November Second...

I had a headache THIS BIG all day.... We are now playing Christmas music at work... half Christmas and half regular music but I think it was the same five Christmas songs over and over...
I started reorganizing the stockroom since I have so many associates to cover the floor now... We had a visit while I was on vacation and we have one more on Thursday and then we are done for this year...
I worked all day 9-5:30... I still need to get the house back together from Halloween... Lots of laundry still to be done and pots and pans to be washed... but not tonight, after this entry I am going to bed to veg and watch TV...
Hubby had a stressful vacation week trying to decide on some changes at work... He was going to step down from his position but after talking to his supervisor today he is still unsure of what he wants to do...
Lots of laughing in the house with the boys and hubby when I got home from work and then even into dinner...
Girlfriend is over too, they went to Starbucks and then gonna watch TV...
Another long day at work tomorrow and it's almost 9pm so off to veg and watch TV... Castle tonight!!
I'm working on the Halloween slide show... hopefully by tomorrow it will be ready to post...
Happy Journaling...

November First...

Today begins our thirty days of blogging... It's National Blog Posting Month at NaBloPoMo, so I've signed up for the month with a promise to post every day...
Halloween night was a blast... I will be making a smile box slide show to share soon... Trick or treaters didn't start showing up til 6pm and abruptly stopped at 8:30 but we waited til about 8:50 to be sure before we brought everything in to the garage... Don't leave anything out over night, don't want any tricksters to come back and leave a trick on us... Only had 17 goodie bags left over and a few toys, so had over 150 trick or treaters, hard to tell though as son3 was giving out two treats every so often... I fixed son3 some soup but he fell asleep before he had a chance to eat... Handing out candy is a hard job...Son2 as a werewolf was a success... Scared lots of big people and tried not to scare the little ones... Lots of pictures were taken of him... He's probably popping up all over My Space and Facebook today, lol... I didn't think of it when he picked out the werewolf costume of the Twilight movie until someone asked him if he was Edward, teasing him cause they thought he was Jacob... I ate a caramel apple after the trick or treating was done... Very good! and then I ate a candy apple, not so good... the candy melted off the apples so I just rinsed off the candy and we will quickly eat the apples... I'm still eating the tortilla soup, yummy...
I have a sink full of dishes that I am slowly working my way through... and seven loads of laundry to do from all the Halloween dummies... I'm on load #2...
Hubby and I were back to work today... I worked 6am-2:30pm... hubby only worked 11-4 as they were very slow so we got a good start on getting Halloween put away... I was busy at work... Setting up the ad, training the new guy to set the ad, he kept up on boxes while I was gone but still lots to do and organize, a dozen new associates that I haven't even met them all yet, so we had lots of help today, too much even, lol...
Now we've finished dinner and watching Numbers... and I need to get back on dishes and laundry...
Happy Journaling...

Krazy Kitchen

I made caramel apples today...



I made candy apples today...

I had a little trouble... finish reading instructions would be a good thing... I put the apples in the oven to warm the caramel and then read that I was supposed to stretch the caramel over the apple, I thought it would melt...

I dunked the apples in the candy covering but it came out too thin so I thought I would pour some more over the apples... looks really cool all over the pan, like blood, but try to pick one up and get all of them, lol...

I was gonna make Halloween cut out cookies too... Had a leftover kit box from Christmas and Halloween cookie cutters... Mixed the dough and it was so runny, kept adding flour... thought this must be older than I thought... So made a batch of dough from scratch realizing the flour was from 2007, it's all crumbly... When almost throwing out the second bag from the Christmas kit realized what I thought was two bags of dough mix was actually a frosting mix, lol.... So I will try one more time to see if I can get some dough together so son3 can cut out some cookies and frost them... I had planned on making frosting, didn't remember it came in the box....

The Krazy Kitchen is still partying, so head on over...

Happy Halloween!
Happy Journaling...

Color Carnival

To Play Visit Martha...

Haunted Cemetery in our front entrance way...







Happy Journaling...

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla Soup
(My Sister In Law's recipe)

You can scale this up or down, it's really all a matter of preference.
This is exactly how we make it and we have tons of left overs.

3 32 oz boxes of Organic Chicken Broth
1 Chicken Breast (Roasted if you can)
3 Zucchini’s cut however you'd like
4 Green onions
Minced Garlic cloves - We use a lot of garlic, use whatever you like
Chili Powder (I use chipotle chili powder), again the heat is up to you
2 cans of Rotel Tomatoes
2 cans of corn, you can most certainly use frozen if you prefer but we like the added water from the cans
Cilantro
Avocado
Pepper Jack Cheese
Tortilla Chips

Lightly sauté the zucchini, green onions and garlic
Add the corn and tomatoes
Add the chili powder
Add the broth, chicken
Stir and let simmer for about 30 minutes

When you are ready to eat, turn up the heat on the soup, get it to a boil and then turn the heat off and add the cilantro.

