Monthly Musings ~ April 2021

 Today I am linking up for April's Monthly Musings with Patty & Holly.  The theme is all about Spring Cleaning.

1.  Are you doing a spring cleaning this year?

I don't have a "spring clean" schedule, but feel like I have done some of those items lately, like rotate my mattress and clean the baseboards!  I do try to keep up with daily cleaning of wiping down counters and weekly routine of cleaning bathrooms, vacuum and spraying cabinets and hardware to clean.

2.  Favorite cleaning products?

I use Thieves spray for my kitchen, Lysol wipes in the bathrooms and my vacuum robot.

3.  What is your must clean for every spring?

I clean outside on our front and back porches after the winter.  I am sweeping mostly pollen these days from our walkway.

4.  Any garage/shed tips?

The garage is something my husband cleans most every weekend because he uses it so much for work storage and tools.

5.  Pack rat or Marie Kondo devotee?

I think I am somewhere in the middle here...I have a lot of things, but as I have gotten older, I have learned to throw more things away.  I realize my girls really don't want most of my old houseware things or other random things I have saved!

6.  Best cleaning hack?

I have always been a fan of the Magic Eraser to use on most any surface.  I am also a recent fan of Folex Carpet Stain Spray.  This works so good and can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes.  If you have a carpet stain, this is worth buying.

7.  Do you have help with house cleaning?

No.  I am the house keeper here.  I will ask for help from time to time, but I do 99% of it, especially since I am not working full time anymore.

8.  Favorite cleaning appliance?

This would be my Shark robot vacuum.

9.   Run the dishwasher every night or just when full?  

I run it when it is full, which ends up being most nights, unless if we have gone out to eat for a meal.

10.  Favorite way to donate or purge unwanted items?

I donate things to Goodwill or if it is a large item, I will donate to the Vietnam Veteran's.  I have sold a few things on Facebook marketpace as well.  

These are always such fun posts!  Looking forward to reading others posts too.

 

What's Up Wednesday ~ April 2021

 Hi friends! The week has been busy and I have not been as constant with blogging the past week, but I am thankful for time I've spent catching up on some other things.  I am glad to be back though today for this monthly post.

What we're eating this week............

I am sharing a mix of what we ate last week and this week due to I am doing some traveling again this week.

Monday - grilled chicken, veggies, salad

Tuesday - pizza

Wednesday - shrimp, rice, broccoli

Thursday - deer backstrap, hashbrowns, onions/peppers, carrots

Friday - out

Saturday - mesquite pork tenderloin

Sunday - chicken/beef tortillas, chips

What I'm reminiscing about..........

Last Saturday marked 7 years since our family moved to Bogota, Colombia.  We lived there for 3 years as missionaries.  It was an amazing experience, even though it was definitely hard at certain times.  We are always thinking of memories of our times there, especially the past few days.  So thankful for the relationships we made while there. This first picture was taken on our first full day in Bogota.  The second picture is my girls with Edwin, who became like a son to us.  We still keep in touch with him.

What I'm loving................

My husband brought me some flowers last week for professional administrative day and also for being his wife :).  I do bookwork and ordering for his build/design business.  It has been nice to have fresh flowers this week.

We hosted our small group from our new church this past Sunday night and it was so good to have people in our home again, especially eating together and talking about that morning's sermon together.

What we've been up to.............

This month has been fun to have several trips.  The end of March, I went to Richmond, Virginia for a few days.  In April, my husband and I took a trip to Birmingham, Alabama, where we saw Nate Bargatze.  He has 2 comedy specials on Netflix, which are so funny.  He is a clean comedian so you can watch him with your kids.  If you need a laugh, watch these shows!  He was so funny in person as well.

I also took a trip to Chattanooga with my sister and youngest daughter to visit my oldest daughter.

What I'm dreading..............

I still haven't finished taxes :(.

What I'm working on..................

Taxes :(

What I'm excited about............

I am having some time this week to visit with a friend who just had her first baby!

What I'm watching/reading.............

I am finishing up my Esther bible study this week and have enjoyed reading and studying this book.

We enjoyed watching Rock the Block on HGTV.  I have also enjoyed the new show No Demo Reno.  

What I'm listening to...........

I am catching up on so many podcasts this week while on a road trip!

Family Life Today, Don't Mom Alone, Office Ladies, Typology (about Enneagrams), Big Boo and a few others!

What I'm wearing..............

Last week it seemed like I wasn't sure whether to wear a short sleeve shirt or a sweater or sweatshirt most days.  Our weather has fluctuated a lot, but I think as May approaches, we will stay a little more steady with spring temperatures.  

