Company Girls Unite!!

Hi all! I'm glad that you dropped in for something hot to drink! It is certainly FREEZING outside around here, so grab a mug, an afghan, and snuggle in for a bit. It's been pretty crazy around here this week! I'm involved in the Women's Ministries' Committee at our church, and we hosted a Ladies' Night out last night for ~100 people. I hosted a table, helped prepare all of the food, and sang a solo part in a music group! So much of this week's time has been eaten up by those preparations, but it was well worth it! I got to spend a wonderful evening with some of my favourite real-life Company Girls! You can read a post on my Family Blog here if you would like. I think you will enjoy my centerpiece. We also put our Christmas decorations up here at home, and I hosted Thanksgiving here Sunday night. Whew! I'm in sweats all day today, as I catch up around here! We are looking forward to a simple weekend together as a f amily!

As far as Small Things go, I participated on Fruit Day! I ate an apple and later (accidentally got another fruit serving) ate a fruit parfait. Delish. I called my husband at work and asked him if he'd please get fruit at work for lunch. He said, "I don't think they sell any". He works in a hospital, and I assured him that they had to have a basket of bananas somewhere! I always have to force myself to eat an apple, and I'm not sure why, since I really do love them. I guess, when you have the choice of ice cream and an apple, it doesn't seem so tempting!

As far as the clean slate goes, I am just working on getting my routine back to somewhat normal! I am so glad that you stopped in! Looking forward to head over to your home for a bit!

~Tricia

**Don't forget to Check out Home Sanctuary if you haven't already! Rachel Anne is witty and charming!

This One's For The Books!!!

Come on in. Take a load off. Pick your poison... coffee or tea? We've got both! Boy Howdy, was this the time of my life! The cliche Small Thing by Rachel Anne really got my wheels a turnin'! Feast your eyes on this:

taken with my cell phone in the car right before dumping them in the drop box

Golly Gee Willikers! In a nutshell, I gathered all of the library books and media in our house and returned them! It all boils down to this...at first I thought I bit off more than I could chew! I started going postal since I couldn't put my finger on all of them. My husband told me not to fly off the handle and take it slow and steady, one step at a time! Don't have a cow! Boy, was that just what the doctor ordered! I took a deep breath, and thought, "It's now or never!" We banded together to beat the odds! You sure can't put anything past him! He found the books like a madman! He is really on the ball! I returned 13 books and 2 movies! Boy howdy! I hate to say this, but, that wasn't so bad, now was it? Piece of cake!

(I LOVE cliches! Once, I took a college class with a professor who poured them on thick in his lectures. It was so bad that my girlfriends and I kept a running list of them as he used them. He was serious in his usage, too! He somehow incorporated "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" on a regular basis!!! We followed suit and used them in our language as much as possible!)

Home Ec Project

I'm doing a really interesting Home Economics Course here. Check it out!

Menu for November 17-23

Menu planning is always a fun challenge for me! (am I a nerd? yes) But seriously, there are so many factors that come into play. First of all, finding meals that each person in our family will eat is a challenge in and of itself. It seems that if Haydn likes something, Hutch doesn't. And vice-versa! I always note which meals are eaten by all, and we often repeat these! Another factor that I have to consider is our schedule. Depending on what our day looks like, I may have to be sure to plan a crockpot meal. Or something that I can easily transport to John if I have to meet him somewhere directly from work. Maybe it needs to be something very very quick. Or something that can be taken to a potluck that we have for that evening. I also always try to remember the price as well. If I have a couple of more expensive meals in the week, I balance them with some cheapies! I also love to try out new recipes! I have learned the hard way that it is probably not a great idea to try new recipes every night of the week. First of all, you are taking a gamble as to whether or not your family will even like them. Also, it's nice to use recipes mixed in from your family's favorite because it is just easier on you as the cook! Once you get to know a recipe, you can switch into autopilot and go for it. You aren't constantly stopping to read a recipe and figure things out. As many of you know, meal planning is not as easy as it looks! I'm always up for a challenge. That being said, here is our menu for this week.

Monday 17: Vegetable Beef Soup/Crackers/homemade applesauce
Tuesday 18:Tuna & Noodle Casserole/Rolls
Wednesday 19: Choose-your-own Omelettes/Bacon/Hash browns
Thursday 20: Salisbury Steak/Broccoli/Smashed Potatoes/Sugar Cookies
Friday 21: Homemade Pizza/Apple Pie
Saturday 22: Taco Soup/Fritos/Quesadillas

We also don't plan anything on Sundays. We always eat lunch after church at my mom's house, and usually end up there for supper as well. If not, we just scrounge!

Coffee Time!

I have been reading Rachel Anne's Home Sanctuary Website for probably more than five months now, and haven't had the courage to actually become a Company Girl. I've decided to jump in and do it! If you have a burden for creating a comforting environment for your family in your home, you should definitely check out this website. I promise that you will not be disappointed!

This week I began doing the Small Things, and I am so encouraged and energized by her whole concept!

While I could choose an activity that is more thought-provoking and sentimental to blog about, I chose the fridge! This Small Thing was just the push that I needed to do something that has been annoying the back of my mind for awhile. It certainly needed to be done! Let's put it this way, I threw out two whole watermelons!! I even went for the gusto and wiped the shelves down. It didn't even take that long. Every time I finally get around to doing a task like this I always think, "Why didn't I do that a long time ago?" That is a true mystery.

Anyway, on to the after picture: (forget the before, I still have some dignity left!)

In fulfilling another Small Thing, I'm looking forward to having some fun with my husband this weekend ! (;