Add sliced avocado to bowl, any amount you'd like
Add the pepper jack cheese, again whatever amount suits your fancy
Add a handful of chips to the bowl
Add the soup to the bowl (I always add just a pinch of cheese on top as well)

Enjoy!

I roasted five chicken breasts with bone but didn't put them in the soup, well except when I dunked my fork in the soup....
I used fajita seasoning instead of chili powder cause hubby doesn't like spicy...
I don't like cilantro so I skipped it...
no avocado this time...
and I used cheddar cheese...

But it was still so good!!!!

The Krazy Kitchen is having a Halloween Party... Stop by to try all the yummy food and see the decorations....

Happy Journaling...

Update Soon...

I'm hoping to do an update soon...
Busy Busy on Vacation...
Until then see what I've been up to over here...
The Motivation Station...
Happy Journaling...

Vacation

I am on vacation through Halloween... Hubby has two half days today and tomorrow and then he is on vacation too... Well except Thursday he has to go to a meeting... He can never get a whole week off... We are both back to work on the 1st...
Last week at work four of the new associates started... Three for sales and one for stocking with me... I had so much help on Thursday and Friday that I didn't have to watch the floor and I got all the boxes opened, not put away but there were none in receiving and they were all opened and stacked...
Friday I got off early, hubby was already home and I vegged on the laptop for the rest of the day... Still too much time at Facebook playing games, lol...
I broke the Saturn on the way home on Friday... The locks on the doors are electric so we have a remote however when I am in the car, I push the button... well the button went crunch and was stuck in.... all the door locks were clicking all the way home trying to engage... so for Friday hubby just disconnected the battery...
On Saturday morning after many bad words and finally figuring out how to get any part of the door off, hubby was able to get to the lock and disconnect that one door lock... the rest all work with the remote still, just have to lock that door manually until he replaces the part... however some how the windshield wiper was broke during the process... think he tried to do one job too many and should have stopped at the door lock... so now both cars need one new windshield wiper and we may see rain for Halloween...
Also on Saturday I was motivated and cleaned the front door way of all the shoes, got son2 to assemble the Halloween foam cemetery on the front table... still a few pieces to attach... I did all the dishes, cleaned the island, stove and dining room table... I did two loads of laundry and wiped down the washer and dryer... I vacuumed... I brought in the rest of the Halloween boxes so I can start assembling the Halloween props this week... I cleaned the boys bathroom... and I spent too much time on the computer and ate too much....
Saturday afternoon we went to one of the street pumpkin patches in town to pick up a pumpkin for son3 to bring to his Halloween party at school this week... And then we went to the Zoo's Zoo Boo to trick or treat... See slide show in previous entry...
We left the house at 3pm, got to the zoo at 4pm to find parking and get son3 into his costume... got in line at 4:30pm, trick or treating started at 5pm and son3 was ready to leave at 5:45pm... said he didn't like it, it wasn't what he expected... he did fall down at 5:15pm but he seemed to recover from the fall well enough... Most of the animal exhibits were closed for the night and the animals put to bed... Local businesses set up tables and give out candy and business flyers... by 5:30pm we were having to wait in line at each table... most of the businesses were dressed up in costume and were having fun with the kids... I think son3 was expecting more shows and fun things like when he got to break the board at the martial art table... and the Carl's Jr table had bowls and boxes set up under cover and you put your hand in and felt what was inside and then the man was saying that's warts on a witch's nose and that 's brains, etc... and it was spaghetti and what not... son3 put his hand in every box... According to the brochure there were 136 business tables but it was also for three nights so don't know if everyone came each night... I'm sure we went to less than 50 and we only skipped about 6... We also never made it to the game/pumpkin walk/hay maze area that cost extra but they may have had more tables there... We also missed the costume parade... but son3 just wasn't having any fun trick or treating at tables and was ready to go...
So we got home early, son2 had already left for his Sadie Hawkins dance with his friends... don't think any of them danced as it was at our miniature golf, video game family park and there was lots to do besides dance... Son2 did request a flannel shirt for the dance so I picked him up two to go with either black or blue jeans... he chose the black jeans with the red and black flannel shirt... I never did get a picture of him as it was almost midnight by time he got home... So son3 spent the evening playing computer game and hubby and I watched Sleepy Hollow with Johnny Depp...
Sunday found me grumpy as I had too many high hopes for the day and the boys weren't cooperating... Son1 and hubby were off to work, son3 was playing computer games and son2 was grounded from the computer cause he hadn't finished his room still from getting the entertainment center... plus he had homework... finally at 4pm he started his homework, at 6pm he stopped for dinner, printed out what he had done at 8pm and said he would finish the rest later and turn it in late... argh... at 9pm he cleared his bed so he could finally sleep in it... at 9:30 pm I was finally able to put in The Shining that I had been wanting to watch all day with son2 and we watched the first hour....
I did get the boy's shower curtain washed, the rugs washed, the Halloween card envelopes addressed, still waiting for hubby to print out the cards at work, I typed in the poem so hubby would have it to print out, put away all the laundry and was on the laptop and ate all day....
And here we are to Monday... Got hubby off to work, son2 and son3 off to school... son1 is off today and still asleep... hubby should be home within the hour... I've paid the bills... made a list for the day... and finally done an entry...
I need to get to The Motivation Station too... I've been lagging over there as well as over here... We are still in need of a permanent/temporary/guest host for Fridays....
Ok I'm off to empty the garage freezer so we can defrost it today...
Happy Journaling...

