These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Well it’s now three days after Christmas and I am just getting around to blogging. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. My favorite time was Christmas morning when I could slow down a couple hours and enjoy a cup of coffee and homemade sausage balls. 

After a couple hours of quiet time, my twenty nine year old daughter came running into the living room to see what Santa had brought. He indeed stopped by. She got almost everything she asked for. She also surprised me and Nick with a few gifts. She got me some little things she knew I had been wanting. 

Here are a few of my favorite things.

Turkish beach towel. These towels are thin and soft. They are absorbent and light. Turkish towels can also be used for a light blanket or scarf.  

I have also been wanting some silicone cupcake liners. I got both.

There was a sweater I seen on the internet that I had my eye on and she managed to get the exact sweater I wanted.

 

She also got me some slippers, make up brushes and make up. I was happy but all I really wanted and needed was her just being here at home with me.

Her boyfriend got me this nice oil defuser. I love it and it is so relaxing. 

Something else I got for Christmas was a future new Sister in Law. My brother in law preposed to his girlfriend on Christmas Morning. I have only met her a couple of times when I visited the beach this past Summer. She is a sweet girl and I wish them the best. 

Later my Mom and Dad stopped in for a visit and then we headed off to Nicks other brothers house for Christmas Dinner and watched some of the little ones play and open gifts. 

I even snuggled my Nephews bearded dragon. I think it liked me and I’m showing some guts here. I’d much rather be snuggling a puppy. 

I slept late on Sunday and that was nice except I missed church. Then my daughter left to go back to her place and I spent the rest of the day taking down Christmas decorations and cleaning the house. 

This coming weekend will be busy again. I will be doing my traditional New years dinner. Boy I’m tired!

What are some of the special moments you had this Christmas? 

Feeling Elfie

Happy Christmas Eve yall!

I have a day off today from both jobs. My daughter is home, presents are all wrapped and the cooking has begun.

Last night I felt a little elfie. You see, at my seasonal job, they have had these little Christmas accessories for us to wear all month. My job is picking orders and getting them prepared for store pick ups. Often I would have to run them out to a car on curbside. They wanted us to look festive I guess. 

But not me, no no. 

I snarled my nose up at the lighted necklaces, antler head bands and paper elf hats. I just was not going there! Nope.

Well last night while I was darting around the store grabbing items for those last minute shoppers, I got in the mood to put on one of the elf hats. “Ok, I’ll do it”. And just like that, I became a jingly elf. I had fun passing children as I was working. Some would be acting up in the store and when they saw me, they would straighten up and their little eyes would just stare at me until I disappeared. Some kids would run and hide. I would just wave and point as I walked by. I had fun. Now I know what Santa must feel like. 

I began to think about those little kids. I could have been their only little Christmas hope they had.

To me it was just a stupid little paper hat with bells on it. 

To them, I was an elf. I was one of Santas helpers. 

I was running my legs off, my feet hurt and I was tired from working my day job then coming here to work at nights.

But if it wasn’t for me and others doing this task, some one would not have their present under the tree in time. I carried around a handheld device that would let me know when an order was placed and what to grab. (Aka Santas list). 

Sometimes I would have to reject orders when there was no inventory to be found. Even though they ordered online as it was in stock, an inside shopper could buy it off the shelf before I could fill the order. Every time this happened I would feel sad. They would get an email letting them know it was not in stock. I just hope they had a plan B in these cases. 

Now it’s time for me to relax. I have a big day ahead of me. I have some cookies to make. I will also be making sausage balls, grape salad and broccoli salad for tomorrow. I need to get my nails painted and my house cleaned. 

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. 

Puppy Chow Muddy Buddy

I finally got my Christmas shopping finished. I actually finished last week. It feels great to get that behind me and now I can sit back and enjoy the rest of the season. 

With my work schedule, I have to find time to get things done. I was off on Sunday so I was able to enjoy church again. My daughter came home and we spent the afternoon baking cookies and making treats to hand out to the neighbors. 

This year I will be handing out tins of “puppy chow”. It’s not really puppy chow but that what it’s called because of how it looks. If you buy it in the store, it is called Muddy Buddy.

It is made by coating chex cereal with a peanut butter and chocolate mixture then tossing it into powder sugar. It is absolutely delicious!

Incases you want the recipe, here it is.....

PUPPY CHOW (Muddy Buddy)

6 cups Chex rice cereal.

1/2 Cup peanut butter.

1 Cup chocolate chips.

1/4 Cup butter.

1 Teaspoon vanilla.

2 Cups powder sugar.

In microwave, melt chocolate chips, butter and peanut butter together on high for 30 seconds. 

Microwave 15 seconds at a time until mixture becomes smooth.

Stir in vanilla and pour over cereal mixture. Stir to coat. 

Pour into a 2 gallon resealable food storage bag or a container with a lid.

Shake until coated. 

Transfer into a serving container and add extras of your choice such as pretzels, marshmallows, M&Ms, or other candies.

I just added some Christmas colored M&Ms. 

We also made my favorite holiday cookie, “Pecan balls”. I filled a tin with those to take to work and we have a container of our own. 

I could eat my weight in those things. 

Pocket Prayer Cloths

Between working, shopping, wrapping gifts, cooking and somewhat keeping the house clean, I worked in a few minutes to create these little pocket prayer cloths. My friend and neighbor asked if I would make her a few to give to some people she knew that might want one.

