Sunday Sunset #9

It feels like it's been forever since I did a Sunday Sunset.  We're back home and trying to get back into our regular routine, so I guess it's time to resurrect this...

Listening To: Arthur and I have been jamming out the iTunes radio Alternative Rock channel.  Loving some Arctic Monkeys, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and The Neighbourhood.

Book finished: What Ifs of American History; Yellow Crocus; Wicked; Something Wicked This Way Comes

Reading: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

On the Nightstand: A Vindication on the Rights of Women by Mary Wollstonecraft; Thirteen Reasons by Jay Asher; Stranger Than Fiction by Chuck Palahniuk

Making Lists: A project list.  I need to update my never-ending large project list.  I've got some good ones for the next couple of months.

Around the house: Attempting to determine what baby proofing items I need to buy... I've got to take some measurements of our hallway and storage areas.  We definitely need a gate and a fence for the entertainment center.  And of course I need the cabinet and drawer locks.  Guess I'll be spending some time on Amazon this weekend.

From the kitchen: I tried a new recipe for Cilantro Lime Shrimp that was extremely mediocre. Probably crossing that one off the list.

Crafting: Nothing these past weeks.  Once the Easter Party is over today, I plan on spending some time to craft (cards, lists, and PL spreads).

Watching: 

• The Heat -- Fairly mediocre with a few funny moments
• Alan Patridge: Alpha Papa -- Love me some awkward British humor and Steve Coogan.
• Agents of Shield -- Wow!  What an episode!  I'm actually excited to see what happens next.
• Once Upon a Time -- Still watching, but it's getting a bit old.
• Once Upon a Time in Wonderland -- I just heard this was canceled, so I guess I'm watching the last few episodes. There are some great characters on here (hello Knave!), but overall it is a bit silly.
• The Daily Show -- I tend to binge watch this show. I love it!
• Silicon Valley -- We watched the first episode.  This show is extremely promising.
• Modern Family -- Not my most favorite show at this point, but we continue watching.

Shopping Scores: I joined a new monthly PL kit from Take Ten Kits.  And here's my first kit.  I like the colors even if I'm not quite sure what to do with a few of the cards.  But as an extra bonus, this kit is only $10 per month.

I also went a bit crazy on my FB PL Swap and Shop group.  I snapped up a partial Happy and a partial Jade kit.  Excited to incorporate these cards in my weekly spreads.

While in Indiana I had to check out Michaels.  The ones by my house doesn't have the full PL line that they should have.  Thankfully the Jefferson Point Fort Wayne store had all the fun things.  I had a 50% off regular price item and a 20% off total regular order coupon.  I snapped up some cute fabric flowers, the Amy Tangerine Cut and Paste mini kit, a MME 6x6 paper pad, and the Music, Planner, and Journal theme kits.  So pretty!

Project: Today we had the Easter Party.  That has been my project for the last few weeks.  I'm taking a break for a few days and then I plan on picking a new project to start.

Exercising: I'm back to our twice weekly walks at Shoreline.  It's getting pretty hot by the end of the walk now.  We may need to change the times soon...

Picture: A halfway decent family picture.  I'll take it.

Sunday Sunset #8

Book finished: The Girl Who Chased the Moon; Tales of the Brothers Grimm; The Zombie Whisperer

Reading: TBD -- I just finished The Zombie Whisperer, but haven't had time today to pick up something else yet. Maybe later tonight before bed I can get into a new book...

On the Nightstand: Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim; Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury; What Ifs of American History

Making Lists: Packing lists of course.  We are leaving on Thursday and I finally just got my new luggage delivered.  As usual, I have a long long list and need to start narrowing it down to my actual packing list.  Thankfully we have some baby items at my mom's house already.

Around the house: I got into a weird mood the other day and decided to clean the kitchen floor on my hands and knees.  What is wrong with me?  Oh well, I have a beautiful clean floor just in time for me to leave for almost two weeks...

From the kitchen: Made a few more Pinterest recipes this week.

• Bleu Cheese Bacon Mac and Cheese -- Great idea, but we need to make a few tweaks to really love this recipe.
• Sausage Rolls -- Very yummy and oh so easy to make.
• Baked Apple Oatmeal -- Another yummy and easy recipe.
• Ranch Cheddar Chicken -- Good easy recipe for a low-key dinner.

Crafting: A ton of crafting this week... but you'll have to read my post here to get the scoop.  On the other side of crafting, I received the rest of my Project Life card swaps from February. Overall, I am very pleased by what I got back.  I can't wait to incorporate some of these cards into my spreads.

Watching: The usuals...  Plus I did manage to finally watch The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.  I definitely think it was better than the first movie.  Even though it took me all day, I finally finished watching it...

Wondering: How many people are going to RSVP for the Easter party?  We need to order our products, but so far our numbers are really low...  Hoping and waiting...

Shopping Scores: I made another Michael's run for crafting supplies.  I ran out of SNAIL and needed to stock up.  Plus, I picked up some purple cardstock and two plastic storage items.  Also I hit up Target for lots of traveling and household essentials (toilet paper, paper towels, formula, baby good, diapers).  The usual boring items.

Project: Still planning the Easter social.  Our RSVPs aren't where I want them right now, but everyone still has a few days before we close them.  We have to order our supplies at the end of next week to ensure on-time-delivery.  I can't wait to get all everything ready.  The babies may not remember it, but the parents sure will.  Plus, we'll be sure to have photographic evidence.

Exercising: More Shoreline walks.  Plus, we did walk to the library and back with a stop at the park.  Good, but I really need to up my endurance.

Picture: Happy baby at the playdate.  He's so adorable!

Sunday Sunset #7

Caution: Photo heavy post ahead.

Book finished: The Iron Traitor; The Baker's Daughter; Time Enough for Love

Reading: The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen; Tales of the Brothers Grimm

On the Nightstand: The Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim; The Zombie Whisperer by Jesse Petersen

Making Lists: Packing lists for traveling to Indiana, Book of Lists lists, crafting projects lists, blog posts to finish lists...  lots and lots of lists to make

From the kitchen: A few new recipes this week...  For the next week and a half I've got some great sounding ones ready to try (hello bleu cheese bacon mac and cheese!).

• Balsamic Glaze Pork Roast -- This was absolutely amazing!  I need need need to make this again.  And it was so easy!
• Fried Cabbage with Bacon and Onions -- Love this as either a side dish or a main course.  This may become a go-to recipe.
• Brown Sugar Dijon Steak -- So-so...  The flavors were just a bit off.  I imagine would would taste better with a thicker steak and cooked on grill.  Maybe we'll try it again sometime.

Crafting: 

• PL Swaps (easter eggs, scraps, rainbow) -- I love the use of washi tape on the rainbow cards.  For the scraps swap, I decided to make pocket cards with washi tape.  And the easter egg cards made use of my SU Birds of Feather DSP.

• Book of lists notebook -- Tons are people are participating in the 30 Days of Lists this March, but I just don't have the time or energy to commit to that.  Instead, I thought I would create a notebook, decorate it, and then have various lists.  The idea is to do a list a week (or so).  I love putting my own spin on the project.  I ran across this perfect little binder on clearance at Target the other day.  I set about cutting cardstock and patterned paper down to the sizes I would need.  When it comes time to make a list, I'll select a topic, pick a stamp set to decorate (and any embellishments), and cut a piece of white cardstock for the actual list.  I love that it's ready to be used.  I don't have to start from scratch every time!

• PL W9-10 -- I finished these weeks yesterday.  Check out my blog post here.
• Punch Guide -- I also made a handy guide to all my punches using some random blank playing cards (from old teaching supplies).  I got the idea from Pinterest and immediately put it on my to make board.  This will definitely come in handy when I need to figure out the best punch to use or the relative sizes.  No more digging through the drawer!
• Stamp Guide -- Making my punch guide led me to want to create on for all my stamps.  I have so many now (both loose and SU boxes) that I often forget what I have.  I spend way too much time digging through all of them to get ideas.  So, I decided to stamp all my stamps onto white cardstock to act as a handy guide.  There are separate pages for Christmas, Holidays, Sentiments, Occasions, and Misc.  I'm only partially done, but this is going to be great when I'm finished.

Watching: The usual currently airing shows.  I finally caught up on The Daily Show after being three weeks behind constantly.  Plus we've started some other new shows (Suits, Cosmos, The Voice).

