DH built it mostly by himself, although had some help from friends and my BIL to get it done in time. It was a good thing too since it poured that night! We have a small house, so can't really fit everyone in there, but we had the gazebo and 2 canopies and that helped a lot.
I haven't had much time to do stitching because I'd been baking, trying out recipes, and cleaning to get everything ready in time. I do have one small finish so far that fits in the September Smalls theme:
This is a Brooke's Books freebie with WDW Autumn Leaves and I can't remember the name of the brown colour. We can pretend I planned it like that and it wasn't a "fix" when I ran out of Autumn Leaves, right? ;)
I have stitched another one, but apparently don't have any photos of that one yet. I'll try and remedy that soon.
I failed miserably on the pavlova. I tried to make it healthy and not use regular sugar, and that might be the issue. It ended up not crispy at all, like a meringue should be, just kind of marshmallow consistency throughout. That was okay, but not what I was going for.
I did manage to make passable raisin bread, so that was pretty impressive to me!
I'm not that big a fan of raisins cooked in things generally, but I enjoyed the bread as well. DD, who was the one who wanted me to make it after seeing it on Daniel Tiger's Neighbourhood (spin-off from Mr. Rogers for our generation) didn't like it at all. :) DH really liked it, so I'm calling it a win.
This has happened as well, DD is off to pre-school this year, giving DH about 4 hours in the morning all by himself. He's been busy this week, but he's looking forward to maybe biking more, etc once he gets used to it. I was home for her first day both going on the bus and coming home and that was really amazing to watch. She _loves_ school. I hope that continues.
On to the Top 5 List! Here are the things I like to do when I get a cold to try and feel better faster:
TOP 5 COLD PALLIATIVES
1. Soup
This is my favourite thing to have when I'm sick. I prefer Amy's low-sodium Lentil Vegetable Soup over all the others I've tried so far. My favourite soup used to be Campbell's Cream of Mushroom, but the dairy allergy made that an impossibility now.
2. Tea
I love tea anyway, but have even more of it when I'm sick, with lots of honey. Some people swear by lemon as well, and I should really try some of the Throat Comfort tea, that can really help a sore throat.
3. Warm socks
I even try and sleep in my warm socks and that seems to help me sleep better, even the times when I want to kick them off when I have a fever.
4. A cat
There's not much better than a cat, or dog, but I only have a cat, snuggling with you when you're not feeling well. Besides the fact their body temperature is higher than ours, petting them can help you fall asleep.
5. Hooded sweatshirt
My favourite article of clothing when I'm able to stay home and relax. Having the hood up means every part of me is as warm as possible and I can pretend all my body's energy is aimed at fighting off the cold and not striving to keep warm.
What are your favourite ways to try and feel better when you have a cold?
And Happy Stitching!
Tiffstitch
I love your new deck! We need to replace our deck (elevated deck on the new house is pretty much a death trap). We're not ambitious enough to do it ourselves, we'll just hire the guy who did our fence. I'm a little sad that we'll probably get it just in time for winter, which won't do us a whole lot of good - oh well :)
ReplyDeleteAnd your small is cute! Very nice little fall leaf. I'm surprised that fall is happening so soon this year, but I think it has more to do with the location move than anything else (only 100 miles, but also at a slightly higher latitude).
When I get a cold, I burrow under a blanket, usually with hot toddies and/or earl grey tea and just nap away in front of BBC shows. I don't like bourbon/whiskey, but toddies work so well for the sore throat/inability to sleep.
Thank you! I highly recommend having someone else do it if you can. DH has been exhausted almost every day. Plus it takes longer than expected because it's the first time he's attempted anything like that etc, but it is pretty awesome now! Thanks for the remedy info too. :)
DeleteHappy Birthday Tiffany. Your deck looks great. Congrats on the cute finish.
ReplyDeleteLinda
Thank you! Hope you're feeling well.
DeleteHeinz Tomato Soup and white bread "soldiers" dipped into it. A snuggly dressing gown and an open fire. The best cold cures known to woman!
