tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47629008993467519092024-03-14T01:34:03.140-07:00Our LivesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger446125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-20713323324691178052016-07-21T00:46:00.000-07:002016-07-21T18:49:30.666-07:00HousekeepingThe word "housekeeping" stroke people differently. People either like it or hate it. In my case, there's no middle ground. I have tried to be neutral about it and it did not work.<br />
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There are books of all different methods to help us keep our house clean and organized and some even promise if we follow it thoroughly our house will practically cleanse itself.<br />
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Obviously it is a war on words. If a book is written well enough to win someone's mind or hit a spot many readers have been struggled for a while, the book (method) then for sure would become the best seller on the market.<br />
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I remember the Sidetracked House Executives was a hit. I learned lots of ideas from them, such as how to organize your day/week/month/year in the 3x5 cards. Then Don Aslett's book title Clutter's Last Stand was so catchy and the book was such a fun read that I actually learned how to clean (non organically at the time) per his suggestions, especially on the <b>kitchen counter tops</b>. Then Elizabeth George's "A woman after God's own heart" made me aware of how God wants us to be the <b>manager of our own home</b>. Another author was Emily Barnes. Her books were everywhere and I even bought one but I don't think I got much out of it except that later on from somewhere an interview I read that she wished she didn't focus so much on keeping the house to a point where she didn't spend as enough time with her son(s). That was a warning I heeded and have always made sure that I am <b>serving my family before tackling the house chores</b>.<br />
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Of course FLYlady hit the ground running and I ran with it, on and off since 1999. I have learned the <b>power of 15 minutes</b> and the importance of the <b>bedroom sanctuary</b> and the <b>swish swash</b> (which you probably have read from some posts I wrote here a while ago). Later in the 2000's the blog world opened my eyes with so many Bloggers started blogging about housekeeping as a business. I meant I literally followed some blogs for a duration just because I loved all the Before and After pictures. Pinterest also did a number to me.<br />
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Sad to say that even with all of these reading my house still remained a hot mess for a long time. I did have some progresses for a spell of time when I worked the "methods". But they all crumbled as soon as I got sidetracked - aka got lazy or busy. I struggled with it. You see, by cleaning and keeping the house tidy is a form of my worship to God. Not being able to do a good job at it truly discouraged me. But we do serve a merciful God and a God Who DOES know our heart's desire. I bummed into the "Zero Waste Home" Blog. From there I have learned how to <b>let stuff go</b>. It was a minimalism approach and it made so much sense to me. It was the "important and sentimental STUFF" that's holding me back all these years! What a liberation to have finally found the cause of my problem!<br />
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Just as I was ready to tackle the "STUFF" we had three special major events took place this May/June and even though I did not physically do a lot of the planning and executing of the events, they were weighing yet on my mind constantly. I decided it would be best to wait till July is over to begin the journey (hopefully for the last time) of cleaning out my house.<br />
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That's when I heard of the <b>Konmarie method</b>. Out of curiosity I borrowed the book from the library (I learned this from the Zero Waste Home - <b>buying is the last resort</b>) and am still reading it. To date, I have to say I am having a hard time accepting her art of tidying philosophies whole heartily. Like many concerned Christians who had read the book commented on the fact that she gives thanks to objects instead of the Giver of all things. That fact bothers me as well. Other than that part, there are practical applications of her ideas. The <b>clothes folding method </b>and the <b>daily purse purging </b>are the two things I am trying out currently.<br />
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All in all, I feel that the housekeeping skill is lost since the schools stopped offering Home Ed. Many of our moms walking out of the kitchen in the 60's also contributed to this dilemma. All the chores our grandparents did "naturally" are now the expertise we have to spend money to acquire.<br />
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Can there be one way of housekeeping proficiency? Can we learn to love housekeeping? Or at least enjoy it? Perhaps. For me, the minimal mindset has helped a great deal. With all of these information I have gathered through the years ought to help me stay on track. I pray when another life event takes place again I will be ready for it and won't let it take away all the effort I have put in managing and caring of our home.<br />
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Since I have to choose either to love it or hate housekeeping, I have decided to love it. After all, there is a joy in doing even the most mundane tasks in life, if I commit myself to it. Surely I have pledged my life to serve my family as unto the Lord, I have tasted the fruit of this labor, it is indeed sweet.<br />
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Learned from Don Aslett to always clean kitchen counters from left to right.</div>
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Evening Routine ~ A shinny sink always gives me energy in the morning.</div>
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I try to keep my sanctuary as clean and peaceful as possible always. I have loved entering our bedroom since the transformation and yes I make the bed first thing every morning after I get up.</div>
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This is what my night table is like currently. The Orchid did not last very long in this room. I like to have plants in all the rooms so I may figure out some other heartier plants to put here soon.</div>
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One part of our homeschool room. I love this IKEA shelf-cubes! </div>
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THIS has been a HOT SPOT since we moved in. My daily chore for sure.</div>
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We are a book family and I am very thankful to have a few built-in bookshelves. I am looking forward to tweak them till I like them. This set up is very soothing to my eyes, so far...</div>
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Ha! I can't resist to post this picture. You know who folds clothes this way, right...? :)</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-89957818791293257382016-07-17T16:30:00.000-07:002016-07-17T16:31:25.597-07:00Old Skill, New ToolDo you know how to use chopsticks? Do you ask for a fork in Asian restaurants?<br />
I have been using chopsticks my whole life and have always taken the skill of using chopsticks for grant. It's something all Asians do so no biggies.<br />
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We like cold brewed coffee and to use the simple low tech cold brew coffee maker, there are a few must have items. We have been doing the cold brewed coffee for years without any incidents until last month. First the glass jar broke and then we could not find the stopper of the coffee maker. I replaced the jar easily since I have many glass jars in the house but the stopper was a different story. We searched high and low in the kitchen and eventually went to Lowe's and got a plastic stopper replacement (not rubber) and things are back to normal again, Not perfect, but it worked.<br />
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Last week when I turned on the garbage disposal, I heard some funny sound but because we were busy with the wedding reception I just decided there were some stubborn orange peels that got down there and needed more time to be ground down so I went on with life. Today, when hubby and I heard it again, I was puzzled and then he shouted: "It's the coffee maker stopper! It has to be it!" I looked at him and looked the disposal mouth and then looked at our hands. Our hands are just too big to reach down there to figure out if it was the stopper. So we grab a flash light and shined down the throat of the disposal and sure enough, there it was - the stopper! Calling our young son over in hope to see if his little hand can reach down there and pick it up, that's when I had a thought! How about my chopsticks? They are skinny enough to reach down there and I can just pick it up like I pick up a piece of meat from the meal plate...<br />
Yup! The old chopsticks and my "skill" of using them saved the day!<br />
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Now the chopsticks are my new "long tweezers" on my tool list. How cool is that?<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-34581309583504463442016-05-13T14:10:00.000-07:002016-05-13T14:11:02.999-07:00Salt and Baking SodaLiving is expensive. There are so many things tucking at your wallet. House cleaning product is one of them. You want your house clean? there's a product for every nook in your house.<br />
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Years ago, when my older children were younger, money was just not there. However, regardless how "difficult" life seemed, we had a wonderful family life. I would not trade my family for anything else.<br />
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Lacking of monetary means forced me to look high and low for all sorts of saving tips. I used to be the coupon queen before it was cool to be one. Eating "rubber chicken" before it was a trend among the struggling young families now. And of course, eating organically was super expensive at the time when I realized box foods were not really food. Haha!<br />
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In order to eat better, I needed to find other ways to save. My home-made cleaning product was born out of that necessity. Some of the habits from then I still use now.<br />
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Since our finance have improved somewhat (after all the ups and downs with unemployment during the late 2000), I have moved away from some of these wonderful home-made cleaning gems. But now that we are doing the Dave Ramsey's Financial Freedom, I decided to take a look at what expenses have we gotten relax on. Well, cleaning product was one of them. Hmmm, that is a post for another day.<br />
