Dollar Store Finds

Spring is still among us but Summer will be here before you know it. Summertime brings lots of fruity and flowery things. If you notice, the stores this year are loaded with fruit print clothing. My daughter even purchased a bathing suit in bananana print. I told her shes gone bananas [enter laugh here].

There are mens blazers in pineapple print at Kohl's department store. I heard these are a big deal on cruises this year. Do you have any fruity print clothing?

The other day while looking around the dollar store for some safety pins, I came across these adorable plates and napkins. 

Wouldn't these be adorable at your next picnic? I can picture these on the table with a bouque of daisies. Just adorable. I didn't purchase them but I wish I would have. I may sneak back up there a get them this week. I think they will be great for the beach or patio. 

I found the safety pins I was looking for and headed toward the register. As I was walking to the check out line, I passed by these precious tea towels. If you know me, then you know I am a sucker for tea towels. Preferably vintage ones but any will do. I have to many towels on hand right now but I did not leave the store with out this cutie.

I plan to give this towel to my daughter as it will look great in her kitchen and I can imagine her saying these words. 

I love visiting the dollar store as everything cost only a dollar. I never leave empty handed. 

My First 5K Run

Saturday I got up bright and early. Earlier than I would on any work day. The sky was dark and the rain was falling. This would be the day I do my first 5K run that I didn’t prepare for.

My fitbit alarm sent me a gentle vibration on my wrist at 5:45am. I was up like Christmas morning. I put on my running clothes and shoes and headed to the kitchen for a banana and peanut butter. I skipped the coffee. Well, I did have a sip but not my normal cup. I didn’t want to have to fight a full bladder.

Nick surprised me by getting up too. “Well, I am going to take you. You didnt think I was gonna let you run 3 miles without being there incase something happend, did you?”  I was so happy and felt at ease because frankly, I wasnt sure of myself either. I had come close to chickening out several times. 

Once we were there, the rain was at a mist. I met up with my friend and we headed to the starting line. We told each other not to wait on each other and do the race at our own pace. “On your mark-Get set-Go! And we were off. 

Mile one- I think I started to fast and I'm already out of breath. There are still many runners around me. I just got passed by a mom pushing a baby stroller. I walked a little to catch my breath before we started down a hill into town. I got enough air to start running again. My friend has already run ahead of me so I stuck in my second earphone so I could zone out with my music playlist.

Mile two- The runners are thinning out more as they are all probably at the finish line already way ahead of me. I continue to walk some and run some. 

I have to catch up to that really old man ahead of me. Im pretty sure he’s in his 90’s. I need to ask him what kind of vitamins he takes or what he had for breakfast! It never happened. Somewhere between me fixing my wedgie and smiling at a camera man, he disappeared.

Mile three- There is no one ahead of me and no one behind me. 

The struggle was getting real.  At this point, I’m wondering,“what in the heck was I thinking?” I am now feeling the sting of a blister forming on my heel. “Am I last?” I was beginning to doubt myself again. I wasn’t sure I was gonna make it. 

Suddenly in the distance I could see the building where I started. This gave me hope. I kept on mostly running with walking breaks every now and again. 

(Yes, I had to snap a photo of my view. I mean, you have to know that if a blogger goes running three miles, they have to take a photo. I didn’t stop so it was all good since I skipped stopping at the water table).

I see the finish line- This was like the gates of heaven opening up and letting me in. I saw my husband and the friend that left me behind. I started to feel emotional that I was actually going to finish this! I wanted to cry. But there is no crying in running. That last little stretch to the finish line gave me a rush of energy as I pushed myself to cross through. I felt so proud of myself! Really! I never feel like a winner but this day I did. 

For the record: I was not last. I was somewhere in the middle. I finished in 38:33 minutes which I don’t think thats too bad being the first time ever trying to run. Will I ever do it again? I’m not sure. Ask me again after I get over the soreness. 

MY COMMENT EMAILS!!!

I do not have a post planned for today but I'm breaking in here a minute to complain about a Blogger issue I'm having just in case some of you are having the same problem.

