Organizing Your Calendar

My friends have asked me a couple times about organizing my calendar. They wonder that with everything I have going on, how do I keep everything straight? That inspired me to do a series on what it is that I do to manage it all. So, I have to come clean with the ugly truth...my calendar:



Pretty scary looking, isn't it? Well, Rome wasn't built in a day. I have been working on perfecting my system for over 10 years. Now, you can benefit from my time well-spent. Let's take it one step at a time.

1. I use Google Calendar and therefore, this series will be in that format. The platform doesn't matter but the steps do. So, if you prefer another electronic version or even if you are a pen and paper person, you can find success with this method.

2. Write down everything you do daily. I mean everything. Showers, meals, work, working out...EVERYTHING. It will look something like this:

Sorry it is hard to read. I couldn't figure out how to post a day view:-(

3. Next, duplicate your daily schedule for the whole week, month and year. In Google, you simply go into the event that you have created and select "Edit Event Details" and then "Repeat". Next "Repeats"= Daily and "Repeat Every"= 1 Days. If you follow these steps, it will look something like this:

Now, you have the basis in which to springboard into true time management. From here, you can see where you have pockets of time to fill with tasks. You can also add calendars for everyone and everything that you are responsible for and color code it!!!! The possibilities are endless!!! Yahoo!! Sorry...I got carried away there:-)

Next week, I will break the calendar down into chunks of time. This shift in thinking will have you looking at your calendar and your time in a whole new light:-)

Time for Renewal

New Year's is a time for resolution. Make sure that you are on your list. Pamper yourself with a spa day at home. Candles, lemon water, homemade scones and jam and homemade manis and pedis...That is a great way to reward yourself for reaching your goals!

Not so Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom today but more Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies:-)

Peppermint Latte

My Peppermint Latte is one shot of espresso with peppermint syrup and steamed milk topped with milk foam.


I got an espresso maker for Christmas:


So, I put myself through barista school:-) Learned the difference between a latte (with milk and a little foam) and a cappuccino (a lot of foam and a little milk) and a macchiato (espresso on top of milk). I also made some flavored syrups to go in them and my favorite for this season is peppermint.
So, here is my recipe for Peppermint Latte. Enjoy:-)


Peppermint LatteIngredients:
1 shot espresso
1 tbs Peppermint Syrup (See Recipe Below)
3.5 oz milk, to steam and foam
1 Candy Cane (for garnish, if desired)

Directions:
1. First, make the peppermint syrup (see recipe below).

2. Next, brew the espresso per your manufacturer instructions. Pour 1 oz into your coffee mug.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of the syrup to the espresso.

4. Steam and foam milk per your manufacturer instructions. Add the milk to the espresso mixture and top with foam.

5. Garnish with a candy cane and enjoy.

Servings: 1

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: Entire recipe (6 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients. One of the recipe's ingredients was not linked. This ingredient is not included in the recipe nutrition data.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 132.59
Calories From Fat (15%) 19.53
% Daily Value
Total Fat 2.16g 3%
Saturated Fat 1.37g 7%
Cholesterol 8.54mg 3%
Sodium 48.24mg 2%
Potassium 195.65mg 6%
Total Carbohydrates 25.05g 8%
Fiber 0g 0%
Sugar 25.44g
Protein 3.56g 7%

Recipe Type
Christmas, Drinks

Source
Author: Susan Ewing

Recipe Cost: $1.37 (And how much do you pay Starbucks????)

Peppermint Syrup
Ingredients:
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
2 tsp peppermint extract

Directions:
Make the peppermint syrup by dissolving the sugar in water over medium heat. Bring to a boil and turn off flame. Add peppermint extract and let slightly cool. Pour into glass jars and enjoy in your beverage. Refrigerate the leftovers up to 30 days.

Servings: 20

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Source
Author: Susan Ewing


This is definitely a happy Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom !

White Christmas in the Making

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Holiday Lights

After years of pleading from my youngest, we finally gave in and put lights on the outside of our house:

I am actually really glad because I think it looks good! Very festive:-)

Girl Scout Ornament Exchange 2010

Every year, the Girl Scouts at my youngest's elementary school participate in an ornament exchange. The girls make three of the same ornaments: one to keep, one to trade with another Girl Scout and one to give to charity. It is a crazy loud event but one that reall speaks to the holiday and the spirit of Girl Scouts.

Here is what we made/traded this year along with the participation patch:

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies!

Fancy Flours

Many have asked where I got my chocolate transfers that I used to make my Ladies' Night cookies.

Answer: I got them at this site:

http://www.fancyflours.com

Happy shopping:-)

Christmas Cactus

This is what my Christmas cactus looked like last year:



It does not look like that this year:-(

Ladies' Night Cookies

Welcome new readers from Ladies' Night. I hope you enjoy looking around and if you see anything you like, email me at sewing@wi.rr.com for a custom order:-)

For my regular readers, I was asked to make these cookies for a Ladies' Night event last night. I just made sugar cookies, dipped them in chocolate and topped them with a chocolate transfer. Chocolate transfers are designs that are made in coco powder and put on acetate sheets. When you put them on melted chocolate and peel away the sheet, it transfers the design...hence the name:-) Anyway, here is what I came up with:

White Chocolate Floral

White Chocolate Purple Shells

White Chocolate Rose

Chocolate Lace

Chocolate Damask

White Chocolate Blue Lace

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies!