Prepping for My No Spend Month

I'm overwhelmed by the amount of folks who popped in to read my post on my very first "no-spend month" ever - thanks to all of you who came by! And a special thank you to each of you who left me a comment - I really do cherish all your sweet comments and I look so forward to reading them every day!

Today I spent part of the day prepping for my no-spend month. I would have done this prior to January 1st if I didn't come down with that nasty bug. So my month will begin tomorrow morning and go until the morning of February 4th, to make it a full month. 

It is what it is. 

In order to get ready to lock up my wallet for the next month I took stock of what I needed from the grocery store and made a trip to stock up. 

My veggie tower is full of fruits and veggies that will hopefully get me through a good part of the month. 

The Veggie Tower in August

I didn't get a pic of the veggie tower today as it's so dark and cloudy here and it's been flurrying on and off all day. 

The veggie tower is stocked with potatoes, yams, onions, pears, a pineapple, 2 cantaloupes, and bananas. 

The crisper drawer is also full with baby carrots, green beans, red cabbage, endive, radicchio, baby spinach, scallions, lemons, limes, and peppers. 

I have lots of garlic in the pantry from both my garden and the last farmer's market. 

I stocked up on dairy - we're all set for organic milk, cream, sour cream, cheese, butter, and yogurt. 

Our eggs come from a neighbor and I always have plenty. 

The freezers and pantry are full. 

The bar is well stocked. 

I ordered more food and treats for the pups as well as their flea and worm medicines. 

I made sure I am all set with contact lenses and solution. 

My back up supply of vitamins are on their way. 

I even made a special trip to our local Ace to make sure I had enough black oil sunflower seed, safflower seed, and suet for my little critters. 

I even bought a few extra light bulbs. Just in case. 

Last stop was to the gas station where I topped off the tank. 

I am going to try not to have to go to the market at all for the next 30 days if at all possible. If I do need to go it should only be for a few fresh fruits. 

I'm ready - bring it on!!

Stretching the Dining Room

When I first toured my new house I fell in love. 

Instantly and completely. 

But I had a problem. And I almost didn't buy the house because of it. 

Despite the fact that I was in love. 

What was my problem?

The dining room would not seat my whole clan for Christmas dinner. 

I told you about it here - I didn't sleep for a few nights, tossing and turning and worrying about this. 

Yes, I know. I'm nuts.

Finally I just gave myself a good hard kick in the butt and said, "Who cares? It's one day a year!"

And I made an offer. 

And the rest was history. 

But now it's nearly time for Christmas dinner. 

And I'm starting to fret again. 

So what's a girl to do? 

Get creative, that's what!  

And I did. 

With help from my sweetie. 

I had this idea to take a piece of plywood, saw it in half, hinge it (for ease of storage), and place it over the table top. 

For once, Sweetie didn't tell me I was out of my mind. 

He saw the possibilities....and made it happen. 

Sanded and smooth, corners rounded, piano hinge down the middle. 

With the table stretched open as far as it can go - and a gap in the  middle to accommodate the hinge - we're giving it a test run tonight. 

With a dinner party for 12  nope, now we're at 13. 

Sweetie helped me carry the makeshift tabletop in last night and get it in place. 

It was a little warped, as plywood tends to be. So he clamped it and I weighed it down with all the fall squashes I have yet to cook. 

And I went on a hunt for the giant ivory colored tablecloth I have had for eons. 

And I hunted. And hunted. And turned every linen storage area in my house upside down. 

And no giant ivory colored tablecloth can be found anywhere. 

It walked away. As things do. 

So I improvised. 

With two brown tablecloths I've had for centuries and that lovely red velvet jingle bell runner I told you about here. 

And I worried the colors would clash. 

But you know what? I'm not hating it!!

My plates have a brown band as well as blue and dark red, so they work to pull the colors together. 

Add red napkins and crystal glasses and there's not a thing wrong with it!

The dishes help to weigh down the table so it's not quite as warped. It's still a little wobbly but hopefully will be alright, once the bowls of heavy food are put in the center. 

