Christmas Recap and Renovations

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. I know that we really enjoyed ours.   We baked cookies

We looked at lights

We decorated cookies at home and with friends

I maintained my sanity

 

We remembered the birds

 

Santa came

 

...and then, when the tree came down we started ripping up our floors! Yes, we are insane. I've been wanting wood floors since we bought this house 6 years ago and we are finally getting around to doing it. It's a TON of work but I know it will be worth it in the end.

 I wonder if this beautiful linoleum is original to our 1994 house?

We are doing the whole downstairs, which includes the foyer, kitchen, dining room, living room and a half bath. We chose a darker pecan wood in varying widths. I'm totally ready to not be living in a construction site with 2 dogs and a 2 year old. More pics to come as we keep rolling on!

Happy New Floors Year!






Pintrest / Instagram / Twitter

Organizing My Planner

Is anyone else as obsessed with planners and to do lists as I am? I wouldn't necessarily categorize myself as a type A, but I love a good list....and I file everything. I always have. Last year I bought an inexpensive, cute spiral bound planner at target and modified it by gluing some envelopes in the front and back for stamps, coupons, appointment cards and my check register. I soon realized I needed something more, so after some extensive Pintrest research (teehee) I settled on a discbound notebook. This way I can change and rearrange it to meet my needs. 

Some of my goals for this planner are

1. I am going to ditch my 1980's check register. I slowly realized I can create my own inside of my planner and since I don't carry a check book (am I showing my age?) there is no need for the little check sized paper book. 
2. Holiday planner: Each holiday season since 2011 I have used a separate notebook for holiday panning. This planner has plenty of space to handle my gift/baking lists and schedules. 
3. Price book: I've started to keep a pricing book for items my family uses most often. So when there is a deal I know to stock up! 

Here are my sections:

• Calendar: monthly calendar/schedules
• To do: daily/weekly do to lists for work and home. 
• Notes: anything that needs jotting down goes here!
• Finance: check register, monthly/yearly financial obligations, bill calendar. 
• Menu: weekly menu and grocery list. Go to list of common dinners, future recipe ideas, etc...

Hope this inspires you to organize your own new planners!

Happy New Year!

We've got black eyed peas, ham and collard greens in the crock pot - here's to a great 2014!

It will be hard to beat 2013. It was a year of firsts with a new baby in the house. She turns 1 in 24 more days so I had better get to planning her big day. I plan on baking her cakes myself as long as I can. At least until she gets big enough to want some character plastered on it that I can't replicate!!