In My Home Meme from the Homemaking Cottage Blog

Shiloah Baker, in a recent Homemaking Cottage post, said: "I created my own homemaking meme so that I would write more regularly with just small prompts to keep me going. I’m assuming, my lovely readers, that you have an interest in what I do in my every day life. I mostly assume that because I’m nosy about how others live their lives too, especially women like me."

Yes! I am nosy in that way, too. I cannot get enough of it, which is probably why I follow so many blogs.

Disclosure: I am one of the writers over at The Homemaking Cottage; however, I read the other articles all the time as well. It is one of my favorite sites.

This is a trial post; I am not sure that anyone cares what I do with my days. Please feel free to comment with a yea (a personal touch is good) or nay (keep it to activities, please) or any other courteous opinion.

Sun-Up

These days I am up just as the teeniest glimpse of daylight arrives. Since we moved to the central time zone, the children have been getting up at 6:30. I preserve my best me-time by getting up an hour before. I often do devotions, get dressed and do make-up (in the dark!), make a list for my day, and prepare breakfast.

Currently Browsing These Home & Garden Books:

Betty Crocker's Best Christmas Cookbook (1999)

Lately I have been reading a lot of children's learning books, but this is a cookbook I have recently used. I tried out the Easy Tiramisu Dessert because we were doing a Very Hungry Caterpillar birthday for our two-year-old and the illustration of the chocolate cake in that book looks just like tiramisu with a cherry on top! It...was...delicious! I don't think I will ever admit how many pieces of that cake I ate myself.

Actually, my oldest son is poring over this book now. No doubt getting ideas. :)

Two Recent Dinners:

This week the family gave me rave reviews on:

Swedish Meatballs (with rice) from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook

and this was pretty well liked, too:

Beef Round Roast with peas and leftover mashed potatoes and gravy

I love Shiloah's dinner of Homemade Subs and chips. That would be popular at our house as well.

Favorite Job Around the House:

This week I cleared out a humongous white basket I bought at a garage sale and put it near our newly-moved bookcases for our library books.

After reading another of Shiloah's posts, I decided to move the children's bookcases out to our living room and to showcase certain classic and recommended children's books. It has worked! They are exploring the books in a way they did not do when the bookcases were back in a bedroom.

What I'm Not Liking Around the House:

The pile of papers and other clutter in the master bedroom. They have been there for far too long.

What I Created This Week:

No, I did not scribble all by myself. I helped the children make this American flag collage. Alhough it is not finished, I worked on knitting my lime-green summer wrap sweater. (I had better get a move on before summer is over!) I also count the fact that I colored the bubble solution in two of the containers so my children can go "bubble paint" as soon as I tape up some paper outside.

Find of the Week:

This is not a vintage find, but a clearance find. ;) My children have only one slightly ragged bath mat so we make do with towels when that one is being cleaned. Now we have this bright rug to use. I love the color! It cheers up their bathroom considerably.

Random Humor In Our House:

Yesterday, our toddler brought a wooden coaster over to me and said, "Coaster." I dutifully repeated, "Coaster!" He said, "Nummy coaster," and cocked his head at me with a grin. A toddler joke! We both smiled as I said, "No, a coaster is not yummy to eat!"

What Is On the Bedside Stand:

The Pilgrim's Regress by C.S. Lewis

A journal and pen

My cute striped bag of goodies: lip balm, hand lotion, cell phone charger, possibly a bookmark...

A box of Kleenex

Sun-Down: 

At sun-down these days I could be: doing an errand, doing dishes, taking a shower, playing a board game with my husband, or, most likely, lounging on the couch reading or knitting. The children are in bed by the time the sun goes all the way down.

Quote of the Day:

I like the quote Valerie Plowman tweeted last year: "Content[ment] makes poor men rich; discontent makes rich men poor," by Benjamin Franklin.

Cute Site of the Week:

In the Kitchen with Audrey