Thrifting!!!

I have been thrifting for over 30 years. I love it. It must be the thrill of finding the deal or something. I do buy new things too but I love thrift stores. Today I bought my grandson a new spring jacket, a winnie the pooh hat for my niece's new baby (don't know if it is a boy or girl - won't know until the birth), a Christmas cookie jar that I find adorable, a snowman case (love snowmen too), also some new puppy dog socks, a baby music player, measuring spoons (few sets), bottle opener, coffee measure spoon (all of the small things in one bag for .99). I am pleased with this small haul.

Recipe for Duchess Potatoes

This is the best video I could find to show how to make duchess potatoes. Mom and I did this a while back, made a large batch, flash froze them and them divided them into freezer bags & froze them. These are great to have on hand, just grab a few, put them in the microwave to defrost a little and then heat them a little. I suppose you could also heat them in the oven. I am too inpatient for that..lol. Anyway, changes we made: we just did however many potatoes we wanted but roughly the size pot the guy has in the video per batch. I didn't have a pot that could go into the oven so we just dumped the potatoes on a parchment lined cookie sheet to dry in the oven. Did the same procedure for whipping up the potatoes but we did not pipe them (messy and a lot of fussing). We used an ice cream scoop to make individual mounds on lined cookie sheets and then like I said earlier, flash froze them to make them still enough to go into a bag with others without sticking to each other.

Mom picked up a 10 pound bag of russetts (best kind for this, we find) for $2 at the Superstore yesterday. We have a date for Monday to make duchess potatoes.

I realize this video is cut off at the end, there is a second part but it goes into the whole steak thing and I wanted to show the potatoes. The only part of the potatoes that you are missing is the piping part (that we got frustrated with). Use the ice cream scoop; it's way easier...unless you are a professional piper.

Once a Month Cooking??

So...been thinking. A while back I mentioned that my freezer died (wasn't very old either) and I went 2 months without a big freezer, blah, blah..anyhoo...I ended up back at something I did a few years..freezer bag cooking. I notice as I am looking up recipes online, a lot of the recipes will fall under "once a month cooking" or "freezer crockpot meals"..things like that.

I have only started in a small way so far. It is normally my MO to dive head first into something and go a little over the top with it before I pull back...lol. I made 2 shepherds' pie last weekend, froze them. I have 2 and 1/2 buffalo chicken dips and today I made 2 chicken/rice bakes, froze them.

When I did this a few years ago, I got into the freezer bag recipes where you get a large recipe, divide it into gallon freezer bags, get air out, label..all that stuff and you lay them flat to freeze and you can stack them easier and store more of them that way. I don't know how I got away from it, because it really is convenient. I use my crock pot just about every day but yesterday my daughter and grandson were here and we were busy all day with visits and an appointment, I had to work @ 5, so I threw one of the shepherds' pie in the oven and ta da!! Everyone said it was really good and it must've been because by the time I got off work, none left. I'm glad they loved it. Anyway, if anyone is interested, I can post the recipes that worked for my family. I didn't use a recipe for shepherds pie, just made it up like my Mom does...hamburger and gravy on the bottom, whipped potatoes on the top. Of course, spices in the meat and a little sprinkle of love.

I'm Back & I have an idea

Wow, the holidays just came and went that quickly. It was lots of fun to just kick back in pj's, sip coffee and surf the net, try out my new camera gear (external flash & tripod). I am enjoying those gifts soooo much. The flash is awesome and I can tell the difference in my photos..for sure. Anyway, so I spent a fair amount of time on photography and took up a very old hobby (knitting) which I haven't done in...hmmmm 35+ years. Anyway, getting a little hooked on that too.

Anyhoo...it occured to me yesterday as I was pouring melted beeswax & bacon grease into a jar, tying a tampon string to a pencil and placing it atop the jar, centered and leaving it to harden......hmmm....I wonder if I should just do all of this stuff I have always been doing for a living?? It just might work. Why not. I am doing it anyway.

PS: I love my bacon scented candle.

Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano Acoustic Cover (Jorge and Alexa Narvaez)

Happy Holidays Everyone!!! I love this little family...so adorable!!

How Bout Cupcakes??

She is adorable. Don't you feel like saying that some days when your family says "Ma, what's for dinner?". They would've loved it when they were little. I have two children left at home and it seems like they are hungry all the time. Growing young men; they'll eat you out of house and home. I feel like I am at the grocery store every other day. I do have a budget though and try to stick to that but find it more and more difficult. I need to focus more on that in the new year. Our freezer, which was only 4 years old, died before Halloween and we thought we would manage for a little bit without one...bad idea. I spent more in groceries going to the store more often because who goes in and just gets the five items on the list? Not me. Anyway, new freezer has been ordered and will be delivered next week. Nothing like cramming the Christmas baking in at the last minute, huh?

Top 10 Funny Kid Videos!

