Writing, Getting Organized, and Libib!

It's been awhile! I apologize for that. I've been enjoying some essential me time over the last few days. It was much needed and appreciated!


Over that time I have dusted off my beautiful journal. I have had it for a few years now and keeping meaning to write in it more. Unfortunately, it seems as though I clean, or add books to the nightstand, and it gets 'lost,' forgotten for months at a time. Since writing down my thoughts and feelings of the day, as well as my ambitions for the following day, I have noticed remembered how cathartic writing can be. I love writing! It's like having your best friend with you whenever you need them, and you can tell them absolutely anything. Keeping a journal you can do that, and actually tell the journal anything. It isn't there to judge you. It's sole purpose is to give you the space to release all of the pent up emotions you have stored away throughout the day, or week, or month, or forever. Here is the next journal I have my eye on, when/if I get through this one. I love the style. My only wish is that it were refillable.



My motivation has been more obvious since I started writing again. I have actually wanted to get more done. Like the awful catchall built-in bookcase in our living room. I conquered that nightmare this weekend! I am so pleased with how it turned out, and I have more ideas to add some crafty bits to stand out. It is now my Amber's Book Stop Corner. Filled with all my Usborne books, plushies, learning materials, and whatnot. It also helped me to organize the books that were previously held there. Sorting between what we plan to read this year, what we have already read, books to get rid of, books to loan, and just move books that were unnecessary to another bookcase. I packed up our movie memorabilia from the top shelf, that was sad, and stored it away for our next home. I really hope there is more space for those items to be displayed without seeming out of place. 



Movies! We have a serious addiction to movies. I know, I said we have an addiction to books, but it's the same for movies at our house. We love books, movies, and board games! That's why we had to figure out our movie organization deal, quick. Being military there is only so much weight for household goods they will pay for when moving you to another duty location. Yes, you can go over and pay the extra, but who wants to do that? 
Those DVD and Blu-Ray cases take up so much room! When we were nearing 1000 movies, you read that right: 1000 movies, we decided the two bookcases we purchased just for our movies needed to be downsized. We still own the bookcases, they actually house books these days. Shocker, right? We bought a couple DVD binders, big ones, and initially had them all nicely alphabetized and separated from kids movies. That ended quickly. It's a nice idea, in theory, but it's too much work when you buy another movie to have to reorganize the whole movie binder to squeeze in a new title. 

From image search for https://www.libib.com/

Libib to the rescue!


Have you heard of them? I know they have been around for a little while, I only discovered their awesomeness last year. I know friends who use it to keep tabs on what books they have, so as not to buy another copy. I, too, am guilty of this. Guess what? You can also scan, or manually type in, your movies, music, and games too! Libib is a handy tool for anyone who has a ton of books, movies, music, or all three. How does this save us with the movie binder issue? Well, it doesn't help with getting things organized. Suffice it to say I just find an empty slot in the binder and stick the new movie there. Whatever letter section that may be. Libib helps in the sense that I can whip out my phone, or hop on the website at my desk, bring up my list and see what I have. Then at least I know we have it, somewhere. The job of finding the movie normally gets delegated to one of the kiddos. And, at least now we know what we have, at the touch of an app, so we aren't stuck with three copies of Finding Nemo. Don't laugh, at one point we actually HAD three copies of that movie. As wonderful as it is, we didn't need three. 


Not all of our movies are in the DVD binder. Several of our series collections, horror movies, and comic book movies are still in their cases sitting with pride on an easy to reach shelf. Oh, and my Harry Potter movies, and our Star Wars collection. There are just certain ones I can't bring myself to store in the binders. 


If you are looking to get your content organized, I can't say enough good things about Libib! Best of all, it's free! You can pay $5 a month for the pro service, but just for your normal, run of the mill collections, the free service is perfect. You can make notes on your titles also. Loaned a book or movie to someone? Make a note on Libib. This way you know who to bug if they don't return it in a timely fashion. 


