GreenStyleMom

The Time Has Come

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Tue, 26 Sep 2017 04:15:00 +0000

The time has come. The time is now. Just go go go. I don't care how.

- Dr. Suess from Marvin K. Mooney

Today is my birthday, and I've decided to start blogging again. Just not in this space anymore.

Come see me at KristenLynneLife.com!

Easter 2017

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 23:33:00 +0000

This is mostly for me to reference next year when I can't remember what we enjoyed about Easter this year. Matt worked nights through the weekend, so we kept our Easter pretty low key this year. Just the four of us which was really nice.

(I also can't get Instagram to work on my phone which is limiting my social media - not a bad thing - but also keeping me from blogging since I like to edit photos there before sharing them here. Maybe I'll get that figured out soon)

Holy Saturday
We dyed eggs from our chickens. Nothing fancy, just used a grocery store package.

We also made Krispy Easter Eggs, wrapped a few up cute, and shared some with a few younger neighbor kids. Kids had a good time doing this, and we'll definitely add it our annual repertoire.

Jack had left carrots and popcorn and orange juice for the Easter bunny. He is at this in-between stage where he knows it is all not real and yet he can't quite let go of his belief.

Easter Morning
I was up early to hide eggs and set up Easter baskets - each had a stuffed bunny, a CD, and a packet of seeds (cactus for Kate & sunflowers for Jack).

I started the hot cross buns (this is a really good recipe!) and cut up fruit while the kids did their egg hunt.

When Matt got up late morning, we had hot cross buns and fruit salad (grapefruit, oranges, grapes & bananas) outside in the sunshine.

Easter Afternoon & Dinner
We took a scenic drive up Rampart Range Road from Garden of the Gods up to Woodland Park, had a quick picnic, and did a fun hike (Avenger Claim Loop). A nice family outing to avoid the holiday crowds.

After a little nap, I finished up Easter dinner. It all went really well together.
Brown sugar ham steak (usually I do Honey Baked ham but since we didn't have a crowd, this was perfect)
Hoosier potatoes (there would be mutiny if I didn't fix this!)
Shredded Brussel sprouts
Lemon Garlic Broccoli (this was just eh)
Blintzes with Strawberries

Thoughts for next year

Make smaller crepes for blintzes
Serve hard boiled eggs for breakfast or some other protein
Do most of food prep on Saturday
Add roasted carrots to dinner

PS - I know of 2 chocolate eggs that haven't been found yet!!

2017 Reading List - March

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 15:28:00 +0000

Finished in March: 7 (highlighted)
YTD: 21

Books I've Started and Want to Finish
~~Truly, Madly, Guilty~~
~~The Hoarder in You~~
12 Steps to a Compassionate Life
Intimacy
The Dance of the Dissident Daughter
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
Your Brain at Work
More or Less

Fiction
The Red Tent
~~The Underground Railroad~~
'Til the Well Runs Dry
The Three-Year Swim Club
~~After You~~
A Game of Thrones
Olive Kitteridge*
Life After Life
Pitch Dark
Youngblood Hawke
Seven Eves
Blue Remembered Earth
War and Peace
Miss Jane
~~The Nix~~
~~Imagine Me Gone~~
~~Behind Closed Doors~~

Non-Fiction
~~The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything~~
Love is Never Enough
New Seeds of Contemplation
Origins
Salt Sugar Fat
~~How We Do It~~
When Women Were Birds
Brain Chains
The Organized Mind
Hustle
Raising Happiness
Why Isn't My Brain Working?
365 Days of Wonder
On Living
~~Always Know What to Say~~
Hillbilly Elegy
H is for Hawk

Children's Literature
Out of the Silent Planet
Watership Down
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Hattie Big Sky
Kira-Kira
Lord of the Deep
Missing May
~~Call it Courage~~

Added Books
~~Wave~~
~~Our Souls at Night~~
Born a Crime
~~Small Great Things~~
The Like Switch
Chasing Monarchs
~~The Shoemaker's Wife~~
~~The Summer Before the War~~
The Time Between
~~Lion~~
~~Organizing From the Inside Out~~
~~I'll Always Write Back~~
The Kaizen Way
~~Norwegian By Night~~
Chains
He's Gone
~~A Matter of Days~~

2017 Reading List - February

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Tue, 07 Mar 2017 15:28:00 +0000

Finished in February: 4 (highlighted)
YTD: 14

So I didn't finish much last month, but I started A LOT. Thinking I'll have more finishes in March.

