Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Unless You Or Your Kids Are Made Of Cotton Candy, You Won't Melt...


For much of this week, the big topic on one of my social media streams has been about the bad weather that's supposed to hit tomorrow. Halloween. Rain. High winds. Lots of surrounding and not so surrounding towns are either canceling trick-or-treat or rescheduling it. Surprisingly, a lot of people are not happy with that.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

A Little Sweet Halloween Deliciousness


I spent a good portion of the afternoon baking cookies. Lots of cookies. Over 250. I bagged them up in adorable Halloween bags. Each bag had 4 cookies. Lisa will be bringing them to work with her tomorrow to hand out to her department and beyond. It's our way of spreading a lil' Halloween love. A day early, but...

Monday, October 28, 2019

We Found The Missing Candy Corn Hat!


Remember my blog column about the missing Candy Corn Hat? Well, Lisa found it. Yep. It happened. Willa was our only child who hadn't worn it yet. So, yeah. It happened. Today.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

My Homemade Cinnamon Sugar Coated Fried Apple Cider Donuts Is A Labor Of Love


The other day, I published a blog column about my homemade apple cider doughnuts. Today, I decided to make another batch shortly after Lisa ventured outside to do yardwork.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

I Am Finally At That Point. Proud Moment.


I surprised Lisa with my homemade apple cider doughnuts when she got home from work today. This was kind of a big deal because, in the past, I've always made homemade pumpkin doughnuts this time of year. However, this year I was inspired to step out of the box.

Monday, October 21, 2019

I Finally Crossed Store-Bought Pasta Off The List


I've been wanting to cross pasta off our store-bought list for a long time. Today, it happened. I made a sample batch of pasta. Tossed with a little olive oil, garlic, oregano, and sweet basil. What a fantastic lunch! The kids enjoyed a few strands of plain pasta.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Me Versus Hazelnuts...


Lisa took Willa to the vets today to get her nails trimmed. When she left, I began my usual Sunday routine of baking snacks for Lisa's lunches, meal prep for us and the kids, and finishing up what little housework was left. One of the snacks Lisa requested was my homemade brownies. I decided to take it up a notch.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

We Fired Up The Grill After Dark For A Late Dinner


Our day began with a trip tour favorite orchard for more squash, apples, honey, and cider. After a long day of housework, small projects around our home, baking peanut butter meatball treats for our furry kids, grocery shopping, and steam cleaning our carpets, it is time for dinner.

Friday, October 18, 2019

I Am Applying The Same Concept To My Sleep Schedule As I Did With My Daily Schedule


Last year I changed my sleeping schedule. I went from working on the overnights to adapting to Lisa's work schedule. That entailed going to bed fairly early and getting up between 3:30 - 4:00 a.m. For a while, I did okay. But now, not so much.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

We Survived Mother Nature's Fury


We made it through the worst of the storm. The wind died down around 3 a.m. I dozed off for an hour or so. After Lisa left for work, I napped with the kids for a couple of hours before the back end of the storm hit us. The wind was brutal. Our lights flickered a few times, but thankfully we did not lose power.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Mother Nature Is Very Angry Right Now. We Are Ready.


I spent most of the day prepping for the Bombogenesis storm that is hitting us right now. I made lots of ice. Cooked extra chicken and baked homemade treats for the kids. I also made homemade jam, bread, cookies, and apple bread for us. Our recycle bin and tub is filled with water. Lisa tied the outside trash bins to the fence. Exhale...

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

I Do Not Like Storms That Begin With The "B" Word


On the way home from work today, Lisa stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few items. This is out of our norm, but tomorrow we are supposed to be hit with a bomb cyclone storm. A Bombogenesis. Remember the Bombogenesis that hit our area back in 2017? October 29 on the overnight. We lost power for almost 2 days.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Our Weekends Are Far From Mundane


Lisa tended to a bit of yard work today and then put the final touches on the outdoor Halloween decorations she put up yesterday. I was inside making granola bars and other homemade snacks for Lisa's work lunches and prepping a gorgeous Sunday dinner. When Lisa was finished, she relaxed on the sofa for a bit with our kids. I continued to bake and cook. 

Friday, October 11, 2019

We Bid Farewell To Our Old Vehicle Today. It Was Time.


I didn't want to mention anything until today when everything was finalized, the papers were signed, and the keys were in Lisa's hands. Today, this happened. After shopping around for many months and finding a great deal within our budget, we bought a brand new 2020 car.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

If People Want To Assume That I Have An Abundance Of Free Time, Let Them...


I post a lot of food porn photos on my personal Facebook wall. I'm proud of the homemade food that I make. Earlier this week, I made carnitas to top a batch of Indian fry bread that I made earlier in the day. I took a photo. Posted it. The following morning, I received a private message that jabbed at my nerves.

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Our Halloween Party Has Become A Tradition. So, It Is Going To Happen!


About a month ago, I published a blog column announcing that we were not hosting our annual Halloween Party this year. You can read about that here.  After 6 years of hosting a Halloween Party, we simply needed a break. I felt a little guilty about our decision, but I was okay with it. But then, my perspective on the entire thing changed.

Monday, October 7, 2019

The Case Of The Missing Candy Corn Hat


I slacked big time last October. I didn't dress our kids in Halloween costumes and take photos. I even failed to get a photo in the famous candy corn hat. This year, I made a vow to go through all of their Halloween costumes and have a festive and fun photo session. I managed to go through both Halloween and Christmas costumes, but there was one thing missing.

Sunday, October 6, 2019

We Had A Really Great Weekend


I did not publish a blog column yesterday. I wanted to combine the entire weekend into one blog column. Sometimes I feel shitty about doing that. But, other times. Not. So. Much. As of now, I am exhausted. Feeling accomplished. Feeling a bit frustrated. Wondering. Going back and forth. Doing the whole song and dance.

Friday, October 4, 2019

Yes, I Check On The Kids Twice An Hour


I receive a lot of emails and private messages about the blog columns I publish on this blog site. I absolutely love hearing from people. Trust me. I do. At times, being a Work at Home Dog Mom can be quite isolating. Just recently, someone sent me an email asking if I really check on the kids every 30 minutes throughout the day.

Thursday, October 3, 2019

When I Got The Steam Cleaner Out, The Kids Protested


We steam our carpets every month. Not only does it keep our carpets clean and looking new and smelling fresh, but it also helps a lot with the dust that settles deep into the fibers. I was going to steam clean the living room carpet this morning. Then, something happened...

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

10 Reasons Why I Love The Fall Season


I adore the Fall season. It's my favorite. I was born and raised in New Hampshire. By the lakes and mountains. My parents took us to the county fairs during the Fall season. We took scenic drives on the weekends during peak foliage. Picked out pumpkins to scatter around the indoors. Drank apple cider. Raked leaves. Stacked wood. The list goes on.

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

I Did Something A Few Weeks Ago. Today, We Got To Taste It.


A few weeks ago, I did something I have wanted to do for at least over a year. Prior to this, I adhered to my Grampie's method of shopping around for the best deals and reading reviews. And my 10+ years of utilizing online coupons. The stars finally aligned. It happened.