Nesty

2011-09-28T00:16:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome back to The Christmas Calmdown, where we're planning ahead for a calm December! The Christmas Calmdown is co-hosted by myself and my cousin Ainsley of Pattycake Manners.

Oh my goodness. It's September 29. SEPTEMBER 29!!! That means two things...

One, that I'm late posting the September installment of "The Christmas Calmdown," and...

Two...in just a few short days, it's October. We're into the double digits.

In my wacky world, when the calendar flips to October and therefore "double digits," Christmas, well...it's just around the corner. This is a cause for excitement, but for those of us who are trying to be organized, we become aware that "planning ahead" has transitioned into simply "planning." In short, it's time to put our best laid plans into action.

This is actually going to be a rather short post, because I want you to go find that Christmas Planner we discussed back in February and do some posting of your own. Go through it. Don't be discouraged if there are empty pages (I won't lie...mine isn't as full as I'd like it to be.) BUT, if you've been following along, you've been mentally taking stock and giving the holidays some advance consideration, probably more so than you ever have before. So, grab your favorite pen, and a hot cup of tea, and make your "Real" holiday "to do" list.

In preparation for this post, I went back and read the earlier Calmdown posts. It really helped to get me on track with what I want to accomplish this holiday season. And, oh my goodness, we've covered a lot! Gifts, cards, cooking, making time for loved ones and pets...so many aspects to the holidays that we never really consider during the hustle and bustle. But this year, this year I really do feel calmer. As I read through the posts, I was mentally checking off items on my list. All those decisions that so often get made "last minute" are this year going to be well thought out with confidence. And so, over the next few weekends, I will be committing my "real" holiday to-do list to my planner.

Because then? THEN the real fun begins! Stay tuned...we've still got three months to go!

It's Good to be Back!

2011-09-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hello, lovelies! I'm back!

And, oh, how I've missed you! However, over the past few months, I've had a touch of writer's block and just a smidge of busy-ness. I am blessed to have found a job that I really enjoy, however working full time has left me with less time for my creative pursuits, blogging, and of course, personal time. So I took a few months to slack a bit and adjust. As regular readers may recall, Autumn is my time of rejuvenation, and as I suspected my creative juices are flowing and the urge to write has returned.

First up, I have some housekeeping to attend to. The last few weeks were a bit of a whirl, and to my chagrin I missed posting the link to the August edition of The Christmas Calmdown. Ainsley prepared a wonderful post on holiday greetings, which you can read here. You have my sincerest apologies for my tardiness. I will be posting the September edition on or around the 25th.

Next, a brief explanation of what I've been up while I've been neglecting Nesty (and all of you!). Well, despite the weather's best efforts, we did our best to enjoy the summer. We were blessed to have visitors (my husband's cousin and her family) and for a glorious long weekend in August we soaked up the joy of having family close by. We barbecued, enjoyed leisurely morning coffees on the patio (we had one of the only sunny weekends this summer while they were here!), had camp fires, and of course, this being Northern British Columbia, we fished!

Oh yes, that's me!

This was my first time salmon fishing in BC, and I had a great time! I was equipped with a shiny new rod (not the pink one!), a fluffy pink marabou jig (the jig of choice that weekend, I didn't choose the colour. Really.) and tons of determination! After a terrible showing the first night, I had much better luck the next day! Above, I am posing with a Chum that I caught. Unfortunately, he was foul hooked so I couldn't keep him but I had quite a time bringing him in! We realized about half-way through the battle that my reel was on the wrong side of the rod for right-handed me...check out my fighting face below!


Grrrrr!

Luckily a few folks caught some keepers, and our freezer is filling up nicely. Thanks to some very generous friends, we had some lovely salmon in our freezer to serve to our guests; I used this recipe to grill one on the barbecue and it was fantastic! We are hoping to smoke some salmon over the next few weeks, which of course I'll tell you all about!

We are looking forward to Fall and some holiday time. I have been trying out new recipes and am planning a few new features for Nesty. One of them is a "brown bag lunch" series, while the other will be meal solutions for busy households. Now that we are both working full-time, meal planning is becoming more important. So I'm coming up with some solutions which I'll be sharing here. Look forward to "fix it and freeze it" meal solutions as well as lots of slow-cooker recipes. I'm also looking forward to crafting and decorating for the upcoming holiday season.

Finally, I got a new camera, so Nesty will become much more visual once again! I'm really enjoying capturing the beauty of "Super, Natural British Columbia" on camera again! For those of you who enjoy my tales of life in Northern BC, there should be more of those coming up soon! The bears are back, as well as lots of other wildlife, so I'll be keeping my camera close at hand as we go adventuring this Fall.

Folks, it's great to be back! Have a great week!!!

The Christmas Calmdown–Christmas in July!

2011-07-25T23:35:00.000-07:00

First things first...I want to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas in July! Did you know that there's only five months to go!? But there's no need for you to panic, is there, because YOU, smart reader, are planning ahead with us for a calm December! And we're pleased as can be to have you along!
This month, you get a treat. Think of it as a little Christmas in July gift from Ainsley and I. This month, instead of making a plan, or starting a budget, I’m going to encourage you to take some time to capture the Christmas spirit. It can be as simple as listening to your Christmas playlist (with headphones on if you don’t want to explain yourself, but I encourage heartfelt carolling). If it’s not too hot where you are, or you have AC, why not whip up a batch of your family’s favourite Christmas cookies. Slip a classic Christmas movie into the player, or dig out a Christmas romance and curl up by the (camp) fire and get lost in the holiday spirit.
A favourite tradition of mine is to purchase ornaments throughout the year and put them away until it’s time to decorate the tree. It’s just like Christmas morning (see what I did there?) when I dig them out of the drawer or cabinet they’ve been hiding in and finally let them join my collection. Over the years I’ve acquired a cast iron pan complete with eggs and bacon, a fanciful bonbon from a candy store, and many, many sea themed ornaments.
Got some time on your hands? Now is a perfect time to do some holiday crafting. Why not work on a quilted tree skirt or new stockings while at the cabin this summer? Christmas 2010 photos still on your craft room table? Enjoy a staycation scrapbooking weekend!
Or, if you’re like me, you maysometimes rely on the internet to help visions of sugarplums dance through your head when times are busy. I’ve just joined Pinterest (Nestygirl, if you’re interested in following me) and my first board is Vacation Inspired Christmas Ornaments; hey, a girl can dream that she’s Hawaii or Paris bound, can’t she?
However you choose to enjoy your Christmas in July, be sure to do just that, enjoy it. And let the magic start to grow…because before you know it, Fall will be here (can’t wait!), and with it, the mad, wonderful, headlong rush into the holiday season. I can taste the turkey now! See you next month!
The Christmas Calmdown is a monthly series co-hosted by Kim of Nesty and Ainsley of Pattycake Manners. We’re planning ahead for a calm December, and you can, too! By doing a little bit each month, we’re looking forward to Bailey’s by treelight come December, not mall madness, air-tight schedules, and smokin’ credit cards! So grab a button and join us, it’s never too late to Calmdown!

The Christmas Calmdown - A "How To" for "Handmade"

2011-06-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It's time for another installment of The Christmas Calmdown! Today we'll be moseying on over to visit my cousin Ains at Pattycake Manners, where she will be guiding us through "A 'How To' for 'Handmade." I'm really excited about this post because I totally botched the handmade mission this past December...as loyal followers will remember! Even if you aren't following the Calmdown month to month, anyone who is planning a handmade holiday should check out her post. Be sure to tell her I said "hi!"

I'll be back soon with some fresh Nesty content!

The Road to My Craftroom is Paved With Good Intentions...

2011-06-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

During our recent move, a friend pointed out that a lot of our furniture looked like stuff that came from Grandma's house. I didn't take offense, because he's right. Over the years we have collected an eclectic bunch of furnishings, and while we have inherited a few pieces (some, yes, from Grandma's house) most are pieces we have by choice, either rescued from family purges or purchased at antique shops, second hand stores, or auctions.

But that's a post for a different time...

A few pieces were acquired / rescued / kept because of their potential. And, OK, yes, a large dose of sentimentality. These items are the ones that we are going to "re-finish." "Re-finishing" is right up there with "make a cover for," "make potpourri out of," and "send to Goodwill" on the big list of GREAT IDEAS BUT WHO ARE YOU KIDDING?

For two of these items (a vanity and a sideboard) our procrastination has not been a big deal. These items are functional, albeit covered by several generations of paint. You see, our predecessors' had the good sense to know that they were too busy to "re-do" furniture, choosing instead to slap on a fresh coat of paint when an item needed freshening up. I really think the distressed trend from several years ago came to be because a group of crafty folks gave up on trying to remove 100 years worth of various paints and said, "Oh for Pete's sake, just leave it like that." As Kermit once sang, "Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it..." and shabby chic was born...

But I digress. The third item on deck for "re-finishing" is an antique Singer sewing machine and case, purchased in, wait for it! 1996. To re-finish. Oh yes.

It lived in my parent's barn for several years, until one day my parents (who actually do re-finish things) were working on their own projects and stripped it for me. Then, it went back into the barn for another few years, after which my dear Dad declared that he needed the space and I would need to pick up my squatter. By now I was married with my own place and should have picked it up years earlier, but it seemed happy living with my parents. And so, we brought it home, with plans to "re-finish" it.

It's moved four times since then, each time elicited curses and curiosity from our movers, be they paid or volunteer. Turns out everyone wants an old Singer to "re-finish".

And so, it's on deck, once again this summer, for some love. IF I get this project rolling it will definitely be post fodder, so no more about my poor, neglected Singer for now. Because all this talk about procrastination projects has got me thinking about what's lurking in my craft room bins...

Oh don't be smug. Despite all the picture perfect craft room shots you've posted, I KNOW with certainty that those pics were taken AFTER a clean-up. I know this because I do the same thing. For all we moan about it, we are secretly proud of our stashes; after all, we wouldn't need craft rooms if everything fit neatly into one box, now would we? And yet, for all I love my room 'o treasures, I do occasionally feel a twinge of guilt and regret for the Lost Projects, those that really didn't make it out of the starting gate, but who live in hope of one day breaking free from their Rubbermaids, and maybe, just maybe, experiencing the joys of completion.

We'll see...

In the spirit of being honest, here is a by-no-means complete list of the Lost Projects, complete with approximate start date and a guesstimate as to their likelihood of being completed. Here we go:

Embroidery floss, needles, hoops, and patterns Last used - Superficially, as a play prop in the early ought's. Voluntarily, for a week in 1996 (bad year for starting things, apparently). Vocationally, for two summers in the mid 2000's. Odds of Completion - It's looking good! Inspired by retro styles, I've been considering stitching up some cute atomic accented pieces on pillows, aprons, pot holders and the like. Stay tuned...

Ancient Cutlery and Rubber Mallet (for making funky silverware jewelery) Last Used - The Millennium. Odds of being Used Again - Not good. Turns out pounding a fork into a bracelet is a lot harder than it looks. So many people do this well, I'd rather just support them. And my husband took the mallet for his tool box years ago.

Crochet hook and cotton yarn Last used - To crochet - About nine months ago. As a knitting tool - About 4 months ago. Odds of completion - Guardedly optimistic. I prefer knitting, but I think I could get into crocheting with a bit more instruction.

Tatting Spool Last Used - Never Odds of completion - Never. Tatted lace is not something I aspire to learn. The spool came into my possession after my Aunt Irene, an amazingly talented crafter, passed. I keep it out of sentiment and as a piece of inspiration from a simpler time where quality meant doing it yourself.

Half of one man's sock (on needles) - I decided, one cold January night, that my husband needed real wool socks for those cold nights on the job. Last used - One cold, February night. It's now June. He wore McGregor's for the rest of those cold, Winter nights. Odds of completion - Actually, pretty good! I love to knit, his socks just got put on the back burner when I started looking for work, and a new house, simultaneously.

I could keep going, but for the sake of time and my self-esteem I will stop now. Why, you might ask, are the supplies for these Lost Projects still in my possession? Well, I might get to them someday! But more so, I like bumping into them, so to speak, when I'm rummaging through a bin of fabric or a box of beads. Seeing those forks and spoons, for example, reminds me of the "Little White Church" that I grew up next to, that was the spiritual home to my ancestors and that I thrilled to enter as a child (it was a rare treat reserved for Fall Fairs, Vacation Bible School, and the occasional wedding.) I got the cutlery at an auction of the church's contents just before it was demolished, breaking our hearts even as we knew it was necessary. I'll find a use for them (shadow box, wind chimes?) but in the meantime they take up little room and do no harm. And so they will stay, along with many other Lost Projects and their supplies. When I need to purge, there is plenty of fabric and scrap-booking stuff that, while lovely, until it is formed into a memory, holds little emotional meaning for me.

And so of course, dear readers, I turn the podium to you. What are your Lost Projects? Come now, don't be shy, I'm sure there must be some doozies out there somewhere! If I can admit to hauling a sewing machine around for 15 years, you can tell me about your taxidermy projects or plastic canvas nightmares. Out with it!!!

Manic Mondays - How to Avoid

2011-05-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

One of my good friends always plays the best 80's station when we come to visit. Last night while hanging out I heard the familiar opening bars of that classic Bangles hit, Manic Monday. With it stuck in my head today, the irony was not lost that when I first heard this song I really had no idea just how manic a Monday morning could be. At the time I'm sure I thought it sheer torture to have to get up and go to school; years later I long for the luxury of having a closest of clothes that someone else bought and laundered for me, a tasty, balanced lunch handed to me, and a personal life coach / manager to make sure all the items on my to-do list were crossed off , thus preventing embarrassment in front of management, er, the teacher. Thank you, Mom.

Our transition from gnarly students who think we have it rough to first-time workers learning the ropes of life, to our current occupations as all-grown-ups, Monday is an omnipresent factor in the daily grind. I like to take the "It's a brand new week!" approach as opposed to "I don't like Mondays;" after all, if Monday morning never comes, neither can Friday afternoon. But I will admit, a bad start on Monday can set you back, if not for the week than at least for the day.

I'm a gal who needs to be organized about my weekly prep. I can feel the ominous rising of a bad week ahead if on Sunday night my week's clothes aren't laundered, my lunch isn't prepped, and my butt isn't in bed by 11:30 at the latest. For me, a manic Monday begins at 12:01 AM. And so, I make sure I have my ducks in a row on Sunday night. No Sunday flu for me; I'm blessed with a job I love and so as long as I'm tucked in with my book, blogs or magazine and a cup of tea at a decent hour, it's all good for the week. And since I am an organized sort, I rarely head to bed without being properly prepared.

Of course, there's more to the week than Sunday night. With two whole days, it's easy to start the week on top of your game, but somewhere around Wednesday things go off the rails. Along the way I've discovered a few tricks to make my work week prep a bit more streamlined. I may not use all of these every night / day (respectively), but even utilizing a few can make all the difference. Have you considered...

Smart snacks - I do my very best to be green, but I have to balance that with not wasting food and making sure we eat healthy. In another post I'm going to address packaging waste and how to fight it, but for the sake of this post I'm just going to stick to topic. With two adults working full time on opposite shifts, sometimes single serve just makes sense. Yogurt and cheese are two products that I've started purchasing in single serve form. The simple truth is that we're both more likely to grab these healthy snacks if it's easy and convenient. Fruit, juice, and granola bars are other examples of good-for-you grab and go snacks.
Easy meals - I love a big, delicious sandwich, but in truth, how many sandwiches make it to lunch time looking and tasting nearly as good as they did when first assembled? Enter the wrap. There's lots of awesome combos that can be made in advance and still taste fresh, and in my experience wraps don't seem to get as soggy as bread. For wraps and more, I look forward to Real Simple's bag lunch idea every month for fresh lunch options; in fact I'm planning to start posting about out these, and other lunch recipes in the near future. I also find Everyday With Rachel Ray a good source of lunch ideas, especially when they point to options for using dinner time leftovers for the next day's lunch. I also often lean on a big pot of soup, chili, or goulash to get us through a week of meals. And although nothing is as good as fresh and homemade, having a few pre-made frozen options tucked into the freezer is never a bad idea. Finally, when you find yourself down to the end of a pot of soup or stew (or you get tired of it before it runs out) don't throw it away! Invest in a few freezer and microwave friendly bowl sized containers and freeze your leftovers - you've just made you own single serve frozen meals!
Type A Appliances - You know that friend who gets everything done well, quickly, and in style? Make your appliances be that for you. On Friday you heard all about my new morning saver, the Tassimo single serve coffee maker. If single serve isn't your thing, consider a coffee maker with a timer; you can set it for 15 minutes before you wake up, saving you having to fumble around with filters and grounds first thing in the morning, not to mention the aroma alone will get you out of bed! Speaking of getting out of bed, if that's an issue, put your alarm clock across the room from your bed so that you actually have to get up to turn it off; I find I'm less likely to hit "snooze" when I do this. Dish washers also have timers, and a friend was telling me about her new Roomba vacuum that can be set to go whenever you want. After all, what would be better after a Manic Monday than clean dishes and floors? Bread machines and slow-cookers can make mealtimes much easier, so much so that you may be tempted to toss your takeout menus. And make your downtime work for you; I once pointed out to a friend that while I was sipping wine on the patio on Saturday night I was also washing dishes, doing laundry, cooking a roast and baking bread!
Can-do Clothes - When wardrobe planning, keep care instructions in mind. Yes, we all want quality, but a few career wear items that can go in the washer and dryer and don't require ironing can be a life-saver. Anyone who's realized they have an entire work wardrobe of hand wash only clothes knows what I mean. Many new washing machines have a hand-wash feature, something I'm loving right now for my dress pants and delicate tops.
PM Beauty Prep - As much as I love my morning shower, sometimes it's worth it to get it out of the way the night before. The challenge I faced with this was my hair, which definitely looks better when it's freshly blow-dried. A little research revealed night before coif ideas that transition well for a sleep loving modern career gal. I'm loving sleep-friendly foam rollers, for example. With very little effort in the morning I have bouncy waves that last all day. Of course, there's always the ponytail, but a sad old elastic holding back limp, lifeless hair doesn't spell success. Look for pony tail clips with teeth that separate your hair for added bounce. Even a bar clip will make your pony look more professional. A touch of make up and you'll look like you put in way more effort than you did! All without sacrificing...
Sweet, sweet sleep - Elusive, isn't it? Yet it's so essential. Identify how much you need (everyone is different) and do everything in your power to achieve it. Plan, plan, plan so that you can work at gearing down to a relaxed state before bed-time. I totally understand that life, children, pets, shift work, and not enough hours in a day make this goal difficult to achieve, but if there is one area you can focus on to improve that will make a huge difference in your health and work performance, this is it.

None of this is rocket science, of course, but sometime we get into work-a-day ruts and reading how someone else organizes their time can give us a new idea that can save precious morning minutes. To that end, what do YOU do to avoid the dreaded Manic Monday?

And so, darling readers, it's time to take my own advice and hop to my Sunday night prep. After all, 12:01 AM and a Manic Monday are only 6 hours away! Nighty night!

Good Mornings! - My New Coffee Obsession

2011-05-26T20:40:00.000-07:00

Since returning to work in March, I am often struck, usually while showering, by the awesome humanizing effects of hot water and caffeine.