Books I've Started and Want to Finish
~~Truly, Madly, Guilty~~
~~The Hoarder in You~~
12 Steps to a Compassionate Life
Intimacy
The Dance of the Dissident Daughter
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
Your Brain at Work
More or Less

Fiction
The Red Tent
~~The Underground Railroad~~
'Til the Well Runs Dry
The Three-Year Swim Club
~~After You~~
A Game of Thrones
Olive Kitteridge
Life After Life
Pitch Dark
Youngblood Hawke
Seven Eves
Blue Remembered Earth
War and Peace
Miss Jane
The Nix
Imagine Me Gone
Behind Closed Doors

Non-Fiction
~~The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything~~
Love is Never Enough
New Seeds of Contemplation
Origins
Salt Sugar Fat
~~How We Do It~~
When Women Were Birds
Brain Chains
The Organized Mind
Hustle
Raising Happiness
Why Isn't My Brain Working?
365 Days of Wonder
On Living
~~Always Know What to Say~~
Hillbilly Elegy
H is for Hawk

Children's Literature
Out of the Silent Planet
Watership Down
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Hattie Big Sky
Kira-Kira
Lord of the Deep
Missing May
~~Call it Courage~~

Added Books
~~Wave~~
~~Our Souls at Night~~
Born a Crime
Small Great Things
The Like Switch
Chasing Monarchs
~~The Shoemaker's Wife~~
The Summer Before the War
The Time Between
Lion
~~Organizing From the Inside Out~~
~~I'll Always Write Back~~
The Kaizen Way
~~Norwegian By Night~~
Chains
He's Gone

Weekend Review - First of March

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 23:37:00 +0000

We were undecided up until late Friday evening about whether to stay home this weekend or go to the mountains. In the end, the spring-like weather convinced us to stay home.

A little spring

So Friday after swim practice and volleyball, we ordered pizza and watched the original Jurassic Park movie.

After sleeping in late Saturday morning, Matt and I went car shopping. We've had a number of serious car accidents affect friends and family in the last few weeks, and since my vehicle is 10+ years old with 165K+ miles, we decided it is time to upgrade. No decision was made this weekend but hopefully soon.

Saturday evening we went with friends to explore Seven Falls and eat at Restaurant 1858. Despite being a bit chilly - actually COLD by the end - we had fun walking around and ate a great meal. Looking forward to going back when it is warmer, and it is our new place to take out of town guests.

Canyon walk to Restaurant 1858

Both kids had sleepovers elsewhere on Saturday night, so Matt and I woke up to an empty house Sunday morning! We went out for a nice breakfast the Ivywild School and then browsed more new vehicles.

The rest of Sunday was simple pleasures and little errands. I took a nice, long walk with a friend then took Tripper for a run, Matt got a bike ride, Jack spent most of the day with a friend, and Kate practiced volleyball at a friend's house. Felt like we ended the weekend rested and caught up with life.

Weekend Review - Kate's Birthday Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 21:29:00 +0000

Oh, dear. These posts are sliding further and further back in the week! The weekend is starting, and I'm just now posting about last weekend. Going to try get back to my Sunday night weekend post.

Last Friday was Kate's 13th birthday! I have a teenager! Matt got our traditional donuts and balloons for breakfast. I made her favorite meal for dinner - French dip sandwiches with roasted brussel sprouts and carrots (ok, the veggies aren't her favorite but she likes them). We ate right after school because she had both swim and volleyball that night. While she was practicing I ran out for an ice cream cake from Josh & John's, and we had our little cake and presents celebration late (after 10PM!)

Saturday morning was a make-up piano lesson for Jack and errands and getting ready to go to The Great Wolf Lodge! A nearby location just opened this winter, and kids have been excited to try it out. Matt was on call all weekend, so I invited a friend for each of the kids and made a last minute decision to go stay.

(There are plenty of reviews online about staying at Great Wolf Lodges, so I don't know that I need to add to it right now. But I definitely have some thoughts that maybe I'll share at some point.)

All Saturday afternoon and evening and Sunday morning and afternoon were spent at the lodge. Matt was able to come for a few hours Saturday evening. There was lots of waterpark play, MagiQuest for the boys, ropes course for the girls, pizza dinner, and a little mini birthday party for Kate.

I was EXHAUSTED when we arrived home Sunday late afternoon. I fell onto the couch and did nothing the rest of the evening!

