Happy Fall, Y'all!!!

what's on your agenda for this first FALL day?  Is it cooler where you are? We are still in the nineties....I'm so looking forward to days in the 70's and 80's!!!  We may make that by November or December at this rate...so dream with me, won't you????

I'll be painting that bathroom for the rest of this week, so if I don't show up here, you'll know I am working on my Ta-Da list!!! Have fun!

For better or for worse.....

Today was a GREAT hair day....nothing like a good hair cut and a refreshment of the highlights that do indeed hide the (ahem) wayward coloration/pigment loss/GRAY hair.  It's all the children's fault.....they suck the brain cells that remember to keep the brown hair pigment coming, and now some of the hairs are lost and lonely, and yes ma'am....GRAY.  So now they are restored to the naturally colored highlight color....well you KNOW what I mean.  So a good hair day.  I do love a good hair day.  I love to blow dry my hair as well.  For years, my husband (who IS by the way half bald) has continued to tell me life would be so much simpler if I"d just let my hair dry naturally or at least just shake the blow dryer at it for a few minutes and be done.  Oh the travesty!

For Better or For Worse comic strip

So not long ago, I was drying my hair, and all of a sudden I gasped...when I have shoulder surgery, I am not going to be able to dry my hair with two hands.  I will not be able to lift and dry and prevent flatness in the areas of my hair that look so much better with a little lift and volume.  I KNOW you know what I mean!  Can I hear an "amen"?  Later that day when my husband came home, I began to bemoan my upcoming dire circumstances and lo and behold, he did NOT wax sympathetically.  He did not even seem sorry for me.  He just said, "I've been telling you how easy it would be to just towel dry your hair or just zoom, zoom a little with the blow dryer and you're done."  Girls, I  began to worry.  I don't have much of  a problem not styling my hair if I"m just hanging around home and getting things done around here.  However, I know that one day in November a dear friend from church is getting married!  I know that I'm going to do my best to be there, but I am not going with towel dried hair, thankyouverymuch.  So I did what I had to do...today at the hairdresser, I made myself an appt. for that day, just to be sure I'd be able to go to the wedding with nice hair! Is that terribly vain of me?  Probably.  But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.  And this girl likes clean, styled hair. For better or for worse.  But I'll keep the hubby after all.

Monday morning check up!!!

Hey, how's your Get It Done list coming??? Let's see, if we go back to this post, we can see where I started this business.......and then LOTS of other things jumped in the way of my progress! How about you?
Well, ONE major thing that I accomplished was, thanks my sweet neighbor, getting the wallpaper stripped off of the upstairs bathroom!  I thought that whole project would get shoved to the bottom of the priority list when I found out about my shoulder, but she was persistent and came and helped me steam off the wallpaper, so now it's ready for sanding, priming and painting.  And she's coming back Wed. morning to help me again.  So we're in business on that!  As for the kids' rooms, I did manage to get them cleaned, but the painting hasn't happened yet.  And I am making some slow progress on a few of the other items as well, although nothing is quite finished.  My hubby and I went to Home Depot the other night and picked out all new fixtures for the bathroom as well, so we are set on items to replace in that bathroom.  Goodbye ugly shiny fixtures, hello brushed nickle!  I have to go later today or tonight and get the primer and paint picked out.  I'm thinking bluish gray....won't that look good with the brushed nickel!!???  The kids will be so surprised.
Also, I am thinking of getting someone to come in and clean the a/c vents out....has anyone had that done before?  I am hoping it will help some allergic reactions my hubby seems to be having lately.
So once the bathroom is finished, hopefully the fall decorating will get accomplished.  I've already done a few small items, but nothing major.  I just love fall decorating and look forward to it; I know I'm behind compared to some other bloggers, but we just need to get out of the 90's to motivate me to feel like fall decorating!!
So how is YOUR list coming????

Happy Monday, y'all!

Psalm 34

Have a wonderful Sunday, y'all!!!

Swagbucks????

Do YOU Swagbucks?

