Declutter Challenge Week 1: Desk/Office-Part 2

So I spent the better part of last night and today going through the papers, so many papers. I had tax stuff from well over 10yrs ago...it was always the folder that I avoided because it was so fat with documents. I've purged the papers now I just have to develop a system to organize it once it comes into the house and then I'll decide if I need to get some more organizing equipment.


I also took the time to sign up for ebilling with the remaining companies I hadn't bothered with before. Surprisingly, Superior Propane is only utility that doesn't provide any sort of online capability.

I still have to look through the insurance and auto papers. Then I'll just have to send off the garbage with DH so he can shred it all. With regards to the desks, I've done a cursory sweep of the desks but there is still quite a bit left to do and it's really not as easy to do this as before Ed came along.

Declutter Challenge Week 1: Desk/Office-Part 1

kickypants has offered up a decluttering challenge which I have accepted and the first project is the desk and office area. I have two desk/office areas in my house. One is downstairs in our family room and used frequently as it has the only computer in the house atm. We have another "computer closet" as it's been dubbed upstairs but since Christmas it's computer busted and I haven't had an opportunity to fix it. The computer closet has the luxury of having doors so it can be closed off when the desk gets overwhelmed with stuff...let's just say the doors have been closed for a while and it's recently become a major dumping ground.

I've tried several times in the past to get these areas under control but they are #1 on the list of reoccurring offenders. I guess I've yet to come upon a system that works for me on a regular basis. The problem is papers! I am inundated with papers, more and more papers and I only get like 3 paper bills now a days. I took "before" pictures tonight...I can't believe I'm going to post these, it's very embarrassing, lol :)

Main Floor "Computer Closet" - yes those are butternut squash, lol, they need to be kept somewhere cool and this area at the back of the house is a little cooler and they needed to get off the kitchen table :)


Family Room Computer Desk

Pimp my Ride Mom

I fell in love with babywearing before I even got pregnant. I'm such a nerd by the time Ed arrived I had made my own ring sling, pouch, mei tai and wrap. I've used them all but in all honestly the ones that have gotten the most use are the pouch and wrap. I ended up borrowing a stretchy wrap (like a moby) from a girlfriend and used it for several months exclusively but the messy winter weather puts a hamper on tying those tails, not to mention I was having to re-adjust it more often as Ed has gotten heavier. The pouch was great while he was newborn as it was quick and easy, but he hasn't been cradled in there forever...we've moved onto the hip and sometimes the kangaroo carry. The wrap is good too, nice and comfy and the one I made does not stretch so Ed does not end up near my knees but it's still winter so it's restricted to the house.

I like the mei tai but it still has those long straps and it's still winter, I wanted something faster and easier for DH to deal with so I decided I wanted a soft structured carrier, which has buckles instead of knots. It was a really hard decision between an Ergo and a Beco but in the end I was able to get a cheaper secondhand Ergo from Kijiji. I totally stole an idea from The Baby Wearer and pimped Ed's Ergo...apparently we now have a Pergo :)



Using the stolen idea, I got a snap tool and made an interchangeable panel for over the pocket. I then removed the hood and made it interchangeable as well. The best thing is that a fat quarter is exactly enough for the panel and hood so by the end of this adventure I'm sure I'll have quite a stash of different designs.



Action shots to come :)

Colds and Cooking

I can't believe it's been a month since I blogged last, it seems like forever ago.

Ed is 5mos now...that is totally insane! I was finally getting back into the swing of things after going away for the holidays when he goes and gets his first cold ever...he was still a fairly happy baby throughout it and luckily never got bad enough that he ever had trouble nursing. The issue is that I had a really full week of activities planned and the weather wasn't that bad, but once he got sick we couldn't playdate or visit other babies so we ended up inside the entire time.

I did do up a meal plan for the first time in a long time and cooked like crazy that week, even a lemon loaf...that I ate all by myself in two days!!! LOL! I had decided to do some decluttering and went through almost 3years of WISH and Chatelaine magazines...ripping out all the recipes that looked good and articles I liked or hadn't read (or don't remember reading). I picked out a week full of meals and made some things I'll definitely make again and others that just looked good but didn't taste as nice. I used leek and savory cabbage for the first time, made a Moroccan braised chicken dish with raisins and apricots and found a faster and better way to make cabbage rolls--which I love so much!