Trick or Treat at the Zoo Boo

Happy Journaling...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Color Carnival

To Play Visit Martha...


Indian Corn...


Dining room table setting...

Happy Journaling...

Pumpkin Patch

Make a Smilebox slideshow Happy Journaling...

Furniture Moving and School Carnivals

Sorry I wandered off again to The Motivation Station and neglected Finding Footprints in the Sand... Actually we are looking for another host to co-host on Friday or Saturday... No experience needed, just the desire to be motivated to get it all done fifteen minutes at a time...


This past week has been crazy with the boys... Son1 is always on the go with work, helping his friends with their cars, working on his car, girlfriend and sleeping... I am still waiting for him to attend to his dogs and get car insurance... his priorities are of course different than mine so we have been butting heads this week... and his priorities change by the minute...

Son2 got his progress report and that wasn't pretty.... Geometry D+; PE A; Spanish 1 C; Psych/Sociology B-; Computers 2 A; Mod Wld Hist F; English 2 C+; Biology F+.... His problem is turning in the homework when it is due... some of the teachers allow work to be turned in late but lose points so he thinks no big deal I will turn it in late but then sometimes that turns in to not at all.... or he skips things that are easy points... he is just a big procrastinator...

Son3 is just already too excited about all the holidays coming so has gone on vacation early... he gets the school work done but doesn't want to study extra for tests... and keeps forgetting to bring books and/or homework home... plus I think he is still maturing for school... after all the trouble in 1st and 2nd and not getting the structure he needs and the academic basis he needs... he is now in 3rd grade and his teacher is treating them like 3rd graders expecting them to relay things home to the parents and keep up with their responsibilities of schoolwork and homework... so he'll either be great by the end of 3rd grade or this will be the year he is held back... he still seems behind to me in spelling and reading and day to day awareness in school...



Meanwhile son1 and I have been moving around the front room to accommodate his things... When he moved out he gave his entertainment center to son2.... Well he took it back so he could get his TV off the floor... So we moved hubby's book cases to the side and moved my little antique desk to the family room... Notice the hutch on the right that I had emptied, son1 filled it up with his clothes to use as a dresser.... Now he just has to figure out his bed, the couch pulls out to a bed and he has his futon... so he is trying to figure out how to fix a bed that doesn't take up the whole floor all the time... We will also have to put the Christmas tree in the family room this year as it always went in the front window but that is now where son1's bed is....


Before son1 took back his entertainment center he found one for son2 at the Goodwill for $25... It's a bit smaller, missing the door handles and has a few nicks but a great deal.... Meanwhile son2 has been sleeping on his floor as he still hasn't put all his stuff away that he took off the old entertainment and it's all over his bed...


Last night we went to son3's school carnival... It was three weeks later this year landing at the same time as the Big Fresno Fair... so there was not as many people there as last year and then we had a low turn out... Son2 came too as his friend's band was performing... We then never saw him again til we got home and texted him, where are you and come home now... he had walked his friend home and was already on his way home... He had tickets for drinks and cotton candy....


Son3 spent all his tickets on bounce houses and carnival games... Tee Ball, football toss, basketball toss, golf, tic tac toe bean bag toss, and others...


Bounce house, son3 is on the right...


Bounce slide... they also had a bigger slide but son3 rammed his finger at the bottom and had enough of that ride... caused a big pile up while he sat at the bottom crying.... but he was fine again by time we got to the carnival games... His favorite part was winning all the candy and toy prizes....

Now today we are off to the pumpkin patch... It's also a Christmas tree farm and has a steam engine.... and a suspension bridge and nature trail.... I'll take lots of pictures and be back later...

Happy Journaling...

Color Carnival

To Play Visit Martha...




The Bounce Slide at the school Carnival last night with son3...



Happy Journaling...

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...