tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87627485895931094982024-03-13T14:31:41.224-04:00Homemaker HavenAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-20336729026488926292014-02-07T19:21:00.000-05:002014-02-07T19:21:12.536-05:00Favorite Finds Friday - Week 3<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;">
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I know I am getting
to this week's Friday Favorite Find a little late. I been curled up in bed watching tv for the
last 2 days. I think we are coming down
with some flu/cold thing, and I am still recuperating as well.</div>
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The first thing I
wanted to share with you this week is an adorable picture that is going around
pinterest from tumbler (if you by chance know of the original source of this
photo please let me know so I can give
them the credit, thank you). </div>
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The caption reads
"Gimme a kith" LOL</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-drgeVVWE47c/UvV2aEo_PdI/AAAAAAAAAe8/EEXDBYohIwo/s1600/GimmeAKith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-drgeVVWE47c/UvV2aEo_PdI/AAAAAAAAAe8/EEXDBYohIwo/s1600/GimmeAKith.jpg" /></a></div>
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I came across this
due to following <a href="http://thegraphicsfairy.com/" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">The Graphics Fairy</span></a>
blog. I am drooling over both projects
and feel that these are not just valentine ideas but can be incorporated into a
vignette or two. I love the look of both
projects; <a href="http://thegraphicsfairy.com/brag-monday-5/"><span style="color: #674ea7;">the painted suitcase and the
handmade vintage style ipad bag</span></a>; and I hope some of you like them as well. </div>
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For those of you who
have the skills to make an amazing meal for your loved ones this year, I share
with you homemade <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2010/02/10/four-cheese-ravioli/"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Four Cheese
Heart Ravioli</span></a> from <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Annies-Eats</span></a>. I personally don't have the ability to do this but would love to
hear if anyone makes this and how it went!</div>
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I found this awesome
pin today as I was checking some mail and thought I had to share. It's a very unique idea and I hope to
redesign my kitchen using silverware décor and this would look awesome over the
desk/counter being put in sometime this year.
I might even try and rework this a bit.
I will definitely share if I try this one out. <a href="http://minhacasa.abril.com.br/profiles/blogs/oito-dicas-imperdiveis-para-garimpar-em-lojas-de-r-1-99?utm_source=redesabril_casas&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=redesabril_minhacasa"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Great
kitchen lighting</span></a>.</div>
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I love these <a href="http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com/easy-cheap-and-elegant-valentines-day-decorations/"><span style="color: #674ea7;">cute
bottles of love</span></a> found on <a href="http://www.thebudgetdecorator.com/"><span style="color: #674ea7;">The
Budget Decorator</span></a>. I would love it if
I could use my small glass coke bottles with this. Maybe I can find something to close the
bottle with. If I find one I will let
you in one the solution. If you know of
an idea I could use leave me a comment below please. I would love to make these for friends and
family this year.</div>
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I hope you found
some things this week that are new to you.
I also love getting ideas from our readers for neat ideas to share with
our readers. If you find something neat
please let me know And I will try and add it to my list.</div>
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I hope you all have
an amazing weekend. </div>
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Hugs</div>
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Ky </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-79952440397212368132014-02-05T09:51:00.001-05:002014-02-05T09:56:17.650-05:00Another Round of Blogtastic Reviews is here!<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
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Note:
Wow I cannot believe that I have been using the Blogtastic Reviews
graphic I made and the link to my site is wrong. I had to have been pretty tired to make that
kind of mistake. Anyway, fixed now.</div>
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I haven't had much
chance to be online so I haven't been on the lookout for new and exciting blogs
so I will pick a couple that I read that you might not know about.</div>
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The first blog I
want to talk about is <a href="http://www.thisgirlslifeblog.com/"><span style="color: #674ea7;">This Girl's
Life</span></a>. Melissa is a wife and mother
to a beautiful 6 year old girl and 2 of the four footed variety. She is also one of our unsung heroes as a
military wife.</div>
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She writes about DIY
projects, crafts, decorating, beauty, fashion, recipes and daily life. Some of my favorite posts lately are:</div>
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<a href="http://www.thisgirlslifeblog.com/2014/01/creative-makeup-storage-solutions.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Creative
Makeup Storage Solutions</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thisgirlslifeblog.com/2013/12/givingtuesday-with-operation-homefront_3.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">GivingTuesday
with Operation Homefront, Fisher House and Walmart</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thisgirlslifeblog.com/2013/11/monday-munchies-southern-homemade.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Monday
Munchies: Southern Homemade Banana Pudding</span></a></div>
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~
<a href="http://www.thisgirlslifeblog.com/2013/10/inexpensive-diy-halloween-costume-ideas.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Inexpensive
& DIY Halloween Costume Ideas for Kids</span></a></div>
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~
<a href="http://www.thisgirlslifeblog.com/2013/04/springtime-yarn-wreath.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Springtime
Yarn Wreath</span></a></div>
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For you card maker's
out there… A blog called <a href="http://shellymc2.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;">My Creative Rumblings</span></a>.</div>
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She has amazing
cards, that are wonderfully inspirational.
This site belongs to Shelly. She
is a wife and mother to 3. Below are
some of the cards that I find stunning from her blog lately.</div>
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<a href="http://shellymc2.blogspot.ca/2014/01/washi-shapes.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Washi Shapes</span></a>
* I am obsessed with most Asian inspired décor and culture.*</div>
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<a href="http://shellymc2.blogspot.ca/2014/01/sweet-stamps-anything-goes.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Sweet
Stamps - Anything Goes</span></a> * I am in
LOVE with the dress forms and colors*</div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><a href="http://shellymc2.blogspot.ca/2013/12/washi-christmas-trees.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Washi
Christmas Trees</span></a> </span>* The antique and romantic look of this card is what draws
me to it.*</div>
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<a href="http://shellymc2.blogspot.ca/2013/12/sweet-stamps-monthly-challenge-easel.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Sweet
Stamps Monthly Challenge - Easel Card</span></a> * I am drawn to the vivid color of
turquoise lately. And this card doesn’t
disappoint*</div>
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Another blog I have
enjoyed following is <a href="http://www.olderandwisor.com/"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Older and Wiser</span></a>. Rebecca has a humor that I love. She is a busy mom to 5 great kids and loves
to do various crafting and DIY'ing projects.
*think this is the second time I have used the 'word' DIY'ing and yes I
'know' it's not a word LOL*</div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;">I love the way she
updated her old bookcase in the post </span><a href="http://www.olderandwisor.com/2014/01/freshening-up-bookcase-is-just-beginning.html" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;">.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I find that it has 'character' now and I might
use this as inspiration for my dresser makeover that I will be doing in the
future.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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~
<a href="http://www.olderandwisor.com/2013/11/what-does-fox-say-christmas-tree-topper.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">What
does the fox say? (A Christmas Tree Topper)</span></a> *Adoring the toy decorated
tree*</div>
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<a href="http://www.olderandwisor.com/2013/05/current-obsessions.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Current
Obsessions</span></a> *laughed at her cross stitch, she often has me giggling to
myself*</div>
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~
Pimp Yo' Presents Series * her unique
ideas are so inspiring*</div>
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<a href="http://www.olderandwisor.com/2012/12/pimp-yo-presents-tip-1-diy-paper.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Tip
1</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.olderandwisor.com/2012/12/pimping-yo-presents-tip-2-use-what.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Tip
2</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.olderandwisor.com/2012/12/pimp-yo-presents-tip-3-give-your-gift.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Tip
3</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.olderandwisor.com/2012/12/pimp-yo-presents-tip-4-vanna-pick-me.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Tip
4</span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><a href="http://www.olderandwisor.com/2012/12/pimp-yo-presents-tip-5-use-reusable.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Tip
5</span></a> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><a href="http://www.olderandwisor.com/2012/12/pimp-yo-presents-tip-6-hit-dollar-store.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Tip
6</span></a> </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.olderandwisor.com/2012/12/pimp-yo-presents-tip-7-think-outside-box.html"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Tip
7</span></a></div>
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Well it’s the end of
another monthly Blogtastic Review. If
you know of a new or inspiring blog you think I should know about, please
contact me and I will gladly go peak at anything. </div>
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I hope that you are
all well and enjoying February, which I am having a hard time doing with this
deep cold and snow crap all day every day.
