Sharnjean's Seasonal Shortlist!

I'm funny about feelings. 

Ever the analyst, I'm constantly scrutinizing as to whether or not I'm "feeling" the right feelings for the occasion. Like Christmas, for instance! When I was a teacher, festive fol de rols filled the air everywhere with the program, and parties, and presents, and caroling, and one couldn't help but have a magical mood! (Most of the time!) But now at the beginning of this holiday time, I realized that I would have to make the magic happen mostly on my own! If I didn't consciously Christmasize, I would be Grinching about quite grimly. Elaborate amounts of time or money to promote the proper perception were not an option, so I came up with this simple 6 item shortlist to add seasonal spirit to each and every day! 

I'm loving the word "shortlist" ever since adding a gift to my Google shopping shortlist. Especially the playful part defined as "winnowed from a longer list of possibilities."  Awww...the whimsical wistfulness of  unending possibilities!

short list

or shortlist

• Examples
• Word Origin

noun

1.

a list of those people or items preferred or most likely to be chosen, as winnowed from a longer list of possibilities.

1. SPRINKLES. 

Add holiday sprinkles to EVERYTHING! Blop Coolwhip on coffee, add some tiny sugar holly sprigs & berries, and you instantly feel like singing "Joy to the World!"

(Be like me and buy up on Christmas sprinkles after the 25th when everything is 75% off!)

2. SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS INSTEAD OF LULLABIES.

Instead of crooning "Mama's Gonna Give You a Mockinbird" while rocking Danielle, I've switched to "Silent Night," and I feel just a tiny bit like Mary must have felt...the awe of my own tiny (aka huge) baby. And then the feelings of thankfulness that I can lay her down to sleep in a soft crib instead of in a scratchy manger of hay.

3. CHANGE YOUR PHONE WALLPAPER & LOCKSCREEN.

I have these on mine and every time I see them they give me a glow.

4. GIVE SOME MONEY TO EVERY SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGER YOU SEE.

There's just something so simple and satisfying about walking up to the red bucket, plunking in some pennies (or bills), and giving the ragged ringer a hearty hail of "Merry Christmas!"

5. SEIZE THE SCENT.

Make your house smell Christmasy! I put cinnamon oil in my Scentsy burner, and have also been burning fir branch candles.

6. REMEMBER THE REASON FOR THE SEASON.

Even though I wish to make cute crafts, sew festive frocks, and bake bunches of baked goods, none of these things are truly the backbone of this bustling time 'o year. If I can lower my expectations, and just make sure there's room for Him in my inn,

 it will be the merriest Christmas ever!

WALMART PICKUP CHANGES LIVES!!!

I had intended many mental blog posts ago, to next write about the stuff I scored at Aunt Donna's garage sale. And maybe I will yet, but right now I am bubbling over to blog about WALMART PICKUP! My life will never be the same. I had been wanting to try it out ever since receiving a $10 off code in the mail. Alisha had also been expounding on the joys of grocery pickup, saying how awesome it was saving time and money since it curbs impulse buying! Two things I never seem to have enough of: TIME and MONEY. I'm so going to do this! So Tuesday night I loaded my virtual buggy, selected a 4-5 pm time slot, redeemed my $10 off, checked out, and went to bed. Rhonda and I plodded about Pensacola during the only monsoon in months (#thankfulforrainboots) and arrived at Walmart a few minutes after 5. A Walmart Grocery employee had already called to let me know that my order was ready! I checked in on the Walmart Grocery app en route and whipped into an empty Pickup parking space, feeling so sad for my sister as she had intended to bask in this luxury as well, but had suffered the misfortune of checking out at 10:11 am instead of 9:59 am. This caused her time slot to expire, because the same-day cutoff is 10:00 am SHARP. This was a painful lesson to learn. Rhonda bustled in to handpick her own items, while Danielle slept peacefully on in her car seat. Almost immediately, a chipper Pickup employee came wheeling my parcels out to meet me. I agreed to the one substitution she had made, (Full-size Viva paper towels instead of "choose-a-size") scrawled my e-signature, and gleefully accepted the new-customer goody bag which contained a bottle of water, Quaker oatmeal thingy, small bag of BBQ chips, Tide sample, 3 oz bottle of Vaseline lotion, and a shampoo and conditioner sample!  I asked Kassie if she likes doing this grocery pickup thing, and she replied that she loves it! I had read in the FAQs that they aren't allowed to accept tips, so I did what I could for her and gave her a 5 star rating on my follow-up email. She said she'll get to get a little something in the store if she gets a top score! My bag of frozen raspberries had not thawed, the avocado she picked out was beautiful and unbruised, and the fresh strawberries looked super! For the first time ever, going to Walmart was the highlight of my day! Well, the second highlight; the first one was hearing that Danielle no longer has ear infection! Yay! At least she won't be in misery from her ears while she simultaneously cuts 5 teeth! 

