Happy Homemaker Monday

The weather ~  It was absolutely gorgeous a few days ago but this morning I woke up to drab, rainy, cold, dreary, and pretty much the typical March weather for around my area.

On my reading pile ~ I was reading some Louis L'Amour books, I read several books by Serene Miller, and have reread my favorite nutrition book for who knows how many times now.

Movies or shows I watched this weekend ~  My sister and I watched half of the first movie in the Hobbit series (it's quite a long movie) and we plan to watch the other half this weekend.

On my TV ~  My whole family has not been watching any television at all throughout the day and the only time the telly is on is when my Dad retires into the living room after dinner where he will half listen to baseball as he reads his favorite Louis L'Amour books or does office work.

On the menu for this week ~ My Mum has let me take over the dinner plans for us two since I'm in love with nutrition and she's willing to eat whatever I serve the two of us. My parents go shopping every Thursday so that's just as far as I planned out my menu for this week. Just so you know, I did plan out our breakfasts and lunches too, it's just that the typical thought of menu consists of dinners so that's what I'm listing. My Mum made a much more elaborate menu for everyone else and I'm pretty sure she had different kinds of pies listed on there but this is my little menu plan.

Monday-  Turkey Enchiladas with salad
Tuesday- Quinoa Risotta with broccoli
Wednesday-  Salad with a burger
Thursday-  Cheesy Broccoli soup

On my to-do list ~ Applique, crochet, plan out A-Z blog posts.

What I am sewing, knitting, crocheting, or creating ~ I am working on appliqueing a lap quilt, and want to start crocheting a poncho to wear on the mornings when I'm frozen.

Looking around the house ~ I see my family, and all the proof that they live here in this house.

From the camera ~ I baked s'mores cupcakes to take to my home school group on Saint Patrick's Day. I honestly don't get how they ever came up with the whole pinch whoever is not wearing green idea.. But I do know that a whole bunch of chasing and panicked running occurred that day.

What I'm wearing today ~ A blue Indian cotton skirt, a brown floral t-shirt, and a vintage charm bracelet.

One of my simple pleasures ~ Drinking a nice steaming cup of tea in the evenings with a good book as company.

Bible verse/ Devotional ~ I am part of a Bible mailbox club and I get sent three devotionals on average per month which I look forward to receiving very much, my devotional study for today is called "Dealing with Anger" I have a good few scriptures to study on the subject but their prominent one is James 1:19, 20  "...let every man be swift to hear,slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not righteousness of God." I also really like Ephesians 4:31-32


I was delighted to join the fun with Happy Homemaker Monday from this blog Happy Homemaker Monday. 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Setting aside the real March Madness (NCAA Basketball) describe something happening at your house this month that might earn the title 'March Madness'?

  Planning out the A-Z challenge. Goodness, I found it takes half an hour of me staring mindlessly at the computer screen before I so much as come up with an idea for an idea.

2. What's a favorite made up word from your childhood or a favorite from your children's childhood? Does your family still use the word today? If there's a story behind the origin please share.

   The only word that I can think of is Lantwin. My brother invented that word to be a name for the "country" he owned (our cow pasture.) we spent uncountable hours playing in Lantwin, building our little homes, running from store to store and having citizens meetings in each other's little yards. We loved our country and still call the field behind our house "Lantwin."

3. Will you be doing any spring cleaning now that the season is upon us? I read here a list of 15 quick (under one hour) spring cleaning tasks. They were-

clean out a drawer, vacuum furniture, whiten tile grout, dust the nooks and crannies you don't get to year round, degrease kitchen cabinets, wipe down walls, go behind furniture, wipe down ceiling fans, vacuum the mattress, clean the range hood, wash baseboards, shine the stainless steel, clean out vents, tackle the windows, and wipe down gadgets

Of the fifteen 'quick' tasks listed which two most need doing at your house? Will you do them?

  Somehow it always seems like I spring clean every other month, I don't suppose there are any tasks more important than the others on my list and yes, naturally I shall help my family, my Mum always tells stories about her childhood days when we spring clean, so really it's never that horrid.

4. A favorite movie set in Paris or New York?

  I have no idea. I'm sure I have seen many Christmas movies set in New York but I can't think of one that stands out from all the rest.

