Just a Few Musings...

~Growing up, my favorite show was I Love Lucy. It still brings back some of my happiest memories from childhood.

~Given the choice, I would pick coffee over soda pop, regardless of the time of day.

~I prefer Pancakes over waffles. Butter & Syrup, please.

~I love watching old Disney Movies. Summer Magic, Herbie, Snowball Express are just a few of my favorites!

~Cozy nights at home snuggling with my family are my favorite ways to relax these days.

~Someday, I would love to take ballet classes again.

~I'm a total Marvel Movie nerd!! We have seen nearly every Marvel movie in the theater...Captain America is hands down my favorite. 

~Every once in a while, I crave oatmeal with toast. I like mine with brown sugar, butter and a dash of milk. Whenever I eat it, it makes me think of my Mimmie and Papaw. 

Well, that was probably more than you'd ever want to know. What are some of your own random facts?

The 90's, Iced Coffee & Other Musings

A few random things on my mind....

I've been drinking an iced Peppermint Cream Coffee every morning for the last week. I discovered the Blonde Cold Brew pre-made bottles of coffee at the grocery store and ya'll, it has been a game changer. It is such a smooth coffee blend, and perfect for early mornings when I really need my immediate pick me up. I add two tablespoons of half & half, two drops of peppermint extract and one drop of vanilla extract.

"Just like Christmas in a cup!" Props to anyone who knows that quote. 🎄

We recently started getting more channels thanks to local basic cable. Typically, we just watch Netflix, but when we realized that Home Improvement re-runs were available each night we have been suckered into watching it...well, pretty much every night. Tim Allen is just hilarious. Also, I have decided that the 90's were far Superior as far as clothing and home decor goes. I plan to stock up on scrunchies, and buy myself a caboodle soon.  🤣

Church has kept us busy with fun events. We attended our first church picnic since we joined at the beginning of the year. The girls loved it and it was so nice to visit. Our family also attends a weekly Bible study that has been such a wonderful outlet for us. We are constantly being challenged with it! I'm most excited about a Bagpipe concert that our church will be hosting soon! I'll try to share more on that later. I am so thankful for a loving church family for my children to grow up with!

The colors are finally turning on our trees...so I will probably be posting allllll the fall pictures in the next few weeks. Fall is always late to bloom where we live!

Last, but not least, the girls keep me hopping each day with school lessons, and all their silly antics. We have a lot of fun together and I am so thankful to stay home with them. 💗 Family is precious.

A little life update...

Happy Monday!

Look at those silly girls! You want to know why they are smiling so big? I totally bribed them with ice cream if they'd let me take their picture. Haha! Just a little real life honesty, for you. ;)

Can you believe we are already half way through September? That's mind boggling. I have been decorating for fall all week. My mother in law gave me some new décor items that I've been playing with, and ended up re-arranging several things around the house. I'll do a video tour soon!

Evie is loving and thriving her Pre-K 4 year of school. She begs to do school all day long. *wink* She also started a little homeschool art class once a week. My friend teaches it and she was gracious to let Evie join in....she spends about 20 minutes focusing on the class before she's ready to go play with her friends. I think it's adorable and such a nice outlet for us all to get out of the house.

Ella, my goodness, has been changing so much. She's learning to communicate better, and of course wants to do school with sister. She has started coloring and drawing like crazy. When she figured out how to draw a circle, she spent nearly an hour covering page after page with circles!

I've been spending most of my mornings working (from home). I handle social media, PSA's and other web site related tech stuff. It keeps me busy and gives me a little creative outlet. I've had to figure out a new routine for myself, hence the reason my blog has been quiet. I'm not planning on going anywhere blog wise, just had to figure it all out!

Even though, I love my fall décor, I'm also already planning and scheming for Christmas decorations. I'm thinking it's time to add a second tree to our house. I'm torn between a Disney tree (how fun would that be?) or a blue & white themed tree (more elegant ).

I better sign off for now. Hope you all have a blessed day. 😊😉

The Royal Wedding...Did you watch?