Wondering: When will my new luggage be delivered?  I'll need that soon seeing as my old suitcase (high school grad gift) ripped open sometime during the Christmas flight.  Thankfully the tear wasn't bad enough to lose anything...  it just means I can't use it again.  I ordered a new 4-piece set from Amazon, but it's shipping from a weird place.  No 2-day shipping for me.

Shopping Scores: 

• Steals.com box -- During steals.com's big archive sale, I ordered a mystery box. This is what came.  I'd say that 70% of the box will be used by me.  The paper stack is great.  I love the alphabet stickers and small tags.  The chipboards will get a lot of use.  The jewels will probably get use, but I need to find the best adhesive for them.  The ribbon isn't my style at all and I'm still trying to figure out the best way to use the watercolor products.  Overall, a really good buy.

• Kohl's -- I finally went shopping for some new clothes this past week.  I was in desperate need of pants that fit but were comfortable.  After nearly two hours of shopping and trying things on, I found a pair of pants and a pair of capris that work.  They are lightweight and super comfortable.  I also found two cute tops that I can wear now.  Plus, I picked up two outfits for Arthur (couldn't resist).  It was a good trip.
• Target randomness -- I grabbed the 3x4 and 4x6 Dreamy sets by WRMK.  I also found two containers that are the perfect size for holding greeting cards.  The zebra print wasn't my first choice, but they work.  And I found some great little stickers and embellishment pieces in the One Stop bins.

• Peachy Cheap -- Another daily deal site I found a few weeks ago.  This time I grabbed an entire set of enamel dots from Basic Grey.  I couldn't wait to use them, hence the missing dots.

• Birthday gifts -- This week I received the last of my birthday gifts from J's parents.  I love the paper stacks and am super excited to use the PL theme packs.  The Americana pack is even cuter in person.

• PL Swap and Sale FB Group -- I've been a part this group for a few weeks now, but most of the items don't appeal to me.  I had been marginally searching for the PL Kiwi set.  Ever time it came up for sale, someone snatched it up right away.  I finally caught a listing at the right time.  I received my 1/3 of the kit yesterday.  Love love love the cards I received!  I also received my scrap swap back.  I'd say that over half of these cards will be used.  There's only a few that don't fit my style (looking at you cowboy card).

• Stampin' Up order -- I ordered my March order early as I will not be in town for the monthly stamp club.  We are doing a huge DSP share so I bought three packs to share.  Plus one other member and I are buying two of the larger color collection DSPs to share so I bought the Regals.  Lastly, I grabbed the 2012-2014 In color DSP as it was one sale.  For my Saleabration item I grabbed the Petals stamp set.  I've seen some great examples to copy.

• Michaels -- Last week I grabbed the Baby Boy Mini Kit on clearance, some purple washi tape (how did I not have any purple?), and a cute little stamp set on sale.  Today they were starting a huge paper crafting sale and bonus extra sale this afternoon.  I had to take advantage of both sales.  I was also looking to pick up some items for the mom's group Easter party next month.  I managed to get most of the party items and some basics for me (white and black cardstock, trimmer blades).

Project: Somehow I agreed to help organize an Easter Party for our mom's group.  The group is starting a babysitting co-op and we plan on having a quarterly social.  The Easter Party will be our first big event.  The original idea was just to get together and have an egg hunt, but babies aren't so great at the hunting.  Instead, we are putting together baskets filled with baby-appropriate toys, shaker eggs to play with, and a few arts and crafts.  Parents pay us back a set amount.  We are also using the leftover money to make baskets for charity.I picked up a ton of the arts and crafts supplies today at Michaels.  We are waiting a week to gauge our RSVP amount before we commit to buying the toys (we have to buy in dozen units). I hope everyone decides to come as we have some great plans!  Overachiever that I am, I've already started on some of the items.

Exercising: The past two weeks I've walked Shoreline twice a week and kept up with my 200 squat challenge.  Doing great!  Now if only this weight would actually start to come off.

Picture: I had to put this one back on... I love his mischievous look.

Sunday Sunset #6

Listening To: Arthur and I have been rocking out to the "A" artists from the server.  So far we powered through Alien Ant Farm, Amy Winehouse (he loved her!), Alkaline Trio, and Anberlin.  Maybe we'll go with the Bs for the next week.

Book finished: Sh*tty Mom; Peter Pan

Reading: Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein

On the Nightstand: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa; The Zombie Whisperer by Jesse Petersen; The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy

From the kitchen: I had some new recipes planned and then I didn't get to the grocery store until Wednesday.  I ended up relying on a ton of standbys.  I did add in a BBQ Cheddar Meatloaf recipe that was very very yummy.  I ended the week with a disaster.  I had a recipe for Asian Salmon Cakes that sounded great.  I got all the ingredients prepped, opened the can of salmon, and immediately freaked out.  The salmon had a ton of bones throughout the mix.  And not just a errant bone, but most of the spine of the fish.  Gag!  I intellectually know where fish comes from, but it completely turned me off from the salmon.  I scrapped the entire meal and made BBQ chicken.  Hopefully I can get my cooking mojo back for next week.

On the Web: I've fallen down the rabbit hole this week.  I started out looking at one person's crafting blog, which led me to about 10 other crafty blogs.  Then I researched subscription kits and found some wish list items.  And I also found some new lifestyle blogs.  All in all, these meanderings have resulted in being almost a week behind on my blogroll.

Crafting: I got a ton of crafting done with this week.  I played with my new supplies and ended up making 6 cards!  I also completed my W7 and W8 Project Life spreads.  Click here to see the cards and click here to see the Project Life spreads.  This coming week I want to finish my one sheet wonder project and possibly start on my March PL swaps (rainbows, easter eggs, and scraps).

Watching: The usual round up of shows.  We did indulge in a bit of childhood reminiscence and watched The Last Starfighter on Friday.  I loved that movie as a kid, but haven't watched it in years.  It was just as good as I remembered!  The twins would laugh at the bad CGI, but that was the shit back in the day!

From Nature: We've had a week of rain.  We needed it considering we are in the middle of a huge drought.  Unfortunately the rain will do little to alleviate the drought.  But it was a nice change and the rain reminded me so much of the Midwest.  I love falling asleep to the sound of the rain.

Shopping Scores: I discovered Peachy Cheap from one of my Project Life Swap FB groups.  They offer one crafting stash deal per day.  The first day I happened to check it out, they had a deal for My Mind's Eye embellishments for $9.99.  I snapped it up.  I was thinking I would get a couple of sheets of stickers, a couple journal cards, and a couple of die cut.  What I got was a huge collection of supplies.  Look at all this stuff!  I am so excited to start using them!

Project: I'm investigating the possibility of starting another blog.  Still researching what's out there, trying to find a niche, and looking at what would be required.  This would be a huge undertaking...  Not sure if I have the time to jump in, but I think it's a great idea.

Picture: A little preview of what we tried this week...

Sunday Sunset #5

Book finished: The Lost Prince

Reading: Time Enough for Love; Sh*tty Mom

On the Nightstand: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa; Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

On the Web: I joined in with Danielle at Sometimes Sweet for the restart of her journal topics.  The topic this past week was Crossroads.  Check out the post to participate or just to read some amazing blog posts from other readers.  So inspiring!

Crafting: Not too much crafting this week.  But I did manage to finish my last two swap collections: Black + White and Scraps.  Next week, I need to get back to doing my weekly Project Life spreads and do my Stamp Club HW.

Watching: I finally watched The Internship.  It's been sitting on the server for weeks and it took me all day to watch it (baby was cranky and demanding), but I watched it.  Not the funniest or the best, but whatever.  We also watched Ender's Game on Sunday night.  I really like the book, and was really concerned with how the movie was going to depict certain events (like the ending) and certain characters.  It wasn't a bad movie, but it definitely doesn't compare to the book.

Shopping Scores: So much shopping this week!  I went a bit crazy, but I'm sure I'll rein myself in and not really buy anything for a few weeks.  First, I went onto Amazon to buy Arthur a hat.  It's way too sunny here and none of the stores had any non-obnoxious ones that fit him.  But of course I ended up buying more than just a hat.  Check out the stash below.  I snatched up some fun sensory balls, a new book, some outlet plugs, securing bands for hanging toys from the stroller, and a photo album.  Now we just need some photos for the album.

