The Sewing Mom

She’s off.  She’s off to her first day of 8th grade and I am missing her all ready!  Of course, I completely forgot to take a picture.

She was up early, dressed in record time and even ate breakfast, all before I was done getting showered!  She was so excited, it was nice to see.  The last thing she did was put on her old, reliable, Converse sneakers and they looked so bad compared to all of her new clothes.  I decided to quickly grab my Magic Eraser and cleaned the toes of her shoes so they looked new again!  She was quite pleased and so we then headed down the street to the bus stop.  This is the only day all year she will allow me to walk her to the bus stop, so I took advantage of that.

It was a beautiful morning and I loved walking and talking with her.  The bus arrived a few minutes early, she hopped on and was gone.  I know she has to go to school, but I have to admit, I really do love having her around the house.  I miss her when she’s gone!  I can’t wait until 4:00 this afternoon so I can hear all about her day.

Have your kids gone back to school yet?

After not even turning the power on to my sewing machine since April, I have finally started a new project.

I stopped by the local quilt shop on Friday and found a tote bag pattern that my sister had been looking for.  I picked it up for her along with some fat quarters and clearance fabric for myself and came home to plan out my next project.  I’m actually using her new pattern and some fabric I purchased in Paducah back in April.  I ran to Joanns fabrics today to buy interfacing and hope to have photos of a finished project soon!

I just have to find the time to sew now.  Tomorrow is the first day of school and I am working all week.  When I’m not working, I have to choose whether to sew or to blog.  This week, it might be sewing that I choose, so if you don’t see me, you’ll know where I am!

About a year ago I was diagnosed as having high cholesterol. I spent the next 9 months trying hard to lower my bad cholesterol levels by exercising more and eating healthier, lower fat foods. I became one of those people you may have seen at the grocery store, standing in the aisle, reading nutrition labels on packages of pasta and anything else I might want to put into my shopping cart.

I have discovered some pretty healthy foods that are low in fat, low in sodium, low in cholesterol, and, unfortunately, low in flavor. Even eating salads everyday wouldn’t be the answer to a low cholesterol diet because their so bland unless you have some way of adding flavor, without drenching them in high fat dressings! Personally, I have increased the amount of seasonings I use when cooking as a way of adding flavor to some of the bland foods I’ve added to my diet, but even that doesn’t always help.

Any time I want to eat anything that has a sauce or gravy, I have to question my choice. One ingredient that can really help keep me on my path to lower cholesterol is NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar which has only 20 calories and 0 grams of fat per tablespoon. It’s also gluten free and has 50% less sodium than other brands of rice vinegar.

If you’d like to try NAKANO Seasoned Rice Vinegar, click the link to get a $1.00 off coupon. The website also has free recipes and even the NAKANO Splash Recipe Club.

Besides using this rice vinegar in cooking, it can also be added directly to salad, as a marinade before grilling chicken, and many other uses. I definitely don’t care for bland foods, and this is a great addition to my spice cabinet!

Isn’t this a beautiful bag?! My sister Karen created this using the Peace on Earth fabric from Moda. I love the colors and take a look at all the interior pockets! It has a fabric loop and button closure on the top.

I carry this same style of bag that Karen made for me and I love it, I use it every day. The handles are perfectly sized and can slide easily over the shoulder or fit nicely in your hand. You can find more of her creations at her Etsy shop, Kreated by Karen.

I feel used and abused.  I’m put to work and pounded on morning, noon and night and given very little thanks.  I’m moved around from room to room, hidden when company arrives and stuffed inside a tote bag whenever it’s time to go on a road trip.  This is my life as a laptop computer.

I remember when I was brought home all shiny and new, the excitement in the house was overwhelming.  I worked like a charm, speed was my style.  My keys responded at the slightest touch and my touchpad was so incredibly sensitive.  I accomplished every task I was assigned at lightning speed to the delight of all who put me to work.  I’ve now been slaving away for about 5 years and my how times have changed.

My touchpad is not quite so sensitive, my keys are worn and my speed?  Well, let’s just say, those were the days; I have definitely slowed my processing time in my old age.  I don’t know if it’s all the blogging and web surfing I do that has caused my slowdown, I never been to the PC doctor to determine a cause, but even running a registry mechanic has done little to clean and clear my system. I most resemble the current HP Pavilion dv6z series of laptop, but I currently aspire to be the HP Pavilion dv6z Artist series to show off my creative side even more than I all ready do.

I’ve been a loyal, hardworking laptop and have only ever had to replace my power cord. Recently, my battery has died and now I have to be plugged in to an electrical outlet at all times. This sort of defeats the purpose of being a “portable” notebook computer, so I think I’m going to make sure my owner is aware of the great deals being offered like this one:  Get $500 off instantly when you purchase an HP HDX 16t with $300 coupon code NBN3248 + $200 Instant Rebate. Valid through 8/23 or while supplies last. Restrictions and exclusions apply.

I am nearing retirement, but maybe I’ll find a new life in a certain girl’s room if her mom buys a new notebook!