Once they were completed, I held them in my hands and prayed a little prayer over them, then packaged them ready to give.

What is a prayer cloth?

A prayer cloth is used by an individual or group of people that are praying for an ailing or sick friend or family member. The prayer cloth is usually prayed upon by the individual or group, and then given to or wrapped around the sick person.

The ones I made were small pocket size. They can be kept in your pocket, or purse. They are small enough to hold securely in your hands when you want to feel comfort. 

I remember a church group giving one to my mother-in-law when she was sick. I thought it was so precious. It meant a lot to her.

My neighbor wrote me the other day and told me that the little prayer clothes were appreciated and loved by those that received one. She said it also brought tears to one of the receivers. This touches me heart. In the world we live in today, we all need to know someone out there is praying for us. 

Now keep in mind, a prayer cloth does not heal. It is only a token of prayers said for the person it’s given to. Prayers, believing, and faith in God brings healing. 

“So that from his body were brought unto the sick, handkerchiefs or 
aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of 
them”.

Act 19:12.

  

You can find the free pattern HERE.

Prayer cloths are not to be sold, only given.

 

First Week New Job

Everyone keeps asking for an update on my new job.  Well, I made it through the week without crying and only suffered 2 paper cuts. I think it went ok. It’s a little overwhelming for me right now, but I think I will like it better once I’m more comfortable. It’s for a CPA and I have no clue about taxes and accounting, so it’s a lot to sink in. There are 4 of us and we each have our own office but my desk is more of a reception area. 

It is very quiet. Much different than my old office job. My past job was real laid back. I could wear jeans and tshirts and practically do what I wanted to in my space. In my new workplace, I have to dress officey (yes I just made up a new word). It’s quiet and everyone seems serious and professional. I’m hoping I will fit in soon.

I am only working til 2 each day until January then I will be working full time 9-5. Meanwhile, I leave the office job and drive to the mall to work my seasonal job. The two places are only 8 minutes apart. I really do enjoy the my seasonal job at Belk. Everyone seems to like me, everyonce is friendly, and I am getting my steps in because I walk around all night picking clothes and merchandise from the sales floor to be shipped. I have averaged walking 20k steps. It’s like a long shopping trip. Of course, I have already spent my first pay check on clothes. This job is dangerous to my pocketbook. Haha.

But I'm tired. 

Going in early at one job and work til 10 at another and then working weekends on top of that, I’m wore out. I come home, take a shower and do it all over again the next day. I feel like I have no home life. I do not have time to blog much or craft (my two stress relievers). I barely have time to eat and my Christmas tree rarely gets noticed. But it will be all over soon and I will be back to regular work days with nights and weekends free. I figured this year of 2020 has been a mess so why not just finish it out with a bang. 

Do I plan to keep my new office job. Of course I do, but after a six months or so, if I am unhappy, I will start looking around again. I have worked all my life and at my age I think it is important to have a job that you enjoy. Lets face it, Taxes and accounting are not my thing. I have no interest in it. But things could change. It’s only been a week so I can not let that influence me right now. Just being the new girl sucks.

I hope this post makes sense. I can barely keep my eyes open.

Thank you all again for you prayers and concerns. 

I plan to catch up on my blogs reads this week. 

Back In The Office Chair

I have some good news to share. I am excited to announce that I have finally found me a new job. 

If you know me or have been following my blog, you know that I lost my job in October of 2019. I was an office manager for 26 years until the company sold halfway out and my boss said he could no longer afford me, so he let me go. From that day on, I have searched for another full time office job. I applied to over 280 jobs with no luck. I was devastated. I was losing hope. There were days I hated myself and times I was afraid I was getting depression, But everyone kept telling me to trust in God and I will find a job on his timing. I guess that time is now. 

A friend had reached out to see if I’d be interested in this position. When I said yes, she made arrangements for me to do an interview with the owner. I went for the interview and it seemed to go well as expected. He noted that he was definitely interested in hiring me. I left his office without much hope as this was pretty much how all the other interviews have gone. I was becoming a pro at accepting rejection.

The next week he called me back and formally offered me the job and after a couple of questions, I accepted. 

I will be an administrative assistant for a CPA office.

I start Monday. 

Meanwhile, I have been working a seasonal job at Belk department store for the past few weeks. I like it though it can be tiring working on your feet all day. I have enjoyed working with customers and it’s giving me something to keep busy and lots of exercise.

I plan to continue with the seasonal job on nights and weekends as long as I can. This will give me some 10 and 12 hour days. I can give up the seasonal job anytime but we’ll see how it goes.

I am going to be a busy bee until January.

I am pretty excited about the new position but I have so much anxiety built up right now. I hope they like me and I hope I will be a great asset to the office and enjoy it. 

I want to thank all of my friends that have been keeping me in their prayers and my spirits high.

2020 has been a rough year.

Porch Snowman

While my daughter was home for Thanksgiving, we decorated for Christmas. I decided to use a lot of red and black buffalo plaid as my theme this year. I think it has a nice Winter cabin feel about it. My den looks cozy now with blankets and big buffalo plaid throw pillows on the couch. Winter will be here before you know it. I am not a big fan. I would much rather be talking about the beach and sunshine right now. 

