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It's been almost 3 years since we moved into this sweet little house. I love this house. It's cozy, welcoming, and comfortable. I like the way it is laid out. I like the open floor plan. I like everything about it... except for the way it looks from the outside. (And, okay, I don't really like the basement, and there may be a few other itty bitty things I would change. But really. That's all.)

What we have here is a late 1960s flat-front, one-level brick home. No porch, no gables, no architectural structure at all in the front, no depth. No landscaping to speak of. Smallish, flat front yard. No trees. (We had to cut down the one large oak tree that was in the front. It was dying a slow and dangerous death.) Here's what you see from across the street:

I love gardening and landscaping, at least in my head. Actually getting out there and doing the work is a trickier proposition. First, sometimes it's just more of a project than I can tackle by myself. Second, lots of it has to be done when it's 200-freakin-degrees outside. Have I mentioned how much I detest hot weather? Third, I'm lazy and I procrastinate. Um, yeah... Can't deny it.
So every time I've pulled up to this house for the last three years I just kind of squint my eyes and try not to focus on how weedy the flowerbeds are, how bare the yard is, how stark the front of the house appears, and how badly the front door needs to be painted.

Here is one of the weedy flowerbeds.

The time has come. Here's what I've done so far:

Cleaned out and replanted the front flowerbed. Looks better, doesn't it? I cut down the dying hostas (maybe you're not supposed to do that, but I couldn't stand watching them wither any longer), removed the scraggly alyssum, and weeded. Then I planted a Dwarf Alberta Spruce (bottom), a Daybreak Exbury Azalea (middle) and a row of Mums (right side). The bush at the top of the picture is a PeeGee Hydrangea. The other green is leftover annual foliage. Poppies, if I remember correctly. Oh, and there's a wee Lavender bush up at the top in front of the Hydrangea.

I also cleaned out the flowerbed on the other side of the door, planted a Hibiscus “Kopper King” bush in it (beside another PeeGee Hydrangea; I like Hydrangeas), and planted some purple and yellow pansies in the front corner.
With better-looking flowerbeds, I was encouraged to tackle painting the door. So, two trips to Home Depot and a few hours later... it looks much better. I love the black and green.

Before: plain jane.

After: fresh and groovy.

I'm not embarrassed to have people over now! Unless Joe lets them in through the garage... Ahhh. Next project.

Welcome to the first-ever Listing the Week Post (the new, improved, official Monday material here.) It's your chance to get yourself in order and your week planned out before it hits you (on Wednesday) that you don't have a clue. It's my chance to be motivated to get things down on paper, because that's what keeps my life in order.

Without further ado...

The Food List (What's in the Pantry, Menu Plan Monday, and other Food To-Dos and Ideas)

What's in the Pantry this Week?

(The Food List)

From the Food List we get to the actual eats for the week:

Menu Plan Monday

(The Dinner List)

Monday: Smoked Ham and White Bean Soup, Fresh Bread
Tuesday: Melt-In-Your-Mouth Sausages, Pasta
Wednesday: Butternut Squash Curry (except with acorn squash), Rice, Carrot Raisin Salad
Thursday: Winter Squash Soup ( this one with orange juice or this one), Chicken Salad, and Yeast Rolls
Friday: Ham Tetrazzini, Marinated Cucumbers, Fresh Bread
Weekend: Sweet Pepper Chicken, Roasted Root Vegetables
Lunch Options: Topped Baked Potatoes, Filled Yeast Rolls, Quesadillas, Shepherd's Pie (for Joe).

The Kitchen To Do List

Make bread and yeast rolls
Dry lemon balm and feverfew
Puree and freeze basil
Make oregano-infused oil
Run vinegar through coffee pot and dishwasher
Wipe down open shelves
Make a dessert (I never think of these, but Joe loves dessert.)

