.my planner.

 

 

 

 

She doesn’t have a name but this is my 2014 planner. I sure have come along way since I started using the Erin Condren Life Planner 3 years ago. The planner has made changes and I’ve adapted (some I didn’t like, some I did). Just as a brief overview…

I had to place those colorful stickers on the front as they didn’t print it right, and refused to fix it – but I won’t go there. My middle initial is “l”. I requested amber l barber all on the second line so it would be closer to the edge (this I even put in the comments) and it came like this with the “l” under my first name, really? If they were going to split it I think it should’ve been done with the middle initial after my first name, but I made the best of it and just added more color!

I LOVE the inside front cover of my planner! So sparkly, happy, and motivating. 

This is my month view. I use the “block stickers” on the monthly section only – this allows me to keep space on my weekly view and gives me a good break down of the week I’m planning on Sunday or Saturday night. In the empty squares I have decided to start doing my monthly goals/resolutions with the succeeded checks at the end. (they are the Martha Stewart labels)

I have my main cleaning schedule on the month view and I just transfer it for the week. The items written in are bi/weekly – monthly – semi-annually – quarterly tasks that I set up when I created my own cleaning plan – if you’d like me to elaborate on another post I’ll start putting it together for you. I do 5 main tasks each week (after work) these are marked by the color star at the top of the month.

(yellow = dust / red=floors / green=kitchen / blue=bathrooms / orange=sheets purple=laundry)

This keeps me clean & efficient. Hey it works for me and that flylady stuff is way too complicated!

My weekly view. This is of the next week so it isn’t completely filled out. I use the top “box” as my to-do list for the day, all the items I need to accomplish. Then the day/night boxes I use like normal. Day being midnight to noon and night being noon to midnight. I like it split up this way. Mainly because I work and just using them as morning/day/night wasn’t flowing with my schedule and was leaving a lot of blank space.

I dislike the lines at the bottom but I use them for my blog to do and my reading schedule so it works, I guess. The main thing I really dislike about them is there is a line of text above them that just takes up space and is silly to me. I don’t need someone to tell me how to use the space I will/can figure it out on my own. So I cover it with pretty washi and try not to think about it except to hope that maybe on the 2015 planner it will be removed. I don’t have a picture of it as I have already “removed” them from my planner because I dislike them so :). 

I just made a charm for her today that I am in LOVE with – each little thing on it has special meaning to me or a memory that makes me smile.     That’s my planner! If you have any questions please feel free to let me know! I love the Erin Condren Life Planner and would recommend them to anyone. If you aren’t a member yet and would like to order some of her products use this link for $10 off your first order!

https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/amberbarber1005 

 

.cabbage rolls.

 

 

 

 

I made the most amazing things – cabbage rolls! They were so delicious and the recipe made SO many I was eating them for a week! I didn’t try freezing them because I wasn’t sure how well they would freeze. What I love about them is there were so many nutritious things crammed into them. Here is the recipe to enjoy! I found the original here: Paleo Paramedic. I substituted ground turkey for the beef. Find the recipe there and here are the pictures! I’m telling you it was so yummy! Go make it! Now! It does take awhile but it is very much worth it!

Riced Cauliflower (you can use this for lots of stuff, it’s a great ‘filler’).

 

 

Boil the cabbage to peel the leaves, this is a hot process so be careful!

Mix the beef and sausage together and cook through.

After the meat is cooked, add the cauliflower mixture.

Add the tomatoes and cook more.

Get ready to stuff the cabbage after everything is cooked.

Stuff it and roll it, get ready to bake it!

Place the filling that wouldn’t fit inside on top, bake, and then remove and eat!

.becoming active.

 

 

 

The title doesn’t really narrow anything down. I’ve been trying to write this post since December maybe? It has been toiling in my mind. The words spinning into circles not forming anything that made even a tiny bit of sense. I’ve been staring at this cursor blinking at me ever since I changed into my PJ’s after church and sat down at the computer. I’ve been ‘planning’ on becoming more active in all aspects of my life for a few months, but haven’t actual done the ‘active’ part, and it’s about time that that changes.

I’ve sat here tonight and accomplished pretty much everything that was on my plan last week, and wrote my new plan for next week.

I want to be more active in my life. Find and do those things that I love. Start loving my life, but more importantly – start living my life. I’ve lost about 40 pounds in the past year. Yes, that’s a good weight loss. No, it’s not as good as it could have been had I even applied myself with an ounce of the planning and preparing that I do/did.

I want to wake up and be perfect tomorrow but I know that isn’t going to happen – it’s only going to happen after many days, months, and years of applying myself & dedicating myself to myself every minute of everyday.

I want to be active in church, attending every Sunday. Reading and Studying the Gospel everyday – studying for Sunday School and Relief Society so I can get the most out of each lesson.