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Back to my current post. Because we had a crazy month last month, I had let my stove top gone to a place I can't and don't want to mention. So this morning seemed to be a good time to tackle it, because, why yes, we were having company. Imagine that!<br />
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After I used Melaleuca's Tough & Tender to soak on the crusty, with some what burned-on stove top and scrubbed away. It took forever and the stove top still looked horrible.<br />
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Well, my company came and I was not going to work on the stove top while they were here. My friend's mother, who is probably about my age, casually glanced over my stove top and said: Salt and Baking Soda.<br />
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Bingo!!! Duh!!!!<br />
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I have completely forgotten that trick! Thank you K for the reminder. After they left, I went looking for my box of salt I know I have it here somewhere... We have started eating sea salt so I don't buy table salt anymore. So glad I found a box of Kosher salt in the pantry.<br />
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No water needed. Just salt and Baking Soda and I scrubbed away with a piece of paper towel. No chemical smell, no harsh scrubbing. All things natural and all the grease and dirt came off! I am a happy "young wife" again.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-14777232853722450102016-05-09T18:48:00.002-07:002016-05-09T18:58:57.370-07:00Minimize It Monday - Traveling wardrobeWe are home from our whirlwind weekend trip attending our daughter's out of state graduation. Since I am still catching up with all the to-dos this will be a short and sweet post.<br />
When I was packing for the trip, I had only one thing in mind - travel light!<br />
I don't do the capsule wardrobe concept but I do maintain a seasonal exchange closet. I have been methodically building up my wardrobe color, which is black and white mostly for traveling/last minute dress-up event needs. However, lest you worry I am a colorless person (far from it) I do have a closet full of other color clothing, mainly the casual wear. Black and white is my solid, will not go wrong, color scheme for dress-up events. :)<br />
With the "light traveling" thought in mind, I took a quick collection of the clothing I needed for the three days two nights stay, and here was what I brought with me - all in black and white:<br />
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Two black pants - one slack and one skinny jeans. One black and white flower long skirt. Two nice tanks - one black and white stripe and one solid black. Two pairs of shoes - one dress-up and one semi casual. Three sweaters - one white, one black and one sparkling (which I didn't end up wearing). Two sets of necklaces, one formal and one semi casual. Two short night gowns - one satin gray and one cotton white with little pink flowers (not pictured - it was a last minute grab) and three sets of undergarment, also not pictured. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATtmlbvmgnf6OecW0xetjEA57Cs5ED2RhmPPk07ymisZRaWEr6nWQ6v0gtxRoGYnyYavDwzwYG-1o9enMlf62uAof4Ms-jT46wMYXk-JR4-d08vIF2hSaVTnVWg4ZK13fniMmW-VcQdA/s1600/IMG_8335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATtmlbvmgnf6OecW0xetjEA57Cs5ED2RhmPPk07ymisZRaWEr6nWQ6v0gtxRoGYnyYavDwzwYG-1o9enMlf62uAof4Ms-jT46wMYXk-JR4-d08vIF2hSaVTnVWg4ZK13fniMmW-VcQdA/s400/IMG_8335.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Everything fit in this small carry-on - I even decided, in the last minute, to keep my nice shoes in the shoe box, which was also in this bag. </div>
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I love simplicity.</div>
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And the whole weekend went well. We are so proud of our daughter finishing her college BA degree right after high school. If you have attended college, you'd know the effort it take to finish that race right after high school.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70t844I_OdZa3bYcNYVzaVW7BJKgPHKNsLqxIyTGRPSA_kjQCbw1URNF6Zet5S-ou7tjRvjhrsua3bLEeOEMgRxbn-998iEeExkmZwhWNV-wJMti_sOa-15AY2l33RGK0e857O6NHglc/s1600/IMG_8371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70t844I_OdZa3bYcNYVzaVW7BJKgPHKNsLqxIyTGRPSA_kjQCbw1URNF6Zet5S-ou7tjRvjhrsua3bLEeOEMgRxbn-998iEeExkmZwhWNV-wJMti_sOa-15AY2l33RGK0e857O6NHglc/s400/IMG_8371.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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At Baccalaureate night</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXG68OfyY9-ZD8B-ME4tO_0k4SkXAjnPPBBWO3DPXASZhU6pPYAYzG0V_b0X-BhbAMxND101qRIO3d1U_Tuk7zGWBDi-gOJXAQ-WH3e7k_DE3HsCCAPHyXv0HC9CksTeUbfPb7x6lTBI/s1600/20160506_230453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXG68OfyY9-ZD8B-ME4tO_0k4SkXAjnPPBBWO3DPXASZhU6pPYAYzG0V_b0X-BhbAMxND101qRIO3d1U_Tuk7zGWBDi-gOJXAQ-WH3e7k_DE3HsCCAPHyXv0HC9CksTeUbfPb7x6lTBI/s400/20160506_230453.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We even got to celebrate Mother's Day early, in person, this year. And she hand-made me this sweet card. :)</div>
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That's it for today!</div>
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Have a purposeful Monday!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-89265524876533353602016-05-02T20:54:00.002-07:002016-05-09T19:01:20.811-07:00Minimize it Monday - Calendar SquaresWhat a super busy weekend we had! I am still recuperating from it today.<br />
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As I was contemplating what to minimize today, I saw my planner from the corner of my eye. Ahh. Yes, sometimes, minimizing our busy days is actually a wonderful project to launch, and what better place to see what our days are really like than looking into our family's calendar/planner?<br />
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Seeing some empty squares made me so happy. Nowadays, empty calendar squares are hard to come by, no matter what your age is.<br />
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Our calendar maybe fuller or emptier in the coming months, it all depends on how we want to use our days. My goal is not to fill it so full that all I would be doing is just to check off the boxes (or squares). We have many milestone celebrations this year so our calendar is mostly full for the summer. I am praying when Fall comes I will be able to minimize the busy squares on our calendar.<br />
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Increase empty calendar squares. increase our trust and rest in the Lord for our days.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-4595642690100268382016-04-28T23:31:00.000-07:002016-04-29T12:56:26.841-07:00Thursday for FridayI have always loved Fridays. It has meant different things through the years. But mostly, Friday always means happiness.<br />
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When I was in my youth, Fridays usually meant the beginning of a wonderful beach trip with my siblings promised by our father. We would wait *patiently* for him to finish his nap and then GO!<br />
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When I was in my late teen years, Fridays meant a fun weekend to be have with friends.<br />
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When I was a newly wed, Friday was always a movie and eating out combo (date night was not a normal term in those days for me)<br />
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When I was a young mom, Fridays meant house cleaning days. I was trying to live my newly changed life on other week days!<br />
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When we first decided to homeschool our children, Fridays had been mostly quizzes and tests days.<br />
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Now that we are homeschooling our last child, Fridays have become a welcoming break from the more strict routine of the previous weekdays. We will watch movies at home when the works are done and eat pizza or home made burgers and fries for dinner. Oh, and ice cream for dessert (ice cream is only served during weekend nights. It has been a "rule" since our first child could eat)<br />
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Fridays have always been a synonym of relaxation, easy-peasy days, most of the time, at least.<br />
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But for some reasons, our Fridays have become busy lately. Saturdays, too. I somehow seem to be able to pack these two days solid with lots of to-do's. I feel it and I don't like it. I have noticed our weekends literally just zoomed by, every week!<br />
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Today, not sure how it happened, I felt like it is a Friday. I did a lot of errands but somehow in my mind, it felt like a Friday. So I rolled with it. We got our homework done. CC is over now so I mainly just do light review and Language Arts and simple math with P since he is still in the lower elementary level of learning. I spent the day like half Thursday and half Friday, if that make sense. I really like it, and tomorrow I would have a half Friday half Saturday kinda day, I assume.<br />
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I guess the weekend seems to last longer when I feel this way? Hmmm... we shall see.<br />
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Weekend means family time to us. Perhaps that's the reason I wish to have it last a little longer...<br />
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Anyway, I will try this Thursday for Friday mindset for a few weeks and see how we like it (mainly for P and me) and may report back here. :)<br />
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Happy weekend!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20FpXpCP_cKqqswsBycsQtiYZJ3avJUGOEotfAVpboVge44KSZTFddQ6-pUV6n3bBxvX0ZOU6JWkhxZSV07gNSqcaYJPws6__429igjch4pXZxJxk4gqMaGNinOJykWbBJvlpaza2B4I/s1600/IMG_8092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20FpXpCP_cKqqswsBycsQtiYZJ3avJUGOEotfAVpboVge44KSZTFddQ6-pUV6n3bBxvX0ZOU6JWkhxZSV07gNSqcaYJPws6__429igjch4pXZxJxk4gqMaGNinOJykWbBJvlpaza2B4I/s640/IMG_8092.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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P feeding a giraffe on a Friday zoo field trip.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-91867011321460372572016-04-25T14:06:00.000-07:002016-04-25T14:06:35.956-07:00Minimize It Monday - Procrastination PilesWe all have them. You know, on the floor or in the bags, the boxes, the baskets, the bins.<br />
