New gel pens - whoop whoop!!

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Holy Lost-a-Year, Batman!

So...somehow I seem to have gone over a year without posting on this blog - make that 2 years!  In my defense, it's been a VERY busy couple of years here!  We gained THREE new grandbabies in that time, which I am LOVING!  My son married a  lovely young lady who had a 2 year-old (now 4yo), my stepson and his wife had a son, and my daughter had a son!  So now we have FOUR grand-blessings that are absolutely the lights of our life!  We couldn't love them more if we tried.  

I was also diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease and have been in and out of treatment for that, which I may talk about more here as time goes on.  It's been a whirlwind of learning new terms, more medical jargon that I thought I'd EVER use (even working for a doctor!), and vacillating between feeling horrible and "Eh, ok" depending on the hour/day.  More on that later...

Anyway, just thought I'd pop over and see if this blog was still here (thanks for holding my spot, Google!) and say hi to those still hanging around. I'm seriously amazed that I'm still getting hits here after this long of a break!  *mindblown*  Anyway, thank you!!

Hello, Mornings!

I'm a total night-owl.  I seem to get a burst of energy around 10pm, which doesn't make for great mornings-after!  I can lay in bed and read until 2-or-3am with absolutely no problem.  Of course, that means I am certainly NOT getting up at any decent hour.  I'm very well aware of how important sleep is, and that I really need to use my time more wisely - which means not sleeping until 9 or 10am and rolling into work at noon.  (don't hate me because I have flex hours!)

I'm kind of so over making New Years Resolutions, but I AM going to try to make better use of my time in 2015.  I found this awesome resource that I'm hoping will help.  I plan to use my blog to document this process, as well as my other 2015 goals (not resolutions!) including completing more craft projects, my Goodreads Challenge of 50 books for the year, maybe learning some new crafts, finishing some Pinterest projects, and some super-awesome family stuff coming this year!  *squeeee!*  Oh!  And my new Dollar Tree obsession (did you know how much amazing stuff you can get there??)

Join me and the other Hello Morning! ladies if you'd like to get your mornings started on the right foot in 2015.  Leave a comment and let me know that you've joined so I can keep an eye out for ya!

Here are some of their tips for making the most of your mornings.  

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Peppermint Patties for Trim Healthy Mamas! THM-S

I attended an essential oil party awhile back and the hostess had these AMAZING peppermint patties made from coconut oil, dark chocolate, honey, and peppermint essential oil.  I wanted to try and recreate them and make them THM-friendly, cutting out the honey. It was surprisingly easy, and tastes just as delicious and refreshing!
Here's how:

Ingredients: 

* 85% dark chocolate (or Skinny Chocolate, of course) - melted
* 1 cup Coconut oil (melted)
* Peppermint extract
* Stevia and/or Xylitol - I use NuNatural Pure Stevia Extract powder 

Directions:

1. Mix the coconut oil with a few drops of peppermint extract (or peppermint essential oil if you prefer & are well aware of how to use EOs safely in the kitchen!)    

2. Add stevia to taste.   Play around with the taste until it's how you like it.

3. Put the coconut oil mixture into candy molds or mini muffin tin. I found adorable little ice trays with silicone bottoms that make it super easy to pop these yummy treats right out when they're all done!  

There are several ways you can do this, but I find this method works best:

** Spoon a bit of chocolate in cup first, put in freezer to set up (around 30 minutes).
** Add a bit of the coconut mixture on top of that, put back in freezer to firm up.
** Add more chocolate on top, put back in freezer or fridge.

When firmed up well - pop out and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!

You can also make these in mini-muffin tins with the paper liners, 

but I just think these are TOO cute!

Photo courtesy of anniegoss/candy/

My Trim Healthy Mama Discovery

"This was both encouraging and entertaining! (Do you have a blog or other writing venue? If not, you should consider it!)" 

That was a reply I got to a Facebook post this weekend, and is the reason I am writing this now.  Sometimes the least little encouragement is all we need, right ladies?  And this one touched my heart deeply, as I love writing but seldom make the time to do it (as you can easily see by this blog right here!).

So about 4 weeks ago, I stumbled upon something that seems to - thus far - been pretty life changing!  I fell down the Google Rabbit Hole and landed at Trim Healthy Mama.  This book/page has apparently been around for a couple of years now, and since I'm always looking for the next get-thin-quick scheme, it's downright amazing that I never heard of it before.  Or maybe that's exactly WHY I never heard of it before now.  Our God, He does work in mysterious ways...

