Break's Over Honey...

Well, I did it again. I abandoned you for too many days while I returned to work.

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No matter how many years I've been doing this, starting a new job somehow makes my personal life all scrambled. I just haven't been able to manage my long work days with life at home (more on what my work days look like here and here). We eat dinner too late, I ignore my friends and family (not intentionally!!), I forget to do laundry, the kitchen becomes a mess (not to mention the rest of the house), I abandon the blog and the list goes on...

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This time around I've been slowly working at remedying this situation. Let's face it. No one likes being un-organized  (at least I don't...anyone here like being un-organized?!). I can't fix it all at once, but I'm trying to attack the problems in bite sized pieces.

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This week I'm working on staying organized in the mornings right before work and dinner right after work. It's quite amazing how connected they are. The whole thing really revolves around making dinner. If I don't know what I'm making for dinner when I get home I get so behind. I hum and haw over what to make, then I have to actually make whatever it is I dream up, we eat and clean up. When I'm done I'm usually too tired to spend any more time in the kitchen or do anything else for that matter, therefore not making lunch for the next day, or laying out my clothes or anything else I need to do. Leaving it all until the next morning. And I never wake up in time to get it all done and I spend my mornings rushing around my house like a chicken with my head cut off...I'm exhausted just writing it all out...

To my rescue comes: The Meal Plan and my Crock Pot!

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Seriously people. Knowing what I am making every day of the week (I'm working up to a monthly Meal Plan) and cooking it in the Crock Pot is saving me. I come home to a cooked meal, clean up is simple and I have leftovers for lunch the next day. I also have enough energy to plan out my outfit for the next day and hang out with The Boy.

Not only am I only buying food which will be cooked and consumed (saving money on groceries), but I'm enabling The Boy and I to eat dinner almost immediately after I walk in the door from work! Keeping me from being in the kitchen all night.

Dinner isn't the only thing in my house undergoing improvements. I've been examining all of our routines and systems in the house lately and trying to devise some better ways to do things so we're (I'm?) less stressed and overwhelmed when life gets hectic (ie: when I'm working). My goal is to organize and simplify some of our (my?) day to day routines so we can spend more time enjoying life. It might sound a bit lofty, but I think it's achievable with a little work.

These blogs are really helping me stay focused on achieving this goal:

Six Sisters' Stuff - Amazing slow cooker recipes on this site!! I made 3 this week!

Nesting Place - This amazing blogger/mother/wife's motto is: It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. This is advice I really need on the days where I feel like I have to do and be everything to everyone.

Organizing Made Fun - I specifically like this bloggers How to have a (fake) immaculate clean house posts! I'm working towards integrating these methods with my new weekly meal plan routines now that I've saved myself some time in the evenings.

The Minimalists - Strange, yes, I know. A hoarder collector like me reading a blog on minimalist living. Like The Nester, it reminds me that all of this stuff doesn't matter and that sometimes it in fact gets in my way. This blog motivates me to buy less, get rid of more and streamline my life as much as I can. Simple is good. :)

Modern Parents Messy Kids - Yes, I know, I don't have kids, but I have a messy life and this bloggers Organize Your ENTIRE Life posts are very inspiring.


I know, not much of a vintage-centric post, but this is what's on my mind lately.



Lisa.xo


Want more organizing tips? Check out my Pintrest Board on Organizing Tips for more!

New Years Weekend

Where do I start?

The Boy and I had plans to head to the lake for the New Year for some R&R and to test out our new snowmobile.

We never made it out for New Years Eve. We got held up at home and ended up celebrating New Year's on the couch drinking beer and watching Good Will Hunting on TV. Not so bad in my books.

So on New Years Day (which was our 4 year anniversary by the way) we got ready to head out to the lake. I finished packing up and The Boy did some last minute maintenance on the snowmobile. While he was cleaning some parts on the sled he found a broken piece which needed to be replaced. Without this piece the sled wouldn't run.
So on New Years Day we were calling around to see if we could find this part. Ugh.
We found one in a small town on the way to the lake. The owner of the shop would be home around dinner time. So we waited to head out so we could stop there on the way.

We left right before dinner, stopped in, picked up the part and continued on our way taking the backroad so were weren't doubling back to the main highway.

The backroad was very slick and snow covered. It was a slow drive.

And it got even slower when we hit some black ice and hit the ditch in the middle of the bush where we had NO CELL PHONE RECEPTION!!!! Without the trailer (containing a non-operable snowmobile) behind us our truck could have made it out of the ditch, but with it behind us we were stuck.

We flagged down some help who offered to call our family and a tow truck and waited.
Here I am in the truck while The Boy shovels outside:

I look a little stressed out don't I? rightfully so I think.

Here's Dave waiting in the backseat:

We waited for an hour before The Boy's brother came with help in the family van. We unloaded the truck into the van and he drove Dave and I to the cabin while the rest of the boys continued to shovel. The tow truck wouldn't come until morning since we weren't blocking traffic and no one was hurt. The Boy wouldn't leave his truck so the boys decided to tow the truck out themselves.