I'm really quite pleased with the end result. I set the table for 12 this morning.....I'll have to find room for one more when I get home from work - we'll squeeze. No worries. 

When the lights are dimmed and the candles lit and the music is playing and the wine is flowing nobody will worry one bit about being a little tight around the table. 

And we'll do it again next Friday. 

Happy Holidays, Friends!!

~~~~~~~~~~

Sharing at 

Cozy Little House - Tweak It Tuesday 

Girly Girl with Power Tools

It's a dangerous combination, don't you think?

A girly girl with power tools and a can-do attitude? 

My mom always said I was like a bull in a china shop. And as stubborn as the day is long. 

That may be the case, but it has served me well in life. 

When something needs to be done I will try to tackle it on my own whenever possible. 

Unless it involves a power saw of any type. That's not happening. I'm even more afraid of power saws than I am of ladders, if you can believe it. 

Anyway, this was another busy, busy weekend. Aren't they all? Not enough hours in the day, I say. 

The temps were in the 50's so I wanted to work out in the garden.  However, after spending two hours on the phone with Verizon trying to repair the issue with my internet (don't get me started!!) I headed out to the garden only to find.....it was drizzling. 

Oh well. 

Back inside to tackle a few projects that were bugging me. 

See this? This is my wall hung jewelry cabinet that 1. Does not close. At all. Not a chance. 

And 2. Always has a pile of scarves hanging over the door, for lack of a better place to put them. 

Which is not why it doesn't close, believe it or not. 

There were also scarves sticking out of various fabric bins in my walk in closet. 

Did I mention how much I love, love, LOVE my walk in closet? 

Oh, no? 

Well, I do. Almost as much as I love cheese. 

Anyway. I decided I had to do something about it. I knew what I wanted to do....just not where. 

And then one night in the wee hours when I couldn't sleep I figured it out. 

This is where it had to happen. Right on these dividers between the hanging space and the shelves. 

Drapery hooks! The perfect thing for holding scarves!! I picked up two of these at Lowes....and there was one more that looked similar that I was in the house when I bought it. 

About 15 minutes with my handy dandy Black & Decker drill & screwgun and I was a happy camper!

Check this out - perfect!! Now, don't even think for one second that this is my entire scarf collection....no siree, Bob!!

However, at least it takes care of the ones I use most often, or that have just been worn and need a place to hang out (ha ha, yes pun intended) until they get put away. 

The third hook got used to take some of the pressure off the poor Jewelry cabinet. 

Seriously, look at that door - not a chance it's going to ever close unless I remove a bunch of the bulkier items out of there! It's not even close. 

Well, after pulling out about a million of my costume jewelry necklaces and hanging them on the new drapery hook the door can close again - hooray!  That hasn't happened in years....well, with the exception of when it was empty on moving day. 

I love the way it looks now when I look into my closet - not only is the chandelier sparkling but the light catches the necklaces also!

Such a girly girl I am!

While I had my tools out, I took care of a little problem my daughter had in her room. 

This was her hook rack in her bedroom. It was here when we moved in....but it had four hooks, not just one. 

I guess they weren't that strong.....they snapped off one by one. 

A little while later she was back in business. 

All it needs is  a little touch up paint and we're golden. Easy peasy. 

It makes me feel good to not only be able to do these little projects myself but also to teach my daughters how to do them at the same time. 

I hope you also did something this weekend that makes you proud!

Happy Monday, Friends!

Easy Peasy Entertaining - Dinner Party

I love to cook, no secret there. And I really love to share my meals with friends and family. 

But I work full time, and we seem to have a very busy social life. 

It can be hard to find the time to host a dinner party with everything else that is going on in life. 

I actually prefer to host midweek, after work. I have to cook dinner anyway so why not have a few friends over to share? Plus I don't get myself all crazy cleaning unnecessary things in the house like I would on the weekend. It is what it is.....and another bonus? I'm already showered, dressed, and have makeup on! When I host on the weekend the last thing I take care of is me....the house looks perfect but I'm answering the door with wet hair and no makeup on. 