Anyway, I started loosely following it and below is a post I made on their Facebook page the other day.  I hope it encourages someone else out there.

For you ladies who are discouraged and frustrated the scale, who are trying so hard and not seeing those numbers move.... Take your measurements!!! I actually went up on the scale this past week and was not a happy camper at. all. I did, however, take my measurements when I started loosely following THM about 4 weeks ago.

I do pretty good most days, but still slip in meal-skipping (there's just too much to eat! what kind of "diet" is that?!  ) and doing some accidental crossovers, but doing "ok" considering I just got the book 2 days ago. Well, I decided this morning that I'd check my measurements and see if this was really working at all - ya know, other than the better sleep, more energy, skin clearing up, and better moods. 

I "de-robed" (aka, got nekkid), grabbed my measuring tape and a note pad and went to work. I looked at the numbers I wrote down after each measurement and thought "Ugh. Still huge." (not remembering my previous ones, they are in my MyFitnessPal phone app).

Opened the app to enter the numbers and compare... To my astonishment - down .2" on my neck (bigggg deal, I thought. Blah. Better than nothing though, right? Hrmph.)...

Continued on...1.5" on my waist... Wait. What? But the scale said I gained weight!

2" on my hips. About that time my jaw hit the floor and I did a little jig, right there in the bathroom, all by myself. 

So to those, like me, who have been slaves to the number on the scale - remember this:

Scale - 5 letters, starts with S

Satan - 5 letters, starts with S.

Both are LIARS!

Monogram all the things!!

**BIG NEWS!!** 

I am so pleased to annouce that I'm now partnered with LilyBean & Baxter for items that I'm not able to embroider for you myself. You can order any of their awesome items online and have them shipped directly to you or a friend - all at great prices! Check out all the HOTTEST gifts now at LilyBean & Baxter. 

Hearing God's Voice?

Wow, it's been a loooooooong time since I blogged!  This morning I was looking online for a photo of Beth Moore (ok, in the interest of full disclosure, it was for my Instagram #wcw ... I do love me some Beth Moore teaching and I think she's super stylish!)    In my searching, I happened upon a blog by a woman who disagreed with Mrs. Moore's statements that she's "heard God's voice" and went on to condemn her for being a "false teacher" because she claims to have heard from God directly.  Of course, the writer also used the most unflattering picture of Moore she could find to hammer home the point...  *smh*

The author of this blog used examples from Moore's teachings: 

God spoke to my heart one Saturday morning while I was preparing for Sunday school: "My child, in between more intense rests, I want to teach you to take Sabbath moments."

"I’m gonna tell you something right now, Beth, and boy you write this one down, and you say it as often as I give you utterance to say it . . ." 

I remember being a "baby" Christian and wondering about people who "heard God".  I wondered if I would ever have that type of relationship, that I would be able to hear His voice as clearly as my own.  Frankly, I never thought it would happen and I kinda thought those who said they heard from Him were possibly ...(whispering) *a little on the crazy side*. 

Then it happened.  When my then-boyfriend/now-husband had a massive heart attack at age 37.  I was at the hospital in the middle of the night, waiting alone in a little - very cold - room outside the cath lab for the doctor to come tell me what was going on.  I was shaking and crying and praying "Please don't let him die. Please don't let him die." over and over and over again.  I remember it being SO COLD in that little room!  After a few minutes, as I sat there with my head in my hands, rocking back and forth and praying - I felt what I can only describe as the warmest blanket being wrapped around my shoulders and a voice saying "It's not his time."

I was startled. I jerked my head up, looked around, and saw the empty room. I got up and walked to the door, looked up and down the deserted hallway....no one was there.  I had just heard - and felt - God.  I'm as sure of this as I am that I have 10 fingers and 10 toes.  No one will ever convince me that it was anything less than God speaking to me, and it brought a comfort that I can't put into words.

My question is: why is it so hard for someone to believe that this happens?  Especially a person who, like this blogger, says that they are a devout Christian who studies the Bible regularly?  John 10:27-28 ESV says "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them..."  I believe this verse is as true today as it was in Biblical times, when Jesus himself spoke to the disciples and the crowds in His human body. 

Since that moment 12 years ago when I heard God speak in the hospital, I've felt/heard Him speak many more times on various situations in my life.  I think the thing that separates those who hear God and those who don't is a FAITH that He can and will speak to us - if only we will listen. 

What do you think?  Have you heard God's voice in your own life?  Or do you think those who do are faking it and are "false teachers"?

 

As so she returns....

