January 2017 – Pure Sugar

Happy Homemaker Monday, Jan. 30, 2017

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Carol — 3 Comments ↓

The weather:::
Cold but sunny. It’s the end of January, so I don’t expect it to get warm anytime soon (nor should it!). But I am happy to see blue skies and bits of sun today.

On my reading pile:::

Same books as last week! I need to make time to read this week. I’ve been choosing TV over reading — not the best option.

On my TV:::
“Unsolved Mysteries” on Amazon Prime, “Seinfeld” on DVD, and rewatching the last season of “Criminal Minds” that’s on Netflix because I barely remember any of the episodes

On the menu for this week:::
Monday – Golumpkis, salad
Tuesday – Crock Pot pulled pork, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, potato or macaroni salad
Wednesday – Fried chicken, smile fries, green beans
Thursday – Chicken pesto paninis with mozzarella and roasted red peppers
Friday – Meatballs & hot Italian sausage over pasta, salad
Saturday – Chili, salad
Sunday – Leftovers

On my to do list:::
– Make dentist appointments
– Reorganize pantry
– Update my Home Management Binder

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Nothing new at the moment, I’m trying to find a new project. I’ve been keeping up with my memory planner and loving it!

Looking around the house:::
Sleepy kitties, flickering candles… a cozy sort of afternoon.

From the camera:::

Just a couple shots from last week. I loved the late afternoon sun shining through the oak trees. The photo doesn’t do it justice!

My little hyacinth bulb has bloomed into a stunning flower! I keep it on the windowsill to get the best light and it makes the whole kitchen sink area smell divine when I’m washing dishes. I still can’t believe forcing the bulb worked!

Something fun to share:::
I’m coming up blank on this one this week. Sorry!

What I’m wearing today:::
White and grey striped long-sleeve tee, jeans, black and white fuzzy socks.

One of my simple pleasures:::
Taking a moment to look up at the sky every morning at sunrise. Sometimes the pinks, reds, and oranges are just unbelievable.

Linking up with Sandra at Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday!

Unique, Handmade Valentine’s Day Card + A Free Printable!

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Carol — No Comments ↓

I realize than many people dislike Valentine’s Day, but I am not one of them. I’m all about the love, the chocolate, the hearts, the flowers, and especially the cards! I think one of the reasons a lot of people don’t like this holiday is because of the perceived pressure to spend, spend, spend. I totally get that, and I’m here to tell you that really, the best Valentine gift for your sweetie is one from the heart. A simple, handmade Valentine with a heartfelt sentiment will no doubt be appreciated beyond an expensive dinner in a restaurant or pricey jewelry. Read on to find out how I made this unique bouquet card for Valentine’s Day

When ProFlowers invited me to participate in their DIY challenge to create a beautiful handmade card, I was definitely up for it! I wanted to put a little bit of a twist on my card, and I have to say — I’m quite pleased with my project!

The selection of Valentine’s Day flowers at ProFlowers is full of beautiful choices. It was not easy picking something to work with — my head was spinning with dozens of ideas! But I ultimately hose a bouquet of 18 long-stemmed red roses because I wanted something classic. Because I absolutely love roses anytime of year, but especially on Valentine’s Day, I decided to make the flowers part of my card. ProFlowers has some really cute vases to go with their Valentine bouquets, and I absolutely fell in love with the Rustic Heart vase. Not only does it fit right into my home decor, but I immediately knew how I could personalize it.

The first thing I tackled was the vase. It looks like a heart carved into a birch tree, so it seemed obvious to make sure my husband’s and my initials were on there! I cut them them out of silver vinyl using my Silhouette Cameo, but you could easily use stickers or even a paint pen!

Next was to create the card. As I arranged the roses in the vase, Shakespeare popped into my head. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways! There was my inspiration! I made a simple folded card out of cardstock and scrapbooking paper. Then, I lettered the beginning of the sonnet.

The rest of the “card” is hanging off the roses themselves. I cut tags out of black cardstock and ran a silver paint marker around the edges.