I had fun watching snippets of the royal wedding via YouTube an Instagram...a few things to note...

I thought her dress was very simple, yet elegant.

The veil was stunning!

I was surprised at how small the bouquet was, yet it was gorgeous!

Overall, everything seemed understated than other royal weddings.

It was fun to watch! I think the girls will enjoy watching playbacks with me throughout the week. I'm tempted to watch Kate & William's wedding again, too. I think their's will always be my favorite. ;)

Five Things Friday

Drinking: This week, I've been sipping on Iced Thai Tea. It's a smooth, fruity drink, and I enjoy it with a splash of cream. It's the perfect afternoon treat!! I'm also obsessed with flavored sparkling waters. 

Reading: I just picked up Louis Lowry's latest republished novel, and read it in a matter of two days. It's a mix of coming of age, learning about life type novel. It was pretty good, but had more "stuff" in it than I would have imagined. 

Watching: Honestly? Unless it's Hawaii-Five-O we haven't watched much TV. We've been outside for HOURS every day this week. It's been fantastic. ;) However, we are hoping to see the latest Avenger's at the theater ASAP.

Listening: The Greatest Showman Soundtrack. Haha. On constant repeat. I need some new summer tunes! Care to share what you've been listening to?

Cooking: This week I made a new taco recipe, and they turned out super yummy. Recipe coming soon!

Happy Friday!!!

What's Up Wednesday!

I am slow moving this week...we just returned from a wonderful vacation (which we booked through Southwest...I'll have to share more on that later!). Anyway, I've got the proverbial post vacation blues. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be home! BUT, man, it's always nice to try new foods, see new things, and reside in a tropical paradise for a few days. ;)

The girls got to visit the lake yesterday, and they attempted to build a sandcastle with their daddy. But, sand castle plans were set aside in favor of jumping in the water. Of course. ;)

Today, I'm trying to buckle down and get caught up with unpacking, laundry, and deep cleaning the house. Always fun, especially with a giant coffee in hand.

Happy Wednesday!

What's in My Diaper Bag?

Well, I dusted off the 'ol YouTube, and did a "What's in my diaper bag?" Video. I love these, because it always gives me a glimpse into other people's personality and lives. Maybe I'll make a "What in my purse?" video next. ;)

Also, if you are an Anglophile, you may enjoy my new (and first) Cath Kidston bag!

Happy Wednesday!

Bird Watching, Books and Brownies

If I'm being honest, it has been one of THOSE days. You know the kind....where you feel like everything goes wrong, you snap at the kids, the house looks like a war zone...and...the list goes on.

But, I know that's just life.

So, today, I gave myself a little grace. I loaded the girls up and we headed to my husbands office to meet him for lunch. We ate at a new restaurant (Zoe's) and it was delicious. When I got home, I looked up a few new recipes to try for dinner. That always turns my mood around! Cooking is therapeutic for me. Anyone else?

I can't believe Spring is here! I am so happy. Next to fall, it is one of my favorite seasons. This year, we invested in a large bird feeder, a Purple Martin bird house, and a few hummingbird feeders. Over the last few days, we've had dozens of birds visit us! The girls love it. I joined the backyard bird watch program, and now I want to get the girls binoculars (Ok, I just want them for myself). I plan to do a unit study on birds for the kids this spring, as well!

In other random news, I picked up a Terri Blackstock book, If I Run, from Mardel's last week, and it has been quite the page turner! Nothing like a good mystery/suspense novel. I'll have to review it soon when I finish. I also read Francine River's latest novel. It was interesting! Not my normal style, but interesting enough to keep me turning the pages. Have you read anything fun lately?

I'm off to join my family on the back porch for brownie sundae's.

Happy Tuesday and Happy SPRING!!!

My Simple Morning Routine

I thought I'd share my simple morning routine. I love to read other people's routines, tips, and tricks. It's amazing how much it inspires me to stick with what I' doing or occasionally add/take away from my current routine.