A friend of my daughters offered her some slats of wood of different lengths. She brought them home thinking her dad would like to have them. No, he did not need them, but he put them away just in case (It’s a man thing I guess). 

Before he stashed them in the storage building, I grabbed two of the shorter pieces to use on a craft idea I had. I knew that when my daughter came to visit, she would want us to do some crafting together. 

We created these adorable porch snowmen. Perfect for propping against the house, doorway or fireplace hearth. 

We sanded down two slats of wood and headed to Walmart for some ribbon and toboggan hats. I grabbed some ribbon to match my Christmas theme and she opt for the blue for a frosty look. When we got home, our painted slats were dry. I only applied one coat because I wanted it to have a washed out or rustic look.

We laughed a lot while creating these cute porch snowmen because of how they each turned out different and had their own personality. 

I have mine propped up on my porch beside my front door. He welcomes everyone that stops by. 

Woolly Bear

This is the time of year you can find Woolly Bears, AKA Woolly Worms. They have also be called a Hedgehog Caterpillar because of how they will curl into a ball and play dead when disturbed. Despite the name, they are not worms at all. Woolly worms are actually caterpillars that turn into an “Isabella Tiger Moth”.

While we were taking a walk the other day I looked down and saw this little fella.

According folklore, the woolly worm can predict the severity of the Winter coming. But wait, there are actually two versions to this story. 

The first one says that the woolly indicates how severe the Winter will be by looking at the color bands on its coat. The longer the black bands are the more cold and snowy the Winter will be.  On the other hand the wider the brown band in the center means a mild Winter. 

The other version of the Folklore is to depend on the direction it is crawling. If it is crawling Southerly, It is escaping a cold wintery conditions from the North. So if the caterpillar is crawling a Northern path, it is expected to have a mild winter. 

If you see one that is all black, do not think we will have a Winter apocalypse. This type of worm is not even related to the woolly worm.

The popularity of the woolly bear caterpillar has resulted in several festivals honoring them. Not far from me, in Banner Elk North Carolina, they have a woolly worm festival every year 3rd weekend in October. They have worm races all day until they crown a champion at the end of the day and declare the official winter forecast. 

According to the little woolly booger I found, It looks like we will have a mild Winter because of the smaller black bands. 

He was crawling West, but I think he was just lost.  

Giving Thanks

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is here again already? I love Thanksgiving. I love the smell of food on the stove and in the oven. Me and Nick both have managed to get the day off after thinking we were going to have to work. Now I get to spend all day with my husband, daughter and family.

Thanksgiving is busy for us. I have my side of the family that cooks a meal, and then I have my husbands side of the family that cooks. Me and my husband cook a dish or two to share at each place. We always have to work around our schedule to enjoy the company of both sides. It can be stressful and filling! I get stuffed! Everyone has such wonderful food its hard to turn it away. 

I  hope everyone has a place to enjoy time with the people they love, to share stories with, to laugh with and just be thankful for what the Lord has given you and not worry about the things you do not have.

I hope every family can find a place around the table instead of scattered throughout the house watching TV.  I hope talks are full of laughter and not talks of politics, work, or of hard times.

Time with family is precious and does not need to be taken for granted. If you do not have a family, I hope you realize that you ARE the family and there are friends, churches and shelters that are full of people that will be thankful you come around to share time with.

I'm Thankful for..........

The stress of deciding where to have dinner first.

Because, this means I have family that wants to be together.

The cleaning and dusting, the lawn that needs mowed, and the things that need fixing.

Because, this means I have a home.

The clothes that are too tight.

Because, this means I have enough to eat.

All the complaining I hear about the government.

Because, this means we have freedom of speech.

The huge heating bill.
Because, this means I am warm.

The piles of laundry
Because, this means I have clothes to wear.

The birds outside singing.

Because, this means I can hear.

For the parking space I have to take at the far end of the parking lot.

Because, this means I am capable of walking.

For the alarm that goes off in the morning.

Because this means I have a job or church to go to.

For the sunshine.

Because this means God has given me another day.

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

Customized iPhone Home Screen

Just about everyone has a smart phone of some sort now days. It has become an important necessity in life. This is were we keep our grocery list, calendars, store our photos, do our work, and let’s face it, all of our friends are inside there. 

We like to have our own style of phone cases and personalized settings. But did you know you can personalize your home screen with custom app icons? As I was playing around the other day, I discovered some new tricks on my iPhone. I learned that with the IOS14 update, I can created cute and fancy icons by using the shortcut app that is already on there by default. It was a little time consuming so I just chose my favorite apps to customize as the first page when I turn on my phone, AKA home screen.

I went from the normal bright colorful icons like this...

To soft beiges like this....

I also chose a Christmas or Winter background. Cute huh?

It is now more fun to look at my screen as it is easier and more relaxing on my eyes. 

First you have you have to search and download “ iPhone aesthetic app icons”.  There are a lot of free ones or for a just a couple of dollars, you can head over to Etsy and find whole sets made and ready to download and use. I found mine at  Cove Design.

Then save the photos of icon you want to your photo storage.

-Click your “shortcut app” then click on the “+”.

Add action and search “open app”.

-Now choose an app (for example Facebook”).

-Click on the three little dots at the top right.

-Name your shortcut and click “add to home screen”.

-Name it again and click the icon to the right of the name.

-Choose photo. Then click “Add” at the top right. 

