Happy Homemaker ~ 4/22/2025

Hosted by Diary of a SAHM.

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I hope everyone has a blessed Easter spent remembering our LORD and SAVIOR'S death, burial and resurrection.

I kinda fell off the face of blog-land for a few weeks.  I've been very preoccupied and overwhelmed with a secret "project" that I've been working on but I can now share that:

I PASSED the Pennsylvania Property & Casualty Insurance Licensing Exam!!!

The hubby and I traveled to Harrisburg Monday so that I could take my exam.  I was so nervous!!!!  I studied the material and took practice quizzes for weeks but still was unsure of what the final outcome would be.  I prayed so hard the whole time I took the test.

The wording was different on the exam than was in my online course, so I made many educated "guesses".  I might not have gotten the high score I wanted but I was over the minimum score of 70% and that is all that matters.  It was either PASS or FAIL.  Whew!  Huge sigh of relief!

I start my new job at State Farm on May 1st so I have just over a week to get things situated at home and work on a routine.  I will be working full-time.  In fact, it is an actual 9-5 job.

Now on with the post!

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The weather outside is:

We had a nasty storm Saturday night that knocked the electric out for a lot of people in my area.  Thankfully, we didn't lose our electricity at home.

This next week looks very nice with some great temperatures.  I'm going to enjoy my swing as much as possible.

On the to-do list:

It is 8:17pm when I am typing this post so not much else on the to-do list for today.  I might try to work on writing down what I want my weekly routine to look like so that I can start getting into some good habits.

Happening this week:

~I have to go to our local library to get my fingerprints done for my licensing application tomorrow.

~The hubby has a dentist appointment and Laken has an eye appointment on Thursday.

~Laundry, groceries and cleaning on Friday

~A few of the ladies from Church and I are going to a Ladies Spring Luncheon on Saturday at a Church about 2 hours from here.  I volunteered to drive even though I've never been there before.  I really don't mind driving new places as long as I have my Google Maps!

Currently reading:

I'm getting ready to listen to "Fragile Designs" by Colleen Coble.  It is the April selection of the Good for the Soul Women's Book Club.  I'm a little late to the party but hopefully I can get it finished before the Zoom Book Club Meeting.

Listening to:

Right now I'm listening to the hubby watch an action movie in the Family Room.  I usually have music playing in the background but didn't even turn it on yet tonight.

Watching:

The only show I've really been watching is Farmer Wants a Wife Season 3.  Anybody else watching it?  If so, what are your thoughts?  I've been making the hubby watch it with me so I have someone to talk to about it :)

In the Kitchen:

We've been experimenting with Gluten Free foods.  I'm surprised at the variety of Gluten Free options there are at the market but also a bit shocked at the prices!  I'd love any input from fellow Gluten Free eaters/cookers/bakers.

In the Craft Basket:

Nothing.  A big, fat nothing.  I've been so busy, overwhelmed and preoccupied with my studies that I haven't even picked up anything that looks crafty.  

Picture(s) from the Camera

No new pictures recently.

Prayer Requests

~Laken's health and school.  She has a little over a month left of her senior year.  I pray that she can finish strong!

~My Dad has to have a heart valve replacement.  I would appreciate your prayers that they can replace the valve using the minimally invasive procedure and that they won't have to do open heart surgery. (continued)

~My new job and routine.

~As always, prayers for the safety and well-being of all school/college kids.  (continued)

~Our Country, our Leaders.  (continued)

Bible Verse

"He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said."

Matthew 28:6a

Have a great week!

Colletta

Book Review ~ You're Not Enough (and that's okay) by Allie Beth Stuckey ~ 3/1/2025

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Title:   "You're Not Enough (and that's okay)" by Allie Beth Stuckey

Series:  N/A

Format:  Hardcover

Date Published:  May 5, 2020

Publisher:   Sentinel

Stars: ****

 Blurb:

Is your quest to love yourself more actually making you miserable?

