Poo-2-Do (An August Bucket List)

I always start to panic at this point in the summer.  How can it already be the beginning of August??  I have many miles to go before I go back to work.  I feel like, while I have been productive and have made the most of my time off, there are still so many things that I need to accomplish.  Summer is my time to get "big things" done.  Those "big things" don't necessarily have to be time consuming or terribly significant, they are things that just get pushed to the back burner when my life is consumed by school.  So... I have 23 days until I go back, just a little over three weeks.  Let's get a plan!!

Home
1) Meet with a contractor and get some of the house stuff off my plate and onto the plate of someone who can actually complete the projects.  Goals: foyer, dining room ceiling, and bathroom.  Fingers crossed!
2) Upholster window seat
3) Paint the kitchen

Crafts
1) Frame (and hang!) finished cross stitch project
2) Do a "day-a-week" on my newly started 12 Days of Christmas sampler

Family
1) Parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary (shopping, food prep, cake, and more!)
2) Get Girlie ready to move back to the dorm

School
1) Set up my classroom
2) Organize science materials
3) Shop for various back-to-school things that are needed
4) Finish organizing library center
5) Figure out the new schedule and set up planbook

I think that's it!  There are still appointments to be kept and plans with friends to work around, but there it all is in a nutshell.  23 days, huh?.... 

Ready? Set? Go....

Hello. It's been awhile. Again.

These last couple of weeks have been a little wild.  The day after my last post we were hit by a severe storm that torn up our area and left a path of destruction in its wake.  We are still cleaning up trees, branches, leaves, etc.  We were lucky.  No damage to our home or property.  My cousin's truck was completely crushed, thankfully their house was untouched.  We lost our power for a couple days and the internet was down for almost a week.  Again, lucky.  My aunt and uncle and my brother's family were without power for several days.  The poles and utility lines just down the street from us were such a mess, that the area was out for almost two weeks.  The storm was short... about 45 minutes, but WOW did it pack a punch!  I really wish I had pictures, but I was quite content to hang out at home.  There were so many trees and wires down, it was tough (and dangerous) to get around.    

Poor tree!  Many were just knocked over.

What I woke up to.  Branches in the driveway... Minor!

The week following the storm was a whirlwind.  I had my cousin's daughter for the weekend (and this past weekend as well!) and we celebrated my parents' anniversary.  Phew, I am happy to say it was a big success!  They were pleasantly surprised and had a nice day.  On Monday, I took my cousin's daughter to one of the mansions down in Newport and we spent a couple hours doing an audio tour and walking around the grounds.  I can't even imagine this being a "summer home" that was only lived in for 8-12 weeks out of the year.  Just mind boggling.

The "backyard" of the Elms in Newport

Part of the garden area

The rest of the week was spent working in my classroom and doing work for my district.  I actually feel quite accomplished in that area (which is good, since my kiddos start Friday!)  I am picking away at that list of Poo2Do.  It's not all going to get done, but I am still trying!

Almost ready!

To finish catching up...This past weekend we made favors for my cousin's upcoming wedding.  I realized I had better get my act together since her shower is this weekend!  I am crafting away again... and looking forward to posting pictures of what I have been working on :)

Tomorrow I am doing one last hurrah at the beach.  Another thing I can cross off on that list! Just trying to enjoy these last few days of summer before returning to reality. 

A Crafty Week (AKA Getting it done!)

This week I decided to tackle some things from my list of "Poo 2 Do".  I have been inspired by all the bloggers out there and friends around me who have been working on summer projects.  My office has never been finished.  Not in the twenty years we have lived here.  It's sad really because we just ran out of steam (and money) as far as actually completing each room in the house.  The finishing part just hasn't been a priority.  To say I am SICK of half finished rooms is an understatement!  So... I decided that I would like to see some progress.  Which means staining and painting.  Neither of which I love to do.    

I am NOT neat when crafting!

Lots of boards to stain!

These boards will "someday" be the wainscoting in the office.  Originally the boards were bought for the front foyer but I made the executive decision to use them for a project that may actually get done (finishing the foyer is just a dream and may never actually happen).  I stained the five packages we had (80 boards all together!) and need to go buy another five or six packages to go around the entire room. 

Yes, this is "better"

The office walls are were in tough shape.  Several years ago, we hired a "professional" to rebuild our porch.  To make a long story short, those white spots are the areas that had to be patched due to him cutting through the interior wall with a Sawzall from the outside.  Good times.  The fact that they have now been patched, spackled, and primed is nothing short of a miracle.  I have the paint and plan on finishing by the end of this week.  I am looking forward to looking at undamaged walls for the first time in years!

This was my fun project for the week :)  My cousin is getting married in a couple months and she asked if I could make her a brooch bouquet.  Since I am a fool always game for any new crafting challenge, I said I would try.  I think the final result is pretty darn good!  The brooches hold many special memories since they were collected from family members.  It was fun showing it off to the bride and our family this weekend.  I am glad she likes it and I can't wait to see her walk down the isle!