I am not a fan of winter. When I
lived in Arkansas I was much happier except in the dead heat of summer. It needs a happy medium lol</div>
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Did you find a new
blog today? Which was your favorite and
why did that site speak to you. Are you
already followers of these blogs? I would
love to hear from you so please take a minute or two and comment below and let
me know you were here. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-40053965457816329582014-02-04T19:38:00.000-05:002014-02-04T19:38:02.004-05:00Favorite Colors, Bedrooms, Bears and FriendshipI'm not sure if I have told you yet that Purple is my most favorite color in the world. Since we have been in the house (4 months now), I have been dreaming of decorating my bedroom/craft space black and purple. I found this amazing picture on Pinterest last year and have been holding onto it tightly and cannot wait to make my bedroom this calm relaxing atmosphere. For the life of me I have been unable to source the origins of this photo. If you know where this was originally posted please let me know so I can credit the creators properly. I have spent a few hours trying to find it, as its in tons of round ups to no avail. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MzKbFjpOLY4/UvGF3LnldKI/AAAAAAAAAdg/OEi5bGoFZ28/s1600/resized-pur-bedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MzKbFjpOLY4/UvGF3LnldKI/AAAAAAAAAdg/OEi5bGoFZ28/s1600/resized-pur-bedroom.jpg" /></a></div>
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Well there is one item in my room now that has purple that will be incorporated into the design of this space. It was given to me by an amazing kindred soul, by the name of Alonda. This bear was actually given to her mother as a gift as she was dying. It was extremely important to Alonda. I mentioned one day that it was the most adorable bear I had seen and if she knew where I might be able to find one. <br />
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Well a few weeks later, Christmas came and a package was left on my doorstop. Opening the box, I began to cry, because a dear friend had given me a precious memory of hers. I still to this day cannot believe she gave this present to me. I have kept my bear in the best condition and he is probably as important to me now as he was to Alonda. I will look after this gift till my dying days as it is a priceless item in my life.<br />
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It is a reminder of the depth of friendship you can have with another person. The love that each person gives in our lives , either family, friends or even acquaintances. Friendships that endure are not easy, there is work to be done, and there are times when we don’t speak, or see each other often but we connect on other areas to insure that everyone knows how deeply we care about them.<br />
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Perhaps this valentines day is not only about lovers. I think it’s a great opportunity to let everyone know they are loved. Winter's are usually rough for people and depression is at a high. Perhaps a small gesture, a card, a phone call, or a visit, with a hand written letter to tell the person why they are important to you. We are not guaranteed any tomorrows. Make sure your loved ones know today.<br />
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Do you give valentines or cards/calls to anyone other than your spouse? Are you planning any special ideas for family and friends this year? If so let us know your ideas, you just might inspire someone else to do something special.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-59344403611606242082014-01-31T09:30:00.000-05:002014-01-31T09:30:01.725-05:00Favorite Finds Friday <div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
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It's time to gather
some of the great posts, ideas, inspiration and crafty goodies I have come
across lately. I am going to be writing
up a few of these "Favorite Finds Friday's" ahead of time so even if
I fall sick my posts can be scheduled to go live without interruption. I think I have said that before LOL (BTW I
did check and I said it in December). I
know…even I can't believe I spent time checking that out either. </div>
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I have a WIP (this abbreviation means Work In Progress in
case you were wondering)<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> that I
am going to share with you next week, but it included making some cards.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I came across this card on Pinterest.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I followed it to the original article and loved
it so much I thought I would share it with you.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.megastampinstudio.com/mega_stampin_studio/2010/01/ribbon-heart-card.html">This
card</a> was made by Jayla from <a href="http://www.megastampinstudio.com/">Megastampinstudio.com</a>
. This site still has all its content
but has moved to a new domain in 2011 and can now be found Here @ <a href="http://www.twopaperdivas.com/">Two Paper Divas</a> I absolutely love this idea and cannot wait
to create a few myself for some of my loved ones. Jayla gives you a quick few tips on how she
made this card. </div>
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Surfing around or in
my email, I found this awesome <a href="https://twitter.com/helgavanleur/status/407127416939614209">recycling
idea</a> that has tons of inspiration bursting from it. I am hoping that I can make something similar
for our back yard this year.</div>
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Yesterday while
catching up on my blog reading I came across this adorably cute <a href="http://wildolive.blogspot.ca/2014/01/project-baby-groundhog-plush-with.html">ground-hog
stuffy</a> to make from Mollie over at <a href="http://wildolive.blogspot.ca/">Wild
Olive</a>. It's a simple tutorial and
has minimal supplies needed. Your little
ones will adore the cute eyes/expression and it’s a good way to tell the story
of ground-hog day. This cutie is even
nice enough to put out for décor in a corner somewhere. At least I think so. I love unique conversation starter props.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lcCzE9Y04-Q/Uuqk77PRGsI/AAAAAAAAAdA/sVXmDzat6rw/s1600/12196937755_afb4334515_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lcCzE9Y04-Q/Uuqk77PRGsI/AAAAAAAAAdA/sVXmDzat6rw/s1600/12196937755_afb4334515_z.jpg" /></a></div>
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Myra over at <a href="http://myblessedlife.net/">MyBlessedLife</a> posted this amazing looking
cookie recipe, and I am making some of these this weekend. G is skeptical as he is unsure how salt and
peanut butter together will taste like.</div>
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Me personally? I don’t really care what it's made out of as
long as I like it lol. Don't get me
wrong, I am a pretty picky person. But I
am not often very experimental when it comes to new food. </div>
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I think I would like
to challenge this about myself this year.
Perhaps I should make one new food a month and try it .. I might just
find another family favorite and I will have gently come out of my 'box' to
improve Me. That can't be a bad thing
lol</div>
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Thank you for
stopping by today and I hope you enjoy a couple of my finds this week. If you find something you like, please let me
know in the comments. I also would love
it if you sent me some posts you found fascinating this week. You just might get a mention and link back to
your site or blog or page. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-9777613694323558462014-01-30T11:35:00.000-05:002014-01-30T12:46:46.734-05:00Keeping it real and another I'm back post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y45yLkzVS20/Uup-ihnKM-I/AAAAAAAAAb8/ujOuMx6tOZk/s1600/KeepingItReal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y45yLkzVS20/Uup-ihnKM-I/AAAAAAAAAb8/ujOuMx6tOZk/s1600/KeepingItReal.jpg" /></a></div>
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I been gone, been
gone so long…</div>
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Wow this month sure
did throw me for a loop. </div>
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Please note: There are parts of this post about my health
and recovery, please feel free to pass reading that and go to the sixth
paragraph down that is bolded and red.</div>
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As I mentioned in an
(earlier post-put in link), I had surgery in the middle of the month. After I posted my last post on Friday Jan 3,
I got even sicker. I ended up with at least
3 hernia's that needed to be repaired. I
ended up on bed rest for a bit. My
surgery was actually scheduled for the 15th and not the 18th that I said
before. Everything went well. He fixed the hernias, and some issues I was
having with my bowel. I did well
recovering and didn't have to stay in hospital long.</div>
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It was nice to be
home and recuperating. On the following
Wednesday, one week after the operation, I went to see my surgeon to have my
stitch removed. When my doctor does any
type of abdominal surgery he tends to close it with one running stitch. It was removed no problem and no pain so that
is always a plus in my book! LOL</div>
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Went home and took
it easy. I was sitting straight up in
bed, just watching tv, when without moving or leaning over I felt something
funny at the bottom of my incision. Well
it split a bit so I was now on my bed other than to go potty, or eat, and we
thought it would still be able to heal and close without having to take a trip
to the emergency. Slept ok that night
but the next day around noon, I felt a bit funny again and realized that I was
bleeding quite a bit so I called G and he was still in Toronto and would take
1.5 hours to get home. So unfortunately
I had to call 911 to come and get me.
They were all super nice, nice to see those hunk fire-fighters and EMT in
my home. Some were truly drool worthy
LOL</div>
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They used a
contraption called a "stair chair" and strapped me into it to get me
down the front steps and to the stretcher in my driveway. Note that we had a huge storm and the
snow banks were high. As they got to the
driveway my female EMT behind me slipped and fell onto the ground and I flew
backwards and fell on her leg on the driveway.
I felt so bad for the EMT I didn't realize that I had actually just
split my incision even more, including muscles.
</div>
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It didn't take long
to figure out that this was a big oops, as I was being quickly prepped for
emergency surgery. It was a new
experience for me to be rushed to OR.
Mine are usually planned LOL. I
spent the night in hospital and begged Dr to send me home and I was home by 11
the day after my surgery.</div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>I am still
recovering and taking things slow but am well enough to spend a few hours
online so I have been working on blog post ideas and still trying to get the
new domain all fancied up before I bring you all over there. I hope your year started off <strike>marginally</strike> (I used the wrong word here), exceptionally different than mine did. Talk about a
month lost. I got nothing on my to do
list accomplished yet. Except in the
spirit of keeping it real… I showed you the small dust collection I amass every
few days around here. My house is so far
from being the sparkling showcase houses we all drool over in magazines and
decorating shows. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><b>Please subscribe to
the blog so you can go along for the ride on my 'real' and not so pretty
adventure to make this house a home… my home, including all the dust
bunnies. :)</b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-47178810421628677662014-01-03T17:27:00.000-05:002014-01-03T17:27:42.790-05:00Kylara's Favorite Finds Friday Feature - Week 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HoAjWWdxkJY/Usc45mrL8KI/AAAAAAAAAbg/X3xCiY0CtcY/s1600/FFF_Wk1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HoAjWWdxkJY/Usc45mrL8KI/AAAAAAAAAbg/X3xCiY0CtcY/s1600/FFF_Wk1.png" /></a></div>
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As I scour around
the internet, I always find interesting articles, pictures, products, ideas and
so much more. There are so many amazing
things to find online that you could lose many hours a day just looking around.</div>
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So I decided to
share my favorite finds of the week on Fridays.
Some of the things I find may be new to you, others older, but hopefully
each of you will find some of your own favorite finds, and inspiration for you
own homes.</div>
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I found this post
over on Funkytime and really enjoy the concept. She made a <a href="http://fun.kyti.me/index.php/2013/12/mood-calendar-2014/"><span style="color: #b881b9;">Mood Calendar for 2014</span></a> , which she offers free
for download. I am trying to figure out
a way to personalize this so it would be most effective for my daily life. I think it would be super interesting to
document the mood of the day, and I think it will also be inspiring to be more
positive day to day. The only way one
can learn from this type of activity is to be completely honest. Have you ever done anything like this? Does it appeal to you? Are you going to document your moods this
year?</div>
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Another blog find is
<a href="http://enerie.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/the-ultimate-dress-shape-vocabulary/"><span style="color: #b881b9;">The Ultimate Dress Shapes Guide</span></a> from
Enerie. I found this infographic
discussed first on True Blue Me & You blog.
I am not a fashionable person personally. I would love to dress differently but I
usually have hand me downs, and spend a lot of time in pajamas. I also wear track pants often so that the
waistband does not affect my ostomy. I
also was never taught about fashion, rules, and what looks good on me. I would love to be taught but who really
teaches these things and do they cost a gargantuan sum of dough? (wow that word
was hard to spell, I am not sure if I have ever used that adjective before
LOL So back to the graphic… I learned a
lot from this and hopefully those of you unfashionable ladies will too!</div>
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Over on Pinterest I
found a great post on <a href="http://www.hercampus.com/life/entertainment/30-best-chick-flicks-all-time"><span style="color: #b881b9;">30 best chick flicks of all time</span></a> on
HerCampus. Not sure if I agree with a
couple of them, but for the majority I do agree. I might have to start a Girls Night, so I
have an excuse to do chick flick marathons lol.
</div>
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Lately there has
been a lot of talk of jealousy and comparison.
Your blog is unique to you, and try not to compare your vision with
someone else. Here is a good article
that explains more , <a href="http://www.erineflynn.com/?s=blogging+jealousy"><span style="color: #b881b9;">Blogging Jealousy</span></a> at ErinEFlynn's blog.</div>
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I hope that you
found something here that will teach you, grow you, inspire you in your own
endeavours. Thank you for joining us
today for another Favorite Finds Friday.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-89092442509710127672014-01-01T17:47:00.000-05:002014-01-01T17:47:10.091-05:00My Goals for 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KUbbtS_XlP8/UsSajlBLYHI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/rY-V_kIlX6A/s1600/BlogGoals2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KUbbtS_XlP8/UsSajlBLYHI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/rY-V_kIlX6A/s1600/BlogGoals2014.jpg" /></a></div>
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I have been working
on this post for most of the day. I know
that I have thought of a few goals the last few days, but once I sat down and
did a bit of research on setting blog goals, it became evident that this was
not going to be one of those posts that take an hour to prepare.</div>
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Some of my goals are
time sensitive, and others are an accumulation of things throughout the year to
make up a bigger goal. I have also added
a few of my more personal goals to this list as well.</div>
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One of the things I
am really struggling with as I prepare my list is if that goal is truly
attainable. Especially with my health
always changing. I am trying so hard to
be realistic while still giving myself a push to attain new levels for
myself. I suppose this is a dilemma with
a lot of people that write out a set of goals to attain. Where do you draw the line, what is too much?</div>
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Another thing I have
noticed while doing my research is that a lot of blog goals are based around
the numbers game. Goals such as 1000
followers a day, 1500 pins of one of your pins etc. While I would love to be a number goal kinda
blog, I just have not been consistent with it and cannot even fathom what type
of number goals I should attain. I think
that this year will be the true test.
