by Tish MacWebber | Jun 11, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
Here I am in the middle of another busy weekend! I have been pushing hard at the Spring Cleaning project, as the deadline looms in the ever shrinking distance. I am getting help around here this weekend, and it had been thoroughly appreciated. Currently, it is too hot to do much puttering, so I am taking a few minutes to stop and write before I go back to work.
I have also been eating ribs all weekend long. It is the annual Ribfest here this weekend, so I have sampled and eaten rib meals all weekend long. I am ready for my last rib supper of the event tonight. I have enjoyed the dinners, but it will be good to get back on plan tomorrow and start working on my healthy eating again.
I am planning to do some more work in the Master bedroom after I write this. If I can cool down. We are saving towards getting a heat pump installed here, and that will provide a more economical source for heating and air conditioning our home. I look forward to that very much, especially on days like today.
I slowed down a little this past week, but this weekend has been the start of the crunch to get the Spring Cleaning done before crossing the finish line. I am going to start in the bedroom while the sun is out. It will be hard to not just flop on the bed and nap until it cools down. I have a deadline, and I intend to keep it.
This means I will be working at this place constantly until I have finished. I am going to have to putter all week long. There is no Zumba for a few weeks, so my plan is to house clean instead, with music. This will keep me moving, and get my project worked on at the same time. It might not be the same intensity level, but moving any way at all has been my motto since I started Zumba. I will continue.
It is a lot to accomplish in the time I have left, but if I keep at it, it will get better and over time become a list of completed tasks rather than an overwhelming list of things to do.
I am going to end here for this week. It is so windy outside that I have experienced a couple of power brownouts while writing. I hope the power stays on so I can continue bouncing the house. It is much harder to stay motivated without music.
As the Spring Cleaning comes to an end, I am going to be changing the focus of these stories in July. I will still be writing about my weekend activities, and maintenance cleaning routines as I develop them. I am also going to start writing about the second half of this year’s project, writing my book. The gears are going to shift here soon, and there will be lots to write about as I start a new adventure!
by Tish MacWebber | Jun 5, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
Here we are at the end of another weekend. I have been non-stop busy since the last edition, and am hoping things slow down (just a little) for the next few days. I write this because I am feeling a little drained of energy.
Friday night was so long ago, I honestly don’t even remember what I did. That is how busy the week was. Saturday I slept in a little and got up to volunteer for the Boston Terrier Rescue Canada group. BTRC is run completely by volunteers, and they do whatever they can to raise funds. I was working in a canteen at a local cat show. The SPCA was hosting it and asked us if we would like to help out to split the profits between the two organizations. The message went out late in the week, and I picked my time slot, and off I went.
Let me say, first of all, that I am really proud of myself for looking at all of that food, and ONLY buying an apple. I paid for it and enjoyed it. I ended up with pizza to take home, and it was supper. It has been a while since I had to stand on my feet for a few hours. Although I was glad to have a chair for a couple of necessary but short breaks, I managed OK. I do have nerve pain in one leg and I have finally figured out that my hip flexors are the root cause. If it comes down to it, I tough it out, but I can be in a lot of pain while I am doing so.
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Cat Show Poster
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Donation sign. Empties for Paws
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The Saturday Morning crew
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The Saturday afternoon crew
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Bin for empties to recycle for BTRC
What does a person do when they go inside the Cat Show after the volunteering is done? Well, if you are me, you look at EVERY cat you can see, and you buy new cute little socks with cats all over them. I wanted the cute change purse too, but I am on a budget and that means I can’t always get everything I want.
My new kitty cat socks!
I bought something practical. I can always use more cute socks.
Today is Sunday. I slept in later today, I needed it. We had been invited to a friend’s house to play board games. It was set as a potluck. I decided to make His & Hers Lasagna. His lasagna is traditional. Mine is THM Lazy Lasagna. No noodles and yes it has spinach.
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His & Hers Lasagna going in the oven.
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His & Hers Lasagna all cooked.
He helped me with the prep and assembly. I made some guacamole dip and we brought Nacho Scoops for that. It was good. The best part is that there are leftovers of the lasagnas and the guacamole. So I have lunches prepped for the week right now!
We played Cards Against Humanity first. After supper, we played Ticket To Ride, Europe. It was a lot of fun, once we all knew what we were doing. The board game looked like this when it was all over.
