Refreshing your home

After we put away our Christmas decorations, Dave always jokes that it looks like our house has been robbed.  Since January can be a lean month for spending, I want to find some inexpensive ways to refresh our house after the holiday decorations have been stored.

Change up some framed photos. Print off some more recent ones and put them in existing frames. I just got some photos printed, now to frame them and maybe do a gallery wall in the basement with the many frames we already own but don't use anymore.  This is a little sneak peak of Q's school photos, one that I printed off to frame.  I'll share some more next week.

Move blankets around. If you're like me you have several throw blankets around.  Mix it up with some ones in the closet or in another part of the house you haven't used in awhile, or bring down a small quilt instead.

Use a fresh bar of colourful soap in the bathroom.  I stopped buying Bath and Body Works pump soap and have switched to more natural bars of soap, like the ones from Maison Apothecare.

Take some vases, pitchers or bowls out of the cupboard and use as decorations on your mantle or tables.  Even a colourful mixing bowl can find a home somewhere else.

Spend small amounts for a quick refresh.  You can get bathmats at Ikea for $7, or some new tea towels and hand towels for less than $5 each.  I have lots of tea towels, but I do plan to get a new bathmat the next time I'm at Ikea.  Small plants or bouquets of flowers also give a room a makeover for a low cost.

Clean, tidy, and declutter.  I know this one is obvious but it is free and does a lot for any room.  Don't wait for spring cleaning to get in there.

Media Wednesday

I knocked the first book off of my 2018 Reading List early in January.  I got this book for Christmas so I started it that day and it was a very quick read.  I started with Church of Small Things by Melanie Shankle.

I did not read her two previous books but I think they are quite similar.  The first one being about friendships and the second one being about marriage.  The book was fine, a quick read, some funny stories, but it was not what I expected it to be.  It was recommended by all of the bloggers I follow in Texas (presumably because the author sends them copies of her books for them to promote, although I do believe they genuinely like the book) so that is how I found out about it.  I was thinking that it would have some stories in it about things in her life and then she would relate them back to the "small things" for which we should be grateful, and that there would be more of a teaching/reflecting portion of the book.  And although she did that a couple of times, it was mostly just stories about her, and although entertaining, didn't seem to fit the "small things" category.

In the prologue, she references the bible story about the loaves and fishes, where Jesus takes the lunch that one boy brought with him, and multiplies it to feed the crowd.  She says that the mother who packed the lunch for that boy would not have known that it would become something so important, she was just going about her day, making food for her kids, and completing the "small things".  We are encouraged to rejoice in these small things because you never know what they could turn out to be.  I write about this on a regular basis when I post about small things that really are the big things, so this was right up my alley.  That's why I wished the book did more of those comparison type stories.

I have another book that I think will do a better job of what I'm looking for. I've had it on my bedside table for awhile now and I've only ready a little bit of it.  I hope to get through it next month and I'm hoping it will be more inspiring.  It's called The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst.  The tagline is a little dramatic: "Are you living with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule and aching with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul?" Uh, no and no, but from what I've gathered so far, it is about looking for God in your everyday life and making choices that do His work, so I'm interested.

Weekend Recap

On Friday night Dave made a tomato, red lentil, and chick pea curry for supper.  It called for a apple mango chutney to serve on the side, but instead we served the apple butter that Dave's sister made for us for Christmas.  It was a hit! We enjoyed most of the rather large jar, and Q kept motioning for more! He liked the curry too, but mostly because of the apple butter.   After supper and bedtime, Dave and I watched Get Out.  I had heard a few things about it because I follow Allison Williams on Instagram, but I didn't really know about the plot.  It is a well done movie, I was on edge the entire time.

Dave and E started out to slopes first thing on Saturday morning.  It was a warm day which makes everything much easier.  Lots of friends up on the hill.

Meanwhile Q and I had swimming, and them home for a nap.  Q slept for awhile so we had lunch before heading out for our errands.  Leftover curry mixed with pasta stars (and of course some more apple butter).  After a week of cranky Q, this smiley guy at lunch was a welcome change. 

After a trip to the grocery store, we took a quick walk down to the Humber River to see the flooding.  Last week when the temperatures warmed up to 10 degrees C, the ice came flowing down the river and up over the banks.  Then it rained and the water didn't go anywhere.  It would have been a good skating rink if it was flatter.

You can see the garbage cans in the middle of the photo and see how high the water is there.  That is supposed to be the parking lot.

ON the other side of the bridge by the tennis courts. 

We had my friend Janna over for supper and a movie on Saturday night. I made this pasta, and we had salad and garlic bread too.  We watched Loving, about the interracial couple that finally got the marriage laws changed in the United States.  It was a good movie, but a little slow at times 

On Sunday morning Q and I got up around 6:45 and he actually sat on the couch with me while I watched This Is Us while I fed him a pita.  It was very relaxing and I was glad to catch up on my show.  Then I made some omelettes for breakfast. 

Dave stayed home from church to exercise and clean the house.  The boys and I went to church. I was volunteering in the nursery so I brought Q up to enjoy the first part of the service before going down with the rest of the Sunday School.  He did pretty well and only knocked over the basket of crayons once. 

After lunch, naps, and a movie, we all headed up the street to pick up some supper ingredients and stuff at the Bulk Barn.  

While I made supper, I also made a lemon meringue pie.  When E heard the beaters, he ran over and asked to help out. So he finished whipping up the meringue.  He did a good job.

After everything was cleaned up, we watched SNL that we had recorded and then tried to get to bed early to tackle the week ahead. 