Swagbucks is a fantastic way to stretch your budget! Use your earnings to treat yourself to little luxuries like Starbucks gift certificates, or save up your points to contribute towards your Christmas list.
:: What is Swagbucks?
Basically it’s a site that allows you to earn great prizes such as iPhones, iPods, concert tickets, gift cards, and more just for using them to search the Internet. For example, an Amazon.com eGift card is only 450 Swag Bucks!
:: How do I sign up for Swagbucks?
It’s super easy! Just go to Swagbucks and fill out your information. You'll receive 30 points just for registering to get you started. After you've registered, read on to maximize your earnings potential.
:: Tips for maximizing your Swagbucks earnings:
Once you've registered with Swag Bucks, earning SB is easy. Just follow the instructions below to earn!
Perform these tasks every day:

1. Install the Swagbucks toolbar. You'll earn points every day when you first open your browser just for having it installed!  Watch every day for ways to earn Swag Bucks. If you're on Facebook, SwagBucksTricks page will help you find clues to win Swagbucks, too.
2. Click through the No Obligation Offers and get an instant Swag Bucks credit. Just indicate "No" or "Skip" or "See Next Offer" to offers that don't interest you.
3. Take the Swagbucks daily poll to earn Swagbucks.
4. Perform Internet searches using the Swagbucks site or toolbar throughout the day. You have a chance to earn with each search. Advanced technique -- bookmark Swagbucks searches for your favorite sites instead of the direct URLs for additional chances to earn.

Mega Swagbucks Friday:

• Be sure to search on Fridays for the opportunity to win Swagbucks in larger-the-usual amounts. Win in amounts of 10, 20, 50 or even 100 Swagbucks!

Other ways to earn:

• Follow Swagbucks on Twitter, Facebook, and the Swagbucks blog. They regularly offer limited-time only Swag Codes on each of these sites.  Look for SwagBucks Tricks page, too, for extra help.
• Watch the "From TSG" spot on the toolbar for notifications of limited Swag Codes. They may direct you to one of the sites above or you may find a code right in the notification. These usually expire within a few hours.
• Invite your friends to join Swagbucks. You'll earn every time they search and win too!
• Recycle cell phones, MP3 players, video games, and gaming consoles.
• Shop through Swagbucks and earn SB on each purchase.
• Send photos or videos of prizes redeemed through Swagbucks and earn up to 20 SB.
• Contribute ideas for the daily poll and receive 100 SB if your poll is featured.

You can join here, and we BOTH win:

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/SuzanneJ

Friday Fives!

Friday Fives are so fun, because they tell us more about one another, or sometimes just assist us in goofing off to answer some silly questions!  Sometimes it's fun to be silly, and we all know that laughter is good medicine!! So let's have our Friday Fives again today!

1. If you could (budget not an issue!) whisk away for the weekend to anywhere in the world, where would you go?  You have to return by Sunday night so keep that in mind!

2. Do you handle changes with ease and flexibility or would you rather things stay simple and the same?

3. Do you have pets and what do you do with them when you travel?

4.  What is your favorite type of music, and do you listen to music regularly or just on occasion?

5. Let me fix you a drink...what will you have?

Enjoy the Friday Fives.......hope you'll participate!

Thursday thoughts -Real Simple

An older issue of Real Simple, not the current one

I have mentioned before that I am a fan of Real Simple; in fact, I just made sure I went over on Facebook and "liked" them.  Speaking of that, I have a page called Willow House-Simply Good Design by Suzanne, over on Facebook, and I would "LOVE" it if you would "LIKE" my page!! thanks!

So onto Thursday's thoughts.......I received my October issue of Real Simple magazine yesterday and started pouring over it.  Again and again, I am impressed by how they pull together the best combination of things in this magazine.  I still LOVE a paper magazine, no matter how many blogs I read.  I still prefer a paper catalog, no matter how many websites I can go to and look at products on a web page! What about you?  Something about the glossy paper, the styling, the whole experience about holding it in my hands.....does that make me odd?  Perhaps, because I really dislike the amazing way that paper can collect into piles in a nanosecond....but I do love a great magazine!