Where I frequently post quality content.
Then I can give the numbers game a try.
By all means, I am not saying anything against those with number goals,
I just am unable to calculate effectively what are reasonable goals as it is
like I have completely restarted my blog and am back to square one with some
extra traffic being brought in by my 31 day series from 2012.</div>
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I am also going to
keep my goal list evolving this year if I feel there is another goal I want to
meet, or one I want to amend. I think
that as the year progresses I will have other goals that may be important to include. Okay, I think I have rambled on enough. Here is a vague sample of my goals for 2014. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Long Term Goals:</i></span></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Decorate my bedroom/craft
area</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Begin decorating my living
room</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Go out at least 2 times a
month to a local area to take pictures and learn my camera and more about
photography</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Read at least 25 books this
year.</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Quit smoking (I quit last
year for 3 months with Chantix/Champix)</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Get a blog sponsor</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Complete 10 projects and/or
tutorials and post on blog</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Learn more about managing and
using social media like twitter, google + and Pinterest to maximize my
blog exposure</span></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Short Term Goals:</span></i></div>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">End of January</span></span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Have Facebook and business
twitter accounts set up</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Look into newsletters</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Learn more about customizing
my WordPress template</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Move blog to new domain</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Organize pantry</span></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">End of March</span></span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Completed template
customization</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Create a media kit</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Learning about ads and
sponsorships</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Write up a newsletter and
create a template</span></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">End of June</span></span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Test placement of mail list
forms to find out which brings in the most subscribers and keep that one
up indefinitely</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Create 1 free e-product</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Learn more about SEO
techniques</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Review a product on the blog</span></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sell something I have
created</span></li>
</ul>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">End of Year One</span></span></li>
<ul style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .375in; margin-top: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed;" type="disc">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; vertical-align: middle;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Create 2 downloadable
products</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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Below I have listed
some of the blog goal posts that I used to help me create this list. Hopefully you can gain some more inspiration
for the year ahead like I did.</div>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.tribebloggers.com/five-key-areas-to-set-goals-for-your-blog"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Five
Key Areas To Set Goals For Your Blog</span></a> - Tribe Bloggers</div>
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<a href="http://www.thinkingcloset.com/2012/12/31/blogging-dreams-goals-for-2013/"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Blogging
- Dreams and Goals for 2013</span></a> - The Thinking Closet</div>
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<a href="http://snapcreativity.com/blog-goals/"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Setting Blog Goals & A Free
Printable</span></a> - Snap Creativity</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/set-mom-blogging-goals.html"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Set
Mom Blogging Goals</span></a> - For Dummies</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://business2blogger.com/our-blog/5945/evaluate-your-blog-goals-for-2013"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Evaluate
Your Blog Goals For 2013</span></a> - Business2Blogger</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.essentiallyeclectic.com/2013/04/blogging-goals-and-why-we-need-them.html"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Blogging
Goals (And Why We Need Them)</span></a> - Essentially Eclectic</div>
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Do you keep track of
your goals for the year? Do you write
them down and place them somewhere you can see them often? How do you decide what goals you want to work
on? Please let me know more in the
comments below. I would love to see what
you all have planned for 2014.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-74568394288223250212013-12-31T14:21:00.001-05:002014-01-01T09:25:13.300-05:00A Look Back on 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OjWJmcRmjGE/UsQlO33Le2I/AAAAAAAAAa0/R9nCeYeUmLs/s1600/YearInReview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OjWJmcRmjGE/UsQlO33Le2I/AAAAAAAAAa0/R9nCeYeUmLs/s320/YearInReview.jpg" width="248" /></a></div>
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<br />
The year began with me being extremely ill. My Crohn's disease was in full swing. We had a talk with my surgeon during one of my hospital stay about a temporary ileostomy. He agreed to give it a chance and I had my surgery on May 29.<br />
<br />
The day of my surgery I was so nervous. I really didn't know what to expect with this operation or whether or not it would be successful or not. After my surgery, I got extremely sick within 12 hours. For most patients your bowel goes into shock after such a surgery, and its usually about 5 days or so. Unfortunately my body just kept on keeping on. Due to the amount of liquid passing all the time, I went into renal failure. I was so sick and thought I was going to die.<br />
<br />
But things settled down and a 4-7 day hospital stay lasted 21 days. Some of those days I remember nothing. I was actually quite shocked to find out I had been in the hospital that long. <br />
<br />
We got home and the healing began. It was hard at first getting used to all the changes I had to make to my lifestyle, but suddenly things became so easy. Other than a few technical issues with glues and adhesives , my life was getting better.<br />
<br />
I was actually having a lot more energy, and I started getting out of bed for longer and longer periods. I can now spend the whole day up and about if I do not overdo it. I still get very tired if we do things like cleaning and going out. But my quality of life has increased significantly. To me, that is a huge bonus and I am so thankful for that.<br />
<br />
I was asked if I would still have the surgery if I knew then what I know now and all the issues I have experienced and the answer is a resounding Yes!<br />
<br />
My son got some help with some mental health issues he was having and I am so proud of the man he has become in the last 6 months. He is doing really well, and the meds have him on a great level so he is always eager and taking life on full tilt. I cannot even begin to tell you how proud of him I am. He is becoming the Man I knew he always could be. <br />
<br />
September is when I officially got back to the blog and it has been a good outlet when I am able to get on and work on the vision I have always had for this blog. I wrote a small tutorial on <a href="http://ahomemakershaven.blogspot.ca/2013/09/are-you-disorganized-pinner.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">cleaning up your Pinterest boards</span></a>. I also revisited my post about my one<a href="http://ahomemakershaven.blogspot.ca/2013/09/tried-and-true-i-have-used-it-for-year.html" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #d5a6bd;">favorite homemaking ideas</span></a> from the <a href="http://ahomemakershaven.blogspot.ca/2012/09/31-days-of-homemade-solutions-day-1.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">31 Day Challenge</span></a> the year before.<br />
<br />
As usual my mom left for Arizona after Halloween, and it still is so hard for me. I feel like I am being robbed of her for 5 months a year… and even though we talk often, it's not the same. My mother is my best friend. She is an amazing woman and I am so thankful for the relationship we have cultivated over the last ten years.<br />
<br />
November I was able to spend a wee bit of time to create my <a href="http://ahomemakershaven.blogspot.ca/2013/11/im-making-my-list-and-checking-it-twice.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Christmas Wishlist</span></a> for the holidays. I got a couple of the things I asked for. My birthday is also coming up on Jan 25, so I might get a few more things for then. I was able to get the embossing gun, a set of new pajamas, a new fairy, and a Xyron sticker maker. There are a couple new items on my list. I have found an amazing sewing machine that I want to get. The reviews for this machine are outstanding and I even saw it quite cheap at Walmart. <br />
<br />
Mom agreed to pay for half of my bill so I could buy the<a href="http://ahomemakershaven.blogspot.ca/2013/11/christmas-came-early-at-884-this-year.html" target="_blank"> <span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Silhouette Cameo</span></a> and she was purchased and I have to tell you that it has been amazing to have for Christmas. I made lots of things with it, but have yet to try the vinyl, I am saving that till I can really spend some time with it. Hopefully the new year will have a few times where I can really sit down and read up on using vinyl and give it a test run.<br />
<br />
I started blogging again as I started to feel better. And here we are, I am still here blogging, and trying to make more of a presence on the blog. Hopefully with the new year I am going to move the blog to a permanent domain and all that it will entail.<br />
<br />
I am looking forward to making a lot of home décor items this year, as well as attempt to make home beauty products, and review them on the blog. We will see which items work the best and feel the best.<br />
<br />
I have a lot of plans for the new year, I do hope that you will come on this journey with me. It looks like an amazing year ahead. Now I have to write my goals for 2014,and then I can leave 2013 behind me.<br />
<br />
Happy New Year to all of you and I hope the following year provides you with great health, great wealth, and great knowledge. Love those you love fiercely so they always know how you feel. Make sure to touch base with your friends this year. Make time for each other. And most importantly, take care of your family, love them, teach them, build them up.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-42656412181628431412013-12-30T12:43:00.000-05:002013-12-30T12:43:19.460-05:00Christmas 2013<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Wow what a busy few
weeks at 884. Due to my health I was
spending all waking moments focusing on making Christmas presents for the
kids. Our Christmas eve was celebrated
quietly at home, just G and myself. We
slipped on our new pajamas and watched Polar Express. I have never seen that movie before so it was
nice to enjoy a cute movie, new pajamas and then to top it off, G let me open
my presents on Christmas Eve.</div>
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I wasn’t able to get
out this year on my own to pick up a present for G for Christmas. I am getting him a membership with our local
photography club. The yearly fee is only
$40 so it's very reasonable. I really
wanted to buy something this year that he would use. He often gets it in his mind that he wants a
new gadget and then once we buy it as a present it doesn’t get used. So I wanted this year to be different.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
They get together on
Wednesday nights, once a week. They
offer challenges, day trips and many cool techniques. If G really enjoys the class and makes an
effort to get out and take more pictures I might even consider joining
myself. I am not a photographer. I stumble just taking pictures with the
automated settings.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
But the gift that
has him super excited is an xbox1. He
would have gone out and bought it already but locally we have none in any of
the stores and today is the last day of his mini Christmas vacation. I'm kind of eager to see all the neat
features etc. I have been wanting to
play any of those dancing games for the Kinect.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in;">
G
bought me an amazing fairy/dragon sculpture.
You can see it in the pictures below. *This is my first attempt at
collages with PicMonkey, hopefully with practice I will be able to get better
results* It is extremely detailed and
has tons of amazing features that captivate my heart. This is the biggest fairy I have. When G and I moved to this new home in
October, I absently stated that we would have to get a bigger fairy to sit on top of my glass
fairy cabinet. He remembered that
comment and this is my big gift from G.
He is so amazing and I enjoy that He is my best friend and cares about
the small personal comments I make and wish for.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TO23W1t1pRQ/UsGurLJH7VI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/kVJN8Z4Wfqo/s1600/QueenFairyCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TO23W1t1pRQ/UsGurLJH7VI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/kVJN8Z4Wfqo/s1600/QueenFairyCollage.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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For the last 4 years
my family and extended family have started me collecting these fairies. I have no 'collection' per say. But I do have the beginnings of a lifetime of
love for special pieces like this. Here
are pictures of the few other fairies that live with us at 884.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5LN8BGsnM6s/UsGup8tdpUI/AAAAAAAAAaM/zCF6ftNqbm4/s1600/MyFairesCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5LN8BGsnM6s/UsGup8tdpUI/AAAAAAAAAaM/zCF6ftNqbm4/s1600/MyFairesCollage.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was once asked
which was my favorite and I honestly couldn’t answer her as they each hold a
special place in my heart and the fairies symbolize hope and dreams to me. I am even going to be building a fairy garden
in the flowerbed in the front of the house.
