New Things

I've been feeling a little better since starting back on synthroid for my thyroid.  I didn't want to go back but after having sever heart palps and a few thyroid storms, it is for the best.  

So, as you all know...I love to sew!  I pulled out my trusty machine and bought some sheets for some new curtains for the master.  I had so much fun sewing as the snow was falling outside.  I just love snow and I think I finally got my wish for some accumulation...6 inches!

While the snow was coming down...

And the day after...the sun is shining but it's a whopping 10 degrees, brrrrr!

The hubby is the only one that has been out of our driveway.  Hannah's school has been canceled because of the water issues and the weather since after Christmas break was over.  Sara's college hadn't started back until yesterday but she wasn't going out in this weather and taking a chance on wrecking.  I've so enjoyed having them home with me!

But all that being said....Isn't it beautiful? !!!

Ok, now back on topic.  Remember this window?

I just wasn't thrilled with it so I came up with something else.

But this wasn't thrilling me either.

So I did this...

Love it!

It still lets the light come in but hides the upper half of the window and roll down shade.  And it goes along with my British Rose theme perfectly!

Do you all have that same feeling when it just doesn't make you feel content on something?  Well, now I am content!

The straight panels make me feel content too...I had the pull backs for years and I was getting tired of the same old look.

I love how much light they let in!

Now I'll share the curtains I made for in between the bedroom and office area.

I wanted ruffles and for them to hang straight instead of the pull backs I had.  

They were pretty, but boy, was I getting tired of them!

A little more simple.

I had to make them ruffled on both sides because they are seen in both rooms.  Now that took some work!

See....

After having the valance at the top,  these looked a little bare so I added an angel garland that my Aunt Linda gave me.   I'd love to find a scrolly iron piece later...so I'm gonna keep my eyes open!

They give a little more privacy and now can be pulled closed if need be.  

Mom gave me this little candle holder as a Christmas present.  The candle smells so good but it was a yellow cream color that just was too much for my color scheme.

So I slip covered it since I don't burn candles.  Lace and ruffles....It turned out so cute!

This is one of my favorite spots....still lovin' the angel wings.

I'm still working on the fireplace...I kinda like this for now.  But you all know that I'll probably change it in a few days!

Now to the upstairs...

The straight valance was driving me crazy...so I added some ribbon ties to let it hang and droop.  Ahh, much better!

It looks more like me....

Then I added some glass knobs to the china cabinet.

Perfect!

So that's what I've been doing yesterday and today.  We are still having water issues, and it seems that there has been a new revelation.  Another chemical leak that wasn't reported along with the original one.  Our water still smells and we are not using it.   It is definitely taking me back to the good ole days with bringing in water and warming it on the stove for baths, lol!  How I miss my showers!

My Window gets a New Look

I've been wanting to change this window treatment for some time and finally got around to it last night.  It's the only window we have in our bedroom so I want to keep as light and airy as possible.  The pull down shade is a blackout blind that is ugly by itself in my book.  

I made these panels about 6 or 7 years ago and am just tired of the pulled back look.  I love panels hanging straight down.  Mike and I made the faux wainscoting on the wall and added moulding to make the window look older and bigger.

This is what I did last night....

I bought a twin sheet set at Target, split the flat sheet in two, hemmed it and added the ruffles to the sides then added the curtain pocket at the top.  I loved the balloon shade from the Shabby Chic line and thought it would soften up that roll down shade and make it look better.

After fooling around with things to put back into the window...I really liked the all white look better than anything else.  I tried flowers, berry garland and the big birdhouse I used to have but they didn't do it for me.

I was excited to see what the window looked like with the natural light coming through today and this is what it looks like with the lights off.  

And with the lights on.

Now I think I will work on the curtains I have dividing the office from the bedroom.  I have a few ideas to get a new look but it's gonna take some serious sewing, lol!

I hope you all are enjoying your Sunday!

A Few Low Sodium Dishes

We still do not have water....it is looking good though and hopefully by the weekend we'll all have our water to use once again to bathe, wash dishes and to cook with.  It has been quite an ordeal for many but I can't complain.  We've had plenty of water thanks to my cousin and aunt for buying it for us the night we got the call to not use the water and also from my uncle and mother for their water.  I have warmed water for baths and to wash dishes with, still been cooking and trying to eat healthy.  It has been work but when I think about how Mammaw had to do things back 50 years ago, I really am blessed!    Here are a few photos of how the kitchen has become cluttered with water, paper plates and plastic utensils to try and save on water use.

We had 25 jugs, you can see we've been using them, lol!   We have 17 left and the other 2 were brought today from Mom in the OJ and milk jugs.  

We've went through 2 cases and the two 7 gallon containers.

The pot on the stove is for warming water to bathe and to wash dishes with.  I keep water on the counter for washing hands or rinsing food ect.  Germ x is at every sink in the house along with a gallon jug of water for washing hands and brushing teeth.  We can still flush our commodes but that's it.

Paper plates and plastic utensils sure do help!  Mike has to have his coffee so he's got his own stash of that precious water we take for granted everyday.

My uncle let us borrow a shower solar bag which has really come in handy to rinse our hair with after washing.  I tried to show how it works...the man in the bottom is a stranger, lol...a photo I found online.   I think everyone should have one of these for emergencies without breaking the bank.  They sell online for around $30 to $40.

By me still cooking and us staying home taking baths here, we have been able to keep from spending excess money like so many other people have done.  This is a hardship alone, nothing else should be toppled on top of that like money problems.  It is such a shame...

