Hello Monday ~ February 27, 2023

Good morning to you.  I am starting the week off from a busy week/weekend, but it has been good.  Here is a little recap...

We hosted 2 people for the week in our home who were in town for a local missions conference. One is a friend of ours, who is American, and the other is a Norweigan we met last week.  After some warm temperatures Wednesday and Thursday, it cooled off for the weekend and we had a fire Friday night.  

Saturday morning, we went to the church to hear some speakers.  Below is a friend of ours who we met 9 years ago when we all spent a month in Brussels, Belgium together in missionary training ( I will post about this soon).  Our family spent 3 years in Colombia and he and his family spent the past 9 years in Ukraine.  It was so good to see him again. 

A funny thing happened....he still had a video on his phone from 9 years ago of our youngest daughter.  She was 9 at the time and to hear her sweet voice just melted me.  I won't post the video here, but it was precious to see a video of her that I had never seen before.

Below is a picture with our American friend who stayed with us last week.  We met while serving in Colombia together and he now lives with his family in Norway.  It was good to have people in our home again and to hear about life in Norway.

We followed up our Saturday morning with lunch at Chick-fil-A and going to our local donut shop.  We watched the Grizzlies on tv have a good win Saturday night.

Sunday was church, treating a Norweigan to southern catfish and going back to church for an event Sunday night.  

This week is back to work with a few other things on the calendar.  I will be back on Wednesday to join in on the monthly Currently series with our sweet host, Jennifer.

Happy Monday friends!

Monthly Musings ~ February

 It is ironic we are hitting record temperatures on a day in February talking about warm weather destinations for Monthly Musings!  I am following along with today's prompts:

1.  Favorite warm weather destination?

I would say a cruise!  I love most things about a cruise and exploring new places.  I do enjoy going to a beach, but about one day sitting on the beach is good for me. I love the beauty of looking at the expanse of the water.

2.  Packing cubes? 

 Yes!  I am a big fan of packing cubes.  I bought my first set back in 2015, so I have been using them for a while.  I have used them in so many different ways in packing.  Sometimes, I pack by the day or by category.  I always use them to store dirty clothes and it is so easy to unpack those when arriving at home.  I know there are tons of places that sell these, but I got my original sets from Ebags. It looks like they have them on sale now if you are interested and there are many colors/sizes.

3.  Favorite carry on?

For my carry on when I fly, I always bring a backpack.  It comes in handy for most destinations.  I always carry snacks, medicine and headphones in my carry on.  

4.  Essential items in your suitcase?

In this picture, you can see my new luggage I got last fall for my birthday.  The brand is Cal Pak and I have used both pieces so far.  It is a well made brand and my daughter got the same brand, different style a few years ago.  I bought mine from TJ Maxx, so it was at a good price.

As far as essential items in my suitcase, my most recent favorite essential is this light up travel mirror.  It is on sale now for $20.  It comes with a travel pouch to store it in, which is nice.  It has been great to have an extra mirror for the hotel room or wherever you are staying.  It has 3 different lights and a magnifying glass.

5. Excursions?

On a cruise ship, I do like to book at least one excursion.  On our cruise last year, we had 3 ports and I booked 2 excursions for us.  When I went on my first cruise or two, I booked a local excursion, but did not go through the cruise ship to save money.  Now, I am more prone to book an excursion through the cruise ship.  If there are any delays if you book your excursion through the cruise ship, they will not leave you behind at port!  

On a regular trip, I like to plan an activity at some point, but also keeping plans flexible.  

6.  Most random item you pack?

Hmmm....I am not sure about this one.  In my mind, most of my packing items are normal, or at least to me.  I always pack my travel mirror, medicine, snack bars, an extra outfit, rain jacket, & clothes wrinkle spray (if I am going somewhere without access to an iron; I don't always need this depending on the clothes I pack).  Maybe that spray is the most random item?  