It's true! I'm well aware that, as a Pisces, a dip in water is indeed therapeutic for me, and this fact is never truer than early in the am, when my warm bed is beckoning me to snooze for just a few more minutes. I love the thought of being one of those people who hop out of bed raring to go, but that only happens if I'm climbing out of bed at 10:00 on a Saturday. Luckily, it doesn't take much to motivate me; a hot shower with some yummy smelling shower gel and a steaming cup of coffee and I'm good to go, peppy enough to be referred to on occasion as "way too positive for the morning!"

And yet, achieving both the hot shower AND the fresh brewed coffee was getting tricky. Despite my best night before planning, getting myself and the dogs prepped and ready for the day was leaving little time for coffee brewing. We're French press people, you see, so there's no setting a timer the night before. On mornings when we pull it all off, we are rewarded for our efforts by not having to consume gas station coffee (no Timmy's, Starbucks, or Dunkin' for us folks, and our local cafe isn't open at 8:00 AM). However, more often than not we found ourselves pulling into the gas station for two cups of "cappucino," or, as my husband calls it "hot milkshakes in a cup." Not good for the waistline, and, frankly, just plain not good.

This, I am sure, in addition to their $3.00 a pop price tag, is what prompted my husband to buy me a lovely gift, while simultaneously forcing me to make a decision. You see, we are discovering that I am a commitment-phobe. I have been considering a cell phone, cable provider, and single cup coffee machine for several months. I am still without a cell phone and cable provider, which, I am told, practically makes me a pioneer, BUT, I am the proud and passionate owner of a Tassimo T20 Home Brewing System.

Photo from www.Tassimo.ca

The Tassimo has changed my morning go-to-work experience. For those of you not familiar, single cup coffee systems prepare hot beverages one at a time using an encapsulated single serving of coffee, tea, chocolate, etc. There are several different kinds available on the market, all of which offer lovely beverage choices and have loyal followings. The one beverage they all make is coffee, but after that it gets diverse. The Tassimo, which I own, brews coffee, tea, and hot chocolate, as well as specialty drinks like lattes, cappuccino, and espresso using T-Discs. Tassimo is known for it's use of bar code technology, which is how it knows how to brew your drink (a large cup of coffee versus an espresso shot, for example). Keurig uses K-Cups to deliver a dizzying variety of drinks such as coffee, tea, chocolates, and even hot cider. The sheer variety of drinks available is a definite selling feature for the Keurig, in fact the only thing it doesn't seem to do is make specialty drinks. But if lattes and caps aren't your thing, then Keurig will have you covered for just about everything else. Dolce Gusto is Nescafe's offering; if you like your drinks frothy and fun, this machine is for you. Although it does offer just coffee, the majority of varieties on its website are coffee house favorites. Tea is not a big feature for the Dolce Gusto; the only tea I saw was peach iced tea. However, the Dolce Gusto does make iced drinks, which is nice, especially with the summer coming up.

Decisions, decisions! How to choose? Luckily, among my friends and family are people who own each machine, and so I was able to pick their brains.

Keurig showed up most frequently among the people I talked to. Again, the selling point was the vast amount of flavours available. I like choice, so this was appealing. However, I love my frothy drinks, too. So, maybe the Dolce Gusto? I only know one person who owns this machine and they definitely are fans of coffee house drinks like those offered at Starbucks and Second Cup. The Dolce Gusto was a perfect fit for them, but I wanted a bit more variety in suppliers.

We decided on the Tassimo, and I adore it! I do hope that the company gets a few more brands behind it, but all in all the offerings are not bad; I can buy T-Discs locally by companies like Nabob, Twinnings, Maxwell House, and Suchard. I'm disappointed that Starbucks coffee isn't going to be available in T-Discs once current supplies run out, so I'm buying up every pack that I can find! But, Gevalia is going to be coming on board starting in July, so as long as they are offered in Canada I'll be a happy girl.

I've come up with a few fun coffee drinks. I've made cafe mochas by adding a hot chocolate disc to a cappuccino. It was delightful, but next time I will stop the chocolate brewing process a little early so that the cocoa flavour is more pronounced. I also developed my own version of the popular coffee house drink Shot in the Dark, which is essentially an espresso shot in a cup of coffee. This one is easy-peasy, just brew your coffee, then brew an espresso disc into the same cup. I really like this one when I need a little more oomph in my morning cup! And finally, I am making tasty London Fogs in record time. I use a latte milk disc, a Twinnings Earl Grey Tea disc, and a shot of French Vanilla syrup. I add the syrup before I start, then brew the tea followed by the milk. As with the mocha, next time I am going to shorten the brew time on the tea so the flavour is more intense.

Whichever system you choose, I think you will find that it makes a definite improvement to your morning mood! I can brew us each a travel mug of breakfast blend in about a minute a piece! I will never give up my French Press, no lazy Sunday would be complete without it, but for the daily grind I am completely sold on the single cup system. In fact, I would get a Keurig to keep my Tassimo company. If you think that's weird, look at your own coffee supplies; how many of you own a percolator, press, AND an espresso machine? Not so weird!

This is part of of new series of posts called Good Mornings I'll be presenting as part of my re-vamp of Nesty to suit my new, working girl status. I did not receive any machines, supplies, or the like to review, I bought (well, my husband bought) my machine. I am sure all the systems are lovely, I am just sharing the decision making process I followed to make my choice. I would love to know how you brew your morning cuppa, so please, share in the comments!

The Christmas Calmdown - Making Time for Those We Love

2011-05-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome back to The Christmas Calmdown with Nesty and Pattycake Manners! We're planning ahead for a peaceful December, and this month we've got some great suggestions for making time for those we love...both human and animal!

Once the hustle and fuss of the holidays is over, one of my regrets is often not having made enough time to visit and spend time with friends and family. So often it seems that we make the rounds of parties, levees, dinners and socials, but don't spend nearly enough time curled up by the tree or fireplace with a good friend and a cup of mulled cider. Since becoming a dog owner, I often find myself wishing after the fact that I had planned some Yuletide fun with my furry friends, too. And so, in the spirit of the Christmas Calmdown, I've thought about it and I've made a plan to incorporate quality time with pets and pals!

First, I'll deal with the humans. Now, if you're like me, despite how much you love the holidays, there is a part of you that is very happy and relieved to disappear for most of January. Indeed, once my party hat and noise maker are hung up after NYE, I'm ready to embrace my inner hermit for a few weeks. And yet, for all the people I do see during the holidays, I often find myself wishing I'd had a few more "good chats" with certain people that I really like. Here's my plan for reaching out in December 2011:

Phone Calls - How many times do we say "I'll call you over the holidays?" and then never do? The trick, I've learned, is to pick the right times to call. Despite our best intentions, my family and I have learned during the two years I've been away that between the time difference and our respective gatherings, December 25 is never going to be the day for a long, meaningful holiday chat. We call each other and exchange "Miss you, love you, wish I/you was/were there/here's" and that's essentially it. But a few days later, mug of tea in hand, my mum and I will settle in for a long, newsy chat where we catch up on what we've each been up to during Christmas week. Also, there's nothing wrong with scheduling a call. We schedule everything else in our mad, busy lives, what's wrong with saying to your bestie "Phone date on Saturday at 2:00?"
Skype - Skype is a great way to stay in touch, and best of all, it's free! Just be aware that some people need "prep time" to Skype. No one wants to sit chatting with a messy house behind them, or in their bathrobe, or with crying children in the back ground. So don't be offended if the person you wish to Skype with puts you off for another day. And don't leave your Skype online if you have no intention of taking calls...that's kind of a tease. As with the phone calls, why not schedule a Skype?
In Person Chats - Each season, we start out with the best of intentions...for craft nights, Christmas movie nights, sushi nights, cookie swaps, tree decorating parties, tree cutting parties, and on and on and on. Let's be honest here, folks, to successfully coordinate everyone we know to all these events, we'd need to start before Halloween and hire Paris Hilton's social secretary. By all mean, aim to have a few fun get-togethers with your gang, but instead of driving yourself nuts trying to "do it all," why not aim to have a quiet evening with one or two good friends, just chatting and decompressing from all the frivolity? I enjoyed one such evening on the 22nd this year, making gnome / nisser ornaments with a friend. It was just a nice, quiet evening of wine, Christmas cookies, crafting and chat, but it put me in more of a Christmas-y mood than a lot of the bigger gatherings I attended this season.

And now, on to the pets!

As a total dog mama, I enjoy the presence of my three fur babies around the tree. It honestly doesn't seem like Christmas morning without a soft little nose nuzzling my new sweaters, or a paw batting at pretty paper. Our cats love snuggling under the tree, and we have to pay special attention to make sure that they don't eat the ribbon! Indeed, the one holiday we spent in Regina, the only thing we didn't like was the fact that we weren't with
our babies.

We've had some pretty memorable holiday moments with our pets. One special outing during our first year in Kitimat was when we went Christmas tree hunting with some new friends. We took our little Molly along with us as we hiked through an absolute winter wonderland and she had a ball! When we look back at pictures of that day, it's like a form of "Where's Waldo?" with Molly taking Waldo's place! It turns out she's quite the photo bomber as she popped up in almost all the pictures!

Ainsley shared a special Christmas pet memory with me in preparation for this post. On Christmas mornings when their pups were younger, they would give the dogs their presents first. By the time the humans were ready to open gifts, the pups were tuckered out from the fun and were content to head to their beds with their new toys.

I'm glad to hear that my house isn't the only one where the fuzzy wuzzies are part of the holiday fun. We are always looking for other ways to include our pets in our holiday celebrations, since they really are our family! Here are some ideas:

Take a Hike - Whether you're looking for a tree, or just enjoying the fresh, crisp December air, take your dog along. They definitely add some silly fun to candid shots along the trail!
Gifts from the Heart - This year why not make some homemade gifts for your best friends? Gourmet cookies, toys, a new bed or blankie, even a sweater will mean even more if you make it yourself. Pet websites and blogs are full of great, creative ideas.
Gifts that Keep Giving - Unfortunately, not all pets have a home for the holidays. Why not make life a little brighter for a shelter dog by donating food, treats, blankets, towels, leashes, collars, time or even cash to your local animal shelter?
Photo Op! - I'm sure they hated me for it, but this year I found a few pairs of dog antlers and some Santa hats at the local dollar store and I just couldn't resist! The resulting photos were hilarious; Tinky loved his clothes, Max (fresh from the shelter) would've agreed to anything as long as he got to stay, and Molly, well, the photo speaks for itself...


I hate my parents.

All joking aside, clothes are really something you shouldn't force on your pets unless they are agreeable to it; we are lucky that our pups don't really mind getting all dolled up!

The final, and perhaps most important thing you can give your pets during the holidays is your time. With all the coming and going, our furry friends can often find themselves home alone more frequently and for longer hours than they might be used to. Take an evening to stay in and snuggle with your furry friends by the tree, and for goodness sakes, don't forget to take them for lots of walks...it's a great way to check out the neighborhood's Christmas lights!

What's your strategy for staying connected with your friends, family, and furry friends during the holiday season? Be sure to record your ideas in your Holiday Planner, and of course, share them in the comments! See you next month!

The Christmas Calmdown - Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice!

2011-04-27T22:54:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone, and welcome back to The Christmas Calmdown, where we're planning ahead for a calm December! The Christmas Calmdown is co-hosted by myself and my lovely and talented cousin Ainsley of Pattycake Manners.

If you've been keeping track, you may be surprised that I'm writing this month's post; you're right, it is Ainsley's turn. However, she is up to her eyeballs in exciting life changes and so I am taking over again this month (don't worry, she'll be back!) And no, I'm not going to tell you what she's up to...you'll have to mosey on over to Pattycake Manners and check that out for yourself (some of it has me VERY excited...stay tuned!)

You may have also noticed that the Calmdown is a little late this month. We decided that since Easter fell on the 25th that we would hold off and post the Calmdown a little later. So that's why we're late!

And now one to the Calmdown!

This month we're thinking about Christmas baking and cooking; those wonderful treats that we look forward to all year long. Whether bakery bought and made from scratch at home (and everything in between!), food is definitely a major part of the holiday season. And yet, every cook I speak to after the holidays has some special goody that they "didn't get around to making." Sometimes December gets away from us; that's the whole point of the Christmas Calmdown, after all! And cooking is something that, despite all the advance planning you can do, you still have to make time to actually accomplish. With planning, however, it can be easier to bring the visions of sugarplums dancing out of our heads and across our palates!

Here's what we're going to do. First, If you have a Christmas planner or household management book, grab it and turn to your holiday food section. We are going to do four things:

1. Identify problem areas or challenges
2. Make a manageable holiday baking / cooking plan
3. Start a shopping list
4. Plan when to cook

Your first step is to think back on your culinary plan from holiday 2010 and determine what worked and what didn't. Once you've established this, take a look at what didn't work and make a list. My list would look like this:

Ran out of time
Miscalculated supplies and ran out of some items
Had to cut items due to cost

Not a bad list, when all is said and done. It could have been worse...much worse. (Someday I'll tell you about a certain Christmas dinner that almost did me in. But not today.) Items two and three effect me more so because of my geographic location; baking supplies are bulky and heavy and therefore cost more in Northern BC, so some of my planned goodies just weren't worth making for two people when I added up the costs. I could have made them, but it didn't add up to good home economics. And problem number one came from having too many REALLY GREAT IDEAS!

Now, look for solutions to the issues. Mine are fairly simple and will be addressed with steps two and three. Even if you had a major issue that probably won't happen again (like food poisoning or oven failure) , it never hurts to look at what went wrong so next time you can anticipate and avoid. Case in point; several years ago, one cook I know popped her fabulous fruitcake in the oven one evening, only to discover after a bit of baking that an element had gone. He husband got an element from somewhere and the crisis was averted, but if he hadn't been able to, the evening's baking would have turned into a very expensive and heartbreaking disappointment. The lesson learned would be not to start baking something that requires several hours in the oven at night after the hardware stores are closed.

Your second step is to make a manageable plan of what you want to cook. Unless you are a kitchen whiz I would suggest focusing on no more than five items. Two or three traditional-to-you "must haves," something new, and a "challenge."

The "must haves" are anything you "must have" to make your holiday complete. In my house, they are pork pies and short bread. Remember, these are what make YOU happy; if Robin Hood cookie mix or frozen holiday Pillsbury cookies are what make YOU happy, then that's great. You'll be enjoying cookies and Bailey's in front of the fire a lot sooner than all your "from scratch" friends! If you do make your cookies from scratch and they can be made ahead and frozen, consider that. The shells for my pork pies can be made well in advance and then filled just before.

The "something new" is just that; a new-to-you recipe that you're dying to try. I often find myself dazzled by those "Hundreds of Holiday Cookies" magazines you see at the supermarket checkout. I sometimes pick them up, if only for the pretty pictures, and pick one extra special cookie to try out. Cookie swaps are a great place to pick up recipe cards of tried, true, and new treats. Pick one new recipe to try this year and who knows? Maybe next year it will move up to the "must haves!"

Finally, the "challenge." I struggled with what to call this one; it could also go by "The big one," "The Show Stopper," or "The Piece de Resistance." Whatever you call it, this is the major culinary project of your holiday season. Consider making chocolates, a gingerbread house, a fruitcake (yes, some of us actually do like it!), steamed pudding, pizzelles, cannoli, spritz, a luxury seafood chowder (like my Dad's, which comes to the table brimming with mussels, lobster claws, and other delights), and, for some of you, your first turkey. Whatever you choose, embrace the grandness / newness of the experience; turkey and steamed pudding are not a big deal for me to make, but I've never made spritz or pizzelle, which require special equipment, making them ideal choices for my "big challenge" this year.

Now that you've tackled last year's challenges and made a menu / plan, it's time for step three; your shopping list. This is something you can work on for the remainder of the year. Sit down with your recipes (put Bing on the stereo if it helps!) and list the ingredients you'll need. Then figure out your yields. This is important; when you start doubling and tripling recipes you will use a lot more flour, margarine, sugar, etcetra than you would making a normal batch of cookies. In addition to ingredients, consider baking dishes, parchment paper, food wraps and the like. And don't forget decor! Many a holiday baking budget has been blown by a trip to the cake decorating aisle...everything seems like a good idea at Christmas!

You can add to your list throughout the year as you think of things (Dragees! Sweetened, Unsweetened AND superfine coconut! Condensed and evaporated milk! Bakers Boxes! Baking Twine! Candied Peel! SO MUCH ICING SUGAR!!!!) You see? There's a lot to buy, and many items can be purchased in advance. If you're going to need new cookie sheets, well, buy them in August. Many decorator items have a long shelf life, and tin foil, parchment, waxed paper and plastic wrap don't expire. If you get really lucky you might even hit a summer clearance sale and pick up some real treasures, like cute muffin cups or baker's boxes. If you have an iPod Touch, iPhone or other smart phone with a list making app, consider inputting your list so you always have it with you. You'll save yourself a rather pricey trip to the grocery store by buying even some of your supplies ahead of time.

The final step, (and this will be a work in progress) is to plan when to make all these goodies. This can be hard to do in advance because you don't know what holiday events will be taking place. Still, I do find, as Ainsley mentioned in one of our first posts, that sometimes the only way to get something done is to schedule for it, even if it's making a gingerbread house. I suggest making an event out of your holiday baking; buy a nice bottle of wine or some mulled apple cider, put on some holiday tunes or even a Christmas movie, and get your spouse, kids, or friends involved. You won't feel like you're missing out by staying home and baking.

Good luck with your planning! Remember, take what you want from these posts; we include a lot of suggestions but ultimately, be flexible and do what's right for you. If cooking's not your thing, or if December sends you a curve ball and your plans get derailed, get thee to a bakery and grocery store and let them do the cooking for you. The whole point of the Christmas Calmdown is to avoid post-holiday feelings of guilt and disappointment; if this exercise determines that for you, homemade cookies and chowder just aren't worth all the money and fuss, then it was a success! Here are some of my favorite entertaining "go-to's" for when time is more precious than bragging rights;

Frozen Lasagna - Many brands are just as good, and a better value, than home made. In Canada, check out President's Choice's selection; they're great! If any of my international buddies have a suggestion, add it to the comments.
Pillsbury - Yes, yes, hand-made fresh from the oven brioche are all well and good, but really, what we're ultimately craving is warm squishy bread. I have never seen anyone look sad while eating a Pillsbury Grand. It's also a favorite with the Pattycake Manner's crew at Christmas!
Store bought pie - Some brands are better than others; again, President's Choice makes some good ones. And my mother taught me long ago that when it comes to pumpkin pie, just go with a good store bought; they usually taste better than homemade (sorry!).
Frozen tart shells - Fill 'em up with sweet or savory fillings and just listen to your guests go "Ooooo." I served a selection of cranberry and lemon tarts for dessert this Christmas; people loved them because they got to try both kinds without eating two pieces of pie (because for some reason that's wrong?)
Frozen appies - Don't you love that we call them "appies" now? I hate trying to spell HORS D'OEUVRES. I always mix up the R and the V. Anyway, Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without an Oriental Party Pack from M&M Meats; I have very fond memories of this pack 'o goodness being whipped out late Christmas Eve at my aunt and uncle's house. And that's the whole point; frozen appies keep the party going without keeping the host hostage in the kitchen. Don't forget the frozen shrimp rings with cocktail sauce!

As always, please add your suggestions in the comments. We'd love to hear what you're thinking about the Christmas Calmdown! See you next month!

