Nancy on the Home Front

Organizing a Storage Unit

Until a week ago I had never had the need for a storage unit, nor had I even thought about organizing a storage unit. When we moved to the Pacific Northwest we decided to rent short term to give us an idea of where we wanted to settled. We are renting a small one-bedroom apartment for the short term. Moving from a large four-bedroom house to a tiny apartment meant we needed to put many of our belongings in a storage unit.

My son-in-law found a wonderful clean and dry storage unit just a few miles from our apartment. He even found pallets for us to place our belongings on so the boxes were not sitting directly on concrete. We rented two storage units so there would be plenty of space to organize.

You might wonder what organizing a storage unit involves? We decided ahead of time that we would place all the boxes and furniture along each side with a narrow aisle down the center. That way if there was anything we needed before we purchase a home we should be able to find it.

We made our desire known to the moving company and they assured us this would not be a problem, and they would organize the storage unit the way we asked. My husband met the movers at the units and explained to them how we would like the units organized. Again they assured us it would not be a problem. After hanging around watching that the movers did indeed move things the way we would like he felt he was in the way and came back to the apartment.

About four hours later the movers came to the apartment with the little bit of furniture and the few boxes that we would unpack in our small apartment. They said the storage units were all set and they went on their way. The next day when we went to check out the storage units were we surprised! One unit had barely anything in it and the other one was packed high front to back with no aisle in sight!

Lesson learned, don’t leave the movers unattended to unload the truck and be sure to check their work before they leave. Luckily the moving company was sympathetic and allowed us to hire someone to help us re-organize the units. After about ten hours each unit is organized with an aisle down the center. All the boxes are up on pallets and nothing is stacked higher than it should be.

Organizing a storage unit is not hard but it’s a lot easier to organize it from the beginning rather than have to touch all the boxes again to re-organize it! Have you ever used a storage unit? How did it work out for you? I’m hoping we’ll be moving into our own house in 4-6 months. In the meantime I’m taking a beak from boxes!

Goal Setting Weekly Update #43

Our new normal is setting in. Our temporary apartment is pretty much set up and we are adjusting to living in a much smaller space. I don’t expect we’ll do much house hunting in the next couple of months as we’ll be busy with the holidays and family. We are looking forward to finding a new home.

~~1. Find a new hosting site for my blog and make it secure.~~ Done! This was the first goal accomplished this year and I am so happy to have a secure website.

2. Monetize my blog. I have set up two affiliate accounts. You may be noticing links to my favorite items on Amazon. I’ve also teamed up with an amazing heirloom seed company, Mary’s Heirloom Seeds. Really don’t want to clutter my blog up with too many ads, however I sure appreciate any support in running this blog!

3. Create a cookbook. This is definitely getting put on hold. I had grand ideas of accomplishing this goal but I think it will go at the top of next years’s goal list!

4. ~~Be diligent about getting 10K steps in 5 out of 7 days a week.~~ I’ve decided to change this goal to 3 out of 7 days a week! Despite the beautiful weather we’ve been enjoying lately I have not been getting my steps in, this goal has been an epic fail! I am enjoying the fall colors here in the Pacific Northwest!

5. ~~As we continue to prepare for our house sale, continue to de-clutter~~. DONE!!

6. ~~Read 25 books this year!~~ Done! This goal may be completed but I am still reading! This week I read the book The Glass Butterfly by Louise Marley. I enjoyed this book, all about a therapist who decides to create an entire new life to keep her son safe. She starts her new life in the Pacific Northwest in an area I have been to which made the book fun to read. A bit of a suspense as well.

7. Have a consistent meal plan each week and prepare ahead. It’s so nice to have a kitchen set up once again. We share meals with my daughter and son-in-law several times a week which is fun. Nothing fancy but it’s nice to share meals and cook for more than two. Finally got around to making pumpkin chocolate chip scones which were a real hit. I shared the recipe last Friday!
8. ~~Finish 4 knitting projects.~~ Completed! Made two hats and two scarves. This goal is completed but I would like to knit a few small projects for the holidays.

9~~. Clean out our freezer.~~ Done! Living in a small apartment is taking some time to adjust to. No stocking up at this point because there simply isn’t enough room. I’ve always enjoyed having a full pantry and having everything I need at hand. The good news is that we live so close to everything if you need something you can just run out and pick it up and be back home in minutes.

10. ~~Take a few road trips and visit family and friends on the east coast that we will not see as often once we move to the west coast.~~ Done! Having completed this goal we are now looking forward to a new year with new travel plans. I actually have a bit of family here on the west coast and it will be fun to catch up with everyone.

