Snow Day Activities

This is the most snowfall I can remember seeing accumulate in my back yard in the 9 years I've lived here. My neighbors trees are weighted down with snow and making cracking noises frequently.

Here in Seattle, we don't deal with snow well. There's not enough equipment to keep the roads clear; our drivers are great at rain but idiots at driving in snow; and we have large trees that like to topple on our exposed power lines.

My teenager and I have been snowbound for four days now. (She isn't exactly crying into a hankie at her missed school days).

The first three days have been fun - watching movies, drinking hot cocoa, walking our snow-loving dogs on long hikes, playing board games with the neighbors, reading books and inviting neighbors over for a cocktail party.

I threw a pretty effortless cocktail party last night, using things we had in the freezer and pantry (appetizers, olives, goods we spent the day baking); opening our last bottle of wine; and improvising with the dairy and produce we stocked up on in between storms. We invited our closest neighbors who also have cabin fever and were glad to come visit and see fresh faces!

Now on day four, however, we're a bit bored and restless. Time to get some winter projects done. Then we'll feel useful, accomplished, and maybe begin to appreciate book reading and movie watching again! We don't want to just do regular housekeeping (vacuuming, window washing, dusting, etc) - we feel like we want to get some actual big projects done, not the kind you do every day.

Here's my suggestions for Snow Day projects:

• Sorting and organizing old photos
  

• Downloading new photos off our various cameras and organizing them digitally. Maybe even printing some out onto photo paper.
  

• Sorting our clothes closets, trying on each and every thing we own. Since we're unable to leave the house safely due to ice, we probably have plenty of time to do such a big task.
  

• Alphabetizing books, DVDs, our music collections or other entertainment related projects.
  

• Backing up our computers.
  

• Emptying email backlogs and cleaning out old bookmarks.
  

• Total overhaul on kitchen cabinets.
  

• Baking and cooking experimentation, using up odd things in the pantry.
  

• Taking time to write long paper letters and dash off greeting cards to relatives.
  

• Sorting old boxes in the attic, basement or garage.
  

• Finally finishing that knitting or crochet project.
  

• Actually using our craft supplies to create something. (Scrapbooking, cardmaking, etc).
  

• Rearranging furniture to try something new.
  

• Going through old magazines and catalogs, finally reading, then recycling them.
  

• Sharpen or hone/rebalance your knives and scissors.
  

• Organizing our cookbooks, recipe boxes, and recipe clippings from magazines into binders.
  

What are some of your favorite Snow Day projects?

Rebuilding a Lovely Life After Tragedy

Me, on my way to see "Cinderella"

On December 6, I went on a date to see Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella at the Fifth Avenue Theater. I pampered myself a bit the day before, getting my hair colored, a facial, a body scrub, and a manicure. I nagged my foster teenager to do her homework, then enjoyed dinner and the theater with my date.

The next morning, I got a phone call that changed my life forever.

My cousin's wife was taken to the emergency room and diagnosed with liver failure. I pulled her three boys, my cousins, out of school so they could go visit their mom at the hospital. (I find it amazing that the paperwork authorizing me as the emergency contact had JUST gone through the day before; and I'd JUST the day before practiced finding and driving to their school in case I ever needed to).

After nine long dark days of wondering, worrying, entertaining the kids to distract them, hospital visits and waiting, my cousin's wife died. Her young sons are eleven, eight and six. My cousin, the widower, is now a single parent with many childcare needs for special needs kids.

I truly hope you never have to be in the room when three young boys are told their mother has died.

Just three months ago another cousin had died and left me her daughter to care for. I can't believe our family has had another mother die far too young. It's been difficult for my foster teenager to watch three young boys go through the process of losing and grieving their mom, too.

My Christmas tree, with gifts for three newly motherless boys, donated by family and wrapped by a kind friend of mine

Caring for my young cousins during the emergency brought many humbling experiences for me. I normally have a nice big emergency fund, and I make a decent living. But taking three weeks off work for this emergency depleted my savings faster than I would have thought. Stressed, we didn't feel like cooking so went out to dinner most nights, too.

