Purple Tuesday

If we can have Black Friday, I hereby nominate the Tuesday before Thanksgiving "PURPLE TUESDAY".


It's purpose. Well, I plan on thinking about how AWESOME The Minnesota Vikings are. You do whatever you see fit to do with Purple Tuesday. Maybe it is going to the grocery store just to get some milk and snacks. Maybe it is drinking some grape Kool-aid or holding your breath until your lips turn... PURPLE!

#25 Have I mentioned my panic when I look at #25? Pay-off my credit card debt in JULY of next year?! WHAT?! I am really nervous. About what, exactly? Well, for 9 years, Tim and I have been in serious debt! It has been such a burden that we've pulled around with us.  I can barely believe that in 9 months - it will be GONE.  What does that mean for us? Freedom to save, freedom to buy new socks...



#29 is going great.  I won't go into the store without first sitting in the car & scribbling on an envelope or typing a list into my phone.  It totally helps the extra spending.  and when the kids ask for treats or extra things... I just say "It isn't on the list!"  Of course, one time, Hayley said... "MOOOM-IE! Just write it ON the list!"

#57 - SHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Don't tell Tim! 
I cooked a half-vegetarian meal last week!  I mixed a half-pound of hamburger with a half-pound of soy-crumbles!  The girls gobbled up the dish & Tim liked it, too! 



#90 - I totally forgot! I kind of sort of did this! I went to see "Bert & Ernie: Good Night!" at the Children's Theatre Company in October!  We won tickets at the State Fair.  It was SO MUCH FUN.  The girls loved every minute of it.  They sat on the edge of their seats (or my lap) the whole time.  My mom came with and to be honest... the adults loved it just as much as the kiddos!  But I'm not satisfied with that being my #90.  I want to see a grown-up play.

Mid November

I was at JCPenney on Saturday & the Salvation Army bell ringer was outside.  The girls each dropped in a quarter.  I smiled & said "I am not ready for saying 'merry Christmas', so... have a good weekend."

I'm thinking the bell ringers could be out 365 days a year & I wouldn't mind.  They raise SO much money with the extra change in my pocket.  I'd rather give it to them than the Caribou "Tips" jar!

THE LIST:
I kind of cheated on one of the Dr. Seuss books.  I read it while we were sitting outside the library before I had to return it.  It is an "Inter-LIbrary-Loan", meaning it came from another library in the state of Minnesota (Willmar, to be exact).

That's about it for now.  I need to re-read THE LIST and get working!

A Refreshing Weekend

Just in case you were dying for an update:

I went to camp.  I scrapbooked.  I caught up Hannah's professional-portraits book! That was a small task as I only had her 1-year photos & her 2007 Holiday portrait.  BUT it took me a whole day to do!
I also did some sewing.  I started with the girls' Christmas presents.  I made a little fleece blanket for Hannah with Fancy-Nancy fabric.  A lady in our sewing-room taught me a new fleece blanket making technique.  The traveling quilt store had some "Fairy-Feathers".  Oh, my.  This is like a feathered boa, only not feathers.  They are some soft, frilly, shiny-white material that is absolutely fancy & fabulous.  I sewed that around Hannah's Fancy Nancy blanket. 

I made Hayley a fleece "Rag-Time" blanket out of Bright Green, 2 Pinks & a flamingo fabric.  If anyone knows what a rag-time quilt is - same concept, different material.  It is cute, but after I cut the 9-inch blocks, I realized all my flamingo heads will be in the seams & all Hayley will have is a flock of flamingo-butts. Oh, and for the record, no JoAnn store in Minnesota has the flamingo fleece.  :/   Oh, and the lady at the store in Orlando, Florida didn't know what "Fleece" was.  What?

So, while I can't cross anything off my LIST today, I totally enjoyed my retreat & had some much needed rest. 

(note, I didn't say SLEEP.  I didn't sleep.  My body wants to be awake at 7:30am despite the 2:am bed-time).

11/6/09 ~ November Update #1

CRAZY: (CrAy'-Zee) noun' - See Also: Harriger, Sara Lou
What a few weeks it has been.
(insert icon of person who's head is either banging into a wall, or rolling off their shoulders...)