Ticket To Ride Europe Game
It was a busy weekend. I didn’t get a lot of cleaning done, but we got the prep cooking started for the week. That’s a wrap for this weekend! What did you do?
by Tish MacWebber | May 29, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
I am so PUMPED after this weekend! I HULK SMASHED IT! Without turning green and angry! What a busy, productive weekend!
Friday night I was at Relay for Life, specifically for the Zumba at Relay. Expect a story this week to tell you all about that. It had some real special moments, and there are some great pics to share.
Saturday was cool and rainy and drab. Hubby worked this weekend, so I got up and got the car. Got a few groceries on the way home and got some cleaning done. I did some laundry and ran the dishwasher. Nothing picture worthy. I found out that I lost a pillow sham (and the puns did find my post about it on my personal Facebook page). This caused a full stop on the kitchen cleaning and started a full-on search for the missing sham. No house elves were found wearing said sham, either. The search continues. Maybe, just maybe it is in the towel area over the washer and dryer? It was not in the linen closet where it should have been (I am in the middle of reorganizing that mess since yesterday) or maybe it is under the bed ( I tried to look but with my knees, I try not to get down on my knees on the floor) and I am running out of places to look. I am sure it will reappear. I am crossing my fingers about that one.
Sham on me my cousin wrote. It was never a real pillow it was just a … 😉 was left by another friend. The puns keep me laughing while I tear my home apart to find the culprit of the whole sham.
I got inspired while in the master bathroom working on the linen closet to do something I have been thinking about for a long time. I have been wanting to purge my makeup. I do not wear makeup every day, but as a collector, I had gathered quite a stash. It was neatly organized in 3 wicker baskets on my counter, gathering dust. I panicked about tossing it all because I might need some of it for a special occasion or something in the future. My budget does not always allow for this type of purchase. The last time I bought makeup it was January 2016. I have had some product since the wedding in 2010 or even before that.
I will be writing a separate blog about that adventure. It happened Sunday. I got up and put a roast beef in the oven right away. I set the timer for 3 hours, it was frozen going into the pan. I had planned to get ready and go to church before the makeup shopping event. I mean, it could have been an event, it was a big thing for me. I decided that I did not want to rush, and had breakfast and got ready for my day. I postponed church until this evening (I actually went and was not late). The makeup event happened-details will be in a separate blog.
I got home, sliced the beef, made sandwiches, ate 1.5 sandwiches and rushed out to church. I then fit in a few small errands on the way home, finished the last half a sandwich I made earlier, made 2 sandwiches for my husband, picked him up from work and rushed off to see Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2. It was a fun movie.
I have yet to finish my next submission for a well-known publication that has a deadline this week. That will be tomorrow’s priority. I have started writing it already, but it is not ready for the beta reader yet.
There you have it! Non-stop, action-packed, super busy weekend! I got some cleaning done, in tandem, from one end of the mini home to the other, all day Saturday. I want to an extra Zumba class, for a good cause. Spent time with friends Friday and again today. Different friends on the different days. I even fit in a movie with my husband to finish it off! Sorry, I’m a little late getting this one published this week, this is the first chance I had because I wanted a productive AND fun weekend to write about. Mission accomplished! HULK SMASHED IT!
by Tish MacWebber | May 22, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
A while back someone gave me a smart band to wear at Zumba Class. I already had a pedometer, but this levels it up for me. It also keeps track of my heart rate, which I also use now that I can.
It has been helpful to keep an eye on my heart rate. I am able to work out a little harder because I know when I check it, the smart band will tell me if I am working my heart too hard, or not enough.
I report my steps on the Zumba page also. When I started, I was told you can get up to 5,000 steps in a Zumba Class. As there is a movement in the world to get a minimum of 10,000 steps every day and walk your way to a healthier lifestyle, getting 50% of those steps done in an hour is a HUGE ADVANTAGE. So if you are thinking that it is just another dance aerobics class, you are setting your standards for Zumba too low.
I average around 4,000 steps in a class. Sometimes less, sometimes more. My goal is to have it increase to the 5,000 steps (or more). Since I got the smart band, another member of the Zumba crew is using my pedometer in class. She is averaging 5,300 steps a class. I have got to say, she is definitely in the Zumba Zone. It is absolutely possible, and realistic to aim for 5,000 steps while in a Zumba class.
What else do I love about Zumba? The Zumba Crew, the music, dancing, and having fun! I don’t do all the moves, I’m not always confident that I can do them all. I am changing how much I do all the time. Some days I push myself. Some days just being there and going through the motions is all I can do. But I go, and I participate, however I can.