Boom! There you have it. 

Don’t worry, your original icon and app is still there. What you just created is actually a “shortcut” to the app and can be removed anytime without messing up the original. 

Once you have shortcuts to the ones you use the most, all you have to do now is move the icons around to the home screen (this is the first screen you see when you turn on your phone).

To add a back ground:

Just find a photo you already have or from another site and save it as your background. 

I understand that most of you have no idea what I just said or what in the world I’m even talking about but there are several step by step videos online that can also help you customize your iPhone. Have fun!  

Be Thankful

Though we are thankful all the days of the year, Thanksgiving is when most families get together, lots of food is prepared and many thanks are given. 

What I am most thankful for is Jesus Christ. I am also thankful that I was raised in a Christian home. In a world like today, I can have the peace and understanding that I do not think I would have without knowing who is in control. Next, I am thankful for answered prayers. My daughter and my husband both are just that. They both have given me a personal testimony. 

“Be Thankful”

Me and my sister attended a girls night out at our church. We listened to a couple ladies speak about their personal experiences with faith and thankfulness. There was lots of food. 

Let me just say, “when you get a forty Baptist women together, there is going to be a lot of food”. 

We had homemade soups, salads, and all the snacks you need as each lady brought at dish. I brought a tray of mini doughnuts since my choice to go was last minute due to my schedule. 

After we ate we did a pallet painting. We had a model to copy. I went with the instructed painting while some of the others changed theirs up a bit with different colors and styles.

Now I have another piece of Fall decor and it sits on my mantel. Every time I look at it, I can think about the fun and fellowship I had with 38 friends and 1 sister in which I am very thankful for. She is the only Sister I have.

Worked Seven Slept Eleven

Yes you read the title right. “Worked”. 

I have not found a full time office job YET. But I have not given up looking. I still apply every day to something new that pops up that I think I qualify for, but still no luck. I have gotten some interviews but that’s all I have gotten so far.

SO, me and my husband was offered a part time seasonal job a Belks. We are working in fulfillment. Our first day was Yesterday. This is only temporary and will give us something to do besides watching reruns of “Rosanne” all day. 

I worked seven hours. It was actually fun. I had to go around and find items sold from online orders, then take them to packing and shipping. I felt like one of Santas elves. 

As the holidays get closer, we will be working more hours. We are only going to get in 15 hours this week. 

When I came in from working, I ate supper, took a shower, caught up on my emails and checked to see if any new jobs openings came available. Then once I leaned back into the recliner, I was out like a fat kid in dodgeball. Nick woke me up around 11:30 to go to bed and I slept a total of 11 hours. 

During breakfast, he started snickering and said “looks like your gonna need a day off between every days work”.  I had to remind him that I have not worked on my feet in over 28 years. All I have ever done was sit behind a desk. Also I had taken a dizzy pill during my work day because I was light headed and was afraid I would have a vertigo attack, and that would be embarrassing. I did fine. However, those pills make me drowsy. I have to remember that next time. 

I’m pretty excited to go back and do some more laboring...haha. I like fast pace and keeping busy. I can get my exercise in and since it’s practically like shopping for other people, I get some retail therapy. I will be working mostly weekends and on Thanksgiving day. This makes me really sad. I have never spent a holiday away from my daughter. I have moments were I feel down on myself. I want to better myself. I do not want to work for a department store. I worked at the same store when I was right out of high school, at almost the same pay! But again, it’s something to keep me going until I find a real job. 

Please keep me in your prayers that I will find a full time office position soon. 

Until then.....I will be helping Santa get those gifts out in time for Christmas! 

Fried Chicken

When I hear the words “fried chicken”, my mind goes back to Grandma. I remember family dinners at grandmas house every Sunday. The main meat was fried chicken. It was real chicken too. I’m talking about the kind of chicken where she would actually ring their necks, drain their blood and pluck their feathers. Then she would skin them and fry them up crispy and place them beside a bowl of mashed potatoes. The smell of fried chicken was set in the walls of grandmas house. 

Later in the years, she would buy chicken to fry. Until the day she passed away, you could visit her house any time and she would have cold fried chicken sitting in paper towels on the stove next to a pan of cornbread. I never knew how much I would miss the little things like this until she was gone. 

My mom and Uncles carry on the tradition by bringing fried chicken to our annual family dinners. 

Now days, I do not eat a lot of fried foods, but since I have an air fryer, I can make foods look and taste fried without actually frying them. I love it. 

The other day I found some chicken legs on sale and decided to make air fried chicken for supper. 

I love how it turned out and tasted almost as good and grandmas. Almost. 

I skinned and washed each leg then rolled them in seasoned bread crumbs and place in the air fryer at 390 degrees for 23 minutes. 

I think if grandma was still here today, she would love how the air fryer cooked up delicious chicken this quick and I didn’t even have to turn em. 

It is What it is

I have not written a new post in a few days because when things are going on in the world that are disturbing to me, that’s all I can think about and I just can’t come up with words to express how I feel. I try to keep my post away from my political views so sometimes it’s best for me keep quiet because I do not want to detour my readers on my bias. 

What happens, Happens. “ It is what it is”

So today I am going to just list a few things on my mind. Things I have been thinking about.

Yes, this is a political post with my own opinion and views and I understand we all do not think alike and that’s ok. Don’t bash me.

