What Ana Does

Guys! I just finished the THIRD audiobook in the Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater (called Blue Lily, Lily Blue ) and I can't be more please and bereft that it's over.  I wanted to continue listening to this story on my commute to work every day until I retire. Why did it have to end?  The second book was so DARK and filled with nightmares (thanks, Ronan) that I was delighted to find this book featured Blue -- who I adore. How can you not love a teenager living in a house of psychics but with no "real" psychic talent. Who subsists on a diet of yogurt alone and shreds/makes her own clothing. She also the only girl in a pack of private school boys on a mission to find a long-dead Welsh king. So she's just plain awesome.  And Gansey calls her Jane. And that's even more adorable.  It's the third book in this series so these characters are so well known to me -- which is the about the only thing that keeps me reading this series. I...

Glass Jars and Plastic Cups I've always had this strange issue about throwing things away, especially anything reusable. Even recycling doesn't cut it for me. So here's a mini-list of what I don't always throw out. Glass Jars -- especially salsa and tomato sauce. Once cleaned and labels removed, these jars are incredibly useful. They hold kids craft supplies like paint brushes, markers, googly eyes and scissors. ( See here for step by step. ) I have one labeled "Homework Pencils" because Leah will find ANY excuse not to do her homework and "not finding a pencil" was an easy one to fix. You'll find jars of all sizes around the house -- some on the kids' desks (holding rocks and shells) and in windows propagating rosemary. Why buy them!? But, guys, they really shouldn't be used to store food again, okay? Maybe as drinking glasses, but not for canning. Got it? Plastic Cups -- these I wash and save for my little artists to dip bru...

This weekend I was hard at work quilting a fox patchwork quilt and viking panel quilt.  Here's the layout for the fox quilt. The foxes with the navy blue background is the backing fabric. I consulted my Mom on these groupings and I think we came up with a good pattern -- though, do you think the yellow squares a little too BRIGHT! OVERPOWERING!? I'm going to really need to consider that in future projects.  The binding will come from the backing fabric, I think.  I fell in love with the fabric on the Viking Quilt -- so I didn't want to chop it up into small pieces. The dragons, especially, would be hard to see. So I crated three panels across, so you get the full view of the adorable Vikings and winged dragons. Pretty cool.  Vikings and Dragons Oh My!

Leah in the Blacksmith House Today I did something I've never done before ... I was a real field trip chaperone. It's something I've always wanted to do. And I never could get the time off of work or get my act together quick enough to plan it out. There have been a lot of field trip opportunities over the years of daycare and school. And they beg me to come along or be that mom at the classroom holiday party, but it's not usually possible, mainly because I hear about it at the very last-minute. Or I just can't get the time off. But this time Leah's third grade teacher sent the request for chaperones in October! With three months notice, and a January date when I have all my vacation/personal days to spend, I jumped on it. Leah was thrilled! This Cabin is Older Than ME!  This field trip was to a park nearby that recreates the experience of the early settlers in the prairies. There was a log cabin, a blacksmith shop, an estate house with a workin...

After the holidays we decided we just couldn't take the dishwasher only doing half of its job. We don't blame it, it's likely the same age of the kitchen -- so maybe 12 years old. That's pretty old for a dishwasher. She just needed to be put out to pasture. The New Dishwasher - Hardest Working Appliance in Our Kitchen We did some research and found good reviews on the Bosch brand. By chance, my sister has a Bosch so I got to use it over Christmas. It didn't take long to settle on the right model and set the installation date. Yippee! It does clean mighty fine. Even peanut butter is no challenge for her (though, we are pre-rinsers, so not a lot of PB makes it in there, I promise). And it's soooo quiet. We usually run it in the evenings, and with the old one, we'd need to turn up the TV volume to compete with the running water/motor sound. This one, there's a light whoosh sound occasionally, but you'd need to be standing next to it to hear...

Just an update: I haven't painted any of my walls this weekend. So far. First weekend all year (!) that I haven't had a paintbrush in my hand. That is all. Go about your day.

