Keeping a List and Checking It Twice – Part 2: Housekeeping and decorating

Keeping a List and Checking It Twice – Part 2: Housekeeping and decorating

In my last guest entry on the blog, I filled you all in on the fact that I will soon be hosting what I have dubbed the Pearson Family Christmas Spectacular and we talked through some of the meal prep I’ve been doing.  Today, I’ll fill you in on my efforts to prepare the house.

Now, my home isn’t big and it’s kind of old.  But, it’s charming and well suited for our family of two plus a dog.  As much as I love our home and love to invite people to visit, I am actually a little concerned about how I am going to comfortably host the Pearson Family Christmas Spectacular.  Here are my concerns:

1. Cleanliness.  As in, it won’t be clean when they arrive, won’t be kept clean when they are here, and it will be even less clean when they depart.
2. Christmas decorations.  I’m worried the house won’t look festive enough.
3. Accommodations.  Do we have a bed for everyone?  No, we don’t.

Just writing these down are making me stress a little bit.  Good thing that I thought about this a few months ago and came up with my task list.  Annnd, already completed some of them.  Woo-hooo!  Here’s what I’ve done, so far:

Hired a cleaning lady.  I actually had/have some weird guilt associated with this decision; but, I think it will disappear when I realize that the house will be clean before, during, and after the Pearson Family Christmas Spectacular.  To find this cleaning service, I contacted a good friend whose family lives in my area and asked who her mother uses.  Minutes later, I had the phone number of a trusted cleaning lady referred by someone I know.  I hired the lady to do a deep clean before the Pearsons arrive and then after they leave.  I think I can handle whatever happens while they are here.  Having a professional take over this job is definitely the right choice.  The guilt is already dissipating…

Started decorating.  My husband and I are usually pretty late to the Christmas decorating game; but not this year.  The garland went up on the mantle before Thanksgiving, the light went up promptly this past Sunday, and the wreaths are already on the door.  We’ll still cut down our tree together next weekend – some traditions are worth keeping no matter what.

Bought beds at fall sales.  Okay, we still don’t have a bed for everyone but all adults will have a bed and not an air mattress.  I am proud of us, however, because we planned ahead and bought beds and mattresses this fall at the Labor Day and Columbus Day sales.  The guest rooms aren’t perfect and the furniture doesn’t quite match; but, at least our guests will be able to lie down.   

There’s still so much to do.  Flowers, table cloths, stockings, air mattress for the kiddos…Thank God that I have my plan to get it all done.

Keeping a List and Checking It Twice (Part 1)

I am excited to share the first of a four part series revolving around Christmas prep! 

I would like to introduce our guest blogger who will share her tricks and tips for the upcoming holiday.   Meet Elizabeth who is currently planning to host a number of out of town guests over Christmas and New Years.   Elizabeth works full time, takes care of her sweet new puppy Lucy, and hosts numerous dinner parties.  Let's call her a younger Martha Stewart.  

Keeping a List and Checking It Twice

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why – the in-laws are coming to town!

It’s true, friends.  I have a mere 19 days until my husband’s family arrives at our home in Arlington, VA for 11 days.  Now, I am a lucky girl because I genuinely adore my husband’s family; but, the thought of hosting, feeding, and entertaining nine adults and two children under five is daunting.  My technique to ensure a low-stress and high-fun holiday this year?  Planning.  Serious serious planning. 

Now, I love to-do lists a lot, but I knew a list wasn’t going to cut it this year.   I needed to be able to organize my thoughts by category and then sort/list the to-do items within each category.  I also wanted to tie those tasks to a calendar to ensure I didn’t procrastinate and end up having to feed my family Chinese food for Christmas dinner a la A Christmas Story.  Fa-Ra-Ra, anyone?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTq20prt0K8

So my plan of attack looks something like this.  I have four categories:

•  Meals/food
• Housekeeping and decorating
• Entertainment
•  Gifts

Within each category lives a serious to-do list with each task given a date (or range of dates) to complete.  I did an epic data-dump/brainstorming session to try and get every possible little item down on paper (actually, it’s a Google Drive document).  Getting out of my head and into my planning document was liberating because the stress of trying to remember what I need to do gets overwhelming.  As I think of more things, I just plop them into the document.  Easy.

