The Week In Review

 You know the holidays are approaching when I keep thinking I want to get a post up on my blog but it doesn't happen. I like the busyness of the season but it can distract me and stress me out.

And this week has been stressful. After Tropical Storm Eta literally blew in from the Gulf, my allergies went into overdrive. It always happens after a big storm, especially one as windy as this one was. All the dust and tree debris gets blown everywhere, and even though we got massive amounts of rain, it wasn't enough to totally clean all the allergens out of the air. Hence I've been dealing with itchy eyes, stuffy nose, and worst of all, asthma. I'm feeling better today but the dry cough persists. Which is annoying whenever I go anywhere because anyone coughing gets people's attention. I want to scream out, "Y'all, it's not coronavirus okay?!"

On Tuesday I put up the shelves I'd bought the week before from Ross. The guest bathroom went from this:

To this:

And finally to this:

I haven't really decorated it because in a couple of weeks I'll begin decorating for Christmas so I wasn't too concerned about getting it perfect. 

By the way, I'm so excited to begin decorating for Christmas! Now that my oldest son is married I needed a stocking for my new daughter-in-law. I checked Amazon first but I didn't find anything I liked that didn't cost over $20 or came in a set of 4+ stockings. So instead I went to Hobby Lobby. They have such a good selection of all different styles, and right now everything is 50% off which is right up my alley. This is the stocking I settled on.

The stocking I have for my son R has a reindeer on it. I wanted something similar but this was the closest I could find. It's super cute, and was only $5. I thought about getting all matching stockings for the whole family but that would be an unnecessary expense in my opinion. I'd rather spend that money on gifts.

Since I was already at Hobby Lobby I looked around and found this very pretty poinsettia arrangement for $6.99.

It's kind of hard to see against the granite but it's white and gold, which I think will look beautiful in my bedroom.

I wanted to get a few more small picks for the Christmas tree. I like using them as fillers and to make the tree look a bit more realistic since our allergies don't allow for a real tree. These were just $.99 so I got 5 of them.

They're small pinecones and greenery that's flocked. My tree isn't flocked but I like adding some little accents like this.

Finally, I found the cutest little pillow:

I got a red and black buffalo check throw for the sofa last year, and I think this will look adorable with it. I wanted to see how it looked with my new Costco pillow as well:

I love it! Then I remembered: the big pillow in the back is reversible! So I tried that out too.

Now I'm really itching to start decorating! I'll have to see how the three pillows look against the red and black throw but this is just so stinkin' cute! 

I was looking at some tutorials for Christmas villages on YouTube. I'm wanting to up my village game this year. Miriam's Manner gave me some really good ideas for adding more snow to my village and how to put it on so it looks full and realistic, and I knew that's what I wanted to do. So I took a trip to my local Super Walmart because the artificial snow on Amazon was ridiculously expensive. I'm not paying $25 - $30 for fake snow. 

This value size bag of Buffalo Snow was $5. I've used it before and it lasts. I also got some snow flurries to sprinkle around for more effect. While I was there I did my grocery shopping and picked up a few more items for Thanksgiving dinner.

Yes, I can make pie crusts. I've done it before. It's not rocket science. But when you've got a turkey to roast, plus mashed potatoes, dressing, green beans, salad, crescent rolls...y'all, I will take shortcuts wherever I can! Boxed pie crusts it is, LOL! I'm thinking of making a pecan pie and maybe an apple pie. My boys will all want a chocolate pudding pie I'm sure. And the day after Thanksgiving I like making turkey pot pie. It's pie season y'all!

I also went ahead and bought the Stove Top stuffing mix. I'd gotten a couple of boxes of the Aldi's brand but even though it's pretty good, it doesn't compare to Stove Top. This twin pack box was $2.97, and the other boxes of stuffing will get eaten, trust me. We love us some dressing with our fried chicken.

Ladies bible study was on Friday. We studied the parable of the Great Banquet found in Matthew 22:1-14. It was an impactful study. This coming Friday is our last session, and I'm going to miss having this study time with my group.

Then Saturday our new church has a Friendsgiving day brunch for all the children's ministry volunteers. E and I had such a sweet time of fellowship! We both sat by ourselves because with our allergies we didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable if we sat near them and started coughing or sneezing. Well, a couple of ladies came and sat with us and we had some uplifting conversations with them. It was like God was showing us that this is where He wants us right now, and I'm thankful for the confirmation.

That was my week! I hope y'all had a blessed week as well. This coming week is Thanksgiving prep. I'm so excited!

Monthly Menu Plan

 It's a special month for menu planning, thanks to Thanksgiving. Holiday time is my favorite time of the year; hurricane season ends, cooler weather begins (though in South Florida that means going from 90+ degree temps all the way down to the 80's), decorating is in full swing, and of course all the yummy food that's part of the season. I add our Thanksgiving dinner to the menu plan and to the budget. This means I have to be diligent with the rest of the month's meals so that I stay within budget. Here's what November's meal plan looks like:

Some of the meals are monthly staples, like baked mac and cheese and sausage gravy with biscuits (our favorite breakfast for dinner). Some are on regular rotation, sometimes once a month, other times every other month. Bourbon chicken, spaghetti carbonara, and burgers with fries fall into this category. I like trying new recipes every so often, but on a month like November where we have a large costly dinner I try to shop my pantry to keep my spending in check. I have all the ingredients to make lentil soup and teriyaki chicken, plus most of the ingredients to make slow cooker cubed steaks, beef stew and bourbon chicken. Adding these items to the menu plan means I don't have to buy as much and we can still eat healthy, tasty meals everyday. 

Menu planning is essential to me. I no longer throw out tons of food because I over-bought, nor do I stand in front of the fridge wondering what I'm going to make because I'm missing all sorts of ingredients. It saves me money, time, and anxiety. I have recommended it time and time again, and everyone I know who has tried it agrees: it is the best and smartest way to prepare and stock the kitchen. Happy planning!

Monthly Menu Plan

I worked on my meal plan for October this week. Most folks are experiencing fall weather; South Florida won't know about this till November, sometimes December. Still, I love classic fall cuisine, so I added a few favorites to this month's menu plan, along with some staples and a new recipe I saw Mandy make on her YouTube channel, Mandy in the Making. Here's what I came up with for this week:

Soups and chili seem to cry out, "It's Fall Y'all!" so of course I added beef chili to my list. Comfort foods also scream fall to me, so I've added meatloaf, chicken & dumplings, mac & cheese, and sausage gravy & biscuits. The new recipe I want to try out is Chicken Bacon Ranch soup. You can watch the video here. I figured, it's got chicken, it's got bacon, and it's made in the crockpot; what's not to like? Another crockpot meal for this month is jambalaya. Mine isn't what I'd call authentic but it's a family favorite. I posted the recipe on my blog several years ago. You can check it out here. 

Off I went, first to Aldi's and then to our neighborhood Walmart. 

I got a bunch of meat from Aldi's. I'm praying the worst of the hurricane season is over so I don't have to worry about having too much food in the freezer. For this month's menu plan I needed a lot of ground beef; thankfully it's back down to $2.99/lb. at Aldi's. I also got ground turkey to make turkey patties, and pork chops to fry up. I needed green beans and mixed vegetables but Aldi only had the green beans.

Most of what I got from Aldi was produce. All my produce except for the bananas were from Aldi. I didn't get bananas from Aldi because the store was packed and I couldn't get to them, which happens often. Aldi's prices, especially on produce, are usually better even than Walmart. I got onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, tomatoes, apples, bell peppers, salad mix, along with lactose free and almond milk.

