600 Items

We are adding an addition onto the house. This is a shot of the outside. This is where the new wing will be built. The window to the right is the bathroom window. Just beyond that is the window to the guest room.



Once built, the new wing will have a kitchen, living room and bedroom. The existing bathroom will be enlarged for her use as well.



My mother-in-law will be residing in the guest room until the new wing is built.





Yesterday, Vince informed me that the addition will add 600 square feet to the house. I said we should get rid of 600 items, one for each square foot.


He laughed.

I am going to track what we accomplish.

The basic rules:
1. Items purchased will count against this 600. So we should avoid buying anything else!
2. Trash and recycling do not count.
3. Consumables do not count.


I have started an excel spreadsheet to track and count what is removed. I will also attempt to document through words and photos how this experiment evolves!

Yesterday, I did sell two purses at the Expo, so that is a start. I just posted two items on Ebay last night and I have several items listed on Craigslist as well. I also have a load of boxes in the garage for the March/April yard sale, so I will be counting those items then!

Hopefully, I can motivate my spouse to go through his stash of boxes in the guestroom closet and in the garage!!!

Sunday UPDATE: Huge thank you to Jennifer for taking 22 children's books from my library for use in her classroom! She is also the proud owner of a new tote bag!
Now the total is up to 25 items!

Seussitis!

What I did today!

In the library this morning, I picked up a biography of Dr. Seuss. This (of course) started me thinking about reading lessons.
I just finished posting my newest DonorsChoose project for books written by Dr. Seuss! Since a number of his books are more than just silly story books, I realized that I could use them to expand my reading lessons into other areas. It is awaiting approval from the DonorsChoose elves. (They are finished with Christmas, so the elves work their normal year round job at DonorsChoose!)

Also today, I finished my lesson plans for Foreign terms and began my lessons on propaganda devices.

I managed to get out to the bank and the salon (to have my hair trimmed). I also ate lunch at my favorite local restaurant!

Otherwise it has been a quiet day here in the Carrabba household.

What did you do today?

Today, I finished my Poetry lesson plans for next week. It is a short school week, so we will not read a story in Reading class. Thus, I can do something fun with another reading skill. Next week, we are reading a variety of poems. We will learn about poetic elements, different types of poems and will spend time reading and analyzing them. It will also serve as a review of other types of figurative language that we have already covered.

Today, I finished my English lesson plans for next week. I really do not like the English textbook much and in the second half of this year, I plan to focus more on how to use the language. So, next week, we will be learning how to write an outline and conduct research. The students will have two assignments given. The first is their career speech for the 4-H public speaking contest in January. Since it fits with the standards Tennessee says the students must accomplish, it is always an assigned project. The students will also have a chance to choose a different research topic from the various Time for Kids news magazines we have in class.

Today, I created two study guides for Reading stories we will cover in January.

Today, I finished the laundry for the week.

Today, I washed the guest room linens and cleaned the guest room. I also gave Vince instructions NOT to clutter that room again.

Today, I made a batch of dishwasher detergent. I found a container of Citric Acid in the pantry and remembered that I purchased that so that I could make my own detergent, then forgot to complete that task. So, I found this recipe at DIY Natural and decided to give it a try. My first load is washing now. More information to follow.

Today, I finished marking the small pieces of Rob and Izzy's wedding quilt.

Today, I vacuumed the house (again!)

Today, I finished reading a book: At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks.

It never ceases to amaze me what I accomplish when I sit and make a list. When I think about it I always feel like I did not accomplish much, when actually I do.

What did you do today?

Summer ends. School begins.

This picture shows how I feel right now...dizzy with all I am doing and trying to do! My summer is ending and my school year begins in another week.

While I spent a lot of time getting my Language Arts lesson plans put together, I am not through all of the chapters yet. I do have the lessons for the first half of the year though!

Yesterday and today, I acquired several children's story books that I plan to use with my lessons. I then discovered that I do not have copies of some very simple stories. I need Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs and Goldilocks and the Three Bears! I find it funny that with all the books I do have, I do not have these three!
So, tomorrow I will be checking out the Goodwill Store to see if I can find these!

My reading corner for my classroom is all set. I purchased some large colorful pillows to go with the ones from last year,along with an area rug and a colorful floor lamp. Once I paint the new (old) bookcase to match my other one, I will have a neat area to read in.

Today, I also dropped a quilt top off at the quilter's. Chris will do a phenomenal job as she always does!

More Summer Progress!

I purchased the fabrics for this quilt top last June and have been working on it since then. Finally it is finished! I love the brights against the black background fabrics. Now I need to figure out if I have fabric for the back and I can get it off to Chris for quilting!

Three years ago, Elizabeth left me to return to Texas. I sent her off with her own Eric Carle quilt, created with fabrics designed around his book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear". I had fabrics left over and since I will be teaching Reading next year, I decided to make my own! Here it is! I even have the backing fabric all ready to go! Nothing new purchased for this project!!

I have also created 4 tote bags from fabric left over from my Balloon Race quilt, and 3 tote bags from some canvas my mother-in-law gave me.

The stash of fabrics are slowly being used.

On the funny side: I took this sticker off a shirt this morning and stuck it on Narnia's forehead. She has left it there all day. Silly Dog!

Health Goals

As I get older, I am more aware of my aches and pains. It seems that every year I work to improve my health, but as I get older, I am less and less successful in maintaining the life style changes that are necessary.

I know that there are some of you who can relate to this and I also know that there are those of you who know me and are saying that they have heard this refrain from me in the past.

What makes this year different? Perhaps it is knowing that I have probably lived more than half my life already. Perhaps it is knowing that half of those years have been spent overweight and over tired. Perhaps it is knowing that my son will be getting married in a year. Perhaps it is all of it.

Since January, I have been working on a few health issues and those appear to be under control now.

Since school let out in May, Vince and I have been eating better and getting more exercise by working around the house.

Since school let out in May, I have lost a bit more than 12 pounds. I am not sure of the exact number as I have one of those dial scales---not a digital one! Regardless, I am seeing numbers I have not seen in a year!

I took my measurements last week and at this point, I have lost 2.5 inches. Again, making strides in the right direction.

I am aware of what I eat and drink. I make sure that my caloric intake varies from day to day and that I do not drink empty calories. I have eliminated my between meal snacking and have been much more active.

When my son gets married, I would like to be a single digit clothing size.

Short term, I would like to be a total of 20 pounds lighter by the time school begins in August.

There it is folks. My goals for this summer!

Summer Progress!

Today is another in and out day! Vince is continuing to work on the garden shed and had already advised me to be ready to assist him! (That is the OUT).

I finally repotted this plant that we brought back from my mother-in-law's house in Alabama. I can only hope that it survives!


I spent the day in my working studio, finishing up those UFO's of a variety of types! Yesterday, I finished Jena's quilt, well more accurately, Maurice's quilt. Earlier last week, I did the quilting and put the binding on. Yesterday, I put the final stitches in the binding and here it is:


I also finished 4 sets of Car Club placemats that will be door prizes for next year's Bunny Run Car Show. These were pending from Last Year! I never finished them. So, I decided they needed to be completed this summer and be available for next year's show. Here are two sets:

I was also working on using up the fleece and ribbons I had laying about. So, I put together more of ribbon blankets that I have been successful selling and using as baby gifts.

I had a lot of red and blue fleece so many of the blankets have a patriotic theme going on. The flannel I used was a yard sale rescue and left over pieces from other flannel projects. As always, I work to reuse or rescue fabric and make them into a new creation!

My goal for today was to finish these up. Yay to have met that goal!