HAPPY HOMEMAKER AND MENU PLAN MONDAY

WOW! IT’S MONDAY AGAIN. WHERE DID THE WEEK GO? We actually got quite a bit done, but it’s never enough for me lately.  I am soooooo ready to be done with this place! It’s now been 9 LONG months of majorly long days and non-stop work!

We have decided to take a trip for our anniversary next month so have been researching and planning.  We found a cute little B&B and are now searching for cool and unusual things to do and places to eat. We are looking forward to not only a change of scenery with NO projects, but also a change in temperature.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
Remember last week and the week before when I said, “It looks so pretty with big fluffy clouds and sunny skies.  You would think it was spring.  Then I opened the door and the high 90 degree heat and 70% humidity hit me like a frying pan in the face”?  Well, DITTO again this week!

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
A scrambled egg and coffee.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
I’m pleased to see most things are orderly, but I spent ALL of Saturday and most of Sunday doing a deep clean!

WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS
We met with the contractor for the jobs (re-texture the kitchen ceiling, hang the new front door and jamb on the “OLD” house, master bedroom window installation and living room wall crack) we decided to have done because we are just plain getting tired and are waiting for their bids so are doing a bunch of small “finish” projects while we wait.  So for this week:

  • Finish building the actual water closet.  The door is installed, the plumbing has been reworked and the new gas line is in proper place.We just need to build the side wall for e enclosure, but ran out of parts.
  • MORE caulking on the molding.  It really sucks doing the whole house at once.  Seems like that the projects are NEVER done, especially when you need multiple coats to do in each room and need drying time between each coat.
  • Install new pantry floor.
We hired out the plumbing/water heater move and regretted it as we have had to rework a good deal of it.  This picture was a before/midway shot.
We laid the remaining floor and started installing the walls.
LOVE the new connector box and updated plumbing!  GREAT water pressure now that the galvanized piping is NO more.
This is one of the things we had to rework.  They ran the gas connector way TOO tight AND right through the middle of the broom closet to be. It just burns when you pay to have a job done by a professional and it gets done wrong.  Originally they had the emergency drain running right through the broom closet portion too.  Thank goodness I walked into the room BEFORE they refilled the water heater.  The estimator is a good guy, but the installers were NOT following his design or using common sense and logic! They also did NOT have ALL the correct parts with them!
We changed the gas line to the longer length for proper and safe installation so it hugs the wall and adjusted for the broom closet portion.
We got the walls installed, molding installed and hung the cabinet so we could get the washer and dryer hooked back up.  We still need to finish the actual water closet and wall.
The pantry was built 40 years ago and in my opinion was only supposed to house boxed and canned foods, not fresh so it was holding TOO much heat. I decided to perform surgery and get creative to solve that problem.  I cut a hole ALL the way through the door and repainted it adding 2 new layers of chalkboard paint.  Then I added a decorative shutter to the front and a decorative tin sheet to the back for venting.

CURRENTLY READING

TELEVISION / DVR
Haven’t been watching too much of anything specific.  We have actually been “catching” up on OLD reruns!

CRAFTS & PROJECTS
I am STILL hoping to start a few projects, but I have my doubts LOL. The time just seems to go too fast these days.  A lot will depend on whether we hire the contractor for the other projects.

KITCHEN WISHES
I’m still organizing, but think I’m finally feeling pretty good overall about the condition of the kitchen. I did recently purchase a Chef Tony bacon pan and am really glad I did.  I’m now calling it the baconator. Bacon always takes so long to cook and is so messy cooking in the grease and then draining on paper towels. This pan eliminates ALL of this while also giving you 20 minutes to prepare the rest of breakfast while it is in the oven.  I LOVE it!

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
I’m trying another entire week of experiments.

MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST PIE
BACON & EGGS
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
LEFTOVERS
SANDWICHES
DINNER
JOE BOOKER STEW
CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS
C.O.R.N.
SALISBURY STEAK with CAULIFLOWER CHEDDAR BISCUITS
GRILLED CHICKEN AND ONION KEBABS with SALAD
C.O.R.N.
C.O.R.N.
DESSERT

SUCCESSFUL RECIPES and their links FROM LAST WEEK

ON MY MIND/PRAYER LIST
I’m so upset by what is going on in this country and the world.  I CANNOT even begin to understand what is going on in people’s minds that they can believe it is okay to take another life or create so much violence and upheaval in their own communities. ALL LIVES MATTER. As a woman of faith I know this will get worse before it gets better, but can’t help praying that people will change their ways instead.

THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY
Despite my frustration at things taking too long to get completed around here, I am still happy with ALL the little projects that are getting done lately. I worked ALL weekend on of potential ebay sales items and going through Christmas ornaments.  I have decided that most things just aren’t worth the time and effort so will be donating tons more items and probably extending the minimizing project yet another month. We are at over 4936 items in the last  84 days! AND still counting.

I’m also putting together some boxes of items for nieces and nephews of especially Christmas ornaments I think they will like.

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

Finally found a quilt to match my favorite pillows that my SIL Amy made last Christmas.
INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

Row.

Wow I saw the finished project first (water heater) came a long way. and I've got to check out this baconator contraption lol when the weather gets cooler of course

Tamy Bollar

Thank you. I do think the pantry turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself. And I wish I had thought of the bacon pan idea! It really was delicious!

Tamy Bollar

Thank you my friend! We are making progress, but also feeling the pain so are looking forward to the respite that hiring out a few jobs will bring us. I'm using some of that "found" time to research our trip for next month.

As for the plumbers I WILL BE including copies of the receipts and a bill for our time all of which will be deducted from their invoice which was for the FULL amount even after the owner said he would be discounting it for having to reschedule us twice!

Have a great week.

Carrie B.

Hey Sweetie! Having fun playing some catch up on posts. I always love looking at your recipes!! And catching up for HHM today. I can't believe how many times you've been "worked over", so to speak, by the workers in your area around there!! Are there no decent contractors out there anymore?!? I feel for your constant headaches in that department.

But I must say I'm AMAZED at all the wonderful progress you keep making!! Everything has been looking great and you're getting so much accomplished!!

I continue to pray so hard for this world too. šŸ™ I love your inspiration too. You GO Girl!! And keep going!!! Lol

Blessings on your week Tamy. xoxo