Christmas in July 2020 day 4 / Noël en juillet 2020 jour 4

CIJ day 4 / jour 4

D – DECORATIONS

I love my Christmas décor – it always brings good feelings.  Last year for CIJ I put up a picture-a-day of my Christmas ornaments (go ahead and revisit CIJ 2019).

I have started making more and more handmade decorations.

My favourite style is the red/white Scandinavian style.  I also like anything rustic or cabin themed.

Santas are my favourite.  … will come back to my Santas in the ‘S’ section.

Christmas in July 2020 day 3 / Noël en juillet 2020 jour 3

CIJ day 3 / jour 3

C – CANDY CANES

Now, I do NOT like that taste of candy canes (in fact I don’t eat much candy – no merit just find it too sugary).

BUT I do like the idea of Candy canes… it’s a must at Christmas.  I always buy a box of individually wrapped canes to hang on the Christmas tree (at the end of the holidays I bring the leftovers to work so they will be eaten).

In 2019 I made myself a candy cane scarf (the elves brought it!).

I would love to have a candy theme Christmas (Visions of sugarplums!).  I do have a Pinterest page with full of ideas if you want to see https://www.pinterest.ca/LucieElf/christmas-themes-visions-of-sugar https://www.pinterest.ca/LucieElf/christmas-themes-visions-of-sugarplum/

Christmas in July 2020 day 2 / Noël en juillet 2020 jour 2

CIJ day 2 / jour 2

B - BAKING

To me there is lots of baking associated with Christmas.  Of course, nowadays, I bake less as we are now empty-nesters but some traditions continue. 

Isn’t it fun to be in house that smells like pies, cookies, bread? (not that I bake bread 😉)

For the holidays, I usually make fudge (the Carnation classic five-minute fudge recipe)

Ingredients

1 2/3 cups400 ml granulated sugar

2/3 cup150 ml Carnation® Evaporated Milk

2 tbsp30 ml butter

1/2 tsp2 ml salt

2 cups500 ml miniature marshmallows

1 1/2 cups375 ml semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 tsp5 ml vanilla extract

1/2 cup125 ml chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

  1:  Line 8-inch (2 L) square baking pan with waxed paper; set aside

  2:  Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium saucepan; bring to rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, chocolate chips, vanilla and nuts (if desired) until marshmallows and chocolate melt and blend.

  3:  Pour into prepared pan. Chill until set 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) squares. Store in refrigerator in sealed container.

I now make these in November and freeze them – the keep a long time and are delicious!

I also make thumbprint cookies, rice-Krispy squares, date squares and 2 more desserts which change from year to year.

Last year I omitted the thumbprint cookies…. My daughter said it wasn’t Christmas without them, so they are back on the list for this year!

Christmas in July 2020 day 1 / Noël en juillet 2020 jour 1

CIJ day 1 / jour 1

A – ADVENT CALENDAR

When my kids were young I used to buy each of them a chocolate calendar.  Most of the time they didn’t eat the chocolate, but it was a tradition and the elves always brought them the calendar on December 1^st.

Now that the kids are no longer at home I have made myself a fabric calendar (pouches). 

I plan for myself a relaxing – zen calendar.  I put small pieces of paper with things to do inside the pouches.  Sometimes it’s also a chocolate, tea, …

Here’s an example of what I mean

·        Chocolate (a GOOD one) – of course this idea could be used and reused quite a few times. J

·        Fancy teabag

·        Simple bedtime yoga routine

·        Facial mask night

·        15 minutes of relaxation – No tech time

·        Watch a Christmas movie – I think every Friday night will be one of these

·        Write in my happiness journal

·        Read a Christmas magazine

·        Make a cup of hot chocolate and relax in front of the Christmas tree and reflect on Christmas

·        Do a RAK (Random act of kindness)

·        15 minutes of meditation or positive reading

·        Deep-breathing

·        Journal or draw in my Christmas journal

·        Do something nice for my husband

·        Work on my 2017 goals

·        Write a list of places I would like to visit

·        Hand care – massage + cream

·        Read a Christmas story from Chicken Soup for the Christmas Soul

·        Foot massage

·        Go to bed early

·        Burn a candle and listen to music

Christmas in July 2020!!! Coming up tomorrow

Welcome to Lucie's CIJ 2020!

Christmas from A to Z

Got the idea of the CIJ 2020 blogposts through some of my friends on Magical Holiday Home (Pamela and MissJoDee), it was on one of the CIJ 2019 threads on MHH.  I did not have time to answer the thread at the time but decided to work on it for my CIJ 2020 blogposts.  Lots of possibilities with A to Z

Enjoy CIJ 2020, starting tomorrow!

Happy Homemaker 2020-06-29

Good morning

Last week was not a good one:
- MIL went back to hospital with stomach ache... they said intestine occlusion and they had to operate immediately... she refused so she is now in palliative care.  At 1st they said a few days since she can't eat but now they are saying maybe 1 month.  I went to see her with the kids on Friday to say our last goodbyes... but now it seems we will have time to go back.  I went back with dh Sunday afternoon.
- Truck wouldn't start, had to send it to garage to check it out and change battery
- Water tank leaked on Thursday and had to be changed on Friday
- Still have bump in my throat that is hurting with earache
- Had to dress 'normally' to go to hospital... pffff... my pants don't fit anymore (of course with all that being sick since february and confinement have not exercised - used to go to the gym 3 times a week + some days at home).

