Saturday, January 16, 2016

Guest Bedroom Finished

I've been planning to paint our guest room for ages and finally got it done! And I'm counting it as a finish for 2016 even though I did most of it between Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Guest bedroom before

Guest bedroom after

Now in case you think it's a crime to paint beautiful natural pine paneling, I used to agree. But after living with it for 20 years, I'm ready for something that I can actually keep clean. The grooves between the boards had become nothing but a dust/cobweb magnet and I wanted them sealed, so I used Sashco Big Stretch caulk on all joins and around the trim.

Also, it's a little on the blue side but I don't like picking paint colors (too many choices!) so just buy mistint paint for half price whenever I find a light-colored gallon in a white base that's in the right color family. Can't wait to see what colors I end up with for the rest of the house!


Monday, January 11, 2016

Christmas Quilts Finished!

To use up some of my fabric stash several years ago, I started two Christmas quilts and even managed to get them both quilted, but neither was bound and they've been languishing all this time on my quilt rack - two more UFOs (unfinished objects).


1st Christmas quilt sans binding

2nd Christmas quilt sans binding

As my second official finish for 2016, I created a decorative binding from other stash that is sewn on completely by machine - no hand stitching required! How cool is that?

Binding detail (1st quilt)

Fully bound! (2nd quilt)

So do these quilts count as only one finish? Or is it two?

Saturday, January 9, 2016

First Official Finish for 2016

For my 2016 focus word, FINISH, I've created subcategories, one of which is quilts. I have so many UFOs (unfinished objects) and WIPs (works in progress) stashed around the house, it's embarrassing. Anyway, here's the before and after of a baby blanket I started nearly a decade ago that is now my first official 2016 finish!


Unfinished fireman baby blanket
As you can see, I left extra fabric/batting all the way around the quilted fleece center panel to fold to the front to create a border.


Finished fireman baby blanket
And here it is - finally FINISHED!!!

 

Friday, January 8, 2016

Focus Word for 2016

Prerna and Mayank over at Content Bistro recently posted Our Word for the Year: The Powerfully Intentional Way to Achieve Goals as Entrepreneurs and Parents. Well, this got me thinking...

What should my focus word be for 2016?

After giving it some thought, I chose:

FINISH

While simplify was initially at the top of my list, I suddenly realized that if I just finish even a fraction of the things I've already started, other areas of my life will automatically be simpler.

So...

What is your focus word for 2016?


Friday, January 1, 2016

Welcome 2016

Cheers to the NEW YEAR
and another chance to get everything right.
Or not. Either way,
have a peaceful and prosperous 2016!

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Merry Christmas 2015!


And wishing peace and prosperity for all
in the coming new year.

 

Friday, November 27, 2015

Z is for Zzzzzs

Getting enough sleep (aka Zzzzzs – aren’t I clever?) is key to enjoying your trip, and noise and light can both interfere with a good night’s rest while car camping. To ensure you get the sleep you need:
  • Use earplugs if noise bothers you (I prefer SAS Safety 6100)
  • Consider an eye mask if light is a problem (or you can just wear a hooded sweatshirt to bed and pull the hood down over your eyes)
Temperature control may be your biggest concern, however, and heat is likely to present more of a challenge than cold. You can always layer on more blankets but what do you do if it’s just too blasted hot to sleep comfortably?

Well, it’s usually cooler – a LOT cooler – at higher elevations so plan your stops accordingly. After we spent one uncomfortable night in the Utah desert in late June, we resolved not to repeat that mistake. Beings it’s about 3.5 degrees cooler per 1,000 feet of elevation, the next night we headed for the hills. At 10,000 feet, the sleeping temperature was just right!

NOTE: Amazon links, if any, are affiliate. 

Friday, November 20, 2015

F is for Food

In addition to apples, other fresh fruit makes great car camping food. Bananas, for example, each come individually packaged by nature in an easy-to-remove wrapper! A few other suggestions include:
  • Fresh produce – especially baby carrots and cherry tomatoes
  • Dried fruit/nuts (trail mix) – but be careful, this is a very calorie dense snack option!
  • Juice boxes – may cost more but convenience usually comes at a price
  • Powdered milk – good staple to have on hand and available in small packets
  • Uncle Ben’s rice or Stove Top stuffing – sometimes you may choose to compromise for convenience
  • Peanut butter – individual servings or in a jar (kept upright to avoid oil leakage)
  • Eggs – boiled eggs can’t be beat as an easy protein source when it comes to convenience, nutrition and cost
  • Prepackaged, frozen steaks – individually wrapped, these beauties are great on the grill and keep several days in an ice chest

Just remember that the purpose of food is to fuel your body. When spending long hours sitting in the car, you don’t require as much fuel so choose your food wisely. And if you must have candy, buy “fun size” and put the extra out of reach – way out of reach! Also, you can share meals eaten out, which avoids waste, saves money and prevents weight gain. Happy travels!