Anyway, I really enjoy getting Real Simple.....it is a great eclectic combination of facts and features that just seems to be simple enough to "get", appreciate and often implement.  I'm not paid to give these kudos to the magazine....I just appreciate it and wanted to pass it on. { In fact, that does bring to mind that fact that I DO have a special going on thru Willow House, for a gift card for only $20 that enables the recipient to choose one of 17 magazines. (One of them is a subscription to Real Simple.)  What a deal to have in your gift closet, for that special teacher, a hostess gift, even a bridal shower gift!}  You can email me or respond in the comments if you or interested...but that is a total aside, and a digression from my original topic....so back to the topic of Real Simple.
This month, they are featuring Secret Ways to save everyday! Who doesn't love that?  They also feature The Ultimate Closet Makeover ( I SO need this!) How to Sleep Better tonight (every menopausal woman will be reading this one! Ha!) and Easy Dinners for the Entire Month...so see, they have managed to cover topics that could be of interest to EVERYONE!  And they have tidbits in it that are always interesting, like "ten trends worth trying", some "reader uses for new ways to use old things"......such as storing barbecue utensils in a mitten style pot holder and hanging it on the grill.  You can go to realsimple.com/newuses for 700 double-duty household items, in case that whetted your appetite!

In this issue also, is a $5 coupon for a Merona purchase from Target...that is their brand of fashion clothing and accessories.  See, that would even pay for 1/4 of the subscription price!! Oh, and that closet makeover article??? Spectacular......I'm wondering how I can use some of these ideas to tackle my own closet, which is the "Black Hole" of my house, that houses everything that doesn't have a home.....know what I mean?  It SUCKS stuff in there faster than I can say PURGE.......
And let me just say I am ALL OVER that article entitled "The Insiders Guide to Everyday Deals"...I'm sure that is a post in itself, so I'll report back on that one!
Real Simple....it's definitely an investment that not only satisfies my desire to hold a magazine and be inspired by it, as well as meet the need I have to inspire me to clean out, to save and to get in the kitchen and fix meals! Ha......cooking for two is NOT THE SAME as cooking for four or five! Have you found that out? 
Included in this issue, within that everyday deals article, are discounts for the month of October on many online sites, simply by using some form of the name Real Simple in the code at checkout.  This is one you'll want to "CHECK OUT!!".
Well, enough of my Thursday thoughts...I've got some Willow House business to do...remember to go over to my Willow House, Simply Good Design by Suzanne Page and Like it!  I'd LOVE that!

A Slider Bar!!

Pic found at PlateandPattern.com

Think of the options for which  this kind of party would be perfect!!!  Whether it meets a need for tailgating, for the Pumpkin Carving party you may be planning, or simply a great Sunday night supper idea, consider what kind of toppings you might plan for your sliders!  The girls here give you several, but I am thinking of at least a few more, if not just the All American toppings that are "go-to's" for our burgers.  Down here in Texas, there would HAVE to be some jalapenos thrown in the mix somewhere, right?   I love that they've given the options on the Galveston Memo Board and even shown the different options by having them premade right there......um, at my house, they would totally scoop up the demo burgers and eat them on the spot! Ha!

Pic from Plateandpattern.com

Anyway, I loved this idea and thought it would fun to share it with you!  To see how the girls did the party, and the recipes for how they did their sliders,  go to PlateandPattern.com/index.php?postid=67.  Hope you'll enjoy this resource for your next festive occasion!

Linking up to Jenn's Beauty and Bedlam Tasty Tuesday Party!!! Go see all the yummy tastiness!

Willow House has good things to come!!!

Here's a preview of what you will be finding soon on our Willow House website.  We will soon be featuring internet "TV" clips like this fabulous one done by Melanie Grant from Willow House! Not only is Melanie adorable and fun, she is super talented and is a fabulous resource of great design and wonderful ideas!  Take a peek at just one of the short videos that will soon be available directly on my website, which you will find at southerninspiration.willowhouse.com .  There are many NEW things to come with our Willow House websites that are going to be SO MUCH Fun to introduce.  Another resource that is entertaining is PlateandPattern.com.  It's a blog that will give you some insight into what actually happens behind the scenes of putting together the Willow House catalogs and designs.  Hope you will enjoy these two new resources and that you'll be keeping your eyes open for new things I'll be sharing with you!  Embedding this video here seems to cut some of the picture off since it is so much smaller, so if you'd like to view it on YouTube, go here.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KksqqUEJA8E

Friday Fives!

I'm back with my Friday Fives, and I"m going to link up to The Girl Creative and her New Friend Friday party.......


it's always fun to see new blogs and see what people are doing....especially for inspiration in Fall Decorating!  I really haven't started, but I love the inspiration!
So I have some sort of random questions for our Friday Fives today, but some of them are related to topics I've covered of late!

