Out For Ice Cream

Sunday, I wanted some ice cream. My husband suggested Sweet Frogs yogurt shop that we often visit. They had some specials going on if I had an account loaded on the phone app. After several attempts, I could not get the app to work. I was so frustrated. That's when my husband suggested we ride down to Cramerton to a little creamery we have only heard about. I was on board in a jiffy.

Cramerton is a small town where I attended middle school at the base of a small mountain. I have not been through there in years. 

We arrived at the small creamery and coffee house called Floyd and Blackies. Walking in was so inviting as there was no crowd and the atmosphere was set for comfort of a cozy coffee house. We made our ice cream choice as we stood in line. They carried my favorite brand, Hershey's Ice Cream, with several different flavors to choose from. 

I would have loved to try them all but choices are not something I'm good with so I went with my typical favorite of Salted Caramel Truffle. Nick had Raspberry Roadrunner. One scoop in a waffle cone hit the spot. 

We decided to go for a walk around the little town while we slurped the melting ice cream from the rim of our cones. The temperature was soaring in the upper 90’s.

Out back was a place to picnic by the muddy river. There was canoe rentals for the brave ones. 

Looking over the trees I saw a foot bridge and suggested we go a little further to see where it lead us. It was a nice little half mile walk to a park called Goat Island Park. A place I have always heard of but never knew where it was. 

Well, we just so happened to accidentally enter into it. There were sand boxes, a play ground and picnic areas for families. Throughout the park was a disk golf course. 

Our ice cream was gone by now and we headed back to the car then rode around more to find some new eating places to try in the future. It was a nice little afternoon outing. 

Weekend Celebrations

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. I have trouble saying “Happy” Memorial Day because I feel it’s a sad day, but a day worth remembering and respecting. So many lives were sacrificed for our freedom. I can’t help but think of how young most of these soldiers were and the pain of the Mothers that had to let go of them.

My weekend had lots of celebrations. Four birthdays were celebrated. Mom invited us all over for steaks on the grill. My dad, brother, sister and me all have a birthday in May just days apart. Mom makes us our own cake. I requested a pound cake. It was delicious. I just can never seem to get a good photo of the food at Moms because everyone starts digging in as soon as the blessing ends. No one in my family understands why I want to take photos of food and when I say the word blog, I get funny looks. They have no idea what a blog is. My mom is the only one that reads my blog. All the others could care less. 

Just look at these two cute gifts from my sister. A hat and a bucket list bucket. Haha.

 

I had to work on Memorial Day but the boss let me slip out early. Me and Nick spent the rest of the day walking the strip malls and then to the grocery store. We were gonna put some fish steaks on the grill but we both agreed to settle for a good ole fashion hot dog instead. He threw some wieners on the grill while I made homemade slaw and tossed some french fries in the air fryer. Afterward, we enjoyed a nice walk around the neighborhood and settled in with a slice of cheese cakes later. 

Now it’s back the regular work days and routine afternoons. 

What did you do special for Memorial Day?

Watermelon Margarita

I can feel the heat of Summer finally approaching as the temperatures are reaching the 90's some days here. I am not complaining. I love Summer. I do not mind the heat. I'd rather be hot than cold any day. However, I will slip into the air condition if the heat is too much.

Here in the South, there is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than a glass of sweet ice tea or cold crisp watermelon. It's hard to find a good watermelon at times but I love the little baby seedless watermelons. They are perfect in size for two people.

Speaking of watermelon. I seen a recipe floating around on facebook the other day. It was for a Watermelon Margarita.  Now, I am not much of an alcohol drinker other than an occasional glass of wine, but when I seen this recipe for a watermelon margarita, I just had to try it. There is just something about sweet and salty that tickle my taste buds. Since I just so happen to have all the ingredients on hand, I went for it.

Watermelon Margarita.

2 cups cubed watermelon

1/2 cup cold water

Put in blender until juice forms.

Stain juice through a strainer. Now you have clear liquid.

