So I have a confession...I usually always pick our meals for the week but I don't always cook them. Thankfully Michael likes to cook and is good at it so from time to time he helps out. This week he planned our menu and right now he is preparing our burgers. Here goes....
Sunday - Rachel Ray's Welsh Rarebit Burgers & Ranch French Fries (Been craving a good burger so hope this one is good)
Monday - Pork Chops with Gouda & Bacon, Sauteed Spinach and Roasted Tomato Half with Parmesan & Breadcrumbs
Tuesday - Kickin Chicken with Crunch, Sauteed Zucchini with Corn
Wednesday - Italian Sausage Soup with Grilled Cheese
Thursday - Chicken Rollatini
Friday - Flank Steak with Mashed Red Potatoes
January 30, 2011
January 26, 2011
Office Update!
Things are getting busy on the real estate front and my desk was a mess! I was starting to feel very unorganized. Check out these befores....yikes!
And here are the afters....much better!
And here are the afters....much better!
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| I purchased some in/out trays for file folders & paper, and an small organizer for pens, paper clips etc. |
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| Added some pictures that were leftover from my grandmother's move |
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| I have always loved this frame. I used a print from the flower book I purchased last summer and removed the stand on the frame, added a hook on the back. It was super easy! |
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| This cabinet is a weird size and doesn't fit a normal size file box. I used magazine holders and turned them sideways to line my files up. |
January 23, 2011
Menu Planner
Sunday - Savory Chicken Taco (We didn't end up trying these a few weeks ago)
Monday - Cashew-Pesto Pasta from Everyday with Rachel Ray
Tuesday - Zatarain's Jambalaya with Smoked Sausage and Chicken
Wednesday - Grilled Chicken-and-Bacon Mac 'n' Cheese from Everyday with Rachel Ray
Thursday - Wine Club
I couldn't find the recipes for the Pesto Pasta and Mac 'n' Cheese on-line but scanned them in below.
Hopefully you can click on the files and they will be large enough to read (I was able to zoom in using the view then zoom feature).
Monday - Cashew-Pesto Pasta from Everyday with Rachel Ray
Tuesday - Zatarain's Jambalaya with Smoked Sausage and Chicken
Wednesday - Grilled Chicken-and-Bacon Mac 'n' Cheese from Everyday with Rachel Ray
Thursday - Wine Club
I couldn't find the recipes for the Pesto Pasta and Mac 'n' Cheese on-line but scanned them in below.
Hopefully you can click on the files and they will be large enough to read (I was able to zoom in using the view then zoom feature).
January 22, 2011
Shoe Deals!
I bought 3 pairs of shoes yesterday for Camille and spent right under $25. Here is what I found....
Cute shoes from the Gap for $5.03!
Two pair of Tennis Shoes from Saxon Shoes for $19.61!
Richmonders...check out Saxons...shoes are 50% off with an additional 10% off.
Cute shoes from the Gap for $5.03!
Two pair of Tennis Shoes from Saxon Shoes for $19.61!
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| This is a similar picture. The Vans I got had a pink trim instead of blue. |
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| Morgan & Milo |
Richmonders...check out Saxons...shoes are 50% off with an additional 10% off.
January 21, 2011
Southside Child Development Center Service Project
Last weekend, I coordinated a service project at the Southside Child Development Center. In conjunction with Target Stores and HandsOn Greater Richmond, we organized, sanitized and redesigned the center. We created 90 cold weather kits that included hats, gloves, hot chocolate mix, crayons and winter themed color pages. There was lots of hard work by 60 Target volunteers. The center shined when we left. Here are some before and after pics!
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| Before Teacher's Closet |
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| After Teacher's Closet |
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| Before Large Teacher's Closet |
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| After Large Teacher's Closet |
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| Before Large Teacher's Closet |
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| After Large Teacher's Closet |
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| Before Large Teacher's Closet |
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| After Large Teacher's Closet |
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| Laundry Organization Cart from Target.com |
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| Breakroom Shelf Organized |
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| Cute Bench & Shelf from Target.com |
January 20, 2011
Sale Pending!
It is a great time to buy or sell a house. This one is gone but I can help you find something great. Call me if you are interested in buying or selling a home. Rates are still low!
January 17, 2011
Menu Planner
Happy Monday! I will list last night's meal just as another idea....
Sunday - Chicken Fajita's (always good and simple to make)
Monday - Loaded Baked Potato Soup (saved from an earlier week and frozen) and Mozzarella & Prosciutto Panini
Tuesday - Homemade White Pizza
Wednesday - Store bought refrigerated Tortellini, Salad and French Bread
Thursday - Cinebistro! My sister gave us a gift certificate for Christmas and said she would babysit! Yea!
