Menu Plan Monday - Summer has come!

NOTE: July 6 Update... I decided to try something new - I changed the meal Tuesday (as I was not feeling what I planned) and thought it would be nice to post a "New Recipe Review" the day after it was tried. I will be labelling all "new" recipe selections so check back the day after the meal was scheduled for a review!

Ahhhh... I feel all zen and relaxed and refreshed. Our holidays were absolutely amazing! We ate like kings (thanks to my Dad and step-Mom for keeping our bellies filled and the dishes done), slept like giants, and made like sloths for seven incredible days. There wasn't a care in the world except wondering what snack to eat next.

That's not 100% true - I dug more dirt and piled rocks and sticks and pine needles that I've ever done in my life. I chased balls, named squirrels and explained that Jasper was not home to dinosaurs and had to give a brief geography lesson to my three year old on why we could not just drive to see the big T-Rex he climbed to the top of last year. I wrote and wrote and wrote (posts coming soon) and had time to think, reflect and appreciate nature at it's finest. I even had time for a little shopping in town with my Mom (who drove up for the day).

My husband was perfecting the art of photographing wildlife. Thankfully, the wildlife was unusually cooperative! Twelve black bears, many mountain goats, elk - mommies, babies and bucks and even a few deer posed for his camera. He even got some amazing shots of people cliff diving! Once he gets them processed, I'll post them in the coming weeks along with the posts I wrote (on paper, no less, while we were camping).

It's going to be a tough week - getting back into the groove of getting up at 6am but I feel positive and recharged - my holiday was just what I needed!

It's July here - the only month I've not seen snow in (well, I have - at higher elevations - but none has fallen on my grass during this month) - which means it's HOT. I like summer because I get to experiment with all kinds of new salads and sandwich combinations and foods that don't require me to turn on my oven! Well, except for today because we ran out of propane for the BBQ as I was toasting the garlic buns for dinner! Here is all our yummy salad and barbecue goodness for the coming week!

July 4 to July 10
Dinners

Monday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches with veggies & dip
Tuesday: Tortellini in Creamy Tomato Mushroom Sauce with Bread Sticks
Wednesday: Waldorf Tuna Sandwiches & Raspberry Salad
Thursday: BBQ Pork chops with Spinach Salad
Friday: Weeknight Lasagna Toss
Saturday: Hamburgers
Sunday: Chicken Burgers

Note: Underlined menu items have the recipes posted below.

Thanks for popping in and for more fabulous menu planning ideas, check out the Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!

Raspberry Salad
Lettuce - combination of leaf, head and red leaf lettuce
Craisins (optional)
Pine nuts
Raspberries
Snap peas
Baby carrots

Toss all ingredients together and use Kraft's Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing to dress to taste.

Spinach Salad
5 cups baby spinach, torn to bite size pieces
4 large white mushrooms, sliced
2 to 4 hard boiled eggs, diced
4 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Dressing
4 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Mix well - until sugar is dissolved

Mix salad ingredients well - tossing with 2 to 4 tsp of Olive Oil. Coat with dressing and toss again.

52 Week Challenge: Week 25 - RVing made easier! The Power of a List

I know I said I wasn't going to post this week, however, it occurred to me on the drive home from my Mom's last weekend, that I needed to get my act together regarding our upcoming vacation. I have six days before we leave - and I work five of those days and I'm meeting with a client one night this week so that leaves me Sunday to get it together...

I like lists. I love making lists, I love following lists, I love striking things off my lists. I'm a list-o-holic and I get it from my Mother. She likes lists too. She is probably the only person I know who itemizes her dinner lists so she doesn't forget to serve anything. We were at her house today for a Father's Day barbecue. She had a list - and as she got everything out, she checked it off. It was awesome and just a little inspiring!

How do I prepare for this? I make lists. Lists for what clothing we need, toiletries, food, activities, regular gear, things we need to get, toys, books, crafts, staples. There are lots of lists to be made and a bit of shopping we need to do. I have to (well, I don't have to but I do) bake for the trip - cookies are a must, granola bars, snack mix, trail mix, dog treats...