(If a few slushy chunks get through, its fine).

In a cup or shaker add:

4 oz. Silver Tequila. (this is clear tequila that is light and low calorie too).

4 oz. of the watermelon juice.

1 oz. *watermelon simple syrup (instructions below).

Juice of one lime (approx 2oz)

Ice

Shake and pour into your salt rimmed margarita glass.

Enjoy.

*To make watermelon simple syrup it is two parts watermelon juice, 1 part sugar. 
(I made mine using 1/2 cup of the leftover watermelon juice and 1/4 cup sugar).
remember, you only need 1 oz.

The original recipe for this drink can be found on Southern Living.

Warning: (1)Women should not drink alcohol while pregnant because of the risk of birth defects.(2)Consumption of alcohol impairs your ability to drive.(3)Drinking to much alcohol may impair your thinking and make you stupid.

Beach Time

We took us a nice little beach trip this past weekend.

It's always nice to get away. We celebrated more of my birthday while we were down there. 

My daughter, husband and brother in law took me out to a nice dinner at LuLu's on Friday night. I failed to get any pictures of my plate as there was just too much going on. I know I know, as a blogger I should be required to take photos of my food. I just sometimes prefer to never bring my phone out at the table and this was one of those times. I enjoyed a fried oyster po-boy with fish soup. It was pretty good. It was not worth the price but the atmosphere is almost worth it. This was our 2nd time eating at LuLu's. Our first visit was back in October. You can read about it HERE.
Unless we are invited again, this will probably be our last time.

We never saw rain and were able to soak up lots of sun on the beach. It was in the 90's at times but there was always a cool breeze. We didn't even need to put up the beach umbrella for shade. It was gorgeous!

We normally get up and leave out in the mornings to head home but this time we stayed until after lunch. We spent the morning walking the beach and eating ice cream.

Later while Nick cleaned up some things around the camper me and my daughter sat around the pool until time to eat. We rarely visit the pool. I mean, why go to the beach if your gonna go to the pool? But we did.

Nick met back up with us and we sat around the campground lake to eat. Me and my daughter took a few photos then headed back to the camper to pack up and leave. It is a 4 hour trip and we made it home before dark. 

Our next trip will be in June. My little niece will be graduating and we want to be there to capture this special time with her.

Shop high-waist bathing suit at Walmart.com

Time and True

Sweat Treats Skin Care

I have mentioned before that I am trying to resort to more natural products for my skin and even in what I eat. I just feel that natural is always better when it comes to self care. When you use natural ingredients, you are eliminating harmful substances that can lead to health problems in the long run.

A couple of weeks ago I received some products from Sweet Treats and I can't be more excited to share with you these awesome items that are hand crafted with natural and safe ingredients.

Sweat Treats is a mother daughter owned company that have a passion for making quality natural bath and body products that are safe and effective for any skin types. Ingredients found in Sweet Treats skin care are sulfate free with no harmful toxins, or strong perfumes added. Best of all, no animals were used in making or testing of these products.

I have been starting each day using this Pearl Micellar Water. The pear brightens my skin for a more radiant glow. It works great as a toner before I apply my makeup in the mornings. In the afternoons I use it as a makeup remover. It even removes mascara.   

It is PH balanced to gently cleanse my face. I simply saturate a cotton round or cotton ball and gently wipe across my face. The best thing is, there is no need to rinse. Also, there was no burning or irritation and left my skin feeling fresh and clean throughout the day and night. It is gentle enough to use every day.

Another product I am enjoying is this awesome Coffee Face Cream. 

Wait, coffee on your face? When I first applied this cream on my face I could smell the aroma of coffee. I thought for sure I was going to smell like a Starbucks, but within minutes it had absorbed into my skin and there was no leftover coffee smell at all. 

I have been applying this cream to my face before bed or under my makeup in the mornings.

