Wednesday Wonder

SPRING FAIRY LOVE

This pretty little gardener is living on our piano and I love to see her house light up through her windows at night. ;) 

This one flew into my plant. Can you see her magic sparkles behind her? She's enjoying the view outside - probably of the bunnies that keep visiting the yard. 

As I was putting out my Spring decorations I noticed that I had these visitors as well. It's the time of year to start thinking about gardens and flowery goodness ahead...so I guess it's only right fairies would be back to say hello and Happy Spring! 

Happy Homemaker Monday

Hello Dear Friends! 

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! We had volleyball action this time. Annie's tourney was a little out-of-town so it was a 5:30AM wake up call here yesterday morning. ((yawn)) It was fun to watch her in action, though, and I got to watch the sunrise and it was a stunner yesterday! 

Also, we were productive around here with house chores. I started getting more of my Spring decorations out and hope to finish today. My Hubby worked more on our laundry room and hopefully we can finish it up (for the most part) by next weekend. We also had some nice relaxation time, watched some movies and just had an all around nice family weekend. Now on to this week!

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

It's the 1st day of Spring! Yay! However, in the northwoods today it's going to be mild (around 40 degrees), but it's gray and blah out there.  Looks like some chances of rain (or rain/snow mix) this week too with temps primarily in the 30's or 40's. Might get a bit of sunshine a few days too. Here's hoping! ;) 

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

Lemon Isagenix bar and cup of coffee.

RIGHT NOW I AM:

Listening to classical music while I work on this and watch all the animal action outside my tv room windows.

AS I LOOK OUTSIDE MY WINDOW:

It's gray and I'm tired of looking at my patchy - part snow, part grass/muddy ground out there. Spring around here is always muddy and messy! However, I'm loving that it does look like Spring with all the animals being so lively. I'm currently watching lots of chickadees take turns on the birdfeeder, as well as a bunny munching grass out in the yard.  A squirrel has come a few times to steal a few seeds the chickadees drop on the deck.  A pesky big black crow has come a few times to pick on the bunny and I've chased him off. I sure don't care for those birds. Ggrrr. But good morning critters one and all! You help it feel like Spring!  

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE:

Definitely some chores need to be accomplished. The usuals - dishes, another load of laundry, tidying up some clutter from the weekend and finish putting out the decorations so I can put those bins away. 

ON TODAY'S (& this week's) TO DO LIST:

Spring decorating. Appt about my daughter getting her braces on - yikes! Volleyball practice. Time with my MIL. Visit and meal for my FIL. Errands. Work on several projects I'm in the middle of in my crafting world. My Kiddos don't have school the end of the week due to conferences - so I'll look forward to having some fun time with them. They're also off for Spring break next week - so it'll be busier next week too! 

CURRENTLY READING:

I'm currently reading a book about different personality styles for changing eating habits and getting healthy. Got side tracked with this and hope to start the Cursed Child after I'm done with it. 

ON THE TV TODAY:

Cooking shows. Timeless yet to catch up on. Grey's Anatomy to catch up on. And I'm excited that Dancing with the Stars starts back tonight! 

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

MONDAY: breakfast for dinner

TUESDAY: soup and sandwiches

WEDNESDAY: Blue Apron delivery - breaded catfish with black garlic mayo and jasmine rice 

THURSDAY: green garlic pesto pasta with butter lettuce salad and creamy lemon dressing (I love pesto so much - excited for this one!)  B.A. meal

FRIDAY: fontina and beet grilled cheese with a mixed citrus salad (B.A. meal)  

**I've been enjoying our Blue Apron meals and I will share more info about them this week ;) 

WHAT I AM CREATING AT THE MOMENT

Scrapbook catch up - other paper crafts, laundry room project still in progress too.

NEW RECIPE I WANT TO TRY THIS WEEK:

More new Blue Apron recipes - I will share info this week!

TIP OF THE WEEK:

Mommy likey - Lol! 

FROM THE CAMERA:

Beautiful sunrise (in a blur out the window on our way to volleyball)

My Girl in action! Got some overhand serves in this time - yay! And in bottom right shows her on the floor after diving for one...she loves that part! My little jock. Lol!

Some of this started happening around my home and I plan to do more today. Welcome to you Ms. Spring!!

This morning called for a Spring green candle with my coffee

Lots of critter action out my window this morning also sings of Spring!

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

I hope my northwoods will be laughing with them soon! Happy week ahead to you dear Friends!! xo

I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hello Friends and Happy St. Patty's Day to ye! 

As you can see from Felix the Frog's greeting in Annie's garden - we had some fresh snow fall on us last night. So it's a winter wonderland St. Patty's here in the northwoods.  I thought for my 5 today I'd share some fun pinterest ideas for this fun holiday. It's only right on this lovely March 17th? Plus, the Hubby and I both have a wee bit 'o the Irish in us...and obviously passed that on to our Kiddos.  So all the more reason to celebrate! 

ONE

What a fun way to start your morning! With a green pepper shamrock on your breakfast sandwich! You can find this pin here.

TWO

Or maybe this fun rainbow would be a better way to spend your morning calories? Or just for a fun snack! There may not be a pot of gold under this rainbow, but that lemon dip looks like a winner! You can find this pin here.

THREE

And this fun green cake is on our menu for this evening. Annie and I are going to make this after she gets home from school today. ;) You can find this pin here.

FOUR

And I'm so inspired by this cool tree and of course a bit of fairy folk. When I think of Ireland I think of enchanted woods and the magic of the fairies. I love that tree!! You can find this pin here.

