July 2012 Update

July is over and now it's time to talk about what happened this past month.
In regards to household management, I was able to stick to a menu plan, I have also had success shopping just once a week for the food items. Couponing has not been doing great because I really am focused on the menu plan right now if I find something that is worth getting a coupon for it really luck. I'm sticking with the menu planning for now and I'm going to try and make a habit of it before I move on to working my menu plan around sales.
In my garden this past month Brian and I put up a trellis for the grape plant and it is doing well. It finally started growing new leaves. I think it will be set for awhile. The pecan tree is doing amazingly as usual, from what I see it is producing several pecans, though I can only see the ones around the bottom.
This month I finished the "Love Comes Softly" series, and memoirs of a geisha. Both are well written historical fiction.
Also something interesting that happened, an animal died under my house, it has smelled horrible for the past few days we've tried many things to alleviate the smell but we recently figured out where it came from. At least it's not in the duct system.

My goals for august:
Continue menu planning
Continue the cookbook challenge
Read "Dance with Dragons", "The Hobbit" and "Drums of Change"
Make a black satin pillowcase

Weekly to-do list

I've been thinking about trying to do a weekly to-do list again. I never seemed to keep up the habit. I know this week I have plans to make several recipes for my cookbook challenge but editing and uploading will take some time. I think I should do a video of my projects so that I can show my viewers what else I do besides cook and eat. I just lost my job so this will be easier than it was a few weeks ago. I also have a little time before the fall semester starts can't wait. On to the to-do/ goal list.

1. Finish Memoirs of a Geisha
2. Finish editing "monkey bread" and "Stone Soup" video
3. Stick with menu plan
4. record content for "egg salad", "cheese quesedilla", "Ambrosia Salad", "fried egg Sandwich", "Pineapple Spread", and "Olive Spread"
5. No TV after 8pm
6. Wake up at 9:30 everyday
7. Drink 3 glasses of water everyday

I'm thinking about restarting 4 weeks to an organized home but with way it went downhill last time I worried. Finding workable routines is hard when my husband wants to sleep till noon and expects me to wait until Claire gets up to get up myself makes my day feel hectic and out of control. Sometimes I don't find a point in making a routine because I'm always getting complained at by someone about how I disturb them or I am not doing things right. I can't wait to live without ridicule but I don't think that will ever happen.

Golden Dragon Shrimp Fried Rice | RecipeLion.com

Golden Dragon Shrimp Fried Rice | RecipeLion.com

yum gonna try this

These are the Hands We're Given

These are the hands we're given. It's a simple quote but it speaks so many different things. The song simply says that "This is the world we live in/ And these are the hands we're given/ Use them and lets start trying/ To make this a place worth fighting for." To some it may seem different but to me it says do something about your life. I can't just sit in front of my computer absorbing information I need to put stuff into action. I have to start something to change the world. "These are the hands we're given" I need to use what I have, or better yet I already have what I need to change my life and to make a difference in this world.