Over the next week or so, I’ll talk about each category and share what I’m working on and give some tips that have helped me.  Hopefully, they’ll help you, too.

Let's start with meal and food prep. 

There are three things that anyone hosting the Pearsons should know:

1. They travel in large groups.
2. They have crazy awesome metabolisms.  So, basically, they eat twice their weight at every meal and are still as thin as supermodels
3. Their energy is boundless.

Let’s call this trifecta the ”Pearson Effect.”  I have witnessed the Pearson Effect many times, but one particular instance will be burned in my memory forever, mostly because it involved watching an outsider experiencing it for the first time.  Picture it.  Quaint Italian villa in Umbria.  The entire Pearson clan is invited to spend two weeks as the guest of family friends, who are also staying at the villa.  The family friends, anticipating our arrival, purchase groceries for the first week.  Pearsons arrive.  Pearsons eat the entire supply of groceries within hours.  The family friend can’t understand how she underestimated the volume of food necessary to feed her guests.

I swear this happened.  So, maybe now you can understand the need for me to prepare for their arrival.  

Maybe your family has a similar ability to eat their way through life?  If so, here are some things I’m doing that may help you, too.

Research recipes: Start flagging recipes that look like they’d fit everyone’s palate and dietary restrictions.  I look for those that are freezer friendly or can be easily/quickly assembled, too.

Make a meal chart: It sounds anal retentive, and maybe it is, but it works.  Put down every day, every meal, and account for snacks, too.  This also will help you make your grocery list and keep your budget in check.  I use my trusty Google Drive to make and maintain this chart.

Use coupons or specials: I never really had an interest in coupons until my husband started showing my how much we can save on things like paper towels, dish soap, paper plates, toilet paper, etc.  Watch the newspapers or in-store specials to stock up on these items BEFORE you need them. 

Pre-Cook:  It’s hard to play hostess and chef at the same time.  To avoid that stressful situation, I’m cooking some dishes in advance and freezing them.  The hard work I’m putting in now will pay off when I can spend time enjoying my guests’ company, rather than slaving away for hours in the kitchen.  Check out the lasagna I made and froze last night. 

My last tip is one that I just discovered and it may not be available in your area: online grocery shopping.  Now I love going to the grocery store, especially my beloved Whole Foods (cue angels singing), BUT this service is saving me hours of my life.  It also is keeping me on target with regard to buying the things I actually need.  I research/choose my recipes, create my shopping list online to buy the ingredients, and then schedule pick up.  The nice people at Harris Teeter do the shopping, bag the groceries, and run my card.  All I have to do is pick them up and pay them a mere $5.  Ah-maze-ing.   Really, check it out.   Well, unless you live in North Arlington, VA -- I’m pretty sure I bought out the store this week in preparation for the impending Pearson Effect.

Cyber Monday deals!

Wow! My inbox is completely clogged with so many Cyber Monday deals I can barely keep up.  I want to take advantage of these deals but I must control myself!  I am making a point to buy less and spend more time with family and friends this holiday season.  Below are three of my favorite deals from today.

Deal #1:

The Green Elephant Co. 
Cyber Monday Deal: $10 off $40 or more.  Use Code: cyber2013

Adorable children's clothes!  Check out the Etsy website for many more great items.

Deal #2

I found the chevron home prints below on Jane.com for $6.99.  Yes I love Jane.com and you can read more about it in an earlier post.  They are perfect to brighten up any room with many different colors to customize.

Deal #3
Cyber Monday Code: "mittens"

I am a shoe in for fun jewelry.  A really cute red teardrop necklace with cloth tie for $9.99.  Normally this necklace sells for $29.99.

What other good deals have you found today? Cheers to Cyber Monday and 23 days until Christmas!

