I am having a new contest.
Help me get organized. I would like your best suggestions for getting organized. We will have a 3 judge panel. Just leave you comment and you can win 4 skeins of yarn from my stash, it will be a natural fibre or $20 to spend at http://www.tinyurl.com/handmadebysheri my Art Fire studio. Each suggestion will be good for 1 entry into the contest. multiple entries are allowed. I have 6 weeks till Teri gets home and want to show some progress in zenning.
So lets get those suggestion coming in. You have till Saturday, November 7th midnight MST.
Thank you in advance for your input.
Enjoy your families and have a nice day.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Destash Progress Report
Well dear reader I have made some progress in getting the stash yarn from my garage. I have knit at least a couple of dozen hats most for charity, although I did manage to sell 2, and at least 2 dozen scarfs all for charity. I don't send them all to the same places but when asked and I feel its a good cause I send things along.
The process is going slower than I thought it would be, with Eric being sick so much and have a lot of really long nights I have not done as many projects as I had hoped would be done by now.
Today I took 2 partial boxes in the house and combined them, that allowed me to move a box of purse yarn into the house. With more drawer space open in the roll aways I fill with yarn I was able to bring in the giant zip-lock bag.
That leaves me with a paltry 7 large storage bins of yarn in the garage.
I have noticed that strangest thing though the more I declutter and get things out of the house the more organized I am becoming. But I would not let the professional organizer worry over this, I still have a long way to go. We have been in this house for 15 years and I am a born pack rat, just ask my mom she still has at least 1 box in her garage from a move in 1965 that has yet to be unpacked. I started zenning the house a little over a year ago, it is a slow process but it is getting done. For those of you who are not familiar with the term zenning, it is simply a fancy word for decluttering.
When Teri gets home for winter break I will let her give an unbiased opinion in a guest column of how the progress is going. Teri is a very strong advocate for a clean and orderly house, she must get that from her dad. She is very good about getting rid of things and will drop almost anything to do a Goodwill run or a Bookman's run.
In honor of today's achievement I will be having another contest. Just give me your best decluttering tip and Again I will have a 3 person panel to judge the contest. The prize will be something from my stash that will help me decluter and give you an new project.
Have a good afternoon and enjoy your families.
The process is going slower than I thought it would be, with Eric being sick so much and have a lot of really long nights I have not done as many projects as I had hoped would be done by now.
Today I took 2 partial boxes in the house and combined them, that allowed me to move a box of purse yarn into the house. With more drawer space open in the roll aways I fill with yarn I was able to bring in the giant zip-lock bag.
That leaves me with a paltry 7 large storage bins of yarn in the garage.
I have noticed that strangest thing though the more I declutter and get things out of the house the more organized I am becoming. But I would not let the professional organizer worry over this, I still have a long way to go. We have been in this house for 15 years and I am a born pack rat, just ask my mom she still has at least 1 box in her garage from a move in 1965 that has yet to be unpacked. I started zenning the house a little over a year ago, it is a slow process but it is getting done. For those of you who are not familiar with the term zenning, it is simply a fancy word for decluttering.
When Teri gets home for winter break I will let her give an unbiased opinion in a guest column of how the progress is going. Teri is a very strong advocate for a clean and orderly house, she must get that from her dad. She is very good about getting rid of things and will drop almost anything to do a Goodwill run or a Bookman's run.
In honor of today's achievement I will be having another contest. Just give me your best decluttering tip and Again I will have a 3 person panel to judge the contest. The prize will be something from my stash that will help me decluter and give you an new project.
Have a good afternoon and enjoy your families.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sleepless in Tucson
Well this makes bad night 2 in a row for Eric. Eric is starting to look a little tired. I myself refuse to look in the mirror, I don't think the mirror will be very friendly to me this morning. Does anyone know where I can get one of those mirrors that say you look wonderful no matter what?
I actually held off on the caffeine till 8 am, I really was ready to start at 4 am, but figured it was a tad early for caffeine. No matter how much caffeine I have in my system I will nap when Eric does today.
I think I will take out my frustration on the grout in Eric's bathroom, something needs to be scrubbed within an inch of its life, so I choose the dirty bathroom floor. I hope my mood will improve as the floor gets cleaner, otherwise I will have to look for the next project.
Johns wonderful idea of keeping the lights on longer last night was great, we woke up to no post Halloween mess this morning. We did notice that the neighborhood is changing, we have less little ones than in past years and more teenagers coming after their parties breakup.
So I am off to start the laundry and the bathroom floor.
Enjoy your families today even on the post Halloween sugar high.
