Sausages (Pigs in Blankets) Saturday

[helia]

We support you in your happy thoughts, trissie! Pursue the beauty in the world that makes your heart soar! It's different for each of us, I imagine. There's such a great variety of beauty out there, imho.

[helia]

My brain dump; it got disconnected from my first email.

WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Sat 10:30 gym outing with dd30/ Dinner for 5 brought to the Gs' home by 5:00 pm/ 6:30 movie showing
Sun 9 - Cmas drama at church?/10 - 11:30ish church service/ 6 - ? host Sunday dinner for 8? / 8:15 - 9:30 family zoom call

Mon 8-11 window - chimney sweep and pest control here/ 1-1:40 instructor mtg./ 1:40 - 3:30 payroll: teach AAS D13 FINAL EXAM
Tue 10 - 11 haircut/ KS2J get together?/ host dinner for dd30's friend L + family/ shoes - night 1
Wed Cmas Eve service? / shoes night 2
Thu Cmas dinner for 8?/ light the candles and read stories/ shoes night 3
Fri date with dh?/ shoes night 4
Sat SINTER KLAAS - breakfast and planning session/ write poems all day/ evening - celebrate SK!

December Brain Dumps
This Week - House
- towel laundry
- can I scrub the tile in our shower?

This Week - Deskwork
- make appointment with optometrist
- Memorial thank yous
- reach out to JK?

This Week - Christmas prep
- wrap other gifts
- Finish shopping: dh
- order seafood for the paella

This Week - Errands
- get Mom's bags of stuff to the charity
- buy more wrapping paper and labels
- buy more yarn

General Brain Dump
- progress decluttering clothes - wip
- new phone eventually

Mom
- go through bag of Mom's knick knacks

[Bama]

Good morning!
Sending you all tidings of good cheer.
Just thinking out loud here so feel free to ignore me.

To Do Today
Saturday - clean and party prep
Weigh
Emails, notifications
Water
Breakfast - sent dh out to get something
Wfd - el paisito
Walk dogs
Brush Beau
Pet chores - feed, water, scoop and refill litter
Swap out litter boxes
Dust
Spot clean floors
Vacuum
Mop
Monthlies - wipe down doors, polish cabinets, clean glass
Dining -
Storage racks - move out of the way
Laundry - my clothes need to be folded and put away, couch covers, chair covers
Bathroom -
Work on office
Kitchen -
Dw
Make pineapple pudding
Fold napkins
Foyer - tidy shelves
Living - box up fall decor, decorate mantle, find home for crate
Paper -
:30 on paper pile
Start wrapping gifts
Planner
On hold Craft - fake cupcakes with spray foam - need to find spray foam and white paint
Outside -
Cut magnolia, eucalyptus stems - seems too messy now so on hold
Soak and wash glass bottles
Shop: need gifts for dd1 and dh

*Prep for party* (need to compile lists)
Menu - ham - need to thaw, turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce - put in fridge, corn pudding, cornbread muffins, rolls, lettuce and sour cream, birthday cupcakes, assorted candies, cookies, meat and cheese platter
I cheated and bought several frozen casseroles so just need to heat and eat.

[trissie]

helia, even a tourist visa from countries with visa-waiver, as per the latest proposal should mandate providing social media history from the past five years, email addresses used in the last ten years, telephone numbers from the previous five years, and detailed information on family members. You should probably check with an immigration lawyer close to your niece's visit to see the full requirements at that time to prevent running into problems.

When are you hosting that party, Bama?

TaDas
- 30 on laundry
- declutter make-up and nailpolishes
- 3x10 minute room rescue - master bedroom, master bathroom, office
- load of "dark ooopsies" (things the girls found in their room when I sent them to clean it; though to be had, this was mandated more by the cat puking over some things) running
- decorate tree (DH and kids)

ToDos
- afternoon routine
- strip and remake DBD's bed
- 3x10 minute room rescue - living room, kitchen, downstairs hallways and bathroom

Braindump
routines
- evening routine
food
- dinner
- bake something sweet
- freezer cooking
organization
- update land contract
- rework contract with DS14's therapist
- have kids check and empty backpacks (no forgotten food found on Jan 4)
- DBD's speech therapy
- 15 on filing
cleaning
- strip and remake all beds
- spiff up twins' room
- spiff up DBD's room
- spiff up DS13's room
- spiff up kitchen
- spiff up living room
- spiff up downstairs bathroom and hallways
- spiff up front porch
laundry
- load of cleaning rags
- load of towels
- load of linens
- ironing
- folding
- mending
- laundry put away
me time
- 15 of exercise
- Bible study
- reading
Christmas preps
- decorate gingerbread cookies
- assemble gingerbread nativity
- go over box of decorations - anything else we want up? if not, put it in attic