We're told that the key to happiness is self-love. Instagram influencers, mommy bloggers, self-help gurus, and even Christian teachers promise that if we learn to love ourselves, we'll be successful, secure, and complete. But the promise doesn't deliver. Instead of feeling fulfilled, our pursuit of self-love traps us in an exhausting as we strive for self-acceptance, we become addicted to self-improvement.

The truth is we can't find satisfaction inside ourselves because we are the problem. We struggle with feelings of inadequacy because we are inadequate. Alone, we are not good enough, smart enough, or beautiful enough. We're not enough--period. And that's okay, because God is.

The answer to our insufficiency and insecurity isn't self-love, but God's love. In Jesus, we're offered a way out of our toxic culture of self-love and into a joyful life of relying on him for wisdom, satisfaction, and purpose. We don't have to wonder what it's all about anymore. This is it.

This book isn't about battling your not-enoughness; it's about embracing it. Allie Beth Stuckey, a Christian, conservative new mom, found herself at the dead end of self-love, and she wants to help you combat the false teachings and self-destructive mindsets that got her there. In this book, she uncovers the myths popularized by our culture of trendy narcissism, reveals where they manifest in politics and the church, and dismantles them with biblical truth and practical wisdom.

My Thoughts:

  This book was the February 2025 selection for the Good for the Soul Women's Book Club.  It was our first non-fiction book for the Club.  This was also a Read-A-Long where we discussed our weekly selections via chat.  So much fun!

I had never even heard of Allie Beth Stuckey before reading this, her debut book.  I have to say that I agreed with almost everything she wrote and stands for which was a pleasant surprise.

The book is broken into seven sections:

Introduction

Myth #1:  You Are Enough

Myth 2:  You Determine Your Truth

Myth 3: You're Perfect the Way You Are

Myth #4:  You're Entitled to Your Dreams

Myth #5:  You Can't Love Others Until You Love Yourself

Conclusion

There were so many "nuggets" that I tabbed and tabbed and tabbed.  I had so many favorite quotes that I'm not even going to try to pick and choose but I did particularly enjoy Myth #4 as it really resonated with me.

Allie Beth Stuckey backed her concepts up with Scripture which I loved!  The Conclusion was particularly well-written.  We don't have to be enough, because God is enough.  "He is LORD.  The Great I Am.  Our Creator, Sustainer, Reconciler, and Hope.  He is a King to be worshiped and  Leader to be followed.  He does not exist for us, but we exist for Him." pg 191

If your interest is the least bit piqued, I suggest that you read this book.  You won't be disappointed.  I'll definitely be checking out her second book "Toxic Empathy".

Onto the next book :)

Book Review ~ The Librarian of Boone's Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer ~ 1/30/2025

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Title:   "The Librarian of Boone's Hollow by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Series:  The Librarian of Boone's Hollow Book 1

Format:  AudioBook

Narrator:  Kate Forbes

Length:  12 hours 32 minutes

Date Published:  October 13, 2020

Publisher:   Recorded Book Inc.

Stars: *****

 Blurb:

During the Great Depression, Addie Cowherd dreams of being a novelist and offering readers the escape that books gave her during her tragic childhood. When her adoptive father loses his job, she is forced to leave college and take the only employment she can find--delivering books on horseback to poor coal mining families in the hills of Kentucky.

The small community of Boone's Hollow is suspicious of outsiders and steeped in superstitions that leave Addie feeling rejected and indignant. Although she finds an unexpected friend in an elderly outcast, the other horseback librarians scorn her determination to befriend Nanny Fay.

Emmett Tharp grew up in the tiny mountain hamlet where most men either work in the coal mine or run moonshine. He's the first in the community to earn a college degree, and he has big dreams, but witnesses the Depression robbing many young men of their future.

Then someone sets out to sabotage the library program, going so far as to destroy Addie's novel in progress. Will the saboteur chase Addie and the other librarians away, or will knowledge emerge victorious over prejudice? Is Emmett the local ally that Addie needs--and might their friendship lead to something more?

