An "Add-in" Win

Well, here goes! 

I want to see how much I can write in 15 minutes and just post it! 

Daily blogging is my goal, but so often I don't even start typing the posts I write in my head, because I know I won't have or take the time to do them justice! #downwithperfectionism

Several days ago, I joined a group of friends who have decided to give up something they feel is detrimental and add in something positive until Easter. Sorta "Lentish" although I'm not totally sure what Lent really is or means. We just want to become more self-denied and try harder to be our best selves! I have decided to give up phone time from supper until bedtime endeavoring to be fully present with my family instead of distracted with messages, browsing, shopping etc. And for my "add-in" I chose blogging! Thus this post! 

We have been having the best time ever with Alisha, Isla, and Jemma being here for a week over Daniel's mom's 60th birthday! Which makes me feel writers' overload; so many things I could touch on that I don't know where to even start! And if I'm gonna cover much in the few minutes I have remaining, I think I should just jot some random bullet points as they come to me!

• Navarre Beach is truly Florida's Most Relaxing Place as advertised! Felt so blessed to be able to spend 4 nights together in THIS ocean-front townhouse, making amazing family memories, and basking in the blissful sunshine! The water was cold, but the weather was absolute perfection!

• Two toddlers make a terrible combination in a kate spade outlet store.
• Danielle is THREE as of March 20, 2019!
• Throwing a simple beach-themed birthday party takes a village. #thankseveryone
• It takes a little pink pair of scissors, a bottle of water, an iPad, a small Barbie doll with accessories, and a sucker for a successful "tee-tee" session. Who knew?!
• Don't ask me how my courage with this whole potty training thing is going. Reference pic below. 

• I love Taco Tuesday. So lovely to always know what's for supper! Tonight was simple stir-fried chicken tender chunks in olive oil with garlic salt and black pepper in a flash-fried white corn tortilla topped with cheese, sour cream, and blended mild Pace picante salsa. Mine had the additional essentials of green onion and a squeezed wedge of lime! Chips and salsa on the side and - voila! Faster than Blue Apron or Hamburger Helper! 

• Ginger Lime Diet Coke! Wow. They got it right with that combination! 

• Now I want to try all the flavors! Have any of y'all developed new faves? 

(Confession: It took me 40 minutes to write this instead of 15! But hey, at least it got me back in the groove again! An "add-in" WIN!)

Happy 2019!

Happy New Year!!

Don't you just love the freshness, the "clean slate," the "start-over" feel of a brand new year?! 

What? You say it's MARCH 1????! HOW did this happen?? Two whole months of 2019 have already slipped into oblivion?! Wow. Let me regroup. I guess I will post my New Year's Letter in its current state and MOVE ON!

Had family Christmas in Guntersville on January 1! Twas hard to believe that 2018 had already begun.

An anniversary in February called for some time away; so down by the beach in Navarre for a few days we did stay.

Party time for our princess in the third month of the year; we celebrated this donut-loving 2 year old who’s always in high-gear!

Practically zoomed to MS in April to witness Kyle say “I do”; certainly enjoyed seeing Grandma and Aunt Sue too!

Yehaw! Tried something new which was Blue Apron in May, a food service meal that only brought my hubby dismay!

Next in June was the nuptials of Cam & Mel; then of Isla’s 1^st birthday celebration in Calgary I could tell.

(And the rest of the year was amazing as well!) 

OK. March 1, 2019. 

Here in the Sun-doesntshineitjustrainsandrains State, Spring is just around the corner! Everything is GREEN! Did I mention we have not lacked in moisture lately? And that I have done something wildly different for me?! I have decided to GROW ROSES AGAIN! This goal was one of the "not done" things on my "18 for 2018" list. It got plopped again on my "19 for 2019"  list, and this time I'M DOING IT! I've ordered 5 hybrid tea roses from Jackson & Perkins, and I could not be more excited! I'm nightly soaking my black thumb in essential oils... LOL not really!
But I do hope I can keep these babies alive and be able to pick gorgeous bouquets to place artistically about our home! I dabbled in rose gardening at the old home place prior to marriage with some success! And lots of spraying! Black spot is rampant down here Zone 9. If y'all have any tips for getting the flower of love to flourish, please send them my way!


(Mister Lincoln)


(Malibu)


(Gemini)


(Clouds of Glory)

(John F. Kennedy)

P.S. Before I could get this posted, I got an email from UPS saying they had been delivered on my front porch! Yippity-yay!
And once I got home from work, there they were in all their ugly, bare-root beauty! Now, for the planting thereof.
Forward, MARCH!

