It's Salsa Time

10 new jars of salsa.  This is our second batch of the year.  The first batch was smaller (5 jars) and so delicious that there is only one jar left.
This second batch just came out of the water canner and I'm listening to the plink plink plink of the snap lids popping.

Goodbye my sweet Mindy Moo

I've been having trouble giving up one of my dogs...and I've been dwelling on it today.  My sister is coming tomorrow to visit for the weekend..and when she leaves, she'll take Mindy with her.    Well... I think God just sent me a sign that it's the right thing to do.   

I just had to pull Ruby away from a dog fight that was happening pretty much on her lap.   It's the first time that the dogs have fought when I've been around in at least 6 months...probably a year.   
I'm pretty sure both of their eyes are OK...but there are definitely bites and bloody parts....

I always make sure fights don't happen....but... I turned around, and Ruby somehow provoked one... not on her, but between the two dogs.    

I will miss my Mindy Moo, but for her safety, and more importantly the safety of our kids, these two (otherwise wonderful) dogs must be separated :(

We are giving up Mindy instead of Myah, because Mindy seems a little afraid of our loud toddler.   She also has done wonderfully with other animals in the past, whereas Myah does NOT do well with other dogs... my sister who is taking Mindy has another dog, so Myah just couldn't go there.  Also...Mindy is very dependent...and I think she needs a companion animal..while Myah will be fine on her own I think.     My sister has 3 teenagers in the house who will be gentle and loving to little Mindy Moo.   I will miss her soooooo much.  I feel like my heart is breaking a little bit. 

But...it's pretty clear... I don't think we have a choice anymore.

A Little Knitting

I'm working on a baby sweater for a friend for the Ravelympic....oops...I mean Ravellenic games...here's my progress.  Just the sleeves and button bands to go.

We Made Bagels!

Mmmm

I have a plan...and I'm so excited!

I have a plan for a bible reading quilt for my sweet Ruby.    I'm going to get my favourite bible verses for her printed on fabric from Spoonflower.  Then I'm going to make them all into a nice scrappy quilt alternating fabric with verses printed on it, with fun pretty fabrics.

I had a whole other plan...that involved the whole thing looking like a bible, and folding up and velcroing shut to look like the outside of a bible...but... I have decided on this idea..and I think it's going to be not only cute..but easier than my other crazy but difficult plan.

So... as long as photoshop cooperates with me (more like my horribly slow laptop cooperates with photoshop) then I'll be able to get all those verses picked out and printed....

the hard part will be the wait for the fabric to be printed and sent to me...I want to do it NOW!!!

Homemade Bath Salts, for bath or pedicure

So,  I love a pedicure...love.. I mean love!   I love those big massage chairs, and that whirlpool foot bath...and the hot water, and the quiet..or chit chat...whatever, I'm not picky ;)  I just love the little bit of time away and calm..and relax... oh.. and pretty feet!!!

Seriously, my feet get out of hand.  I just neglect them.  Badly.  It's gross really.  Sigh.

I used to take epsom salt baths all the time.   I got massages for my migraines (not the relaxing kind of massage!)  and then had an epsom salt bath after every one by order from my massage therapist.   I haven't taken baths in ages...since being preggers.   Monique said no epsom salts when preggers... I don't know why it's not safe, but I'm a bit of a paranoid preggo so I listened.

Anyways, I decided that to be frugal, I should really set myself up for pretty feet at home.   A bucket (ha!) some epsom salts, a foot file, nail polish.   I can give myself pedicures after the kids go to bed at night while I'm nearly passed out on the couch watching TV with my sweet husband.    Hmmm, I could even knit while doing this I bet.

I did the first one last night, and that led me to miss the pretty smell of the stuff at the spa.   Hmmm, I have a few bottles of essential oils.... can I just add them to the epsom salts?  Why yes!  After some googling effort (tough work people!)  it seems that is exactly what most people do.  Some add colouring, some add glycerin to moisturize, some add baking soda to soften skin, some add (insert something here).

Here's what I'm going to do... super simple:

My homemade bath salts:

4 cups Epsom salts
20 drops essential oil total*  (I have orange, lavender, ylang ylang, peppermint)
1Tbsp Baking soda 
*See the note at the bottom about some essential oils that should NOT be used in bath salts. 

Mix it all together in a bowl.   Spoon it into pretty little mason jars.  Label it with "Bath Salt" or "Pedicure Salt" and the type of scent used.  Make it look pretty by using ribbons, or scrapbook paper (I definitely have enough to spare!) or fabric scraps (got those too!).

