Now that our cruise is getting real close, it is time to make my must do to do list for the week. I only hope that I can get everything done. As you can see, the list is nothing out of the ordinary other than making sure my mom does not run out of any of her medications and her cokes!!!!
I have tried to plan out my week in hopes if getting everything done in between working my paying job, making sure there are items to publish on my blog while we are gone, write and publish my blogs for this week, and making sure all the craft projects are complete!!!
Luckily, the craft projects should not take more than 2 or 3 days to complete. Barring no complications or distractions.
While looking at my lists, please let me know if there is anything I may have forgotten.
We have reached the final installment of this series! Let’s get started!!!
On Christmas morning, we took my mom to Kimmie’s house to be with her family for breakfast and to exchange gifts. This 3-page layout was made on Imaginisce Christmas Cottage Winter Wood collection.
Then we made our way to Wesley’s home for lunch and to exchange gifts with his family. Since he lives a farther distance away from us, she was starting to get tired before we got there. After she ate her lunch, she was ready to go home so she could take a nap. I wish we could have spent more time there. Maybe this year will be different. This layout was made on Imaginisce Cottage Christmas Peppermint Stick collection.
One final lunch out for the year. This time, lunch with mom also included Kimmie. The Eaton clan had given my mom a gift card for Cracker Barrel so that is where we went. We had a short wait, but definitely not like the hour long wait we had on Thanksgiving. This layout was made on Craft Smith Palm Spring collection.
For the last page of the album, I made a special layout for her. The paper used for this layout is from the Craft Smith Write Your Heart Out collection.
Now it time to start another project. I wonder what it will be!!! I hope you will return to see what’s next.
For Thanksgiving, we took my mom to Cracker Barrel to enjoy lunch away from her assisted living facility. She definitely enjoyed her lunch. This layout was made on Craft Smith Write Your Heart Out. Alpha stickers and leaf stickers were from my stash are are very old.
Once Thanksgiving was over, it was time to start decorating mom’s apartment for Christmas. The layouts for decorating her door were made on plain white cardstock. The printed paper and stickers are from Reminisce Gingerbread Lane collection. I think it was purchased at a scrapbook convention. But then again, it may be something I received when moving mom.
On December 2nd I finished decorating moms apartment. She was happy with the results! The page for this was made on plain white paper as before using paper and stickers from Reminisce Gingerbread Lane collection, as before.
Then, Jim, Dawson, and I took mom to Mexican Inn for lunch then to Target to do some Christmas shopping. She was definitely tired when we took her home. Layout was made using Craft Smith Palm Springs collection.
Of course, I we both needed to have our nails done so we once again made our way to European Nail Spa. I took this opportunity to take a picture of my mom with Lily, who actually does my nails, not hers!!!! Layout for this was made on Craft Smith Palm Springs collection. I’m enjoying this collection a lot and wish I had purchased more than one paper pack of it.
Another lunch out with mom! This time she decided she wanted to go to Dixie House Cafe. Who are we to refuse this??? What she did not know what that her first born great-granddaughter would be joining us. She was so excited to see her. This layout was also made using Craft Smith Palm Spring collection.
I am ending this blog with the layout of her last appointment of the year with her primary care doctor. He is located close and she does not mind going to see him. His staff is awesome. Layout made on Craft Smith Santa Fe Garden.
The next blog will have the final layouts for the year 2021. And it will be the last installment of this series. At least until next year. I hope you will return to see the simple and very basic scrapbook pages I made for her.
Our cruise is getting close now!!! I am so excited!!!
Before I was able to schedule our COVID tests and do our online check-in, I ordered a couple of items to have in our stateroom. Once I found out that you can order liquor and/or wine to have in your stateroom, it has been a must do for us. Not because we drink a lot, but because we are on vacation and we like to have a cocktail or two in our stateroom. This has truly kept my Sail N Sign card from sinking on many ocassions! I also purchased some water for our stateroom as well.
I was concerned about scheduling our Rapid COVID test but it was just as easy this time as it was when I scheduled our tests last August. The hardest part now is waiting to take the test then waiting for the results. Please keep your fingers crossed that my husband and I remain negative!
Another item I was able to complete was our online check-in. I love having an early arrival time! For us it means the line at Guys Burgers will be relatively short.
All that is left to do is our last minute check-off list but that will be in the next cruise blog!
