Moving!

We are spending the next three days moving...so I'm sure I won't have much of an opportunity to blog, but I'm looking forward to sharing lots of pictures after we are in our new place! =)

A small tragedy...

I went in to work today to find one of my class' beloved fish had breathed his last over the weekend. I was hoping it wouldn't happen, but wasn't surprised, since he had been sick all last week. Toward the end of the week, when he wasn't getting better on his own, we had given him some medicine, hoping to save him, but unfortunately it didn't. I felt so bad for him.... The kids don't know yet. On Friday we told them that he was sick, just to prepare them a little bit in case this did happen....
Except for one fish that died right after we got them, this is the first one to die since I put the fish in our classroom about a year and a half ago, which really probably isn't bad since we have about 10 fish in our class, and most of them I received from someone who had them for a while before she gave them to me.
I still feel terrible for him, though...I probably shouldn't get so attached to these little critters that don't usually last very long...

Simple Pleasures

Right now I am....

...cozy in flannel PJs I got for Christmas Eve from my husband...

...enjoying delicious hot cocoa I made from the homemade mix my sister gave me...

...warm on a cold winter night...=)

Tagged...

I was tagged by Simply Stork....so here goes.....


4 Jobs I Have Had:

I've actually only had three jobs so far...I made pizzas, worked as a shipping clerk, and now I'm a preschool teacher!

4 Movies I Would Watch Over and Over Again:

Pride and Prejudice (the old one), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Wives and Daughters, and Sense and Sensibility...it's hard to pick just four!

4 People I Email Daily:

I actually rarely email....

4 Favorite Things to Eat:

Ice cream, candy, homemade stew, homemade french bread =)

4 Places I Would Rather Be:

On the Beach, in the snow, in a fabric store, in front of a blazing fire.

4 Things I look Forward to This Year:

Being finished moving, hopefully finishing lots of craft projects, spending lots of time with family, and having my husband find a job with normal hours!


Feel free to answer these questions yourself, if you like!

Boxes

That pretty much describes my life right now. Boxes are piled up in my living room - some packed, some that will be packed soon. Most of our time has been spent cleaning, organizing, and packing. Not only are we moving, but my brother moved this past weekend, so we spent a fair amount of time helping him pack and move also. Moving is a big job, and although I haven't minded it too much so far, I look forward to having a clean and cute home again!

Packing

I've started the packing process. I've been taking things off the walls and packing things that we won't be using in the next 10 days. It's going to be a pretty big job - a lot bigger than it was when we first moved in. We have a lot more stuff than we did then, and since we moved here right after we were married, most of the furniture we did have was still in boxes and we put it together here. I am glad that our new apartment is so close, since that will make it a little easier. It won't be a problem for us to make several trips moving stuff in our cars, like small or fragile things, things that we wouldn't want to put in a moving truck. It will also save me from having to box up everything. It's sad to see the bare walls. As excited as we are about our new apartment, we're sad to be leaving this one. It has served us well, and we have a lot of good memories here. We're sad to be leaving our first home, but I am looking forward to arranging and decorating a new space!

Much better...

I am happy to report that today was a much better day! =)
I have a busy evening ahead of me - grocery shopping and then I need to start packing! I have received some fun mail in the last couple of days...I got my copy of The Tightwad Gazette that I ordered! I also got a fun gift in the mail the other day:




These lovely dishclothes were made and sent to me by a friend of mine. I'm actually excited to get to wash dishes with these! =)

One of those days...

Today is one of those days that I am so glad is over. It did not start well and unfortunately did not get better. I didn't sleep well last night, so I wasn't really too happy to have to get up. The snow was still around, which I was glad for, except that on the roads it was sheer ice. I discovered that when I went outside to get in my car to go to work, and decided to walk instead since I really don't like driving in such conditions. I tried to mostly walk in the snow on the side of the sidewalk, to avoid the ice, but had to step on it at one point....and down I went. Didn't feel so good. Still hurts. I expect to have a nice bruise on my thigh. On top of that I have had a headache all day, and just really been out of sorts. I felt kind of bad for the kids in my class today - I really wasn't the most patient teacher. I made it through the day but did leave early from my quiz team practice, since my headache got a worse and I felt like I should get some sleep. So I'm off to bed....hoping tomorrow's a better day....

