Well, we are on the final count down. Less than one week and it will be Christmas. I hope you are all ready or close to it. I am getting there. I finished some major projects this week.
I learned last evening that the kids (niece and nephews) will be here on the 26th!!!!! YAY. I wasn't doing baking until it got close to them coming. I would be tempted to eat stuff and want it for them. So, this week will be baking and finish the wrapping.
We have been having the roller coaster of weather continuing. Cold, warm, rain (lots) and wind (LOTS). We will not be having a white Christmas here. That is OK with me. The older I get, the less I care about that.
Winter is official this week and the shortest day of the year. Then the days start getting LONGER!!!!! YAY!
Funny, it seems to me that light is actually lasting longer in the evening than a few weeks ago and the mornings are staying dark longer.
Sis is out of rehab! I am so happy for that. She is staying at my nephews, which is out of town, until at least after the new year. I am happy, as they can sure keep an eye on her. They have been keeping her little doggy and she got to reunite with her! At least she will be with her kids for Christmas. She has a long way to go on therapy and healing, but at least she has her freedom!
My week:
- I made up some cookie dough and froze
- Cleaned out the corn storage can (feed). It was icky at the bottom - old and nasty tidbits of corn.
- Made a feed store run as I was almost completely out of everything for the critters. Stocked on birdseed and corn and sunflower seeds. Got a FREE 20 lb. bag of bird seed!
- Using up leftovers and using up odds and ends I am finding in the pantry/freezer. A box or stove top stuffing, small container of corn in freezer, buns, gravy, turkey and today a can of Campbell's bean soup (over rice)
- Got most of the items that needed holiday bags - done. Still have a little wrapping to do
- Got to air the house out again on 2 days
- FINISHED all 3 little girl nap blankies! All steamed and ironed and ready to wrap. I will show pictures on Tuesday. Doubtful I will do doll blankies (maybe if I find time)
- Got everything I had on hand paid for the year. I think I am done for this year!
- Got a notice of Soc. Sec. for next year. Even with Medicare going up some, my check will still be over $90 higher each month! I will gladly take that. It all helps.
- I did a trim and root touch up on hair at home
- Using up what I have (trying to use all the older stuff), cooking from scratch, laundry, cleaning, using soda stream, just doing all the normal stuff.
- NO grocery store this week
Meals this past week:
Chili (from freezer)
Tamales over rice
Turkey and gravy (freezer) and stove top with corn (freezer) added
Double cheeseburger and chips
Fish, oven fries and slaw
Small pizza (homemade dough from freezer)
Green beans, potatoes and sausage
How was your week? Are you ready??? Baking, wrapping or still shopping? How has your frugal week been?
I sure hope you have all stayed safe and healthy. Hoping all gets to have time next weekend with people you love and care for.
Stay healthy this week and take time to just relax and enjoy the reason for the season.
Blessings from my humble little home to you and yours.
I will post this week!
For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
John 3: 16-17
Thank You for this most precious and everlasting gift. We are blessed beyond belief on this earth, and we will continue to be blessed in eternity. Help us to open our eyes to all our blessings and help us to accept Your word. AMEN
Sounds like a very good week, Cheryl. I can tell you are looking forward to the kids coming over! I hope you all have a wonderful time. The smoked sausage, green beans, and potatoes is a favorite meal of ours, you’re right...comfort food! I hope you have another great week.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see them. I miss them all so much.
DeleteYes, comfort food at its best. Takes me back to Mom's kitchen!
Thanks - have a good one.
I've been down with a cold that brewed Sunday and hit me Monday. 100% eating from the freezer/fridge/pantry. AND, I haven't been to the store since Dec 1. Not a fresh veg in the house. Not a morsel into the compost bin.
ReplyDeleteWe've eaten: sauted greens (freezer), enchiladas with fresh cooked black beans, corn/cooked turkey from the freezer, spanish rice using stewed tomatoes from the freezer, last night I made a big pan of pasta using ratatouille/tomato sauce/cooked Italian meat/mozzarella from the freezer. Made apple compote from some old apples in the fridge over fresh waffles and will do the same for breakfast this morning using up the remaining old apples.