• Trump is still my President until it is all said and done.
• Yes I voted for Donald Trump in both elections.
• Why? Because he seems to care about the people in the Untied States. He really really did want to make America great again but his hands were tied.
• He never gives up a fight.
• He believes in God and was not ashamed to say it. He believes in what the Bible teaches us for leadership.
• I am not happy about what going on.
• If one man wins fair and square, then ok, but it’s not fair and square and you know it. There is some dirty stuff going on. 
• I knew the push for mail in ballots was not a good idea. Though I understand some people have to vote this way.
• I knew the Dems would pull another nasty stunt to keep our President from succeeding.
• I am not as worried about who becomes President as much as I am worried about what kind of country we are becoming. 
• I will not loose a friendship over two men that do not even know my name. We all have the right to our own political views.
• Everything we have and will work for will become worthless.
• I don’t want to rely on free stuff. I believe in working for things I have.
• I do not want a President that has no morals. 
• I do not want to have a President that was voted in because of his handling of a new virus. 
• I may never understand why people vote for certain candidates and just hope whoever is elected will do whats right for our country. 
• I hope who ever becomes president, we can be a peaceful nation. The Dems have been awful the past four years fighting and rioting against everything from the beginning.

There is so much more, but like I said, it’s hard for me to explain how I feel. 

All we can do now is pray for our leaders. Pray for our nation. And live one day at a time.

We can’t control what’s going to happen. 

It is what it is. 

Meal Time Names

Sometimes we will get into this little disagreement on what we call our meal times. 

Some people call lunch, “dinner”.

My husband calls supper “dinner”. 

But I think he’s wrong and we will go round and round about it. 

Seriously yall, if this is all we have to argue about then I think we will be ok.

I call the meals of the day as “breakfast, lunch and supper“.

Dinner to me is more formal and has a title in front of it as in “Sunday dinner, Thanksgiving dinner or Family Dinner“ and they can be held at any time of the day. 

I would like to know what everyone else calls their meal times. 

AllHalloween

Happy Halloween!

Halloween- Also known as “Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve or All Saints’ Eve. It is a celebration observed in many countries on October 31st, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallow’s Day. 

Do you have any spooky plans for today? We do not really celebrate Halloween since our daughter has all grown up. I still love to see the kids get excited for candy and I like looking at everyones costumes. I remember having lots of fun on Halloween when I was younger and when my daughter was a kid. I remember the church parties with cake walks and bobbing for apples. I remember the school fall festivals and haunted houses. 

One thing I like to do a few days before halloween is search around the house for something to dress up in and have everyone on Facebook guess who or what I am.

I have a yellow rain coat that I used a couple years ago. I put on the coat and added some knee socks and black shoes. Then I grabbed a black umbrella and container of salt. I was the Morton Salt Girl. 

 

This year I used he same yellow rain coat, added a red balloon and just like that I was “Georgie” from the Steven King horror movie “IT”. 

I have never seen the movie but have heard enough about it to know basically what it’s about and what the characters look like. It did not take long for my facebook friends to figure out who I was dressed as. Some called me brave. 

But as for today, we have something to do this mornig. Then we have a few errands to run this afternoon. Nicks brother is in town so we plan to spend some time with him and his new girl friend later. 

Who knows, maybe we will get into a little mischief. 

🕰 DON”T FORGET TO TURN YOUR CLOCKS BACK TONIGHT! 

“IT” a Steven King Novel

Halloween Snack Ideas

Halloween is only three days away and you need to come up with some spooky snack ideas for the little monsters in the house or the goblins that are coming over to visit. If you are crunched for time or don’t have any idea what to make, don’t get your bandages in a wad. I have three simple ideas your can do that are not only delicious but healthy too!

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MUMMY PRETZEL STICKS

Chocolate dipped pretzels are always my quick “go to” treat to hand out to the kids. They are easy to make and have several possibilities for any occasion. 

They started out as ghost but then my daughter added more detail and they became mummies. 

-Large Pretzel Rods

-Chocolate Bark.

Melt the chocolate in a glass microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.

Dip pretzels into the chocolate and place on wax paper until dried.

Use melted dark chocolate or morsels for the eyes.

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APPLE FALSE TEETH

My daughter wanted to make these when she came over. While I dipped pretzels, she made apple false teeth.

She giggled every time she completed one. Each one came out different and had its own personality. We had some good laughs with these and had fun eating them. They were delicious too!

-Red Apples

-Peanut Butter

-Mini Marshmallows 

Slice apples into wedges and remove any core.

Spread each wedge with peanut butter.

Line one wedge with mini marshmallows and place another wedge on top.

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CLIO SNACK MONSTERS

Clio snacks are chocolate covered Greek yogurt bars that come in a variety of flavors. They now come in “mini” size and are the perfect treat to hand out at parties or showers. They can be left out at room temperature for four hours if they have to. They are also good frozen. They are healthy and taste just like little cheese cakes. So you will love these even if you are not a yogurt fan. 

-Clio Snack Minis

-White Chocolate Bark (they are already covered in dark chocolate).

Melt the chocolate in a glass microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments until melted and smooth.

Dip each bar into the chocolate and place on wax paper until dried.

Use melted dark chocolate or morsels for the eyes.

Hint: Use food coloring to color the melted white chocolate to make different color monsters and decorate to your preference. 