Back to the Walmart Pickup thing, you all really should try it out!!! And since I desperately love to make piles of money without working very hard, I'd really appreciate it if you'd sign up under me by using this link.  http://r.wmt.co/eGUUk You'll get a $10 off code and I will too! So hurry and sign up today! The first 10 of you will get the blessing of helping me along on my pathway to riches! :) (Only 10 referrals allowed per calendar year) 

Taking Time to Think

Saturday was the annual Fish Fry at the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department. So enjoyable, as always. Miss Smith and I got our usual to-go boxes of a fillet of fried fish, fillet of grilled fish, and a piece of chicken! No decision this way, just the chance to enjoy it all! I did feel rather complicated when the cashier asked, "For our records, are you getting fish or chicken?" "Well....both!" "OK, for here or to go?" "Well...I'm getting a to-go box so I can take home any leftovers, but I'll be eating here!" Keeping it simple has never been my talent. Maybe that's why she gave us all non-winning tickets! Oh well, I'd rather win nothing than some junk or clutter that I don't need! (Wow! Did I really just type that?! Maybe I am slowly becoming FlyWashed...but the bags of loot I scored at Aunt Donna's family garage sale wouldn't prove that...I could do a whole post on my treasures!) Anyway, after a Walmart grocery run for Miss Smith, I dropped Danielle off at Aunt Rhonda's and donned my camo and grabbed my bow before meeting Daniel to get my hunting instructions. I had forgotten to bring the bag that contained the artificial scent killer, so we crushed some cedar (leaves?? they don't seem leafy...maybe I should say sprigs??) and rubbed them in my hair and on the back of my neck. Major ITCH. Then I climbed the ladder and sat happily nature-watching while basking in the bliss of having time to just THINK. I can honestly say I have never been bored a minute in my life. It feels sorta Dr. Suessy, but oh, the thinks you can think! I love to have the chance to just think and think....I thought about past memories good and not so good, projects I want to do.... projects I will skip this year (sadly I shelf the adorable pumpkin family I had visually created) I mentally clean-swept our home of current clutter and relished its "new" look, I thought about God and His plans for me, I thought about how fast our little baby is growing up... that the days with her being this needy and clingy seem long, but that the years are short, and I need to consciously enjoy her tugging at my skirt and live in this moment...that this will be the only Fall that she is 7 months old! And that it doesn't matter how much my friends with babies can accomplish, I shouldn't compare and complain, because I am doing the very best I can.

Then I thought I heard a deer approach...crunch...step...crunch...step....BE STILL, my beating heart! THUD, THUD, POUND, POUND....slowly I turned my head to view with disdain, not a deer, but a fat o'possum! So I watched him creep around nibbling on my deer's corn while the squirrels fought like two-year olds, the birds chirped, the leaves fell, and the stars came out. Then I wrapped it up by thinking that even though I am still a bow-huntress with no bragging rights, it had been a most successful THINK. From now on instead of going hunting, I'm gonna go thinking! I know I'll always be successful at that! We even heard in church Sunday morning that taking time to think is a key to success, spiritually and financially! So really, going thinking should become a priority! If I ever do happen to snag a deer, it'll be a bonus!  

Outside my window....Tonight.

Outside my window....the darkness of night enshrouds the earth. 

I am thinking....that I should soon go to bed, but I love being awake when everyone else is sleeping!

I am thankful...that our new "Speed Queen" washing machine has been ordered via amazon.com! Hauling loads of laundry wherever I go is getting old! Thanks, my family, for letting me use your machines!

In the kitchen...  the dishes haven't done themselves! They are resting on their laurels amidst grease splatters from buttermilk breaded fried venison and loaded baked potato fries! (potatoes are vegetables, right?!)

I am wearing... lime green sparkly, sequined slippers!

I am creating...a new blog post at last! 

