Three Things

Joining with Steph for her fun 3 Things of the month

Three things I like about spring
1. Breaking out the sandals!!!
2. More light!
3. No heavy sweaters or coats (hot flashes & that dont mix)

Three things I dislike about spring

1. Pollen

2. How to dress - Cold in the morning - warm in the afternoon

3. Having to work knowing its a nice day

Three things I drink most often besides water and iced coffee

1. Sparkling Lemon/Lime water

2. Iced Tea

3. Hot Coffee

Three in the house projects I want to get done in April

1. Get my closet cleaned out

2. Catch up on laundry (Yes, that's a project)

3. Get enclosed room cleaned & ready for book reading space

Three things I eat for lunch or dinner when I don't feel like cooking

1. Tortilla chips & salsa

2. Toast with honey

3. Trail mix

Three things I've been putting off

1. Cleaning out & organizing back room/office

2. Dropping off ThredUp box to post office

3. Grooming Zoe (She's such a moody diva)

Three things I've been killing it at

1. Working out!

2. New Skin care routine & using actual things like Serums!

3. Keeping my kitchen clean

Three things I'm over

1. Muddy dog prints

2. Picking up clothes that are on the floor when the hamper is right THERE!

3. The stopper in my bathroom sink wont stay up.

Three things I'm looking forward to

1. Opening my windows at home / Fresh air

2. Seeing my niece go to her first prom

3. Taking some time off... Its already April & I've not taken any days - need to start using some PTO & enjoying the warmer weather!

Show Us Your Books - March 2022 Reads

 

Reminders of Him

*** / Liked It

Quick Summary: Kenna has spent her time in prison for the tragic mistake in the death of her boyfriend. She goes back to town to see if she can visit her daughter & when she's pushed aside from everyone - she becomes friends with a local bar owner who may be her only hope.

This is like most of the Hoover books I have read - full of emotion & ups & downs. I enjoyed this OK enough. I felt like the romance in it wasn't set just right for the story & would have loved to have learned more about Kenna & more about Scotty, her boyfriend who died - or even more about his parents who took in their daughter Diem.  It just felt like SOMETHING was missing.

But it did hold my attention - I never got tired of it- though some parts felt slow, & I did appreciation & enjoy the ending of it all. So its a good enough read for me. Something that passed the time well enough - but not something I would tell someone to run out as a MUST READ.

“Grudges are heavy, but for the people hurting the most, I suppose

forgiveness is even heavier.”

Dying to Tell

DNF

Quick Summary:  Lila was in a car accident that killed the driver of her car & a young lady in the other vehicle. As she recovers, she works with her brother, Jack to see what happened the night of that accident.

I tried - I really did. This book was just forever long to me. & it was more a romance thing that a thriller & it wasn't great at either.

I usually give up on books I dont enjoy at 25% but the reviews were all raging about this so I tried to hang in there. At 75%, I gave up - shows how much I didnt care.

I didnt enjoy any of the characters, didnt enjoy the story, I just didnt care.

If anyone has read it & wants to tell me any big reveals at the end, go ahead. Moving on - not giving it any more of my time.

It Happened One Summer

** 1/2 - It was OK

Quick Summary: A social media socialite gets in trouble & her step father sends her to a little town where her dad came from to take care of his dive bar he used to run.  She meets a local who shows her what it means to be liked for who you are & not just an image you portray.

I really wanted to like this because I saw a lot of people enjoying it.  & it was OK enough - I did "like" it - but it was just not my style.  

It was very predictable & didnt hold any surprises for me. The characters were OK but nothing memorable.  & the steamy scenes were just too much for me the way the characters spoke to each other & interacted. Not my thing. I ended up just skipping the pages when it would come to Piper & Brendan getting together. Ew. too much.

I did enjoy the overall story where Piper finds someone who cares for who she is & she is comfortable being herself & not just an imagine behind a post.  I also loved the sister relationship between Piper & Hannah. & there really was nothing cuter then Opal, their grandmother.  So it wasn't all miserable. 

This is supposed to be a "Schitt's Creek inspired book" - but its just a rich girl going to a poor town - not much more than that - not really Schitt-worthy to me.

Would I recommend - nah ... but this is tending to be a popular read.

“Women are protective. Nurturing. A boat is given the name of a woman in the hopes that she’ll protect the crew. And hopefully put a good word in with the other important woman in our lives, the ocean.”