I didn't get a whole lot from Walmart, just what wasn't available at Aldi. I did get a couple of large salads that were reduced because their sell by date was Sept. 25. That doesn't bother me, since I ate one already and the other will disappear today. What's really funny (and the reason I think they didn't sell) is that these are supposed to be Caesar salads made with romaine lettuce, but instead they were made with iceberg lettuce mix (the one that includes shredded carrot and red cabbage). Someone dropped the ball whenever they made these salads. I didn't care; I like both iceberg and romaine lettuce.

I had a small dry goods haul from Aldi, but y'all, I can't even tell you how excited I got when I saw they had pumpkin spice oatmeal!! I first tried this last year and I could not get enough of it. It is so delicious! I didn't have oatmeal on my shopping list, but whenever I turned around and saw this, I knew I had to grab it. I'll admit it, I'm a pumpkin spice junky. Give me pumpkin spice everything! The net zero bread is for my daughter. She asked me to pick it up for her, since she's doing keto and knew I'd be going to Aldi this week.

I also got a few dry goods from Walmart; again it's what I couldn't find at Aldi, like the chili diced tomatoes. Aldi usually has fire roasted diced tomatoes that are really good, but they didn't have any this week. I buy my son this big box of Pringles that lasts him a couple of weeks at least. And of course his flavored waters, but I also got him some small cans of Pepsi. He has a computer art class Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:30 am, and the soda helps keep him awake. I would have bought Coke but they didn't have any small cans.

Now the big question: how much did I spend? I didn't get any household goods this time around; everything was food. All my meats were from Aldi, and there was quite a bit of it. I spent $90.69 at Aldi, and $41.74 at Walmart. I find it surprising that my Aldi bill was just a little over double my Walmart bill, but I got so much more food at Aldi (including meats which totaled $36.79). While it's true that Walmart is right around the corner and I have to drive out a little farther to get to Aldi, I think in the long run it's definitely worth the trip.  

Less than a week till October! 

A Typical Breakfast

We've all heard the saying, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." I know I look forward to my morning meal everyday, even though it hardly ever varies. I might do something fancy over the weekend, like pancakes and sausage, or waffles and bacon with a side of hash browns (yum), but during the week I like to keep it simple. This is my typical breakfast most days.

I like having a hot breakfast. Yes, I sometimes will have Special K cereal if I'm in the mood. My favorites are the vanilla almond and the cinnamon pecan flavors. But 9 times out of 10 I will have a bowl of maple and brown sugar oatmeal for breakfast. I make mine with unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of water, and I add dried cherries to it.  

I put it in the microwave for two minutes, then sprinkle some cinnamon over it. It is so delicious! It might come off as the perfect fall breakfast, but honestly I eat it all year round.

We never had oatmeal when I was growing up. Whenever my mom mentioned oatmeal it was to tell us how sick of it she was. Growing up during WWII, she told us that there was rationing and shortage of food. There were many mouths to feed in her house, and the one thing they could count on finding in abundance was oatmeal. So everyday my grandma would prepare oatmeal with powdered milk until my mom got so tired of it she preferred skipping breakfast altogether. I got to try oatmeal in Puerto Rico at a cousin's house. She made some for breakfast, and I absolutely loved it. There was no convincing my mom, though. She couldn't even stand the smell of it. Maybe that's why I like it so much, because I missed out on it as a kid.

Along with my oatmeal I have my one and only cup of coffee of the day. Once again, I like my coffee hot. I realize that iced coffee is the rage now, just like overnight oats (also known as muesli). But I do not like iced coffee. At. All. I like my coffee hot and my iced tea sweet. My coffee preference is Kirkland's Pacific Bold from Costco. This is an extra bold coffee, dark and rich. I don't like the medium blends, and I hate the lighter breakfast blends. They don't taste like much of anything to me. This is a delicious, strong coffee, and the price (especially when it's on sale) is cheaper than most places. Aldi's has good priced coffee but I find the taste of this brand to be superior.

I then prepare my vitamin cocktail:

My vitamins are also from Costco because again, price and quality. Every morning I take fish oil pills for my eyes. I suffer from dry eyes, and my eye doctor explained that it's caused by a lack of oils in the eyes. Taking fish oil has definitely helped me in that department. I take a multi-vitamin with iron, along with extra vitamin C. After having worked several years at a tutoring center, I learned the importance of taking vitamin C everyday if I didn't want to be sick all the time. Y'all, kids are germ magnets! School would start in mid August, and by mid September every single one of them had some sort of virus. I don't believe in taking vitamin C when I start to feel sick; I take it everyday as a preventative measure. The last thing I take isn't a vitamin; it's a Zyrtec knockoff that I need for my allergies, especially now in the fall.

I like having a piece of fruit with my breakfast as well. Most of the time it's a banana, but I do enjoy having half a mango whenever I can get my hands on one. I add some sugar and powdered creamer to my coffee. I don't like flavored creamers, and since I'm the only one that drinks coffee (and only one cup a day) it doesn't get used up fast enough and ends up spoiling. So powdered creamer it is.

And that's it, my breakfast of champions! It's filling and healthy, and for me it's the best way to start my day. Have a blessed and restful Labor Day y'all!

 

Monthly Menu Plan

 Long before it became popular on YouTube, I began menu planning. With 2 (and later 3) kids, a husband, home and full time job, the last thing I wanted to worry about was what we would eat for dinner. We were never eating out kind of people. The only indulgence we had was our weekly Little Caesar's pizza, and even that was not always regular. We ate home cooked meals everyday. There had to be enough for dinner and leftovers for lunches the next day, so pre-planning was a must. On those occasions when I didn't meal plan, I was frazzled and stressed trying to put something together while figuring out if I had all the ingredients I needed. Meal planning help me keep my sanity.

Times have changed, seasons have passed. I no longer have little kids at home. I don't have a husband, and currently I don't have a job. Yet still, I meal plan. The reasons are simple: meal planning saves time, money, and gives me peace of mind. It helps me stay healthy because I decide what goes into each dish. We can have our favorites and still experiment and try new things. 

In the past I would menu plan for one to two weeks. I would shop my fridge and pantry first, then head out to the grocery store to pick up whatever else I needed. Then Covid hit, and we were quarantined. Everyone was told to stay indoors as much as possible, and social distance whenever it was necessary to go out. (I still wonder why it's called "social" distancing since keeping our distance doesn't make us very social). The first time I went to Aldi's whenever the quarantine hit, it was so uncomfortable. Not because of having to wear a mask (though yes, they are uncomfortable), but because of the obvious terror in people's eyes. The looks folks gave each other was evidence that everyone was terrified of this virus and believed everyone around them was a threat. I was afraid of getting close to people. Once on line to get into the store a lady in front of me told me I was standing too close to her and I needed to back away. Y'all, I wasn't even at arm's length, but that's what fear does to people. I decided to change my meal planning to once a month, so that I could buy most of my groceries at Aldi's at the end of the month for the following month and do fill in grocery stops in between. The results have been better than I expected. Not only have I been able to avoid unnecessary trips to the grocery store, I've also saved money at a time when prices have steadily gone up. 

Here's what I do. A week before the new month starts, I pull out my planner and start filling in meal ideas:

I don't fill in weekends because we usually have either leftovers, frozen pizza, or sandwiches. This helps keep the amount of wasted food to a minimum. I don't put the meals in the order that I will prepare them. In other words, just because September 29 says tacos doesn't mean that's when we will have tacos. As the cook I reserve the right to make changes as I see fit ;-). What I do here is simply come up with meal ideas so that from there I can create a shopping list.

Step one is to go through the pantry. I don't do this until a couple of days before I head out to the store so I have a better idea of what I need. I prepare a spreadsheet (because I'm type A) with all the meals, sides, and snacks that we'll have. I break down the meal by ingredients, then bundle the like ingredients so that I have a full shopping list. For example, if there's 4 meals on the menu containing 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef each, I count the amount needed in total, then put 5 pounds of ground beef on my shopping list. 

