Weekly Weigh-In ~ #2 ~ 1/11/2023

This week I only exercised 3/7 days :(  I really need to work on better time management to get everything I want to accomplish in a day to fit into 24 hours.

I managed to eke out time for 3/7 days of exercise.  Two of those days I got on the treadmill.  Sunday I went outside (bundled up, of course) and got some fresh air while I walked.  My new "fitness tracker" watch came and I've been very aware of how little I'm moving each day.

I really, really don't want do give up my journey this time.  I guess the beginning of a journey can sometimes be the hardest.  The planning, the prep, the getting started and then keeping momentum.  I just feel like I lost my momentum this week and it showed on the scale :(

As always, my tracking week is Monday through Sunday.  Here are some stats:

Exercise Week #1:

1/2/2023 - Monday ~ 30 minutes treadmill

1/3/2023 - Tuesday ~ 30 minutes treadmill

1/8/2023 - Sunday ~ 30 minutes walking outside

This Week's Total:  90 minutes

2023 Grand Total:  240 minutes

Weigh in #2:

Highest Weight ~ 300.6 lbs

Last Week's Weight ~ 1/2/2023 ~ 286.2 lbs.

This Week's Weight ~ 1/9/2023 ~ 287.2 lbs.

This Week's Total:  +1.0 lbs

Grand Total: -13.4 lbs

Please let me know in the comments if you are on your own weight loss journey!  I'd love to follow along :)

 
Colletta

Tuesday Tunes ~ Wait in the Truck by Hardy and Lainey Wilson ~ 1/10/2023

 

The first time I heard this song, I knew it would be a hit!  I have a feeling it will win a lot of awards this year.

For your viewing pleasure:

What tune(s) are you listening to today?

Colletta

Book Review ~ Mind Games by Nancy Mehl

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Title:   Mind Games by Nancy Mehl

Series:  Kaely Quinn Profiler Book 1

Pages:  332

Date Published: December 4, 2018

Publisher:  Bethany House Publishers

 Blurb:

Kaely Quinn's talents as an FBI behavior analyst are impossible to ignore, no matter how unorthodox her methods. But when a reporter outs her as the daughter of an infamous serial killer, she's demoted to field agent and transferred to St. Louis.

When the same reporter who ruined her career claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely's, the reporter's ulterior motives bring his claim into question. But when a body is found that fits the poem's predictions, the threat is undeniable, and the FBI sends Special Agent Noah Hunter to St. Louis.

Initially resentful of the assignment, Noah is surprised at how quickly his respect for Kaely grows, despite her oddities. But with a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else--including Kaely herself--is killed. 

My Thoughts:

I have not written a proper Book Review in months! That is because I have read anything other than the Bible and my Devotional book in months.  I decided that this year I'm going to spend at least 15 minutes a day reading even if I have to squeeze those 15 minutes in during my lunch break.

The book I chose to read first in 2023 was "Mind Games".

I am blown away!

This was definitely a suspenseful book.  If you liked the show "Prodigal Son", you'll love this book!

I definitely ended up reading more than 15 minutes a day because I could NOT put this book down once I got started.  I couldn't figure out who the killer was!  There were so many twists and turns.  I could hardly wait to find out what was going to happen next.  And OH MY.  The ending!!!!  Amazing!

I am so glad this is the first book in the series.  I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series.

Onto the next book :)

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 1/9/2023

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. 

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Hello, and Happy Monday!

The weather outside is:

For being January, the weather hasn't been too bad this week and the week ahead looks fairly mild even if a bit chilly.

On today's to-do list: 

~Work 8am-4:30pm

~Daily scheduled tasks

Happening this week:

This is a regular work/school week.

Laken is trying to decide if she wants to go on a field trip with vo-tech to the PA Farm Show in Harrisburg.

My cousin's little girl is having her 1st Birthday party on Saturday.  I look forward to celebrating little Audrey Belle :)

Currently reading:

I finished "Mind Games" by Nancy Mehl and oh my was it good!  Next up is "The Schoold Mistress of Emerson Pass" by Tess Thompson.

Watching:

Hallmark Movies (what little TV I have watched)

Listening to:

I'm going to be participating in the weekly linkup called "Saturday 9" which focuses on a different song each week and has questions to go along with the theme of the song.  This week was "What's New Pussycat".  I also started a a new feature called "Tuesday Tunes".  Last week I featured "The Kind of Love We Make" by Luke Combs.

On the menu today:

BLT's and homemade french fries

In the Craft Basket:

I worked on Sunny Blue Hawaii 2 a bit throughout the week until I received my Friendship Swap 2023 group list.  This past weekend I worked on getting my Swap packages ready to send out.

Picture from the Camera

After picture of my sewing/craft area.

