Happy Homemaker Monday

It's my day off! Which is awesome, because yesterday was our (9th!!!) wedding anniversary, and of course Gabe had to work and I had 659832312 things to do and he came home and we had a very unromantic dinner (how romantic can you get with a big striped cat begging for food every five seconds?) and I went to bed because I was exhausted.

HOWEVER, we are both off today and I think that once we get Ella off to bed this evening, we are going to try to catch up and maybe watch a movie and just spend quality time together. Or maybe I will ask Gram to watch Ella for a few hours. Hmmm.

Moving on!

The Weather in my neck of the woods: The last couple of days have been PERFECT. It'll be warming up some the first half of the week, but is supposed to cool down by the weekend. Yay!

Things that make me happy: the increasingly rare day off, my family, crazy kitties, the fact that I can take a few ingredients and make a good-tasting meal (I've come a long way, trust me)

Menu for the week: Um. Yeah. Last week, I started off great, then halfway through, life happened. Here's hoping for a better meal planning week!

Monday: At Ella's request: Grilled chicken strips, couscous and veggies (from the GARDEN ya'll, from the GARDEN!!!!)
Tuesday: Taco Bowls (something new, update maybe)
Wednesday: Chicken kebabs, rice
Thursday: Smokey bacon macaroni and cheese
Friday:  Back to school shopping for me and E, so we'll just grab a couple take and bake pizzas
Saturday: Steakhouse soup
Sunday: One pot spaghetti

Looking around the house: One cat sleeping, one cat jumping counters. Going to attempt a light cleaning today.

To-do list: Straighten up the living room, kitchen and the master bedroom. Possibly laundry. Trip to the garden to trim up the tomatoes and maybe pick more peppers and harvest chard. Quick trip to the grocery.

New Recipe I tried last week: Uhm, I did cook couscous in a new way. Made it toasted, instead of the normal way of simmering it. It was AMAZING. Ella had 3 helpings and asked for it again this week.

New Recipe I want to try soon: Not much of a recipe but we had Walk'n Tacos at an event on Saturday, and I totally want to try making those.

In the craft basket: Everything. I cannot even deal with the craft basket this morning ;)

Looking forward to: Back to school shopping and a few days worth of a study break for me. I took my last test early so my brain could get a break this week!!

Favorite Photo: 

Lesson Learned: Time passes by really quickly. Really, really fast. Last night, I was in the kitchen, making dinner and dancing to Taylor Swift and being silly with Ella when it hit me. Holy moly, she is 9 years old. I can't even...

On my prayer list: This country, because things are getting bad, and fast.
                                 My parents, like always.
                                 The upcoming school year.
                                 My husband.
                                 My sanity ;)

Devotionals, Key Verses, Scripture:

Have a blessed day, everyone!