#279 Man on a MisShawn

This coming weekend is Thanksgiving, and in preparation I am making the following (with Pumpkin) for the weekend:

- Waffles (Easily reheated in the Toaster as required.   They stay fluffy inside and get a nice toasty coating on the outside.)

- Chocolate Chip Cookies 

- White Chocolate Snickerdoodles.

- and my world famous turkey stuffing (actually there's no pumpkin in this one)

This is going to be the easiest and most stress free Thanksgiving ever! 

#270 Re-DomesticaShawn

Marcel started a new course today. Which meant I was alone today.  It was weird ya know. I mean Saturdays and Sundays are OUR days. Alas this weekend he has class from 9 - 6.

To tell you the truth I really didn't know what to do with myself today. LOL

I was up when he left at 7:15.  I could have gone back to bed, well I DID go back to bed, but I didn't go back to sleep.   The dogs knew something different was happening.  They kept climbing up on my chest and shoving their faces in mine. After about 30 seconds of that I totally lost it. Laughing until I couldn't breathe. And they just continued. It was weird, and silly and I missed Marcel not seeing it.

I got up, schlepped about the house for a bit. Put on Galaxy "Remember the 80's) on the TV and kinda just putzed about for a while.  Then I had breakfast, showered, collected the returnables (bottles and tins) took them to the Grocery store. Then I hopped on the Metro and headed to the end of the Green Line to scope out the Michael's Craft Store in Verdun. I picked up a few things and then headed back home.  But first I went and picked up some groceries for tonight's supper. 

Got home, took the kids out for a walk, then unpacked the groceries. Prepped the Sweet Potato and Date and Blue Cheese casserole. Baked some Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip Cookies, and prepped the Honey Balsamic Chicken.

Now I'm just waiting for Marcel to get home, get him a drink, hear about his fost day of classes and then cook supper.

Yup. I'm a regular Haus-frau today.  It was relaxing and fun. Would have been more fun with Marcel.

#267 Hallowe'en PreparaShawn

Okay, Christmas is only 92 days away... but there's an important event before that... in 37...

HALLOWE'EN!

And to that end, we've started preparations for this years decorations. Last month Marcel got me a Skull with a crow on top, and this wek I've picked up a faux crow skeleton, some centipedes and some glow in the dark spiders. Oh, and a small glass skull bottle.

All are for inside the house, we're on the 3rd floor and there's no way to see anything we'd put in the windows.  And for the record, we are right downtown so we get no trick-or-treaters either.  And it's very unlikely we'll have anyone over to see them. 

We just like decorating the place for the holidays! 

#229 Packing PreperaShawns

We're only a few days from Vacation, so it's time to start preparations.

Sorting gifts for family and friends.  Planning what clothes to take. 

I want to pack everything now, but there will be laundry to do before we leave, and the earlier I pack, the more I pack... not the goal here.

What we can take away from this is there are only 5 days until Vacation begins. 

...getting excited!

#137 Long Weekend PreparaShawns

We made a great dent into the unofficial first long weekend of Summer. Unofficial I say because Summer only begins on June 21st.  Today we:

- Stored all our Winter-ware

- Unpacked our Summer coats

- Got a new take of propane for Barbecurella (our BBQ)

- Picked up and marinated some amazing Lamb Chops to christen the new take of propane

- Purchased flowers for the patio flower boxes

- Purchased some fresh herbs for the Kitchen Windowsill Garden: Rosemary, Thyme and Bay Laurel (we already have a pot of Basil)

- Congratulated ourselves with a summer cocktail: Lemonade and Gin 

All we have left to do today is grill the lamb chops and enjoy the cool breezes of the evening.

Tomorrow we plant!

#082 VacaShawn PreparaShawn

A penny saved is a penny earned. 

Hmmm,  maybe that needs to be changed to a nickel saved is a nickel earned. 

Marcel and I do 4 little things to save money for our annual vacation to the Maritimes. They are so simple and easy, anybody can do it, practically in your sleep.

1- We put all out pocket change in a jar. 

You'd be really surprised how much and how fast it piles up. From Sept to Jan alone we had over $300.00! And as I have a TD Canada Trust bank account, they offer a FREE coin counting / cash in service. (As opposed to those coin machines in Grocery Stores etc that generally have a $0.10 - $0-12 on the dollar fee. At TD if you have an account there is no fee.  And even for those that do not have an account there it's still better at only $0.08 on the dollar.) You don't even have to count and roll the coin, you just dump the coin in their counter machine. Easy Peasy.

2- Bottle Deposit Returns. 

All the Pop Bottles, Beer Bottles and occasional Cans we collect week to week get taken to the Grocery store return machines. (Last year we had over $30)

3- Any monies won on Lotto Tickets. 

Granted this does not amount to very much, but there are the odd $2s and $5s.

4- We occasionally buy pre-paid gas cards. 

A $25 card here, or $50 card there and soon you have all your gas money for your trip account for in advance!

I just did a quick tally today to see how we're doing, and I'm pleased to say we are well on our way to surpassing last years' amount of $935.

Currently we have $675 and another $275 in Gas Cards. And there's still another 5 months to go.

All money goes toward our Car Rental, Gas and Hotel Room (for the drive down and back).

Our goal is to have, at a minimum the car, gas and hotel rentals paid in advance, leaving any other monies for mad money. And alleviating putting so much on credit card.

These are all rather simple and painless methods. Take really no fore-thought and doesn't affect our "day to day".

Let's face it , we all want to go on Vacation, but when the bills come in after, it's a little painful...  well not any more.

Cha-Ching!

#061 Lunchtime PreparaShawns

I was one productive little hausfrau today.

I not only made supper for tonight (waffled falafel), I made enough to take to work all week for lunch AND enough to freeze for an additional 5 meals!  

I don't know what I'm more excited about...  the productivity accomplished on a Sunday, supper to come, the fact that I don't have to schlep about all week to get lunchables, or the fact that they are delicious AND healthy.

AND, I don't know who is possessing me at the moment, but they can stay.