Inspired by the real WPA program that sent librarians on horseback to deliver books to hill families in Kentucky, Kim Vogel Sawyer immersed herself in Appalachian history to tell this captivating story.

My Thoughts:

Where to begin?

I guess I'll start by saying that this was my first ever audiobook!  I never ever thought I'd be an audiobook-er but I think I'm hooked!  I can only hope that all narrators are as good as Kate Forbes.  I enjoyed her voice(s) immensely.

I don't know that I would have picked this book up by myself, but it was the January selection for the "Good for the Soul Women's Book Club".  (We actually JUST got done with our Zoom book discussion about 30 minutes ago.)  I'll even admit that I didn't vote for this book in the selection process.  However, I'm so glad it won out!

I honestly don't know where to start reviewing this story so I'll just jump in.

AMAZING!

At first, though, I was a bit hesitant because the story seemed to be unfolding rather slowly.  As I continued on, I can now see that it was necessary so that the main picture could evolve.

I would say that there were actually 4 main characters in this book.  Emmett, Addie, Bettina, and Nanny Fay.  Nanny Fay was actually my favorite character in the whole book!  She was so wise and full of faith and trust in the LORD even after her rather hard life story.

The main theme of this book was not romance, at least in my opinion.  (In fact, there was very little romance until the Epilogue.  Definitely a slow burn kind of book.)  Instead it was about relationships.  And I loved it!

It was so interesting to read bout the library initiative during the Great Depression.  Books open a person up to a whole world that otherwise would have never been experienced and I feel like "The Librarian of Boone's Hollow' did just that for me.

Kim Vogel Sawyer masterfully wove a community of characters that will stay with me for quite some time.  

Onto the next book :)

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P.S.

I decided to make a fun game for myself out of the 2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge.  Instead of seeing how many books I can read for each prompt, I'm going to see how many prompts I can fill with each book I read/listen to.

"The Librarian of Boone's Hollow" by Kim Vogel Sawyer fills the following prompts:

1.  Mode of Transportation  - Mule

2.  Bookish Elements - Books

3.  Silhouette or Shadow - Silhouette of horse and rider

4.  Proper Noun in the title or design - Boone's Hollow

That brings the tally to:

4  

prompts filled in just one book!

Happy Homemaker Monday~ 1/27/2025

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. 

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Hello and Happy Monday!!!!!

And just like that we're on the last Monday of January 2025.

February is going to be bitter-sweet for me.  Yes, we've (almost) made it through January, but on Sunday, February 2nd my little Groundhog Baby turns 18 years old!  Where have the years gone?  The hubby and I will have our 25th dating anniversary in March, Kaylee turns 24 in June and Laken is days away from being 18.  Our little family is grown up and I'm feeling a bit emotional thinking about it...so...

Let's get this show on the road :)

The weather outside is:

A touch warmer than last week.  Actually, a lot warmer than last week...lol!  Schools in our area were either closed or delayed for 3 days last week due to the cold temperatures.  Well, I guess I should say schools were "virtual".

On today's to-do list:

**I'm typing this on Sunday afternoon/evening (for reference).**

I work 10a-5p.  Other than that it should be a fairly normal day of trying to get back into the routine of the week.

Happening this week:

I work Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10a-5p.

Wednesday is my SIL, Kelly's, birthday.  Any ideas what I can give to her as a birthday gift?

Thursday evening is zoom meeting night for the Good for the Soul Women's Book Club.  I have a whole post about our February 2025 book selection, you can check that out HERE.  But first, I have to finish listening to January's book!

Saturday, we'll be celebrating Laken's birth.  We're thinking of getting dressed up and taking her out to a nice restaurant in the evening.

Sunday, we'll be celebrating Laken's birthday.  I'm not sure what we'll do on her actual birthday other than have cake at Church for her.  Any good ideas?

Currently reading:

I wrote on Friday's "My Weekly Bookishness" post that I've finally discovered listening to audio-books.  "The Librarian of Boone's Hollow" by Kim Vogel Sawyer is my first ever audio-book.  It is the January 2025 book club selection and as I mentioned above, I need to finish it before 8pm on Thursday.  I only have a few more hours to listen to so I "think" I'll make it.  

