Friday, May 13, 2022

Week In Review


With the weather warming up I decided it was time
to do a closet purge and reorganization.
It was definitely needed.
I usually have a pretty good handle on what is in my closet
but for some reason last year things got out of control.
No more though, things are now back under control


I went over to my son & daughter-in-law's
and helped them with some spring cleaning.
They have been so sick for so long and
I was glad I was able to give them a helping hand.
My daughter-in-law treated me to Pupusas for the first time
which I quite enjoyed.


Monday I got a surprised letter from a young friend of mine.
We used to work together until she moved away.
We used to just keep in touch at Christmas
but have started writing more frequently.
It makes my heart sing when I get a letter from her.


Tuesday night I pulled out my stitching
which has been on a break since before our vacation.


It probably wasn't the best night to work on it
as I was extremely tired
and ended up having to take out everything I put in.


Wednesday morning I was up early and off the dentist before work.
I was glad to get a clear bill of health on my teeth!
No fillings or crows needed.


Thursday I stopped to visit my parents and they gave me this picture.
It has special meaning and I have always loved it.
We lived in the Northwest Territories and when we left
my parents were gifted this beautiful
Moose Hair Tufted picture.
These are made completely by hand and represent hours of work.
I just have to find the perfect spot to hang it.


Friday my car had to be taken in for a tire repair.
It picked up this nail.
Thankfully the tire was still under warranty
and it just cost us our time of having to take it in.


I hope you had a wonderful week!

~*~

~Finding the amazing in the simple~
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Alana


 

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Guest Room Makeover Part 1 - All the Emotions


Now that we are home from our vacation
and with the exciting news that tickets are booked
and our daughter and son-in-law
will be coming to visit us in July
I can no longer procrastinate on making over the guest room.
It is the first time the whole family will be together since 2019.


The guest room was formerly my daughter's room
and I hadn't done much with it since she moved.
Honestly, I've just been procrastinating.


The first part of it was the biggest job -
cleaning it out and going through everything that my daughter left.


My daughter loves quilts and duvets.


I had quite a few to sort through
and many pictures were sent back and forth.
Some we decided to give away,
some got sent down to her
and we kept a few.


Once we got everything moved into the other room
the fun part began.


I decided to go with a Navajo White for the walls.
It went best with the two quilts I decided to keep for the guest room.


The paint covered the green walls amazingly well.


What I wasn't quite prepared for was the emotions that I felt
as I started to make over this room.


This was my daughter's room since she was quite young
and it has had a few makeovers
but this would be the final one.


It is no longer my daughter's room
but a guest room.
A few tears were shed as I painted
but it felt good to work through the emotions.


This was also going to be the last makeover
as we hope to move in the next few years,
so that was a little sad as well.
I love my little house.


However, once I worked through the emotions
the excitement of making over the room took over.


I was thrilled with the final result on the walls and trim.


Time to move onto part two of the makeover -
the finishing touches!

Have you ever had an emotional room makeover? 

~*~

~Finding the amazing in the simple~
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Alana

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Chicken for Lunches

 

With both hubby & I having high blood pressure
and hubby also dealing with high cholesterol
I have started roasting our chicken for lunches.
I use the chicken in salads
and for sandwiches or wraps
and the flavor is so much better than
what you can buy in the store.


I start by lining my pan with parchment paper.
I then slice two chicken breasts
and brush with canola oil


I then sprinkle lightly with seasoned salt & pepper.
I then pick some of my favorite Mrs Dash seasonings.
One of my favorite combinations is the Table Blend and Garlic & Herb.
I sprinkle these generously over the chicken breasts.


I then bake in a 375F oven for approximately 30 minutes or until just done.
This keeps the chicken from being too dry when you go to use it later.


Once it has cooled I slice it into thin strips.
I then wrap each individual chicken breast in Saran Wrap
and but both in a freezer bag and put in the freezer.
When I am ready to use the chicken in a lunch
it is easy to pull out one chicken breast
which is plenty when divided between the two of us for lunch.
I actually usually have leftovers
and often can get two lunches for both of us
from one chicken breast.


The flavor is great, it is super easy and convenient
and it is also a very healthy option.

~*~

~Finding the amazing in the simple~
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Alana

Monday, May 9, 2022

What's to Eat This Week?

 

Now that we are back home for vacation
it is time to get back into the routine of things
as much as possible.
Hubby has a crazy work schedule
as they are super short staffed at the moment
which can make meals a little more challenging
between his Day and Night shifts.

Monday
Garlic Bread
Cesar Salad


Tuesday
Oven Baked Chicken
Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy
Baked Carrots
Corn

Wednesday
Cheesy Mushroom Fish
Ancient Grain Rice Blend
Garlicky Green Beans
Mashed Turnip

Thursday
Choice of leftovers

Friday
Teriyaki Chicken & Vegetables
Rice
Asian Salad

Saturday
Pizza & Movie Night

Sunday
Ham
Scalloped Potatoes
Broccoli w/cheese Sauce
Corn

What's on your menu this week?

~*~

~Finding the amazing in the simple~
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Alana

Sunday, May 1, 2022

How Do You Spend Your Last Day of Vacation?


Our daughter calls our last day of our visit
“Sad Blob Day” 😂
We started off the day with brunch
at Virginia Kitchen.


We then spent some time
on the deck enjoying the flowers
and the weather.





While I started on packing
and my daughter did some cleaning
the guys had naps.


We decided to stretch our legs a bit
and took a neighbourhood stroll.


I wish my neighbourhood stroll was this pretty.





We decided to order in from Carrabba’s for dinner


and finished the evening with some pretty toes.


We managed to keep busy so we weren’t too sad.
We will save that for tomorrow 
when we have to say good bye.

~*~

~Finding the amazing in the simple~
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Alana

Saturday, April 30, 2022

Flowers for the Garden



After puttering in the garden
and getting it cleaned out
we decided to do some planting.


So we headed off to Lowe’s
to find the perfect flowers
for my daughter’s garden.


We found these beautiful Clematis plants.



My daughter loves the look of the tree stump
and wants the plants to grow up around it.


Hubby and daughter got some
father daughter time as they
transplanted the plants.


We also found this beautiful Begonia.


And a few Hydrangea pots.


Then we planted Sweet Peas to grow up the trellis.


I can’t wait to see them in bloom!

~*~

~Finding the amazing in the simple~
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Alana