A look ahead...or back

Whoa, it's been over a month since my last post. Does that mean I've given up being domestic? No way, not that easily.

I've got quite a few things to share. But first, I'll tell you about my new to do list system.

So, I love all things to do lists. I don't know if it's because I love the satisfaction of being able to cross things off and feel accomplished or if I get overwhelmed with too many things unless I spell it out or if I just really enjoy making to do lists. Either way, I LOVE them.

But there gets to be a point when you spend so much time making to do lists that you don't actually get anything done. Which is rather counterproductive. So I've simplified my life by creating 2 types of lists. The long to do list and the short list. The long list is a bunch of things I want to/need to do. Whether it is an arts and crafts project from pinterest or a blog or hemming pants or planning meals or grocery shopping or cooking or running or laundry or emptying the dishwasher (yep, that made the list...) I just put them all on one long list. I'm not interested in checking things off that list just yet, it is just to help me remember things that I want to do.

But every morning (sometimes the night before, sometimes not until my metro ride to work) I create a daily to do list. 3 things. That's it. Just 3 things I want to complete (usually after work, sometimes at lunch) that day. I start with things that need to get done or that are already in my calendar (Running, dinner with friends, Bible Study) and then add smaller projects (baking cookies for work, one craft project, hemming pants).

So far (This system has been in place for about 4 days) it's worked great. Don't believe me? Here's a list of what I did this week.

Monday

1. Dinner with Taylor (I brought leftover Curried Chicken and Brown Rice)
2. Bible Study
3. Pick Laura up from the Airport

Tuesday

1. Run 2-4 miles (Part of the new training program I just started for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler. I went 3.5)
2. Intern Bible Study
3. Empty dishwasher (I usually don't have to add things like this, but it had been 3 days!)
4. Add songs to iPhone and iPod nano (so I can finally use it on my runs)
5. I  also tried a BUNCH of new hairstyles and found some I really like...

Wednesday

1. Run 3-5 miles - Intervals (I went 4.5 and nearly DIED)
2. Grocery Shopping (which then led to a complete overhall and reorganization of everything in my cupboard when I discovered MULTIPLES of different things, like 3 bottles of BBQ sauce...who needs 3 bottles?!? Not me. And never again with  my new system I'll explain in a later post.)
3. Make Nutella No Bake Cookies (oh my goodness, if you haven't tried these, then you NEED TO)
4. Cut up fruit and veggies for snacks (Strawberries, Pineapple, Celery)

Thursday

1. Run 2-4 miles (3.5 and it was easier than day 1. But I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day)
2. Cook dinner (Pan Girlled Ginger-Honey Pork Tenderloin and Roasted Green Beans with Parmesan - which makes my subscription to Cooking Light SO worth it)
3.  Bake Chai Tea Gingerbread Bars (Ok, so this wasn't on my list, but I ended up doing it anyways)
4. Hem Pants (well, I got one of 2 pairs hemmed)
5. Cut up Jicama (I LOVE IT)
6. Paint nails (this wasn't on my daily list, but I was in such a productive move I decided to do it anyways)

Friday

1. Dinner with Friends
2. Arcadia (my favorite play!)
3. Update Blogs

So, as evidenced by this past week, I have CLEARLY been productive (including sewing, cooking, baking, and planning). And I have felt more energized at work. It might just be better planning meals and snacks, working out, and sleeping. But I also think its not having the stress of thinking about everything I have to do, because there are only 3 things. And that is TOTALLY manageable.

So for now I leave you with a few images of what you have to look forward to in the posts ahead...

Sugar Scrub

I think I have project ADD.

Seriously.

I move from sewing to Mod Podge to scrapbooking to whatever else I find quickly.

Sometimes I finish, but most often, I don't.

Needless to say, I've found something else I want to try....I'm going to try to make my own scented Homemade Sugar Scrub.

What was I thinking?

I'm serious. I even bought ($22) Vanilla scented essential oils from Whole Foods during my lunch break.

If that's not commitment, I don't know what is.

No idea what else I will use the essential oils for but, I have a feeling a lot of my friends will be getting Homemade Sugar Scrub for upcoming birthdays.

The best part? I can use Mod Podge to put a label on a jar to give to people!

So it's not really a new project, well, sorta.

I currently have 4 different things I'm planning on doing with Mod Podge....

I think I'm just waiting for the sample pack I ordered so I can use the fabric kind.