Monday Musing & Menus

Today was a really good day.

 

It didn't start out that way...

after Danl left early for work, and Danielle was wide awake, be-bopping around, I hunkered down on the couch under a blanket for an hour, gloomy and glowering. 

Finally I hoisted myself up, brewed some coffee, started smiling, ordered Bloom planners from Amazon for Rhonda and me, completed my morning routine, did yoga, (Danielle joined me! Seriously, seeing a toddler doing the downward dog is just plain adorable!) fixed Disney Princess Spaghettio's and leftover fajitas for lunch, conquered a kitchen mission #flylady, ran to the bank(s), found Jacob an unread book, supervised Neil and Danielle, Instant Potted some venison chili, worked at my desk, ate supper, blended fresh fruit smoothies, hung out with my family, bathed and bedded Danielle, went to bed with Danl, got back up, made a pineapple-raspberry cake and orange 7-up jello for Sewing tomorrow, got hungry, devoured some "tortiyahs" chips & Diet Coke, and now I'm blogging! 

My gorgeous, wood-grain planner gets here Wednesday, and I cannot wait!

Thanks to all of you who sent me suggestions via blog comment or whatsapp! I really appreciated y'all's input!

Here are my menus for this week... I planned them on my phone while in the deer stand. #hungrywhilehunting

SOUL FOOD SUNDAY

Fried Pork Chops

Tossed Salad

Cast Iron Skillet Fried Apples

MAKE WHATEVER YOU WANT MONDAY

Venison Chili

Cheese & Crackers

Pickles

Leftover Jiffy Corn Muffins

Fruit Smoothies

TACO TUESDAY

PW Fried Tacos (venison)

Chips & Salsa

Sliced Avocados

PIE WEDNESDAY

Stromboli

Applesauce

Del Monte Corn

THROW IT ON THE GRILL THURSDAY

Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

Foil-packet Grilled Cheesy Fries

Grilled Green Beans

FISH FRIDAY

Creamy Crab-topped Tilapia

Garlic Bread

Popeye Spinach

SANDWICH SATURDAY

Chili Cheese Dog Bake

(with leftover chili from Monday)
Jello

Cucumber Slaw

Hungry yet?! 

Goodnight!

A Planner, Please!

I NEED a planner! 

Life without a planner feels pointless! 

I just kind of float around, somewhere in la la land. 

I didn't plan not to get a 2019 planner, but neither did I plan to get one before it was too late! 

I've been busy, and I've made lists, but I haven't planned my "19 for 2019!" 

(I definitely did not completely complete my "18 for 2018" but I do know I got way more of it done than had I not planned it! #anotherpost)

Rave reviews are being uttered about the Time Keeper Planner! By the people who planned ahead and ordered them before they were sold out! Argh.

Last year, I found an Eccolo planner at T.J. Maxx for only $9.99 that I loved! It had the best quotes, and instead of crossing things off, it had  these little bubbles to fill in "heavy and dark" just like achievements tests at school! lol

The year before, I splurged on a rad "Bando" planner. It was cool, but hardly worth the extra moolah at $32 plus shipping. 

This year, I'm looking so late that they are sadly picked over! Amidst the rumpled and crumpled ones left at the T.J. Maxx in Daphne, I found a smallish green Eccolo one that's a pleasing shade of green and says, "nevertheless, she persisted." Which I adore. So I purchased it. But, it isn't spiral-bound, and it's pretty small. So I haven't marred it yet. #floaton

Since a couple of my sisters have scored satisfactory planners at our local Walmart, I need to dash up there and check their stock!

Pursuing the perfect planner is proving to be quite a pain! I shall have to settle for something, and soon! Please tell me what planner you love, and why! Or if you even use one! 

Maybe a year of floating would be more fun...

Bring on the Book Club!

Back in July, I joined a BOOK CLUB! Which is something that had always been on my bucket list! Quilting clubs, exercise groups, etc. never held any appeal for me, but Book Club?! Count me in! What could be better than reading a fabulous book and then discussing it with your favorite people while eating food?? There are 10 of us, all local except 2. We plan to read/discuss one book a month, taking turns choosing the titles. 

August - When God Says Go by Elizabeth Laing Thompson. 

September - Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden.

October - MWF Seeking BFF by Rachel Bertche.

 And November was my turn to choose! Always enamored by the French, I selected 

Lessons from Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott. 