                                                           👻 👻 👻 👻 👻 👻 👻 👻

Are you trick or treating this Halloween or having a Halloween party?

We do not usually hand out candy because of where we are located.

I will usually make little treats like this or small bags of candy to hand out to the kids close by or family.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

ClioSnacks.com

Cliosnacks can be found in the yogurt section at most Walmarts, Targets and other select stores. 

You can find more flavors and less sugar options on their website at ClioSnacks.com. 

You can also shop online and use code: Lisa10 at checkout and get additional 15% off until the end of November. (10% after that).

Forward Helix

Do you ever feel like doing something crazy? Your mind is telling you that your still young even though your body is getting old as dirt? Well, that happened to me again this weekend. It has been a while since I did something daring or what some would say, “ridiculous”. 

I had seen a young girl at a store register a while back that had a unique piercing in her ear. It caught my eye though it was dainty and small. 

For a brief moment, I wanted a piercing like hers. 

Time went by until last week. I was watching a commercial ad on the internet and there it was, that same piercing I had seen on that girl at the register. I took a screen shot of the piercing and sent it to my daughter with the text, “I like this and now I want it”. She responded that she thought it would look good on me. She also said she had been wanting to add 2nd holes in her ear lobes and that we should go together. I suggested that we could go this weekend since she was planning to come home. That was Friday.

A small fear entered my mind that I am one day away from voluntarily causing unnecessary pain to myself and I’m not sure who influenced who. 

She came in Saturday and after lunch we asked Nick to take us to the tattoo parlor so we could get piercings. I did not want to go without him. 

So he drove us down to Belmont to the a little place called Capones. This is the same artist that did my tattoo when I was in my late 30’s. 

My daughter left with 2nd holes and I left with what is called a “Forward Helix”. 

Despite what I had read about this type of piercing, the pain on a scale from 1-10 was about a 7. The worst part was sitting in a Tattoo Parlor with loud music and artist that look like walking comic books. I bet with all of their tattoos, they have a lot of stories to tell. They were super nice, gentle and made sure to use sterile and sealed tools, needles and jewelry. 

Do you have any piercings? If so, how many? 

Fun Facts about Forward Helix Piercings: [copied from source ]

Reduce skin aging signs- Forward helix ear piercing increases your blood circulation and muscle tone for your face as well as the rest of your body. So if you are experiencing early skin aging sings like wrinkles, ear piercing will help you to lessen the appearance of wrinkles on your face.

Soothe your body and brain- One of the great benefits of forwarding helix ear piercing is that it will not only make you feel better but will help relax your brain too. Depression, stress and other emotional hardships can tense your body and mind up, and piercing helps you to deal with them in a better way by calming your mind.

My President is in Town

Today President Trump will be visiting my town for another rally. This is exciting news to some and then there are some that just don’t care. 

I think it is exciting anytime a president comes to my town. 

Just a couple weeks ago Ivanka Trump was also in town. She had dinner at our upscale restaurant and took a tour through some other towns around us. Rumor has it, that she is purchasing a home here but I really think she was just looking at where the rally will be taking place. 

My Sister and several friends will be attending the rally today. I think Mr. Trump is suppose to land here at 2:00pm, gates open at 3:00pm, Trump will show up around 6:30 and the rally starts at 7:00pm. People will be lined up as early as 7am and the traffic is going to be hellacious.

I would really love to go to the rally too but with my inner ear and vertigo problems, I am afraid to stand out there all day. I am also not a fan of being in tight crowds. I like being around a lot of people but shoulder to shoulder crowds give me anxiety. However, I think it would be something great to put in the books. 

I hope everything goes well today for everyone attending the rally and there are no problems. They are expecting to have 15000 to 20000 people attend. I worry a little about everyone being in a crowd like this because of the pandemic but precautions are suppose to be practiced. Temperatures will be taken of all those that enter the gate and mask will be mandatory. Since it is taking place outside, it should be ok. For me, I will be watching bits and pieces of the rally from my living room. 

Have you ever gotten to meet a President in your life time?

Black Cat

Are you superstitious? A lot people are superstitious and will stay away from black cats. Not me. I think they are beautiful and just another one of Gods magnificent creatures. I do not believe in superstition, luck or karma. It’s all just silly nonsense. Jack over at Shipslog would agree as he has taken on a couple of these black beauties. 

Black cats are often associated with Halloween because they have been associated with witchcraft. They were also burned at the stakes with the witches. Medieval France and Spain believed black cats were objects of superstition and were convinced the were bringers of bad luck.

It feels like I see more black cats running around in October that any other time of the year but that is just a coincident. Some people will make sure to keep their black cats inside on Halloween night in fear of them being taken or killed.

There is a black cat in our neighborhood that I have seen once in my yard and other times roaming around for a couple of years now. It is a stray. 

But this cat is not a regular feral cat. This cat is a “Scottish Fold”. Nick says it’s earless but actually it’s ears are folded down to his head. These types of cats can be expensive. This is also the kind of cat I wish to have one day. I want a gray one but if I could capture this one, I would make him mine. 

The other day while we were on our walk, I had a feeling that something was staring at me. I looked over at the neighbors yard and there he was. Sitting pretty and gave me a growling meow. He was beautiful and he was huge! 