I am unable to pull weeds and look after gardens these days so when I
saw the front of our house, that is what I envisioned. I will be sharing the creation of our fairy
garden with you in the next few months.</div>
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Wow got sidetracked
there LOL. Back to Christmas. G also gave me a <a href="http://www.xyron.com/enUS/Products/create-a-sticker/1_5__create-a-sticker/1_5__create-a-sticker.html" target="_blank">Xyron sticker maker</a>. This will definitely help with all my paper
crafts. Paper piecing can be a slow
tedious process at times trying to get a small element glued. This will definitely get used a lot this
year. When I had an at home scrapbook
store, I stocked tons of <a href="http://www.xyron.com/enUS/Home/default.html" target="_blank">Xyron</a> products.
They are versatile and have always been one of my go to adhesive musts
for my craft stash.</div>
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<br /></div>
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When drove over to R
and M's apartment around 2 to help out with Christmas dinner. This is the first big get together they have
had since they got their apartment. It
was a pretty decent amount of family and friends. I think the boys were a bit naïve in the
process of completing a family meal like this.
It's a dance really. Preparing
this, heating that, cooking this in the oven, while three pots are about to
boil over on the stove type of chaos.
You all know what that is like.
These boys are 22 and they found out that while it is great to have this
type of holiday, it takes a lot of work.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The boys and G got
together to buy me another present. So
while there I opened my presents, they bought me a game that I have been dying
to try since it came out years ago. The
problem was we are xbox people and nobody had a ps3 in the house, and this
particular game is machine specific. I
told the boys before they moved into their place that I was going to buy a copy
and come over and play on their machine.
Guess they didn’t like that idea….</div>
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They bought me the
game, and 2 others, as well as a used ps3 cause "we didn’t really want you
hanging out on the couch all the time mom" was the silent message passing
through the room. Then we all burst out
laughing. It was a great evening. We all laughed, and ate till we were ready to
burst. </div>
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As usual my tummy got in the way
of staying longer. I will be glad when
this operation is over and hopefully get back on the road to recovery instead
of always taking these three steps backwards .</div>
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This year, I was
finally in a festive mood. Seems Scrooge
found another victim this year. I
enjoyed all the family and friend time we got in. Love was flowing through the holiday wrapping
my loved ones in a cozy blanket hug. </div>
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<br />
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I am hoping that
each of you had a great holiday. We have
so much to be thankful for this holiday.
I will be writing a post of the year in review soon as well as some of
my goals for 2014. One of the most
important goals I have this year, is to get the domain site ready to go live
and be a beautiful peaceful place for you to pull up a chair and sit and get to
know one other.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-77062695916325856142013-12-17T06:00:00.000-05:002013-12-17T06:00:11.687-05:00Blogtastic Reviews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh9QLxe5vTQ/Uq-rkStvuyI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/yNkujC7BnAE/s1600/Blogtastic1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kh9QLxe5vTQ/Uq-rkStvuyI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/yNkujC7BnAE/s1600/Blogtastic1.png" height="303" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am always looking
for blogs to read so I am often adding to my super long list of blogs I
follow. While we all find blogs on our
travels, I thought I would share two new blogs that I have come upon recently. I am going to be giving you a small
description of what you might find on these blogs. I am going to try and have this as a new blog
feature each week. I am not sure what
day I will be hosting this feature, but will have it figured out by next
week. We can all use more to read and do
right?? LOL</div>
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I hope that you find
something of interest and if you find a blog or two to add to your ever growing
list of those you follow, great! Let me
know in the comments if you find something.
Also if you know of a great blog that you would like me to review please
email me <a href="mailto:homemakerhaven@gmail.com">HERE</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sowderingabout.com/">Sowderingabout.com</a></div>
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A blog written by
Randi,a stay at home mom, who lives in Seattle.
She has a great husband and two beautiful children. She loves being creative and shares many of
her amazing crafts with her readers.
She also has a fun quirky humor that is infectious. Which is one of the reasons I was attracted
to her blog.</div>
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Randi writes about a
bunch of day to day things, and has done a couple of great 31 day series. She also shares her weekly menu's and has
some features she partakes in each week.
She also hosts the Awesome Things Blog Hop on Tuesdays. She also features some great roundups and
giveaways. </div>
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Below are some of my
recent favorites over at Sowdering About.
I am sure you will enjoy her site whether new to Randi or not.</div>
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<a href="http://www.sowderingabout.com/2013/11/thankful-tree.html">Thankful Tree</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sowderingabout.com/2013/10/wordless-wednesday-pumpkin-patch.html">Wordless
Wednesday: The Pumpkin Patch</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.sowderingabout.com/2013/10/day-13-halloween-ring-toss.html">Halloween
Ring Toss</a></div>
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The next blog I have
found recently that I have been enjoying is Imparting Grace. Richella describes her life and passions in
this blog. She is married and her
children and grown and off on their own.
She has a stunning house that has a soft décor. This blog does discuss Richella's religious
beliefs so if that type of post bothers you then please skip this
recommendation. (As a personal
note: If you let it sway you into not
heading over to her blog then you really are missing out).</div>
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My favorite posts
from Richella:</div>
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<a href="http://www.impartinggrace.com/2012/05/dealing-with-ugly-and-pretty.html">Dealing
with the ugly and the pretty</a> - Great message found in this post.</div>
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<a href="http://www.impartinggrace.com/2012/08/decorating-my-dining-room.html">Decorating
My Dining Room</a> - love the bold color choice.</div>
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<a href="http://www.impartinggrace.com/2010/02/diy-wall-clock-long-time-coming.html">Family
Portrait Wall Clock</a> - I think I might borrow this idea</div>
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Till next week, I
hope you get your blog reading in and enjoy.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-12381709573111921342013-12-13T12:41:00.002-05:002013-12-13T12:41:43.102-05:00Kylara's Favorite Find's Friday<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I've been under the weather this week so I thought I would share some of my favorite finds/articles/pins of the week to share with you. I'm also in the process of getting my blog planner all set up and organized. I am hoping that having some structure will help me in being able to post on a more regular basis.</div>
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I also just wanted to forewarn you that on January 18 I have to have another operation. This is partly why I have been quiet. I just don’t get out of bed too often. I am trying hard to keep up with my blog reading though. </div>
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Here are a few awesome finds from my week in bed. I am sure that you will be able to find something of interest in this little round up.</div>
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The first post I want to talk about I found over on Pinterest. It is a something very unique and I love finding new ways to use common objects in a new and wonderful way. This video shows you how to embellish a collared shirt with photo corners. </div>
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<a href="http://curious.com/mimigstyle/embellishing-a-collar-with-photo-corners?utm_medium=pin&utm_source=pinterest"><span style="color: purple;">How to Embellish a Collar With Photo Corners from Mimi G Style at Curious.com</span>.</a></div>
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<a href="http://curious.com/mimigstyle/embellishing-a-collar-with-photo-corners?utm_medium=pin&utm_source=pinterest" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P-Sbo-dUEK4/Uqs-ZM0mtsI/AAAAAAAAAZo/qxRkQ4sgG_U/s1600/EmbellishCollarsWithPhotoCorners.jpg" height="320" width="255" /></a></div>
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Another of my favorite things is adding a bit of 'me' into my style. The following article teaches you how to turn a regular flat into a bit more dressy version by adding a chain ankle strap. This is a very easy transformation and one that should not take long as well. I am looking forward to making a few pairs of these this winter, so I will be ready soon as the weather turns nice again.</div>
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<a href="http://ispydiy.com/my-diy-chain-ankle-strap-flats/"><span style="color: purple;">DIY Chain Ankle Strap Flats</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://ispydiy.com/my-diy-chain-ankle-strap-flats/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uXiave3ba8k/Uqs-Wu_bxzI/AAAAAAAAAZI/NiR4dWdCxdI/s1600/DIYChainAnkleStrapShoeFlats.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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While doing a bit of snooping on I Spy DIY I also found other shoe mods that might pique your interest. It is a great site with many areas to get lost in. If you haven't been to <a href="http://ispydiy.com/">I Spy DIY</a> grab a coffee and expect to sit awhile as you will find so many things to try yourself.</div>
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<a href="http://ispydiy.com/my-diy-faux-beaded-heels-contest/"><span style="color: purple;">Faux Beaded Heels</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://ispydiy.com/my-diy-faux-beaded-heels-contest/" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple;">Smoking Slippers</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://ispydiy.com/my-diy-studded-kitten-heels/" style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: purple;">Studded Kitten Heels</span></a></div>
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I don't know if I am sheltered or what, but this is the first time I have seen a yarn bowl. I found this while spending a few minutes this week on Pinterest. The original item that I have pinned has been sold so I went to the Etsy shop of<span style="color: purple;"> <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/redhotpottery?ref=l2-shopheader-name">RedHotPottery</a></span> and picked out my favorite. She has different designs, as well as colors to choose from. They range in price as well and are quite reasonable. Click the picture below to be taken to this particular product in the store.</div>
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<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/70173550/yarn-bowl-knitting-bowl-yarn-organizer?ref=shop_home_feat" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4DF5NM-JC9s/Uqs-Yd2O52I/AAAAAAAAAZk/vSbg7Reiu2w/s1600/YarnBowl.jpg" height="305" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another interesting thing I found this week was a blog post about some new DIY Digital Magazines. The blog post about the magazines was found <a href="http://www.chic-steals.com/2013/12/3-free-digital-diy-magazines-to-inspire-your-handmade-holiday.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ChicSteals+%28Chic+Steals%29"><span style="color: purple;">HERE</span></a> at<span style="color: purple;"> <a href="http://www.chic-steals.com/">Chic Steals</a></span> . I like all three so was unable to pick a favorite for you LOL. Like I need more reading material to keep me from doing my housecleaning.</div>
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One of my favorite bloggers Elsie and Emma at "<a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/"><span style="color: purple;">A Beautiful Mess</span></a>" posted this <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2013/12/gian.html"><span style="color: purple;">Pom Pom Garland</span></a> last week. I love the uniqueness. It's something you don’t often see and it just warmed my heart up a bit. I love how classic and romantic it looks. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5cKwPA6SWi4/Uqs-Xyo4F1I/AAAAAAAAAZg/UmLPNQHnzNE/s1600/PomPomGarland-ABeautifulMess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5cKwPA6SWi4/Uqs-Xyo4F1I/AAAAAAAAAZg/UmLPNQHnzNE/s1600/PomPomGarland-ABeautifulMess.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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I found this awesome kid craft over on Pinterest from <span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://www.craftsunleashed.com/">Crafts Unleashed</a>.</span> I love the simplicity of it, and the fact you can get the supplies readily. I will have to make these "<a href="http://www.craftsunleashed.com/seasonal/winter/cinnamon-stick-tree-ornaments/"><span style="color: purple;">Cinnamon Stick Tree Ornaments</span></a>" with a friends children next year. So cute, don't you agree?</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Dq9GsHQ42s/Uqs-WqrDTTI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/PootFH93ygw/s1600/Cinnamon-Stick-Tree-Ornaments-Crafts-Unleashed-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Dq9GsHQ42s/Uqs-WqrDTTI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/PootFH93ygw/s1600/Cinnamon-Stick-Tree-Ornaments-Crafts-Unleashed-2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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And last but not least, one of my favorite quotes. This is from Marilyn Monroe. The wall vinyl quote is from the etsy shop of <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69563284/marilyn-monroe-quote-i-believe-good"><span style="color: purple;">Its Written On The Wall</span></a> . She also has some other great products. You should slip on over there and take a peek at her range of products.</div>
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I hope that you have enjoyed some of the amazing things I have gathered and saved this week, to be used in the future. I hope that you're not too 'crazy' with the holidays coming up. Remember to spend quality time with your loved ones as that is one of the greatest benefits of the season.</div>
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Have you found any great things on your blog/pinterest/surfing adventures? If you know of something you think should be showcased send me an email <a href="mailto:homemakerhaven@gmail.com"><span style="color: purple;">HERE</span></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-8470271540127606972013-12-12T16:23:00.002-05:002013-12-12T16:23:52.785-05:00BloglovinIm trying to claim my blog on Bloglovin. Sorry for the inconvenience.<br />
<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/5264905/?claim=kgvvrfk4dy7">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a><br />
Kylara<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-89109314707250457322013-12-06T21:51:00.000-05:002013-12-06T21:51:19.839-05:00"This is Homemaker Haven, reminding you to help control the pet population;"<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Quote: "This is
Bob Barker, reminding you to help control the pet population; have your pets
spayed or neutered."</div>
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Today I was going to
blog about my creative space in the new house.