Self Care

I'm linking up with The Blended Blog to talk about self care.  Self care to me isn't just things I do by myself, but includes things that I do with others.

I do like to stay up late to watch TV but I do try to go to bed before 10:00 on a couple of nights a week so I can read for a little bit before going to sleep early.

I like to snuggle with E when I can.  E was never a snuggly baby but he likes to sit close to us now and have us spend a few extra minutes after we read him stories at bedtime.  I know he won't always want to snuggle with us and hold our hands, so I will take it well I can, and it makes me happy.

Q is a snuggly baby so I try to take some time hold him or sit with him on the couch, even when he is not crying.  I don't know if he will always be so snuggly, so I will take it while I can.

Planning and prepping food for the week is also a form of self care.  I always feel better when I have lots of good meals and snacks to take to eat during the week, rather than going out to eat.

Taking some time to exercise.  I am signed up for two classes a week that I do, and each one ends with some savasana (basically the yoga version of lying down) which is a good opportunity to just rest and think of nothing.

I have been good at washing my face each night at the time same time E is getting ready for bed.  I love the fresh feeling of putting my cream on my face and then also taking my contacts out to give my eyes a rest before I go to bed.

I've also been doing a better job of relaxing on the weekend.  I am home all day Saturday with Q while E and Dave go skiing. Although I do get a few things done, I also take the time to just chill out on the couch, drink my coffee, catch up on some shows, and nap.  I get more of my meal prep and cleaning done on Sundays, which is fine with me.

At work, I make a tea or coffee midway through the afternoon.  Even when I am really busy I like taking a few minutes to get up for a break and to bring a hot drink back to my desk to get me through the rest of the afternoon. 

I'm sure I could do more of the traditional "self-care" things like facials, massages, manicures, etc. but those aren't really the things I want to spend my time on.  I wrote a post about being happy and that sort of sums it up.

Friday Favourites

This was a weird week for us so not a lot of favourites happening.  Q was home sick for most of the week, it is still cold out, and Dave and I are both busy at work.  

I made this Lemony Lentil Soup and it was delicious.  It was super easy to do, it's vegan, and is very filling. 

I made some cranberry muffins and reminisced about my favourite Cranberries song.

I loved this clip from Jay and Dan's show this week.  Check it out here.  Courtside Drake is always a must see for me. 

On Wednesday I wrote about why I go to church. 

This is the coffee mug I often use at work.  I found it in the depths of the cupboard one day and I liked its retro feel.  Plus I loved our trip to Jamaica and it reminds me of that, even on these cold winter days.

Thanks for checking in with me today.

Linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for Friday Favourites

and

The Blended Blog for Friday Loves.

Recipe - Cranberry Lemon Muffins

I was already planning to make cranberry muffins this week but with the death of Delores O'Riordan, it seems especially fitting.  My favourite Cranberries song was always Dreams.

It also reminds me of that short lived show Malibu Shores, otherwise known as Keri Russell's debut, where I think it served as the theme song. 

Anyway, onto the recipe.  

3/4 cup rolled oats (I use the quick oats)

1 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat)

3/4 cup white sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup milk

1 egg

1-2 cups cranberries (depending on what you have and how many you want to use)

grated zest from one lemon

Combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  You may want to soften the butter to make it easier, but don't melt it.  

Whisk together milk and eggs.  Pour over dry ingredients and stir until combined.  Add lemon zest and cranberries, and fold in until moistened.  

Scoop into muffins cups.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes.  This recipe makes 12 muffins.  I doubled it when I made it so I could freeze some. 

Why I...go to church

As a continuing series of Wednesday posts, I will tell you about why I do certain things.  The first one is why I go to church.  This was part of the sermon on Sunday and it got me thinking so I thought it would be a good place to start.

Our church is the United Church of Canada, it has been around for almost 100 years and resulted from the merger of the Methodists, Presbyterians, and Congregational churches.  We believe in the bible and the teachings of Jesus, but we are very relaxed in how people practice their beliefs.

The thing I love most about our church is the music. We have a very talented choir with soloists and choir director, and we are get to hear live instrumental music on a regular basis from visiting musicians.  The lyrics and tune of the hymns will often stay with me for the entire week.  Music is a comfort to me and it's just another way to enjoy God's word.  E has joined the junior choir this year and I love to hear him sing.

I also want to raise E and Q with some faith background.  Dave and I both grew up in the United Church and we agree that it is good practice to go to church as a kid.  It is all well and good for someone to say that they want their children to make their own decisions about their beliefs and religion, but in my opinion, if I don't give them a foundation in something, like our church, then it will be difficult for them to ever choose that in the future.  And even if the boys aren't absorbing all of the nuances of the church service, they are learning about sitting still and being quiet in a space.  I have used "it's like church" for setting the standard of behaviour when attending other things so E will know he is supposed to stay in his place and whisper.

It is familiar and that can be comforting.  The hymns and prayers are the ones I have known since I was little and I like that.  I have been going to our local church for quite a few years and I like to see people I know each week.

There are so many causes and charities that I could support that sometimes I get overwhelmed.  I like going to church and making our offering there each week because I know that the United Church does good work in the community and abroad so I feel comfortable giving to it.

Some people practice yoga or meditation as way to centre themselves; church is my way to reset and get centred back on God and the lessons in the bible.  It is an opportunity to listen and intentionally pray.  I always feel better after going to church and it sets me up to take on the week.

These are just some of the reasons I like to attend church on a fairly regular basis.  You're always welcome to come with us!