Step two is to transfer my shopping list from the spreadsheet to my phone. My daughter gave me an Alexa device a couple of years ago, which has made my life so much easier. I call out my shopping list to Alexa, who writes it down on the app. Then, whenever I get to the store, my list is handy and I can check off everything as I go. It's also convenient to have Alexa in the kitchen. Whenever I see that I'm running out of something, I just call out, "Alexa, add (fill in the blank) to my shopping list," and she takes care of that for me. 

This month, I began meal planning for September on August 22. I have my cookbooks, and a list of our favorite meals, plus the meal plans for the past few months that I can refer to as I decide what to make for the new month. As the days go by, I might adjust or add something to the list. I didn't prepare the shopping list till August 25. As I looked it over, I decided whether I would need certain ingredients or if I had enough to last through the month. Finally, grocery shopping day was August 27.

My first stop for my monthly grocery haul is Aldi's. I find that they have most everything I need at the best prices. Even Walmart can't compete with their quality and prices in my experience.

This is my fridge haul. We don't eat a lot of dairy so you won't see tons of cheeses or yogurt. There were also a lot of things I didn't need to buy, such as almond milk, because I already had enough to last me a couple of weeks.

My freezer haul was a bit bigger because I typically buy all or most of my meats from Aldi's. I bought 5 lbs. of ground beef, a 2.5 lb. bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts (I have chicken tenders in the freezer that didn't get eaten this month), burgers, pork chops, spare ribs, and bulk sausage for sausage gravy. I was able to find mixed vegetables but not frozen corn, which was strange. I did pick up some frozen sweet potatoes for my turkey chili (I have a 1.5 lbs. package of ground turkey in the freezer). Before putting the ground beef away I split it up into smaller packs:

I write down what's in the freezer bag, the amount and date. This makes it easier to pull out and defrost whenever I'm ready to use it.

I'm thankful for my nice roomy pantry, because I can fit all of this food in it without overcrowding. The bread and burger buns go into the freezer; I pull them out and defrost them whenever I'm ready to use them so they last longer. Bread can be frozen without any ill effects. Once they thaw out they are just as fresh as when I first bought them.

I also picked up some household items from Aldi's. The Tide detergent I believe was an Aldi's Find, meaning something they don't normally carry and will only be there for a limited time. I got this big jug for $8.94 which I thought was a good deal. Their Radiance brand is just as good as the name brand and I don't mind paying less.

Whenever I set everything out to be rung up by the cashier, I was sure the total was gonna be about $150 - right at my budget. There was a lot of meats, plus the laundry detergent and everything else. I was very pleasantly surprised to find my total was $123.93. That was a relief, because while I did find almost everything on my list, there were a few things that I didn't find and I'd have to get from Walmart. Thankfully my Walmart haul was much smaller.

My son doesn't like drinking water unless it's flavored, but he also doesn't like the saltier taste of some flavored waters like La Croix. I used to buy Winn Dixie brand flavored water, but I don't have a Winn Dixie very close to me anymore. I bought several different types of flavored waters, and every time he was disappointed. Then I heard a YouTuber talk about the Clear American brand at Walmart which supposedly tasted sweet. I bought a bottle of the mandarin orange for him to try. I heard him in the kitchen whenever he tasted it and he said, "Ooh, this is good!" Even he was surprised! He gave me some to taste, and I have to say I personally did not like it. It is beyond sweet. He loves it, though, and since it has no sugar, no calories, and is cheaper than the Winn Dixie flavored water, I don't mind it at all. He's tried several flavors since then and his favorites are the mandarin orange and black cherry. 

Aldi's didn't have bacon so I picked up what I could find at Walmart, which wasn't much of a selection either. Aldi's also didn't have paper towels; I hated paying $4.97 for this two pack at Walmart but my only other option would be Publix and that would be even more expensive. There was no frozen corn at Walmart either; I guess there's a shortage. I had to get fettuccine noodles, toothpaste and buttermilk from Walmart because Aldi's doesn't carry any of those. One of the few things I don't like from Aldi's is their popcorn so I picked up the Great Value brand. My Walmart total was $26.73.

That brought my total to $150.66. Now, this is not all I will buy for the month of September. I will usually stop at Walmart once a week or once every other week for produce, water, milk, and anything else I run out of that can't wait till the following month. I budget $400 a month for groceries with an additional $20 a month in case we do happen to go out to eat. I've been able to stick to my budget even though food prices went up dramatically in April and are only just starting to come down again. I remember I was paying $2.99/lb. for ground beef at Aldi's before the pandemic. It skyrocketed to $3.99/lb. and wasn't always available. Now it's down to $3.49/lb. and I'm hoping it'll continue the downward trend. 

That's a glimpse into my monthly meal plan. I always suggest everyone try meal planning at least once. I can almost guarantee your life will change for the better. 

Product Review: Trader Joe's All Natural Uncured All Beef Hot Dogs

I have a sensitive stomach.  Way too much acidity going on in there.  Consequently, I have to be very careful about the foods I eat.  Whenever I have foods that irritate or upset my stomach, it can get bad enough to give me a migraine headache.  And no one wants those.

So when it comes to deli-style meats, I have to be very particular.  Hot dogs are a food group I avoid like the plague.  Not because I don't like them, but because they don't like me.  I can have a hot dog well done on the grill, and get a terrible stomachache and long lasting heartburn.  It bums me out, because I grew up eating hot dogs and enjoying a good Nathan's extra long.  Growing up in New York, I'm familiar with dirty dog weiners smothered in onions and mustard - yum!  But the sick feeling I'm left with afterwards is not worth the momentary pleasure.

On a recent trip to Ulta, my daughter suggested we stop off at Trader Joe's.  For those who aren't familiar with this specialty geared grocery store, Trader Joe's sells mostly their own brand label products that are preservative free, dye free, and GMO free; lots of organic fruits, veggies, and meats, and overall good food.  The closest Trader Joe's to us is by our Ulta, which is two cities north of us, but worth the occasional trip.  Whenever we're in the area we like to stop by and see what's new.

It was July 4th weekend, so they were serving hot dog samples outside of the store.  These hot dogs were advertised as being 100% all beef, no preservatives, no fillers, uncured, with no added nitrates or nitrites.  The aroma of grilled hot dogs was too tempting to resist; and since it was just a sample, I figured, what can it hurt?  I took the sample and hoped for the best.

Let me just say, this was the best tasting hot dog I have ever had the privilege of trying.  I can't even describe the flavor, except that it's not like a regular grocery store hot dog.  It's not like the stuff the street vendors are selling in NYC.  It's not like the Coney Island hot dogs.  It's way better.  Like, 1,000 times better.  I didn't want to swallow because I was enjoying the taste too much and I didn't want it to end.  My son E, who isn't a big hot dog fan either, also commented on how delicious the hot dog was.  I asked him to go check out the label again, and we went in search of them in the store.  As I read the description, I was more convinced this could be a good choice for us, so I bought a pack and made hot dogs for lunch.

For the first time in years, I was able to eat a hot dog without it feeling like I had swallowed a brick and it was sitting in my stomach.  I actually ate two hot dogs (gasp!) with no stomach upset whatsoever.  It was amazing.  To be able to enjoy a hot dog as I did when I was a little girl...well, to me, that's priceless.

If you have a Trader Joe's near you, I urge you to check it out.  They have a lot more specialty items (my son would tell you their cookie butter is the best invention since sliced bread), and the food is all good for you - bonus!  The prices are slightly higher than supermarket prices, but cheaper than Whole Foods.  It's worth the price to put good stuff into your bodies, that's for sure.

This post is not sponsored.  I purchased the products on my own, and this is my personal opinion.  Trader Joe's doesn't even know I've done this review.