Sometimes I have to stop and check my blood sugars. Most of the time, they are normal. If they are low, it means I have to drink a juice box before continuing my workout. If they are still low after that, it means I need candy and to lower my insulin dose before the next class.
I have missed a few classes this spring because I have been sick. Nothing serious, but I was not able to go in the last few weeks. I look forward to going back this week. Monday is Victoria Day so the next class will be Wednesday. If I am feeling better, I may just push myself to hit 5,000 steps. It is something to work towards, and when I get there, I will aim higher.
How do you motivate yourself to exercise?
by Tish MacWebber | May 21, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
Here we go again! It is the middle of a sunny, not too hot but a little too breezy weekend. I say that because it is BEAUTIFUL out, but not quite warm enough for wearing shorts. Perfect weather to cook and clean in. Too bad yesterday was an errands day, so not a lot got done around the house. We did take some time to enjoy the sunshine, though.
We went out to a fundraiser for Great Danes yesterday. Roy bought a t-shirt to support the cause. I am holding off because I would rather buy one from the Boston Terrier Rescue Canada group, BTRC as I volunteer with them. We had lunch and hit up some stores.
There was a bead sale, so I went there first. I then went to Bed Bath and Beyond. I would spend more money in there if I had it to spend, well who am I kidding, I love shopping, and money flows faster than mercury through my hands. Blink twice, and it’s gone, kind of like my awesome time management skills, I have the same ability in both of those areas. Amazing talents to have…not! My husband went to the pet store. He is working really hard on his 75-gallon fish tank set up. I cannot wait to finally post some pics when it is all done! I will share the finished setup photos when he is happy with it and ready to show it off.
At the second store I found some coffee on sale, not as good of a sale as the last time I was there, but still, a sale is better than full price. The reason I went was to get an organizational drawer for my fridge. There is a drawer on a slider in the middle of my fridge, but the space underneath that drawer is a nightmare to keep organized. My husband does not want to open the fridge and see multiple organization containers inside. I see the value of the system, but don’t want to buy more bins for the fridge until he changes his mind. This is the beginning of that transition. It may never proceed past the initial phase, but at least I get to tackle one huge problem area in our fridge.
I started my Sunday off in Church. I do like going and was a little late, but better late than never, I thought. So I went. Then I went to a coffee shop to wait for my ride home. It was a good start to the week, and to my Sunday.
I am headed back into the kitchen today. I NEED to run the dishwasher and get the dishes back under control. I think I am starting to feel better, hurrah for antibiotics and trying a different kind! I am wanting to do things again. Still not feeling completely healthy, but feeling like I want to get some things done around here again is a big plus.
I didn’t get things done last weekend. I was really feeling awful, and sometimes what you need to do has to be prioritized. I needed to rest so that I would get better, and be able to get some spring cleaning done this weekend.
I am not going to focus only on the kitchen today. I have an issue in the Master Bedroom that needs attention. I am notoriously famous for piling things up everywhere I go. My desk, my craft supplies, clothes or anything and everything. I do not like putting things away. So today, I am going to take the time to change the sheets and put my clothes away. Then I can rearrange the dresser and assemble the 6 cube shelving unit I bought a while back. If I really get on a roll, there may be pics here next weekend! I am still not feeling the motivation to finish the kitchen, so I am going to change the plans for today after I get those dishes done. I have some prep cooking to do also. I want the kitchen clean before I start cooking. I have 3 lbs of ground beef and a whole chicken to work with today when prep cooking. The beef will make 2 different meals, and the chicken is going into my crock pot. I really love making this recipe with whole chickens, ever since I found it online a while ago.
So, I intend to fully bounce the house today. That is a Tish-ism. You can read about it here: Bouncing the House. The tunes will be cranked, and I will be doing a little singing and dancing while I work. After all, if it isn’t a little bit fun, I will never get it done!
by Tish MacWebber | May 15, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
*Please Note: This is being published before I have all the photos in. It will be edited again after I have all the pics and the group photo to add, and this note will be removed*
This weekend was busy already. It is Sunday afternoon. I am getting ready to head into my kitchen and do some prep cooking. Before I do that I have to find the kitchen again. I have been sick with a sinus infection, and things are really falling behind. So today I plan to do the dishes, clear off the kitchen table, island, and countertops. I have 1 cupboard that I have decided will be a goal to spring clean inside of it today. I want to reorganize it and find homes for a couple of pantry items underneath the island. That is what I am up to today in my kitchen. If I don’t get it all done, I am going to work on this before next weekend, so I can move on with the Kitchen Spring Cleaning project and get into the rest of my home.