Without time to shop, and the boys' tattered, filthy clothing left behind in their mother's filthy apartment, we gratefully accepted bags of clean, nearly new, serviceable clothes that ladies at the boys' school donated. Other people donated grocery cards, toys for Christmas, gas cards for our hospital trips. Never having been a recipient of charity or assistance like this before, I found it didn't hurt my pride at all, just made me so glad for people's kindness in our family emergency. I'm usually the person giving charity, not accepting it, and I'm looking forward to "paying it forward" and donating again to food banks, clothing drives, etc. in 2012.

This sad, horrible, dark December made 2011 the worst year of my life. We dreaded Christmas, which came just four days after the funeral. This was the first Christmas without their mothers for my four cousins. We got through it and made it special for the younger kids, I'm proud to say. I was disappointed that I was too exhausted to do much decorating in my house; my outdoor Christmas lights were sparse and sad looking; my Christmas dinner wasn't cooked as nicely as I'd hoped I could do. But we were together, and laughing when we could, playing with the kids, enjoying the donated toys.

Already we're making plans for the year ahead. Camping, ice skating, picnics when the weather is nice, attending plays, going to the Seattle Aquarium, going to the zoo.

I'm now a "soccer foster mom" for four little people, and finding it challenging to work everyone's tutoring, speech therapy, doctor, dentist and sports appointments into my daily schedule. I can do it though.

The three boys don't live with me, but we sure spend a lot of time with them. We've cleared our schedules and made room for Family nights; I did 21 bedtime routines in a row, leaving my home at 7:30 every night and returning around 9pm. Just part of my new daily schedule now. Other family members have kindly committed to caring for the boys every Sunday while their father is at work. My teenager is working to improve her grades so she can take time one evening a week to babysit, giving my cousin and me a break from the boys.

We'll get through this. I'm still crying myself to sleep every night; my cousin's wife has only been dead for three weeks, so I am not too worried about myself. This is part of the normal grieving process and I know it will pass. My life will change in many ways, but this is not about me. The boys' lives have already changed immensely.

Still, I know my days of carefree girls-nights-out, cocktails and dinner a few times a week, and impromptu spontaneous dates and events are over for a long while. I'll replace those fun events with new child-centered, joyful activities. Someday my foster teenager will move out and go to college; and I'll get my widowed cousin married off to a nice lady who likes kids, grin. Then I can rebuild and reinvent my life yet again!

Have you ever experienced a family emergency during the holidays? Care to share any of your experiences?

Best wishes to all of you for a happy, healthy, safe and lovely 2012!

Decorating for the Holidays

Christmas Ornament Pillow, from Pier 1 Imports

QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:

• Need to launder your slippers or fuzzy socks? With winter's colder nights, I've been wearing either my pink slippers or my black plush slipper socks for several days now. Both pairs are in dire need of visiting the laundry.
  

• Do you use an Advent calendar with your children? Either the paper or wooden kind? Any supplies you need to get for your Advent calendar to be ready? Coins, stickers, chocolates?
  

• Know where your snow shovel is? Can you get it out when you need it, in case it snows in your area this month? Do you need to buy rock salt? Do you have an ice scraper in your car for your windshield and windows?
  

• How is your family newsletter coming along, if you write one? Is your holiday card writing and mailing going along according to your schedule?
  

• Made a plan for your family's charity contributions and/or charity activities this season?
  

TODAY'S PROJECT: Decorating for the Holidays

Jingle Elf Ball Ornaments, from Crate and Barrel

Today I am removing the last vestiges of my fall and Thanksgiving decor: anything purple, green, brown or orange. Next I will swap in my holiday candles, red tablecloths, red beaded coasters, gold and green glittery tablerunners, Christmas kitchen towels, and a red vase or two.

In my family room and my living room, I'm trading brown plush throws and pillows for red throws, white throws, and crimson pillows.

I've hung five stockings by the fire (one for each of my kids and one for my roommate). I don't think I'm interested in hanging stockings for my two dogs, I think that would be a little silly. I'll definitely sneak them some extra dog treats over the holidays though!