So, what did we do with all of our empty DVD cases? At the time we just set them out for the recycling. I have a small stack of them now, after adding movies to the binders, and I'm perusing Pinterest to see if any fun crafts catch my eye.


Anyone have any fun ideas using up the old cases? 



*Disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click and make a purchase.*

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt!

Last night I folded a bunch of laundry, watched an episode of The Magicians, read 24% of Go Ask Alice (thank you, Goodreads, for giving me percentages!), and started some homemade yogurt in my Instant Pot.
Around 12:32am, just as I was dozing off, we had a pretty good earthquake, here in AK. 8.0, south of us. The warning notifications were going nuts about tsunami formations, family and friends were concerned, I was concerned for family and friends who might also be affected, and I finally got to sleep around 1:45am. 

Yes, mine was in there too

Then, I was up again at 5:30 to reset the IP for another hour, took a short nap, got back up to strain the yogurt, because Greek yogurt is the BEST, and took another nap while it did it's thing. To say I am tired is a severe understatement. I feel like I pulled an all-nighter and have to stay up for another one tonight. The good thing is, I'll probably crash pretty hard tonight. I can't wait for bedtime!

Back To The Gym: At Home

*Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click and make a purchase.*

It's Monday, and I'm awake and dressed, it's the perfect day to go to the gym. Or maybe not. 
Because it IS Monday, the start of the week, and we have so much stuff to do around here that I don't want to stop that forward motion. The household purge continues, as does going through clothes that don't fit the kids and they think are still fine to wear, plundering toy caches for items long forgotten, school work needs to be done, school reports are due and need to be written and sent in. Not to mention, and I'm super excited about this one, we officially start the family read aloud today! We finished A Wrinkle In Time, K1 had read it a few months ago, and Lil Monster has chosen our first family book: Antony and Cleopatra from The Shakespeare Stories collection. I bought them last year as an introduction to Shakespeare for her. They are fantastic, short, abridged beginner books. It won't take us long to get through, and give the kids a good idea of what they're in for later on. 
K1 gets to choose our next book. I think he's chosen The Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan. He's been encouraging K2 to read this series, I think that aided his decision in what book he decided on for us. He said he really enjoyed that series and he wouldn't mind going through it again. I think that's pretty high praise, coming from a 15 year old, about a book!

Then there's the age old adage: What's for dinner? I haven't decided yet. We had Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala, rice, and naan last night. I thought it was delicious! K1 said he liked it and would eat it again, K2 and Lil Monster weren't impressed. I'm not sure what we will have tonight. Salad, for sure, but for our main course, I have no idea. Maybe pork chops. 

In between all of stuff today we will begin a new at home workout routine. I've decided to outline it like this:

Monday: Yoga - because the boys can't touch their toes. This boggles my mind.

Tuesday: Back and Biceps- adapted from a routine I used at the gym, but this will be done using the B.M.P. resistance band set. I've had it for years, and it's been set on one of our doors just as long, but mostly never used. 

Wednesday: Shoulders, calves, and Abs, adapted from previously mentioned routine. We will be using light 3lb & 5lb dumbbells, the stairs, and pull up bar in reverse for crunches.

Thursday: Legs, Calves, and Abs using the resistance band set, stairs, and pull up bar.

Friday: Chest & Triceps. The pull up bar, resistance bands, and dumbbells will work for this also. 

If you're interested, here is the link to the routine I used ages ago. There aren't any reps or sets listed on that link. Many of them were similar to 12, 12, 12, 10, 5, 5. Abs were along the lines of 2-3 sets of 15. They were designed to get you to muscle failure. I'm not looking to do that with my kids. We aren't trying to burn fat or turn into body-builders. No, this will be done at their pace and ability with the lightest weights and resistance. We have no goals of getting ripped for summer. This is to encourage more activity during cold temperatures and shortened days. 
I plan on getting them up to the indoor track, as time allows, for more cardio fun. That I would like them to build on before our indoor soccer season starts. Once it does, early to mid February, I'll tone it down since they will be doing quite a bit of running during that. 