During this season of life, I'm learning that having a schedule keeps our days running smoother which makes for a MUCH happier mom. Can anyone else relate?

1. The first thing I do every morning without fail is to say a prayer of thanksgiving and protection over my family. What better way to start off my day than to thank the one who gave it to me? I've done this for as long as I can remember.

2. Next up, I make my bed. It immediately makes my room look more put together and honestly, it makes me feel better.

3. The second thing I do is get dressed and do a 5-10 minute Pilates workout. I've been doing this since last fall, and it has really changed my overall mindset. It helps wake me up, clear my mind and set the tone for my day. It also helps me relax so I can enjoy my morning without feeling stressed. It has been such a game changer for me (and I rarely use that term...).

4. I drink half a glass of lemon water. Some days it's fresh squeezed lemon and other days I use lemon juice. My friend Naomi got me started on this trick and the health benefits are fantastic. It's a great way to detox your body before starting the day!

5. Finally, I sit down with a cup of coffee, my planner and my computer. This is my "me" time before I get the kids up. I like to write my list of things to do, check my e-mail, and read.

What does your morning routine look like?

A Happy Friday Post

"Preserve your memories. Keep them well, what you forget, you can never retell" ~ Louisa May Alcott 

Fall colors have finally arrived! Nothing beats the color change...it's my favorite. :) We were all a bit worried that we wouldn't get a colorful fall due to no rain and such a late arrival of fall weather. We've been spending time outside every day, and I'm loving the fact it's cool enough for hoodies at night! If I could live in my jeans and hoodie, I would.

I stumbled on an iced coffee brew that you can purchase at Target. It's called STOK coffee. Ever heard of it? I picked it up on a whim, and goodness, I am addicted. The carton is only $5 and usually lasts me all week. It has a smooth flavor with caramel undertones. Delicious!!! Try it if you like to mix up your coffee routines like I do. I drink mine with half and half. Creamy, goodness.

We have been busy little bees with pre-school. It makes me giggle to watch them interact. Most days are focused on reading aloud to them, coloring while listening to classical music, and plenty of time outside to play and let their imaginations run wild. We've also had mini "nature walks" in the backyard to collect leaves, sticks, and acorns. They also love it when I bring out the flash cards! We are focusing on counting to 10 right now.

Also, I've had my nose buried in mystery books over the last couple of weeks. I'll have to do a book post soon!

Happy Friday!

I Might Be Awkward

1) When I am feeling blue, I like to listen to upbeat music. Mainly Disney soundtracks, oldies or Christmas music. They make me feel good and bring a smile to my face. I grew up as a "radio kid" (my dad has been in radio for 40 years), so I think this may be why music is my escape.

2) I am a really slow text-er? Is that a word? Anyway, I like texting, but to me it's like an e-mail. I have to sit down and think out my response and what I want to say. It drives most of my friends crazy, but I think they love me anyway. I think? Haha! Also, my husband does NOT text unless he is in a meeting or can't get a hold of someone.

3) I really, really love decorating. Switching out pillows, changing out candles, moving accessories around the house make me happy. I've always enjoyed seasonal decorating over the years. Decorating for fall and Christmas are my FAVORITE. I'm already making plans for both. I also love decorating the girls rooms. What is it about sweet pastels that make me so happy? I don't know, but they do.

4) My style is a mix of country and traditional. I love traditional layouts and accessories with a splash of country patterns or wood. I think this just makes my ADD brain happy. Ha! Also, I love adding white & blue around my house. My grandma ALWAYS decorated with blue, and now it's my go to color scheme.

5) When it comes to dessert...I almost ALWAYS go for chocolate unless there is Tiramisu in the house. There's just nothing like it. Who wants to bring me a slice?

6) I am seriously old-fashioned and just slightly awkward. Ok, maybe I'm super awkward. I avoid TMI conversations like the plague. I think little girls should wear smocked dresses. And why do people post weird, over the top pictures of intimate situations? I just don't get it.

