Re-Use, Re-Purpose, Up-Cycle! (part one)

So, I wanted to do some re-organizing in my house so things wouldn't be all over the place (namely the floor).  I thought at first that I might have to buy some storage bins and new bookshelves.  But I was wrong.  *Hooray!*

First up- This is 4yo dd's old toybox-

It has been emptied out, turned around, and placed in the living room for it's new purpose.

It's now shoe storage! I had origionally had all the shoes in individual baskets. But they were hard to get to (under the computer desk) and people forgot which basket was theirs. ugh. So they now go in this box under the window. And if they can't find their shoes- no longer my problem.

But what to do with the baskets that used to hold the shoes???

Well, here's what I did with one of them.

As far as dd's toys- She got a new, larger toybox made by her Pepere for Christmas. Normally I despise toyboxes as my kiddos tend to acquire small toys with many pieces. Those don't do well with a large toybox. So I used a small cubbie from another room to try to organize the toybox. See?

I did more than just this, but I have errands to run, so I'll have to post the rest tomorrow.

Menu Plan Monday- Jan 25

I flubbed but I fixed it. I forgot to defrost the chicken. So Rubber Chicken has been moved from Monday-Wednesday to Wednesday-Friday. Also we were supposed to have pizza last night but the kids and I went to my bff house for her dd's birthday party. (*sniff* My baby is EIGHT!) Anyway- we ended up staying for supper so pizza was not had. And ~*BONUS*~ I got a new recipe from my bff that we will be possibly using next week. It had no name, so I decided to call it "Tuffy-Mac". Is very much yum. Anyhow- on to this weeks menu!

Monday: Better'n Manwich (recipe at bottom of post), green beans and garlic bread

Tuesday: Chicken Broccoli Bake

Wednesday: Rubber Chicken Day 1 (scroll to bottom of page)

Thursday: Rubber Chicken Day 2

Friday: Rubber Chicken Day 3

Saturday: Pull apart Pizza

Sunday: Spaghetti




Better'n Manwich

1lb ground meat
½C bbq sauce
Salsa

Brown meat. Drain if you wish.
Add bbq sauce and enough salsa to make the consistency you like your sloppy joes.
Serve on buns and enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday- Jan 18

   
HOORAY!!!  It's



I actually have meals planned for the next few weeks.  All centered around stuff we already have here.  This way we will only have to replenish supplies.


Monday- Breakfast for supper

Tuesday- Tuna Pea Wiggle  (recipe below)

Wednesday- Kielbasa, pierogies, and green beans

Thursday- Veggie nuggets and Sweet potato fries

Friday- Amanda's "Famous" Meatloaf (recipe below), mashed potatoes and corn

Saturday- Chop Suey (recipe below)

Sunday- Pizza (most likely homemade- if so I'll post the recipe)



Tuna Pea Wiggle

1 can tuna (drained)
1 can peas (drained)
2T butter
1T (heaping) flour
½C milk (more if needed)
salt & pepper

Melt butter in skillet.  Add flour.  Mix til smooth and simmer 1 min.  Add milk, salt & pepper.  Stir.
Mix and add more milk til it reaches the consistency of gravy.  Stir in tuna and peas.  Cook til tuna is flaked well and topping is warm.
Serve over mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, or whatever you choose.


Amanda's "Famous" Meatloaf

I came up with this recipe accidentally.  I had run out of crackers and needed to find a replacement.  I have had people all over the area ask for this recipe.  Hope you like it!

1 lb ground meat
1C dry stuffing mix
1 egg
1 can tomato soup


Mix together meat, stuffing, egg and half a can of soup.  (put the other half on the fridge)
Plop mixture into loaf pan and cook at 350° for 1 hour.  My dad likes to mix the drippings with the leftover soup and pour that over his meatloaf. 


Chop Suey (Dads recipe he got from my aunt)

1 lb hamburg
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
black pepper
1 box casserole elbows

Cook elbows as directed.  Drain.  Brown hamburg in same pot you used for elbows.  Do not drain. Add soup, tomatoes and pepper.  Simmer and stir until hot.  Mix in elbows.  Serve.

Apparently I use this recipe A LOT.  The poor index card it's written on is full of grease stains and is severely warped.  But as long as I can read it- I'm calling it good.  Someday soon I'll have to write it on a new card. *sniff*  This recipe has gotten me through many a teary night.  I don't eat ice cream when I'm upset.  I make chop suey.