Like I said it's a little more work and definitely not easy like running out and buying breakfast lunch and dinner, spending gas money on longer trips to get to an area that hasn't been affected just to take a shower when we can work a little harder to stay right here.  

So enough of that....here's what I've been making today.

Breakfast

For breakfast I made an omelet in the microwave.

2 eggs 140 mg sodium, you can use one

(I've learned that egg beaters are a lot higher in sodium than real eggs.)

1/2 of a piece of swiss cheese  15 mg

1 piece of whole grain gluten free toast 90 mg

1 tsp of cream cheese on the toast 8 mg

(Greek cream cheese is higher than lite cream cheese)

baby spinach 0

green and yellow pepper 0

cherry tomatoes cut into 4's  0

lots of "zesty seasoning" 0

______________________________

253 mg's of sodium

Something to think about....the "no salt" has a lot of potassium in it which I've learned is hard for your body to get rid of and can be just as bad for you as salt.  So use it sparingly.

Dinner

Stuffed green peppers

1 large green pepper 0

1/2 tsp of cream cheese 15 mg sodium

diced fresh Mozzarella sprinkled on top 1 oz is 30 mg.  I used half and put on all 4 peppers. So 4 divided equals to 3.75 mg

I used left over spaghetti sauce from my baked lasagna. You can get the recipe HERE.  It equals 140 mg for each pepper.

1 c of white rice 0

Lots of zesty seasoning 0

________________________________

159 mg's of sodium

we cut ours in two since they were so big and will have the other half for dinner tomorrow.

They were so good!

Now, everyone wants a little something sweet to eat after a meal right?  Well, we cannot find anything that is low at the store already made that is low enough that we can actually enjoy.  If we only want a nibble, well then maybe...lol!  But I actually want something I can see that isn't a speck!

So I made these tonight.

Peanut Butter and Oats No Bakes with a New Twist

Make sure you use real oats, not the prepackaged instant ones.  They have sodium!  Not the real oats that you have to make on the stove....they have 0 sodium!

Oats (I didn't measure) 0

1 c of low sodium peanut butter 640 mg sodium

1 c sugar 0

1 c of Lite corn syrup 120 mg

___________________________________

760 divided by 15= 50.66 mg

They are 3 inches....a nice big no bake cluster!!!

This recipe is the same as for Kornflake chews minus the kornflakes since they have lots of sodium.

Here is the difference in normal peanut butter and low sodium peanut butter.

 They're both almost the same except for the sodium which I think is pretty significant!  The taste is the same basically...I kinda think the Jiff low sodium is way better though.

I made macaroni with my own home made sauce yesterday instead of the prepackaged cheese for the hubby and I.  Sara doesn't like it but Hannah loves cheese so I added a little of the prepackaged cheese to her own bowl.  I got a little on my finger so I licked it off....I couldn't believe how salty it was...YUCK!  She said she didn't even like it.  And to think we used to eat that and then add more salt!  I have learned that the Armour for my thyroid has iodine in it so I am thinking that my body was on overload with how we ate before.  I am feeling better and better each day but not back to my normal self.  My blood pressure is doing much better and am taking 25 mg of metoprolol.  I am hoping that with the right diet, I will not have to stay on the blood pressure medicine.  It's worth a shot!

Well, I hope I haven't bored you all to tears with my life but I've had quite a few people wanting to know some food options for lowering their sodium.  Maybe this will help a little....thanks for stopping in!

More Sewing

There is a state of emergency for our county and 8 others due to contamination of water from a chemical that crept into our water plant in West Virginia.  No one can use the water except for flushing and for a fire hazard.  Water is being shipped in from other states and every store is selling out as quickly as it comes in.  It is a very eerie feeling to be told that we cannot use our water and it is indefinite...no answers as to how long this will last.  It is one thing if a water main breaks...but this is totally different.  It cannot be boiled and has a green color with a sweet smell like licorice. 

 Anywho, thankfully we have family in areas that haven't been affected that we can go to to take a shower and wash clothes.  I am so thankful for the way I was brought up in hard times and taught how to survive.  My husband was brought up the same way.  Those days have came in handy throughout the years and I can see how God has blessed us!

So, to keep my mind occupied, I've been doing some sewing.

I have been wanting a different look for our kitchen window.  The blue balloon shade just wasn't doing it for me and the light was making the blue actually look purple at times.

This is what I did....

I really like cafe' curtains and thought they would look nice for a change, and give a little privacy.

I like how the chandi is seen better and doesn't compete with the shade.  Lots more light coming in too! 

I always felt like I needed something on the window seal...now I don't.  The little bird is perfect for the simplicity I was wanting.

It's so hard to get a good photo of this window...it always looks so dark but in reality it is really bright with lots of natural light.  The curtains are lined too.  Maybe one day when it is really sunny this summer  I can get a good one.

I re-did this pillow with some ruffles around the blue floral center from a bag that my sheets came in.  The "Shabby Chic" line from Target.  I have lots of those bags so instead of using them as a bag, I ripped it all apart and did this.  The blue and pink flowers match the blue floral really nice.

Then I made two of these with ruffles out of the Cherry Blossom fabric I had.  

I think I am finally content with the pillows and have enough of the blue in both rooms to make it look cohesive.

But...knowing me, I'll find something else to sew so stay tuned, lol!

Please remember the 9 counties that are affected by this water problem we are all facing in your prayers.  It's funny how when it's gone people realize just how important it really is in every day life. Thankfully my dishes are done....