Where Have I Been??

I don't know. But I'll try to get back here soon!

Resolving

I've read several blog posts, notes, and status updates to Facebook, and heard some conversations and comments, and have come to a conclusion. I'm making some resolutions. It's what I do. I list. I plan. I resolve. Most times something gives way and plans change, flex, or eventually go by the wayside completely. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't make a plan.
So, here goes:
1. Lose the Wedded Bliss/Living in Germany/Moving Back to America weight and be healthier.
2. Be flexible, but also firm with things that matter to me.
3. Tell people what I want instead of expecting them to read my mind and act accordingly.
4. Change my Facebook profile pic weekly, and always have someone beside me in it that I love.
5. Do #4 (and other little things) to keep me mindful of all the people in my life that I love and who love me.
6. Scrapbook
7. Work with husband on money matters.
8. Only buy, keep and do things that are beautiful, useful or bring me joy.
9. Accessorize
10. Laugh, Live, Love

That's all I've got for now, but I reserve the right to change, modify, add, delete, steal from lists of others. :)
Happy 2010!

Christmas Music

Inspired by Christy, here are my favorite Christmas songs:

I did this at work (SSSHHH!!!) and I have no speakers there. Hope none of them are bad. I'll check it when I get home. I've been trying to do this for days. Wasn't sure how at first, and my computer is acting up.

Anyway, THIS is my kind of Christmas music.

First is same as Christy's, Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas". I love this song. LOVE it.

and then Hard Candy Christmas, by Dolly Parton. Such a good one! And here is a neat little slideshow of Dolly pics. :)




Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses. Bonus, this video is one of those Christmas lights to music ones that everyone forwards around the email.





Last Christmas by Wham, and now Taylor Swift. I know it's cheeseball, but it's 80s memories!



Heard this one on the radio today, and had forgotten how much I like it. The video is cheezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzy.



and Mary Did You Know? This is Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd. There was another video of Kathy Mattea but it wouldn't allow embedding, so this is the version I am posting.

New Toy!

Beasley got a new toy from her Arkansas Grandparents! She LOVES it. :)

Birdie now only has one feather left hanging off one side. We've been taking it away when we leave so that she can play with it a few times before it is completely destroyed. I give it another day. Two max.

Destruction!

Snow/Ice go away!

Just FYI...This snow is STILL on the ground. It has been a week of temps 0-30. Today is the first above freezing, I think the high was 42, and it is starting to melt. Tomorrow they say 41, so maybe it will be gone by the weekend.

Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful. But an icy parking lot and sidewalks = scary walking and necessity of wearing ice friendly shoes all the time.

Snowfall

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Snow in Kansas

After many facebook posts, blog posts and photos about SNOW IN TEXAS, we got some of our own here in Kansas.

Photos are:

Stephen leaving for work this morning.

Out the door at my office.

Frozen Fall Decor (I threw these away, they were frozen solid)

2 of the front porch

Snow Angel

Me bundled up

And one more of the porch. I really like how the front of the house looks all snowed up!

and it is still snowing. 7-10 more inches tonight.

Dry Kitty

When I was unloading the dryer, Beasley jumped in. She was moving around in there, that's why the pictures are blurry. I swear I didn't actually dry her. But the last one cracks me up because it looks like she took a couple spins! :)

Homemade Laundry Soap

A couple of months ago, when I wasn't working yet, I thought it would be fun to see how much money I could save by making my own laundry soap. The Duggar family does it because they have 18 kids and I'm betting that is a LOT of soap! My friend Shauna tried it, and succeeded. So I was sure I could, too! and I DID! and I love it!

So, today I made a second batch. The first one lasted about 2 and 1/2 months.

http://www.duggarfamily.com/recipes.html

Here is the Duggars recipe. What I do is just a little different because that recipe is for 10 gallons of soap. I don't need or have space for that much laundry soap! So I make it in a 2.5 gallon bucket and just use this recipe as a guide.
I use
1/2 bar soap (grated)
1/2 c washing soda
1/4 c borax

Melt soap in 6c water on stove, add powders and whisk until blended well.
Put 8c water in the bucket and add the melted pot of water and soaps.
Whisk up really well and let sit 24 hrs. It will congeal and separate.
Whisk again and pour into other bottles. Add some more water if you like, I add about 1/4 of the bottle I'm pouring into. It must be shaken before each use as it loves to separate. I use about 3/4c per load. It's not so exact on the measuring, and it seems to work fine. One could also add essential oils if for a scented soap, but I like the nonsmell.

Some photos of how it went down:

In the morning I will stir it up and pour it in some Gatorade bottles I use. Ta Da! Approximate price of each:

bar Fels Naptha $2

Washing Powder $5

Borax $5

OR, in researching that (because I saved the receipts for a while, but have misplaced them now) I found this:

http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=PKG1001

it's a kit to make the soap, and the bar is already grated! of course it'almost $30 this way, the grated soap is $22! But hey, to each his/her own!

Play Dead. Good Kitty!