I actually held off on the caffeine till 8 am, I really was ready to start at 4 am, but figured it was a tad early for caffeine. No matter how much caffeine I have in my system I will nap when Eric does today.
I think I will take out my frustration on the grout in Eric's bathroom, something needs to be scrubbed within an inch of its life, so I choose the dirty bathroom floor. I hope my mood will improve as the floor gets cleaner, otherwise I will have to look for the next project.
Johns wonderful idea of keeping the lights on longer last night was great, we woke up to no post Halloween mess this morning. We did notice that the neighborhood is changing, we have less little ones than in past years and more teenagers coming after their parties breakup.
So I am off to start the laundry and the bathroom floor.
Enjoy your families today even on the post Halloween sugar high.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Contributing to the Delinquency of Grandmothers
OK, I am saying it out loud, I Sheri am contributing to the delinquency of some Grandmothers and Great-Grandmothers in Tucson. It all started innocently enough. I took my finishing basket to knitting to day to get some finishing work done.
So the topic came up of where everything was going. I said the fingerless gloves were for an order and the rest I was going to list on my Art Fire studio. We talked about the hats and scarfs and how I was going to price them, what were they made of, 100% wool of course and how to wash them.
That's when the it would look great on my grandchild conversation came up. I sold 2 hats. And then one of the new knitters asked if she could say that she made the hat? Not being that vain I said they could tell their grand kids that they made the hats for them. I thought whats the harm in a little white lie, if they needed more hats they would come back to me for them.
As we were talking over our days at dinner I told John about this because I thought it was funny. John , however looked at it differently and said that I was contributing to the delinquency of both of the grandmothers, in a joking tone.
So, yes to take credit for someone else's work is wrong, but have we become so entwined in the nuisances of life that a loving Grandmother can't tell a little white lie now and again. After all how can the grand kids say but grandma can do everything and be in awe of her as they should be. This is something that needs to be pondered upon.
In the mean time I hear the washer calling me. When will those clothes just learn to wash and dry themselves and then go to where they belong in the drawers and closets.
Have a good evening and enjoy your families.
So the topic came up of where everything was going. I said the fingerless gloves were for an order and the rest I was going to list on my Art Fire studio. We talked about the hats and scarfs and how I was going to price them, what were they made of, 100% wool of course and how to wash them.
That's when the it would look great on my grandchild conversation came up. I sold 2 hats. And then one of the new knitters asked if she could say that she made the hat? Not being that vain I said they could tell their grand kids that they made the hats for them. I thought whats the harm in a little white lie, if they needed more hats they would come back to me for them.
As we were talking over our days at dinner I told John about this because I thought it was funny. John , however looked at it differently and said that I was contributing to the delinquency of both of the grandmothers, in a joking tone.
So, yes to take credit for someone else's work is wrong, but have we become so entwined in the nuisances of life that a loving Grandmother can't tell a little white lie now and again. After all how can the grand kids say but grandma can do everything and be in awe of her as they should be. This is something that needs to be pondered upon.
In the mean time I hear the washer calling me. When will those clothes just learn to wash and dry themselves and then go to where they belong in the drawers and closets.
Have a good evening and enjoy your families.
Lovin Spoonfuls - Tucson Arizona
Food is one of the wonderful touchy subjects. Everyone has things that they will not touch and things that they love. Some people are vegans other are carnivores, most will go either way. We have a wonderful Vegan Restaurant in Tucson called Lovin Spoonfuls.
The menu has a wide array of options not just salads. They have come up with some amazing vegan versions of the food grandma use to make. They will leave you wondering is this really vegan, yes it is.
One of my favorite Vegan lunches is called a Route 66 a mock bacon cheeseburger, you will never catch me eating a real bacon cheeseburger it just sounds like a greasy heart attack on a bun. I have yet to figure out what makes a Route 66 burger so good but I will never turn one down. The Route 66 paired with a mock milk shake, soy based of course makes a wonderful treat.
Other things I will not eat include shellfish. Shellfish for some reason does not like me, but give me a basket of mock shrimp with cocktail sauce and I am in heaven. Lovin Spoonfuls makes a wonderful version.
I will never turn down a milk and egg free cake either. For me the consummate chocoholic it would be a toss up between the Black Forest Cake and the Chocolate cake. If available I would not pass up a good vegan carrot cake either. Did I mention that they had creme pies too, when available the coconut cream pie is wonderful.
If you happen to be around for breakfast you have to try the french toast or the pancakes, yes you can make both with out milk or eggs.
All these treats and a host of other wonderful food is available at Lovin Spoonfuls at 2990 N. Campbell Avenue in Tucson. This is just south of Fort Lowell on the east side of the street.
