Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 9/16/2024

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. 

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Hello and HAPPY Monday.

I had a lovely week of reading, crocheting, blogging and homemaking.

Here's to the week ahead!

The weather outside is:

It was a little bit warmer Sunday but it looks like some lovely temperatures are ahead.  It could stay in the 70F's all year long, in my opinion!

On today's to-do list:

I'm hoping for a fairly uneventful day of homemaking.  I got the floors and laundry done Saturday so it should just be the daily tasks such as cooking and dishes, etc., etc., etc.

Happening this week:

Tuesday is our 24th Wedding Anniversary!  I want to make the hubby a Cream Puff Cake since it is his favorite dessert.

Other than that, it should be a fairly normal week with the usual suspects of daily activities.

Currently reading:

I'm currently reading "One Last Shot" by Susan May Warren who is one of my favorite authors.  This book is my 7th read of September 2024.  To see more about my reading week, please go HERE to check out My Weekly Bookishness post!

I'm catching up on my Goodreads Challenge which is exciting.  Are we friends on Goodreads?  You can find my Goodreads profile HERE.

Listening to:

Every day is a beautiful gift from God!  Enjoy :)

Watching:

Laken and Nate went with Nate's mom, Natasha, to the WVU vs Pitt football game on Saturday.  We don't normally watch college football, but knowing that they were there inspired us to put the game on.  Then Sunday was the Steelers game.

Hallmark-esque movies.

Booktubers that I've discovered recently and also some favorite homemaking/sewing youtubers.

In the Kitchen:

Laken requested Beef Stew for dinner so Beef Stew she got.  While the meat was in the pressure cooker getting tender, the time was spent peeling and chopping potatoes, carrots, celery and onions.  I made biscuits to go along with the Stew.

On Tuesday, I made Banana Cupcakes with some bananas that were getting overly ripe.  I doubled the recipe so I ended up taking what was left to Wednesday Prayer Meeting/Bible Study to share.

I also baked Chocolate Chunk Brownies this week but I didn't get a picture.  This week, I'm planning on making a Spice Cake with Homemade Fluffy Icing.

In the Craft Basket:

I have 17/35 blocks finished for the Japanese Fields Afghan.  Last week I was at 9/35 blocks completed so I've made some progress.  Just half a block away from being 50% complete.

I made it a point to weave in all the ends of the blocks I had already completed and have been keeping up with it as I finish each square.  For some reason, it is always satisfying to see the little pile of ends :)

It is also satisfying to see a nice, tidy stack of blocks.  

I thought I'd see how the blocks would look laid out.  I'll probably join the squares with Ivory and then crochet the border out of all three colors.  I'm still debating what to do with the finished Afghan...

Picture(s) from the Camera

We got two HUGE mums Saturday and got them planted.  We bought them at a little road-side stand and they were only 2 for $15.  Considering W-Mart wanted over $6 for one half the size, I think we got a deal :)  The hubby planted them and they are beautiful.

We celebrated our Anniversary a few days early with breakfast (my choice) at Coal Miner's Diner in Jennerstown, PA.  The portions were big and the food was great.  It was the first time we had eaten there although I'd been wanting to try it for a few years.  It is a bit of a drive to get there but now I'd like to go back and try something other than the breakfast menu.  Their specials look amazing!

My handsome breakfast date :)

I decorated the bookcase above my desk for Fall.  Nothing fancy, but I got a few leaf garlands and a Pumpkin Spice candle.  I can only have the candle burning while I'm sitting at my desk because I'm afraid one of the cats will try to get at it.  It is currently burning while I type this post and it smells delicious.  I think I'll get and Apple candle next.

Speaking of the cats, look how big Oliver has gotten!  He's almost as big as Flynn who is 2 years older than Ollie.  Laken was dangling a cat toy above him so that we could get a picture of him sitting still.  He is a very busy kitten!

Prayer Requests

~By the time you are reading this post, Kaylee should be in Orlando for her work conference.  I'd appreciate your continued prayers for safety and traveling mercies!