What I'm doing this weekend...............

After so much travel recently, I am going to enjoy being at home!

What I'm looking forward to next month.............

I am looking forward to being with family on Mother's Day, having my oldest daughter home for a few days, and celebrating our wedding anniversary!

What else is new..............

I have been wanting to learn some woodworking skills.  My husband is a skilled carpenter, so I have always been surrounded by woodworking tools.  Last summer, we started a renovation of our main bathroom.  We transformed our old shower into a closet, but had never completed it with shelves.  I was able to do some cuts on the table saw and miter saw to install some shelves.

For reference, this is what it looked like before as our shower.  We had started some of the demo at the time this picture was taken.

I do appreciate you reading and have a great day!

Weekend Wrap-Up ~ April 19, 2021

 Happy Monday!  It was a great weekend with another quick road trip.  My sister, daughter and I headed out Thursday afternoon to go visit my oldest daughter in her college town.  We had great weather, beautiful sights, yummy food and good hugs :).

We saw a waterfall

Crossed a suspension bridge

And enjoyed our little hike!

I love going in a college bookstore!

We also drove to a hangliding place where we have watched people take off from here in the past. It is a beautiful view.

Me and my girls :)

This sign below made me laugh!

I tried a cookies and cream frozen hot chocolate.  It basically tasted like a milkshake, but not as thick, but still very good.

We got some hot drinks at a local coffee spot...

Then took a walk across one of the bridges there.

It was another great weekend!

Linking up with Tanya today :)

Let's Look ~ April 2021

 This month's Let's Look link up is about our fridge and pantry.  This is an interesting topic to see how we are all different!

First, is a quick picture inside our refrigerator.  I am sharing this one basically because of the little tray.  I bought two of these from Costco earlier this year and they are little "lazy susans".  They are advertised to be used in a pantry, but I use both of mine in my refrigerator.  I have our soda of choice, Coke Zero, on this, but usually have a few more options and it is easier to turn the table than move things around inside.  Staples I keep on hand are greek yogurt, almond milk, string cheese sticks and eggs.

Next, is my pantry area.  The pantry is the small door and the other doors lead to laundry, where I do keep some overflow pantry items.

These rolling trays have been great storage areas and easy to access with the wheels.  I can easily move them to look for something, since I keep these in my laundry area.  I have some Costco box finds usually stored here, along with paper products.

Speaking of Costco, these are now two of my staple Costco items we like to have on hand.  The rice can be microwaved and ready in 90 seconds.  The brownie mix is so good.  It is healthy and actually taste like a regular mix to me, yet it is sugar free.  

Inside my pantry door (and a hall closet too), I have the Elfa storage system.  Elfa is a storage system The Container Store sells and they have a sale on this every January.  They have lots of options, but I love this for my pantry & it basically holds spices and some baking essentials.

I usually organize/clean my pantry at least once a month.  Well, of course, it had not been done when I took these pictures, so I am not sharing too much :).  I do have baskets we use for chips, snacks and some breakfast goodies. On top shelves, I do have some clear, labeled containers for baking goods.

On the bottom floor, I have cereal containers and this bread box.  My husband bought this for me, but it was also fun for me to see this is sold at Ree Drummond's Pioneer Woman Mercantile store in Oklahoma, when I visited there 2 years ago.  I actually use this for tortillas and buns, but store my loaf bread in the fridge.

Nothing to groundbreaking here, and even though I can always use more storage, I am thankful for this system!

Enjoy your day and the rest of your week!  I am off for another little adventure, so won't be blogging anymore this week.

Weekend Wrap-Up ~ April 12, 2021

 Happy Monday friends! 

Today, I am starting my week getting vaccinated.  I was scheduled to go last Friday, but for a few reasons, I delayed it until today.  It seems like another busy week ahead, but hoping it is a good one.

Once again, I am thankful to say we had a really good weekend.  Friday night, I cooked dinner and we watched the most recent episode of "Rock the Block" from HGTV.  It was low key, but good.  

Saturday, we dropped off our daughter at an event and we drove to Birmingham.  First stop for us was Buc-ess!  We went to our first Buc-ees in Texas in early 2020.  I was so excited to hear there was a new one, just a short 3 1/2 hours away :).  This location outside of Birmingham just opened in January, so it was still pretty crowded and it was a Saturday when we visited.  As crazy as it seemed when we walked inside, it was pretty efficient with lines.  It was just crowded!  This is a gas station (120 pumps!), but is also a gift store and has unique snacks and hot food, like Texas brisket.  The first time I went to Buc-ees last year, I actually bought a wedding gift there.  This time, I just bought some good 'ol brisket to eat, some snacks to share, and some souvenirs. 

