Kitchen pet peeves

Where there is a family living together in a house, there are some things done in the kitchen that drives the one semi-sane person in the family a little crazy. Here are my kitchen pet peeves:

1. When there is a food or beverage in our home, it doesn't matter who eats the majority of it...whoever eats the last of it, is the one who is said to have "eaten it" and are given the stink eye. I think that's so lame. This is where the second pet peeve comes in.
2. You grab the family sized bag of potato chips out of the pantry only to look inside and see that there is hardly a handful of crumbs. This is a tactic to keep people from saying that "all" the chips were eaten by whoever had the last helping. Now, you have to decide whether to eat them and take the fall or leave them and make someone else mad. 
3. Now, if I were going to go with only three, this would be the last. Empty containers posing as full ones. Why are there always cracker boxes with no more crackers? Egg cartons with no eggs? Was it that hard to throw them in the compactor or trash? 
4. Covering Tupperware containers with saran wrap is like a sin in my book. Either find the top for the container, use foil to cover it, or put it in a container the plastic wrap will really stick to!
5. Picking the best part out of any dish. Unlike some people, I enjoy leftovers; however, I don't enjoy going to eat a dish that is supposed to have rice, sausage and pineapples in it, and finding only rice. 

So okay, I let that out. Tell me: What are your kitchen/food pet peeves?

Elisabeth Arona

Iced in and okay

Icy trees are so beautiful!

I'm sure you've heard about all the complaints you care to about Georgia weather huh? My family has a lot to be thankful for. Our power didn't go out for the first (a couple weeks ago) or second (yesterday) storm! We were holed up here in the house "enjoying" each other's company. I just wanted to show a few little pictures of what the outdoors looks like.

The deck looked so pretty, I didn't step out on it though.

Monnie enjoying the outdoors

Monnie and Nece made dinner last night-chili-and as usual managed to argue and/or sing the whole entire time. They definitely get props for multitasking. Dad has worm beds downstairs, yes, it's basically what it sounds like. He has containers of dirt with worms in them, he feeds them and hangs out with them. "Bonding with the worms" is the phrase I use when anyone asks where he's at. Mom spent a lot of our "iced-in" time cross-stitching and reading when she wasn't on her cleaning spree. I managed to alter a pattern that I hope to have available soon and did some piano practicing. Hey, please check out IG to keep up with me (link below.) 

Enjoy the weather y'all!

Elisabeth Arona

Dear Achoo...

New year new you, right?

Well, I wish my cat had that mentality. She is precious, and I love her to death, but she could use some improvement. Her name is Achoo (real imaginative huh?) because I am allergic to cats. My allergy doctor told me it's fine that I get a cat as long as it is outdoors and I wash my hands after loving on her. So, I've written an open letter to this darling cat with some words of advice. 

Dear Achoo, 

You know I love you, but sometime I get really irritated when you run out to meet the car like a dog. I used to think it was cute, but when you roll over onto your back directly in front of the car I just want to scream. I'm glad you found a new friend next door, but money doesn't grow on trees so you should stop letting her eat your food. While we're on the subject of food, dad says you shouldn't have six meals a day no matter how much you beg. He thinks you're getting plump. Don't be hurt, but I did notice you've rounded out some too, it looks good on you though! Um, on the subject of begging, why is it you hear me in the mud room and start meowing? It's so hard to resist feeding you for the seventh time. 

I also think that you should reconsider how you go in and out of the garage. There is no need to meow at the door, and then when you're let in you run through the house and meow at another door to be let out. You could just walk around to the backyard the normal outdoor animal way. I feel like it's a new year, and you should consider changing these few little things. Either way I will always love you.

Lizzi 

Etsy Lists Are Pinterest-esque

Hi! Christmas is almost here, can you believe it?

I'm so attached to Etsy lists right now! You can not only add things to your favorites section, but you can also create lists under other titles. It's almost Pinterest-esque (and you know how much I love pinterest)! It's great for the organizer (really deep down) somewhere in all of us. I have a Christmas list and I have a "To buy one day" list. Click on the titles to see those.  

And here is part of my favs list.

Love it like I do?

Changes and motivation

This may seem like a random post, but I assure you it is not. I still feel a bit uncomfortable talking about this to just anybody--especially explaining what it's all about. Feel free to look it up online, you will find a wealth of information. It has taken some adjusting just for me to get where I'm at now (writing a blog post about it,) and strangely, the more I find out about it, the LESS I want to say about it. It's easy to tell women that they're not weird, and they're not alone, but it's a little more difficult when the woman is you.