Update + An Old Favourite!

2011-04-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hello, Lovely People!

Just popping in to say "hello" and let you all know that we are settled into our new house! I still have lots and lots of boxes to unpack, but we're home and it feels like home!

Suffice to say I probably won't be posting much this week, but I did want to leave you something more to read than a "hello." Throughout the move, it was noted several times (by the good, good friends who helped us) that we have some very unusual, old, heavy furniture. In particular, my antique oak dining table got a lot of comments. It reminded me of one of my first posts, one that most of you haven't read. It was actually posted under my original blog name, Simply Bee. This post has a little bit of everything going on; crafts, wine, Sex and the City, and an epic disaster. It's also actually quite funny, if I do say so myself. Without further ado, I give you Mental Note!

The Christmas Calmdown–We’re Making a List!

2011-03-24T23:33:00.001-07:00

Hello, and welcome back to another instalment of the Christmas Calmdown! We’re planning ahead for a calm December, and this month we’re tackling gifts! Gift giving has the potential to be the loveliest of all holiday rituals, yet it is quite often the straw that breaks the holiday camel’s back. It’s not hard to understand why; gift giving covers the whole organizing spectrum of:

Budgeting (how much to spend),
Planning (who gets what and where do I get it),
Activity (shopping), and
Creativity (wrapping and tagging).

It’s easy to get bogged down and bummed out, which inevitably leads to December 23 Midnight Madness at the mall and a smoking Visa card.

But no more…

Right now, on March 25, with the decidedly un-holiday backdrop of mud and rain, we are going to make a few decisions and commit to a plan!

To me, there are essentially three categories of Christmas presents:

1. Traditional – Essentially, presents that you buy. Whether in store or online, you decide who gets what and hand over some money . Many retailers will even giftwrap for you.

Why it works – Who doesn’t love gifts? Picking the perfect present can be tons of fun, and if you’re creative you can really go to town wrapping Check out Martha Stewart.com for great ideas!

Why it goes wrong – Without a budget, all that shopping can hit your wallet hard. Both in terms of time and money, if you don’t plan carefully, you may find yourself stressed out, tapped out, and missing out on all the fun, meaningful things you want to do.

Plan of attack – Make a list of everyone you need to buy for and decide how much you want to spend. Think you’re being a Scrooge? $50.00 for a gift may not seem like much, but once you multiply that by 10…eeep! Whatever number you came up with, there’s a few ways to make it more tolerable. One option is to divide that amount by the number of pay cheques you have left until December 1 and commit to transferring that amount to a savings account. (For the $500.00, that works out to about $30.00 every two weeks. Not as painful, eh?) Another option is to purchase one gift per pay cheque. Still another (for you power shoppers out there) is to shop the sales year round (my mom starts during Boxing Week, no lie, and she always gives the BEST gifts).

2. Charitable – Truly the gifts that keep on giving, Charitable Gifts are a personal favourite of mine, and what I’m planning to give this year. Adopt-a-Family programs, Third World outreach, animal rescues and food banks are all ways you can give while giving back. This year we’re planning a donation to our local Christmas hamper fund as well as paying for a child’s cleft palate surgery through The Smile Train foundation. Check out World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, and the website for your local humane society for other ideas.

Why it Works – Charitable gifts are more in keeping with the spirit of the season. More and more people, tired of the materialism, are turning away from store bought gifts in exchange for heartfelt donations. Also, this is an excellent way to really put your holiday budget to work; instead of trying to stretch your dollar over many, many gifts, put it all into one great give and share the news in a beautiful Christmas card. You can’t beat the warm fuzzies!!!

Why it doesn’t work – Really, the only time charitable gifts don’t work is when the recipient doesn’t share your spirit. It’s sad but sometimes it happens, and I suppose the economy is thankful for these folks. But you’re in luck! There are plenty of great fair trade organizations who make beautiful gifts; one of my favourites is Ten Thousand Villages.

Plan of attack – As with traditional gifts, decide what you want to do and how much you can spend, and make a plan to spread that amount out over the months remaining until December. Some organizations will send out cards acknowledging that a gift has been made in your loved one’s name; these often have a deadline so mark this date down in your Christmas Planner.

3. Home-made Gifts – Ah, the heartfelt and homespun! Some of my favourite gifts, both given and received, fall into this category. Knit, crocheted, sewn, thrown, painted, sketched, sanded or beaded, nothing says “I’m thinking of you” like a home-made item.

Why it Works – If you’re crafty you can cross-budget your Christmas gifts with your hobby allowance. Also, homemade gifts give you an opportunity to try out projects you may not make otherwise, like children’s items for example. You’ll feel great (and oh so proud) to give something you’ve laboured over to someone you love.

Why it doesn’t work – Time, time, time. I did homemade gifts this year, and despite my best efforts, time was not on my side. I got everything finished, but oh my, my hands were sore from all that power knitting! This has the potential to be a budget wrecker, too; if you purchase a bunch of craft supplies and then have to go out and buy gifts, too….ouch.

Plan of Attack – Be realistic about what you can make. Consider duplicating the same item with slight variations for a number of people. I did this for my sisters and sister in law with a fingerless mitt pattern I can practically knit in my sleep. And as above, budget now; home-made, despite popular belief, is not necessarily cheaper.

And there you have it! You can pick one category, or mix and match. If you can even commit to a budgeting plan, you can always decide later what you want to do with the money you’ve put aside. In addition to my charitable gifts, I’d like to make or buy a tree ornament to go along with the announcements so that’s something I’m going to start thinking about now.

No matter what approach you decide to take, you can be confident knowing that come December, you’ll be ahead of the game and can truly enjoy your holiday shopping, knowing that you’re in control.

And now, a note from Ains…

Wow! I never really thought about it, but seeing how Kim has broken it down, I can see how gifting really does fall into three main categories! I would have to say I'm kind of a "mix and match" kinda girl, and tend to spread my giving over all three. We always make a point to give a few charitable gifts (the "choose-your-own" gift cards from World Vision have been our favourites as of late), I love making handmade gifts for those who appreciate the work that goes into them, and I always end up buying a few things too. I really try to do the budget thing as well. Since the majority of our gift-recipients live on the East Coast, I try to do the shopping for those family members during our annual trip home, even if that means wrapping presents in August! This saves the shipping costs, and takes away a lot of the stress come December!

Thanks, Ains! This post is also appearing over at her blog, Pattycake Manners. Be sure to check it out!
Finally, did anyone make a planner after last month’s post? I sure did! If you made one too, and posted about it, be sure to mention in the comments so we can go check it out! Here’s mine and Ainsley’s!

You’ll remember Ainsley’s super cute planner that features gorgeous Stampin’ Up fabric. Love it!

For my planner, I took a stroll down the pre-cut fabric aisle at Walmart. I’ve been loving these colourful little treasures (I recently picked up a bundle of spring-y fat quarters in chocolate brown and brights to decorate my office space). I found a single fat quarter of light-weight flannel in a fine, red houndstooth check. After I got it home I realized that it was a bit too short to completely cover my binder, so I covered the edges with red felt. Some jumbo red rick-rack and a cute chip-board tag complete my holiday planner!

So, how goes the planning? Do you have a method for gift planning? Or do you think the last minute spend-a-thon is an integral part of the holiday season? Share in the comments!!!

Simplify…Sunday Dinner

2011-03-20T23:42:00.001-07:00

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of learning at work, and of adjustments and re-organization at home. Having two of us working full-time has changed a lot, however we have risen to the occasion and are coping admirably! We work together well; housework and meals have organically worked themselves out, the pets are doing fine, and although we do miss spending so much time together, we are really enjoying making the most of time we do have off together.

Oh and my job? LOVE it!!! Life feels good!

This weekend we actually had Friday night, Saturday AND Sunday off together. We achieved a good mix of checking items off our “to-do” list and having fun. However, Sunday afternoon we peeked into the refrigerator and realized that one item was still un-checked – groceries. We’d held off thinking that we might go to the nearby town of Terrace but realized that we just couldn’t face a work week without an order. Off to the local grocery store we went!

We decided to just get lunch and breakfast basics (I haven’t menu planned for the week yet). Once we had our cart filled with these items, we turned our thoughts to the evening ahead. What did we want to eat tonight? We turned our noses up at frozen pizza (too much of that lately) and fresh pasta (not in the mood) before I suggested a walk up the meat aisle. That’s when it stuck us.

Turkey dinner.

Nothing says “Sunday” like roasted meat. We’ve done beef roasts a lot lately, and they were great, but this week we had a hankering for turkey. However, a full on turkey dinner with all the trimmings takes planning and several hours of time and I really didn’t relish the thought of labouring over the stove for the next 6 hours. So we decided to cheat. Because to us, Sunday should be covered in gravy.

Enter “The Practically Instant Turkey Dinner.”

I’m not usually a big fan of “instant” type foods; they tend to be too processed and salty for my liking. But every so often I relax a bit and take advantage of their truly remarkable ability to put a tasty meal on the table within an hour. I feel that if you eat well most of the time, then it is OK on occasion to indulge in these items. And let’s face it; they’re a working couple’s friends.

Here’s what we got:

Western Family Turkey Breast with Herb Gravy
Idahoan Instant Scalloped Potatoes
Stovetop Cornbread Stuffing
Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce
Dr. Oetker Sauce & Cake
Green Giant Simply Steam Veggies

The whole dinner took less than an hour to cook, excluding dessert, which we ended up skipping because we were too full. That’s the beauty of instant Sauce & Cake; it will still be good another day! Our meal cost about the same as ordering take out, and we felt happy having had an untraditional traditional Sunday supper!

“Simplify…” is a new post topic I’ll be visiting from time to time. I’m looking forward to sharing the ways I’m discovering to simplify and streamline my housekeeping, meal prep, and work week planning, all while keeping the Nesty spirit alive!

Ch,ch,ch, changes....

2011-03-12T23:41:00.000-08:00

Did you miss me?

SO much has happened since my last post (which was over two weeks ago...eeep!) We're moving (again!); just a few streets over but it's still a move! I dislike having to pack up and go again but I think we've finally find a rental that meets all our needs and that we can stay put in until we are due to transfer. The second bit of news is that....I'm working again! I decided at the end of the summer that I definitely wanted to re-enter the work force. However, just because I decided I wanted to work did not mean that work wanted me! This was quite a change for me; back home I never had any trouble finding work. In fact, work often found me! However, I have finally found a great job (in the interest of keeping some of my life private, I'm not going to get into details, but suffice to say it is fabulous and I wake up happy every day!).

Soooo, what does this mean for Nesty?

Well, you may have noticed I've been cutting back on posting lately. One of the reasons I started Nesty was to pursue and develop my writing, something I had planned to do after university and never did. I set a writing schedule for myself of three posts a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I challenged myself to stick to that goal, and I did until December. I am proud of that. However, when I decided to really crank up my job search in January, I decided to relax the posting a bit. The last few weeks, with the news of our move and my starting work (not to mention a horrible, horrible bout of the flu) I have not been posting at all. And I realized that now, when I don't write, I really miss it. Yet, I realize that I won't have as much time for writing, not to mention the creative projects that make up my subject matter.

What to do?

To figure out my answer, I turned to you. For the last few weeks, I've been pouring over my favourite blogs. I know a lot of you work AND blog. What I've observed is that you seem to write when inspired, not necessarily on a schedule. A lot of you participate in memes and link ups to keep a posting schedule going between your own writing. A lot of you keep it "short and sweet."

I've been taking notes, readers. You're a smart, inspiring, talented lot, and you've taught me a lot about what my next steps will be.

Nesty will continue. I'll be popping in unexpectedly, not on schedule, not unlike a good friend stopping by for coffee. I'm going to try my best to keep the philosophy of Nesty in my posting matter (pursuing a happy home and a honeyed life through simplified living). I'd like to re-examine that philosophy from the perspective of a working woman who loves the domestic arts; I'm sure there's some good posts there!

So, please bear with me as I transition! I think it's going to be great!

The Christmas Calmdown–Christmas Planner

2011-02-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

It’s Ainsley’s turn to host The Christmas Calmdown; this post is also appearing on her blog, Pattycake Manners. Be sure to visit her and say hi! And don’t forget to grab a nifty Christmas Calmdown button to let the whole of Blogdom know that this December, you’re going to be calm, cool, and in control!!!

Wow! I can hardly believe that it has been a whole month since the
launch of our Christmas Calmdown feature!! For those of you who may have missed the first instalment, the Christmas Calmdown is the collaborative effort of myself, and my dear cousin Kim, over at Nesty. Each month, for the next year, on or around the 25th, we will take turns posting a goal for anyone wishing to follow along, with the end result being a more organized holiday season for all. You can click here to read the introductory post! And now onto February's Christmas Calmdown Goal!

Ask the mastermind behind any successful event, and they will tell you that it all starts with a plan. A good plan. A plan full of details, and a plan that covers every aspect. A good plan takes time to build, and involves a lot of thought on the part of the person doing the planning.

Today, the event in question is Christmas 2011, and you, my dears, are the people doing the planning! In this post, I'm going to talk you through creating your own Christmas Planner, and then we'll go over just what you should put in there! I won't re-hash how crazy the holidays get - we've been there, done that - but there's no reason we can't learn from our mistakes, and make Christmas 2011 a calm and peaceful one. You should know by now
that I am a list maker. Lists make hectic days smoother, and who
doesn't like when things run smoothly? Especially around the holidays! What I'm proposing is that you start making some of those Christmas Lists now, in order to ensure a much smoother December for yourselves, and for your family.

But it's one thing to make the lists. It's another to have them all
neatly contained in some sort of paper keeper, so that they are all
right at your finger tips when inspiration strikes, and again when youare trying to recall that brilliant idea you had last week. Enter...the Christmas Planner.

Your planner can really be anything that can keep your notes and ideas in one place. Here are a few versions to consider.

There is a growing trend towards Home Keeping Journals - a notebook of some sort where organized home managers keep banking info, menu plans, housekeeping schedules, calenders, etc. You might be familiar with FlyLady's Control Journal, or Tsh's Home Management Notebook over at Simple Mom? If you are already going this route, good for you! In my opinion, you are ahead of the game. Your Christmas Planner can be as simple as adding another divider and some more loose leaf to your existing Home Keeping Journal.

There are numerous Christmas Planners on the market, geared toward doing just what we're doing - getting organized for the holidays. A few years ago, my sister-in-law gave me this cute little number for my birthday. It is filled with various sections, and had pages to carry through a number of years. I used every bit of it, and it was fun to look back at my notes from previous years. If time is short, and crafting is not your thing, but you still want something cute and festive, this may be the way to go for you.

Or your Christmas Journal can be as simple as a small notebook that you keep tucked in the cupboard, used solely for jotting down all things Christmas.

But my favorite way to keep holiday ideas in order is with a hand
decorated binder - one that is pretty to have on the kitchen counter or beside my favorite chair, and one that is completely devoted to Christmas planning. Here is the step-by step of what I did to create it.

* this tutorial was originally published in December 2010*

First, I found an old 1 inch binder left over from my college days. I
then gathered up some pretty fabric from Stampin' Up!, my glue gun, and some cardstock.

I covered the binder with fabric and glued down the edges.

I then covered the inside covers with the coordinating cardstock.

Then I decided to embellish the outside cover with a funky flower
using more of the fabric, my Big Shot die cutter, and a big ole'
button. Lovely!!

Once you have decided on what kind of planner you will use, it's time to decide just what is going to go in between the covers. I would suggest using some sort of divider to keep things organized, and a pocket of some sort might be handy for receipts and loose notes. Here are a few things that I keep in my Christmas Planner. Feel free to use them as a launching pad for your own Planner, or toss them and fill your Planner with the things YOU need to keep track of. It's all about making things easier!

1. Notes from last year - While things are still fresh in your mind,
make notes of things that worked and things that didn't work for you during Christmas 2010. My list already includes things like "Buy more fairy lights" and "Make scrapbook cards ahead of time". These are the kinds of things that jump up and get me during the first week of December, and have me shaking my head, asking why I didn't do them in October!
2. Gift Ideas - A no brainer, but one we often lose track of because
we are sure we will remember that book that so-and-so mentioned back in August. Make a list of all the folks you are planning to buy for, and do a quick brainstorm. Did one Aunt love the scarf you made the other Aunt last year? Have your grandfather's swim trunks seen better days ( I can hear all you MacDonald's snickering from here!) Jot down those ideas when you think of them, and then you can plan to shop throughout the year.
3. Decorating Ideas - Again, pretty self-explanatory, but it's always helpful to have everything in one place when the time comes to carry out the task, or when Michaels has a killer sale going on.
4. Christmas Card List - If you are a card sender, keep a master list
of all the people you plan to send Christmas greetings to. It can save so much time and energy if you can quickly calculate how many cards and stamps you need to buy by just looking at your list. Jot down names, as well as addresses, as it can also be a time saver not having to go through your address book. Try to update your list through the year as people move, or have babies!
5. Budget - Oh, you knew it was coming. We all know that the holidays can be a drain on the pocketbook, but with a little planning, we might be able to make it a little less painful. If you can, figure out what you are willing to spend on the holidays, and plan to spread it out over the year. Things like stamps, stocking stuffers, many largergifts items, craft supplies, cards, wrapping supplies, cards, even baking supplies can be purchased throughout the year and tucked away. Much better, I think, to spend a bit every month, than to enter the New Year dealing with Christmas debt.
6. Calendar - Nothing crazy, but a loose weekly calendar for the
couple of months leading up to December can be helpful. For those of us who make many of our gifts, setting goals and timelines for handmade projects can keep us on track and take the pressure off in the end.
7. Mailing Schedule - As someone who mails the majority of her gifts, I can tell you that this is an important one. Make a list of all the parcels you will be needing to send, and when you want them in the mail by. Postal services of course give guidelines for this, but I like to set my own personal dates. For me, it is a huge relief to know that my gifts are done and on their way, so they are a top priority for me. Decide what needs to go, and by when it must be mailed, and plan to pick up any mailing supplies you might need in early November.
8. Kids Ideas - Ideas that pop up throughout the year for crafts and activities to keep the little ones busy throughout the holiday season. I also like to jot down supplies for these projects that I accumulate during the year so I don't end up over-buying.
9. Cooking and Baking - Again, just a place to make notes of things
you'd like to try, things that may make good neighbour gifts, and a
master pantry list is always helpful. Making notes early and planning ahead can save money. If you are planning to give a gift in a mason jar, it's cheaper to buy them during canning season than to wait until mid-December!
10. The Fun Stuff - We all know we want lots of nights to relax around the holidays, but it often doesn't happen because we forget to "plan" to relax! For the last few years, I have allotted so many nights in December to doing truly Christmas-ey things. I schedule movie nights, gingerbread house day, even a day to start my Christmas puzzle. It may sound a bit rigid, but if these things are not on the list, they often get pushed to the side and forgotten. Putting them on the list makes them a priority and I don't end up feeling like I missed out on some of my favourite things!

Like I said, these are the lists that work for me. Everyone's planner
will be different. The important thing, in the spirit of the Christmas
Calmdown, is to make notes throughout the year, and to keep them organized in one place. We would love for you to join us in this year-long project!! We'll be back again in March with our next goal, so have your planner ready to share! You'll be invited to leave a link in your comment showing us what you've done, and we'll be pop by to check them out! And be sure to grab a button from my sidebar if you plan on participating in the Christmas Calmdown! The more the merrier!