7.  Do you use a travel agent?

I do not use a travel agent.  As I write that, I did actually book my cruise last year through Delta to get some frequent flyer miles.  I have booked every other trip on my own.  Even though I never worked in personal travel, I was a corporate travel agent for many years, so I enjoy planning my own trips.  Just last week, a friend called me to help her with options to changing the routing of her airline ticket, so I still try to help friends from time to time.

8.  Favorite sunscreen?

I use Supergoop for my face sunscreen.  I don't have a certain brand I use for body sunscreen, but usually a spray and something that is low in chemicals.  

9.  Favorite flip flops or sandals?

I prefer sandals for day to day wear, so I don't wear flip flops too much.  Getting older, I pay a lot more attention to the shoes I wear.  

10.  Favorite swimsuit?

I would recommend checking out Amazon for swimsuits.  There are so many styles and you can try them on in the privacy of your home and then return what doesnt work.

Here are a few swimsuits from Amazon:

Swim dress

Swimdress

High neck halter

Warm weather will be staying soon, so I am not in a hurry for it.  I will enjoy spring/fall type weather as long as I can!

Linking up with Patti and Holly

What's Up Wednesday ~ February 2023

I'm a little late posting this morning, but can't go without my monthly recap of What's Up Wednesday.

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

Monday - cannot even remember

(Yesterday I told someone happy Monday...well, it was Tuesday.  I am clearly off this week).

Tuesday - chicken stuffed peppers

This has become a favorite recipe & she has great Weight Watchers recipes!

I omitted the paprika and scallions from my dish. I put the peppers in my large muffin tin to bake and it helps to keep them upright during baking. 

Wednesday - BBQ

Thursday - out

Friday & weekend- I have no idea yet.  We have guests, so I am playing this by ear.  

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

Anytime with the family is always fun. This was taken this month when we went to celebrate my oldest daughter's 22nd birthday.

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

I am loving mornings at home to do some work, catch up on housework, run errands and watch tv. I am thankful for my part-time job!

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

Last weekend, I had my youngest college girl home and it was so nice.  We are hosting missionaries this week in our home, so I have been in hosting mode.  One of them is a family friend and the other is one we are meeting for the first time.  They both live in Norway now.  It is good to have company in our home since we don't have that too often anymore.

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

It's that time of year where taxes is the always the answer to this one. Basically, anything to do with finances! 

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

I am continually working on organizing/cleaning.  I would like to start planning a few trips for this summer and fall too.

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

One trip I am taking this summer is to attend my niece's wedding in Virginia.  It sounds like a beautiful location and I'm excited to celebrate her.  She is such a beautiful young woman, inside and out!

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

I am reading Praying for your Husband  rom Head to Toe each morning.  It is a good way to pray for your husband.  

We have been watching the Special Forces show on Wednesday nights.  I still watch some of Hoda and Jenna most days, The Pioneer Woman, the Saturday night Hallmark movie and Grizzlies basketball!

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

I counted last night and I am subscribed to 32 podcast.  I know that is a lot!  I actually have unsubscribed from a few, but then I added a few podcast that I want to listen to see how they are.  There are at least 10 of these podcast that haven't been updated in several months and some of these are not released weekly.  Half of these podcast are released weekly though, so needless to say, when I am driving in the car alone, I am always listening to podcast.   I have listed most of them here before, but need to do a Podcast Post!

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

I am enjoying wearing my new Julep eye shadow sticks.  These were recommended by Tanya and now are my favorite eye shadow.  I have ordered the stone matte and caramel matte.

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

We will be attending a missions conference this weekend, so we look forward to those talks and being with friends.

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

I am going to attend a women's retreat with my older daughter's church and my youngest will come home for Spring Break.

Thanks for reading and have a good day!

Weekend Wrap Up

 

Hi guys!  I am posting a little late on this Monday holiday.  I posted on Friday that my youngest daughter flew home from college.  It was so great to have her around for a few days.  She was home for Christmas break, but this was her first time to drive herself to the airport, fly and connect through Atlanta on her own.  All these years of flying, she did great. She has known for years which terminals in the Atlanta airport has Chick-fil-A, ha!  We use to fly through there quite a bit when we lived in South America.  When we would land, I would ask the girls to guide us to the next gate so they would learn how to follow airport signs and read the boards.  My girls grew up with a mom as a travel agent, so I texted/asked her about 10,000 questions along the way.