The Week In Review

It's Friday, and this is the first chance I have to sit down at my computer to do something other than schoolwork.  Yes, it's been a crazy busy week.  Let me tell you all about it.

This week was my son E's last week of school before spring break, so I knew we'd have a lot of work to do before he could sit back and relax.  His allergies have been acting up lately, what with the weather being wacky, and he'd been scratching his eyes quite a bit, especially at church on Sunday.  His left eye looked irritated, so I did most of the reading to him so he could rest his eyes.  He had portfolios due this week for science, hope, music, and English, plus he had his unit test in algebra.  I worked with him and he got quite a bit done, but not everything.  I came home from work and we did some more school, but he wasn't feeling well due to his eye bothering him, so he went to bed.

Tuesday morning we got up early to work some more, but his eye was looking pretty bad.  It wasn't red but it was crusty.  He said it hurt, only not his eye.  What hurt was his eyelid, the outer part of the eye.  I found some eye ointment and put it on him, and we continued doing school.  I have to admit, I was starting to get stressed.  My son was falling behind in his schoolwork, his eye was getting more swollen, and my boss told me she'd be taking the day off on Thursday.  I was praying the ointment would alleviate the irritation in my son's eye; if it didn't I'd have to seek medical attention, and quick.

Wednesday morning, it became clear that my son needed a doctor.  His eye looked positively awful, and he wasn't able to sleep because his eye kept crusting over all night.  Thankfully I was able to get him an appointment for 10:30 am.  We did an hour and a half of school before we left.  Wednesday is his busiest school day, because he has 3 live lessons to attend.  I knew he'd miss his science class, but at least he could attend music.  I was so glad the doctor was able to see him.  The office was so packed, but there are several doctors at this practice, and I wasn't going to be picky.  His regular doctor didn't see him, but the one that did is great.  She examined him thoroughly, then said he had an eye infection, most probably due to all the scratching he'd been doing.  The eye is so delicate, and scratching it (especially with dirty hands) can easily bring on an infection.  She was concerned, however, that he might possibly have eczema on that eyelid as well.  E had eczema as a small child but never on his face; it was always in the back of his elbows and knees.  She gave me an appointment to come back today (Friday) to have it looked at again.  Meanwhile she sent him some eye drops, an ointment, and Zyrtec for the allergies in addition to Allegra.  I about passed out when I saw the pharmacy bill for the meds:  $130!  And I have insurance!!  So much for affordable healthcare :P.  It took an hour waiting at the pharmacy for the medicines, which got me to work late.  Talk about really stressing out!  Good thing I only work 3 hours on Wednesdays, because I go to church and serve in Awana.  This Wednesday, however, we didn't go to church.  E didn't have youth group anyway (they'd gone on a trip the day before) and I wasn't going to take him with me to be around the little kids with his eye all swollen.  Besides, there was lots of schoolwork to catch up on, so that's what we did.  I missed my girls, but I'm glad I stayed and took care of my son who needed me more.

Already Thursday he was feeling better, even though the Zyrtec made him sleepy.  We got lots of schoolwork done in the morning, then I went off to work.  I wasn't sure if my boss would be there or not; she wanted the day off, but I don't think her husband knows what to do without her there.  He really depends on her a lot!  I walked into the office, and MM was nowhere to be found.  I said a short prayer, then got to work.  It actually went pretty well!  My daughter said I looked like I had it all together and was more relaxed than I'd been all week.  The other teachers were so helpful, too.  They pitched in if I asked them for help or if I had any questions.  MM did finally show up about an hour before closing; I think when you've been at the helm for so many years it's hard to let go, or believe someone else can do the work.  I hope that, as she sees the work I do and that things are running smoothly, she can trust me to work on my own without having to check on me constantly.  I have always worked independently, so it's weird for me to have someone looking over my shoulder, but I also recognize I've been there for less than a month.  Obviously there's still much I don't know, and much I need to learn.  With God's help I'll manage, I'm sure.  After work I sat down with E and told him we would finish school.  Spring break would begin on Friday, and he needed to have all his work turned in by Thursday night.  I'm pleased to say, he did it!  The only thing left was a report on Beethoven's symphony Eroica, and he sent it in at 10:30 at night.  We won't have to think about school till March 23rd.  Hallelujah!

This morning (my "day off") found me back at the doctor's office with my son.  He had to be there at 8:00 for his recheck.  When I woke him up in the morning, he let out a yell and said, "My eye isn't stuck together!"  Poor kid, he'd been waking up to an eye that was sealed shut every morning, and now the medicine was doing its work and he was looking considerably better.  There's flaking around the eye where the rash is drying up, but the swelling is almost completely gone.  Praise the Lord!  The doctor was pleased to see how much his eye had improved in such a short amount of time.  It was a huge relief for me as well.  I trust God, and I know He will always do what is right and best for me and my family, but I won't deny, when one of my children is sick it's like the life is drained out of me.  All I want is for them to get better.  I guess I'm no different from every other mom in the world.

After we'd finished at the doctor's office, I dropped him off at the house and began my journey into grocery shopping.  I started off at Winn-Dixie, hoping to find some good deals on meats.  I got a package of steak and a London broil that were on sale, but the ground beef was ridiculous.  $4.53 a pound?!  Gimme a break people!  I skipped on that, but did get my canned goods, pastas, breads, those sorts of things, spending a total of $93.18.  Not bad, considering my total budget is $300.  I dropped that food off at the house, then headed out to Walmart.  I picked up whatever I hadn't gotten at Winn-Dixie, like dog food and breakfast foods, plus I got some ham steaks and frozen foods, and spent $97.70.  I left there and stopped off at Pep Boys.  I was in need of tires - bad - but I'd had to wait till I had my income tax return.  Now that I had the money (and the time) I went and scheduled my tire replacement appointment for 4:00.  From there I went to Costco to get my bulk items, including ground beef.  I don't particularly care for the ground beef at Costco (it's very fatty IMO) but it's $3.79 a pound, a large cry from the $4.53/lb at Winn-Dixie.  My total at Costco was $70.87, bringing my total to $261.75, $38.25 under budget.  That's great, because this week I bought pizza from Little Caesars and KFC on Wednesday when I was running around with my son, so I'm still within my budget.

I got all the groceries home and put away with my daughter's help.  After lunch we made a trip to the bank so I could finish opening a checking account.  I wanted a separate account for myself now that I'm working, and I'd tried doing it online so I wouldn't have to visit the branch.  It worked - but when I tried using online banking, I found out I'd have to go to the bank to get a special pin number.  So much for not having to make the trip :P.  To give you an idea how crazy our weather is in Florida, we got to the bank as it was starting to look like rain.  We were there for about 20 minutes, in which time it rained pretty heavy and steady, but by the time we were done the sun was out and it didn't look like it had rained at all.  That is so typical in Florida, it surprises none of the locals.

I came back home to drop my daughter off (she'd gone with me to the bank), then went to get my new tires.  While I was there my daughter made one of my all-time favorites, spaghetti carbonara.  Boy was I thankful for that!  After a non-stop day it's really nice to come home to a delicious meal.  I'm so blessed.

Bare Escentuals had another Beauty Rush on Wednesday (my very insane day), and I was gonna skip it because I didn't think I'd have time to even look at what they had.  But while we were having lunch I took a peek to see if they had any skincare on sale, and they did.  I went ahead and placed an order for a kit containing neck cream, toner pads and body lotion; then I found an eyeshadow duo for $7 and another kit for $21 and I snatched them both up.  That was before I found out that my son's medicines were $130.  Part of me wishes I'd waited and not placed the order; part of me can't wait till it gets here!

There's more to add to my "fun" week, but I'll leave it for the weekend.  Right now I think I'll take a shower, then relax a bit before bed.  I think I've earned it.  Good night ya'll.  Pleasant dreams.