I think this might end up being a fun little gift idea.   Imagine a little basket with a couple of jars of bath salt.  A cute bottle of lotion, a foot file or pumice stone, and a pretty nail polish.   Yep!  I'm doin' it! 
 

There is a nice little recipe on the Saltworks page that lists some essential oil combinations.   I'm planning on lavender and orange, although that's not listed there.

They also say that these essential oils should NOT be used in bath salts:  basil, oregano, thyme, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, and bay (Pimenta and Laurus)

Births...and Birthdays

We have been busy around here! 

We welcomed our sweet baby boy in April....and celebrated the 2nd birthday of our sweet girl in June...  we are so incredibly blessed.

Baking Bread....well....buns....

I tried a new bread recipe today...  I wanted to cook BBQ cheeseburgers for dinner...  it feels like spring ya know!    But...I had no buns....and I really hate grocery shopping, so I wasn't going to run out just to get some hamburger buns.     Pinterest to the rescue!   I knew I had a bun recipe to try somewhere.....

I found it!   It's this recipe linked right here!!!     I saw that it was whole wheat... and.... didn't have high hopes.   I do have a ww bread recipe that I like, but....it is denser... and I don't think I'd want to use that for buns....so I wasn't sure how this would turn out.

Well, I've found my new "go to" whole wheat bread recipe, and I know I'll be making this again and again.   It was easy, the explanations are fantastic...there are helpful hints throughout the wonderful photographic instructions....and there are even troubleshooting tips at the end!  (but I didn't need them)

Look how my buns turned out!    They light and fluffy (no pregnancy butt jokes please....I'm talking about the bread)...  Seriously... this has the fluffy texture of my white bread recipes...but...it's almost 1/2 whole wheat....   Look...yum!

 I wasn't sure how much to flatten them out before the rise...  I made them sort of like hockey pucks... they worked quite well as hamburger buns...we really enjoyed them!  I split the recipe into 6 buns and they seemed just about the right size...and I baked them for about 15 minutes... 

See....just right!    Dinner was DELICIOUS!!!   

fun at grandma & grampa's house

Dinner...so cheap

My meal plan didn't seem appealing....so i briefly considered pizza...then looked at my big bag of potatoes and went with suuuuper easy cream of potato soup....
When it was almost done I thought we needed fresh baguettes to go with...but, they take an hour...so...yummm bready snack for me later! Ha!
We got dinner, and a lunch meal each out of this for sooo, sooo cheap!
I'm suddenly on a mission!


Update:   The baguette recipe is this one.  They're not cooked yet in my picture...trust me...they look much better!  ha!

Seriously...it's fantastic, and only takes 1 hour from proofing the yeast to eating the bread...so good... so easy...so cheap. I've been using bread machine yeast...cuz I had it...  I've made this three or 4 times now and haven't managed to mess it up!   


Last time I froze one of the baquettes before letting it rise....then I just took it out of the freezer the morning that I wanted to use it....let it sit in the fridge all day.  Then, let it rise on the counter right before cooking as usual, delicious!


This time I think I'll try freezing one of the cooked baguettes.   


THE SOUP!    In case you're interested I pasted my soup non-recipe below after sharing it with my sister and a friend on facebook...  there ya be...  cheap and tasty meal!  

Super duper easy cream of potato soup
..a non-recipe

-buncha potatoes, I used 5 today
-2 cups milk
-onion of some form (real, powder, toasted, whatevs)
-salt
-pepper
-flour
-bacon bits (or ham...or whatever)

Peel and cut potatoes into bitesize pieces. Boil. Drain out some of the water....but leave just enough to not quite cover them. Turn the heat down to medium or low. Add about 2 cups milk. Mix up about 1/2 cup of flour with some water...as if you're making gravy, add it to the soup and slowly stir in. Add seasonings, tonight I used Epicure 3 onion dip, and Cheese Chives and Bacon dip.. 1-2T each...because I had them...but... I've just used onion powder, or onion flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Microwave bacon bits, (I pick out all the fatty ones) and throw them in the soup.... I let it thicken up...

We eat it with crackers....yummmm...
SOOOOOO CHEAP!

 Yes...I'm on a Dave Ramsey style snowball mission....and I'm madly excited by the possibility of paying off my student loans early... so... how cheap (and yet still nutritious) can we eat ... to accelerate the snowball effect...hmmmm?

