I'll never forget the day I was cleaning out my top dresser drawer and found a treasure. I almost threw out the stack of aged, yellowed papers, weathered by time and slightly torn on the edges.
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Whether it's weekly or once a month, we purposely set aside a night to go out just the two of us.
Q. Do you keep your TBR stack on a separate shelf from your already read books or are they mixed? (submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)
A. I don't keep many books after I read them, but if I do keep it then it goes on a different shelf from my TBR stack. Mixed books just would be weird :)
Here are some things that made me smile this week:
~Shopping and Wrapping! Did you go Black Friday Shopping? We did, the hubby and I. We went out Thursday night, Friday and Saturday! I am shopped out! Thankfully, we are done with all our Christmas shopping except for my brother. I just don't know what to get him this year. How about you? Are you done with your Christmas Shopping or just getting started? The hubby and I even started wrapping presents before he went to work Wednesday afternoon! I feel calm and relaxed so far this Christmas Season :)
~Christmas Music! I have been informed by the hubby and my girls that it is now appropriate to listen to Christmas Music! I was surprised that there wasn't much Christmas Music being played over the weekend in the stores. It just wasn't the same to be Christmas Shopping without Christmas Music! What is your favorite Christmas Song? :)
~We Rearranged the Family Room! After being on my to-do list for weeks, we finally decluttered and rearranged the Family Room! It flows so much better now but we have to get rid of the corner couch that goes to our sectional. We just don't have enough room and don't really use it anyway. The room has a much more "Home Theater" vibe to it now :)
~Decorating the Church! Sunday evening during Youth Group hour, the Youth Group decorated the Church Building for Christmas. I'm a Youth Group "helper" so I got to play along. It was a bit of a struggle getting the kids interested at first but once they got going they got into it and took off with the bins of decorations. It looks very nice and tasteful. Just the right amount of decorations :)
~Skipbo! You can see in the picture above of the Family Room that we now have room for a Game Table! Kona's bed resides under it but when we want to play games all we have to do is slide the table over and put out some folding chairs from behind the couch. We made use of it to play Skipbo! Out of 3 games, I won 2! Laken won the 3rd game! So, tell me: What is your favorite Board/Card/Family game? :)
I think it was a combination of Thanksgiving, eating out on Black Friday and slacking on tracking.
Thanksgiving was great. I didn't do too badly but I did get seconds when I really wouldn't have needed to.
Black Friday the hubby and I have a tradition of going shopping and then getting breakfast. We went to Denny's and I had a Moon Over My Hammy! So good but I imagine chock full of points and the it being the day before weigh in couldn't have helped.
As for slacking on tracking, I didn't track Thursday or Friday.
All that being said, I only gained 0.8 lbs last week. I was still bummed because it threw me back up into the 270's. Again!
However, I'm still really close to the 25 lbs charm and I want to get it before Christmas. I really, really want to get it before Christmas!
So what have I been doing this week? I've been tracking. Everything. And I've been walking either in the stores or on my treadmill. I'd really love a Fitbit for Christmas so I can count my steps.
And...I'm back to participating in the Facebook Group "WW Challenge Squad" 's 3% Challenge for December. I'm hoping it will help keep me motivated during this month of the usual splurgings. My 3% goal is to lose 8.2 lbs in December. Totally doable. I hope!
Now,
On to the weigh in:
Starting Weight ~ 7/27/19 ~ 290.8 lbs
Last Week's Weight ~ 11/23/19 ~ 269.6 lbs
This Week's Weight ~ 11/30/19 ~ 270.4 lbs
This Week's Total: +0.8 lbs
Grand Total: -20.4 lbs
I'll be weighing in on Saturdays and posting my results on Wednesday. If you'd like to join in on the journey, I'd love to have some weight loss friends!
Colletta
P.S. I'm putting together Pen Pals for 2020. If you are interested, please check out THIS post :)
From the woman fighting cancer to the man who has lost his child to the girl sinking into depression, so many of us are engaged in daily battles as we long for healing. When he walked the earth, Jesus said to an unwell man, "Do you want to be made well?" His invitation stretched beyond physical healing--he sought to restore the soul. The same invitation stands for us today.
