Long Weekend

I celebrate every weekend and this is a round-off, back handspring weekend.......because it has an extra day.  I hope you have some good plans that involve whatever floats your boat.....shopping, naps, food, family, yard work.  Only 4 of the 5 things I just listed will be in my plans.  I will let you guess which is not.

Here are a few things going on this weekend that might be of interest

Anthropologie has an additional 40% off sale items.....so this could be yours

Polka Dot Blouse

and this

Tote

Loft is also offering 40% off with code LABORDAY

This would be a great transition piece

Drawstring dress

and I always embrace a good cardigan.  I won't be able to carry off this skirt with it....but I still like the cardigan.

Shirttail Cardigan

Nordstrom also has several good items available including our favorite candle at 50% off

Volcano Candle

Stock up on these for Christmas gifts, Birthday gifts, Happy Tuesday gifts or whatever.....they are perfect for any occasion or just grab some for yourself.

And while you are on the Nordstrom site check out this scarf that is under $20

Scarf

Oh and by the way, remember I told you about these when I ordered them

Fly London

Well they are here and I wore them yesterday and I LOVE them!!!! Is it wrong to want all the colors?  The reviews say they run small.  I ordered my regular size and they were perfect.

I hope you all have the very best weekend!!!

Some Blog Housekeeping

First, let me just say thank you for tuning in here and sharing with me on this little blog.  I absolutely love meeting you here to chat about first one thing and then another.  Today, I just want to remind you of a few things that we haven't talked about in a while which may help your blog reading to be easier and more enjoyable.

First, if you would like to always get an email on the day a new blog post is written, you can simply put your email address in to subscribe at the top right of the blog page.  Just a reminder you need to be on a web version to see this feature.  So if you are on your phone, scroll all the way to the bottom and click view web version.  Once you put your email in, you will receive an email from Feedburner asking you to verify that you do indeed want the blog sent to your email.  Your email address does not go anywhere else.  It stays with me and is safe and cozy on the couch under a throw.

Also, if you would like to follow the blog on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram you can do so by clicking on those icons which are on the right side of the blog page.  Some things don't merit an entire blog post but are certainly worth sharing.....like a one day sale that I think you need to know about or a good deal that I happen upon. Following me on social media is the best way to ensure you don't miss those kinds of deals.

Now if you read something on the blog and want to go back to it but you can't quite remember when you read it......use the Labels on the right side of the blog page.  I try to put a label on every post and the the more posts about a particular topic the larger the label appears......right now Retail, Christmas, Books all appear quite large.  Just click on any label that interest you and every post relative to that topic will come up.

As always, I love reading your comments.  Please feel free to comment at any time. 

Also, on the right side under the labels you will find My Blog List.  This is a list of a couple of blogs I regularly check out.  They are two sweet, dear friends who are very talented and interesting.  Check out their blogs too.

Again, thank you for meeting me here and reading this blog.  I try hard to make it fun, informative and hopefully enjoyable.  You guys inspire me and are constantly feeding me wonderful ideas for us to talk about here.

Talk to you on Friday!

Back to School Meal - Part 2

I shared one of my favorite, go to recipes with you last Monday.  If you missed it, click here.

Today, I am sharing another one of our favorites.  I think everyone I know makes this one.  Anytime I mention it people usually say "oh yes, we make that too but I had forgotten all about it".  Well for some of you perhaps an introduction to others of you just a reminder

Poppy seed Chicken

Here's how I do it

I cook 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast in a crock pot for 6-7 hours.  Once the chicken is cooked, I shred it or chop it.....just depends on the mood I am in. The goal is to have approximately 2 cups of cooked chicken.

Mix sour cream, cream of chicken, add cooked chicken and place in a casserole dish.  Crunch up Ritz crackers on top and drizzle with butter, sprinkle on poppy seeds.  Cook in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.  Serve over warm rice.

If you want to prepare for the freezer, do all the above steps except don't bake it.  Just freeze it after you assemble it.  When you are ready to cook it, allow it to thaw in refrigerator and then bake.

To send to college I bundle it with a pouch of microwave rice.  I write the preparation directions directly on the pan so she never has to wonder about how to make it work.