For the Love

***** / It was Amazing

Quick Summary: .... just another Jen Hatmaker book... dont know how else to say it

I cant help it - I just love Jen Hatmaker & her style of writing, her real life outlook & her humor. Oh, her humor. I think I laugh more at her books than any other sort of fiction book around.

This is an older one & I cant believe I hadnt read it - but I will say, it was quite strange the chapter on marriage & hearing her call to make it work when she is now since divorced. Hindsight. But no one is perfect & I'm sure when she wrote this, she was working at her marriage. Advice is nice - real life application & when it involves two people - doesnt always work.

Regardless - I still enjoyed this book so much.  Every chapter where she did "Thank you notes" (ala Jimmy Fallon) I nearly snorted from each one.  & her little comments about life just hit me as charming... "I cant stand for 3 hours - I'm not an Olympian"

Once again, I am walking away with my soul lifted, some encouragement in my heart & totally convinced Jen & I would be best friends.

“Thank you, Coffee. For everything. You make life possible. I don’t want to make you feel weird, but you are my soul mate. Well done.”

Click pic below to join Steph & Jana

Friday Favorites

 

Click PIC for link

Favorite Car Accessory

I am forever looking for tissue in my car - especially during allergy season.
& this is such a pretty way to keep your tissues near by.
I've seen it where people hook it on the slot on the back of the front seats too
.... or use it to hold masks or napkins!

Favorite Containers

There are 10 little canisters that have air tight lids
.. wouldnt this be great for spices - especially if you could go to a place where you can buy in bulk?  
Of course, i'm envisioning little stationary items too - like thumb tacks - push pens, paper clips

Sleek outlet cover

I loathe cords all over a wall... & guess what we have?
Cords all over walls. Its so gross.
I may need to get a few of these to try & clean up the space. 
Looking at how this works, it appears it is simple enough to plus in & then tuck behind appliances or TV's

Favorite Cleaner

Of course they came out with appliances that dont show fingerprints right after we bought our new dishwasher & refrigerator.
The struggle is so real for prints & smears.
Give me all the cleaner to get rid of them!

Favorite Basket

Because there is ALWAYS something that needs to go up or down the steps!

Favorite Shoe Rack

I'm kinda digging this show rack.
It would fit perfectly next to my dresser & I am a person that tends to wear the same 4 or 5 pairs of show per season - so I could switch them out seasonally & keep all my favs right there to grab & go!
Yep... just talked myself into this one!

Favorite Headache Relief?

Question mark because I've not tried it - but the reviews are good!

& I know I used to put peppermint on my temples when I had a migraine or even vertigo - & it would help. I'm going to have to give this a shot.

Favorite Bag Organizer

WHOOOO - what a great idea.
I have my old bags just piled up in the corner of my closet - which makes them look so beat down! 
I saw someone using this for SHEETS to - GENIUS!!!!!

Favorite Funnies

Have a great weekend Y'all!!!!

Thankful Thursday #352

 

This week I am Thankful for:

My Doctor
I have to say - I've seen more of my doctor the past few months than I have seen any doctor in the past numerous years.  I am so thankful that I can check in with her every 2 weeks with telehealth calls & I am even more grateful that she's still working with me to try & get the best care.  We're trying to figure out why these headaches are so severe & she's been trying me out on different meds... which, something to know about me - I dont tolerate meds AT ALL. I have felt the past 2 weeks with a new pill she has me on that I'm trudging through batches of mud... feeling exhausted - sleeping till 9am on the weekends. Its been tough. But I'm glad I'll have another call with her on Wednesday to tell her I dont like this pill - what else is next.

Kale Salad
I had been craving this salad for awhile. Its HUGE - always is a 2 day dish for me. & I love it has vegan chicken in it - YUM!  

Pantry
Hubby has taken out all the shelves in my pantry & cleaned them up, sanding down bad spots on them & repainting them & when we took everything out, I was able to get rid of so much stuff in there.  Food that had gone bad from being pushed to the back - appliances I dont ever use anymore (hope someone snags up that juice maker at Goodwill!) & now its all clean & fresh & organized! I'm looking for some good organization bins to put in there to keep it in tip top shape. I'm putting on my calendar now that on every Sunday, I'm going to go through it & toss anything that is outdated & get rid of open things - like crackers or chips that are nearly empty.  I love a clean & organized space!