1.  What smells do you bring into your home for the fall?  Do you have favorite candles, potpourri, or reeds/oils?

2.  Have you ever had any surgery?

3.  What food do you look forward to cooking with the coming of fall?

4.  What's one thing you'd like to do this fall that you've wanted to do for a while?  Apple Picking?  Hiking?  Trying a new recipe?

5. Finally, how many blogs do you read/follow and how often do you leave comments on them? 

I leave you with a favorite recipe that is a REALLY good one to try for the fall...it is SO YUMMY!!! 
Apple Cake w/ Caramel Sauce
Cake:
3/4 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
4 c. peeled, finely chopped apples (Granny Smith or McIntosh)
1 t. vanilla

Sauce:
3/4 c. butter
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 t. vanilla

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 X 9 inch cake pan. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift together dry ingredients and add to egg mixture alternately with apples. Stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve warm.

Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Immediately remove from heat and spoon over individual servings of warm cake.

More things happen, right?

Remember how I posted last week my goals and lists so that I could be accountable, helping us all stay accountable to our to do lists?  And then right after that, I posted that my eagerness to attack the list had been altered just a tad by an afternoon of hanging over the toilet???? So rightly so, I moved on and chalked it up as a fluke, and would  not be thwarted by the hiccups life seems to put into our lives, altering our day to day goals and to do lists....minor set backs.

Well, yesterday I was thrown another curve ball when I went to see my oh so nice (looking) doctor.  I've been dealing with some issues in my right shoulder/spine that have bothered me for some time, and yesterday was the culmination of a few appts, an MRI and some physical therapy.   I go in to see my shoulder doctor and he shows me on the MRI films a spot that reveals I have a tear on my rotator cuff.......um, not good.  If not fixed, he says, it can get larger and become irrepairable.  Worse than not good.

So all of this, not to gain your sympathies, but to say my TO DO list for the next six weeks has been drastically altered.  I will be doing NO painting or stripping of wallpaper, per doctors instructions to only do things that are waist or chest high....no heavy lifting or work that is over my head.  Bummer.......

Surgery, of course, will not be scheduled until AFTER I have had a chance to see/hold/cuddle, etc with the new grandbaby that is due in only four weeks!!! Excitement!!!!!!!!!!!  November sometime (don't have an exact date  yet) is going to be the shoulder surgery month.  And six months later, I"ll be good as new....sigh.
And through all of this, I KNOW that God has total control over the situation and that my agenda is not REALLY all that crucial......I will trust that HIS timing is perfect and the best for me.  So I've got some NEW marching orders.......My  to do list for the next six weeks or so is WAY DIFFERENT now.....I'll be posting it as soon as I've re-ordered my priorities....to waist high and chest high activities!!

Fall Nesting PARTEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, y'all know I love fall!  And what's more inspiring than a bunch of other bloggers who loooovvveeee Fall, too?  I haven't actually done much fall decorating here at the Southern Inspiration house, because I'm kind of waiting until the temperatures are below 90 degrees!!!!  But Melissa, from The Inspired Room,  who lives in the beautiful northwest, is already on it.  She is celebrating Fall --well at least she is celebrating all the nesting that goes on to prepare for Fall....I love that!  What good ideas we will find when we blog hop from all the other Inspired bloggers joining in on the fun.
For me, my plan is to show you what my plan is...are you with me?  I have pics from a few things I did last year, and will begin to do again this year.  So when the temps drop to 89 or less, I am ALL OVER IT!! Ha.

I made the fabric pumpkins last year that were OH SO easy and beautiful at the same time.....here take a look:

And here's a picture of an arrangement I pulled together for my foyer from stems I had found at Hobby Lobby for 90% off!! Gotta love those end of the season bargains, right?  It turned out full and luscious and brimming with fall goodness!

And lastly, I am very excited about this new beauty I get to use in my kitchen or wherever the notion strikes...I didn't have this last year, as it is a brand new Willow House product (the French Wire Tiered Basket....isn't she lovely? ok, do you have that song stuck in your head now??)........here she is all dressed up for fall!

Willow House French Wire Tiered Basket

So from here, you know you're going to hop on over to Melissa's and soak up some fall goodness.  Us Texans are just beginning to think about the wonders of fall, football, pumpkins, mums, and such. What about you...what are YOU doing?  Enjoy the party!

How did I do on the Get It Done Party I started last week?