Somewhere this week I saw a recipe for unstuffed bell peppers and saved it. (Was that you?) That will be dinner tonight. Everything except the spices is in the freezer!
Hubster is being patient but I think he's tiring of food from the freezer. Tomorrow night we go out with friends for a very nice dinner before 'Hamilton'! We've been looking forward to this gift we gave ourselves quite some time ago :-) Tuesday I am likely to go get groceries. The only freezer veg is kale now and hubster doesn't love it so I don't want to give him that every single night this week.
We did some gift shopping on small business Saturday at a local artist store where all the staff working are indeed the artists for the products in the store. It was super fun and worth the $ spent. I am working on some bed pillows for sis/BIL to match the bed quilt I made them in 2007-2009. Hubster is putting the final touches on a big cutting board (16*23). They are just 11 miles away so no shipping. (My family is huge so we draw names and each person/couple has 1 person/couple and if they are next gen with children, we do for their kids as well until age 21 or married.)
No baking. We don't need the calories around here. I made 2 batches of fudge and took it to sis at Thanksgiving. Her out of state kiddos/SOs were here so they each got 1.5#----it's a ritual ;-) And hubster got some as well.
Gee that got long but I decided I would answer each question 😄
Sounds like you are feeling better. I sure hope so.
DeleteAll your meals sound wonderful to me! I think the unstuffed bell pepper might have been at "Make Do Homemaker". She was doing it in the oven. I do it on the stove top and call it unstuffed pepper skillet. Same ingredients - just all in a skillet and top with cheese when done.
You gifts sound wonderful - I am sure they will be enjoyed and appreciated. What a nice gift to yourselves!!!! ENJOY
My baking will be for the kids and maybe my neighbor. I don't need it.
Have a great week.
Wishing you a merry christmas, Cheryl, love your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you so very much. You have a wonderful Christmas as well.
DeleteI will post again this week - so stay tuned! Glad to have you here.
Well, we have cold weather here! Rain mostly but some snow coming towards the end the week. I've been making goodies to pass out. Made fudge on Friday, came out awesome! I still have a few cookies I want to make. You didn't mention but I hope you are going to your Brothers for Christmas. It's just the 2 of us here. We haven't gone out to look at lights yet, still time. Have a blessed day!
ReplyDeleteWell I am sure you like to get the cold weather and I truly hope YOU get snow. I know you love it!!
DeleteMmmm fudge sounds good. I have grapes on the stove right now - making my juice for jelly!
YES I am going to my brothers on Christmas day - God willing. Hoping all are well and over being sick! They should be.
Hope you get a night drive to look at the lights and ENJOY them.
Have a blessed day my friend!
Glad to hear your Sis is out of rehab. That is not a great place to be any time of year.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I am so glad - they were shorthanded (surprise), the food sucked, and she was just unhappy. They were really nice - but no place to be, especially at Christmas.
DeleteShe will get therapy at home, and she will be well tended to at my nephews' house.
What good news to hear about your sister. I'm sure she's happy to be with her family and her puppy too. Just in time for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMany years ago, my mom had a stroke on Christmas Eve morning, and was hospitalized. She was permitted to come on Christmas Day for a few hours so my older brother and I were in charge of Christmas dinner. First time for me making the dressing, and I didn't do a very good job of mixing in the sage. My brother made the gravy and it looked like it had small dumplings in it. But we were all so grateful to be able to sit down together.
Enjoy your Christmas prep. I'm done all I'll do for now, just a few things to pick up at the grocery store so we have fresh veg on hand.
Thanks. She is thrilled to be with family and puppy.
DeleteOh my goodness - what a story. A Christmas for the memory books for sure. Hey, I bet no one at all cared about the food, I am sure all was just happy to have her there for a few hours. Can you imagine them doing that today?
I am down to baking and wrapping. I made jelly so far today!
Enjoy your week.
I'm so glad your sister is out of rehab and staying with family. I hope they let her dog up on her bed! That will probably do her more good than anything! Merry Christmas to all.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I am sure they will. My nephew always said he didn't like dogs - then he took this little bugger home with him and fell in love! Too funny. I think she pretty much has the run of things now!
DeleteThank you and Merry Christmas to you.
We're in the final push and am pretty well settled here. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season, filled with time spent with your family making good memories!