*Edited to add:  my visa card was frauded this morning!!

Wednesday was our provincial holiday (St-Jean-Baptiste) and our 30th wedding anniversary... .that went down the drain fast when we heard mother in law was going fast.
Friday was my birthday... spent the morning at hospital.  My son, ddil and Xavier did come for supper and stayed the night.

Wednesday this week is Canada day, so no work for me but my husband's job is Friday... so we are not getting the same day off.

Let's join Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom .

The weather (in celsius)

Mon.

21°

15°

Tue.

23°

16°

Wed.

27°

17°

Thu.

31°

15°

Fri.

24°

13°

How I am feeling this morning
A bit tired, have a few things that need to be done this week - no procrastination!


On my mind
Lots going on with mother-in-law.  
2 Appointments this week in town.

On the breakfast plate
2 toasts (bought a raisin, sourdough, honey, nuts bread) with butter and some almond milk.

On my reading pile
The Year of living Danishly de Helen Russell

On my tv
Good witch (season 6)
Le résident (season 1)
Mme Lebrun
Non-coupable (season 1)
Boston Legal - time to watch the whole thing... had gotten the dvds last Christmas

On the menu this week
Lundi - 
Mardi- 
Mercredi - Canada day, so day off for me
Jeudi - 
Friday - DH's Canada day, so day off for him
Haven't quite figure it all out yet but I have pork tenderloin, chicken kebabs, chicken breasts and meatballs in the freezer.

From the camera

My daughter and I with mother-in-law

 Looking around the house
My son's desk sold this week, so that's out and reorganized a little where it was.  Need to declutter the armoire I put in his bedroom and rearrange where the armoire used to be.


On my to-do list  

Over last weekend

• Wash outside sink window
• Weed front and side flower bed
• Vaccum basement
• Vaccum main floor
• Dust kitchenette
• Wash main bathroom
• Some laundry
• Groceries

Monday

• Prep supper
• Post here - DONE
• Menu plan
• Make bed, take shower, breakfast, brush teeth - DONE
• 2:00 bloodwork appointment in town
• A few errands (maybe if I feel like it)
• Order a fan on Costco
• Ironing
• Schedule more bloodwork for August
• Call insurance company
• ... whatever else I have time to do

To relax this week, I will  

Craft
Start getting questions ready for a grandparent journal... mom is slowly forgetting things so it might be time to jot some things down. - not done yt

Quote of the week 

Happy Homemaker 2020-06-22

Good morning

Friday night we babysat Xavier and he spent the night.  My husband's cousin and his girlfriend came to spend a few hours with us on the patio.
We spent the weekend with family.  Went to see my parents and brothers and sister (had not seen them since NY's except for sis), then mil (1st time we were allowed at her elderly facility since Covid-19), had lunch with my daughter on the way back and supper with my son for Father's day.

Let's join Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom .

The weather (in celsius)

Mon.

33°

14°

Tue.

33°

22°

Wed.

28°

16°

Thu.

26°

16°

Fri.

26°

16°

We had a very hot week last week and seems this week will be all the same.

How I am feeling this morning
I'm ready to tackle the day.  Have a mile-long to-do list as we have been away all weekend.

On my mind
Next few weeks will be so busy with appointments and errands!  I prefer the gentle monotony of none-busy days - much less stressful.

On the breakfast plate
2 peanut butter toasts with some almond milk

On my reading pile
The Year of living Danishly de Helen Russell

On my tv
Good witch (season 6)
Le résident (season 1)
Project Blue book (season 1)
Avocats de la rue
Mme Lebrun
Non-coupable (season 1)

On the menu this week
Lundi - 
Mardi- 
Mercredi - Provincial holiday so we are not working.
Jeudi - 
Friday - 
Haven't quite figure it all out yet

From the camera

Pictures of the dads in my life

My husband and the kids

Me and my dad a few years back

My son's 1st Father's day

My youngest brother and his family

My other brother's family

 Looking around the house
Well my son's desk did NOT sell last week, the lady never showed up - wish she would have told me though.  Don't mind if they change their minds but making me stop the publication of the sale and making me wait all day and evening is not very respectful - don't know her but she lives here in our town! pffff not impressed.

Lots and lots to do

On my to-do list  

• Laundry
• Bake muffins
• Wash main bathroom
• Vaccum main floor
• Cut
• Prep supper
• Pay bills
• Post here - DONE
• Menu plan
• Stretching - DONE (a leg from the outside chair I was sitting on broke this weekend and my shoulder and arm are stiff from when I fell with it)
• Make bed, take shower, breakfast, brush teeth - 
• Work for a few hours in teletravail as I have things to submit before some people go on vacation Tuesday afternoon... of course this is work that arrived in my box at 3:45 on Friday afternoon.

To relax this week, I will  

Craft
Start getting questions ready for a grandparent journal... mom is slowly forgetting things so it might be time to jot some things down. - not done yt

Quote of the week