So....what are my secrets for hosting a midweek dinner party?

K.I.S.S. 

Keep It Simple, Stupid!

That's what I tell myself. 

And sometimes I even listen to my own advice!!

Tonight I am hosting dinner for 6. The menu? 

Simple. 

Cheese Board and Cocktails to start. Easy. 

Salad with mixed greens, cranberries, sliced apple, red onion, goat cheese, and pistachios - dressed very simply with olive oil, blackberry ginger balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. 

The Very Best Veggie Lasagna Ever. Remember when I told you about that? And I made a few for the freezer? Yup, that was for dinner parties. I pulled a large one out of the freezer on Sunday and put it in the fridge to thaw. I'll cover it with foil and pop it into the oven when I get home from work. 

And some lovely soft squishy Snowflake Rolls I picked up at the market last night. Yummmmmm!!

Dessert? Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream with Sliced Strawberries. 

Easy peasy, right?

To make things even easier on myself when I get home tonight I did the prep work before I left for work. 

The cheese board is out on the counter with the knives and crackers I need....the grapes are washed and ready....I left out the mixed nuts along with a bowl....and covered the whole thing with a tea towel. 

The big wooden salad bowl and salad servers are out on the prep island along with the dried cranberries, an apple, the pistachio nuts, the olive oil, and the blackberry-ginger balsamic. I forgot the red onion...drat. I hope I don't forget to add the onion to the salad!

The bread basket has a clean napkin liner ready to go, the rolls are left out where I won't forget them, and the foil is right next to them so I remember to wrap them and pop them into the oven when I take out the lasagna. 

I even lined the baking pan in foil already - the lasagna will be put on top of here and popped into the oven - the foil makes cleanup of any bubbling over super simple. 

I trimmed the wicks of all the candles and refilled the dining room table candles that had burnt out. I even left out the candle lighter. 

I took the clean plates and silverware right from the dishwasher this morning and set the table first thing. Kill two birds and all that!

When I get home from work, I will do the following:

1. Cover the lasagna with foil and pop it into a 350 degree oven

2. Run around with the vacuum quickly

3. Put on a good Pandora station that suits my dinner guests tonight 

4. Light the candles 

5. Make sure the lighting is just right for entertaining - not too bright, not too dim

6. Wrap the rolls in foil and leave out some butter to soften

7. Make the salad - I won't dress it until the last minute before serving, however 

8. Make myself a cocktail 

9. Freshen my makeup and hair

10. Play hostess

Done. 

Easy Peasy Entertaining. 

What are your tricks for K.I.S.S. Entertaining?

The Princess Room

Friends of ours came over for a visit the other evening and when they saw my master bath they immediately christened it The Princess Room. 

So The Princess Room it shall remain!!

Hey - why not? Every girl dreams of being a princess at some point in her life!

I first brought you in here when I showed you my Master Suite about a million years ago. 

Ok, only 3 months ago. I might have exaggerated a tad. 

Well, today I'm going to give you a peek even further into the inner sanctum...the stuff you always want to peek at when you use someone's restroom....come on, don't lie - you know you always want to open the medicine cabinet!

Maybe that's just me. Sorry. I can be nosy. 

Continuing with the Clutter Busters....here are my tips on keeping my Princess Room organized. 

I wanted a vanity all my life. It was high on my must-have list when designing this space. It's such a luxury to be able to sit down and take my time with all my little beauty routines. And let's face it, after 40 the routines take longer and longer each year. Wahh!

I like to have everything right at my fingertips when sitting at my vanity, but without being "cluttered." This marble tray that I picked up at Sierra Trading Post for about $3 does an incredible job. The coordinating marble cup holds my makeup brushes. 

I have two of these rotating cosmetic organizers, one on either side of the marble tray - they hold my cosmetics and they spin around so I can see what I have. And let's face it - I have a LOT of products. A ton. I have always been that kind of girly-girl. These organizers came from Joss & Main.  Love that place!

In the vanity cabinets I have these mesh roll out organizers - there are two in each vanity which keeps everything so nicely organized. 

