Pockets of Time

Good Monday morning to you!


I've been really busy lately, but I am trying to manage my time better in order to get more things done.  I need more "at home" time!  I've been trying to make use of little pockets of time, such as the minute or two it takes for a cup of coffee to brew, or if I can get ready for work fast enough in the morning, there might be a few minutes left for crafting or cleaning.

Recent examples of things done during that short pocket of time when the coffee is brewing are that I unloaded most of a load of dishes from the dishwasher,  folded a few pieces of laundry and started some tea bags brewing.  In the past I would jump up during a TV commercial and quilt a little.  Now we watch most of our tv on Netflix, so no commercials! LOL

Using small pockets of time works well for sewing projects.  Here are some key fobs I've been working on lately.  This one is for my daughter.

This one is for my friend and coworker.

 This is one in progress for my daughter-in-law.

I finally learned how to download embroidery patterns from the internet!  I bought this curly monogram from an Etsy shop.  This was just a practice piece, using some scrap fabric, but you can see how it will turn out.  I am going to be putting monograms on bags, and more, for gifts.  In pockets of time, I can work on them in baby steps.  The first step is to choose the fabric, followed by pressing the fabric and putting it and the stabilizer into the hoop.

My monogram on scrap fabric.

The majority of my pocket time has been used to water plants in the yard during this whole summer.  Thank goodness for some rain lately, which allowed me to skip my watering chores occasionally.   I'm looking forward to fall and winter and more time for homemaking and crafting.

Have a great day!

A Sunday Nugget - Amen

I babysat one of my grandsons Friday night and he gave me quite a few chuckles!  Kids can say some funny things and of course we grandparents think everything they say and do is the best ever.

I was reading a book to this one who is only 8 days shy of his third birthday at bedtime.  The book is called "Night Night Little Pookie" by Sandra Boynton and it is one of his favorites.  He especially loves that I read it just like the book sounds to me with lots of excitement and sound effects:  "OH POOOOOKIE!  ITS TIME FOR BED NOW!!  When I got to the end, he jumped right in and hollered, "AMEN!".  It was so funny that instead of saying "THE END!", he said "AMEN!".

I say Amen at the end of prayers, or when I agree with something, without really thinking about it.  So a quick search revealed that the real meaning of "Amen" is "So Be It" and signifies strong agreement. 

May your Sunday and the upcoming week be filled with many blessings and AMENS!

(Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links and I appreciate your using them! This means that I may receive a small compensation.)

Swag Luau Team Challenge - US

One more quick Swagbucks post!

Swagbucks is holding a Luau Team Challenge to help you earn free gift cards. For those of you who don't know what Swagbucks is, it's a website where you can earn cash back on everyday tasks you do online like shopping, answering surveys, discovering deals, and watching videos. You can even earn for searching the web! 

If you've never tried Swagbucks before because you didn't know where to begin, their Team Challenges are a great way to learn the ropes! The challenge, begins Monday, August 14th at 8am PT, but you can pre-register today.

Here's how you can join the challenge and the site:  

1. Click here to join the challenge and be assigned to a team.

2. Starting August 14th at 8am PDT, in addition to earning SB you'll contribute points to your teams total as you complete different activities on Swagbucks.

3. Check back on the page often to see the scores and what you've contribute so far.   

All members who participate and contribute at least 600 points to their team’s total will receive a SB bonus in the form of a SB Swag Up Rebate on their next gift card! 

Not only that, but if you sign up under me this month and earn 300 SB before September 1st, you'll get a 300 SB bonus!

Members of the 1st place team will receive a 100 SB Swag Up Rebate, members of the 2nd place team will receive a 50 SB Swag Up Rebate, and members of the 3rd place team will receive a 30 SB Swag Up Rebate. Your SB Swag Up Rebate will be made available on Friday, August 18th at 2pm PT and will expire on Thursday, August 31st at 11:59pm PT.


(Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links and I appreciate your using them! This means that I may receive a small compensation.)

Swagbucks Back To School Sale (US Only)

Good morning!  For anyone who is interested, here's another Swagbucks Post.

Through September 8th you'll get double cash back (in the form of SB points) or more when you shop for Back to School essentials at your favorite retailers through Swagbucks. They also have offers where you can earn SB points towards free gift cards for trying school-related products and services.

Then you can take all the SB points you earn and use them to get gift cards and PayPal cash! Click here to see all of the deals they're running, and if you sign up through me during this sale you'll get $10 for making your first purchase! That's in addition to the normal SB you get for your purchases.

New to Swagbucks?

If you don't know about Swagbucks, its a website that allows you to earn gift cards by doing things such as:

*On line shopping through their site
*Answering surveys
*Watching videos
*Playing games
*Searching with their search engine (works just like Google)
*Entering swag codes
*Referrals
*And many other miscellaneous ways

The key to earning gift cards is consistency.

Here's my Swagbucks Sign Up Referral Link.

(Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links and I appreciate your using them! This means that I may receive a small compensation.)

The Fabric and Yarn Fairy has been!

The fabric and yarn fairy has been to my house! Well.... actually it was my sister. She is cleaning out the area where she stores her craft supplies and is not doing much sewing and crocheting any more. So, I am the happy and lucky recipient!