ReplyDeleteGlad you are about ready. I am close!
DeleteThank you - I am finally getting excited about the holidays.
Just need to finish up a few things and I will be ready for Christmas. I may make some Shortbread cookies, and perhaps some toffee. We shall see how I feel tomorrow after battling the stores to get the remainder of our groceries.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Good luck at the store. Hope you get your cookies and candy made or at least feel like it!!!!
DeleteGlad you are about done.
Blessings
Good news about your sister and so glad to hear that you will have visitors to look forward to!
ReplyDeleteWeather has been up and down here as well - but we now seemed to have settled down to more normal weather - just below freezing and some snow so it looks quite Christmassy.
I have been sick for the past two weeks so I'm feeling rather tired as I recover. Not Covid thank goodness - I did get tested - just a very bad cold and bronchitis. I was able to work from home and rest as much as needed so that helped keep me focussed. I got out this morning to finish the last of the Christmas shopping (except for one) and bought some groceries. Decided to stock up a bit as we went back into more restrictions as of midnight - stores etc. back to 50% capacity in shops etc. so lineups could be back - this morning it was quiet and I was in and out of 3 stores in no time. If we go back into more of a lockdown - or at the least go back to working from home all the time then I will be set.
My cards have been mailed - all but one gift sorted - and most grocery shopping done so hopefully it will be an easy week.
I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and thank you for this blog.
So sorry you have been feeling bad. A good reminder there are still colds, flu and other things that can get us - not just the C. Hope you are back to normal soon.
DeleteSorry about more restrictions. Glad you are stocked up and had an easy time at the stores.
Sounds like you are about ready@
I am so glad you are here and appreciates everyone.
Glad your sister is now staying with family and her little dog, hope she continues to improve. How exciting you will see family on the 26th. We have things to be thankful for. We have just enjoyed our 'early Christmas' weekend as our son, DIL and 3 grandchildren have been down to spend it with us, our daughter and her 3 children spent time with us too. Our eldest granddaughter's boyfriend tested positive for the big C but will be out of isolation at one minute last midnight on the 24th. Fingers crossed for one granddaughter who has her driving test later today. Please say a quick prayer for my sister's Mum in law who has a heart operation in the 22nd, she is known as Grandma to all our family, it's a routine op, so hopefully she should be home for the 24th.
ReplyDeleteWe will be eating left overs for the next couple of days for sure. Hope you by have fun with baking and prep in the Christmas countdown.
Thank you and yes we all have much to be thankful for.
DeleteSounds like a fun weekend for you and your family and more to look forward to. Hope she does well on her driving test - I bet she does!
Pray for sis's MIL that the operation goes well and she is able to be home for Christmas.
I am going to try and have fun with this and not worry about things this week! Have a good one.
Good news about your sister, Cheryl, and (as always) love your shared thoughts. My family has many birthdays in December. Yesterday was a birthday celebration for our youngest son, who's now 29! Nice to have my little family together for the day.
ReplyDeleteI think all that's left now in my home is gift wrapping. Looking forward to seeing your blankets for the little girls. Have a blessed week! --Elise
Thank you. I used to always think it would be a bummer to have a birthday so close to Christmas! LOL! Glad you get lots of little celebrations.
DeleteI am marking my list shorter as the days go by!
Have a great one.
It sounds like a wonderful week ahead of you Cheryl. Your so right I made cookies and I ate them. I hope grandkids come and help soon!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas! P.S. I don't think there will be a white Christmas here either.
I hope to accomplish a lot this week. It is making my mood brighter!
DeleteIt will be fun for the kids!
I am just fine with no snow - we have rain coming in on the Eve! UGH (at least not ice)
So happy that you will have company and that your sister is home with loved ones. I am sure that is a great deal of stress off your shoulders. I am trying to remember the meaning of Christmas right now... as I am too busy. Can you imagine that?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. STOP and slow down. The world will not end if something doesn't get done. Breathe and remember the reason!!!!!!
DeleteWe make our food fit our buns on hand. We also cut hotdogs to fit a hamburger bun. Free birdfood! that is great.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear I am not the only one! Use what you have - a bun is a bun!
Deletewoot woot - love me some free!