GAWD, I love kids. This video is adorable. Funny how kids can always make you smile. I am blessed to have five wonderful children & my eldest is 30...that still seems unbelievable to me. The years; how they fly by...sniff, sniff

Studio photography at home.

This is a great little video because it is simple, fun for kids and he walks you through the shoot step by step. I absolutely love taking photos of my grandchildren, but one is a little too old for this and the other one is too young. I am definitely looking for fun ideas to keep the baby focused on me while I take his photo (he is soon to be eight months old) and my granddaughter at the ripe old age of 12 already has the model pose down pat..lol. She is a natural.

Here a few photos of my grandson that I took on the weekend. I really should've made some decisions ahead of time re shutter speed etc because some of my shots turned out too blurry to use, which is always a big disappointment. I had one that would've been perfect as he has his head back, crying, having a little meltdown and he is wearing the Bah Humbug hat I bought him. Anyway, you could make a whole video of the setup to take photos because that is the funny part. My husband will be my helper when trying to get my grandson to smile for a photo and he will do just about anything to make that happen.

I saw an idea on Pinterest where you tape Christmas wrapping paper to the wall and then you pull it down and onto the floor and then sit the baby on the paper making it a wall cover and a floor cover. Well, that lasted mere minutes until he ripped it right off the wall and tried to eat it. Anyway, lots of fun.

DIY Pop Up Flash Diffuser Part 1

I am sharing this video because I find it really helpful. I just finished a six week course in photography and because the class started from the very basics forward, we only had time to touch on some things. I find this interesting and also great that you don't have to spend extra money to diffuse the light that you are working with. Like I said, I do have an external flash on my wish list but one of these tips may come in handy until then. I am really interested in finding out ways to make different light sources without breaking the bank. There are plenty of DIY soft box ideas and that type of thing. Now, if only I could get my husband interested in building some of them with me..lol. I have lots of experience being crafty but zero when it comes to doing anything electrical (too bad because I just watched a video on how to build a softbox). The easier the design, the better for me and even better if you can use stuff you already have or you can buy fairly inexpensively.

Photography - How To Make a Beauty Dish

I love these diy kind of videos. Camera equipment can be pretty price so it is nice to know that you can make a few things on your own. I am totally going to try this one once I get an external flash. I mentioned to Santa that I would love to have one. I wonder how much a beauty dish costs at a camera store? I am going to look it up and let you know. I think you could buy all of the materials for this diy jobbie at the dollar store. Gotta love it.

My Dream Job - Newborn Photography

How much fun would this be?? To spend your day photographing and posing little newborn babies. I also get that it must be a lot of work on these shoots but aww...look at the babies.

I come from a bit of a "baby crazy" family. Just last week my niece saw a woman at the grocery store with two babies, one tied to her back and one tied to the front and proclaimed "that is my dream". Oh how my sister and I chuckled at that. Well, I actually laughed so hard I snorted. Be careful what you wish for, dreams do come true. I am only half joking, I love that she truly meant it when she said it. She loves babies that much and that warms my heart.

I was just thinking, if I was a baby photographer I would likely get lots of volunteers to help out at the studio. I can think of a few family members that might be fighting over the babies. I better give this whole thing some more thought. Back to the drawing board.

Free Hugs Prank: $2 Deluxe Hugs

I'm thinking about starting my own home business..lol. My sister and I have actually talked about this. Well, not the actual selling of hugs but just how much some people love it, who gives the bests hugs, etc. Who couldn't use one, right?  $36.00 an hour isn't so bad either, right?? wink, wink

I have to go call my sister and tell her we need to grab some bristol board and head down to the waterfront. I know she will make more money than me; damn her and her super deluxe hugs!!!

Conflicted over Candle

 

I am feeling a little conflicted over this candle. I don't usually buy food scented candles. I prefer the smell of clean linen or the spa (and I have to smell them all to find one that isn't too heavy).

 

I bought this particular chocolate chip cookie one because recently I went to visit my second eldest daughter and when I walked in, I thought she had just finished baking. I was instantly happy. This is both good and bad. It smelled good and it tricked me, but then I was really disappointed that she didn't have cookies. See what I mean? I decided on buying just a tiny one. Thought process: if people appear to be disappointed that there aren't any homemade chocolate chip cookies, I won't purchase another candle. This one is actually a tiny one that was $1 something at the Superstore. Great....now I want cookies to go with my tea. Sigh!! really wish I had purchased the linen one..damn it!!

I ate a Poorman's Meal today for lunch

I enjoy watching this lady and hearing her stories. Can you imagine not being able to go to school because you didn't have socks to wear? 93 years of wisdom and stories. She is adorable. Anyway, I thought I would take Clara's advise and cook a poorman's meal toay (with a few adjustments). I used potatoes, onions, cherry tomatoes that I needed to use up, spices, some leftover ham and what was left in a bottle of Frank's Hot Sauce (only a few teaspoons but that was enough). I first put the potatoes and onions in the pan with the olive oil and fried that up for a bit, added the tomatoes, then near the end the ham, hot sauce and a bit of cheese on the top. You can see in my picture that I hadn't stirred it after adding the sauce and cheese. Anyway, it was really good and I used her advise and just looked in the fridge to see what I could use up. I watched another video that suggested one week a month just cook with the stuff that you need to use up instead of running to the store. Thanks Clara!!