~Laken is now taking 4 college courses.  Please pray that she does well with them and that she stays healthy.  (continued)

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

~Our Country, our Leaders and the Election coming in November.  (continued)

~Please pray that I get a start date soon for my new job.  It is a state position and they can sometimes be slow moving.

Bible Verse

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."  Hebrews 13:8  ERV

Have a great week!

Colletta

Journey Through the Bible Readathon 3.0 ~ October 2024

I recently discovered a wonderful youtuber, Katie at Paperbacks and Ponytails.  I was so excited when she announced "Journey Through the Bible Readathon 3.0" that will take place during the entire month of October 2024! 

Here's the super fun announcement:

I haven't participated in a readathon in YEARS but I just can't help myself from joining in this one :)  After all, it is a TREASURE HUNT with lots of different prompts!

I spent some time this afternoon, looking at the prompts and looking through my TBR books and here is what I came up with:

Where Are You Going?

Babylon = A book with flowers on the cover

I didn't have to look far on my Kindle to see a book with flowers and what makes it even better for the prompt is that the "Blooms" is in the title :)

What Are You Searching For?

Temple of Jerusalem = Book with a building on the cover

I've had this on my TBR list for a while and have been meaning to read it.  I love the structures that are on this cover.

Who Are You Going To Meet?

Tomb Raiders = Murder/Cozy Mystery

The only "Cozy Mystery" I had on my Kindle was "Apple Pile and Trouble" so no brainer there :)

Booby Traps

Spears = Blind Pick

I wasn't sure how to "Blind Pick" so I just closed my eyes and pointed to a book!  I've never done that before so it should be fun :)

How Do You Escape?

A Book = Ask A Friend to Pick Your Book

We're going to be doing a "Buddy Read" during the readathon and voting is open now.  You can check out the Community tab on Paperbacks and Ponytails.  I asked to make sure this would count as "a friend pick" and Katie said yes.  Right now, "Brave" by Mesu Andrews is winning.  If one of the other books on the poll end up coming out on top, I'll update the post.

So what do you think?  What do you think of my prompt choices and book choices?  Have I enticed you to join in?  Be sure to watch Katie's announcement video and I bet you'll be tempted!

Bookishly yours,

Colletta

My Weekly Bookishness ~ 9/13/2024

All things bookish!

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What I Read:

I received this book from JustRead Publicity Tours.  My review will be posted on October 2, 2024.

READ MY REVIEW HERE!

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What I'm Reading:

Blurb:

What she can’t remember will kill her…

As a teen, Texas Ranger Felicity Capshaw witnessed a murder. The traumatic incident—and the accompanying amnesia—has affected her entire life. She reopens the cold case, but the investigation is cut short when she’s assaulted and nearly killed.

Detective Noah Hodge is no stranger to loss. He’s buried his parents and his wife. All he wants is to raise his daughter and keep his hometown safe. When the killer targets Felicity, Noah commits to protecting her, even though each second in her presence makes him question why he’s locked away his battered heart.

As Felicity's memories return, the threats escalate. Can Noah help her uncover the truth? Or will the killer silence her forever?

First Lines:

A twig snapped.

56%/Page 56

Shocked rippled through Felicity.  She held her tongue, letting Kurtis lead the way for the time being.

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What I'll (Probably) Read Next:

Blurb:

Some people have all the luck, but so far, Seren’s has all been bad.

Seren Colburn's had nothing but bad luck her entire life, so she's not surprised when Dave, a possible buyer for her family mansion, mistakes her for a vagrant squatting in the unfurnished home. If she wasn't about to lose her movie-star grandmother’s house to the bank, she wouldn't even be selling it.

But after he realizes Seren’s the owner, Dave has an idea.

He suggests they work together to turn the mansion into an inn, capitalizing on her grandmother's graceful and timeless image. Seren really doesn’t want to, but she's out of options. Dave quickly realizes he wants her as more than just a business partner, but can he convince Seren that her luck’s about to change. . .if only she'll take a chance on him?