Let me tell you...it was a crazy night!! Long story short (is this short? it's feeling long to me), the boys towed out the truck and the trailer and The Boy made it to the cabin at 2:30am. We hit the ditch at about 7:30pm.

The rest of the weekend was good. The only other glitch was that the electrical on the snowmobile stopped working so we couldn't sled at night. So we rode during the day.

Anyway...here's what your all waiting for. Pictures of our weekend!!
BONUS: Me in a snowsuit! haha!

We started this puzzle while we waited to hear from the boys shoveling out the truck. Dave did a great job! haha!

 In the cabin we stay at in the winter the deer come right up to the door. We feed them bread. It's so cool!!!

Ta Da! Sorry, I'm a little blurry. The Boy isn't quite as good with the camera as I am.

 Finished! It's Waikiki. What a tease...

 Dave loved the fireplace. He wants us to get one for our house!

 Boxers don't do well in extreme cold, so we dress him up to take a walk.

The Boy. On our new sled.

 Me and the new sled! What? You didn't recognize me? haha!

 Isn't this just gorgeous? It was so quiet. Awesome.

 I took this photo from the middle of a lake. Being in the middle of  a lake on a sled is just so neat.

 This is on one of the trails. This picture doesn't even do it justice. It was magical.

I took this on Monday afternoon as we were getting ready to leave. I felt I needed a less stressed picture from arms length.

Thanks for reading my long winded post! I hope you all had a good (non-drama filled) New Year. In hindsight the whole thing does make for a good story though...

Lisa.xo

Decorating Update!

I've been MIA for a few days because we've been getting ready to have our new furniture delivered!! YEAH!!

It's been a big job! The Boy and I moved our old furniture (all very heavy!!) into the basement on Thursday night and cleaned the living room. Friday was spent in anticipation as we waited for the movers to arrive. After they left, we spent the rest of the evening on our new couch decided what we would buy next!

As a reminder, here's the Before:

And the New and Improved After!!

I still have two more pillows to make out of the drape fabric. They're in pieces on the dining room table waiting to be sewn. We also have to hang pictures. Next on our list to buy is a rug and a new coffee table. Exciting!!

For a peek at the coffee table and other items on the want list click here to see my last post!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Lisa.xo

It Just Feels Wrong!

It's official! I'm starting to think about/wish for fall. Its kinda feels wrong since it's still pretty summery here in Winnipeg. We're getting touches of fall weather, but we've still got hot days. Sunday was +40 with the humidex! I feel like I'm betraying summer by wanting fall to come.

I blame the new clothes I bought yesterday at Joe. They're just SO cute!

Honestly, it's really a toss up which is my favorite season: summer or fall. I adore hot summer nights, vintage sun dresses, open toed shoes, shopping downtown boutiques, patios; but fall has that great mild weather which is perfect for a light jacket and boots. I love the rain in fall and the smell of the leaves changing. Not to mention the most perfect weather for layering, because I always say more is more!

So here's what I bought:

This grey cardigan came in 3 other colours. I'll probably end up buying at least one more. I LOVE the ruffle! I can't wait to wear it belted with a pencil skirt. Or tucked into a full skirt with knee socks and mary janes with a great brooch!

This purple sweater (whose colour isn't showing up well in any of my photos!) was a total impulse buy! (well actually they all were, but whatever! haha!) I couldn't resist the sleeve length and the flowers on the shoulder. I'm just a sucker for girly embellishments. That and I love purple. This one came in about 6 other colours. I want to wear this one with denim capris, socks and my purple oxfords. Or tucked into a skirt with tights, oh! and a long scarf.

Apparently I only have one pose going today! "I'm a little teacup!" Haha!

I also couldn't resist these adorable shoes. They're wool! And the bow! SO CUTE!!

So there it is. The anticipation for fall has begun. Sorry Summer.

Lisa.xo

Not Vintage (Like Mary Deluxe!)

Mary Deluxe of one of my favorite blogs: Welcome to Deluxville has posted a very un-vintage photo of herself on her blog.
She has put forth the challenge to other bloggers to post thier un-vintage selves.

So I took the challenge.

Part of my little brain thought: "Well Lisa, you're not a vintage purist, you're readers have seen you in jeans before" But I thought I would post these photos anyway because my hair is straight, I have little make-up on and I'm wearing my comfy jeans (there's nothing trendy about these jeans, they're a regular bootcut), a regular tee shirt and nothing I'm wearing today says or is vintage. So what the heck!

Here I am, no vintage:

Beaded Peacock T-Shirt: Jacob

Jeans: Bootlegger

I'd love to know if any of you don't always wear vintage or if you have taken Mary Deluxe's challenge. If you have please leave me a comment and let me know!

Lisa.xo