Aint Mimi

Weekend Linkage

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 15:55:00 +0000

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It’s time for my weekly extravaganza of good reads linkage.

For Those of You Who Don’t Comment on Blogs:: Chatting at the Sky

Tips on Saving Money in the Kitchen:: Cookin’ Mimi Yes this is my blog but there are some good tips here.

Top 25 Lady-Bloggers Who Love Jesus and Happen to Be Single:: HopefulLeigh

Read anything good lately, online or in print? Share in the comments.

One Year Later

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Wednesday, April 27, 2011 is a date that will forever be etched on many Alabamians’ hearts and minds. The many tornadoes that ran through the state that day left scars both visible and unseen. Even now I see images of mangled trees, bent and broken from the brutal forces, lumber and bricks where homes once stood and it still takes my breath away.

But in the wake of destruction something even more powerful sprang forth: hope and love.Twitter hashtags, Facebook pages, and blog posts were filled with needs, ways to meet them and people wanting to help. Truly Matthew 25 in action.

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So today I will hug my family a little tighter, say a prayer for those who lost loved ones, and know that Alabama and her people will continue to rebuild and will be stronger and better than ever.

Final April Goals Update and May Goals Announcement

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:50:00 +0000

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I had no real success with April’s goals but that’s okay I will revisit them another time. If you read last week’s post then you can understand why things didn’t work out so well. On the bright side sometime in the next few days I should have a phone and working oven.

May Goals:

Write an About Me Page.

My about me page has been in dire need of an update for months now so I deleted what I’d written and have slapped“Under Construction” up as a placeholder.

Comment on Seven Blogs a Week

I have gotten bad about not commenting on blogs and I miss doing that. Commenting on blogs is how I have made many of my blogging friends.

Finish the Summer Kick Off Series

This is a must do. I am working with a few other bloggers on a series of ways to kick start summer and it is going on the first week of June so this will be the first thing I accomplish.

Saturday Linkage

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 12:27:00 +0000

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The quantity of posts I’ve been able to read over the past couple of weeks has dwindled significantly but the quality has been amazing.

Those replies aren't what I want. I'm on the prowl for a gorgeous, shiny, high five "yes."
I recognize Garth Brooks warns us to tread lightly when pressing God for a yes, but I WANT WHAT I WANT WHEN I WANT IT DANGIT.

The post about God telling me to shut it. I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there at some point or another.

As a preschool blogger I’ve been thinking, what if we as a community really bought into this idea of sisterhood? What if we loved to love each other? What if we played nice every day and shared our toys (blogs)? After all, isn’t it the first thing we learned in preschool? Well, maybe it was the second thing after don’t eat the play dough. But still, playing nice is a valuable lesson we all could benefit from if we grew a little in this area.

Diary of a Preschool Blogger: Playing Nice. I love sharing the awesomeness I read from other bloggers by tweeting and sharing links on Facebook and on my blogs.

God doesn’t waste. He doesn’t waste talent or time or opportunities or experiences. And He knows what your right fit is. So if you find yourself in places that seem uncomfortable, like they just don’t fit or maybe like they’re just not good enough, fun enough, fancy enough or exciting enough? Just sit back, take a deep breath and think about Tinker Bell. Or wedding dresses. Or website design, circa 1998.

The Right Fit {and a little bit of pixie dust}. God has been giving me a kick in the backside lately via my Google Reader subscriptions and this post is one He’s used. I nodded my head so much reading it I thought I had turned into a bobble head doll.

What greatness have you read lately? Has God been speaking to you via unexpected places?

April Goals Update

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:51:00 +0000

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I haven’t done so well this month with my goals. It seems as if all the electronic gadgets in my home have decided to rebel at one time. My cell phone quit working, the oven quit working, my favorite slow cooker went out, and my internet connection has been spotty.

With all the adjusting I’ve had to do with regards to making sure everyone eats and it is something other than sandwiches my blogging has fallen by the wayside. I did not realize how much I rely on my oven until it stopped working. Hopefully I will be oven-less just a few more days.

I still have over a week to work on my goals and even if I don’t get them done I’ll try again another time.

March Goals Final Update and April Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:32:00 +0000

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This month has flown by. Hard to believe it’s almost April which means lovely sunny days and gorgeous blooms. I am so excited to share my progress on March’s goals:

Fill-in Food Blog Editorial Calendar:

Done. I have every post for the next three months planned out.It took a bit longer than I expected but that has to do with the fact I fancied it up a bit. Plain Excel Spreadsheets are rather drab and I like color. (As if you can’t tell from the blog)

Birthday Party Goodies:

Done sort of: As I mentioned last week the plan changed from me making the decoration for store bought cupcakes to just buying premade cupcakes. That turned out to be a really good thing since we had to bump the party back an hour or so and they would have melted in the 80+ degree weather.