Hello and welcome back to another installment of simple scrapbook pages for my mom. As I have mentioned before, my mother resides in an assisted living facility and she has vascular dementia. I have decided to make her an scrapbook album to show her what she did when the facility was not in lockdown. I am making all the pages simple so she can better concentrate on the story, not a lot of embellishments. Although I’m sure she would like that as well.
The scrapbook pages for the month of May were made on Craft Smith paper pack Santa Fe Garden. This collection goes a long way as does the others I have in my personal stash!
For the June scrapbook page, I decided to use the Craft Smith Palm Springs collection. It just seemed to work for this particular event she was able to participate in. She also LOVES to play BINGO but, unfortunately, that takes place at a time I am not able to go to take pictures of her.
We celebrated her birthday in July by taking her to her favorite restaurant, The Mexican Inn. I used the Craft Smith Palm Springs collection for this page also. The alpha stickers are some in have in my stash. I have had them for years!!!!
One more scrapbook page, this time for the month of August make on the Craft Smith Palm Springs collection.
The remainder of the scrapbook pages were made using Craft Smith Sunday Morning collection. I have truly enjoyed using these collections. I wonder if I can find some more somewhere.
The next group of simple scrapbook pages will include Thanksgiving up to December 23rd. I hope you will return to see what she did during that time.
Thanks for reading!!!! Please feel free to comment.
Jim and I used our time wisely on Sunday by decorating my mom’s door and her walker. She is so happy. She says that Valentine’s is her favorite day.
While I worked on the door…
Jim decorated her walker. He did a good job considering what he had to work with.
The best part happened when mom walked out her door to see the decorations. She is so happy!
She is happy with the results and is looking forward to how I decorate things for Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and everything else. I plan on surprising her with a special Cindo de Mayo decoration as well!!!!
Items used for this project were purchased at Dollar Tree, Wal Mart, Joann’s, Hobby Lobby, and Amazon. It truly takes a village to complete a project like the ones I do for my mom’s door!
I can’t believe how close the cruise is. We have decided to do all carry-on this cruise. We have said that many times before and it didn’t happen, but maybe it will this time!!!
In a garment bag we will attach to one of our carry-on bags will be the clothes we are wearing to the steakhouse for dinner of the day of embarkation and our clothes for cruise elegant night. We will also put our shoes for these dinners in the garment bag as well. Also in the garment bag is a dress I am planning on wearing for dinner on the day we are in Progreso, Mexico and the top and capri’s I plan on wearing to the last dinner before they kick everyone off.
Our carry-on duffle bag will contain our clothes, shoes, and of course, undergarments. I plan on taking 4 shirts, 4 pairs of shorts, 2 swimsuits with 2 cover-ups, 1 pairs of capri’s, 1 pairs of jeans, 1 dress (just in case), a navy cardigan sweater, and a light weight suit suit for the drive home. I have not cruise in February before so I want to make sure I’m warm hence the jeans!!!
Here’s the outfits I have decided to wear and when I will be wearing them.
Embarkation day: t-shirt purchased on the Carnival Vista last year, jeans, Valentine socks, Reeboks. This was discussed in a previous blog.
For our dinner in the steakhouse, I will be wearing a pink top, white pants/jeans, and pink and black heels. Jim will be wearing a pink with blue stripes Nautica golf shirt and navy pants. We are going to be casual, but not too casual.
Sea Day #1 during the daytime I will be wearing a pink top and black shorts with pink and black leopard print shoes. Jim will be wearing his t-shirt of the day and shorts.
If weather permits, we will definitely be wearing swimsuits during the day. These are the swimsuits and cover ups I will be bringing.
Cruise elegant night will find me wearing a red dress purchased and black heels. Both were purchased from Venus.com. Jim will be wearing a short sleeve red button down shirt and black slacks. No tie… unless I find something I want him to wear.
I have also included a golf shirt for him to wear after dinner while we are walking around trying to decide what we want to do.
Cozumel is our first port of call. We have reservations to go to Del Mar Latino Beach Club. It is within walking distance to the pier. During the day when not in a swimsuit, I will be wearing a blue top, white shorts, and blue and white Sperry’s. Of course, I will have walking shoes on while making our way to the beach club. I will also be wearing the same outfit to dinner. Afterall, who wants to get all dressed up after spending hours at an all-inclusive adults only beach club? Not me. I feel certain Jim will be wearing his t-shirt of the day and shorts while we are making our way to the beach club. For dinner, I planning on Jim wearing his blue and white stripe Izod golf shirt to dinner.