Over the past week I burned up the last of my orange, vanilla and pumpkin-scented candles. I also got rid of a couple candle stubs out of my hurricanes. Today I'll spend about fifteen minutes cleaning out candleholders and cleaning wax off my downstairs brick mantel. Then I'll set out my red holiday candles. I can't wait to see my home tonight glowing with festive candlelight and firelight.

Santa Ornament, from Macy's

I don't put a lot of kitschy Christmas stuff out around to clutter up the house (It's already cluttered enough with books and magazines!). I wouldn't have a plush Santa or an elf sitting on the mantel, I refuse to get hooked on collectible Christmas villages, and I won't have a wooden or plastic reindeer standing by the front door. I do use some garlands for the mantels (real, not artificial) when I find ones I like.

I use holiday colors when I set my table, decorate my couches, set out coasters for drinks to rest on, arrange candles, and choose houseplants and fresh flowers. Our bathrooms now have Target's Method Home "Fresh Currant" hand washes, instead of this fall's lemon verbena.

Tonight I'll go shopping for a wreath made of fresh evergreens and put it on my front door. I'll also start putting up Christmas lights in each window of the house - even the kitchen windows that you can't see from the street. They're there just for our own enjoyment.

Winter Emergency Preparedness

Vintage Kittens and Fireplace Postcard, on eBay

Seattle normally has mild winters, but every now and then we get hit by some sort of really bad storm. Whether it is ice, rain, floods, snow or wind, something happens that shuts down power for a day or more; floods streets so you can't get around well; or causes traffic disruptions.

Duraflame Color Logs, at Duraflame.com

I do sort of enjoy the enforced isolation, cozying up to the fireplace and marathons of book reading and movie watching that happen on a snow day!

But I'll never forget the year a windstorm knocked out power to our home for 7 days, and the Christmas we were snowed into our cul-de-sac for eight days.

Because of these things that have happened in the past, I'm careful to stock up in case I can't get out to the store for a few days. I don't go crazy and build a bomb shelter, or overstock so my house is cluttered. I just make sure I have enough pet food and people food to last several days. I try to strike a good balance between having PLENTY of supplies on hand, but not having my home or garage filled with emergency supplies that become clutter. I don't want my provisions to prevent me from enjoying my home.

TODAY'S PROJECT: Emergency Preparedness

• Are you keeping your car pretty full of gas throughout the week, in case of emergency? During Seattle's 7 day power outage years ago, gas stations were unable to fill tanks and we were stranded at home for days. I'll never let my car stay below at least half a tank in wintertime again.
  

• Do you keep some cash on hand? In a power failure, ATMs won't work to dispense cash, and debit cards are useless if the store isn't powered. I remember shopping at a Rite-Aid by flashlight and paying for supplies with cash.
  

• When your local news says a bad winter storm is on the way, do you immediately charge up your cell phones and laptops, and run loads of laundry in case you can't for several days?
  

• Do you have a landline you can use to call people in an emergency? Remember that even if your cell phone is charged, it won't necessarily work. In a city-wide power outage, the cell towers that move the phone calls around are probably out of power too, so your cell phone will be useless.
  

• How would you heat food if the power was out? How would you open cans?
  

• How would you light and heat your home if the power and/or gas were out?
  

• If you have a wood fireplace, do you have real wood, not just pretty Duraflames? They put out lots of nice light, but not enough heat to keep people warm overnight.
  

• Where would you go if your home was too cold to live in?
  

• Do you have plenty of extra warm bedding? One or two comforters per person isn't enough in a power outage in a cold snowy area.
  

• You probably have enough batteries for your flashlight for a day long emergency. But do you have any idea how fast you go through flashlight batteries when your power is out for a week and you need a flashlight to find your clothes in your closet, your pets under beds, to take a shower by, to find your food in the pantry? And you can't buy more batteries because the stores are closed or sold out of batteries because 1 million people in your city suddenly bought and hoarded them, or because you don't have any cash to buy batteries and the store's cash register is electronic?
  

• Do you know how to light the pilot light on your gas appliances if they normally have an electric switch? Do you know how to light your gas stove using matches, not just the switch?
  