Work from Home possibilities
My work has taken on a new policy for working from home that involves some hybrid schedules.  The way its looking now, I may be working from home on Wednesday & Friday's - which actually sounds fantastic to me.  That middle of the week break & who doesn't want to be at home on a Friday?  I can sleep an hour later on those days & with the cost of gas - saving 2 days of driving is going to really make a difference. I'm super excited about it.  Waiting for some equipment to come in & we're going to give it a go.  I know 4 furry creatures that will be SUPER excited about it!

More Walks
I love the season where we can get back outside for more walks. I took a beautiful one over the weekend & just seeing everything spring back to life in Spring - makes my heart happy.

Tell me something good about your week!

Joining in with Jen & Leslie

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Prime Purchases

 

Joining with Tanya

I come out of the woodworks for Prime Purchase Day.
Click over to Tanya's & see everyone's links. I honestly add so much to my cart every month... like I NEED to buy more.. .but yeah, I do.

But here's some of my latest buys

Paper Shredder

I appreciate this one because it chops up paper clips, staples & even credit cards.
The hubby is obsessive about shredding every things that comes in the mail - all those stupid credit card advertisements... blah.

Make up Brush Set

I actually got turned onto these by Brianna & I had to snag them up.
I mean - for the price - how do you go wrong?
I was super surprised how soft they were & the quality is decent.
I actually like the container more than anything. Keep them all dust free.
To me, this is better than cleaning your brushes.... mainly because I'm lazy.

Chew Ring

This actually isn't' for my babies.
I bought this & a few other toys for our local Animal Shelter.
I didnt know Amazon could do that... but you can find wish lists that the shelter is asking for - buy it & it ships right to them.
What a genius idea! I love to send little toys or needs each month.

JavaSok

To say I'm obsessed with JavaSok would be an understatement.
With warmer weather coming up, I really needed a new one because all that ice coffee be melting & dripping!  I just love the way they look & feel & keeps my car, my desk, my table all dry.

Cutting Boards

Can we take a minute to stop & appreciate that I need multiple cutting boards?
....moment of silence of appreciation...

& we're back

YES - look at me!  With Hello Fresh, I am always chopping or dicing veggies every night & I was getting tired of washing my one cutting board each night.
Did I mention earlier I was lazy?
So now, I can use one & toss it in the dishwasher & have an extra one handy for the next night  Rotate them out.

Dog Bed

Because we go through dog beds like other people go through diapers... or whatever you go through fast with kids. 
Plus, my babies are spoiled & want fresh, fluffy beds.
Ernie has taken this one over.

It freaked me out when we got it because it was vacuum sealed...
but open it & watch it come to life. Exciting stuff!

Knee Massager

& in the category of "YOU'RE GETTING OLD AS DIRT"

We got this knee massager for both of us.
Its really intriguing because its a light massage & it warms up the knee with infrared heat... on some days, I'm needing this thing badly on my bad knee.
We have even tried it to put on your shoulder - which it doesnt recommend that - but hey, its a bendable joint & it fits!

Electric Kettle

I've been wanting an Electric Kettle for so long!
Isnt this one beautiful!

I love the color of it - the matte look - watching the temperature on it & how fast it warms up.
What I dont like about it is that the handle doenst bend. It's not easy to fill up with water out of the fridge.  I have to get some in a container & pour in there.
But... if that's the worst of it - so be it - I still love it.
I just know what to look for in the future when I need to get another one.

Tell me something you've got from Amazon lately you love!!!

Thankful Thursday #351

 

This week I am Thankful for:

Good start
Since my TIA, I've been on a mission to get healthier & kicking in menopause, its just been a crazy ride with how my body feels & the struggle with weight. Well, I have focused in lately & have lost 14 lbs - which I'm proud of. But honestly, please dont congratulate me on that or give any sort of acknowledgement because I have a LONG way to go - so that doesnt really feel like an accomplishment yet.  I'm glad to get the ball rolling though.  

Water in stores
You never know how much you use water until you cant get to it. Just the little things of brushing your teeth - or rinsing your hands.  I'm so thankful we live in a country where water is so easily available.  I went & bought up so many packages of bottled water & even got the big gallon containers & used those for my dog's bowls.  I was very aware that I am buying good clean water for my dogs in a world where people have to walk miles to get water - & its dirty & can cause sickness.  We are a blessed nation.

New Lunch Option
A coworker asked if I wanted to go try a new place around the corner for lunch & I am so excited she did. This Thai place was awesome! I got a vegetable stir fry that had the biggest chunks of peppers & onions - & some cauliflower & broccoli.  You could add tofu in it too if you wanted!  There was so much that it lasted 2 days of lunches for me. They have a bell pepper stir fry that I think I'm going to have to try next too. YUM!!!!