<br />When we throw those "to be xxx" into those containers, we had one goal in mind - the stuff will be taken care of after this time or event. The reality is, while it tricked us thinking they are contained (especially in pretty container), 90% of the time, the stuff just sit there. And the containers multiplied. So did our shoulder pain, aka stress.<br />
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I have <strike>a few </strike> many of these containers. I call them my Delinquent Boxes (DB). They are mostly papers. It shocked me because I usually process mails that got into my home immediately. Where did all these boxes come from? I decided to grab a box today and examined the content of that DB. Sure enough, most of them are school papers (we homeschool do CC) and bill invoices (regardless I have many bills paid automatically).<br />
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Why is that? Why is that I couldn't control this part of my life?<br /><br />As I went through the DB, my mind was made up to make this my paper de-cluttering project for the duration of this year. I want to lick this monster. Paper piles stress me most out of all other kinds of piles. It is a constant cue that I am either avoiding certain reality or my priority is just not parked in the right place.<br />
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So first thing first, I eliminated one bin. Shredded many papers and sorted the copies (which I will go further to cut down before "filing" them) I will, however reluctantly, be sure to change some more statements from paper format to pdf on the company's website.<br />
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It is always good to set small goals. My humble goal of sorting through this DB today was reached! I took my first bite of this elephant. I am ready for another <strike>bin </strike>bite tomorrow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqf8lErLxY3AYTbMVhD6IXtXnHu6hEJYuWm3oDSg0H_evSiNHMsldIfJfFI-WAd1RVoe0Hqw3xrcI-vZeihuXK_tP6dRm-WKgdDl9y7XLrDzoiIGftwCSJ15lfrcH-xauaoMR7VxK43o/s1600/IMG_8193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqf8lErLxY3AYTbMVhD6IXtXnHu6hEJYuWm3oDSg0H_evSiNHMsldIfJfFI-WAd1RVoe0Hqw3xrcI-vZeihuXK_tP6dRm-WKgdDl9y7XLrDzoiIGftwCSJ15lfrcH-xauaoMR7VxK43o/s400/IMG_8193.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This was the most recent DB so I started with it... the bin is not even mine....</div>
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An hour later... cleared box, clearer mind. The bin will be returned to its owner in a couple of days!</div>
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Now onto making a bill binder.</div>
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Do you have any Delinquent Boxes?</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-85181271073269514042016-04-21T16:59:00.000-07:002016-04-21T17:04:04.827-07:00Above the Line Shopping ListI opened the refrigerator this morning and noting down items I needed to buy as the fridge is getting empty and my big shopping day is not till next week. I quickly wrote down some items on the back of a receipt. Moments later, My big boy came and said: "Mom, there's nothing in the fridge... when are you going to pick up some food?" Hmmm.... Guest I had no choice but made a dashing trip to TJ before lunch time.<br />
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On my way to the store, I was thinking why do I still write things down? Why didn't I just print out a bunch of the shopping lists I had created and just grab one whenever I needed it? Well, I know the answer, I just did not want to admit it - the list was the way I wanted it to be, not what needs to be. I had all my "wants" on it, whether we can afford it or not.<br />
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The list worked well for a while, a long while, mind you, as long as I put the "want" items on credit if I ran out of cash, which happened a few times too many. Slowly and by God's grace, I had come to terms with my shopping "wish list" and need it to reflect our current budget plan. The desire of wanting a new list finally caught up with me today.<br />
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When I was making the left turn to enter the shopping center, a light bulb went on. We are currently in one of Dave Ramsey's Money Make-over classes and last week he shared one of his experiences (on video) about how he and his wife had to sit down and made an "Above the Line" budget sheet. Basically, anything above the line got paid, anything below the line got paid when there's extra money. Thank the Lord we didn't have to do that with our finance. We have debt but not as horrendous as the one they had. We are in the class for a different reason, that's a post for another day.<br />
Anyway, that "Above the Line" idea sat in as I was thinking about how to redo my shopping habit/list that I got so excited when I came home I quickly revised the list.<br />
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The new list gives me a very clear picture where all the dollars go (one of DR's strong teachings - give every dollar a name) Anything above the line of the shopping list we NEED to have in the house every week, even though some of the items lasts more than one week and only need to be purchased once in a while. None the less, it helps me to budget better and hopefully to avoid the question from my son: "Mom, when are you going to the store...?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDKkucAJN9Qx2qQnt4SvURWNCczdRH1Nkjf-s5MvrF9jw9S4tIJlkClVlafqBRPEx59o47Lbhd3POENPJzAklvFco2s38mvAA8dHB8QABx_khwkNL6zdKEa30LyKWEnP12afhqw2Ojas/s1600/IMG_8149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDKkucAJN9Qx2qQnt4SvURWNCczdRH1Nkjf-s5MvrF9jw9S4tIJlkClVlafqBRPEx59o47Lbhd3POENPJzAklvFco2s38mvAA8dHB8QABx_khwkNL6zdKEa30LyKWEnP12afhqw2Ojas/s400/IMG_8149.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The old list - it served us well for many years. If anything, it helped me to try to stick to the list when I go shopping.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgypBU8E2vph0SmEUQZn50C5nMGosdXHs4xLKk3vngk96aJckDadtL3uCX7HyZVxhabi95G5Zf7ANWBkmBeILbXWHYQB-ta1LZo6J8TBDUQ0ROQyO-9vr-YwA15BrWhOzw-lJLR43aSIQ/s1600/IMG_8150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgypBU8E2vph0SmEUQZn50C5nMGosdXHs4xLKk3vngk96aJckDadtL3uCX7HyZVxhabi95G5Zf7ANWBkmBeILbXWHYQB-ta1LZo6J8TBDUQ0ROQyO-9vr-YwA15BrWhOzw-lJLR43aSIQ/s400/IMG_8150.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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The revised list prints on both sides. Now I know the food budget allows me to get things that are "above the line" and if we have extra, I could shop something below the line. Lets you worry, ice cream is above the line. ;)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sij6admIMgNHj70aNOPuFRY2lnHclhwnG6wppyhirsmuzirrjQfz3gX9ogO3UoaYH1BlviApYbAb_iogSZT4n2Nfj8FXz5sOtfdLymyC-5n6dAXK8bQ_7_CWYb9zLbUtVpLmEuQs1zY/s1600/IMG_8147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0sij6admIMgNHj70aNOPuFRY2lnHclhwnG6wppyhirsmuzirrjQfz3gX9ogO3UoaYH1BlviApYbAb_iogSZT4n2Nfj8FXz5sOtfdLymyC-5n6dAXK8bQ_7_CWYb9zLbUtVpLmEuQs1zY/s400/IMG_8147.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also learned that instead of buying Tarter sauce, I can combine these two items and they taste exactly like tarter sauce and oh so delicious! I learned this trick from the "Chef" behind the TJ Taste station. Now I don't buy the use only a couple times and throw away Tarter sauce!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpRJsykomGdpwxeblc2JS2skpSaZfGTY91ML5ial2JSKv9Wz9NbLtwhqcBai6TUK_bSDNKxwmhFmEV-cVl-Ae36x07kpuKeePTqa4JZZjHoPb-4mg8iB9e_llJHZZ2nTDDVJpyx9fuWA/s1600/IMG_8148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpRJsykomGdpwxeblc2JS2skpSaZfGTY91ML5ial2JSKv9Wz9NbLtwhqcBai6TUK_bSDNKxwmhFmEV-cVl-Ae36x07kpuKeePTqa4JZZjHoPb-4mg8iB9e_llJHZZ2nTDDVJpyx9fuWA/s400/IMG_8148.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Maple Syrup, My kids love them. It is a staple goodness in our house. Because I am watching the budget like a hawk right now, I picked this smaller jar for this month. I usually buy the 32 Oz. one but since we are revamping our budget I decided not to break the bank for it on today's quick shopping trip. I don't buy a lot of stuff but I do try to buy the good ones whenever I can.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-7498148383126599552016-04-18T19:06:00.000-07:002016-04-18T19:06:06.911-07:00Minimized It Monday - A few years later (!)Wow! As I clicked to start a new post I glanced over to see when was the last time I wrote an entry, it was THREE YEARS ago, on a Monday!<br />
<br />I am on the de-cluttering mode again, after living here three plus years. I want to start documenting our lives again. I really missed blogging. It was great soul therapy in the years past when I did.<br />
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The room I have started with is our school/library/office/guest room. Yes. It is in a dire need of tidying up.<br />
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It took me all this time to hate, to love, to accept, to accommodate this room. Then, all at once, in the beginning of this month, I FELT ready to tackle it. I am still in the tidying process. I took my time and because it's my Minimized It Monday, I thought it would be great to start blogging again and share my life once more on this small pad of Blog Land.<br />
<br />I didn't take a "before" picture, just imagine there were more bags and stuff all over the bed. This is a "during" photo.<br />
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Not the best picture but it's a start.</div>
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And I wonder how many of my old readers still check-in on my blog. :)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-27211549042317244022013-04-15T21:00:00.000-07:002013-04-15T21:12:55.337-07:00Minimize it Monday: Start OverOver the weekend I was bed resting for my lower back pain and I had a chance to go through my old blog posts and I found myself re-reading many of my Home-Making posts. Minimize it Mondays were the posts I enjoyed re-reading because they reminded me the effect of less is more.<br />
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Since we moved, I have not really had a chance to make any plans or continue some of the wonderful habits we have established in our old home. It is over due and I am about ready to launch my minimizing effort again, now that I get to "know" this home a little better.<br />
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This Monday post is a "Start Over" but we actually tackled the tasks over the weekend. My goal was simple to attain since I had to be careful of my movement so not to upset my back pain any further:<br />
~ Unplug and remove some small appliances from the counter top that are not in use constantly - toaster oven, coffee grinder, juicer, etc... you got the picture.<br />
