Pamela Faith



Click here for a copy that you can revise to suit your own needs Grocery Inventory or click here for a pdf version grocery-list-pdf. I guess you can finally say that I’m tired of my magnetic shopping list notepad that clings to my refrigerator (for only a few days at a time before someone has to piece it back together). I did however revert to taking one of the sticky papers and put it directly on my refrigerator, but I don’t like it still. Mainly it’s because when I get home from the grocery store there is always something that got left off my list.

I have been using this inventory list for about a month now and I love it. When I run out of something, I’ll just mark it on the list. Before I go to the store, I get out the list and look at each item and check to make sure I don’t need it. I took the original that was created by Keep and Share and changed it to match what my family purchases. So far so good. If I can just get the store to stop moving things around so I don’t have to walk every aisle over and over. I’m thinking my next project will be to notate what the signs say over each aisle and see how often they get moved around. It is possible that I’m incapable of remembering it from week to week.

So for you list lovers – visit their site or snatch a copy from me. Let me know if it helps you or not.

I am cleaning out my kitchen drawers today and decided to make a list of everything that was in them. I am embarrassed and ashamed of my family. I can’t stand things not to have their own homes, but obviously the rest of the family doesn’t care.

1. Science Kit Manual
2. (5) Empty CD Cases
3. (3) Xbox 360 games in their cases
4. Sirius Satellite Manual
5. A can of Fix a Flat
6. Sirius Vehicle Radio
7. MP3 Player
8. Pack of drawer brackets (we recently had one of the drawers break, and by the time you read this entire list, you’ll know why it did.
9. Clothespin
10. Soldering Iron
11. (2) Bag Clips
12. Ruler
13. Pocket Knife
14. (2) Wrench Sets in Plastic Cases
15. Plastic Bag that zips
16. Pack of Marlboro Cigarettes (it only had 1 cigarette in the box, My Sweetie and I both quit smoking early last year. I think he quit February 2009 and I quit shortly thereafter.)
17. 2 Pocket Lighters
18. 3 Long Stemmed Grill Lighters
19. Paperwork for our Durango (vehicle)
20. A Roll of Duct Tape
21. 24″ Bungee Cord
22. (2) Flashlights w/o batteries
23. Soldering spool
24. Swimming Pool Light Cover
25. GPS Box w/ Accessories
26. Scissors
27. Sirius Radio Remote
28. Cell Phone Car Charger
29. (2) Car Air Fresheners
30. (2) Bicycle Manuals
31. (3) Lip Balms
32. Pocket Calculators
33. Dart Tips
34. USB MP3 Player
35. MP3 Player Remote
36. Wooden Dowel
37. Multi-Colored Wiring
38. Broken Couch Handle
39. Glue Stick
40. (20) Pencils
41. (7) Pens
42. Car Fuse
43. (2) 9V Batteries
44. Disorganized Messy Stack of Post It Notes
45. (9) Paper clips
46. (14) Pencil Erasers
47. Rubber band
48. (6) Drywall Screws
49. Cold Sore Medicine
50. Keyboard USB Converter
51. (2) Pencil Sharpeners
52. Cash Register Keys (we haven’t owned a cash register for several years)
53. (3) Screws
54. (8) Push pins
55. (2) Key chains
56. Kid Sized Plastic Cross Stitch Needle
57. (2) 3V Batteries
58. Button Cell Battery
59. (2) Safety Pins
60. (3) Dimes
61. Nickel
62. Penny
63. Ashtray
64. Walkie Talkie Charger
65. Dry Erase Marker
66. Air Conditioner Remote
67. C Battery
68. Pack of AAA Batteries
69. (4) Walkie Talkies
70. Wind Up Timer
71. Headphones
72. Surgical Scissors
73. Charger For A Razor
74. Windup Flashlight
75. Sugar Tester in Box
76. Motormouth’s Bible
77. Bookmark
78. Swiffer Coupons
79. USB MP3 Player with Headphones
80. (9V) Charger?
81. Cable for Computer Monitor
82. Gameboy Car Charger
83. Road Atlas
84. Temple Therometer
85. Motormouth’s Sunglasses
86. Magnifying Glass
87. Gameboy Charger
88. Cellphone Charger (to old phone)
89. MP3 Docking Station
90. Gameboy Case
91. Large Notebook
92. Small Notebook
93. My Sweetie’s Sunglasses
94. Sticky Labels
95. Science Kit Dropper
96. (3) Small Screwdrivers
97. Small Toy Flashlight
98. Toenail Clippers
99. Amp for Cellphone (signal)
100. D Battery
101. Gameboy Connector Cord
102. (3) Sharpie Permanent Markers
103. (7) AA Batteries
104. Upward Football Card
105. Yellow Highlighter
106. House (Monopoly Game Piece)
107. Tweezers
108. (2) AAA Batteries
109. (2) Large Paper Clips
110. Hair Clasp
111. Dice (actually only one)
112. (7) Battleship Game Pieces
113. Unrecognizable Cord

I’m choosing to be late on this writer’s workshop, but I can’t seem to schedule time for fun stuff.  I have to just grab the time when I can (you know, when the baby’s asleep).