Took the guys most of the afternoon, but crappy windows are OUT, new energy-efficient windows are IN. Is it just me, or is there less frame and more window? The Window is Just THAT Big Finished Look -- And the Snowy Backyard This concludes our window replacement projects for the foreseeable future. We hit all the nasties, junked up windows. Let the heating bill savings begin! 

Because I got her this new hat with little sheep all over it. Her "Coy" Look I'm a little jealous of the hat, actually. Wish it came in my size, but I have a gigantic head.

Ok, maybe you're tired of gross before-new-windows images but today is BIG, and this is the last set of new windows for awhile. So, let's grin and bear it together. This window is actually four windows puzzled together and it's not only a focal point of the room, but offers a pretty view of our backyard. This summer I planted hydrangea below the window, so one day, we'll see the blooms while dining. Maybe. Anyway, the current windows are old, and crappy. They are bowed-out a bit, there's water damage, and the right side doesn't close tight anymore -- which you can feel if there's a breeze or when insects enter the house. Fun! The Dining Room and the View of White Outside And now for the gross closeups: Here's Where the Crappy Windows are Pulling Away from the Sill Here's Where the Crappy Windows Don't Close and Water is Damaging the Wood and Likely the Wall Yup! You get the idea. After pictures coming soon ... 

Saturday morning I finished off painting and adding hooks to the right side of the entry hall. And I feel all balanced out again. And the more I paint white, the more excited I am to see this whole room gleaming white! Oh! That Door Looks Awful! More Trim Color STAT! What's left in this entryway, you ask? Well ...  1. The remaining (very tall) walls needs to be painted Polar Bear white. This is a professional task, as it requires scaffolding and I don't DO heights. Estimates are pending.  2. The remaining trim needs to be whitened, including that horrible door. That's an ongoing project. 3. The picture ledge above the right side will need to be installed at some point to match the other side. Might run it over the office door, as well. If I'm feeling crazy.  4. I need to figure out something creative to do above the door. The funny circles that are there now are temporary. And goofy.  5. A long bench needs to replace that tiny yellow guy...

More hooks? That's right! I will never have enough hooks in my house. Never. So, remember that board-and-batten entryway project? It was maybe my greatest idea ever! This long hallway is 800-times more useful now, especially in the winter with neighbor kids stopping by and dropping their wet coats on the floor -- oh, no more, you hooligans! Hang them! The Entryway I've been looking at the little wall to the right of the door, before the office entry and thinking it's all looking a little one-sided, you know? Off balance. In December, I used some left-over primed wood and nailed it up to the wall, mostly to see what it would look like. Me LIKEY! But, on man, that beige wall is KILLING me. So, this weekend, despite the freezing weather, I'll be painting the wall, board and adding two more hooks to that side of the hall. We still need the ledge/shelf to finish off the top. And the "White Trim/Door" project continues. But, the room will feel more sym...

OK people, I want to post my 2015 resolutions , so I will feel like a jerk when I don't follow them --because somehow having them out on a public blog makes me feel more accountable. Toes BUT before I dig into that list, let's review the 2014 resolutions from this blog post ... 2014 Resolutions: 1. Lose 10lbs. Check! Thanks to watching my calories and upping my exercise with T-25. And was able to keep off the lbs by meal planning and continuing the morning shake for the rest of the year. Though, let's admit that December was a disaster. 2. Make a doll. Nope. But I did learn to quilt. So, I'm going to count it. 3. Continue house improvements. Obviously! The update list included: the entryway, the blue wall in the kitchen, the laundry room, and new windows. All posted on this blog. But still lots and lots to do. 4. Continue landscape projects. Not as much as I wanted to, but attempted some things on the front garden, added peonies and hydrangea to the ba...

This is what winter does to me. I sit in my warm house, looking at the white, freezing landscape out my window, and wonder why I'd ever leave. Why? Sure, I still have to drive to work and back. And there's groceries that will be needed, if I want to continue eating. Which I do. But, really, Saturday and Sunday rolls in and I'm ready to hibernate. I can see this tendency forming in my 6-year-old, too. It's probably not good. Here in the midwest, there are folks who LOVE the winter and all the snow-related activities. This is not me. This is why I have to force myself to find activities for the girls over the winter. So I don't turn into a recluse for the season. Is it Spring yet?