Then I wrote out one through eighteen on one side of the tag. I used my favorite oblique holder, a Zebra G nib, and Dr. P.H. Martin’s Bleedproof White ink, my favorite white!

On the other side I wrote down why I love my husband. I tried to include a mix of silly and sappy reasons. I knew that I would enjoy finding each hand-lettered tag and spending time reading over every one of them.

Then I looped baker’s twine through the holes and attached each tag to one of the roses.

If you’d like to recreate this bouquet card but don’t have calligraphy skills, don’t worry! You can write the numbers in cursive and then thicken the downstrokes to create “faux calligraphy.” Or, you could print out these free tags on cardstock, cut them out, and write your own messages on the back!

Download your free tags here!
Numbers one-nine and numbers ten-eighteen.

I hope you’ll give a homemade card or gift a try. If you do, please make sure to share a photo or a description of your project with me! I want to hear all about how you are going to make it a handmade Valentine’s Day this year!

In order to facilitate this post, ProFlowers provided me with a free floral bouquet and vase. I received no further compensation. All opinions are my own.

Happy Homemaker Monday, Jan. 23, 2017

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Carol — 3 Comments ↓

The weather:::
It was a cold and windy day today. The wind is whipping and a cold rain is currently falling. I’m sure it won’t be long until it starts freezing. We are due for a mix of various types of nasty precipitation overnight. We will see what happens.

On my reading pile:::

I am still reading this book I started last week. Honestly, I haven’t gotten too far. It was just the way things played out. Didn’t feel much like reading. I’m going to try to finish it, though because I have this one up next…

Ahhh! I’m so excited to ready this. I’ve heard really good things about it. I just hope it’s as thrilling as people say.

On my TV:::
I’m watching old episodes of “A Cook’s Tour” on Netflix and old episodes of “Unsolved Mysteries” on Amazon Prime. So good!

On the menu for this week:::
Monday – Sticky chicken, rice, steamed broccoli & carrots
Tuesday – Cheeseburgers, tater tots, green salad
Wednesday – Maybe take-out?
Thursday – Turkey meatballs stroganoff over egg noodles, mixed veggies
Friday – Homemade stromboli, green salad
Saturday – Chicken fajitas, chips & salsa
Sunday – Golumpki lasagna, green salad

On my to do list:::
Everything. Seriously, laundry up the wazoo, vacuuming, dishes… I’m way off schedule and don’t see myself getting it back together until next week. Just too much going on.

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Well, I still haven’t started that shawl. I have yarn picked out to make an oval runner for our coffee table. Maybe I’ll start that tonight since after-school activities were cancelled and I’m free from driving around!

Looking around the house:::
Clean laundry to be put away, blankets on the living room floor, lunchboxes that need to be emptied and cleaned. It’s just how the afternoon is when you’re a working mom. Things get done when they get done and that’s OK.

From the camera:::
Did you know it’s National Handwriting Day today? Here’s a photo of one of my favorite pangrams written out in cursive.

A photo posted by Carol Bancroft (@planwithcarol) on Jan 23, 2017 at 11:40am PST

And here’s a couple pics of my Engrosser’s Script. Ugh, I miss having the time to practice, but it could be worse, LOL!

A photo posted by Carol Bancroft (@planwithcarol) on Jan 23, 2017 at 1:46pm PST

A photo posted by Carol Bancroft (@carolwrites) on Jan 23, 2017 at 1:44pm PST

Something fun to share:::
If you use Chrome for your browser, you will want to install Library Extension. When you’re shopping for books on Amazon, Library Extension will find those same books at your local library! How does it work? Easy: you pick your favorite libraries and add them to a list. Then, when you’re book shopping the extension adds a box that will let you know if those books are available at your library. Then you can head over and pick them up! I love supporting libraries and being frugal!

What I’m wearing today:::
Jeans, burgundy boat-neck top, charcoal sweater.

One of my simple pleasures:::
Enjoying a soothing cup of tea in the evening after the kids are upstairs for the night. It’s part of my relaxation ritual.

Linking up with Sandra at Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday!

