Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Little Luxuries in the Land of Crazy

I may be a bit spotty on the blogging for the next few months. I've got a whirlwind of change, activity, and sheer panic going on.  The IT lead on my program has taken new position which starts September 21st, and this week and next she is on vacation. Overlapping next week, another member of my team is on vacation, out of the country vacation to be specific, and team member four is waiting for her grand baby to arrive any day now and will be taking time off as soon as that occurs. Vacations I can handle, but all at one time while trying to figure out how to triage training, technical assistance, and interface with the data systems developer at the same time might cause a crash at some point. Plus on the home front, we are in a race against the calendar to get the basement family room and bathroom redone before my houseful the last Sunday in September. We decided the lower bathroom, like the upstairs, will get little more than a coat of paint and perhaps a few accessories for now due to time and finances. I've also slated to upload the first content to samandcoffee.com by October 8th so it is up at least a week before the next MN Blogger's Conference the following weekend. 

Yes, I do these things to myself. Sometimes I feel, just like with tight budget management when times are lean, I keep balls juggling better when I am swamped to the gills. Perhaps this is just a mental mind trick to preserve my sanity. Either way, I'm committed in an all in way right now so charging forward. The monthly cash flow got better in August, not counting vacation, but we are not back on track by any means. This means indulgences need to be few, or cheap. I feel like I am going to need them, so going for cheap. Here are a couple little luxuries I've treated myself to this week. 

Lattes, Lattes and lattes- The $2.50 milk frother from IKEA works a charm. With my Aldi's vanilla cream coffee grounds in my reusable K-Cup for my Keurig (yeah-I got it unclogged), I've whipped myself up a great coffee house drink faster than Starbucks. I can't help lingering a little longer, sitting down to drink the first cup at least, rather than just filling my to go mug and running out the door.

Spa pampered feet-By spa, I mean my bathroom, and by pampered I mean soaking them in a mixture of vinegar, water, and baking soda until all the dry stuff softens, toweling them smooth, then slathering with lotion, and putting on cotton socks. There are still weeks worth of sandal weather and when my feet soak, I feel the aches of the day going away. 

Fresh grown cucumber, tomato, and hummus sandwich- No time or place than Minnesota in the late summer do you get cucumbers and tomato that taste so phenomenal. Sliced and ready for my lunch with a portion of hummus in a container and a slice of multi grain bread, eating my sandwich in a sunny corner of the office felt like I was at a farm to table cafe.


I might be swamped and I might be broke, but these little luxuries have been appreciated. I hope to squeeze some baking in this weekend, adding home baked goods to my list. I've seen a few recipes I want to try involving odds and ends I have in my cupboards. Chia seed bread anyone? I hope you stay with me despite of spottiness. Until my next post, have a great week and find some little treats for yourself. 

12 comments:

  1. It's the little things that help keep us on track. You have enough going on for 3 people. I know you will get it all done, you always do. How do you eat an elephant, one bite at a time. Just take it slow.

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    1. You and Ann had almost Sam thought! I never tried elephant but great advice wise one.

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  2. Little luxuries are what keeps us sane! Glad you have indulged!

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    1. I'm trying to think of more. Maybe chilled wine and s cheese plate instead of supper.

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  3. I luv hummus but not with bread lol I just gobble it up with chopped peppers and carrots and stuff. My fav little treat is a glass of prosecco and a bowl of olives.

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    1. I was just thinking about all the lush little finger foods that I enjoy on a perfect summer days and olives are right up there! I should eat more veggies with my hummus, but I am a carb junkie.

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  4. Good luck with your job but don't let it drive you crazy, after all, it is just a job in the end. My little indulgences tend to lean towards Havarti cheese which reminds me of the amazing cheeses in Spain and pear cider with a slice of lime. I will have to try the vinegar/water/baking soda treatment for my tootsies.

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    1. Cheese...always a decadent indulgence. The smell of the vinegar might be off putting, but I love how the bubbling feels.

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  5. I'm going to indulge myself with a long soak in a bathtub every night for the 8 nights I'm away this month. We only have a shower at home, so it's been 5 years since I've been able to indulge myself like that!
    I add chia seeds to bread along with sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and put the same seed mixture in flapjacks along with dried cranberries - both are delicious. J adds chia seeds to his cereal every morning.

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    1. Now I feel guilty that I don't indulge enough. I have two bathtubs and rarely take the time for a good soak in either! The recipe I had have used soaked chia seeds in place of eggs that might otherwise go in bread. I am curious if it might be good in banana bread as other than quick breads and cinnamon roll dough, I don't use eggs in my bread. .

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  6. My feet are in super rough shape after my relay - I'm thinking I'm going to lose 2-3 nails. The weather was so hot on Friday (100+), that even my normally well fitting shoes were too small due to my swollen feet. I should probably get that sorted out. They look scary. ;-)

    I love small indulgences: hummus with pretzel chips & veggies, sitting down & enjoying an entire cup of coffee without someone interrupting, a quiet yoga session, time to walk alone in the morning before it gets too hot, homemade lemon drops. . . a fancy bottle of wine (shared, of course :))

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    1. Pretzel chips are one of my favorite snacks. Kudos to who invented them. I don't do yoga, but perhaps I should and I might find some inner calm. Funny, becasue we always have room temperature red on hand, I don't think of that as an indulgence, but remembering ahead and getting a nice white properly chilled, a pinot gris or grigio, a shady spot in my yard or deck, and I can instantly relax.

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