Second, we went to Barnes and Noble on Thursday before heading to our Meetup event.  We had about 45 minutes to kill and I had a $25 GC from Christmas still to use.  I decided to spend my GC on books for Arthur instead of books for me.  Considering that we have a closet full of unread books, this was a good choice.  I bought another cloth book (just like his beloved Fuzzy Bee and Friends book), a Sherlock Holmes sounds book, Giraffes Can't Dance (really love that one), and two mythology collections.  The twins can read and enjoy those last two also.  Plus, I grabbed the latest copy of Bitch and the January copy of Flow for me.  All in all, a great haul!

Third, we stopped at Joann's after the Meetup to possible grab some Project Life supplies.  Well, the location we went to (Cupertino store) doesn't stock PL.  But they were having a huge President's Day sale still with 50% off stickers and embellishments and 40% off paper stacks.  Plus I had a mobile coupon for 15% my entire order (sale and regular priced items).  Score!  I got some adorable 6x6 stacks to make PL cards and maybe some greeting cards.

Fourth my two Stampin' Up orders came.  Look at the huge stash!  It was my hostess month for club and I went a little crazy.  My extra large order plus everyone else's resulted in $80 hostess dollars!  Holy crap!  Here's my haul:

• Etcetera DSP
• Tea for Two DSP
• Comfort Cafe DSP
• 2012-2014 In Color Dahlia Assortment
• 8.5" x 11" Subtles Collections (Old color collection)
• 2013-2015 In Color Cardstock and Ink Bundle
• 2012-2014 In Color Cardstock
• Twitterpated DSP
• Fan Fair DSP
• Parker's Patterns DSP
• Floral District DSP
• International Bazaar DSP
• Sweet Sorbet DSP (SAB)
• Pocketful of Posies DSP
• Banner Punch (SAB)
• Hexagon Punch
• Blossom Petals Punch
• Artisan Label Punch
• Petite Petals Punch
• Merry Minis Punch Pack
• Sycamore Street Buttons and Ribbon Pack
• Express Yourself Stamp Set (Hostess)
• Perfect Pennants Stamp Set
• Six-Sided Sampler Stamp Set
• Petite Petals Stamp Set

Project: I finished all my February Project Life Swaps this past week.  I went a bit crazy and joined 5 swaps which means that I had to make 50 PL cards (some the same, some different). Plus, I made a few more sets for RAKs.  In total, I think I made about 80 PL cards this past week.  I am done!  And I've told myself that I'm not going to join any of the March swaps so I can concentrate on other crafting projects.

Exercising: Right after I added this category mentioning my standing mom's group walk at Shorelines, we skipped a week.  Granted it was a holiday on Monday, but that change really put me behind on exercising for the week.  This week I:

• walked 2 miles on the treadmill in the gym on Monday.  J was home from work so I took the opportunity to pop down to the gym for a quick workout.  When I arrived, it was empty.  Within 5 minutes, there were 5 other exercisers.  Guess everyone had the same idea!
• met a new mom's group and walked 2 miles around the Campbell track.  The track is a gorgeous, well-maintained place that was perfect for a walk.  It was a lovely 70 degrees and sunny.  Seven other moms and babies showed up to the event.  That means we got to meet seven new mom and baby pairs.  I had a great time chatting with everyone.  Having a friend to talk to really makes the miles go by quickly.  We could have done more, but Arthur (and some of the other babies) were getting hungry and cranky after the initial 2 miles.  I hope to put that walk on our usual rotation.

Picture: Such Attitude!

Sunday Sunset #4

Book finished: Tithe; The Nanny Diaries; Sharp Objects; Iron Legends

Reading: Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein, The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

On the Nightstand: Wicked by Gregory Maguire; Bloodlines by Richelle Mead; The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

Making Lists: Daily to-do lists.  I am loving using Thyme is Honey's Daily pages.  I take the time to fill it out the night before.  Then, all I need to do is glance at it throughout the day.  It doesn't mean that I actually get everything done that day, but at least I know what I want to do and can prioritize my tasks.

From the kitchen: I'm still trying to add one or two new recipes in per week to build up our go-tos.  This past week I added in a pasta primavera coffee cake, and ham potato and barley soup.  All three are going into the go-to box (albeit with some slight modifications).  I have another few recipes to try this coming week and then maybe I'll take a bit of a "new" break to go back to some standards.

Farmer's Market Finds: Saturday morning J woke up early (11am) to go get us lunch at the market (sausages!), but there was no sausage guy.  He came back with some kettle corn, but then had to go get something else for lunch.  So sad!  Hopefully he will be back next week.  And I'm looking forward to peaches, nectarines, and loads of berries making their appearances at the market soon.

Crafting: I joined a Project Life Swaps group on FB and signed up to participate in three swaps (all for February!).  The idea is that you create PL cards based off of a theme, send them to the organizer, and she sends you cards from others.  I went a little overboard, creating more than I needed.  So, I decided to make some of the extras RAKs for my other PL group on FB.  Now I just need to get to the post office sometime tomorrow to send these packets of happiness out.

Watching: The usual shows, plus we completely caught up with Workaholics and Betas.  I even convinced J to get back into Game of Thrones.  We had been stuck on Episode 8 of Season 2 for months.  He always complains that it's too heavy to watch every night.  I don't see the problem.  But at least we watched the next two episodes last night setting us up for the S2 finale.  We'll catch up eventually.

Shopping Scores: I've got a big box from Amazon and a big box from Stampin' Up currently heading my way...  There will be shopping score pictures for next week!

Project: Nothing too big at the moment.  I'm just trying to be consistent with my cleaning and daily to-do lists.  So far, so good.

Exercising: Look! I added a new category!  If you read my blog occasionally you might have noticed that I had a baby a few months back (4 months and a day actually).  Since then, I have wanted to lose the baby weight plus some, but my body seems to have gotten stuck.  As such, I am trying to focus on eating right (homemade recipes are helping, also less snacking) and exercising.  Thankfully I have a standing mom's group date to at least kick off my week well.

This past week I:

• walked 6 miles at Shoreline on Tuesday with the mom's group.  The terrain is fairly flat but 6 miles is still a good distance.  We tried to keep up the pace (~3.0 mph) and succeeded with only a few quick stops for baby adjusting.
• was supposed to walk The Dish (very hilly trail near Stanford), but Arthur decided to get semi sick...  I just didn't think a cranky baby would take a huge walk.  So, I canceled this week.
• danced to the Dance Central video game twice this week.  I only did 20 minutes each time, but that definitely got my heart pumping.
• walked 2 miles on Friday.  Arthur and I walked to the library and back (had some things that were due).  It was an overcast day, but very humid.  I was definitely sweating... but it was nice to get out since I had to skip Thursday.

Picture: Happy baby from this week...  He wasn't like this all week so I treasured the happy moments.

Sunday Sunset #3

Book finished: Lessons in French; Roaring Midnight

Reading: The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin

On the Nightstand: Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry; Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn; Bloodlines by Richelle Mead; Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa

Making Lists: I'm loving my Daily Planner pages that I bought last week.  They are keeping me so organized.  I just take a few minutes every evening to fill it out for the next day.  If I need to, I can always change or add things, but I find that I get 95% filled out the night before.  Now I don't forgot to do things or misplace those little pieces of paper with reminders.  Plus, I am more comfortable with paper than an app on the iPhone.

Around the house: I'm slowly implementing my cleaning schedule.  So far, so good.

From the kitchen: This week I ended up packing a few freezer meals for the future (Sweet Potato Barley Soup, Santa Fe Chicken, and Chicken Taco Chili).  Our freezer is now just about completely full.  I love filling it with freezer meals and then slowly emptying it back out.

Crafting: This week has been a slow week crafting-wise but a good week for organization.  After taking some time to organize my stash, I blogged a tour of my crafting room.  I still have a few organizational projects, overall I'm really happy at how it all came together.  One of those projects I tackled last night: organizing my paper scarps.  I used quart ziploc bags to sort scraps by color.  Those bags then went into the 8.5" x 11" magazine files.  This eliminated the need for one cracked plastic bin.  Now I'm left with easier access to scraps and a bin with my small paper pads.  On the organization travels, I was stumped as to figuring out which Stampin' Up color coordinated with my retired paper pads (Festival of Prints and Print Poetry).  Some amazing person on the internet created a spreadsheet with every DSP from at least the last 7 years and the coordinating colors.  I'm definitely bookmarking that page for future reference.