I am going...to take Miss Smith and Nana with us to the Firehouse Fish Fry tomorrow! 

I am reading.... Bringing Up Bebe AGAIN because surely if I reread it enough times I will figure out how to best mother Danielle! Our bitty bebe is beyond baffling to me at times! She went on a milk strike the other day for reasons unknown!? Thankfully her drinking problem seems to be resolved!

I am hoping...to get Danielle's birth story completed before she turns one! I've written as far as my first post-birth meal now!

I am looking forward to...finding out if you like the new "SUBSCRIBE" feature I added to this blog! Check it out! Also, you no longer need an invitation to view. Just type in carrottopcakes86.blogspot.com and you'll be there!

I am learning...that there's nothing better than witnessing the mutual love and complete adoration of a daddy and his little girl! She was so pleased to ride in the skid steer with Daniel today for a bit when he was working at Shane and Mel's shouse!

Around the house....things are looking like Hurricane Danielle hit! Hopefully FEMA (Female Emergency Mother Agent) will respond before midnight. 

One of my favorite things.... is breakfast from McDonald's! But stick with Starbuck's for a good pumpkin spice latte! My McCafe version this morning was WAY TOO SWEET! I'm not lovin' it.

Menus on Monday

'Tis Monday, and I haven't posted this week's menus! Forgive me for being such a foodie, and only blogging about food lately! Just hit delete when you see the word "menu" in the subject line if reading about food doesn't make your heart leap! (As if you need my permission to do this, but anyway!) We loved the French Dip sandwiches last week, but my choice of venison roast wasn't a good one. Too dry! A nice chuck roast marbled with fat 'twould be much better! I never made the apple salad...still want to! Made funfetti cookies instead of chocolate chip; life is always better with LOTS of sprinkles! I made them when Katie and I took snack to school last Thursday, and Ryan sarcastically said that I would probably blog the recipe so I dare not disappoint him! 

SOFTBATCH FUNFETTI SUGAR COOKIES

Move over cake mix. These easy, super soft cookies are from scratch and loaded with sprinkles. They're super soft and tender, with just hints of chewiness, and are my new favorite sugar cookies. They're pillowy soft without turning cakey or crunchy, thanks to a bit of cornstarch. It's my secret weapon for making softbatch-style cookies. The extracts used give the cookies a cake batter-like taste, while the abundance of sprinkles baked in adds texture and flavor to the rich, buttery dough. They're fast, easy, and the recipe makes a small batch size. Feel free to double it. Chilling the dough is imperative before baking and don't be tempted to overbake.

YIELD: 15 medium cookies

 

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

 

COOK TIME: 8 minutes

 

TOTAL TIME: 2+ hours, for dough chilling

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons clear imitation vanilla extract (real vanilla extract may be substituted)
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons corn starch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste (sharon here - I use 1/2 tsp.)
3/4 cup sprinkles (jimmies) (sharon - almost too many! Gasp! 1/2 cup would be better! Buy at Dollar Tree - bright, pretty, and peanut-free for $1!)

DIRECTIONS:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, egg, extract, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use a hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes). Do not shortcut the creaming process; make sure dough is very light in color and fluff, stop to scrape down the sides of the mixer as necessary.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
3. Add the sprinkles and beat momentarily to incorporate, less than 1 minute, or fold in by hand.
4. Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping two tablespoon mounds (I made 15). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly with your palm, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
5. Preheat oven to 350F, line two baking sheets with Silpats, or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheets, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for 8 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. These cookies should not turn golden or brown at all and should stay white. Do not bake longer than 9 minutes for soft cookies because they firm up as they cool (The cookies shown in the photos were baked with dough that had been chilled overnight, allowed to come to room temp for 15 minutes, and were baked for 8 minutes, with trays rotated at the 4-minute mark). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
6. Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Adapted from Chewy Sugar Sprinkles Cookies and Sugar Doodle Vanilla Cookies

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

OK, here goes for this week! Believe it or not, we actually had some meals made with leftovers! Yay!

-SATURDAY LUNCH-

(We were so blessed to have Wayne, Tif, and Bailee join us!!!)

Chicken Wings

Baked Cheesy Potatoes

Lettuce Salad

Birthday Cake Cookies

Blue Ribbon Chocolate/Vanilla Ice Cream with homemade Magic Shell

-SATURDAY SUPPER-

Philly Cheese-steak Sandwiches

(Danl created these using leftover London Broil. I told him I thought it was the best sammich I had ever eaten!!!) 