Read Through Proverbs:

Done. Yay. While I didn’t accomplish my original goal of one book a day I did read the entire book this month.

April Goals:

My overall goal for April is to work smarter not harder. This blog has been on the back burner for months because the food blog takes up so much of my blogging time. I’m still trying to figure out what the vision for this blog which I think is a contributing factor to the infrequent updates as well. With that in mind here are my April goals:

Set Office Hours:

Instead of hopping on the computer off and on all day I am going to have set hours everyday to do things like Facebook and Twitter. It will mean more scheduling through apps like Buffer and Hootsuite for Twitter updates but it will free up more time.

Set aside one day each week to write the posts for each blog:

I sort of already do this. I try to get all my food posts scheduled a week ahead of time which help cut down on last minute mishaps. I think setting aside a day for each blog a week where I write as many posts as I can will help with both quantity and quality. Thursdays will be devoted to Cookin’ Mimi and Friday will be my day for here.

Take at least one day a week off:

I plan on Sunday being a day where the Internet doesn’t exist. I’ll avoid the computer, turn the email notifications off , and if I have to I’ll turn the data capabilities off my phone. A complete media fast each week isn’t feasible right now but one or two days of being offline will be a good thing.

March Goals Week 3 Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 03:26:00 +0000

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I cannot believe I forgot to check-in last week. Here’s how the last couple of weeks progressed.

Fill-in Food Blog Editorial Calendar:

I keep dragging my feet on this for some reason. It really doesn’t take that long if I would just do it. I’m really going to need some accountability on this one.

Make Goodies for a Birthday Party:

The theme was changed from Lego to Transformers and I have nothing to make cupcakes or cookies that look like Optimus Prime or Bumblebee so we’re going store bought instead.

Read Through Proverbs:

I am on schedule with the reading. I’ve had to do a couple of catch up days but I am where I should be.

So how about you? How are you progressing?

Saturday Linkage

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 13:37:00 +0000

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I’ve been a off and on reader of (in)courage for a couple of years but just subscribed a couple of weeks ago. I’m so glad I did because if I hadn’t I would have missed Give God Your Art.

I don’t think I can do one of these posts without including something on blogging or another form of social media. Case in point: 50 Tips to Battle Writer’s Block Parts One and Two from Blogging with Amy.

I normally save recipe links for Cookin’ Mimi but this week’s round up post is a themed one and this Easy Peasy Chocolate Torte from Money Saving Mom looks too good to not share.

March Goals Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 04:00:00 +0000

This is the first week goal check in for March and so far I’m plugging away at them. This month has already been hectic and it has barely began.

Fill in the food blog’s editorial calendar:

I’ve made some progress on this. I’m trying to come up with the most time efficient way of doing it. I had grand ideas of filling it out for the year but I think I’ll worry about from now to July.

Making goodies for a birthday party:

This has been changed a little. The party will most likely be midweek and the cupcakes would have to travel 50 miles or so before they even made it to the party. I decided to go with plain store bought cupcakes purchased in the town the party will be and I will just make the decorations for the tops. It would be a lot easier to keep a small container of chocolate Legos from melting than it would two dozen cupcakes if it turns off warm here in Alabama. I still plan on making the marshmallow pops and cookies though.

Reading through Proverbs:

I have managed to keep up with my reading. A couple of times I will admit was on the Bible app on my phone, very close to bed time but, as of writing this post, I am right on time with my reading.

Have you made any goals this month? How are you doing on working toward them?

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Ten of My Favorite Songs to Listen to While Cleaning

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:06:00 +0000

One of my favorite ways to make cleaning a little more pleasant is to listen to music. I find music with some energy to it makes the time go by a bit faster. Songs will be linked to a non-affiliate Amazon MP3 page.

1. Gasoline and Matches- Michael Grimm featuring Ann Wilson. I was excited when he won America’s Got Talent a couple of seasons ago and this song off his major label debut album is one of my favorites to sing along to while washing dishes.

2.New Orleans- Roomful of Blues. This is a find thanks to Pandora Radio. I really enjoy the horns section on this song.

3.Take a Chance on Me- Abba. I am not ashamed to admit I am a big Abba fan.

4.Knock on Wood- Seal For some reason I can picture this song being used for a Cha-Cha-Cha on Dancing with the Stars.