My "Day Off"

I wanted to post about my crazy "day off" yesterday, but by the end of the day I was beyond exhausted.  I couldn't even think straight anymore.  So here I am, giving a recap of Friday on Saturday, though I can't say I'm fully recovered.

Let me just mention, for starters, that I love to decorate.  I love fixing up my house, whether for holidays and special occasions or just everyday.  I love changing things up.  I love moving furniture around and into different rooms to get a new look.  Even when I was young and living with my parents, I would change things up and move them around.  I love to paint, I love to clean and polish and dust and shop for beautiful things...you get the picture.

When my two older kids came home from living in Central Florida, they brought a bunch of furniture with them, including a sofa and love seat we'd bought them at a furniture outlet store.  At first I put them in the garage, since my son's desire was to look for a place and take the furniture with him.  Things didn't work out for him financially, and it made no sense to me to have brand new furniture in the garage while I was sitting on faded furniture that was 13 years old.  So I sold the old sofa and love seat and put the new items in the family room.  It worked quite nicely.

Last year I decided to get an electric fireplace/media center for the living room, and I got rid of the enormous wall unit that was in the family room.

The wall unit worked while we had the oversized television set, but once that broke (and there was no way to get it repaired) I was left with a gaping hole in the wall unit.  I tried fitting other things in there but it didn't work.  Out it went, and a television table the kids brought back with them took its place.

I'd originally put it in the living room, but I moved it to the family room and put the fireplace/media console in there instead.  I flanked it with bookshelves, a look I documented here.  And that worked as well.  I was super happy with the way the house looked.

Unfortunately, the furniture we'd bought for the kids was not the greatest quality.  It was 3 1/2 years old but looked like we'd been sitting on it for 20 years.  The cushions were attached to the furniture, and they were sagging horribly.  The frame under the cushions also appeared to be sagging.  The fabric itself looked the worse for wear.  It's microfiber, which usually stands up to all kinds of abuse, but this fabric was stained and the stain wasn't coming off.  I tried covering the sofa with a fluffy blanket so the sagging wouldn't show too much, but it wasn't fooling anyone.  I had moved this furniture into the living room at Christmastime because the tree wouldn't fit in there with the recliners and sofa, and after Christmas everyone wanted the ugly furniture to stay in the living room because "they made the room look bigger."  I thought it made the room look dingy.  I wanted so badly to get rid of it, but I didn't want the huge expense.  I thought about going out looking at garage sales or second hand furniture, though there's always a chance I'll end up with something as bad or worse than what I already had.  

After Christmas Costco always puts their home furnishings out.  I was walking by the seasonal aisle on my way to the meat section, when I saw a gorgeous, huge sectional.  It was a lovely beige fabric, light but durable, with the nailhead design that I love so much.  It was $999, a great price for this large piece of furniture but more than I wanted to spend.  I sat on it for a minute and loved how comfortable it felt.  Ah, if I could only find something similar but at a lower price!  A couple of  months later I saw that the price had been reduced - a common occurrence when Costco is ready to bring in the next seasonal item, in this case patio furnishings.  Now the price was $699 - a whole $300 off!  I was tempted, but at the same time, how would I get this home?  I don't have a truck or SUV anymore.  Besides, I was wanting to get some cabinets to organize the garage, and my car needs new tires.  Spending $700 on a sectional wasn't an option right now.

Because I have executive membership at Costco, I get a yearly rebate from them.  I wasn't expecting much; I buy from Costco regularly but I hadn't bought anything major, so there was no reason for me to get much money back.  I was totally surprised when the rebate check came in: $116.  The wheels in my head started turning really fast.  With this rebate check I'd be able to get the sectional for under $600.  No way was I going to find a deal like that anywhere else anytime.  I'd have to act, and fast.  Time (and inventory) was running out.

When I told my daughter what I wanted to do, she suggested renting a truck from Home Depot.  Home Depot rents vans and large pick-up trucks for $19.95 for the first 75 minutes, then $5 each additional 15 minutes after that.  The idea was, rent the truck, get the furniture from Costco (which is a few blocks away), get it to the house, and get the truck back in an hour.  That sounded doable!  Then I remembered the garage storage cabinets.  What if I could get those from Home Depot, and the furniture from Costco at the same time?!  I would save on delivery costs!  I checked out the Home Depot webpage, but there was nothing at all like what I wanted.  Everything was either plastic or resin, and I wanted something stronger.  I looked on the Lowe's website next.  Bingo!  A large steel cabinet for $249, and a smaller cabinet for $157.  Lowe's is less than a mile away from Home Depot; I could still get everything done and pay less than what it would cost to have the cabinets delivered, which was $79.  The picture looked brighter and better each moment.  I prayed and asked God to work this out for me as He saw fit, then I got to work.

Thursday morning I called Home Depot to reserve the truck.  Turns out they don't do reservations - it's on a first come, first served basis.  I told the woman at Home Depot that I'd need the truck Friday morning, around 10 am.  See, with homeschooling and work, Fridays and Saturdays are the only days I can run all my errands, and I needed to do this on Friday because that's also my son R's day off and I was going to need his help.  She told me to call a half hour before and she'd hold the truck for me, but no more than 30 minutes.  At that point I decided, on faith, to go ahead and order the garage storage cabinets from Lowe's so they would be ready for me to pick up the next day.  I was really taking a chance, and I considered skipping my bible study group to get there early, but that didn't feel right at all.  How could I put God in second place to garage storage and furniture?  No, I was going to my bible study class, and trust that God would provide.

I was up early Friday morning.  I'm so glad I have a quick and easy makeup routine for days like these, because I didn't have the time to spend in front of the mirror.  I went to bible study and boy am I glad I did - Daniel chapter 9 is totally awe inspiring!  I left just as the video ended, ran home and called Home Depot.  To my chagrin, the truck had just been rented out, and the woman didn't know when it would be back.  She kindly took my number and said she'd call as soon as it was returned.  In the meantime I was left to wonder, now what?  My daughter suggested I check with another Home Depot, but did I really want to go to the next city north or south of us to get this truck?  I thought about heading to Costco so I could be close by when the truck showed up; then a thought occurred to me: what if they didn't have the furniture anymore?!  I grabbed the phone and called.  Good thing I did, too - they were sold out.  NO!!!!!  I asked if she could check stock in other stores.  She found 5 of them at a store two cities north of us, about a 20 minute drive.  I called that Costco to verify and they confirmed that they still had it in stock.  If I was going to do this, I'd have to act fast, but not before lifting my petition up to the Lord.  I called the Home Depot in the city north of us.  Yes, they had a truck and it was available to rent.  The clock was ticking.

I grabbed my son and we headed north to Home Depot.  Renting the truck was easy-peasy.  All I needed was my driver's license, insurance card and a credit card.  I left there and headed north on the expressway.  I took a bit longer at Costco than I thought because the boxes were so large and bulky; so large that I wondered if we'd be able to get them all in the truck.  I didn't want to have to make two trips!  I was praying that it wouldn't be necessary, and praise God it wasn't.  The young man at Costco was able to get everything on and even tied the boxes onto the truck for us - now that's great service!  R and I went straight home, unloaded the boxes into the living room, and headed out to Lowe's.  My daughter A is still nursing her leg per her doctor's orders, so she wasn't able to do any physical work, so instead she was in the kitchen making stir-fry for our lunch.  No time to stop though - we ran to Lowe's to get the storage cabinets, which by the way, weigh a ton!  Oh my gosh, it took so long for them to bring the stuff out because the girl couldn't find anyone to put them on the dolly.  R and I were trying to load them into the truck and another customer kindly helped us.  It was definitely a three person job.  I stopped off at our local Costco to fill the truck with gas - that's something to keep in mind.  If you bring the truck back to Home Depot and the tank isn't filled, they charge $6.50 per gallon to fill it up.  No thanks!  I put $20 in and made sure that was enough.