But I am not prepared with photos and such. It's never as simple as writing up a blog
post. There are so many other things
involved in preparing a post for you guys.</div>
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So without further
ado, let's talk about my babies. We have
6 kids between G and I. He has 2 girls
and a boy, and I have 2 boys and a girl.
We are the Brady Bunch lol but mixed with a large amount of Roseanne and
Dan.</div>
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But when I refer to
my babies, I mean my four legged
friends. Our 'furry' children. We have had Phoenix for 6 years. He is a really cool combo of breeds. Whenever we get asked what he is , we laugh a
little before revealing his hilarious DNA.
He is part Corgi (the Queen's dog) and part Husky. Now just that mash up is hilarious to think
of but the best part is the husky was
the mother. She had to been taking a nap
when the little short studly corgi gave it his best shot (no pun intended,
really LOL).</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1Q-x2ArSoE/UqKMibkygUI/AAAAAAAAAYo/4ia3Xdz7LqI/s1600/Phoenix1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V1Q-x2ArSoE/UqKMibkygUI/AAAAAAAAAYo/4ia3Xdz7LqI/s1600/Phoenix1.jpg" height="352" width="400" /></a></div>
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We got him from a
rescue agency that goes to Moosonee to rescue any of the 'loose' dogs. Due to massive overpopulation, they have what
they call "hunt days". Any dog
they find that is not tied up or contained gets shot. They have to do something to keep the feral
dog population down. The organization we
used, goes up and grabs pups all the time.
Anyway, when we got together with them they brought 4 pups with them out
of the litter of 9. One of them
immediately went off exploring our house.
One cowered under a bed almost the whole time they were there, another
one was just a bit indifferent, and lastly the one pup, went and snuggled and
played with us the whole time they were there.
It was a very easy decision as to which one we would adopt.</div>
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Phoenix, is a very
special dog. He is extremely
intelligent, and intuitive. Due to my
ailments, he is always super observant of me and stays really close to me on
the days that I am very sick. He truly
is my best friend. He is super gentle in
nature. Every vet we have ever taken him
to , falls in love with him. He is a
huge bright light in my sometimes dark days.</div>
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Our other dog is a
shih tzu that we got from my aunt, who rescued him from a young couple who
supposedly was being evicted and not able to keep the dog. If you noticed the way that sentence ix
worded you will understand that that is not what happened. A few months later, a friend of my aunts, who
originally brought the story to my aunt, saw this couple out walking down the
road with a brand new pup. Well I heard
they got quite an earful and lecture about their actions. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMizWCZwtRQ/UqKMiL_R0WI/AAAAAAAAAYs/FNyRFqbyLKw/s1600/Smudge1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMizWCZwtRQ/UqKMiL_R0WI/AAAAAAAAAYs/FNyRFqbyLKw/s1600/Smudge1.jpg" height="390" width="400" /></a></div>
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What I believe
happened based on my work with the dog the first few weeks we got him is that
he used growling all the time, but I am guessing they let him do or behave the
same, due to not disciplining the dog to behave properly. His growl never frightened us and we quickly
turned that behaviour around. Don't get
me wrong, he still growls, but it’s a dog purr that he does when cuddling , he
is a strange dog lol.</div>
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We have had Smudge
now for 3-4 years and he is our comedian in the family. He just is so wound up all the time and he
does before thinking things through.
Like going for a massive leap onto furniture and misjudging the jump and
slamming into the couch front with his chest.
He also whips his toys around so hard that he has actually knocked the
wind out of himself. He is a cute but
wild dog. He keeps us on our toes and
laughing along the way.</div>
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Anyway the reason
that I write this post is because today they got fixed. It has been a long time in the making due to
the costs associated with it. When we
lived in Barrie, Ontario, we were quoted $500 per dog to be neutered. It is ridiculous. Here we paid less than $500 for both dogs. </div>
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They came home all
loopy, and with those darn cones on their heads. They are bumping and getting caught on
everything. They have both been super
quiet all night long. It is so unlike
them it's kind of unnerving.</div>
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Look how depressing
they look LOL Is it normal to feel a
little guilty for putting them through this???</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-709212766737724772013-12-04T20:38:00.000-05:002013-12-04T20:38:36.259-05:00Deck The ...Halls Doors with a Home-made Wreath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-uam0MbhjY/Up_XBe_sLXI/AAAAAAAAAYU/jupKlito3Z4/s1600/Wreath1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-uam0MbhjY/Up_XBe_sLXI/AAAAAAAAAYU/jupKlito3Z4/s1600/Wreath1.jpg" height="400" width="332" /></a></div>
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Well I started off this wreath project with another idea completely. I was planning on making the Christmas candy wreath I saw over on Pinterest <a href="http://www.livecrafteat.com/craft/how-to-make-a-candy-wreath/">HERE</a>. I tried about 7 times to make this but I was having a huge brain fart and was unable to understand how to tie on the candies so they would look full even after pushing them together. I was super frustrated and had already promised my son I would be making him a wreath for his new place. </div>
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So after much deliberation I used a small Styrofoam wreath form I had and covered it with Green yarn I had laying around. To do this I would hot glue to the start of each 3 foot length of yard and place all glued start and endings on one side so the other side is neater and better to use as your 'front'. Keep doing this till the wreath form was covered. Please note that when doing this wrap around, that the inner circle is smaller so you will have to push the sections over a bit and there could be some overlapping on the inside. Try and make sure that the overlapping is not too noticeable. </div>
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Then I went to a few shops in my area to look for small decorations for the wreath. I found a bunch of supplies that were meant for larger wreathes but I cut everything so it would be better proportional. I hot glued my center leaves and decorations first as they are the focal point of the wreath. I also used some of the glittered stems from the leaves as décor for the top of the wreath. Waste not want not right? LOL</div>
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Then I gathered some of my colored craft wire and using the red wire I glued a small glittered red ball to the end and then wrapped the other end around the wreath form, so it would dangle in the middle of the wreath. I also added one gold ball with gold craft wire to either side of the red ball.</div>
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I then looked for some more greenery and found these holy pieces. They were originally part of a Christmas bell ornament that had these holly glued to the front. They were super easy to take off and if by chance the red holly berry popped off, its super easy to glue them back on.</div>
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I also found some cute small ornament balls that I attached to a 20 gauge gold wire and inserted into the foam wreath at the bottom. </div>
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The inspiration for this wreath was actually the "Believe" sentiment I found in my crafts. I painted it gold as they came in silver glitter and that would not work well with the colors I have going on. Also my son and his room-mate want mostly red and gold Christmas décor. Can you imagine 2, 22 year old's, being so specific with their decorating wishes. LOL I am getting such a kick out of how proud they are over this home and the pieces they put in it. My boy is finally growing up! Which is awesome, and a huge stress off my shoulders let me tell ya.</div>
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So I waited and waited overnight even, for the gold paint to dry but even after completing all but this step on my wreath. I finally decided to just use the gold glitter glue on the wet gold paint. I used Crafts Fine Glitter Glue and a small paintbrush to spread the glue to the edges of my word. </div>
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I am sorry that I didn't take any pictures during this craft but I didn't think it would be such a process LOL. In all honesty it went quick once I changed my plans and figured out the design. </div>
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Have you ever made a wreath? Have you blogged about it? Leave me a link in the comments below so I can go drool over your wreaths and others can get inspiration for their wreath making this year. If you haven't blogged about a wreath but have pictures, please feel free to share them with us also.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-18724536068551950332013-12-02T13:40:00.000-05:002013-12-02T13:40:45.702-05:00OMG its December?!?!?!?<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
December 2,</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PDXu5A5gSso/UpzRcQAdxLI/AAAAAAAAAYE/bzoA-PET77Y/s1600/WhoIsKylara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PDXu5A5gSso/UpzRcQAdxLI/AAAAAAAAAYE/bzoA-PET77Y/s1600/WhoIsKylara.jpg" /></a></div>
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Wow where did the
last week go? Seems I have been sleeping
for most of the week.</div>
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So with my short
absence I thought I would post an about me post for you all so you can
understand my sometimes abrupt absences here on the blog.</div>
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Where to start…</div>
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<br /></div>
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When I was 15 I was
hospitalized for a few months while they tried to figure out why I was
extremely skinny and having tummy issues.
