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Category: Ten on Tuesday (page 3 of 6)

A bit more…a bit less…

With a new year…new calendars are in use. I’m finalizing on my One Word for 2016. For this first Tuesday of the year, some math in the 10 list: 5 things I want to do less + 5 things I want to do more…

Starting a weekly meal plan habit...

Starting a weekly meal plan habit…

More…Reading

Less…Mindless TV Watching

More…Meal Planning

Less…Food Waste

More…Knitting

Less…Yarn Stash

More…Moving

Less…Sitting

More…KonMari

Less…Clutter

What do you want to do more in 2016? What do you want to do less in 2016?

Beyond the 25th…

We’re “in the home stretch” leading up to Christmas day and many of us are in full hustle & bustle to get everything done before Christmas morning. On this Tuesday before Christmas, 10 things I’m looking forward to after the holiday rush.

New Christmas art captures a favorite word!

  1. Boxing Day = Reading Day – The family is planning to enjoy a low-key day on the 26th – lots of reading is on tap, probably some napping, easy menu plans have already been put in place (& ingredients purchased).
  2. Connecting with High School Friends – Sunday evening will be another fun evening of reconnecting with high school friends – we had such a fun time last year, we all were on board to do it again this year (& invite a few more to join us).
  3. Knitting a Christmas Gift (again) – While blocking Christmas gifts last week, I discovered that 1 of my gifts was a snack for something & there were un-recoverable holes. Replacement yarn was immediately ordered & shipped to Georgia – the skein dissolved into massive tangles when Mom went to wind it. So, there is no way the replacement will be completed and under the tree.
  4. Catching up on the Scoreboard Cowl – I’m lots of games behind…once number 3 is complete, this will become the priority knitting.
  5. Confirming my One Word for 2016 – after cultivating 2015, I’m working towards the word for 2016…more to come…
  6. Starting a Bullet Journal – For the new year, I’m going to give this method a try for my planner approach because recent years haven’t had something that has really stuck with me.
  7. Restarting the Kon Mari journey – It’s time to buckle down & continue to work through the house and only keep the joy sparking items.
  8. Making February travel plans – some fun items are on the calendar for the first and last weekends…now to make flight arrangements…
  9. Plant an amaryllis – planting a new bulb as the new year begins and watching it grow is such a visible way to see progress through the long (& dreary) winter slog…
  10. Menu Planning – I’m looking to do a modified Whole30 in January and while I’ve done some menu planning in the past, I want to focus on this more as this year starts – not just for these 30 days but to carry through the year.

While this may look like a lot…it’s actually a nice combination of items with a deadline/schedule and items that will just go with the flow.

What are you looking forward to once the holiday rush subsides?

Holiday Enjoyment

It’s that most wonderful time of the year…the holiday season that is filled with so much fun, excitement, joy, anticipation…sometimes it seems like busyness and stress can overtake the enjoyments of it all…today’s ten prompt is a good moment to pause: 10 Things I Really Enjoy About the Holidays – so in no particular order…

My favorite nativity

My favorite nativity

The nativity on the mantel – While I have several nativities that I’ve picked up over the years, the white clay scene on my mantel is by far my favorite. I started picking up pieces of it while on assignment in Wisconsin and chuckle that it is from a Georgia artist. Over the course of several years I picked up almost the whole set and last Christmas the WI family had a great “gotcha” of getting me the remaining pieces. As I said to a dear friend just last week, “who knew I’d have to go to Wisconsin to find a bit of Georgia home.”

Christmas lights – On trees (we subscribe to the “you can never have too many” mode)…on houses…simple candlesticks in the windows…big displays…not a huge fan of blinky lights…the glow of the lights in the living room is delightful this month…

Christmas tunes – From fond memories of Bing Crosby and the John Denver and the Muppets Christmas albums playing on my Fisher Price record player when I was laid up in my bedroom during 2nd grade Christmas to the eclectic mix of Christmas tunes in my iTunes these days, now is the time for all the music from kitschy to cherished.

A joyful addition to the tree this year...

A joyful addition to the tree this year…

The season of giving – I think I’m more excited as an adult with the anticipation of dear ones opening gifts than I was a child looking at the presents under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning. Throughout the year, I jot notes and pick up things along the way and enjoy capturing personalities in the gifts I give.