How do I encourage running at the track? Well, I let them get hyped, jump around and get the blood flowing. Make sure everyone has easy access to water, or know where the water fountains, and bathrooms (someone always has to pee suddenly, happens every time) are, and let them set up their audiobooks/music with their headphones. I don't expect more than a mile. If you want to run it, awesome (I am not a runner, I've never claimed to be one, nor do I have any aspirations of that sort). Want to walk it with me? Okay then. Want me to encourage you to run the straight away's and walk to curves? I can do that. Whatever is your ability of desire, I don't care. As long as you are MOVING. 

For Lil Monster, being active isn't an issue. She runs laps around my house, FOR FUN. Can you believe that? Fun! 
Don't get me wrong, there are random times when the running bug hits me and I'll jog a bit. Other than that I'm definitely more of the "if you see me running you'd better run too" variety. 
And no, I will not run for wine, or doughnuts, or cake, or anything like that. I will run, for my life, but that's about it. 
I can walk for hours though. That counts. 

What's so great about getting workouts done at home? Well, since we homeschool and spend the majority of our time at home, it makes for awesome "brain breaks" to transition between subjects. It's even good for when the kiddos just aren't in the mood to do something. Stop for a few, do a few exercises, laugh at each other, encourage each other, then go back to work. 
If you're the sort to workout Dance Party style, go for it! Set the timer for 15 minutes and rock out. You're moving! That's what matters. 

I remember trying to tone up before getting married. I would lay blankets on the floor and do sit-ups, push ups, leg raises, etc., during every commercial break as I watched tv. That was before all of this on-demand stuff was the primary go to for shows. 

There are so many ways to get and stay active when you don't have time to make a gym run. Set reminders on your phone for every hour or so to get up and do something. 
That motivation is tough. Believe me, I know. I can't begin to estimate the amount of times I said I wanted to go to the gym. Did I? Nope. A gym buddy is awesome. They will help you get motivated, or kick your butt all the way there. If going to the gym is what you want.

You can get workouts in at home without a bunch of gym equipment! Yea, it's nice to have a set up, but let's face it: for the majority of us those end up turning into super expensive clothes racks. Or forgotten about altogether. 
Use what you have: stairs, chairs, the couch, bed, floor. All of those places can be used to aid in a decent home workout. Save those gallon milk jugs, clean them out and make your own weights! Use your broom handle to slide through the jug handles to make a weighted bar. Get a jump rope, or make one. 

Really, the point is that there are a ton of ways out there to get moving. I know there are numerous websites, pins on Pinterest, FB pages, etc., to give you more ideas. 
I love Bikini Body Mommy! She's encouraging, even during a workout. What's even better? She has FREE workouts! 

You feel better when you've done something active. You're happier, sometimes sore, but you feel accomplished. Just remember that feeling when you think "ugh, I really just want to sit and veg out in front of the tv today." Don't let a workout stop you from catching up on your shows. Do it WHILE you work out. Little one hogging the tv? Give them 20 more minutes, find a 20 minute workout video and get going with Paw Patrol or Dora going on in the background. Trust me, after a few minutes of huffing and puffing, you'll forget all about the irritation you have at listening to the SAME EPISODE again for the billionth time. Maybe. 

Went the whole day and didn't do anything too active? That's OKAY! There's always tomorrow. Don't make an excuse for it. You didn't get to it. Okay, whatever. Everyone needs a day (week, month,  year...s) to get back into it. Sometimes you genuinely can't do a workout. At home or otherwise. Physical health reasons, mental health reasons, just because you don't f*cking feel like it. I've been there. Just don't give up. Take it little by little and build yourself up. 

Now I think I'll take a bit of my own advice, put on some stretchy pants, sit my butt on the floor and attempt so terrible looking sit-ups. Later, as I'm folding laundry in my room and watching The Magicians, I think I'll do some squats. If I do enough of them I'm sure I'll be crawling up and down the stairs by Wednesday, falling onto the toilet seat, and near crying to stand up from sitting anywhere. Good times!  