Best place for a leak
We were so nervous about the leak coming out of SOMEWHERE last week. Hearing all the rushing water, but none leaking in the house, we knew it was goin somewhere between the house & the road where the water main line was.  We had visions of them tearing up our yard & having to dig up our whole driveway & we were just seeing all the dollar bills flying out of our wallet.  When we found the leak was right next to the house - in between the house & the drive, we felt like we hit the lottery!  When you can find good news in the middle of bad news, do it!

Neighbors!!!

I'll say it for the 549th time - I'm sure I'm up to that count by now.  We had one neighbor come over & help dig into our yard finding the leak.  Getting all dirty & muddy - but he is the one who found where our leak was!! WHOO HOO!!! ... & then our neighbor on the other side is the one who built our home & has contacts doing that sort of career - so he was able to reach out to the plumbers & get them out first thing in the morning & get the pipe fixed.  It just warms my heart that we have such good people who are willing to help us - especially in times of crisis. I wish everyone had such a good community around them as we do!

WATER
Let me tell you - when you can flush a toilet without thinking about it - you know its a good day!  So thankful we're back to some good pipes!

3 months
I am now officially 3 months out from my TIA.  When I had the scare, they told me that the first 3 days were critical - then the next 3 months are to be watched - & then we're shooting for a year.  Each day / month that goes by & no instance of another TIA or serious stroke, it gives better chances of never having another episode.  So each month on the 27th, I honestly & truly celebrate every day of living.  

Tell me something good about your week!
Or your MONTH!  Goodbye March!!!

Linking up with Jen & Leslie

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

What's Up Wednesday

 

What We're Eating This Week

Still loving my Hello Fresh
& this week, we're having one of my favorite dishes.

Brussel Sprout & hot honey flatbread.... SO GOOOD!!!

What I'm Reminiscing About
Since we went roller skating - I'm thinking back on all the days on wheels.
I really wish there was a rink close by so we could skate more often.

Maybe I need to get some outdoor wheels & just make my own rink out in a parking lot.

What I'm Loving
I got this thing off of Amazon that I keep seeing on Instagram.

Oh my goodness - it works SO well!
This gives my hair the best curls & waves... & I love giving my hair a break from heat products & it doesnt tangle my hair like when I use rollers.
Its so fast to put in my hair & it isnt uncomfortable sleeping in it like rollers.
I am in LOVE with this baby.

Here's an example of what it does to my hair.

Click HERE for the link

What We've Been Up To
Dealing with all the water issues.

We had a busted pipe from our basement to outside.

& then Hubby put on a new faucet & it caused some issues with a water leak that exploded in our kitchen. 

I'm over water.

What I'm Dreading
I have another Retina Specialist appointment coming up so I dread the dilation.
You'd think I'd be used to it by now. I've had my eyes dilated 3 times in the past few months... but it just is so irritating.

What I'm Working On
Me! ... I'm 3 months out from my TIA & still working on getting healthier.
Getting in workouts minimum 5 days a week - trying for 6.
Watching what I eat... trying to keep the odds of another stroke far away!

What I'm Excited About
Warmer days ahead!!!!!

What I'm Watching / Reading
I just finished the documentary on Hillsong on Discovery+... whew! That was rough.

& finished up Bad Vegan.

After watching Inventing Anna & The Tinder Swindler - I am at the point where I trust NO ONE.

What I'm Listening To
Speaking of not trusting anyone... I have been watching that show The Thing about Pam... & it made me want to go listen to the Podcast about her.
OH.MY.GOODNESS.... I didnt realize the whole story. I knew about the friend & the framing of the husband - but the rest of it?? I wont spoil it for anyone if you're watching the show or want to listen to the Podcast yourself - but I know I got through the entire series in one day because I was HOOKED!

What I'm Wearing
Sweaters... still in Sweaters.
BRRRR... 

I just know we're going to go from a chilly Spring straight into heat of Summer.
Not a lot of the nice 70 degree days.

What I'm doing this Weekend
I'm hoping to finish up a book I'm reading

& I need to get a box I'm sending into ThredUp for consignment to the post office.
Exciting stuff... I know.


What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month
We dont have really any plans for next month - or any big celebrations
so I guess I'm just looking forward to making it through the month in one piece.