Out of the 5 prompts, I want to write about prompts:

2.) The strangest dream ever…
(inspired by Amo from Where A Woman Shakes Her Tablecloth.)

3.) Write a list of 10 things that can be done to stave off boredom.
(inspired by Lourie from CA Girl).

Just a few nights ago when I was able to snatch a couple hours of sleep (rare, considering my baby is a high needs baby), I had a dream that instead of having one baby girl, I’d actually had a set of twin girls. In my dream I was feeding my baby when I heard a baby whimper from another room. I put my baby down on my bed and went into the nursery where I found a small baby curled up under a blanket. I picked this baby up and noticed how puny the baby looked. She was pretty, but looked very starved. I took the baby to My Sweetie and asked him where the baby came from and he told me that it was our baby.

I remember shaking my head and beginning to cry. I told him there was no way that I’d forget about one of my kids and I’d definitely not let one of them starve like this baby. The baby was looking up at me and smiling. I quickly put the baby to breast. I woke up feeling overwhelmed with emotion. After thinking over the dream, I feel like it was because I sat and watched some of the happenings in Haiti. I am shaken over all those children with no one to take care of them. It makes me appreciate my lot in life. I have more than I’ll ever need.

Ok – I have to get that dream out of my head.

Here are my 10 ways to avoid becoming bored:

1. Top thing to do is visit someone in your family that you don’t like. The more you dislike them the better. (For any family reading this – I’m not referring to you.) You’ll be sure to entertain yourself for hours doing this. It’s even better if this family member dislikes you too.
2. Throw a cat into an empty garbage can (the really big ones). Watch the cat try to climb out.
3. Get 2 dogs together and throw one bone to them and watch to see which dog gets the bone. Be sure to have another bone for the loser. There’s no reason to be mean to an animal.
4. Wrap tape around all 4 feet on a cat. (My Sweetie showed me this. I should have known then that this small town didn’t offer much in the way of entertainment.)
5. Watch for your neighbor to be busy outside, call their phone (disable caller id before dialing their number), and hang up when they answer. Wait until they go back outside and repeat. (I have family that lives on both sides and I wouldn’t do this to them, or would I?)
6. Play Xbox 360. Prefer Battlefield: Bad Company online against 23 people you hope you never see face to face after knifing them in the back.
7. Download a romantic book from http://ebooks.eharlequin.com.
8. Draw and color pictures, scan them into your computer, and make them your desktop background. If you’re real good, build a website and give them away for free or sell them.
9. Start playing a game on Facebook.
10. Write a blog about your life or about other people’s life.

1. Spend more time playing with my kids.
2. Lose weight (I want to weigh 150 lbs by December 31, 2010)
3. Keep a list of every book that I read this year (goal is 100 books, who am I kidding, I’d be happy to have read 20 books this year).
4. Expand my cooking abilities (goal is to learn 12 new recipes).
5. Digitize all my photos.
6. Take the kids to the library at least once a month
7. Bake more cookies and cakes (and not eat it all by myself)
8. Cross Stitch something
9. Start a quilt for my bed (At least pick out the pattern so I can dream about it)
10. Appreciate my sweetie and kids for everything they do
11. Write Everyday – whether it’s a list, journal, blog, or network site
12. Make a new friend
13. Stay in touch with family
14. Make a friend on Facebook or Myspace with the same name as me.

*This will be updated as I change my mind – it’s my prerogative.

1. Spend more time playing with my kids.
2. Lose weight (goal weight is 150 lbs or less by December 31, 2010)
3. Keep a list of every book that I read this year (goal is 100 books).
4. Expand my cooking abilities (goal is to learn 12 new recipes).
5. Digitize all my photos.

Kitchen

1. Take out garbage & replace bag
2. Unload dishwasher
3. Load dishwasher
4. Knock down spider webs
5. Clean counters
6. Clean table
7. Refill soap dispenser
8. Sweep & Mop

Living Room

1. Clean off tables
2. Clear clutter from couches
3. Clear clutter from floor
4. Dust t.v. and entertainment center
5. Sweep & Mop

Bathroom

1. Clean off sink
2. Clear clutter from floor
3. Take out garbage & replace bag
4. Bring all clean clothes to bedroom for sorting & putting away
5. Clean sink & toilet
6. Sweep & Mop

Bedroom

1. Pick up stuff from floor
2. Put away clothes
3. Knock down spider webs
4. Clear clutter from dressers & night stands
5. Sweep & Mop

1. Unload Clean Dishes From Dishwasher
2. Load Dirty Dishes in Dishwasher
3. Knock down spider webs from ceiling and walls
4. Wipe off Top of Refrigerator
5. Wipe off Top of Cabinets Near Ceiling
6. Wipe off Top of Curio Cabinet
7. Clean inside of Refrigerator
8. Wipe Down outside of Refrigerator
9. Wipe Top of Deep Freeze
10. Clean Coffee Pot
11. Clean Tea Pot
12. Wipe out Microwave
13. Wipe down window sills
14. Wash windows
15. Scrub countertops
16. Sanitize Kitchen sink
17. Clean kitchen table
18. Wipe curio glass
19. Organize under kitchen sink
20. Organize junk drawers
21. Sweep floors
22. Mop floors
23. Take out garbage

Daily Chore List: Do Every Day

1. Wash all dishes.
2. Put all dirty clothes in the laundry room.
3. 15-minute clean up/tidy per room.
4. Vacuum all rooms.
5. Make up all beds.