Yes, I'm a bit of a neatnik. I admit it. These kind of things make me very happy. 

There's actually no medicine cabinet in this bathroom - I couldn't put a recessed one in over the sinks as it's an exterior wall and all the products inside would freeze in my climate. And I didn't like the medicine cabinets that aren't recessed - I felt like they would stick out way too much and I would bang my face on them when washing up! So, medicines are kept in the medicine cabinet in the guest bath....and I don't mind one bit if you peek when you come to visit! 

I loved the fact that these vanities had such a large drawer underneath - however, it led to challenges in keeping things organized. This deep drawer organizer is awesome, I love it. And these Ikea storage boxes are perfect to organize the drawers as well. I ordered 2 sets of these and used them elsewhere in the master suite as well. 

This rolling organizer holds some items I use regularly such as contacts, vitamins, face wash, etc as well as taller items that don't fit under the sink. I told you how much I love these organizers and gave you a link to buy one for yourself when I told you all about my Kitchen Clutter Busters.  I actually ordered this one for next to my washer to hold laundry detergent but it was too narrow for the bottles I buy - but it worked out perfectly right here. 

I absolutely adore the tub I had put in however I limit the amount of times I use it due to the fact that I have a well and septic. That just makes the times I indulge all the more special! I go all out - I light all the candles, put on some relaxing spa music, and have a glass of wine - there's nothing like it!!

When we were putting in the tub my contractor asked me if I wanted a little recessed area for products and the answer was a resounding YES. More space for products? That's a no-brainer for me. 

I chose the same stone as the fireplace to back the recessed area. It's the perfect spot for the products I use in the tub. And everything has a lavender scent to make the experience even more relaxing!

My bath salts are kept neat and tidy and ready for action right next to the bath in an old ceramic container that came from a floral arrangement. It's just the right size to fit between the tub edge and the wall - who knew that holding on to these odd items would work out so well in my new house?

In the shower I put a tension organizer in one corner to keep all my shower supplies handy. 

The model I chose is from Simple Human and it's terrific! It got wonderful reviews and I completely understand why.  It's so sturdy and has 3 adjustable shelves plus hooks, razor holder, toothbrush holder, and soap dish. I bought mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20% off coupon. It was the best deal I found on this item anywhere - and it's worth every penny! All the reviews say it doesn't rust - that was a huge selling point for me right there. 

Across from the vanity my contractor built in shelving to store additional supplies. The width and height of the shelves was decided based on the amount of space that was left after everything else was installed and it couldn't have worked out better if we planned it this way!

I already had 6 of these fabric boxes that I was using elsewhere. I was originally going to get baskets for the bathroom shelves but when I tried out one of these on the shelves it was just too perfect! I bought mine at Home Decorators with a coupon code. 

Did you notice that there is usually a coupon code happening with me? Yup, I admit it. I hate to pay full price for anything!

These over-door hooks are wonderful - I have them EVERYWHERE. Seriously. Addicted. 

All these organizers not only keep the bathroom looking fairly tidy at all times but make my morning routine so much easier. Even on Mondays!

I don't have to go looking for anything. I know exactly where every item is. Things I use morning and night are right at my fingertips. 

And at the end of the day, that's what makes this space even more beautiful. It's amazingly functional. 

What's better than that?

Puttering

It's a damp, cold, miserable kind of a November day in the mountains today....but I don't really mind that much. It's a good excuse to be indoors doing one of the things I love most on my day off - puttering. 

I love when I have a rare day that I don't have to go anywhere. Nowhere. No deadlines, no timetables, no schedule. I can just putter around my house doing bits of this and that. 

At my leisure. In between checking out blogs and rambling around the internet. 

Best kind of day EVER. 