Moving My Usborne Biz Along....

*Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click and make a purchase.*

Guess who passed their certification training and test to become an Usborne School & Library rep? 

That's right, me! 

Not having needed to take a test in years, I was pretty stressed about it. I'd heard on other groups how some people didn't pass and after so many tries had to wait to take it again. That meant even more stress on me. This is something I WANT. I have always wanted to own a bookstore and I feel this is a stepping stone in that direction. At the very least, this is a great alternative!

So, what does this mean for our family? Essentially, I can still take this job with me, anywhere. If there are people, schools, libraries, or youth programs in the area that haven't been given the opportunity to experience Usborne's amazing products, I can be their dealer.

Unlike other dealers of various products, I am not a pusher. I will not push you to purchase anything. That isn't the point. The point of being a book dealer is to encourage literacy. Believe me, I know what saying that means: I won't be making millions selling books. I am completely okay with that. 

I love books, and I love to talk about books, and show off books with great stories and educational benefit, for all ages. To be honest, it's safe to say I buy more books than I sell. I make no apologies. Books are amazing! Usborne Books & More and Kane Miller Publishing are just two companies promoting amazing books. I am proud to be part of that and help spread the joy of reading these books to others. 

I recently received one of my orders, I say one because there have been many, and my success kit. Two books arrived and I have been excited to read and share them! Lil Monster and I just sat and read through them, they are quick reads with great messages. 


First is Boy by Phil Cummings and Shane Devries. 

From the back cover: 

"The king's battles with the dragon were always might and loud. Boy lived in silence and couldn't hear the fighting. But he could see the fear around him... and how everyone would be much happier without it." 


Boy is a fabulous story about a hearing-impaired child who loves life. It's his impairment that causes the fighting around him to pause so that everyone might take a moment to listen to each other. 



Next is Luna Loves Library Day by Joseph Coelho.

From the back cover: 
"Today is Luna's library day. Book bag- check. Library card- check. Adventure with bugs, dinosaurs, magic and DAD- check!"

Luna Loves Library Day is a sweet story featuring Luna, a young girl who loves spending time with her dad, and books! This unobtrusive book, and book in a book, explains the love parents have for their child, even when they don't live together. 



I plan to finish reading Star of Deltora: Shadows of the Master by Emily Rodda this evening. It is captivating. A story about a the daughter of a famous trader who disgraced his community by abandoning them and the daughter's desire to become a famous tradeswoman in her own right. It's not the antithesis to The Mapmakers Chronicles. Completely different storyline, but just as intriguing. Both series I would encourage K1(15b) and K2(12b) to read. The characters are created well and the action isn't boring. 

Next up to read is Butterflies by Susanne Gervay, followed by The Adventures of Alfie Onion by Vivian French, Axel & Beast by Adrian C. Bott, Penny Dreadful by Joanna Nadin, Usborne Graphic Classics Dracula by Russell Punter, The Impossible Quest: Escape from Wolfhaven Castle by Kate Forsyth and Olga da Polga by Michael Bond (author of Paddington Bear). All of these are different interests and reading abilities. Click on the titles and be magically transported, via the interwebs, to my UBAM page to read more. 



It sounds like a lot, doesn't it? Don't worry, I still give myself plenty of reading time with "grown-up" books. This doesn't feel like reading for a job though. I don't want to give that impression. No, these books interest me! When I read them and have the kids read them, we can have our book discussions on a story we are both versed in. Not just my kids, but any kids. Do you know how much fun it is to meet a friend's kiddo who has read a book that I, too, have read? 

Immediately get out of "mom's friend" status and move to "she's pretty cool" status. Being cool mom is fun! It encourages conversation and the kids get excited to see you. Not just the whole "ugh, mom's friend is here. They're going to be talking about nothing for HOURS." You know what I mean.  

Plus! It also gives you ideas on what type of books they enjoy so you can recommend more later on. 