~ Replacing all the light bulbs to the "greenlite" economic types (Hubby's department and they were mostly done!)<br />
~ Pull out my "<a href="http://ourlives09.blogspot.com/2010/05/minimize-it-monday-to-do-notebook.html">To-Do Notebook</a>" and start jotting things/projects down.<br />
~Clean the boys bed rooms. (Josh got his done and Peter was helping Daddy (since Mommy was out of commission) by making his own bed - we are still working on a better organization for his toys).<br />
~ Going through Peter's clothes and continue to keep them in the "<a href="http://ourlives09.blogspot.com/2010/04/minimize-it-monday-peters-drawers.html">seven sets</a>" way. Still working on this as I was not able to move/sit too long.<br />
~ Assigning new "<a href="http://ourlives09.blogspot.com/2010/04/minimize-it-monday-hot-spot.html">Hot Spots</a>". Almost done.<br />
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I had to pace myself as any sudden movement would send me back to the excruciating pain in my lower back. None the less, I am glad I was motivated enough to start (actually, to continue) the belated Spring Cleaning.<br />
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Peter Helping to make his bed.</div>
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Joshua Made his the military style - Straight and no wrinkles!</div>
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We are in the process of replacing the whole house's light bulbs into this type of energy efficient ones.</div>
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~This post is linked to <a href="http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com/2013/04/anti-procrastination-tuesday_15.html">Amy's Tuesday AP Party</a>~</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-38700966437929460112013-04-01T15:55:00.000-07:002013-04-01T22:53:56.266-07:00Refrigerator Cleaning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Spring Cleaning continues... Today, I decided to tackle the fridge. I have not really cleansed it since we moved in and it was time.</div>
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Before...</div>
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This is how I organize my shelves:</div>
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Top self - way in the back I keep the flours and the used coconut oil for deep frying. I also have added a shelf in there to hold the flat items.</div>
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second "layer" on top shelf - extras of the same stuff.</div>
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Top shelf - in the front is my daily stuff.</div>
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Second shelf - Left overs and more daily stuff. I love using shoe boxes in there for easy access.</div>
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I love this huge drawer! I keep lots of "loose" items in there. I use a shorter tray in there for a compartment look. I also love my white hard boiled eggs holder - a TJ Max find.</div>
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Third shelf - More shoe boxes for veggies and fruit.</div>
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The two drawers' contents are obvious.</div>
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This is before I restock but it is bare because we EAT the stuff we buy. A lot less wastes these days.</div>
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Because we have the wall behind the fridge door, I remove the door shelf before pulling out the bottom left drawer to clean.</div>
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After = ♥</div>
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The door storage is the worst part of the organization. Before... </div>
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After. Love how the like items are next to each other. :) Those white dividers are adjustable. One thing I learned is that milk goes bad faster if stored in the door shelf as the temperature fluctuates quite a bit with the opening and closing of the door.<br />
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Freezer door. Before.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5F78fMFcnf_3zDlkVJ7FXOjP7vmVyKRUSWTnaz0vtWHMdloHNS2JLxRRcd1QwVSc1QgOvlmPQOQtuQABxKwmn4pA_NGK2w5qLuoAm81gvTU5Vv4V4UESz86p2nK9Sxu9fjY6g70r8oEA/s1600/IMG_3238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5F78fMFcnf_3zDlkVJ7FXOjP7vmVyKRUSWTnaz0vtWHMdloHNS2JLxRRcd1QwVSc1QgOvlmPQOQtuQABxKwmn4pA_NGK2w5qLuoAm81gvTU5Vv4V4UESz86p2nK9Sxu9fjY6g70r8oEA/s640/IMG_3238.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Freezer door. After. Not sure why I keep the decaf as no one is drinking it any more...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAJfRs03xLDmOxQRUbLAbYR0tLCyCB4bu0K567D0IRIGSRuGzdCntCNnTzr65GRXDCosuHLv2vhuJsHzAigz5bbaUpcK0rykZBufw3WcqVc3Eor-m-_vBqCZuFdAMKgcBxyVJVZtiIfU/s1600/IMG_3233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAJfRs03xLDmOxQRUbLAbYR0tLCyCB4bu0K567D0IRIGSRuGzdCntCNnTzr65GRXDCosuHLv2vhuJsHzAigz5bbaUpcK0rykZBufw3WcqVc3Eor-m-_vBqCZuFdAMKgcBxyVJVZtiIfU/s640/IMG_3233.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Freezer - Before. Looking at this, I realized the way we eat these days are definitely not a monthly menu but rather, a weekly one.</div>
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After - not much work here. Merely rearranged the items.</div>
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~This post is linked to New nostalgia <a href="http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.com/2013/04/anti-procrastination-tuesday.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%20NewNostalgia%20(New%20Nostalgia)">AP party</a>.~</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-27277548240014783562013-03-02T12:51:00.000-08:002013-03-02T14:05:52.976-08:00Short YearsI sensed this strongly as I watched Josh got up stage to receive his Mock Trial trophy last night.<br />
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Since when he is in high school? I still remember that little guy who loved to build LEGO and sculpted Charlie Chaplin with his modeling clay.<br />
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The boy who enjoyed the AWANA program and loved to run in that game circle.<br />
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The boy who kicked that soccer ball and batted that baseball not long ago.<br />
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The boy who was so eager to sign up for the CAP program that he reported to duty the night he turned 12.<br />
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The boy who loved to watch all those old, black and white movies with his family...<br />
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It all seemed like yesterday all these took place. Then one day...<br />
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He seemed to have grown a foot, then another, then another.<br />
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Now he is a whole head taller than me.<br />
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Now he watches movies like LOTR, the Narnia, Courageous, Hunger Game, etc...<br />
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Now he ranks Senior Master Sargent in the CAP program...<br />
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Now he is playing basketball and giving it all that he has...<br />
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Now he helps out as a SPARK game director in the AWANA program.<br />
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Now he plays mine-craft and listens to music on his iPod...<br />
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Now he is in the high school Mock Trial program and grows even more...<br />
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The nurturing years are coming to an end in just a few more short years. He will be ready and equipped to enter young adulthood.<br />
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I pray that he will reverent God in his life and that his action will be beyond reproach. Should he stumble I pray that he finds God's mercy and grace are there to embrace him and that he won't take them for granted. Amen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV_z62OuMyDqQnWF8PTfAIu-2Wiw9Br57kXc1uFshnriDSxkZvK7T5YDZDig2J9fHhYMdg62936V4y8uugtDOKYJ1JrC9V2G-4yghL7vBawd3KXC4NMI9wlKSJQnxbzu4VXzMXh4OLV8/s1600/IMG_2714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigV_z62OuMyDqQnWF8PTfAIu-2Wiw9Br57kXc1uFshnriDSxkZvK7T5YDZDig2J9fHhYMdg62936V4y8uugtDOKYJ1JrC9V2G-4yghL7vBawd3KXC4NMI9wlKSJQnxbzu4VXzMXh4OLV8/s640/IMG_2714.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Third place as a Bailiff.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6GQa2UwG-c9qk-zx3s6uE2cZMgkA-unuqBFaw8bnc7HuBMJNRd8gJj2_x6KYGUckYU-vQdPed0IXObMz41P4UWUJa9NAUEwvg0PGT_O6YZ5w5w4qB-LASAG38EDeZjhL9aoSd4jyqvA/s1600/IMG_0830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6GQa2UwG-c9qk-zx3s6uE2cZMgkA-unuqBFaw8bnc7HuBMJNRd8gJj2_x6KYGUckYU-vQdPed0IXObMz41P4UWUJa9NAUEwvg0PGT_O6YZ5w5w4qB-LASAG38EDeZjhL9aoSd4jyqvA/s320/IMG_0830.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Who did he meet but Samwise Gamgee!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-78672351798671712452013-02-23T19:42:00.001-08:002013-03-02T14:10:42.392-08:00My Floating-PantryYesterday was an emotional day for me and I did what I normally do when I feel that way: I clean and change things around (with Keith green's songs of course).<br />
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It has been almost four months since we moved in and I finally got enough motivation and inspiration to tackle this task - Re-organizing the "Pantries".<br />
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Because it is an old house, the pantry does not have that tall closet look. Instead, the top half of the "closet" is a deep, dark, dead space storage area and then an open counter underneath the pantry and then the drawers.<br />
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I have been putting this task off because there were just way many other projects to take care of first and if you have been reading my blog for a while, you know how crazy I am with the ergonomic way of organizing.<br />
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So I waited and just put stuff that I felt was a "right" place for them and pretty much just tossed stuff into the cabinets.<br />
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I titled this post the "Floating-Pantry" because I need to use other cabinets to house all the normal pantry stuff that I could not put in that "half-pantry". I "float" the stuff into other cabinets which works fine now until we could save enough to remodel the kitchen.<br />