Coffee has been known to reduce signs of aging in mature skin. This cream leaves my face feeling firm and soft, and at my age, I sure could use something to fight those pesky wrinkles. After about the 3rd day, I could already feel a difference in my skin and complexion.

If coffee is not your thing, Sweet treats offers other face creams to fit different skin needs such as Green tea (great to reduce redness), Pearl (heals scars and acne), Papaya (antioxidants great for over night) and Orchid (prevents aging).

I can not wait to purchase some of the other facial, bath or even candle products they offer. It feels good to support small business while knowing your getting quality products that are naturally made. I do not like having to worry about allergic reactions due to chemicals or harsh ingredients.

As a bonus, I received the cutest lip balm also made with natural ingredients.

I like this lip balm because I can apply it any time I need to hydrate my lips and I do not have to worry about the waxy residue left behind like some other chap sticks or lip balms. I love anything made with coconut oil. Oh and did I mention, it smells sweet too?

Shop:
SweatTreats  

These items were provided to me free of charge 

in exchange for my honest review. 
Results are after two weeks of use.

All opinions are 100% my own.

Hello 50

Hello 50. 

I see you.

🎉

I saw you this morning when I looked into the mirror.
There is a new wrinkle that was not there yesterday.
I heard you laugh when I thought of how in the world did I make it this far?
I also saw you smile back at me when I realized I have no serious health issues.
My hair is a little more gray today and I think I see another hair on my chin.
My eye sight is not 20/20, It's 20/happy according to the optometrist.
I can’t hear as good as I used too but I'll consider that a gift.
I am told that you bring friends when you arrive such as mood swings and hot flashes.
I sure hope I never have to meet them.
It’s ok that I’m older than Sesame Street or the Internet.
because I do not feel a day over 30.

Until I saw you when I looked in the mirror this morning. 

My famous birthday twins are:
(also born May 16, 1969)

David Boreanaz & Tucker Carlson

              

Homemade Tahini Sauce

While shopping for some new foods to try that were healthy and didn’t cost an arm and leg, I came across some Boca Brand Falafels. What are Falafel? . 

They are a middle eastern food made with Garbanzo Beans AKA Chick Peas. They are sort of dry and have an earthy taste. You can learn more HERE. 

I had them once at a restaurant uptown but did not like them so much. I also had no idea what I was really eating. After I learned what they were made of, I wanted to try them again. So I bought a bag from the frozen foods and poured them into my air fryer. 

But I needed a sauce. Falafel are good dipped in cucumber sauce or Tahini Sauce. 

What is Tahini? Don’t worry, I never heard of it until now either. 

Tahini is a thick paste made from sesame seeds. Once you have Tahini paste, you make the Tahini sauce. You can find Tahini paste in most grocery stores but here on the West side of town, It was not found. That's when I decided to make my own. It was easy and way less expensive. 

Homemade Tahini Sauce

1 cup sesame seeds

4 tablespoons Olive oil.

Directions: Add sesame seeds to sauce pan and stir until to desired brown. 

They will brown quickly so make sure to keep an eye on them. 

Remove from heat and let cool for a minute or two .

Place seeds in food processor and grind until fine.

Add the oil a little at a time and keep blending until it becomes a soft paste. 

You may not need all the oil but I did.

Now you have your paste.You can keep it in the fridge over a month until ready to use.

To make the sauce, just add 

lime juice (1/2 lime should be enough).

Salt and pepper.
1 minced garlic clove

 1/2 cup yogurt.

You can adjust the thickness to your liking by adding more yogurt, or water.

There you have it. A nice little creamy dip that can be used for veggies, on salads, sandwiches, Falafels and more.

Tahini sauce reminds me a lot of Hummus.
NOTE: You can make the sauce without adding yogurt for a more vegan style.

Next time I make Falafels, I plan to make a cucumber sauce dip instead.

I'm always open for ideas if anyone has a great idea for a dip or side to go with Falafels. 

Let Me Tell you About My Mom

Happy Mothers Day to all you Mothers out there!

Let me tell you a little about my Mother.