5.Come on Little Angel-The Belmonts Most music I really like is older than me.

6.Gimme Three Steps-Lynyrd Skynyrd. I big fat puffy heart Southern Rock.

7.Waterloo-Abba Another fun sing a long.

8.Cry to Me- Huey Lewis and the News. One of my favorite 80s bands does a 60s soul classic, that is awesomeness.

9. Rockin' Pneumonia And the Boogie Woogie Flu- Johnny Rivers. Probably one of my all time across the board favorite songs.

10.Ruby Baby-Dion. After hearing this song for the first time I can see why Jason Mraz was chosen to play Dion on American Dreams.

I could probably fill at least two more top ten lists when it comes to favorite songs for cleaning but I am stopping for now. Don’t be shocked if parts two and three show up in the future.

Linked to Top Ten Tuesday

A Little Housekeeping

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:53:00 +0000

If you have visited before you may notice things look a bit different around here.

I’ve done a bit of spiffing up on the old blog. Some things were to make a cleaner look and one very big change was out of necessity. I have changed the commenting system from Intense Debate to Disqus. I was having problems with comments not showing up and I’m not the only one who has been having problems. I was able to export all the Blogger comments to Disqus but haven’t been able to transfer ones from Intense Debate. That means I have lost a ton of comments. I’ll keep working and hopefully can get everything figured out.

I have also installed share buttons so any posts you like can be shared with others.

March Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:43:00 +0000

I am joining in once again with the 3 in 30 group where I choose 3 goals to conquer in 30 days. For March I have decided to go with concrete, once I’m done I’m done goals. One of these won’t be happening until the end of the month but that is okay.

Fill in my food blog’s editorial calendar

I already have the general themes for the year sketched out in a Word document I just need to fill out my calendar with what goes where and when.

Make goodies for a birthday party

I am making cupcakes, marshmallow pops, and cookies for a 5th birthday this month. I am excited about this.

Read one chapter of Proverbs a day.

Wisdom is a very good thing and we could all use a bit more.

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Ten Awesome Posts About Social Media and Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 03:34:00 +0000

Posts about social media and blogging can be found all over the place. It can be pretty overwhelming, if like me, you aren’t especially tech savvy. I am sharing ten awesome posts about blogging and social media written for “normal people”.

How *I* Write a Blog Post This is a ten post series from OhAmanda.com that covers her blogging process from editing to promoting. Love the concise, easy to understand chunks of information.
The Ultimate List of Pinterest Tips Blogging with Amy is my go to blog for the newest and greatest social media and blogging tips.
How to Customize what You See on Facebook. I am using lists on Facebook but this post on SavvyBlogging.Net showed me that I am not using them to their fullest potential.
I know many bloggers are lamenting the loss of Picnik. I’ve only used it a handful of times but I use two of the three editing programs {Photoscape and Paint.NET) mentioned in Photography Tips from One Tightwad to Another
To go along with the last post Southern Hospitality shared a tutorial on how to edit your photos using Photoscape
The Info You Need on the Top of Your Blog from Meet Penny. Yes, Yes, and Yes with her observations.
Blogging Productivity Tip: Find Images in Bulk Another great tip from Blogging with Amy. If you don’t subscribe to it already you really should.
How to Become a Twitter Ninja in Less than 30 Minutes a Day. Twitter is probably where I have the most difficulty with engagement.
How to Add Filters to Gmail. This is probably my biggest email timesaver because I can find a much needed email much faster in its own folder than the abyss known as my inbox.
How to Make Money Blogging. This 11 part series from Money Saving Mom covers a ton of ways you can use your blog to make money.

This post is linked up to Top Ten Tuesday

What are your favorite blog and social media tips for “normal people?”

Photo source for button :Enter Button by Petr Kratochvil

Pinned It Tuesday {August 16}

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 12:48:00 +0000

Highlighting some of my favorite Pinterest pins from this week.

Source: thiscrazyblessedlife.blogspot.com via Micha on Pinterest

Love this bag using a clearance t-shirt.

Source: homemakerinheels.com via Micha on Pinterest

Change the colors to orange and blue and add a tiger and this wreath would have a place of honor on my front door all football season long.

Source: busilyspinningmomma.blogspot.com via Micha on Pinterest

Refashioning a long sleeved tee into a lovely ruffled one.

Source: cluckclucksew.com via Micha on Pinterest

Love these pillows. I’m thinking about digging my machine out of the closet to make some of these.