7) My guilty pleasure is most definitely Instagram. I might need therapy. Or something. Or maybe not. I tell myself my kids will love looking at all those photos someday, right? Right?

So, there you go. Random for the win. ;)

Rambling Friday Post

It's Friday! I am probably a little too excited, but yet, it was a long week for some reason. We stayed home most of the time, and I had a lot of catching up to do around the house. And now that I feel much better about our current laundry situation...I'm ready for a little adventure around town.

What are some of your favorite thing to do when you are out an about? My favorite things would include book shopping, picking up an iced latte, and getting a pedicure. I also love to visit antique stores and flea markets. So, I may squeeze in one or two of the above later this afternoon. We'll see.

This morning, I went through the girls clothes to take note of what we needed for both fall and the coming Christmas season. I know it's still summer, but our local consignment sales tend to start early in August, so I need my lists ready to go.

Speaking of fall, I've spent the last year slowly collecting books and activity sets for Evie as she starts preschool at home this fall. I found the cutest little counting set on Amazon, and tons of Scholastic and Usbourne books at a local thrift store. I'm all about hands on activities and sweet books to read this early in the game, but Evie really does enjoy the learning process. This summer, she took it on herself to learn colors. She would randomly walk around the house trying to guess colors. So, I picked up flash cards and a couple of books that covered that topic. She soaked it all up like a sponge. I really am in denial that I have a preschooler on my hands.

Another thing I worked on this week was re-vamping my menu planning process. Typically, I do my shopping once a week on Monday's and build a meal plan for 4-5 meals (honesty moment--we eat out several times a week). I've decided to start doing my shopping on Thursday evenings, and planning for 5-6 meals each week. That we can still enjoy eating out or ordering take out, but just wanting cut back just a tad. Also, I'm trying to rotate one new meal each week just for kicks. All that to say, it just worked better with our schedule. Ok, that was probably a boring paragraph? I'm nerdy like that. ;)

Happy Friday!

Show & Tell Tuesday: Memory Lane!

Two posts in one day? Well, I've missed blogging, and the topic over at Show & Tell this week is about Memory Lane!! I loved my childhood, and had a pretty typical 80's & 90's life. Things I loved growing up...

Watching I Love Lucy




To this day, I love watching this show. And no matter how many times I watch an episode, I laugh just as hard as I did the first time. I was about 6 years old when I fell in love with Lucy's antics. I remember "Nick at Night" would have marathons, and I was record them on VHS tapes. :D

Collecting Lisa Frank



I think every girl growing up in the 90's was obsessed. I loved the notebooks, folders, pencils...you name it! :)

Playing With Play Doh



I loved Play Doh. I loved squeezing it in my hands. I loved the smell! They should make some kind of car scent called Play Doh. I would buy it up by the bulk. Ha!

Reading...Sweet Valley Twins, Babysitters Club....


I was a total bookworm as a kid. Going to the library was my FAVORITE thing to do. Still is, to be honest. I really loved reading Sweet Valley Kids, Sweet Valley Twins, Babysitters Club, and so many more. ;)

What did you love during your childhood?

Things I'm Loving March Edition

Just a vlog on a few things I'm loving this month!

Two Girls & Their Giant Rubber Ducky

The weather was really nice over Labor Day Weekend, so I thought it would be fun to take a few pics of the girls playing with their giant rubber ducky. I realize I'm late posting this, but better late than never, right? ;)

I thought Ella would have loved the bubbles, but she was NOT impressed. She just wanted to eat the soapy water, and chew on the rubber ducky. Evie Grace, however, was all about the bubbles. Life with two, it's always fun!

The girls are getting so big. We've been busy at home, just soaking up life with our little family. Happy Tuesday!

What I'm Into August Edition

Books & More Books:

This was a slower month for me regarding books but I still found a few titles that were fun to read. One of the sweetest novels I read was My Mrs.Brown. The synopsis is that Mrs. Brown lives a simple life. She's faithful to the small things, and keeps a tidy check book. Her charcter is very plain, and under-embellished. But, it's her character traits, and willingness to keep her head high despite the gossip that draws you into her story. She sets out on a journey to buy a black dress...not any black dress, her black dress. But, the reasons, the pricetag, the location...it's all a bit curious. 