I don't have a fancy template for my lists and they aren't necessary organized in any particular fashion but I know, without a doubt, that I couldn't plan a successful trip without a list. Even the trip to my Mother's, which I've made a 1000 times, is generally done with a list... Especially if it is an overnight trip! We dared the turn-around trip without a list... And guess what?

We forgot our fur-son's food!

So, how do you organize? Are you a list junkie like me? Do you wing it?

This week, I decided to ORGANIZE my lists - what a good idea, I say! I pack the same things all the time - so why not create a master set of lists to use to make my life easier...

This week, I'm going to share with you two of my lists. The first is an RV Checklist - we have a motorhome and although it is essentially a duplicate of my bricks & sticks kitchen, I feel more secure knowing that I've double checked all the essentials before I leave. I also know the other list I can't live without is my clothing/activities list.

I've created both in a handy-pdf for everyone to download an enjoy and use to make your next trip a little more organized! Please note, the preview looks a little weird, when you open it, it is better but I'll need to revise the font type.
RV Checklist_Basic Inventory



Of course, these aren't exhaustive lists and I've already thought of 4 other things to add to the RV list (walkie talkies, matches, barbecue lighter & tongs) but it's a start and oh-so-pretty!

Clothing Checklists

Do you have a list? Are you a list keeper? Do tell and share what works for you! I'm linking up this week to the Org Junkie's 52 Week of Organizing. Thanks for stopping by and come back soon!

We-Design-Day: Upcycled Interior Chic - a way to save MONEY!

As promised, here is the updated budget! I'm so excited to see the savings! By repurposing old previously loved furniture, I can save over $800! And it will be CUSTOM to my tastes and needs. Does it get better?



Perhaps! I've been scouring the free ads and looking for 'second' hand flooring. There are an amazing number of ads posted by people who bought too much flooring (or not enough and can't match it) and are trying to get rid of it. I'm just waiting for the right opportunity to come up! I did consider doing a painted treatment to the floor - like an etch or staining - but my husband assured me it would be worth getting a floor - and he's likely right. Bare concrete (especially in a basement application) can be cold! And because I hope to be working in the space for long periods of time, I better make sure it is inviting.

The construction schedule is still behind (and not updated as it's on the home computer) - but I have good reason! We leave for holidays on Friday so I won't be blogging or renovating anything! We are taking a week off - from everything! It doesn't do the renovation any good, but I'm sure it will do a whole bunch of good!

So come back for the next installment of We-Design-Day, coming to you on July 6th! Until then, happy renovating!

The Cold, the continuous rain and baking with TroubleMaker

Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm hormonal... Maybe it's the seven straight days of rain or maybe it's that the world is out to get me but whatever it is, it has my patience at an all time low and my internal temperature gauge set to boil.

It could be that we leave in four days time and I'm no where near ready. The past couple of years has been like this when we leave for vacation. I don't remember what's in the motor home, what isn't, what needs to be and what I'll forget.

Did I mention the rain? We are considering trading in our RV for an ark. I just saw a family of ducks merrily float down our avenue with a raft in tow.

First, I'm hot - really hot - and cranky and my throat hurts and, well, I'm hormonal. But not sappy hormonal, raging hormonal which makes me feel even worse because generally, this doesn't go away until I blow a gasket and the vein in my neck bulges. I've tried placating myself with cookies but to no avail. I considered my favourite snack but I knew I'd eat my way through several bags and payday isn't until next Tuesday.

Where was I? Oh yes. Rain.

Our car flooded today. At least 3" of water in the passenger side foot well.

I'm sick. I have as sore throat. Last night, every time I swallowed in my sleep, it woke me up. The only respite was plugging TroubleMaker into the TV this morning and sleeping in my easy chair. My throat feels better now - it hurts but at least I can talk (but still not to my usual volumes, hence the MEME blog post). This afternoon, TroubleMaker and I made the shopping trip I was to make tonight.

Apparently rubber boots are at a premium right now. We have a pair but TroubleMaker flooded them on the weekend and we can't get the things to dry out. I wanted running shoes for him too. But I did not want black, branded with lit bottoms - so I was out of luck. I also wanted a "Chutes and ladders" board game but that wasn't to be had either. I bought socks, cute socks, so that did encourage me a little bit.