Here's the full recipe
Poppy seed Chicken
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Cook chicken (either in crock pot on low for 6-7 hours or boil in a pot with water for 20-30 minutes until done)
Shred or chop cooked chicken
Mix sour cream, cream of chicken and cooked chicken.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray
Spread mixture in casserole dish
Crush the Ritz crackers and sprinkle on top
Drizzle with melted butter
sprinkle with poppy seeds

Freeze at this step for a later meal or bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes until bubbly for a right now meal.  Serve over warm rice.

This goes together so quickly and is absolutely delicious. If you have never tried it....you should.  If you have tried it....go for it again!

Oh and don't forget we are in our last week of August so don't forget to complete your Great Things in '18 challenge for the month.....read the details by clicking here.

I hope you have the best week!!!!

See you back here on Wednesday.

Retail Rescue... all under $30

Another week successfully in the books, girls.  But it has been a long one so treat yourself to a little retail rescue....

Who needs this shirt for a little encouragement every Monday? Throw this on and tackle the week.

Graphic Tee

And I am pretty sure if we wear these....no one will be able to see our thighs

Camo leggings

And who needs to refresh their denim shirts for fall? Which by the way would look great with the camo leggings....

Denim Shirt

And another great shirt for moving into fall

Plaid Shirt

This tote reverses to solid black

Reversible Tote

If you want something lighter, it also comes in this

Taupe/Metallic Reversible Bag

All the above are from Target.  If you find yourself with a little spare time this weekend, pop into Target and enjoy a little browsing and/or purchasing.

Enjoy your weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!

Friend Yourself

Every now and then I have to pause and remind myself to ease up, cut myself some slack and just chill out.....

My friends say I am so positive
      - so why am I still agonizing about that personal failure from March

My friends say I am encouraging
     - so why am I cycling doom and gloom messages in my own head

My friends say I'm thoughtful
     - so why am I neglecting taking care of myself

My friends say I am generous
    - so why do I withhold so much from me

Every night I am quick to scan my social media - making sure my friends know I "like" their recipes, their craft projects, their vacation choices, their remodeling, their this, their that.....but I minimize so much of what I do, negate its contribution, blow off its importance.

Quite honestly, I would never say the things I say to myself to a friend.  I would never second guess a friend like I do myself.  I would never trivialize their efforts like I do my own.

I definitely need to "Friend" myself.  Maybe you need to become a friend to yourself too.

Go ahead - you are a great friend------now be one to yourself.

See you back on Friday!!!

Back to School Meals

If you have kids of any age who have started back to school, I am pretty sure you are trying to figure out ways to make the evenings run smoother.  If you don't have kids headed back to school, I am pretty sure you are trying to figure out a way for evenings to run smoother.  Aren't we all just trying to simplify our days no matter what stage we are in?

So I am going to share a couple of go to recipes with you today and next Monday.  Both of these are good crock pot meals AND good freezer meals.  I gotta tell you, sometimes I have 3 or 4 crock pots going at one time.  I sometimes get in the mood to do cooking in bulk, stash some meals in the freezer and know I am ahead of the game.

First up, this in one of my FAVORITE recipes, primarily because my Grandma Gracie gave it to me when I was in college.  I remember talking to her on the phone and her reading me each of the ingredients and giving me all the directions as I took notes.  Well I knew mine would never turn out as great as hers because some people can just cook, she was one of those people.  But I have cooked this recipe for the last 30 years and we never tire of it.

Italian Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
2 cans Itailian Style Stewed Tomatoes
1 large can Veg-All drained
2 cans Beef Broth
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cups egg noodles
1/2 tsp. oregano

Brown ground beef with onion and drain.  Dump everything (except egg noodles) into a pot or a crockpot.  If cooking stovetop, allow all ingredients to come to a boil, add egg noodles and then simmer 10 minutes.  If cooking in crockpot, allow all ingredients (exept egg noodles) to cook on low 6 hours, add egg noodles 30 minutes prior to serving.

This freezes well.  Also, there are several variations you can do
1) If you occassionally want a vegetarian meal, just leave out the ground beef
2) If you don't like Veg-All, just add canned veggies of your choice
3) If you don't like using canned veggies, frozen ones work just as well

Over the course of time, I have used all these variations and never been disappointed.

I now have a couple of quarts of this soup in my freezer and also ready to head back to college for my daughter's freezer.  She likes being able to have a meal from home sometimes and I am super happy to provide it.