I also read Together at the Table (third in the Blue Door Trilogy), which was really good, but sad at the same time. A full review to come soon! And last, but not least, I read Larkspur Cove by Lisa Wingate. If you enjoy clean romance and mystery, I would highly recommend it.

TV & Movies:
We finished watching all the available shows for The Flash, and now we need something new. Any suggestions? I watched the second episode of The Good Witch, and it's pretty cute. I love me some cheesy Hallmark! We also rented My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 from RedBox, and it was a fun movie. Not quite as funny as the first, but fun none the less. ;)

Pinning Away:
Fall!! I love all things fall, and I've been busy pinning away fall decor ideas, fall recipes, and maybe even a few Christmas tradition ideas. 

Coffee & Tea:

The other day, I had a taste for Chai Tea. My favorite brand is not available in our community, so Josh found another substitute a while back. I had forgotten that I still had some. So, I added extra cinnamon, ginger, and a dash of cloves for an added spice kick. It was so good.

My favorite thing about morning time is my cup of coffee. Random fact: I drink it iced 90% of the time. I enjoy cream, a drop of pure vanilla & a dash of cinnamon, no sugar. Delicious!

What about you? What are you into? I'd love to hear!! Linking up with What I'm Into at Leigh's blog.

PS. Be sure to join me on GoodReads! I love meeting other bookworms and finding new titles to read!! :)

An Overnight Getaway

We were heading out of town for a wedding, so Josh decided to make an overnight trip out of it. We stayed at the Arlington Hotel. It's very old, and quaint, and I loved the antiques sprinkled throughout the hotel lobby. It had a very regal feel to it!

The room had a beautiful view, and I didn't want to leave the comfy bed. I may have binged watched "The Bush People of Alaska" for hours. I'd never watched the show, and found it fascinating, if not, a bit different, too. Ha!

We enjoyed dinner in the dining room that included Crab Legs!! My favorite! We also walked around town, enjoyed room service (I forgot to take a picture...but I had Salted Caramel Apple Pie...SO GOOD!!). We also tried tons of other food: chocolate & caramel apple treats at a little candy shop across the street from the hotel, pancakes for breakfast at one of our favorite places, and warm mocha's made from Belgium chocolate. I may have been on a sugar high for the rest of the weekend! And with that, I'll leave you with a picture of the ridiculously good caramel apples we feasted on... ;)

Random Musings

Yesterday was perfect. I had a whole day to myself to cean, and re-organize my house. It may seem silly, but honestly ya'll, when I feel myself depleated both physically, and emotionally, a good old-fashioned house cleaning does the trick.

I cleaned the girls rooms. I went through their clothes, and all our baby items. I caught up on laundry. I made lunches for my husband for the rest of the week. I cleaned our bedroom, and scrubbed the kitchen. I straightened up the bathrooms, and put away toys.

I feel like a new person when my house gets a deep cleaning.

I'm nerdy like that.

Also, I am *so* ready for the upcoming weekend. Josh is taking a three day weekend, so we plan to enjoy a little staycation, and hopefully, catch up on some sleep! I'm also excited to start decorating for fall. Maybe we will bake a pumkin treat, and watch some movies. My favorite movie to kick off fall is You've Got Mail. I also love the Charlie Brown movies of course!

Happy Tuesday!

What I'm Into: July Edition

I can't believe we are well over half way through the year! July flew by...or so it felt. Here's my lists of things I was really into for the month of July...

Books & More Books:

I was out late one night at Barnes and Noble when I noticed they had Sophie Hudson's latest book out. I bought it, and read Giddy Up, Eunice in about two days flat. I loved her first book Home is Where My People Are. So much in fact, that I read it twice. I was excited to see the pages of Giddy Up, Eunice were filled with her trademark wit and wisdom. She tackles the issues of women needing friendship, and what it means to be there for each other. I think it would make a great group study or Bible study.