Friday - Flank steak, risotto, asparagus
Sunday - Chicken Fajita's (always good and simple to make)
Monday - Loaded Baked Potato Soup (saved from an earlier week and frozen) and Mozzarella & Prosciutto Panini
Tuesday - Homemade White Pizza
Wednesday - Store bought refrigerated Tortellini, Salad and French Bread
Thursday - Cinebistro! My sister gave us a gift certificate for Christmas and said she would babysit! Yea!
Friday - Flank steak, risotto, asparagus
January 16, 2011
Ebates
I signed up for Ebates right before Christmas since I would be purchasing a bunch of items on-line. If you haven't heard of it, it is a great way to get cash back on your online purchases. It is pretty easy, if you can remember to go to the Ebates website and login before making an online purchase. Then search for your store and Ebates will link you to that website and you will get a percentage of your sale at that website in cash back. Easy money! They send you a check or deposit in your paypal account. Click here to sign up.
January 12, 2011
Deal found! Crocs!
Even though it is so cold we can't go outside and play for more than 5 minutes at a time and we may or may not be going stir crazy! I am starting to think about spring. I found this post about 70% off at Crocs.com from athriftymom.com.
After browsing, I decided to get these cute Crocs for Camille. They were on sale for $12.49. I searched here for coupon codes and ended up getting them for $9.99 after using a free shipping and 20% off coupon. What a steal!
After browsing, I decided to get these cute Crocs for Camille. They were on sale for $12.49. I searched here for coupon codes and ended up getting them for $9.99 after using a free shipping and 20% off coupon. What a steal!
January 10, 2011
Menu Planner
Here's goes....
Monday - Dinner out for my niece's birthday
Tuesday - Whole Crockpot Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Wednesday - Easy Chicken and Tortellini Soup ( I got this out of a BJ's Magazine. If it is tasty, I will post the recipe).
Thursday - Stuffed Pork Chops with Stovetop (my husband likes this so I have to add it to the rotation).
Friday - Savory Chicken Tacos
Happy Monday!
Monday - Dinner out for my niece's birthday
Tuesday - Whole Crockpot Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Wednesday - Easy Chicken and Tortellini Soup ( I got this out of a BJ's Magazine. If it is tasty, I will post the recipe).
Thursday - Stuffed Pork Chops with Stovetop (my husband likes this so I have to add it to the rotation).
Friday - Savory Chicken Tacos
Happy Monday!
January 4, 2011
Would like to have....
Next time I get a little spending money, I have a small wishlist for my dining room...
1. New and fun fabric for my chair bottoms
2. More wall decor for the wall shown below
1. New and fun fabric for my chair bottoms
2. More wall decor for the wall shown below
I love the Bellesol Mirror from Ballard Designs and I am considering getting four and stacking them on either side of the picture.
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| Source: BallardDesigns.com |
Oh and a third item is a new rug...maybe if I win the $355 Million Dollars tonight. Who am I kidding? If I win...I will be getting lots of new things like a new house!
January 3, 2011
Cheesecake Bites
I was tasked with dessert for New Year's Eve. I considered making a cheesecake but all the recipes called for a springform pan which I don't have and wasn't going to purchase. Instead I made Cheesecake Bites and they were a hit! See recipe below....
BLACK AND WHITE CHEESECAKE BITES
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. butter
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
TO PREPARE CRUST:
In medium saucepan over low heat melt chocolate chips and butter. Stirring until smooth. Stir in graham cracker crumbs. Remove 1/4 cup of this mixture for later use. Press remaining mixture evenly in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
TO PREPARE FILLING:
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in condensed milk, then egg and vanilla. Pour over the prepared crust. Sprinkle with the reserved crust. Bake until set, about 25 - 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Cool in refrigerator until cold, about 2 hours or longer. Makes 24 squares.
Source: Cooks.com
BLACK AND WHITE CHEESECAKE BITES
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. butter
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
TO PREPARE CRUST:
In medium saucepan over low heat melt chocolate chips and butter. Stirring until smooth. Stir in graham cracker crumbs. Remove 1/4 cup of this mixture for later use. Press remaining mixture evenly in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
TO PREPARE FILLING:
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in condensed milk, then egg and vanilla. Pour over the prepared crust. Sprinkle with the reserved crust. Bake until set, about 25 - 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Cool in refrigerator until cold, about 2 hours or longer. Makes 24 squares.
