I gave it a valiant effort....BUT

I am inclined to believe that containing all of one's toiletries to a single container is absolutely impossible.

I spent the better part of this morning sifting, sorting, tossing, tidying, and still? I seem to need  so much more room than one little bag affords!  The cupboard is a lot emptier, now that I have purged the excess. Although, I am inclined to admit that I still have a lot of excess!

I kept two groups of cosmetics...one for summer, and one for winter. Winter calls for a darker lipstick, paler blush and powder, and for the dress up occasions, I even break out the eye shadow! In winter I use porcelain shades - come summer? I break into the ivory shades. I don't tan, I "PINK" so there is a colour shift, but not that dark bronze glow, that is for sure! Summer on the other hand, requires a peachy blush, a slightly darker powder and a bit of mascara.  Lip gloss  colours for all seasons range from a pearly pink to a classic red, plus a classic deep rich red mineral lipstick to use as a "foundation" when I really want to fuss. Then, of course, there is a the problem of different brands of the same type of product. REALLY????  As things get used up, I will repurchase  the products that I like the most, and that should bring the inventory a down!  For now? This is the best I could do.

The bonus to it all, is that the hanging toiletries bag fits into my suitcase perfectly, so I will just have to slip it into my case on top of everything else, and hang it up at our destination. I have a similar one to contain underwear, and that is really handy too. Since losing weight, I now only have the items that I use constantly, and they would all fit very nicely in the hanging whatzit  that is currently hanging  empty in my closet waiting to be used for travelling....hmmmm...maybe I should rethink my drawer organization and just keep my undies close at hand in the closet for one stop dressing?

Maybe another day, because right now? I have a bed full of stuff to toss or put away!

Cyber Monday

Means I should spend my day in front of a screen, right? This morning, I woke up and watched TV, then made brunch. While we were away, I bought  this little deep fryer.
Now. I know that deep frying is a big 'no no' in the dieting world, but I don't know a single soul that does not splurge out at a restaurant, on deep fried things! I am only human after all...do I not crave grease? 

The problem is, with Celiac's disease, you can't even have a touch of gluten, and since  most restaurants do not have designated deep fryers to prepare gluten free foods, I do not have the luxury of just slipping by a restaurant and pecking at an onion ring on a whim. They fry onion rings, chicken, fish, the whole shebang in one vat of oil. So? Now, when I have that super craving for something crispy and delish, I can make it myself. It will not replace my Greenpan or my broiler by any stretch of the imagination, but when those cravings hit? I am ready for them!

To test it out this morning, I made cubed breakfast potatoes to have with our omelet. They were fabulous. Really!  Crunchy, and so much tastier than the low-fat Superfries that I usually buy. As soon as breakfast was over, I went to the freezer and dumped the bag of Superfries!  They have a funny taste to them, compared to home made, and I really can't remember when I bought them last!  They were languishing in the freezer taking up room that tasty food could occupy! They just don't taste good to me anymore. Homemade ones? Taste wonderful!  While I was watching 'educational TV' the other day (The FOOD channel, to be exact!) Michael Smith explained the process of deep frying. He said very little oil gets into the food if you have the oil at the right temperature. When  you see the bubbles running out of the food? That keeps the oil from running into it! And this little fryer maintains the oil at a perfect temperature. The little cubes were just a hoppin'! So, there you go. At long last, I had tasty breakfast potatoes, just like the other kids!  So endeth my adventures in the kitchen on this wonderful Monday morning/afternoon!

The wind is whistling around the house tonight....

but here I sit, all toasty warm, bundled up in my fluffy housecoat and cozy nightie!  I spent the better part of the night working on our 2012 budget, making lists and otherwise enjoying my private office time. Football is good for giving couples a little alone time, if nothing else! 

I am going to keep record of all of our expenses in  a little notebook this year . Doing it on the computer is not always as convenient as the tried and true method of having your life neatly written out in a little black book!  As I looked back over my expenses, I was shocked to see how much I spent on cosmetics, compared to what I spend on clothing.  Granted, it is a lot less than it used to be, but what I use in my real life is so simple,compared to what I buy to support my "fantasy life".  (You know, the one where you put on the full face to go to the grocery store?)  In reality, I routinely  use powder, blush, mascara, eyebrow pencil and lip gloss.   If I am really dressing up? Out comes the eye shadow and eye liner!  Spurred on by my simplified wardrobe, my quest is now to reduce the number of toiletries in my possession. When the man goes to Toronto this week, I will do a grand purge of my stash. 
Now here is a radical thought. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to fit all of my toiletries into one 'wash bag'?  I read that term in a novel once, and it struck me as being rather quaint that a person should keep their toiletries in a single bag.

Now? I see it as enviable, and dare I say doable? Time will tell.  Here is the bag I am thinking of using

....one of many I have purchased over the years, in search of the "perfect" solution.  Hmmm. It just may do the trick....