Weekend Review - President's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 18:16:00 +0000

I want to record all our weekends in 2017, because it is nice to have a record of what we are doing. So easy to forget. I almost can't remember what we did this last weekend, just a few days ago!
*****************************

Saturday was a lovely day with NOTHING planned. Kids wanted Swedish pancakes for breakfast, so I made a huge pile of them. We did some house work, ran some errands, and just caught up on life. Kate and I had a girls' date with pedicures and a little shopping. We had planned to do a family movie night, but Jack was invited to have dinner with a neighbor friend so the rest of us just had a lazy evening.

Sunday morning we were up early and made crepes for breakfast (we love eggy pancakes of all nationalities!). Then Kate and I showed up at the Humane Society for foster training that is NEXT month. Doh! Since we were up and out, we ended up downtown getting drinks from a coffee shop and window shopping.

Matt and I did a bike ride Sunday afternoon (I haven't been on my road bike in years - we rode up to a bike shop and I got a new *pink* helmet) while Jack played with a neighbor friend and Kate did some pet sitting with one of her friends.

Matt and I had a 50th birthday bus party to attend Sunday evening. Everyone was dressed up in their leather, lace and sequins and on the party bus with no idea where we were headed. What a fun surprise to pull up to TopGolf an hour later! Super fun. Ended the night with dessert and piano in the lobby of The Mining Exchange.

President's Day was a bit normal and uneventful for us. Matt was up early as he was worked in Alamosa, CO for a couple days this week. While there was officially no school, we still saw tutors and had sport practices. We also had our Humane Society foster home inspection... more about that after we complete our foster training... NEXT month. Ha!

Weekend Review - Last Swim Meet (For Now)

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 04:32:00 +0000

Another swim meet weekend!

The kids and I drove to Littleton Friday afternoon for Kate's evening swim. She swam the 200 backstroke and made her state cut (unfortunately Kate turns 13 the day the meet starts which makes her ineligible to swim). We grabbed a late bite with some other swimmers and headed to the hotel for the night. It was extra fun to have one of Kate's swim mates staying with us.

We were up early Saturday morning for the meet. Pretty routine, uneventful session.

We got home early afternoon with a quick turn around to get Jack to a piano lesson (he missed his normal time last week due to the flu). Kate planned and made a big veggie salad dinner for us, and afterwards we lit a fire and played a few rounds of Clue. Jack and I also worked on a puzzle while listening to our audiobook.

Woke early Sunday to snow and made the drive back up to the swim meet. Another fairly uneventful session. And the last of our family's short course season. We were home again by early afternoon, and all of us were tired. Spent the rest of Sunday unpacking, doing laundry, watching a movie, finishing the puzzle and doing some baking.

Matt had been skiing with friends in Utah since the middle of last week. He arrived home late afternoon - with the flu! I'm the only one to not fall victim to the bug... fingers crossed I don't get sick this week.

Also no photos again this weekend... I need to get on that!

Weekend Review - Super Bowl Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 03:33:00 +0000

(Apparently if you want something you've written to show up on your blog, you actually have to hit the "publish" button... so here's a late review of last weekend...)

This weekend felt odd because it *sorta* felt like we left Kate home alone for the weekend (although technically we did not). She had a birthday party sleepover Saturday night with friends and a Super Bowl party on Sunday evening, but the rest of us spent the weekend in the mountains.

Matt and Jack drove up to the mountains with Jack's friend Noah and his dad on Friday night. Saturday morning Noah's mom (my friend Kerri) and I drove up to join the boys. As soon as we got there, we changed and headed out to ski. The boys were already skiing, and we eventually met them for lunch and more skiing together.

Saturday night the tween boys were super excited to be left with pizza and computers while the adults had a double date. We ate way too much at an adorable little French restaurant Le Petit Paris.

Jack woke up sick on Sunday morning (no surprise as Kate officially had flu A the week before), so the dads went skiing, the moms stayed home doing a puzzle, and the boys did a bunch of nothing.

Jack & Tripper sleeping on the drive home
(I did a very poor job of taking photos last weekend!)

We listened to the first half of the Super Bowl on the drive home and watched the second half at home. I was so happy to see Kate when she came home after her party, and we all fell into bed early and
exhausted.

