Showing posts with label January

Color of the Month January 2016 - Serenity Blue

in , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, January 29, 2016
I picked this color at the beginning of January, right after Pantone announced they had picked two colors of the year for 2016 and then life happened. Colds and snow and sick extended family and viola~ I'm just now posting my color of the month to kick off the year. I know you'll forgive me my tardiness because you are just awesome like that.

Serenity Blue pins for color of the month


Here's my Pinterest board to help further our love of this color blue. I want to wear it everyday until spring!


Thanks for letting me know how much you loved this blog series I started last January. I have a lot of fun with these posts and love getting comments here and likes on my pins.

Please share in comments: Do you own anything Serenity Blue? If so, what?
Admittedly, there isn’t a whole lot to do in our winter garden, but when the mercury starting rising to a high of 60 yesterday in middle Tennessee, I had to get out there and do something!


I started raking leaves out of the front flower beds again. That was a nice little job, since we have several large pin Oaks and Maple trees in our front yard. Actually, it was a good workout, even though I know I’ll never win the battle of the leaves.  Some of the trees are already showing signs of new growth. 


buds on trees in January #Nashville area MyWAHMPlan.com



Next, I swept the front porch and noticed some new growth coming up in my succulent. I never over winter this plant, she prefers to live year round on the front porch. She’ll be stunning by April again.


new growth in succulent planter MyWAHMPlan.com



Since I had out the broom, I cleared the corner of the flower bed that the rake never works in and swept the walkway.   I know this is another thankless task as the leaves are just going to blow over it again and right back into my flower beds, but it made me feel good knowing I’d done it.


swept walkway MyWAHMPlan.com


After I’d raked and swept up, I had played a nice round of pick up sticks. Some I walked to the burn pile, some I dragged, but I got them there, working up a nice, healthy sweat along the way and loving the feel of the warm sunshine on my face. 



I couldn’t help but notice on my many trips back and forth to a centralized spot in our vast back yard known as the burn pile, that our hedge line was teaming with birds.  I tried to capture the birds playing, but after a few failed attempts, I gave up stalking them and just stood and admired their beauty. It didn’t take much of a walk along the fence line to find the bird’s lunch spot.


berries for birds MyWAHMPlan.com



A few steps more and I was at our pond, which had lots of air bubbles on the top, letting me know our frog population hasn’t diminished by much in winter.



our pond in January MyWAHMPlan.com


Standing there feeling the sun on my face, the wind lightly blowing through the trees and bushes, the birds chatting at the berries, all was right in my world. This gardening ladies soul saw and felt the New Year in the best possible way. 



I knew I might be tempting fate, because the weather man assured us our warm weather wouldn’t last, but as I walked past the corner where my heirloom Iris’ bed is, I took a peak to see if there was any signs of life- and sure enough, there was Iris fronds staring back at me.


Iris fronds in January MyWAHMPlan.com


My stomach growled, letting me know my gardening time was done, so I stood up and  headed back towards my beautiful, perfectly imperfect red ranch house content.



Please share in comments:

How does your January garden look? What planting region do you live in? We are in a nice, temperate 7. Don’t know your planting zone? Reading my post here can help you find out. And hang in there, spring begins in just 58 days!

Colors play such an important role in our daily lives. I thought this would be a fun and creative way to share my love of colors with you. Each month, I'll choose a color that reflects the month's mood or theme as I see it. I'll set up a monthly Pinterest board and share it here with you, my awesome readers. 



This months color pick is Ice Blue.


Jan. 2015 color of the month #iceblue MyWAHMPlan.com



I've started the board and will add more pictures of this color all month. Got a pin or picture, you'd like me to add? Let me know in comments or catch up with me on Pinterest! 






Please share in comments: Look at my 4 photo collage above and tell me which photo you would most likely re-pin and why.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, January 22, 2014

I love sharing Wordless Wednesday posts and just had to get one up for January so I started searching through my folders when I happened upon this beauty.



MyWAHMPlan.com
Click on Photo to see larger image.


My husband took this picture from our back deck. We have Deer on our property daily but usually just Doe's and Fawns. It's rare to see the Buck, especially during hunting season.


I'm glad my husband isn't a hunter.  

Having said that, we know hunters and have a healthy respect for their humane hunting methods. 

Is there a hunter in your family? Share in comments! Do you have a Wordless Wednesday post up too? Leave your link in comments so I can stop by.

Helpful Homemaking – Checklist Tips

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, January 10, 2014

Ah January, the month of “new” the month of “I will” the month of resolutions and goals and promises. Helpful organizing tips abound in January, they even made January National Organizing month, which hammers home the message that we all should be cleaning and organizing during every free minute.

But- I’m not.

Nope. I refuse to get myself all worked up this year.  

It’s the 10th and I simply refuse to feel behind as I “heart” the many free printable’s showing up in my Pinterest feed.  Everything from chores, menu planning to home organizing binders can be found and printed. I’m tempted- I mean really tempted to waste my printer ink on these prettily designed pieces of paper that in theory should make short work of my organizing dilemma’s. 

I don’t print them because I know I won’t use them. I have seen myself not use them in the past. So- here is what I use instead.

A legal size pad of plain white paper, a colorful pen and a clipboard.

MyWAHMPlan.com



That’s it.

Now the organizing magic can begin.

I walk from room to room with an Eagle eye, channeling my Moms white glove, everything neat and tidy approach to homemaking and I make my list for each room.

  • Put away lotions- check.
  • Revamp pantry- check.
  • Unmuck back hallway for the bazillionth time. Check.
  • If it is dirty, cluttered, unfiled, on the list it goes.

Only put chores on this list. No jotting down “buy new hand towels” when you are in the guest bathroom. There will be a list for that later.

Stick to what you want to get done- your chores.

Do feel free to put a family members name by certain chores. If they drug it out, they should find its home again (says every Mom on the planet).


Then- once you’ve gone through every room in your house and feel like your head is going to pop because you must be the worst housekeeper on the planet- stop! Take a breath, and choose the easiest task first. 

And. Do. It. 

Then check it off. Done! 

 Go through your list this way until you get to the real hot spots of your house. Seeing your completed tasks will make slaying your dragon easier.

I use this checklist method for any project that is multi-step, like planning a party, or revamping my flower beds.  This style of organizing my thoughts to organize my life works for me and it may very well work for you too. If you give it a try, please stop back by and let me know your thoughts.
 
And if you really want to get a feel for How clean (or not) your house is, go take this easy quiz on HGTV. I answered  mostly B’s- with a couple of A’s I blame completely on my Mother! You’ll understand that statement once you take the quiz.

Share with me in comments, what’s your dragon- what is the one place you wish you never had to organize again?
For me- it’s the Foyer closet! Ugh.
And let me know the outcome of the quiz too- no judging here!

Here's wishing you a happy, productive weekend. Now I'm off to buy some much needed hangers for that foyer closet of mine.

Thursday and My Plan

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, January 27, 2011


Okay, maybe it's just me, but I have to say:  this has been one long month!

What with all the snow days and sick days and extra long hubby work days, I just can't whip this month into shape.
January simply refuses to go with the flow, conform to any sort of routine, quit harshing my Mellow!
(Thanks to my sweet Tween for that one, luv it and her).

So, I give,  I'm shouting out UNCLE! and will let the last 5 days of this month flap in the breeze as if it were a summer day and I have not a single care in the world.

That's my plan, oh and to visit all my blog followers.  Say thanks for dropping by and see if they are having better luck wrangling their January!
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