My computer still isn't fixed, I think my mobo is fried and I'm trying to get a cheap second hand one but it's so old they are few and far between. I haven't even been sucessful in getting the other computer to read the old hard drive and IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS not having the stuff on that disk :( and having to go to the basement for computing.

I'm hitting up my local moms' baby food exchange party tomorrow, for my contribution I made organic butternut squash puree. I'd never even bought a squash before, except for Halloween pumpkins for carving. I bought way too much squash...which I believe was probably an issue with my metric to imperial (and vice versa) conversion; I have 2 huge squash left over, luckily they last for up to 3mos--maybe I'll try some soup. I was using my Super Baby Food book to help me prepare it and it was so easy...the most time consuming part was straining all the puree through the only sieve I have which is practically the diameter of a soup can. I'm super excited to get the stash of assorted solids from the other moms, which will include prunes, carrots, apples/pears, sweet potato & cinnamon, banana & quinoa puree, and banana peach oatmeal.

My Computer is Dead :(

Well I knew it'd be a while before I posted because of holidays, but then I come home to a busted computer. Being the nerd that I am I usually freak out but at least I have a backup in the basement...but I can't move it and am now without the requisite music player upstairs to facilitate easy nap times for Ed.

Oh it's been so long since I built a computer or had to fix a major issue, this sucks...and I have very little time to tinker around with it to boot. I have no POST, but did just find a tutorial to run through...one step at a time when I find the time I guess.

I feel like I was just getting used to being at home with Ed, then Christmas and holidays hit and now I feel like I'm starting all over again.

Distracted by the Holidays

Well it's been a while since I posted, and it will likely be a little while longer before I do again. We're off on Sunday to our hometown to showoff the monkey and celebrate the holidays. On one hand I'm looking forward to it and the other I'm a little nervous about how it's going to upset the monkey's schedule. Just like he surprised me at the Christmas party, I'm sure he'll be fine but it's going to be 12 days of running around...I'm praying for decent weather.

Mother nature dumped a load of snow on us today, and originally I was taking our two dogs to their kennel 1.5hrs away but called ahead and ended up taking them on Thursday. I could not have imagined driving that long in the storm--just me, the monkey and two whining dogs. Ed was superb during the drive, he fussed a bit before falling asleep on the way there. I nursed and changed his bum after dropping the dogs off and monkey was asleep again before I hit the highway home.

The other bummer is that I'm sick, mainly a head and throat illness and I'm fairly certain Ed has it too. He's been fussier today and coughing more (knock on wood no stuffy nose yet), sleeping like a champ most of the time. I'm really hoping we're fine for the Sunday flight and that nursing through the ascent and descent will be sufficient...I'll be dropping our entire dish of hard candies into my purse.

We aren't having a tree this year because of going away, I'll post last year's because I was and am so proud of it. For those of you who get a real tree, the thing I love the most about them (except the lovely scent) is how you can pick up any ole tree that the lot has left and regardless of how haphazard it looks, string some lights and splash some decorations on it and VOILA!! Amazing!!!

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Holidays!!!

Breakfast Lasagna

I cut this recipe outta a magazine and I think it looks scrumptious. I haven't actually made it yet, but figured I'm straightening up and instead of having the recipe laying around I'll post it here to share as well as immortalize it on the internet for future reference.

Ingredients
12 slices of bread, crusts removed
10 slices of Canadian back bacon
10 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 cups milk
dash Tabasco
1/2 cup unsalted butter
crushed Corn Flakes

Directions
-Set 4 slices of bread into an 8x8" buttered ovenproof baking dish. Layer with slices of bacon, followed by cheese and finished with 4 more slices of bread.
-Repeat to make another layer and then top with the last slices of bread.
-In a bowl, beat eggs and pepper together. Add mustard, onion, Worcestershire sauce, milk and Tabasco.
-Pour over layers, cover and refrigerate overnight.
-In morning, melt butter and pour over top. Cover with crushed Corn Flakes and bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350F. let rest 10 mins before serving.
-They also say you could serve with Hollandaise sauce (with a dash of lemon and black pepper) for a zesty finish.

Serves 8.

I really hope it's as good as it sounds and that my stomach can handle the eggs. I haven't tried any since being pregnant and they didn't agree with me after just realizing that I like the taste of them since I hated eggs as a kid.

Enjoy!