Kids for my Kids – Several years ago I began the tradition of donating goats through Samaritan’s Purse in honor of the dear kids in my life. One year, I gave each of my kids a small wooden goat as a reminder for them about being able to help others. Nowadays, #GivingTuesday is when I make sure this order is placed…and I’m lucky that my company matches the gift to make the donations go even further.

Christmas movies –Our family enjoys a wide variety of the classics…Miracle on 34th Street…White Christmas…Christmas in Connecticut…Mame…It’s a Wonderful Life (only on Christmas Eve…and more. Love Actually is one of my favorites. And the Hallmark Channel movies seem to pull me in this time of year.

Simple family traditions – In recent years, some of our family traditions have morphed to match where we are currently. New favorite additions are an appetizer supper on Christmas Eve (complete with Christmas crackers and paper crowns) and Boxing Day becoming a reading day where we all stay in with our stacks of Christmas reads and the leftovers from the appetizer supper.

Christmas morning – We ease into Christmas – Mom is normally the first one up and gets coffee going; Dad & I are next; at some point we “finally” wake up my sister. We open our Christmas stockings and then pause for breakfast – normally scrambled eggs & Mom’s awesome orange rolls. After breakfast, coffee mugs are refilled and the present opening begins in earnest – gifts are handed out one-by-one so it takes us a long time to clear out the tree…even on the years we say we are cutting back…

A spectacular light display in the 'Ville

A spectacular light display in the ‘Ville

Looking at Christmas Lights – It’s not really Christmas until the family has piled in the car to go look at lights. Seating assignments have changed from years and years ago – I’m now the driver as we are in the Edge with coffee for each of us in the cup holders. In the ‘Ville, we have a bit of a meandering loop that takes us by several big displays that are done by neighbors for neighbors.

Peppermint – While I don’t fall down the “pumpkin spice everything” rabbit hole, I do really like peppermint. Candy Cane Coffee and Decaf Candy Cane Green Tea are in heavy rotation.

A Charlie Brown Christmas – In recent years I’ve decided that this is my favorite of the TV Christmas specials. When you get down to it, the reason for all the hustle and bustle and all the enjoyment is that story that Linus so simply tells…

What are the things that you really enjoy about the holidays?

Right Now…Thankful

While thankfulness is something I’m mindful of year round, as the 4th Thursday of November draws near each year, I find that I take a few extra moments to focus on what in my life causes me to be thankful. For today’s Ten on Tuesday, the prompt is “things I’m thankful for right now” – so, in no particular order…

If Nantucket Cranberry Pie is being made, it must be Thanksgiving...

If Nantucket Cranberry Pie is being made, it must be Thanksgiving…

Vacation Days – combined with the company holidays, they allow me to be down here in the ‘Ville for a full week with the family…

Wifi & Email – Even though I’m on vacation, I still need to have a bit of connection to work for some projects that I’m driving…thankfully email can be accessed & dealt with from anywhere..

Church Family Thanksgiving – Our church here in the ‘Ville has a lovely tradition for the Sunday before Thanksgiving where instead of a “traditional” service we pause to reflect on the Thanksgivings in our lives and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together. The whole event has us seated around round tables in the sanctuary and sharing together…

Family Time – Last week, a friend at work asked what all the family was going to do while I was home – when I commented that we didn’t necessarily have a lot planned but we can be happy all sitting in the living room lost in books with mugs of good coffee, she commented that she wanted to do that…

A Kindle filled with good books – Our schedule (or lack of it), for the week means plenty of time to plow through several titles…so far, 3 books have been finished since I left PA on Saturday…

A Packers win – a bit silly, for sure…but it was fun to cheer on the game with the whole family on Sunday afternoon…seeing my sister respond to some plays was especially humorous – no emojis in our standard game-time texting can quite convey her passion at some moments…

Operation Christmas Child – On Sunday afternoon, Mom, Rebecca & I shopped for and filled shoeboxes for 4 children. I’m thankful that Mom & Dad instilled in us from an early age the importance of helping others…