Progreso is our last port of call. We have decided to take the free bus to town and walk to the beach area. This area has changed a lot since the last time we have been there and we are looking forward to seeing the changes. I plan on wearing a short sleeve shirt, denim shorts, and my Reeboks while we are exploring the area. I’m sure Jim will be wearing another t-shirt of the day and shorts. Once it is time for dinner, I plan on wearing a dress with palm leaves on it and Jim will be wearing a light green golf shirt and most likely shorts.
Sea day #2 is always a sad day. When not trying to soak of the last bit of sunshine I can, I will be wearing a white shirt and blue and white shorts with my blue and white Sperry’s. Of course, Jim will be wearing his t-shirt of the day and shorts. For our last dinner on board, I will be wearing a black and white polka dot short sleeve top, white capri’s, and black sandals. Jim will be wearing a golf shirt and shorts.
When the make us leave the ship, I have decided to wear a light blue long sleeve light weight sweat suit with my Reeboks. I have no clue what Jim will be wearing.
As of today, all of my clothes that are not going in the garment bag have been put in packing cubes and are safely in a duffle bag.
The items not shown above that I am taking are denim capri’s, black jeans, and a navy cardigan. They have been put in a packing bag and are ready to go.
I have also selected my jewelry for this cruise and I have pack the pieces in a container for safe keeping. This container will be in my backpack when we board the ship.
All that is left at this point is getting the rest of Jim’s stuff together.
This is round 2 of the scrapbook pages I am creating for my mother. I like the idea of having something for her to remember that she had some fun last year. All scrapbook pages were made using paper from Craft Smith, Santa Fe Garden that I purchased at Michaels. There are a couple of pages that I made using a different paper pack from Craft Smith.
So lets begin with March.
These 2 pages were made using Craft Smith paper pack names Sunday Morning. The cutouts were also a part of this collection. This is the only March layout using this paper pack.
Embellishments used on this page are felt flowers I had on hand and I fussy cut some flowers from a paper that is part of the Craft Smith Santa Fe Garden collection.
And now for April. One thing I enjoy so much about making scrapbook pages is that the do not have to be perfect to relay the story.
This final page for the month of April was also made using the Craft Smith collection Sunday Morning.
Round 3 will be simple scrapbook pages for the months of May, June, July, August, September, and October. I hope you will return to see the simple pages I an making for my mother.
Let me begin by saying all of the 12 x 12 papers are from a paper pack purchased at Michaels. The paper pack is by Craft Smith and is named Santa Fe Garden. I purchased this paper pack years ago and I do not believe it is available. The mats for the photos were made from solid color scrapbook paper I have on hand.
Cover page. Since I am creating these pages for my mother who has vascular dementia. I will be making the pages as simple as possible so she will be concentrating on the photos and the story behind them. The only embellishing I did on the cover page was I added glitter glue to the center of some of the flowers to give them a little dimension.
January. I added some glitter glue to some selected flowers.
February. For these pages, I decided to use some felt flowers with rhinestone centers. I believ I purchased the flowers from Hobby Lobby many years ago. Very simple but decorative.
March. To decorate the first two pages, I cut out flowers from a page that is part of the paper pack I am using for this project. I then used red rhinestones I purchased from Amazon to accent the centers of the flowers.
I decided to not add any embellishments for this page as I feel like it works without anything. Plus I do not want to make the page look too busy.
The next installment will have pages for the remainder of March and April. I hope you will come back to see how they turn out. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.
I booked another cruise!!! I had intended to book the inaugural sailing, but when the dates became available on the 25th, I realized the inaugural would be the week of Thanksgiving. I do not want to leave my mother alone on Thanksgiving, so we are book for February 24, 2024.
This itinerary for this cruise is:
Galveston, leaving at 4pm.
Sea day #1
Sea day #2
Mahogany Bay, 8am to 6pm
Costa Maya, 8am to 6pm
Cozumel 7am to 5pm
Sea day #3
Galveston, arriving at 8am.
This itinerary is familiar to us as we were just at Mahogany Bay and Cozumel on our Carnival Vista cruise in August/September 2021. But we have not been to Costa Maya and are looking forward to seeing a new place.
BONUS for this cruise, my locker-mate from the beginning of middle school to the very end of high school is planning on being on this cruise as well. I’m hoping some other friends will join us too!
I do not think there will be any more blogs for this cruise until it is closer to time and the real planning has begun. But please continue to read my other blogs.
our life reality 