I need a budget!

We took the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University course a few years ago (hmm....4 years maybe?).  It was wonderful!  It really changed us, and we did great!...for awhile....

Not like we've been horrible the last 2 years...but, we've certainly  not been gazelles....   my account tracking in excel is tedious to say the least....and while I track every cent...that doesn't mean that it equals out to the budget that I put on paper....     the major fall point has been working the budget during the month.... tracking actual spending to categories...

We've tried cash, and envelopes...and it works great some of the time, but honestly...we buy online a lot, we use debit a lot, we don't carry much cash, and neither of us are comfortable carrying it all around all the time (I know!  these are just silly excuses...I know!)...but...because of this...we'd often not have our envelopes with us!  Or... I would have them....DH wouldn't...so he'd spend from his pool of money and then we'd have to reconcile to the right categories later...etc.... hassle...hassle!    We just simply didn't do it!

So...anyways...  We really....really....need to get back to this!

There is a "Gonna Be Debt Free" group on Ravelry  (see...you knew I'd have to tie knitting in here somehow right), and one of the threads talked about online envelope systems!  Yes my friend....  ..
So, I started reading, and decided to give it a try... I downloaded the free trial of You Need A Budget (YNAB).

I'm now obsessed...partly because with me going on mat leave soon, and our hope of me staying home after, our financial situation is downright perilous!   Makes me realize just how groceryshrinky I need to be.   So..yes....I'm a little scared...but...also... I have renewed motivation!   We're going to do this.... I can be more thrifty...  I'm not sure where we can cut expenses other than groceries....so we'll have to start there.   Boy...it would be nice to not have student loans to pay anymore...I guess that will be our next big snowball, but right now, it's just about trying not to go INTO debt, preparing for our new baby, and living day to day.

Seriously....I've had this program for 2 days, and I already KNOW I'm going to go ahead and buy it..... DH even downloaded the iPad app, and said this is way more manageable than what we were trying to do before.   Yes!  There are apps for iPhone/iPad/iTouch, as well as Android...so you can keep track of your spending while you're out, and you can check in on your budget before you buy, and see if you actually have any money left to spend in that category.  When you get home, you just hit "sync" and it syncs your activity back to your main interface....nice right!   You can use multiple mobile apps and sync them all to the main interface once you're home...

Hmmm...makes me wonder if I can work an iPhone into the budget for me....bahahaha.... OK..maybe I should check our various reward points and see if we're anywhere close to the point of getting a free iPod Touch...that would work for me :D  and I really like FREE!

Third Trimester!

Woot woot!  It's here....the third trimester.    Technically, it started yesterday, but our poor little Ruby has been so sick, all focus has been on her.   I didn't even think about it yesterday.

Yay!  Baby!  I can't wait to meet our little man.  :)

Oh..and our camera BROKE!!!  Right after my fantastic weekend with the Yarn Harlot!   So.. well...glad it didn't break before that..... but...I'll be having a picture free blog for awhile :(

Freezer cooking!

Wowzers!  I just found this website

...and I've found a haven of recipes made for me!    I'm printing a bunch...and hope to start trying to build my freezer stash this week...

Oh...and I asked a question on the blog...and the writer got back to me, like maybe an hour later!  wow!  so helpful!

Operation baby!

So,  tomorrow marks 3 months until my due date with baby # 2.    With baby #1 I had great intentions of having a freezer full of food...and...I had some...but...not a whole lot.   There was a lot of pizza, and take out of other varieties...  wonderfully appreciated meals from friends and family, and then Superworks...which was wonderful also.     But!  This time I would really love to have a LOT more food stored away.

Thanks to one of my good friends for giving me the kick in the pants the other day to realize...it's about now that I can start cooking and storing.    She offered to cook for us!  and help build our freezer stash!  Oh...my..goodness.... this my friends...is an incredibly generous offer....   energy is limited... I'll never finish this on my own....but...now I have encouragement...  and ... gosh...help!

So...I must get at it.    Any favourites?  Anything you love to freeze?   I'm not into beans :(   I'm a comfort food kinda gal.... meat, cheese, carbs...oh yeah!   (wait...I'm supposed to have veggies in there too right?)

Yarn Harlot!

Yes that's right....tomorrow night, I get to go see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee speak here in London!  I'm so excited!  Now if I could just kick all this illness so that I'm well enough to go.

