Today I am . . .
Perfectly happy to be working tomorrow. I’ll have everything ready for Christmas by then, and it’s always kind of fun to welcome babies into the world on a holiday.
Amazed by how simple out Christmas is going to be this year. We’ll be going out for Chinese food with my parents and hardly even hosting anyone at the house. Heck, we might even go see the new Hobbit movie in the afternoon!
Enjoying the sweet silence of a house where teenage boys sleep until late afternoon.
Planning a thrifting route along 82nd Avenue to pick up a few last minute gifts and stocking stuffers.
Relieved that I pretty much caught up on my continuing education for work. Yesterday found me with a patient from 7 A.M. – 3 P.M., but then I was able to motor through a bunch of modules that were due by December 31st. Whew . . . I can now tick that off my to-do list!
Needing to buy molasses and eggs in order to whip up a double batch of my delicious ginger snaps.
Wishing that Portland would dump a bit of snow in time for Christmas.
Super pleased with the painted stool that I made for my younger son’s Christmas present. I chose a Portland Timbers argyle pattern that turned out perfectly. A quick coat of polyurethane to protect the surface and it’s done! (I’d post a photo, but it might show up on my son’s Facebook page.)
Annoyed that one of our cats got shut in our unfinished space for a day. I know there will be poopy and urine-tastic surprises at some future date.
Remembering December 23rd, 1999, when I spent a few days in New York City to help my nephew Nate into the world.
Hoping I have enough zero-waste gift bags for everyone’s gifts. (Tip — a plain pillow case tied with a ribbon makes great gift wrap for a larger present. Just make sure to get it back after the gift is opened!)
Prodding myself to remember to pick up my Keen boots from the cobbler.
Now, how about you? What are you doing today?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
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Finished up two of my three goals for today:
1) Catching an a.m. yoga class to keep my zen during the holidays.
2) Writing the January edition of my monthly newsletter “Your Simply Organized Life” where I share 3 simple (may I add Non-Consumer?) tools to keep you organized and productive.
I am thankful for my husband, who is cooking a Christmas goose and looking after the kids.
Well, I was going to finish wrapping gifts. Then I asked my daughter to check the two piles for my nieces. “Um, I think you already gave that to Kassie.” Duh – I’d bought two pretty insulated bags when both girls were with me this summer and gave one to my niece then and planned to save the other for Christmas for my daughter. Whoops. And, every single other thing we’d planned to get for my daughter fell through. Well, the shopping that ensued was decidedly non-non-consumery, but at least it was a small local store and at least one gift was fair trade. Can’t win ’em all. 😛
Today I bought the fruit for salad for Christmas Eve dinner. Met someone to sell some dies that I didn’t need. Went to the doc. Remembering the Christmas that I gave birth to my son…didn’t appreciate the canned Chinese food we had for Christmas dinner in the hospital, LOl. Goodies are baked. The homeless family that just got housing has had Santa come, so I’m pretty relaxed about now. Scaling down Christmas is so much less stress. Katy, you will love the hobbit. We went for my husbands birthday,
I am catching up on the internet and all my finances online.
And now I’ll be making ginger snaps too!
I’ve been doingthe compact very unofficially this past year and a bit. But I really intend to do it seriously in 2014. I was thinking about things like polyurethane. Is this considered like a consumable thing not included, like food? I know recycled paint exists but I don’t think varnish things do. I mostly am friends with apartment dwellers so no one has a basement with leftover stuff they want to give me, though I will check. I figure I might be doing a lot of craft projects for fun in the upcoming year. What about glue? what about sewing scissors? all I have are dollar store scissors and they aren’t good for cutting fabric. I guess I could look to get and sharpen a second hand pair.
As for today, I am recovering from biking and dogwalking in the snow and grocery shopping by bike. Soon I’m going to an xmas party. It might be karaoke, in which case I will sing macklemore’s thrift shop, and maybe shock everyone, or at least maket them laugh.
We go out for Chinese food on Christmas Eve too! We’ve been doing this for about 15 years now and it used to be only our family in the restaurant. But I think I’ve told too many people what a great thing it is and now I have to make reservations! Have a great Christmas Katy and family!