“Stay focused, go after your dreams and keep moving toward your goals.“

LL Cool J

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For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting Nancy On The Home Front

Christmas Countdown – Baking Week

Of all the preparations for Christmas I think Baking Week is my favorite. I love to give homemade gifts and gifts I have baked myself are right up there as one of my favorite gifts to give. As we get into the busy holiday season you don’t have to feel stressed if you just do a little planning for the Christmas countdown.

Set aside the time needed to compete holiday goodie making. The first step is to make a list of all the people you plan to give gifts of food to. Once you have your list jot down the ideas of what you plan to bake. The third list to make is your shopping list. The last thing I want to do is spend my time running back and forth to the store. I like to make sure I have all my baking supplies on hand. Thus usually means making sure my pantry is well stocked with flour, sugar, eggs and butter as well as any spices I may need.

By being organized you can plan the days you want to do your holiday baking and know that you will have everything you need on hand. Before you run to the store to buy your supplies do a pantry check and make sure that you don’t have supplies on hand that you have forgotten about. A quick checklist will ensure that you aren’t wasting money by purchasing duplicate items.

Gather all of your holidays baking recipes and put them in ne spot. Don’t think that baking has to be a chore. Make it a family tradition to bake cookies together. Invite some friends over to bake cookies while the kids are in school. Another way to get a variety of cookies is to host a cookie exchange. Everyone bakes a couple dozen f their favorite cookies and each person gets to go home with a wonderful assortment of holiday cookies.

Once your baking is done wrap the baked goods in some sort of fancy package. Stumped as to how to wrap your cookies? Check out Pinterest where you will find more than enough ideas for creative gift packaging.

I enjoy baking and love giving gifts from my oven. By planning ahead and being organized I can enjoy the Christmas countdown and know that my friends will be receiving homemade baked goodies this year!

Pumpkin Scones

Enjoying some beautiful fall weather here in the Pacific Northwest and what better way to celebrate the fall than by making pumpkin scones! This is another King Arthur recipe. I love the King Arthur website, you can find wonderful recipes and I’ve never been disappointed with one yet!

These pumpkin scones are pretty to look at and even better to taste. They store well and are prefect with a morning cup of coffee or your afternoon tea. You can mix up a batch in no time. I’ve made these scones with both frozen and canned pumpkin and both seemed to work equally well. Mixing up a batch of these scones takes no time and chilling them for thirty minutes in the freezer is a must!

Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. Salt
¾ tsp. Cinnamon
¼ tsp. Ginger
¼ tsp. Nutmeg
¼ tsp. Allspice
½ cup butter
1 cup cinnamon or chocolate ships
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
Coarse white sparkling sugar, for topping

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. Work in the butter just until the mixture is crumbly. Don’t worry about a few large chunks of better. Stir in the cinnamon or chocolate chips. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and eggs until smooth. Add the pumpkin-egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until all is moistened and holds together.

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Sprinkle a bit of flour atop the parchment or pan. Scrape the bough onto the floured parchment or pan and divide it in half. Round each half into a 5-6” circle. The dough should be about ¾ inch thick. Brush each circle with milk and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar or cinnamon sugar, if desired. I used my mini-scone pan to make these scones, it makes 16 smaller size scones.

Using a knife you’ve run under cold water, slice each circle into 6 wedges. For best results place the pan of scones in the freezer for 30 minutes, uncovered. While the scones are chilling, preheat the oven to 425. Bake the scones for 22-25 minutes, or until golden brown. The edges should look baked through not wet or doughy. Serve warm. Makes 12 pumpkin scones.

Goal Setting Weekly Update #42

~~1. Find a new hosting site for my blog and make it secure.~~ Done! This was the first goal accomplished this year and I am so happy to have a secure website.

3. Create a cookbook. This is definitely getting put on hold. I had grand ideas of accomplishing this goal but I think it will go at the top of next years’s goal list!

4. ~~Be diligent about getting 10K steps in 5 out of 7 days a week.~~ I’ve decided to change this goal to 3 out of 7 days a week! This has not happened at all this week, once we are settled and back into a regular routine I am definitely going to get back into walking on a regular basis! In the meantime I’m enjoying life in Washington! We enjoyed a beautiful walk this past weekend our weather had been just beautiful!

5. ~~As we continue to prepare for our house sale, continue to de-clutter~~. DONE!!

6. ~~Read 25 books this year!~~ Done! This goal may be completed but I am still reading! Just finished the book Unwritten by Charles Martin. Charles Martin is one of my favorite authors and I have never been disappointed by one of his books.