2017 Reading List - January

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Fri, 03 Feb 2017 16:49:00 +0000

Finished in January: 10 (highlighted)
YTD: 10

Books I've Started and Want to Finish
~~Truly, Madly, Guilty~~
~~The Hoarder in You~~
12 Steps to a Compassionate Life
Intimacy
The Dance of the Dissident Daughter
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
Your Brain at Work
More or Less

Fiction
The Red Tent
~~The Underground Railroad~~
'Til the Well Runs Dry
The Three-Year Swim Club
After You
A Game of Thrones
Olive Kitteridge
Life After Life
Pitch Dark
Youngblood Hawke
Seven Eves
Blue Remembered Earth
War and Peace
Miss Jane
The Nix
Imagine Me Gone
Behind Closed Doors

Non-Fiction
~~The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything~~
Love is Never Enough
New Seeds of Contemplation
Origins
Salt Sugar Fat
~~How We Do It~~
When Women Were Birds
Brain Chains
The Organized Mind
Hustle
Raising Happiness
Why Isn't My Brain Working?
365 Days of Wonder
On Living
~~Always Know What to Say~~
Hillbilly Elegy
H is for Hawk

Children's Literature
Out of the Silent Planet
Watership Down
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Hattie Big Sky
Kira-Kira
Lord of the Deep
Missing May
~~Call it Courage~~

Added Books
~~Wave~~
~~Our Souls at Night~~
Born a Crime
Small Great Things
The Like Switch
Chasing Monarchs
The Shoemaker's Wife
The Summer Before the War
The Time Between
Lion (started this but then Kate took it to read)
~~Organizing From the Inside Out~~

DayBook 1.30.17

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 13:44:00 +0000

Outside my window... just starting to get light.

I am hearing... furnace warming the house up.

I am feeling... tired. Didn't sleep well.

I am thinking... that I'll take a nap later.

I am thankful for... warm winter days.

From the kitchen... I made 2 whole chickens in the pressure cooker. Worked well and fast, although I'm not sure I got as much meat as when I make it in the slow cooker. Maybe it was just these chickens? Having quinoa enchilada casserole for dinner tonight. Need to plan out the rest of the week.

I am wearing... jeans and an old sweatshirt.

I am creating... a project with Jack.

I am going... to make dentist appointments. They got put off with my eye surgery.

I am reading... another week of not much reading! I got sucked into the HBO series The Leftovers and watched that before bed most nights. So still slowly reading Olive Kitteridge and Intimacy as my fiction, Untangled as my nonfiction, and Lord of the Deep out loud to Jack. Kate stole Lion so I'll have to get back to that one. Almost finished with the audiobook The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything

I am hoping... to finalize some of our spring break plans soon.

Around the house... excited about our remodel. Cleaned out children's books last week, might work on my books this week.

In the garden... thinking a bit about landscaping with our remodel.

In the homeschool room... lots of science projects. Lots of reading/audiobooks.

How I am exercising... sore all last week from strength training. Sore again this morning from skiing this weekend. Going to do a short, easy run today.

A few plans for the week... mostly normal week. I'm going to do a trip to Denver, Matt has a day off, couple homeschool library programs, and Kate has a birthday party AND a Super Bowl party.

Weekend Review - Last of January

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 03:09:00 +0000

Had a wonderful weekend up in the mountains!

After swim practice on Friday evening, we drove up into the mountains. A friend's teenager hitched a ride with us which made for more interesting conversation than we normally get with our own kids.

I was up relatively early on Saturday morning to work on a few projects, while the rest of the gang slept in fairly late - 10ish? Despite our late start, we still got a good few hours of skiing. The snow was great, the mountain not crowded, and everyone was in good moods. The girls headed home a little earlier than the boys (so they could ski the stuff we don't like - double blacks, bumps, etc.). Kate worked on a school project, and I took the dogs for a snow hike. Later the kids and I taught ourselves to play Yahtzee.

Warming Up Hut

Town was crazy busy Saturday because of two festivals - The Fire Arts Festival (Instagram video) and the International Snow Sculpture Championships. We visited both on Saturday evening with a stop at Park and Main for dinner and Mary's Mountain Cookies for dessert to take home. Back at home, we all played Yahtzee while watching the X Games on TV.

Winning Sculpture

Sunday morning was a bit of a repeat only the gang didn't sleep quite as late. We had another great day of skiing. Great conditions, no crowds. We got up high and skied some big bowls. Kids looked great, but my legs are sore!

See Kate on the lift chair behind us?
She missed our chair! Ha!

