decisions, decisions… in this issue how to make up your mind

Sound Advice for Living a Life You Love

Decisions, Decisions…How To Make Up Your Mind

We do it all day long without really even thinking about it. Every time we pick an outfit to wear, choose what to have for lunch, or decide which route to take to work, we are unconsciously making decisions. These day-to-day decisions take place non-stop without us ever giving them a second thought.

Of course, not all decisions we have to make carry the same weight. Deciding what shoes to wear to work is not generally the type of decision that will trip us up. But what happens when the big ones come our way? You know what I’m talking about. These are the really big decisions that cause level-headed people to lose sleep at night and prompt stress levels to elevate all the way to Mount Everest’s highest summit. How do you navigate your way through the decision-making process when more than a mismatched outfit is at stake?

Weighing It All OutThe first thing I like to do, when something big arises, is make a list. We have probably all heard time and time again that making a pros and cons list when trying to make a major life decision is the thing to do, and I wholeheartedly agree. Having the positives AND negatives “visually” laid out in front of you can actually be a very effective way of helping you to make up your mind on something major.

Let me focus on the importance of a “visual.” When our brains are the only place possible scenarios lie, it’s very easy to get frazzled. With everything we have going on in our lives, our decision-making process is now getting mixed in with work, family obligations, worries, remembering to get the milk and bread, etc. When your mind isn’t occupied with every little thing, you automatically become less stressed, making it easier to think more clearly.

So, let’s talk about making a “visual” PROS/CONS list. Say, for example, you

Decisions, Decisions…How to Make Up Your MindHow to weigh your options and navigate through the decision-making process

Sweetness is Upon UsWhere will you get your sweet fix?

Breast Cancer: One Woman’s JourneyThe importance of mammograms…they help save lives

The 10 Coldest Places on EarthBrrrrrr! Where they are…and interesting facts about each

Going BattyA dozen little-known tidbits about bats

10 Projects…10 Days done!10 projects I accomplished in 10 days…yes, you can do the same!

Recipe of the MonthSpiced Pumpkin Bread ANDSparkling Apple Punch

No-Sew Pillow CoversUpdate your look inexpensively. All you need is fabric…all you do is fold

Well SaidMy favorite Halloween posts seen online

OCTOBER 2017 ISSUE

IN THIS ISSUEA MONTHLY BY MARIA GRACIA

are offered a new job. At first glance it seems like a no- brainer. The new job pays more money than you are currently making. You instantly see yourself finally being able to afford that vacation you have been dreaming about for so long. Paying off some bills will come faster than it did before, and you might be able to get that new car you’ve been wanting for the past year. More money would definitely fall into the PROS list.

Then comes the CONS list. The new job is an additional 30 minutes away from where the old job was. This means more travel time AND more money going into the gas tank. More travel time means you would have to wake up earlier every day. The extra 30 minute drive at the end of the day interferes with your kids’ school pickup times forcing you to scramble to make other arrangements, such as having them take a taxi home.

When you finally sit and do the math, the extra income you were so excited about is actually getting wiped out by the extra gas money and taxi bill. A quick glance at your visual…your PROS/CONS list will show you that the PROS side of the list is not as strong as the CONS side. Decision made.

Research the Features…And Consider Your True NeedsDo your research. This is especially relevant when considering a purchase of a big-ticket item. A friend of mine was all excited about purchasing the new iPhone as soon as it hit the shelves. He had a perfectly good phone in his possession, but is one of many folks in the world who likes to upgrade to the next bigger and better thing.

Funny thing was, as he researched the features on the newer phone, he discovered that it had features that he wasn’t necessarily interested in having. His older phone was actually better suited to his personal needs. My point is, newer and more elaborate isn’t necessarily better.

When trying to decide which phone, washer, or car to buy, it is always best to do your homework first. It makes no sense to pay more for an item strictly because it has more features…especially if the features aren’t something you

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necessarily want or need.

In addition, certain things may have a place at certain times in your life, but not others. For example, you may be considering a mini-van purchase because you have three kids. But, if your kids are close to getting their driver’s licenses, does this still make sense? Maybe it would be better to keep your current car, and think about getting another small car the kids could borrow.