FIVE

And I love this leprechaun mask! How cute - I want to stick my face in there and pretend I'm a magical wee person. ;)  Someone take my photo! Lol I think kiddos would love this craft. You can find this pin here.

I'm joining with Amy of Love Made My Home for Five on Friday.

Wednesday Wonder

STILL A BIT OF SNOW...

Ruby all ready for someone to come snuggle.

Do you like my bird action shot?? 

Can you find the camouflaged bunny?

Happy Homemaker Monday

Hello Blogland Friends! 

Happy Monday! Yep, another Monday showed up, so we have no choice but to participate, right? ;)  I'm playing catch up with laundry and things around here a bit as it was a busy weekend of out-of-town for my Girl's last "winter hockey" tourney. (we'll be on to summer hockey by next month!) The kids on the team always love this tournament as it's in the WI Dells and they're known for all of their waterparks. We stayed at the Great Wolf Lodge - which is one of their biggest parks. If you ever go to the Dells I recommend staying at that one...very fun. 

Anyways, in between the waterpark fun - she played some hockey and her team took the championship! A fairly successful weekend. Until we got home and mother nature decided to dump 5-6 inches of snow on us. We were just snow-free again too!! Oh well, for now it's a pretty winter wonderland out there again. On to the week ahead.......

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

In the 20's.  Sunny and bright white with all the new snow. Looks like could warm up into the upper 30's to 40 degrees by later in the week, so may all melt again. Make up your mind Mother Nature!!

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

Toast with a little butter & some jam. Coffee.

RIGHT NOW I AM:

Listening to Praise and worship station and some birdsong on youtube at the same time. So pretty.

AS I LOOK OUTSIDE MY WINDOW:

It's actually very bright and beautiful out my office window. My big northwoods pine trees all over my yard are completely covered in snow. 

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE:

The teenager stayed home this time - with some Nana time popping in to check on things. He did a great job keeping up the house, taking care of Ruby, and even cleaned up the whole place before we got home last night.  What a nice son, huh? (unless he was covering up trouble- haha). No, he's a really good boy. xoxo

ON TODAY'S (& this week's) TO DO LIST:

Really much of the usuals. I think I sound like a broken record here. Lol Kiddos sports (meetings for summer hockey, Annie volleyball practices, I think some indoor soccer stuff too). Visit my MIL. Check in and bring my FIL dinner. Get my exercise time in too. I need to double check my schedule - but I don't think I have appointments this week. Working on scrapbook catch up and future Etsy stuff. I'll run around one day with my Mom this week too - errands etc. And most important - I need to get around and catch up with you, my friends, since I didn't get much time this past weekend!

CURRENTLY READING:

Magazines and more magazines. Lol!

ON THE TV TODAY:

I feel out of the loop here as we were gone all weekend. My Hubby and I did watch Billions when we got home last night. I have cooking shows taped I think. I need to catch up on Grey's Anatomy. We caught up on Blind Spot and on Survivor last week. I absolutely love This is Us and keep up on that show - a big fave of me and my Mumsy right now!

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

Things will be a bit different with my menus, as we decided to sign up for Blue Apron - to try it for something different for a while. We only signed up for the 2 person meal plan (provides 3 meals a week for 2 people), as our kiddos can be so fussy. But Hubby was game for it as I was excited about trying new and different foods we don't usually do. Plus, they have full instructions too - so I may learn some new cooking techniques as well. We'll give it a go for a while anyways, and we can cancel easily anytime. Or even just skip a week here and there if we want. What's also nice is that all the ingredients needed are provided (except something like regular cooking oil when it's needed, and salt and pepper). But all other ingredients, herbs etc are included. So it'll be 3 healthy, balanced, already planned meals that I don't need to grocery shop for or think about. Yay Me! Plus, I'll get to add more fish to our lives - as my Crew doesn't like it as much as I do. This way they may try it a bit here and there - and I'll share with my Mom when they don't care for it,  as she loves fish like me too. You can learn more about Blue Apron here.

MONDAY: pasta, garlic bread & salad

TUESDAY: grilled on the stove brats, baked beans, corn on the cob, fruit salad (thinking Spring)

WEDNESDAY: smoky seared cod with roasted potatoes & dates (Blue Apron shipment  so this is first meal to try- yay!)

THURSDAY: Miso-butter chicken with freekeh & sauteed carrots (B.A. meal)

FRIDAY: pork and cabbage tacos with pineapple & jalapeno salsa (although I'll have mine on the weekend due to no meat for Lent) - (B.A. meal)

WHAT I AM CREATING AT THE MOMENT

Scrapbook catch up - other paper crafts, laundry room project still in progress too.

NEW RECIPE I WANT TO TRY THIS WEEK:

The Blue Apron meals will be new!  I'll share what I think of them soon! 

TIP OF THE WEEK:

 

Love this! ;) 

FROM THE CAMERA:

Love this memory that came up on my FB page the other day. ;)  My Aaron and Ruby look SO YOUNG!! (be still my Mama heart)

Waterpark fun and hotel life....

...with a little championship hockey thrown in! We love #16!!

And then home to about 5-6 inches of new snow overnight. Aaron needs to un-bury his truck. Welcome to life in the Northwoods! 

And a few videos for fun - one of Annie in action. Another of the pretty northwoods trees full of snow and the breezes blowing some of the snow off - looks so pretty. ;) 

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

I'm sharing with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.