Wow. It's been MONTHS!

So, we're just over 2 weeks into the new year and I haven't blogged in about 3 months.  Ah well, I'll try to get back into it.


I was just looking at my last entry on the Love dare.  Some things have changed, some- not so much.  But a little at a time and it will all get done, right?  Progress- Not perfection as FlyLady says.


So I've copied and pasted a portion of that last entry below and have added updates accordingly-


1. I need to be more serious about Flying so I will have more time for me and for my family. (stress)


As of the beginning of this year I have been doing much better with my FLYing attempts.  Laundry is reasonable, Dishes are usually done before I go to bed (and always by me without complaint). And from what I gather from the comments of the men in the house- I'm much more tolerable to be around.  YAY for progress!


2. I need to get Family Rules completely set up so there can be more peace in our home.(stress)


We've decided against using Family Rules.  That being said, we have found a system that works for us.  Though it's not really a "system" per se.  More just a way we decided to go about things.  We're leaning more toward natural consequences.  For instance- if ds doesn't bring his dirty laundry downstairs- I don't wash it.  Then he has nothing to wear.  A gentle reminder that bringing his laundry down is his responsibility is usually all that's needed.  I've even caught him *GASP* DOING HIS OWN LAUNDRY!!! He doesn't separate it properly and tends to wash half a load of laundry on the large load setting wich irks his mother beyond belief... But he's figuring it all out. :)


3. I need to wake at a reasonable time on a more regular basis so I will have more time to do the needed things in my home and have time to play. And most importantly to make my husband happy. (selfishness)


I have been getting up earlier than I was, but still not as early as I should.  "Then why are you blogging at 1:00am???"  Because I just had to get this out there.  Simple as that.  I'm still working on it.  I may even put up a post as to how I'm doing this.  I don't know yet.


4. I need to make time each day to be with my husband.  To just be us. (selfishness)

I have not worked on this.  Not at all.  Not even a tiny bit.  And yet, somehow, it's happening.  Not every day, though.  But definately more than it was.  Maybe it's the rest of the stuff changing that is helping this to change?





I've also not done anything past day 8, I believe, in the love dare.  I have the book.  I think it fell under the bed.  I may or may not get back to that. I will get back to that.  I'm just not sure when.  But I won't let my marriage fall apart by not doing it.


And I should let you in on a not-so-secret secret.  We're trying for a BABY! 

And on that note- I bid you all goodnight.

Love Dare Day 6

Day 6: Love is not irritable.
Choose today to react to tough circumstances in your marriage in loving ways instead of with irritation. Begin by making a list below of areas where you need to add margin to your schedule. Then list any wrong motivations that you need to release from your life.

I've taken "making a list below of areas where you need to add margin to your schedule" to mean that I need to look at what I can do in my life to make more time for me and my family. 

1. I need to be more serious about Flying so I will have more time for me and for my family. (stress)
2. I need to get Family Rules completely set up so there can be more peace in our home.(stress)
3. I need to wake at a reasonable time on a more regular basis so I will have more time to do the needed things in my home and have time to play. And most importantly to make my husband happy. (selfishness)
4. I need to make time each day to be with my husband.  To just be us. (selfishness)


As far as wrong motivations...
Bitterness and perfectionism are my big ones.  Actually most of the time my perfectionism leads to my bitterness.  I hate that I am this way.  And I want to change.  So, what do you do to change this?  FlyLady.  She will help me let go of my perfectionism and therefore much of my bitterness.  A bit at a time.  Just like the love dare.  So really- My list of four things will help me all around.  The first two will help to bring the stress level in the house down.  The last two will help me show my husband that I know it's not all about me. 

As far as the first part of todays dare- yes I completed it.  There was a big blow-up with my husband and son over celery.  Particularly the ants on a log variety.  I won't get into the nitty gritty of it all as I feel it was a ridiculous thing for either of them to get upset about.  But I will tell you the end result.

My husband asked if the love dare could be used on other family members besides your spouse.  I kid you not.  And the creepy thing is- I had been talking to my bff about that posibility earlier today.  Scary.  While you obviously can't follow it to a T with anyone other than your spouse I'm sure you could change just a few of the dares to fit with a child, a parent, a sibling, etc.

So I told him as much and then suggested the possibility of me going through the book to find and change the dares that need to be changed to reflect a parent-child relationship.