Post Thanksgiving Food Hangover (Israeli Couscous)

After a wonderful long Thanksgiving weekend filled with lots of family, love, and FOOD (more to come) I wanted to make something light for dinner tonight.  I borrowed Barefoot Contessa's  Foolproof cookbook (I pretty much love all of her recipes and watch her show religiously) and decided to try her Israeli Couscous as a side dish.  This recipe was quick, easy, and sooo good! I did something Ina always says not to do.  I did not follow her recipe word for word and made a couple substitutions.

Ingredients
2 cups Israeli couscous (10 to 12 ounces)
2 (7-ounce) cans or jars Italian tuna, drained and flaked  (If you know me well enough I don't do tuna :)
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup pitted, oil-cured black olives, coarsely chopped (3 ounces)
1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, medium-diced (4 ounces) (I forgot to pick up at the store so I used a fresh green pepper)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped scallions (6-8 scallions)
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
Juice of 1/2 lemon


Directions
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the couscous and reduce the heat to very low. Cover the pot and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the couscous is just tender. (I pull the pot halfway off the heat.) Drain in a colander.

Meanwhile, combine the tuna, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, capers, olives, red peppers, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper in a large bowl. Pour the hot couscous into the mixture and stir well. Cover and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir in the scallions, basil, juice of the 1/2 lemon, and 1 more teaspoon of salt. Taste for seasonings and serve warm or at room temperature.

I served the Israeli Couscous with baked chicken topped with crab dip.  Make sure you top the couscous with extra basil and green onions.  This side dish was made for less than $7 and leftovers for the next couple of days.

Looking forward to sharing some more recipes from the past few days this upcoming week.  How do you recover from post- Turkey weekend?

Thanksgiving is almost here!

Where does the time go?  The past fall seemed to fly by! Each weekend was filled with a major activity (weddings, vacation to Key West, etc!) There was very little down time. Hence, the pause from blogging.  I was asked to work on a Thanksgiving tablescape for the blog Happily Island After.  Happily Island After had a total of five different styles for Thanksgiving tablescapes found here.  Voting ends midnight tomorrow.

My goal is to get back into blogging.  The holidays are coming and I can't wait to share all the upcoming events.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Healthy fall side dish

I have been busying making lots of fall foods the past couple weeks but not blogging about any of the them! (Don't worry I will catch up with more posts)  Starting the month of October I have been on a quest to eat healthier by focusing on vegetables.   I was inspired by watching Barefoot Contessa on the food network roast vegetables.  I went to the grocery store and picked up tons of in season vegetables.  It's so EASY! Literally, you cut the vegetables, drizzle with olive oil, add seasoning (garlic powder or fresh garlic, onion powder, pepper), and bake for 40 minutes on 425 degrees.  In most recipes they recommend adding salt, however, I am trying to reduce salt intake.  I did not add any additional salt and it was still delicious!

Specifically, I decided to roast brussel sprouts, red onion, and sweet potatoes.  Why this combination?  It just sounded good to me.  I made sure to cut all vegetables similar in size to ensure they roasted evenly.  The prep took me about five minutes! Total cost of dish....$3.23.

The final product.... This is a healthy quick alternative to other side dishes during the weeknights when you are short on time.  A perfect way to take advantage of fall vegetables as well.

What are some of your favorite healthy fall dishes?  I hope everyone enjoys their long (hopefully) Columbus Day weekend.

Etsy Finds...

One of my favorite baby shower gifts I received was a handmade Ravens hat.  Benjamin was able to finally wear it this morning.  You can find this adorable Ravens Poe hat on Etsy.  The Etsy store also has a variety of other children's hats (owls, bunnies, bears, dinosaur, etc) perfect for fall and winter weather.  The store is running a one time special today with everything 15% off using the coupon code GORAVENS.  I encourage you to take a look!  It's never to early to start holiday shopping.

   

Farmer's Market Bridal Shower

Today we celebrated a sweet bride to be who I have known for over 14 years.  I am honored to be a bridesmaid in her upcoming wedding.  The bridal shower was a Farmer's Market theme and so much fun!  All of the bridesmaids pitched in and it turned out beautiful.  My area of focus was the mimosa bar.  The mimosa bar was a big hit for all the guests!  The chalkboard was handmade (with help from my husband) using a table saw and chalkboard paint.