Home now and getting ready for the week. My bed and book are calling for me already!

"Eye" Got the Best News!

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 01:31:00 +0000

See this smile and those normal looking eyes?

That's the look of someone who got the all clear at her eye appointment today!

While I'm not absolutely out of the woods, the chance of my ingrowth returning at this point is extremely low.

Plus I have really close to 20/20 vision in that eye, which should just continue to improve.

Don't have to go back for 2 months!

DayBook 1.23.17

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 16:30:00 +0000

Outside my window... a sunny Colorado day!

I am hearing... Kate blowing her nose and Tripper scratching at the back door.

I am feeling... unmotivated.

I am thinking... that I need some vitamin D in the form of sunshine.

I am thankful for... HBO/Netflix/Amazon to entertain me when I'm folding mountains of laundry.

From the kitchen... I have NO IDEA what to make this week. Nothing really sounds good. Gah. I am going to try a whole chicken in the pressure cooker that I got for Christmas.

I am wearing... dark skinny jeans and pink, embroidered thermal tee. Hoping to be in running clothes later this morning.

I am creating... adults. That's what I keep telling myself when dealing with my kids. Teen/tween years are not easy!

I am going... to work on my 3:1 compliments to criticism ratio with the kids.

I am reading... most of the same things as last week. Not so much reading time lately. Olive Kitteridge and Intimacy as my fiction, Untangled as my nonfiction, and Lord of the Deep out loud to Jack. I did add Lion and the audiobook The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything

I am hoping... that Kate feels better soon. She's home from school this morning. Considering going in this afternoon if she feels better.

Around the house... moving forward with a remodel, although still not convinced that it will actually happen. Planning to clean out children's books this week (I've been saying this for a few weeks now!)

In the garden... need to call tree trimming guys.

In the homeschool room... mid-winter slump. Lots of videos and audiobooks!

How I am exercising... slowly feeling more energy. Starting back with my personal trainer this week. Still haven't made it to Pilates. Running is still really difficult, but I'm slogging it out slowly.

A few plans for the week... monthly therapy appointment, tennis match, eye appointment, architect appointment, plus all our normal places to be

Weekend Review - Ft. Collins

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 04:44:00 +0000

Our weekend can be summed up in two words... Swim Meet!

Kate and I drove to Ft. Collins Friday afternoon for her evening events. She was coming down with something plus this was her first meet since breaking her wrist and, honestly, didn't swim all that well. We went to dinner at Music City Hot Chicken (um, yum!) with friends, and Matt and Jack arrived later that night.

Up early, early Saturday morning for swimming. Kate swam okay (still feeling sick), but Jack improved on all his events. That afternoon we ate lunch at Backcountry Deli and walked around Old Town Ft. Collins. Back at the hotel the kids ran around with swim friends. Matt had a work related dinner that evening, and the kids & I joined a bunch of teammates for dinner.

Up early, early again this morning for swimming. Kate was full blown sick and scratched her events, so she and I headed home early. Kate slept the entire 2 hour drive, and she never sleeps in the car! Matt stayed with Jack for his events, and they arrived home early afternoon. The rest of the day was unpacking, napping, laundry, and watching TV for those that didn't feel well.

Swim meet weekends aren't terribly exciting to write about, but we sure enjoy them!

16 Great Things About 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 13:29:00 +0000

I mentioned in my first post of this year that 2016 gave us our fair share of struggles. I have found myself (& weirdly other people) repeatedly focusing on that, and so I am making a list of 16 great things about 2016. Certainly not inclusive of every great thing in 2016 (and not in any particular order) but hoping it helps adjust my attitude...

1. Adding five baby chicks
to our little flock of backyard chickens

2. Spring break road trip to Pismo Beach, California
via some of Route 66

3. Kate being one of only 3 sixth graders
to make the school volleyball team

4. Girls' trip to Vancouver
with one of my dearest old friends and a new friend.

5. MINECON!

6. Learning to milk a goat

7. Trip to Tucson with kids

8. My niece and nephew coming

to visit Colorado TWICE in one year

9. Dolphin tour from Newport Beach -
never seen such a huge dolphin pod!

10. Having a moose hang on the ski run
behind our mountain home

11. Three school snow days in a row!

12. Jack going to mountain bike camp
and loving his new sport

13. Planting and watching grow
the succulents gifted to me

14. Kate making a state relay team
and the fun weekend trip in Grand Junction

15. Our summer fun in Minnesota/Wisconsin

16. Our end of the year trip to Baja

DayBook 1.17.16

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 03:45:00 +0000

Outside my window... it's dark, dark. I was hoping to do a DayBook blog post most Mondays this year. Since yesterday was a holiday, I delayed until today, and this morning suddenly turned into evening and here I am just finding time to write.