Well, as I said before, I will be checking back in each week to let you know how I am doing on my goals, and to encourage you on yours. 
I mentioned last week that  after I posted on Monday, I spent the afternoon sick as a dog.....as a result of some medication I took.  I also did not factor into my to-dos the fact that I would spend some time doing physical therapy for my neck and shoulder.  So, while I did make SOME progress, I didn't make nearly the progress that I had intended.  I did manage to get those college rooms cleaner, but a few more hours in there are needed just to get them spotless......and a few boxes to box some things up will help, too.  I won't do much more in there until we make a plan for painting and for replacing the carpet.  I can possibly get the painting done in my daughter's room because the walls are not too tall.  In my son's room, though, the walls are a little taller on one side, and the ceiling needs some repair from a water leak, so I won't attempt that painting job myself.  However, we all know what happens to a list that is left unfinished, right?  It just rolls over to the next week!
I am changing up my list a little bit, because I not only have five or six hours of physical therapy scheduled already, and a doctor's appt (by the way, the doctor is pretty, pretty, pretty.......nice on the eyes!!! )
I plan to clean all the floors in my house this week, and finish cleaning my office that I started today.  I did get the laundry all done today, so won't have to do much of that this week until Thursday.  Sweetie pie is coming home from college this Friday (not because she misses her parents, but because many of her friends are coming home for a college soccer game, which some of them will participate in) but we will enjoy seeing her and having her home.

I get to play tomorrow, as well, with two girlfriends as we will meet for lunch and some shopping, to celebrate one of their birthdays.  We had to delay it from mid-August but we will celebrate, nonetheless.  So technically, this week will have fewer productive hours than last week.  So my expectations will be a lot lower this week, and yours should, too!  Enjoy your week.....and let me know how you did, on your list last week!

Some OH SO Simple recipes for the holiday weekend!

This first one is my "go to" when I need something in about 30 minutes...quick to put together, easy enough to remember, and bakes in about 25 minutes.

Mr. Goodbars

2 c. flour

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

1 c. oatmeal

1 c. choc. chips

1 c. chopped nuts

1 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

3 eggs

1 c. oil

Mix together first nine ingredients, then add eggs and oil in a well of the dry ingredients. Mix together and spread in a jelly roll pan. Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and enjoy.

and for a great appetizer!!!

 

This next one ALWAYS gets kudos and requests for the recipe!  It is just plain YUMMY!

Pepper Jelly Dip

1 c. sharp cheddar, grated finely

1 c. chopped pecans

1/2 c. chopped green onions, green tops included

Stir in enough mayonaisse to hold together ingredients and make a mound. Spread hot pepper jelly over the mound. Serve with Club crackers or wheat thins. Enjoy!

 

Have a fabulous weekend.....I'm thinking that there is the tiniest hint of fall in the air today.  Do you KNOW how happy that makes me????? 

Friday Fives!

Taking a little break today to catch up with my blogger friends and do our Friday Fives...it lets us share and get to know each other better, and it's just fun!   On a Friday, who doesn't need a little FUN!?!

1. If you had the money to do plastic surgery, would you do it???

2. What is one character trait about yourself that you like?

3. What's your next project in your house?

4. What's in refrigerator to drink? 

5. Big plans for the holiday weekend?


Friday Fives......a tradition here at Southern Inspiration.......hope you'll join in!

And on other end of the week notes.......I am about to go turn on some kickin' music and work for two hours upstairs.  Then I will be done for the day....well, except for that one pile on the kitchen table that I WILL have cleaned off by the end of the day!  Then I can enjoy the weekend, with the extra day off with my hubby.  We will likely take in a movie and maybe eat out...no really big plans.  We discussed going to the in-laws for the weekend, but decided we could get a few things done here instead and do that another weekend. 

How's YOUR Get It Done List Coming along?  Did yours get a teeny bit sidetracked like mine did this week?

What about you?

Do YOU have a few piles you need to get under control?  How do you prevent piles of papers, coupons, advertisment, receipts and such from becoming THIS???

Hope you blogger friends have a FABULOUS WEEKEND.....off to answer the Friday Fives...won't you join me???

Things happen, right????