I began to walk over to him and he did not move. As I got closer to him, he fell over on his back and started rolling around like he wanted some petting. Well, that is exactly what I did. He got some loving pets from me and then I went on my way. After getting close to him, I was afraid to catnap him as my own because he looked happy and well fed where he was. I think that neighbor has already claimed him. I hope that is the case. I have not seen him since this day but I know he is around. He looked healthy and that made me happy. 

Maybe he will show up in my yard again one day.  Maybe Halloween night. 👻

Pumpkin Carving

I was going to title this post “Jack O Lanterns”, but I don’t think all pumpkin carvings are actually Jacks unless they have the triangle eyes and nose. 

My daughter called me up to say her work place and her apartment are doing a pumpkin carving contest so she wanted us to carve pumpkins together. 

I had just seen large pumpkins at my local Food Lion grocery store for 1.99. That was the cheapest I had seen them all year, so I snatched up a couple of them before they were gone. 

It was also my husbands birthday so my daughter wanted to spend the day with him. We had a nice dinner and birthday cheesecake to follow. After dinner we prepared to carve our pumpkins, but first we each guessed the weight of one of the pumpkins. The one who was furtherest way from the actual weight had to do the dishes. 

My daughter decided to make her pumpkin into a Frankenstein. It was her first time carving a pumpkin so it was quite a challenge for her. 

I think her Frankenstein turned out great. 

We usually opt to paint our pumpkins each year so they will last longer and a lot less messy.

I carved mine into a VW inspired camper van. I thought I was never going to get that outside layer off and almost gave up several times. Once I had it skinned, I cut out the windows. I will never try to carve such a big pumpkin again. Wheew!

While we did the carving, we had the seed from each pumpkin baking in the oven. I do not like to see them go to waste. The aroma of the roasted seeds filled the air. They turned out delicious and make a great snack. 

It’s always fun when my daughter comes over and we do the kid like crafts we used to do. 

At the end of the night, she had to go back to her place and..... I had dishes to do. 

Do you decorate for Halloween? 

I do not usually decorate for Halloween but do decorate with a Fall theme and may add a little ghost or spider to the decor as is gets closer to Halloween night. 

Do you carve or paint your pumpkins?

Do you like the creative carvings or do you like to stick to the traditional Jack O Lanterns?

Signs Of Autumn

It’s that time of year where the scent of falling leaves and campfires take over the air. Though I am a Summer girl, I enjoy the smell of Fall and all the vibrant colors. 

While we were out walking this morning, I had to pull out my phone to snap a few pictures of the things that screamed Autumn. I could hear the acorns hitting the roof tops of homes and cars while the squirrels scurried around to stock up on nuts for the Winter. I picked up a few to add to my fall decor.

I could not resist snapping a photo of the Magnolia pods. Magnolia trees are one of my favorite trees next to the dogwood.

There are many of these trees in my neighborhood and when they show off their white flowering blooms, I can smell a lemony aroma.

Some people use these pods to add to their Fall decorations. You can actually find these for sale in private shops. 

If you look closely, you can see a big spider web. There is a spider perfectly centered waiting on her prey as the dew drops glitter on her transparent silks.

This is when I put my camera aways and left the scene. This was way to close for comfort for me. Spiders are one of my biggest fears. I will probably have nightmares about them tonight now. 

It has rained here for the past few days and the temperatures are in the 70’s. We will head out for a walk every chance we can get between the downpours. I managed to get in my three miles while Nick continued for two more. It is always nice to see the new things nature plants for us to see as we enjoy the outdoors. 

We are really missing is the sounds of Football games and marching bands from the high school around the block. 

What are favorite things about Fall?

Crochet Pumpkin Cup Cozy

I love Spring and Summer but I don’t mind Fall at all. There is something about the smell of fallen leaves and camp fires that make me enjoy the Autumn season. Everywhere you turn you see something Pumpkin Spicy. I am not a fan of pumpkin flavored foods except for pumpkin pie and even then, I like it covered with whipped cream. 

This time of year is also when everyone enjoys their favorite hot drinks while relaxing outdoors or at ball games. Sometimes those hot drinks you get at takeout coffee shops can be hot on your hands even thought they are served in insulated cups. Same goes with cold drinks. Our hands suffer discomfort at times. This is why everyone should own a cup or mug cozy.

My neighbor and sweet friend asked me if I could make her a crocheted cozy for her Starbucks cups. She thought it would be fun to have one with a pumpkin or other fall look to it. So I whipped up a cute little cozy and delivered it to her.

I thought it was cute so I made another one (a little different) and added it to my Etsy shop. I am tempted to take it for myself but I’d rather see it sell. I can always make another one for me later. Meanwhile I have kept busy supplying a local store with my crocheted ear savers that help protect ears from all day mask wear. They happen to be a big seller and I have been making 100 of them a month. I am also wanting to crochet myself a blanket. 

Are you a coffee or tea drinker or do you prefer cold drinks?

I love coffee with a sweet vanilla creamer. 

The cozy pattern that inspired me can be found at Okiegirlblingnthings.com.

Be sure to visit my Etsy shop LiLiDi for more of my creations.

DIY Turmeric Shots

If you know me, you know I suffer from an inner ear condition called Tinnitus. It all started in 2016 and came on pretty sudden and still hasn’t stopped. Tinnitus is a constant ringing of the ears that can be caused by different things, but in my case, tinnitus was an early indicator of Meniere's disease. I have never been diagnosed with Meniere’s but have every known symptom.