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Book Haul:

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Book Blogger Hop:

Q.  It's back-to-school time. What book would you recommend to students, whether it's an educational read or an enjoyable diversion from textbooks? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

A. I can't think of any book in particular.  Just read what gives you joy.

That being said, I would highly recommend finding a devotional for students to go along with Bible reading.  You don't have to read the Bible for hours on end.  Just make sure you are in the Word on a daily basis to keep you grounded.

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Be sure to check out THIS POST for a fun new readathon announcement!

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Bookishly Yours,

Linking up to: 

   

  

 The Sunday Post, Sunday Salon,  Mailbox Monday

Book Review ~ Sea View and Something New by Kay Lyons ~ 9/11/2024

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Title:   Sea View and Something New by Kay Lyons

Series:  Carolina Cove Book #5

Pages:  220

Date Published: March 7, 2023

Publisher:  Kindred Spirits Publishing

Stars:  ***

 Blurb:

Sophia Shipley will do pretty much anything to keep her secrets secret until she’s ready to reveal them to her family. Coming back to Carolina Cove in disgrace is hard enough, but that doesn’t compare to knowing all of her hard work and career advances were for nothing. Her job in finance, her life in the financial sector, is gone due to the whispers of fraud now attached to her name. She has to start over from scratch and she has no idea where to begin…

Dawson Blackwell can’t believe his luck. He’d finally managed to buy out the awful neighbor next door and renovate the rundown cottage for a rental only to discover his childhood nemesis to be its first guest. From rivals in the classroom to enemies on the debate team and competitors for class president, he and Sophia had butted heads at every turn. But as neighbors and unlikely friends, he finds himself battling a different kind of intensity towards the grown-up version of the spoiled rich girl he’d known.

They say opposites attract but when Dawson finds himself going after the same job as Sophia, will their competitive personalities lead to a show down—or will their forbidden love lead to something else entirely?

My Thoughts:

I was a bit disappointed in this book.  Not that it wasn't a good read, but I was expecting more.  At least more about Sophia and Dawson.

There were almost two story lines going at once throughout the entire book.  Sophia and Dawson.  AND Allie and Brooks.  Allie is Sophia's sister who is married to Dawson's brother, Brooks.

There was a good bit of overlapping of the story lines but for some reason I just wanted more Sophia and Dawson.  I felt like the romance between them was a bit rushed and skipped over.

I felt that this could be two completely separate books.

Sea View and Something New is the 5th book in the Carolina Cove series and while there are mentions of people that I'm sure were in previous books, this book can be read as a stand-alone.

This book is NOT a Christian/Inspirational read although it is fairly clean with only a bit of spice.

I read this as a free Amazon download to my Kindle.

Onto the next book :)

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 9/9/2024

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. 

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Hello and HAPPY Monday.

The weather outside is:

The weather has been glorious!  I walk outside and all I can think is how beautiful it is.  It looks like the week ahead has some higher temperatures during the day which is typical of September.  I love September :)

On today's to-do list:

Nothing too out of the normal for a Monday.  I do want to get the floors done as I skipped over them this weekend.  I also need to remember to call my PCP about a medication refill.

Happening this week:

I'm going to be switching jobs.  I should be hearing this week when my start date is for my new job.  This job requires no weekends and no holidays.  It is part-time and will be only 3 days a week.  It is a clerical position in a medical office so I'm hoping it goes well :)  Many thanks to those who have been praying for my work situation.  I really hated working when the rest of the family was off but I especially hated working Sunday mornings and missing Church.

Other than that I don't have anything major going on this week.  Just the regular daily activities.

Currently reading:

I signed up for another JustRead Publicity book review Blog Tour to read Inferno by Lisa Phillips.  My book review is due October 2nd but I like to get review books read first.  My reading goal is to read at least 1 book a week.  This past week I finished 2!  You can read My Weekly Bookishness post HERE.