Anyways, that's the plan. I'm bringing the oils home with me so I can try it there, I'll let you know how it goes...

Christmas Presents

Since living with Martha Stewart my senior year of college, I learned of number of great cooking/sewing skills. I have decided to put those skills to good use this year and make most of my Christmas gifts.

So what have I been making? Flat Iron/Curling Iron cases and matching Cosmetic Bags.

Read: Necessities.

I am in love with the final product, especially the one for my lovely roomie.

I'm in love!

So I used the same material you would use for a hot pad to create a Flat Iron/Curling Iron case.

Flat Iron Case open.

I decided to go with a black and white polka dot fabric for L since that is totally her.

 

The Flat Iron case closed. 

Then I created a matching Cosmetic bag.

Matching Cosmetic Bag

For L's I used a black and white gingham as the lining. I usually just use the same fabric though.

I also made one for my little cousins, mom, and sister, but each with a fabric that fit their personality. I love this type of gift because they can be really personal. For L's, I added her initial to personalize it a bit more.

I think they look so great together.

I also bought some Kate Spade earrings so her gift wasn't just a homemade craft that cost under $10...

 

I put the earring box inside the Cosmetic bag when I wrapped it. Here you can see the inside lining too.

 

Here it is all together! I am so happy with how it all turned out. I think she's gonna LOVE it. I hope so at least. 

The Final product.

I used the Kate Spade tissue paper to wrap it in a box and then wrapped the whole thing in my new argyle wrapping paper.

Oh how I love the holidays!

Christmas Cookies

So this year I got really into the Christmas spirit of baking cookies. It helped that I had a friend in town who was all about cookies, or galletas (she's from Chile, in town for K's wedding) 

I discovered a recipe on how to create my own slice and bake holiday swirl. So I gave it the old college try. My phone was on it's last leg, hence the TERRIBLE pictures. BUT, the cookies were so cute I couldn't help myself. Did I mention I also made Christmas Funfetti Cookies and Sugar Cookies with Christmas Cookie cutters? Because I did. 

I started out easy. With the Funfetti Christmas cookies. It's pretty easy. Just add an egg or oil or something to a box of funfetti cake - and you get cookie dough. Its great. And yummy. 

Then I went for the basic sugar cookie. It was ok. But I have yet to find a Sugar cookie recipe that I LOVE.

Now that the not from scratch stuff was over, the REAL baking could begin. Swirl Sugar Cookies

I started by making cookie dough, dividing it in two, and dying one green. (I suppose you could do red too, but I used green.) I rolled both sections out into long rectangles. Placed one on top of the other, and put them in the fridge. Then I rolled it up like a log and poured sprinkles in a dish and rolled the dough in the sprinkles. Back in the fridge for another hour and then voila: 

Ready to slice!

Ends like this are perfect to cut off...and EAT!

You can see how nicely they turn into little circles, covered in sprinkles. 

Love the swirl, its perfection!

The log all sliced up. 

Put them on an ungreased cookie sheet...

Then pop em in the oven. 

You can see them cooking. 

 

And they come out so cute!

.

The sprinkles melted slightly into the cookies for a perfectly festive look. 

And there you have it, ALL my Christmas cookies!

 I can't wait until the next holiday! MLK day? Presidents Day? Valentine's Day?

Winter Wonderland in OTR

Door decorating contest at work again this year. Last year was an EPIC fail. (Pretty much everything fell off the door as I was explaining it to the judges...it was bad).

So this year we were prepared. It turned out AWESOME. I even wrote a poem which I'll post later - Twas the Night Before Registration.

We had George (Washington of course) throwing snowballs at a Hoya Bulldog. There was the White House Christmas tree and the Washington Monument and lots of snowflakes. I hope we win, but if not, it was still a lot of fun.

The Full Effect.

George Hiding behind his fort.

Watch out!

That Hoya is going down!

The poem!

And a Welcome Sled for good measure.

I hope you are enjoying the Holidays just as much as I am.
Merry Christmas!

Roommate Dinner: Spicy Sausage and White Bean Stew

I think I liked this meal. It resulted in dinner for me and L as well as lunch Wednesday and Thursday for me.

I used a Chicken Sausage instead of regular sausage to make it a little healthier. It was still 10 points though.

I love making things in the crock pot, it really does make life so much easier.