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Without further adieu, here are the befores and afters:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48DVzNEYsZnv53_cYUzn4gSwUMKeG4d_T5ml4mOttR2eRUZmaOSyKUOli6F2vDbU2bVEKxOSzyaQKTNvQ2anXYIixhLfK723BbkaL-CvXxfYD_FAM3SaAS2Q0_r9yW01zGD8RdNTNzF8/s1600/IMG_2610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48DVzNEYsZnv53_cYUzn4gSwUMKeG4d_T5ml4mOttR2eRUZmaOSyKUOli6F2vDbU2bVEKxOSzyaQKTNvQ2anXYIixhLfK723BbkaL-CvXxfYD_FAM3SaAS2Q0_r9yW01zGD8RdNTNzF8/s640/IMG_2610.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Before - Deep and Dark</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6kVaZz07HXpyNqXWkbTUjKNqKRuYyKER53QItMmtYd6kTzzLTOy3AT8sLKZkfXE0Layk4UaqOxKyZPrldHw5BkJJByg7Jm6SYYmQIlKTgBH6VhGCNz5v0P5Yx_asGnRNU3cbybqwZBI/s1600/IMG_2611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB6kVaZz07HXpyNqXWkbTUjKNqKRuYyKER53QItMmtYd6kTzzLTOy3AT8sLKZkfXE0Layk4UaqOxKyZPrldHw5BkJJByg7Jm6SYYmQIlKTgBH6VhGCNz5v0P5Yx_asGnRNU3cbybqwZBI/s640/IMG_2611.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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and lots of dead (wasted) space.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxK2uawJoKJ99E-wnaycH6qQR9g-fIfl_rh8-L1d0BajgteZBsWVlA4mb5K2mxE-yNRWJDf5WtxoXOPD9xDpkbF3UpzpZnZtBtFsvlzdzi2sy53dsgdlxxz8Z1dCnpMTP0Not_NiCtUo/s1600/IMG_2634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKxK2uawJoKJ99E-wnaycH6qQR9g-fIfl_rh8-L1d0BajgteZBsWVlA4mb5K2mxE-yNRWJDf5WtxoXOPD9xDpkbF3UpzpZnZtBtFsvlzdzi2sy53dsgdlxxz8Z1dCnpMTP0Not_NiCtUo/s640/IMG_2634.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I took everything out from the half-Pantry.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1OD2UNQKDRihiidCmZjUeb25kaPMCnTPgaH-hxOGM4qrDkmTvzJlwNybt_E35H4OpkrU-AzS3qfxXuX6mQPVqTjGuSN2qB54lKDzlFlvbH2jGh093R-Bv4FZEnK-TYTaSac8fT6u-Uk/s1600/IMG_2632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1OD2UNQKDRihiidCmZjUeb25kaPMCnTPgaH-hxOGM4qrDkmTvzJlwNybt_E35H4OpkrU-AzS3qfxXuX6mQPVqTjGuSN2qB54lKDzlFlvbH2jGh093R-Bv4FZEnK-TYTaSac8fT6u-Uk/s640/IMG_2632.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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A clean slate for me to think.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdC6GOPM8df5dYCNfV6hS1pq6vYOkbwh-ZsDCkYrez8ti2WfqY5cN3Hw-GqZ8cz7FXtiNLpJsAUB3AWzEqwcYD_18OI4g66xSJqKBBm2i4-C1fAWCuAgbHQbpvyhd9CeHOhOCiiZanDH4/s1600/IMG_2635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdC6GOPM8df5dYCNfV6hS1pq6vYOkbwh-ZsDCkYrez8ti2WfqY5cN3Hw-GqZ8cz7FXtiNLpJsAUB3AWzEqwcYD_18OI4g66xSJqKBBm2i4-C1fAWCuAgbHQbpvyhd9CeHOhOCiiZanDH4/s640/IMG_2635.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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As a good organizer would do, I ran around the house gathering things I thought may work in the Pantry. Noticed the little wooden shelf?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PYx_HijOV22qAjGjQZR6kjdAA7b5E-oOff5l1URmaxi4t600lsYGmZfGcnICCcj8m1qONQREpEdGbk5_Rl0kwB20_miLFGyVYlRZDSdrvO7ys2or6kBeqYsXnR6tYcpTR6dYqpXC6DI/s1600/IMG_2636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PYx_HijOV22qAjGjQZR6kjdAA7b5E-oOff5l1URmaxi4t600lsYGmZfGcnICCcj8m1qONQREpEdGbk5_Rl0kwB20_miLFGyVYlRZDSdrvO7ys2or6kBeqYsXnR6tYcpTR6dYqpXC6DI/s640/IMG_2636.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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It fits perfectly on the lone shelf that was in the Pantry! I went and snatched another shelf (I have three of these shelves) and put them side by side... and...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsd3e9wRw5CJhpUGqf64NjyNzfbg8sJUbAP7kqCc1YAupPcHiCqyWhgxLn-Z0DlC3tIW-3PogG1h3fmZhq-jQuUdyIZ-p77DENIqW-Qmi-omHy0wUnaCPxwDVuJi_2Lv-G8-EGmtUys5M/s1600/IMG_2637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsd3e9wRw5CJhpUGqf64NjyNzfbg8sJUbAP7kqCc1YAupPcHiCqyWhgxLn-Z0DlC3tIW-3PogG1h3fmZhq-jQuUdyIZ-p77DENIqW-Qmi-omHy0wUnaCPxwDVuJi_2Lv-G8-EGmtUys5M/s640/IMG_2637.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Voila! It looks as though it has always been there. What a delight!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCKszGsxAkDRLTK7arSQvFUUYU8Gn196KPvb4vfXN_20QJaWwZT8J8mB7lGMIDmmSAecggw97C17V7hOba6JUznQIBTp2rs8zjum0eT-G1dSUPSX8AzBg3Ou9x3VlwU2bq5LtlwhBnOM/s1600/IMG_2638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCKszGsxAkDRLTK7arSQvFUUYU8Gn196KPvb4vfXN_20QJaWwZT8J8mB7lGMIDmmSAecggw97C17V7hOba6JUznQIBTp2rs8zjum0eT-G1dSUPSX8AzBg3Ou9x3VlwU2bq5LtlwhBnOM/s640/IMG_2638.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Put everything (after de-junked a bunch of other stuff) back in and made sure it works in ways of easy access. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0fgP2KsW_joYju-I2joDRph5IgqRMDRXo-iqxvz79sMYW8loT26zlE7Ivc57DZ6KWlzS0rouhm04F__Vwb0AGnwN4nFxZ7BMZczCtXNsNUriHAKQrUqnDarN_mimacxiKqkNeapmC_U/s1600/IMG_2640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0fgP2KsW_joYju-I2joDRph5IgqRMDRXo-iqxvz79sMYW8loT26zlE7Ivc57DZ6KWlzS0rouhm04F__Vwb0AGnwN4nFxZ7BMZczCtXNsNUriHAKQrUqnDarN_mimacxiKqkNeapmC_U/s640/IMG_2640.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Now Robert has a secret chocolate stashing place that Peter can't reach - even with the help of a chair. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OoTiYckx0KjDteTixMTkwdMfdXfZ-vg1xBGbPdJZTTEKiIY0Cg-4k7Dh_o6zhSbMG5oojCr3NMzrETB6ECttzn1t3Qvh46YGkQOEU8BE_uhXoYeFSCJwYp-uVWFIRp3c-ScfhR34ZD8/s1600/IMG_2615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OoTiYckx0KjDteTixMTkwdMfdXfZ-vg1xBGbPdJZTTEKiIY0Cg-4k7Dh_o6zhSbMG5oojCr3NMzrETB6ECttzn1t3Qvh46YGkQOEU8BE_uhXoYeFSCJwYp-uVWFIRp3c-ScfhR34ZD8/s640/IMG_2615.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the cabinet above the sink. What a mess. What is in that Kleenex box you ask?</div>
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Well, it is re-purpose at its best. A plastic grocery bags holder.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcbQxJAAlU_NDMyBqszVwxH-BYaxfp7RqQ-K6FfnriYaObD7msiOZa-4Kh-QQyAsZuHa7Z9nZwhqtr_7hSXUzK-GxJyQX78hV2cZW9BKAzMY-juwFR78vw8dvB76qsL138ZahmlkRv-Y/s1600/IMG_2618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcbQxJAAlU_NDMyBqszVwxH-BYaxfp7RqQ-K6FfnriYaObD7msiOZa-4Kh-QQyAsZuHa7Z9nZwhqtr_7hSXUzK-GxJyQX78hV2cZW9BKAzMY-juwFR78vw8dvB76qsL138ZahmlkRv-Y/s640/IMG_2618.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After: Much better. Rounded up all my beloved glass jars. The chocolate stash behind the tall jar now has a new "secret home".</div>
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Floating to another cabinet - mainly all the spice and vitamins' home and whatever else I tossed in there. Totally disorganized and it messed up my brain badly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgS3R9nUa36iB5-jPWyTn3OiCgHsZzruWDkWbCOatcrRDhHiIcpymtC-A1cOGiCVuCFtgwlygsFSNkWwTzYKSKClMzehhyphenhyphenins_dQ29FnoY8T-I-wesYgsFbUzvQlir9prdCFYVfW_SCKY/s1600/IMG_2627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgS3R9nUa36iB5-jPWyTn3OiCgHsZzruWDkWbCOatcrRDhHiIcpymtC-A1cOGiCVuCFtgwlygsFSNkWwTzYKSKClMzehhyphenhyphenins_dQ29FnoY8T-I-wesYgsFbUzvQlir9prdCFYVfW_SCKY/s640/IMG_2627.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After: Yes... This is more like it. All the Vitamins go up on the top shelf. My small collection of cookie baking supplies and glass jars for my home made yogurt on the middle shelf and all of the spice go south here. I really like my square Lazy Susan. It swirls around smoothly even after all these years (I bought it way back in the early 90's)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_BERcWx-6n7IwYyAb5FbHqeUSLhDIe5PRfdmoK11eSoXP-tfVaCpmVUta4ABFPT6mKXUBxttr0hCdzVv18OhnEqvNMNNTtPfo4okJg4og1qFgASjaEwAVPcMdmVrO_vk0MLUL-Yvl9I/s1600/IMG_2622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_BERcWx-6n7IwYyAb5FbHqeUSLhDIe5PRfdmoK11eSoXP-tfVaCpmVUta4ABFPT6mKXUBxttr0hCdzVv18OhnEqvNMNNTtPfo4okJg4og1qFgASjaEwAVPcMdmVrO_vk0MLUL-Yvl9I/s320/IMG_2622.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another re-purpose item. An used black pepper self grinder jar turned self grind for my rough Celtic Sea Salt. love it!</div>
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This one was challenging: small and narrow. It almost became a small catch-all place.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyo7pvPd9jy4QzU6XY_oEMcusNAARPWhtib0fg05Q-TUPkZqXrcqp-YouWoNJPt-f4XMqYuV3ZIwXxFkVPVr4vkgKHKyN7AX-B20YRXNzxFTolUSMpy2Tghz5L9kterdevhqvPTaeCtWM/s1600/IMG_2644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyo7pvPd9jy4QzU6XY_oEMcusNAARPWhtib0fg05Q-TUPkZqXrcqp-YouWoNJPt-f4XMqYuV3ZIwXxFkVPVr4vkgKHKyN7AX-B20YRXNzxFTolUSMpy2Tghz5L9kterdevhqvPTaeCtWM/s640/IMG_2644.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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But I would not let it. Now it houses all the sweeteners on the bottom shelf. on the middle shelf: My pretty tea bag Tin and the basket of kiddos' birthday cake candles and a quick grab pain killer bottle is in there as well. The top shelf holds a small basket of medicine. It is small because we try to use home remedy as much as we could and staying away from those drugs that give you side effect almost guaranteed.</div>
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The last shelf - this is the cabinet above the microwave. The cabinets in the kitchen are very cheaply made as this was a flip house. </div>
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After: I only have a few items in here = no junk (which makes me very happy)</div>
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All the sunscreens, room fresheners and coasters are in the square Tupperware box.</div>
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Matches are in a small plastic container.</div>
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and last but not least, a big white wicker basket houses all the extra kitchen tools.</div>
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There they are, all organized and de-junked. what a blessed day the Lord had given me after all. So very thankful. I l love to bless my family with a clean and functional kitchen as we spend lots of time in there, whether we know it or not.</div>
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Robert walked in earlier and was surprised and pleased with all the changes. THAT made my day.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><u><b>~This post is linked to the Thursday Linking Party at <a href="http://delightfulorder.blogspot.com/2013/02/delightfully-inspiring-thursday-party_28.html">Delightful Order</a>. ~</b></u></i></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-27164997563146867772013-02-22T13:16:00.000-08:002013-02-22T13:16:48.646-08:00Daisy Love DayIt took two years but I finally middle named our unborn baby girl ~ Love<br />
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I will remember Daisy every year this day as she had taught me the love of God is the most powerful thing on earth.<br />
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I still cry whenever this day comes but always ending the day with the knowledge that I will see her some day in heaven and then there I will see her precious face with tears of joy.<br />