BE PREPARED AND PLAN AHEAD:

What would you do if your power was out for an extended time? We used to think we'd just go to a hotel, but we never anticipated an entire city of over a million people being out of power at the same time. The hotels were all sold out. Plus we didn't really have enough gas to drive to a hotel without stressing out about running out of fuel on the way there.

Do you know how to get home to your house more than three or four different ways (if applicable)? Do you know more than one route to your favorite two grocery stores? Do you know which local websites you can check for street closures or emergency info (assuming you have power?) Do you have flashlights, candles, matches, and firewood?

Which is the best radio station in your area to keep you informed about current traffic and weather conditions, especially when a disaster strikes?

Have you talked recently with local friends and family members about your plans if someone's household loses power or has another winter emergency? Do you know who you'd stay with if you couldn't stay comfortably in your home? Do you know who you might need to lend a helping hand to if your home was ok but a family member's wasn't?

Emergency Candle, on Amazon

Like me, you probably have a LOT of candles in your house. But when you're keeping a candle lit in the bathroom, kitchen, hallway and living room all at the same time, for over 12 hours a day, you burn through candles a lot faster than you could ever anticipate. (I liked having a few "lights on" in rooms we used frequently, so we didn't have to wander back and forth with dangerous drippy tapers). It was great to get rid of all the weird odds and ends of candles I'd hoarded over the years, but I ended up wishing I'd had some nice new plain white unscented candles in various sizes.

And while you can sort of read by the light of one candle, it gets tiring after a while. I was really surprised, and it made me think a lot about people and their early bedtimes in olden days! You'd really need three or four candles to read comfortably or play board games with your houseguests. Experiment with it sometime and see - be sure to close your curtains to shut out any streetlights that might cheat the experiment by sending light into your house. We were so surprised we were unable to play Monopoly just by the light of a roaring fire - it was too hard to see the pieces!

I found out a few helpful things: such as using colorful glow sticks in the bathtub to help small children bathe in the dark without being afraid. (Fortunately our hot water heater is gas). I learned you can easily cook scrambled eggs and pancakes over an open fire outdoors, but they cool off very quickly in the cold air so they should be eaten immediately.

Spend some time tonight looking through your supplies. Talk with your family about what you would do in case of flooding, fire, earthquake, snow, a tree hitting the house, and loss of power. You can do it gently and make it a fun adventurous topic so your kids don't get scared or depressed at all the "What if's."

Making Winter Festive

Philosophy "Snow Angel" Shower Gel and Shampoo, on Sephora

QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:

• Wrap a gift or write one holiday card
  

• Fill up with gas for the weekend if needed; stop by an ATM for cash
  

• Drop off Netflix or Redbox from the week; pick up a movie if you want to watch one this weekend
  

• Eat some fruit, if you haven't already today
  

• Quickly declutter one room, if any of your rooms need it.
  

• Sort mail table and pay any bills that came in lately.
  

• Recycle latest magazines/catalogs you are done with. I have a lot of catalogs this time of year!
  

TODAY'S PROJECT: Making Winter Festive

My cart full of goodies from Whole Foods: A tabletop Christmas tree; a box of Satsuma oranges; frozen appetizers in case of an impromptu party; and a dozen red roses I'll put in a red vase in my living room

Today I'm provisioning for the festive winter ahead. I'm stocking up on hot cocoa; buying tasty things for the holiday gift baskets I'll give to local friends and family; selecting greenery for my home (wreath, garlands and table centerpiece); adding things to my Christmas holiday baking cupboard; and buying fresh flowers to decorate my home. I'm also picking up a couple of red or green candles as I use so many during the holidays.

Whimsy Decor Collection, from Z Gallerie

When I get home, I'll be busy unpacking everything and putting it away. Later, I'll get out my Christmas lights and start the cold task of putting them up on the bushes and trees in my front yard. It's a pleasant chore, and I can look forward to hot cocoa (perhaps with a bit of rum thrown in) in front of the fireplace when I'm done.