…trying to somehow get my house cleaned up (like deep cleaned) with two small boys running around
…pushed my hubby and boys out to get flu shots (Austin has been hit HARD this season) and run to Target after using gift cards
…made hubby batch errands which included dropping off our bagged leaves at the recycling center to be composted + old laptop to be properly recycled, getting his hair cut with a $5 of coupon, grabbing the last minute fruits and veggies we need before family arrives, making a stop at Goodwill to drop off bags of items, and returning library books.
-Mending a dog bed and sweater for my son that both seem to mysteriously grown massive holes overnight
-Baking cinnamon rolls
-Finishing off our family holiday letter to be sent out via email and Facebook
Putting a stop to feeling sorry for myself. I’m recovering from major surgery and in a lot of pain. After a miserable weekend I decided enough was enough. I can’t write properly (right shoulder joint replaced) so spent a good part of the day emailing or texting Christmas greetings (instead of being fed up)
Realised that I should be grateful to be in a job with good terms and conditions – I get six months’ paid sick leave if necessary.
Happy to be able to have my first independent shower and to be out of pyjamas and into sweats (not much difference but they’re “real” clothes so I don’t feel like an invalid)
Glad to have remembered to make half a dozen phone calls to make various appointments for the New Year
And enjoying being back online (even though it takes twice as long to type one handed LOL)
I had a “consumer” day but avoided the mall mostly this holiday season. Today I bought shoes for both kids, had my hair cut, went to the library (which grounds me), wrapped the few Christmas gifts we are giving, made a list of foods to bring with us to grandma’s house so they won’t spoil in the 3 days we are gone, dropped off a donation at Goodwill and splurged on cosmetics and shampoo for my daughter who is home from Amsterdam – her Christmas present and justified by the cost being much less than what she would pay there (and made her very happy). Ate leftovers (stuffed peppers that my husband made this weekend) for dinner.
1)I baked a double batch of chocolate and peanut butter chip cookies for a cookie drive a friend of mine does for our local homeless shelter.
2) My daughter and I made a quick road trip to Kalama to pick up a last minute gift for my grandson. Kalama has the only free-standing Melissa and Doug toy store in the United States ( or so I’ve been told). Most of their toys are wood, which I prefer. I refuse to buy my grandson toys that are plastic, light up, or make noise!
3) I cashed in my change jug and put $23.91 into my checking acct. I now have an empty change jar to start the new year with 🙂 Unfortunately, while at the bank I was informed that my debit card was compromised during the Target debacle 🙁 So I had to hang out at the bank and get a new debit card, and after I got home I had to update my church subscriptions with my new card info.
4) I have all my pie baking supplies in the house, so I don’t have to make any last minute trips to the grocery store tomorrow 🙂 I am looking forward to a day of baking and Christmas music 🙂
Merry Christmas, Katy!!
A long walk in our cold Austin weather, a delivery of homemade holiday edibles to my son, making a pear upside down cake, brown sugar glazed ham and angel biscuits for Christmas Eve supper and generally relaxing.
Simple holidays are the best holidays!
Just the 2 of us and a very quiet Christmas –
defrosting the Italian sausage & sauce for pizza tonight – started doing this about 25 years ago when the kids were at home
Harvested Asian greens, lettuce, tomatoes & sugar snap peas for dinner
Transplanted 2 tomato plants, started from seed, to provide tomatoes in the spring – it’s our major growing season in SW FL right now
planted seeds for cukes and zucchini – for veggies in about 2 1/2 months
planted seeds for the 2nd planting of sugar snap peas
And finally, making a list for after Christmas shopping at … my favorite thrift store
Today I am baking a pumpkin pie out of halloween and Thanksgiving decorations (it was one of the wierd warty ones) for friends to come over after Christmas eve service.
Baking a batch of pumpkin bread for the firefighters who have to work tonight.
Wrapping gifts, and possibly makig up more zero waste gift bags, because I’ve used up so many already!
Finishing one last gift, but it’s working with my kids, so that’s ok.
Thanks, Katy, for beinga L&D nurse. Your mention of being with someone from 7 to 3 reminded me of my nurse, who stayed with me when my daughter was born!
Merry Christmas!
It sounds like you all have crafted simple and meaningful Christmases, which I love!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Katy