As to the actual crafting, i attended meet and greet on Saturday and worked on the Valentines for our mom's group party.  I finished them after I came home.  I forgot to take any pictures before I sealed the envelopes, but I will say that they are all very adorable and used a ton of scraps.  This coming week I need to complete my stamp club homework for Feb. 13th and I want to make at least two cards inspired by a pin from Pinterest.

Watching: J and I have been binge watching Workaholics.  Way too funny!  We're also catching up on our currently airing shows.  And I finished Dracula this week.  Holy crap!  I thought it was supposed to me a self-contained one season show, but they left it completely open for season two.  Not quite sure how I feel about that...

From Nature: It's been a bit chilly and overcast around these parts.  Definitely great weather for walking with a light jacket and nice blanket for Arthur.  Although I could do without the gray days.  They remind me a bit too much of the Midwest.

Shopping Scores: Another big shopping week.  I picked up some white onesies, car window shades, and a toy mirror for Arthur.  He adores the mirror!  I grabbed some Valentine's supplies to make cards for our baby Valentine's Day party.  For myself, I picked up some new workout gear.  I walk every Monday at Shoreline, but didn't have any good clothes to help keep me comfy and dry.  Target was having a good sale so I snapped up some pants, a sports bra, and a tee.  Love them!

Project: I have begun to plan for our summer vacation.  That's right, it's February and I'm planning for summer.  Instead of a big structured road trip with an 8 month old in tow, I thought we could do a slow road trip up the northern coast to the Redwoods National Forest and back down again.  Currently, I am just pulling together ideas and possible stops.  I checked out some travel books from the library and have pilled some ideas from Pinterest.  It will come together nicely at some point this spring.

Picture: Check out my little reader!  So much like his momma.

Sunday Sunset #2

Book finished: High Fidelity; A Room with a View

Reading: Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale

On the Nightstand: Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton; Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein; A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

Crafting: Wednesday was crop night.  Usually I get overwhlemed by my options and end up not getting much done.  I also always forget something.  This time I got smart at least on one point.  Instead of throwing a ton of supplies into a big bag, I made little card kits in quart size ziploc bags.  Everything I needed for a specific card except ink went into the bag.  As an added organizational tool, I found six different inspirations on Pinterest to use.  Unfortunately, I forgot my snail adhesive at home.  Thankfully Judy let me borrow hers.  Thanks friend!  I'd say even with my forgetfulness, the night was a huge success.  I made six cards using three of my designs.  Love them!

Watching: This week we've been on a Workaholics marathon.  From the beginning, we've been watching the ridiculously funny episodes.  Love it!  There's way too many references that only the 25-35 crowd would get.

Shopping Scores: No shopping this week.  Shocker after the crazy holiday season.

Project: I ordered and starting using The Daily Page from Thyme is Honey.  I love how it keeps all my lists in one place.  I'm trying to get into the habit of filling out a page the night before.  I even created a cleaning schedule and a meal plan to help me fill it out.  Now to remember to keep up with it and carry it with me.

Picture: Arthur really loves his Sophie!

Sunday Sunset #1

This week's Sunday Sunset covers the first two and a half weeks of 2014.

Listening To: Arthur and I have been rocking the shuffle on iTunes.  Plus, we've checked out the Top Pop channel and The Beatles radio channel on iTunes.  Interesting mixes.

Book finished: In the Company of Secrets; Medium Raw; The Fault in Our Stars; Shambling with the Stars; The Audacity of Hope

Reading: High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

On the Nightstand: Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein, Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton, A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

Making Lists: So many lists... I don't know where to start.  Mostly they involve crafting projects and Pinterest.  Let your imagination run from there.

From the kitchen: I made a few recipes and prepped some freezer meals.

• Avocado, provolone, bruschetta chicken with balsamic vinegar dressing and spinach salad -- Very yummy and not too hard to cook.  This will be added into the rotation.
• Chili -- Another random ingredient chili.  This time it was spicy fun.
• Italian beef sandwiches -- Cooked and frozen for next week
• Baked Parmesan Chicken -- A big favorite around here
• Kielbasa skillet meal -- Prepped, froze for next week

Crafting: Before getting to the actual crafting, I wasn't able to get my SU order for December before leaving for Indiana.  I completely forget what I even ordered.  I was able to collect it at January stamp club.  Oh yeah, and December was my hostess month.  Lots and lots of goodies.

At stamp club, we made some cute cards.  It was also the start of our new 6 month round.  We drew hostess months and I got February.  Just in time for Sale-a-bration.  Now what should I order?

On the PL front, I finally got everything organized to put together the weekly spreads for the holidays.  I also got some great ideas from my Studio Calico class I joined for January.  Can't wait to put some of them into my spreads.  And I decided to do a monthly wrap-up page with my books read, life goals and progress, and photo a day pics.  I didn't want to have to include every photo a day pic, so I thought to combine some of my features into a monthly wrap up page.  Each month has one side (two months per page protector) using design F.  I have room for eight photo a day choice pics.  I went through and picked title, books read, and life goals inserts for each month.  I tried to play with some color schemes.  I plan on adding embellishments as I do the months.  In the meantime, here's a sneak peek of January's page:

Watching: While back in Indiana, I basically watched whatever my family was watching (lots of sports and HGTV).  Since being back home, we're back to our usual currently airing shows (Dracula, The Daily Show, Colbert Report, Community, Psych, Alpha House, etc).  While I love catching up on our shows, I was on the edge of my seat waiting until I could get back and watch Sherlock!  Three episodes is not enough Benedict and Martin to hold me over until Series 4 gets made.  I loved the twists and turns (did not see them coming).  I love the little updates they make to Doyle's original stories.  So good!  We also started watching Helix today.  J totally called that the head of the research base in Nemo.  It could be an interesting show.  We'll stick with it for at least a few more episodes.

From Nature: I am so glad to be back to the nice weather.  On my first outing, Arthur and I went to the grocery store and I wore flip flops!  My feet love the warmer air.

Shopping Scores: Lots of new things!  I got around to buying Arthur some essentials: Sophie the giraffe teether, larger onesies (although I will quickly need to get bigger), some larger lightweight blankets, a Valentine's onesie, and some sleepers without feet (he's just too long!).  I also picked up some Project Life supplies online: G and H page protectors (for inserts), Seasons Mini Kit (had Holiday, wanted general seasons), a WRMK 3x4 and 4x6 kit (Tangerine), and some random cards from a fellow PLer (from Honey and Kraft kits).  And then I went to Michael's for snail and ended up buying a corner rounder punch (mine is horrid!) and a 2in circle punch.  Finally I hit up Target for some cleaning supplies (boring!) but I did manage to grab a few clothing pieces for me.  I found a blouse, a tank, and a sweatshirt all on the clearance rack.  They all fit and don't accentuate my problem areas.  Score!  Unfortunately the two pairs of pants I bought don't fit at all.  Le sigh...  Back to the same pants I've been wearing the last three months.

Project: Upon arriving back in California, I went on a major cleaning and organizing spree.  I don't know what got into me, but I love the results.  On Sunday, I woke up at 7 (baby alarm clock) and proceeded to clean out and wipe down the entire fridge.  So pretty and clean now!  And just in time for major grocery shopping on Monday.  I got into all the nooks and crannies (didn't realize how dirty it was under the drawers at the bottom; I never pull those completely out).  I also cleaned out any and all old and expiring food.  A clean slate for a new year...

Later in the week, I completely reorganized all of Arthur's clothes (he has a ton now!) into outfits sorted by size.  Hopefully we can weed out the too small without missing any.  I already threw a few pieces into the too small bin.  Everything looks so pretty in his closet now.

While I was away, J cleaned out the office.  Originally the closet was full of boxes (mostly books) and one bookshelf.  J bought two more bookshelves and emptied most of the boxes.  He also completely organized his side of the office and all his model making supplies.  That left me to tackle my side with all the crafting supplies and a few random non-book boxes.  I wish I had taken a before photo because it was an absolute disaster zone.  I spent part of Sunday and most of Monday afternoon cleaning and organizing.  I completely redid the crafting supplies.  I also reorganized my books on the shelves.  Now I know what shelf any given book should be found on.  I also reduced four random boxes down to one random box.  Two garbage bags and a box to the trash later, my side was looking pretty nice.  Now the trick is to keep it nice...