(Leftover!) Potato Salad

-SUNDAY LUNCH-

(Leftover!) Fajitas

-SUNDAY SNACK-

Jalapeno Poppers

(Leftover!) Philly Cheese-steaks

Sprinklelific Cookies (only I devoured them, Danl abstained effortlessly!)

-MONDAY-

Grilled Hamsteaks with THEE best grilling sauce! (Pine Mountain $1/# at Piggly this week!)

(Bring to boil - 1/2 cup brown sugar, rounding 2 T. horseradish, 2 T. lemon juice. Baste liberally on ham before and during grilling.)

(Leftover!) Cheesy Potatoes

Canned Asparagus

-NO TACOS TUESDAY-

Pizza Hut! Our usual - CHEESE with Extra CHEESE! 

(I know I have to go to Atmore for various errands anyway...)

Apple Salad

Tossed Salad

-WEDNESDAY-

Shrimp & Grits

Orange Creamsicle Jello

Pan-fried Okra

-THURSDAY-

Hopefully we will attend Atmore's "Taste of the South!"

I absolutely ADORE this happy community event! You pay $10 for 5 "tastes" and get to walk around sampling the local restaurants', church groups', etc best menu items!

-FISH FRIDAY-

Fried Bream

French Fries

Green Beans

-FRESH FRUIT OF THE WEEK-

California Valencia Oranges

-DESSERT OF THE WEEK-

Pudding! 

(Vanilla! Chocolate! Coconut! because I have to make the white layers for Bill's upcoming birthday cake and I will have egg yolks running out of my ears!)

Goodnight, y'all! I should be "pudding'' myself to bed!

More Menus!

First off, a little run-down of last week's food! 

We loved the ice cream cake!!! 

Tuesday's Crock-pot chili for the Navajo Tacos was mushy-textured. Bleck!!! :( 

Thursday's meal of Crock-pot Country-style Ribs just did not sound good to either Danl or I! So I created a pizza that I dubbed "Veni-cheese-steak Pizza Supreme!" I used the mock Pizza Hut crust recipe from Peters' Cookbook and layered it with pre-cooked venison steak strips, caramelized onions, green peppers, and mushrooms, mild cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, and topped it with fresh spinach leaves! We loved it! I never got the deviled eggs made on Friday, so I planned them into this week since I still "have a taste" for them! 

-SATURDAY LUNCH-

Grilled Bacon Cheeseburgers

Great Northern Baked Beans 

(I used dry beans instead of canned ones just to be very virtuous! LOL not really! I just like to experiment in the kitchen! I loved cooking pintos from dry, but I was not totally happy with the results of these Great Northerns. So I need to tweek my method! I cooked a 1# bag with lots of water, a dollop of butter, and 1.5 tsp of salt on high in the Crock-pot for 5 hours and they were too done, sorta broken up. Then I added 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt, and a lot of bacon grease and baked them an hour. Please give me some tips, any of you bean-bakers!)

Great Value Wavy Chips

Key Lime Pie in a Pan

Lemonade with Torani Fruit Syrups

We were so thrilled to have Andrew & Audrey and family join us for this lunch! Just like old times! :)

-SATURDAY SUPPER-

Pizza from the Hut! Danl's treat to me!! xoxo

(Be like us! Use coupon code 2226 - Carryout Exclusive Large 1-Topping for $5.99! Code good until 10/31/16- and order a large Thin 'n Crispy Light Sauce Cheese with Extra Cheese and an order of Stuffed Garlic Knots!)

-SUNDAY-

Ashton & Jessica's Wedding! 

Grilled Chicken Tenderloin with THEE best BBQ sauce made by Kelvin & Wendy! 

(I want to buy a jar! or hundred!)

Homemade Rolls

Salads of Your Choice 

(I think I tried 6 different kinds....all DELISH!)

Chips

Dessert??? 

(For some extremely odd reason, I somehow missed it?!)