She is the best mom I could have ever asked for. There were times in my life that I didn't let her know this enough. Growing up as a teenager, to hear her tell it, I was a struggle. Now, days it makes me sick to think of how rebellious I was at times. There are may occasions I wish I would have listened to her more. Being a mother now myself, I know how she must have worried and stressed all the time.

In a Christian home, she raised four children of her own and was a foster Mother of several others. She was so strong and I'm sure we kept her busy. She was our hair dresser, our tailor and chef. Momma did it all. She was tough, kept us straight, gave us plenty of spankings and put the meaning of grounded in the dictionary.

We didn't have cell phones back then. Didn't need one. When she called for us to come home, It was from the screen door. And we heard her from across the neighborhood. If we didn't, someone did and would send for us. Our collie dog stayed with us and would also let us know when mom was calling.

But momma was loving. She gave the best hugs and was the best at fixing boo boos and showing us how to do things on our own. She always gave the best advice and the most simplest advice she gives is when she says "Just pray about it". She always made sure we had nice clothes to wear to church and school. She is a wonderful seamstress and made most of our clothes. It was always exciting to go to the cloth store with her. She would let us pick our own pattern and a fabric.

Now I find myself just like her in a lot of ways. I even think I look like her and that makes me happy. I still call on her when I need an answer to something or little does she know, I sometimes just need to hear her voice. There are times like when I change the bed sheets, I remember how she used to tell me to do top corner to bottom corner. When I fold towels, I do it just the same as she taught me. Even the little things like, putting a paper towel on top of the lettuce when saving it, how to tie a sash or how to tie a knot at the end of my thread by rolling it between my fingers. Something every day makes me think about her. Often I wonder if she misses me when I'm not around like I miss my daughter when shes not around. I bet she does. ha!

My daughter is home this weekend and we have been having fun. We will go to church for a nice service and honer our Moms, then we will come back home to rest and maybe bake something. My daughter always likes to bake. Later we will be taking Mom out to eat to one of her favorite restaurants. 

I plan to celebrate many more Mothers Days with her.

I love her and feel so blessed.

Getting It Together

Once again I am on a mission for a planning technique. I love my Rocketbook erasable notebook and have used it since the first of the year. I do not need an event or life planner. I use my Google calendar for that. What I really need is a "blog planner". I really enjoy blogging and I want to get it more organized and I need a place to keep my blog ideas, keep up with social blog interactions, reviews, numbers, influencer task and more.

My problem is organizing. I love being organized and I just can't accomplish anything if it's not.
Though my Rocketbook seems to work pretty good for me, I am just tired of loading everything up and taking it with me everywhere. I use an iPad for blogging and therefore, I want to keep everything in the palm of my hand. I do not want to have to take out a notepad, and special pens just to jot down a note or idea. I want to open and close with just a click of a button.

I also enjoy hand writing and drawing. My husband got me a really cool iPencil which allows me to take handwritten notes, draw and highlight on my iPad. I still have so much to learn.

I am ready to go digital. I have been searching for a digital blog planners. I have found several. Some are already to go and some you have to add your own pages and create yourself. I am somewhere in the middle. I think it will be nice to have everything I need for blogging in one place.

Do you use a blog planner? Do you use a program on your computer or tablet? I would love some ideas and input on this matter. I have some really creative and successful blog friends out here.

Storm Front

I'm one of those people that love thunder storms. We do not have a threat of falling trees on our house, which I'm sure helps with the enjoyment and peace each storms brings. During a thunder storm, we will sometimes pull out the folding chairs and sit under the carport just to feel the breeze and listen to the sounds of the rain and thunder.

When I chose a candle from Goose Creek Candles, I immediately fell for the fragrance of  "Storm Front". This large jar candle has dual wicks that quickly filled my home with the sweet aroma of a breezy Summer storm.