I used Avery round printing labels and chose from a variety of templates and fonts for the juices.

The desserts consisted of cherry pie, pumpkin pie, cupcakes, and apple pie.

The cupcakes were spice flavored with a creme filling. Yum! Also egg cartons were used to keep with the theme.

Everyone socializing!

 The "I Do" caprese skewers were popular! Fresh mozzarella, basil, cherry tomatoes, and balsamic glaze.

Party favors! Mason jars with chevron pink and grey straws.

 Loved the sign I bought off Etsy for the Future Mrs. Somers!

Tables were decorated with red table cloths, mums, and pumpkin gourds!  We used "natural" looking chairs to stick with the Farmer's Market theme.

The bridesmaids with the beautiful bride to be in the purple dress.

Farmer's market/fall entrance.

Homemade wreath in honor of the bride to be!

The bride to be was showered with so many wonderful gifts!  Looking forward to the wedding in November.

What are some of your favorite bridal shower themes?

Happy fall!

In honor of the first day of fall I had to work on my first craft of the season.  I decided to start with a fall wreath to dress up the front door.  I picked up all my supplies from Hobby Lobby and took full advantage of their 40% off coupon when you download their app.  Many of the supplies needed happened to be on sale as well! Win win.  Total cost of the wreath $20.92 with plenty of supplies left over for future craft projects (floral wire, burlap chevron ribbon, spray paint).  Below is a quick explanation of what you need to make this wreath.

Wreath $4.99
Three fake flowers of your choice $0.99 each
Floral Wire $2.99
Burlap Chevron Ribbon $4.99
Glue Gun
Gluesticks
Wooden Letter $2.99
Gold Spray Paint $1.99


First, spray paint your wooden letter the color of your choice.  I chose gold to keep with the fall theme.  I used two coats of spray paint which worked out perfectly.  Next, use your glue gun to glue floral wire on the back of monogrammed letter.

Put the wreath on top of the wooden letter and use the floral wire to attach to the bottom.  Make sure you tie the floral wire VERY tight.  I had trouble with this part.  I was getting frustrated because my letter was not sturdy on the wreath.  My advice if you think you have it tight pull a little more! After you have your letter set, use the glue gun to place your flowers.  The final step is your bow on top.  I found a really good short tutorial on making bows.  It's only a minute long and worth the refresher (How to make a Bow).  

Happy Fall!


  What is your favorite fall craft? 

Homemade Grilled Chicken Nachos

It's been awhile since my last post.  I think working full time, fighting a cold, traveling, and taking care of Ben full-time while my husband was at a conference made blogging low on the list.  Now the football season is in full gear I have been wanting to experiment with some Pinterest game day appetizers.  After traveling to Virginia Tech last weekend I found the best chicken nachos ever.  I wanted to try and re-create at home.  Although not the healthiest, everything in moderation.  I found this recipe on Pinterest to use as my base.  However, I had different ingredients on hand to play with and I came up with the following:

Ingredients

• 4-5 cups corn tortilla chips 
• 2 cups Cheddar Cheese 
• 1/2 can of drained diced tomatoes 
• 1 can of fat free refried beans 
• 1 can of organic black beans drained and rinsed 
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions 
• 1/2 cup of red onion 
• 1 grilled chicken breast cubed

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Spread tortilla chips into the prepared baking dish. Top with cheese, diced tomatoes, refried beans (make sure they are hot), black beans (also, make sure they are hot), green onions, and grilled chicken.  Top with a little cheese on top.
• Place into oven for 12 minutes until cheese has melted and tortilla chips are crispy.
• Serve immediately with sour cream or salsa if desired.

Nacho Prep

In the Oven

Ready to Eat!

What are your favorite game day appetizers?

Saving time and money!

Each Sunday I usually sit down and plan out the dinner menu for the upcoming week.  This keeps me organized, on track when grocery shopping, and I typically spend less money.  In the past I have mindlessly thrown grocery items into my cart as I walk down the aisle.  Now I am focused and get in and out of the grocery store quickly.  I usually scan my Pinterest pins from the week before or get ideas from other blogs I follow.  I have been know to be set in my ways by making the same meals over and over.  My goal is to try a variety of new meals!  My dinner menu for the upcoming week:

Sunday: Trader Joe's Grilled Burgers with Chickpea Avocado and Feta Salad from Two Peas and their Pod and steamed green beans.  I actually made the chickpea avocado and feta salad last week and it was so good I have to make it again! 

Ingredients

Finished Product

Monday: Crockpot Chicken Rice and Beans from A Fun Foodie
Tuesday: Leftover Italian Baked Ziti my mother generously made for us.  Nice to have a night off from cooking!
Wednesday:  Baked Chicken Stuffed with Pesto and Cheese accompanied with a side salad
Thursday: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

I love my new free meal planner printable I found online from TheViewFromFiveTen!

You can also find really cute ones on Etsy (my personal favorite: Chalkboard Meal Planner).  Maybe this will be the finishing touch to our kitchen once the renovations are complete!

What's on your menu for the upcoming week?

Chicken Taco Chili

Thank goodness it's Friday! Cheers to the weekend. What a long but productive week.  It feels good to be back in the working world.  Now that I am working I have to come up with quick and easy meals.  Since baby Benjamin goes to sleep by 6:30 going out to eat is pretty much not an option.  I also do not want to be eating takeout every night.   

Tonight's dinner was Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili.  It was so good and made three extra dishes for lunches.  I estimate the cost of this meal plus leftovers was less than $10.  I put all the ingredients on before I left for work in the morning and came home to a complete meal.  I made a few modifications to the recipe.  I only used two chicken breasts instead of the three to four in recipe.  I also topped with a little cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream, and cilantro.  It tasted perfect!

Before I left for work in the morning

Bon Appetit!

What are some of your favorite quick and easy recipes during the work week?  Please share!

A Very Jane Post!

I have been bad about blogging this week.  I blame it on my first week back at work.  As soon as I get home I am pretty much exhausted!

Maybe I have been under a rock, however, I recently discovered the most amazing website Very Jane from my dear friend Special Treats.  This website is similar to Groupon/Living Social but for "Etsy-ish" items.  I am truly obsessed! It takes willpower not to start buying when I get my daily e-mail each morning with new deals.  The trick to the website is to ensure you buy early because items quickly sell out.  The majority of the deals come from Etsy vendors.  I recommend taking a look! Here are some of my favorite deals from today.

Currently loving the variety of Designer Toss Pillows!  A great addition to bring color or change up any room.

How cute is this Halloween Burlap Banner? Unfortunately it is sold out!

Super cute Mini Chalkboard Stands for any upcoming occasion.  These would be great for bridal showers or any upcoming holiday party (crazy to think the holidays are fast approaching!)

I hope you enjoy Very Jane as much as I do!  Can't wait for my Very Jane package to arrive this week.

A Fabulous Four Months... Summer Recap

It has been an amazing past four months off on maternity leave.  As I return to work tomorrow it will be a very hard adjustment!  I wanted to do a quick recap of my time off and the past four months.  Let's start from the beginning.

Benjamin arrived a week early on May 1st, 2013.

May consisted of lots of visitors, no sleep, my first Mother's Day, Kyle's Law School graduation,  a new car, a wedding, outdoor movie with friends, and a Memorial Day party at our house.

June was more visitors, a little more sleep, my birthday, Kyle's swearing in ceremony, a promotion, two baby showers, and Father's Day.

July was our first trip to the beach, more sleep, first baby date, the Book of Mormon at the Kennedy Center, home renovations resumed, Maryland crabs to celebrate birthdays, and a Orioles game at Camden Yards.

August was by far the best month! A road trip to Burlington for a Vermont wedding, lots of sleep, helping friends move, surprising a friend in New Jersey to meet her new baby, visiting my friend Special Treats in Richmond who recently had twins, spending lots of time with my mom who retired, STARTED BLOGGING, and a Labor Day weekend wedding.

The past four months have been incredible and I would not change a thing.  I am sad to head back to work tomorrow but thankful I was able to take off so much time.  A new chapter begins tomorrow...