Sunday Snapshots, Jan. 22, 2017

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Carol — No Comments ↓

SUNDAY SNAPSHOTS

Here we are again. The weekend is winding down. I, for one, am glad to see it go after all the sickness in this house! So far I am still feeling good. Fingers crossed I’m lucky enough to avoid it.

It’s been a week since I got my hyacinth and I have to say — it really is growing! I can’t believe I haven’t killed it yet!

I went out after I made lunch for everyone. I had to pick up a few groceries and I skipped into Michaels. You know, just to “look.” LOL! Somehow this new washi organizer and box of beautiful washi tape just jumped into my cart! I’ve actually been looking for this washi box. Only $10 for 45 rolls! Sure, the rolls don’t have a huge amount of tape on them, but I so rarely use up an entire roll that I think I prefer it this way. I also needed a better method for storing all of my washi tape and I think this container is going to be perfect.

I grabbed a coffee at McDonald’s on the way home. I wanted to use my free reward at Starbucks, but I swear everyone was out today. The parking lot was packed and the drive-thru line was too long so… a regular $1 coffee it was! I got home, put away the groceries, and brought in some wood. Although it was 56 degrees this afternoon, it’s going to get cold again this week so I wanted to make sure we are stocked up for the wood stove..

Then I did a little meal prep for the week.

Cut-up veggies for easy snacking…

Chicken noodle soup for Laura’s lunches…

And hot cocoa cookies for the cookie jar…

Thankfully, everyone here is definitely on the road to recovery and can head to school tomorrow. Drew is still a little wishy-washy, but hopefully he’ll get a good night’s rest and feel better tomorrow. As for me, I think I’m going to tackle that washi reorganization and have a cup of tea with one or two of those cookies!

Another Round of Sickness… Ugh!

Posted on January 21, 2017 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Can’t I just get a break this week? Apparently not. During the middle of the night, Laura fell ill with whatever Jake had on Thursday, and then a few hours later Noah followed suit. And Drew isn’t feeling well either.

There’s been a lot of laundry, and a lot of Lysol in this house over the past few days. There’s also been a lot of this…

Good thing I stocked up on saltines, ginger ale, and Power Ade. We definitely need it. Ugh. We also seriously need a good deep freeze. I don’t think the mild winter is helping anything.

I made it through my work day, so I’m thankful for that! Also, a nurse friend messaged me this morning and suggested I take Pepto-Bismol twice a day. Apparently it has a protective effect on the stomach. She had a story about work, how this stomach bug had run rampant on one of the floors and everyone got it except for three people — her, another nurse, and a doctor that had taken the Pepto. I actually just bought some, so I’m giving it a try. I cannot afford to get sick, too.

Sorry I did not get my Freebie Friday post up yesterday, but with the week it’s been I hope you understand. I do have a printable ready to go, I just have to finish up the photos. So maybe next week there will be two!

Oh, This Week…

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Carol — No Comments ↓

This week started out OK. Busy, but OK. I had every intention of getting a HHM post up on Monday. That didn’t happen. I was going to post something on Tuesday, but by the time I got everything done and had the time, I literally fell asleep. That brings us to yesterday.

Oh Wednesday. It is not my favorite day of the week, and yesterday was pretty much the worst. We started out with a 2-hour delay for school. I wasn’t expecting it and that totally threw off my entire schedule. I had a lot of things I wanted to do early and they fell by the wayside. Another wrench in the day was that I am usually off on Wednesdays, but I had a meeting at another library about an hour away. Not a huge deal. I was ready to make it work, go to the meeting, and then treat myself to a fancy coffee on the way home and then still have a little time for crafting before the kids got home from school.

Nope. That didn’t happen either. One of the attendees was an hour late.

Ugh!

But I got through it. Got Laura off the bus. Helped her with her homework. Drove her to religion. Came home. Made dinner. Cleaned up. Then it was time to go and pick up Jake from pit orchestra rehearsal. Here’s where the day got really wonderful. *Sense my sarcasm.*

Yesterday was rainy and foggy. Very foggy, as you can see in the photo at the top of this blog post. That was midday and I could barely see. So just imagine a windy, country road with no streetlights. A dark-as-molasses night. And thick fog with limited visibility. Then imagine a deer suddenly appears in the middle of road. Yes, I laid on the horn, I slowed down, I swereved, but the stupid thing still ran right into my car.