And a little note from Kim...

Hi Everyone! Welcome back to the Christmas Calmdown! I’m really excited about our first official Calmdown challenge and can’t wait to make my own adorable planner. Ainsley is an incredible paper-crafter; her scrapbooks, cards, and projects always have that certain something that makes you stop and go “Wow!” I can already think of a dozen different ways to use this planner design with a simple change of colour and theme; household planner, shower guestbook (add some scrapbook pages for an elegant souvenir of a special day), memory book
for school or university (so cute in campus colours!), coupon
organizer (just add page protectors), or personalized scrapbook! The possibilities are endless, but of course, the first one I’m going to make is my 2011 Christmas Planner! See you next month!

Happy Thursday! Live Writer Advice, Anyone?

2011-02-24T08:57:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone! This is a “test post” as I am trying out Windows Live Writer. Does anyone have any thoughts or feelings about this program they’d like to share? I have been looking for something that would allow me to cut and paste from word processing programs with a bit more ease, and Writer comes highly recommended. But….I don’t like change!!!

One issue I’ve noticed thus far is that apparently a temporary post appears in my followers feeds when I’m working on a post in Writer. I’ve noticed this happening with blogs I follow and now I know what causes it. I know it’s happening because I imported my theme, but I’m concerned because I’m used to working on my posts in advance for a few days and don’t want to clog up your readers and feeds with temp posts. Any thoughts?

Sorry about this “advice” post, but hey, you’re the best bloggers I know! Tomorrow I’ll return to my regular programming with The Christmas Calmdown!

Getting Organized - Simple Ways to Calm Problem Areas

2011-02-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

Do you have any guilty secrets in your home?

No, not skeletons in your closets, silly! I'm referring to those areas so terrifically terrible that you fear someone will discover them. Or those places that, despite you best efforts, you never seem to be able to tame. Or maybe it's simply a place once blissfully organized that, over time, has disintrigated into a messy, confusing place that you just can't stand to be.

We all have them, at least once in a while. I find that the winter months are particuliarly hard times to keep my house neat. I blame it on the extra layers we have to wear that never seem to find their way into the closet, on the snow that comes in on our dogs, and on the lack of sunlight to give me the motivation and energy to clean clean clean! I also find there's a bit of a let down between the holiday season and spring cleaning; there's really nothing to prepare for in January and February so it's easy to let things slide a bit. Indeed, I remarked to my husband the other day that the house seemed easier to keep tidy two months ago when every inch of it was "be-decked" and there were two Christmas trees taking up space!

In my home there are a few places in particuliar that drive me nuts, and this week I concocted a plan to tackle them. After all, Nesty is about leading a better life through simplified living; nothing derails simplified living faster than disorder and mess. I'll be sharing my progress with you. Some are my own ideas, while others are inspired by magazines and blog posts. With so many great resources out there, there's really no excuse for not getting it all together!

My first project was the kitchen "junk drawer". I'd been inspired by the latest issue of Real Simple magazine, which included an article called "Streamline Your Supplies." The article detailed what essentials you need in order to organize your medicine cabinet, utensil drawer, tool kit, desk drawer, and cleaning cabinet. I decided to tackle the desk drawer; with my kitchen "junk drawer" standing in a for desk drawer. I realized that, scattered throughout the house, I had all the items I needed for a neat and tidy startionery center except mechanical pencils and stamps (which are on my to-buy list).

Sometimes when you get an idea from a blog or magazine, it's easy to think that you don't have all the nifty stuff they're suggesting. What you have to remember is that they're just that, suggestions. Around your home you probably have equivalents to what they're suggesting. Here's what Real Simple's experts suggested, along with my two cents or substitutions:

Forever Stamps (In Canada I believe we call them fixed rate stamps; but basically they are stamps that don't lose their value even if rates change)
Personal Stationery (I don't have personalized stationary, so I used a set of notes and envelopes my mom sent in a care package. You can find adorable note card sets at stationery and office supply shops, as well as department and dollar stores).
Permanent markers in black and silver for regular and dark papers (check and check!) plus a highlighter (I like pink)
Correction Tape
Sticky notes, large and small (I only had large so small go on the list; they're great for leaving notes in cookbooks!)
Mechanical Pencils
Titanium Scissors (I have a lot of non-titanium scissors so a pair of those went in the drawer. FYI, apparently titianium scissors stay sharp a really long time)
Paper clips
A weighted tape dispenser (a real time saver when wrapping gifts, but you could use a roll of tape if that's what you have. Weighted dispensers are surprisingly economical, however)
A classic stapler
A box of your favorite pens (I often buy pens by the box but I have so many pens right now that I really couldn't justify purchasing another box. I do have my own favorite, a Papermate retractable, medium tip, blue ink, rubberized barrel, in pink because for some reason pink pens don't seem to wander off. I wonder why?)

I added a Moleskine accordion file notebook to hold reciepts and important stuff, as well as a box of self-adhesive security envelopes.

Here is a picture of my lovely new stationery drawer. Thanks, Real Simple!!

I realised as I was editing this picture that my paperclips and tape dispenser are making a run for it. In the interest of proving that I can keep it real, I did not re-take the photo!

Now of course all the "stuff" that was in the junk drawer had to go somewhere! I'll be detailing my progress over the next few weeks. Next week I'll be sharing how I tamed a really bad problem area in my home - my cosmetics drawer. Oh, the horror!!!!

I'll see you on Friday for the Christmas Calmdown!

A Very Sweet Thank You!!!

2011-02-21T12:58:00.000-08:00

It's still snowing!

We've had a lot of snow this year! Since the snow began in the Fall, over 29 feet has fallen on our little town. Despite the occasional rain and warm days, a lot of that snow remains; some yards have drifts over 17 feet high and their homes are invisible from the street. In particuliar, Sunday seems to be the "snow day" of choice as we have had heavy snow fall every Sunday for the past month!

The snow is very beautiful, and this week we got to see our little valley town in all its Alpine glory when three days of sweet, welcome sun graced us (with cold temperatures, yes, but we'll take any sun we can get right now!). The evergreens that cover the mountain inclines were encrusted with glittering snow, and the peaks and precipes were gleaming and glorious with their pure white frosting. Every evening as the sun descended, the mountains would glow golden and bright for a few moments before a sleepy darkness descended.

It would be an absolute winter wonderland, if but for one thing.

Shovelling.

When snow falls three to seven feet at a time, shovelling is no joke. You'll remember that I had to shovel my way into the house a few weeks ago after an evening out. Our dogs (well, the two little ones) need pathways dug so that they can tend to their necessities without becoming lost in the drifts. Even our rugged Jeep has been pushed to its limits; indeed I heard of a Hummer that became hung up a few weeks ago. So when one must face this mass armed with a shovel, even the hardiest, winter loving souls quake, at least momentarily. In moments like these, there is a sight and sounds that makes the heart sing...

A neighbor with a snow blower!

We've been really blessed. We live on a street with a number of long time Kitimat residents, all of whom own snowblowers. We had to do very little shovelling the last few storms other than our steps and dog paths , and for this we are very grateful! So this week, I decided to show my neighbors just how appreciative we are with some tasty treats from my kitchen.

We had been planning to make chocolate truffles for quite some time. Originally I had planned to make them for Christmas, but the holiday came and went without the chocolates materializing. January brought with it a resolve to eat better, so we decided to wait until Valentine's day to make our favorite sweet. I had also seen Sugar Cookie Truffles on a few blogs (such as From the Kitchen of Mrs. Betty Rocker and Ptit Chef. I loved the look of them and thought they would make a great sweet to serve at an upcoming shower I'm hosting. I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to test run the recipe in advance. Finally, I made a batch of Soft Sugar Cookies, both to use in the truffle recipe and to give to the neighbors.

The cookies and sugar cookie truffles turned out perfect. Thecookie truffle recipe calls for frozen Pillsbury sugar cookie dough; our local grocery doesn't carry this so I used my own soft sugar cookies and the finished product was delicious, kind of like cheesecake in a delightful, white chocolate covered ball. I sprinkled the truffles with multicoloured round jimmies, and they looked adorable. For the shower, I think I will purchase yellow melting wafers and drizzle the truffles with yellow as this is one of the wedding colours. The cookie recipe is one of those that I've made a million times; it's my go-to recipe for cookie swaps because it always turns out perfect. The chocolate truffles, on the other hand, were a little more challenging.

I used a recipe from a source that is generally very reliable, so I'm willing to concede that I may have made an error (the wrong kind, or not enough, chocolate perhaps?) When I finished making the chocolate I let it set in the refridgerator for the suggested time, but when I took it out it was nowhere near set; in fact I could tell that left in its present form it wasn't going to set at all. I did a little online research and the general consensus was that I should re-heat the mixture in a double boiler and then add more chocolate. I did this and added more chocolate (in a different form) and let it set for several hours. This did work although the truffles were softer than I would have liked. Instead of coating them in cocoa powder I dipped them in dark chocolate coating and drizzled white chocolate over them. They looked great but did need to be kept in the refridgerator in order not to melt.

Since I wasn't completely pleased with the chocolate truffles (delicious as they were) I gave the neighbors the cookies and cookie truffles. They were a big hit! I'm still a big fan of chocolate truffles, though, and I want to make them again. I can't find the reliable recipe I used to use, so I'm asking you, friends, to suggest your favorite truffle recipe, as well as any tips you have for getting them to set up to truffle-y perfection.

I'll be back on Wednesday with a post on how I'm tackling organizational problem areas in my home. Friday it's time for another edition of the Christmas Calmdown; can you believe it's been a month?!! See you then!!!

2011-02-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

Ah, summer. The perfect time to relax on the patio and enjoy a lovely Sunday brunch al fresco....

It just seems like yesterday. How quickly it can all change...

Ah, winter. The perfect time to huddle indoors under a blanket, sipping soup, while wishing the birds luck finding the entrance to that feeder!

Have a great week!

Sorry for missing Monday! The snow pictured above knocked out our power for 9 hours, and prevented us from traveling to town, where I was planning to buy the supplies for this week's posts! Thanks for understanding! Kim

Jelly Rolls and Candy Bars and Layer Cakes, Oh My!!!

2011-02-04T01:51:00.000-08:00

Those of you who don't quilt probably thought this was a post about desserts! Not today (although after typing that title I am a bit hungry)!

The quilters in my readership no doubt knew right away what I would be posting about. Don't get all excited, I'm not a quilter...yet. At this point my knowledge of quilting is quite limited, however, a lack of knowledge has never stopped me from pursuing a new hobby in the past! I enjoy sewing, and I've been admiring quilted projects for quite some time, so I've decided to give it a try.

Luckily, I have a great distance education teacher (my cousin Ainsley from Pattycake Manners.) Ainsley is a truly talented quilter, and pictures of her creations were a big part of what motivated me to want to try quilting. She's been terrific, advising me on supplies and teaching me the proper terminology. On her advice, I am the proud owner of a "begin to quilt kit", which contains all the basics I need to get started (a rotary cutter, mat, pins, thimbles, needles, and safety pins)! I also got lucky and inherited a large cutting mat from a friend who is doing a pre-move purge.

Now all I need is a "jelly-roll;" a roll of coordinating pre-cut strips of quilting fabric which I will use to create my first project. I'm heading to town this weekend and I really hope I can find one there, because I'm like a kid with new toys waiting to try out my new quilting kit! I really don't want to wait for an online order (although I must admit some of those pre-cuts are mighty pretty...especially the Moda and Michael Miller designs!).

I'll be sure to let you know when I get started! In the meantime, how many of you quilt? What online resources would you recommend to a beginner?

Have a great weekend!

Time For a Talk...

2011-02-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

It's not you, it's me.

I should have done something about this a long time ago, but I thought we could work.

Please don't take it personally, we've had some really great times together, but I'm just not feeling it any more.

I think I need a change.

Dear Winter Jacket....

I think we need to see other people.

Ha! Had you going there for a minute, didn't I? Nothing to fear, my friends, just feeling a little stale on the fashion front. By now we are deeply entrenched in Winter, and with all due respect to the groundhogs of North America, I don't really think we will have an early Spring. But one thing is for certain...

I will have to spend a lot more time with my winter jacket.

If you live in an area that either doesn't get Winter or doesn't get a cold Winter, you may wonder what the big deal is. That is probably because you can indulge in the cute, lightweight, "winter" jackets that can be picked up for a song at mass retailers. Those of us who spend October to May with the risk of snow, cold, and (ugh) freezing rain need to invest a little more in something substantial. We will spend a lot of time in this garment. So much so that the decision making process when purchasing it can rival that of buying a car. When the decision is finally made, if we're lucky, we'll have found something that we absolutely love.

For a time...

The first day we get to wear our new winter jacket is soundtracked with "Winter Wonderland" and "White Christmas" (the Bing version). Each step we take will have imaginary fluffy white bunnies and darling fawns prancing along beside us, and those steps will be prancing because our feet will be warm and dry in cozy winter boots. The air will smell of candy-canes and hot cocoa. Life is goooooood!

This little illusion will last, if we're lucky, until just after Christmas. After that, a Northern gal's view of the world in that jacket...well, it changes....

The soundtrack is gone, replaced instead by the sound of snowplows and squealing brakes. Forget walking, if you're lucky you'll be able to slip and slide to the car while clinging to the side of your house on account of the inch of ice that's coating everything. As far as prancing goes? Well, the damn coat and boots weigh a ton, and seem to be getting heavier, so prancing's out. All self respecting animals are snug in their dens. And the air...you don't want to know what the air smells like!

And the jacket....who picked this thing out, anyway?

Ah, the pity party! There's really no pleasing us. A trip to town reveals that the winter jackets have all been packed away and it's all bathing suits, shorts, and flip flops (for those lucky enough to be heading south for a sun vacay). Online, only the weird colours are left (even if they had our size). Then we realize that we really don't want to buy a new winter coat anyway because we're sick of winter coats in general. We want to buy the cute little sundress and sandals that we might be able to wear for, like, two weeks in August.

Now me, I'm lucky (-ish). I have other outerwear. It's just too cold and / or damp and my winter jacket wins out every time because, like it or not, it's warm. Getting ready to go out, I'll look longingly at my pretty red wool yet unlined military styled coat, my high heeled boots, my cute puffy vest. And then I'll stick my nose outside, shiver, and reach for my winter jacket.

This is a self-indulgent little rant. I'm very lucky to be able to afford nice, warm, and yes, actually stylish winter outerwear. Lots of people can't. So that's why, when I'm finished with my jacket this year, I'll be giving it to the local thrift store so someone can have a nice, warm, actually stylish winter jacket for a really cheap price. I hope they enjoy the shiny satin fabric. I hope they like the fact that it's warm and actually quite light weight. I hope the snuggly faux fur on the generous detachable hood (I hate a small hood) makes them feel cozy and a bit glamorous. And I hope they have as much fun and as many adventures in it as I have.

Do you have a garment that you have a love / hate relationship with? If so, I'd love to hear about it!

Have a great week!

Crafty - "Pond Hockey" Hobo Mitts

2011-01-31T01:03:00.000-08:00

Throughout the Fall I often mentioned the Christmas gifts I was knitting but wasn't able to share them with you until after the holidays. A few weeks ago I presented my "Hot Cocoa" Hobo Mitt to you. Today, I'd like to show you a similar mitt in a different style, which I called "Pond Hockey."

The "Pond Hockey" Hobo Mitt is knit using two shades of Patons' Classic Wool. The majority of the mitt is worked in Dark Grey Mix, while the accent stripe on the cuff is worked in Peacock. Both yarns are 100 gram net weight and are 100% Pure New Wool. These mitts were worked on size 3.5 (US 4) bamboo double point needles.

I designed the "Pond Hockey" mitt to wear during outdoor activities (although the recipient of this gift will probably wear hers on trail rides more so than on the hockey pond) so I knit the cuff snug and extra long to keep the wrists warm. The wearer can use their arms freely without risk of exposing their wrists to the cold, while leaving the fingers free. 100% wool is ideal for outdoor activities as it keeps the hand warm even when the garment is wet by wicking moisture away from the skin. Unlike those knit from synthetics, wool garments like these require a little extra care; these mitts must be washed by hand and laid flat to dry.

Do you knit? If yes, what are you knitting now?

Have a great week!

Housewife Confidential - My Official Soundtrack

2011-01-27T23:49:00.000-08:00

I did promise a post on housekeeping, and I hate to break my promises. But then I realized that it's Friday, and really, who wants to think about housekeeping on a Friday? And then I realized, well, I am going to be doing a lot of housework on Friday (insert frown-y face here), and I bet a lot of my blogland friends will be, too. How, I wondered, could I make this better for all of us?

I pondered.......

.....I thought.....

.....I scratched my head, and discovered that doesn't help.....

.....I pondered some more.

Just when I was starting to despair that there was really no way to make the Friday chores fun, it came to me...every housewife needs a great soundtrack! Why not share mine?

I never clean without music. Sometimes I like to listen to a whole album or tune into an internet radio station, but usually I pick and choose singles from my iTunes library. This can be a bit time consuming as I hop from playlist to playlist, so I decided to create a housework playlist that I can update from time to time.

My playlist is rather eclectic, with samples from many eras and genres. I'm not a music snob, I like what I like and I listen to it without apology. There is, however, a science to my playlist.

I start with some really high energy, catchy modern hits, like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. This is to get me up and moving. I'll follow these with a few more up-tempo songs to keep the energy up. Here's where you'll find Metric, Sam Roberts, and Gnarls Barkley.

After these, it's time for the 80's!!! Eighties tunes take up a good chunk of my playlist; I like them because they are great songs to sing and dance along to. I accomplish a lot during the eighties! My current playlist includes The Pet Shop Boys, Roxette, and REM.

At this point my playlist takes on a retro feel, despite the fact that some of the songs are fairly modern. I do, however, have Elvis in there...it's fun to dance with your mop to The King! Keeping company with Elvis are Duffy, Goldfrapp, and Sally Seltmann.

The next few songs are rock and alternative and create the perfect energy to keep pushing through to the end. I've included songs by Stars, Hugh Dillon, The White Stripes and Queen.

The last few tunes slow things down while I put away cleaning supplies, light candles, and make a cup of tea. My list finishes with Foreigner's power ballad "I Want to Know What Love Is," and Feist's "1, 2, 3, 4."

Here's the whole playlist. It's 26 songs, and plays for 1.6 hours:

1. Hot N Cold - Katy Perry
2. Poker Face - Lady Gaga
3. Gimme Sympathy - Metric
4. Brother Down - Sam Roberts
5. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
6. How You Like Me Now? - The Heavy
7. It's The End of the World As We Know It - REM
8. Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant
9. The Look - Roxette
10. Always On My Mind - The Pet Shop Boys
11. Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle
12. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
13. Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran
14. Rocket - Goldfrapp
15. Harmony to My Heartbeat - Sally Seltmann
16. Mercy - Duffy
17. Suspicious Minds - Elvis Presley
18. Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
19. Fixed - Stars
20. Reel to Reel - Hugh Dillon
21. You're My Heart - Lioness
22. Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn - The White Stripes
23. Crazy (James Michael Mix) - Alanis Morisette
24. I Want to Break Free - Queen
25. I Want to Know What Love Is - Foreigner
26. 1, 2, 3, 4 - Feist

Do you listen to music while you clean? Is so, what are some of your favorites?