Do you really need a washing machine with 20 different settings when you tend to wash everything you own on normal wash?

Do you need that extra capacity dryer when you live alone and have very little laundry to start with?

It is normal to want the items with all of the bells, whistles, and fancy settings, but paying for items (or items with many features) that you are never going to use is just a waste of

money. In addition, having more features can translate into more things going wrong with it in the future.

Consider which features you really need to have when making any major purchase and don’t pay extra for the ones you really don’t. Having a mental list of which features you need to have before making a major purchase can save you a lot of time and money when it comes to making a decision on which washer, range, or car to buy.

I also find it useful to read consumer reviews before buying anything. Somehow, the average Joe on the street giving an honest review of something that he has taken home and personally used seems more reliable to me than the expensive ad campaign whose main job is to get us to buy a product that they want to sell, but not necessarily that we need to buy.

Warning: Going Overboard With Information Can Be ParalyzingSo you’ve done your homework and spent countless hours researching that purchase you are going to make. You are proudly sitting there with a list of features on all of the different makes and models of that washer you’ve been researching. You should be all set to go, knowing that you

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OCTOBER 2017 ISSUEANYTHING & EVERYTHING MARIA GRACIA

are well-versed on every available feature on every available washer on the market.

But oddly, instead of feeling informed, you are now feeling overwhelmed. You have lists, photos, prices, graphs and flowcharts AND a huge, pounding headache. You have sadly and unintentionally become a victim of information overload. What now?

My best advice is this: Don’t allow yourself to get to this point in the first place. While it is a good idea to research before making a purchase, over-investigating can cause more trouble than it is worth.

Make a short list of which features you really want on your new washer, car, or whatever it is. Then, place a limit on the number of makes or models that you are going to compare. Comparing 3 models is a whole lot easier than comparing 10. Going overboard and comparing too many different models will leave your head spinning faster than the spin cycle on your washer.

Being informed is good. Having too much swimming around in your head when you are trying to make a major decision can be detrimental.

What’s Your Backup Plan? It’s Important to Have OneAs with everything in life, it is always good to have a backup plan. You finally decide on which item you are going to get and BAM!…it has been discontinued by the manufacturer or is on backorder so far that it may never make its way to your door.

Having an alternate plan already in place will make it easier when these things happen. By the way, they do happen often. Life is full of uncertainties. No matter how prepared you are, unforeseen things will come up. Be ready for these occasions by always having a Plan B.

Rank your top three choices so that if your first choice suddenly is no longer an option, you can just move on to number two.

Talk to Somebody In-The-KnowThink about the decision you’re trying to make, and if needed, then think about someone to chat with who can help. For instance, my aunt was never good at what to keep and what to donate when it came to cleaning out her clothes closet, so she always invited my mother over who

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had no problem helping her make these decisions. Yes, it’s OK to delegate some decision-making.

Another example would be if you’re researching fundraiser companies in trying to decide which one to use for your school or church. You might check around with other schools and churches to find out what has worked for them in the past.

Sometimes, You Just Have to Go With Your GutAlthough it is always good to be informed before making any major decisions in life, the one fact remains: sometimes you just need to go with your initial gut feeling. Don’t ever dismiss your gut feelings when it comes to making important decisions.

Sometimes you can know what is right for you just because you FEEL it is right and not because you did more research than a room full of lab techs. If something just feels right to you, it’s probably because it is…even if you have no real evidence to back it up.

Sometimes just letting your inner voice do the talking is the best, most reliable way to navigate your way through the tough, important decisions in life.

It’s better to make “a decision,” than to struggle endlessly in trying to make the “best decision”…because sometimes the “best decision” is not crystal clear.

Life throws many decisions at us. If there was a foolproof manual on what to do in every conceivable situation that comes up in life, we would probably all own a copy. Unfortunately, this book has yet to hit the printers and we are therefore left to wade through the waters of indecision.