An Evening at Home

We've had a nice evening at home tonight. I got home from work a little early, so we paid the deposit on our new apartment - it will be ready for us near the end of the month! Now comes all the work of packing....

Anyway, we made dinner and enjoyed that while watching a movie, It Happened On Fifth Avenue, which we'd borrowed from my parents. And to top it all off, it's been snowing here for the last few hours, and there's about an inch of it outside on the ground. I'm hoping it sticks around until tomorrow, so we can enjoy it a little bit!

Apartment Update...

We were approved for both of the apartments we applied for! We're so glad that we can get the apartment we wanted! I felt bad having to tell the one place that we'd found something else, but it would have been a good place if the other one hadn't worked out.
The apartment we've taken is really nice. Although it's not a new apartment, it looks pretty new inside, since the appliances are newer and the carpet and counters are only about a year old. It has a nice large entry way, which I'm excited about! The best thing about it is that it's only a couple of minutes down the road from where we live now. Not only will it make it easy to move, but I can continue being only a couple of minutes from work! We didn't think we'd be able to find anything that we could afford here, so I was anticipating having to drive an hour or so to work everyday. Continuing to live so close is such a blessing to me! The Lord has certainly provided exactly what we needed!

Cooking For One

I know that if I lived on my own I would hardly ever have a proper dinner. I typically make dinner for Seth and I - I enjoy cooking for him and it's worth it when there's someone else to appreciate it also. But if it's just me, it's not worth all the trouble of preparing and cooking a meal. I don't really care too much what I eat, whereas I like making nice meals for Seth. Seth has had to work mostly nights this week - so it's just been me home for dinner. One night I had toast, one night cereal, and one night some canned chili I heated up. It will be so nice when Seth has a job with normal hours and doesn't have to work in the evening!

I am so saddened by some news I heard last night on TV. A former governor of Washington is trying to get an initiative on the November ballot, which is being called "Death with Dignity". This would be a physician-assisted suicide law similar to the one in Oregon. I first learned about assisted suicide when I was a sophomore in high school. During a Current World Issues class, a friend and I participated in a debate of this topic. We were on the "con" side, a side I still firmly hold to. The lack of value of human life in this country is heartbreaking. We already kill unborn babies, and now we would like to be able to kill the terminally ill also. What's next? There aren't really any limits to where something like this can lead. I feel horrible to think of the many ill people who could be talked into "dying with dignity", rather than receiving the love, comfort, and support that they need. I pray that this initiative will not be passed, or better yet not even get on the ballot, but this is such a liberal state, that I wouldn't be surprised to see it easily passed. This is something that I definitely be following over the next several months.

Granola Bars

I made these yummy granola bars yesterday because I needed a snack to take to a quiz team practice. They are quick and simple to make, and I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap to make them good to grab for a snack or to put in a lunch box. I found the recipe here. Allrecipes.com is a great way to find recipes. Most recipes can be viewed for free, you can read helpful reviews and ratings, and the site will even adjust the recipe to fit the amount of people you want to feed. I've used this site many times and found lots of good recipes.

Exciting...

I'm looking forward to receiving a package in the mail! Using a gift card that was given to me for Christmas, I ordered The Complete Tightwad Gazette! I'm so excited to get it! I borrowed it from my mom a while back and read the whole thing front to back (it's a big book). It had so many good ideas in it, I knew that I'd want to get it sometime. I've read several "frugal" books, and out of all of them, this is one I would definitely recommend buying. It gives so many practical ideas for saving money - from recipes and gifts you can make yourself to using things you already have sitting around the house to replace things you might ordinarily buy. I can't wait until it comes!

Possibilities...

So a quick update on the apartment-hunting situation....

We have found two apartments that we like, and have applied for both. There's one that we would definitely prefer over the other, but we won't find out until at least the end of the week if we're accepted for it. We're praying that God will place us in the one He wants us to have, whether it be one of these or something else entirely. The one especially seems, at least to us, to be a very good thing, but we shall see how everything turns out.....