Have a great weekend! See you next week!

Baby, It's Cold, Wet, & Salty Outside! - Winter Pet Care Tips

2011-01-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

It's a funny thing about blogging. Occasionally, it's almost as if there's something in the air getting everyone on the same wavelength. Last week, I sat down to plot out the next few months of Nesty, and I decided that, given the dramatic weather Canada's had recently, it would be a perfect time to do a post on Winter pet care. And then, low and behold, earlier this week my sister-in-law and several other friends shared on Facebook a Weather Network article on Keeping Pets Warm in Cold Weather. I love when this happens (and not just because it helps me with my research!) because it means that something I feel strongly about is circulating in the mainstream, which is ultimately one of the best ways to bring about positive change.

And let's face it, animal welfare is something many of us feel strongly about. And yet, many people who purport to be animal lovers fail their faithful friends miserably once the mercury drops. Winter pet care is truly an area where animal owners must be willing to step forward and listen to the modern wisdom of vets and other animal welfare experts. Yes, things were different in generations past. Dog spent long days and nights outside without shelter, or even worse, tied up with no shelter and no way to find it or keep warm. Cats were put out and left out in all sorts of horrible weather. Most of us know better now, and it's good to see the message getting out to those who still don't.

Even for those of us who's pets are spoiled silly no matter what the weather, the articles on Winter pet care that I've been reading have some good information that we may not be aware of. For example, did you know that anti-freeze, poisonous to pets, has a taste that's appealing to dogs? Or that the salt on our walkways and roads can irritate paws? And that, just like their humans, pets can suffer from Winter dry skin, too?

Here are a few of my favorite tips to ensure that your little buddies have a safe, happy, and fun Winter:

Be aware of your dog's limits. Size, breed, and coat type can all affect how your dog will be able to handle Winter weather conditions. If you aren't sure, ask your vet.
Consider clothes. Yes, really! They aren't just for fashion! Our Yorkie wears a sweater out of necessity; despite originating in the British Isles, Yorkies are very susceptible to cold.
Wipe down paws when you return home from walks to remove salt and chemical melting agents that can irritate paws, or cause even more serious issues should your pet lick their paws.
If your pet spends a lot of time outside, keep an eye on the temperature and be sure to bring them inside when the temperature drops below what your vet recommends. And if you hear a warning to bring your pets inside (on the radio, news, etc) DO IT!!!! Animals should never be left outside in cold weather if you aren't home to monitor them.
Outdoor water bowls can freeze over, so be sure to monitor them throughout the day if your dog spends a lot of time outside.
Stray cats have been known to climb under car hoods to stay warm, with disastrous results when the unsuspecting driver turns on the engine. The BC SPCA suggests thumping on the hood of your vehicle before starting it up to frighten away any cat nappers.

These are just a few of the suggestions that jumped out at me during my research. There are a lot of great resources out there and they do a much better job than I of telling you how to look out for our animal friends, so I'm going to include a list of links below. I strongly suggest you take the time to review them; like myself, you might learn something new that could save your best friend's life!

Enjoy the rest of your week! I'll be back on Friday with a post on everyone's favorite past time, housekeeping! See you then!

The Christmas Calmdown - A Year of Christmas Prep for a Calm December!

2011-01-24T00:48:00.000-08:00

It’s a very special day, readers! Can you guess what it is? I’m practically dancing with excitement and I’m not sure how I will contain myself.

It’s 11 MONTHS UNTIL CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

(I’ll take a moment and let you absorb that…)

For some of you, that announcement will either have you:

A - Tingling with excitement that the holidays are that much closer, or,

B - Recoiling in horror that someone’s bringing THAT up again so soon, or

C – A bit of both.

No matter what side of the fence you sit on, I hear you. Really, I do. I absolutely adore the holidays and look forward to all the preparations and busy-ness that comes with them. However, sometimes the hustle and fuss can catch up with you, and that’s what happened to me this year. I had visions, not just of sugar plums, but of homemade gifts, multiple trees, and a surfeit of home cooked gourmet goodies. I started strong. I achieved a lot. But somehow, despite my best intentions I found myself insanely slightly stressed and racing to the finish line. Sitting back after the big day, I found myself thinking; there HAS to be a better way!

Regardless of how you feel about the holidays, the truth of the matter is that they’re here before we know it, often leaving us overwhelmed, underfunded and out of time. How many of you have declared time and again that you are going to get organized, spend smarter, and start earlier? Me, too.

I mentioned this to my cousin Ainsley of Pattycake Manners. She and I had been keeping each other updated on our respective preparations and challenges throughout Holiday 2010. Shortly after the holiday, she presented an idea to help avoid the Christmas crush in Deceember 2011.

We would work together and keep each other on track. By making a challenge of it, we could keep the preparations fun and stay motivated to finish. We’ve made a list of ten goals, and our aim is to complete them throughout the year, thus reducing the amount of Christmas craziness. And just to keep us on our toes, we’ve decided to post our progress on our blogs. We’re calling it…

The Christmas Calmdown

A Year of Christmas Prep for a Calm December

Each month, on or about the 25th, Ainsley or I will post an update presenting the goal for the coming month and update you on our progress with previous goals. I don’t want to give too much away but we plan to include things like Holiday Cooking, Home Decor, Cards and Gifts, and of course, fun ideas for making the holidays special for pets and kids. There’ll even be how-to’s and tutorials, and lots of pictures on our progress.

We’ll be alternating posting responsibilities; Ainsley will be posting on the first goal in February. Here’s a link to her wonderful blog Pattycake Manners; be sure to bookmark or follow her blog so you don’t miss the first goal! Because of course, we want YOU to get involved, too! Follow along with our goals, and each month let us know in the comments how you’re doing and what progress you’ve made. There’s no pressure for you; do one goal or do them all. Or, do none and just cheerlead for Ainsley and I in the comments! For our July post we’re planning a “Christmas in July” linky party where you can link up your related posts to share and inspire (more on that later). So grab a button and let everyone know that this year, your Christmas will be full of fun and meaning, and short on stress and disappointment.

There’s no goal this month, we’re just getting warmed up, but if there is a topic you’d like to see us cover, please let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to work it in!

Here’s a little note from Ainsley…

Hi All!

First of all, a great big WELCOME to The Christmas Calmdown! I can’t tell you how excited I am to be starting this project with all of you. It’s no secret that I love Christmas, and one of my favorite things about prepping for the holidays is all the handmade goodness. I knit, I scrapbook, I bake, and I love to make my own greeting cards. I love knowing that my friends and loved ones are receiving something I’ve made, with my own hands, just for them. I enjoy the process of making a plan, gathering supplies, and settling down to create something full of love and warm wishes. What I do not love, however, is when I leave these projects just a little too late. The To Do list gets longer, the days get shorter, my patience dwindles, and the joy I normally feel in going the “handmade route” disappears. With The Christmas Calmdown, our hope is that we can spread these projects out over the year, and in doing so, leave ourselves, and you, plenty of time to enjoy the process of getting ready for the holidays. I do hope you’ll join us!

Here’s to a new kind of Christmas!

Kitchen How-To For You - Spiced Bean Tagine

2011-01-21T01:34:00.000-08:00

Winter is the perfect time to enjoy tasty stews. However, by now you may be getting a tiny bit tired of heavy, gravy rich meat and poultry stews. The Moroccan tagine, with it's fresh, sunny flavours and spices, is perfectly hearty but not a bit heavy. Served over brown rice, and topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream, you'll almost forget all about the snow!

I discovered this recipe years ago on the President's Choice website (You can find the original President's Choice recipe here. My how-to follows their recipe fairly faithfully, with just a few changes. If you need more detailed cooking instructions, be sure to hop over to their recipe.) Over the years I've made adjustments, and in our house we fell into the habit of serving it over brown rice and topping it with a dollop of sour cream, or, more recently, Greek yogurt. It's the perfect recipe to jump start a clean eating campaign; it's so hearty that you don't feel deprived, and the amazing combination of lemon, olives, veggies and spice makes it feel like a real treat!

I also love how fast and easy this dish is to prepare, yet it sounds, looks, and tastes totally exotic. If you're hosting a dinner party and need a meat-free entree, look no further than this terrific tagine!

Here's the How-To!

What You Need

Olive Oil

2 Cups of Chopped Onions

2 Cups of Sliced Carrots

1 796 ml (28 oz) Can of Diced Tomatoes

1 540 ml (19 oz) Can of 7 Bean Mix

1 170 g bag of Baby Spinach (or a few good handfuls)

1/4 Cup of Sliced Green Olives

2 tsp Finely Grated Lemon Rind, or a Splash of Lemon Juice

1 tsp Chinese Five Spice

How To

1. Prepare carrots and onions

2. Heat oil over medium heat

3. Cook the onions until they begin to soften

4. Add the carrots and cook until the carrots are almost tender.

5. Add the tomatoes, with juice, and the beans.

6. Bring the tagine to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until it starts to slightly thicken up.

7. Add the spinach and stir until it's wilted.

8. Add the olives, the lemon juice or rind, and the spices

Serve over brown rice (or grain of your choice) and top with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Enjoy!

And Now, The Weather! - Understanding Winter Weather Warnings

2011-01-19T09:36:00.000-08:00

I always love writing my Nesty posts, and I rarely struggle to find subject matter. Sometimes, however, my subject matter literally falls from the sky...

It was a wild and wonderful weekend in the Pacific Northwest as a multi-day snowstorm descended on our area. Almost 7 feet fell over approximately 3 days, and this snowfall coupled with low temperatures and high winds made for quite the aftermath. I knew this was no normal storm when I came home Saturday night, in the middle of the storm, and had to dig my way into my house.

Ten minutes later I was inside, furnace blaring and the kettle whistling, pondering this weather system. Snow is not a rarity in Northern British Columbia. Indeed, Kitimat means "People of the Snow," and we'd heard the stories of snowfalls so deep people had to shovel their roofs before their steps. That being said, even the locals agreed there was something extra wild and wooly about this storm.

Curious, I conducted a few Google searches and discovered that our current storm was the result of an Arctic Outflow. What's that, you say? Well, it was new to me, too, so I searched a little further, and on Wikipedia, I found the following definition:

An Arctic Outflow Warning is based on a combination of wind speed and temperatures which produce wind chills of at least -20 for at least six hours during the winter when very cold Arctic air breaks from the interior mainland of British Columbia and spills out through mountain gaps and fjords.

-Wikipedia

Ah. Mountain gaps and fjords. Well, that pretty much describes Kitimat!

This mystery solved, I got to thinking about regional weather warnings and how they vary across North America (and indeed the world). I often hear from my readers how interesting they find life in Northern British Columbia and Canada in general, so I decided today to share with you some of the winter weather warnings we hear and experience throughout the colder months. I'm going to insert actual passages from Environment Canada, and then add my two cents.

Heavy Snowfall - What do most people think of when they think of Canada? Snow! And while, contrary to popular belief, we don't have it year round, most parts of Canada do receive a fair amount of snow.

Heavy Snow can greatly reduce visibility, create hazardous road conditions, and knock down trees and power lines.

- Environment Canada

Nesty Notes - Prior to the cold weather setting in, make sure your home and car are ready for the worst. Remember to check your 72 Hour Emergency Kit and stock your car with food, water, blankets and a winter emergency kit. Keep your shovel where you can get to it; ours was inside our porch, a good thing it was considering our sheds were buried under the snow. And speaking of shoveling, keep an eye on your driveway; sometimes it's easier to stay on top of it throughout the snowfall than to try and remove seven feet of snow all at once. If this happens, try to befriend someone with a snow blower. Cookies help.

Winter Storm - This is what we experienced this past weekend and, while it's pretty to look at, it's not all curling up by the fire and sipping hot cocoa...

Winter storms are large-scale weather systems, hundreds of kilometres across, that are called extratropical cyclones because they form and develop outside of the Tropics. These storms gather their energy from the temperature and moisture differences across the boundary where different air masses meet or collide. The larger the differences in the temperature and moisture levels across this boundary, called a front, the more energy there is available for the storms to develop. This is why some are stronger, or more intense, than others.

Winter storms tend to move from west to east and can produce strong winds, heavy snowfall, freezing rain and bitterly cold temperatures as they impact any given area.

-Environment Canada

Nesty Notes - In addition to ensuring your emergency supplies are in place well in advance of the cold weather season, when a winter storm in in effect, please listen to the road reports and do what the police are advising you to do!! I will never understand why people feel the need to go careening around in their cars in the middle of storms. Stay out of the way of snow removal crews (a popular commercial in Nova Scotia notes "This isn't a feather duster I'm driving!") Also, remember your pets! They should NEVER be left outside during the cold or inclement weather of any kind. End of story!!!

Wind Chill - If you've ever found yourself walking into the wind on a cold winter's day, you've experienced wind chill:

Wind chill is when the wind makes cold temperatures feel even colder. Environment Canada’s wind chill index will tell you the combined cooling effect of these factors on the human body. It uses temperature-like units to liken the current conditions to how cold your skin would feel on a calm day.

Days with an extreme wind chill value can cause exposed skin to freeze very rapidly, leading to frostbite. Wind chill can also play a major role in hypothermia, because it speeds up the rate at which your body loses heat. Protect yourself by taking appropriate steps to stay warm when you are outdoors.

-Environment Canada

Nesty Notes - In my experience, when there is a wind chill warning in effect, unless you absolutely have go out, these are days to stay inside. If you must go out, make sure you bundle up; thermal underwear, hats, mittens, and a warm coat and boots are a must. Essentially, cover all skin and cover it well. Now is not the time to worry about fashion. If you don't have a car and need to go somewhere, take a cab or the bus; it's worth it. Keep kids inside. And again, bring your pets in.

There are other winter weather conditions, like blizzards, blowing snow, and snowsqualls, but for today I'm focusing on the ones that particularly effect my area. This link will take you to Environment Canada's web page of Winter Hazards which is where I got the excerpts listed above.

Stay safe and warm! I'll be back on Friday with a vegetarian family favorite, Spiced Bean Tagine. See you then!!!

Stay tuned...

2011-01-19T00:52:00.000-08:00

Today's post on winter weather warnings will be a bit tardy! Sorry gang, I'll have it up sometime today!

Kim

My Evolution of Knit + A Blogoversary!

2011-01-17T00:26:00.000-08:00

This is a rather big week for Nesty. Tomorrow, January 18, is my first "Blogoversary." So I'd like to take a moment to thank all of my wonderful readers for a really great year. Each comment and new follower made my heart jump with excitement and motivated me to continue writing. As time passed and features, mentions, and awards began to arrive in my inbox, I was beyond thrilled at your recognition of my work.

When I started blogging a year ago I really didn't know much about the community that exists here in Blogland. I've met some truly wonderful people and through your writing I've become connected to your lives. I have read posts with excitement to see if someone's baby has arrived or if their surgery went well. I've grown misty when sadness has visited some of you. I've commiserated and lent advice, especially with regards to relocation. And on the occasions when a favorite blogger decides to leave blogging, or just plain disappears, I've felt their absence and missed them. It's been an incredible and rewarding time, and I'm looking forward to what the next year will bring. And so, whether you've been following since the beginning or just joined up, Thank You so much!!!

Those of you who have been following since the beginning may recall my adventures in learning to knit. Anyone out there remember this?

Just yikes! But, as I mention in the original post, my goal with this project was to actually stick with it and get it cast off, no matter how ugly the finished project was. This scarf could really be a cautionary tale of all the things you shouldn't do, but I'm still really proud of it because once it was finished I knew how to cast on, knit, perl, and cast off. I was ready to go. Bring on the projects!

For my next few projects I concentrated on items that would help me learn the basics of knitting. The turquoise scarf is knit in a basket weave pattern (a basket weave pattern requires you to alternate knitting and perling at regular intervals.) I also got to make a fringe! The watch cap was my first project on a round needle, and although it was far too small to wear, it got me very excited about projects that could be knit "in the round." And so, for the first time, I searched online for a pattern and found the pattern for the cute red hat. The cute red hat is a lesson in why it is important to pay attention to the type of yarn and needle size the pattern calls for. Yet again, my hat was too small, however it was the first item I looked at where my mistakes weren't the first things I saw.

As cute as these projects are (in a retro sort of way) they really weren't items I would wear. I was on the lookout for my next project and I was determined I was going to wear it. At Christmas came the item that completely hooked me on knitting. My husband's aunt sent me a skein of Kochoran wool, a pair of chunky bamboo needles, and a pattern for a seed stitch scarf. This project knit up beautifully and fast, and I was soon proudly wearing my work. This is the sort of gratifying project that I absolutely love; in fact I have recommended it to beginners. This was also the project that turned me into a yarn snob:

This project boosted my confidence, and I knew it was time; when I started knitting, my motivation was that I wanted to make mittens and socks. And so, I enthusiastically jumped right in and decided to tackle socks:

After the socks, I never really looked back. The past few months I've been knitting up a storm. I came up with a "collection" of items that I gave for Christmas gifts. It was so fun embracing the "design" part of knitting; adjusting a pattern, experimenting with colour and fibre combinations, and even making up names for my garments.

One of my favorite items to knit (besides socks!) are hobo mitts. These go by several names but they are basically fingerless mittens. I made these for my niece, my sisters and my sister in law; each pair had a unique twist to them that made them "one of a kind." I really fell in love with these cuties and they almost didn't make it into the gift box!

At a craft show, I bartered two Tiny Totes for a skein of chocolate brown yarn (I was bored and had forgotten my knitting). While sitting at my table I played around with the yarn and decided that they would make adorable hobo mitts. The yarn is actually an acrylic nylon blend; compared to the alpaca and sheeps' wool of the other projects I made it didn't sound as nice but it knit up into a delightfully warm and snuggly mitt. To give it a pop of colour (and a bit of snob factor) I added a cherry pink stripe in Baby Bamboo yarn.

For all my hobo mitt projects I followed essentially the same pattern, but made a few adjustments. For the Hot Cocoa mitt I wanted a snug fit, so I decreased the last few rows on both the hand and the thumb. The fibre choices (synthetic and plant based) for this project would make it ideal for someone with wool allergies or ethical concerns.

So there you have it, my evolution of knit!

I'll be back on Wednesday with a post about severe winter weather conditions and what all those warnings actually mean. And on Friday I'll be sharing one of my all-time favorite recipes, and it's awesome; vegetarian, high fibre, cheap and low fat! Oh, and absolutely delicious!! See you then!

Retro Recipes - Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-01-14T01:51:00.000-08:00

"COOKIES!!! UMM-NUM-NUM-NUM-NUM!!!"
-Cookie Monster

Alrighty, we've got something good cooking today! After all the gourmet goodies that go along with the festive season, I was ready to bake up something sweet and simple this week. And what could be better than Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Last month I decided to treat myself to some new baking supplies. I found a three pack of actual steel baking sheets (swoon) at a terrific price! I am rather traditional when it comes to cooking supplies; I'm not a big fan of non-stick or other coatings. I also picked up an extra long cooling rack and a new patty-shell pan (this was non-stick but I'm on the lookout for an alternative). It was great to have all this during my marathon holiday baking sessions, but now that I'm back to reality I have an even deeper appreciation for them. For months I'd been baking cookies on one cookie sheet (sad, I know) and cooling them on a wee little square rack. On weekday nights when I just want to whip up a batch of something, it moves along so much faster now with three pans! My cookies turned out so lovely; no burned bottoms, just perfectly browned.