Have a wonderful week.  I will talk to you on Wednesday.

Friday Finds

Welcome to Friday, girls, we made it.  Are you feeling the August angst?  August is something isn't it?   It is still super hot, all the school zones are back active and it just seems like every night there is a new list of things to get done or places to be....or homework to talk about....welcome back, homework, we missed you.....said no one ever!

Anyway, celebrate the upcoming weekend with a little retail trophy......here are a few things I found of interest

1) I absolutely love the colors and patterns in this dress

Wrap Dress

It is under $75 and it is available in regular and petite sizes.

2) These pants will be great to finish out the summer but also with booties in the fall

Cargo Pant

3)  Another good transition piece

Gibson Top

4) This cardigan is in five color options

Ruched Sleeve Cardigan

5)  You know what I don't need

Fly London Pump 

But I may be getting them.....they come in black and a color they call honey which I would say is more mustard.  I like them all.  I have 3 pairs of Fly Londons and they are so comfortable.

Have a wonderful weekend.  I will meet you back here on Monday.

July Book Review

This month was a good month of books.  I have one semi-inspirational, one thriller, one semi-suspense and one light hearted, fun read.

Here is what I read in July.  First up



Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist.  I really enjoyed this book.  Basically Shauna tells her life story but weaves in the food she recalls from various times.  Does that sound weird? It is not.  It is a great little read.  Because just think about how many special occasions revolve around food.....lots of them.  She tells of good times, hard times and everything in between.  Plus she shares some good recipes.  It is just a pretty book, well written and very entertaining.

I then I went to something a lot more emotionally taxing



Beartown by Fredrik Backman.  I am for sure a Fredrik Backman fan.  The first book I read by him was A Man Called Ove.  So I am always excited to get my hands on another.  Now this one revolves around a town that is absolutely obsessed with hockey. I am not a hockey fan, but I loved this book.  Here is the only warning - make a list of everything you would never want to happen to your kid or things you would never want a kid of yours to do......all of that is going to happen in this book.  So just brace yourself.  But the stories of the families, the friendships, the loyalty and yes the betrayal kept me turning pages and totally involved in the story.  The best news is there is a part two!!! Thank you, Fredrik, you are the best!

This next one was perfect to let me catch my breath



The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams.  Miracle Springs is where many people come for healing of hurts and things gone wrong.  Four residents think there is something amiss with a new housing development in their town and form a friendship and a secret society to try to figure things out.  In the process each of them discovers they have their own past to heal from and together they can do that too.  A very enjoyable light read. This one is also a part of a series and I look forward to reading more with these characters


After such a light and easy read I jumped into this......and shew nelly!



The Wife Between Us by Hendricks and Pekkanen. The plot of this one is so complex that I would be afraid to try to tell you about it for fear of giving something critical away.  I will say this....  I LOVED this book.  Usually when I am reading a book, I am thinking who else would like it......I think you ALL will.  It is very well written and is certainly in the running for my favorite book of 2018.  Read it. Then call me and let's talk about it.

I hope you are reading some great things too.  I am very excited that it is ALMOST time to start reading Christmas and Holiday books!  If the temps ever drop below 80, I am totally heading toward snow set Christmas stories.

See you back here on Friday!

A Day in my Life

I love when people document just a regular old day in their lives.  I think it is interesting and let's face it....I am a little nosey.  I wanted to share with you all a typical day but I was afraid I would cause multiple concussions when you all fell asleep reading it.  But Saturday, I thought what the hey, let's give it a try.   So today I am taking you with me start to finish on my Saturday......

First, it is time to get up

Saturday is typically laundry day.  So my first stop is to get a load started.  Personally, I enjoy doing laundry.  Mainly because it is the perfect multi-task chore.  I don't have to stand there and watch it.  I am not needed to ensure it goes well.  The machine does all the work as long as I keep it fed and I am on it.  

First load is in

Now on Friday as my husband was walking across the parking lot at work, he was gifted a big bag of tomatoes from one of his co-workers.

I got them all washed

And put them in boiling water to get them peeled

Once the skins popped, I scooped them out to cool.  While I was waiting for them to cool I got dressed for the gym.  If you missed my post on my new gym goings click here. By the time I was dressed, the tomatoes were cool enough to peel and get into quart freezer bags.  