There are so many other books I could gush on in this post, but I think I'll leave it at that for now. If you have any questions, need any ideas, want to throw a party (I do surprise parties too, just ask my sister!), or join my group to see the newest titles when they release and get involved in amazing deals, just let me know! Message me on my biz page Amber's Book Stop, or comment here and I will find and add you. 

No rush, no pressure, just books and stuff!


Off I go to create new business cards for the schools and libraries I would like to discuss books with, and then do the cool grown up thing: coloring, before bed. 
You know what I'm reading, what are YOU reading? 

Darn You Pinterest!

*Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click and make a purchase.*


Pinterest is still a thing, right? 


To be honest, I haven't gotten on there to search for anything in particular in ages. I mostly save book covers and descriptions to my Usborne board and browse my food board in search of dinner ideas. 

I'd completely forgotten how much of my life can disappear when searching something in the abyss that is Pinterest. So many awesome ideas, so little time! Yes, I have decorated my imaginary vacation houses on that website many, many times. Each imaginary home has a kitchen and library that would rival the one that Belle fell in love with. Let's be honest here for a sec, Belle fell in love with the Beast because of his library. Am I right? I wouldn't have given that up either. 

Why the sudden fall back to Pinterest? Well, that's because I am still working on The Purge. Wandering my house, somewhat aimlessly, and I see all of these bags of crap I've kept over the years. "Crafts in planning" are what I like to think of them as. There are a few large black plastic trash bags, filled to the brim with jeans that have ripped knees and are now way too small for any of my kiddos. I think we may have the bags in a closet and have a new pile growing in the laundry room. I think there are some ABU pants of the hub's floating around too.



The time has come for me to either turn them into something worth keeping, or get rid of them. I've held onto them for way too long now. 

Just to get myself going I'll keep it simple. I think I'm going to start with a jean seam wreath (you can find the tutorial here) but add some embellishments. Maybe the usual painted letter for our surname and other bits? I'm not entirely sure yet. I have some time, I have to cut all of those seams and get a foam wreath. Maybe some more hot glue sticks. The idea to paint various sections of jean has crossed my mind. I'm still holding that idea close to the surface for when I start crying over the well-loved jeans of my kid's childhoods cutting everything and sorting it all by style and color. 



I also love the idea of a denim rag wreath, but don't love the idea of measuring and cutting and tying all of it. I do have kids though... Child labor laws wouldn't apply to crafting with no intent to sell, would it? A thought for another time perhaps. 



Two wreaths with jean seams, and maybe some bookish embellishments (because BOOKS!), and I'll probably have skimmed 15% off my denim stash. That might be pushing it, the boys went through a lot of jeans over the years. I'm thinking a denim rag quilt, or maybe some easy stitch floor pillows, for Lil Monster to practice her newly acquired sewing machine skills on would be a good idea. 



I also have K2's "loved to pieces" baby blanket in a drawer in my bedroom. I fully intended on fixing the seam and giving it back to him, several years ago. But...mom brain struck. Since I still have that sweet baby blue blanket, I think I'll practice my hand at making a teddy bear (from an old sheet first) and use the blanket for the body. Then it can tag along with us until he's older and can give it to his own children to love on. Yet another Pinterest find for that project! You can find the tutorial I'm considering here.



And I may have one or two camisole tank tops with a missing strap I have held onto with the hopes of cutting them up to make "faux-la-roe" leggings for Lil Monster's 18" dolls. I'm sure there are some tips and tricks I could find on the famous pinning site to help me out. Or I'll just try my hand at body outlines on paper with a semi-naked AG knockoff. 



Let's not talk about all of the empty wine bottles I have stored in my garage. To be fair, why can't we recycle those? I seem to remember when glass bottles went out with the regular recycle bins. Now it's like no one wants anything to do with them. Why toss them? I have glass cutters, drill bits, fairy lights, and lots of ideas to turn them into something pretty. I may not have any room for them anywhere, but at least they'd get another shot at life that isn't in a landfill. Can you say wine bottle wind chimes? 
And look, how could you toss this bottle? It has a beautiful flower design on the bottom! Imagine it with a family photograph inside, or painted, with the fairy lights on.