Upcoming Food Posts at Kitchen Craft:

(The Food Writing List)

What to do with Winter Squash
Quick Chicken Dishes
Make Ahead Dinners
Breakfast Options (quick, suitable for toddlers, filling)
Simple Vegetarian Meals
Preparing Vegetables (simple, nutritious, and tasty)
In Season Fruits (and what to do with them)
Preparing for Thanksgiving Food
Better Holiday Sides

What To Do in October (what's left of it...)

• Go for a hike in the nearest wildlife reserve or state park.

• Visit the zoo. The weather is great. Dress appropriately (think layers) and take your own thermos of hot cider, cocoa, or coffee as well as some bottled water. Leave them in the car if you can't take them in, and enjoy them with a snack (peanut butter crackers, apples, cheese, trail mix, cookies, granola bars) before you head home.

• Pack some food, a couple of big blankets, a frisbee... meet at the park after work one weeknight or go during the afternoon on a weekend. If it's chilly, take hot soup in a thermos, wear layers, and warm up by chasing the frisbee around or flying a kite. Take a walk. Take photos of the fall leaves. Take a family photo while you're at it (great for Christmas cards). Enjoy your meal together.

• Plant bulbs in the yard before the first freeze!

• Plant trees or shrubs now.

• Check out free activities in your area and make plans now. October, November, and December usually have lots going on, but schedules fill up fast. Decide what you want to participate in. Say no to the mediocre stuff. Spend your energy and time on what you enjoy.

• Take a drive, hike, or bike ride in an area with lots of trees and enjoy the view.

• Find some live music in your city, schedule a babysitter, and enjoy a great date with your husband. Eat dinner before you go, if you're saving money. Enjoy dessert or coffee while you're out. Hold hands. Think warm, loving thoughts.

• Figure out what you're doing for Halloween. Do you take your kids trick-or-treating, or do you prefer a harvest party, or do you choose not to participate at all? Make your decision, let your kids know the plan, and eat plenty of candy corn.

• Make chili. October screams for a big pot of chili.

• Sit down with your husband and firm up travel plans, holiday activities, etc.

• Decide on a budget and a gift list for this Christmas, if you haven't already.

• Wake up early after the first frost. Bundle up and go for a walk in the crisp, frosty air. It's invigorating.

Thanksgiving Food

(The Random List)

Turkey
Cranberry sauce
Chicken and Dressing (you may know it as stuffing, no chicken involved)
Cornbread
Green beans
Pumpkin pie
Sweet potato pie
Pecan pie
Pumpkin Cheesecake (my sister's... mmm)
Mashed potatoes
Green salad
Jell-O Salad (always... somebody brings one)
Gravy
Roasted vegetables
Yeast rolls
Sweet potato casserole
Pecans
Pineapple cheese casserole
Candy corn
Gingerbread
Turkey sandwiches
Fresh bread
Coffee cake (the “morning after” food)

What do you think of?

This Week's NOT TO DO List

No worrying.
No spending extra money.
No moping around!
No saying yes to everything.
No skipping my 'daily' walk.
No being sulky instead of telling Joe when I'm upset/worn out/overwhelmed.
No forgetting to call my friends back.
No fast food.
No more than two nights out between M and F.
No forgetting to eat/take a break during the day.

This Week's TO DO List

Finish painting storm door and front door trim.
Get fresh gas for mower so Andrew can mow and trim the yard.
Plant the remaining bushes and bulbs.
Get Joe to tape, mud, and sand the drywall.
Paint the drywall and the cedar in the living room and entry.
Get Joe to take closet doors down in master bedroom.
Write articles for Bright Hub.
Keep up with blogs.
Plan for the chili party.
Research high estrogen levels (which my midwife thinks I have).
Read with Mara and Robbie lots!
Answer emails.
Clean the house.
Oh, I think that's enough...

Image Credits: Menu Plan Monday graphic from OrgJunkie.com; the two fall trees from Athena's Pix; candy corn from 0595; Thanksgiving turkey from scubadive67; No sign from Neubie.