- more Christmas baking if anything seems interesting? all family favourites are done
House&Holidays - I kinda really should do something about it
- week 3 deep cleaning - DBD's room
- week 6 deep cleaning - twins' room
- week 7 deep cleaning - master bathroom
- week 9 deep cleaning - living room
- week 10 deep cleaning - kitchen
- week 11 deep cleaning - pantry
- week 13 deep cleaning - storage spaces
- week 14 deep cleaning - public spaces
- week 4 Christmas tasks
- week 5 Christmas tasks
- week 6 Christmas tasks
- week 7 Christmas tasks
- week 8 Christmas tasks
- week 9 Christmas tasks
- week 10 Christmas tasks
- week 11 Christmas tasks
- week 12 Christmas tasks
- week 13 Christmas tasks
- week 14 Christmas tasks
- week 15 Christmas tasks
- week 16 Christmas tasks

[Smile*Lee]

Good morning, all!

Lots of holiday cheer & fun to read about. I'll get cuop on breaks. It's a clean house day. Getting a little late start, but I think I can get everything done today.

Our NC trip was productive & travel went well.
• We met with the garage door guy - need to make a decision on color.
• Wood floors - I started out expressing my preference for light wood stain - and then got talked into one of the darkest. I told the contractor that I didn't like it and I want to see the floors before they're stained. We went out and look at one of his spec houses that has that dark, blackish brown stain. SO glad I caught that. I really do not like it.
• I added to the bottom line - again. G wanted the stairway down to the lower level open. But, it's not totally finished down there - and it looks like you're looking down into a deep, dark hole. I had mentioned that I wanted a door in the past, but so far, had been ignored. Soo... pulled out my assertive voice when I'm being overlooked on things that are important for me.
• NC Arboretum. For decades, we've watched them set up lights for the Winter Lights festival in October, but have never been here to see it. We got tickets to go take look. It was so pretty. They have a special exhibit of huge trolls. They're 7-9 feet tall in various poses. It was a pleasant surprise to see the kids allowed to climb over them. Trolls - A Field Study The Artist, Thomas Dambo, is Danish. Winter Lights The pics don't do it justice, but you get the gist.

Off to Flybys!

[Kittykatt]

Hello everyone!

Happy birthday wishes to DS10 FFB! The emails are various admin issues that need dealing with, tedious,but necessary!

So glad you're having a great time, L.Ann!

What a lovely memory to have from your time in New Zealand , Helia!

Trissie, unlike you, I'm not completely au fait with the new regulations for entering the US, but I'm going to admit what I have read scares me! It's still on my bucket list, but definitely not for a few (or possibly more!) years.

Bama, enquiring minds want to know, when is your party?

Smilelee, those trolls look amazing!

The rain held off today, so DNeighbour S has paid ted more of our side of his fence. He's also painted my gate as a "thank you", which was very kind of him. There's still more fence to do, but it's on the side so I don't have to look at it, and in any case it's covered by the climbing rose for most of the year, so if it doesn't get done, I'm not too bothered.

The get together at the community shop was lovely this morning - we all had a catch up and a nice long chat. Since then, I've done a little in in my front garden, run the hoover round and tidied up, and done laundry. Oh, and had a chat with S as well.

I'm not sure what time DH and BIL will be coming home - they're supposed to be cooking a Chinese from Waitrose for supper this evening. I'm currently enjoying an evening with no meal prep, as we're having lunch out tomorrow.

[Kittykatt]

To do:
Cuddles and treats with Matilda, Freddie and Jude
QT
Update latest Waitrose order
Cup of tea
Get up!
Shower/wash hair/moisturiser and sunblock/ clean and floss teeth
S/S bathroom
Physio exercises
Get dressed in casual clothes
Make bed
Scoop cat trays and give everyone fresh water
Cat breakfast and meds /supplements
Breakfast and meds /vitamins for me
Quick kitchen clean up
Load DW
Quick PUPA downstairs
Quick dust and Hoover downstairs
Wind clock
Quick PUPA upstairs
Quick dust bedrooms
15 minutes in tiny front garden
15 minutes in back garden
Go for my walk
Walk Freddie
Lap time with Freddie, ,Jude and Matilda
Head rubs with Freddie, Jude and Matilda
Play with Freddie, Jude and Matilda
Run DW when full
Unload DW
Lunch
Cats' supper
Our supper
Sort out lunch for tomorrow - not this week, We're going out to celebrate DH's birthday
Bake something - not this week, we have enough sweet stuff!
First load of towels in machine
Towels hung up to dry
2nd load of towels in machine to wash overnight
Clothes laid out for tomorrow

Extras:
10.30 am neighbourhood get together for coffee and mince pies at community shop
Would today be a good opportunity to spray at least part of the house?
Will S.do more.to the fence?
Kitchen curtains?
When do I need to take meat out of the freezer?
Wool wash


Garden extras:
[/quote]

[Peaches1000]

Good afternoon!