Bible Verse

 ^{"This is my command--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.}"  Joshua 1:9 NLT

Have a great Monday!

Colletta

15 Minutes to Stitch ~ 1/8/2023 ~ After Pictures!

 

One of my "plans" for 2023 is to spend 15 minutes a day stitching.  That might entail sewing, quilting, crocheting anything else I might come up with.  I'll be joining in with Kate @ Life in Pieces.

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Last week I showed you the BEFORE pictures of my sewing/crafty area.  (Click HERE to see those pictures).  As promised, below are a few AFTER pictures!  I love having my area back :)

I used a lot of my 15 minutes this week to work on getting my Friendship Swap packages ready.  I decided to go with this pink vine fabric to send out to my swap partners.  (Sorry the pictures are so dark...)

I picked the quilt block "Pennsylvania" from www.quilterscache.com to send with my fabric Fat 8ths.  

I am so excited to get these packages sent out and start receiving packages back!  It will give me something to look forward to during these dark, dreary days of winter :)

I also spent some time stitching on Sunny Blue Hawaii but didn't get any progress pictures.  I found that it takes me just about 15 minutes to crochet 1 granny square.  Plugging along!

What are you stitching this week?

Colletta

Saturday 9 ~ What's Up Pussycat ~ 1/7/2023

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

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What's New Pussycat (1965)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Tom Jones wants to know what's new in his girl's life. Here at Saturday 9, we're concentrating on the new year. What do you hope will be new and different in your life during 2023?

 

I'm hoping to find more of a balance.  I started working outside the home in August and my favorite hobbies have been put on the back burner (actually...almost non-existent).  Now that I'm "settled in" I'd like to set time aside each day for hobbies.

2) He sings that he has flowers for his special girl. Are there fresh flowers in your home right now?

Nope!

 

3) He also wants to spend hours with her. What is something you'd like to spend more time doing in 2023?

 

I kinda already answered this in #1 but more specifically:  reading, crocheting, sewing and quilting.

4) Before his music career took off, Tom Jones supported himself by selling vacuum cleaners. Could your home benefit from a once-over with a vacuum right now?

We have all wood floors so not really a vacuum but it could definitely use a broom!

 

5) Memorabilia from Tom's 1990 world tour was available eBay and the bids went up to $599 a jacket worn by the stage crew. Have you ever bought anything at an auction (online or otherwise)?

Just ebay for items such as books, movies etc. Nothing major.

6) Tom's adult grandson, Alex, represented Wales in rifle shooting in the Commonwealth Games. Is there a sport you'd like to try, or get better at, in 2023?

Just walking and increasing my speed and step count.

7) In 1965, when this song was popular, Tom Jones made a new friend, Elvis Presley. Tom had a meeting at Paramount Studios to discuss recording a song for a movie soundtrack and Elvis was finishing a film. It was the beginning of a friendship that would continue for the rest of Elvis' life. Did you make any new friends in 2022?

I'd like to call my new coworkers my friends :)

8) Also in 1965, The Sound of Music premiered and became one of the most successful movies of all time. Have you seen it?

The Sound of Music is one of my top 2 favorite movies!  The other one is White Christmas.  There's no way I could say which is my favorite!

9) Random question: Were you like those shoppers we saw on TV, in line at a retailer after the holidays to exchange a gift that wasn't quite right?

No.  I didn't exchange anything that I received.

Please leave a comment with a link so I can return the visit!

Colletta 

Friday Night With Friends ~ January 2023

"Friday Night With Friends" is hosted by Cheryll over at "Gone Stitchin".  FNWF is set for the 1st Friday of each month with participants joining in from all over the world

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For January 2023's "Friday Night With Friends", I'm going to be working on getting my Friendship Swap hosted by the facebook group  "Quilt Block Swap 2023 ready to send.

It is a boomerang swap and I am so excited to participate!

How it works:

1- Choose your main fabric ,you’ll need 1 yard, cut it into a fat 1/8th (9x22 inches) and mail each person in your group a printed copy of your block pattern and a fat 8th (you'll send the same fabric and pattern to each girl in your group). Keep one for yourself to make your block.

The person receiving will go through their stash and complete your block using the fat 8th that you sent them and something complimentary from their fabric. Mail your finished block back to the girl who sent you the fat 8th . It’s always fun to see what you get back from the girls in your group.

2-Pattern-your choice 12 1/2” unfinished (12” finished) Make 8 copies, you'll be keeping 1 for yourself.

3-In choosing your pattern, please keep in mind that it should be a fairly easy pattern since some of our members are just beginning. Don’t choose a pattern that contains y-seams or partial seams, applique, no paper piecing etc. Be careful of copyright materials. Although we are not doing this for profit so we should be ok but some designers get upset about copying patterns.