I turned to my trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook for the recipe. These cookies receive a hero's welcome everywhere they go (it's true, they do!). Gourmet has it's place, but more often than not you'll hit a winner with tradition. BHG's recipe does not disappoint. It uses a mix of white and brown sugars which I find makes for a better tasting cookie, richer and with more depth (I used demerara so they my cookies had that extra caramel-ly, molasses-y flavour). I used my best vanilla and for the piece de resistance...Hershey's Special Dark chocolate chips.Click here for Better Homes and Garden's Our Best Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. (I used the mix of shortening and margarine and skipped the nuts)

Ahhhh, a thousand wonderful memories in one bite. Sip your ice cold milk, close your eyes, and let the magic work. There are no words. Or are there....?

UMM-NUM-NUM-NUM-NUM!!!

Festive, Fast, & Functional Champagne Magnet!

2011-01-12T01:23:00.000-08:00

Well, friends, we are well on our way to mid-January. This weekend I packed away Christmas, we ate the end of the baking, and tomorrow I am buying a healthy, clean eating grocery order. The "Christmas Hangover" is over and we are settling comfortably into the New Year. And I must say, it feels good.

What's a "Christmas Hangover?" you ask? Not what you think it is...but more on that in a future post.

After a much needed break, I am starting to feel creative again. The hand knit gifts (which you will see in the not too distant future) were much loved and appreciated, but yowzers my hands were sore by Christmas Eve! But now, now I feel like making stuff!

The first urge came on New Year's Day. I was tidying the kitchen and I found the cork from our NYE champagne hanging out on the counter where it had been left the night before. As I was heading for the garbage I took a look at the cork and paused. I've always loved champagne corks; I find them rather fascinating. There's the excitement that comes with removing it, of course, champagne is a celebratory drink and it's always fun to stand around and watch someone work that cork out. So much the better if it overflows, or if you have to duck to avoid a flying cork. In the calmer light of day, the cork itself is a little marvel of science, design, and ingenuity. How do they get it in there?

So, after a few moments with the cork, I realized that I was starting to get sentimental about it. I am trying to stop doing this; we recently did a "purge" of our belongings and swore to each other that we would stop keeping every little thing that had "meaning". (Rest assured, I threw away a lot of NYE paraphernalia from previous years.) But this cork, it was just so neat! So special!! Surely there was something it could do...

And then it came to me...it would make a really funky fridge magnet!

Turning to the fridge, I found what I was looking for; a plain circle magnet that had fallen off the back of another magnet a few weeks earlier. I'm not one to toss something functional just because it doesn't look pretty anymore, and so my plain 'ol magnet was earning his keep on the fridge, holding stuff up. Today, however, luck was smiling on my old, chipped magnet 'cause...it was makeover time!

Sixty seconds in my craft room plus time for drying and we were finished! As soon as I saw it on my refrigerator I knew I would have to share this no-brainer craft with you. The best part is that it is almost completely made of repurposed items (although if you don't have a spare magnet lying around, you can buy them). Here's a tutorial:

First the fun part, drinking your champagne! We got Henkell Trocken, 'cause I'm a classy chick. Okay, okay, it's a sparkling wine, not champagne. Picky, picky, picky...

Next, get the cork. Isn't it pretty? Depending on the level of frivolity at your celebration, you may have to go looking for the cork. May I suggest under the sofa? Oh, and also depending on the level of frivolity at your celebration you may be about to have a whole collection of champagne magnets. Good for you! Cheaper by the case anyway!!!

Magnets don't stick to cork all on their own, so go get the glue. I used Aleene's Tacky Glue; I find it's good for adhering different kinds of surfaces to each other (like cork and magnet). A little tip; apply glue to both surfaces and let it sit for a minute before attaching them. This will make the glue tacky and will aid in adhering the surfaces.

Now, let the glue dry. I didn't take a picture of this because I mean, come on. A picture of glue drying? Really?

Be patient and let it dry well. Leave it alone for a few hours. This is the hardest part of the craft!!! We are all adults. Leave. It. Alone.

Hey look, it's dry! I must say, that's one classy magnet! And that's a mighty cute dog! He was one of my Christmas presents. They called him "Rodney" in the feature but the shelter workers were actually calling him "Rod Stewart." And he lived at the shelter for, like, five months, so he really thought he was Rod Stewart...


"Have I told you lately that I love you?"

There is a resemblance, no? Five pounds of love there, folks. Anyhoodle, the neighbors think we're wacky enough; yelling "Rod Stewart!" out the back door wasn't going to help our image so he became Max. I loves him!

Good luck with your magnets! If you don't have your NYE cork anymore, what luck! Valentine's Day is right around the corner!

Friday is a Retro Recipe...and it's a goodie!!! See you then!

I'm Back, This Time With a (12 Month) Plan

2011-01-09T22:27:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone, and Welcome Back!

It feels really great to be posting again; after my holiday break I am refreshed and full of ideas for future posts. This week, you can look forward to learning how to make the world's most ridiculously easy craft (if you still have a champagne cork lying around from NYE, put it aside) as well as a "new" Retro Recipe. Today, however, you are going to hear all about my 12 Month Plan for Holiday 2011.

Why, you ask, do I need a 12 month plan for Holiday 2011? Good question, glad you asked! I am a self-confessed Christmas nut, I love all things holiday and, as such, tend to bite off more than I can chew a little too late. Try as I might to adopt the "what gets done, gets done" mentality, the truth is that I get bitterly disappointed when I don't achieve all my holiday goals. This is what led me to be designing gnomes on December 22 for my Cookies & Gnomes kitchen tree. Incidentally, the cookies never made it onto the tree. Actually, they didn't even get made, and this bugged me all Christmas long.

You get the picture. I am the queen of REALLY BIG IDEAS, and I am for the most part good at executing them. It just seems at Christmas that these REALLY BIG IDEAS come fast and furious and with a huge sense of urgency, as if Santa's departure truly depended upon my successful completion of a COOKIES AND GNOME TREE!!! Or perhaps HANDMADE MITTENS FOR ALL!! Why not NEW STOCKINGS FOR HUMANS AND CANINES WITH MATCHING TREE SKIRT? And let's not forget HAND DIPPED TRUFFLES, the very important HOMEMADE CRACKERS, and last but not least HONEST TO GOODNESS REAL PLUM PUDDING!!!!! Which doesn't contain a single plum; who knew?

So, here's the plan. I'm making a list, and I'm checking it no, not twice, 12 times this year. On (or around) the 25 of each month, I'll be updating you on my progress. Oh, what's on the list you say? The Twelve Goals of Christmas! Projects, items to buy, plans to make, anything that I can potentially do throughout the year to prepare in advance for Christmas. I'm also going to be preparing a Christmas Countdown To-Do List. Oh yes I am.

But wait, there's more! I'm not in this alone. My cousin Ainsley from Pattycake Manners is going to be my partner in crime! Not just for the Twelve Goals of Christmas, either! She's come up with a great idea where we are going to pick 12 handmade projects that we want to achieve by Christmas 2011. We'll be sharing these with you and updating you in a series of shared posts.

I can't wait! My first holiday update will be on January 26, so be sure and check back! Oh, and just in case you thought Christmas 2010 was a mess in the Nest, it really wasn't. It was lovely. On the 26th, I'll be sharing some photos and memories of what I did achieve this holiday season. Gnomes and all!

Have a wonderful week! It's great to be back!

A Christmas Update...

2010-12-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

Hello, Everyone!

I'm just stopping by for a few minutes to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope your holidays are going well.

Thanks to all of you who stopped by with comments during the "Not-So-25-Days-of-Nesty." I may not have hit my target this year, but I had fun sharing some of my plans, favorite ideas and quotes, and I have LOTS of material for next December's posts. In truth, I got to the point where I realized I could write about having the perfect Christmas, or I could put the computer away and actually have a perfect Christmas. And so, dear readers, I'm taking a break until the New Year. I'm going to knit, go for walks, make long phone calls home, and read sappy Christmas romances while drinking tea (and other, more "festive" beverages) by the tree and enjoy every moment that's left of the holiday season without a speck of guilt. I hope you do the same.

And so, my friends, Happy Holidays! I'll see you next year!!!

Kim

Have YOURSELF A Very Nesty Christmas - Your Way!!!

2010-12-19T22:43:00.000-08:00

Ah, traditions. They bring families together, tug at the heartstrings, and give us a sense of where we're from. Traditions are good.

However, in our fast times, it can be a challenge just to get everyone in the same room for Christmas dinner. You may find yourself feeling cheated of traditions. Images of caroling, cookies swaps, sledding parties and craft nights are all well and good, but for many folks these events never get past the imagining stage. Why? Well, because some of our more traditional Christmas activities require an outlay of time, organization, and/or money, three things which often seem to be in short supply as the year marches to a close.

The good news is, you can have traditions of your own, customs that will come to mean as much to you as carrying a flaming brandied pudding to the holiday table meant to your great-grandmother. And great news - you can do it without losing your mind, too!   Using the KISS approach (Keep It Simple, Silly...I know, it's usually stupid, but I don't like to call people stupid), here are some ideas to get you started:

My cousin Valerie used to buy her children new Christmas colouring books and crayons for Christmas Eve, when they would all sit down and colour together before heading to bed to wait for Santa. She said it was a great way to get everyone calmed down.
Family board game night. I know, it's kind of cliche, but it's FUN!!
My mother's Christmas Eve tradition was to buy my sisters and I new Christmas pajamas and a new Christmas book. Much like the colouring, it calmed us down and got us off to bed to read. She continued this right until we left home, and I have a nice collection of Christmas novels that I pack away with my decorations and am excited to rediscover each year.
Another thing Mom did with us was to take us with her to get the Christmas grocery order. On her first vacation day, we would get up early to beat the crowds and have a blast running around the store picking out our family's holiday favorites. Afterward, we went out for lunch, usually to The Swiss Chalet for, what else? The Festive Special. What was so great about this (besides the fact we were spending time together) was that Mom turned something that could be considered a chore into a fun outing.
As part of her "Journal Your Christmas" series, my cousin Ainsley at Pattycake Manners shared a list of her traditions old and new. I absolutely loved the ones about Pillsbury and the picnic! See, KISS!!!!

Do you have any sweet, special, simple traditions that mean the world to you? If so, please share in the comments.

A Very Nesty Christmas

2010-12-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.

~Laura Ingalls Wilder

A Very Nesty Christmas - Me, Panic?

2010-12-13T02:09:00.000-08:00

Hello, Everyone! It's 1:41 AM here in Kitimat, British Columbia, and I'm up! Why, you may ask? Well, it's the most wonderful time of the year, and I've reached the point where there seems to be more items going on my "To-Do" list than coming off.

It'sthemostwonderfultimeoftheyearit'sthemostwonderfultimeoftheyearit'sthemostwonderfultimeoftheyearit'sthemo-

Hm, sorry, what's that? Sorry, I was ~~nodding off~~ dreaming of sitting by the Christmas tree with everything finished to perfection, sipping a glass of Baileys and basking in the glow of a job well planned, well executed, well done. This fantasy, if it ever comes to fruition, will have to wait until next year, as I feel I may have slid past the point of being able to honestly claim I planned well. The biggest enemies to my Big Ideas are 1. Delusions of Grandeur and 2. Mailing Deadlines.

The celebratory Delusions of Grandeur, well, any aspiring Martha will understand. I have yet to perfect the timing of my visions. For example, I decided to decorate my kitchen in a "Cookies & Gnomes" theme. When it was pointed out to me that perhaps summertime would have been a good time to purchase gnomes (some foolishness about garden centers and end of season sales...) I explained that I didn't think of the theme until November. Does nobody appreciate my genius???

And Mailing Deadlines...sigh. For many, many years I was lucky enough to have all my gift recipients within driving distance, so we never had to mail a thing. Last year was the first year we had to mail gifts, and - it did not end well. After paying an exorbitant amount to an organization that will remain unnamed, and receiving their guarantee that, in exchange for said exorbitant amount my parcels would arrive well in advance of the holidays, they in fact did not. They arrived well after, and having the exorbitant amount refunded to me in the New Year did not quite make up for the disappointment of not getting our gifts home on time.

But, I'm getting better. My current state of panic is being calmed by contingency plans. One of my Big Ideas of Delusional Grandeur this year was to make a lot of homemade gifts, and I did great. However, the last few are dragging their feet coming across the finish line, which brings up my old friend MAILING DEADLINES!! And that, my friends, is why courier services were invented. For a fee (exorbitant perhaps, but I'll pay for reliability) I can actually BUY TIME!!! It's like a miracle!!!

The great news is that once the gifts go off with the miraculous courier service this week, I'm back on track and only have to do "my" projects. Baking, crafting, and more decorating are all on deck, as well as planning for our Christmas Party and Christmas dinner. However, there is nothing on that list that will send me into a panic if it doesn't get achieved to the extent of my glorious visions. Baking, crafting, decorating? What gets done, gets done. The party will go ahead whether I manage to carve an ice sculpture of my dogs (tee hee!) and roast a swan, or if I just remove the dog hair from the furniture and open a few bags of chips (I was never a big fan of swan, anyway...) And Christmas Dinner is safe in the freezer, so even if the clouds open up and it snows until New Year's, we'll have plenty of good stuff to share on Christmas Day!

Me, panic? No way!!!

How about you? Share in the comments...if you can spare the time!!!!!

A Very Nesty Christmas - Thought for the Day

2010-12-12T01:17:00.000-08:00

"And in our world of plenty
We can spread a smile of joy
Throw your arms around the world
At Christmastime."
Bob Geldof and Midge Ure
Do They Know It's Christmas?

A Very Nesty Christmas - Pattycake Manners Guest Post Mini Album Tutorial

2010-12-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

"I will honor Christmas in my heart,

and try to keep it all the year."

~Charles Dickens

Hi Everyone! Sorry I've been missing for a day or so...I've been busy getting my Nest ready for the holidays and so I decided to give myself a day off! However, to make up to you for missing yesterday's post, today I have a special treat! My cousin Ainsley from Pattycake Manners is guest posting today and she has prepared a wonderful tutorial for a mini album that you could prepare to give as a gift, or keep for yourself. Either way, it is a perfect way to "honour Christmas and keep it in your heart" all the year long! I know I can't wait to make a few and I think it will be the perfect project to fill the quieter days after the holidays! Take it away, Ains!

"Hi folks! Ainsley here, from Patty Cake Manners.

Kim and I have been playing with the idea of me popping over

and guest posting on Nesty for a while now. We knew we wanted

it to be something a little crafty, and since scrapbooking is kind of

my thing, we thought I might go that route. Enter the arrival of the

Christmas season, and there was no question as to what I

wanted to share with all of you. I designed this little

accordion album last year, while trying to figure out a unique
way to send some "cute kid" photos to my Mom.  Since then,

this album has taken on a life of its own. I've made oddles

of them for gifts, and have done them in a number of

themes. I've used it in my paper crafting classes, and have

passed on the "recipe" to family and friends.

And now I'm happy to be passing it on to you during my visit
to the Nest!

1.  Gather your supplies. You'll need the following.
 
1 sheet of 12 X 12 cardstock
2 or 3 sheets of 8 1/2 X 11 cardstock in co-ordinating colors
scraps of patterned paper
embellishments ( buttons, fancy brads, rub-ons, stickers etc)
brads
ribbon
inks and stamps
paper trimmer
scoring blade
paper piercer
adhesive
scissors

2.  Cut two 4" X 12" strips of cardstock for the base of your

album.  Score each strip at 4" and 8" and fold at creases.

Overlap two ends and adhere, to create a 5 page accordion

album.

3.  From co-ordinating cardstock, cut four 3 3/4" squares,

and four 3 1/2" squares. For best results, alternate colors

as shown.

4.  From patterned paper, cut four 3 1/4" squares.

5.  Layer your patterned paper squares, your 3 1/2" squares,

and your 3 3/4" squares on top of each other with a bit of

adhesive. I like to offset them just a bit.

6.  Adhere your finished "layers" to pages 2,3,4, and 5 of your

 album, leaving page 1 for your title. (Make sure your title

page is folding towards you, NOT opening like a book)

7.  Embellish one corner of each page with buttons, fancy

brads, etc.

8.  Pierce holes in the remaining 3 corners of each page, and

use small brads to secure your "layers" to the album base.

9.  Your title page can be made in the same fashion as your

other pages, using coordinating cardstock in 1/4" increments,

 scraps of patterned paper, and brads.  Embellish your cover

with more buttons, brads, rub-ons, stickers etc, and stamp

 a sentiment if you wish.

10.  Cut a 16" length of ribbon and adhere to the back of

your album, centering the ribbon top to bottom and left to

 right. This can be used to tie your album closed with a little

 bow in the front.

11.  Add four 2 3/4 photos to pages 2 to 5.

You now have a lovely little scrapbook, perfect for sharing

 photos with a loved one, or for keeping just for you!
 
* For information about any of the supplies used in this

project, please visit my Stampin' Up! website!

What an awesome project, Ains!  Once again, thank you!

This should go without saying, but if you are going to share

Ainsley's design on another blog, PLEASE do the right thing and

give credit, and a link, where it is due!  Thank you one and

all for keeping Blogland a friendly and ethical place to

share our great ideas!

A Very Nesty Christmas - December 7, 2010

2010-12-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

"" When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness."
~ Bob Hope, American film actor and comedian.

A Very Nesty Christmas - A Marshmallow World!

2010-12-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

"It's a marshmallow world in the winter,
When the snow comes to cover the ground.
It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day,
I wait for it the whole year round!"

- Carl Sigman

It's hard to deny the Christmas spirit when this is what you see when you look out the window!

Regular followers of Nesty will recall my mentioning that in Kitimat, we guage when the snow will finally land in the valley our town is nestled in by watching the squirrel on Squirrel Mountain. Well, our favorite rodent is well covered now, and so are our yards! Can you pick him out in the picture?

Did you find him? If not, here's some help...

There he is! I'm so happy that I'm finally able to show you a good picture of our squirrel!

It's been brought to my attention that people were having difficulty commenting on Nesty last week. If this happened to you, I'm so sorry! I just love your comments and I truly appreciate that you take time to type up your thoughts on my little blog. I believe the issue has been resolved, but if it happens to you and you feel so inclined, please drop me a line at nestyblog@gmail.com. Thanks!

A Very Nesty Christmas - Saturday, December 4, 2010

2010-12-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas gift suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect."

~ Oren Arnold

A Very Nesty Christmas - Friday, December 3, 2010 "Gifts of Time & Love"

2010-12-02T23:11:00.000-08:00

"Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas."

~ Peg Bracken.

Earlier this week I posted about ways to have a heartfelt Christmas. I invited you to share in the comments how you have made, or plan to make, your holiday meaningful in a way that transcends shopping and fuss. One story in particular was submitted by a friend of mine about her and her family's tradition of bringing a touch of Christmas light to one of the darker places in our province; Vancouver's Downtown Lower East Side. Here is her recollection in her own words:

After my father passed away, my mother didn't feel much like doing the same big family dinners, because she felt they would be too painful. She came up with an idea one year and it became a tradition until I moved up north. On Christmas Eve we would spend hours assembling hundreds of sandwiches (peanut butter, cheese, tuna, ham, and turkey). On Christmas morning we would drive into the downtown east side of Vancouver to an area called Pigeon Square, and unload the flats of sandwiches. This is an area of Vancouver that many won't even drive through. These were the people that society had completely forgotten, and most feared. In the end, they are humans, and they are hungry, and for the most part, completely alone. One minute there on Christmas morning, and you will never take your family for granted again.