-SUNDAY SUPPER-

Leftover Burgers

Jalepeno Poppers

-MONDAY-

Grilled Chicken Legs

Loaded Baked Potato Fries (Like you can get at Chili's)

Deviled Eggs

Apple Muffins

  (Aunt Rose's recipe in Schneider Cookbook)

-TACO TUESDAY-

Venison Fajitas

Sopa

Tortilla Chips & Salsa

-WEDNESDAY-

Italian-Fried Wild Turkey

Potato Salad

Cooked Spinach

-THURSDAY-

French Dip Sandwiches 

(Can't wait to try this, Pris! Thanks the idea/recipe!!)

Apple Salad 

(My recipe in Schneider...can you tell we didn't eat all the fresh apples I bought last week?!)

Broccoli

-FRIDAY-

Rhonda's Birthday Supper!

Tentative Menu: 

London Broil

Grilled Potatoes, Carrots, & Onions

Caesar Salad

Garlic Bread

Mint Chip Ice Cream Cake 

-FRESH FRUIT OF THE WEEK-

Green Seedless Grapes

Bananas

-DESSERT(S) OF THE WEEK-

Key Lime Pie in a Pan

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans

Menu Planning!

I used to do menu planning and loved it! So I'm not sure why I quit, but now I'm back on the bandwagon! Saturday is my current scheduled shopping day...I'd like to switch it to Wednesday to catch Piggly Wiggly's Wednesday Specials, but somehow Saturday seems to suit better at the present! (Since I'm working in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I want to CrockPot cook those days. I usually end up working a little bit from home the other days. This is my first week trying it. My Crockpot and I hardly know each other, but I aim to become friends!) By the way, I love the Pig app! After checking the weekly sales, I plan out a week's worth of menus on my huge FlyLady calendar that hangs on the inside of the pantry door. Then I make a giant list on my Wunderlist app, and away to town we go! Other than Saturday and Sunday, I only plan supper meals; Danl either takes sandwiches or eats out for lunch. I try not to cook more than what we will eat, because Danl does not appreciate my heated up leftovers! I did not inherit my mother's skill of reheating food. It's an art! So I eat the leftovers if there are any, for my lunches. For breakfast, since we both turn up our noses at most cereals, we (try to) keep the following on hand as staples:

Bacon

Conecuh

 Flaky Layers Canned Biscuits 

(did you know you can freeze the ones you don't bake? We bake four in the toaster oven and freeze the other four for another morning!)

 Brown Eggs 

Grits

Hashbrown Patties

Pillsbury Orange Danish Rolls (Sunday morning special!)

Saturday

Lunch: Grilled Hamburgers 

Pringles

Supper: Crawfish Etouffee (Love Tony Chachere's mix!)

Broccoli

Sunday

Lunch: Tacos, Beans, Rice, Chips 'n Salsa, Ice Cream Cones (Smith gathering @ Sheldon's!)

Supper: Grilled Chicken

Garlic Bread

Parmesan Roasted Carrots 

(new recipe from Pinterest, but I grilled them instead of baking them.)

Homemade Peach Ice Cream in the Donvier

We don't always cook a "real meal" on Sunday evenings, but sometimes we are "real hungry," so I plan one just in case! Tonight was one of those real hungry nights...

Monday

Grilled London Broil 

(eat rare, shaved thin w/ horseradish!)

PW's Crash Hot Potatoes w/ Homemade Ranch Dressing

Cheese Green Beans

Taco Tuesday

Navajo Tacos (put meat with chili seasoning in CrockPot)

Top of the Mountain Peach Jello 

(use Mt. Dew instead of cold water, add sliced peaches)

Wednesday

Vension Steak Lo Mein

Pot Stickers & Spring Rolls (both from Dollar Tree!)

Thursday

Country-style Ribs with Conecuh & Carrots (in CrockPot)

Microwave-baked Potatoes

Fish Friday

Fried Flounder

Cheese Grits

Deviled Eggs

Claussen Pickles

Fresh Fruit of the Week

Peaches

Granny Smith & Gala Apples

Bananas

Dessert of the Week 

(Make whenever it suits or strikes!)

Reese's Ice Cream Cake

Daniel saw this dessert somewhere online and said he thought it looked amazing! And it's amazing if he thinks a dessert looks amazing! So I added the ingredients to my list! Normally I would never have the stuff on hand to make something like this; it uses ice cream sandwiches, creamy peanut butter, Reese cups, chocolate & caramel sauces, and Coolwhip. But now I'm prepared! And that, my friends, is the beauty and fun of menu-planning! 