Making decisions can be difficult, and at times, rather stressful. We all end up having to make those tough decisions at some point in our lives. But with giving ourselves visuals and some time spent researching, limiting our possible solutions, talking to folks who can help, and going with our gut, decision-making can become less of a stressful activity and more of a breeze. p



Sweetness is Upon UsWhere Will You Get Your Sweet-Fix?My supermarket shelves are filled with spooky home decor, costumes, and candy, candy, plus more candy. This is the sweetest time of the year for me. Not the type of sweet found in these sugary treats, although a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is nice now and then. My sweet-fix comes from a heartfelt standpoint.

Halloween: I thought last year was my daughter’s last year of trick-or-treating…she’s now 13. She just informed me that she is participating one more year. This made my day…the longer we can help these kids prolong the wonders of childhood, the better. I just looked through some past fall photos…here’s one my husband took of me and my daughter at a pumpkin farm when she was just 9 months old. This was her first taste of apple cider…she loved it and kept drinking it down, one funny, scrunched up face after another! Be still my heart.

Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving sweetness is found in homemade pumpkin pie, but that pales in comparison to the warmth of family around the Thanksgiving table, the nostalgia of watching yet another Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on TV, the declaration of everything we’re thankful for, a few good football games on TV, and peaceful moments right before the frenzy of the holiday season.

Christmas: While peppermint will be trying its best to sweeten up this season, for me, there’s nothing sweeter than celebrating this time of the year. I love everything about it…the twinkling lights, the beautiful church services, the music, the holiday greetings being sent and received…I could go on and on.

New Year’s Day: What’s sweeter than that brand new page we open every year on the 1st?

May you enjoy your own sweetness over the next few months! p

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Breast Cancer: One Woman’s JourneyMy friend, Evie, and her husband got home from their cruise on a Sunday afternoon a couple of years ago, tired but happy from the good time they had enjoyed. As they sorted through their mail and calendars for the week ahead, Evie was dismayed to find she had scheduled a mammogram early on Tuesday.

“What was I thinking making an appointment first thing in the morning right after getting back? I really do not want to go. I’ve never had the least little thing show up before. Maybe I’ll just skip this year.”

But a tiny voice in the back of her head said, “What if…”.

“I’m really not in the least mood to do this this week, maybe I could just put it off.”

And the little voice in her head countered, “What if…? Just go and get it over with.” And so she did.

A Re-Check Was NeededWednesday she received a call from the mammogram department, asking her to come in within a couple of days for a repeat, including a sonogram. Evie told herself it was probably nothing. Lots of people she knew got callbacks and nothing was ever found. So she scheduled the procedure for Friday.

The appointment seemed to take a long time, especially the sonogram part, but Evie did not get worried until they called in a doctor to look at a spot that he felt looked suspicious. They then scheduled her for a biopsy on Monday morning.

The weekend passed slowly, filled with anxiety. Evie read


up on breast biopsies. They did not sound especially pleasant. However, the biopsy did not turn out to be nearly as bad as she had anticipated. A bit of local anesthesia, and then the biopsy needle. While uncomfortable, she did not really find the procedure painful, certainly not worth the anxiety she had felt. They said they would call her in two or three days with the result.

Her Schedule Was No Longer Her OwnWhen the phone rang Thursday morning she grabbed it before the second ring, and then sat stunned as they told her the biopsy showed an invasive tumor. Her life felt upended, and at that point her schedule stopped being her own.

She was told she was scheduled for lab work that afternoon, an MRI on Friday, and a surgical consult on Tuesday. She wrote it down numbly, then called her husband. He came home and they just sat together disbelieving. How could this be happening? Her health practices were good, she was not overweight, she watched what she ate, and exercised. She knew of no history of this in her family.

She completed the lab work and the MRI, and she called her closest friends. One had a daughter who had gone through breast cancer, another had been through it ten years previously. They were very supportive.

On Tuesday, Evie and her husband met with the breast surgeon. While the tumor was malignant, it was very small and not an especially bad kind. In her research, Evie had learned about the many different combinations of results that can show up on a biopsy. It seemed hardly any two cases of breast cancer were alike.