I have not been paid to do this review but if you stop by and enjoy some of these treats it will insure that I can get my Route 66 burger and shake when I want them.
Have a wonderful day and enjoy your families.
The menu has a wide array of options not just salads. They have come up with some amazing vegan versions of the food grandma use to make. They will leave you wondering is this really vegan, yes it is.
One of my favorite Vegan lunches is called a Route 66 a mock bacon cheeseburger, you will never catch me eating a real bacon cheeseburger it just sounds like a greasy heart attack on a bun. I have yet to figure out what makes a Route 66 burger so good but I will never turn one down. The Route 66 paired with a mock milk shake, soy based of course makes a wonderful treat.
Other things I will not eat include shellfish. Shellfish for some reason does not like me, but give me a basket of mock shrimp with cocktail sauce and I am in heaven. Lovin Spoonfuls makes a wonderful version.
I will never turn down a milk and egg free cake either. For me the consummate chocoholic it would be a toss up between the Black Forest Cake and the Chocolate cake. If available I would not pass up a good vegan carrot cake either. Did I mention that they had creme pies too, when available the coconut cream pie is wonderful.
If you happen to be around for breakfast you have to try the french toast or the pancakes, yes you can make both with out milk or eggs.
All these treats and a host of other wonderful food is available at Lovin Spoonfuls at 2990 N. Campbell Avenue in Tucson. This is just south of Fort Lowell on the east side of the street.
I have not been paid to do this review but if you stop by and enjoy some of these treats it will insure that I can get my Route 66 burger and shake when I want them.
Have a wonderful day and enjoy your families.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
A Very Good Day
After getting Eric on the bus for late start Wednesday, I headed over to the Honda Dealership to get an 1-A service and new wipers. I kept my self busy by organizing my coupon folder, throwing away expired coupons and filing the recently cut coupons. Once that was done I moved over to the TV area to work on some knitting. I made good progress I have almost finished the first fingerless glove, since they are black I will have to wait for good light to finish them.
The next choice was shopping at Target or going out to lunch. I choose Target and did some semi-retail therapy. I don't think you can really call it retail therapy if your basket is filled with food, sundries and cleaning supplies. Talking about cleaning supplies I cornered the market on the Mega Shower Foamer Scrubbing Bubbles, they had coupons on the cans, so I got 4 cans and saved 4 dollars. I will finish the bathroom floor later.
I had a great time with my coupons I saved $56.68 in coupons, and received a coupon for 5 dollars of my next visit, the cashier said I was the recession buster queen for the day. I guess she has not seen many people use the coupons to the max. I do have to say that it took almost as long to ring up the coupons as it did the items in my shopping basket. I do have to say that I left some coupons for other shoppers, I did not feel we needed 2 bags of chips and I had a better coupon on the toilet paper. As a bonus Target now gives 5 cents per bag rebate credit. Since some of my shopping bags are almost as old as Teri so I am sure that they have paid for themselves already.
I took 45 minutes to put almost everything away. I don't know how it got to be 3 pm. but I did make a sandwich for lunch and was still munching on lunch as Eric's bus pulled up. I really think it was colder when Eric got off the bus today, then when I put him on the bus, at least they covered him with a blanket to send him home.
I went a little teary eyed today when yet another one of Eric's doctors called to say that he was yet again at the top of their list for their limited supply of H1N1 vaccines. This was the second call this week. I think that there is a huge elephant in the room that everyone acknowledges but refuses to talk about. He did get his shot on Monday and I hope that it kicks in before the flu over takes his school.
I guess it is time to do a little cleaning and straighting before John gets home. I have an easy dinner planned, fish and chips with broccoli. I can open bags and boxes with the best of them.
Have a great evening and enjoy your families.
The next choice was shopping at Target or going out to lunch. I choose Target and did some semi-retail therapy. I don't think you can really call it retail therapy if your basket is filled with food, sundries and cleaning supplies. Talking about cleaning supplies I cornered the market on the Mega Shower Foamer Scrubbing Bubbles, they had coupons on the cans, so I got 4 cans and saved 4 dollars. I will finish the bathroom floor later.
I had a great time with my coupons I saved $56.68 in coupons, and received a coupon for 5 dollars of my next visit, the cashier said I was the recession buster queen for the day. I guess she has not seen many people use the coupons to the max. I do have to say that it took almost as long to ring up the coupons as it did the items in my shopping basket. I do have to say that I left some coupons for other shoppers, I did not feel we needed 2 bags of chips and I had a better coupon on the toilet paper. As a bonus Target now gives 5 cents per bag rebate credit. Since some of my shopping bags are almost as old as Teri so I am sure that they have paid for themselves already.