LOVELY BEVERAGES: Holiday Spiced Plum Green Tea

I love the concept for this year's holiday tea offering from Republic of Tea. I'm personally allergic to cinnamon, so I won't get to try this. But I'm confident enough in this tea company that I'll be happy to gift this to several friends and family members as part of their holiday gift baskets.

Holiday Spiced Plum, at Republic of Tea

LOVELY BLOGS: Color Outside the Lines

This blogger shares his decorating inspiration finds, as well as letting us peek into his own beautifully decorated home. Currently he's focusing on Christmas decorations, posting about pinecones, decorating with greens inside, and showing us his past Christmas trees. This blog will make you eager to work on your own holiday decorating asap!

http://www.niagaranovice.blogspot.com/

LOVELY STATIONERY: Rock, Scissor, Paper's Holiday Cards

This is my favorite stationery store on the net. I love their vintage retro styled cards. They're colorful, cheerful, and best of all, the people I send them to probably won't have seen them around in the stores. I like surprising people with new pretty things like greeting cards. Check out the ladder back chair with gifts, the animal-themed Merry Menagerie, the oh-so-trendy right now owl card, and the peppermint martinis card.

Holiday Cards from Rock, Scissor, Paper

LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:

Edible Shot Glasses (Luxirare)

How "Crazy as a Loom" Studio Decorates for the Holidays (Crazy as a Loom)

Streusel-Topped French Toast Cupcakes with Maple Buttercream (Bakingdom)

First Day of December

Moonstruck Chocolate Advent Calendar, on Amazon

The festive season begins today! Ahead are long, dark, cold nights, hopefully sprinkled with a generous helping of parties, celebrations, events, guests, family and tasty shared meals.

I'm beginning to think about decorating, parties and holiday fun. I'm looking forward to nights spent reading books in front of my fireplace, visiting friends, crafting, throwing a party or two, and spending my first Christmas in my own home since I was a teenager.

What are you looking forward to especially this month?

QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:

• Pay bills, rent/mortgage
  

• Look over your list of upcoming birthdays this month. Write cards and mail now - it will get busier this month and you may forget later on. Order flowers, and send gifts if you're planning to.
  

• Make room on your calendar for at LEAST one night every week in December where you can stay home in your pajamas, de-stress, and spend time with family. You'll spend your time at home, not running around busily to events or errands. Guard this time fiercely for yourself. It's an important gift to give yourself and your family.
  

• If you use an Advent calendar or Advent house, time to get it out and stock it with small treats!
  

• Time to put up your outdoor Christmas lights?
  

• Have you planned your holiday party yet, if you're throwing one? Your potential guests probably already have every weekend evening booked for the next month. Better send out a save-the-date or invitation immediately if you are hosting a holiday party this year.
  

• Do you need to make any doctor, dentist, vet, haircut or salon appointments for the next busy 4 weeks? Any appointments you can put off until next month, to keep December saner?
  

• Check inventory of firewood, starter logs, matches, and candles (if needed and if you have a wood fireplace)
  

• Bundle up and go for a quick, brisk walk if you didn't get any exercise earlier this week. You can always treat yourself to a hot bath or extra long shower when you get back to warm back up.
  

TODAY'S PROJECT: Holiday Preparations

Equinox Bowl, at Z Gallerie

Do whatever you think you want to do to prepare for the holidays you celebrate. Start planning your cooking for Hanukkah; or go Christmas shopping; write holiday cards; decorate the house; put up lights; bake goodies; decorate a gingerbread house with your kids or nieces/nephews.

All this should be fun to you, not an obligation - or else you shouldn't be doing this. Holidays should be something you enjoy, not dread or feel stressed about. Not everybody is into the holidays - that's ok. For those of you who are - if you start feeling overwhelmed, cut out some of the things you normally do. Forget about expectations or doing things the same way every year so the kids have a tradition. Only do what you can handle and what will bring you pleasure.

Solstice Pillow, at Crate and Barrel

Need to pick out your Christmas tree? Find a wreath for your front door? Hang some mistletoe?

Today I'm putting on Christmas music, wrapping a couple of gifts, and getting out my Christmas decorations. I will put out my outdoor lights this weekend when I have more time (I put out a LOT of lights!) For today, I will have just enough time to put colored light strands in all of my front windows, upstairs and down.