If anyone is still out there, I'm still alive!  My "blogging challenge" was a colossal failure earlier in the year - I think when I put pressure on myself it just makes my internal 4 year-old scream "NO! Not gonna do it!!" or something.  *shrug*

So after a Spring...and Summer...of basically no writing at all - I've decided that maybe I need to return to this outlet of expression.  I love writing, I rarely do it for various reasons, but it's one of my great loves and frankly - I'm not getting any younger so why not?

I'm not sure where this blog is headed, but I'm hoping to get back to expressing more spiritual matters that are on my heart. Whether anyone sees them or not is of no real consequence, though I hope I can encourage someone out there along the internet superhighway (who remembers that one??).  

God seems to be reminding me daily of Philippians 4:8 - ... whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

This is my new goal.  

• No pressure to blog daily.  
• No pressure to organize every inch of my home (though that needs some work, as well!).  
• No pressure to produce a Pinterest project on a regular basis (really, who was I kidding with that one??)

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This is no Pinterest Post.

I decided last week that my laundry room/pantry needed a makeover, or at least needed to not look so incredibly depressing and cluttered.  So I went to my local Dollar Tree (the mecca of cheap storage containers) and got to work on it this morning.

It quickly occurred to me that all those **perfectly** organized room pics on Pinterest must be by fake "normal women" on fake blogs created by companies like the Container Store and Ikea to boost sales. 

It also occurred to me that I will never have such a picture perfect room. 

But I made some progress!  It took all of 30 minutes and 

I'm much happier when I walk in there already.  

I still have a lot more I want to do in there - but this was a simple morning project that made a huge difference (even with a terrible allergy headache!)

Before - Ack!!! 

After - Ahhhhhhh!

 Green = Food (extra canned goods)

Also got all my new gluten-free stuffs (flours, quinoa, rice, etc in airtight containers) 

Yellow = not edible (cleaning products, air fresheners, etc)

 

"The best laid plans of mice and men" ...and women with embroidery machines!

Well, my 52 in 52 isn't coming along as I'd planned.  I keep getting orders for embroidered items and have no time to work on any other crafts!  Not the worst problem to have, mind you.  

But here are a few things I've done in the past 4 weeks.  I have tried some new techniques and embroidering on different types of fabric, etc.

A little "thank you" gift for my very first paying customer: 

The items she first ordered (she's since ordered more, so I guess she liked them!): 

Dishtowel sample - a local shoppe may start carrying them!

I also made my grandson a few Valentine's shirts and a monogrammed cap.

I have more orders this week to work on (4 shamrock shirts & a 1st birthday outfit that includes shirt/tutu/diaper cover/leggings).  Hopefully I'll get around to doing a different type of craft before too long!  

But for now I'm still enjoying playing around with my new toy. 

The End of an Era

The past month has been rough.  I failed my Blog Challenge, but I'm giving myself a pass and looking forward to getting back to it, and my crafts, in February.   

 

Nana & Popoo - circa 1930's  

On Saturday, January 19, I got the call that my Nana wasn't well.  She had taken a turn for the worse after battling an infection for a couple of weeks.  I guess because we'd been through this so many times, we all kind of assumed she'd pull through again.  But we sat with her in shifts throughout the weekend, as she slowly declined.  She was unable to speak, but would moan and blink in answer to questions.  We would gather around her room during the day and chat with one another and encourage Nana as best we could.  I had the night shift, and spent many hours in remembrance of the times I'd spent with her when she was well.  I watched her and listened to her breathe, and it reminded me of when my children were babies - that anxious listening and watching their chest heave up and down...  

 I wouldn't have been anywhere else.

My beautiful grandmother passed away on January 21 at the age of 102.  People keep saying "You're so lucky you had so much time with her."  But I wonder if it makes the grief worse because we did have so much more time than most people do?  

She was a beautiful woman, always. My sister and I wrote her obituary and I can't really add any more at this point other than to say that I miss her so much already.  I want to write about much she touched my life, but I need more time to process and put it all into words.  

She was like a 2nd mother to me, since mine was a working/single mom for much of my early years.  Nana taught me so many things that I will carry in my heart for the rest of my life - from how to cook things that every Southern woman should have in her recipe repertoire, to how a lady should never leave the house without lipstick and her hair just so... 
(I try to remember the lipstick & hair, but sometimes a girl has to run to the Walmart without them...I'm sure she'd understand.)

Rest in Peace, Nana...knowing you touched many and truly LIVED life.  

 Nana & Popoo - December, 1989 (the last week of his life)

Blog Fail

January 2013 Blog Challenge:

 

Will try to do better in February!