What is Meniere’s Disease? Read about it HERE. 

There is no cure for Meniere’s. It is hard to find a doctor that will give the diagnosis because they can not see it and unless they have had it themselves, they can’t comprehend the symptoms that are an everyday struggle for me. I look fine. I do not look sick and carry on my days (though hard sometimes) as usual. It is an invisible disease. The biggest fear is never knowing when I will have a vertigo attack. The loss of hearing comes and goes.

SO, I am always trying to adjust my diet and find out what causes it to trigger. Since one symptom is inflammation in the ear, I had to reduce my salt intake. This has helped a little and seems to make my remissions last longer. A spice called Turmeric is great for reducing inflammation in the body. Turmeric is good for you. I have started taking 1/2 teaspoon a day to see if that will also help reduce some inflammation in my ears. 

Before I go out and purchase as bottle of the Turmeric supplements, I wanted to make my own. First I tried it as a small drink but I could barely take the taste. It was nasty! SO I got to thinking and made a dose I can swallow with water like a pill. I used all the ingredients I used in the drink besides the liquid. 

This included: 

- A few teaspoons of Turmeric, 

- 1/4 teaspoon of fresh grated Ginger,

- dash of ground pepper. 

- Then I added couple drops of honey to create a doughy paste. 

I took the dough and divided it into small pellets. 

Each pellet has about 1/2 teaspoon to Turmeric. 

I take one every morning. 

Note: Turmeric will stain your clothes and counter tops and these little pills may be hard to swallow for some, so take caution. 

Turmeric is also great for those that suffer arthritis. Turmeric is often added to foods and drinks as an extra health benefit. You do not have to have a health problem at all and still take Turmeric. 

Do you suffer from Meniere’s Disease or Tinnitus?

If so, what are your vertigo triggers?

What helps?

I am always looking for answers. 

Great Day for a Doughnut

It was a great day for a doughnut (or 12). My daughter and I had just finished a candle making class. The rain had stopped and the new Krispy Kreme Tasting room was close by. I have been wanting to visit this place for a while now, so this was the perfect opportunity. We took a short walk around the block and there it was. The sign was glowing through the trees from across the road as we made our way the door.  

We saw a doughnut vending machine outside. Let me say that again, “A doughnut vending machine”. How cool was that?  I bet they have one of these in Heaven. 

The Krispy Kreme tasting room is located in Southend Charlotte. The bakers were working like bees to get orders filled for store deliveries and customer request. This is also where new flavors are born. You can become a member by downloading an app and thy will alert you on new flavors. You can be one of the first to try them. They also have milkshakes and doughnut sandwiches. 

We were only going to get one doughnut each but that did not happen. My daughter reached into her purse and pulled out a coupon for 1/2 off a dozen. 

The baker filled a box as we took turns choosing assorted flavors to try.

We walked out with a box of doughnuts.

The flavors we picked were:

2 Original stuffed with Cheesecake filling.

2 Pumpkin spice Cinnamon roll.

Reese’s Classic.

2 Original stuffed with Cream filling.

Raspberry filled.

Lemon filled.

Chocolate iced with sprinkles.

Chocolate cream stuffed.

Pumpkin iced.

We headed back to her apartment with smiles and giggles. There, we met my husband who had been watching a moving while waiting on us to enjoy our time together. He helped us taste the different flavors while keeping some saved for another day. 

My favorite flavored doughnut is the Lemon filled but there is nothing better than the original glazed, HOT, right off the conveyor belt. 

I could eat my weight in those. 

Daughter Day

Last week there was a day set aside as “National Daughters Day”. This special day is new to me because, well, I thought every day was daughters day. 

For Christmas last year, my daughter had gotten me a gift certificate to Paddy Wax Candle Bar located in Charlotte. Due to covid restrictions, it was not until now that we were able to go. This was a cute little place nestled in the South End and located near restaurants and too close to the new Krispy Kreme tasting room which will be in my next post. 

Before we went to make our candles, we stopped at a little Asian food place called Hawkers. We ordered a noodle bowl from the small plate menu and shared some Summer rolls and Tofu. 

Summer Rolls- Rice noodles, lettuce, basil and mint.

Fried Tofu with peppers, onions and broccoli in a brown sauce.

After a nice little mother/daughter lunch, we made our way to the candle bar as the rain danced on our head. 

I love candles and could not wait to get started. There were eleven of us in the class.

First we listened to the instructor explain what we will be doing and the examples of different types of vessels we could choose from. Then we all made our way to the huge wall of different shapes and colors and picked out our desired style. 

Next we went to another wall full of fragrances to choose for our candle. This is where I am weak. I can never decide on a candle smell. Everything smells so good. I finally decided on “Bamboo Green Tea”. It had a fresh clean scent. My daughter picked more of a Fall scent that made you feel like your sitting around a campfire. 

Once our choices were made, we began to make our candles with the help from the instructor and que cards that told exactly how much fragrance and hot wax to apply according to the size of candle vessel we chose. 

Our candles were not ready for a few hours and we have 30 days to pick them up. You can see what mine will look like from the photo above. My daughter will go back and pick them up and bring it to me later. I can’t wait. 

We had a great day, but it is never enough time together.