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Unless you have miscarried a baby, this pain is hard to describe. Yes, the world goes on with or without your baby, but your own world is up-side down whenever the anniversary of that fatal day is here.<br />
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It truly is by God's grace that we move through that day.<br />
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Today I went out and bought some daisy flowers in remembrance of my baby in heaven.<br />
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I found out the meaning of Daisy - loyal love.<br />
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I love her even though she is not here.<br />
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Our heavenly Father loves us before we love Him.<br />
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February is the month of love, however way you look at it.<br />
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So yes, I know I have found her a perfect middle name.<br />
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Love you so much, sweet Daisy Love.<br />
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Until we meet in heaven,<br />
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Mommy ♥Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-49863788984914913962013-02-09T16:39:00.000-08:002013-02-09T16:39:14.177-08:00Oven Baked Chicken After about twelve days of battling with an UTI without taking any antibiotics, I am finally feeling like a person again. Time to get back on the health track of eating.<br />
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We love chicken in our house. I think we average about 3-4 meals with chicken in any given week. One of our favorite chicken meals is the oven-baked chicken.<br />
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I had always bought the cheapest whole chicken from Trader Joe's but since we started this new eating plan I gave the organic, free range whole chicken a try and all I could say is that we are hooked!<br />
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Since we do have a food budget, I wanted to see how far I could push with this chicken.<br />
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After everyone has his/her share on the original dinner night (basically one breast, two thighs/drumsticks and all the giblets), I still can manage to pull all the meats from the chicken <b>besides</b> saving the other side of the breast for Robert's lunch. I used those pulled meats either for breakfast or an easy lunch for Peter the next day.<br />
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Then came the beautiful part - I put all the left overs - bones, little pieces of meat and the juice that came with the baking - into a medium soup pot and cover them with some water just to the top of the bones and close the lid and made some broth out of them. After it was boiled, I turned off the fire and let it sit on the stove top to cool off.<br />
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I then transfer the broth into a big bowl and cover it and put it in the refrigerator The gelatin from the broth was so healthy and delicious (just be sure you don't use too much water when boiling the baked bones). I will then either filter out the bones and bits or I just reheat them on stove top and add about 2 oz. of pasta and some green onions and some romaine lettuce for a quick simple E (energizing) lunch. I could still get the last bit of the chicken meat from the broth (amazing!) so I did not have to add any more protein in it.<br />
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Yes, the chicken is a bit pricey (about $12-$14 a piece) but so, so worth it as not only we are nourished with its goodness but can use it for more than one meal.<br />
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If I want, I could also use all the left over meat to make a chicken taco or enchilada dinner for another night instead of lunches the next day. Now, this is totally down my alley of good eating on a budget.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU3YVj954ieHl5dQe9KyD-2meeWK139QzoVyKhFM3SwQOKtrEvS96ZQhAGJKf_abbnF3W6qwAxT25t8LcrLhq6qkq9CsvZtfn8JGiw99JNJPtRWyuMchqFLs0QfgYwYIa5NZ_r2dkJ6A/s1600/IMG_2482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWU3YVj954ieHl5dQe9KyD-2meeWK139QzoVyKhFM3SwQOKtrEvS96ZQhAGJKf_abbnF3W6qwAxT25t8LcrLhq6qkq9CsvZtfn8JGiw99JNJPtRWyuMchqFLs0QfgYwYIa5NZ_r2dkJ6A/s640/IMG_2482.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the original meal - nom, nom!</div>
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This is the gelatin looking broth just removed from the fridge - I actually used half of it for my lunch today and will probably use the other half tomorrow (you can kind of see the chicken meats on the bones in this picture).</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-66110950744414956832013-01-27T14:12:00.002-08:002013-01-27T14:12:40.377-08:00Healthy snack :: Celery With Cream Cheese"S" snack of the day ~<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAcmbErYsiF8VPqEbvelX8U8ezqfLrlh8lx0s6kt9d9mQ5u_AFwvtjDb_oM1T-08-CpXBlRISGgl6sYchCq-J5eB5tHi9sIwix8Tafv0GX0_1MZDJ5Ri-8E2MpNaaj8vq8FfvMF5titk/s1600/IMG_2346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRAcmbErYsiF8VPqEbvelX8U8ezqfLrlh8lx0s6kt9d9mQ5u_AFwvtjDb_oM1T-08-CpXBlRISGgl6sYchCq-J5eB5tHi9sIwix8Tafv0GX0_1MZDJ5Ri-8E2MpNaaj8vq8FfvMF5titk/s640/IMG_2346.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So simple and quick to assemble! Cut up celery stalks with a thin layer of cream cheese (whole or low fat) with Nutritional yeast sprinkled all over and added five black pitted olives (because I like them). A very satisfying and extremely healthy <b>S</b> snack.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-53750462647169853612013-01-24T22:32:00.000-08:002013-01-24T22:37:38.710-08:00Small BathroomSmall - That is the description of our hallway bathroom.<br />
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It would be fine for just one person or a couple, but with the four of us using it, it calls for some careful storage and diligent daily up keeping.<br />
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When I first saw the house, the bathrooms really turned me off. They are just... old...and small.<br />
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I was spoiled by our condo's 90's bathroom features - airy, good storage cabinets, adjustable shelving medicine cabinet, window, etc.<br />
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I believe I spent lots of time trying to update this small space the minute we moved in, to my dismay, there's still some more to do, but it is functional right now.<br />
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Using this small room by all of us made me think of de-cluttering every time I am in there. Thus it makes me think of routine and good habits as well. Something I would write a post about soon.<br />
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However, I am very content, because despised of all that "I wish I haves", I have running hot water at the turn of the faucet, something that is considering a luxury in some countries. I will put up with the "unfinished small functional bathroom" any time.<br />
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Do we have a Master bathroom? Yes, but that will be another post.<br />
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This was what it looked like when we first moved in. I was having a very hard time to work with the brown/beige color theme instead of the black/gray/white color theme I had in the condo which I so loved.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgGoEfexTrpYS3KeV84wdq3Oa2jRee30nu4_sBTj1TQBhaRiRKYo1F5nUGviACLu-xV5e0eiERcy5nHuSmu2alZM5iR2TAVThFxU7rRujMeXAxXqi18FPBaLOlhfiFZZ-01hWMlEKC2g/s1600/IMG_2424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtgGoEfexTrpYS3KeV84wdq3Oa2jRee30nu4_sBTj1TQBhaRiRKYo1F5nUGviACLu-xV5e0eiERcy5nHuSmu2alZM5iR2TAVThFxU7rRujMeXAxXqi18FPBaLOlhfiFZZ-01hWMlEKC2g/s640/IMG_2424.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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I found this cool looking shower curtain at Bed Bath & Beyond. It helped set the tone of the room. The cotton white mat was from World Market. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSWsAFG2SUn0EQi-TN-GClu7Do5Rq1HvYLwY_k3zV9aiKoq2rUqGx9Z3lkfDjBFzBf3mxXNwRmG9MSw6o3fLbh411oQxyqqADp63kAW5hsYf3XXOP_o1ZourrXxzYY4Ui9eJhnH8FwWQ/s1600/IMG_2427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSWsAFG2SUn0EQi-TN-GClu7Do5Rq1HvYLwY_k3zV9aiKoq2rUqGx9Z3lkfDjBFzBf3mxXNwRmG9MSw6o3fLbh411oQxyqqADp63kAW5hsYf3XXOP_o1ZourrXxzYY4Ui9eJhnH8FwWQ/s640/IMG_2427.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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After the incident of the fallen wall mounted bathroom cabinet (from Target - extremely heavy), I got this two-drawer floor cabinet. It works very well. The top part became a place to hold dirty clothes before we jump into the tub. No more clothes on the floor. I keep this top space clear at all time. The bottom drawer holds the TPs perfectly. I am still working on the stuff in that wrought iron basket. At least it is corralling all the regularly used items at this point.</div>
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The top drawer houses the daily bathroom items. I have an idea of a better spot for the tooth brushes. I will update it when I get it done. I keep my make-up bag in the other bathroom.</div>
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I (I meant Robert) added a simple wooden peg on the back of the door and it instantly gave the bathroom a little more breathing room on the towel control. I changed all the bathroom fixtures to match the light fixture as close as I could make it</div>