52 in 52 - Pinterest Challenge!

My sweet friend, Jessica, had a great idea for 2013: 52 Pinterest Project in 52 Weeks!  This, combined with my resolution to finish more projects and start new ones that make me happy, inspired me to do the same.  

So, without further ado - here are my first two projects for the first 2 weeks of the year.  The first is a custom embroidered onesie that my stepdaughter requested I make for a shower gift.  I think it turned out pretty cute!

Her friend wanted the same design for her toddler - so here's that one:

The second project was a few burp cloths I made for some brand new babies.  It's so nice having younger moms for friends so I can indulge my love of fabricrafts and spoil their wee ones at the same time!

My next Pinterest Project will not be embroidery.  Need to mix it up, right?  I think I'll try the twine-wrapped-soup-cans since I've been saving the cans and need some cute storage containers.

Tune in next time to see what I come up with!  And thanks, Jessica, for the inspiration!!

Resolutions and such...

.4 pounds lost in 5 days.  No, not four pounds - point-four-pounds.  .4 -- not even a whole pound. I've lost the equivalent of a standard portion of chicken.  : /

I should be happy the scale moved downward, and I'm trying - I really am.  But it's so hard when my hubby, who has NOT counted every bite he's put in his mouth for the past 5 days (which I have), nor has he worked out at all (which I have just a tiny bit) - has lost 7.5 lbs in the same amount of time!  Oh well, he has more to lose - at least that's what I am making myself think. But doggonit!! I want to lose 7.5 lbs in 5 days!!

Ok, hissy fit over.

I have been working on some embroidered burp cloths for some new babies at church, but I can't post the pics yet since their mommies may see them and that would ruin the surprise.  So you'll just have to trust me - I am making progress on my F.A.R.T.S. mission.

Until there is more to report...

FARTS and Blogging and Embroidery - Oh my!

Well, so much for THAT.  

I decided that I was going to do a 31 day blog challenge in January, to get past my Blogger Block and back on track.  It's now January 3rd and well, here's my first post of the year!  (I don't count the deal post yesterday, that's just copy & paste stuff...I want to get back to really delving into real, important - to me - stuff)

I got some inspiration from my sweet hubby and more again this morning from F.A.R.T.S. - yes, you read that right   (you may insert joke about combining the two here)

 

Frugal

Actions 

Related 

To

Sustainability

Today, the F.A.R.T.S. post says: 
"Learn a new useful skill that also brings you joy." 

For my birthday/Christmas, hubby TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY shocked me by giving me an embroidery machine!  I literally was so shocked and excited that I hugged the box when I opened it.  My mom later asked "Did you hug him first?"  Umm...well....not first. The box was closer, he was standing across the room...that's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Don't worry, I showered him with hugs and kisses after I let go of the machine.  :)  

Anyway, it's the Brother SE400 and it's FAB-U-LOUS.   So the useful skill I plan to master in 2013 is - obviously - embroidery.  I've made a couple of bibs for my great-nephew & grandson, but only using simple built-in fonts that came preloaded on the machine. I've since downloaded about a gajillion designs for both embroidery and applique.  (I'm still afeared of applique, so I need to really work on tackling that.)

Any blogger friends do machine embroidery?  I plan to post some pics of projects here and hopefully the quality will improve greatly over the next 12 months. 

What useful skill do you want to learn in 2013?  

 

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Blogger Block & a Request from Readers

I'm suffering a severe case of Blogger Block. 

I haven't blogged anything substantial in...well, I can't remember how long it's been.  I've posted deals and coupon match-ups, but really, I feel like that's just redundant given how many "deal" blogs are out there already.

My brother, Jon, told me once to look at the highest rated entry I have and "write about that!"  (for those that don't blog, you can see how many people read each particular entry)  Well, the post that got the most hits of all time was "Homemade Dogfood for health & savings!"  And frankly, that's about all I have on that topic.  : /
 
The 2nd most-viewed was an entry about seeing my father for the first time in 32 years.  Talk about a change-up in topics!

So, I face the questions that I'm sure all bloggers do at some point:
* What do you, as readers, want me to blog about? 
* Do you want me to blog about anything?? 
* Do I just blog "from the heart" - which is what I'm feeling led to do - and open myself up to being virtually vulnerable about some personal stuff now & then? 
* Or do I shut the whole thing down (which I really don't want to do simply because I put a LOT of hours into building this site over the years!!!)

Comments on this are obviously welcome and appreciated!

  

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Fun new stuff in the works!

 

 

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