 The FINISHED project :) 

So, how about you?  Do you have plans, big or small, to get a summer project done?

Wine, Chocolate, and Chips. Oh, My!

It's Friday, Again!  Here ends my Staycation (sadly).  I ate, drank, and was merry this week (there will be no fitness update in this post!)  I do have the weekend, but it will be just like any other... laundry, cleaning, and school work.  Bummer.  I do have one last hurrah planned tonight with friends (dinner and a movie), but then it's back to the real world (no more wine, chocolate or chips!).  So...what exciting things did I do this week?  Well, let's see...

1.  I had an awesome time hanging out with one of my oldest and dearest friends.  We had a "girls' day" that included lunch, a pedicure, and shopping.  Lunch was decadent... stuffed chicken parmesan, penne pasta, and a glass of Chablis.  SO Good!  Shopping was great fun.  I bought a dress for a wedding next month.  And the pedicure?  I don't know why I was so reluctant to get one.  It was FABULOUS.  I have trouble just sitting for any length of time, but it was SO worth it!

Yummy Lunch!

2.  I spent Wednesday with my cousin, getting our craft on.  She is getting married in September and wants a brooch bouquet.  After months of collecting pins from family and friends, she finally had enough for us to begin the process.  Thankfully, my husband was home to make some helpful suggestions and we finished putting "stems" on the pins in very little time (much less time than it would have taken without a power tool!)  We are more than half done... YAY!  At least, I think the most time consuming part is done.  The assembly "should" go a little quicker (I hope I am not jinxing myself!)

                              

Pins on the left are some of what we started with.  The "flowers" on the right are just waiting to be made into the completed bouquet :)

3.  Shopping?  Was there shopping?  Yes, yes, and yes.  I had every intention of controlling myself, but no, it did not happen.  I *needed* tea mugs for when I entertain (that one time a year when my tea drinking relatives come to visit!).  Aren't these quite nice....

They were a steal at three dollars a piece.  I did show some control.  I only bought four (In an effort to have full disclosure, that's all they had.  BUT... I have not gone to other stores in the area looking for more.  See?  Control.) 

4.  Then there were towels.  I *needed* new towels, too.  Some of mine are getting a little sketchy and need to be replaced.  Is being this happy over a new set a towels a sign of getting old?  After twenty years of being married, I could really use another bridal shower.  Stuff is just wearing out, y'all.

5.  And finally, I did do some *necessary* clothing shopping.  Last weekend, I did the big fall-winter to spring-summer clothing swap.  I was harsh with myself and got rid of four garbage bags of things that either did not fit or were just not okay anymore.  The sad reality once I was done was this... 2 pairs of pants and 3 pairs of jeans to wear to work.  That's it...No skirts, no dresses, no capris.  I did manage to find two skorts and 3 pairs of capris in my shopping travels.  Of course, there have still been white flakes falling outside, on and off, these past couple of days (Seriously, where is Spring??), so I may be regretting my new wardrobe!

Hope you had a great week..

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  It's so hard to believe it is 2015, ALREADY!  My family has a busy year ahead of us... we are looking forward to 2 Bridal Showers, 2 Weddings, and 3 Graduations.  

The end of 2014 eased its way out in a nice, happy way.

1.  There was this girl, whom I got to spend time with...

My cousin's daughter

We had a fabulous New Year's Eve with family.  Hung out with my brother, his wife and their kids.  We went bowling (I haven't done that in years!!) and then we went back to their house for Chinese food.  My parents joined us for an unexpected surprise.  On New Year's Day, she and I went to breakfast at IHOP.  Ah... "dessert" for breakfast.  What a nice way to start the year!

2.  I wrapped up another month of walking...logging 133.7 miles for the month.  I moved more last month than I did in November, which surprised me!  My dreadmill use was definitely less since I was so busy with the holidays, but the time spent shopping added to my walking totals.  Looking ahead... I may do a year long challenge of 2015 miles in 2015.  Yikes!  That means approximately 5.5 miles per day.  Every. Day.  Still debating about that!

3.  My weigh in this week was a little scary anxiety inducing, but I did it any way.  I had decided that it was "okay", no regrets.  *Sigh*  I am up 2.4 lbs.  My first gain since I started in September.  Obviously, I am still not back on track because I continue to...

This cracks me up!

4.  A while ago (probably last summer), I created a bucket list of things that I'd like to accomplish over the next few years.  I added it to my Blog this week (FINALLY figured out how!).  Check it out.  What do you think?  Do you have a bucket list?  Short or long term goals?

5.  My New Year's Resolutions... Start on that Bucket List!  By the end of the year, I'd like to have completed 15 of the 50 things I've listed.  Obviously, health and fitness are at the top of my list.  Overall, I am liking the direction I am going in... right now, I am in a pretty good place :) 

Progress?

       Alright, I'm in a slump.  So, I thought I would reassess and do a little check in to see how I am progressing with my "poo2do" list.  Not bad so far!! 