7. Have a consistent meal plan each week and prepare ahead. Now that my pans are all unpacked and I’ve been to the grocery store I’ve actually come up wit a simple meal plan for this week. Nothing fancy but nice to enjoy some simple home cooked meals for a change. On the menu for this week Italian Wedding Soup, MarketPlace Meatloaf and Chili Chicken with Quinoa. It’s nice living next door to my daughter as we have been sharing meals.
8. ~~Finish 4 knitting projects.~~ Completed! Made two hats and two scarves. This goal is completed but I would like to knit a few small projects for the holidays.

9~~. Clean out our freezer.~~ Done! Living in a small apartment is taking come time to adjust to. No stocking up at this point because there simply isn’t enough room. I’ve always enjoyed having a full pantry and having everything I need at hand. The good news is that we live so close to everything if you need something you can just run out and pick it up and be back home in minutes.

“If you don’t know where you want to go, then it doesn’t matter which path you take.“

Alice in Wonderland, Written by Lewis Carroll

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For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting Nancy On The Home Front

Christmas Countdown: Browse Week

Christmas may seem like it is months away but it will be here before you know it. For many the Christmas countdown has begun. By spending a little time each week thinking about Christmas and jotting down a few ideas you will be able to relax and enjoy the holiday.

This week spend some time coming up with ideas for those on your gift list. Are there decorations you want to include for your holiday? What would your ideal Christmas be like? Are there activities that are important to your family at Christmas? Do you want o place an emphasis on the spiritual side of Christmas?

Ask yourself what’s important and take it from there. For me family is important. Just being with loved ones is what I enjoy. I love to give gifts but I don’t want the focus of our Christmas to be on the gifts. Reflecting on the real meaning of Christmas is so much more important to me.

I may have mentioned before that I do have a Christmas notebook. Each year I keep track of who I’m buying a gift for and what gifts we received from others. I also keep track of menu ideas and gift ideas I want to make. By writing it all out I can glance at it during the year and not limit my gift buying for the month of December! As our family has grown we also draw names so that you don’t have to buy presents for everyone! It keeps the gift giving process under control and simple.

What’s important for your Christmas? Do you have a large celebration with lots of family or a quiet day with just your immediate family? However you choose to celebrate spend a few minutes this week thinking about gifts ideas for those on your list. The Christmas countdown may have begun but you don’t have to be overwhelmed!

Silver Dollar Pancakes

I have a husband that loves maple syrup as a result I am always looking for different ways that he can enjoy maple syrup for breakfast. These light and fluffy silver dollar pancakes are seriously the best pancakes ever! They are only the size of a silver dollar and they have a tangy kick from sour cream. What makes them so light and fluffy? Beaten egg whites are what make these the best pancakes ever!

They may take a little more time than a boxed mix but they are well worth the effort. Because these pancakes are so small you can serve yourself a plate heaping with these tiny golden-brown fluffy pancakes. Next time we have company coming to visit I will be serving them these best pancakes ever!

Silver Dollar Pancakes

Ingredients:

¼ cup flour
1 tsp. Sugar
¼ tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp. Ground nutmeg
3 large eggs, separated
½ cup sour cream
1-2 Tbsp. Oil

Directions:

Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Beat the egg yolks and sour cream in a medium bowl until smooth. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Stir the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Expect the batter to be lumpy with visible streaks of flour. Using a spatula gently fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined. Make sure you do not over mix.

Heat 2 tsp. of oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Drop the batter by tablespoons into the pan. Cook until the pancakes are evenly browned on both sides, 3-4 minutes, Repeat with the remaining batter, using additional oil if necessary.

Serve immediately with real maple syrup!

The Houseplants Are Packed

You may remember my post on Moving Houseplants. The houseplants were one of the last things we packed up. This was the process. The first step in getting your houseplants ready to move is cutting down on the size of the plants. Houseplants can’t be moved on a moving truck; instead they have to travel in your car.

I took cuttings of the plants I wanted to move. Instead of moving large plants I now had small pots with well-established baby plants in them. By the time we reach our destination my houseplants will be ready to be transplanted.

Before we actually packed the plants I had to check to make sure that my plants can cross state lines. Many states require inspections for pants and have restrictions on the types of plants that can enter the borders.

What plants am I moving? I have several plants that I have had for years. My Hoya plant was grown from a cutting from my mother’s plant. It is such an easy plant to grow and rewards me with beautiful blossoms each year. I took several cuttings from my Hoya plant and it will be making the move. I plan to do the same with my aloe plant. I will just transplant a few babies and get rid of the mother plant.