Just like that we have fresh tomatoes ready to go into the freezer.

I will pull these out later and use them in soups, stews or spaghetti sauce.

But it is time to head to the gym for the 8:15 class

Believe it or not the 8:15 class is always packed.  Today was no exception.  It was a hard class and nothing I had on was dry when I left.  I crawled to the car and headed home.

I quickly changed out the washer/dryer and got another load of laundry going.  I grabbed a shower and sat down for some cheerios and devotion time.

I am a huge fan of the Jesus Calling Devotionals.  My friend, Rita, gifted me with this one that has a morning and evening reading. I love it!!!

Around 11:00 it was time to head to the grocery store.  We are splurging and doing a few restaurants for Restaurant Week so I didn't have a super huge amount of things to buy.

You all know how I listen to my audio book and enjoy a soda while I grocery shop, well the soda machine at Kroger has been out of order since the first of July.  I am beginning to think Kroger doesn't value their relationship with me.  I am giving it another week but we may be breaking up.  Publix has been whispering sweet nothings to me in the version of "Buy one get one" and functioning soda machines that just might win me over.

I headed home, put groceries away and we headed out for errands.  Our first stop was

I mailed a little gift to a favorite single lady to complete our Great Things in '18 Challenge for August.  I love doing these challenges and knowing someone has a fun package headed her way is super fun for me.  

Then we headed to 

I am in need (ok, maybe want) of a little cabinet in my kitchen.  I have had a Pottery Barn calendar (similar here) for years that we have had in the laundry room.  I want to move it to the kitchen, plus have a place to wrangle mail and other things that I want off my kitchen counters.

I will show what we found a little later

It was getting close to 1:30 and we were ready for a little snack.  We went through McDonald's and grabbed a few things to keep us going.....mainly this guy

since Kroger let me down earlier in the day. I really needed this Coke and honestly, this is why I was at the gym at 8:15.....so I could have this Coke. 

We were going to head home and try out the new cabinet but my phone alerted me that Vintage West was only 6 minutes away.......it is a little creepy that your phone learns your habits and reminds you of where to go.....but I just overlooked the creepiness and took it as a sign that I should indeed swing by.

I am so glad I did because I found this Irish Blessing napkin and had to have it

I just thought it was funny and it came home with me.  She had some beautiful new stuff in and if I had anywhere to put the prettiest white sectional sofa, I would have purchased it too.

Instead I took my cute new napkin and headed home to try out my new cabinet

Honestly, it is not EXACTLY what I had in mind, but I think it will work.  We are going to live with it here for a bit and see what happens.

Around 4:00 I changed clothes and headed off to a going away party for a sweet little girl headed to college

It was lots of fun and always sweet to see everyone coming together to love on a kid and wish them well.  After eating some of the best lasagna I have ever had with them, we jumped back in the car to head to another party about 45 minutes away

We knew we would miss the surprise part of it but we were looking forward to going and celebrating a special friend who is turning 50.....welcome to the club Stayce!!!

We laughed and enjoyed friends and fellowship and then headed home.

I did one more load of laundry, got a shower, checked out your days on Facebook and Instagram and finished the day with the evening version of Jesus Calling

where I was reminded that only God can complete us......and that was a great note to turn out the light and go to sleep.......good thing because it was

and we had to be at church the next morning at 7:45.

I hope you had a great weekend.

I will be back on Wednesday.....see you then!

It is Restaurant Week!!!!

Today begins Restaurant Week in Huntsville

It is a ten day celebration of all the good eateries in town.  Starting today through August 19th you should really try a couple of new places......and let me know if you try anything good.  There are several to choose from and you can see the whole line up by clicking here.  

Each restaurant has special offerings for this week.  Some offer both lunch and dinner.  Some require reservations so read carefully the offerings and make your plans.

We plan on hitting a favorite of ours and trying a few new things.  Here are a couple of restaurants on our wish list:

Fire & Spice Tex-Mex Smokehouse

I have tried their food truck and it was good.  I am looking forward to their specials this week.  We are also looking forward to trying

Phuket Thai Restaurant

for the first time.  We have driven by this restaurant for years.  I think now is the perfect time to give them a spin.

We have tried this next one before

Drake's Restaurant

and have plans to visit them again.  Their special for the week sounds good plus they are just an affordable, fun option.