Summer Bucket List:
1) C25K - on hold :(
2) Los Angeles Trip - It was Great!
3) Get a Tattoo **YAY**
4) Organize my school world (especially in the area of Science!)
5) Take advantage of some tech training through work
6) Beach Time - Some, but not enough!
7) Get some scrapbooking done - My niece's baby book is done! She's 8.  Don't judge me :)
8) Get some cross stitching done
9) Hang with friends and family - Never enough of this!
10) Get some house "stuff" done - Hmmm...what else can I get into around here?
11) Read - Yay! 
12) Fix the template of this Blog! (Ugh!) - while still a work in progress, the template is "better".
13) Blog at least once a week - A work in progress.

There are some things that just aren't going to happen (#5 - tech training); it just wasn't meant to be.  Other things have worked their way on to the list.  Things I had either forgotten about or have just come up.  I think this sums up where I am right now...

 
       Looking back (and ahead!), I need to get moving on some of the goals I have set for myself!  I have things that MUST get done, but I don't want to do them (ignoring them hasn't made them go away).  Organizing my school world is clawing its way to the top of the list.  A plan!  I need a plan!  I only have a couple more weeks until I go back to work... Yikes!!  Time goes by so fast!!

      

This and That

Hey!  It's been a while!  It's been a "little" crazy here.  Since I last blogged, I have traveled to beautiful California for a conference, come home to decisions, decisions, decisions about my house (vinyl siding!  Yay! FINALLY!), completed some home improvements myself (bye-bye carpeting!), and run around like a crazy person driving my kids here and there.  So.  Where to start?
       California was GORGEOUS.  Hot, but dry.  No humidity?  I'll take it!  With 2 days of travel, I was gone for a total of 5 days.  Three days in sunny California.  Most noteworthy?  We ate.  We ate well.  I DID weigh in this past Wednesday.  A two pound gain, but I'll take it.  I'm surprised it wasn't more!  One of my favorite places was a place called Gladstones.  Great food and a BEAUTIFUL view.

Love the colors as the sun set :)

       The call came about the vinyl siding while I was in California.  "We'd like to start Monday."  Ummm...Sure!  All the "stuff" was delivered on Monday and construction began nice and early on Tuesday. (Rise and shine, Buttercup!  Flight arrived at 12:45am, home at 1:15am, in bed at 2:00am...up at 6:30am.  UGH!)  This project is LONG overdue.  I hope I don't have buyer's regret.  We've always lived in "the big white house on the corner".  It's now going to be "the big green house", but when they started removing the white siding there was a lovely red color underneath.  Oh, Red?  Yup, the same color my husband would have picked for the siding, but I just couldn't picture it.  I was afraid it would be too much.  It wouldn't have been.  But now?  Well, we're going green and it's going to be GREAT!  Right??     

Getting there!

       Since the mood around here is "just get it done", I decided to finally tear out the carpet in my daughter's room.  It was a little smelly from our bad kitty and needed to GO (so does the cat, but that's another story).  So, razor tool in hand, I set to work.  Things I have learned from this experience?  1) Replace the razor frequently.  The job is MUCH easier with a sharp blade.  2)  Tack strips hurt. ALOT.  Wear shoes.  3) Flip flops are probably not the best shoes for the job.  But they will do.  4)  Gloves, while optional, are probably a good idea.  All those little tacks and staples?  They leave you looking like you've been mauled.  All that being said, the job is done.  It's not pretty, but it's done. 

That's all for now...It's been a busy couple weeks, but busy in a good way.  

Hoping for a productive weekend :)

Cheers!  Happy Friday!

  

VACATION!!

 

       Vacation is FINALLY here.  It's been a really long school year and I desperately need to recharge my batteries.  I have "big plans" for this summer, and no plans at all.  I'd like to pull my life back from the fringes and start to feel a little more centered.  Yesterday, I set some goals for myself and I am going to "try" to stay true to them. 

       As always, I NEED to lose some weight.  It is easier in summer.  I love the heat.  I love being outside when it's hot. So, I gave myself a pep talk, weighed in, set a target, and strapped on my running shoes.  C25K, here we go again!  I am forcing myself to do this at a reasonable pace.  I am taking a day off in between days, even though today killed me.  I don't want this experience to end like the last time!  I also sat down and thought about what "things" I would like to see happen over the next couple of months.  I definitely need to keep busy.  It is the key to my sanity.  While I acknowledge that I need some down time, a LONG stretch of time with no goals, with nothing to do but wallow, is not a good plan.  So... here are "a few" ideas that have been rattling around in my head...

Summer Bucket List:

1) C25K
2) Los Angeles Trip
3) Get a Tattoo
4) Organize my school world (especially in the area of Science!)
5) Take advantage of some tech training through work
6) Beach Time
7) Get some scrapbooking done
8) Get some cross stitching done
9) Hang with friends and family
10) Get some house "stuff" done
11) Read
12) Fix the template of this Blog! (Ugh!)
13) Blog at least once a week

That's quite a list for a not-so-long time period!  I MAY not get to all of it, but I'm okay with that too.  The first three are what I am really looking forward to... whatever happens after that is all a bonus :)