Okay, okay. I'm a serial craft supply hoarder. There, I said it. Are you happy now? 

I have tons of ideas and not a lot of follow through. It's a flaw. 

Like the Guinea Pig condo I have designed in my head for my girlies, and the cat-walk for Sherlock in various rooms of the house. There have been countless nights I lay awake in bed designing and re-designing ideas for easy to remove blackout shades for the windows. Alaska summers are very bright, in case you didn't know. 11pm looks a lot like 11am in July. 



All of these ideas. I'm sure a look inside my brain would be similar to the main page of Pinterest, minus the fashion stuff because jeans and a tee shirt with flip flops or boots are the extent of my fashion wardrobe. 



Also, my furniture taste is a little less shabby chic/Ikea straight lines and more country rustic. The aunts house in Practical Magic? I'd live there in a heartbeat. I love that house! Midnight Margaritas anyone? 



If you're a home educator, or do home education with the kiddos during summer or after school, or are a fun teacher who thinks outside of the normal education 'box', then you probably know all about the rabbit hole for educational materials on Pinterest. If you didn't, I'm sorry. Go on, look at all the awesomeness on there. You know where to find me when you're done. 



Do you have any fantastic finds on Pinterest you'd like to share? I'm always on the lookout for something new and awesome! Recipes, crafts, books, photographs, art, education, pretty much any and all things are on my radar. If you want to follow me on Pinterest, or any of my boards, feel free! You can message me on there too, or share a Pin with me. 



I think I'll go take another look at all of the jeans I have stored away and let my mind palace go crazy with all of the crafty ideas in store for them as I drink the last of this delicious wine. 

Keeping It Real

*Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click and make a purchase.*


Let's keep things real around here, okay? 

It's Sunday night and we are all going about our business in preparation for the upcoming busy week. It's a reading night, so no electronics here. 
I took last night off from reading, the first night in awhile, and had a glass of wine. Of course, I had to start a new-to-me show, The Crown. I watched the first episode and I'm hooked! 

Back to the books tonight! I have to admit, The Trespasser is getting interesting. Lil Monster is starting Stick Dog Chases a Pizza by Tom Watson. K2 introduced it to her and she's very interested in reading it. I'm excited because it's a twelve chapter book, each chapter is about twelve pages long. 
K2 will be listening to Throne of Fire, Kane Chronicles book two. K1 still hasn't picked up a book, but it's okay. He will get his reading in when we start our family reading time. I regret to say we haven't finished A Wrinkle In Time yet. Those last two pesky chapters have been laughing at us. It will be finished soon, probably tomorrow or Tuesday. 

As far as keeping things real? Let's talk about my week. For those of you that are always busy, this may not seem like a big deal. For a functioning anxious introvert, just thinking about this week is exhausting. Tomorrow, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, is a day off for public schools and a lot of military. Not for us. We are knocking out some school work in the morning, followed by Lil Monster's sewing class after lunch, and at some point I will swing by the grocery store to pick up my order I will place in the morning. 
Not too bad, right? 
Well Tuesday will likely be our craziest day. All three kiddos have sports physicals and need their flu shots, if they want to play indoor soccer this season. The boys look forward to this day every year, insert sarcasm here. They wouldn't mind it so much if it weren't for the dreadful, but necessary, hernia check. The thought of dropping-trou to get the family jewels checked for lumps isn't at the top of my boys' list of annual high-lights. Lil Monster has made it known how she feels about getting her flu shot, or any shot for that matter. I only hope that she handles it as well as she did last year and the whole hospital doesn't have to endure her bloodcurdling screams, again. Then it's off to pay for indoor soccer. My bank account is already crying at the thought, and my soul has withered a bit. It's getting the kids, and me, out of the house and moving, so it will be okay. Hopefully. 

Wednesday and Thursday are relatively simple: a science class for K2 one day, K1 the next. 