What could have resulted in the whole house screaming became a point where we may have found a solution.  What do you all think of changing the love dare to work on other relationships?

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Day 3, 4 &5

Wow.  i think i slacked on blogging.  LOL

Anyhow- to update the love dare

Day 3: Love is not selfish
Buy your spouse something that says, "I was thinking of you, today."

Well, I did but I didn't.  I tried really hard.  Thought about it all day.  What would he really love to get? What does he really need?  I couldn't think of anything...  Then when I announced that I was going to the store to get razors he asked me to pick some up for him, too.  I got to the store and took forever to decide whether or not he preferred the power razors.  Decided he did and then when getting to the car I felt I had cheated him out of Day 3.  So off to another store I went to buy the last piece of his anniversary present.  I get that home and realize I got the wrong thing.  urgh!  Try again Amanda.  So did I complete day 3 or not?

Day 4: Love is thoughtful
Contact your spouse sometime during the business of the day.  Have no agenda other than asking how he or she is doing and if there is anything you could do for them.

Day 4 was really easy but I put an extra spin on it.  Contact him during the day just because?  I do that fairly often anyway.  So I added asking if he needed any particular laundry done.  Uniforms...  yes he says he needs uniforms washed.  Easy enough.  And later I redeemed myself for Day 3 at the craft fair.  I was supposed to only pick up useful things.  Nothing that is 'just decorative'.  But then I saw a sign that said, "Faith Will See Us Through".  Very fitting with the love dare.  So I agonized over it...  For a good long time.  Finally I asked my bff how I could justify purchasing it.  To which she says, "Call it an anniversary gift for the both of you and explain that it's a reminder of the love dare" (or something to that effect).  BINGO!  And he loved it.  (Or he seemed to) It's hanging above the tv, directly accross from the couch.  This way we are guaranteed to see it each day.

Day 5: Love is not rude
Ask your spouse to tell you three things that cause him or her to be uncomfortable or irritated with you.  You must do so without attacking them or justifying your behavior.  This is from their perspective only.

This one I kind of cheated on.  But didn't.  I wrote him a quick note asking him to list three things that irritate him about me.  When he finished writing I read them.  Then I sat there with him and thought about the things he wrote.  Inside I was screaming, "But this!  But that!"  But I refused to say any of it.  His feelings are his feelings.  I need to respect that.  And these are things I should work on.  Because they are bothering the one I love.

I wonder if he'll do the dare on me???

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Day 2: Love is Kind... completed???

So, dh and I watched fireproof with my bff and her husband.  We all teared up or cried.  Dh says he didn't but I think that's only cuz there was another guy in the room. He's normally one to get teary-eyed at movies.

During the movie my bff told her dh that I was doing the love dare with my dh.  I hadn't told him.  oops.

So the movie was done and my bff said she was going to get the book and do the love dare with her dh.  Wow.  I really thought they'd see the movie and say, "yeah, sure.  might work for others but not for us"  I'm proud of her.

We got home and dh and I were talking about Fireproof and the love dare and he pipes up, "so what day are you on?"  And I had to tell him how long it took me to get through day one.  He laughed.  I laughed, too, but was somewhat hurt.  I fought hard to get through day one.  And then I realized I might not accomplish day two.  I still had no idea what I was going to do for the "unexpected gesture".

He must have seen me think it because he followed it with, "You've already completed day 2."

What???  How???

"When I woke you up this morning and said your coffee was ready you came right down."

That was 10:00am.  I *SHOULD* be up much earlier than that on a regular basis.  But I struggle with it.  Sometimes it's depression.  Other times is insomnia from the previous night.  But there are too many times where there is no reason.  Me getting out of bed the first time he asks at 10:00am should not be an "unexpected gesture". It should be expected that I get out of bed at a reasonasble hour.  Period.  I've been working on this for some time now.  I need to work harder at it.  But I don't know what a good end goal is.  Baby Steps...  It will take time.  But it will happen.  I won't always be perfect about it.  But there will be progress.

So, Day 2 down.  Can I make it through day 3?  And tonight I'm not scared about day 3 (buy your spouse something that says, "I was thinking of you today"), I'm sad about day 2.  Something I should have been doing...  *shakes head*  I guess it really is the little things.

And now I should get to bed.  So I can hopefully get up at a reasonable hour.