I end up swapping meals around somewhat and changing up the side dishes, but at least I have a plan to change instead of trying to make one at 5:45! 

If any of y'all plan your plates, I'd love to mooch off your meal planning for new ideas! Leave them in the comments or email me! 

-Thankful Thursday-

I feel THANKFUL 

for...

This blog! 

Even though I sadly neglect it, it's like an online diary of our life, and I love reading bygone posts.

Fresh peaches! 

Just ate one with a dollop of brand name Cool Whip (worth the extra $ veruse Great Value or any other brand in my humble opinion!) and the last spoonful of Bluebell Old-fashioned Vanilla.

Faircloth Land Services! 

Daniel is thoroughly enjoying putting his all into forestry mowing, harley raking, and whatever else that can be done with a skid steer!

Our baby!

She turned 5 months on August 20! So hard to believe! Soon she'll be driving a car!! Instead of just driving us crazily more in love every day! Her thankful list would read like this!

DADDY

MAMA

DIESEL

LEROY

MY HOUSE

MY WALKER 

(one of her favorite things is to scoot right up to the dog gate and screech and jabber at her dogs until they are almost exasperated with her lol!)

MY ROUTINES

MILK

BUTTERNUT SQUASH

PEACHES

BATHTIME

SOPHIE

PINK LOVEY BLANKET

CUPCAKE TOY

DONUT TOY

My job!

It doesn't get much better than working for your own dad! (Other than teaching! Nothing can top that!)

Menu Planning!

I'm still learning how to FLY (FlyLady system) and menu planning is an important part of a peaceful day! Tonight was Venison Meatballs with Brown Gravy over Rice with a side of Cheese Green Beans.

Good ole eBay!

Love the baby clothes that finally arrived from China today! Got this cloud set in two more bigger sizes since she has outgrown her first set! 

My bed!

I'm hoping to sleep off the "congestive head failure" (sore throat & headache) I've experienced today! 

Goodnight, y'all! 

#happysaturday

I know this is Sunday, well almost Monday actually at 11:59 pm, but I wrote this list in my head on Saturday, and I still want to share it!

1. Going to Market in the Park with Danielle...

(And later savoring the cinnamon rolls I purchased from Aunt Rose; gooey caramel pecan are thee best!)

2. Shopping WeCare with my sisters...

 Scored some apparently unworn BabyGap moccasins ($1.99) for Danielle and  classy black Yellowbox flip flops ($2.99) for me! 

3. Visiting Grandpa Smith at the nursing home...

4. Eating a corn dog, fries, and chocolate/vanilla swirled cup of ice cream from Dean's Grill...

(Thanks for the Food Certificate, Mr. Hiebert!) The gal at the window gave me a medium cup of ice cream instead of the small that I had the balance for! And a medium at this Southern food shop is a whopping 16 oz cup! I gave it my all and conquered!

5. Chatting with friends and neighbors at our hometown Piggly Wiggly...

especially made my day to say hey to one of my favorite Walmart employees there! Maybe we both share a love/hate relationship with Walmart!

6. Watching Danl operate his new machinery...

 He is so talented!

7. Taking a family walk on Garrett Road...

We all love the "new-to-us" jogging stroller!

8. Skipping cooking and dishes for an evening!

9. Ordering my childhood favorite menu items at Taco Bell...

(hard taco, soft taco, pintos 'n cheese!)

10. Hearing our baby "sing!" 

She loves to coo along to all her favorite little songs!

A Girl's Gotta Have a Purse!

Danielle acquired her first purse today!
And like a true girl, she loves it! (If clutching it solidly and slobbering on it profusely counts as adoration! I think it does!) I had spied this mini marvel several weeks ago at T.J.Maxx and had fallen in love! I could just picture Danielle playing happily with this little purse and even taking it to Sunday School with her little offering coins in it years down the road... Even though I left it in the store, it stayed in my mind! So today, I ogled the aisles to see if any of the tiny totes remained, and found only 3 of them marked down in the clearance section! If that's not a sure sign to purchase, I'm not a shopaholic! Cute as it is, Ralph Lauren didn't design this as a baby purse; it's actually a "Mini Tote Bag Charm." A purse upon a purse?! Seems a bit silly to me, but it would be a great place to keep your keys! Maybe when Danielle is all grown up, she can attach her first purse to her current one! But for now, a bitty baby with a bitty bag just makes this mama smile. :)

Hello Again!

