Happy New Year!

I truly hope everyone has done their end of year preparing and are ready for a new year.  I have tried my best.  I avoided a few chores and did some others but all in all I feel I'm pretty ready.  Yesterday the kids got in the mood to help me with chores at the day care.  I was half in shock when three of them asked me if they could help.  I happily said yes and happily rewarded their efforts with Smarties!  For the end of the year in blogging for me I thought I would share a trick the Miss Katie Bug likes to do.  She has trained me well I tell you.  We mainly play this way when I am in the kitchen cooking and can't use my hands.  She's such a smarty!  My friend Melia was over this past weekend for some catch-up girl time.  We had a blast together and she got a kick out of Kate doing this.  Love to all and Happy New Year!

 



Let the clean up begin

 



I'm not one of those folks who leaves their Christmas décor up until February.  I strongly believe in leaving the old year in the old year and not bringing any of that into the New Year.  I spend the last days of every year dusting, sweeping, cleaning and putting up Christmas.  Actually, this morning I set a goal and prayed to stay focused on my task at hand.  I figured with a small bit of organized planning I could have my decorations down in less than two hours.  As of two hours later I have everything up and in new labeled boxes and in the attic except for the main tree.  I only lack taking the lights off and the tree down which won't take but a few minutes.  Hey... I got hungry and I need to finish off the Christmas ham and grape salad too!  I started to take pictures to show you my mess but didn't want to loose focus. 

Now comes an afternoon of putting things back where they go and possibly a basement straightening.  That has got to be done before the end of the year too.  I am a tad superstitious at the end of the year.  I don't want that pile of garage sale items dropped as I came in the house and cardboard boxes for packaging shelves left sitting there when 2014 rolls in for fear that I will use this spot the whole year as a catch-all.  Which is one of my resolutions... to de-use that spot.  I wind up leaving things sitting there for eternity. 

One year, my resolution was to break my habit of using my oven as storage for pots and pans.  I successfully kept that resolution and know I can keep this one.  It's just got to be cleaned up first.  Blah scrumbug!  Luckily I have a few days between work to get it all done and thankfully the energy to do it.  There's a lot of sick going around... I know.. I had the stomach bug a couple of weeks ago and it liked to did me in! 

I will share a favorite blog of mine that I will be using for re-decorating after the holidays.  She and I have similar taste in home décor anyway.  Here's her home pictures and blog... RootsandFeathers.

Have a wonderful weekend!

A New Year

The first day of the year is one of my favorite days.  I always make a big lunch that includes all the traditional dishes of cabbage, black eyed peas, pork, apples and cornbread.  I am a country gal and I do cook with lard and am very proud of it.  This year our lunch included country ham (pork) from our pigs symbolizing rooting in to the new year, cabbage cooked in the crock pot in broth with onions and caraway seeds for money, black eyed peas with hog fat for luck and cinnamon apples for spicy love.  I made the last one up and it usually is made with red hots for "red hot love" but sadly I was lacking in the red hot department in the pantry so I made do with spices.  Still fantastic.  My New Year's lunch is always accompanied by guests because I also believe that the luck and such must be shared and somehow a different crowd is here every year.  I am just glad to share.

After lunch, I put my coveralls and rain boots on and Molly and I took a walk in the woods. We checked on the garden, looked for flint rocks and walked down the old trail on the edge of the woods. I also had to take care of chores outside myself because I have given my nasty cold to my darling husband.  If you can't share with the ones you love who can you share with?

I have thought about resolutions and actually thought about not making any.  However, I have come up with a couple of things that I love to do but with busy-ness have fallen short in doing.  So my two resolutions so far are to walk in the woods once a week and  make suet this winter for the birds.  I have done both today so I am off to a good start.  I also believe that what you do on New Year's day is what you will be doing all year.  So no fretting, no kicking myself for no reason and lots of love for what I have been given in life. 

What resolutions have you made for yourself so far?

The Dirty Dirty Part 3

Among several spots in our home that need a good cleaning out, this is the third one that I am sharing with you!  Let me tell ya, it's not easy to show the world what a slob I can be.  But I am playing "show and tell" as a sort of incentive for myself to get it done and also for you.  Maybe you have an area that needs straightening, a "catch-all" spot... don't you?

Well, also,  the end of the year is coming and I am particularly funny about taking un-necessary dirt and clutter into the new year.  In fact, I once read in a Feng Shui book that you need to sweep out all the old dirt,  from the previous year, right out the door.  I got what they meant and every year I begin to do weird stuff the last few weeks of the year.

Here is the tacky spot in my home that I tackled today.  The linen closet in my hall.  I have a thing for vintage sheets but I use the softest of soft flannel sheets during the winter and from about October until March that is what we use.  So what's the point of keeping them in this tiny spot when they can be bagged up for a few months?  I wound up keeping two sets down and a spare set for the guest bedroom.  Just in case they aren't fond of the flannel sheets for that room.  Mostly, the towels needed to be sorted, refolded and put in their correct spaces and everything else for that matter.  All in all this re-do took about twelve minutes.  And that is just silly because I have been putting it off for months. 

Before... not terrible but needs help.

 Flat sheets in with the towels??? Have I gone MAD???

 What a lazy slob.  This is how I kick myself when I look at these pictures.

Why is my Fourth of July flag even in there???

 Spread it all out to decide what goes in the attic and what stays.

 Stored extra pillows up top instead of on the floor.

Flannels on the right, looking forward to warmer weather on the left.

Gosh I love that old poppies flat sheet.  I want a dress made out of it.

 Refolded and refluffed.

I use the ones on the right, Shaun likes the ones on the left. 

We are quirky about the wash cloths too.

 I am beginning to be able to breathe again.

The fan stays.  It is still needed in the kitchen at times.

 And as for you vintage pillowcases... this doesn't mean Mommy doesn't love you.

See you in the Spring!