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Love this mirror. It was a house warming gift from a dear friend. It looks light and airy in here which is what I really want to create. For the warmer season, I will change out the shower curtain to a white one and will put this one back on in cooler weather. The wall and the grouting behind the sink need a desperate make over. Another project down the road.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6WA8ZhDUdHubuPO3avHLGAc8Lif2czoJkFpOTBDI3WWg7IJR0L5m54yZlu4QId7E8Gtogwyk1uztnsYG2NFmjzloNk7TxgKBZFvmSawWjCjBp6cLONebunnPSDrzsMuzAubJ0MyWFmM/s1600/IMG_2436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim6WA8ZhDUdHubuPO3avHLGAc8Lif2czoJkFpOTBDI3WWg7IJR0L5m54yZlu4QId7E8Gtogwyk1uztnsYG2NFmjzloNk7TxgKBZFvmSawWjCjBp6cLONebunnPSDrzsMuzAubJ0MyWFmM/s640/IMG_2436.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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If it looks crowded here, it is! I try to keep this area as clutter free as possible. The one pretty thing I replaced was the toilet lid. It has some embroidered print on the edge of the lid. A bit pricey but worth the extra as it is very sturdy for the rough handling of many hands many times a day. See the wall damage above the toilet tank? That was where the heavy cabinet once were. I may put a frame there some day - definitely not a priority. What I did not have a picture of is the old ventilation fan. A new one is needed badly. I make sure no one closes that bathroom door after each use so it could get aired out. Without a window, this place needs lots of airing out to avoid mold build-up. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguVaZ7dPxOAdp8PuR3Xh7RcdASutQnkEc8alvIc71BQj8TgtR-LqrprMNBBp8ZTygYNUsMMFSXxNFLFU_8hVMbgozUvjsh54LFypmFlLPxnyxz6_pjz0U_8AfSwmyKSTNI8g0rulLYVA/s1600/IMG_2557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguVaZ7dPxOAdp8PuR3Xh7RcdASutQnkEc8alvIc71BQj8TgtR-LqrprMNBBp8ZTygYNUsMMFSXxNFLFU_8hVMbgozUvjsh54LFypmFlLPxnyxz6_pjz0U_8AfSwmyKSTNI8g0rulLYVA/s640/IMG_2557.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Here is the aftermath of the heavy cabinet fell off the wall one early morning in December. We heard this loud tumbling down roar mixed with glass shattering. Yeah... a morning no one wants to repeat. How it landed facing the sink is still a mystery to us.</div>
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~This post is linked up at Raising Homemakers' <a href="http://raisinghomemakers.com/2013/homemaking-link-up-107/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:">Homemaking Link-Up!</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-91131677250455901232013-01-19T14:25:00.000-08:002013-01-27T14:13:22.555-08:00Our Marriage SantuaryI have always wanted to make our bedroom our marriage sanctuary.<br />
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When we were in the condo, our room got the most uses out of all the rooms by EVERYONE. Not that I minded but I really wanted to make this room just for me and my love.<br />
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After we moved into our new home, I decided to work on this room right after I set up the kitchen area. Since red is my favorite accent color and due to the off white/light yellowish painted wall, I chose the color burgundy (or maroon - depending who you talk with) to be the main accent color for this room as well.<br />
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Because I have been de-cluttering these last couple of years, it did not take very long to have it all put together.<br />
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Like many projects, there are always some details that would get dragged on for a while before the project can be truly finished. We have a few of those in this room as well. Over all, though, I have achieved the goal for this room and I love how it turned out. It is not fancy but it speaks "us".<br />
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Robert made an exciting comment on the orchid and the shutter, saying how he'd never thought such simple combination can just give the room a romantic mood. He is so sweet and encouraging in everything I do. ♥<br />
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It remains the cleanest room in the house thus far.<br />
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Every morning I thank God for the house and the marriage sanctuary and the peaceful (and wonderful) rest that came with it.<br />
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This is what it looked like when we first moved in - it looked so small and dark that I thought our bed would never fit in there with room to walk around.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVr7QtbF1PmCUuITrFX626rDsYTB5IzMlNcy2TppCiYIRni2K4rDnJSrgVIZ0xMwaIDZ69v4SFWRMKvETm88wqc3aB8NGL5wMxfeTSV9NrY0etksHJWlh_jAnlWe2jDj9SMpoGmWx1830/s1600/IMG_1792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVr7QtbF1PmCUuITrFX626rDsYTB5IzMlNcy2TppCiYIRni2K4rDnJSrgVIZ0xMwaIDZ69v4SFWRMKvETm88wqc3aB8NGL5wMxfeTSV9NrY0etksHJWlh_jAnlWe2jDj9SMpoGmWx1830/s640/IMG_1792.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is the shutter/orchid look that Robert praised me for. Looking at this picture makes me smile, remembering how all these items came to us. The shutter was a freecycle find, the tablecloth was from a cloth exchange, the head board from my friend Sarah G and the orchid was a gift from our Realtor when we moved in.</div>
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Here is the (almost) final look of the same room. Yes, the bed fits and there are room to walk around. :)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-11294808871290278342013-01-19T11:10:00.000-08:002013-01-19T11:10:38.477-08:00New FoodsSo let the healthy eating adventure begins (or continue to get better).<br />
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I have always have great interest in healthy eating. I would get advice from everyone then I would weigh the common sense on the advice. That is my approach of healthy eating.<br />
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As much as I love the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan, I just could not take the sweetener they recommend so I decided to just use her other recipes that are full of nutrient and have no sweetener involved, which are still many.<br />
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Our dinner meals took the charge of changing first and again I asked the family to rate the meals we had. So far the Sponge Bob's Crabby Patties is a keeper. For breakfast, we added bacon - something I never liked but am learning to enjoy it. Josh is in heaven with that for breakfast. He thinks eggs are sides for bacon!<br />
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One thing I appreciate this book is its introduction of some great ingredients. I took a picture of all the "new (to me) foods" for keepsake. It is an investment but the upfront cost is well worth it, in my opinion.<br />
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My favorite so far is the nutritional yeast, Omega-3 eggs and sardines. As I explore and create more meals with this book I am sure I will find more favorites.<br />
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Crab Patties that are made with canned sock-eye salmon. Yum!</div>
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The "New Food" </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-61632685340626194762013-01-18T09:57:00.001-08:002013-01-27T14:13:39.747-08:00This Week<br />
This week has been quiet a strange week for me. I have planned to use it fully and have found myself being distracted (again) even with a written agenda.<br />
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On early Monday morning, a friend's husband's motorcycle accident took me (and all our friends) by surprise. He is out of critical condition now (praise God!) but the road of recovery would take some times.<br />
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The accident reminded me that we do not own our destiny. God alone knows all the ins and outs of our lives. He promises eternal hope to those who truly are repented and walk in His light.<br />
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Since my thoughts are some what scattered at this point, I will just close this short post with this:<br />
I am glad I belong to Him and that I am saved by grace alone and not by my work.<br />
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Emmanuel.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-21844910508205992742013-01-11T14:23:00.001-08:002013-01-11T18:50:47.027-08:00Plan of AttackSo I keep on reading that wonderful book. I am so excited to get started that I have made an effort to acquire most of the new (to me) ingredients through health stores and on-line shops.<br />
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However, I am not sure how my boys will react to this eating plan. Robert and I are fully on board but I suspect that I would need to some how convince the boys that this is a great eating plan for our health.<br />
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Lucky for me - this book has oodles of healthy snack and dessert recipes! Some of them require no cooking time at all. Since Joshua is gone this weekend, I decided to test them on Peter.<br />
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To my surprise, he loves the almond milk because of its sweetness (I bought the sweetened kind by mistake). Although in the future I will be buying just the unsweetened one and will sweeten the milk up at home with honey (for Peter and Josh) and just plain for me and Robert.<br />
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Cow's milk will be a thing of the past in this household soon as I found out that it is nothing but a bunch of liquid carb and fat mix together which unless you are the body type that has high metabolism, will cause fat belly if over-drink it. Almond milk will be taking its place in the fridge.<br />
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The new sweetener I have been introduced to is Stevia. I tried it this morning in my coffee. I have to say I am not crazy about it at all. I rather take no sugar than adding something I don't like. Hopefully it will taste a bit better in desserts.<br />
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With that said, here are the two things for Peter to try today:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2wC5RAkoU6gvHeYSkUqJ7mGZ6vPsIx25EFZEd8KvmFVELRvgBowU8YvfiLuD_doDNGoC_clBvJAyiOVygz4tssfBEw3oDJJwz8QP1wpDzAr5Xt03bqEqS0_NuI1t7SImFTrV5enP7BY/s1600/IMG_2338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2wC5RAkoU6gvHeYSkUqJ7mGZ6vPsIx25EFZEd8KvmFVELRvgBowU8YvfiLuD_doDNGoC_clBvJAyiOVygz4tssfBEw3oDJJwz8QP1wpDzAr5Xt03bqEqS0_NuI1t7SImFTrV5enP7BY/s640/IMG_2338.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Diced up some cheddar cheese for the "S" snack (that was an easy one to make)...</div>
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and the Rich Chocolate Fudge for tonight, also an "S" dessert. </div>
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I dearly hope this plan will work as I am so excited to finally able to feed my family healthily without depriving them from the sweets.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-48906847927327154712013-01-10T14:27:00.001-08:002013-01-10T14:56:28.911-08:00Trim Healthy MamaToday I am adding a new HTC project on the list - eating healthily with an understanding.<br />
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Healthy eating is not a new concept in our house hold. We eat organically whenever we can. It is the part of HOW to eat them "correctly" that I needed help with.<br />
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So when my friend RP mentioned about this "recipe" book, I reluctantly bought it when another friend was selling them at a discount rate.<br />