I was diagnosed with PCOS around the beginning of this year. I didn't really understand what that meant, but I knew that I had to start exercising and change some of my eating habits. I started attending a twice-a-week workout class, and what I started out kinda disliking (if I'm really honest) ended up being something I actually enjoy. Now I work with a personal trainer, and am thinking it's time to up the ante and start really exercising by myself too.

I'm not a self motivated person, so it will be hard, but sometimes hard is good.

I changed the way I eat, and that too is about to change some more. I found that I like cabbage and spinach more than I knew. I learned that chocolate is not necessary more than a couple times a month really, and that I can skip the sweet tea and just drink water. I trade those pleasures for the worthwhile pleasure of feeling good. I'm still working on a little excess weight, but what fun is having nothing to work on? 

Sometimes it's hard not to pout about how many people can eat what they want, but don't have to deal with adverse reactions, while here I am with allergies and health problems that inhibit that freedom.

Then I remember something I read from a girl that had acne about being thankful for acne (or insert other minor ailments) because:

It’s your body’s way of telling you something isn’t right. Most of us are experiencing ill health due to poor nutrition and unhealthy lifestyles. Some people are “unlucky” enough to not show symptoms, riding some “genetic inheritance” that keeps their skin perfectly clear. Be thankful that your body is sending you a message to change.” 

So, although I have down days, I brush myself off and try to remember that. On my mountaintop days I know that it's true. 

Elisabeth Arona

Pinterest, instagram, and me.

How is your day going? My mom just made me breakfast (for which I was super grateful, these things don't happen often since I became a "big girl") and she is now sitting eating herself. It's pretty dreary out, which makes those plans to go to the library today seem pretty dumb. Since I stayed up last night until after 2 am reading a mystery, I'm looking through somewhat bleary eyes. It's too bad I don't drink coffee. 

The girls are doing their school work, the younger complaining about having to put her spelling words in alphabetical order, and the older wanting to take bathroom breaks and open the blinds every few minutes. Why is it that weather like this makes a person feel so lazy? Far be it from me to fight it...Juuuust kidding. I am still planning to sew today. I have a great knit with hearts on it that I think is pretty cute.

So have you gotten around to finding me on Pinterest?

I'm right HERE.

Since I'm a Pinterest addict now (never thought I would say that) I have made it a daily necessity to find something too cute for words on there to pin. 

I have also decided *drum roll* to start a IG account for Arona Designs. You can now find me there under the username aronadesigns. Pretty cool!

Also, regarding those fashion sketches that I was going to do...I'm gonna revise that plan. As long as it's a fashion illustration it will qualify...every week I will put on up.

Elisabeth Arona

Scalping, scheduling, school, and steps

This week my nephew Michael came over-twice. He was up the stairs every five minutes. 

Sadly, he can't exactly make it back down yet. 

His mom was worried that he was going to fall down them, but he generally stood at the top waiting.

He knew that someone would carry him down. 

Come running to his rescue. 

Besides, going up is so much fun. 

Why think about going back down in advance?

This reminds me of myself. Although I have a few years on Mikey (he's 1.5 years old.) I understand what he's going through. Often I find myself jumping into "good ideas" without really thinking them through logically first. I don't think about whether I can be disciplined and carry through, or whether I will regret it. Why think about the downside in advance? No one wants to go down!

I did think about home schooling in advance, but I didn't consider the scheduling and how difficult it would be. I'm that person that procrastinate well, it's almost an art form! Generally it works, but for children you're supposed to do a little better than that. My boyfriend told me that I would need a schedule (two weeks or so into schooling.) I agreed. How will I get things done if I don't? 

1. Write schedule
2. Write separate schedule for the days I go to the gym in the morning
3. Enforce the schedule

Although it was difficult, I did manage to set a fairly early wake-up time (and no I won't tell you in case you wake up at 6 or something and judge me.) The girls are now waking up even if I hit the snooze--all I ask is five extra minutes! 

So you were wondering how school is going? Pretty decent. I go to the library two or three times out of the week. I check out books relating to what they're learning in their school books, and they're doing several book reports a week. I am planning (that WORD) on starting a journal so that I can remember why I put this or that book on hold, or what the end result was supposed to be for...Well you get the drift. Monnie is learning about Native Americans. I personally feel like I've accomplished something when she comes to me and asks how they went about scalping a person. 

That may be just me though.

I feel that it's important for people to retain their curiosity. 

Don't ask why? Ask "Why?", then "How?", then "When?", and "What were they thinking?"

When they don't know something, I want to have an answer, but I've found that it's even better to make them search for the answer...Because in life rarely is it easy to find.

And that's how my week has been.

Elisabeth Arona