Prepping Your Pantry for the Holidays

Photo by La Fattina

As I see it, there are four food categories that make the Christmas holidays different than the rest of the year. There is social-event food, like the appetizer you'll take to your sister's open house or the pies you will make when you have the neighbors over for dinner. There is big-family-dinner food, the traditional turkey-and-trimmings or your own version of what befits the holiday family meal(s). There is holiday food, like peppermint fudge and cookies. And there is gift-giving food, which could be a bottle of wine for a hostess gift or an elaborate arrangement of all those cookies and jars of preserves and summer sausages and your grandmother's baklava.

I love food. I love holiday food, whether it's candy corn in October, turkey and dressing in November, or cookies and spiced cider in December. That's my version of holiday food, and I'm sure you have your own. The point is, though, that the food requirements go up, way up, during these months. It can break your budget (over and over again) if you don't do some planning ahead.

Read the rest of the story...

The 10 Essentials: Getting Organized for the Holidays

Photo by Lin Pernille Photography

Don't panic.
You still have time.
Take a breath.
Let's get one thing straight, before we step into organizing: you don't have to do anything this holiday season. Don't make cookies. Don't put up a tree. Don't host a party. Don't go caroling. Don't send cards. Don't do any of those things unless you want to. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice... whichever holiday is yours, make it yours.

That said, let's get to organizing. If you are choosing a minimalist holiday this year, good for you. If you're going the full gamut of holiday options, good for you. Either way, being organized will make your life calmer, more peaceful, and more enjoyable.

Read the rest of the story...

(Aside: I'm having lots of trouble getting photos to align correctly. My apologies. I'm working on it.)

Before:

What is all this stuff? And why is it in my closet?

Joe's set of shelves: not so full, but not pretty either.

Um... yuck. Clothes stuffed in everywhere, not folded, socks in cardboard boxes, random bags full of random stuff, shoes all over, old curtains and miscellany in the corner, lots of wire hangers. I hated finding clothes in here in the morning. I am in the midst of a master bedroom overhaul, and this is the first big thing I'm tackling.

And now <sigh of absolute happiness> the AFTER:

#1: Neatly boxed slips and stockings (see photo below).
#2: Joe's long winter underwear.
#3: My jackets and blazers.
#4: Joe's pajamas.
#5: My cardigans and sweaters.
#6: My shirts and thinner sweaters.
#7: Joe's sweaters.
#8: My hanging shirts.
#9: My pants.
#10: My shorter skirts.
#11: Joe's t-shirts.
#12: Joe's pants.

#13: My dresses and longer skirts.
#14: My long winter underwear.
#15: My pajamas.
#16: My tank tops and undershirts.
#17: My sweatshirts and t-shirts.

#18: Stuff from top of shelf.
#19: My unmentionables... neatly arranged.
#20: Joe's underwear.
#21: Joe's socks.
Empty shelves!

My helper.

Am I the only person whose menu is affected by the weather? I just looked up my 10-day weather forecast to help me decide what we'll be eating, and on what day, this week. Do other people do that? Can you stand eating hot soup on a warm day? Do you reject cold entrees on a chilly day? Does your menu change if it's raining? It's only at certain times of the year that I actually have to check. Summer will be, oh, HOT AS THE... well, hot. Uncomfortably hot, so there's no surprise there. Winter will be refreshingly, beautifully cold. In between is where the surprises hit me. I keep planning soup and getting 85 degree days. This week I'm looking ahead.

Monday: (Sunny; High 84/Low 59) We have a 7pm meeting on Mondays, so I'll make a big batch of vegetable stir fry and rice noodles that we can eat in a hurry, or even on the way if necessary. Plus there will be extra to nosh on when we get home (around 10, probably) if we're still hungry. Who am I kidding with the "if"? I'm four months pregnant; I'm always still hungry.

Tuesday: (Rainy; High 71/Low 58). It's DATE NIGHT, so I won't be cooking a dinner meal. I might whip up some blackberry muffins in the morning. I have just enough blackberries from my summer berry picking, bagged and frozen, needing to be used. I like muffins.