Ok, so I was motivated to get started on Monday...even BEFORE the month of September flipped over on the calendar...did anyone notice that August is gone like a flash in the pan???  All motivated me, and ready to (ahem) tackle my to-do list and make it a TA-DA list, and I got slammed.  Yep, when they tell you to take some medications WITH food, they mean it.  At least that's the way it seemed to sum things up.  I was lamblasted by some dizziness and nausea, and well, I'll stop there for much of the day on Monday.....all over a little pill.  Not pretty, nor did I get a thing done.  By Tuesday, I was better, but felt like a dishrag, so got only a few things done.  Here it is on Wednesday and I have two appts. that I have to keep, and an activity to do tonight that will be lots of fun....but the real truth is, not much will get done around my house today.  Yes, the plans have already gotten sidetracked by life.  And this happens, doesn't it?  The dog throws up, the kids need some cookies for school tomorrow, or a poster/project completed in less than 24 hours....and the husband decides he must have  his socks darned (well, who really does that anymore?), his shirt ironed and they all want to EAT!  Geez.......things happen to sidetrack us!  But the Super Moms/wives that we are, we seem to get enough done to get by...and the TO DO list that got crumpled up under the mail still sits there. Are you feeling the same familiar feeling I am here?  Well, I am here to encourage you...that list isn't leaving.  Unless you wrote it with invisible ink, it's still there...so get back up on that ladder and let's GET IT DONE!  For me, tomorrow is another day, and I WILL get those rooms cleaned upstairs!  Yes, it means planning to spend LESS time on the computer (ahem) and more time moving my body toward checking those items off the list.  BUT WE CAN DO IT!  What about you?  How's your list coming???

Getting It done party!!!!

Love this book cover--it inspires me to get it done!!!

Okay, friends!! It's that Monday I've been talking about......where I host the Getting It Done party....are YOU in?  I want to make my list of things I want to tackle in September so I can be held accountable by you all; yes, I am sort of putting myself out there, but a little peer pressure can be good, right?  I want to make my list of things I'd like to accomplish, but I do realize it's got to be practical, measurable, and doable.  I'm not the spring chicken I used to be.....ahem.

So my list (and I do have the right to add or take away, just sayin.......) for the month of September is as follows:

1. Get both college kids rooms a) CLEAN........I don't intend to change much, except maybe box some things up, straighten some things, dust and clean some things, and we've talked about changing the carpet, but I doubt that will take place before the end of September.  It's a crazy deadline month for hubby at work, and that job is something that takes two of us.  I will limit myself to tasks I can actually do myself.  The cleaning, I can do.  However, in daughter's room, there is a wall that needs to be painted, so I'd like to get that done, as well.

2. Decorate for fall, but that's later in the month.  I love, love, love pumpkins, mums and fall colors, but I cannot bear putting them out while it is still near 100 degrees!  Hopefully we'll have some cooler temps by the end of the month (which, let me just say makes me pure giddy!) and I will want to begin to take out the fall decor!

3. Get my flower beds back in good condition....the one in the back yard is nasty, full of weeds and overgrowth...(I am sure my husband will be overjoyed when I tackle that one!!)  Just getting it weeded and mulched is the plan; any added additions, which usually are inspired when it's cleaned, are extra!!

4.  Plan a getaway for hubby and I...he needs a vacation, and I've always wanted to go to the northeast and see the changing colors, see part of the US we've not seen, so I think that is our destination....for later this fall.
Any ideas/suggestions are welcome as I plan this!

5. I would like to tackle all three of the bathrooms in this house.....now this does require a little assistance from the hubby, but once the plan is made,  I can carry out some of the wallpaper removal, which my neighbor has offered to exchange help on.  This plan is a little vague, but hopefully as the month moves on, I can make  more measureable steps in actually getting this done. 

5. Make steps toward adding back some disciplines in my life:
a) Read through Joshua in the month of September (our ladies Bible Study will be studying this, so this helps accomplish both discipline and getting the Bible Study done!)
b) incorporating some regular exercise back into my life...I'll have to be doing some physical therapy, too, so those exercises count toward this goal as well.)
c) I'd like to get back to eating a whole foods, healthy, sugar free lifestyle....in small steps, and would like to lose at least five pounds in September...

6) BONUS ROUND.....need to finish up/decide HOW TO finish up my laundry room....middle son put in some cabinets this summer, and I have this cool laundry vinyl cut out from the twins (www.twiceasnicelettering.com) that I want to put up...but I think the paint he used is too stark and I'll like to soften it up.  That room is also awaiting new tile, but that won't happen before the end of September for sure!...so I'm deciding how to proceed.)