"Hello again!"

"Hello!"

"Do you like my hat?"

"I do. What a hat! 

I like it! 

I like that motherhood hat!" 

And here I am again, wearing a hat I have never before worn! And I like it! And I like the book Go, Dog. Go! in case you hadn't noticed! This won't be a long post since I haven't time for such anymore! But Danielle is happily entertaining herself on her play mat and things like showers, and dishes, and straightening up, and getting birth announcements ready for the mail can wait while I record our life in order that we may reflect upon it later in our golden years! I did update the title description and the  "About Us" portion of the blog. So that's a start! And unless I want to sit on a bench all by myself tonight at church, I should rouse myself and shower since the little princess decided to grab a catnap! We stayed home this morning and listened to two weddings and have been in a rather lazy gear all day...but now,
"Go, Mama. Go!"

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful for this baby girl that currently has severe hiccups! And I'm thankful that I have had a healthy, relatively easy (I think! What do I compare to?!) pregnancy. Tomorrow makes 39 weeks, so any day now could be Baby Faircloth's birthday!

2.  I am ever so thankful that Daniel is finally feeling almost back to his normal self after fighting bronchial infection and mono at the same time! I have never seen him so sick, or so willing to go to the doctor/hospital and I hope and pray to never again.

3. I am thankful for my sister-in-law Alisha! All the wonderful help she rendered with her brilliant organizational skills got me "un-stuck" so to speak, and able to finish up various pre-baby projects! Thanks to her, I feel (mostly) calm and ready for this new phase in life. (I think.)

4. I am thankful for our dear family and friends. They have helped us through thick and thin and we could not make without all the love and support! 

5. I am thankful for baskets from Dollar Tree.

6. I am thankful for drugstore.com, fatwallet.com, and shoprunner 2-day free shipping! I love this day and age. Even though the UPS and Fedex guys probably do not. 

7. I am thankful that Grandpa Schneider "woke up" and I could talk with him again. He's such a dear grandpa and it's so hard to see him so uncomfortable and so frustrated. 

8. I am thankful for the new prison dog beds from Jeffers! Diesel and Leroy appear to be thankful also! And I'm thankful for my little sis who is "in the know" about all things pet-related. Let's hope these beds last longer than crib mattresses from the thrift store.

9. I am thankful that Daniel likes to cook! He has been making these awesome, rosemary, thyme, garlic, olive oil, seared chuck eye steaks in the cast iron skillet. Mouth-wateringly delicious!

10. I am thankful for the assurance of Isaiah 43:2. 

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." 

11. One more thankful! I was going to stop at 10, but I'm thankful that it's still Thursday and I can quickly post this before it's Friday, because Thankful Thursday just sounds so much bet.......(and then my computer died and I was too tired to go get the charging cord and just gave up and went to bed. and now it's Friday!)

12. A dozen seems more complete! And makes me think of donuts! I am thankful for HotLightApp and that Krispy Kreme is only 4 minutes away from Dr. Doyle's office. 

Sunday Mornings...

OK, I'll confess right away! Sometimes I'm not writing sermon notes in my church notebook; I'm writing five sense poems like the one below! But one must take advantage of inspiration when it strikes, lest it leave! Right?! :) 

~ SUNDAY MORNINGS ~

Sunday mornings are soft, settled, peaceful...

No phones ringing or dinging, 

No agendas pressing, no to-do lists looming;

Just the privilege of sitting for longer than 15 minutes!

Sunday mornings look spiffy, clean, respectful.

Slicked-down hair crispy with hairspray...

Attentive faces turned toward the speaker.

Sleepy children snoozing on warm laps and bony shoulders.

Sunday mornings sound like old-fashioned gospel singing.

Hymns with meaning soothing the soul...

The Word falling gently down, hopefully landing on soft ground.

Powerful prayers pleading for our infirmities; stomachs rumbling soft and low, ready for roast!

Sunday mornings smell like perfume 

Mingling, clashing, blending - 

Uniting in a single aroma of women who want to be beautiful inside and out.

Faint hints of hearty breakfasts or the browned pot roast cling about.

Sunday mornings taste like mints,

Fresh and revitalizing.

 Hall's cherry cough drops, strong and soothing

Any disturbance must be muffled.

Sunday mornings feel so right, so solid.

"God, thank you for blessing me, 

For inspiring me to walk with You.