I've discovered Reading Sprints on youtube and have participated in 2 of them so far.  Basically, it is a LIVE where there is discussion and chit-chatting and then you have a reading sprint of a certain amount of time.  After that time is over, there is more discussion.  Everyone is reading whatever they want but reading together.  I'm not sure if I've described that very well, but I really enjoyed myself and got a lot of reading done.

Paperback and Ponytails hosted the first one I "attended".  I think she hosts sprints on Friday evenings.  I've just discovered her channel this week, but really enjoy her videos.

Listening to:

I love Lauren Daigle and Ellie Holcomb and was really excited when I heard "Be Okay" is both of them singing together!  I hope you enjoy!

Watching:

It is currently Sunday at 3:30pm when I'm writing this post.  Therefore the Steelers VS Falcons game is on.  The score is 15-10 with the Steelers on the top.  There is still some time left in the game so we'll see what happens.

Last evening, the hubby and I sat together and watched a movie on Prime.  I'm pretty sure the name was "The Hero Dog" about an Alaskan Malamute named Chinook.  It was family friendly and pretty good.

In the Kitchen:

Last Monday was Labor Day, so Kaylee stopped by for a visit.  Nate had requested Cheesy Bacon Potato Soup for Dinner so we put Kaylee to work peeling potatoes :)  It was good to spend some quality time with her.

Instead of making Apple Pie, Mom and I decided to make Apple Cobbler.  It was quicker than making crust and rolling it out and we also were running low on flour and I didn't want to have to make a trip to the store on an "at-home" day.

One other night for dinner, I made homemade Pizza with homemade crust.  If anyone would like the recipe for the crust, let me know and I'll post it.

For dessert on Friday, I made Peanut Butter Fudge.  This recipe makes the absolute best fudge I've ever had!  Again, if you'd like the recipe let me know.

The last item from the Kitchen that I'm sharing today are rolls :)  They are NOT homemade in the fact that they were frozen dough balls.  I did have to sit them out to thaw, raise and then bake :)  No recipe there, although I've often been tempted to learn how to make bread/rolls, etc.  How about you?  Do you make bread or take the easy way out like I do?

In the Craft Basket:

I have 9/35 blocks finished for the Japanese Fields Afghan.  The second picture shows you that I have all the ends to weave in yet.  I try to weave the ends every few blocks but I lost my weaving needle!  I did remember to pick up another pack of yarn needles when I went shopping Saturday so now I want to weave the current loose ends in before starting any more blocks.

Picture(s) from the Camera

I found Flynn sleeping on the bed all curled up.  Too cute!

Clover was taking advantage of the sunlight for her nap :)

The roses are coming back beautifully.

Our house :)

The hubby and I are starting to take walks (hopefully daily).  This is the road in front of our house.  There is just something about roads and paths that I think are really pretty.

Check out #21.  That is "little" Dex in his first Junior High Football Game.  He is one of the youngest on the team but got to play the entire time.  He even scored a touchdown!  Go, DEX!!!!

Prayer Requests

~Please pray for safety and traveling mercies for Kaylee as she travels to Orlando, FL for a work trip next week.  I'm so nervous about it.  She has to drive the 2 hour drive to Pittsburgh to catch her flight to Orlando, fly to Orlando and then drive from the Orlando airport to her hotel.  Did I mention that I'm nervous?!?  She might be 23 years old and out on her own, but she's still my baby and I'll be glad when she gets home safely!

~Laken is now taking 4 college courses.  Please pray that she does well with them and that she stays healthy.  (continued)

~As always, prayers for the safety and well-being of all those going back to school.  I hated hearing about the school shooting that occurred in GA last week.  Please pray for all those who were impacted.  (continued)

~Our Country, our Leaders and the Election coming in November.  (continued)

Bible Verse

" Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; may Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. "  Psalm 143:10 NIV

Have a great week!

Colletta