Making Difficult DecisionsThe surgeon offered different options, including partial mastectomy (also known as lumpectomy), or full mastectomy, which he said is what some women were more comfortable with from fear of recurrence. Evie said she preferred the lumpectomy. The surgery day was scheduled for the following Monday.

There were more preliminaries, including an EKG, and she did them in a fog. Since she had always found cooking calming, Evie made casseroles and put them in the freezer


for after the surgery. Unable to concentrate enough to read, she bought a coloring book for grownups, finding it soothing in a meditative sort of way. She continued going to the gym for stress relief as well.

Surgery and TreatmentMonday came and Evie and her husband arrived at the hospital for surgery. She underwent yet another scan, and by and by they wheeled her to the OR.

The next thing she knew she was awake in recovery, a bit nauseous from the anesthesia, and groggy. At home she felt woozy the rest of the afternoon and evening. Any time she stood up, her husband was at her side, making sure she did not fall. This had all been very hard on him as well, he worried so much about her.

Fortunately her strength returned quickly, and the next week she returned to some gentle working out and other activities.

There was good news. No lymph node involvement. One score on a lab report concerned Evie and she

asked for a further test, which her medical oncologist agreed was a good idea. It took a month to get those results, but they were good. The oncologist recommended she not have chemotherapy, just radiation for treatment.

Evie began radiation soon after her surgery had healed. She scheduled treatments in the

afternoon, which left her mornings and lunchtimes free for things she enjoyed. Radiation went well. She

experienced no burns or discomfort. Her energy level remained the same. The treatments took less time than it took her to find a parking space and go in to get them. Like everyone else she had encountered on this journey, the people there were extraordinarily kind and caring.

Follow-UpsShe reported in to doctors fairly frequently the first few months. Then visits became more spaced out. There was a pill to take every day.

Evie knew she was fortunate. They had caught the cancer early and it was not a really bad malignancy. Her health was otherwise good, she was blessed with a supportive husband and friends, and she experienced very little discomfort.

When people she knew complained of getting mammograms, or talked about skipping them, she encouraged them to not be afraid, to just get it done, pointing out that she was proof they could get through it, and it might just save their lives.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you have not already done it, make that mammogram appointment. p

The 10 Coldest Places On EarthWhen the weather is especially warm, I sometimes daydream about colder places and wish I was there. This actually happened a few times last month in Wisconsin, during some unseasonably hot days. In reality, if I was in any of these 10 coldest places on earth, I would be unhappy the second I arrived. That being said, you may be a cold-weather lover. If you are, I applaud you! Either way, here’s some research I did on the top 10 coldest places on earth.

Vostok, AntarcticaVostok is a Research Station located in Princess Elizabeth Land about 800 miles from the Geographic South Pole at the center of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. The station has the lowest reliably measured temperature on Earth at -128.6F. Vostok Station’s warmest temperature is -44F.

Aside from being extremely cold, other factors, such as an almost complete lack of moisture in the air, lack of oxygen, and winds as high as 60 mph, make Vostok very difficult for humans to live on.

That being said, Vostok scores less than 10 inches of snow every year…and is, technically, a desert!

Plateau Station, AntarcticaPlateau Station, which was actually evacuated in 1969, is

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an inactive American research base on the central Antarctic Plateau. The lowest recorded temperature here was -123.1F. The base is completely snowbound these days. The only visible building at the base is the meteorological tower.

Oymyakon, RussiaOymyakon is located along the Indigirka River, 19 miles northwest of Tomtor on the Kolyma Highway in Russia. Oymyakon has reached temperatures as low as -89.9F, which was the coldest temperature in the Northern Hemisphere. As of 2011, there were 500 inhabitants here.

Oymyakon has been featured in numerous television series, including Coldest Road in an episode of the Discovery Channel three-part series Driven to Extremes starring Tom Hardy and the April 1st 2012 episode Chilling Out on Australia’s “60 Minutes”.

If you live there and have kids, keep in mind that school children will not get a snow day unless the temperature dips to -61F.