Next:
-Check email
-Update Toodledo
-Check bank accts/Amex
-DH reim/payroll info
-Enter bank activity in PT/recon

Extras:
-Tasks - (call S)(grocery order)(unload dishes)(Toodledo tasks)
-Declutter/organize/clean - 10 min
-Files/Med Info/Papers/Emails - 10 min

Routine:
-1pm Eat
-Cat - brush/food/water/litter
-Vacuum something
-6pm Eat
-Close blinds
-Open & sort mail/file
-Prep for next day (clothes/calendar)

Done:
-Bedroom - pupa
-Dress/ready
-Foyer Bath - pupa/restock
-Fresh food for kitty
-Open blinds/get water
-Medicine/vitamins
-This & that

[trissie]

Smile*Lee, the arboretum light installations do look very fabulous!
hi Peaches!
kittykatt, I do follow US news and for obvious reasons of my DH's work travels, I also follow the rules and regulations for entry. Can't say I am a qualified immigration lawyer, but gotta say I did actually read a lot of the applicable source materials and laws

TaDas
- afternoon routine
- strip and remake DBD's bed
- 3x10 minute room rescue - living room, kitchen, downstairs hallways and bathroom
- dinner started
- load of towels running
- some joint effort in DBD's room

ToDos
- evening routine
- 15 on laundry
- clear coffee table

Braindump
routines
food
- dinner
- bake something sweet
- freezer cooking
organization
- update land contract
- rework contract with DS14's therapist
- have kids check and empty backpacks (no forgotten food found on Jan 4)
- DBD's speech therapy
- 15 on filing
cleaning
- strip and remake all beds
- spiff up twins' room
- spiff up DBD's room
- spiff up DS13's room
- spiff up front porch
laundry
- load of cleaning rags
- load of linens
- ironing
- folding
- mending
- laundry put away
me time
- 15 of exercise
- Bible study
- reading
Christmas preps
- decorate gingerbread cookies
- assemble gingerbread nativity
- go over box of decorations - anything else we want up? if not, put it in attic
- more Christmas baking if anything seems interesting? all family favourites are done
House&Holidays - I kinda really should do something about it
- week 3 deep cleaning - DBD's room
- week 6 deep cleaning - twins' room
- week 9 deep cleaning - living room
- week 10 deep cleaning - kitchen
- week 11 deep cleaning - pantry
- week 13 deep cleaning - storage spaces
- week 14 deep cleaning - public spaces
- week 4 Christmas tasks
- week 5 Christmas tasks
- week 6 Christmas tasks
- week 7 Christmas tasks
- week 8 Christmas tasks
- week 9 Christmas tasks
- week 10 Christmas tasks
- week 11 Christmas tasks
- week 12 Christmas tasks
- week 13 Christmas tasks
- week 14 Christmas tasks
- week 15 Christmas tasks
- week 16 Christmas tasks

[helia]

trissie, goodness --that's a lot of info to provide just to come here as a tourist. We'll look into these thing more in the new year. Friend LA (sometimes comes to our Thursday dinners - was originally a friend of dd30's) is an immigration lawyer. She deals specifically with undocumented and unaccompanied minors, but she might know where to point us to get the info we need.
Such special holiday displays to see, Smile! I've seen pics of those trolls before but never in person. Glad you caught the dark floor stain! Ours are lightly stained; we prefer as natural as possible. They're warm and almost buttery in their shade.
When is the party, Bama? Are you hosting?
Enjoy the evening without cooking, Kitty!

I've had lunch and am feeling sleepy. My groceries should be here in an hour, and then I'll start prepping to cook. I'm just cooking for 8; the girls aren't joining us.

Main Goals for Today:
1. Work out with girls at the gym
2. Procure groceries for cooking. - ordered; need to put away after they arrive
3. Cook a meal for 8 - 10 people.
4. Order dh's gift - time is getting short!
5. Progress on Thank yous.
6. Laundry? At least 1 load.
7. Fun - movie tonight!

Next:
- empty dw
- start a lol
- some qt

TaDas!
- up; weighed self
- coffee
- dw running
- checked payroll timesheet (some of my tasks are not part of the contract)
- checked bank account; moved $$
- figure out ingredients I need for cooking
- make a Kroger order for the ingredients
- s2s - yes, before working out (my hair is going in many directions LOL!)
- gym - took a tour and joined! It's nicer than the gym I currently go to
- jogged on the track - 1 mile (unless I miscounted, which is possible)
- chatted with dd30 while she was in the hot tub
- home; lunch