Social media – Honestly, this is a love/hate relationship…but I’m thankful for how I’ve been able to reconnect with high school friends in recent years – and the opportunity to see them when I’m home in the ‘Ville…

Desserts for breakfast – Growing up, it was always a treat when Mom made baked apples for dessert…because most of the time it meant that we would have dessert for breakfast the next day. These days, a new tradition is leftover Nantucket Cranberry Pie for breakfast on Thanksgiving Monday since I now make a double batch of this “new fave” treat to take to church Thanksgiving on Sunday…

Air Travel – Yes, sometimes this can be quite frustrating…but it makes living far away from family more bearable when I can easily catch a flight home for holidays and other times…

As we pause this week, what are you most thankful for right now? 

Bucketful of Summer…Revisited

Labor Day has passed, Columbus Day is around the corner…schools have been back in session for 4-8 weeks…the sunlight is starting to change…morning temps have already flirted down into the 40s a few times…meteorological summer has given way to autumn…leaves are falling and the season has changed. At the start of summer, a Ten on Tuesday prompt was for things I’d like to do before autumn rolls in. So, as the seasons change, a check-in on the list…

Summer Bucket Scenes

 

  • Continue to exercise konmari as I tackle the stuff in my house. I recently read “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.” While I didn’t progress as quickly as I would have hoped, the #konmari is happening in my house. My bedroom and bathroom are complete. The kitchen is almost done. Next it is time to head into my office/guest room and start tackling books and then everything else. To date, a lot of things have exited the house: 12 bags of clothes; a large bag of sample and travel toiletries to a local women’s shelter; kitchen appliances & more that I “had to have” & realize now I don’t need & don’t fit in with life these days; in addition to pulling items for donation, it has also sparked joy to see some items leave my house & go to friends that will enjoy them.
  • See a movie at a drive-in theater. Our intention was good…but the timing didn’t work out to enjoy a kid friendly movie under the stars this summer…there’s always next year.
  • Take in another Iron Pigs baseball game. The last Sunday in June was a perfect day to take in a double header from the Bacon Strip
  • Add another presidential library to the “I’ve visited” list. (Truman, Carter, Reagan, Bush 2) Yes and no. The intent was to tour the FDR library as our family vacation in New York began. We ended up not having the time to tour – but post cards were picked up. It is on our list to do another time.
  • Can some jam. Definitely achieved – through 2 canning adventures. The first time was a Sunday afternoon with Gretchen and her girls at their house. Later on, a couple of hours in my kitchen yielded tomato jam. Now, I have jars stored in the closet for gift giving and meal enhancement as the seasons change and the summer produce becomes a distant memory.
  • Enjoy some family vacation time at summer camp in upstate New York. Most definitely achieved! This is a week that is staying with all of us and definitely goes in the pantheon of great family vacations.
  • Send a pack of t-shirts away to become a t-shirt quilt. My pack of t-shirts has returned to me from a visit to the textile factory in Massachusetts and is now a cozy quilt for cooler days ahead. I’ll share the quilt in another post.  
  • Achieve my “summer reading challenge” at the local library. My target is 12 books – of course, they consider summer to end on August 18th. Where’s my reading ribbon? I completed a baker’s dozen by Labor Day. Reading is a year round sport for me and I have several reads going at any one time. I set a 2015 reading goal on GoodReads for 40 books in 2015 and I’m well on track to meeting (& maybe surpassing?) that goal.
  • Spend some time coloring in my copy of “the” Secret Garden coloring book I picked up in London last summer. While I didn’t color in the Secret Garden, I have had fun coloring in the Paige Tate coloring books. This is an activity that is staying in rotation.
  • Complete a photobook for 2013 or 2014 with the Shutterfly Photo Story app. So this didn’t happen. While I have both photobooks started, I just didn’t find the spark to dive in and complete them this summer. Historically, I’ve been more productive with scrapbooking in cooler months…I’m anticipating this item will happen as the temps drop.

While I didn’t completely fill my summer bucket list – without a doubt the bucket has been filled with fun (&productive) times. As the seasons change and routines shift, I’m pulling together new items for my list – it will be fun to see what happens as the pages of the calendar keep marching onward.

What was on your list of goals for the summer? Did you achieve them? What is on your list for autumn and winter?

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