ReplyDeleteCats are good too because they don't need taking for walks when you would rather be curled up indoors.
Look at your little one literally climbing onto the bus stairs! I can't get over how they go on the bus all on their own. Our's get walked to school until they are in Year 4 (age 9) or driven if you are lazy/have to go to work afterwards/live out of catchment/it's raining too hard etc. I used to really enjoy the school walk and chatting to all the parents at the gate. Sometimes we were still there at 10 o clock, long after the bell had gone and the kids were all in lessons. Happy Days!
SLEEP! I turn into a zombie when I'm sick and just sleep for hours upon hours. I try to stay hydrated with a mixture of honey, lemon juice, and hot water... which usually puts me right back to sleep. :)
ReplyDeleteI like your fall leaf; is it on perforated paper or plastic? And your new deck with gazebo! That's so much fun. The house we bought came with a cement deck and they really are wonderful outside spaces. Ours currently houses a grill and about five million potted plants* haha. Glad your birthday was awesome and kudos for trying new recipes! I love to cook and am always hunting up new things. And cooler weather means loads more baking (I don't like to use the oven in the summer). I hope to try my hand at bagels soon!
*possibly an exaggeration, though not by much.
Happy birthday to you! Lovely stitching. Your deck looks very nice and that's a lot of hard work. Hope you are feeling better now.
ReplyDeleteBelated birthday wishes!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat stitching on the leaf, yummy looking baking and sweet picture of your darling DD going to school! So cute!
Your deck and gazebo are fabulous! I do hope you are feeling better soon. We had a doctor recommend drinking Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat Tea with a bit of honey. I find it a little sweet, but it does seem to help. Sending well wishes your way!
ReplyDeleteHappy belated birthday, Tiffany. I hope your cold will go away soon. But with the use of your little helpers you might manage to recover rather fast :)))
ReplyDeleteYour new deck looks gorgeous with the gazebo on it. A great place for grill parties in the summer.
Your raisin bread looks really good although I'm not a friend of raisins in baked things either.
I love the picture of your little daughter climbing into the school bus. So good that she loves school so far.
Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteWOW Love your new deck, it looks amazing especially with that gazebo! I think I see a new stitching area ;)
Your DD looks so tiny getting on that bus and going off to school! I too hope she continues to enjoy it.
Hope you are feeling a bit better now!
I'm behind on blog reading so hoping you are feeling much better by now. Lovely deck, well doe to hubby for building that beauty.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!! Sorry to hear you have a cold... my all time favourite remedy is: a nice hot lemon drink with honey and a tiny bit of whiskey! and if it's a chest cold then Vicks Vapour Rub is a winner! I usually have 2 cats and the dog snuggled up with me on the old occasion I am sick so definitely that is a winning combination too! Hope you start feeling better soon!
ReplyDeleteLove the new deck and gazebo :o)
Hugs x
Happy birthday! Sorry about your cold though :( I feel you, I got one as a souvenir from my vacation! One of my most important cold remedies is my couch...I don't like staying in bed during the day at all, so if you find me there for longer periods of time, I must be really sick! Also, ginger tea made from fresh ginger with lots of lemon juice and a little honey, that can really help fight off an infection. And Wasabi nuts, delicious and wasabi also helps with infections!
ReplyDeleteNice deck! Sorry you're suffering right now. I have no good ideas to feel better because I rarely get sick. I agree with your list, especially the cat! Aww, your little one looks so tiny climbing on the bus, such a milestone. Hope you begin feeling better soon!
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated Birthday! The deck is fantastic, your DH should be proud!
ReplyDeleteYay, on the raisin bread, it looks yummy to me.
OMGoodness, your DD looks tiny compared to those huge steps! What a sweet picture.
I hope you're feeling better by now, but I like my tea during the day and a hot toddy at night, my robe and blanket are a must, complete with kitties sitting with me, and it helps to have someone at home who can cater to my every need!
Did I totally miss your b-day? You didn't miss mine! I so suck!
ReplyDelete