Dollar Finds

I'm starting this post out with an item that is not a dollar. Boo. But ever since Target changed there Dollar spot to include items that are 3.00 and 5.00 I keep finding cute things there!  Cute but not a dollar, yet still pretty frugal!

These little journals came from Target and they are super cute. They cost three bucks!  The blue one has graph paper inside and the orange one has dotted paper. I love them for bullet journaling or just any type of little lists or notes.

Here's a peek inside...some weeks I write a little note everyday and others I just jot down little thoughts or inspirations. I've never been very good at keeping a more lengthy journal but this is working pretty well.

One of my favorite things to find for a dollar! Washi....I use this in my planners and journals all of time to add a little spark of color!  These rolls I found at Dollar Tree. Dollar Tree has a great Washi selection but it is pretty hit and miss. I looked for weeks for the new rolls everyone was talking about and the FINALLY were at my local store.

These are two different sets both found at Target and they both really were a dollar!  Yeah! The binder clips on the top would be perfect for school....but I have to laugh at the Ignore one...I mean if you are going to ignore it why clip it?  The second set is a little min days of the week set that includes one that says every day. (Earlier I bought a full sized set) I was thinking that you could add magnets to the back and put it on the fridge to clip a menu card up each day of the week. The larger set would probably work better for that idea. They are super dainty and cute and for a dollar...they found their way into my cart!

That's it for my Dollar Finds but now I'm itching to make a trip to Dollar Tree to see what new stuff they might have haunting their aisles.

Celebrate!

From Month by Month,,,,,,Enjoy your day!

Organize It: On My Desk

No other place in the house can get into such a jumbled mess as a desk top. Mail, bills, notes, and other items clog the working surface.

Let's take a peek....on my desk this morning....unaltered photos of the "hidden truth" about desk tops!

Here's the right side of my computer "office" desk. On the right side is my printer, a coaster for my coffee or tea, a basket and a little ceramic pot. You also see a set of little measuring bowls that are from Mexico....they aren't suppose to be there....BUT I said unaltered! That basket looks a mess but it really helps me stay organized and not have little random notes etc flying all over the place. I try to clean it out every few months.

This is the left side of the computer desk. That notebook is my budget/savings/bill paying notebook and it stays open there most of the time. I've tried tucking it away in a drawer or on a shelf but I find that I really need that daily reminder of a "budget" and it's so handy to update it if it is open and ready!  Yep that's a stack of mail....not all bills thank goodness but things I don't want to lose because I will need them in the immediate future. The little pots are clearance items from Walgreens and they make cute and functional pen, pencils, and marker holders!

Now you might wonder why I called my desk, the computer desk, and that is because I have two in my tiny tiny office....and the other one is the craft desk, which can get just as jumbled and cluttered!

Here's the left side of the desk. Those little white buckets are from the wedding section at Dollar Tree and hold paper clips, push pins and other tiny items.

This is the right side of the craft desk and again I'm using some Dollar Tree pots to hold all sorts of items. You also see my "over flow" and lesser used washi in the plastic organizer. Notice the blue sentence strip holder (another Dollar Tree find) that I use to store some stickers, notepads and other planner goodies for easy view and selection.

The middle section is where I keep my most often used washi tape. There are currently two holders, the white one is from Michael's and the left one is a DIY one that basically cost me less than a dollar...guess which one I like the best! You can also just catch a glimpse of a jar that holds all my super skinny washi.

So that's it..."on my desk" this morning...I am so thankful they were not their usual jumbled pile of stuff so I can share them and actually feel "good" about it!

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

Today's feature here at Month by Month is Spaghetti Squash Alfredo. I tried baking some last year with simple butter and seasoning and while it was good, it just wasn't as yummy as I wanted it to be. So when visiting a friend the other evening, she served Spaghetti Squash Alfredo which was exceptionally creamy and good.

Cut the squash in half, remove seeds, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic, bake for 45 minutes, add the sauce toward the end of the baking period and allow it to heat through.

She baked her squash after brushing it with some olive oil and garlic but here's a recipe that calls for boiling it.  Spaghetti Squash Alfredo (boiling method)

It was a creamy lovely experience. Not exactly like noodles but close enough to curb the urge for some high carb pasta. I would definitely suggest giving it a try!