For anyone struggling on the journey toward wholeness, singer/songwriter Jenny Simmons offers a resting place and a friend along the way. With personal insight into emotional pain, she invites readers to encounter a God who is working out their restoration--often in surprising "half-baked" ways. Her humorous and inspirational prose lights a path toward wholeness. Anyone trying to find their way to spiritual, mental, and emotional healing will benefit from Jenny's vulnerable and compassionate stories of being made well in the midst of a messy life.
My Thoughts:
I don't know what to make of this book...
Some stories were poignant, insightful and encouraging. Others were just plain strange: such as eating scabs and grief being a little girl in the woods.
It seemed disjointed in some ways and I found myself just wanting to get done with the books so I could move on to the next read. I admit to wanting more from this book based on the title and subtitle.
The author is/was (?) a member of the band Addison Road. I thought I'd leave you with the song that is referenced in the book:
Happy December, Everyone! Does anyone else get super nerdy excited about turning the page on the calendar? In fact, I already have my 2020 wall calendar bought and waiting to be hung on the wall.
The weather outside is::::
Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas! At least here in PA it is :)
On my breakfast plate:
English Muffin, Vanilla Chai Tea
As I look around the house::::
I see Christmas gifts waiting to be wrapped.
I see a Family Room waiting to be arranged.
I see my family watching TV together on the couch :)
On today's to do list::::
I need to create a menu and grocery list for this week and sweep the floor. I also need to exercise and it is my turn to make supper. AND...I want to start writing out my Christmas Cards and work on a gift that needs sewn.
Happening this week::::
Devotions: I'm still reading in Luke. Our Ladies Bible Study was cancelled yesterday morning due to the ice. I had already done my Bad Girls of the Bible lesson for the week and it was Lot's Wife. We should all know what happened to her! Takeaway: Obedience is for our own good...AND keep your eyes on where they need to be: ahead; not behind.
WW: My Workshop was about overcoming a set back and I really needed that lesson. I've been losing and gaining the same 3ish pounds for about a month. It is time to make some real progress before the new year!
Exercise: I met my Fit Point goal again :) Oh, Santa! I'd really like a Fitbit for Christmas!
Housework: I sat down with my agenda and mapped out December so that I won't get too stressed with all the activities. I'm the kind of person who needs a lot of normalcy along with celebrations.
Doug: This week the hubby is on 2nd shift but doesn't go in until Tuesday afternoon at 3pm. He hasn't had to work 2nd shift in years! It will be hard on the girls not seeing him all week as they will be in school when he is home. Gotta do what ya gotta do... Kaylee: This is Kaylee's last week of the Fall Semester. She's already done with a lot of her classes but there are still one or two that she still has to go in for. Today it is supposed to snow and she doesn't have much experience driving in the snow at all. We'll have her take the Subaru which is All Wheel Drive and it isn't supposed to be much of an accumulation. She has to learn to drive in inclement whether sometime, but it makes me super nervous!
Laken: Laken is still off school today for the holiday but goes back tomorrow. She accidently dropped a full bottle of shampoo on her tow in the shower, so she's hobbling around. I don't know if she broke her toe or not but you'd think she broke her whole leg! She can be very dramatic.
Currently reading::::
I finished "Keep It Shut". You can read my review HERE.
I also finished "Made Well". Come back tomorrow for the review!
I'm currently reading "Generous Love" by Becky Kopitske.
On the TV::::
Steeler Football!
Home & Family
All the NCIS's
All Rise
Bluff City Law
Stumptown
New Amsterdam
Movies:
Spiderman Far From Home
Listening to:
My favorite Christmas Song. Well, one of them!
On the menu last week::::
Monday - Chicken, Cheesy Potatoes Tuesday - Out
Wednesday - Fish, fries Thursday - Thanksgiving! Friday - Leftovers! Saturday - Pizza Sunday - Potluck at Church
What I am creating at the moment::::
I finished Laken's Ombre Afghan! You can read more about my Finish Off HERE :) Now to decide on my next project...