Then we came home and I decided we needed more baking. I like to take lots of fresh baking when we go camping. It's a thing I do... After consuming half the bag of Skor Toffee bits, I dumped the rest into the cookie dough... But not before TroubleMaker showered the kitchen in a brown sugary concoction. I just about came unglued (he did this with every batch of baking he and I did yesterday too). But I just smiled and ran for my Zantac. When that didn't work, I ate a half dozen of the Skor Cookies - I was able to rationalize that TroubleMaker mashed half of them while "helping" me get them off the cookie sheet.

Now as his sights are set on shooting candy sticks around the house, I'm just sitting here waiting for Calgon to take me away... In case it doesn't, please send my Sanity to:
Attn: TroubleMaker's Father
PO Box 123, Itseemedlikeagoodideaatthetime, AB
Canada T6E 1N4

Menu Plan Monday - The Vacation Edition

This week, my week only has five days in it. Yay! I say "yay" because I leave for holidays on Friday. Yay! I like holidays. I like this holiday because I'm going to Jasper National Park. Yay! Mostly, I'm just happy to be going anywhere and spending time in my favourite place on Earth.


Athabasca Falls

This week is going to be CRAZY busy - I have a bit of shopping to do (recently learned with all the rain we've had here that one pair of running shoes and one pair of rubber boots is not nearly enough for one very puddle happy three year old), packing, planning and getting things ready to leave for Friday. I hope to do a tich more baking too... I got two types of granola bars made today and one batch of my honey's favourite cookies but I wanted to try these cookies and I'm hoping to get a batch of my fur-son's favourite PB Cookies made for our trip. However, TroubleMaker is sick and I think I am getting sick (my throat is VERY sore) and the only thing I want at the moment is my pillow...

This week is again about convenience and using up what fresh things I have left in the house. Short of a few bits of fruit, I don't want to buy a whole bunch of food before we go.


June 20 to June 25
Dinners

Monday: KD & fish sticks (TroubleMaker has been asking for this for days)
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken & Rice w/ Garlic Parmesan Asparagus
Wednesday: Meatloaf and noodles
Thursday: Tuna sandwiches & Salad
Friday: Bye, bye birdies!!!!! Up and away!!!!! TTFN!!!!!
Saturday: Soaking up fresh Rocky Mountain Air!
Sunday: Still lappin' up that fresh air!


One of the Locals

Have a great week and I'll see you in a couple weeks when I'm back from holidays and getting back into the groove of summer and working! Thanks for popping in and for more fabulous menu planning ideas, check out the Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!

52 Week Challenge: Week 24 - back into the trenches

Well, I am proud to report that this week, I made more progress in my office. And how apropos with Laura at the Org Junkie busting us this week with our unfinished tasks!

With the We-Design-Day project behind schedule, I had to get back into my office so we can move it out and and move my husband into my space and try to get the project back on track. I opened my office door and felt completely overwhelmed. Where would I start? Sure my white sheeting idea worked for Phase One, but now the area I'd tacked in Week 19 was done and the rest of the room was covered up...

Remember my before?



I was SO proud of what I accomplished.

Until I walked back in two weeks later.



I did what, where? I left the office, went and got a gummy dinosaur and then went back in. I still didn't know where to start but I thought "Ok, self... TroubleMaker is at the neighbours, husband is out with a friend... I should go have a shower and do my toenails. No one would blame me - taking a little 'me' time - sure, that's what I need... me time... Forget organizing, I need to recharge."

The thought was promptly followed with me getting to work (so world, please forgive my naked toes). I piled, I moved, I tossed in my boxes. I folded and sorted and cursed my love of fabric. I wished I wasn't messy and disorganized and I even wished for a bulldozer to mistakenly take down my house so I wouldn't have to deal with all the junk I have. No, not really the last one but I did mention to my husband that I was getting pretty close to being featured on "The Hoarders"... Additionally, if I had saved all the money I've spent on stuff I've never used, I'd have a lot of money... Wouldn't we all???