With the holidays, we got a bit off schedule and didn't have our discussion on it until last night! I had so wanted to meet in the Magical Alleyway in Atmore, but alas. It was far too moist and mouldy out. Instead, we dined and discussed every nuance and then some at the Alabama Wing House which ended up being the perfect location! They seated us in a secluded area, and we had the best time being very American eating finger lickin' good wings, fries, and pies whilst debating the ways of the French! Cups of coffee later, we decided that although none of us feel like we are chic, (btw, this word is always pronounced "sheek") we all share the love of reading and learning and expanding our horizons!

January's book is Chop, Chop by L.N. Cronk. 

Mine is on the way from Abebooks.com and I cannot wait! This first go around, I am getting hard-copies of each book and am making whoever chose it write in it why they chose it and sign it. #sentimental

Rest Up & Dress Up!

Happy 2019!
This is not my New Year's Letter in case you are wondering! I may not even write one actually...time will tell! 

I love to choose a theme word or phrase for the year as per Gretchen Rubin's suggestion. It's a challenge to see what word you can come up with that sums up the ambitions, plans, dreams and schemes that you want to embrace in the new year! 

Last year I chose HOME. 

I wanted to stay home more, to "joy-spark" our entire home, and to learn to love being a homemaker! Overall, I'm mostly happy with how the year went! I "think" I was home more, I consciously tried to have days where I never left the premises. I found a pillow cover for the the couch that says "Let's Stay Home." Danielle even told me one day, "Mommy, I love that you are home." And I loved it too. I didn't get the whole house "joy-sparked" but I think I only lack 4 cabinets, and the drawer under the oven! So that's pretty good! I wish I knew how many POUNDS of accumulated clutter went the way of the waste heap or to WeCare! By the way, I HIGHLY recommend Marie Kondo's method and books.

So...for this year I chose a phrase, "REST UP & DRESS UP!" 

Before you are imagining boa scarves and polka dot socks in high-heeled shoes, hear me out! Obviously, "rest up" is pretty self-explanatory! I simply do not sleep enough. I'm a night owl by nature, and I always want to "over-live" and squeeze every last minute out of each day...not wise. I do realize it's almost midnight now, BUT I actually did my extra resting this morning since Danielle went back to sleep in our bed! Score! Also, I want to lay my unnecessary ambitions to rest this year. I want to choose cuddling over computing, relaxing instead of resisting, being present over trying to be perfect. 

Okay, now for the dress up part! Reading Lessons from Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott was revolutionary! Now I am inspired to incorporate the "10 item core wardrobe" idea into my life! (More on that in another post if y'all are interested) I think it will definitely simplify my life! So I will be focusing on clothes! And sewing! I have decided that I love to sew and that it's amazing that I have been taught how to create couture clothing. So there. 

Now off to rest up I go! 

(once I find my other polka dot sock..!!)

a GRATEFUL heart

I am thankful for life... and that it goes on.

For God's protection, our guardian angel, for my friend who breathed a prayer particularly for me earlier in the day...

For airbags, car seats, safety restraints, and crash-testing technology...

That no one was injured when I rear-ended a Dodge pickup yesterday evening in the gloaming...

that the couple I hit were not angry or upset...For family and friends who stopped so soon to make sure we were OK... and got my Jeep off the road before anyone hit it...and came and got my groceries and purchases from earlier in the day...that Danl was home and could come comfort us and sit with me for the hours we waited on FHP. That Danielle was not traumatized...and seemed to understand that the Jeep was seriously injured and needed to go the vehicle hospital...That the young officer who worked the scene was kind and considerate and gave me the least possible citation.

I am thankful for pecans... And that I had plenty to re-toast for tomorrow's candied sweet potatoes since I severely over-toasted the first batch! #burnt

I am thankful for family recipes with notes at the bottom. 

#auntrose #candiedsweetpotatoes #schneidercookbook

I am thankful for the MRGA Book Club. It has, and is, totally enriching my life in in so many ways!

I am thankful that Mel brought me coffee this morning and took Danielle home with her to "help" take care of Baby Ellie.

I am thankful for crispy, ice-cold Diet Coke.

I am thankful my parents lent us their extra van for me to drive until we get our insurance rental.

I am thankful for Katie's crumb-topped banana bread. #perfection

I am thankful for ibuprofen.

I am thankful for our cozy home, for the warm bed into which I am about to crawl!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, Y'ALL!