After 2 months they finally diagnosed me with Crohn's disease and I was
operated on the day after. My surgeon
removed 3 1/2 feet of my bowel. It was
pretty rough to go through at such an early age and I was at the time in foster
homes and my hospital stay was so long that my 'spot' in my previous home was
full and they had to find me another foster home for when I was discharged…so
not only was I going through recovery, my life was also disrupted by learning
my new place in a new home.</div>
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After my surgery I
was still sick but not horribly. It
seems like I never went into remission like a lot of the other people with this
disease seem to experience. There were
some years where I spent upwards of 3-4 months total in hospital each
year. It was extremely hard to have a
'stable' life.</div>
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Well the last few
years things have been a bit more rocky with my disease and then last year
around the new year, I got extremely ill with a blockage. As the surgeon came in daily for updates on
my condition, G and I discussed the opportunity of having an ileostomy to see
if that would help me out. We agreed to
try a temporary loop ileostomy to see how my life changed and if it was for the
worst or better.</div>
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The day after my
surgery I went into renal failure. I
don't think I have ever been that sick and if I have I have forgotten it. I was for sure it was the end of my journey. But with the grace of a higher power, I made
it through and while I am still struggling with my disease, I personally feel
that the ileostomy has some cons, but they in no way come close to the pros of
this operation to my daily life.</div>
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Not only do I suffer
from Crohn's disease but I also suffer from Fibromyalgia. This disease is very hard to understand and I
often use the "Spoon Theory" , click <a href="http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/wpress/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/"><b>HERE</b></a>
to read what that is, to explain to people how my life is played out. Just to clarify, this theory was initially
written about lupus which is in some way quite like Fibro. It is actually misdiagnosed often.</div>
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A few weeks ago I
started to get more pain in the site of my ostomy. Also my tummy started to extend a bit which
caused us some concern. Well it appears
that I might have what is called a parastomal hernia. I have a CT scan scheduled for this week on
the 5th. If I do in fact have this
hernia, it will probably require more surgery to fix the issue.</div>
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So during the last
week I have been exhausted. So exhausted
that I have slept pretty much for the last 50 hours. I am forcing myself to get up today and get a
few things done before my PSW shows up today which should be in the next 1-2
hours.</div>
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I hoping to be able
to complete my first set of 6 Christmas cards today. I also would love to be able to finish R's
Christmas wreath I have started. </div>
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<br />
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Well this was just a
short peek into my life and I hope that it helps you to understand my
absences. It is by no means me
forgetting about the blog but I need my spoons for other things.</div>
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I hope that everyone is enjoying this amazing month and spending time with family and loved ones. Are you making homemade DIY gifts this year? If so I would love to hear and see what your making for your loved ones this month.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-32017606234333295512013-11-26T13:03:00.000-05:002013-11-26T13:03:07.509-05:00To & From Holiday Guide 2013<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
As I was doing my
normal morning routine which consists of checking emails, playing my favourite
Facebook games (Bingo Blitz, Royal Story and Hidden Shadows), and reading a few
blogs, I came across a fabulous gift guide.</div>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I wasn't scheduled
to make a blog post today but I had never heard of this gift guide before and I
love it and want to make sure that as many people as possible get a chance to
see this. I grabbed it from a post on <a href="http://www.housetweaking.com/">House Tweaking</a> called "<a href="http://www.housetweaking.com/2013/11/17/to-from-holiday-gift-guide/">To
and From Holiday Gift Guide</a>".</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iPWNyumZV98/UpThuchjZ4I/AAAAAAAAAX0/r7fvd7YHZY8/s1600/ToandFromMagazine+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iPWNyumZV98/UpThuchjZ4I/AAAAAAAAAX0/r7fvd7YHZY8/s1600/ToandFromMagazine+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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It gave the link to
the guide itself which you can find <a href="http://toandfrommagazine.com/">HERE</a>.</div>
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Some of my favourite
picks are:</div>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Peacock and Ice
Custom Agenda - Page 8</div>
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Netflix Annual
Subscription - Page 22</div>
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Ouch First Aid Kit -
Page 25</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Cuyana Low Back
Tunic - Page 27</div>
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Single Hammock Chair
- Page 30</div>
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Doorbot - Page 52</div>
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Xbox 1 - Page 55</div>
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Gem Magnets - Page
207</div>
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Target Deer Head -
Page 211</div>
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What would be your
favourite picks this year from the magazine?
Go take a peak and let us know which are your favourites in the comments
below.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-56847519234635424732013-11-25T15:46:00.000-05:002013-11-25T15:46:22.686-05:00Best Gluten Free Christmas Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UBCPWljmnmY/UpO2NvXcsAI/AAAAAAAAAXk/u3sKqt65tuc/s1600/GlutenFreeCookies.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UBCPWljmnmY/UpO2NvXcsAI/AAAAAAAAAXk/u3sKqt65tuc/s1600/GlutenFreeCookies.png" height="640" width="460" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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I must admit that
this article started out with just your best of Christmas cookies till I found
a gluten free one and this idea blossomed.
I do feel bad that a lot of the time those with Celiac end up missing
out on holidays and goodies due to their very limited diet. To bring a bit of holiday spirit to those
suffering this holiday I bring you the following post.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
We found out this
year that one of G's kids has Celiac disease.
If you have never heard of this or don’t really understand what this
disease entails I will leave a few links below for you to check out.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_291055216"><i>Canadian
Celiac Association</i></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://celiac.com/" target="_blank"><i>Celiac.com</i></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.celiacchicks.com/"><i>Celiac Chicks Blog</i></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<a href="http://jennifersway.org/"><i>Jennifersway Blog</i></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Normally my plan
each year is to make Christmas cookies to give the kids each year but my health
has always stood in the way. This year
since I am feeling much better, I would love to make cookies but time and the holiday
uproar may make this impossible. </div>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
So I am going to
make a small recipe book for her with some of the best gluten free Christmas
cookies recipes. Below are some of the
more traditional cookie recipes I found.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;"> 1. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.celiac.com/articles/22384/1/Molasses-Spice-Cookies-Gluten-Free/Page1.html"><i>Molasses Spice Cookies</i></a> - Recipe from Celiac.com</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tNV69gUx5aU/UpOftij8HiI/AAAAAAAAAWw/TAoWV-RXWd8/s1600/MolassesCookies-GF.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tNV69gUx5aU/UpOftij8HiI/AAAAAAAAAWw/TAoWV-RXWd8/s1600/MolassesCookies-GF.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">2.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2012/12/gluten-free-lofthouse-style-sugar-cookies.html"><i>Lofthouse Style Sugar Cookies</i></a> - Recipe from
LynnsKitchenAdventures.com</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qiCZTdgwn5s/UpOfvc3svzI/AAAAAAAAAXM/3acDFNsAj_c/s1600/glulten-free-lofthouse-style-sugar-cookies-Recipes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qiCZTdgwn5s/UpOfvc3svzI/AAAAAAAAAXM/3acDFNsAj_c/s1600/glulten-free-lofthouse-style-sugar-cookies-Recipes.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3. </span><a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/gluten-free-snickerdoodles/7f55976d-c482-42aa-82f5-72f8c7fd3600" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Snickerdoodles</i></span></a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Recipe from BettyCrocker.com</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RS7jLC0CXBc/UpOfxv3lufI/AAAAAAAAAXY/RGKy16J7Bm4/s1600/Sickerdoodles-GF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RS7jLC0CXBc/UpOfxv3lufI/AAAAAAAAAXY/RGKy16J7Bm4/s1600/Sickerdoodles-GF.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">4.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <a href="http://cookitallergyfree.com/blog/2010/12/cinnamon-icebox-shortbread-cookiesgluten-freeegg-free/" style="font-size: 11pt;"><i>Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Icebox Shortbread</i></a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> - Cookitallergyfree.com</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-slS1qJxUxfc/UpOfuBNAtoI/AAAAAAAAAW0/D5Yk-lkFqBo/s1600/ShortbreadIcebox1-GF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-slS1qJxUxfc/UpOfuBNAtoI/AAAAAAAAAW0/D5Yk-lkFqBo/s1600/ShortbreadIcebox1-GF.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5. </span><a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.ca/2010/12/gluten-free-gingersnaps-and-star.html" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Gingersnaps</i></span></a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Recipe from Gutenfreegoddess.blogspot.ca</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C4jN37y3idQ/UpOfvpTwQPI/AAAAAAAAAXE/sMM6EDDkPKY/s1600/Gingersnaps-GF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C4jN37y3idQ/UpOfvpTwQPI/AAAAAAAAAXE/sMM6EDDkPKY/s1600/Gingersnaps-GF.jpg" height="320" width="223" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">6.<i><u> </u></i></span><a href="http://www.theprimalist.com/coconut-macaroons-gluten-free-paleo/" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Coconut Macaroons</i></span></a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Recipes from Theprimalist.com</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ri7vIacX-Ms/UpOfspkBr3I/AAAAAAAAAWg/AkPq3WtloKc/s1600/Coconut-Macaroons-5-Gluten-Free-Paleo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ri7vIacX-Ms/UpOfspkBr3I/AAAAAAAAAWg/AkPq3WtloKc/s1600/Coconut-Macaroons-5-Gluten-Free-Paleo.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">7, </span><a href="http://themommybowl.com/2010/12/11/chocolate-snowballs-for-12-days-of-gluten-free-christmas-cookies/" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Chocolate Snowballs</i></span></a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Recipe From Themommybowl.com</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AYkGFHpw5vk/UpOfsgRsrCI/AAAAAAAAAWY/Mt1dvC59ebk/s1600/ChocolateSnowballs-GF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AYkGFHpw5vk/UpOfsgRsrCI/AAAAAAAAAWY/Mt1dvC59ebk/s1600/ChocolateSnowballs-GF.jpg" height="320" width="319" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">8. </span><a href="http://www.elanaspantry.com/gluten-free-peanut-butter-and-jelly-cookies/" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Peanut Butter and Jelly</i></span></a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Recipe From
elanaspantry.com</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E2nqGkLlaMI/UpOfwQBICHI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/8mbp3gYTaxU/s1600/peanut-butter-jelly-cookies-flourless-recipe-GF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E2nqGkLlaMI/UpOfwQBICHI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/8mbp3gYTaxU/s1600/peanut-butter-jelly-cookies-flourless-recipe-GF.jpg" height="190" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">9. <i><u> </u></i></span><a href="http://www.heythattastesgood.com/2007/10/chocolate-crinkles.html" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Chocolate Crinkles</i></span></a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Recipe from heythattastesgood.com</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">10. </span><a href="http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/chocolate-thumbprint-cookies-2/" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies</i></span></a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Recipe from
glutenfreeonashoestring.com</span></span></div>
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Do you know someone
with Celiac? Remember that a lot of
people these days have dietary restrictions.
I hope that this round up will help you to include them this holiday. If you try any of these recipes I would love
to hear how they went and your critiques.
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-20510559537597130552013-11-23T15:56:00.000-05:002013-11-23T15:56:30.422-05:00I'm making my list, and checking it twice...<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
November 23,</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BMDHJf6GTlk/UpEWBR7cxEI/AAAAAAAAAV8/KvdqcHDD_Gw/s1600/Wishlist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BMDHJf6GTlk/UpEWBR7cxEI/AAAAAAAAAV8/KvdqcHDD_Gw/s1600/Wishlist.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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Today I figured I
would get my Christmas list done! Such
hard work really LOL . Usually we have
been unable to have the traditional holiday due to finances, and it's virtually
impossible to get all the kids under one roof.