4-Use fabric in your stash that compliments the fabric from your swapper .

I've picked my quilt block pattern out:  Pennsylvania

I haven't decided what fabric I want to send out yet.  I plan to go fabric shopping after work on Friday, so I hope to update this post with pictures of my fabric.  Do you think I should send out a background solid or a print?

Sign-ups end January 7th so there's still time to come join in!

HAVE A HAPPY FRIDAY NIGHT, FRIENDS!

Colletta

My Weekly Bookishness ~ 1/6/2023

All things bookish!

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What I Read:

I didn't finish a book this past week but I have made progress!  I am half-way through "Mind Games" and am really intrigued to find out who the serial killer is.  I've added a new "First Line" and "56" below.

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What I'm Reading:

Blurb:

Kaely Quinn's talents as an FBI behavior analyst are impossible to ignore, no matter how unorthodox her methods. But when a reporter outs her as the daughter of an infamous serial killer, she's demoted to field agent and transferred to St. Louis.

When the same reporter who ruined her career claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely's, the reporter's ulterior motives bring his claim into question. But when a body is found that fits the poem's predictions, the threat is undeniable, and the FBI sends Special Agent Noah Hunter to St. Louis.

Initially resentful of the assignment, Noah is surprised at how quickly his respect for Kaely grows, despite her oddities. But with a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely are tested to their limits to catch the murderer before anyone else--including Kaely herself--is killed.

First Lines:

"As she poured the sparkling red claret into the serial killer's glass, she wondered if it reminded him of blood."

56%/Page 56

"I think you should stay here," he said.  "This could be a setup."

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What I'll (Probably) Read Next:

Blurb:

How easily can an open heart unlock the door to happily-ever-after?

When Miss Quinn Cooper arrives in Emerson Pass, Colorado, her entire life is packed into one small suitcase. Her widowed mother and baby sister are depending upon her for their survival back home in Boston. And the self-appointed mayor of the rugged mountain community is counting on Miss Cooper to prove herself a fitful teacher for the young and old alike.

Lord Alexander Barnes is determined to bring a bit of English civility to the wild terrain of Emerson Pass. Using his own resources, the widower and father of five builds a schoolhouse and recruits a young teacher from the east to provide an education for both the adults and the children in his rapidly growing mining town. But when the lovely, and much younger than anticipated, Miss Cooper arrives to town, Lord Barnes finds himself providing more than just employment when the boarding house proves to be an unsafe accommodation for the school mistress.

As Miss Cooper takes a room in the Barnes' home, the five Barnes children are delighted. They are sure Miss Cooper is the perfect woman for their lonely father. But when a friend of the Englishman turns up dead, the hope for progress in the untamed town seems immediately lost. Can Miss Cooper and Lord Barnes bring change to the closed-minded locals? And will their endeavor open their hearts to something more?

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Book Haul:

 

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Book Blogger Hop:

Q. What was the first book you read this year? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)  

A. See above.  "Mind Games" by Nancy Mehl is my First Book of 2023.

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Bookishly Yours,

Linking up to: 

   

  

 The Sunday Post, Sunday Salon,  Mailbox Monday

Tea Time ~ 1/5/2023

 

Grab a cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate or your favorite drink
while I share a few things about my life lately...

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~We did end up staying home on NYE.  Kaylee came over for shrimp and we hopped from countdown to countdown show watching the performances.  The local news came on at 10:30pm and I decided to "rest" my eyes for a few minutes until the shows came back on.  Well, I woke up the next morning!  How was your New Year's celebration?  Did you watch the ball drop?

~There are new movies on Hallmark that AREN'T Christmas movies!  I haven't gotten to watch any yet as this week has been super busy with all my new "Plans" for 2023.

~I got a new fitness watch!  The band broke on my old one and I didn't think I needed a "fancy watch".  I got a simple clock face watch at Wal-Mart but when we got Laken a FitBit for Christmas, I missed knowing how many steps I took and decided to splurge a little.  While mine is NOT a FitBit (it was only about $25) it serves its purpose and is a pretty rose gold :)

~I set my Goodreads Challenge goal at 26 books for 2023.  I read 16 books in 2022 even though my Goodreads goal was 52.  I decided to split the difference and try to read 1 book every 2 weeks.  So far I've been spending at least 15 minutes a day reading "Mind Games" by Nancy Mehl.

~I got my sewing area organized!  It feels so much better and I can tell that I'm getting my craftiness back :)

So, what's new with you?

 

Colletta

Weekly Weigh-In ~ #1 ~ 1/4/2023

As I mentioned last Wednesday, I decided to restart my "journey" the day after Christmas.