Thankfully I am fine, and the damage to my car isn’t awful. It’s totally driveable, which is the most important thing. I can deal with my banged-up fender for a while.

So, we got home and I was not very happy so I couldn’t get to sleep, and around 10 p.m. I heard that sound that every mother hates to hear. Yes, one of the kids was sick. At first we thought maybe dinner wasn’t setting well but over the course of the night it was apparent that this was a stomach bug. So poor Jake is home from school and will have to miss his choral concert tonight. He’s exhausted, but hopefully on the upswing.

There have been so many awful flus, bugs, colds, and illness going around this winter. I can’t stand it! I just hope this doesn’t go through the whole house.

In the meantime, I should probably get back to bleaching and spraying down the house with Lysol!

Sunday Snapshots, January 15, 2017

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Carol — No Comments ↓

I thought I’d start a weekly feature called Sunday Snapshots! For me, Sunday is definitely my fun day. I work half a day on Saturdays, so it’s the only full weekend day I get. As I try to do a better job at documenting our life, I want to take more photos of the everyday stuff. If nothing else, I should be able to manage taking a few shots every Sunday and posting them here.

Not too much excitement, today. I slept in quite late for me — almost until 8 a.m.! Drew made us all sausage and egg biscuits, then I got ready and went out to do some shopping.

I find graffiti interesting. Some of it is very artistic! Other examples (like this one)… eh, not so much. This is on the side of the Joann’s nearest me. It’s been there since well before Christmas and I’m surprised it hasn’t been painted over yet.

After doing most of the shopping, I decided to treat myself to a Starbucks latte for the ride home.

When I was shopping at Aldi, they had quite a few hyacinths left so I decided that one just had to come home with me. Little signs of spring! Can’t wait to watch this grow and bloom.

My dishcloth, just waiting to be picked up and finished.

A couple glasses of Merlot while waiting for dinner to cook. I just picked up some fried chicken for a treat from the Tops deli. It is probably the best fried chicken I’ve had. Even Drew and Jake enjoy it, and this isn’t one of their favorite dishes.

And a new book I picked up at Dollar Tree. Do you ever check out their book section? If not, you definitely should! I have found many great reads there, and obviously they only cost $1. The cover of this one caught my eye. I’m going to start it tonight, and I can’t wait to crawl into bed and just start reading…

And that’s about it for today. I am feeling super tired. Ended up staying up too late, and then I couldn’t wind down so I took a couple of my melatonin gummies. They work great, (and that’s probably why I slept in so late!), but sometimes they leave me feeling wiped out the next day. So before you know it, I’ll be changing into my PJs, calling it a night and getting ready for another week.

Erin Condren Seasonal Surprise Box Review

Posted on January 14, 2017 by Carol — No Comments ↓

Is there anything as exciting as coming home from work and finding out that happy mail has been delivered? I’m not talking about bills, of course. I’m talking about fun packages like this one…

Ah, yes, the classic Erin Condren box! Hard to miss. At the end of December, I got an email about a brand-new Seasonal Surprise Box that they were launching. According to the description, it would be an $80 value. The price was just $35 (including shipping)! So I took a chance. My surprise box finally arrived today! Spoiler alert! This blog post includes photos, so if you haven’t gotten yours, yet, be warned.
Continue reading Erin Condren Seasonal Surprise Box Review→

Free Hourly Stickers for your EC Vertical

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Carol — 1 Comment ↓

Well it’s been quite a while since I offered up a printable, and it’s one of my blogging goals for the year to start creating more, so here is my first set for 2017!

This year I went back to a Vertical Erin Condren Planner after using the Hourly for almost a year. Lately I’ve found myself missing the structure of the hourly, probably because we are entering a very busy season of life and I feel like sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day! I considered purchasing another Hourly planner, but thought better of it because really, that would be wasteful and I’m not sure I want to commit to that format again in the long-term. The solution? Simply making my own 8 a.m.-8 p.m. hourly stickers that fit over two of the daily boxes!