I sauteed the olive oil, garlic, onions and sausage on Monday night then threw it in the crock pot along with the chicken stock, white wine, rinsed white means, and dried thyme and put it in the fridge overnight. So when I got up in the morning, all I had to do was put the pot back in the crock (is that what they are even called?) and turned it on low.

When I got home and we were ready to eat, I tossed in some spinach and stirred it just long enough for the leaves to wilt.

While it didn't look that appetizing, it sure tasted good. I might try this one again, but maybe try a different kind of sausage.

Seriously, it tastes MUCH better than it looks.

RECIPE (from learnvest.com):
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup leftover white wine
Two 15-ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups tightly packed spinach leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Mod Podge, my newest obsession

So as you can tell, I've been on a project tear recently.

Maybe it's because I've discovered Mod Podge or maybe it's the holiday season. Whatever it is, I am loving my google reader that is filled with GREAT project ideas. Ideas I would love to try, but hardly ever do.

Until now.

I discovered how you can take an empty lotion/shampoo/body wash bottle and Mod Podge and Fabric to make something GREAT.

+

 =

I  know what you are thinking. What is that thing? Well, it's a Cell Phone holder to use while my phone is charging. A lot of times the cords get all tangled or the phone hangs by it's own cord, which is so bad for it, so now, I have some place to keep my phone while it's charging so I don't have to worry about where it is. I can also take it with my while I'm traveling so I have some place for my phone to charge at hotels.

Honestly, I'm not sure how useful it will be in the end. But I already had the bottle and the fabric and have been wanting to figure out things to do with Mod Podge, so I think this was a great first project.

I love it.

I'll always be from Minnesota

You can take the girl out of Minnesota, but you can't take Minnesota out of the girl.

How true that is for me. (It's one of the reasons I want a tattoo in the shape of Minnesota's outline, sad, but so true.)

So when I discovered an Etsy shop that sold pillows in the shape of states, I feel in love, with the idea that is, not the price. No way I am paying $50 for something I can do myself. So I decided to give it a try. Minnesota has a pretty unique shape (although I feel like people don't recognize it when I show them, unless they are from the great state themselves).

I thought, if this works, it would be a great gift for K. I could make one in the shape of Missouri and one in the shape of South America for T (Chile is just too skinny to make by itself...) as a wedding present.

Anyways, it was a super easy project. I printed out an outline and enlarged it to fit on 2 pieces of 8.5" x 14" paper, cut it out and taped it together. I used some black fabric I already had (I plan on using sweatshirt material for K's).
Once I had 2 pieces cut out, I sewed almost all the way around it and stuffed it before I hand stitched the bottom closed. I need to work on making rounded corners with the sewing machine, but I think it was a success.

I think it's a perfect size! I cannot wait to make more of these. Missouri should be pretty easy (I hope) and South America will be a little tricky but I have 2 weeks to finish it.

From Walker to Runner

So earlier this year I ran the Anthem Great Pumpkin 5k in Reston, VA put on by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance (where I interned back in college). It was the first real race I've ever run (Because those 2ks I ran back in middle school definitely don't count. 1.2 miles and it KILLED me). So the fact that I was paying money to run 3.1 miles is something I never would have pictured myself doing.

Anyways, I ran it in 34 minutes and 10 seconds which is exactly 11 minute miles. And considering I had only been running for a couple of months, I was pretty happy with it.

So when I discovered the Hot Chocolate 5k/15k I was excited. I wanted to run another 5k to see if I could beat my time. Only the 5k was sold out, so I decided to register for the 15k. 9.3 miles. What was I thinking.

Honestly, I just don't really have a lot of time to train, I did a couple long runs (about 7 miles) a couple of weekends in early November, but wasn't sure I would be able to run the entire thing.

Well, as of this weekend, I can now say that I ran an ENTIRE 15k in 1:43:15 which is an 11:05 minute mile.

I can't even believe it myself sometimes. That might my legs were so sore. Walking down stairs was an experience in itself.

But I really enjoyed the race- really. Aside from the shenanigans that took place before and after the race (an hour late start, waiting an hour and a half for a shuttle to my car) the race was great.

There was Chocolate Fondue

And Ghiradehlli Hot Chocolate.

Post Race Sweat and Sweet.

 Overall it was a pretty great day.

And I'm looking forward to my next race. I'm signing up for the Cherry Blossom 10 miler lottery so cross your fingers! Otherwise I might try the National Rock and Roll Half Marathon in March...