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But this year is a
special year for me. I am here to enjoy
this year, and even though there may not be tons of presents, or tons of
people, I want us to have a brilliant day in our own way. I also want to start some holiday traditions
that we will be able to teach the grandkids to do one day. </div>
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One of my favorite
posts that I saw last year was about a Christmas Eve Tradition. Now please remember that the 'kids' are
between 14-26 so no little ones around but I think this year we will do this
with G and then as kids get married and have little ones, we can just add them
to the traditional festivities. Here is
the link to the article I found at <a href="http://momfabfun.com/christmas-eve-box-start-a-new-tradition/">MomFab Fun</a> </div>
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First thing I want
is an embossing gun. I found it at <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Embossing-Heat-Tool-with-Stand/10310557">Walmart</a>
. Of course then I need embossing ink
and powders to go with it lol.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOX_6S-v1Tg/UpERJblwcxI/AAAAAAAAAVg/dgb5aoyHDDk/s1600/Embossing+Gun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOX_6S-v1Tg/UpERJblwcxI/AAAAAAAAAVg/dgb5aoyHDDk/s1600/Embossing+Gun.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next thing I am
hoping to get is an envelope punch board.
This device is used to create envelopes at home with any paper. Another gift that can be found at <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/We-R-Memory-Keepers-Envelope-Punch-Board/26762911?action=product_interest&action_type=image&placement_id=irs_bottom&strategy=TIC&visitor_id=55849546696&category=0%3A2637%3A667479%3A1021745&client_guid=0ffe6465-5553-4aa6-97a1-33be47b3acb4&config_id=2&parent_item_id=10310557&guid=82dfde38-049e-4e23-a1ca-e69dacc75fd7&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&findingMethod=p13n">Walmart</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z_n8k1tqxg4/UpERMeUsziI/AAAAAAAAAV0/mOyjpBZdCJ8/s1600/EnvelopePunchBoard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z_n8k1tqxg4/UpERMeUsziI/AAAAAAAAAV0/mOyjpBZdCJ8/s1600/EnvelopePunchBoard.JPG" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
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While surfing around
Walmart's craft section I also found a <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/CGull-Tool-Kit-Case-Pink/24696992">Pink Die
Cutter Tool Kit and Case</a>. This will
go perfectly to aid in my vinyl work. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3yiG0GSAkHs/UpERKIzU9bI/AAAAAAAAAVk/raTqBB-dl18/s1600/Tool+Kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3yiG0GSAkHs/UpERKIzU9bI/AAAAAAAAAVk/raTqBB-dl18/s1600/Tool+Kit.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Another crafty Item
that looks interesting is the <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Silhouette-Sketch-Pen-24-pkg/26681277?action=product_interest&action_type=image&placement_id=irs_bottom&strategy=TIC&visitor_id=55849546696&category=0%3A2637%3A667479%3A1021745&client_guid=4d8c1fb0-5151-4f18-a624-4673bb5b7cd4&config_id=0&parent_item_id=24693697&guid=7461204a-077f-47b4-86b4-b5d71c2d1a01&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&findingMethod=p13n">Silhouette
Sketch Pens 24 Pack</a>. So far you
only need to hit one store to get all my
goodies lol.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hGYnYAosB4k/UpERJYyuyRI/AAAAAAAAAVc/-AtMEp7OYV0/s1600/Silhouette-Sketch-Pen-24-Pkg-P15452716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hGYnYAosB4k/UpERJYyuyRI/AAAAAAAAAVc/-AtMEp7OYV0/s1600/Silhouette-Sketch-Pen-24-Pkg-P15452716.jpg" height="197" width="320" /></a></div>
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Any <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/Martha-Stewart-Crafts-Glitter-Multi-Pack/20967365">Glitter
packs</a> as I have none at the moment. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IghIcBhUVg8/UpERKZr3hPI/AAAAAAAAAVo/nGlfe6qyLaE/s1600/modern-accessories-and-decor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IghIcBhUVg8/UpERKZr3hPI/AAAAAAAAAVo/nGlfe6qyLaE/s1600/modern-accessories-and-decor.jpg" height="286" width="320" /></a></div>
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I want Pajamas this
year!</div>
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As usual I hope I
get one fairy. G has got me at least one
of these every year. I love them and
have a special glass case they are kept in.
I have no preference as to which one, as long as I don’t have it
already.</div>
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I have a broken PC
Monitor that needs to be fixed.</div>
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I need a new
external drive since both of mine are no longer working. Would love to get the information off them
too as a gift.</div>
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Gift Cards at Lens
Mill Store, Dollarama, and Walmart would be easy options too.</div>
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And last but not
least, I would love to have a shelf built 1 1/2 foot from ceiling on 3 of my 4
bedroom walls for storage and magazines.</div>
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<br />
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Well I am too tired
to keep this list going lol so will stop for now. Have you all thought about what you would
like this year? If you could get one
thing (make it affordable lol) this year, what do you want most? Have you made your list?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-77182755140709891262013-11-20T10:13:00.001-05:002013-11-20T10:13:42.961-05:00Christmas came early at 884 this year!!!!<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Geez it seems like
every time I want to delve back into this blog something comes up. But I want you all to know that I am around
and thinking about posts all the time. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I am going to try
and come around a few times a week, instead of trying the impossible (at this
time), once a day. I have a lot of
projects that I have started around the new house and massive plans for the
next year. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I do have some
awesome news. I finally, after years of
coveting this amazing techie toy, I was able to get one! I am now the proud owner of a Silhouette
Cameo and if you are not sure what this is… please click <a href="http://www.silhouetteamerica.com/what-can-you-make" target="_blank">HERE</a> to be taken
to the product page so you can see what this machine is capable of. On the right side of the page there is a blue box, that says "What can you make?". Clicking on the links below it will give you an overview of this beast :)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7lK83Zk_0E/UozQN7X1sPI/AAAAAAAAAVA/Fkikol1UIKs/s1600/silhouette-cameo_02-xl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7lK83Zk_0E/UozQN7X1sPI/AAAAAAAAAVA/Fkikol1UIKs/s400/silhouette-cameo_02-xl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have had the
product since last Thursday and have been playing around with it a bit and
Friday I made my first Christmas card in years.
I am going to try and get a tut together for all of you who enjoy making
home-made cards for family and friends.</div>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Now as much fun as
it is to make cards and the like, there is another project that I can do with
the Cameo to help make some extra cash around here. I am going to be making some custom vinyl
sayings and monograms. I am really
looking forward to playing around with this Cameo as there are so many
wonderful things to make.</div>
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We are still
unpacking and trying to figure where to put everything. G is making shelves in the garage to help
keep my craft supplies all neat and organized.
I am going to be putting some ideas I have for my craft area together
soon for a post, so be on the watch for that.
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After we get most of
the boxes unpacked and stored, then comes the decorating. I am really looking forward to that stage as
I have never truly decorated before. I
always had hand me down furniture (which is not a bad thing, but I would take
things as long as they were needed), without care for how it 'fit' with the
rest of the room. So with that big
project I am quite excited and am hoping to focus on one room at a time till it
is done how I envision. It could
honestly be a long time till things are done to my taste but that is ok. The fun is in the process in my eyes.</div>
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The weather has
definitely changed here in south western Ontario. It is cold and windy, with snow here and
there mixed with nasty rain. I hate the
'dark' days of winter. It can get so
daunting and depressive. How are you
planning on bringing some sunshine into your life this winter?</div>
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The Christmas season
is fast approaching and with it, my brain is in overdrive with many projects I
want to make and give as gifts this year.
I have started on a few of them so far and hope to be able to finish and
share them with you in the weeks ahead.</div>
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I will also be
trying my hand at making 'home-made' beauty products to give to the young
ladies, for H, N, and M this year. I
also have some goodies in mind for the guys this year also, R has just moved
into an apartment with his friend M, so they are needing things for around the
house, and I will probably be making C the same as R and M, and not real sure
what to do for W this year. </div>
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What can you make
for a 14 year old boy? If anyone has any
ideas or suggestions please leave me a comment below.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-75648039640884194662013-10-25T15:55:00.000-04:002013-10-25T15:55:45.977-04:00Recipe ReviewA few weeks ago I went searching into my recipe boards on Pinterest in search of a quick and easy supper I could make that wouldn't have much prep involved and I came across a recipe for French Dip Sandwich's.<br />
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The recipe consisted of the roast, beef broth, and buns. You place the roast and broth in crock-pot for 5-7 hours on high or 8-11 hours on slow. Gregg and I both felt it was too bland and so I would suggest adding 1-2 packages of Lipton Onion Soup Mix and any other flavouring you like with your roast. The roast was nice and tender and with the addition of the Onion Soup and a thickening agent ( I used cornstarch), to give the 'au jus' a bit more consistency.<br />
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I would love to hear other versions of your favourite Beef Au Jus recipes. We love having this type of comfort food in our house and we would love to try out any you suggest, so please leave a comment below with your recipe.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-10972898891873100612013-10-24T14:06:00.000-04:002013-10-24T14:06:22.238-04:00What I have been busy doing..Well, it's been a "few" days since my last blog post, so let me fill you all in.<br />
<br />
A few months ago our landlord gave us 2 days notice that she was putting our home up for sale. We were very shocked but our home was not in shape for a showing due to me being pretty much bed bound for the last few years. It wasn't dirty, but cluttered.<br />
<br />
I started working on the house right away but could only do an hour or two at most a day. Well then my landlord accused us of trying to sabotage the sale of her house. Geez.<br />
<br />
Unfriendly words were spoken by both of us and I was emotionally drained after a full day of this so I finally told her to evict us and she said she would and I hung up.<br />
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I wasn't very worried about the eviction because I knew she had no grounds. We were not and have never been in arrears and we had not damaged the home. I also had an ace up my sleeve. That was my five year lease of which I still had 2 years to go. Seems she forgot about that and realized she was going to have a hard time selling this house that the tenants still had 2 years left on the lease.<br />
<br />
Thank god she asked us for a 5 year lease, LOL, that kind of back fired on her. Now she had to disclose this to each potential buyer. So she called and asked if we could get together to talk.<br />
<br />
She said that we could buy the place ourselves (there is no way I would ever buy this house), or move out and she would pay our first and last at the new house and our moving truck and the use of 2 guys to do the lifting as neither Gregg nor I should be lifting things.<br />
<br />
Gregg and I talked about it and realized this might be our opportunity to find a home more suitable for me. A ranch or bungalow so I wouldn't need to go up and down stairs any more.<br />
<br />
We immediately set out looking for a new home. We looked at 3 houses within days of having this conversation with our landlord.<br />
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One was really small, one was older but the basement smelt damp and mildewy. And a fully redone century home.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-azzKK94dCCA/UmlgEGAvWvI/AAAAAAAAAT8/zlQcoS38RJ8/s1600/House_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-azzKK94dCCA/UmlgEGAvWvI/AAAAAAAAAT8/zlQcoS38RJ8/s400/House_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The last one, the redone century home, was really beautifully renovated. It had the original hardwood floors, sanded and re-finished in a dark chocolate stain. All brand new windows, new tile in kitchen, landing and bathroom. </div>
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It had a 1 1/2 -2 car insulated garage, which of course Gregg loved. He can't wait to get his tools all set up so he can do things he used to enjoy.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8-PFYYqlp0o/UmlgF5CwRmI/AAAAAAAAAUA/RiMjl63kwSY/s1600/House_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8-PFYYqlp0o/UmlgF5CwRmI/AAAAAAAAAUA/RiMjl63kwSY/s400/House_3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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A huge backyard that was mostly fenced in. Directly behind our property is a park so we didn't have to worry about neighbours behind us. The house was basically perfect except one very huge issue that made us actually turn down the house. <br />
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This house was a 3 bedroom (we only needed a 2 bedroom), but the third bedroom was only suitable for a nursery or office really. And the kitchen was so tiny you couldn't even put a dining room table of any sort in there.<br />
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It was an extremely hard decision to turn it down and we took all weekend to finalize that decision.<br />
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Monday morning I got an email from the owner's asking us if we had made a decision and Gregg emailed him back with an explanation as to why we were turning it down.<br />
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Not 30 minutes later we received a reply back that made me scream and clap my hands. The owner's had been trying to decide whether or not to open up the one wall in the kitchen into that small useless bedroom.<br />
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We called them and agreed to take it with the new plans.<br />
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The only drawback now was we had 15 days to pack and move. <br />
<br />
So, we have moved to what will now be referred to as "884". We have the other place till Oct. 31 and have gotten all our belongings out with the amazing help of my oldest son and his room-mate. They have done all the lifting and if it wasn't for those two I don't know what we would have done. Gregg's son even came down to help us one day. Now I just have to clean it and say goodbye.<br />
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And just because I have to vent, my ex-landlord reneged on the deal and hasn't given us a cent. We definitely didn't have the money right now to move but we couldn't risk losing this bungalow as they are rarely available to rent in my town.<br />
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I am slowly unpacking and getting things done in the new place but I will have some progressive photos as we continue to settle in. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-21823890195066704342013-09-23T09:49:00.000-04:002013-09-23T09:49:00.117-04:00Tried and True - I have used it for a year<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Last year I
participated in the <a href="http://ahomemakershaven.blogspot.ca/2012/09/31-days.html">31 Days</a>
challenge over at <a href="http://www.thenester.com/">The Nester</a>. I had a lot of fun gathering information for
everyone and I even tried a few things myself.