Here’s an example of how I am using them:

I like the idea of having the hourly section, but also having that blank space underneath. In this example, I simply put down some MAMBI “To Do” checklist stickers, but you could use it for notes, meal planning, whatever works for you. Hope you enjoy this freebie!

Download my FREE By-the-Hour Sticker Printable
Sized for the Vertical Erin Condren Planner

As usual, my free planner printables are for personal use only and are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Use an electronic cutting machine like a Silhouette Cameo to cut your stickers, print them out on regular printer paper and then cut and paste into your planner using a tape runner, or else print them on full-sheet labels and just hand-cut the stickers. I always appreciate being tagged (@planwithcarol) in your IG pics if you use any of my free printables in your planner!

Happy Homemaker Monday (Jan. 9, 2017)

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Carol — 5 Comments ↓

The weather:::
It’s freeeeezing today! Actually, not so bad right now. When I got home from running errands in was in the mid-20s, but this morning when the boys were getting on the school bus it was 2°F.

On my reading pile:::
I have How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS in transit and it should be at the library tomorrow.

Last week, I heard Joe Donahue’s NPR interview with David France, and as someone who grew up in the 80s when living with the threat of AIDS was becoming our reality… well, I knew just had to read this book.

On my TV:::
I’ve just been watching random shows on Netflix: Lockdown, Rescue Mediums, Border Patrol… nothing that’s really grabbing me, though. I am thinking of giving Longmire a shot. I heard that was really good.

On the menu for this week:::
Monday – Chicken Tikka Masala, rice, salad
Tuesday-Saturday- OK, go ahead and laugh but Drew and I are doing a 5-Day Nutrisystem. We have done this once or twice before and truthfully, I had really great results! I use it more as a “reset” because it helps me visualize my portions better. I have lots of leftovers and quick meals for the kids — they certainly won’t starve! Maybe I should write about my Nutrisystem experience. When Drew first wanted to try it a couple years ago, I scoffed at him, but went along and was really surprised.
Sunday – Chicken drumsticks, mashed potatoes, veggies

On my to do list:::
Change the sheets on the kids’ beds

Clothing donations — Actually drop the bags off!

Work on the craft portion of an upcoming blog post (so excited to work with ProFlowers!)

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
Lately my knitting needles are calling me louder than my crochet hook. For now I’m just whipping up dishcloths to get my chops back, but later this week I think I just may finally cast on for my 40th Birthday Shawl (nevermind that I turned 41 last fall, LOL)! I purchased this kit at Rhinebeck Sheep & Wool back in 2015. I’d love to be able to wear it to the festival this year!

Looking around the house:::
Not so bad, actually. We did a lot of tidying up yesterday. The kitchen table has a few piles of stuff to put away, as does the island. But overall things are under control for once!

From the camera:::
I put up this quick book display at the library on Saturday. I wish I could take credit for the idea, but I found it on Pinterest. Nevertheless, it cracks me up!

Something fun to share:::
Do you love the book, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats as much as I do? It is one of my favorites! I was so excited to learn that the illustrations will be adapted into a set of Forever stamps this year. I think I may have to buy a bunch to use on my Christmas cards. Love, love, love!

Image source: USPS

What I’m wearing today:::
Jeans, long-sleeve tee, heavy Hershey’s hoodie, purple and black polka dot knee socks. Obviously I went for warmth & comfort over style!

One of my simple pleasures:::
Years ago I was an avid scrapbooker (some of you may even remember). Of course, it became really hard to find the time after I had more than one child, and then of course it was kids plus work and well… there just weren’t enough hours in the day. Over the last few years I’ve really enjoyed creative planning (stickers, washi tape, etc. in my weekly planner). Well, this year I’ve decided to mash up the two. For Christmas, Drew gave me a Big Happy Planner, and I’m using it as a memory planner. Yesterday I sat down at my craft desk for a while and it was so nice to relax and work on my scrapbook. I think this will be a manageable way to capture all those little moments and memories that happen over the year. I’m so excited about it!

Linking up with Sandra at Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday!