January To-Do List Update

Here's how the January To-Do List turned out.....

* Pay Bills  DONE  Number one priority each month.

* Read 1, 2 Books  DONE
I read this one..........

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs

A fun read and a pretty quick one as well.  I also have the other two books in this trilogy sitting on the ready for me to get to.  I don't know how I feel about viewing the motion picture Tim Burton and Hollywood made based on this tome.  Perhaps after I read the whole trilogy?

And this one.......

"Coolidge-An American Enigma" by Robert Sobel
Most people wouldn't make it their business to read about our previous POTUSes or even read about American history.  It's the past and so dry so why spend your time on it?  
I find history fascinating(why else would I be "into" geneaology?!lol)and unfortunately, enough folks today don't care or think learning from our past is important.

What did I learn from this book?
Calvin Coolidge didn't follow the formula to getting elected that most men do in politics.  "Cool Cal" was his own man who had a strong moral compass who took the office seriously and wanted to serve his fellow Americans.
He was different and again, one of the few POTUS in the last 200 years(and especially the last 100 years) that didn't piss all over the Constitution and use his office to enhance the power of that office and feed his own narcissism/megalomania.


* Hold Giveaways  DONE

* Mail Giveaways  DONE  Everything has been received. 8-)))

* Plan Winter Holiday  FAIL  Well I did some work on it but Hubs hasn't been giving me input plus I need to hear back from my brother before I can actually book anything....but I have worked on this a bit.  Will carry over this item into February and get it DONE!  Have to since we are going in March so we're running out of time. lolz

* Start Getting Tax Stuff Together  DONE  I just need to print out the 1099 from our online bank.  UPDATE-Just did that so this is checked off the list.

* Put Xmas Stuff Away  DONE  All the Holiday decorations got put away well before my Birthday without having to nag.

* Celebrate my Birthday  DONE

An amazing Birthday week!

* Organize Toiletries Stash  DONE
I spent 3 hours up in the Stash gleaning out some stuff to give to friends and family and more stuff to put into Giveaway boxes.  That still leaves me with a LOT of toiletries, et al. for us to use.  Last January the big purge/organize in there took all. day. long.

* Put 2018 Paperwork Away  DONE  Files have been purged and all the 2018 paperwork(except what is needed to file taxes)have been put away.  We are ready for the influx of 2019 paperwork now....ugh.  ;-)


Basically I didn't have much on my list in January to accomplish.
After a busy December/Holiday Season I tend to take it easy on myself in January....plus it's my Birthday month. ;-)

So what did y'all do in January? 
Did ya'll get stuff done that y'all wanted to get done?
Is there anything you avoided doing/getting to last month?


Sluggy

To-Do List.....November Edition

Let's check out how our November To-Do List turned out......


NOVEMBER

* Pay Bills  DONE  Everything paid off this month that was due.  Top of the list, Always!

* Read 1, 2 Books  DONE

First off I read this one..........

Magruder's Cruiosity Cabinet by H.P. Wood

This story revolves around an abandoned English girl involved with a disgruntled menage of circus freaks during a plague outbreak in turn-of-the-20th century Coney Island.
How could this not be enjoyable, right?? lolz

It held my attention from the first page to the end. A GREAT light escapist read!  It had everything--action, very interesting characters, suspense, fantasy, drama, pathos, comedy.

I also read.............

"9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America...and four who tried to save her"  by Brion McClanahan

Keep in mind that this author is a conservative as far as "politics" go.  I think every American should pick this book up and give it a read with an open mind.  He's not just some political hack talking through his hat here.  
He challenges the current though of most Americans on what makes a President "Great".  Using the Constitution as a yardstick many(if not all)of the POTUS that folks look up to as the Great Ones are not. 
 They are men who have expanded the role of the POTUS to something it was NOT meant to be and have grown government to the epic proportions it has amassed today.  It all began to go wrong back during George Washington's second term according to Mr. McClanahan--from the rise of political parties to populism to imperialistic Presidents.
The author has a small section on 4 of the Presidents who tried to get our system back on track, though none of these 4 are more current than the 30th POTUS.

This book will challenge most peoples thoughts on the true role of POTUS and how the 9 talked about have taken us from the Founding Fathers and our Republic to the sad state of affairs this country is currently experiencing.

* List items on eBay  FAIL  I just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on eBay this month.  Too much going on I guess.  I will try to sell a few things on our local FB site in December.

* Get out/Wash Holiday Dishes  DONE  Washed and used and have been put away again.

* Make Turkey Day menu  DONE  The menu turned out to be turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, Lula rolls, cranberry "glop", as well as whole berry sauce, green bean casserole, honey glazed carrots, pumpkin pie w/whipped cream.  Nom Nom Nom

* finish Turkey Day shopping  DONE  Got all the food bought plus some extra cheap items with my Weis Points....a turkey breast, a ham and a huge Stouffer's lasagna(now all residing in the freezer).

* Cook Thanksgiving Meal  DONE  And everyone ate well.

The nephew even brought flowers and wine for dinner! 

* Hold Giveaways  DONE

Giveaway #1

Giveaway #2

* Mail Giveaways  DONE  Both were mailed and received and I thank both Janet and Angie for letting me know their boxes of goodies arrived safely.  8-)))

* Clean the House for Company  DONE  Most of what needed doing got done.  Hubs even scrubbed the kitchen floor for me, on his hands and knees(which is something I can no longer do).