Don't Worry

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:31-34 NIV

It is so hard sometimes not to worry about things. Both my husband and I tend to worry about things, usually worrying about things that never come to pass. The good thing is that usually if I'm worried about something - he's not, and vice versa. This way we can at least help each other out a little bit. It's so easy to get caught up in worry, and we can end up getting really stressed out, which isn't good. I know I for one need to worry less and trust God more.
Our worry right now is about finding somewhere to live. Since Seth has graduated, we have to move out of the college apartment where we now live. We have until the end of the month, a date which right now seems to be coming way too quickly. We have been looking for a new apartment, but it has proved to be very difficult. It is hard to find a nice apartment in a safe area at a reasonable price. When each day passes with still no good finds, we seem to get a little more worried. We had found one apartment a few days ago that seemed to be a good possibility, but that door closed last night when the owner called and said they decided to go with the other applicant. We have asked God to open and close doors where He wants, so we have to take that as an indication that it was not what He has for us, but it still is a let down. I am trying hard not to worry too much, and just trust that God knows what we need and will provide for us, but it's hard. And that's not saying that I expect Him to just drop something in our lap. We of course have to do our part - we are doing everything we know to find an apartment. But I know that God has a plan for us, including a place for us to live, and I trust Him to lead us to it. I just pray that He opens a door for us quickly!

More than Meatloaf

I've only made meatloaf a few times, but there are some things that I do when I make it that I wanted to share.

The recipe I use calls for round buttery crackers (like Ritz). As much as I love these crackers, I rarely buy them and so don't usually have them on hand. I substitute saltine crackers, which not only are a lot cheaper, but I usually have these in my cupboard.

The recipe also uses Worcestershire sauce, which although this is something most people probably have, I have never bought it, since I rarely need it. After looking at several recipes to make homemade Worcestershire sauce, I decided to use soy sauce with a little garlic powder instead.

Even with these substitutions, the meatloaf turns out great!

Whenever I make meatloaf, I make a full recipe, but only use half of it for meatloaf. Since there are only two of us, we don't need that much meatloaf. The other half of the recipe I turn into meatballs. I have found this to be a quick and easy way to get meatballs, which I then stick in the freezer. Then, when we have spaghetti, I pull out several meatballs and heat them up with the sauce.

Hope you find these ideas useful!

A Handmade Christmas

I love giving gifts that I have made - I love giving gifts and I love making things, so it's the best of both worlds! This Christmas I decided to give everyone at least one homemade gift. These projects took up most of my free time for a couple of months before Christmas (especially December). I had a lot of fun doing it, though, and it is a goal of mine this year to give even more handmade gifts. This year, though, I'm determined to start my projects earlier in the year so I don't end up so rushed at the end!

Here are some pictures of the gifts I made this Christmas....

A dog toy for my in-laws' poodle, Molly.

A double layer fleece blanket for my sister.

I saw a candle mat similar to this at a store - and decided to try making one myself!

I made a couple of tote bags - using the instructions from Anna at Pleasant View Schoolhouse.
I added about 6" to the handles to make them over-the-shoulder totes rather than grocery totes.

A stitched picture for my mom.

I made a few of these great travel pouches, from Cynthia Treen's book, Last Minute Fabric Gifts. I loved the way they turned out so much that I had to make one for myself, too!

I made kitchen towels for my mother-in-law.

Coasters and a box to keep them in, also for my mom.

These mini journals were for my youngest sister, to go along with the antique school desk we got for her. I made these using instructions from Jessica at Lost Button Studio.

My father-in-law received a bag of divinity - I had never attempted this before, so it was a new experience for me!

My final project was Peanut Brittle for my dad and brother. I snuck some into Seth's stocking, also, after he tasted it and said he wanted some, too! =)

I really enjoyed making all of these gifts! Now I'm going to be on the lookout for new ideas for next year!

New Year's

After sleeping in (a rare thing around here), we took a walk and then came home and made this yummy breakfast.


I first made Sputniks (they're like doughnut holes) for us on Christmas. They were a favorite in my family growing up, but I hadn't made them yet for Seth because my first attempt to make them several years ago didn't go so well (the oil I was going to fry them in caught on fire). But I successfully made them for him on Christmas and they were a hit! He loved them, so we made them again for New Years.


Then we put away all the Christmas stuff and did some organizing! Along with the smaller container I already had, this new Christmas bin fit all our stuff! Not a bad way to start off the new year...