Jilly Candleholder, at Crate and Barrel

Tonight I plan to email some friends and family members, making sure I have their current addresses and information for my address book. That way I'll have everything ready as I mail out my paper Christmas cards.

LOVELY BLOGS: Between Naps on the Porch

This is probably one of my top five favorite blogs I've shared with Lovely Living this year. Updated with such frequency, quality, and wonderful posts, I can hardly wrap my brain around how she finds the time to do this so consistently. There are posts on tablescapes, an entire section on movie houses, and a section devoted to parties. You'll love the picture-heavy posts here.

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

LOVELY GIFTS: Miniature Trees

I just love this idea for a gift: miniature tangerine trees. They can live indoors even in cold climates, as long as they have a light-filled window. I would be careful only to gift it to people with green thumbs though, not someone like myself who unfortunately seems to kill houseplants. The tree can be relocated outside during spring and summer.

Miniature Tangerine Tree, at Sur la Table

LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:

Sour Cream Pumpkin Tart (The Crumbly Cookie)

Individual Pear Crisps with Oatmeal Streusel (Baking Bites)

Spiced Strawberry Creme Brulee (Raspberri Cupcakes)

November's End

Sicilian Orange Candle, from Williams-Sonoma

Now November ends. December begins, with its month full of dark nights, wintry cold, seasonal holidays, festive parties, and family gatherings.

Let's be sure to have some fun tonight or this week before the crowds completely make restaurants and malls unbearable. Let's enjoy this before we get wrapped up (so to speak) in holiday preparations and all the busy times ahead.

QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:

• Need to send any thank-you notes? To your Thanksgiving hosts, perhaps?
  

• Look over your past month. Did you achieve goals you set for yourself? (Whether they involve personal growth, housekeeping, budgeting, crafting, cooking, socializing, de-cluttering, travel, book-reading, journaling, etc?)
  

• Make a meal that cleverly helps you use up your last remaining leftovers from Thanksgiving.
  

• If you're wearing slippers at night a lot, do you need to launder them? They can get sweaty and a bit smelly. How about your family members slippers?
  

• Put away any remaining autumn crafts or crafting supplies. It's time to switch to winter crafts.
  

• Need to catch up on any mid-week vacuuming or laundry?
  

• Try to remove two items from your bathroom counter and store them somewhere else (or get rid of them entirely!)
  

TODAY'S PROJECT: Pick-A-Spot Cleaning

Tonight's a schoolnight/worknight in my house. I don't want to involve myself in an enormous project, so I'm going to pick the very worst spot of my house and work on improving it.

Right now the worst spot is my upstairs living room. The carpet needs to be vacuumed and spot cleaned. The furniture is very dusty from having the dogs wander in and out of the rain. A light bulb needs to be changed, houseplants watered and tidied, and a couple dishes removed. A huge stack of magazines needs to be sorted, read, and recycled.

Lastly, the placemats I have on the side tables and coffee tables need to be laundered and put away - I'll be getting out Christmasy ones tomorrow anyway.

LOVELY BLOGS: Home Ec 101

This site offers "skills for everyday living." Learn to wash it, cook it, clean it, and fix it. The blog also offers a very handy printable weekly chore schedule. Heather posted a series of very helpful posts on a Thanksgiving countdown, and I suspect she'll have a quite useful Christmas countdown series too.

http://www.home-ec101.com/

LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:

Beet and Goat Cheese Tartlets (The Desk and the Stove)

Caramelized Mushrooms and Dumplings (Joy the Baker)

Gingersnap Cherry Cheesecake (Worth the Whisk)

Mini Pumpkin Tartlets with Homemade Cinnamon Whipped Cream (For the Love of Cooking)

Mozzarella-Baked Gnocchi (Cassie Craves)

Paprika-Spiced Cauliflower Soup (Saveur)

Spiced Strawberry Creme Brulee (Raspberri Cupcakes)

Tiny Giants: The Beauty of Finger Limes (Saveur)

Zesty Carrot Casserole (What's KP Cooking?)