Getting Back into Old Habits...

It's been almost 3 weeks since I've posted on this blog. I don't have very much of an excuse, except laziness and a general boring life, which I've chosen to spare you the details of. But, now that school has started and our fall routines are getting established and re-established, I decided it's time to get back to some old habits. Blogging more often is one of them. I hope I don't bore you!

Some other old habits that I want to re-establish:
* Daily housework. Ok, that's a lie. I don't want to re-establish that little nasty habit, but nasty is the key word in that statement. For those of you who don't keep up with this sort of thing, it's only 120 days until Christmas. Not until time to start cleaning/preparing/planning/shopping for it, until THE DAY!! I start to feel a little panic when the countdown hits 100 days...and that's only 20 days away!! So, it's time to get back into a regular cleaning/tidying up routine around here. The problem with that is, it's regular. Not a fan.

*Daily morning walks. Again, not really a fan. But the glorious weather we've been experiencing lately and are supposed to be experiencing again next week leaves me with little excuse to not tie on those tennies and hit the pavement. Ugh.

*Work. I am only working a few hours each week ( and only getting paid for a few hours each week). The agency I work for no longer is contracted with the school where I was working last year, so I'm waiting to get more clients-excuse me, patients-at another school. Hopefully soon. So really, this one is out of my control. I'm doing what I can with what I have to work with right now.

Holiday Grand Plan.
Along the cleaning lines, it's almost time to begin the Holiday Grand Plan . Now, that makes me happy for a variety of reasons. One-it means it's almost fall! Two-it means it's close to the beginning of Cathy's Holiday Season, which, essentially is fall plus Christmas. CHS runs from Labor Day to New Year's Day each year and is jam packed with activities, events and gatherings...also known as "my life"!! And Three-it keeps me on track with getting the house and myself actually ready for the holidays. As I've mentioned before, I'm a great planner. A doer-not so much. This comprehensive eighteen week plan is designed to get your house holiday ready, along with gifts purchased and decorating done.

I've heard some people say they don't particularly like this plan because it's too long or they don't have all the rooms covered. That is precisely why I like it! I have enough time to spread out the big projects. I don't have an entryway or attic to get organized and cleaned, but I have plenty of things to fill those weeks. I can take two weeks to get porches done-because I have two porches. See how that works? Nice, huh? I don't feel a rush to get done, but do have a small sense of urgency to get things accomplished because of the time limits, if that makes sense. I know it does to me, so it probably won't to normal people.

Anywhoo....the plan begins on Sunday, August 30. I have a notebook for it and everything. OK..two notebooks. One big one-a 2" binder-that stays at home and a small Dollar Tree planner that goes with me. Shut up, Michael.

So...look for lots of fun stuff coming up in the next few weeks! The Boo!Bash3, our annual Halloween party, is in the planning stages and will be held Saturday, October 24! I'll be sharing some ideas for it on Haunted Hamlet, beginning in September.

I'll be back as soon as I can to share more exciting stuff with you, if you're still awake after reading this! See why I don't blog more often these days?

Later!
Cathy

Some Things I Learned Today..

1. Oatmeal, when cooked in the microwave, is not only hot, but when you add the Splenda and butter and milk, it's slippery!
2. When said oatmeal is hot and slippery, it's best eaten in the kitchen, not transported to the living room, even if you do want to catch a new decorating show on Fine Living that you've been meaning to see.
3. If said oatmeal does slip out of your hand into the living room floor, it will splatter everywhere.
4. Splattered oatmeal bears an appalling resemblance to something that one of the kids might have thrown up, but try to remember that the smell is not the same..it's just your imagination. And you still have to clean it up, no matter how much you are gagging.
5. Additionally:
a. It's best if the lid to the laptop is securely closed. Then the splattered oatmeal does not get into the keyboard and Lord only knows where else.
b. The floor is going to be slick and wet and sticky.
c. A basket of clean clothes, sitting in the floor waiting to be folded and put away, will have to be washed and dried again before it can be folded and put away.
d. A small dry towel and a wet mop are much better for cleaning up the mess than a large wet towel and a dry broom.
e. You will have to use Pine sol to clean up the slick and sticky.
f. Oatmeal, when allowed to dry just a little, will adhere nicely to upholstered furniture, front doors, air conditioning vents and huge water guns. And flip flops. And feet. And pj bottoms.
5. You will have to change clothes after the mess is cleaned up. See above.
6. When making the second bowl of oatmeal after the disaster, be sure to check the milk before you pour it on the cereal. It could be bad. If you pour it then check it, you have to make a third bowl. And, that will help explain the smell, which might not have been totally imaginary.
7. Oatmeal does not taste as good as I thought it would.

That's what I learned today!!