I am hearing... the furnace and the washing machine running. Otherwise a quiet house. In this moment, anyway.

I am feeling... ever so slightly overwhelmed. I kept getting side tracked today and didn't accomplish what I wanted

I am thinking... and planning our spring break trip to DC.

I am thankful for... two (mostly) working eyes! The one that had surgery still isn't quite back to normal but slowly getting there.

From the kitchen... I made a family favorite for dinner tonight - Three Sister Stew. Roasted some beets for me to eat through the week. I have the beet greens soaking to make baked eggs with greens and mushrooms. I also have all the ingredients to make (more!) Texas caviar and a new quinoa and roasted butternut squash recipe. Might have that tomorrow evening with crockpot roasted chicken. Our bread loaf is getting old, so I think I'll make French toast in the morning for the kids.

I am wearing... black jeans, a black & white striped tee, and my red & black buffalo check hoody shirt. Feeling like a hipster!

I am creating... some space in my life.

I am going... to fold the 3 baskets of clean towels that have stacked up at the bottom of the stairs. Am I the only one who notices them?!?

I am reading... Olive Kitteridge and Intimacy as my fiction, Untangled as my nonfiction, How We Do It as my audiobook, and Lord of the Deep out loud to Jack.

I am hoping... for some warmer, sunny days. I need to get outside more.

Around the house... ARC coming tomorrow to pick up donations. Slowly working on basement, waiting for Matt to go through tools so I can continue to clean out/organize our workroom. Thinking I might go through our children's books soon. Will be sad to clean out a bunch of picture books...

In the garden... not much right now, but will start thinking about spring projects soon. If we get a warm day, I might turn the compost. Also need to add some dirt to the chickens' dusting bin.

In the homeschool room... sorta just doing what we want to right now. Maintaining with tutors. Need to sign up for a writing class and an art class.

How I am exercising... ugh. Getting back to it has been tough. I'm doing a lot of walking, started slowly running but it's HARD! A friend just announced she's opening a fit studio just a few miles from my house. Can't wait for that in March!

A few plans for the week...a massage, a haircut, a swim meet, my first tennis match since eye surgery. Plus all the other routine craziness. When is my nap??

Weekend Review - MLK

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 04:05:00 +0000

I love a long weekend!

Friday evening we headed towards the snow! Kids had swim practice while Matt and I loaded up for the mountains. I'm always amazed that a 2 night stay in the mountains requires as much stuff as a polar expedition!

We arrived at our mountain home late, and Matt was adamant as we went to bed that he was going to have the kids up and at the ski boot store when they opened at 8:30am so we could be on the lifts by mid-morning.

The kids didn't wake up until 9:30... we didn't get to the ski boot store until 11:30... we took our first lift at 3pm... !!!

Girls on the Lift

So Saturday, we ended up having a lovely, leisurely, late breakfast at a favorite spot in town. Kate needed new boots, so while Matt worked on that, Jack and I wandered home and took the dogs for a little snow hike.

Snow Romp

We geared up after a late lunch and *finally* got on the mountain for our first few runs of the season! Because of the late start, the lines and runs weren't overly crowded. Especially nice on a holiday weekend. Home for hot chocolate, snow play, and relaxing.

Jack & The Snowman
(He built this with
the drunk 30-somethings
staying a few doors down)

Met up with one of Matt's college friends and his extended family (who have become friends over the years) for a nice dinner out.

May have been a family snowball fight on the walk home...

Matt was up early Sunday morning to ski with his college buddy. Kids slept in LATE! I got a few lovely hours reading in front of the fireplace. Late morning, the dogs and I went for another snow hike. Had to cut it short because I found fresh moose tracks on the trail (later confirmed when we saw from the chairlift a big indention in the snow with moose scat right off the trail I was on). I love moose but have no intention of meeting one while hiking.

Moose Track

That afternoon, we went out skiing again as a family. Another short session, but it was really nice - not too cold with nice, soft snow. More hot chocolate then packed up and headed home.