5. What's put a spring in your step this month?

  The promise of spring, my nutrition studies, baking, the air around me, and many more insignificantly significant things.

6. Did you ever want to be a teacher? Why or why not?

  I never wanted to be a teacher, I mean, aside from playing school with my siblings (which was a bunch of fun since I got to boss them around) I was terrified of teaching school and vividly remember at the age of five, I was stressing out greatly about how in the world I was supposed to teach all my future children how to talk. 

7.  What's your favorite floral scent? Do you have this somewhere in your home or maybe in a perfume? How do you feel about florals in food? How about wines with floral notes-yay or nay?

  I love the scent of roses, but my favorite scent is definitely lilacs. I have a set of lilac scented soaps and lotions that my brother gave to me for a birthday and I still love them.

  As for floral flavored foods, one word, why?!!!! I made cupcakes once upon a time with rose water flavored frosting and it was the worst thing ever. I distinctly remember Eldon turning to me and asking if I got soap in the frosting.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

  It's so hard to believe that so much of my glorious new year has already passed. I have accomplished a fair amount of things on my goal list but still feel that life is too short. 
  I see the beauty in every sunrise and sunset yet they remind me that life is a fleeting dream, oh for time to stand still for but just a moment.

Wednesday Hodgepodge ~ a Day Late

1. What is one area of your life where you're a perfectionist? Is that a good thing?

   Notebooks. I love all kinds of paper but making the first mark in a new notebook takes careful precision and never do I feel worse than when I accidentally scribble and mess up in a new notebook. I wouldn't say that's a bad thing, though it sure is a pain sometimes.

2. What's something you find perfectly ridiculous?

 Now this is nothing new to you all I'm sure, but Geometry is something I find completely pointless (no pun intended). I know I always slam Geometry into every "what's something horrible?" question, but it's only because it fits the bill perfectly. In fact, I almost cried the other day when my Geometry teacher brightly announced that I'd be doing Geometry combined with Algebra from now till the end of this semester.

3. What's a skill you've developed by way of that old fashioned saying, 'practice makes perfect?

  Definitely my whole baking experience. I have so much farther to go, but no longer does curdled buttercream scare me, up next I want to attempt making puff pastry, now that scares me, but in a good way.

4. What's your idea of a perfect breakfast?

  One that tastes awesome and has no calories. (Just kidding.) I absolutely love oat pancakes topped with creamy yogurt and fresh sweet blueberries, I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it.

5. What's a trip, holiday, vacation, or day outing you've taken that you'd rate a perfect 10? Tell us why.

   My Mum, Diane, and I have been taking a bunch of fun outings in general lately, between our trips to and from our home school group, taking walks on our nearby trail, and spontaneous drives throughout the countryside I've been having my fill of adventure and I love it.

6. What quote or saying perfectly sums up your life right now? If you can't do perfect, how about one that comes close?

  Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free.

7. How would you spend $300 today?

  I would absolutely love to go and buy all of the cookbooks I've been dreaming about lately, I would buy the dress I need for my part in the home school group's play, and I'd buy the waffle iron that my Mum and I need.  

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

    A few days ago we went for a walk on our nearby trail. We had walked about a mile and a half and then we turned around to walk back to our truck. Sean, since he was exhausted, looked at me with his puppy dog eyes and asked quietly if I could carry him back. Being the older sister that I was (and the sucker for puppy dog eyes) I scooped up Sean and started walking back with him. He wrapped his little arms tightly around my neck and excitedly told me that if I walked fast I could beat Mum and Diane back to the truck. So step after step I trudged on, keep in mind that Sean is no little baby, he's already a kindergarten-er so he was quite heavy and only got heavier the farther I walked, it got to the point where I felt like a slug, one that had been stepped on one too many times. He kept on giving me excited updates on how far ahead we were, I smiled and nodded but all I could think about was how very log-like my legs felt, and how my arms felt like they could snap off. Half way to our truck Sean came up with the brilliant idea that if he put his baseball cap on my head, maybe I could walk faster, so, vision half-obscured, I stumbled onward. Eventually we reached our truck and he whooped victoriously but all I wanted to do was collapse. When Mum and Diane finally caught up they inquired why I was running the whole way back, I believe it was about then that I laughed hysterically.