I haven't had a chance to really go through it all and see all the treasures, but laying right there on top is a Moda Layer Cake and a Moda Jelly Roll!  There are packs of matching fat quarters, and all kinds of wonderful scraps and large pieces of fabric.  Even the basket was included in the gift.

I see lots of sewing and quilting in my future!

 

I am also going to be looking for ideas for using the yarn and looking forward to crocheting in the Fall and Winter this year.

Do you have any easy crochet Christmas gift ideas? 

Thank you sister!

Speed Cleaning Tip - Let it sit

Many years ago I bought a book called "Speed Cleaning" at a library discarded book sale.  THIS is the book.  There is a picture of the book on my right side bar.  If you want to order the book, my suggestion would be to find the cheapest used version, which at the moment is $1.51, plus $3.99 shipping.  I've decided to review the book again and try to put some of its ideas to work in my home.

One idea is that when you have a grimy area to clean, a dried on spill, or built up stains, spray the area, or simply squeeze some water on it.  Instead of using your time and elbow grease, let the liquid do the work.  Move on to something else for a few minutes and when you come back, you just wipe it off!

Saturday I put this idea to work with this bottle of spray cleaner I bought on the dollar aisle at Dollar General.  This stuff works so great!  I have bought Tilex in the past, but no more.  For one dollar, you would not believe how well it works. 

First of all I worked on the stainless steel sinks in the kitchen.  Here's a before picture.   The brown stuff is a build up of coffee, etc.  It is pretty easy to clean by scrubbing, but I just sprayed the cleaner, walked away a few minutes and when I came back, all I had to do was rinse!



Before with yucky brown build up.

This picture shows the drain after I sprayed it and walked away.



Spray and let it sit!

This is after rinsing the cleaner down the drain.



After rinsing, no scrubbing.

I was on a roll and so here are pictures of more areas I applied the spray, let it sit, and came back and rinsed or wiped away the grime.




The sink in the laundry/bathroom.



The top of the freezer had stains and a build up of dust.

The knobs on the stove had a build up of grime, even though we wiped them every time we cooked.  I hadn't even noticed until I put on my reading glasses and looked close!  That's another tip!  Put on your reading glasses, or just get close.  You will be amazed at the grime that is there that you don't notice.





I removed the knobs, sprayed, and let them sit.

They are nice and clean now.



Clean knobs.

One thing I can't stand is a grimy can opener.  There can be all kinds of bacteria on there from food and seems like a recipe for food poisoning to me.  I removed the part that actually opens the cans and let it go through a dishwasher cycle.  Then I sprayed the rest of the can opener with my spray with bleach, let it sit and then wiped off all the grime.  Here's my clean and sparkly can opener.

The next area I plan to put this idea to work on is the white cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom.  I can clean a few doors a day.  This one definitely needs some cleaning.

I hope this post gives you some ideas of ways to use the wet it, let it sit and rinse, speed cleaning idea.

Do you spray grime and let it soak, or do you "scrub it now"?

Swagbucks Swago - Back to School Shopping Edition - Starts Today

Swagbucks is hosting another round of Shopping Swago! What is SWAGO you ask? It's a bingo-inspired promotion run by Swagbucks, a website that rewards you with points (called SB) for completing everyday online activities. You can redeem those SB for free gift cards. If you've never used Swagbucks, participating in SWAGO is a great introduction to the site and an easy way to earn a good amount of points quickly.  

I tried Swago for the first time last month.  Its fun, but challenging and is just like playing bingo.

Click here to get started! 

Here’s what you need to know to get your 200 SB Bonus (and don’t worry, you don’t have to make a purchase to complete a pattern):

• Shop Swago will begin on Monday, August 7th at 9am PT/12pm ET, make sure you hit “Join” otherwise you won’t get credit for completing the action items. Each square on your Swago Board will contain an action item to complete.
• Once you complete the action item in a particular square the square will change color signifying the action item is complete.
• You have a limited amount of time to mark off as many squares as possible so use your time wisely.
• Be mindful of the patterns and their corresponding bonuses located on the right of your Swago Board. The patterns will vary in difficulty and bonus value.
• Once you’ve achieved a pattern the corresponding “Submit” button will light up. You can have multiple patterns available for submission, however, you can only submit ONE pattern so choose wisely.
• The game ends Thursday, August 10th at 12pm PDT/3pm EDT. So make sure to hit “Submit” on the pattern you wish to submit. If you don’t hit “Submit” before the game ends you won’t receive your SB bonus.
  
  Also, if you sign up through me this month, you'll get a $10 rebate when you makeyour first purchase via Swagbucks Shopping! You can activate it in the "Swag Ups" area of "My Account"
•  Click Here to use my referral link.

How to Menu Plan - Side Dishes

My method of menu planning is to have a list of possible dishes to choose from that we like and that I have ingredients on hand for.  Before going to the grocery store this week, I did a little inventory of what I had on hand and made a list of ALL the possible things I could make for side dishes.

Butter Beans Cooked With Ham Bits

I was surprised at how long the list was and I could have thought of more, but was in a hurry to get out the door.