Verkhoyansk, RussiaVerkhoyansk is a town in Russia located on the Yana River near the Arctic Circle 57 miles from Batagay. As of 2010, it’s population was 1,311. In addition to a river port, airport, fur-collecting depot and reindeer-raising area, Verkhoyansk is also home to the Pole of Cold Museum. The lowest recorded temperature at Verkhoyansk was -89.7F.

In Michael Specter's 1994 piece in The New York Times, he states, “All it takes to refrigerate your food is a basement…anything deeper than a foot or two and it's a solid wall of ice" and “Houses sometimes snap in two when the ice beneath them weakens and shifts a little."

North Ice, GreenlandNorth Ice was a research station of the British North Greenland Expedition from 1952 to 1954 on the inland ice of Greenland. This station had the lowest temperature recorded in North America of -87F. Bring your hot cocoa for sure!

Eismitte, GreenlandEismitte, also called Mid-Ice or Ice-Center, is located within Greenland and is 250 miles from the coast. Eismitte’s coldest recorded temperature was -84.6F and its





warmest was 28.8F.

Ernst Sorge, a member of the Alfred Wegener Expedition, hand dug a deep snow pit which he lived in for seven months. He studied the structural features of snow density from inside his pit which led to modern day measuring of frozen precipitation in a rain gauge. I’d rather read with a cup of tea in front of my fireplace, but to each his own…and thank goodness for folks like Ernst!

Snag, Yukon, CanadaSnag is a village located off the Alaska Highway 16 miles east of Beaver Creek, Yukon, Canada. It was first settled during the Klondike Gold Rush and was the site of a military airfield closed in 1968. Snag has seen temperatures as cold as -81.4F. Other phenomena has been noted here, such as voices and other sounds heard miles from their source.

On January 26th, 1950, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster of the United States Air Force carrying 44 people on a flight from Alaska to Montana disappeared without a trace. No wreckage or remains have ever been found.

It has been said that on its coldest days, an exhaled breath of air can make a hissing sound as it freezes, and exposed skin will freeze in 3 minutes or less.

Prospect Creek, AlaskaProspect Creek is a tiny settlement 25 miles southeast of Bettles, Alaska. It is the coldest place in the United States at -79.8F. Prospect Creek is currently uninhabited, but has been used for many things over the years, such as a 1974 camp set up to house people working on construction of the TAPS (TransAlaska Pipeline System) and a 1992 camp for construction workers and their families while they helped replace bridges along Dalton Highway.

Although the temperatures are frigid, the population of bears, wolves, and bald eagles don’t seem to mind at all.

Fort Selkirk, Yukon, CanadaFort Selkirk is a former trading post on the Yukon River where it meets the Pelly River in Yukon, Canada. It was abandoned in the 1950’s with the construction of the Klondike Highway. Fort Selkirk has been as cold as -74F.

There is no road access at Fort Selkirk. Visitors get there by boat or plane.

Rogers Pass, MontanaRogers Pass is located on the Continental Divide adjacent to Helena National Forest in Montana. Rogers Pass is the location of the coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States outside of Alaska, which was minus 70F.

Rogers Pass is a noted observation spot for golden eagles as the strong winds help them migrate through the Continental Divide. Hundreds of golden eagles as well as many other bird species pass through here and can be observed from a distance as close as 100

to 500 feet. p

Going BattyA Dozen Little-Known Tidbits About BatsWhen my daughter was about two years old, our family went on a walking ghost tour in Galena, IL. I remember pushing her in her stroller on a brisk, October night, while the tour guide led us through a neighborhood of big, old homes, relaying spooky tales and urging us to look for orbs among the shadows.

I didn’t see any orbs that night, but I did see a colony of bats flying overhead. This turned out to be the perfect setting for the tour. Of course, the fact that they



didn’t swarm down on us helped to make it a more pleasant event.

Bats are actually very interesting creatures. Here are a few fun facts:

1. They live pretty long for creatures of their size: The average lifespan of a bat is usually up to 20 years, but a few have been known to make it into their 40s.

2. They fly fast: Some bats fly up to 60 miles per hour…just a bit slower than most of us are driving on the freeway. They don’t just glide…they’re actually capable of continued flight. My friend Kathy will attest to this. Once she had a bat in her house that her husband had to catch in a net and it took hours because the bat would not slow down or stop.

