how many times I have taken this thing apart and started over, UGHHHH Finally it is done and I am happy with how it turned out, hopefully my sister will feel the same at dinner tonight when we give it to her. She is not really what I would consider a quilt person but quilts are this years family gift theme from us so I decided a beach quilt would be something she might use in all their travels.

About the only other thing I got accomplished today other than paying bills and doing banking was a trip to Cosco with hubby to do a little stock up shopping. We had heard from so many people that Cosco was the place to do bulk shopping. They wouldn't let you shop unless you bought a membership. I wanted to check the place out before I laid down the cash but hubby had his buggy and was ready to roll so we handed over the cash. To me it was a waste of $$, I do much better at BJ's warehouse and it is MUCH closer to our home. Cosco is in downtown Charlotte which I never go to!!!!! I hate city traffic. The store had a huge selection of junk food, lots of junk frozen food, candy, chips and such but very little real food. Now don't get me wrong I won't turn my back on a good chip now and then and a donut, I am all over it, but I can use coupons and sales for the little of that we do buy. Our BJ's membership has expired so I guess we will be paying for another year with them and just write the $55.00 off as a lesson learned, stick with what works!

Crap, hubby has yelled out on more than one occasion now "Are you ready dear" so I need to get off, change from my tee shirt and comfy jeans into adult clothes so we can go eat an overpriced dinner that is sure to make me sick. (We do have a GC at least!!)

Be Prepared

 Not My Photo

Do you remember this tornado that went through Birmingham Al last year?

 What the heck would I do with these two little girls and Mr Mason man if the storms that are predicted should hit our area?

 I put together a basket of diapers, bottles, wipes, toys, LOTS of pacifiers, snacks, formula and extra blankets Just In Case.

Moved my basket and one of the cradles to our powder room the safest interior room in our house. We have flashlights, important papers, lots of batteries, a NOAA weather alert and cell phone ready to go, Just In Case.

A RARE mid day post. All of the little ones are napping another RARE occurrence at our house.

 I felt the need to do a quick post for anyone in the path of the deadly storms in the mid west and south today and overnight. What would you do???? Do you have a plan in place? Do you know where the safest place is in your home for your family if a warning is issued? Think ahead and please prepare for what might be coming your way!!!!

I got a little jolt this morning after the little ones arrived with a tornado warning for the county just north of us about 6 miles, yikes! I put the little girls in their high chairs with a nice muffin to munch on while I put together a quick basket of emergency supplies, moved one of the cradles to the powder room, checked the batteries in the flashlights and grabbed the cell phone from my car (I never use the thing except for emergencies when I am out and about)

If we should go under a warning I can quickly move all the little ones into the powder room and grab the cushions from the couch that is right next to the room. I feel much better now knowing I have a plan Just In Case. AJ the beagle has been hiding under any quilt she can find all day to the point she is beginning to make even me a little nervous!! Silly dog, but you just never know.

I sat down with a cup of tea and some cookies (recharge my personal batteries you know) and turned on the weather channel. Already today 3 towns that we have very good friends who live in  AL have been hit by tornado's, hubby is checking to insure they are all OK and has decided to come on home Just In Case.

Take the time to be safe today!!! If you have never read the book "Just In Case" by Kathy Harrison throw the budget out the window for today and pick up a copy it is a great read and TONS of good information for families. Her blog is on my side bar.

PS. I am in no way affiliated with the book nor do I receive $$ for suggesting anyone pick up a copy.

New Month

 Karsyn played dress up all morning, such a sweet face don't you think?

 Sweet face but mischievous little girl, she did her best to try and get to the dehydrated jars today. I had to laugh at her determination, until she got her chair to do some climbing, got the door closed lickity split!!

 Mason man is so funny when the little girls are around he won't go to sleep until his face is covered, smart boy.

Hubby informed me he had a club meeting tonight, grr Nap time was cookie time for me.

Here is a recap of how I did on February's No/Low spend challenge and Decluttering challenge.

No/Low spend

My goal was to put back $100.00 in our Christmas/vacation account from my weekly spending money.

Totally rocked this one with $317.00 deposited for the month!!

Decluttering challenge

Personal space

Our room and closets are looking fabulous!! So nice to be able to walk in my walk in closet for a change!! Ha

Family Space

Yep got this one done as well. I did spend some major bucks replacing old VHS tapes with DVD's for Disney movies and classics our girls grew up with, $$ came from our regular account which is getting mighty low.

Productivity challenge

This one was my scrap/sewing room. It was a tea total mess and wasn't working the way I had it organized. I took time out during the month to tackle some area's that I knew would take more time than the week we had, then it was 7 HARD days of cleaning out and cleaning up. The room now WORKS!!! Everything has a place and is in it's place. When I finish up a project it is easy to clean up and go on to the next thing. LOVE IT!!! Spent less than $40.00 on containers to get things in order.

Dreaded challenge

I counted my sewing room as part of this challenge the other 1/2 was to be cleaning up PC files but our PC went down so I couldn't get to that part. Hubby was able to get things fixed so I will be working on the PC files (mostly photo's) for the month of March.

Thanks Carla for a great month of challenges!! Carla has a new challenge up for March, check it out here if you want to join in

 http://halfdozendaily.typepad.com/my-half-dozen-daily/2012/03/march-challenge-take-three.html

I will update my March goals tomorrow, I have all 3 little ones tomorrow so I NEED to get to bed so I can hit the floor running at 6:00 AM. How did your February go, did you hit all your goals or will you be caring some over to March?