Things in my House Thursday ~ The Little Things that Make Me Smile

We did some shopping a couple days after Christmas.

Emily spotted these sweet little trees...

one is 3 feet tall...

the other is 2 feet tall.

I think I can keep them up well after the Christmas Tree is put away.

They look like winter trees with their pine cones, berries and frost.

They fit perfectly on one of my end tables...

along with my pedistal cake plate

(a summer yard sale find)

and pine cones.

I love how they soften the corner of the living room...

And bring a little of our winter outdoors in.

Take care,

~Natalie

BTW...on sale at WalMart...$9.00 for both trees!

please visit Cindy at My Romantic Home

for more Show and Tell Friday posts

What'cha Working on Wednesday? A little bit of Norway...Keeping a Tradition Alive...

Remember last year?

Who would have thought that this was the last time that my mom would be well enough to travel and stay in our home?

Remember how our whole family helped make the lefse?

My mom's role is to be the head supervisor for our annual lefse making.

I have not made the lefse without her watchful eye...

"That's enough flour..."

"A little bit longer..."

"It's ready to turn..."

"Be gentle now..."

Because I was busy with school, this year our daughters took charge of making our family tradition.

Peeling, boiling, and ricing the potatoes.

While Emily rolled the paper thin delicacy...

Amy mastered the art of frying and turning.

Am I now the head supervisor?

(This session was on Christmas Eve morning, which explains why we are in our pjs.)

It was a small batch...

And it's all gone.

So today, with a little more leisure time on our hands, we made more lefse...

a double batch.

One needs plenty of clean linens for cooling and stacking.

Vintage aprons are a must...

(The red paisley apron had been my grandmother's.)

There's lots of equipment involved...

The pastry board with pastry cloths

The special rolling pin,

and rolling pin stockings.

The large griddle and turning sticks.

Girls, you make your Grammy proud.

(And lefse, you make lots of dirty dishes!)

Grammy says,

"Oh good, our family recipe won't die."

And this is one family traditon that everyone enjoys.

Take care,

~Natalie

Monday Mania ~ Back to Reality

While I would love to just sit and bask in the glow of our Christmas tree lights,

I realize it is now Monday...and we have a much needed break from school...

and I have some much needed time at home.

So much has been neglected around the house.

June & July = moving mom to an assisted living facility

August & September = back to school/level four school improvement

October & November = preparations for Winterfest

November & December = preparations for the Holidays

I am so happy to have these few days at home.

I hope you all are enjoying some time to rest, relax and tackle the things on your 'To Do' list.

Take care,

~Natalie

Merry Christmas to Family and Friends

Image courtesy of Vintage Holiday Crafts

Best Wishes for a Holiday filled with

Worship...

Family and Friends...

Beautiful Music,

Good Food..

and Relaxation.

Take care,

~Natalie

Tuesday's Tip of the Day ~ Cookies Can Be Nutritious...

...Depending upon the ingredients used....

My Fitness for Life class baked Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies today.

Find the recipe here on our Old Farmhouse cooking blog.

(Notice you can click on a printer-friendly version.)

Rolled Oats...natural wholegrain goodness.

Add in Craisins and White Chocolate Chips...

Or Raisins and Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.

Chopped Walnuts...Yummy!
Click here, fore the printer-friendly copy of the entire recipe.

Tastes like Grandma's House...

They're Good and Good for You!

Take care,

~Natalie

Monday Mania~A big Woo Hoo~and a Bella update

I am so lucky to have these two amazing young women in my life.

Both are in their final year of study...

Amy, her graduate program...

Emily, her undergraduate program...

Congratulations

to Emily who, this weekend,

passed the 4 year cumulative exam to become certified as a Health Fitness Specialist.

She has always had a passion for exercise, fitness, wellness, health, and nutrition.

And now, is qualified to help others reach these goals.

This is finals week...

...her last...

Best of Luck to you, honey!

And, you all know that Amy has been living with us...

working her surgical rotation here.

This, too, is a time of rigorous study.

Then, students return to campus to take exams.

Best of luck to you, too, honey.

For Me?

Eight days remain in the 2nd term/1st semester.

I am trying to stay ahead of correcting and recording grades.

Next...final projects and end-of-course exams.

So...I took two Etsy packages to the USPS after school today...

Look who came up to the kitchen to hang out.

We are still force feeding her...

Let's hope she decides she's ready to eat on her own soon!

Take care,

~Natalie

TGIF and What's your Weekend Plan?

We are all pretty happy to have a weekend.

School is nuts...

Work is nuts...

I'm sure you'll all agree?!!

I think I can say I have finished decorating.

And now?

 Shopping...

Wrapping...

Baking...

Card writing...

Cleaning...

Does it look like I'll be going out tomorrow?

Ummm...Nope...

Whatever your plans...

Stay safe...Stay warm...

Take care,

~Natalie

Bella's Tree and Tuesday's Tip of the Day

Callie and Lucy have not been the most gracious hostesses.

They did not welcome their 'Cousin Bella' with open arms (paws).

There has been significant hissing and growling.

Bella doesn not need this kind of stress right now.

Callie and Lucy enjoy the warm glow when they sit under our family Christmas tree upstairs...

Bella has chosen to sit under the Prim Tree downstairs....

Sooo...

Was I the only one crawling under...over...and around furniture just to light their Christmas trees?

Was I the only one that didn't know about the remote control outlets??

Anyway...

this year we have invested in this handy little gadget.

With a press of my thumb, I can turn on...and off...the lights on our Christmas trees.

One.. Two...Three...

OK...Why didn't I know about this before??

Take care,

~Natalie

Trimming our Trees and Update on Bella

We put up our trees today.

Stringing the lights is always the most time consuming task.

No sooner than the lights were in place,

Callie and Lucy were basking in the soft, warm glow under the tree.

There are two trees in our family room.

This one is decorated with ribbon and gold beads.

I wanted to string popcorn and cranberries,

however, Callie tries to eat that as her snack.

The second family room tree is smaller

and features all the handmade and children's ornaments.

I want to thank everyone that has sent supportive comments and kept Amy and her Bella in their thoughts this week. She has been a pretty sick kitty.

Monday, she was diagnosed with fatty liver disease. She doesn't want to eat or drink and has been losing weight.

A feeding tube was inserted Monday, but it fell out on Wednesday...

Instead of putting Bella through another surgery, she is being force fed every few hours.

She continues to be a little better each day.

Take care,

~Natalie