Cozy?

I have been loving these past few Saturdays! I've been at home with no major plans! A couple weekends ago I spent some time trying to make our family room look a little cozier. Usually any room in our house is crowded with clutter, and we're working to fix that! So, having kept the room clean for a week, I decided it was worth the time to add...something...to make the room more enjoyable.

Here are the before's...

This was the very beginning, right after we bought the house. Notice the dingy walls, sickening carpet, and mantel-less fireplace.

Now these are the before pictures from the other day...The place was at least cleaner than when we bought it! It just felt a little empty.

Blah.

Boring.

See? Clutter.

And After's...

A black kitty-cat will make any room more enjoyable!




Sometimes putting something on the walls makes such a huge difference!
(Not to mention odor blocking primer/paint, new carpet, and a one of a kind mantel;)

Sneak Peek

Kindergarten has been a bit hectic in the last week and a half because no one has a permanent class. We had to assess all students before we could assign them to their "real" classes, so students and teachers have been rotating around so that we can all get to know each other!

We're thrilled because today we shared the placements with parents which means I have a REAL CLASS! I can write name tags and label homework folders and cubbies...

If you'd like to see a few of the faces I'll be working with every day, click here.

My Weekend in a Nutshell

This weekend I created three class sets of laminated name tags. I painstakingly laminated, trimmed, poked, pulled and tied for hours on end. And now I realize there might have been a simpler way to do it...but things like that don't occur to me at convenient times.

I read an entire novel. The Owl and Moon Cafe by Jo-Ann Mapson. Its another book for food lovers since the main characters are four generations of women living together above their little cafe!

This weekend I did approximately 147.8 loads of laundry (not pictured).

I donated an entire car-full of stuff to Goodwill.

I spent time getting rid of clutter and trying to make my living room cozy.

I made a menu for the week and bought the required groceries.

And last, but not least, I blogged. :)

Kindergarten

Today was my first day of kindergarten.

Well, technically school started on Wednesday. But that was a day of short orientation meetings and tours with the new kinders and their parents.

So today was the first day that very small children arrived with very large backpacks. And I learned a few things.

Among them...

*Kindergartners don't know their own name. Seriously. Or they can't pronounce it because of their lisp.

*Kindergartners don't know whether they ride the bus, walk home, or get picked up. They will tell you what they WANT to do, but that's likely the opposite of what they actually need to do.

*And in case you don't already know, Fish Crackers are magical. They can turn a room of 30 restless, noisy 5 year olds into the most studious class in the school. After all, the students that are quietly coloring get their snack first...

*Kindergartners are adorable. And I'm already so proud of them. It takes a lot just to get up in the morning and start your first year of school.

I can't wait to try again tomorrow.

If you've been looking for the cutest flats ever...

...Then I'm sorry to report that I have them. Found 'em at a thrift store for $11. Brand new.

But look how those dumb too-long jeans totally detract from the fashionable shoe. Pity.

After consulting this website, I'm happy to report that my fashion sense is back. Check out my newly hemmed jeans!

Ahhh. That's better.

Preparation

I've been spending countless hours in my classroom these last few weeks, trying to make sure everything is unpacked and just so...since I'll be meeting my kindergartners on Wednesday! However, when I've been home, I've been trying to come up with a plan to eat better and save money. Top of the list: plan and cook dinner at home!

The latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens featured some easy recipes that I'm excited to add to my repertoire! I tried this recipe for Lemon Ginger Chicken Thighs the other night. I loved it because it was fast and easy...and I got to use my zester! It turned out to be quite tasty, and I liked it even better as a cold lunch the next day!

Here are a couple links to recipes that I'm planning to try this fall:

Creamy Potato and Asparagus Soup

Mexican Winter Chili (with pumpkin!)

Next time I need a fancy dessert, I'm definitely going to make this Golden Layer Cake with Chocolate Icing. It sounds like a red carpet version of my favorite yellow cake with chocolate frosting!

And sometime when el maestro is gone, I'm going to make this Coconut Shrimp with Mango Sauce! Yum!

Its not often that I find more than one recipe that I'll actually cook and eat in a single magazine. So now I'm in love with BHG. It's currently my favorite magazine.

What are your favorite meals that fit the budget for fall?