Wednesday: (Showers; High 68/Low 51). Now we're getting into my kind of weather. Cooler. I even like gray, rainy days. I didn't get to that fresh tomato soup I had on the menu last week, so this might be the night for that. Or maybe chicken enchilada soup. Guess which one my husband would like better.

Thursday: (Sunny; High 74/Low 52). My Memaw died last Thursday. She was sick, and it wasn't unexpected, but it's still sad and I feel bereft. I lost my other Grandmother in May of this year, so now I have only one grandparent left, my mom's dad. And Memaw was my Mom's mom, so it's one more link to my Mom gone, which makes me sad too. I pulled out Mom's recipe book, which I haven't really looked at since I brought it home last year. I found her chicken and dumplings recipe, and it sounds exactly like what I want. Actually, what I want is to be sitting in Memaw's kitchen watching her and Mom argue over how much milk to add. Weather really had nothing to do with this menu choice... weather of the soul, I guess...

Friday: (Sunny; High 75/Low 55). Since Thursday night meal was for me, and since my dear sweet wonderful husband doesn't really like chicken and dumplings but won't ever complain about it, I will make Friday's dinner for him: some kind of cheesy hamburger pasta casserole-type thing. I know that's kind of vague... I'll come up with a recipe before then. This is his version of ultimate comfort food. Everybody should get some comfort this week. He will have just finished his first full week at the new job. Perfect time for a congratulatory comfort dish.

Saturday: (Showers; High 67/Low 52). Since it's another rainy, cool day, soup is on the menu. I love soup. I'll make whichever one I didn't make on Wednesday, along with a Crustless Jarlsberg Quiche. It's also a recipe from my Mom's book, but a newer addition that I don't remember her having made. I think it was in the "to be tried" category. (She had a lot in that category. So do I.) Sounds amazing, I love quiche, and I really don't like making crusts. It's on.

Sunday: (Showers; High 66/Low 50). Sunday is an iffy cooking day. I keep it simple. I don't plan anything elaborate, because we often end up going to eat with my in-laws (always a yummy good time) or out to lunch with friends from church. If it's one of the rare Sundays when we come straight home, we'll have a) leftovers, b) cold cereal, c) sandwiches, or d) some sort of amazing concoction Joe comes up with while I feed the kids bananas and left-over quiche. He's a great Sunday short-order cook.

Monday: HA ha ha! You actually thought I had something planned that far away?

(Sorry. Couldn't resist. But you don't get next Monday's meal until, well, next Monday...)

Are you menu planning? If you're not, click on the button at the top of the post and get in on the fun. Yes, I said fun. And I meant it, too!

I'm on a meme kick today.

Let's get the party started!

1. Do you snort when you laugh?

No, I don't... when I laugh really really hard I just get quieter and quieter and shake until my belly hurts and I'm just streaming tears. That's a good laugh.

2. Do you have any idea why we don't sneeze in our sleep? Wild guess?

Ummmm, maybe because in our sleep we are breathing deeper and in a more regular pattern so ... so... it prevents us from snorting things up our nose.
NO that's not it. I think it's because the anti-sneeze fairy patrol comes and dances on our bedcovers.

3. Do you give much thought to astrology?

Nope. I know I'm a cancer, and that's about all I know in that area.

4. What is the most expensive thing you've purchased this year?

Hmm, good question. OH, I know. Our most expensive purchase this year is most definitely the transmission for my van, which my amazing husband put in all by himself and saved us a lot more money that it would have cost to pay for labor. He's an awesome husband, truly, and my van runs great now.
5. What kind of shampoo do you use? Loyally?

I buy a different kind every time. I go by smell. Right now I have Sun ... something.

6. Whose music are you really diggin' right now?

I am in a musical desert. I got Plumb's last cd, which was nice but too lullaby-ish.

7. What is your favorite thing about the Fall?
Sleeping with open windows and a cool breeze at night, snuggling under the covers.

Yes. His name is Joe, and he also fixes transmissions.

Appetizer: When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?

