Me Being Domestic

Overcommitters Anonymous

- Mrs. Priss 8 Comments

With the busy-factor steadily rising in my life, I’ve been trying my hardest to keep my sanity in check.  I have a tendency to commit to a billion different things and make the mistake of letting myself get overwhelmed too easily.  Honestly, I’m not really sure that my life is really that busy, but when things start piling on and I’m not organized or in control, I have a major freak out… and let me tell you, it’s not pretty.  I usually end up canceling everything I had planned in the first place and wimping out because it’s just so overwhelming.  Drama queen?  Nooooo.

I have found a few things that seem to help me out if I’m feeling a bit stressed.  Feel free to add your tricks to my list… especially now that you see I’m a total nutcase and need all the help I can get!

Things I do to Prevent a Melt-Down

  • De-clutter…  Whether it be my desk at work, the random stuff that ends up on the kitchen table, or the pile of heels that I’ve kicked off in the entryway.
  • Two words: Bubble bath.  I have my hubs to thank for this one, because every once in a while he’ll have one ready for me when I get home from work.  I never really think to take one, otherwise.
  • To keep up with the housework on a daily basis, I set the egg timer for 15 minutes and do as much dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, and toilet scrubbing as I can in that amount of time.  When the timer goes off, I’m done.
  • Lists, lists, lists.  If I see it on paper in my own handwriting, I feel like I have it under control.
  • I have a pretty amazing grocery shopping system down right now, with the help of Simple Mom.
  • When I’m getting ready to back out of something I’ve committed to (I know, I’m awful!), I remind myself of how much fun I had ‘last time’.
  • Reading a little bit of the Bible each night before bed (or in the morning before going to work) is always uplifting and encouraging.
  • Make time for the things I enjoy (read a good magazine, give myself a mani/pedi, do something crafty or go to coffee or tea with a friend).  When I do something for me, I’m less likely to flake out on you.  Haha.  No, but seriously…  I am.

The White Trash Gourmet

- Mrs. Priss 16 Comments

In an earlier post I mentioned the goal I set to become more domestic. I have to say, I am pretty darn proud of myself!  I have been sticking to the plan of cooking dinner 3 to 4 times a week and this was a major surprise to me… it’s SO fun and rewarding!

The over-planner in me gets along fabulously with structure and organization (OCD, much?), so this is what I’ve been doing to keep myself on track:

Sunday: Something simple (homemade pizza, casseroles, salads, etc.)

Monday: Mexican (which is usually tacos or burritos because I’m so original)

Tuesday: Pasta

Wednesday: White Trash (see below)

Thursday: Crock Pot (my favorite!  SO EASY, it’s not even funny)

Friday: Leftovers/Mooch off parents/Yes it’s true, I have no shame

Saturday: Dine out

So, this past Wednesday, I decided to make something extremely healthy and non-artery clogging whatsoever for my White Trash meal.  I like to call this…

Heart Attack on a Plate, with a Steaming Hot Side of Cellulite

Tater Tot Casserole: The epitome of Gourmet Dining
"Sloppy Joe, Slop Sloppy Joe..."
"Sloppy Joe, Slop Sloppy Joe..."

Don’t lose faith in my cooking skills until you see what fancy concoction I have planned for this Sunday’s “Something Simple”.

Hint: It involves a spoon, some milk and a bowl of cereal.

The Duties of the Matron of Honor

- Mrs. Priss 2 Comments

I recently had the privilege of hosting a few events for my best friend who is a soon-to-be-Mrs., and let me tell you… what a rush of a weekend! Her bridal shower was held in our church’s banquet hall, where a full buffet style lunch and dessert was served. The guest list topped out at about 80 women, which, thankfully, was only half the amount that was invited!

The following afternoon, the bridesmaids and I threw a smaller, more intimate lingerie party for the bride, where my amazing friend Christa prepared the most delicious pinwheel sandwiches in the universe (I ate all the leftovers myself). The photo above shows the food table (we snapped this shot half-way through the serving, hence the slice of cherry cheesecake floating in the middle), where you can see the stacks of those addicting pinwheels, chocolate dipped strawberries and marshmallows, pasta salad, and a few other goodies. It’s not the most flattering angle, but just know it was cuter in person! :)

I found this great, online party store, Social Couture, and I am absolutely in love! They sell table settings and decorations for all sorts of parties and events (if you take a look at the Girl’s Night Out, you can see where I tried to recreate some ideas…and somewhat failed). What a perfect idea for a hostess! I have my eye on the Black Vine collection, and I’m trying to convince my husband that I’d get our money’s worth out of it if he ever decided to buy it for me (not likely). I’m such a sucker for anything remotely close to toile — I’d honestly be throwing a party every night if I owned those cute plates!