Picture From the Camera
Devotion
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death."
Here is Laken's Ombre Afghan hot off the hook! I mean seriously, I just finished it in time to write this post to publish by midnight!
First, I wanted to show you a picture of the finished afghan with the recipient, Laken :) She picked out the yarn and watched me throughout the year-long process of making the blanket.
Of course, I didn't work on it constantly from start to finish. I worked on MANY other projects before finally picking it up as a WIP from my project pile.
The colors are from the Red Heart's Ombre line as well as Soft White for the bordering.
I finished off the blocks with a simple border followed by a final row of scalloped edging.
My original plan was to make it 5X5 but I decided it was plenty big enough at 3X5 with bordering. I used some of my favorite CAL blocks from Ravelry and some solid blocks to set them off.
We sat at her table, stabbing plastic forks into Chinese take-out.
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You--my tired, beautiful friend--are you cranky? Drained? Stretched to the point of snapping and resentful of the people who demand you time, your attention, your blessings?
Q. Did you go shopping on Thanksgiving Night, Black Friday, or on Cyber Monday? If so, did you buy any books? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)
A. I plan on shopping on all the above! It will be an added bonus if I get to buy any books :)
Here are some things that made me smile this week:
~Happy Thanksgiving! This year for Thanksgiving my Mom is handing over the cooking reins to my SIL, Kelly. She's a bit nervous but I keep telling her it is just "US"! No need to worry! Mom and the girls are still making homemade noodles to take along since that is a big tradition with them. We'll also be making pies, probably on Friday. Mom and I usually do ALL the cooking so it ought to be a nice, leisurely Thanksgiving. Hope you have a good one!
~2020 Pen Pals! I mentioned this last week and wanted to let you know that I have 5 participants so far! And the sign ups don't end until December 20th! I'd love you to consider being a Pen Pal this coming year. Click HERE to find out more :)
~Lunch with Kaylee! Last Friday, we met Kaylee after her college classes for lunch and some shopping. We went to Chick-fil-A and then Kaylee and I went to Wal-Mart to check out the clearance racks. Kaylee got 3 new pair of jeans and I got 2 pairs of jeans. We both really needed some new ones. I also picked up the cutest knit quarter sleeve shirt for $5! It was nice to spend some quality time with my oldest girl :)
~Christmas Exchange! In case you missed it, I signed up for a Christmas Exchange over at Slaters' Funny Farm. Carol still needs people to sign up and the limit is only $10 so if you interested, please head over and join in :)
~Christmas Schedule! This week my Mom and I sat down with our calendars and coordinated our Christmas Schedules. We do this every year! We made sure everything is planned and scheduled so that it doesn't get too super stressful. We planned when to make Christmas Cookies, get our Christmas Tree and don't forget the Christmas Concert! We also wrote down our Church events such as our Christmas Dinner, Christmas Caroling and Christmas Play. I'm getting exited!!!! Are you? :)
Peanut Butter Fudge is my nemesis. I have a LOVE/hate relationship with it. My mom made a batch last week and I couldn't stay out of it! Other than that I did so good being on the Green Option of MyWW.
I was really intrigued to see how my weigh in would go with the new options. I lost, but only 0.4 lbs... Just imagined IF I HADN'T eaten the fudge!
I've been using my treadmill and am enjoying it because I can crank MY music up and go to town on the treadmill.
So, I guess I was happy that I didn't gain, but I do wish I had lost a bit more.
I really want to get my 25 lb charm before Christmas. Only 3.8 lbs to go!
Now,
On to the weigh in:
Starting Weight ~ 7/27/19 ~ 290.8 lbs
Last Week's Weight ~ 11/16/19 ~ 270.0 lbs
This Week's Weight ~ 11/23/19 ~ 269.6 lbs
This Week's Total: -0.4 lbs
Grand Total: -21.2 lbs
I'll be weighing in on Saturdays and posting my results on Wednesday. If you'd like to join in on the journey, I'd love to have some weight loss friends!