There is just something about the sound, smell and that little bit of fear mixed with a cozy feeling a Summer storm gives. Just like fresh outside air, with Goose Creek Candles I never have to worry about breathing in harmful toxins. Each candle is lead free and burns clean. This also means the candle jar, walls or ceilings will not turn black with residue like most candles can leave behind.

These candles are made with premium paraffin that is highly scented.

The prominent scents of this Storm Front candle give you the best mix of aroma as they are all combined in the perfect combination of layers.

Top: Orange, White Peach, and Red Pineapple.

Mid: Crisp Apple, Jasmine and Lavender.

Base: Cedarwood, Sandalwood, and Amber.

Goose Creek Candles has over 100 different scents to choose from to fit any occasion or mood. 

You can also shop with confidence as these are made right here in the USA. 

Shop

Goose Creek Candle

This large jar candle was provided to me free of charge 

in exchange for my honest review. 

All opinions are 100% my own.

May Celebrations

I started the Month off with a happy Anniversary and would like to thank everyone for your happy wishes. It was a great day. My husband showered me with kisses and hugs. We exchanged cards and he surprised me with an iPencil and a new iPad case with a keyboard.

I was overwhelmed. We will celebrate some more this weekend with a nice dinner somewhere.

May is also my birthday month. I am excited to say that on the 16th I will be turning 50! Wow. Bring on the wrinkle creams and potty handles!

I have my birthday outfit ready!

May will be filled with all kinds of fun and events throughout. Not only will I be having a birthday, but I have a sister, a brother, and my dad that will be celebrating birthdays too. This means lots of cake cakes. Mom will make each one of us our own birthday dessert of our choice and we all share. I can already feel the pounds adding on as I type.

This weekend we will be making a trip to Charlotte to celebrate my daughters boyfriends Birthday and also Cinco De Mayo. We plan to try a new Mexican restaurant in town.

Speaking of Charlotte. If you have not heard already, there was a student shooting at UNCC this week that left the whole town in a somber state of mind. It hits close to home. This is where my daughter graduated college. It feels a little different when it's your area that is affected with such tragedy. Please keep all the students, faculty and families in your prayers.

I see a beach trip happening this month too! Can't hardly wait to have some fun in the sun and more birthday celebrations!

Silver Anniversary

Today is my silver anniversary.

25 years ago, on a Sunday afternoon, I was a bride walking down the isle in a wedding gown my Mother made me. It was long and straight, full of lace and beads and had a short train that swept behind me.

The preacher cut his sermon a few minutes short. Then for the next 30 minutes, friends and family would come filtering in as the rest of the congregation kept their seats. The wedding was set for 12:30.

There were no bridesmaids or groomsmen. His father was the ring barer. My two year old daughter was the mini bride and walked down the isle before me. She saw Nick standing at the alter and she took off running towards him with arms wide open and flower petals slinging everywhere. She held tight to his leg as I slowly approached him while holding my daddy tight on my arm.

Unfortunately, none of my friends came to my wedding. Only my boss lady and another work employee showed. Everyone else seated on my side, was family or church members.
However, The grooms side of the church was full of his friends and family and later became my friends too. It was sad but I really didn't notice until afterward. That's when I handed my sister my bouquet with tears in my eyes and said "here, your next", then we headed off to the reception.

The reception was a nice dinner prepared by my mother in law and mom. My mother made me the prettiest three tier wedding cake. To this day, my daughter will tell me she wants her maw maw to make her a cake like that one day.

We did not have a honeymoon. We didn't have a baby sitter and I had to go to work the next day. But we sure have made it up in the 25 years we have been married and I wouldn't have it any other way.

We plan to have a beach wedding and renew our vowels some day. We used to say we would do it at our 25th anniversary, but obviously, it's a little late for that now.
So now we are shooting for a renewal wedding at our 30th anniversary. It want be long because time flies when your having fun. Tonight we may go out for a nice dinner to celebrate. I'm not sure what he has up his sleeve for today.

We will continue to reach for the Gold as our marriage grows stronger every day.
I dream of many more anniversaries!