Picture: Arthur turned 3 months this week!

Sunday Sunset #41

Listening To: Lots of Christmas music on Pandora.  I need my fix!

Book finished: Inside the Creative Studio; B is for Baby; Universal Rights Down to Earth; Final Jeopardy; Boneshaker; Tanglefoot; Vanity Fair; Sandition

Reading: Nothing currently...  I'm taking a bit of a break and will start my 2014 TBR pile soon.

MakingLists: Finished my list of activities with the boys for break. Our calendar is filling fast...

Crafting: Right before I left for vacation, I attended December stamp club.  We made two adorable non-Christmas cards and a treat holder.  I love love love the eiffel tower card using new Valentine's themed stamps.  And the designer paper behind it is too cute.  I might actually have to buy it.  The shovel card is using the 2013-2015 colors.  I really need to get that ink and cardstock...  January club order!

Watching: Before I left California, the book club ladies and I went to see The Book Thief.  We read the book for club a few months ago.  I thought it was an amazing novel.  The movie was good.  I wouldn't say absolutely great.  It left out a few key serious scenes (plane crash, march of prisoners {second time}).  I have to admit that I was in tears by the end.

Picture: Arthur and I flying back to Indiana...

Sunday Sunset #40

Listening To: Christmas music channels on Pandora.  It's after Thanksgiving, which means Christmas music!  I love the classic channel on Pandora.  It's full of Sinatra and Crosby and all the old favorites.  Bonus: Arthur really seems to love Bing Crosby...  Add that to his early musical education.

Book finished: Hyperbole and a Half; Me Before You; The Road

Reading: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

On the Nightstand: Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray; Tanglefoot by Cherie Priest

MakingLists: Last minute Christmas gifts.  I have a few more things to pick up (mostly for the boys) and then I'm done.

Around the house: I finally finished cleaning out my clothes drawers.  I ended up having five bags total for the Goodwill.  While I was cleaning them out, I also started a packing pile...

From the kitchen: Another couple of recipes to try out this week.  I also made a meal plan until I leave for Indiana using most of the things in our freezer.

• Buffalo chicken dip -- Ridiculously good to scoop with tortilla chips.  I may make this for Christmas or New Year's.
• Cheese stuffed meatball sliders -- Pretty good.  Although next time I need to spice up the meatballs a bit.
• Cheesy artichoke pasta -- Good dish, but not one that would be good as leftovers...

On the Web: This week I fell down the Project Life blogger rabbit hole.  So many different options, I want to do it all.  Realistically I will keep with my current style and maybe add in one or two new ideas.  Still, the pictures are pretty to look at.

Farmer's Market Finds: Arthur and I ventured down to the market for sausages (for lunch) and kettle corn.  Yummy!

Crafting: I had a couple of classes these past two weeks, a meet and greet, and a crop night.  At crop night, i finished my stamp club homework (pics #2, 3, 4) and some copycat cards (pics #1, 5).  Lots of crafting fun!  With the class today, I think I've finished my Christmas cards.  Now to get them addressed and sent out before traveling.

Watching: The usuals, plus I've been binge watching Don't Trust the Bitch in Apartment 23 on Netflix.

From Nature: Chilly temperatures around here this week.  It was 39 degrees when I left card class the other night.  Brrr! Thank goodness I wore my sweatshirt.

Project: Prepping for our Christmas vacation.  It used to be that I would take a day or so to pack for my trips back to Indiana.  Now, I need to plan farther in advance.  Traveling with a baby is stressful.  And we haven't even left yet!  I've made a few notes in my Evernote "General Life" notebook highlighting things to remember, travel info, packing lists for me and for Arthur, general tips, Christmas gifts bought and to buy, and upcoming events.  I love using Evernote for these types of projects instead of cramming things into notebooks that I inevitably misplace...  I'm getting closer to having everything set and ready to go.  That reminds me...  I need to make a "last minute packing list" note for those things that I can't pack until the day we leave (bottles, formula, toothbrush, etc.)

Picture: Such a happy baby!

But not always...

Sunday Sunset #39

Book finished: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor; The Count of Monte Cristo

Reading: Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh; Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

On the Nightstand: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Making Lists: I've started my packing list for Christmas in Indiana.  I need to leave a ton of room for presents and such to come back.  Minimalist packing is the key.  But I still have to transport various baby accessories to even get us there.  This will be a challenge.

From the kitchen: I tried a couple more new recipes.  All of these were taken from Iowa Girl Eats. I love that her recipes are tasty yet simple.

• Red beans and rice -- Super yummy and easy.  Throw everything in the crockpot and 8 hours later you have a filling meal.
• BBQ chicken, apple, bacon, cheddar quesadillas -- Quick and easy, just how I like recipes.
• BBQ pulled pork -- Definitely a keeper.

Crafting: Arthur and I went to stamp club on Thursday.  We made three cute cards and a candy holder.  Of course, Arthur only let me make the first card before he started to fuss.  Thankfully Pam made the other cards and the project for me while I watched with a fidgety baby.

Watching: The usuals...

• The Daily Show
• Almost Human
• Atlantis
• Revenge
• Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
• Once Upon a Time (hello Marilyn Manson!)
• Sleepy Hollow
• The Voice
• Elementary
• Dracula
• The League
• Parks and Rec

Plus, I started watching Reign.  It is better than I expected.  Of course, I don't have very high expectations for a show on The CW.  I am digging the political intrigue on the show.  It definitely makes the soap opera melodramatics much easier to watch.

From Nature: It rained almost all day on Wednesday...  I miss the rain storms.  It reminds me of the Midwest falling asleep to thunder storms.  I have a pair of rain boots in my closet that have just languished for almost two years.  It didn't rain enough to pull them out, but I was really really tempted.  By the end of the week, it was back to be sunny and high 60s.

Out and About: I joined two mom's groups this week.  On Wednesday, we met at a local park for playtime and socializing.  Of the five other ladies scheduled to come, only one did.  And it was the other first time participant.  I think it was because it was sprinkling a bit here (unusual for around here).  Oh well!  The other lady and I had a nice hour walking around the park and chatting.  Hope to meet here again at another meeting.  On Thursday, I attended another meetup from the same group.  I showed up, no one else did.  Extremely disappointed!  Arthur and I ended up walking the trail anyway for something to do.  I posted a comment on the meetup about no one being there, not changing their RSVP, and not posting any messages.  The group organizer (who was also supposed to come) apologized and said she would remind everyone to keep their RSVPs current.  But, I am very irritated by these women's behavior.  I don't think I want to be a part of a mom's group that shows such little consideration for others.  I RSVPed for an event on Monday with a different mom's group.  I hope I have better luck with them.

Project: I have not idea why, but suddenly this week I got the decluttering and purging bug.  I just felt the need to shed all the crap laying around the house.  I started on Tuesday in my closet.  Within an hour, I had two bags of trash and three bags for Goodwill.  Holy crap!  I also rediscovered some gems in my closet.  I've been pregnant for so long, I forgot some of the clothes I actually owned.  I also did a bit of organization in the hall closet getting rid of some blankets.  Since we now live in California, stocking ~10 heavy blankets (not including baby's and twin's blankets) just doesn't make sense.  Half of those... gone right away and I'm debating on a few more.  I hope to tackled my clothes drawers before Thanksgiving.

Picture: It's a real smile from a very chubby little baby!  I need to get a better picture of his smile...

Sunday Sunset #38

Book finished: 100 Days in Deadland; Love and Friendship; The Watsons; The Lace Reader

Reading: The Count of Monte Cristo (still...  getting close to the end); Jane Austen and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor

On the Nightstand: Boneshaker by Cherie Priest; Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

MakingLists: Grocery lists... the bane of my existence.

From the kitchen: This past week I was a cooking fool! As I hate cooking, my experimenting is an epic achievement.  I made Blue Moon chicken that justified buying and consuming most of a six pack by myself.  Decent, but not amazing.  I made beef and barley stew.  Yummy crockpot meal for cooler weather.  I made molten chocolate cookies.  Good but could have been better. And I made creamy black bean chicken in the crockpot.  Perfect for scooping with tortilla chips!  I added jalapeños to the recipe.  That addition makes it a keeper in my book.  Lord help me but I have another 3-4 recipes to try out this coming week.