Snow Dogs

Today was half holiday for us. Matt had to work, Jack still had homeschool tutoring and swim practice, and Kate spent much of the day working on her science fair project at a friend's house.

This afternoon in honor of MLK Day, we went to a matinee showing of Hidden Figures with another of Kate's friends and our math tutor (I know, seems random, but we adore JoAnn plus we knew she'd love the story being a female engineer & mathematician herself). So good! Just go see it.

Matt had a work dinner, so the kids and I went out for hamburgers and stopped at Williams Sonoma where I bought them out of clearance hot chocolate. If you can still find any, I highly recommend it! It's not powder but actual shaved chocolate. Blended with whole milk in my Breville frother - YUM -doesn't get much better than that!

Quilt for Lucy

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 15:00:00 +0000

And another quilt I started a bit ago and finished up this fall for my niece Lucy's birthday.

The front prints are from a set of charm packs. Can't remember the name. Backing and binding is from my stash.

Quilted with wavy lines and loops. Tried a few quilted hearts. Need to work on that.

Baby Fish Quilt

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 14:55:00 +0000

Speaking of quilts...

A quilt finish for a baby boy born in August. I didn't get it finished until December!

Pattern from here. Not difficult, just a lot of little pieces. I love the subtle fish pattern since these are friends from swim team.

Pulled all the fabric from my stash. Backed with a wave & whale print (maybe from Connecting Threads?) and a stripey binding.

Really happy with how it turned out. Hope it gets used and loved!

2017 Quilt Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 15:38:00 +0000

I really, really, really want to get some WIPs (works-in-progress for you non-quilters) finished up in 2017. Mostly because my sewing room needs cleaning up, and I've discovered the best way to clean it up is to finish quilts and get them out!

Of course I'll get sidetracked and start some new projects... I'm thinking of some fun ones even as I sit here writing about finishes...

Quilts to Finish

Multicolor Madness - top is finished, have backing - just need to baste, quilt, and bind
Colorado Wildflowers - top is finished, have backing - just need to baste, quilt and bind
King Stars - top is finished, need to figure out back for this monstrosity
Low Volume Love Quilt - need to finish piecing the top - this one is a gift and so a priority
Green Quilt - this one is so old that I don't even remember what I was doing! Figure that out.
Star quilt - pieces cut, needs to be pieced, just lap sized so should go quickly
Boys' quilt - pieced the top but not happy with it. Need to figure out how to fix that.
Xmas quilts - won't finish these, but want to cut fabric to reduce volume
Bluebird of Happiness quilt - won't finish this either, but need some organization for it
Scrappy Pieces - this is a quilt as you go, need to keep adding little bits to finish

Colorado Wildflowers on the Design Wall

Other quilty sewing projects

Happy Birthday Banner - I made these for my sister-in-laws many years ago but never finished my own!
Holiday Table Runners - I want one for each season or holiday because they look so nice. Just need to not make it complicated for myself. Start with winter, Valentine's Day, St. Pat's, Easter/Spring
Quilted Throw Pillows - because I love them
Zip bags - for gifts
Christmas tree skirt - 12 months to make it!

I'd like to have a few quilts to hand bind during swim meets in January & February. I'm also losing my sewing room once our remodel starts (it's moving to our current guest room) so I'd like to make a bunch of progress in the next couple months.

DayBook 1.9.17

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 12:07:00 +0000

Outside my window... still dark. And crazy windy. I haven't slept the last few hours because I was worried a tree would fall on me!

I a hearing... the wind howling and the fire crackling and the furnace just turned on for the day.

I am feeling... anxious about this wind storm. But I've fixed myself a cup of tea, started a fire, and am snuggled under a favorite quilt with Tripper next to me. That makes me feel better. **While writing this post, Jack woke from the wind and joined me on the couch. Now he's sleeping on the floor!**

Right Now

I am thinking... about travel plans for this year. Exciting to wonder about what we'll see and do.

I am thankful for... a real fireplace.

From the kitchen... chili for dinner tonight (if I can fix the flavor - I used a new seasoning and it's crazy bland). Also going to try this chicken pesto and veggie recipe.

I a wearing... black leggings, a white turtleneck, and a grey cocoon sweater. Very comfy.

I am creating... a low volume quilt. I've never made one before, and I like it. The one I'm working on is a gift, and I already want to start another for myself.

I am going... to call the tree service first thing today. I want them to come thin the tree branches of my giant blue spruces.