It seems Blogger has updated some security features. I have no idea. It was too much to read but I complied. I mean, I had to comply or it else....you know how that works right?

You see, when my sweet blog readers add a comment on my post, I get a little "DING" email notification letting me know you commented, then I grin and open it up to read your comment.

As of yesterday 5/24/18.....Silence. I mean, notta.
I know at least Jack has had to comment already.

So I log on to my blog and BAM! comments!!!! I was never notified of them. My comment email notifications have stopped. I went to the blogger forum and noticed I am not alone. I lot of bloggers are experiencing the same problem. Ive also noticed my "contact form" is not working either since Im notified by my email too. This can really be a problem.

Theres more. People who follow me by email. They will not get a notification that I just posted a new post. So sad.

I guess I will actually have to log onto my blog every couple hours to see if I have any comments as these make me happy throughout the day. Even if I don't reply to them, I read every single one and some days I reply back right here on the post. Sometimes I only reply back to the reply bloggers via email. Just depends on the day and the subject.

Anywho! I want my notifications fixed. Hopefully they will find the glitch and fix it!
What about you???

Just Doing It

Since I lost 50 lbs on Nutrisystem three years ago and reaching my weight loss goal. I had set another goal for myself. I want to complete a 5K race. Not a one mile fun walk or a Marathon, but a three mile (5k) run.

This was my plan last year but as soon as I started preparing myself, I began to have complications with chest pains and continuing inner ear problems and vertigo. The chest pains were so persistent that I ended up having every test out there to determine the cause. It was not my heart, or my gal bladder. I was left undiagnosed and I have learned to live with the pain. During my last visit to the gynecologist, I told her about it and she suggested that I probably have costocondritis. It's were the cartladge between the ribs and breast plate become inflamed and painful. Flare ups are commonly caused by exercise and take a long time to heal. I just went with that and have learned to accept the pain I still suffer. I do not talk about it to my husband anymore because I'm sure hes tired of hearing it and he does not need the worry anyway. 

After that, I gave up on that goal.

Belmont Classic 5K to support Belmont Citizen Police Academy.

Until the other day. My best friend from high school asked if I would like to do a 5K race with her since she knew I wanted to try one. It was close to home in the town we grew up in. “It will be fun” she said. So I thought about it and accepted the invite. I registered and paid my dues. My bib number is 832. Nick hasn’t said much to me about it, he is not on board. He worries that I can’t do it. He also refuses to do it with me even though he is an avid walker. 

It’s ok though. After 24 years of marriage, I understand his ways.

This is something I want to do for myself and nobody else. It may seem small to many, but this is a big deal for me. I’m nervous. I’m scared. So much is going trough my mind. “Can I do it? Will I come in last or in the middle? Do I wear shorts or leggings? What if I have to pee? Will I get trampled during the start? What if I get those chest pains half way through? What if I get vertigo? What if I pass out? Are my shoes good enough? Will I embarrass myself? Will I finish? Will I fall?......What if???”

Wait.....Run? I can’t even run to the end of my driveway!!

So this Saturday, rain or shine, I will get up early and head across town to start the 8:00 race I have not even prepared for. I am only used to walking about 2 miles a day. I’m afraid that since It’s so close to race day, that if I try to prepare now it will cause me to be sore. I plan to walk some and try to run as much as I can. It’s ok. I’m not in it to win it but to finish it. There will be no one there to cheer me on and no one at the finish line to celebrate my victory. The race will end and I will leave. I may not even talk about it much when I get home but inside I can be proud of what I did. Wish me Luck!

To Be Continued......

Rain and Sand

It’s Tuesday and I am just getting around to posting about my weekend beach trip. It was a great trip for a Duck!

My husband, daughter and I took a trip to our beach camper this past weekend. We knew rain was in the forcast but plans were already set. I get a limited amount of days off from work so we have to go when we can. 

We can never really go by the weather forcast for the beach since it can be so unpredictable. It can be raining a mile off the beach and still be sunny and beautiful on the beach. 