How to Tidy Up in Three Minutes

I love this. I think throwing everything into a laundry basket is a great idea. I don't think I would throw crap into the tub though...someone might look in there. Great tips. Not sure if I could complete all of the tasks in 3 minutes though.

I once took all my dirty laundry in my trunk and parked myself down the road in my car while potential home buyers checked out our place....lol Whatever it takes, right? My laundry room was quite small and with five kids and all that laundry?? It was a good idea to take it away.
I can picture people doing this 3 minute tidy and then never emptying out the laundry basket and having baskets and baskets of random crap in your closet. I couldn't, it would drive me nuts but some people can manage just fine.

My OCD has taken on a new life form in my middle age...good lord. A lot of people tell me they are like this and that everyone has a touch of it. Who knows. I know that I have to keep my living room rug lined up with the couch and even on both sides, can't stand it when a picture isn't straight on a wall and the list goes on and on. I guess I get some of this from my mother. She is an extremely neat person who takes some things to a whole new level. Example: Her linen closet is perfect, everything with crisp corners and all lined up, color coordinated (pretty much)...crazy!!! Anyway, she rasied three daughters and one son and I think we all failed Linen Closet 101. I know I definitely did. I actually gave up on the closet in the guy's bathroom. Sometimes it looks like they just stood back and threw the towels in there. It was just too hard to keep up with everything or expect them to keep it exactly like I wanted it. You have to pick your battles and a linen closet is not worth it to me.

I say a clean kitchen and bathroom when someone is visiting is the most important. If you have a multi level home, like me, concentrate on the level where you will be entertaining and drop kick anyone who dares to go to another level.

Dollar Store

This song is pretty cute. I have to admit it, I shop at the Dollar Store. I know a lot of stuff is junk but you can actually find some pretty decent stuff too. I have some soy candles that smell similar to a spa candle that I had which was around $20.00. I love to practice with photography and I can buy some photo props there. I bought my grandson a santa hat, which I had to pin in the back to fit him, some plastic ornaments and a string of lights. One photography homework assignment (for my class) was to take a photo with spot metering. This is how it turned out...oh, and thank god for the dollar store!!!

Ellen DeGeneres ~ "I Love Jesus But I Drink A Little" With Gladys From A...

This is an oldie but so funny. Gladys is awesome and of course, so is Ellen.

Gangnam Style Halloween

Happy Halloween Everyone!!! If you like to watch people dance, you will enjoy this video. This song is all you hear lately - very popular.

I think I've gone bloody bonkers!!!!

Believe it or not, I shopped for stocking stuffers today for my husband and two sons and then brought the stuff home and wrapped it all up. I am not sure what came over me. I got looking at some Christmas stuff on Pinterest and the next thing you know I decide to run out and get a start on the shopping. This does not mean the momentum will keep going. It could just be an isolated incident. I am just one of those people that get something in their head and then I just have to go and do it.

I have to say I find it harder to think of something for a guy's sock than a girl's. I used to shop for my three daughters too and it just seemed so easy. They liked so many things: make up, hair bands, pens, smelly stuff...easy peasy. I find it more difficult to pick things up for the guys (that they will actually use).

I found a few suggestions on Pinterest and thought it may help a few of you out. I was able to make a mini list from this big list and managed a lot of things from the Dollar Store (gum, floss, toothpaste,chapstick etc.)

Just click on the link:

http://thelifeoflulubelle.com/2012/09/29/100-stocking-stuffer-easter-basket-and-gift-bag-ideas-for-men/

Sons Just Don't Get It!!!!

I have five children, the three oldest being girls. Girls tell you what is going on and keep you up to date on things. Boys, at least mine, not so much.

My youngest son, in his last year of high school now, has repeatedly forgotten to tell me about class trips, permission slips, and the list goes on. Over the years I have rushed to the school with a packed lunch in hand as the entire class waits for me so they can carry on with their trip. I am wondering if the teachers think I just don't care or I am tired out with all these kids. Seriously!!!

Anyway, in keeping with that theme, I receive a letter today inviting me to a celebration at the High School YESTERDAY to recognize the academic success of my son (oh, and other kids too).
Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of him, just disappointed that I wasn't at the school. I was here at home doing laundry and other mother things. His reaction "no big deal Mom, here are the certificates and things they gave me". Great, thanks!!.

This is my baby, his last year in school, best he has done in his entire school career and I wasn't there to be a cheerleader...hmm, maybe that is why I didn't get invited.

Oh well, sons just don't get it, or perhaps Moms don't get it. I'm not sure.