Here's what I came up with:

Green Beans cooked with ham bits
Butter Beans (Lima) cooked with ham bits
Corn
Three Bean Salad
Fruit with cottage cheese
Black Eyed Peas
Great Northern or Pinto Beans
Chips and Salsa
Broccoli and cheese
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Deviled eggs
Fruit Salad
Broccoli, rice and cheese casserole
Brown Rice cooked in chicken broth
Tomato Sandwich
Sliced Tomatoes
Fried Okra

Sweet Potato Casserole

Just having things to choose from makes menu planning so much easier.  I put this list to good use for our lunch yesterday.  We had butter beans cooked with ham bits, sweet potato casserole and beef kabobs.  I found the sirloin steak for the kabobs at Food Lion marked down.




Okra, Cherry Tomatoes, Regular Tomatoes

I've been trying to use our fresh vegetables from our small garden as much as possible.  This includes vegetable soup, fried okra, BLTs, tomato sandwiches and more.

Tips:

I buy the little vacuum sealed packages of ham bits, which I call seasoning meat.  Once the package is opened, I separate it into little packs the size needed for one pot of beans and then freeze them.  I wrap each pack in plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag.

I usually have some pecans in the freezer and can take out just enough needed for the top of the sweet potato casserole.

For menu planning I don't assign a certain food for a certain day.  I just have a list of things that I could cook.  Usually on Sunday I try to cook a little bit a head for the upcoming work week for suppers and also things to take for lunch.

And I'm always open to that unexpected offer by hubby to go out to eat!  We don't do this too much because its so much cheaper to eat at home, but we do eat out occasionally.

What side dishes do you like to cook?

Precious Moments "Love You Tons" Elephant Snow Globe Review

(Note:  I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.  The links in this post are affiliate links and I will receive a small fee if you make a purchase by clicking through a link)

I received an email  from the Precious Moments company with the opportunity to receive this cute "Love You Tons" elephant snow globe in exchange for a review on my blog. I have a daughter in law who loves elephants and I couldn't resist the opportunity to receive it and then to give it to her as a gift.  She is an Alabama Crimson Tide Fan and loves elephants!  Can you believe she is living here in the middle of Carolina Tar Heels, NC State, Duke and Wake Forest Country?

 Here is the Snow Globe before being shaken:

The Precious Moments company is known for their collectable figurines and I'm sure you have seen them.  After visiting the website I was so pleased to see the variety of gifts of love available there.  I was especially interested in the bereavement gifts.   If you want to let someone who recently suffered the loss of a loved one know that you are thinking of them, you can find something there to fit any situation, from a miscarriage, the death of a child, spouse, a parent, or even a pet. 

The item that I was sent for review would make an excellent baby shower gift... or for the person who loves elephants.  Not only is it beautiful and magical to look at, it contains a music box and plays Brahms Lullaby when it is wound up.

In this picture you can see the glitter floating gently down after I gave it a little shake.  Its so pretty!

It was well packaged so there was no chance of it becoming damaged during shipment.

Precious Moments has thought of every possible occasion and has a gift for all of them.  Just a few:  Appreciation Gifts, Bereavement Gifts, Christmas, Anniversary, Birthday, Get Well, Graduation, First Communion and more.  If you visit their website, look at the left side and you will see all of the options.

Thank you Precious Moments for allowing me to review the "Love You Tons" elephant snow globe!

Saturday Sewing: I made a clothespin bag!

I haven't made a clothespin bag in a quite a while. In fact I had to read my own clothespin bag tutorial to remember exactly how! My tutorial is found HERE and is one of my all time most read posts.  It still gets viewed several times a day.

If you look at the quilt in THIS POST, you will recognize the fabric!

I listed this one in my Etsy Shop HERE.

Glimpses of Home

Here are a few glimpses of home here at the farmhouse from the middle of July, 2017.

A jar full of summer:

A daily harvest.

I made some homemade BBQ sauce, but it wasn't good enough that I would want to share the recipe. So all you get is a picture of the ingredients.  I will try again.

Frying okra:

I found a good deal on Amazon for Gain refill packs. I checked and there's still a $4.25 coupon which brings down the price to $10.19 for three 48 ounce refill packs.   Click HERE to see the deal.  Using Subscribe and Save is great.  I receive a Subscribe and Save order every month.  Just remember to cancel your subscription the following month if you don't want to receive it at what ever price they are then.  In this picture I was transferring the liquid to an empty Purex jug and wanted to make sure I got every drop.

A little patriotic spot.

Sunrise:

Chicago Peace Rose:

Little Boy is growing.  This one will be 3 next month!

Dreaming of fall, but these leaves are this color in the middle of summer.

This boy will be 4 next week.  And he fell and fractured his arm this week.  He will wear a cast on his little arm for only 2 weeks though.

In the little shade garden:

Working outside.  I need to sit on this little scooter because my knees hurt if I squat or kneel!

Petunias and Rosemary.

These Moss Roses (Portulaca) come back in pots from seeds every year.

Tractors at work.  This year we have sweet potatoes growing behind and beside us.

I hope you are enjoying your summer!