Weekly Chore List:  Do Once A Week

1. Dust all furniture.
2. Clean toilets.
3. Take out all trash.
4. Change bedcovers.

Monthly Chore List: Do Once A Month

1. Clean A/C Vent Cover.  Change filter.
2. Spot Clean Walls.
3. Clean Window Coverings.

Occasional Chores:  Do When the Notion Strikes

1. Clean windows.
2. Clean Exterior Doors.
3. De-clutter closets.

1. The Lion King
2. The Incredibles
3. The Jungle Book
4. Ice Age
5. Brother Bear
6. The Land Before Time
7. Cinderella
8. Tarzan
9. Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer
10. Frosty the Snowman

Sometimes other people accuse me of starting a project and never finishing, but that’s not the way I see it. I seem to enjoy so many different activities that I dabble a little in all of it, all of the time. Every once in awhile I will complete a project in a short period of time, but during the process I can’t help but think about all the other fun stuff that I’m working on. I recently finished the small cross stitch project (the one I posted about), but I still have the big cross stitch pattern unfinished – the one I started probably 10 years ago.  Yes somebody could say that I started it and not finished it, but I don’t see me never finishing it. I will complete it one day.

I’m currently working on organizing my new floss on bobbins. I consider this pretty important, so I choose to work on it instead of the actual cross stitching. Who wants to dig through a plastic shopping bag for floss and hope the paper with the number hadn’t fallen off the floss? Not me. Yesterday I bought the plastic container to put them in and I’m a little sadden that I bought one that had too deep of pockets in it. I am not sure if I’ll take it back or make the best of it.

In our school room we have a very long table (8 foot). I have it covered with another project that I started recently. I am digitizing all of my photos. I am not sure if this was very wise considering my due date (for baby) is in 4 more days. However, it’s been going through my brain for a very long time and I figured if I didn’t get it started that I’d just keep putting it off. This will be a task that will take awhile and yet another project someone could say that I haven’t finished. I say – not yet, but I will.

Considering that my table in the school room is full with pictures and albums, I have moved all my recipe books onto a rolling cart that will slide easily under the table. I did have the books on one of our shelves, but I just can’t hardly get down there right now to get my books. I am working on digitizing my favorite recipes and maybe find some new ones. This is a project that I somewhat started a few months back and haven’t really gotten far with it. I would get my books out and laid on the table, then we would need the table and I’d put all the books back on the shelf. Lazy me, I just don’t like moving the books back and forth. That is the reason I put them on the rolling cart. I will eventually have all those great recipes on my computer.

As I was sitting at the library yesterday watching my daughter read a stack of 20-30 books in the children’s department, I was thinking that I needed to start a quilt for my new baby. I didn’t do a quilt for my older 2 kids until they were about 2 or 3 years old. The desire to quilt was very strong, but I did not drag out all of that stuff. I am really thinking that I have some photos and recipes to tackle first, considering they are taking up my working space in the school room. I will admit that I have a folding table in the living room right now covered with the floss organization stuff. I don’t think the family would want me to take up the kitchen table with my sewing machine and fabrics.

While I have these projects, I am still squeezing in time to read. I’m currently reading 2 books. One is completely for fun (historical romance) and the other is a book about homeschooling that I recently bought. I’m also having the time of my life writing for my blog. I have never been as consistent with writing nearly every day until I started this project. It’s been so wonderful and I look forward to it every day.

I guess its a good time to mention our homeschooling projects we are starting next week. I bought several different ornament kits from http://www.orientaltrading.com . Some we paint and others we assemble. It looks like these will be done at the kitchen table, considering it’s the only available space at the moment. We also need to get out all of our inflatable decorations for the front yard. This is a big task. I’ll have a picture of this within a couple of weeks hopefully. I don’t know if Baby will delay the decorations or not.

Sometime in the next few days I plan on making 4 cheesecake pies for Thanksgiving. I don’t know if I’ll be able to make much else. My feet and back give out very quickly right now and I have to sit down quite often. I don’t think anyone will mind. I’m not the best cook.

I have another project that I’ll be working on next month. It’s the midway point in our homeschooling year. This is the time I go through all of our lesson plans and tweak them a little. I also need to go through and clean out all the stuff we’ve finished so far. I need to completely catch up our grade books. The last month, I’ve not marked all their assignments completed, so I need to do that before we store these away.

So far as I can tell, these are the things that I am working on or will be soon.

1. Digitizing Photo Albums
2. Digitizing Recipes
3. Big Cross Stitch Project
4. Floss Organization
5. Contemplating a Quilt for Baby
6. Reading 2 books
7. Blogging
8. Christmas Ornaments
9. Christmas Outdoor Decorations
10. Homeschool Lesson Plans & Cleaning Out

I’m so happy that I have all these things to do. A busy bee doesn’t have anything on me.