When I decided I wanted navy chevron curtains in my dining room, a few folks told me I was crazy; I'd get tired of the crazy design. But I sewed them together , anyway, and hung them up. And I still love them. So there. Chevron Curtains! I closed them today, something I hardly ever do, because the sub-zero wind is just blowing through the crappy windows. It's a heat-conservation thing. I just had to share. 

It was 1 degree when we woke up this morning and 8 degrees when we got to the bus stop. So yeah, they waited in the car for their (late) busses to arrive on their first day back from Winter Break. Waiting for the Bus  On a high note, the blisters on Alice's nose are healing. Yay!

Here's the posts that received the most pageviews in 2014: 1. My San Fran  list of things I love and don't love about that city, with some pretty pictures of sights -- including the Ferry Building. 2. I briefly entertained the idea of wallpapering my entryway , and picked out some pretty geometric paper, in February. The entryway instead got a board-and-batten redo instead at the end of May ( seen here ). 3. My odd habit of throwing rotten fruit and veg into my backyard got a lot of pageviews, for some reason. Maybe the nice photos? 4. Last, my early attempts at  bento-style lunch boxes for Leah , and some of the lunch-box shots that followed, were viewed a bunch. There you have it!

Last year I received two yogurt makers for the holidays and since, I've been making my own yogurt weekly for the last year. Usually on Sunday mornings. And it's usually a highlight of my week, even as I still feel I'm perfecting my skills. So, this year, I decided to up my game and get a GREEK yogurt maker. Ok, not really a " maker " more like a sieve that you dump the homemade yogurt in and refrigerate overnight. So, it's utterly fool-proof. The result? Seriously YUMMY thick, Greek yogurt. Though, three yogurt cups yields about half that much Greek yogurt, so I'll need to consider that in future equations.

Guys, we moved from New Jersey to the midwest THREE YEARS ago. So, this being a transitioning blog is no longer relevant. I'm pretty well transitioned. So, changing the blog name to What Ana Does ... which is more about what I DO. Which is what the blog is actually about anyway. Welcome! Here's to a New Year!

From Lisa Leake's 100 Days of Real Food cookbook, I found a recipe for tossing a whole chicken into a crockpot, no liquid necessary, and dinner is served in 6 hours or less. Yes, I had to try this out. Plenty of Cooking Liquid Out of the Onions and Juicy Chicken To say the meat was falling off the bone would be an understatement. I literally spooned out the meat and plopped it on plates with some roasted veggies. Easiest meal ever. Then, Ms. Lisa suggested I make chicken stock from the bones and skin left behind. Just add celery, carrots and some water and leave the crock pot on overnight. OK. Sure. Stock! Two More Jars Completed This Haul And the fruits of that "labor-intensive" project: About 8 cups of chicken stock cooling on the island. All for the $6.00 I spent at Trader Joe's for the bird.  That's a winner of a deal.  Plus, I'll be mixing bbq sauce with the leftover chicken for dinner tonight.  Meanwhile, the dog was my BE...

Hours after getting home from our relaxing winter break trip, I decided I absolutely needed a paint brush in my hand. I mean, it's been weeks since I painted any walls -- and I get a little crazy when I can't improve my surroundings. Don't you? Anyway, I looked at my laundry room and decided that it was a bite-sized project I could easily tackle in our last weekend of winter break. Before the Paint. And Look at Those Messy Shelves. The Horror.  So, first, I finished the aqua paint around the window. Next, we removed the collapsable drying rack -- why? Because it's collapsable and that's what it kept doing; Collapsing. Tres annoying. We found wall-mounted drying racks at the Container Store and installed those. Last, I shuffled, moved and ordered the supplies on all the shelves so they're better organized and used. There's nothing I hate more than good shelving going to waste. At the End of Day 1. Note the Collapsable Drying Rack. No! I w...