Now it’s your turn to share what you’ve Pinned this week

There are just a few basic guidelines to follow:

Saturday Linkage

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 13:15:00 +0000

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I’m trying to improve my food photography skills to make the most I can out of my well loved point and shoot camera. I have seen some amazing photos taken with P&S cameras so I know it can be done. Because of that I have been reading every article and blog post I can on the subject and The Food Photography and Styling Tips post on $5 Dinners is going really helpful.

Rachel’s post Tiny Bits of Grace is a must read. Be warned though you may need a tissue or two after reading. Her post is a touching reminder of God’s love for us even in the seemingly insignificant things.

Tiffany from Eat at Home is running a series all month long called Drive. Play. Feed. Sport Season Suppers. Even if you don’t have anyone playing sports her suggestions will work for the times when life gets hectic. Say the week or two before Christmas if you’re a last minute shopper like me.

Lastly there are these:

{click pic for recipe}
Mostly because I want some.

What interesting reads have you found this week?

Pinned it Tuesday {August 9}

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:01:00 +0000

Today I am doing a themed version of Pinned it Tuesday. It’s all about fun birthday ideas.
I love birthday parties and baking cakes. I’ve made half of my niece’s and nephew’s birthday cakes. I’ve started pinboards with ideas for each of them. I don’t plan over the top ideas but I’m always on the look out for fun decorations and activities.

Source: eiselefamilynews.blogspot.com via Micha on Pinterest

This train would be played with until it fell apart.

Source: lifeasmom.com via Micha on Pinterest

The niece has decided she wants a Tangled party and I love this cake from FishMama at Life as Mom

Source: karaspartyideas.blogspot.com via Micha on Pinterest

Going along with the Princess theme is this wreath using cupcake liners.

Source: bigfatcook.com via Micha on Pinterest

These cupcakes would be perfect for the Lego lover in your life. Hard to believe the Legos are made from fondant, isn’t it?

Source: realsimple.com via Micha on Pinterest

Love this hint to make serving your cake and ice cream faster.

Source: socuteparties.blogspot.com via Micha on Pinterest

This balloon topiary would work for practically any birthday.

Pinned It Tuesday {August 2}

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the inaugural Pinned It Tuesday.

Source: thehappyhousewife.com via Micha on Pinterest

Felt Cookies. I am making these for the Auntlings’ Christmas presents this year. They need food for their play restaurant.

Source: meetthedubiens.blogspot.com via Micha on Pinterest

The niece’s birthday is this fall and I think this Dum Dum Topiary would be a cute dual purpose decoration/goodie holder.

Source: goddesshobbies.blogspot.com via Micha on Pinterest

Stretchy Reusable Bowl Covers. These would work so much better than plastic wrap or foil. While the initial investment would be more, they would last a lot longer and be better for the environment.

August Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:11:00 +0000

After taking an unplanned blogging vacation during July I have quite a bit coming up in August and beyond in some cases.

I will be resuming my 3 in 30 posts. I also took the month off from that as well.
Time Management & Me will be on the 3rd Thursday of every month.
I am going to try to blog 31 Days to Clean like I had planned in July.
I am going to start a weekly stuff I’ve Pinned linky in addition to Saturday Linkage. That will probably be on Tuesdays.

Saturday Linkage

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 11:18:00 +0000

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Source: jamiebg.blogspot.com via Micha on Pinterest

I've often thought that if Jamie and I had gone to school together we would have been BFFs and this post on Jesus and being green solidified my feelings.

I believe any stuff I have is actually on loan from God so I need to value it like I value Him. That definitely includes the plot of the planet I occupy. {source Jamie’s Rabbits}

I agree with that 111%.

I’ve mentioned Pinterest before and this is why I love it. I was browsing through pinboards and found:

Source: handmadespark.com via Tabitha on Pinterest

Foil and cardboard as a lighting set up? I’m all over that.

A little self promotion here but I’m not sure who reads my cooking blog and I wanted to share the Cajun dip recipe I posted earlier in the week.

Source: cookingmimi.wordpress.com via Micha on Pinterest

Source: gettingfreedom.net via Micha on Pinterest

I reuse all our glass jars but I never thought to spray paint the lids. Phoebe’s look is a lot classier than my jars.

Source: mangoesandchutney.com via Micha on Pinterest

Confession time: I don’t actually like S’mores. They are generally too sweet for me but these S’more cookies from Mangoes and Chutney look too good not to try.

Not Perfect but Better Nonetheless : June 3 in 30 Final Check in

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 10:57:00 +0000

This is the second month I have participated in the 3 in 30 Challenge. I’m learning what types of goals work best for me and the most efficient way to accomplish them. I am really looking forward to July and crossing off a few more things from my check list.