Back home we ran, left the boxes in the garage, then hauled ourselves back to Home Depot to return the truck.  By now we were both tired and hungry, and R was getting a headache.  Because of unforeseen delays we had the truck for 3 hours, so I ended up paying $62 for the rental.  With gas the total came to $82, more than I'd wanted to spend, but considering that I was able to get so much done that I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise, it wasn't a bad investment.  Besides, now I'm able to enjoy this:

It looks so pretty, and is extremely comfortable!  The pillows were Christmas gifts from my son R.  He got each of us a pillow that he felt best described our interests:  A got Alice In Wonderland because of her love of Disney, E got Treasure Island, filled with adventure, and I got Sherlock Holmes.  My son knows me only too well!  Classic English literature, crime and mystery, all rolled into one.  Sherlock Holmes has been my favorite since I was a teen.  It never gets old!  Anyway, there is enough seating here for our family and then some.  I'm so in love with the look!  I would like to eventually get an area rug, but with Molly I don't know if that's the best idea.  The area rug I had in the living room had to be thrown out because Molly's nails kept getting caught in the rug and it was looking pretty shredded.  I don't think I want to do that again.

By the way, the stir-fry turned out exceptionally delicious!  It was a chicken stir-fry with lots of veggies and a spicy sauce.  It disappeared off my plate very quickly!  I'm so thankful to my son R who ran all around town with me, my son E for helping me get the furniture moved and everything put together, and my baby girl for cooking and cleaning.  I'm especially thankful to God for making it all possible - I couldn't have done it without Him!

We haven't put the garage storage cabinets together yet - that's our next project.  Can't wait to get that done as well!  Stay tuned!

Monday, Monday

Happy President's Day!  Or as we used to say when I was a kid, George Washington's birthday.  It used to be specifically about George Washington, then about Washington and Lincoln, then about all the presidents.  Our poor first president has gotten lost in the shuffle.

I didn't post yesterday because, quite frankly, I was being lazy.  I went to church by myself because my darling little boy woke up with pink eye.  Not something he wanted to go sharing with the other parishioners.  When I told a couple of my friends about the job they were thrilled for me, which made me feel even better about taking it.  Surprisingly, I'm not the least bit nervous.  The only thing I keep thinking about is how I'm going to manage my time so that I get everything done and still get where I need to be on time.  I hate being late anywhere, and I hate when others are late, something I've had to get used to in this South Florida laid back culture.  I want to make sure my family and my employers are taken care of, and that means making sure I manage my time wisely.

After making lunch and putting one load of laundry in the wash, I pretty much sat in front of my computer and watched YouTube videos most of the day.  I did do my Bible study, but that was it.  I didn't even put the laundry away.  As I sat there mindlessly watching other women talk about makeup and fashion and weight loss and blah-blah-blah, I realized why I was having so much trouble figuring out how to manage my time.  I've become an expert at wasting it.  This has happened in the last couple of months, and I'm only now seeing how bad it's gotten.  Well, that's gonna have to change.  And fast.

I've decided there's only two YouTubers that I'm going to watch whenever they have videos because they're my favorites: Shelbey Ashburn and Alex Garza.  Oh, and Angie at Hot and Flashy.  The first two are young girls.  I've been watching Shelbey particularly because she does a lot of Bare Minerals videos, especially new product reviews which I enjoy.  Angie is a year older than me and does videos geared towards women my age.  I'm going to watch their videos when I have time, which will most likely be on the weekends, since my weekdays will be packed.  Today I haven't watched any videos, and I've managed to do another load of laundry, put all the clean clothes away, vacuum and mop the floors, cook a chicken pot pie from scratch, take the car in for an oil change, and even watch a couple of episodes of the Tonight Show.  I've also got some pot roast meat on the counter which I'm going to put in the crock pot tonight so I don't have to worry about cooking tomorrow.  MM has asked me to go in early so she can give me some training, so I won't have time to be in the kitchen cooking.  I have lessons to go over with E before I leave for the school.  I told her I'd be there between 12:30 and 1:00, and I want to be sure I don't leave any loose ends.

I did go online for something else: dress shopping.  I still wanted to find a dress for this wedding, but I'm tired of going to the stores and finding nothing.  Either the clothes were for girls in their 20's, or they were for women in their 60's.  I fall into neither category, and I certainly don't want to dress like I do.  I decided to check out New York and Company again.  Score!  They had a really good sale, and I found a black velvet Eva Mendes dress on clearance for - get this - $23.98!  It is such a pretty dress, in just the right style and color to be appropriate for a special occasion.  I know I'll get some use out it.  It better fit too - since it's on clearance I can't return it.  I'm normally a size 10 in their dresses.  I really hope that's the case with this one, because quite frankly, it looks perfect.  I can't wait to get it and see how it looks!

Our temperatures are going haywire again.  Yesterday we awoke to 41 degree weather; today it was 56.  Tomorrow it's supposed to get up into the low 80's, then dip down into the 40's overnight.  It's pretty hilarious; one day we're out in flip-flops and the next day we're wearing boots!  Yes, South Floridians wear boots.  It's quite comical.

I'm gonna shower now, then get that meat in the crock pot before I head on over to bed.  Time management means I've gotta get up early (not just wake up early, but literally get out of bed), and that means getting to sleep early, too.  I'm gonna try to post every other day so my blog doesn't get monotonous, unless something crazy and exciting happens (though not too crazy, I hope).  Good night, ya'll.  

Weekend Recap

Since I spent the weekend running around like a madwoman with a mission, I decided one post to recap everything would be enough.  It's easier for me, I think.  As long as I remember where I've been and what I've done ;-).

Saturday started off early.  We were attending a baby shower for a sweet friend who is visiting from Sweden.  She's almost 5 months pregnant with her first child, a little boy, and my daughter and I were excited to share in this special time with her.  The baby shower was a brunch, which started at 11:00.  That meant I had to have breakfast, get ready, and leave something for my son to eat so he wouldn't burn down the house while we were gone.  I wore an outfit that I consider to be casual and trendy: a white sweater with a light grey hot air balloon motif all over, a burgundy tank top underneath, a pair of "boyfriend" jeans (skinny jeans slightly rolled up at the hem) and tan high heeled sandals.  I'm the type that likes to get dressed up, but my daughter said everyone would be wearing jeans because it was a very casual get together, so I dressed accordingly.  My daughter and I both got the baby a couple of outfits, but when we went to pack the gifts we found only Christmas themed boxes and gift bags.  So we stopped off at CVS and bought one bag for everything, then headed over to the shower, which wasn't far from our house.  We were among the first to get there; the pregnant girl's mom and grandma were there, along with a cousin and a friend from church.  Everyone was dressed up.  I felt like an oddball.  Yes, the hostess was wearing jeans, but she's a mom of a toddler and was cooking up a storm, so she doesn't count.  As more people started coming in, I noticed more ladies in dresses or dress pants.  I mentioned it to my daughter, but she insisted it was still "casual".  I'm not buying it.

We did have a really good time, playing the standard baby shower games and eating delicious food.  The menu was chicken and waffles.  The waffles were made fresh right there, and there were all kinds of toppings: whipped cream, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate chips, and of course syrup.  I didn't have any of it.  Instead, I went directly to the shrimp and pasta salad.  Oh.my.word.  It was out of this world!  I had me two servings, along with chicken and pastries.  I didn't want to overdo it with the carbs, and having pasta as well as waffles would have meant rolling me out the door.  I'm glad I stuck with just one.

