The Doctor is In?

Noooo not THAT Doctor!!!  I wish...  Tonight I made dinner for my disabled hubby. He LOVES Hamburger Helper. I. Do. Not...  Toooo much sodium.  Too out of a box. But every once in a while he gets nostalgic for his childhood and requests it. So I try to oblige ever so often. But!  I never leave packaged "food" as is. I always "Doctor" it up!!! I attempt to make it much healthier and a lot more tasty.

Tonight's experiment was Hamburger Helper Lasagna...

Here is what I did to make it taste worlds better and a tad bit healthier. 

1. First I start with the Whole Grain version! When it comes to prepackaged meals... I try to be as health conscience as they allow, which isn't very easy...

2. Then I used a pound of lean ground Italian sausage. I figured this would go great with the lasagna flavor and it ended up being quite a bit less greasy than hamburger meat. 

3. After browning the sausage I added two large ripe organically home grown tomatoes and let them simmer down!  I thought they would dilute the included seasonings saltiness and add a nice natural flavor and lets face it, a boxed meal can always use some fresh ingredients!

4. After the tomatoes simmered down I also added french cut green beans to the mix after all greens are important!!!

5. Finally I only ever add about 2/3rds of the included seasoning. That stuff is just too salty!  Your blood pressure will thank you.

I have to say. It was REALLY GOOD!  My picky almost 4 yr old even ate it! Perhaps after 10 years together it's my fault the Hubs occasionally begs for Hamburger Helper. Because I "Doctor" it up every time!  He just thinks it comes out of the box that good.

Filo Fun and Broken Collar Bones!

No! I didn't break my collar bone...  But the DH did!  Skateboarding at 7 am to the corner store...  I was woken up to a ready to pass out hubby saying he had possibly dislocated his shoulder and needed to be taken to the ER. At first I thought he was going to make me try to put it back in socket!!!  Eeeep. But alas he did not which is good because it wasn't dislocated but broken...  Sooo that was fun!

So far this week (it's only Tuesday) has been filled with playing in my Filofax and getting everything set up juuuuust right. Which is so fun!  I decided I really loved next years vertical and lined week on two pages. So much so that I disliked this years horizontal unlined ones...  Sooo I sort of made my own for the remainder of the year!  Not toooo shabby. I scanned the first week of next years. Popped it into Word. Printed it front and back on regular printer paper. Washi taped over the incorrect dates and VOILA!!!  Happy camper. 

I also revamped my Mail Log!  Writing the same info on two pages (incoming and outgoing) was getting tedious and ridiculous! So, I took advantage of the wonderful roomy pages in my A5 Chloe and made new ones!  LOVE! (Yes that is a Unicorn paperclip and yes it is awesome).

Then I FINALLY made a log for keeping track of Shop sales and crafty purchases!  When the big bag "Tax Collector" comes round this year Sara Jean will be prepared! Don't mess with a girl and her Filo...  LOL

I was good and also finally made a Food Log to keep track of things. Because, well, this girl is turning 30 in three weeks and wants to live until shes 90!!!

This picture is simply here because I love the fly leaf I made and the tree.. The TREE!  Oh, how I love trees...

I finally started Smashing and Journaling in my Filofax! The little miss bought her very first "Luvie" with her own munnies from her piggy bank so I kept the receipt , snapped a shot and voila!

There, um, may have also been a stationery purchase delivered last week from Janet Store...  It wasn't me, I swear!!!  Ok, yeah you caught me, it was me...  But it is all so awesome!

And I mean really, all of my stationery fits in two shoe boxes!!!  So I don't think that I have a problem so nee ner nee ner neeeeeee ner! LOL

Well I suppose this post should end!  Some things to look forward to in future posts are:

*A Stationery Stash share video? Would anyone watch that? I mean besides me...
*ZINES!!!  I really, really, really, wanna make a Zine
*A new Video update on my life in my Filofax Chloe!
*Stationery!!!  I am going to be designing some collage stationery to sell! MY DREAM!
*Lots of Postcards and Beeswax, intrigued?
*Oh and there will be many cups of iced coffee and possibly a baby... (Figure that one out)!

New Discoveries!

Mornin'!!!  Just thought I would pop in for a quick second and list all of my new favorite Filofax related BLOGS!!!  These are FILLED with wonderful, beautiful inspiration, tips, tricks, Filo love stories and colorful goodness, so ENJOY!!!  and Happy Filofaxing!

(in no particular order)

Friday, I'm in Love
Jagged Little Thoughts
Hello, I'm a Paper Addict
DIYfish
Filo Cuteness
It's My Life!
Philofaxy
Thoughts and Exploration
Donna Ridgeway
Coffee and Stationery
My Perfectly, Imperfect Everyday Life
My Purpley Life

Hello Friends!

Look!  It's only been a week and here is another post!!!  This week of vacation has been fun and lazy and wonderful. I always feel like my little brother always lives on my couch when he is here for a week. I will be sad this afternoon when we start off for the airport...