Monday Planners, Posts, and Life Revamp

I thought it was about time I checked in here at Month by Month and gave you an update on life.

                                            (I printed this free cover just to mix it up for summer)

There's so much that's been happening that its really hard to get back on track so we will start small today as I share my planner and how I am using it as a home notebook. Actually this is the last month I will be using this size planner for my home as next month I'll upgrade to the larger 8 1/2 by 11 size for my home needs but I have been using this size for the last year and a half.

Here's my June monthly view....the planner itself is pretty blank but there are so many free printables and fun things out there to decorate it with. I am using this monthly cover and I'm sad to say I forgot who I printed it from....if anyone knows or if the creator sees this please let me know so I can give credit. It is super cute! Of course all of June is not filled in because things will "hop" into my life and I'll need to update it accordingly.

Here's the weekly view and I hesitated to show it because my handwriting is so sloppy...when I wrote in it I didn't realize I'd be sharing it....and i usually have better printing. (ugh). The blank spaces up at the top are to be filled in with appointments and errands and such but I'm a bit behind because we are coming into the week off a holiday weekend!  Let me tell you what the planner typically looks like.

1. Space for appointments
2. Space for Errands and other Must Dos
3. Meds reminder
4. Email reminder (since I'm recently been elected to the school board I need to check it more)
5. Exercise reminder (which isn't on here yet)
6. Water Tracker (again isn't on there yet.)
7. Menu
8. Daily tasks (middle portion)
9. Room of the Day cleaning schedule (bottom)

Just for fun let me show you a couple other weekly versions from earlier. Each week I mix it up a bit on how I layout the week but it keeps me on my toes!

And another.........

So that's a little peek into my life lately. FYI. This is the Happy Planner (MAMBI) and it is available at Michaels and Hobby Lobby. There are several different versions with different covers and layouts so choose carefully! There is also the larger version available...it starts with July 2016 so I'll be sharing that set up next month.

Move It Out Monday

I'm retired...I should have all the time I need...right?  Well, it doesn't seem to be working out that way. Life and overbooking has produced a stressed out me...so last week...I made a plan...I'm reclaiming my LIFE.....I want to focus more on the things I want to do and do more of the things I love....It might seem selfish but its essential.  Plus many of those things are home, family and friends related. So its' time to TAKE CHARGE....and RECLAIM MY LIFE....

With that rant over we can get to the task at hand...It's Move It Out Monday...I have stuff lingering in the van that needs to go to Agape (our hometown version of Goodwill) so that is one of my Move It Out Monday goals. The other is to work on decluttering the laundry room as I do some laundry today.

Updating When I'm Going Nowhere

So I'm off track...big time...there are more projects getting added every day and "things" are piling up.  I decided to try to get back on my blogging schedule this week and so here I am blogging on Month by Month.....but what do you say when you are "stuck"? I decided to take a look at the list I put up last month!  P stands for a partially met goal and the X is accomplished.

[ P] Meet the 1000 words a day challenge for writing my book, The Birthing Tree.

[P ] Add weekly posts to the Soul Musings-52 Weeks book

[  ] Stick to the blogging schedule each week

Home Projects:

[  ] Tear up carpet in hallway and lay tile

[  ] Office Makeover project (this is a huge one)

[  ] Laundry room redo (another biggie)

[X] Finish patio project behind garage (Met except for pea gravel)

[ P] Finish corner garden

[X] Do the garden table(s)

[P] Finish fairy gardens in front beds and pot on front porch

Other

[P] Get creative again....do anything!

 [  ] Write and keep to monthly life goals

Things that weren't on the list that I did....

1. Cleaned linen closet
2. Sorted my jewelry
3. Cleaned front porch
4. Started taking down wallpaper border in kitchen
5. Sort three bins of toys in basement and took to Agape (like Goodwill)
6. Cleaned my closet and dresser drawers (purged stuff)

When I actually look at the list I start to realize that I have made progress. It's not perfect...its sort of messy...but hey I am getting there!  Obviously I am keeping the list for June. Now back to work!