I also tackled a new author to me, Liane Moriarty. I read What Alice Forgot, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the novel (minus some crude language). The plot was an entirely new idea to me, and it felt a bit refreshing. The characters were believeable, the plot built up quickly, and she took her time with the ending. I may or may not have read this in one day.

I also read Without A Trace by Dee Henderson. It was PERFECT in terms of Henderson + Mystery reading. I've been a fan of her novels for years. You can read my full review here.

Other titles Read: Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin, The Birth Order Book by Kevin Leman, Fatal Judgement by Irene Hannon (SO GOOD).

Podcasts Galore:

Oh goodness, I have enjoyed Podcasts like crazy. The one that stood out was a podcast by Focus on The Family that featured Chelsea & Kirk Cameron. The topic was "Making Marriage a High Priority". A very timely, and much-needed message for me personally.

I've also been devouring podcasts about books via What Should I Read Next? My "to read list" has doubled, y'all.

TV & Movies:
We didn't venture to the movies this month, but we did manage to start a new show. We've been enjoying The Flash late at night after the kids go to bed. Also, I watched You've Got Mail for the millionth time. It just makes a good day better. ;) I'm also watching Fixer Upper & Gilmore Girl Re-Runs. I'm excited about the new Gilmore Girl episodes coming out this fall! Can't wait.

Pinning Away:
I've been busy on pinterest looking up ideas for Tot School for my 2 1/2 year-old. She loves learning, and anytime she's around older kids she tries to imitate their skills. For example, an older girl that she likes to play with was singing the alphabet, and Evie tried to sing along as well. Since then, she walks around the house calling out random letters. I'm trying to find a simple approach that would give her a few minutes of "learning time" whether it's through artwork or one of her favorite leap frog videos.

I've also enjoyed learning more about the Charlotte Mason & Montessori methods of learning. They seem like they would build off each other nicely. We plan to homeschool, so I'm starting early with learning more about teaching, curriculum, and educational philosophies. 

What about you? What are you into? I'd love to hear!! Linking up with What I'm Into at Leigh's blog.

PS. Be sure to join me on GoodReads! I love meeting other bookworms and finding new titles to read!! :)

Five For Friday

Oh, TGIF! For some reason, I'm really looking forward to this weekend. Nothing big planned, but time with friends & family is always a must on my list.

...Right now, I"m loving my Verismo from Starbucks. We received it as our Christmas gift last year, and it has been such an AWESOME way to save money when it comes to our coffee addictions. My husband claims I'm the only one that's addicted, but we know that's not true. He drinks more than I do on average! Ha. Anyway, we are able to make latte's at home for a fraction of the cost! I usually spend $10 on a box of pods that usually lasts us for about 1 to 2 weeks. I've been "sweetenening" my coffee just a tad with the Cinnamon Brown Sugar or Pumpkin Pie Syrup from Torani's Syrups! They have such amazing flavors, and I just LOVE them.

...I'm also loving the fact I've downloaded a new show to watch on Netflix. Several of my friends told me to give "Call The Midwife" a try. I was a HUGE fan of Parenthood & Hart of Dixie, and had been pinining for another fun show to watch. I've also been watching random documentaries!

...I'm loving this stage that Evie is at. She's is so hilarious! She just chatters all day long, and it's the cutest thing. She learned to say "red" last week, and how to open our drawers. Round two of child proofing has taken place.

...I'm loving that I stayed home a lot more this week. I was able to REALLY deep clean the house. It feels SO good to have that finished for the weekend. Also, I was introduced to Gain's room spray. Um, how did I not know this existed? To say I'm in love with be an unerstatement (I wasn't paid to write this). It just makes our bathrooms and hallways smell so good.

...I've been enoying listening to Carla Bruni. It's the perfect background music for when I'm typing. I love her voice, plus I just enjoy listening to French once in a while. ;-)

Linking UP: Five at Love Made My Home | Five on Friday