But we had a fun week!!!  We went to the LA Zoo. Which. Was. Disappointing...  We chose it because it appears to be larger than the Santa Barbara Zoo which is the only zoo I have ever been too. But it was not...  It's just more spread out. And it was too hot and too sunny...

 So we left early and went to DAISO!!!  Which. Was also kind of a let down...  Only one little section of stationery and no other cool crafty supplies. But I did get a few things sooooo...

The rest of the week was spent shopping. Walking downtown. Eating out. Yesterday was Pirate Day at the harbor and it was so much fun!  Arrrgggh!!!  Lol

I started a new craft!  Collaging with Beeswax, it is so fun and easy and gives you a really neat Vintage effect.  I intend to make postcards!  I also found an old Atlas at the thrift store, NO paper is safe from my Envelope Punch Board!  Muahahahahahahahaha

I also bought myself some birthday presents!  Even though it isn't until August. I upgraded my Filofax!  "Already"? Some will ask puzzled.  Well. I needed something bigger!  BIGGER!!!  I wasn't able to do the journaling and Smash Booking in the little personal sized one. So, off it went to a good home and hello a5!!!  She is still a work in progress. I have only had her for a day. But I will post a video soon!!!  

What has your summer been like so far???  Any amazing crafty things???  Cheers!

Someone. Anyone. Please Slow Down The Earths Rotation!!!

Ahhhhhh!!!  Has it really been almost a month since my last post?!  Oh my...

Where has this year gone???  Yesterday. I got that feeling. That feeling you get round Christmas time?  It was just a glimmer...  But oh my goodness it is going to be the end of another year so quickly!!!  Ah!

These last few months have been so fun and busy!!!  My friend makes fun of me when I say I have a list of things to do and they are all self imposed crafty fun mail things. But they are important to me!!!  Just because my list doesn't consist of chores and work doesn't make it less important.

So!  Here are some snap shots of what I have been doing!!!  And there WILL be a blog post later this week. Because I am on vacation!!!!!!!!!  Yayee for free time. Hugs!!!  Cheers!!!

Stationery!!!  This is all from Kawaii Ya and holy cow do you SEE the pig donuts and panda bread?  How freaking awesome are they???  I can't wait to write letters!

This is my stationery hoard, not too massive!!!  I mean it all (ok well not all now because of the above pictures...) fits in a shoe box!!!

These are my new pilot Frixion pens, in rainbow colors, and they rock!!!  They ERASE!  How cool is that?  They are especially great for letter writing and Filofaxing!

Winnie wanted a mil box for the house.  So we made one, now she can send daddy and mommy mail.  Man I love this kid to bits!!!

This is just ONE of the amazing things I have received lately in the mail.  Yes, that is a one of a kind hand painted envelope!!!  Soooooo amazing, I have NO CLUE what I will ever be able to send her in return...

This is my new Lomo 35mm Camera La Sardina!!!  It has a wide angle lens and the ability to take multiple exposures!  I am a little dismayed to find that hardly anyone develops film these days...  And that the places who do charge about $15 bucks per roll!!!  But alas I will just have to make every shot count and every print into a piece of artwork.

While getting re acquainted with Lomography I have pulled out my Mini Diana!!!  She also takes multiple exposures and is a square format camera that can also take 2 side by side shots on one frame!  And a bonus is her manual advance so you can also blend the frames together!  So fun.  I can't wait to develop my film!

I got my Envelope Punch!!!  Don't know what that is?  GOOGLE IT!  I have made ohhhhhh a hundred envies in no time flat?  No paper is safe now...  Muahahahahahaha

I have discovered I LOVE writing letters on my typewriter!!!  I have weak hands, pout.  So writing can be especially uncomfortable.  But writing a letter on  a computer is just...  sad.  Plain white paper, computer fonts...  UGH!  But the typewriter!  The typewriter enables you to use all of your stationery hoard!  It also makes your letter quirky and filled with all of the typos you would find in a hand written letter.  No spell check, no grammar correct and once you have advanced down a line there is no going back and editing.  LOVES IT!

THESE!  Are just SOME of the un-used vintage stamps I ordered from Ebay!  They are wonderful!!!  I got about $45 bucks worth of really old stamps of all kinds from all over.  They make a letter look so neat!  When I received these I decided to add up how many stamps I have.  Now you see I have only been pen paling really for about five months?  But I have always had stamps!  I have always loved the idea of mail.  So every time I would go to the post office over the last oh 6 years I would buy a neat sheet (isn't that what you are supposed to do?)  Well, I now have enough stamps to write about 400 domestic letters!!!  How did that happen???  LOL

Sorry for the long winded share!  I have just been doing so many fun things I wanted to pop in, at least to update my like 2 followers...  I once again pledge my promise to BLOG more, or at least attempt to!  Have an amazing week, I know I will!!!