Crafting: Nothing this week...  Didn't even get around to my PL pages today. Hopefully the little monster will take a good nap tomorrow so I can do those.

Watching: We finally finished the 4-part series The Men Who Built America.  It's been sitting on the server for a ridiculously long time.  Finally watched the last episode and it was a ton of fun.  I do so love my history documentaries.  Arthur and I have been watching our usual shows, but I am finding an issue with one of them.  I am so not interested in watching Grimm this season.  I made it through the first two episodes and am thoroughly bored.  Thinking about dumping it...  We have been enjoying Dracula, Elementary, and Sleepy Hollow.  Plus we watched Olympus Has Fallen for a stupid action film night and Starsuckers for an interesting albeit slightly depressing documentary.

From Nature: Chilly nights around here.  Of course not as chilly as the Midwest but for here it's almost cold.  Arthur was super fussy the other night and wouldn't go to sleep. Exhausted, I finally brought him into our bedroom to sleep with us.  As soon as he was snuggly, he passed out.  I'm convinced that he was cold and that was keeping him awake.  Guess we need to bust out the fleece sleepers for nighttime.  I don't want to close all the windows as it gets really stuffy in the day, but the nights are just a little too cold for my tastes.

Shopping Scores: Zulily was having their huge blowout sale.  And I couldn't resist buying Arthur some stylish outfits.  Can't wait until they fit, especially the mustache pants.  I also ordered a Boba wrap.  We have a structured baby carrier, but I also wanted more of a wrap style carrier.  This one came highly recommended on Amazon and wasn't a huge amount of money.  We haven't tried it out yet as I am still learning how to tie it.  Hopefully this will help with traveling and while in Indiana.

Picture: Absolutely adore this expression.  So much attitude! I call this one "Hey ladies!"

Sunday Sunset #37

Listening To: Random songs from my iTunes account.  Sometimes the juxtapositions kill me.

Book finished: The Billionaire Wins the Game; Saving Wishes

Reading: 100 Days in Deadland;The Count of Monte Cristo (still...  slowly getting through it)

On the Nightstand: The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry; Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

Crafting: Besides doing my weekly Project Life Pages (check out October's pages), I managed to squeeze about 20 minutes in on Saturday morning for Christmas cards.  I've signed up for two Christmas card classes, so I decided to finish up my own random cards.  I knocked out three cards using lots of scraps (hurray for supply reduction!) and managed to organize my Christmas supply drawer.  I have about 45 Christmas cards done.  I think I will stop there and wait for the class cards. I may have to finish a few more before the holidays, but I don't want to overdo it this year.  Here's two of my random scrap cards.  I took these images from some cut up scrapbook pages.  I added the sentiment and the washi tape and striped scrap.  I love the washi tape on the Santa card.  Overall, I really love how these two came out and I used two large scraps that have been in the box for two years!

Watching: All the usuals... Arthur and I are really enjoying the crazy campiness that is Dracula.  Okay, so I am enjoying it.  Arthur could care less, but I'm usually watching it while he's sitting with me.

From Nature: Beautiful weather like usual.  I love being able to enjoy fall and still wear sandals.  Arthur and I went on a few walks this week taking advantage of the mild temperatures.

Shopping Scores: My order from H&M came in the mail this week.  I bought a dress for me (very forgiving for post-pregnancy bodies) and some pants for Arthur.  The tag says 4-6 months, but good graciousness the pants are huge...  Well, he'll grow into them someday.  Now I need to buy another pair of pants for his Christmas outfit.

Picture: Baby yawns are too adorable!  And he makes the cutest sighing sound afterward.

Sunday Sunset #36

Listening To: Random songs from my iTunes account and the iTunes radio 3 of a kind: Mumford and Sons, Of Monsters and Men, and The Lumineers channel.  I love the mix of artists on the channel, but iTunes radio repeats songs a bit too much for me.  I think I'm going to have to stick with Pandora.

Book finished: None, still in the middle of a huge book...

Reading: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas; I may also start Billionaire Wins the Game to read alongside Count.  I may need a break from Dumas...

On the Nightstand: Billionaire Wins the Game by Melody Anne, Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

From the kitchen: Just trying to make easy dinners.  Using all the food that I had stored in the freezer pre-baby.  It's getting to be a little sparse in there now.  I may need to take a day and make a few more freezer meals.

On the Web: Attempting to start to catch up on my blogroll.  I've been way behind since I took three days off from reading to have a baby.  Working through my blogs when Arthur is sleeping.  I sometimes even read them to him when he's being fussy.  He likes being read to...

Crafting: None this week except for my weekly Project Life spreads.  I'll be sharing our October pages later this week.

Watching: Along with all of our current tv shows, we finally watched Admission the other night.  Not the funniest movie, but it did have a few good lines.  During the day, I've been watching my soapy shows so J doesn't have to: Revenge, Once Upon a Time, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, and The Voice.  And of course, we have our usual currently airing shows: Castle, The League, It's Always Sunny.

Wondering: When will these headaches go away?  Damn post-pregnancy hormone changes!

From Nature: For our area, the temperatures have been all over the place.  One day it's 73 and the next it's 66.  Crazy fluctuations!  I must say that I prefer the 66 degree days for taking a walk with Arthur.  I still get so hot, I like it to be a bit cooler.  And Arthur likes snuggling with his blanket.

Shopping Scores: After somehow missing the fact that it had been released, I rushed to Amazon and ordered Hyperbole and Half by Allie Brosh.  I love her blog so much!  I even ordered it in a physical copy to treasure all the pretties inside.

Project: Does taking care of a newborn count?  If so, them I am all over that project.

Picture: Not quite sure about his activity gym yet...

Sunday Sunset #35

Listening To: iTunes radio Chill channel.  Arthur really seems to like the channel in the early morning hours.  I need to make a couple of lullaby/bedtime playlists for those cranky times.

Book finished: The Angel's Game; Rose of Fire; Middlesex

Reading: Nothing yet, I'll probably start The Count of Monte Cristo tonight or tomorrow

On the Nightstand: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

MakingLists: Grocery lists.  It seems they never end.

Around the house: Chores?  What are those?  I have a baby eating up all my time.

From the kitchen: J has actually stepped up and made dinner most nights.  Thank goodness.  By the time dinner time rolls around, I am absolutely exhausted.

Crafting: I started my Christmas cards before Arthur arrived, but didn't have the chance to upload the pictures.  My plan is to create ~five different cards using some old templates and some class designs.  So I focused on taking the design and using scraps and stamps to recreate it.  Not all are exactly alike, but I'm loving the results.  35 cards down, about 20 to go!

Pictures I ordered came in the mail the other day.  Inserting those finishes my introduction spreads in the PL albums.  I highlighted the results in my PL Transition post from Thursday.  Now I can start on my weekly spreads.  I've got the first week done and am working on week 2 today.  I need to remind myself to take more pictures throughout the week so I can have a few to choose from when it comes time to make the spread.  As an extra helper to record our daily lives, I signed up for Oh Life.  Every day they send you an email asking how your day was.  You just reply to the email.  The site collects your responses in an easy to read format.  This helps me remember to jot down a few key things about the day and I don't need to remember where I put the notebook, etc.  I'm going with a bulleted list of things for each day.  Then I can elaborate in my actual journaling cards if I want to or leave it as a bulleted list of activities.

Watching: Lots of television randomly throughout the day as I'm still recovering.  We caught up on some of our currently airing shows (Castle, Shield, Modern Family, It's Always Sunny, New Girl, Once Upon a Time, Sleepy Hollow, The League) and watched some old shows (Arrow S1, QI).  I caught up on The Voice and The Daily Show while feeding Arthur in the odd hours of the morning.  We even started a new series, Atlantis.  So far, it looks not as cheesy as Legend of the Seeker,  but also not super serious.  We'll give it a few episodes...

Wondering: If I will ever get more than 5 hours a sleep at any one time.  I know it will happen, but right now it seems like a dream.

From Nature: I'm sure it's been gorgeous outside... but I really only know what the weather is like indoors.  Hoping to feel good enough to start getting back outside and walking soon.  I've taken Arthur in his stroller for a walk to the coffeehouse twice this past week.  Four blocks round trip is definitely my limit right now.  I'm hoping to be able to increase my endurance throughout next week.