Today, a great event is happening 50 steps from my work.  A new Trader Joe's is opening!!!

As one resident put it: "A whole building filled with people in a good mood."

I am going down there - just to soak up the good mood (and get a milk-chocolate truffle bar).

Today, I am also going in my semi-annual quilting & scrapbooking trip with my mom!
(I also learned that biannual isn't a word.  It is Semi-Annual).

I get super excited because we are going to Camp Lebanon in Upsala, Minnesota.  I couldn't care less what we are doing - but I get to go to camp.  I'd be happy sitting in a chair on the shore staring at the water. 

The first time I went to C.L. I was 6 weeks old.  I haven't missed a summer or winter since.  Camp's "logo" is: A Meeting Place with God. It has never dissapointed.

I will be working on Hannah's 1st-year scrapbook (#69) and her quilt (#83 & 3/4).  I also have 2 scrapbooks of the girls' professional pictures that I'll be working on.

Bring on the camp food.  Pass me a tall glass of iron-filled, rusty water.  Here I Come!

As far as the rest of the list:

#3 - I have finished my 2nd week of teaching.  I LOVE it.  I am able to get up and attend the 9:30am service as well! the girls enjoy going to sunday-school for 3 hours.  I might just have to do a full-time volunteer.  Shhhhhhhh don't tell.
#5 - I sat in Hayley's Preschool class on Tuesday.  They had "Celebrate Hayley" day for her birthday.  It was really fun to watch her in her own little environment. 

Mrs. Orenge told me at conferences that "Caden really likes Hayley" and she is right.  That little boy followed Hayley, sat by Hayley, was always moving where Hayley was standing, constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure Hayley was still there... when they did craft-time, he sat next to her and said "Hayley, your necklace is SO pretty! You did a much better job than I did." *sigh* How precious?!  & yesterday, they were playing together and would NOT leave the class.  His mom was a little annoyed, but I thought it was the most precious thing I've ever seen.

But really, how good or bad can a fruit-loop necklace look?  Mine was awesome because I picked out all the purple & yellow fruit-loops & made an edible Vikings necklace!!

I have failed at #9. Even though they send me an email saying "Renew or Return"... I can't seem to hit the "Renew" button.  Oh, well.  Maybe next week.

#47... Shhhh dont' jinx it.  I did it.

I am doing a bunch of the other challenges - the daily ones are sometimes every-other day... but I have NOT neglected them altogether.

Okay - and if I see one more Dr. Seuss book, I'm going to cry.  I've read one a night for the past couple weeks.

October 24 2009 - Updates!

It has been really fun for me to tackle some of these challenges.  Really, if you break them down - they aren't very difficult.  Like the shredding of our papers.  I turned on Biggest Loser on Tuesday, sat there & shred (shredded?) papers.

I was super busy at work this week with some projects, and there was a large consignment sale in the area that I took part in.  I am SO excited.  I sold enough 'junk' at the sale to buy the girls each a big doll they want for Christmas!  I think I'm adding the JBF sale to my list.  I need to participate if I can.

Back to the List.

63.  Participate in Angel Tree or Shoeboxes (1/3)
This week, Hayley, Hannah  and I went to the dollar store and spent $10 and filled a box!  The girls had the final say on everything (except the toothbrushes).

22.   Shred all the papers in the 'SHRED' bag.

See above. I'm about half-way through.

24.   Spend at least 45 minutes each night cleaning.

I hate cleaning.  But I'm doing it.  Usually I get the trash, laundry, dishes taken care of.  or pick up the girls' room.  If I spent 5 hours on Sunday "cleaning" can that count for the WHOLE week?

97.  Read the Dr. Seuss children's collection to my children (2/66)

I tackled a couple others this week. SERIOUS sleeping pill for Hannah.  I love it.
The funny thing.  One book is called "I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today."  I am thinking... why would you want to lick a tiger & why would it take all day to lick 30 of them?  Yeah... HALF WAY through the book - I realized LICK = BEAT UP.  Geez.  I'm such a pacifist.

Ready for a Sara Lou Ramble?