What I really wanted to accomplish during the "between week" was get back into a routine of exercising.  I think I did pretty well having exercised 5/7 days for 30 minutes each day.  Most days I walked on the treadmill.  However, Sunday was so gorgeous that I walked outside and enjoyed it immensely.

We still had some peanut butter fudge (my weakness) in the house and I couldn't let it go to waste.  I allowed myself to have 1 piece a day for a little sweet.  

As always, my tracking week is Monday through Sunday.  Here are some stats:

Exercise Week #1:

12/26/22 - Monday - 30 minutes treadmill

12/27/22 - Tuesday -30 minutes treadmill

12/28/22 - Wednesday - 30 minutes treadmill

12/29/22 - Thursday - 30 minutes treadmill

1/1/23 - Sunday - 30 minutes outside

This Week's Total:  150 minutes

Grand Total:  150 minutes

Weigh in #1:

Highest Weight ~ 300.6 lbs

Last Week's Weight ~ 12/26/2022 ~ 287.8 lbs.

This Week's Weight ~ 1/2/2023 ~ 286.2 lbs.

This Week's Total:  -1.6 lbs

Grand Total: -14.4 lbs

Now that the goodies are out of the house, I want to start concentrating on my food intake.  I'll try to have some stats on food next week.

Please let me know in the comments if you are on your own weight loss journey!  I'd love to follow along :)

 
Colletta

Tuesday Tunes ~ "The Kind of Love We Make" by Luke Combs ~ 1/3/2023

 

According to "Taste of Country", the #1 country song of 2022 was"The Kind of Love We Make" by Luke Combs.

While I don't know if it is MY absolute #1 for 2022, I do love the song and sing along to it every time I hear it!  I hadn't seen the music video until I was writing this post.  It is such a fun video!

For your viewing pleasure:

So what did you think?  Is the song #1 quality?  Did you like the video?

What tune(s) are you listening to today?

Colletta

Happy Homemaker Monday ~ 1/2/2023

Come join Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday. 

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Hello, and Happy Monday!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, as well!

I hope you all have a wonderfully blessed 2023 :)

The weather outside is:

The past few days the weather has been heavenly and springlike.  I didn't even wear my jacket home from Church on Sunday.   I know it won't last though...

On today's to-do list: 

~Organize my craft area

~Write a letter to my PenPal who lives in Sweden

~Enjoy our last day of the holidays

Happening this week:

I'm off work Monday for the New Year holiday.  The hubby and Laken are off as well.  Tuesday we're all back to work and school so I really want to enjoy what is left of the holiday season.

We're probably going to take the Christmas decorations down.  We always get a real Christmas tree and it is starting to look sad and droopy.  Time to come down.

Currently reading:

One of my "plans" for 2023 is to read at least 15 minutes a day.  I decided to start my reading year off with "Mind Games" by Nancy Mehl.

Watching:

We watched Nashville's NYE celebration.  I'm excited that Hallmark will be starting their new movies!

Listening to:

I'm going to be participating in the weekly linkup called "Saturday 9" which focuses on a different song each week and has questions to go along with the theme of the song.  This week was "The Last Song" by Edward Bear.  I had never heard the song before.  Had you?

On the menu today:

Leftovers from New Year's Dinner.

In the Craft Basket:

I'm also planning on stitching at least 15 minutes per day.  So far, this week I've been working on Sunny Blue Hawaii 2 again.  I need something bright to work on during these winter days.

Picture from the Camera

Before picture of my sewing/craft area.  Hoping it will look completely different by the end of the day!

Bible Verse

 ^{"I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun!  Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.}"

Isaiah 43:19 NLT

Have a great Monday!

Colletta

15 Minutes to Stitch ~ 1/1/2023 ~Before Pictures!

 

One of my "plans" for 2023 is to spend 15 minutes a day stitching.  That might entail sewing, quilting, crocheting anything else I might come up with.  I'll be joining in with Kate @ Life in Pieces.

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I decided for this first week of 2023 that it would probably be a good idea to actually spend some time organizing my crafting area and see just what projects I have on the go (aka WIPS).  I have Monday, January 2nd, off work for the New Year holiday, so I'm hoping to make this my main priority for the day.

I thought it might be fun to show some BEFORE pictures of my area. Now, keep in mind that I haven't hardly touched  this area in the past 5 months or so except to pile stuff up!  Be gentle!

For the actual 15 minutes of stitching this week, I'm going to be working on Sunny Blue Hawaii 2.  Before this weekend, I haven't even touched it since early summer.  The yellow and teal colors will help perk up these dark, dreary days of winter.  You can go HERE to see my last post about Sunny Blue Hawaii 2.

Next week I hope to show you a nicely organized area, have a list of my current WIPS and show you progress that I've made on my stitching.

What are you stitching this week?

Colletta