I started my day with a cup of Cappuccino, as I love to do on my day off. Super awesome weekend treat to myself. Perfect way to start my morning. 

After feeding the birds I made a nice weekend breakfast of scrambled eggs with cheddar, a side of crispy bacon, and raspberry white chocolate scones. Decadent! And no, I didn't make the scones - my sister brought them when she came to visit a few weeks back and I froze the leftovers. Yumzers!

After washing up the pans I decided to make Sunny Simple Life's Homemade Bleach Cleaner - it was so easy to make! 

I took everything off my kitchen counters, sprayed them down with the cleaner, let it sit for about 15 minutes while I bounced around blogland, and then wiped them down. They came out great!! And I really feel like they are SUPER CLEAN - I'm always a big fan of using bleach to kill any germs. And I am one of those people who actually likes the smell of bleach so that's a plus. It definitely killed the smell of the bacon in the house which is a big bonus for me!!

That went so well I decided to try out Sunny Simple Life's Super Frugal Easy Way to Stretch Your Laundry Soap. 

Sunny Simple Life

I have to tell you, I'm very impressed! I ordered the Fels - Naptha Laundry Soap on Amazon  since I don't have a dollar store around here but even at the Amazon price this is is most definitely a super frugal easy way to stretch the laundry detergent. I got two bars for under $6 and I think they will easily last me for MONTHS!

I was a little worried about how it would smell since I have never tried this product before...I thought perhaps it would smell like petroleum jelly or similar. Nope! Lovely fresh citrusy smell - I'm lovin' it!!

The stretched laundry detergent is getting the first workout on the fur-babies blankets. Even if I just use this "stretched" detergent for sheets, blankets, comforters, bath rugs, towels....the stuff that doesn't really get stains but just needs freshening - it will still save a ton of $$$ on laundry detergent. Thanks, Sunny Simple Life!!

My next task was to blow off the deck and deck stairs - I have such a great blower that I love - as a matter of fact I bought a bunch of their garden tools when I bought my house. I didn't want to have to mess with gas/oil mixtures, winterizing machines, etc. I read about the WORX brand tools somewhere and had to give them a try. 

Via

I have to say I'm very pleased with my little blower. It's so light and easy to use - even my daughter who is about 90 lbs soaking wet has no problem using it. When I beg her. 

Anyway. 

I wanted to get the leaves off the deck so I could put down these mats and stair treads I got from Improvements Catalog. 

Via

I ordered 6 stair treads and 2 mats for the top of the stairs. Let me tell you - those mats are HEAVY!! I had to have my daughter help me carry them up the stairs!

Here's how they look on my stairs - I'm loving them! These old wooden stairs get mighty slippery and I was nervous we were going to tumble down them in the winter. 

My sweetie will have to figure out how to trim that bottom one to fit around the moldings - I don't even know if that's possible - they are so thick and heavy, made from recycled tires. 

I'm really happy with them! And I was just finishing up this little task when a storm blew in with mixed rain and snow....so I ran into the house and put on the kettle for a cup of tea. 

Brrrrrr. 

My next project is going to be in the kitchen - I'm trying out a new recipe that has been up on my fridge for a while - Slow Cooker Gigante Beans with Tomatoes and Pancetta from Alexandra's Kitchen. 

Alexandra's Kitchen

I'm going to start with this recipe but adapt it (as I usually do with recipes) to suit my needs - I am going to use fresh tomatoes to use up some more of the billions of green tomatoes that are ripening slowly in the dining room. 

And bacon instead of Pancetta, since that's what I have. 

Doesn't this look absolutely scrumptious?? I love her blog....you should go check it out!

This will be tomorrow's dinner. From what I read it's even better the second day - and this means no cooking for me tomorrow evening, which frees me up to run to the market after work. 

Perhaps. If I feel like it. 

Depending on how my Monday goes. They aren't always good days. . 

Tonight's dinner will be roasted chicken in my new best friend  - which I absolutely adore, by the way. It's been over a month now since she came to live with me and I tend to reach for her first before any of my other pots. It heats up so evenly, cooks beautifully, and cleanup is an absolute breeze. I'm so thrilled. 

Martha Stewart

So, spiced roast chicken, sweet potatoes, stuffing, carrots from the garden - who's in?

Happy Sunday, Friends!!