Shopping Scores: Arthur received a package of toys this week.  Okay, so I ordered them on Amazon.  But I figured he should have some things to play with as he gets more and more interested in the world.  He doesn't really care about them right now, but they're here when he wants them.  Plus they were too cute to pass up.

Project: Figuring out a routine with Arthur.  My days are full of baby changing, eating, rocking, etc.  I am finding it difficult to remember to eat.  The curse of a new parent.  We are slowly settling into a routine and hopefully soon he will sleep more during the night (or at least the early morning hours).

Picture: My favorite picture of Arthur from these past weeks.  I just love this expression!  I call it slightly skeptical? or angry old man face?

Sunday Sunset #34

Book finished: Anansi Boys; Her Ladyship's Companion; The World is Flat; Iron's Prophecy; Lady Susan

Reading: The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

On the Nightstand: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides; The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Making Lists: Grocery list for after I come home from the hospital.  I tried to create a meal plan with corresponding grocery list so we don't have to live on fast food afterward.  Now I just need to get J to go to the grocery store on next Friday or Saturday...

Around the house: Mostly I've been relaxing this past week trying to rest up before Arthur arrives.  I did manage to vacuum the entire house in preparation.

From the kitchen: Nothing new this past week, but I have been finishing filling the freezer with meals (particularly marinated chicken).  I also made a nice list of what is currently in the freezer so we don't forget anything.

Crafting: No pictures until J can fix the upload bug, but I promise that I did a ton of crafting this past week.  I finished my intro pages for both Project Life albums.  I'm just waiting on the delivery of pictures.  I think I've decided that for the time being, I will create the journaling and inserts for each week's spread and leave spaces for the pictures i want to print.  Then, I will wait until Walgreens or Snapfish or Shutterfly have a sale and print the mass of pictures (probably once a month).  I also finished my Stamp Club homework for October (won't be at the meeting obviously) and started in on the Christmas cards.  So far, I've finished almost Christmas cards.  My hope is to finish close to 50 cards total.

Watching: Catching up on some of our currently airing shows: HIMYM, Castle, SHIELD, New Girl, etc.  We've also been watching a ton of QI past episodes.  Love Stephen Fry!  And I started watching Sleepy Hollow.  It shows some potential.  I'm enjoying it so far.

Pregnancy Update: No changes.  Still on track for Tuesday surgery.

Sunday Sunset #33

Due to a bug, I still can't upload pics to my blog.  I really wanted to share the nursery pictures, but hopefully I can soon.  J's working on a way for me to get them in here without too much hassle.  We'll see...

Book finished: Cape Storm; San Diego 2014; Witches 101; Gulliver's Travels; Total Eclipse

Reading: Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

On the Nightstand: The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon; The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman; Book club selection (I will find out tonight)

MakingLists: Last minute baby needs and grocery run before he comes.  I think I've taken care of all the baby essentials (at least for the first few weeks).  I just need to make sure we have food in the house for after we come home.  I definitely won't be going to the grocery store and it's iffy whether or not J will take on that task.

Around the house: If I could upload pictures, I would show you the massive pile of cardboard boxes and packaging piled next to the front door.  We have received so many packages of gifts and baby related purchases lately that's it definitely accumulated.  Nothing's stinky in there, just a lot of plastic and cardboard.  We really need to get this taken care of soon.  I just don't have the energy to break down all those boxes and then haul them down to the trash room...

On the Job: This was my last week with the company.  My team is moving and creating a new company and I got left behind.  I'm okay with it, but I will miss the extra money.  There was a mad scramble to get as much work out of me as they could before I left.  Unfortunately they didn't have the new database site up and running until Tuesday and then my home internet was spotty all Thursday.  Even with the crazy, I ended up finishing my tasks on Friday by the deadline and submitted my final invoice. Moving on...

From the kitchen: Lots of cooking and baking this week.  I have no idea why as I still am not a fan of cooking.  I made autumn spiced ham steak on Wednesday.  Yummy!  Easy and very satisfying.  Caprese grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade baked potato soup on Thursday.  I made sure to add a bit of cayenne to soup to kick it up a bit.  Half went into the freezer for later.  Plus I froze some various marinated chicken breasts for easy meals after the baby arrives.  The freezer is slowly being stocked again.  I am foreseeing lots of chicken breasts and takeout in my future.  Nothing more complicated than that.  I have lemon blueberry poppyseed pound cake and green chile pork stew ready to make this coming week.  We should be eating good before the baby comes.

Crafting: No card making this week.  I did start my Project Life pages.  I finished a transition/intro page for each of the albums, my ultrasound pictures, and prepped some inserts for baby's album.  I'm still deciding on the best way to print my pictures.  It would be nice to have an in house photograph printer, but I'm still weighing the time and money to invest.  I ordered my first prints through Apple, but I prefer matte photos (they don't do those).  If I want matte, I have to order through Walgreens or Snapfish, but can't pick up in store.  Dilemma!  I might just break down and ask J for a printer for Christmas.  My other plan is to do the spreads and journaling without the pictures (but have the pictures saved in a folder) and then print a ton when Walgreens or Snapfish have a good deal (so I can get matte pictures).  Still mulling it over...

Watching: Still working my way through Smallville S10.  I only have a few episodes left. Woohoo!  I also started watching the new season of The Voice on Hulu.  Can't wait to follow the competition.  J hasn't updated the server lately, so no new episodes of currently airing shows right now.  Instead, I'm been watching him play GTA V.  Okay, I'm usually writing posts of perusing the internet, but scenes do catch my eye.  I think he's a bit tired of the comments from the peanut gallery.  On the movie front, we finally saw This is the End.  OMG!  So hilarious!  I loved it!

J finally updated the server last night so we binge watched some The League, It's Also Sunny, SHIELD, and The IT Crowd special.  Fun fun!  I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with SHIELD.

Pregnancy Update: Starting to feel very whalish.  I'm huge (although not anywhere near as big as with the twins) and sore everywhere.  It feels like a ran a marathon yesterday...  Still waiting to see if he wants to arrive before his October 15th extraction date.

From Nature: Sept-Oct in the Bay always seem more summer than July-Aug.  We've had temps in the low 80s and of course sun.  It feels weird when everyone on FB is talking cool temperatures, bonfires, and even snow.  Plus, it freaks me out that we have trees whose leaves change color and drop and yet people are walking around in shorts.

Shopping Scores: Lots of baby related items.  Along with all the gifts, we received a huge Amazon GC from work colleagues.  I immediately loaded it onto my account, but restrained myself from a buying spree.  Go me!  I did order a baby monitor for convenience, but am reserving the rest of the GC until after he comes.  I'm sure some of it will be used for diapers and such, but I imagine I'll pick up a few non-essentials along the way.  Maybe some nice board books or a cute stuffed animal.  I have my eye on an astronaut bear that is beyond adorable!

Project: Prepping for baby of course.

Sunday Sunset #32

Listening To: Arctic Monkeys AM.  "Do I Wanna Know?" popped up on the iTunes Top 100 Alternative channel this week. I completely forgot that AM had a new album.  I popped right over and bought it.  Been listening to it practically nonstop.  So good!

Book finished: The Graveyard Book; Storm Glass; Sandman Vol. 11 and 12; The Book Thief; The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Reading: Cape Storm by Rachel Caine

On the Nightstand: Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift; The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon; Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine

MakingLists: I ran across a great article on Flavorwire entitled "50 Books Every Parent Should Read to Their Child."  It's a great mix of new and old books.  In fact, we own many of these books, but a majority we have never own or were destroyed by twin boys at some point.  So, I am starting a list of books to eventually buy for Arthur.  I'll be adding them into an Arthur wish list on Amazon once I inventory our current collection.

Around the house: Really focused on getting the nursery ready for Arthur's arrival.  J put together the crib, travel system, wall decals, and mobile all without me asking.  I love how it all works together.  There are still some odds and ends being stored in that room that need to find new homes.  *cough* laser disc player *cough*  The rest of the house has been just here.  I want to vacuum every room before the baby's arrival, but that sounds like so much work...  maybe not.  I should also do one more big bathroom cleaning before.  Now to work up the energy to actually do these things.