ANY WAY....It was terrible this past weekend. Rain, rain and more rain. The camper gets very small when we are all stuck inside. Cabin fever will set in quick. We literally would stare out the windows and once the rain would stop, we would go outside and walk around. It was off and on every fifteen minutes. We finally made the decision to go for our excersise walk in the rain. It was very warm so the rain felt refreshing. We were soaked from head to toe but it was fun. Of course we could have gotten out and went shopping, but for what? We didn’t need anything nor the money to waste. We were there for the sand and sun.

While my daughter watched a little tv, me and Nick headed out for a walk on the beach during another rain break. We didn’t drive 210 miles not to get our feet wet in the ocean. However, I did more than that. I actually fell in the ocean. I wanted Nick to snap a photo me in the water. Just as he snapped the photo, a wave took my feet out from under me. He had a good laugh with that. 

One day I took my excersise walk/run on the beach. I decided not to let the misty rain keep me imprisoned. 

Later on that afternoon we got some ice cream and played a few games of skeet ball in the campground arcade.

We made it a short day and finally headed out to dinner. We visited the local winery then ended the night with at trip to the outlet malls. 

Of course the drive home was sunny. 

Mood Nails

I like to have pretty finger nails. I have given up the nail biting habit so now I enjoy getting manicures on occasions. I have been able to let my nails grow to a good length so I went a while back to have them painted with a gel polish. After I took that polish off, my nails were brittle and I swore I would never have my nails done again ( I say that alot but then a holiday comes up).

A few weeks ago, I was called to do a photo shoot. This meant I had to break down and get my nails done up pretty with a nude or natural colored polish. I had to opt for fake nail tips since mine were just too short for pretty. The nail tech kept trying to get me to get the new “mood” color. There were several colors to choose from but I had to turn down the offer. I promised her I’d try out the new “mood” colors when I get back. 

Two weeks later my fake nails were still holding up but needed filled in from growth. By this time, I would usually have them already off to my natural nails but I decided to go have them filled in and painted. As promised, I got a mood color.

What is mood colors? It’s a gel Polish (which last longer) that changes colors with your temperature. Yellow can turn Orange. Black can turn Purple, etc.

I kept it simple and chose pink. 

I have had more fun with these nails. When they are cold, they are pink. When they are warm, they are white. My hands are always cold so they mostly stay pink. Nick saw them this morning and asked if I need the heat on. haha. By the way, he likes me to keep them red. 

See ! Aren’t they cool? I haven’t had this much fun with changing colors since the mood ring. I may have to try a different color next time. 

 Color: Seashell Pink

Today is...

• I am 49 and don't feel a day over 32.
• Well except when I’m around my daughters friends, then I feel 49.
• I don’t know how to act because I have never been this old before. 
• Inventors must have thought I’d be a hot one since they invented the smoke detector the same year I was born. 
• I lived in this world before Emails, cordless phones, automatic sliding doors and ATM’s. 
• No one knew what a laptop computer was or a GPS. 
• Prozac was also invented after I was born. They saw me coming. 
• Did you know the first personal computer was invented in 1983 and called an “Apple Lisa”? Just had to throw that out there. 
• Microwaves were just getting popular in homes and moms actually cooked. 
• We didn’t have Xboxes or Nintendo . 
• We played pong until Atari came out.
• We also played hopscotch, jack rocks and marbles.
• We swung on a swing set almost every day 
• And played in the woods all the time. 
• If we were not playing outside, it meant to our friends that we were grounded. 
• I just realized, I’m too young to be this old. 

The birthday fun actually started last weekend when mom prepared a wonderful birthday dinner with family. Four out of six of us have May birthdays. The fun will last through this weekend with a short get away with my daughter and husband. 

I need to enjoy it while I can still get around.

Here is a the “Apple Lisa” 

Mothers Day Weekend

My mothers day weekend started with a trip to Charlotte Saturday to pick up my daughter. We figured this would save her on gas since her boyfriend will be joining up with us on Sunday and he would take her back with him.

Once we arrived in Charlotte, my daughter buzzed us into her apartment so we could help her with her things. Yes, she stays one night with us and she packs for a week. It’s a girl thing. Once we were in, she had me a dozen mixed donuts sitting on the counter along with dish of bacon. 