And who can resist

Texas de Brazil

Personally, I can't consume a lot of food at one time.  Don't get me wrong....I can consume a lot but I just need time.  Regardless, this is a family favorite so we made reservations to visit them during this week.

Make sure you click the link.  There are over 50 different places participating in Restaurant week.  If you have plans in other parts of the state this weekend, don't worry it happens to be a statewide event.  You can click here for the state participants.  There are restaurants listed for 11 different counties in Alabama.

Before you go here's a sale to keep your eyes on this weekend

Anthropologie has 20% off candles this weekend. Especially check out one of our all time favorites, the Capri Blue Volcano Candle.

Good for you and for a gift.

By the way, if you are doing our Great Things in '18 Challenge, consider a gift card to one of the Restaurants for Restaurant Week or a great candle from Anthropologie......how could you go wrong?

Have a great weekend.  Talk to you on Monday.

Great Things in '18 - August Edition

Girls, we are in month 8 of being intentional and rocking it out at doing some good things this year.  I hear a couple of you.....so what you haven't done every single month, so what you totally meant to but didn't get it done.  Around here we are about what we did accomplish and not about what we didn't.  Whether you've done one month or all 7......Good Job!  Or maybe you are starting here with the August focus and I say Welcome!!!

This is the perfect month to start because we all know someone who fits this month's focus.

For August we are focusing on honoring and recognizing a single lady.  It is just fun to surprise someone, do something special for them, let them know they matter.  You can choose any single in your life, young or old, widowed or never married, single mom or single with no children.......Remember your choice, your way. Send them flowers, a spa package, chocolates, dinner gift cards or whatever you think will make them feel special

Here is our inspiration verse for this month
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12-14




I hope you enjoy making someone's day this month.  I will give you a few reminders as we move through the month, but it is up to you when and how you execute this month's challenge.

As always, thanks for reading and thanks for doing Great Things in '18!!!

Orange you glad you worked out?

Ok, I don't think I have mentioned this yet, but I joined Orangetheory Gym.  I haven't talked about it for a couple of reasons:

1) I have been too tired
2) I wasn't sure how long I was going to last
3) I was just too tired

The premise of the whole thing is that it is heart rate based workouts.  I wear this little heart rate monitor

and on the big screen in the gym I can see my heart rate throughout the whole hour.  I start out in grey, move to blue which means I am good and warmed up, then to  green which means I am really engaged, then to ORANGE which means I am in my optimal heart rate and red is the final category which means you are above and beyond....I have only seen red once or twice.

You get this little report sent to your phone after each workout.

The goal is to get at least 12 minutes in the ORANGE zone or above each workout.  Apparently this particular day I got 9 orange points and 3 red points.....rockin' it out....yes ma'am!


Now I hear people talk all the time about how energized they are and how much better they feel when they exercise and I just have two words to say about that " Not me".  I don't look forward to gym day.  I don't feel like I could move mountains when I finish a workout.  I feel like I want to drive through Krispy Kreme and have them give me a cup of glaze and a straw.

But here is what is working for me by going there
1) I am a value minded person.  So if I am spending money, I want to get my dollars worth.  It is pricey but that has made me go at least 4 times per week.....yes, I know this is psychological but it works for me.

2) It is an organized class with a coach in every session.  Someone is there telling me exactly how long I have to row,

Photo from Orange Theory site

exactly what exercises I am to do in the weight room

Photo from Orange Theory site

and how much to incline my treadmill as I power walk.......

Photo from Orange Theory site

literally, they sometimes say "put your treadmill at an incline of 10 or greater" with a straight face....I know....who are these people? But I need this because otherwise I just think ......meh that's enough and get back in the car and drive home

3) The class is different EVERY TIME......yes, this I need too because I just get bored with the whole gym thing.  I show up now, someone has a structured workout all set up for me and all I have to do is spend an hour doing it.

4) It is a really good workout.  I mean the reason I pulled pictures from online and they are not of me is because I must maintain a shred of dignity and it is nothing pretty to see.

My other motivator is these two lovelies joined with me

So we have made it a fun thing.....dress alike....go to class together....take ibuprofen together.....good times!!!

They will be headed back to school soon so I will be solo.....unless one of you wants to join me.

Make it a great Monday and a wonderful week.....I am off to get in my orange zone.