Colour Colour Colour! Winter Wardrobe 2011 - 2012

This morning, as I perused my closet, I realized that I had not bought everything in black! (with the exception of a coat...but even it has a snappy leopard collar and cuffs!)  Bright green, stripes of all colours, soft blue, taupe, wait a minute...I did purchase one black mock neck T to wear under my cozy winter coat on those prairie winter days!  And of course, the jeans were black, but really, coloured jeans have not been in for quite a while, have they? When all is said and done, the only thing I really have need of now, is a "statement bag". At my age? It has to say "HERE I AM! WHERE IS THE WASHROOM?".

Shopping on Black Friday and Living to Tell the Tale

The first, and most important thing, was that I did all of my shopping BEFORE the massive sales. I am quite content with what I found AND the prices I paid. The biggest bonus was not having to fight crowds, or stand in massive checkout lines because some marketing strategists wanted me to!

However, I am not made of stone. I did stop at three stores on the way home today...finally, after suffering through Catherine's and the Dress Barn, I went to good old Macy's. I found the jeans I liked, tried them on, and was told by the clerk that they were going off sale in two minutes! What????  I was ready to pay full price for them, but hey, you can't argue with a discount of more than 50% ! I toddled up to the cash immediately to pay for them. Incidentally, they fit like a glove and are a size smaller than my last pair.  I am very fond of the "tummy tamer" jeans, and these just as comfy as my old pair, but a lot less droopy. LOL That was my only purchase this Black Friday. The two women's stores had nothing that interested me. Why do fat clothes have to be so ugly? The prints and styles are just too old for me...and I am 61!

 I have become very selective...read fussy! I have so many items because I had the "grab anything while you can and never let it go...you may never find another" mentality.  It makes me shudder to think how much waste there was in my closet!  I now look at the garment first, and the price tag second.  Realizing that there will always be something out there for me to wear is a major life changer. I  am pleased to tell you that I would have bought every item in my shopping bag at full price,because I loved it that much. Bonus to find them on sale, but it is a bigger bonus to know that every item works with a lot of other items I own.  It hurts to dispose of "perfectly good clothing",  BUT not as nearly as much as it hurts to have all that stuff hanging around, not being used, cluttering my life and my closet!  Face it, if it were all that great? I would have worn it.  I don't think I am the only one guilty of harbouring clothes well past their best before date. The trick is to only buy what you love, and that is PERFECT for your body, your personality and the life you lead.

And they say popcorn is a good snack....

Tasty, yes, but good for my teeth? NOT SO MUCH! 

Last night while munching happily away on my favourite salty snack and watching Housewives of NY City, I chipped my back tooth.  Off to the dentist this morning...braving snowy, icy road conditions to get my teeth cleaned and diagnosed. One crown required for the wounded tooth PLUS a filling replaced on the other side of my mouth....so separate appointments required. They all have to take place  before the end of the year, so as not to spoil our visit with Miss Giselle. There is no way I want to spend time at the dentist then!  So, bookings are made, and I will get a patch job tomorrow at one, to see me through the wait with the insurance company.

Hopefully my other healthy food choices won't cause so much damage! It is good to have a menu plan in place...already, things have assumed a sense of normalcy that just wasn't here when we couldn't have cooking smells in the house! The man is improving a little each day, but we are still waiting on the results from the next CT scan to see if there needs to be surgery. In the meantime? We are enjoying our home, ourselves, and our friends.

If you would like to take a peek at the menu plan here it is. The formatting is a little off, but it will give you an idea of meals chez moi.

Sunday

Chicken Breasts

Gravy

Salad

Sunday

Pork Tenderloin

Potaoes

Carrots

Sunday

Meatloaf

Mashed Potatoes

Cream Corn

Monday

Chicken Soup

*

freeze a meal

Monday

Leek Soup

freeze a meal

Monday

Vegetable Soup

freeze a meal

Tuesday

Bangers

Mashed Potatoes

Cream Corn

Tuesday

Chicken & Rice

Tuesday

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Salad

Wednesday

Coleslaw

Mac & Cheese Whiz

White Cake with Coconut

Wednesday

Pickerel

Salad

Carrot Cake

Wednesday

From the Freezer:

Pizza

Muffins

Thursday

Meatballs*

freeze a meal

&

Rice

Thursday

From the freezer:

Spaghetti Sauce

Thursday

Leftover

Meat Loaf

Mashed Potatoes

Cream Corn

Friday

 Pickerel fillets

Crispy Oven Potatoes

Coleslaw

Friday

Potatoes & Cottage Cheese

Friday

OPEN

Saturday

From the Freezer:

Cabbage Rolls

Saturday

Leftovers

Saturday

From the freezer:

Spaghetti Sauce