The tradition grew, and in the last two years before I moved away, I began collecting from co-workers who wanted to contribute. People gave flats of juice boxes, flats of crackers and cheese snack packs. In the final year, people started giving us clothes (socks, shoes, mittens, wool hats). It grew to a car load, and my fiance, mother, and my self were a little overwhelmed. The last year I was there, we had noticed something amazing. Our little idea had caught on, perhaps, or maybe it had occurred to someone else too. As we were unloading the last of the food, a tent was being set up, and one of the locally owned restaurants was setting up a huge day long free food venue. People didn't need to leave their possession un-guarded, they could eat with their dog beside them, and they didn't have to worry about the stigma some felt from the Mission soup kitchen down the street (as explained to us by a few every year). As far as I know, they have kept that tradition going on Christmas day.

As I walked past our food bank here (Kitimat) last week. My heart stung a bit. I want to do something here too.

Vanessa, thank you to you and your family for such a kind, selfless act, and for inspiring others to do the same. And of course, thank you for sharing your memory with us!

Have a wonderful weekend! Are you decorating, baking, or shopping for gifts? I'm going to be doing a little of everything, I think! See you on Monday!

A Very Nesty Christmas - Thursday, December 2, 2010

2010-12-02T01:13:00.000-08:00

"They err who thinks Santa Claus comes down through the chimney; he really enters through the heart."

~ Mrs. Paul M. Ell.

Nesty Christmas Happy # 1...

The Yuletide Fireplace is back!

Every year, a channel magically appears in our television program guide called "Yuletide Fireplace." Click on it and your television screen fills with a crackling fireplace and the air is alive with the sounds of Christmas music. A little cheesy? Maybe, but it's pure nostalgic gold.

We received a DVD of a Yule Log a few years ago and I think we surprised ourselves with how often we actually popped it in the player during the holidays. We've also discovered that it's the perfect background music and scenery during holiday parties.

The Yuletide Fireplace is actually quite an old tradition. According to Wikipedia, the original film was created in 1966 by WPIX and was recorded in Gracie Mansion. It aired during Christmas for 23 years, although the original 17 second recording was replaced with a longer version. You can read the entire Wikipedia article here.

The Yule Log program we know and love is no doubt a knock off of the original WPIX program. No matter, it is still cheery and warm and so much fun! It can actually be an absolute hoot during holiday get-togethers; we often find ourselves making a game out of trying to guess where the film loops, or of predicting when the hand will appear to adjust the log. (If this doesn't sound that funny, you have to imagine it after a few egg nogs!)

We keep our television in the basement rec room, which I'm planning to clean and decorate this weekend. You can bet that I will have the festive sight and sound of the Yuletide Fireplace keeping me company!

Tips for Having a Happy (And Organized!) Handmade Holiday!

2010-11-30T22:39:00.000-08:00

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air." ~W.T. Ellis

Ah, Christmas. If there is one time of year that motivates us to don our crafty hat, it's you. This is how our Christmas storage boxes have come to be lovingly filled with treasured collections that are almost anthropological in nature.

One could argue that manufactured Christmas-a-bilia demonstrates the styles of the times quite well itself, thank you very much! So it does. But there is something about the homemade, the handcrafted, that can really bring to mind a time, a place, an era.

Look at your collection. Got a smocked ball in there? I'll bet you a sugar cookie it was lovingly hand crafted in the early to mid 1980's. Ceramics? Eighties again. Knit items are a little trickier, since the grandma set never stopped knitting, but you may have noticed a resurgence of knit ornaments, tree skirts, and stockings since the turn of the millennium, when wool crafting experienced a renaissance.

You get the idea. As timeless as an item may seem at the moment it is made, there will inevitably be something about it that will mark it as being distinctly "1985," "1994," or even, of course, "2010." (And yes, I'm still reeling that we're living in 2010. 2010!!!! We're space age!!).

As I mentioned on Monday, this year I've been embracing homemade gifts and I'm really excited about them! For fear of ruining the Christmas morning surprise, I'm not going to get too specific, but followers of this blog will know that I knit, sew, and paper-craft, so you can use your imaginations until after the 25th, when I will share my creations with you. It's been a lot of work, but it's been so much fun and it's given me a good excuse to indulge in some really nice supplies; all in the spirit of giving! I've become a total yarn snob, so the recipients of my knit creations are getting very spoiled indeed!

While making your Christmas gifts by hand is a lot of work, there are steps you can take to ensure it's all a labour of love, not a panic inducing race to the finish (still-tacky glue will not mail well, my friends!) Based on my experiences this year, I have compiled a list of tips to help make your homemade holiday experience happy and organized, so that your handmade, heartfelt offerings will bring a warm smile for years to come (not to mention a round of "Awwww, that's so 2010!). Enjoy!

Tips for Having a Happy (and Organized!) Handmade Holiday:

Have a plan - Know what you're making, who it's for, and what you need to complete it. If, like myself, you live off the beaten path, keep a supply list going so that you can make sure you get everything you need when you go shopping "in town."
Be realistic - New to sewing? Then perhaps you shouldn't attempt a queen size quilt for your mom. Start with something smaller, like a decorative panel. Short on time? Maybe only make a few gifts this year, or make one simple item (like an ornament) to include with your store-bought presents.
Consider logistics - Where is this gift going? Shipping is expensive, so be sure to consider that when you are deciding what to make. A homemade bookshelf may not be the right gift to ship across the country.
Consider cost, both actual and perceived - While some homemade gifts are ideal for those on a budget (think bath salts, cookies, and homemade coffee mixes) the reality is that craft supplies aren't cheap. So while you may think that hand knit cashmere bed socks would be your mother-in-law's heart's delight, the reality is that they would end up costing you upwards of $200.00 in yarn. Someone who doesn't know the cost of yarn and textiles (and really, who except wool crafters and fashionistas does?) will just see socks. Consider using a luxe version of a more affordable medium. (And for the record, my MIL would totally appreciate the value of cashmere socks! Maybe someday!)
Have a support network - My cousin Ainsley (of Pattycake Manners) and I had a cyber crafting night last week, updating each other on our progress via email. It was fun (read her post about it here) and it motivated me to keep plugging away at that evening's project so I'd have something to report.
A housekeeping tip (which will make sense if you read Ainsley's post, as well as this one by me) is to keep any beverages you are consuming in a travel mug. If you attend a lot of group crafting activities, consider adding a travel mug to your bag of supplies.
Another housekeeping tip - When you are sewing or paper-crafting, tape a plastic shopping bag to the table next to your workspace, and sweep your clippings, corners, and threads into it as you go. A greener alternative would be to move a garbage bin next to your workspace.

So there you go, the Nestygirl's collected crafting wisdom for Holiday 2010! I hope you find something helpful in my list to assist you in making your homemade holiday gifts a reality!

Happy December 1! Today marks the start of 25 days of Nesty! I'm so looking forward to sharing my holiday preparations with you. And to those of you following me on Twitter, I promise to be back soon!

Today is the first day of Hanukkah! Happy Hanukah!!

Heartfelt Holidays!

2010-11-29T00:47:00.000-08:00

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

~Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby

There seems to be a feeling afoot, a movement if you will, to re-examine Christmas and how we celebrate it. It could be the result of several years dealing with a stinky economy, an attempt at meaning and stability in an uncertain world, or perhaps an effort to return to a time where family and true friendship were enough. I'm not sure. My not-so-scientific conclusion, however, is that we aren't celebrating less, we're celebrating more. With all our hearts, in some cases.

I worked retail for several holiday seasons, and let me tell you, I've seen the bottom of the holidays and it ain't pretty. I'd never really seen pure rage until I watched a woman seethe in a lineup during a no tax sale. Add to that the stress that we all put on ourselves during the holiday season and it left me wondering...why? What are we all getting out of this? Because I have a distinct feeling that, if she didn't spontaneously combust in the food court, what Rage Lady's family probably got out of it was their gifts hurled at them during the world's angriest Christmas morning.

During one of our conversations, my husband and I, who both adore Christmas, revealed that we were actually starting to feel sad around the holidays. And so, to paraphrase Mahatma Ghandi's famous quote, we decided to "to be the change we want to see in the world."

In this spirit, we do something a little different every year to fill our hearts with Christmas Cheer (sorry, I couldn't resist!). One year, we only gave gifts that supported a charity, like the World Vision Gift Catalogue or Ten Thousand Villages. Another year we skipped both our family's Christmas dinners and had our own instead and invited a friend who was on their own that holiday season. Yet another year we hosted the family dinner.

What was really neat about all of this was that we realized we weren't the only ones feeling this way. Lots of friends and family were busy injecting meaning into their holiday observances, too! A popular movement back home is the "Adopt a Family" program. I've participated in this at work and it's so much fun. You get a "wish list" with all the kid's wishes. The parents don't usually ask for anything but I don't know anyone who doesn't include at least one special gift for the parents. In addition to the presents, you also purchase everything they'll need for Christmas dinner and stockings. There's also an "Adopt a Senior" program now, and I know some folks (including some seniors!) who are supporting that program this year.

It's not for everyone (and for that, capitalism is eternally grateful). One acquaintance told me in no uncertain terms that they would never be happy without tangible gifts under the tree (in response to the World Vision gifts I was planning). I just think that's sad; I get the warm fuzzies just thinking about how happy my Papa was to "receive" his rooster and two hens. I'm often reminded of the episode of Friends where Phoebe says that good deeds are actually selfish because they make you feel so good. That may be true, Phoebe, but I'm willing to chance it!

This year, I'm embracing homemade gifts. I've been crafting up a storm and I'm really excited about them! My inspiration has been the Christmas Eve excitement that was felt around my in-law's tree a few years ago, when my husband's aunt handed out the hand-knit presents she'd made everyone. But more about that on Wednesday, when I'm going to share with you Tips for Having a Happy (and Organized!) Homemade Holiday!

Here is a list of quick and easy ways to add some heartfelt meaning to your holiday celebration:

Don't forget our furry friends! Most shelters are in need of food, litter, and even old blankets and towels! Pick up a bag of kibble and drop it off at your local shelter today!
Here's a warm fuzzy that's actually warm and fuzzy (and costs nothing at all except time). Many animal shelters are looking for volunteers to walk dogs or cuddle cats; what a perfect holiday outing for you and your family! (Be sure to call first, some shelters have age restrictions on who can actually handle animals).
Many grocery stores and restaurants have drop boxes for food bank donations. Pick up some non-perishables and give a gift that will resonate well past the holiday season. Some grocery stores even sell pre-packaged kits of the items most needed in your area .
Keep your community safe! Volunteer to be the designated driver for a Christmas party, or volunteer with your community's safe drive home program (if they have one). You could even commit a Random Act of Kindness and spring for a cab for someone who needs one.
Speaking of Random Acts of Kindness, a popular movement is to pay for the car behind you in the drive-though line at a coffee shop. See a frazzled looking mom in a van behind you? You could make her day!
Contact your local hospital, senior's home, or assisted living facility and inquire if there's anything you could do to brighten someone's holiday. Think carol singing is cheesy? Then you've never done it in a hospital or senior's home (be sure to bring Kleenex!)
Another RAOK! Next time it snows, take a moment to shovel the steps of your neighbor (especially if they're elderly).
A classic Christmas practice is to volunteer at your local soup kitchen to serve Christmas dinner. You'll look at the blessing that is your home and life with new eyes.

I could go on and on, but frankly, I'm interested in your ideas! Share in the comments; I may even include your idea in one of my holiday posts!

Wednesday is a big day, as it is kicking off 25 days of Nesty! I'll be keeping to my Monday, Wednesday, Friday posting schedule, but on the days in between I'll be sharing snippets of Christmas Cheer! See you then!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

2010-11-26T01:06:00.000-08:00

"The dog is the god of frolic."

-Henry Beecher Ward.

Yesterday was one of those perfect, magical days that really made you feel like the holidays are just around the corner. Snow had been falling steadily since Wednesday and our world was encapsulated in white. A trip to the local grocery store revealed that the first load of Christmas trees had arrived, and the entire parking lot smelled festive. Inside the store, I noted that the "Christmas Foods" had made their annual appearance. You know the ones I mean, fancy chocolates and cheeses and fascinating breads that only appear during the holiday season. Storefronts and homes and telephone poles were suddenly alight with Christmas cheer. We'd even attended our first festive party of the season earlier in the week.

There was just one thing left to do to put us in the Christmas mood...

Walk the dogs in the snow, of course!

If you can resist the sheer joy that is a dog in the snow, then you are made of tougher stuff than I. Molly is and always has been a winter dog; she handles the cold extremely well and is very agile in the snow. Our Tinky is all heart and gives it his all; despite his wee size he can hold his own in the snow, even if he does require a bit more coddling once he is home.

Once my pups were warm and fed, I settled in for an evening of Christmas crafting set to my favorite holiday mix. The scent of cinnamon berry candles filled the air; My world was bursting with Christmas! God bless us, everyone!

What little rituals or traditions do you follow to put you in the Christmas mood? Is it something you can plan for, or do the stars have to align? Share in the comments!

A Happy (if belated!) Thanksgiving to my dear American friends! I hope you had all the turkey and pumpkin pie you could hold and that you are having a wonderful time at the Black Friday sales!

NB - For those of you concerned that Molly has shrunk, have no fear! This is an old, old picture of her from when she was a puppy. I promise to take some newer ones soon!

Retro Recipes + Window to My World - Banana Bread

2010-11-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

The days are shorter, and definitely chillier! What could be better than curling up in front of the fireplace with a mug of tea, a Christmas magazine, and a still-warm-from-the-oven slice of this...

To my way of thinking, not much! If you'd like to re-create this cozy little scene, here is a banana bread recipe very similar to the Better Homes and Gardens recipe I used. Enjoy!

Mum's the Word!

2010-11-21T23:29:00.000-08:00

I'm up to my ears in crafting fun, and I'm itching to share my projects with you, but I can't...

They're all Christmas gifts! And if I share them with you here, it would ruin the surprise for many of my recipients! And so, mum's the word until after December 25th!

What I can say, however, is that I'm having a wonderful time creating heartfelt gifts by hand for all my loved ones! I'm so much more excited about mailing my Christmas boxes this year! Not only do I have the joy of giving gifts (making a list, deciding what to give, mulling over choices) I get to decide every aspect of my gifts! Throughout the year I would have moments of inspiration; a skein of yarn made me think of this person, while a piece of fabric or a beautiful bead would bring to mind someone else. Every so often I like to take out what I have accomplished so far and look at all of it and imagine being there when the gift is opened.

I'm making good progress but I'll have a few busy weeks ahead of me (well, make that week, if I'm really keen!) After a bad experience mailing my parcels last year (New Year's gifts, anyone?) I want my gifts in the mail early!

And so, that's all for today, folks. I really need to go finish...ha! You thought you could fool me, didn't you!?

Have a wonderful week, and I'll see you on Wednesday!

Happy Thanksgiving, Again!

2010-11-19T01:12:00.000-08:00

Hey there American friends! You have a very big week coming up! If you're anything like me, you'll be spending a lot of this weekend planning for next week's festivities. To help you along, today I'm listing my Thanksgiving posts from a few weeks ago:

Apple Turkeys make a fun craft and are a traditional Thanksgiving centerpiece in my family. I've included an easy to follow tutorial, complete with pictures!

Need to bring dessert to a Thanksgiving potluck? Turtle Pumpkin Pie is sinfully delicious and beyond simple to make. But shhhh! Let them think you laboured in the kitchen all day!

Turkey time doesn't end with the feast! Hang on to that frame and make Homemade Turkey Soup!

A few hours of "me-time" is always something to be thankful for! Why not do some scrapbooking? Check out this adorable Bo Bunny Pickin' Pumpkins album kit I found at our local scrap-book store.

Sweet Potato and Pumpkin and Maple, oh my! Fall has the very best flavours, so why not serve them all up at An Autumn Coffee Party!

Curious why I celebrated Thanksgiving last month? Click here for an explanation AND a recipe for Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust.

And of course, in the midst of all the fun, don't forget to reflect on what you have and what you love, and give thanks.

Have a fun, wonderful week! Safe and happy travels to all of you who are on the road this holiday season!

A Good Cow

2010-11-16T23:01:00.000-08:00

This week we observed the end of something we had become very fond of. It was reliable, convenient, versatile, and, well, delicious. I'm referring to, of course, our cow.

Not a whole cow mind you. Those of you who have been reading along since the beginning will remember my post about purchasing a half a side of beef last Fall. Well, this week we finally ate the end of it. Now, if we hadn't experienced the Great Beef Thaw of 2010, last year's cow would probably have gotten to room with this year's cow. With that in mind, we've decided to purchase less beef this year and will be getting an eighth instead of a quarter.

A few weeks ago I took stock of what was left of the cow. We had consumed almost everything I'd prepared during my Beef Cookoff, or as I like to refer to it "Iron Chef - Battle Thawed Cow." (To briefly summarize what I'm referring to, last June my freezer somehow got turned off. By the time I discovered it, the contents had thawed, including A LOT of beef. Thankfully it was still icy but I had to cook for several hours and refreeze all of that. The grand finale was a Prime Rib feast with our friends, since I couldn't bear to see those cuts fried and re-frozen.) Now, almost 6 months later, we were down to a container of beef and onion broth, a freezer bag of cooked stew meat, and a container of meat pie filling.

I made the meat pie a few weeks ago. Isn't it pretty?

This week I decided to use the broth and the beef to make a stew. However, by the time I would have thickened it, the soup looked and smelled so great that I decided not to thicken it. It was wonderful, especially with the sourdough rolls my husband picked up at the store.

And so, adieu Good Cow! We enjoyed having you around, and we look forward to meeting your tasty replacement!

Festive Choices!

2010-11-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year. The question is, when does it start?

A popular discussion topic in person, on Facebook, and in blogland this weekend has been decorating for Christmas. Some people have been polling whether it's too early to decorate, while others are happily declaring that their decorating has commenced! All around our town, folks are putting up their exterior holiday lights. However, considering the forecast is calling for snow (which in these parts can reach depths of several feet), this is a practical exercise. Nonetheless, a couple festive souls have flipped the switch, casting the glow of green and red lights onto their streets.

It all leads to the question; when is the best time to decorate for Christmas?

I'm a firm believer that if it makes you happy, go for it. Granted, this theory would be stretched if it were August. My general rule is to wait until after Remembrance Day, and then start moving things out gradually. I start with my "winter" items (snowmen, snowflakes, etc). Heading into December, I'll begin adding more Christmas specific items, with the grand finale being the reintroduction of the tree.

It's a funny thing about the tree. I used to wait until after December 15 to put it up. Mind you, I used a fresh tree, so keeping it fresh was a consideration. Last year we cut our own tree with friends. The tree cutting expedition had to accommodate several schedules, so we went a little earlier, and I found it quite pleasant to have my tree up earlier than usual.