While we were gone E got picked up by his dad, so when A and I got home we decided to go to Target.  I needed a belt for my jeans; even though I'd bought a size 6 they were still big at the waist.  I also needed to buy towels.  Ours are old and worn, and they get stinky really fast which is annoying.  I found some nice towels, some on sale and some not, then we passed by the shoe section.  My daughter saw that they had boots for 70% off so of course she had to stop and check them out, because we all know how vital it is to have boots in South Florida :P.  I looked around and found a cute pair of ballet flats in a beige and black stripe design for $16.99.  They are so comfy!  I also went to the makeup section and got a few nail polishes that were on sale, and a brow pencil/gel.  I've been wanting a brow pencil because lately I've noticed that some of my eyebrows are turning bright white, and against my black brows it isn't attractive.  I got brunette, since my hair is dyed auburn, to help the brows match my hair.  My daughter didn't find any boots she liked, but she did find a comforter set in white that she fell in love with.  Her bedroom is pretty dark; dark wood floors, deep purple and grey walls, dark wood furniture.  The white bedding brightens up the room and makes it look luxurious, like she's in a 5 star hotel.  While we were at the store E texted me that he was back home, so we quickly paid for our goods and left.  As soon as we were on the expressway, I realized I'd forgotten to buy the belt, which was the primary reason for going to Target in the first place.  Don't you just love it when that happens?

Today also started early, with Sunday school at 9:30 (except I got there at 10:00.  Running late this morning again).  After service - which was awesome - we had a meet and greet with our new youth pastor.  He's been the youth pastor at our sister church for the past 9 years, and now he's taking over the youth ministry at our location as well.  I was so impressed by his philosophy and his goals, and very encouraged by the lessons he's teaching the next few weeks.  He's doing a series called King, in which the youth group is studying several of Jesus's attributes: His sovereignty, His holiness, His goodness, His justice and His love.  This pastor is all about bible teaching, which is what I wanted to hear.  I'm looking forward to helping out in the youth ministry once Awana is done and summer rolls around.

There was a pizza lunch served, but my son E, who was hanging around with his friends and got there late, didn't get to eat anything, so we left after the meeting and ran home.  I made him a quick lunch, then we headed to the bowling alley for his best friend's birthday celebration.  I had to change out of my church clothes; there was no way I was going bowling in a dress and high heels.  I wore the skinny jeans I got on Friday along with a hunter green tank top, a long black sweater and my new ballet flats.  Casual and comfy!  My daughter also went, and so did my Tuesday night running buddy.  The three of us played a couple of games; it was clear that I hadn't played in a while.  I was pretty rusty, though I didn't do quite so bad on my first game as on the second.  I scored a 70 for the first game; the second game I got a 14.  We only got to play 6 frames before we ran out of time, but still, a 14?!  I had 3 gutter balls in a row!  My running buddy did terrible for the first game, then did much better for the second game.  I guess that evened things out ;-).  Another lady that I've met previously at IV's house (it was IV's son's birthday) was also there.  She's a real spit-fire, and I love talking to her!  We all had a really nice time bowling, eating, talking, laughing, and just plain fellowshipping.  It's the perfect way to end a weekend.

And so, that's pretty much it.  I'm gonna wash my face (my makeup was on point, by the way), change out of these clothes, and relax before studying for my Thursday night bible study.  I'm studying chapter 4 of Daniel, when King Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind.  So much to learn!  Tomorrow starts the new school week.  Back to the old grind!  But I'm thankful for my life and all the blessings God bestows upon me each day.  God bless ya'll, and good night.

The Week In Review

I had every intention of posting yesterday.  I really did.  But we don't always do what we want, do we?  We plan, but God commands.  I decided to give more of a recap, instead of posting separately for yesterday and today.

Yesterday was a pretty busy, non-stop type of day again.  We woke up to rain, and went to bed with rain.  It rained on and off all day long.  Thunderstorms woke us up in the morning, but thankfully the rest of the day was quiet.  It was hot, muggy, and dreary.  School was good; my son got caught up on all his assignments.  Unfortunately, his cold was making it difficult to focus, so he did 4 hours worth of work and left it at that.  Since he'd done an extra hour of work earlier in the week he was able to finish early and rest, which is what the body needs with a cold or flu.  He's feeling much better today; not 100%, but certainly not as bad as yesterday.

After school I threw a load of laundry into the wash, then got ready for bible study.  I look forward to our Thursday night study because Beth Moore teaches like no one I know.  I wore a pair of dress pants because, with weather as yucky as we had, I didn't feel like getting dressed up.  That was my thought process, anyway.  I ended up looking pretty dressed up in my navy blue pants, navy blue long sleeved v-neck, and cream colored scarf.  I wore a pretty pair of cream colored heels too, because I don't have many closed shoes.  Living in Florida means sandals, flip-flops, open-toe shoes, that sort of thing.  I also have sneakers, but I wasn't about to wear dress pants with tennis shoes.  I did my makeup pretty quick, and it turned out lovely.  I got there on time (I'm always on time everywhere, which is unlike the South Florida culture), and enjoyed some fellowship with the ladies.  Then we sat down to our study.  Once again, the teaching rocked my world.  Honestly, we here in the US take prosperity for granted.  We complain about what we don't have, when there are people in this world who lack the basic essentials.  We're so busy trying to keep up with the Joneses, that we don't appreciate the fact that, compared to most nations of this world, even the poorest American is wealthy.  It cut me to the core.  I am so blessed - how dare I complain and whine about what I don't have?!  God reminded me that we're to show compassion, not feel it.  It doesn't do anyone any good if all I do is have pity, then turn and walk away.  I have to be willing to do something!  It gave me a lot to think about, and plenty to repent from.

After I got home, my daughter wanted to tell me all about her day.  She literally followed me around the house talking away, which is why I didn't get to post.  I was exhausted by the time she was done.  Besides, I wanted to get to bed early.  My cousin asked me to babysit her youngest son, so I had to be up and ready when he got here the next day.

Unlike yesterday, today was chilly and cool all day, without a cloud in the sky.  Those who live in Florida know, the weather changes in the blink of an eye!  I'm kinda hoping the whole weekend is as beautiful as today - it was gorgeous the entire day!

I thought I was up pretty early, but I was finishing up getting dressed when the little guy showed up at the door.  He's in pre-k, but he wasn't able to go to school.  He has eczema.  When the school teacher saw it she said the school needs verification that it's eczema and not impetigo.  His mom made a doctor's appointment, but the doctor can't see him till tomorrow and he won't be allowed in school till he gets medical clearance.  He's a sweet little 5 year old boy, and I'm always happy to have him here.  As long as he can watch his favorite TV program, Super Why, he will behave like a little angel.

E did his one assignment for English (and got a 90%) and attended his Hope live lesson, then he watched documentaries on Netflix because he was all done for the week.  It was a much easier day for him, which he totally appreciated.

After school was done and our little guy was picked up, my daughter and I headed to the mall.  We have a baby shower to attend tomorrow.  It's a brunch style shower, so the ladies will most likely be dressed very casual.  My clothes are mostly dressy, or around the house type of clothes.  I have 2 pairs of jeans that I wear occasionally, which are hand-me-downs from my daughter.  I wanted some jeans of my own, something more appropriate and dressier than what I have but still casual-looking, and New York and Company had a sale going on, so that's where I headed.  I found two pairs of jeans, one pair a dark indigo and the other a very dark grey.  I wasn't sure what size would fit, so I got a size 8 and a size 10.  On top they fit fine, the 8 better than the 10, but the length...either I'm shrinking or these things were excessively long.  I mean like, even with a pair of stilettos they would be too long.  I was sure I hadn't pulled any jeans from the tall section, so I didn't understand why they were so long.  Then my daughter heard one of the sales associates say that this particular style came in one length.  Obviously that length was extra long :P.  I didn't want to get something that I'd have to hem or get altered, so I went back and got a pair of skinny jeans and a pair of ankle length "boyfriend jeans" (why any woman would want to wear her boyfriend's jeans is beyond me).  I picked up both in size 10 and headed to the dressing room.  I tried on the ankle length jeans first; they were enormous on me.  I was afraid they were going to fall off!  Well, maybe not that big, but they were really big.  So I asked my daughter to get me a pair in a size 8, and she went ahead and got the skinny jeans in a size 8 as well.  I tried the ankle length in size 8; still too big.  I could say right now that I was frustrated, but what woman gets mad because she's smaller than a size 8?  My daughter went back for a size 6, and in the meantime I tried on the size 8 skinny jeans.  Perfect fit.  She brought back the size 6 ankle length jeans.  Another perfect fit.  Which is why I always try on clothes before buying them.  You never can tell what's going to fit, and it's better than making another trip to the mall.  I didn't get anything else, because I didn't find anything else I liked.  NY & Co has always been a favorite store of mine because I find clothes that are stylish while still age appropriate for me, but what I saw today was a lot of clothes geared towards a more youthful demographic.  Even my daughter said, "Sorry mom, but it looks like NY & Co is trying to bring appeal to a younger crowd."  Not what I wanted to hear, but I had to agree.  My store is a-changin'.  :'(

We got some really cute baby outfits for tomorrow.  Our friend is Puertorican like me, but she lives in Sweden with her husband.  She's visiting family, and a quick baby shower has been organized so she can take stuff back with her.  She specifically asked for baby clothes, because she says they're really expensive in Sweden.  We found some adorable outfits at The Children's Place that were super discounted, and which I think she's gonna love.  We are so happy for her, and happy to be able to share in this joyous celebration of new life with her.

So now we're back home, I just finished having dinner (fried chicken, shells with white cheddar cheese, and mixed veggies), and now I'm gonna do my nails.  I haven't figured out what I'm gonna wear to this baby shower tomorrow, but of course I want to look as pretty as I can!  Good night ya'll, be beautiful!

Monday, Monday

Monday is a fresh start.  It's never too late to dig in and begin a new journey of success.

Mondays are always busy for me.  A new school week, new menu plan, new items to add to the old schedule.  I don't hate Mondays, though.  I look at it as a new beginning.

School started at 10:00 am today.  We were all kind of slow this morning because it was so dark out.  It was a hot and muggy day, totally the opposite of yesterday with its cool breezes and clear skies.  We got rain on and off all morning, and even when the breezes picked up in the afternoon, they were warmer than what we'd gotten the past week.  Of course, it's supposed to get back down into the 50's tonight, so the weather roller coaster ride continues.  

So anyway, school began with music, Hope, and science.  At noon my son paused to take his algebra online class, and I made Southwestern style chicken soup.  Days like these call for soup.  I'd bought everything to make the soup except the tortilla chips, because I knew we had some.  What I didn't know was that they'd gone a bit stale.  I still ate them, but my son E wasn't too happy.  Oh well.

After lunch we finished working on science, and he took his quiz.  He's got a 90% so far, but the teacher has to grade a couple of essay questions.  It was a normal sort of day; he got all his work done and completed his required 5 hours, so we're both happy.  It looks like it might be a slower day tomorrow, but we'll take it one day at a time.  He's doing well so far, so I'm pleased.

I started working on my daughter's taxes.  It looks like she's gonna have to pay, which she's not happy about.  She has to pay her own taxes for her church job, and while we did the worksheet and figured out how much she needed to pay, it seems it was short.  I'm looking to see what can be done additionally to get the amount down.  I feel bad for her; she was counting on getting some money back, but instead she's gonna have to dish out about $200.  That's gonna put a dent in her savings for sure.

I have to share this amazing quote from Beth Moore from the Daniel bible study:  "A sovereign, powerful God sits upon His throne, and nothing misses His gaze.  He will right all wrongs.  I do not know how, but I know Who."  Amen!  Thank You Jesus!

And with that beautiful thought I leave, saying Goodnight and Pleasant Dreams.  God bless.

Simply Sunday

Today's been a lazy day.  Which is appropriate, because even God rested on the seventh day :-).

I was sound asleep, when suddenly I was awaken by the sound of the alarm chime.  My son had gone out after work, and was coming home.  But for some reason, I forgot he wasn't home.  In my sleepy stupor I thought someone was breaking into the house.  I was sure someone was coming in through the sliding glass door, so I got up to see who it was (what I intended to do to the intruder, I have no idea).  As soon as I opened the door, I saw my son R in the kitchen, and reality came back to me, so I went back to bed.  Unfortunately, I couldn't go back to sleep.  It was 3:00 in the morning, and I probably fell back asleep at around 5:00.  That was not a good feeling.

I got up at 7:00 and hit the shower.  I hadn't washed my hair yesterday, and it looked like a grease ball.  I finished showering, then finally decided what it was I was going to wear.  Awake for 2 hours in the middle of the night, and I don't even remember how long I debated in my head whether to wear my green and blue plaid skirt or my light grey skirt.  That's what happens when I wake up in a fog and think burglars are in the house.  I went with the green and blue plaid skirt, with a beige short sleeved sweater.  Once I was dressed I got my Complexion Rescue sample in tan and put it on.  I wanted to see how it looked under my Bareskin foundation.  It's definitely darker than my skin, that's for sure.  I made breakfast, then did my eye makeup before putting foundation on.  Since Complexion Rescue is a tinted moisturizer, I wanted it to set and get absorbed into my skin before putting on any other face makeup.  The eye shadow I used is from The Hot List collection from Bare Minerals; it's a champagne shimmer color and a matte grey color.  My eyes looked amazing!  The swelling from the stye was gone (Thank You Jesus!) and I was able to do a beautiful look on my eyes.  Then I put my glasses on and covered them right up :P.  It's a bummer that I can't wear contact lenses, but I suffer from dry eyes.  I got tired of always looking tired, because my eyes would turn red and burn from the dryness.  Anyway, I went ahead and put on Bareskin (the Bare Minerals liquid foundation) and my skin looked flawless.  With the foundation on top, the color of the moisturizer balanced out and my makeup was on point.  And since there's very little humidity in the air, my hair turned out gorgeous.  I may have been exhausted, but I felt incredible every time I looked in the mirror!

Our church has a private school, and today the children did a presentation.  It was wonderful hearing the children sing praises to the Lord!  One boy is in our Awana group - I didn't realize he could sing so well!  Then the new head master gave the message.  Oh, my word, what a powerful message!  He taught on Lazarus, and how we often think that God has abandoned us because we don't get the answer we ask for right away.  Lazarus's sisters, Martha and Mary, both told Jesus that their brother would not have died had He been there, but they didn't understand the reason for the delay.  There was no mistake made; Jesus meant to arrive after Lazarus's death to bring glory to God and show everyone there who He really was.  It's no different with us now.  When God doesn't answer our prayers right away, it's not because He's abandoned us.  It's because He is waiting for just the right moment, that He may be praised and glorified.  It was a reminder of God's sovereignty, and how we need to have faith.  It was really encouraging.

The weather was perfect once again.  The breeze was cool and comfortable, the sun was shining brightly, and I was glad we got to enjoy yet another stunningly beautiful day.  Once we got home I made some pasta with the meat sauce I made a few days ago.  I try to make a large pot of sauce for days like today when I don't feel like making a big meal.  My family doesn't care for sauce in a jar.  They like Mom's homemade sauce.  I have to admit, so do I.

I did manage to get a couple of loads of laundry washed, but I haven't put anything away.  I'm leaving it for tomorrow.  I've felt sluggish due to not getting a full night's sleep, but I didn't feel like napping.  I just vegged most of the day, watching YouTube videos.  The way I see it, it's gonna be a busy week, so I may as well relax today so I can be recharged for tomorrow.  So goodnight ya'll.  Have a blessed evening.