My Perfect Day

Do you ever wonder about how others spend their day?


I think about people in other countries and wonder what their routine is day to day. Or what their perfect day looks like.

I can sometimes wish for or even envy other's lifestyles but I know that I am where I am supposed to be in life and for now it is taking care of my family and my home.

Being home most of the time doesn't mean that I am idle or doing just the things that I have to, like cleaning and laundry. For me, it means I am doing things that I LOVE and that usually keep me very busy!




My Perfect Day....


....starts with a kiss goodbye from my husband Frank (at 6:15 a.m.!)


....is filled with meow's by two hungry kitties....

....starts with a good number on this....

....a strong cup of Joe....Trader Joe's, that is. I do love a cup of Starbuck's Blonde as a treat now and then, but at $11.99 a pound compared to Trader Joe's $4.99 a pound, guess which one I drink every day? Trader Joe's Dark Roast is excellent too.

....a yummy, healthy breakfast....12 grain toast with peanut butter and sliced bananas, all from Aldi's. We are Jif peanut butter fans in this house but I finally tried Peanut Delight from Aldi's. Absolutely no difference in taste. It just happens to be $2.99 for the same size Jif for $5.29.

....a cha-ching or two on this......my phone is set to cha-ching whenever I get a sale in my Etsy shop!

Then it is off to the computer. I have to renew items in my Etsy shop, list new items, hopefully have an order or two to process and also check my email. Oh, and write a blog post now and then!


A perfect day is when my new computer does not act up or go out because of our local service.


My "office".......my co-worker is usually with me all day.

Some perfect days are grocery shopping days, some are out with girlfriends or errand days and others are thrifting days. Love those the most. Even better to have thrifting days with girlfriends!

....a perfect day is filled with a visit from Chloe and JC......

....or a cookie decorating day with Cassidy....





My perfect day......


....includes baking, one of my passions.  I may try a new recipe or make an old favorite. My son wants dessert every night, but I can't deliver that every day! Occasionally I  bake for our community theatre or some other event. This Ho Ho cake is a favorite.



....starts winding down when my son arrives home from school around 2:30 and my husband arrives home around 4:30.

All of my boxes and filler to ship the items for my Etsy
shop come from the dumpster at Frank's job.

....is anticipating dinner time.....these days I am cooking one healthy meal for me and one manly meal for my husband and son.


Mine....

Beet Salad

Theirs....

......is claiming my spot on the couch for the rest of the evening watching this....

or this.....

My mornings are not my own so I don't do devotions first thing. I do them before bed when the kitties are tucked in for the night and can't crawl all over me and I have some time to myself.


I stay connected by praying and talking to the Lord all day long for whatever is going on that day or for what is going on in others' lives. Most people who pray know that you could spend all day just praying for others!


My perfect day ends getting into this.....

....to relax and start reading my devotions which include Our Daily Bread, The Word for Today, Jesus Calling, Jesus Today and A Grandmother's Prayers. Phillip Mouse is a children's book written by a friend that I am reading before I give it to Cassidy to read.

I received A Grandmothers Prayers, by Kay Swatkowski, from Discovery House, the publishers of Our Daily Bread. I highly recommend it! It is a 60 day devotional with an emphasis on subjects grandmothers can pray for their grandchildren, with each day concluding with a Let Us Pray and Think and Do section with prayers included.


Goodnight for now and wake up to another perfect day in my home sweet home.


What does your perfect day look like?


AnnMarie xoxo




I am linking up with these great blog parties:


Freedom Fridays with all My Bloggy Friends
Home Sweet Home
Share Your Cup
Best of the Weekend
"Anything Goes" Pink Saturday
Link Up Party

Goin' to Grandma's House

I have such wonderful memories of going to my grandmother's house and her cottage at the Thousand Islands.

This view looks exactly like the one I had as a kid looking out onto
the St. Lawrence River from my grandparent's cottage

We called her Ga because that is all my oldest sister could say as a toddler. We lost her to liver disease when I was 12 but I can still describe her home and cottage (right down to the décor items!)and the things we did there.

I want to make those memories for my grandchildren.

I have a big, old Victorian house with lots of charm and cozy comfort. The kind of house you think of when goin' to grandma's house.

My grandchildren Cassidy, Chloe and JC are here at least once a week, sometimes more. There are routines they have here and familiar things in my home that I hope are creating memories for them for years to come, even though they may not realize it now.

This is the walk up to my front door.....NaNa's house

This is the door that they press their noses up against to see if I am coming yet to answer it.



 

Chloe said "NaNa! Why are you taking a picture of us coming in?!"

They usually go straight to the toy chest, which really doesn't look like one when there are no grandchildren around....

 



But open it up and there's all kinds of kid stuff that needs to get organized!

Usually lunch follows soon after they arrive. Chloe likes to wait and eat lunch at NaNa's. I bought this great, 1950's red Cosco step stool/chair to sell but as soon as Chloe saw it in my kitchen, she claimed it as her own. JC soon joined in with a toddler seat on a dining room chair.

 

After lunch Chloe will go off with her bag of animals and go into my dining room to play. This solid wood truck was a decoration in my son's room when he was little. Chloe likes to put her animals in the windows and the driver seat.

 



 

Making memories.....

 



 

This is the spot they are not supposed to go....behind the chairs in the parlor. Lots of fragile things on the shelves on either side and vintage dolls, NOT to be played with. I know, I know, I am tempting them, but I want my things out where I can see them! They will learn not to touch as my girls and my son did. We have already survived the pulling down of the vintage Victorian lamp from being where we weren't supposed to! 

 



 

And, of course, there will be memories of going to NaNa's to see the new kitties. Cyrus is tolerant of children, Sprite is not. She is not anywhere to be seen when they are over.

 



 



 

There are the seasonal things I like to do with them at my house, like decorating pumpkin cookies before Halloween. I hope they remember that and carry the tradition on to their children.

 



 

For Cassidy, who is 10, there are different memories being made. She already experienced all that the younger kids do now, but now likes to go on the computer when she comes over and play with my ancient flute. She does her homework here and sings silly songs with my husband.

When Chloe is older I hope there will be memories of prancing around in my garden in the summer.

 

Or petting the deer...

Or playing in the little red and yellow car that both Cassidy and Chloe have played in, and JC will this Spring...

Mostly I hope they remember the love and hugs and time they spent with me, my husband, Nonno to them, and my son Michael (he doesn't want to be called Uncle yet!).

There is nothing like having a special Grandma in your life.

AnnMarie xoxo

I am linking up with these great blog parties:
Show and Share
Share Your Cup Thursday
Freedom Fridays With All My Bloggy Friends
Best of the Weekend
Pink Saturday