Hope everyone has/is having a wonderful day. I have no cooking to do today, I did a ton of prep work yesterday, chopping veggies and herbs, making mashed potatoes that we can just heat in the oven today, writing down cooking times and how to finish each recipe. Today NT will manage our half of the entree dishes, AS is finishing up pies, rolls and vegan ice cream, and our friends are bringing the other entree foods.

We're hosting four people plus the five of us, a very manageable gathering.

I spent the morning making crafts with my toddler AA, and now she's all tuckered out, and she and the infant SL are taking naps while I relax.

Having kids has inspired me to rediscover my love of making crafts. When I was a kid I'd make things pretty regularly, even if it was just doing a latch-hook kit or paint-by-numbers. AS is still craftsy, so she'll have no trouble helping the kids be artsy as they get a bit more coordinated, but for me it's hard to remember or call up those skills I used to have. Thank goodness for the internet -- I printed out coloring pages and templates for projects. There was only one I did on my own, from a memory of something my parents had around every Christmas, a pipe-cleaner elf with card-stock head, feet and hands. I spent about $10 on glue, markers, construction paper, pipe cleaners, pom poms and googly eyes, and we'll be able to make tons of things with those.

So far I've spent about $7 of my charitable dollars. Luckily I don't have to keep track -- when my envelope of $1 bills is spent, I'll know I'm done. Today I had to run to the grocery store for one item we'd forgotten, and on the way I gave $1 to a panhandler and put $1 in a musician's guitar case.

Anyway, just wanted to check in while I have a moment to relax. Nothing to report really. Have a lovely day!