I also have two Christmas cactus plants that are rather special. One is from a very large plant my grandmother-in-law had. This plant was so large it sat on a dining room table and took up the whole table. I think every family member has a cutting from that plant. So like the Hoyas and the aloe I will take cuttings and start a new plant. The last remaining plant is a Christmas Cactus that was my mother’s. Luckily the plant is not that large and I plan to move the whole plant.

Once we got our closing date I moved the cuttings into their traveling pots. I found several square plastic pots that would fit together in the container I would transport the plants in. Just before getting in the car I gave all the plants a good drink of water.

This week we arrived in our new home. As soon as we arrived the plants were promptly unpacked. It may take them a few days to recover from a cross-country move but they all should do fine in their new home!

Goal Setting Weekly Update Week 41

Our furniture should arrive today! I am so looking forward to getting settled and unpack our suitcases! Our home may be temporary but it will be ice to have a home bae while we look for our new home.

~~1. Find a new hosting site for my blog and make it secure.~~ Done! This was the first goal accomplished this year and I am so happy to have a secure website.

3. Create a cookbook. This is definitely getting put on hold. Hopefully I’ll have more time once we are relocated, this may be postponed until the new year!

4. ~~Be diligent about getting 10K steps in 5 out of 7 days a week.~~ I’ve decided to change this goal to 3 out of 7 days a week! This has not happened at all this week, once we are settled and back into a regular routine I am definitely going to get back into walking on a regular basis! We enjoyed a nice hike while in Portland. It was fun exploring with our grandchildren!

5. ~~As we continue to prepare for our house sale, continue to de-clutter~~. DONE!!

6. ~~Read 25 books this year!~~ Done! We finished one last book on Audible as we finished our trip across country. The book was called Suspect by Robert Crais. Not only was it a great story but if you like dogs a German Shepard is one of the main characters. We’ve been without a dog for a couple of years and after listening to this book I really wanted a dog!

7. Have a consistent meal plan each week and prepare ahead. Meal plans are coming back into our regular routine. We just moved into our little apartment where we will live while looking for a new home. This week will probably be pretty much hit or miss but I can’t wait to start cooking again. When we moved we got rid of our old cookware and I ordered some new pots and pans. I am so excited to be using these Cuisinart pans. I’ll let you know how they stand up! Nothing like new pans to inspire your cooking!

~~8. Finish 4 knitting projects.~~ Completed! Made two hats and two scarves. At least I completed this goal, I have a little more knitting I’d like to get done for Christmas but we’ll see how it goes.

9~~. Clean out our freezer.~~ Done! Now it’s time to stock our new freezer!

10. ~~Take a few road trips and visit family and friends on the east coast that we will not see as often once we move to the west coast.~~ Done! I look back with fondness on the road trips we have taken this past year, so glad we took the time to catch up with dear friends. It was also good to connect with friends during our drive across the country.

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.“

Tony Robbins

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site.

For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting Nancy On The Home Front

Christmas Countdown: Supplies Week

This week is especially important for me. After packing everything up and moving cross country and having many of our belongings in storage I need to take a careful inventory of what I have on hand to make Christmas gifts with! The Christmas countdown has begun and since I like to give homemade gifts I need to check what I have on hand.

Do you give homemade gifts for the holidays? What sort of gifts do you enjoy making? I enjoy making gifts and baking gifts. Often I will put together a gift basket for friends. Nothing too fancy, maybe a jar of homemade spaghetti sauce with a box of noodles. A basket is easy to put together and often appreciated.

While you are taking inventory for gifts you plan to make or gifts you plan to bake it is also a good idea to make sure you have batteries on hand and gift-wrapping supplies.

Many people no longer send Christmas cards through the mail. Instead they will send a e-card. So many people are connected on a daily basis through Facebook that they no longer feel that sending Christmas cards is necessary. I’m one of those folks that loves to send out a card each year with a family update. Call me old-fashioned but I also enjoy receiving Christmas cards and updates in the mail. I even have a little notebook where I only put Christmas card photos in each year!

If you are one of the few who still send out Christmas cards now is a good time to order them. Often if you send out a photo card and order it before Thanksgiving you can save quite a bit. Check out Shutterfly online, they usually have some great deals!

Once the calendar turns to November the days and weeks seem to be so busy. Take a few minutes this week and check on your supplies for the holidays. You’ll be better prepared and able to enjoy the Christmas season without feeling stressed. The Christmas countdown may have begun but you don’t have to feel overwhelmed.