But I have to admit there is only one thing that I tried myself last
year that I am still using today.</div>
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Can you guess which
one it might be?</div>
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If you have read the
series you will see that there are a lot of neat DIY 'recipes' posted and
billions more online for you to find but I wanted to update you on the one
thing I use and will never stop using.
It's the DIY Dryer Sheets Method 1. I went to the
local thrift store and bought a couple of baby receiving blankets and cut them
up to use as my dryer sheets.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4a3xlpzjCkI/Uj3xoC81JXI/AAAAAAAAATM/B6Y8D3SU3Lk/s1600/HomemadeDryerSheet_SS1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4a3xlpzjCkI/Uj3xoC81JXI/AAAAAAAAATM/B6Y8D3SU3Lk/s320/HomemadeDryerSheet_SS1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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We have only
purchased <span style="font-weight: bold;">ONE </span>bottle of Fabric Softener
in a year and we still have lots left. I
personally use one home made sheet for 20 washes and then re-soak and use
again. The only thing we found to be a
negative was that when my son would do laundry, he would always take my dryer
sheet home with him, and we would never see it again lol. So now we don't let him use them LOL . See only one negative and I fixed it.</div>
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Here is my latest
load with the dryer sheet. It looks
dirty but remember that it is used about 20 times and then washed and we do the
whole process over again.</div>
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Have any of you
tried this? If so what did you think and
are you still using it? It saves us tons of money each year. If you have not tried this yet, please do, it
really does work, we never have static cling and like I said we do use each
'sheet' approximately 20 times before moving onto the next one. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-27743004346472009612013-09-21T14:19:00.004-04:002013-09-22T12:23:46.387-04:00Saturdays Recipe Round-up<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
I'm going to try and do a feature post on the weekends where I share interesting recipes that I have found on-line that week. I also am hoping to prepare one of the previous weeks recipes and give you my review for that recipe and what it was hit or a miss. </div>
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I want to try and do some of the things that I lovingly pin each week. So for this week's recipe round-up please see below and if you decide to try one of the recipes featured each week I would love for you to come back and let us know what you thought about the recipe, anything you found difficult or would change/add, and its level of difficulty.</div>
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Do you know of a good recipe that you think should be showcased, please click the link below to email me the link to the recipe and I will try and get up some from those sent in each week.</div>
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So let's begin our very first feature here at Homemaker Haven. I hope you will enjoy this feature, if you do please leave a comment and let me know if this is something you wish to see continue. </div>
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<a href="http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pork/creamy-macaroni-and-cheese-ham-bake/">Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Ham Bake</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/beer-battered-grilled-cheese-sandwiches/952adc99-40a4-4bfd-bd35-a724084ef89d">Beer Battered Grilled Cheese Sandwhiches</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2011/03/23/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/">Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread</a></div>
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<a href="http://ourkitchen.fisherpaykel.com/recipe/creamy-bacon-carbonara/">Creamy Bacon Carbonara</a></div>
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<a href="http://fooddoodles.com/2012/06/11/chocolate-covered-banana-split-bites/">Chocolate Covered Banana Split Bites</a></div>
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Yum! I wonder which recipe I will choose to make this week. So many possibilities and so little time.</div>
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<a href="http://www.seededatthetable.com/2011/10/28/pumpkin-snickerdoodles/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-95W6A1LJpJE/Uj3i3b8GZlI/AAAAAAAAAS0/pFdUEVCYnno/s1600/PumpkinSnickerdoodles.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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And last but not least, here is the recipe that I am going to trying to make this week. With October coming up upon us I decided to try out these amazing looking <a href="http://www.seededatthetable.com/2011/10/28/pumpkin-snickerdoodles/" target="_blank">Pumpkin Snickerdoodles</a>. Just click the picture to be taken directly to the recipe.<span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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I do hope that someone will join me and make one of this week's recipes and leave a review in the comments below. Happy Cooking!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-7552627804971102052013-09-19T08:33:00.000-04:002013-09-21T18:47:03.981-04:00Are you a disorganized pinner?<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">This week I am going to try and get some of my Pinterest boards cleaned up. I have been on there for about 3 years now and what a mess I have created. If you are not familiar with Pinterest then let me help you get addicted lol. While you can go and view things, to actually save your boards, you will need to register and to do so you need an invitation. Feel free to <a href="mailto:homemakerhaven@gmail.com">contact me</a> and I will send Here is a screenshot of what it looks like right now. I did start working on renaming and making new boards to help keep things organized but I have a very long way to go.</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UsadrQr9Fso/UjrbaVqazsI/AAAAAAAAASU/tdx_j9vXndA/s1600/PinterestOrganization_SS1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UsadrQr9Fso/UjrbaVqazsI/AAAAAAAAASU/tdx_j9vXndA/s1600/PinterestOrganization_SS1.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;"> <span style="font-size: 11pt;">So this is what my Pinterest looks like at the moment.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I have a wee bit of boards, but the problem is I have things stashed all over the place, like all my recipes are in the Recipes folder.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So it will take me forever to find a recipe I want to use if I have to go through that folder which at the present holds 197 recipes.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">You may also notice that I started to cull those recipes into specific recipe boards.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Such as 'Recipe - Deserts', and 'Recipe - Cookies and Cakes'.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">This will take you some time to get things organized if you have been a pinner like myself. This project will take longer than a day for most of you. But set a reasonable goal in regards to how long this will take you to complete. I am going to try and get into Pinterest once a week and organize. If I am able to come more than once all the better.</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">First thing I do to organize my boards is go in one. Then I slowly look at each of the pins and move any to other categories if they are placed incorrectly. I also look for duplicates and get rid of any that I find by deleting them. After both of those are done , I take another quick look at what is left in the original board and decide if they can be split into more specific boards and create those to move the pins to.</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">To edit my boards I click the little pen icon and create a board or move the pin to its correct board from there and then when you click save, a refreshed board will appear with your pin moved.</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">You can also now specify your cover photo for your boards. To do this you will go into the board of your choice. I am going to choose my scrapbooking board for this example. Just hover your mouse over the board you want to edit and a button will appear that says 'change cover'. </div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9SUKZnWQvyg/Ujrbd4PYStI/AAAAAAAAASo/kR0aAxjdvSc/s1600/PinterestOrganization_SS2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9SUKZnWQvyg/Ujrbd4PYStI/AAAAAAAAASo/kR0aAxjdvSc/s1600/PinterestOrganization_SS2.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">Click that and another box will load up on your screen. This box allows you to scroll through the pins on your board and find your favorite one that showcases what your boards are about and once you find the image you would like, click save changes and voila… you have a new board cover.</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M9IIOVfBbBA/Ujrbdu7qFTI/AAAAAAAAASk/agy0s3qYWoc/s1600/PinterestOrganization_SS3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M9IIOVfBbBA/Ujrbdu7qFTI/AAAAAAAAASk/agy0s3qYWoc/s1600/PinterestOrganization_SS3.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">Today I have worked on my Scrapbooking, For the Home, and my Photography boards. But there is still tons to do but remember not to get burnt out by doing too much of one thing each day. That is why I will be working on this task a bit each day till the boards and nicely organized.</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">Do you keep your Pinterest all organized and if so how do you do yours?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"></div><div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">This post was in the following Link Party's:<br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8762748589593109498.post-57321678717944996092013-09-18T08:30:00.000-04:002013-09-18T08:30:02.196-04:00I'm Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OUgEZq7QM6k/UjmJMkzqEZI/AAAAAAAAASE/qT3vojm58Ig/s1600/im-back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OUgEZq7QM6k/UjmJMkzqEZI/AAAAAAAAASE/qT3vojm58Ig/s320/im-back.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hi
everyone. I must apologize for being
absent from the blog for so long. </div>
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I got quick sick in
the last year and have not even been able to get out of bed let alone blog but
I am back! I ended up having an
Ileostomy at the end of May and my life is slowly getting better and better
every day. I will be posting about the
last year of my life in the near future just to help explain the absence. </div>
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So, with the news
that I am back, I also have purchased a domain for this blog and will be moving
over to that in the near future as well.
So there will be lots going on over here at Homemaker Haven. I do hope that you will stop by again in the
future to see me and be a part of the new blog.</div>
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It's that time of
year when we start making crafty winter/Christmas décor items and gifts for our
friends and family and I have some ideas that I want to do for my own
house. One project that has me all
excited is making a candy wreath. I will
be slipping out this week to get supplies.
</div>
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Although… we are not
sure but we may be moving in the near future, so I might have a gorgeous new
home to decorate. Yeah! </div>
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I hope that all of
you are well and I look forward to meeting the new faces and reconnecting with
those who were dropping by before.</div>
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Well that’s all the
news I have for you today but please check back in again as I start my way back
to my dream blog and reclaiming the house into our home.</div>
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When do you all
start getting ready for winter/Christmas season?</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02083556920980542914noreply@blogger.com0