Listening to:

"Oh Death" by MercyMe debuted on KLOVE radio a few days ago and they played it every hour at the top of the hour.  I love it!  Let me know what you think.  Enjoy :)

Watching:

NFL Championship games.  By the time you read this it will probably be decided what teams will be playing in the Super Bowl.  At this point, 5:06pm on Sunday, it isn't looking good for my nephew's team the Commanders.  They are down 15-27.

The hubby has recommended that I catch up on the past 2 seasons of "Reacher" so that I can watch season 3 with him when it airs.  I've 2 episodes in and look forward to watching more.

In the Kitchen:

I haven't spent much time in the kitchen creating this past week but Laken and Nate made Cookie Monster Cookies.  They, of course, were blue :)

In the Craft Basket:

I've been working away in my "off" time on items for the Spring Fling Vendor show happening in the beginning of April.  Last week I completed all 16 Mabel Chickens that I wanted to get made.  4 Gray Loaf Cats.  1 Ivory Loaf Cat.  And 1 Yellow Peep Bunny.  Shown below are the Ivory Loaf Cat and the Yellow Peep Bunny.  

Let me know what you think of the Peep.  Should I make more as it will be a Spring Fling show a few weeks before Easter.  Or should I just make yellow, green and purple Leggy Frogs?

Picture(s) from the Camera

Prayer Requests

~Winter traveling safety.

~I need to get into a good routine of work, home and self-care.  I've been a bit scattered lately and need to find my self-discipline again.  Pray for me as I work on this.  (continued)

~As always, prayers for the safety and well-being of all school/college kids.  (continued)

~Our Country, our Leaders.  (continued)

Bible Verse

"Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you."

James 4:10

Have a great week!

Colletta

Good for the Soul Women's Book Club ~ February 2025 Selection

Prairie, the fearless leader of the Good for the Soul Women's Book Club, has announced that we are going to have a read-a-long for our February 2025 Book Club Selection!

The book we'll be reading is "You're Not Enough (and that's okay) by Allie Beth Stuckey.

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BLURB:

From one of the sharpest Christian voices of her generation and host of the podcast Relatable comes a framework for escaping our culture of trendy narcissism—and embracing God instead. 

We're told that the key to happiness is self-love. Instagram influencers, mommy bloggers, self-help gurus, and even Christian teachers promise that if we learn to love ourselves, we'll be successful, secure, and complete. But the promise doesn't deliver. Instead of feeling fulfilled, our pursuit of self-love traps us in an exhausting cycle: as we strive for self-acceptance, we become addicted to self-improvement.

The truth is we can't find satisfaction inside ourselves because we are the problem. We struggle with feelings of inadequacy because we are inadequate. Alone, we are not good enough, smart enough, or beautiful enough. We're not enough--period. And that's okay, because God is.

The answer to our insufficiency and insecurity isn't self-love, but God's love. In Jesus, we're offered a way out of our toxic culture of self-love and into a joyful life of relying on him for wisdom, satisfaction, and purpose. We don't have to wonder what it's all about anymore. This is it.

This book isn't about battling your not-enoughness; it's about embracing it. Allie Beth Stuckey, a Christian, conservative new mom, found herself at the dead end of self-love, and she wants to help you combat the false teachings and self-destructive mindsets that got her there. In this book, she uncovers the myths popularized by our self-obsessed culture, reveals where they manifest in politics and the church, and dismantles them with biblical truth and practical wisdom.

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There were three options for ordering this book:  hardcopy (actually hardcover), Kindle and audio.  This time I decided to order the hardcopy.  I anticipate wanting to really mark this book up with notes as we discuss each week in our Facebook chat.  My copy should arrive January 30th, so just in time to get started :)

Prairie even made us a schedule for the read-a-long!

I hope you'll come check out the Book Club and maybe even decide to join in!

Colletta