She had went to a bacon festival the night before and she knew how much I love bacon. I had all the bacon and a donut eat before we got back home.

Her boyfriend got me some flowers for Mother’s Day which I thought was so sweet. ummm yes, hes beginning to get real sweet with us. Wonder why? Time will tell. But he is absolutely a sweet heart.

We spent Saturday doing some shopping. Not really buying anything. Just looking around. Nick told us to go without him and enjoy our mother/daughter time. Later he took us out to eat Mexican food and then Ice Cream. I was stuffed and tired. 

Sunday I woke up to a sweet card and this beautiful necklace along with a manicure gift card some eye shadows and lipsticks. 

After breakfast we headed off to church to honor God and mothers. It was a wonderful service.

Here is a little funny about church this morning:

They called all the mothers to the front of the church to give us all a little gift. This year we received candy dishes full of candy. Well, they were not exactly candy dishes but rather Margarita glasses. The pastor realized this after the fact and told us all not to get any ideas!  I found this so funny as I have never seen my mom hold a margarita glass until a day in church! Ha ha. It was sweet though.

After church Nick took us to Sweet Frogs yogurt shop then to look at some beach chairs I had been wanting. 

We ended the day with a family dinner for Mom at her favorite Chinese restaurant. 

It was a great weekend!   

Mother’s Day-The Corsage

Happy Mother’s Day to all past, present and future Mothers! Hope your day is filled with love, happy thoughts and memories.

I remember when I was little, Mom would carefully lay out corsages for me and my sister and boutonniere's for my brothers that My Grandmother made. One by one, mom would pin our corsage to our Sunday outfit and to church we went. I hated it. I despised having to wear that big scratchy corsage that smelled like grandmaws basement! I was too young at the time to realize the reason of her making sure we all had a corsage to wear on Mother’s Day. 

The Mother’s Day corsage started in the 1800’s. Everyone wore one on Mother’s day. The corsage did not indicate that your were a mother, but rather that you are wearing something to honor your own mother. The flowers were usually made with an orchid, carnation or rose. The type of flower was not as important as the color. If your mom is living, you wore a red or pink flower. If your mom is deceased, you wore a white one. 

Sadly the tradition of the Mothers Day corsage has stopped. You will rarely see anyone wearing them anymore. I admit, I have not worn one in years. 

So, this Mothers Day, I have decided to make my own corsage to proudly wear over my heart in honor of my Mother (If it’s still alive).

I am who I am today because of her. She worked hard making sure all four of her children had everything we need. She showed us unconditional love but would also show us what a hickory stick was when we did wrong. She made sure we were in church every Sunday and raised us with Christian values that we still hold on too today. My mom is very pretty, smart, strong and always smells good. 

I made my mom laugh and cry. I have rebelled and hurt her feelings many times. I will always hold that guilt but I know she prayed and loved me through it all. That's what moms do. 

As a mom myself, I find and l learn new obstacles with my own daughter that make me think about the challenges and sacrifices my mom went through. Everyday, I am more thankful for the lessons she taught me and how much she has inspired me. Next to God, she is my foundation. 

My daughter is home this weekend to spend Mothers Day with me. We did some shopping, and crafting and took lots of selfies. I feel so blessed.

This afternoon, the whole family will meet for dinner with our mom. It's a mommy kind of day!!!!

I LOVE MY MOM!

Protein Powder Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake

I have been doing a little more exercise lately. Not a lot more, just a little more. I found a Bow Flex machine stashed away at work. I decided to use it and work out my arms on my breaks. The flabby arms left by my weight loss have been bothering me. When I wave at someone, I swear I could fly away. They need toning up and who doesn’t need a little muscle ? I have also been making sure to get my power walks in each afternoon and have added more hula hooping afterward.

When I finally settle down for the night, I’m ready for a healthy snack. I will usually grab a Nutrisystem snack or some crackers, but tonight I was in the baking/making mood so I decided to make a mug cake using Nutrisystems Turbo shake mix. It’s full of protein and vitamins. This may not have been the best choice for a night time snack but it hit the spot and saved me trip to the bakery. 