I am going to stop here, as this is the Remedial Version of Getting it Done.  I need to feel like I can accomplish these things, so that next month, I can add a little more.  HOWEVER, I will at this time, add in a disclaimer for the month of October....I will have my first grandbaby coming in October, so I reserve the right to strike any or all personal goals from my list if it means getting to love on her!!!
So who is in for the month of September?  You can link to the party if you like, and inspire other bloggers to join us, OR feel free to just write in the comments the things you would like to accomplish for the month of September.  Feel free to add to your list if you surprise yourself and get all motivated, and get the first five done already by the the tenth of the month!!!  That's MY plan!  Y'all are just going to be amazed.....ha.  I'm also planning to write some motivational posts on how to set goals, and encourage us all to Get it Done!!!  Come on and join me...there might just be some party favors given out along the way.....oh, this is a party I can get into, how about YOU????

Get It done party......

Gee where did the week go?  Did you think I was home eating bon bons, mourning the exodus of my college students??? Well, gee, I just haven't had time to grieve!!!
Somehow the week flew by, without me getting a whole lot done...I guess I was too much "in the road"!  I was wrapping up some volunteer items at church, actually passing them on to another volunteer.  I was running errands with my hubby yesterday; before that I was getting ready to do one Willow House party, and now am getting ready to do another one tonight.  Add in there two doctor appointments, and you can see why I haven't had time to post anything this week.  I missed y'all!

So about that Get It DONE party.  Debbie asked if I was planning a get it all done in one week party...oh heavens NO.  It is just a way for me to set some goals, and invite you to do some as well.  And maybe a giveaway once we've met all our goals....just some incentive and accountability to get our goals met.  I know many of you thought you'd join in, so now's the time.  And link to the Get It Done party if you want to...we can start a Get it Done Revolution, of sorts!! Ha.
So on Monday, I will post my list of things I'd like to see get accomplished by the end of September......and I'll make a plan to get those things happening!  What about you..does that sound like something you could benefit from?  Can you muster up a few goals and work towards getting them done?  I'll also be posting some things to help break them down into reasonable steps, and workable plans.  ARE YOU IN????

Moving in Day!!

And I only got a few pics, but mucho memories!!
When we arrived, seven friends were there to help us.  I had arranged to borrow two dollies and had a cooler of water.  Turns out I was over-prepared, as the dorm had dollies everywhere for our use, and they were giving out water at every corner.  It was so hot, so that was definitely helpful!  Thanks to my middle son and his friends, we moved in everything in one trip!  How awesome is that, not to have to trudge back to the car numerous times???!!Thanks so much to the friends who helped!

Callie, the LEADER and her entourage!! 

The dorm Allison is in had just replaced all the furniture so they really have a very nice set-up, and the beds were already lofted, so we didn't even have to do that.  And because I know someone in the  housing office, I know that they use dogs to sniff out for bed bugs...isn't that good to know?????!!!!

  They have a nice sized room that was already painted blue, which works well with the bedding Allison got!   We got her bed made and most things unpacked, although our picture hanging system needed some work, so we left that to her to fix.  She met her roommate, Amanda, who actually is from our town, but went to another school.

Amanda and Allison, roomies fall 2010

Then we decided the things we needed to make a WalMart run for, and left to do that....We were in WalMart with a million other people, so we tried to get in and out asap!  After a day of moving in, seeing friends and family.....oh, we also went to see middle son's house, which we had not been in yet.  Turns out, unbeknownst to them, he lives right across the street from my niece!  (We did find this out earlier this year, but we did get to see my niece's house and her!  So cool!

Big Brother is always near!! Love that!

We went to dinner as a family, and then David, my son, whisked Allison away back to campus.  It was easier leaving her, driving off with him, as we've seen so many times before, and knowing that he is ten minutes away if she needs something, plus there with so many who are already friends......wasn't as bad leaving as I thought it would be.  Do I miss her? You betcha!  Do I think she is going to have a great year? You betcha.  So begins the getting used to the empty nest.....excuse me but I have a little cleaning to do....and coming up this Thursday, our first installment of the GETTING IT done party...who's in???

What we'll be doing this weekend.....

Packing it in the car....."oh remember, honey, whatever you take, you have to pack up in your car to bring home!"

Will it all fit????????

Welcome home......sigh.