3. They keep the bug population in check: While many bats happily eat fruit or nectar, and play a role as pollinators (over 300 species of fruit depend on bats for pollination) other bats can eat up to 1,200 mosquitoes in less than 60 minutes.

4. Turn off the lights: No need to leave the light on. Bats can find their food in total darkness. By emitting high-pitched sounds and listening to echoes, bats can find their food easily…even if it’s pitch black outside. That being said, bats are not blind and, in fact, can see extremely well.

5. Some are vampires: Well, they’re not the Dracula-type vampires as far as I know. But there are three species of "vampire bats" and yes, they live off of blood…some off the blood of animals, others off the blood of people.

For those of us who live in the US, there’s not a whole lot to worry about. None of those species lives in the United States. They prefer to live in the tropics of Mexico, Central America, and South America.

It’s very rare that a vampire bat will bite a person. However, if it does, it will likely be back the next night in an attempt to find and feed again from the

same person. Apparently, they can relocate you by the way you breathe.

6. Do they stay or leave: Bats live on every continent except Antarctica. Some bats, like some people, go south for the winter. Others hibernate when the weather gets cold. They can actually survive in freezing temperatures while hibernating, even if they’re encased in ice.

7. Mom bats are the coolest: Most bats have only one baby a year, which is why bats are often on the endangered species list. If a bat manages to lose his or her way home, bat moms can generally find their babies by their unique voices and scents…even if they’re in a crowd of millions of other bats.

8. Bat poop is big business: Bat droppings, called guano, are one of the richest fertilizers there is. It is obtained from fruit and insect-feeding species, is fast-acting, has little odor, and can be worked into the soil prior to planting or during active growth. Also interesting to note is that bat guano was Texas's largest mineral export before oil!

9. Want to see bats for sure? Get a plane ticket to Austin, Texas: Over 20 million bats live in the Bracken Bat Cave in Austin, Texas. Sometimes, all the bats leave the cave together. The group

is so tremendous that it can resemble a large storm on radar!

10. The big and small of it: The “flying fox” is the world’s largest bat. It hangs out in the South Pacific and has a 6 foot wingspan. The world’s smallest bat is the bumble bee bat. You’ll find this bat in Thailand if you look hard…it’s about the size of your thumbnail and weighs less than a penny.

11. They don’t care about your hair. Contrary to popular belief, most bats have no interest in flying into our hair. In fact, most bats are afraid of people and try their best to stay away.

12. Bats are clean as a whistle. Bats are not dirty, like many folks think. They clean and groom themselves all the time. p



10 Projects…10 Days…Done!Now that the school year is in full swing, my life is busy once again. I’m running a full-time business at home, currently teaching eight fitness classes per week, am the official driver for my daughter’s after-school activities, which, at the moment, consist of Cross Country, Swimming, Piano, and Religious Ed (yes, on weekdays after 3:00, my view is my steering wheel!), performing some volunteer work, and being a wife, mom, and house-keeper-upper simultaneously.

That being said, there are always projects in the house that I want to do…without having to stay up until midnight to do them. In the past 10 days, I found a way to get 10 projects completed. How? I made sure they were small enough to do very quickly.

Here’s what I accomplished and how:

Day 1. Reorganized the Living Room ARMOIREMy living room armoire used to be the living room TV cabinet. That is until TVs got wider and our newest one is too wide for said armoire. But, I love the armoire and I didn’t want to get rid of it. So, now it’s being used as a storage cabinet for tablecloths and holiday dining miscellaneous in the lower cabinet portion, and my daughter’s art supplies in the upper cabinet portion.

I keep up with the lower part myself, so that was already organized. But my daughter’s art supplies were getting messy…mainly because she’s generally in a rush to return items to the cabinet when she’s done with them…and they often fail to get returned to the right spot.

So, while watching an episode of New Girl on Netflix, I got it all reorganized for her. I was able to put a plastic three-drawer unit in the armoire, which is now keeping her

paints, beads, and clay nicely separated. I also used some random mugs to sort markers, colored pencils, gel pens and such.