I took 45 minutes to put almost everything away. I don't know how it got to be 3 pm. but I did make a sandwich for lunch and was still munching on lunch as Eric's bus pulled up. I really think it was colder when Eric got off the bus today, then when I put him on the bus, at least they covered him with a blanket to send him home.
I went a little teary eyed today when yet another one of Eric's doctors called to say that he was yet again at the top of their list for their limited supply of H1N1 vaccines. This was the second call this week. I think that there is a huge elephant in the room that everyone acknowledges but refuses to talk about. He did get his shot on Monday and I hope that it kicks in before the flu over takes his school.
I guess it is time to do a little cleaning and straighting before John gets home. I have an easy dinner planned, fish and chips with broccoli. I can open bags and boxes with the best of them.
Have a great evening and enjoy your families.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A Pretty Typical Day
Well after being up with Eric half the night I still managed to have a productive day. Of course nothing but laundry happened till after a nap. It is so wonderful that Eric naps during the day when he is up for half the night. I even got the first load in the dryer before 7 am, and no you can not ask when that load of laundry was started.
After starting and frogging my first pair of fingerless gloves, I found another pattern on Raverly and am halfway through the first glove. Being me I changed the pattern to make it a little fancier.
On a whim I tried the new Mega Shower Foamer Scrubbing Bubbles on Eric's bathroom floor. I have to say that I was impressed, it took off deep down dirt in the grout that a professional cleaner said was never going to come out. He said that we would have to paint the grout with acrylic paint to make the grout look better. I sprayed it on and let it sit for a few minutes and rinsed the dirt down the drain. I only did a small sample area in the middle of the floor, I know you are suppose to do it in a corner to try things out, but I am still foggy brained tired. It worked so well I had to do a larger area so it would not look weird and ran out of steam before I finished the floor. I tried to take a picture but it does not show the dramatic difference it made. I will have to added it to my shopping list and finish the floor. Why do I get these wonderful ideas when I am so tired? I would like to thank the wonderful chemists that made such a great product, S.C. Johnson & Sons should really give them a raise.
I also won a prize package from Nature Valley last week and tried the Granola Nut Clusters in roasted Cashew today, they tasted like a nut bar that I frequently bought in the 70's. It had a very good tasted and texture and the nostalgia value is wonderful. Good job General Mills.
Even though Eric was up half the night and I am beginning to wear down I still have to get the prizes packaged so that they can be mailed, plus I set a goal of a clean counter and table, things seem to pile up so quickly even with a recycle basket and a shredder right by where I open the mail.
Full disclosure statement. I used a manufactures coupon to buy the Scrubbing Bubbles Mega Shower Foamer. The Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters came in a prize package that I won through a contest. I have not received any money in exchange for my views in this blog. All views in this blog are my own.
Have a wonderful night and enjoy your families.
After starting and frogging my first pair of fingerless gloves, I found another pattern on Raverly and am halfway through the first glove. Being me I changed the pattern to make it a little fancier.
On a whim I tried the new Mega Shower Foamer Scrubbing Bubbles on Eric's bathroom floor. I have to say that I was impressed, it took off deep down dirt in the grout that a professional cleaner said was never going to come out. He said that we would have to paint the grout with acrylic paint to make the grout look better. I sprayed it on and let it sit for a few minutes and rinsed the dirt down the drain. I only did a small sample area in the middle of the floor, I know you are suppose to do it in a corner to try things out, but I am still foggy brained tired. It worked so well I had to do a larger area so it would not look weird and ran out of steam before I finished the floor. I tried to take a picture but it does not show the dramatic difference it made. I will have to added it to my shopping list and finish the floor. Why do I get these wonderful ideas when I am so tired? I would like to thank the wonderful chemists that made such a great product, S.C. Johnson & Sons should really give them a raise.
I also won a prize package from Nature Valley last week and tried the Granola Nut Clusters in roasted Cashew today, they tasted like a nut bar that I frequently bought in the 70's. It had a very good tasted and texture and the nostalgia value is wonderful. Good job General Mills.
Even though Eric was up half the night and I am beginning to wear down I still have to get the prizes packaged so that they can be mailed, plus I set a goal of a clean counter and table, things seem to pile up so quickly even with a recycle basket and a shredder right by where I open the mail.
Full disclosure statement. I used a manufactures coupon to buy the Scrubbing Bubbles Mega Shower Foamer. The Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters came in a prize package that I won through a contest. I have not received any money in exchange for my views in this blog. All views in this blog are my own.
Have a wonderful night and enjoy your families.
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