I missed a few days of work at the day job this week, because of being sick. I am starting to feel a little better, and I had made plans a few weeks ago for a couple of things I did yesterday. I started the day off at a craft supplies sale. The idea behind it was to have a “yard sale” for excess craft supplies from the vendor’s stash. I went shopping, and I picked up some beads.
I also decided to take a leap of faith and submit a written piece for a paid publication. It is a story, and I have sent it in. The deadline is tomorrow. I asked a writer friend to do a basic edit for me, and she did. Now I wait.
I had also planned to attend my first Paint & Sip event. It was last night, and it was a lot of fun! I have been wanting to attend one of these for a while, and I am so glad I went!
It was organized by a friend, and six people attended, including me. It was hosted by Buddy Art Paint & Sip. The group had looked at some other painting ideas, and took one they liked and changed it from a night sky background to a sunset sky background. When they settled on a picture to paint, it was planned for last night.
Paint & Sip events are becoming very popular. People are going to them for fun, and to do something different. Other people are also using them as a way to raise funds for their favourite charity. Whether it is a night out with friends or a fundraiser, it is a fun way to spend a few hours. Have a glass of wine, or two, share some snacks, and create your own work of art, that you can take home and hang on your wall.
The host painted a demo piece, and he also painted along with us at the event. This is what we were painting. The one on the wall was his demo, and the one in the easel was the one he painted along with us.
The Demo piece is on the left, and the painting on the right was the one done during class by the Artist.
We arrived at about the same time. We found our canvases, and they were all blank. We each started with yellow and a circle for the sun. We listened to Bruno Mars, Sia, and Rod Stewart while we painted the sky.
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Two mountains, another pretty sky and birds
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Another version
Next is a progress picture of some of our group.
Paint & Sip Smiles and Sunset Skies
Shortly after this, we had a snack break. There was a nice spread of finger foods. The wine glasses magically refilled. It was also time for new paint colours.
Paint and Sip Snack time!
I made a musical request for the next part. We were going to be painting the bottom part and the trees in black. On came The Rolling Stones with Paint it Black by special request! I was a little startled when I realized there were two paint colours on the next palette. The white was hard to see. The host then surprised us with some ’90’s tunes, and some of us were singing along while we painted.
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Paint & Sip Smiles and Sunset Skies
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Still painting and smiling!
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Still painting and smiling!
In the end, we had a lot of fun. There are 6 finished pieces of individual art, and we all look forward to planning another event. I am going to share them without revealing the artist at this time. When the group photo is available, I will add it in and edit this sentence out. Until then, you can try to guess which one is mine! I can’t wait to share the horizon of the 6 setting suns!
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Vibrant Sky and one squirrelly tree
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Pretty Sky and evenly placed trees
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Still painting and smiling!
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Our cheat for the sun
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Well blended sky, beautiful lighting around the trees, and birds
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A Family of Trees
When I polish this story off after the first published “draft”, when the rest of the pics are added, I will also share the comment from the host that really surprised me! Keep an eye out for an update to this story, it will have more pictures and be more complete.
If you live in Fredericton and want to plan your own event with Buddy Art Paint & Sip, here is a link to their facebook page:
Buddy Art Paint & Sip
Shared with permission from Buddy Art Paint & Sip. This is their logo.
by Tish MacWebber | May 7, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
Yesterday was busier than I had planned it to be. Also, I was still fighting an almost week long migraine and was still not feeling so good yesterday. So I took a nap in the middle of that busy day, and it ran longer than I had planned. When you fall back to sleep on a Saturday after you woke up and turned off the alarm, obviously the nap was a necessary thing.
In the morning, I attended the #BUTTBLITZ2017. You can read all about it here: Butt Picking in the Rain It was my third year volunteering at this event, and I stayed dry by working at the event table and running the numbers.
Insert lunch and a nap here.
Then I woke up to the phone ringing. I had an invitation to join some friends to play Cards Against Humanity. They have mixed in 4 booster decks and a Kinderperfect deck. Hilarity, Margarita Moments, and the consumption of adult beverages were just what I needed to kick the migraine out of my head. I am glad I decided to join in for a night of fun!