Day 2. Filled One Donation BagNow that the warm summer weather seems to be gone until next year in Wisconsin where I live, I rummaged through all of my summer clothing, picked out anything I didn’t wear all season, put it in a clean trash bag, and brought it to my local donation drop-off.

My family members did the same. No sense keeping clothing that never gets worn…someone else can use it instead.

This only took about 15 minutes to gather the clothing. The drop-off center was on my way to another errand, so no extra time invested doing that.

Day 3. Inventoried Fall/Winter Illness HelpersAlthough we don’t get sick that often in my family, when we do, I like to be prepared. After all, coming down with the common cold, at some point, is inevitable this time of the year.

So, I took a 10-minute inventory of Zicam (I like

the nasal swabs for helping to prevent colds…they seem to work well if used at the very first sniffle or scratchy throat), herbal tea, honey, cinnamon, Vicks Vapor Rub, throat lozenges, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, and travel-size and regular-size tissues.

After assessing, I went to the grocery store and bought any that were expired or running low. Now, we’re all stocked up and ready to fight back. We don’t use OTC cold medications, but if you do, inventory those as well.

Day 4. I Replaced a Few PillowsAfter stripping the linens off the beds, I inspected our bed pillows. A few have seen better days. Those were replaced

http://amzn.to/2wYTnqU

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friend who went through a divorce).

When I’m ready to send out Christmas cards, which I generally do Thanksgiving weekend, I’ll be all ready to print out mailing labels.

Day 8. I Cleaned Off One Shelf in My Home Office ClosetI’m in the process of cleaning out my home office closet, but there’s no way I have time to do it all at once. So, I’m handling it one shelf at a time…which takes about 20 minutes or so to complete.

I’ve been emptying everything off the shelf, weeding out what I don’t need, and replacing the “keepers” with some rearranging here and there.

Day 9. I Updated My iPhone CalendarMy daughter came home from school a few days ago with an updated Cross Country and School Band Events schedule. So, I spent 5 minutes adding, deleting, and/or changing dates and times as needed.

In doing so, I noticed a conflict, so I also had to get a substitute teacher for one of the fitness classes I teach. That took another 5 minutes, and now it’s done.

Day 10. I Decorated for HalloweenI wanted to get both my indoor and outdoor Halloween decor displayed.

First, I pulled out all of my indoor decorations. I rotated summer decor into storage, and added my Halloween decor in.

I don’t decorate every single room for Halloween, but rather restrict it to the most visible areas of my home…mostly my living room (fireplace mantel) and dining room, and a few items in my kitchen. This took about 30 minutes, so, while I had hoped to get indoor and outdoor done, it didn’t happen on Day 10.

That’s OK, because I needed a project to do for Day 11 anyway. (Smile.) p



this week…with a quick pillow order from Amazon. This took about 10 minutes of research and the pillows should arrive today. I use Amazon Prime…I love that service!

Day 5. Weeded Out Computer FilesIt’s so easy to ignore unneeded computer files because they’re not “visible” clutter, but if you don’t need those files, they are indeed clutter, taking up unnecessary space and resources on your computer.

So, I grabbed a cup of tea, set my timer for 15 minutes, and deleted as many text files, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, Power point presentations, photos and graphics, and music files that I no longer wanted.

There are still more to delete…but when the timer sounded, I was done. This project will be continued on another day…but at least it’s “in process” which is better than “at a standstill.”

Day 6. Did Some Prep WorkI go on a scrapbooking retreat every year which normally takes place in October, but this year is going to be in December. So, I definitely have time to get ready. But I know that if I wait until the very last minute, I’ll be scrambling to get my photos printed, and frantically gathering all my supplies for each layout.

So, on day 6, I took 20 minutes to make a list of all the “layout themes” I’m going to tackle this year. Over the next few weeks, I’ll print out the photos that accompany these themes…and after that, I’ll gather papers and embellishments for each.

Day 7. I Updated My Christmas Card List No, it’s not too early. Christmas will be here before we know it. I opened my name/address spreadsheet from last year, and inspected it line by line.