The main reason for the trip was to see Nate Bargazte perform.  He is a comedian who has two Netflix specials and has been on a lot of the late night talk shows, like Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien.  He is a comedian you can watch with your family.  Let me just say, I laughed until I cried.  He was so funny and we had front seats for the show.  

We were back home at lunchtime Sunday to eat as a family, relax and then we went to our small groups with church. 

Enjoy your day and week ahead!

Linking up with Tanya today!

Friday Favorites ~ April 7, 2021

 

Well, Friday is upon us and our first week in April is in the books.  It has been a busy week. I have just a few favorites to share from the week.

ONE

I bought a set of 3 small, glass jars from the Target dollar spot and found some flowers at Hobby Lobby to arrange in them for a touch of spring.  I found the bird decor on their Easter clearance.

TWO

I also found this bunny door hanger at Hobby Lobby in Easter clearance.  I went Monday morning to see what goodies they had.

THREE

In keeping with the theme of Easter clearance, I also had a weak moment and bought Easter candy.  My favorite are Robin Eggs and I found some that are dark chocolate.  I have no self control when it comes to eating them, but they sure were good.  On a bright note, I have exercised more this week, but not enough for how much chocolate I ate.

FOUR

I attended an Italian cooking class on Wednesday.  I went to a friend's house, but the class was taught virtually from a teacher in Italy.  Three participants were from the UK, one from Germany and three from the USA, so it was an international class.  We made spinach ricotta ravioli.

FIVE

I sometimes come across the special deals on Good Morning America or Live with Kelly and Ryan, even though I don't watch these two shows on a regular basis.  A few weeks ago, I saw a product called Bed Scrunchies on sale.  I had struggled with my fitted sheets sometimes not staying on the mattress, but this product fits around the sheets and mattress to keep it in place.  This is also sold on Amazon and from Macy's.  So far, I have been pleased with this random purchase!

SIX

Today, I am getting my vaccination and then going to a local home show. Hoping I don't feel too bad afterwards to be able to enjoy walking around the exhibits.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Currently ~ April 2021

 Good mid-week morning!  

I am linking up with Anne for her monthly series, Currently.  Here are the topics:

Arranging

The first thing that came to mind for this is arranging paperwork that has been piling up, which needs to be filed.  This is one of those little things I often put off doing.

I have also started arranging my summer wardrobe now that the temperatures may consistently stay above 70.  My daughter helped me last season to arrange my clothes by color in a gradient style.  

Craving

Of course, when I hear cravings, I think food! Most of my cravings for food are my sweet tooth favorites like chocolate, yogurt and strawberries.

I am also craving a sense of purpose as I plan for the next few years.

Discussing

A lot of discussions around here are about college and vacations.  I have a junior in high school and she is thinking of what to do and where to go for college.  She definitely has ideas and interests, but the more we look into things, it seems the more overwhelming the process is.  

So on a light note, we have been discussing upcoming vacation travel too!

Enjoying

I thoroughly enjoyed our time this past weekend with my family. Click here to see pictures that were posted on my blog Monday.

Preparing

I am still in tax preparation mode, trying to get that complete sooner than later. 

 I am also preparing for lots of little things going on this week and some upcoming weekend trips.  

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

 

Prime Purchases ~ February & March 2021

It has been a few weeks since I have posted 2 days in a row :).  Yesterday, was all about our Easter weekened. Today, I am linking up with Tanya for Prime Purchases.  I have a few items from the past 2 months to share, but not too much :).

Real Touch Artificial Tulips

I read about these somewhere in the blog world....sorry I don't remember where to give you credit! But, I ordered these and have been pleased.  They do not feel plastic and while I love fresh flowers, these are a good substitute.  The first picture is Amazon's photo and the second is mine.

Tablecloth

It seems like every year I buy a new basic tablecloth for our dining room table.  Ignore the wrinkles that were still in it at the time of this picture :)

Mailbox number stickers

Our mailbox did not have numbers and the ones on our house are hard to see, so this was a good addition and these stickers are reflective as well. (this photo is from Amazon...not our street/house)

Disposable Masks

I needed some new disposable masks to wear while traveling on a plane last week.  We also use disposable masks when we go to the gym....so not that often, ha!  These were recommended by Melanie Shankle of the Big Boo Podcast.

Sacred Tears book

This is a book from a neat ministry called Bottle of Tears.  This was a gift for my niece.  

That's all for today!  I plan to be back tomorrow with the Currently series.