Today, I must scramble to resume the kitchen to its shape of last weekend. When the dishwasher is running, I will also be prep cooking. That is probably going to fill up my Sunday. I need to be ready for the upcoming week, and today is when I have the time, and more importantly, I feel like doing it. Soon after I publish this story, I will be making something to eat and heading into my kitchen. Coffee will be consumed with the meal.
I think it stopped raining! That sentence has an exclamation point because there is a flood watch here this weekend. It happens every year, and they were not expecting it to be too bad this year. It is bad for some areas, there have been evacuations and roads are blocked also. I am staying home today, and my house and street are still OK. If I get a chance, I may go take some pictures of the flooded areas, but that will be another day and another story.
What are you up to this weekend?
by Tish MacWebber | Apr 29, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
First thing is first. I have washed all of the dishes. ALL OF THEM! With that being said, I am breathing a sigh of relief! Now I can plan the deep clean of my kitchen with the basics being done. I am far from finished in there, but I am back at 0 instead of starting from -1000.
I have been working on the kitchen in spurts. I do have pictures. It is NOT 100% clean and tidy, but the basic surface cleaning is ready for the deeper clean.
The Kitchen Table is ready for meals.
I cleared off the kitchen table. The plastic cover still needs to be cut, but I have it on the table to protect the tablecloth. I have taken the leaf out, and I will be putting it back in to cut the cover to the right size. I am really liking the turquoise or aqua colour that is popular right now. The the new placemats are pretty, and they match the tablecloth.
The pantry still needs work
I have yet to go through the pantry. It is closer to being something I can do, with the progress I have made.
Canned goods are now under the Island
The second part of the Pantry is under the Island. This was a part of my kitchen shuffle I did a while back.
Pots and Pans
The pots and pans are now under the cook top stove. I really like the pot cover organizer we bought at Bed Bath & Beyond. It is a great space saver& organization tool.
Stove top cleared off.
It needs to be cleaned properly now that it is cleared off. It won’t take too long, I bought a cleaner and some sponges to clean it with.
Counter beside the cook top stove, over the dishwasher is cleared off
The toaster was in front of the breadbox. The electric stand mixer was where the toaster is now. It is better this way.
The Coffee Station is still tidy
I finished the dishes shortly after I stopped to take the pictures.
My Kitchen Window over the sink
I am so happy I saw what my friend does with her scrub brush. She keeps it in a vase. Mine fit nicely in these vases, and they were in the windowsill before I put things in them.
The view of the table from behind the Island.
It still needs work, but it has come a LONG way!
A place to store recipes ad extra K-cups, and G2 for Zumba days
This was another change we made recently.
My 2 new signs I bought to hang when I finish the kitchen.
I can’t wait to hang them up! I will hang them when I am done the deep clean in the kitchen.
Finally some pics of progress to share. I have been working hard at my kitchen, and it will only improve with every hour spent in there. How is your Spring Cleaning progressing?
by Tish MacWebber | Apr 24, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
Well, the Weekend won this round. I must confess that waking up to a snow covered car and lawn in April is not the most energy inspiring sight to see. This weekend I had the Blahs. There is no other way to say it. I made progress in the early part of the week and let things slide this weekend.
The good news is that I have another three day work week ahead of me, and will be very busy next weekend. I will be writing the next Weekend Warrior in draft mode all week in order to have it be published bright and early next Saturday morning.
I am promising you now that there will be pictures next weekend. I am promising myself, also. Because the bottom line is, I need to set goals and achieve them in order to move forward in this battle. I know that, and you know that if you are reading.
This past week I cleared the table and lost it again. I moved around the items from their old storage places to try and configure a more organized storage solution for my kitchen items. I discovered that the plastic tablecloth protector I purchased was way too big, but decided that I will cut it to fit the table with and also without the leaf in it so that I can cover the table and protect the tablecloth fully, either way. I absolutely did make progress, and it is progress that I can be happy with.
I also wrote a new piece of fiction on my medium page. I wrote about a fictional conversation that I would like to have with Mother Nature about the lingering effects of winter. If you would like to read it, you can follow this link:
Fictional Conversations: Tea Time With Mother Nature
So although I didn’t quite make the amount of progress in the kitchen I wanted to this past weekend, I was busy with other projects, and sometimes that is what you have to do. I hope you had a productive weekend, and most of all, I hope it was fun!