In years past, when I was working, we had some last minute situations. I would have great intentions of having my decorating complete by December 15, but something would happen and it would get pushed back. One year in particular we had to go tree shopping quite late in the season; it's a great story (now) but you'll have to wait until December to hear it! Suffice to say, it was interesting.

I've relaxed a lot on the "rules" of Christmas. Like I said, whatever makes you happy is what's important. This year, I'm starting early and enjoying the whole process, from unpacking my treasures, to deciding where to put my favorite snowman, to sitting by the fire in the the glow of Christmas light, sipping hot chocolate and Baileys. To achieve this, I'm going to begin doing a thorough late fall cleaning this week, and when it's complete I'll start moving in my "Winter" stuff. (One of my cousins was explaining the concept of "Winter" versus "Christmas" decorating on Facebook today. I smiled, since this is a conversation I have several times throughout the festive season.)

As for the tree? This year I've got some novel ideas regarding my tree (or should I say, trees?) that I'm going to keep to myself for the time being. However, I will share that I'm aiming for earlier rather than later. Stay tuned!

So, I'm interested; when do you begin decorating for Christmas? Share in the comments!

On "Busy"

2010-11-12T11:58:00.000-08:00

“Busyness rapes relationships.
It substitutes shallow frenzy for deep friendship.
It feeds the ego but starves the inner man.
It fills a calendar but fractures a family.
It cultivates a program that plows under priorities.”
(Dr. Charles Swindoll)

A friend of mine keeps this quote on her kitchen bulletin board. Every time I read it I pause for thought as this quote really resonates with me. I wish I'd read it years ago, when I was starting my adult life of marriage and career. I wonder, however, if I would have really heard the message back then.

There was a time when I was an acolyte of "Busy." I had a challenging job that I loved. I trained in kickboxing 3 to 4 times a week. I sat on several committees and one Board of Directors. At church, I taught Sunday School, sang in the choir, and was forever raising my hand or signing my name to volunteer for yet more activities.

For a while, I thought I was thriving on "Busy." I reasoned that instead of wasting my time on frivolous activities I was making sure that every moment went to something constructive. I rode the high of accomplishment until one day, no doubt sitting in a board room, I realized something was missing.

Life.

Life was happening while I was taking notes, baking pies, brainstorming fundraisers and cutting out Easter crafts. While my family met for Sunday tea, I was kicking a heavy bag. When my husband joined our friends for coffee or drinks, I was choking down dinner after work to dash off to yet another committee meeting.

I began to loathe the words, "I'm sorry, I'm too Busy." I'd hear them coming out of my mouth and the guilt would start. I couldn't reason it out. I was doing the right thing, wasn't I? All of this would help me build my career, my portfolio, my reputation. "I'd really love to, but I'm just too busy."

The writing was on the wall almost exactly five years ago. Dear friends were getting married. We'd been looking forward to their wedding for months. We'd booked a hotel room with friends, planned outfits and parties, and were actively involved in the wedding. And then one of the committees I was involved with announced it was having mandatory training all day Saturday starting at 8:30 AM. The wedding was Friday night. And I took calls related to that committee literally as I was going out the door to the wedding. I suspect the phone may have been taken from me (and for that I am grateful.)

So, I went to the wedding, and ate and danced and stayed the whole time, but I couldn't toast my good friends as liberally as everyone else. I didn't go to the hotel "after parties" since I needed my sleep in order to be bright and sharp for my training. And, the next day, while my friends sipped mimosas and watched gifts get opened, I participated in team building exercises and brainstorming sessions.

I was bitterly disappointed.

It continued like this all year. I was tired, stressed, and irritable. Even activities that were supposed to relieve stress, like kickboxing, became of source of ire instead of fitness and enjoyment. Church ceased to be a place of spiritual fulfillment and became another source of work. Indeed, it was my church activities that finally broke the camel's back. One day, knowing that I wasn't spending nearly enough time at home, I just didn't go.

(I'll pause for a moment while you go alert the church elders.)

We went for breakfast. We strolled the streets sipping coffee, just as we had when we were dating. We drove to our favorite bakery, picked up some sweets, and went to Sunday tea at my grandparents for what seemed like the first time in ages. We talked. We had a lovely supper and then watched television together. I laughed. It felt lovely.

I slept like a baby and woke the next morning clear of head and with a plan.

I was quitting all of it. All of it. For one year. Everything. I would go to work, and I would come home, and I would see what I was missing. Because during the talk that Sunday, I realized that I might have a resume that shone, but my Life was dull indeed.

My sense of responsibility dictated that I would have to fulfill my current commitments. I made this decision in early Spring; most of my activities followed the school year so they would be ending soon anyway. I gave my resignations, said my goodbyes, hung up the boxing gloves, and breathed a sigh of relief.

The real challenge came a few months later, when Autumn, of course, brought all my abandoned activities back to life. I had been candid about my decision, "One year, no activities" so the requests were more creative. If you won't sit on the board, would you join a committee? Help us fund-raise? Help teach a "fitness" kickboxing class as opposed to training? No, no, and no thank you.

Did I burn some bridges? Maybe, although I tried to be as polite and diplomatic as possible. But it didn't really matter. Because by the time the new round of requests had begun, I had had three golden months to breath in exactly what you miss when you're Busy.

Life.

Fitness? I swam in the ocean, hiked mountains, did yoga and Pilates. When I needed a martial arts fix, I did a training session at home with my husband.

Committees and meetings? Instead of reading minutes, I was reading novels. Time spent cooking in stuffy boardrooms was now spent cooking actual food. And hey, I did have a actual job.

Networking? Turns out I had a pretty interesting bunch of family and friends I needed to reacquaint myself with. There's not a team building exercise in the world like the gliding around the ice with your sisters at your family's annual Christmas Skating Party.

Culture? I'd really missed going to movies, plays, and concerts, and I savored these outings, as well as the coffees and drinks afterward. There were new experiences, too. I went to my first gnarly heavy metal concert during that year. Horrified? Yes, at moments I was, but now, I can honestly say I've seen Motorhead play live!

Spirituality? If walking with my husband and my dog in Petersfield Park on a crisp Cape Breton October Sunday with the leaves turning all around us doesn't bring me closer to God, then I don't know what can. All my family relationships - marriage, immediate, in-law, you name it - grew stronger during this time. I think that's more important to my spiritual life, and to God, than fussing over who's making the sandwiches for the social or who's in charge of the rummage sale.

I learned so much about myself during that time. I love wine, and wine festivals. I like to scrapbook and make cards. I enjoy photography. In no time a year had passed, and I had a much better grasp of who I am and what is important to me. It was during this time that the "Nestygirl" you know was beginning to emerge, because she was finally allowed to show her face. I learned that there's no shame in admitting that I'd rather bake a cake in my free time than go to a meeting. I'd rather visit with my family than bicker with a committee. That's who I am and I haven't wasted another precious minute feeling guilty about it.

I hasten to add that I'm not judging anyone who thrives on Busy and truly, truly loves it. Nor am I pooh-poohing anyone who has to be busy out of necessity. It just seems to me that there are an awful lot of people out there (and I was one of them) who claim to have no time for what is really important and fulfilling (family, friends, a healthy blood pressure score) but have time for everything else. Ask yourself this; if you're someone who is always "too Busy," when was the last time you made yourself not be for the betterment of your relationships? I'm not talking about jobs; you have to put in the time to earn your paycheque, and some jobs are more time consuming than others. I'm talking about everything else. Because in the course of my blunt self-examination, I realized a lot of things that were making me "too Busy" were not that important in the grand scheme of things.

To put it into perspective, I'll use extra-curricular activities like sports as an example. I know now that while my ego loved the rush of gaining a new belt level, my boxing gloves didn't pour me a glass of wine and tuck me into bed at the end of the day. Neither do your golf clubs, your poker deck, your boat or your quad. There's not a day goes by that I don't miss training, and I hope to train again someday, but when I do my head will be in the right place, and martial arts will never take the place of time with my family again. Because let's face it, I wasn't a professional kick-boxer, and you're not a professional golfer, poker player, sailor or outdoors-person.

Essentially, it's the lesson at the heart of the song "Cat's in the Cradle." If you're not careful, by the time you're no longer "Busy," everyone else may have passed on by or be too Busy themselves. The moral of my story is to make sure that you have balance. Build your career and resume, yes, but please, please, build your relationships, too. Take care of your health, both physical and mental. Don't be afraid to say "No." You know what they say about how if you want something done, ask a busy person? People do that, and they will take advantage. A good friend once told me, shaking his head as I was giving him my name for yet another activity that no one else would do, that I had to learn to say no.

So, you may ask, what about those super-busy, super-successful people who really seem to be doing it all with a smile on their face and a song in their heart? They've probably achieved what is known as "Balance." For those who are actually pulling it off, not just keeping up a facade, achieving Balance is a skill that requires understanding, empathy, compromise,and communication. It can be done! It just requires a lot of work and a lot of honesty about what you can reasonably do.

So, did I ever do anything ever again? Of course, but I am very precious with my time. When faced with making a decision about whether or not to participate in something, my compass is this; what will I be giving up to do this, and, when I am 80, which decision will I regret more? It's funny, but I really don't think there are many 80 year olds out there regretting that they didn't accept an executive position on a church committee, but I'm willing to bet there are lots that would give anything for just one more chat with their own grandparents.

Life is an ever evolving thing. When I took that year off I had no inkling that five years down the road I'd be in a much less Busy environment altogether. And so we evolve. I craft and cook and clean the way I never could when I was working. And when I miss the organizing and detail-oriented nature of my former career, I apply these skills to something around my home (my Christmas card database, for example!). Our home and belongings are finally, after eleven years of marriage, just about completely organized and under control.

Who knows where I'll be or what I'll be doing in another five years? What I do know is that I have a well-defined set of values and an establish sense of what is truly important to me to guide me through.

Move Over, Lasagna, Here Comes Baked Ziti!

2010-11-10T00:42:00.000-08:00

As I've mentioned before, I'm a very big lover of cookbooks. I have several shelves of them in every type and description. Some of them are veritable tomes of culinary knowledge, very dry reading without many pictures. Others, however, are as fun to read as a graphic novel, with lots and lots of anecdotes and full colour photographs!

One such cookbook came into my life completely by accident. I was on the phone, agreeing (in a moment of weakness) to join yet another book of the month club. (These clubs are like vampires, they can only come in if you invite them, but once you do, look out!). This particular club was for cookbooks, and, well, as I said, I have something of a weakness for cookbooks. As a thank you for signing up, I got to choose a free book from two selections. I don't remember the first choice, but the second was The Sopranos Family Cookbook. I hadn't started watching The Sopranos at this point, but I was familiar with it, so I chose that book. I remember thinking that if I didn't care for it, I could give it away.

The book arrived a few weeks later. As is my practice with a new cookbook, I settled in to read it. By the end of the first chapter I knew three things for sure: One, I was keeping the cookbook, two, I really wanted to see this show, and three, we were going to be making a trip to the grocery store, soon!

We've made a lot of meals from that cookbook over the years. From basic "Marinara Sauce" to "Bistecca Pizzaiola" this is the book I turn to time and again for homestyle Italian recipes. Some have become family favorites, such as "Eggs in Purgatory," which features eggs poached in zesty marinara sauce and served over garlic bread topped with mozzarella cheese. One weekend we decided to tackle the "Sunday Gravy" recipe. This is the original meat sauce; it uses pork neck bones or spareribs, veal stew meat or veal shoulder bones (we used beef ribs instead of veal), Italian sausage, and ground beef or pork. It was a lot of work, and it was much richer than the pasta sauces we are used to, but it was delicious and well worth it. However, after all that work, I just wanted to taste it as it was instead of using it in a recipe. I think we made a "cheat's" version of Baked Ziti at the time, but we always intended to go back and make the actual ziti recipe.

Fast forward a few years to a couple weeks ago, and it was finally time to make the ziti! I had made a huge pot of meat sauce (not Sunday Gravy) to make lasagna and I had quite a bit left over so I decided to make the ziti (it was a pasta kind of week!). Even though I wasn't using the Gravy, I did make the Little Meatballs and added them to the meat sauce. This recipe itself isn't really difficult, preparation is a pleasant amount of basic cookery; chopping, grating, boiling, and assembly. Once I slid it into the oven I settled back to wait for it. I was interested in how this recipe would turn out; I was sure it would be tasty but I couldn't see how it differ much from lasagna.

Oh, how wrong I was.

While Baked Ziti does use essentially the same ingredients as lasagna, there is alchemy in the preparation, construction, and design of this dish that transforms it into something else entirely. Suffice to say, lasagna has met it's match in our house. The layering of the ingredients gives the same experience as lasagna in that you get to savour several tastes and textures in one bite. The difference, as far as I can tell, lies in the use of smaller pieces. The smaller ziti pasta, the tiny meatballs, and the cubed mozzarella all meld with the sauce, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese and make this dish ooey gooey wonderful. Although it would be delicious any time of year, it is picture perfect for cold Fall and Winter nights.

This link will take you to a version of the recipe that's very close to what is in the cookbook. The only difference that I can see is that the cook, like myself, used their own sauce instead of the Sunday Gravy. If you're picky, the cookbook instructions say to cut the 8 ounces of mozzarella into a "fine dice" while the cook of the link version says "small pieces." I'm probably splitting hairs but to me there's a difference. Or, you could pick up the cook book; I notice that Amazon does still sell it. It's a great read, especially for fans of the show. Enjoy!!

Nesty Creations - My First Craft Fair!!!

2010-11-08T00:43:00.000-08:00

I had a great time at my first craft fair! Not a lot of sales, but it was a lot of fun and I think I will do it again in the Spring!

Here are some pictures of our table and wares. I sold a collection of Christmas ornaments as well as some "Tiny Totes;" little bags perfect for hands-free shopping, strolling, or dog walking. I also made the Christmas bunting that decorated our table. My table partner Ann sold her original jewelery designs. I really like her creations; we purchased some for Christmas gifts last year and I bartered a Tiny Tote for a pair of earrings (the funky pink shell ones in the photo collage below).

Despite low sales (and developing laryngitis!), I had a lot of fun! It was great to get out, meet people, and see what other crafters are making.

Have you participated in a craft fair lately? Do you sell your products online, either through Etsy or your own site? If so, I'd love to hear about your experiences!

Have a great day!

Happy Weekend!

2010-11-04T21:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

As I announced on Wednesday, I'm participating in my very first craft show this weekend. Things get rolling tomorrow afternoon, so I am going to be wise and get ready tonight! And so, dear readers, I hope you will forgive me for not writing much of a post today! I'll be back on Monday, and I'm looking forward to visiting some of your blogs for a "real" visit, not just a peruse in my reader! We've been "staycationing" the last two weeks and so I've been spending time with my family instead of blogging quite as much.

Thanks for your understanding! I'll see you on Monday!

Kim

Window to My World - Pumpkin Rock

2010-11-03T00:22:00.000-07:00

When you move to a new town, it can seem strange, cold, and lacking when compared to the place you came from. I have discovered, however, that in time, something pretty amazing happens. Suddenly, your "new" town becomes "your" town, a warm, familiar place with traditions and customs you now embrace.

Last Halloween, actually, just after last Halloween, we discovered one of our town's unique traditions. Starting November 1, people from around the town bring their Jack-o-Lanterns to a rock face known as "Pumpkin Rock."
We're not sure, this may actually be a fairly new custom, but it is one that we were excited to join in this year. And so, despite the heavy rain, today we headed down to Pumpkin Rock to deliver our Jack-o-Lanterns to their final home. They seem pretty happy to be there:

We were really impressed with the pumpkin carving skills on display at Pumpkin Rock:

After I said good-bye to our Jack-o-Lanterns one last time, we went for a drive to check out the local Inukshuks, which had been decorated for Halloween:

And that, my friends, was Halloween in our town, a place that has come to feel very much like home!

A Nesty Halloween "Post-Mortem"

2010-11-01T00:28:00.000-07:00

I absolutely adore Halloween, and we had a really great time this year! As promised, here is a photographic review of our "Halloweekend!"

We started things off on Saturday night with a Halloween party. I was pleasantly surprised at how many of the attendees came in costume. I decided to get all dolled up a la "Mad Men" in a wonderful vintage dress my mother found at a Value Village store several years ago. I added a bee-hive, bluish red lipstick and some pearls, and I was ready to go!

One of our guests had celebrated a birthday earlier in the week, so we feted them with a cheerful chorus of Happy Birthday, and, of course, a cake:

This cake was featured in the 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Halloween. Another great idea I discovered from Martha was the idea of having a Halloween Candy Bar:

This station proved quite popular and it sparked many fun discussions about favored (and not so favored) Halloween treats. I am already planning a Christmas Candy Bar for our annual Typsy Eve bash (more on that in a future post).

We had a wonderful party. Our guests brought some really yummy treats; I'd like to say I didn't have cake for breakfast, but, well, that would be a lie. We slept in and were pleasantly surprised that there was very little clean up required the next day. A load of dishes, a sweep of the broom, and a trip to the barn with some garbage, and we were finished! We had plenty of time to play dominoes, drink coffee, and carve some pumpkins!

I used the same set up from the Candy Bar to display our Halloween Treats.

We love to decorate for Halloween, and every year we pick up a new piece. The treat bowl above was this year's addition, while the groovy silver jack-o-lantern was 2009's. Below is a collage of some of our decorating, with a sampling of our decorative pieces:

The Trick-or-Treating part of the evening went well; we had approximately 30 ghosts and goblins come to our door. We still have lots of treats left over (oh dear!). In between visitors, I enjoyed sitting by the fireplace and getting the Halloween reports from my friends and family across Canada via Facebook and the phone! Now, the jack-o-lanterns are almost out, the door bell is silent, and it's just about time for one last cup of tea and maybe, just maybe, one more mini chocolate bar (but only one, I swear!). Tomorrow, I can't wait to check out all the great Halloween stories in Blogland!

Have a wonderful week! 'Til Wednesday!

Something New - Nesty Creations

2010-10-29T01:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloweekend!

You may be surprised to discover that today's post has nothing to do with Halloween. In fact, it isn't going to be much of a post. You see, I've taken on a new endeavor; next week I'm going to be participating in my first craft show! After years of crafting for my own entertainment, I'm going to take the plunge and actually put my stuff "out there" and see how it goes.

Like Nesty the blog, Nesty crafts are a mixed bag. I'm not a master of any one craft, but I know what I like and I know what I like to create. I'm not going to knit for this one (although I like knitting very much) but I am going to be presenting a unique collection of handmade items. There will be Christmas ornaments, possibly some mini-album / gift card holders, and some sewn items like these adorable little bags that have been taking up all my time the past few days:

I'm aiming for quality, not quantity; I'd rather have a few well-made items than a table full of junk. And so, I'm taking the time with each project to pay attention to the details, like careful pressing and seam finishing. I'm quite pleased with the final result.

I'll be back Monday with a Halloween "post-mortem." (Sorry, I couldn't resist that one!) Have a wonderful weekend, and a very Happy Halloween!

Window to My World - Halloween at My House

2010-10-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

I just love decorating for Halloween! Here are a few pictures of what I've done to make our home spooktacular for Halloween! Enjoy!

How do you decorate for Halloween? Do you decorate the interior of your home? What about the exterior; is there a wreath on your door, a pumpkin on the patio, or corn stalks and hay bales on the front lawn? We'd love to know!