I have tried several mug cake recipes and most are pretty good, but I’m here to tell you, this one is absolutely the best! It turned out moist and delicious. Except for the glaze on top, there was no added sugar. The shake mix was sweet enough. I ended up making two so Nick could enjoy one too. With a full mouth, he gave it a thumbs up.

To be honest, with the added egg, flour, and glaze, its a little more than recommended while loosing weight on Nutrisystem. I am currently maintaining so I think I’m safe here as long as I don’t over do it....unlike my husband over there pouring on more glaze!

Protein Powder Cinnamon Roll Mug Cake.

1 scoop -Nutrisystem Turbo Shake (or protein powder)

1/2 tsp.-baking powder

1 Tbs.-self rising flour

1/2 tsp-cinnamon

1 large egg

1/4 cup-almond milk (or low fat milk)

1/4 tsp-vanilla extract 

Spray a large mug or ramekin with cooking spray. 

Add dry ingredients and mix until blended.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Microwave for 1 min or until toothpick comes out clean.

Top with glaze, additional cinnamon and nuts (optional)

ENJOY

Chocolate Avocado Toast

I am a big fan of avocados. I bet you didn't know that an avocado is actually a fruit. Don’t feel bad, I though it was a nut. I like to eat them different ways. I will eat them in guacamole as a side dish to Mexican food or topped on a salad. One of my favorite breakfast items is avocado toast. I put an egg on a piece of toast then top with slices of avocado. This is what my breakfast can look like.

There are many health benefits in this plant food. While it is high in calories, its is low in carbs and saturated fats. Avocados are rich in fiber, and have no sodium making it a great choice in a weight loss diet. Half of an avocado has about 160 calories and a normal serving is 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado. As long as you watch portion size, you are ok. Avocado will give you a full feeling which helps control snacking between meals. 

Avocados are full of vitamin A, E, K, B6 and Potassium. They have more potassium than a banana. 

With all that being said, I have tried to include avocados in a couple meals each week. It boost immune system and promotes healthy skin. 

Ok enough with the benefits of this fruit. Let me tell you about the new way I found to make avocado toast. Chocolate avocado. Yes you read that right. Chocolate! Now I win all the way around!

I mean, who doesn't like chocolate? Right? Ok, I sense some of your noses snarling up in eww. Well, let me tell you, this is actually good. It has just the right sweetness I need to get my morning started. It taste a lot like chocolate pudding. Who would have thought you can make a sweet chocolate concoction with a fruit? Come on give it a try.

Chocolate Avocado Toast

1/2 avocado 

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey (I mix mine).

Mix well and spread on toast and top with fruit (optional).

Though Nick said it looked like poop on toast, he decided to taste it anyway. He didn’t say much, but I think he liked it. I will be making this again. 

I have shared this at these wonderful Link Parties:

Caroles Chatter Food on Friday

aging like fine wine- party in your pjs

Fluster Buster- Creative Muster Party

Exhausted

We finally got my daughter and her roommate moved into their new apartment. It was nice not to have to drive back and forth moving them. We only had to go floor to floor and hall to hall. Her new apartment is on the other side of the complex from the other one but its all indoors. All they have left to do is some final cleaning of the old one and they are done. 

About 1:30 we were getting hungry so we took a break and walked a block to a little sandwich shop called  Lincolns Haberdashery. Nick bought us all some lunch. My daughter ended up buying us an ice cream cookie sandwich on the way back. It was delicious and huge. We all had a share of it and she had enough left over to eat later for a snack. I wish I would have gotten a photo of it. 

However, I did get a shot of this darling little idea with spaghetti sticks they had at the coffee bar. 

Speaking of coffee bar, they had what is called a “Affogato”. It was espresso poured over ice cream and amaretto liqueur then and topped with chocolate, caramel and biscotti sprinkles. It looked delicious but I didnt get one this time. 