Colletta
P.S. I'm putting together Pen Pals for 2020. If you are interested, please check out THIS post :)
Keep It Shutby Karen Ehman explores how to better control your tongue, knowing what to say and how to say it, and realizing when it is best to say nothing at all.
From Bible times to modern times women have struggled with their words. What to say and how to say it. What not to say. When it is best to remain silent. And what to do when you’ve said something you wish you could now take back. In this book a woman whose mouth has gotten her into loads of trouble shares the hows (and how-not-tos) of dealing with the tongue.
Beyond just a “how not to gossip” book, this book explores what the Bible says about the many ways we are to use our words and the times when we are to remain silent. Karen will cover using our speech to interact with friends, co-workers, family, and strangers as well as in the many places we use our words in private, in public, online, and in prayer. Even the words we say silently to ourselves. She will address unsolicited opinion-slinging, speaking the truth in love, not saying words just to people-please, and dealing with our verbal anger.
Christian women struggle with their mouths. Even though we know that Scripture has much to say about how we are—and are not—to use our words, this is still an immense issue, causing heartache and strain not only in family relationships, but also in friendships, work, and church settings.
My Thoughts:
I love the title of this book as well as the subtitle: "What To Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing at All"!
I snatched this book up at Ollie's because I had been struggling with something I had said to friend about another friend that could be considered...GASP....gossip! Chapter 7 was particularly enlightening to me in this respect.
The author did a wonderful job of giving constructive criticism while still encouraging.
I enjoyed her real-life examples throughout the book to emphasize her points and topics for each chapter.
The book is also chock full of Scriptures, of course, many of them were from Proverbs but there were also Scriptures from throughout the Word on how our speech should be full of grace.
I thought of adding my favorite "snippet" to this review, but to be fair, there were so many great thoughts and ideas that I had a hard time deciding on one. You'll just have to read the book!
It rained all night long with some flurries this morning. At the moment, it is just cold!
On my breakfast plate:
English Muffin, Vanilla Chai Tea
As I look around the house::::
I still haven't decided how I want to arrange the furniture/exercise equipment in the Family Room. I'm starting to get a bit claustrophobic with it though and need to figure out something soon!
On today's to do list::::
I need to create a menu and grocery list for this week and sweep the floor. I also need to exercise and it is my turn to make supper.
Happening this week::::
Devotions: I started reading Luke this week and also studied "Potiphar's Wife" for Ladies Bible Study Group. Takeaway: Keep my eyes on my man and my family and not on what someone else has!
WW: I had another loss this week although minimal. I started the new Green Option of the MyWW Program. BUT...my mom made fudge. Peanut Butter Fudge. I might as well have smeared it on my hips!
Exercise: I met my Fit Point goal for the first week in a long time, thanks to my treadmill :)
Housework: I want to work on both the Family Room and Our Bedroom. They both need a good organizing and the Family Room needs rearranged.
Bills: Pay Day is on Thanksgiving. I'll need to make our budge for the pay period and write out bills, go to the Bank and go to the Post Office.
Doug: The hubby's OT slowed a bit. He'll be on vacation Wednesday through next Tuesday for Thanksgiving break and Deer Season. I love this time of year!
Kaylee: Kaylee is done with her Computer Lit Class for the semester and only has 5 more days of her other classes. The Saturday after her last class she has plans to veg-out the whole day with her boyfriend, Shawn. It has been a big adjustment for her and I'm very proud of her work ethic.
Laken: Laken goes to school Monday and then is off until next Tuesday for Thanksgiving Break. She's bemoaning the fact that she has to go on Monday! I told her it could be worse...
Currently reading::::
I finished "Keep It Shut". Yay! It was such a good read. Come back tomorrow for the review :)
Currently I'm reading "Made Well".
I'll probably come back to "Taming the To-Do List" next to finish it.
On the TV::::
Steeler Football!
Home & Family
All the NCIS's
All Rise
Bluff City Law
Stumptown
New Amsterdam