Friday will most likely be our game and relax day. I also need to get progress reports started and work samples saved. Ideally I will get those submitted by the following Monday... My anxiety likes to come on full steam during those times, even though it's simple enough to get through. I just feel like I'm forgetting something. Thankfully our advisory teacher is amazing and encouraging during those stressful (for me) times. 

During this madness that is our week, I will hopefully get some cleaning/organizing/purging accomplished. Let's not all hold our breaths on that, but I'm trying to stay optimistic. K2 and Lil Monster have decided that their goal is to get their rooms completely clean before Dad gets home. I'm not going to comment on this as I don't want to jinx myself. It is not beyond my realm of parenting to offer a cleaning incentive for that job, if they do it well. Lil Monster is easy enough to please, K2 on the other hand. Well, let's just say that as the boys get older they get harder, and a lot more expensive, to bribe shop for. 

If you are keeping up with my Goodreads account, you will see that I have a "want to read" book problem. Anything I come across that sounds good goes on my list. I wish the app had reminders. Like "Hey! We notice you haven't updated your progress for 'X' book in awhile, stop being lazy and READ!" or "Get off Facewaste and stop pinning your soul away and pick up that damn book already!" Yea, I need that sort of encouragement when I fall off the reading wagon. 

I really should stick to an electronic-free day for myself. 😂... Baby steps. 



Oh yea! I am planning on feeding the kids daily this week. Good call, right? I'm behind on the Instant Pot craze, but have had and loved my pressure cooker for years. I do have an IP...and a pressure cooker...and a kitchen gadget hoarding problem. Hey, it's on my list of things to purge, sort of. I promise to get rid of things I haven't used in two years. I say two years because there are some things I have that are for only one purpose and it makes life soooo much easier to have it. Like my pasta machine, that I am still planning to use more often. However, I could get rid of it and get one that attaches to my Kitchenaid. It would take up less space. Huh. I'll have to think on that some more. I did get rid of my bread machine a few years back. When I make bread I prefer to do it in the oven. Call me old fashioned, I just think it tastes better. 
I digress. Yes, I plan on IP'ing dinners all week. I have a wonderful list of IP recipes to try, and hopefully we won't end up with a year's worth of leftovers. Another issue of mine: I haven't quite mastered not making enough food to feed several families at once. K2 and Lil Monster have been teaming up on baking, so maybe I'll convince them to whip up some good cookies for us to last the week. I also got my small springform pan in the mail from Amazon, finally, and I want to give cheesecake in the IP a try. I'll update with the results once I get to it. 

Do you have an IP/pressure cooker recipe you just love? I'd love to hear about it! We have mainly stuck with spaghetti, potato soup, chowders, and the like for awhile. I have made it my mission to attempt other recipes. I do love my Crock-pot and use it frequently. The IP is phenomenal for those days when you don't want to torture yourself with all sorts of yummy smells throughout the day. For those of us interested in losing a few pounds at some point, the IP is a must over a slow cooker. 
If you don't have an IP or other pressure cooker, I can not say enough about how awesome and versatile they are! This is the IP I have. My other pressure cooker, the Elite 8 quart, is still a love of mine. It doesn't have the steel insert though, which was a huge selling point for the IP. I use both because sometimes 6 quarts just isn't enough. Especially when you're making your Christmas ham. 

Well, there you have it. If you haven't quite gotten the point of this "keeping it real" post, it's that I get overwhelmed easily, my house is more or less going to be a disaster this week, we won't talk about the kids' bedrooms, I have a book reading/hoarding problem, as well as a kitchen gadget obsession. I'm sure my piggies, Guinea pigs, would appreciate it if I made them some new cage liners, and cleaned out their cage within the next day or two as well. 

But for now, it's 9:30pm, I'm going to go sprawl in bed with my book and pretend that I have nothing going on this week. If I think about it I won't sleep, and not sleeping has been a problem for me. Well, I guess I'd better switch laundry first. Having dry clothes for the week is a must. And set up the coffee pot. Maybe I'll be in bed, with book, by 10. Maybe.