But I kept working and an hour later, I had a floor... Did you know that room had carpet? I'd almost forgotten!



The other thing I'd forgotten was that I've been down this road before... Can you see the three boxes stacked just behind the white table in that picture?? Do you want to know what is in them? Me too. I packed them up more than four years ago (it could even be five) in a previous (failed) attempt of cleaning up my space so I'd have more studio space to sew all the things for the baby we were going to have...

I feel a little more focused - getting through more in my space really helped me to feel like I'm in control and back on track. I also did a lot of reading last week and seeing that I'm not the only one struggling with these tasks did a lot to bolster my confidence!

I'll also be taking a blogging hiatus - we are leaving on our family vacation next Friday so I won't be able to post... If I get to a cafe, I'll post a few pictures but until early July, my 52 Weeks of Organizing will be on hold... But do check out all the others playing along! Thanks for stopping by and we'll see you again soon!

We-Design-Day: Upcycled Interior Chic

If I told you people were doing things that are (going to be) the wave of the future, a way to reduce consumerism, keep things out of the landfill, and give old products new life – that would excite you, wouldn’t it? It excites me! Probably a little too much! This idea I’m going to present to you isn’t new – it’s something old, really. Probably really old… If you think back to a time when most homes were single income, had multiple children and money was scarce, everyone ‘reused’ everyday items until they wore out and fell apart.

The photo below is of my grandparents. It was taken February 8, 1935. I love this picture – it’s so beautiful and whenever I see it, I’m reminded of a few things my Grandmother told me about her early married life. Life was tough for her and my Grampa!



It was the mid –thirties and the country was embroiled in a depression. Although we are North of the United States, the ripple of the 1929 stock market crash was felt globally and by the time Gramma and Grampa married, jobs were scarce, unemployment was high (it hovered around 10% for the entire decade) and the once fertile and supple prairie land had been left drought-stricken, dry and cracked with plagues of grasshoppers.

Take another look at the wedding picture - see my Gramma's dress? Can you guess what it is made from?

Flour used to come in flour sacks. It was common practice to keep the material, bleach the print out of it and sew it together to make clothing, bedding, curtains and an entire blog post of additional uses. But this dress, this beautiful, bleached flour sack dress, was sewn and adorned by my Gramma!

So what does this have to do with (what I’m hoping will be a new - you heard it hear first, Blue Door Interiors, We-Design-Day original) design trend called Upcycled Interior Chic©? Well, as my budget has been getting smaller and smaller for the renovation, I began at looking at how to get all the things we need on our budget – which, by the way, is now around $800 (down from $2000).

But despaired I am not! I’m re energized, excited and I cannot wait to get going! This is so much more my style – funky, odd and so GREEN! It’s like my eyes opened and everything I see now (almost) gets my brain working overtime thinking about how it can fit into my plan! I popped over to my parent’s garage sale this weekend and found the PERFECT piece!

With some paint, mactac and a piece of plexi, I’ve already got four pieces to refurbish! A simple desk will be the new family computer station, an old wall unit will become the storage centre for my studio! It’s only the beginning but already, by reusing and repurposing these items, I’ve kept them from the landfill AND I’ve saved almost $500! And yes, I know my time is worth money but I’m either assembling knock-down furniture or I’m painting. This way, I get a custom piece that I can ‘funky’ up.

This also allows me to spend what we do have on the most important things: power upgrades and new lighting! I'm now on the hunt - scouring the Freecycle and Kijiji listings for anything usable and FREE! How is this not the perfect plan?!

Let's get knocking some walls down!

Come back next week as I'll be posting an updated construction schedule (as obviously, we're behind) and revamping our budget. Thanks for stopping in and what piece do you have that you can see Upcycling?




PS Please note that the phrase "Upcycled Interior Chic©", to the best of my knowledge, has not yet been used or applied as an interior design finishing concept. Being that not-everything is original, I am hoping this is. If you have seen or heard reference to it else where, please let me know (and provide the link). Otherwise, I do believe this is an original concept and would appreciate any use of it being referred back to here. Thanks!