* Put together Food Bank Donation  DONE

* Take Food Bank Donation to FB  DONE   Mid month Hubs helped me take a car load of toiletries, laundry detergent and dog/cat food up to the local food bank at a church in town.

* Buy and Hang Bathroom Blinds  DONE  This is something Hubs got a bee in his bonnet about in November, though we've needed new blinds on the master bath window since we had the room redone 2 years ago.  ;-)  He finally went up to Lowe's and bought blinds and put them up.

* Buy and Hang Kitchen Blinds  DONE  While Hubs was buying blinds I suggested we replace the old blind in the kitchen window too.  We've had the same ratty old bamboo shade on the window since moving here over 18 years ago.  It was beginning to show it's age and get moldy(bleck!)so it had to go!

We got white faux woods blinds and they are much better than what they replaced!

* Arrange Secret Santa Exchange  DONE  While Elder son was home for 2 days we did the drawing of names.  I nagged the 4 of them to get their wish lists to me and send a master list to everyone by email this past Sunday.  Now it's outta my hands!lolz

* Fix Doorbells  DONE  Another long deferred home repair.  Our doorbells haven't worked for 10 years or so.  While Hubs was up at Lowe's he picked up parts to replace both doorbells.
It was a small and quick fix and had I know it was so easy I would have handled that long before now!

* Finish Saving Seeds  DONE sort of......

I got the bulk of the Morning Glory seed pods picked, dried, crumbled so I can blow off the hulls and clean seeds saved.
But with all the rain and then a foot of snow early in mid-November a still have a big clump of vines/pods on the deck table to pick through but with the weather that isn't going to happen until early Spring.
I still got quite a bit of seed saved anyway.

* Purge Inserts  DONE  

You can see I only have about 10 inserts now.  I'll go through them again in December to get ready for the January inserts which are usually copious and thick at the beginning of the new year.

* Clean my Desk (EEK!)  FAIL

What.
A. 
Mess.
It's been a min-mess for months.  So many things going on where I need paperwork handy.  I'll get a few paper issues dealt with and filed away in December so the condition can be upgraded to "Fair" on this patient. lolz

* Host Eldest and GF for 2 Days  DONE

Son's GF had to work on Thanksgiving Day(Thank you Mount Vernon!)so son took off a coule days of work and they came to visit us the weekend before Thanksgiving and then to GF's parent's house in NJ for 2 days and then back to VA.  A quick visit but it was enjoyable.
I have to say that this GF is a much better fit for our son.  ;-)

* Go Through Xmas Gift Box  FAIL
With everything going on here and company before Thanksgiving I really didn't have the room or brain cells to pull out the Xmas gift box yet and contemplate all that entails. I pretty much know what has been bought this year and hiding in that box so this didn't put me behind of Xmas shopping to let that box stay put for a couple extra weeks.
The box is, as of this writing, in the dining room awaiting sorting and wrapping of it's contents.  


The only think I wish I gotten to that I didn't was to launch a few eBay listings. A little extra cash coming from selling items would have been nice but not at the expense of trying to do too much and stress myself out so I have made peace with my list and what got done/didn't get done.

Did you have a To-Do List in November?
Tell us how you did knocking off the items on your list! 8-)
Sluggy

How's It Working?

My new meal planning, that is.
The answer is--just fine, thanks!

Here's what I've cooked/we've eaten so far this week.

Sunday--Barbecue Chicken thighs, Potato Salad
Monday--Sloppy Joes on Rolls, Sugar Snap Peas(used part of beef to make taco filling for #2 Son)
Tuesday--Chicken Parmesan, Spaghetti, Brussel Sprouts
Wednesday--leftover Garlic Ginger Shrimp stir fry, Rice(used this all up)

3 days cooking, 1 day not.

Here are the leftovers so far.....
4 Chicken thighs
3 helpings Potato Salad
2 Sloppy Joes filling
1-2 Taco filling for tacos
1 helping Sugar Snap Peas
4  Chicken Parms 2 Chicken Parms(#2 Son had a snack)lol
2 side servings of Spaghetti

I think we'll do leftovers again tonight and then I'll cook on Friday.
#2 Son will probably finish the taco meat today after school and then he goes out with his buddies for "Wing Night" on Thursday.

Saturday we'll probably do leftovers as well, and Sunday will be a new meal cooked, Broiled Salmon, Coleslaw and another Veggie(TBD) since I bought a bag of coleslaw mix at the grocery store yesterday.
(Went shopping and got everything I needed for the list of meals from Monday's post except the Parmigiana Cheese and the Pastry Shells.  Got extra stuff-sale meat, cheap red wine vinegar, cheese with a dairy instant $ back deal and soda for the graduation bash mostly-and spent $42.60 total.  I'll pick up the parm cheese and pastry shells on next week's trip.)

Sunday I'll evaluate where we are and decide on what to cook for the following 3 days from items that are already in the house and/or leftovers. 

At that point is when the relatives descend on us Wed. and Thurs. and we go into "survival/get through the week and don't blow the whole food budget" mode.  8-)))

I am offline now for the day.
Need to go buy a power washer and then go have a little fun and go to the movies by myself.
Afterwards, it's an Italian Ice and home to fix leftovers and start cleaning this filthy house.
bleh.

How is your week going?

Sluggy