Here is how June ended up:

Recipe binder/household notebook. This is as finished as I can get it right now. We ran out of color ink for our printer and it won’t print at all until we replace the cartridge. If you’re curious as to what is in my notebook I wrote a post on it Thursday.
Drinking More Water This week was so much better. Matter of fact it isn’t 6 am yet and I am on my second large glass of water.
31 DBBB This has gone remarkably well. It is probably my largest success this month. It has improved my blogging already. I have focused more on Cookin’ Mimi during the challenges but I can apply what I’ve learned here easily.

Time Management & Me: Favorite Printables and What I Do With Them

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Last week I mentioned I would be sharing my favorite printables so I decided that instead of just giving you a bunch of links I will share how I use them. Most of the printables listed are free {love that price} but there are a few in my notebook that are only available to people who have a copy of the 31 Days to Clean E-book. I’ll mostly focus on the non 31 Days ones.

The Daily Docket, Cleaning List, Menu Planner, and Freezer Cooking sheets {and more!} can all be found at Money Saving Mom

The Master Menu is from Cookin’ Mimi {shameless plug here} The one for my personal use is slightly different from the one I have available for download.

The Monthly Goals sheets are something I’ve created for you. I have a Monthly Goal Sheet with the same categories {Personal, Blogging/Writing, Family, Faith, Friendships, Home, and Other} as mine and a blank Monthly Goal Sheet for you to fill in with the area{s} you’d like to focus on. They are both PDF files.

The Blogging Goals, HTML Cheat Sheet and Mind Mapping Printables came from Blogging Your Way. Click on the image in the sidebar.

June 3 in 30 : Week Two I am Making Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:03:00 +0000

Progress is the name of the game here. Especially this week since we had some unexpected happenings. They were happenings of the wonderful variety but it did throw my week out of kilter.

Recipe Binder. My recipe binder has morphed into more of a household binder which is actually better. I do have some recipes in it now which is an improvement over last week. It will have its own post next Thursday during my Time Management & Me post.
Drinking More Water That hasn’t happened much this week. There is always next week though.
31 DBBB I’m behind on that but it won’t take long to catch up.

How are your goals progressing?

Time Management & Me : Giving Hours a Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +0000

I’m sharing my time budget today. I can’t take credit for this fabulous idea; it came from the equally fabulous Amy at Blogging with Amy. {Folks if you blog you really should read her.} It is based on the concept of the envelope system of money management.

A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.
— Dave Ramsey

If you’re like me you have days where you wonder where your time has gone. By creating a time budget you’re giving a purpose to each hour of your day. My budget is still in its infancy and as time goes on it is very likely to evolve as my responsibilities and desires change.

Sleep 8.5 hours The 8.5 hours is what I shoot for. More often it’s 7-8 hours a night with the occasional 6 hours thrown in for good measure.
Margin 2 hours This is my something came up but I have extra time so it doesn’t throw the whole day out of whack.
Blogging 3.5 hours This is really all my computer time which includes Twitter, Facebook {personal and page duties}, email as well as writing and publishing posts.
Cleaning 3 hours I can guarantee you I won’t spend a solid, continual 3 hours a day cleaning. This includes things like hanging the clothes out on the line and washing dishes.
Bible Reading/Prayer/Getting ready for the day 1 hour
Cooking 4 hours. This is my umbrella term for all things food related which includes eating and photographing recipes for Cookin’ Mimi
Personal Time 2 Hours Aka Gibbs and Doctor Who time. This is my free time where I can do whatever I want/need to.

Your budget will likely look completely different than mine. I don’t have small children (or any children for that matter) so I don’t have to figure in time for homeschooling or going to sports or music practice.
Crystal goes into much better detail on how to create a time budget in her Time Management 101 series.

Last week I mentioned that I was going to share my favorite printables but that’s going to wait until next week.

Simple Pleasures {Volume 5}

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 05:01:00 +0000

A cold glass of lemonade while enjoying a warm, breezy, early Summer day.

31 Days to Clean

noreply@blogger.com (Micha @ Cookin' Mimi) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:50:00 +0000

I am going thru Sarah Mae’s e-book 31 Days to Clean and I am wanting to blog my experiences and thoughts on it. I’ve read through it and think it will go very well with my Time Management & Me series.

I don’t usually like multiple posts in one day as a reader and so I avoid posting more than once a day. That brings me to the entire point of this post- would you rather have a weekly digest on Monday or one extra post Monday-Friday for the next 5 weeks or so? I’m only working through the e-book itself during the week so I can leave Saturdays and Sundays a bit more relaxed.