Around here we would have just called it a “coffee float”

When we got finished eating, Nick stayed busy getting all the curtains, pictures and mirrors hung while we moved little things. I got my 10k steps in before noon. I could have stayed longer than we did but she was wanting to get ready to take her boyfriend out for his birthday. 

Speaking of going out. Me and Nick had planned to do our anniverary dinner this weekend. Now we are exhausted and just want to lay around. 

Oh well, everyday is a special day for us. We can always go out another time. Your childrens needs are always first priority. 

Now its back to work hope this week is better.

Happy Monday.

When It Rains, It Pours

My daughter was home Tuesday for an overnight stay. Nick ended up busting her bubble the next day by telling her he’d rather her not go with us on our week vacation this year. *sigh*. I’m not sure whose feelings were hurt worst, hers or mine. But in all fairness, me and Nick have never got to take a whole week vacation without our daughter in 26 years. She had already taken that week off and was exited about going. When he blurted out during a converstion “No your not going this time, me and your mom need a week at the beach alone for once”. It hit her wrong.

The wording could have been better and softer but this hurt her feelings and she packed her overnight bag and left mad. I’m sure she didn’t want to talk to us ever again, but we knew this too would pass. 

When she got to her apartment, she had to call us (which I knew just killed her due to the curcumstances).

“Mom, my apartment sprinkler system is going off flooding our apartment and I do not know what to do.”

Of course she could have come back here, but we are 45 minutes away from her work place, so she decided to stay at a friends house for the night.

She and her roomate spent all of Thursday on the phone with the apartment manager on what to do. Let me just mention, “These are are uptown apartments with rent that could pay my car off’. They wanted answers! Restoration crews were coming into the apartments on that floor and setting up equipment and turning off overhead lights. Twelve units were flooded. They were fit to be tied. She had to stay with a friend again that night.

On Friday, she and her roomate marched down to the office and demanded some answers and instructions. The apartment manager told them that they had to use their renters insurance to find a hotel for a few weeks. What? This can not work because she relies on the light rail train to take her to work each morning as parking uptown can cost 50.00 a day. The insurance requires a 500.00 deductable she did not have, its not their fault, and she could not be that far away from her shoes! Ha.

This momma was just about to call the apartments myself but Nick suggested I let them handle it as they are adults. 

After a heated argument they were given a new apartment to move into without any fees and also some of the rent price knocked off for the month. The kicker was they had to be out of the flooded apartment by Sunday. Nothing was packed or boxed and the restoration equipment was scattered through out. It was a nightmare.

So 11:00 at night we took a trip to Charlotte to at least get her bed moved to the new apartment. While Nick disassembled the bed frame, Me and my daughter wrestled a large matteress to the 4th floor and other side of the building. This took us almost an hour. I think I laughted so hard, my tummy has a six pack. She on the other hand was ill as a bat. To me, us wrestleing that wobbly mattress, stopping every few feet was hilarious. But we mananged to get her whole bedroom moved that night and her roomate moved her things on Saturday. 

We are heading back down there today and finish up get the moving process completed, mirrors and pictures hung and dishes put away.  

I look at this as precious moments, memories and adventures to keep forever.

Home-Finally

I’m finally home from a Photo shoot in Orlando Florida. I had a good time. I enjoyed dinner with friends and hanging out at the pool and relaxing. Yes I had a lot of down time. 

The photo shoots were rather hectic. It was not as glamerous as the first shoot I did two years ago in Tampa. No fancy hotel or fancy rides. It was not as organized either. For some reason I never did a “talking” shoot. There were eight of us and everyone else had there moment talking on camera. I on the other hand, I had a few outdoor shots and I was done. Thats ok though. I hate talking on camera. 

Here is a photo of me heading to a shoot. See that hotel room? Orange! Yes orange. It was clean but ugly. Nothing like I expected but I didnt come home with bugs so its all good. 

Here are a few shots of me waiting around for my action. 

They did say I would be on a commercial but didn't say when. It usually takes a couple months for a debut, so we will see. 

I was excited to see my husband pull up at the airport to get me. We did a lot of face timeing and I missed him so much.

Today, it was back to work. 

I’m glad to be home.