Thank you for giving me these priceless Sunday mornings."

SMF 

02.21.16

CS"Eye" Miami

Okay, I've got to blog because I keep thinking of little things I want to write about, but I can't because I've never yet written about Miami! And one  must write in chronological order! It's not that I don't want to write about this epic adventure, I do! I just don't, because I know it'll take me awhile to get it all typed out! So I will start and however long it takes me will just be fine. 

 Over two months ago (gasp!), October 29 to be exact, Miss Susan Smith, Nana, and I flew down to the tropical city of Miami for the purpose of consulting with Dr. Lam at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute about Miss Smith's retinitis pigmentosa. I always pictured Miami a bit on the shady side, meaning that I would need to clutch my purse closely, and cast a wary eye about while cautiously walking the streets, you know, "CSI Miami"ish.

But it wasn't like that at all! We found it to be a friendly city full of helpful people who honked a lot and cooked great food!

Our flight from Pensacola was smooth and comfortable. The ticket agent rebooked us into roomy bulkhead seats, so Nana had plenty of room to sprawl and we luxuriously stretched our legs out as well! As we circled to land, I could see the gorgeous glistening blue-green waters of the Miami beaches! We landed, and then began the trek to get to where we would pick up the puddle-jumper we had rented! A labyrinth of concourses, moving walkways, stairs, and trams later, we finally arrived at the Budget booth and stood in line there for at least an hour. But we had our Hundayi Accent at last! 

Then we checked into our Comfort Suite. Very nice! You can't go wrong with a hotel that has pretty decor and lots of waffle toppings! 

I fell in love with the teardrop light fixtures above this lounger in the lobby! 

We rested a bit, refreshed ourselves, and met the Mennonite Miami gospel tract couple, Riley and Rita Schmidt, at "The World's Most Famous Cuban Restaurant" Versailles, to experience tasty Cuban cuisine and culture! We were not disappointed! 

 

Of course I had been browsing the menu days prior because it takes me so long to make up me mind when I want to try EVERYTHING! I was happily satisfied with the "The Classic" of the Cuban Samplers. 

THE CLASSIC

White Rice, Black Beans, “Picadillo” Ground Beef, Roast Pork, Sweet Plantains, Ham Croquette, Cuban Tamale, and Cassava with Cuban Mojo

Next we all enjoyed a cup of cafe con leche! I am hooked on this sweet, strong frothy coffee! They bring the espresso in the darling little silver pitcher and then you pour it into the foamed milk. I've tried to make it at home, but alas, have not conquered. 

The next day found us at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.

There we met with Dr. Byron L. Lam M.D. and received the sad news that Miss Smith was not a candidate for the gene therapy program that we were hopeful about. But if you don't pursue the possibilities that arise, you will always wonder what alternate route life could have taken. We were both so glad we had made this trip regardless of the outcome. Miss Smith is such an inspiration to me! She bravely handled the disappointment with these sage words, "I've been happy up 'til now, and happy I shall remain!" 

Some good authentic tacos from Huahua's Taqueria also aided in brightening our mood! 

Then we headed to beautiful Miami Beach where we sat on the sand and enjoyed the crashing waves while gazing at the emerald waters...truly gorgeous. This pic below is exactly what it looked like!

 I also was completely mesmerized by the incredible cruise ships lined up along Port Miami. Just ship after ship! Wow. 

A sweet treat from Azucar Ice Cream Company in Little Havana was the next item on our agenda! (It's so much fun traveling with a fellow foodie!) I sampled the avacado ice cream! Not too good, not 

too bad!

We both had waffle cones of their famous signature flavor, Abuela Maria. 

After that, we walked along 8th street and felt like we were abroad! Old men were noisily playing dominoes; people were singing and dancing on the sidewalks. 

We picked out some hand painted souvenirs from a mom and pop shop, then headed back to our little Hyundai Accent lest it get towed for being "overparked!" Parking in Miami - I shall not elaborate, but it wasn't my favorite part of the trip! Back at the hotel, we popped some popcorn, ate leftovers from Versailles, and hit the hay after a long, full day! 

We breakfasted as early as possible the next morning, returned our rental car after an arduous procedure that included some illegal turns and curb hopping, and flew back to Pensacola.

 It is amazing how one can take a trip within one's own state, yet feel like their passport should be boasting another stamp upon return....