On the Job: Big changes!  As of today, I have one week left with the company.  To be fair, the company is currently in the process of being acquired and the future of my project is very up in the air.  The current plan is to have the project team spin off into their own company.  It's so completely disorganized that the CEO decided to not renew my contract.  And I'm honestly okay with it.  While the additional bit of income would have been nice, I was starting to have some serious doubts about the project and it's future.  Plus, the team was so disorganized that I didn't even know who my actual supervisor was.  So I have a few more days wrapping up my tasks and transferring the data to another team member and then I'm done.  Just in time to focus full time on being a mom.

From the kitchen: I tried a few new recipes with mixed results.  This seems to be a trend.  I made a faux peach cobbler with just butter, peaches, and a yellow cake mix.  I really liked it, but J was upset that it wasn't "real" cobbler.  I also made a skinny version of chicken parmesan that was absolutely amazing.  Instead of a heavy batter and frying, it used a light breadcrumb batter and baked the chicken.  I made extra to freeze for next month.  It was easier than I thought it would be.  It's on the keeper list!  I also tried California quesadillas.  They weren't amazing, but I can probably doctor them up next time. I want to get a few more things made and frozen for after the baby's arrival.

On the Web: OMG the GoodReads controversy...  I've been following it since last Friday and I can't believe the craziness.  Censored by Goodreads has been an awesome resource to keep up with all the articles and related issues.  I decided very quickly last weekend that I wanted nothing to do with an organization that would treat it's participants like a disease.  I deleted my GR account and am currently shopping around for an alternative.  I know many have migrated to BookLikes, but I'm not completely sold on it yet.

Farmer's Market Finds: We actually ventured out to the market yesterday, but not for produce.  We went to get lunch from the sausage guy.  BBQ slaw dog for me and Seoul dog for J.  We also grabbed some kettle corn and cheese popcorn.  Yummy!  Walk to the market and back took it completely out of me.  I think yesterday will be my last big walking trip.  I was out of breath and in pain by the time I got back.  The food was good, but I guess I won't be back for a few weeks.

Crafting: I finished the family album!  It is completely update and ready to be put away.  I still have to do the boys' albums for this year, but found I need to buy them new albums as the ones I was using are full.  So a bit of a delay there...  With the family album completion, I am ready to transition to Project Life.  I prepped a few pages about the transition and my pregnancy.  I plan on doing weekly or biweekly spreads once the baby arrives, but I had all these pregnancy and preparation items to fit in somewhere.  I decided to start with an introduction page outlining the transition and the reason for the new style.  Then I made a page highlighting all my ultrasound pictures and fetal development.  This will act as a nice introduction to the focus of the new album: Change and Growth.  Looking forward to sharing the spreads on here soon...

Watching: Kitchen Nightmares (S1 and S2) and The Voice are my while I'm working television selections.  I finished Kitchen Nightmares this week, so I need to find something to replace it.  It's great to have on in the background.  J and I have been moving through Suits S3 (OMG summer finale!), Monk (S5-6), Star Trek: TNG (S7), Star Trek: DS9 (S1), and finally! Game of Thrones (S2).  Plus I've been watching new and old favorite movies for my Month of Movies.  Coming to the end of the project... Ready to move on to something new.  Plus, I have a list of new television shows that I want to check out (Sleepy Hollow, SHIELD, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Almost Human, The Blacklist, Dracula, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland).

Pregnancy Update: More BH contractions but still very sporadic.  Lots and lots of pressure, nausea, heartburn, insomnia, etc.  Ready to be done...  Four women from my October pregnancy board have already had their babies.  I am just waiting for my turn.

From Nature: Randomly last week it rained all day just like in the Midwest.  it was gloomy and the rain came down in fairly heavy sheets. It reminded me so much of my hometown.  Thankfully I finished my errands for the day before the rain came as people around here lose their minds when water falls from the sky.  They completely forget how to drive and subsequently annoy the crap out of me. It was nice to observe the rain and clouds from inside the house.  Bonus points for the temperature staying in the high 60s - low 70s throughout the day.

Shopping Scores: I picked up a ton of clearance rack items from Stampin' Up for this month's club order.  I went in needing to buy glue dots and came away with an embossing folder, a single stamp, three new inks (retired 2013), and three packs of 12 x 12 paper, envelopes, and one pack of 8.5 x 11 paper.  Whew!  It was a lot, but I got some great deals.

Plus, we've been receiving random baby gifts in the mail from friends and family.  I'm trying to stay on top of photographing the deliveries and getting Thank You cards out in the mail quickly.  So far, I'm doing really good.  I created a new FB album for all the baby stuff so everyone (i.e. my mother) can see what we got.

Project: Mental preparation for the baby.  I'm trying to savor my quiet relaxation time now.  I'm also trying to clear my schedule and mind of clutter to spend time focusing on healing and the baby after he's born.

Sunday Sunset #31

Book finished: Bachelor Girl; A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book; Winnie the Pooh; Cotillion

Reading: Storm Glass by Maria Snyder

On the Nightstand: Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift; The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman; Cape Storm by Rachel Caine

MakingLists: Bloggiesta is right around the corner (next weekend in fact!) and I want to take part while I still have some free time.  I've made a huge list of blog related tasks (mostly back-end stuff).  Among those tasks: reformatting and adding pictures to many previous posts.  When we switched hosts, some of older posts went all wonky.  I really want to get those fixed.  Plus, I've got some tagging issues to resolve and templates to make.  Currently my task list is sitting at 12 items, but it could grow longer before the even starts.

Around the house: We have the travel system put together, but the crib is still sitting in the box in the middle of the dining area.  Have to convince J to put that together soon if only for my anxiety...

On the Job: After almost an entire pay period with no work, this week I finally had tasks to finish and get paid for.  I'm doing well budgeting my limited income, but am hoping to work more in the next month to make a cushion before the baby comes.  I'd like to keep paying for the groceries and finish paying off one of student loans before the paychecks dry up... Hopefully I don't get too frustrated at the ridiculousness and just quit early.

From the kitchen: Tried another random Rachael Ray recipe.  J and I both agreed that it needed more spice even though I put in more than the recipe called for.  I feel like many of her recipes are just too bland as is.  I should remember that by now.  I think it's time to try some that aren't Rachael Ray.  Maybe some random saved recipes in my bookmark history.  And definitely something sweet baked in the oven.  I'm thinking coffee cake!

On the Web: I started reading a personal blog from one of the other October mamas to be and it's a bit scary how close many of our pregnancy experiences are.  I definitely put her in my blogroll so I can see pics of her little girl when she's born.  Currently our due dates are one day apart.

Crafting: Absolutely nothing this week.  Boo!  I spent a lot of time reading and working.  My goal is to get back to scrapbooking the family album this week.  I wanted to be completely caught up by October.  For that to happen, I need to get moving.  I've neglected the boys' albums for the time being.  If I can get the family album done, then I'm in a much better place to transition to Project Life in October.  Fingers crossed!  Maybe I should block out time on my calendar for scrapbooking.  That might be a better way of reminding myself to make time for it!

Watching: Kitchen Nightmares S1 and S2 (while I work); ST:TNG S6; ST:DS9 S1; Suits (OMG so good!); random movies for September's Month of Movies.  Nothing too exciting as I've been focusing more on reading than watching television or movies, but some good shows.

Pregnancy Update: I'll be doing a more in depth post for my 36 weeks on Tuesday.  In short, much of the same.  Just waiting really.  Although I'm pretty sure I felt some Braxton Hicks' contractions Friday night.  Very weird feeling!  But they went away quickly enough.

From Nature: Fairly consistent 75-80 degree temperatures this past week.  After hearing about the horrible storms throughout the midwest (my hometown had many flooded roads), I am extra grateful for the always gorgeous weather here.  I can still enjoy a swim in the pool and a walk to the coffeehouse without any hassle.  Also loving the consistent temperatures.  In my hometown the temperature dropped 40 degrees from one day to the next last week.  No thank you!  I do not miss that at all.

Shopping Scores: A Beautiful Mess just released a designed Project Life kit that was way too adorable not to snap up.  I already have a kit for PL (Seaform Edition), but I figure most of the colors from both kits work well together.  I'll just have a ton of inserts to choose from.  The kit should arrive on Wednesday.  Can't wait to open it up and look at all the pretty.

Project: Still prepping the house for baby's arrival.  I still want to get some of the closets cleaned out and the rest of the nursery in place (crib, mobile, wall decor).  We will see...