I want to be active in my neighborhood, serving those around me. Getting to know them – to love them for the people they are. I’ve never really enjoyed service but moving into a very service oriented ward I’m finally getting a thirst for it.

I want to become more active in my life. I want my life to mean something.

I want everyday that I awake to be lived the the best that it can – either doing something that I love and enjoy or helping others do things they love and enjoy.

I commit to become active in my life. Do everything that I can to make each day amazing.

.the refrigerator.

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a post of any substance over here! I’ve been a tad obsessed with my house and then life just gets going, you know how it goes. I don’t know if everyone who reads my blog knows but I’ve lost 34 pounds in the past few months and am making changes in my life – little by little. Recently I have cut out all my grains, legumes, and dairy. I have a lot of digestive/tummy issues that I don’t know where they come from, and no one can really figure it out either.

I heard of the ‘Paleo Diet’ and bought Dr. Cordains book, The Paleo Diet and after reading a little bit of it I thought why not? What is the worst that can happen? I cut out all my soda, sugars, and foods that are possibly making me sick all the time? That doesn’t sound like such a bad deal does it? So I did, and in the first week I lost 3.5 pounds! I have more energy, and I just generally feel better. This new food life I’m living calls for a lot of produce and meat, and my biggest question is how do I store it properly?

After some research I learned that the crisper drawers in my fridge do actually do something! When I got home from the store this morning I tackeled re-organizing my fridge wiping it out and making ‘fridge rules’. As Mr. B mentioned, he didn’t know we had old fridge rules – well, we didn’t.

Now we do.

Meet my fridge…

And this is everything I took out of it…

I’m not the only one that eats out of my fridge, nor is it 100% Paleo but it’s what it is – the majority of my fridge consists of produce/meat, etc. The other stuff is for when the Mr. comes home and wants Fry Sauce or Chocolate milk.

You can pretty much see what all I have, if you want to know about something go ahead and ask, :). I realized that I wasn’t utilizing my drawers right, nor was I using all my produce up because ‘I didn’t feel like cleaning it’.

• Nothing enters the fridge without being washed.
• Items that need proportioning / slicing / cutting won’t be placed in the fridge until this is done.

That’s it. Just two pretty simple rules to follow. Nothing major. I want the fridge to be a grab & go for healthy foods and snacks, not an extension of the grocery store.

This is how I store my stuff in my fridge, you can disagree or you might know a better way, if you do – please share, but this is how I’m doing it until I learn / find out a better way.

Low Humidity Items -  These are things that I just keep in the fridge, no drawers just alone: Strawberries, Avocados, Tomatoes, Apples, Grapes, Mushrooms, Okra, Peppers, Squash, and Pears.

Medium Humidity Items – These go in a drawer that I have the slider halfway open: Sweet Potatoes, Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Melon, Onions.

High Humidity – These are in a drawer with the setting set high: Leafy Greens (unless washed and stored in paper towels in bags), Broccoli, Brussels, Cauliflower, Carrots, Green Onions.

This is my finished fridge, all proportioned and pretty! Makes me want to cook and eat! Love the final product, only took me 3 hours to accomplish it all but I’m very happy – next is the freezer… or maybe not.

I also need to mention that in the bottom drawer I keep my meats and some fruits, coconut, etc. This is the coldest part of my fridge so it’s good for proteins, and all the stuff you want really chilled.

.been too long.

I seem to always be making promises that I can’t keep. Well, I need to do more productive things. I mean I’ve been working out for an hour everyday. I’ve been cooking my own meals, which I’ll tell you cooking for one most of the time is not easy. I’ve been reading – maybe a little too much. I’ve been travelling and now working full time again. So I’m still trying to find that balance. Well, it’s time to get back to blogging my life. I really enjoy doing it, so much in fact I started another blog – 30sixty3 . It’s about our new (well, a year old) home and the changes it’s about to see. I’m excited to document the growth over time.

Don’t really know what to do a ‘catch-up’ post on but I wanted to share some of my brothers Senior Pictures I took. I can’t believe that he graduates high school next week. I remember him being little and coming up to me saying, “I’ll be going on my mission when you’re 30”. He said thirty in such a ewww manner it was funny, of course I never thought I’d be at that age, and well give me a few more months and I will be. He has his papers sent in so I know we are so excited to see where he’s going, and I think I’m more excited to send him letters and packages :) like an awesome sister should.

Here is my little brother, my oh my how he’s grown…. I love you bud! Me and him the day I left on my mission so many, many moons ago… I think I should mention that now he’s a complete foot (maybe a foot plus) taller than me, then again – that’s not that difficult to do…

These are some of my favorites….

I especially love this outtake. My typical brother.

And this is his pride and joy…