Even better!  There were cancellations for her classes... (I think I was 6th on the waiting list a month or so ago), and today I got a call that I have a spot in her classes as well!)   So..  my dear sweet amazing husband is sending me off for both classes.  Isn't he wonderful!

...now... I just have to pick out which yarn I'll take with me....goodness me!   How to choose!  ...I know it's just for the class...but... for some reason this seems like a huge decision!

Taken by Stephanie, and put on her blog...I'm wearing her knitting belt, it was wonderful!  Really..I want one!

Stephanie speaking on the Friday night

yarn wrapping for tension while lever knitting...don't want to forget this!

ugg...swollen preggo pasty skin girl!

Update:

What an amazing...fabulous...wonderful...spectacular time it was!  I loved it... Stephanie rocks!  ..but...you already knew that!

Look!  Look!  I made her blog!    Seriously...nothing could have tickled me more than this!   

Oh... Stephanie personally helping me pick out yarn for my striped scarf was pretty close...or...being taught to lever knit by the Harlot herself!  ...  really though... I'd be a bashful liar if I said I was totally ecstatic about a picture of me being on her blog :)

Hubby's pick

Just in case you were wondering....this is the warmer that my dear husband chose.... tee hee...   it's for his bathroom...   how cute...  (they also come in baseball, soccer, and basketball)

Scentsy Independent Consultant

That's me!

I'm officially a Scentsy Independent Consultant!   ...and I love it!  I love all the new stuff I've tried out, and I'm completely in love with my "Blizzard" warmer (the warmer of the month for December).

Here's a link to my website, where you can browse, buy, contact me to host a party...or,  hey!  Join Scentsy through me and be a consultant too!

www.scentsy.ca/debbierobson

Here's a picture of the Blizzard warmer....yes...it really does glow like that....it puts little snowflakes of light on your walls, it's beautiful!   .... I love it..and my house smells soooooo good!   Currently....like a hazelnut latte!

Image credit: Scentsy

What?!?!?!

No posts since October?!?!?!   Terrible! 

Well...here is our world in pictures :)

Off the list....on the list

From the Merry Trio pattern (link it last post).   My picture is terrible!...but it's a cute little knit.  If I had time I'm make them all!  

Next up, working on my Aria test knit.  I'm nearly done, and it is so cute.  This is just a wonderful pattern.   I love the designer and have many of her patterns, although, I'm such a sadly slow knitter that I don't have that many finished knits from them :(

After that, it's finish the Springtime in Hollis for Miss Pickle....seriously...there is about 5 inches of a sleeve...and then just the buttonbands left to do..... and it's been lingering for months!  

Perhaps then the cowl for me :)  and then it's on to baby boy knits :D

Milo sweater vests,  blanket buddy bunnies, and soaker sacks/tiny longies, oh and I also really want the turtle butt pattern!.

The checklist

I'm so far behind on so many things....  such is life.

So...here's my crafty checklist:

1. Finish Christmas ornament for swap, check out this cute pattern!
2. Finish Aria test knit (I love this one sooooo much!)  I'll post a link once the pattern is published.
3. Sew money envelope wallet for us - details of brainstorm below...
4. Sew snack bags for me, for Rammy, and more for Kara :)  cuz she said she liked'em
5. Sew crayon/art roll for Jared for his birthday (late!) - like one on pinterest with the broken link :(
6. Sew art pack/pencil crayon roll thingy for Sienna and Shauna for Christmas present extras
7. Sew interchangeable knitting needle holder for me  - still in planning stages
8. Sew baby boy diapers!!!  Yay!!!  We're having a boy!!!!

Ok...so that money system wallet...  I think maybe I'll make the envelopes with zippers...which might be a bit bulky but less than velcro...and seriously....I need a place for change in each of those envelopes!   Also... they will be deeper... with a seam along the bottom edge, separating the pocket part, from button holes...that I will string suede or leather strips through, to tie together inside a suede or leather outer wallet... will close with snaps... 
Sort of like a binder...where the envelopes are the paper....the leather is the binder...and the leather laces are the binder rings....make sense? no?  don't worry...I'll figure it out I'm sure....even if the first one is suuuuuuper ugly :)

Ok..and I'll need a pocket to keep coupons in...and a pocket to keep receipts in...I haven't decided if there should be a mini pocket on the back of each envelope to keep receipts for items purchased from that category...or if the receipts can just go inside the envelopes with the cash...hmmmmmm

Oh...and I did my meal plan for the WHOLE MONTH!