Weekend Decorating....

Son2, son3 and I made all the candy/toy bags for the trick or treaters today...

All the toy goodies...


Some of the toys were too big for the bags... Actually the bags were teeny compared to what I expected when I ordered them...


One toy and three candies per bag and tie the string closed...


Son2 was putting the Halloween erasers on the Halloween pencils...






142 pencils...


141 goodie bags plus toys... We also had a bag of candy left over... So don't think I will have to buy any goodies for next year, maybe just more pencils and give out pencils and skip making all the goodie bags... Last year I made 120 bags and the kids were still coming, so figured 150+ for this year...


Hubby was putting up decorations in the front yard...


We were going to go to the pumpkin patch today but I remembered that it's the weekend for their Railfest for their steam engine and BBQ... so there would be no parking for the pumpkin patch... So we will go next weekend...


Painting the tombstones....


Light up jack o lanterns and ghost...


My new witches hat... It's purple... I've been wanting one...


I also cleared the hutch in the front room so son1 would have more room for his stuff... I've been wanting to clean it out anyway...


Son1's space in the front living room...


So now everything is still all over my bed waiting to be cleaned out... but not today... will just clear the bed for sleeping... lol... mostly hubby's books and computer paper supplies... will have to find a new temporary home for them...


Holly's new sleeping place, on the back of the couch...

We also went to the grocery store today... Got pizzas and dips and chips for dinner... Watching Delgo, an animated movie for son3, but he is off playing computer games... It has Freddie Prinz Jr and Jennifer Love Hewitt...

We also have Pete's Dragon, Changeling, and Burrowers to watch...

Tomorrow back to work...

Monday is a holiday but the boys have school...

Got a call from the school yesterday... we haven't had rain in forever and yet son3 found a mud puddle to fall in and got soaked and muddy... of course they called just when everyone went to lunch and I was the only one in the department plus I was off in an hour... so I finally tracked down hubby and he went to pick up son3 who was back in class and fine if not a bit muddy...

They do say we will have lots of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday with snow in the Sierras... and it will only be in the 60's.... brrrrrr..... lol....

I'm off to finish the movie, clean up the kitchen and watch another movie...

Happy Journaling...

Color Carnival

To Play Visit Martha...

Fall Mums on the front porch...









Happy Journaling...

Wednesday and still here....

So where have I been... at The Motivation Station, cleaning the house, Facebook (son2 and son3 are now on Facebook too), watching all the new shows, keeping on the boys and their school work and working which has been very stressful lately... Actually I have been very helpful to the customers lately and they have been very nice... we are making changes as of 11/1 to the structure of our shoe associates so I am looking forward to that... but meanwhile we have no hours or coverage, tomorrow I am the only one all day til 3pm... we have been waiting for VIP visits that never come... I am not having good luck with equipment this past week... I have had supplies that I have had for years... the other associates lose and break theirs so this past week I have let them use mine and so now mine are broke too... how rude... I walked away from my work table the other day to answer a call and came back and someone had emptied my stuff off and taken my table... how rude... they were from a different department, I found my table... I am way behind in boxes and running out of room, every thing is coming in for Christmas shoppers... I'm on vacation at the end of the month...
We have also been getting ready for Halloween...
Hubby is making tombstones and working on Halloween card...
I need to start putting the goodie bags together...
Next weekend we are going to the pumpkin patch...
and start getting out the Halloween decorations for the yard...
Last weekend we brought the boys Halloween shopping and they picked out new costumes....

Son2 as a Werewolf...



Son3 as the Crypt Master...


Happy Journaling...

Comfort Stew

At The Motivation Station we are planning our menus for the week... Come share your weekly menus with us...

I recently made beef stew from my new crock pot cookbook and Betty asked for the recipe, so I'm sharing...



Comfort Stew:

1 1/2 pounds stew meat
2(10oz) cans French onion soup
1(10oz) can cream of onion soup
1(100z) can cream of celery soup
1(16oz) package frozen stew vegetables, thawed

*Place stew meat in sprayed slow cooker
* Add soups as listed and spread evenly over meat. DO NOT STIR. Turn slow cooker to HIGH and cook just long enough for ingredients to get hot.
*Change heat setting to LOW, cover and cook for 7 to 8 hours. Serves 4-6.

I adjusted to what I had on hand:
*I browned the stew meat before putting in the crock pot.
*I used a package of dry onion soup mix and mixed with water per instructions on soup mix box.
*1 can of vegetable broth.
*1 cup of water, I should have used two to make more gravy.
*1/4 cup of water with 2TB of flour to thicken gravy.
*I used the bag of frozen veggies.
*I added five cut up potatoes.
*I put the crock pot on low 8-10hrs overnight.

It was tasty especially browning the meat first, I had never tried that before... Next time I will add more water and more veggies like carrots...

Happy Journaling...

Color Carnival

To Play Visit Martha at Color Carnival...



Happy Journaling...