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This book was worth every penny so far.<br />
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It is more than just a recipe book - it gives reasons why and how we should eat healthily with all the food God said to eat in the Bible.<br />
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If it is another fad diet book, it would probably have been tossed in file 13 by now or would have been donated to the library. It is not. It is a wonderful reference book, and I love reference books. Mind you they do have a big chunk of recipes in it (all health focus) and in a whole, how to live a biblical womanhood.<br />
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It shows me how I should eat all <b>the protein and fat</b> in one meal and <b>protein and carbs</b> in another. No calories counting. No guilt. I love it.<br />
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Protein being the base of every meal is the major theme of this eating plan. The fat or carb accompanying the meal is depending upon whether we want to lose weight, gain weight or maintaining the goal weight.<br />
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There are lots of protein powder and other stuff involved where I am finding a little difficult to incorporate just yet, since I like to eat things I can pronounce their names easily. They are not chemical loaded ingredients, just the health food names that I am new to and beginning to understand their functions in my body. For example: the Glucomannan powder was a mouthful for me to say but it is a super thickener with fiber to make your healthy but delicious pudding and liquid custard with (yes, you can have tons of healthy snacks and desserts).<br />
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To get the optimum effect of the meals, <b>I must eat the S (satisfying - with fat) meal and E (energizing - with carbs) meal separately. To combine the two (fat and carbs) in the same meal would be deadly. </b>However, this does not apply to growing children's intake of food. Obviously children (and pregnant and nursing mamas) have a higher fuel burning cells. This is a great eating plan for women who needs to add or drop pounds.<br />
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I never realize that banana is not a great fruit choice for adults, especially for women, because of its high sugar content. I am learning so much from this book and will start a meal plan as soon as I am ready (I want to eat up all the foods I already have in the fridge - just need to avoid mixing the two types of meals together), meaning I want to be able to have the ingredients on hand to make those yummy snacks or desserts, at the least!<br />
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Oh and the Nutritional yeast! Where has it been my whole life? It was so yummy on my S breakfast (eggs and sardine) today!<br />
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Feeling healthy already!<br />
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Don't say I did not warn you if you do decide to get the book for yourself - you will have a hard time putting it down - all 606 pages of "IT"! :)<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-17943691245155508902013-01-05T19:05:00.000-08:002013-01-27T14:14:32.396-08:00First Office ProjectThis is a project I have been contemplating to launch for a long time.<br />
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As much as I like to use spreadsheet to track everything, deep down I am still a pen and paper kind of gal. There is something about writing things down on that piece of paper/surface that gives me a sense of satisfaction.<br />
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With that, I had decided to switch back to using a wall calendar for my schedule tracking.<br />
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I don't use fancy calendars. Something from the Dollar store is sufficient. It is a tool after all. Now if I want it to do double duty, then I would be making a family calendar - it is also something I have in mind for a while. If it does come to fruition, I will share it here what that double duty would be.<br />
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While it serves its purpose to satisfy my hand written notes and keeping track of our busy life schedule, I was struggling when time came to toss it at the end of the year. I love looking back at all the scribbles on those pages and in a way, reliving the moments.<br />
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I could not bring myself to throw it away.<br />
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So, over the years, I have accumulated quite a stack of old, scribbled, wonderful, cherished calendars. Add to the fact that they are not uniform in sizes, hence storage had also been a problem.<br />
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Since I was going to set up my office this month, I decided to tackle this difficult (emotionally) project first.<br />
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I photographed each calendar month of the year and filed them in a folder and labeled the years digitally. Whenever I want to go down memory lane, I simply pull them up onto the computer screen.<br />
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Now I am able to say good-bye to my beloved old calendars by shredding them up.<br />
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I am sure this is not a new idea but it does take one a while to work on the emotional part of the project. We are all different in this area, for me it only took 34 years. :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oedwUxUH2b_HcM4OI7r8qvHvrCpscommZZgZxl9737PJi2V2GZl2fghHgvtTly4xoZrGzdmj-cnLANUARBdBBPNesH1JlnD9-TAUSHbQbeEL_y3B7FiKNMOUQ6nuvAnvQNT9cJgqaAc/s1600/IMG_2265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oedwUxUH2b_HcM4OI7r8qvHvrCpscommZZgZxl9737PJi2V2GZl2fghHgvtTly4xoZrGzdmj-cnLANUARBdBBPNesH1JlnD9-TAUSHbQbeEL_y3B7FiKNMOUQ6nuvAnvQNT9cJgqaAc/s640/IMG_2265.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is a sample of how I photographed the calendar as my scanner is not large enough to scan it (I used a new calendar page for privacy reason, obviously. :)) </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-61565843026896286552013-01-04T12:56:00.000-08:002013-01-27T14:14:56.205-08:00Yard Work LoveI found out I thoroughly enjoy doing yard work.<br />
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Perhaps it is due to living in a condo for so long and the association was taking care of every blade outside our living space. This is the first time in our married life that I actually get to go outside of the house and WORK on the yards!<br />
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I am loving and thanking God for every minute of it. Granted I do live in a more pleasant climate so the sunshine in winter is actually a welcoming guest to me.<br />
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Peter is almost always outside playing nowadays. I am taking a gazillion of pictures of him playing out there. I think subconsciously I want to keep these moments fresh in my mind with just a click of the button later on.<br />
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I just came back into the kitchen and was trying to do some dishes only to find that the water pressure is so low that it made it very difficult to wash anything in the kitchen sink.<br />
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Well...<br />
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Keep calm and call hubby and the serviceman.<br />
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Or maybe I should just go back out and do some more yard work. :)<br />
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Peter playing in the yard next to his "tiny house". Love those big boxes the appliances came with.</div>
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Joshua nailed some steps on this huge pine tree in our back yard. I am seeing a swing coming on one of those branches soon.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4762900899346751909.post-16650149050824253922013-01-03T08:00:00.000-08:002013-01-27T14:15:12.008-08:00Welcome to The Home Ownership and All That Comes With It!So I woke up yesterday and with renewed energy and all, aiming to tackle a bunch of the back log stuff, only to find a small puddle of water between the water heater and the washing machine! Upon further investigation, I found out that...<br />
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It was not from the washing machine. Whew!<br />
It was from the water heater - Boo.<br />
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So the search of that piece of Home Warranty document began. We signed so many papers and I just could not remember where did I put it or if we even have purchased it?<br />
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Right then and there, I knew what my new add-on HTC list will be - Taming the Paper Tiger once more.<br />
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Since we moved I have not a chance to work on organizing the library/office. My binders are everywhere. It has been bothering me greatly but I kept telling myself as soon as I get a chance - I want to enjoy the time with Robert and Christine while they are home on Christmas break - I will reorganize it. Well, whether I like it or not, I have to tackle it NOW before I go in sane.<br />
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Mind you, I do love to organize paperwork and such. So I will focus on this task this week and will share it here later.<br />
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On the bright side of things, we finally got our Heat/Air System replaced/installed. For the first time in two months we had a warm night last night! It is the biggest expense by far for the Home Improvement projects but we are biting the bullet, knowing it is a great asset for the house and also a tax write off item.<br />
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I think I will create an Home Improvement spread sheet to track the projects of this house. It will be fun to look back later.<br />
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They did such a fine job!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFl1U6OoLKbZDG2IjMUoFYMV45ubLfEbnw8MogIhsJT-Xe1yofj3vIyGMMZ91tJ55nOLlc6CGJTB15eTQBEBeafCRG5ZRMe1FU-j_2N7nL9tBGuTr3iDVyGIGkPLZteZRBNvBVp33BDs/s1600/IMG_2164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirFl1U6OoLKbZDG2IjMUoFYMV45ubLfEbnw8MogIhsJT-Xe1yofj3vIyGMMZ91tJ55nOLlc6CGJTB15eTQBEBeafCRG5ZRMe1FU-j_2N7nL9tBGuTr3iDVyGIGkPLZteZRBNvBVp33BDs/s640/IMG_2164.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Brian (our friend and contractor) and his assistant Dale.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1