I changed the color of any row that included a contact I know moved, anyone I know that recently had a baby, anyone who has passed on, etc. Doing this allowed me to easily see those lines that needed adjustments. I generally keep up with this spreadsheet throughout the year, but it’s easy to miss one or two along the way.

In doing this, which only took about 10 minutes, I noticed about five changes that had to be made…a few that required deleting entries, one that prompted me to email that person for her new address, and one name change (a

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Spiced Pumpkin BreadServes 16

Once the weather cools, you’ll want to bake this recipe. It will fill your house with an amazing autumn aroma…and it’s delicious…a crowd pleaser at my house for sure.

Ingredients

• 1-¾ c all-purpose flour

• 1-½ c white sugar

• ¾ tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1-½ tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp ground nutmeg

• ½ tsp ground allspice

• ½ tsp ground cloves

• 1 (15 oz) can canned pumpkin

• 1/3 c water

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• ¼ c vegetable oil

• ½ c chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven to 350F. Grease 2 loaf pans.

2. Stir the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves together in a large bowl.

3. Whisk together the pumpkin, water, eggs, vanilla, and vegetable oil together in a separate bowl.

4. Gradually pour the wet mixture into the dry while whisking until everything is well mixed.

5. Fold the walnuts into the batter.

6. Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans.

7. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden and springs back when lightly pressed, 50 to 60 minutes.

8. Allow to cool 20 minutes before removing from the pans. p

Inspired by: www.allrecipes.com

Sparkling Apple PunchServes 4

Looking for a refreshing, seasonal beverage to add to your fall arsenal? This one is lovely and so easy to make. Here goes…

Ingredients

• 2 c 100% apple cider

• 1 c cranberry juice

• ½ c fresh orange juice 2 oranges

• ½ c Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water

• Apple slices for garnish

• Orange wedges for garnish

• Cinnamon sticks for garnish

Instructions

1. Add the apple cider, cranberry juice, orange juice and Canada Dry Sparkling Seltzer Water to a large pitcher, stir and add garnishes. Serve chilled. p

Inspired by: www.culinaryginger.com

http://www.allrecipes.com






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Well said!My favorite Halloween Posts Seen OnlineLast Halloween was bad for me. I got beat up. I went to a party dressed as a piñata. (Jim Samuels)

These masked trick-or-treaters must be confused. They're a day early, came in the back door, passed up the candy and took the big screen TV. (Just Bill)

It's that wonderful time of year again when the spiderwebs I've been too lazy to clean become functional decorations. (Andy H)

My version of a haunted house is hitting yes when an ATM asks me if I'd like to see my balance. (Damien Fahey)

I awaken in the Halloween aftermath. Bed covered in candy wrappers. Looking down at my chocolate smeared hands I whisper, "What have I done?" (Reverend Scott)

comments or questions?

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see you next month!

No-Sew Pillow CoversAll You Need is Fabric…All You Do Is Fold!If you’re looking to update a room just a bit, without the need for excessive energy, time, or money, a good way to do that is to update the look of your throw pillows. Sure, you can make a stop at Pottery Barn or Wal-mart and just buy new pillows, but that can be expensive. Besides, what if there’s nothing wrong with the pillows that are already there? What I like to do is simply cover the pillows…and no, you don’t have to know how to sew to do this. All you need is some fabric and the ability to fold.

1. Measure pillow and choose the fabric. My pillows were 12” x 12”. According to the video I found, I purchased 1 yard of fabric for each one. I used three different patterns of fabric (pictured above), all in matching colors to tie the look together.

2. Find a large, flat surface. I used a large table in my basement, but you can use the floor if you need to. The fabric should be placed face-down.

3. Make it square. You’ll need to “fold your fabric in” to form a square. (See video below) It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just make it as square as possible.

4. Fold the fabric on the pillow and tie it. Here’s the YouTube video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6hdcFrfa_g

5. Enjoy! Stand back and give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done. When you’re tired of the look or when the season changes, remove the current fabric, store it away, and do another quick update with other fabric choices. p

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decisions, decisions… in this issue how to make up your mind

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