My birthday was on Saturday, and I celebrated it all week long. I went to movies, dinners, parties, and then a big celebration on Saturday night. I had a wonderful time, but this meant I mostly neglected my housekeeping duties. My bedroom is so messy I can hardly stand it, and there’s lots of little things to catch back up with!
QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:
- Pay any remaining beginning-of-month bills, rent/mortgage, etc.
- Need to make any dentist, doctor, veterinarian or salon appointments for your family this month?
- Plan menus for the week and create your grocery shopping list.
- Look over your calendar for the next two weeks, checking for upcoming birthdays. Plan gifts, write and address cards.
- Plan to plant some flowers this year? Pick up some flower seeds at the grocery store if you haven’t yet already.
- Does your coffeemaker get used a lot? Is it time to run a cycle of white vinegar through it, then another cycle of hot water, to clean it out a bit?
TODAY’S PROJECT: Catching Up
I’ve put my birthday gown (a purple velvet one I got on sale at Neiman Marcus, a store I can’t usually afford to shop at unless there’s a huge sale) into the dry cleaning pile, put away my shoes, hand washed the glittery Kate Spade stockings I wore with it, and unwrapped my gifts.
Today I need to write thank you notes for the gifts and also to the people who came out to my birthday dinner; clean, declutter and sanitize my bathroom counter which got makeup all over it during my preparations to go out; wash my bedding as a sick cat has been sleeping on my bed and getting extra fur all over it; wipe down all the kitchen counters; vacuum the house thoroughly; sweep out the fireplace; clean the microwave and stovetop; and a few other tasks like that which got neglected during my last week of going out to dinner every night.
LOVELY BLOGS: Souffle Bombay
Colleen’s beautifully photographed, tasty looking recipes for everything from prosciutto and cheddar quick bread to roasted pineapple and browned endive with lime butter. Since I happen to have fresh endive and some limes in the house, I might try that one today!
http://soufflebombay.blogspot.com/
LOVELY DRINKS: Matcha Green Tea
I’ve been trying for a while to find the same delicious green tea they serve me at my favorite local sushi restaurant, Kiku Sushi. There are all sorts of delicious green teas (and boy have I tried so many!) but the tea from this restaurant had a particular flavor I just loved. I tried making matcha tea myself with the whisk and green powder, but it just tasted disappointingly like grass.
So last week while touring the new Uwajimaya store in Bellevue, I decided to pick up Republic of Tea’s canister. Delighted that it tastes the way I was hoping, I’ve been greedily guzzling three or four cups a day since!
Double Matcha Green Tea, at Republic of Tea
LOVELY MOVIES: Bridesmaids
This just looks like a fun, silly comedy – something colorful and cheerful to look forward to seeing in May. “Bridesmaids” looks like a perfect movie to see after lunch on a Sunday with my sister!
Bridesmaids Trailer, at Universal
LOVELY TV: Upstairs, Downstairs
Don’t forget that this Sunday, April 10, PBS is airing the first of three episodes from their new version of “Upstairs, Downstairs.” I can’t wait to see what this is like.
LOVELY LINKS FOR TODAY:
America’s Top 10 New Sandwiches – Veganized (Endless Simmer)
Apple Butter (Radishes and Rhubarb)
Chocolate Matcha Olive Oil Brownies (Passionate About Baking)
Grilled Cheese + Onion Marmalade (The Urban Baker)
Household Binder Project (I Heart Organizing)
No Grandbabies? Try Grandpuppies (CNN)
Peanut Butter Cookie Cups (The Urban Baker)
Raspberry Lemonade Bars (Handle the Heat)