Last Saturday - my sister-in-law's first day at her new salon and haircuts are free for family members! Highlights cost me $5. It's great to have a hair/make-up artist in the family.

Soup: Name one thing you miss about being a child.

Zoning out on car trips... oh no wait, I still do that.

Running around barefoot... oh no wait, I still do that too.

Eating candy... oh no wait, I definitely still do that.

Um.

Okay. I miss being able to sit in my Dad's lap. Yep. That's just such a good feeling, to be a little girl all curled up with Daddy. And I have a great Daddy.

Salad: Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.

Butter. No question.

Main Course:If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?

Italian, because I've always been in love with Italy and I want to go back there and stay for a long time and talk to people and understand what they say and eat the amazing food and get fat in Italian.

Dessert: Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…

Done having babies. (Pregnant with my third right now.)

My Personal Growth Definition

I hold a pretty broad definition of personal growth: anything that is an attempt to better myself, whether it be inward, outward, as a person, a wife, a writer, a parent, a friend, a woman...
Exercising regularly is part of my personal growth. Taking time to pray is part of my personal growth. Having a date night with my husband is part of my personal growth. Planning and organizing my work time is part of my personal growth. Reading to my kids is part of my personal growth. Going to bed early with a new magazine and a little dark chocolate is part of my personal growth.

The problem with such an inclusive definition is that the efforts I am making get swallowed up in normal routines and I don't remember to keep track of what I'm actually trying to accomplish. Then even if I'm making progress, I don't know it, so I get discouraged. I have a couple of methods that are helpful for keeping track of that progress, so I can congratulate myself or push myself a little harder, as the case may be.

3 Ways to Track Your Progress

• Joe's Goals is a simple online tool.
  It makes it easy to organize and track your goals. You're already checking your email, anyway! You create a user name and password (quick and simple form) and then you can add as many goals as you want, and you can add logs to keep notes about your goals. I went a little overboard when I first found this site and popped about 20 goals up there, which quickly became more burdensome than encouraging to keep up with. So I recommend sticking to a smaller amount, the ones that you really want to make progress in, and focus on tracking those.
• Keeping a journal helps me, too.
  I just use a simple spiral notebook, these days, though I've gone from one extreme to the other with what I write in as a journal. I like those pretty, thick journals with unlined pages the best, but sometimes the formality of it keeps me from using it practically. Maybe I'll graduate up from spiral-bound one of these days, but I'm going to keep it simple for now.
  I use it to track progress by simply jotting a few notes down in my daily writing time. For example, right now I write down what I'm reading in the Bible that morning (as well as any verses that particularly stand out) and then usually a little outline of what I want to accomplish in writing that day. On a more "journaling" level, I write about what's frustrating me, what I feel stuck on, what I'm making progress in, what I'd like to work on in the future, what it might be time to drop. It's a good way to think through the choices I'm making in personal growth.
• My daily planner is my other key tool.
  I have a big but simple one: it's 8 1/2" by 11" size, in weekly divisions, so each day of the week has a nice big space to write in. I draw a couple of lines down the days, so I end up with three sections in each day. One shows me my basic schedule, any events or activities; the next is my to do list (non-writing) for the day; and the last is my editorial calendar for the day. My planner is my best tool for reaching my goals with what I'm writing, because it lets me see quickly what I haven't accomplished, what is important, what is due, and when I'm trying to do too much.

Other Ideas

• Make a chart and put it on your bathroom or bedroom wall.
• Find a friend pursuing the same goal and keep each other accountable for daily/weekly progress. This works really well for exercise, for me.
• Buy yourself a reward (something you really want) and then give it to your spouse or a friend for safekeeping. You get it only when you have reached a certain point (lost 10 lbs., logged 10 miles, written 10 pages, called 3 friends, whatever).
• Schedule a particular time every day or week for working on your goal, and note whether or not you keep the appointment.
• Use a coin jar to track your progress: put a coin in for every mile you run, page you write, day you get up early... When the jar is full, count them up! Then go cash in and get something fun. Then start over.