I am reading... actual reading is still a bit hard on my eye. I'm slowly making my way through Wave (just a page or 2 a night). Jack and I are reading Call It Courage together. And I'm listening to Chasing Monarchs and New Seeds of Contemplation

I am hoping... that I can take a nap today. Was up way too early.

Around the house... working hard on cleaning out the storage areas of our basement. Just the workroom left. It's emptied out, now just slowly sorting all the junk that goes in there.

In the garden... hopefully the trees are still up with first light! I can't believe I'm starting to think about planting for spring. Considering doing some starts on my own. Just unsure if I'll remember to water them!

In the homeschool room... we eased into some homeschooling last week. I need to write out a plan for January.

How I am exercising... not at all the last 8 weeks or so. I'm going to do a couch to 5K plan to ease myself back into running. Today is supposed to be my first run.

A few plans for the week... hoping to meet wth our architect, Matt has a day off which is always productive, otherwise it's going to be a pretty routine week.

Weekend Review - 1/8/17

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 04:09:00 +0000

First full weekend of 2017.

Matt had to work early both Saturday and Sunday. The rest of us slept in both mornings.

I mostly puttered around the kitchen on Saturday - made chili, French dip sandwiches, kale salad fixings, marinated chicken, caramel fudge brownies, and Texas caviar (last two dishes for a potluck). Kate went to a friend's house to work on their science fair project. Jack went to a friend's house to work on Legos.

Jack's first piano recital took place Saturday evening. It was a low key event at the teacher's home, and Jack did really well. Despite the potluck afterwards, we got home pretty early and finished up the evening drinking hot chocolate and playing Hearts.

Casual Recital

I have no idea where my Sunday morning went... it has disappeared into a haze of reading, minor chores, and mostly doing nothing. This afternoon was beautiful, and I took the dogs for a good jaunt along the creek. It was my first long walk since my eye surgery, and it felt so good!

This evening we went to see Rogue One. So great! I cried when I saw Princess Leia. I haven't been to a movie in months, and our theater has made some big changes. Seats are now all reserved, but the seats are now fancy recliners. I only wish I'd had a blanket to cozy up with!

2017 Reading List

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 14:41:00 +0000

I planned to read 60 books last year and ended up reading about 80 (and I didn't read much the last 2 months due to my eye). I'm setting my goal at 60 again because I'd like to tackle a few long ones this year, but I'm guessing I'll end up closer to 80 again. I know I'll add books to my reading pile as I hear of them, but here's 50 books for my 2017 read list. That's a good start, right?

Books I've Started and Want to Finish (8)
Truly, Madly, Guilty
The Hoarder in You
12 Steps to a Compassionate Life
Intimacy
The Dance of the Dissident Daughter
Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
Your Brain at Work
More or Less

Fiction (17)
The Red Tent
The Underground Railroad
'Til the Well Runs Dry
The Three-Year Swim Club
After You
A Game of Thrones
Olive Kitteridge
Life After Life
Pitch Dark
Youngblood Hawke
Seven Eves
Blue Remembered Earth
War and Peace
Miss Jane
The Nix
Imagine Me Gone
Behind Closed Doors

Non-Fiction (17)
The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything
Love is Never Enough
New Seeds of Contemplation
Origins
Salt Sugar Fat
How We Do It
When Women Were Birds
Brain Chains
The Organized Mind
Hustle
Raising Happiness
Why Isn't My Brain Working?
365 Days of Wonder
On Living
Always Know What to Say
Hillbilly Elegy
H is for Hawk

Children's Literature (8)
Out of the Silent Planet
Watership Down
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Hattie Big Sky
Kira-Kira
Lord of the Deep
Missing May
Call it Courage

2016 Reading Wrap Up

noreply@blogger.com (Greenstylemom) — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 13:59:00 +0000

Goodread's says that I completed 78 books in 2016.

There are a few I didn't list in Goodreads, so I'm going to round that to 80.

My 2016 favorites...

Favorite Adult Fiction
Ready Player One
A Man Called Ove
The Dog Stars
Kitchens of the Great Midwest
The Time in Between

Favorite Adult NonFiction
Being Mortal
Missoula
Tiny Beautiful Things

Favorite Children's Books - Never Fall Down & A Long Walk to Water - both powerful reads

Longest Time to Read - Don't Hurt Laurie - I started this in my 5th grade classroom in Iowa, but didn't finish because we moved to Texas. I've always wondered about the end, so I ordered an old copy off Amazon!