Source: Cooks.com
January 2, 2011
Menu Planner
Back into a routine...here is this week's menu planner.
Monday - Loaded Baked Potato Soup & Grilled Cheese
Tuesday - Nacho Bread Pizza
Wednesday - Cajun Snapper with Red Beans & Rice, Corn
Thursday - Double Delicious Chicken & Biscuits, Green Beans
Friday - Taco's with Hard Shells
Monday - Loaded Baked Potato Soup & Grilled Cheese
Tuesday - Nacho Bread Pizza
Wednesday - Cajun Snapper with Red Beans & Rice, Corn
Thursday - Double Delicious Chicken & Biscuits, Green Beans
Friday - Taco's with Hard Shells
Rise in signed contracts....
Good news on the home buying and selling front.
NEW YORK --
People are starting to buy homes again, lifting a battered industry that is bracing for its worst sales year in more than a decade.
Signed contracts to purchase homes rose in November, the fourth increase in five months. That should give the housing market a boost in the first few months of the new year because there's usually a one- to two-month lag between a sales contract and a completed deal.
Economists cautioned that a major reason for the jump is that people are buying foreclosed homes, which sell at steep discounts and weigh on the broader market. Another obstacle is the sudden spike in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate, which only weeks ago had fallen to a 40-year low
Still, many economists expect sales to gradually rise next year as the economy adds more jobs and home prices stabilize.
"Sales appear to be picking up and we expect better sales in the next several months," said Patrick Newport, a housing economist at IHS Global Insight. "A lot of that is because the job market is improving."
The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that its index of sales agreements for previously occupied homes increased 3.5 percent last month from a downwardly revised reading in October. Contract signings were up in the West and Northeast, but down in the South and Midwest.
Pending sales in central Virginia were up as well in November, and prices here seem to have stabilized over the last couple of months, said Laura Lafayette, chief executive officer of the Richmond Association of Realtors.
Click here to read more. Source: TimesDispatch.com
NEW YORK --
People are starting to buy homes again, lifting a battered industry that is bracing for its worst sales year in more than a decade.
Signed contracts to purchase homes rose in November, the fourth increase in five months. That should give the housing market a boost in the first few months of the new year because there's usually a one- to two-month lag between a sales contract and a completed deal.
Economists cautioned that a major reason for the jump is that people are buying foreclosed homes, which sell at steep discounts and weigh on the broader market. Another obstacle is the sudden spike in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate, which only weeks ago had fallen to a 40-year low
Still, many economists expect sales to gradually rise next year as the economy adds more jobs and home prices stabilize.
"Sales appear to be picking up and we expect better sales in the next several months," said Patrick Newport, a housing economist at IHS Global Insight. "A lot of that is because the job market is improving."
The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that its index of sales agreements for previously occupied homes increased 3.5 percent last month from a downwardly revised reading in October. Contract signings were up in the West and Northeast, but down in the South and Midwest.
Pending sales in central Virginia were up as well in November, and prices here seem to have stabilized over the last couple of months, said Laura Lafayette, chief executive officer of the Richmond Association of Realtors.
Click here to read more. Source: TimesDispatch.com
January 1, 2011
New Year! New Look! New Web Address!
Happy New Year! It has almost been a year since I first created this blog. Click here to read the post. I decided to do a little updating and expanding. Now you will find a seperate page with current listings as well as a page with home staging tips that I will be adding in the next few weeks. For Christmas, Michael gave me http://www.alysonstoakley.com/....yes, you can call us nerds! So now just refer to that web address when checking in. Oh and if you liking reading my blog, I hope you will become a follower. It is simple to do, scroll down on the right hand side of this page and click Follow.
I had a great New Year's Eve. My sweet mom had Camille and Clyde for a sleepover. Michael and I went to my sister & brother-in-law's house. It was tons of fun and she pulled together a seated dinner for 14 of shrimp & grits and caesar salad. It was delicious and her house looked great. Check out the pictures below. I forgot to menition this is even more amazing because she has a 3 month old baby!
Here's to a great 2011! Contact me if you need to buy or sell a house!
I had a great New Year's Eve. My sweet mom had Camille and Clyde for a sleepover. Michael and I went to my sister & brother-in-law's house. It was tons of fun and she pulled together a seated dinner for 14 of shrimp & grits and caesar salad. It was delicious and her house looked great. Check out the pictures below. I forgot to menition this is even more amazing because she has a 3 month old baby!
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| Anne Hunter & Alice |
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| Cute Dollar Tree Glasses |
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| Our host & hostess |
Here's to a great 2011! Contact me if you need to buy or sell a house!
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