83-1/2. This is a new entry on my list.  I realized I seem to be neglecting a few important members of my family.  I have on my list 'make quilts' for Devin & Mia... but Don & Shelley's kids are missing from my creative-pursuits.

I started a "tradition" with the Harriger Nieces when Alex turned 4 WAAAY back in 2000.   I made her a quilt.  Then in 2002, I gave Cassie a quilt for HER 4th birthday...  I just presumed at the time, those would be the only 2 quilts I'd have to make.   But the Stork apparently got our parents' Christmas cards because....

Vinnie and Hayley were born in 2004.  Amelia was born in 2005.  Trinity & My Hannah arrived in 2006, Then Devin and Maggie came along in 2008.  And now there is little Saben in 2009.  Hmmm.  Our siblings weren't supposed to be so reproductive in such a short time!!

I know my mom quilts and she made quilts for Vinnie, Trinity & Maggie... and I made them taggies and a fleece.  But I don't want them to think Auntie Sara doesn't care!  Maybe I'll make them matching Easter Outfits next year! LOL! (Could you imagine?)

Actually - I THINK I could get away with just making the piggie-quilt for Mia & ending the quilt tradition. .  I gathered the Piggie fabric the second after I found out Tara was pregnant, so it was really more a quilt for TARA than the baby inside.  The boys can get HotWheels and Toy Guns

Did anyone read all that? I have a friend in Pennsylvania that will make you all Vegetarian Chili & deliver it to your doors if you did.

Ten Days & Counting

I have survived *the list* for 10 days.  I have never been so busy!  It is awesome to see some progress.

The girls' closet is almost clear of any mommy stuff.  I moved the tub of 12-18month clothes yesterday.  I can't get myself to go through it.  One thing at a time.  Right now, my goal is the consignment sale and the shredding.

My mom's advice for many things in my life has been... "You/it didn't get this way in one day.  You can't expect it to be fixed in one day."  That was her motto for cleaning my room, sorting through junk, losing weight...  It is SUCH a good motto.  So much truth.  We (I) have been pack-ratting for 3 years. This is the longest Tim & I have lived in one location. 

I did discover that I have a little helper.  Hayley LOVES shredding.  Yes, I know it is dangerous, yes she'll shred her fingers off... and no she won't.  Her finger are much wider than 9 pieces of paper. Not to mention she's somewhat afraid of the automatic "sucking" in of the paper.   She'll squeel & let go giggling.  "Oh, mommy! That is SO FUNNY how the paper disappears! Lets do yellow now..."

One positive thing I have learned.  Dr. Seuss is better than any lullaby you could sing a kid.  The rhymey-sing-song nature of his writing is stronger than any sleep aid.  The first book knocked Hannah out before page 10.  The second book did its trick on Hayley -  and then Hannah cuddled up and fell right asleep at the end.  Now, maybe I should read them to TIm and he could fall asleep before 3AM.

*insert witty title here*

You'd think someone who excelled in creative writing, would be able to think of a witty, charming title for her blog-post.

I can't.  I think I'm pretty funny, but I'm not.

Here's how my week is going:

I finished my list! #1 has been crossed off!  I might consider replacing it with a "real" challenge in the future, but we'll see.

I updated the look of my blog, so when you go in, on the left-side you can link strait to the big list.  

#23 - I set up half of the filing cabinet & emptied 2 of the 4 boxes!  I can't believe how awesome it is to store my girls' toys in their own closet.

#30 - Tim chastised me for using "WallyWorld" to refer to WalMart.  He said no one calls it that.  He's wrong, because I am somebody & I call it WallyWorld.  So THERE >:P  If there was any confusion... WallyWorld = WalMart.

#33 - I think this will be easier than I thought it would be.  My Cousin Carrie & her family came yesterday & we went to Champps and the outlet mall.

#64 - I researched FreeRice.com and learned how they figure you are donating rice to hungry people.  And I also learned that I can switch the subjects away from Vocabulary.  I am currently doing Countries on the Map.  Wow.  I really REALLY need to study European and Middle Eastern Countries.

#63 I picked up a box & label from Denise (my co-worker) & the girls & I will be hitting the dollar-store this weekend!  (I will wait until after Halloween when things aren't so... Halloween).