Friday, I attended a funeral.  This was my second funeral of the year. This certainly makes one think about the brevity of life.  Funerals do bring people together though too and it was good to see some friends.  My daughter spent the afternoon and evening seeing her friends.  

Saturday, we went to see some of my greats.  They love playing with Brook!

Lots of kids, toys, and loving!

We met my parents for lunch and then my sister joined us for some shopping.  Here is the Be Real picture Brook took of us:

That evening, it was cool again so had a fire. It looks like this week's weather is warmer, or what I like to call in the south, fake spring.

Sunday, Brook went to church and lunch with a friend.  She was back home Sunday night and we all watched the NBA All-Star game, cheering on our favorite Memphis Grizzlies players.

Monday morning, we took this picture at the airport at 5:45am.  She is now back at her dorm and weare so thankful for her weekend at home.

I am doing a little bit of work, catching up on a Hallmark movie and housework as I prepare for house guests coming this week.  

I will be back later this week!

Friday Favorites ~ February 17, 2023

 Good morning!  I am always happy to see a weekend come. I have a few favorites from the week.

ONE

This was my outfit on Valentine's Day.  I figured, what better day is there to wear red pants! I bought the sweater last fall from Target.

This was the table for dinner Tuesday night.  A mix of candles, rose petals, and yes, paper plates.

We had creamed spinach, my favorite mashed potato recipe, air fryer steak (minus the garlic butter on top) and a roll.  We have had so many desserts since last weekend, I opted not to make another dessert.

TWO

I had a busy week at work this week, but am feeling much more caught up on my work to-do list.  Each week brings new things, so I feel much better about going into a new week, especially since Monday is a holiday!  This is a picture of me at my desk that was taken last summer.

THREE

My daughter flew home last night!  Due to the storms around the south and waiting on a crew, she was delayed an hour & a half, but I am so glad to have her home for the weekend. A few friends came with us to greet her at the airport.

Enjoy your Friday and long weekend!

At Home Dip Manicure Review

Today I am doing a review on my new at home dip manicure set.  Last year, I began going to the nail salon to get a dip manicure.  I averaged going about every 3 weeks or so & for the most part, was plesed with the result.  I am trying to cut back on some spending, although my Amazon account this month may disagree, so I invested in this new set, Nail Boo & the Bask LA.   Have you heard of either of these?

First review is the Bask LA Steam Pro.

This has great reveiws for removing all different types of nail polishes, including the dip powder.

When you remove the lid, there is a small bowl inside where you pour in 100% acetone.  You turn it on to heat up and then put your fingers in to steam off the polish.  I have used this 3 times now and to be honest, I haven't had the success I had hoped.  It definitely loosens up the polish, but it has still been difficult to remove it.  I am going to try it a few more times because this has such great reviews.  I may not be using enough acetone, but I'm not sure why my results are not like the ad.

However, I have been pleased with the dip nail polish set, Nailboo.  With the set, you get a base powder, the base, activator, top coat, color choice, nail clips, cuticle tool, and brush.  I chose the build your own powder dip kit and chose 4 colors.  Ten nail clips are included with this to use for removal.  I may try this method next time I remove polish.  With these, you cover your nails with acetone and then put the clip over the nail to remove the polish.

Here are 2 colors I have tried so far:

This was my first application & below is the second.  I felt I did a little neater application on the second try.

Overall, I have enjoyed doing my own nails and think it is a good invenstment.  After 2 applications, it is worth the cost of investing in this vs. what I would pay at the nail salon.  They do advertise it will last up to 6 weeks, which is a long time for any manicure to last.  Mine have lasted 2 weeks.  I hope to try a new color this weekend and will report back on any updates of the removal system.

I have been using cuticle oil on my hands each day to keep them from becoming too dry.

This Nailboo system has great reviews and has surpassed some other kits I have tried in the past.  

Enjoy your Wednesday and would love to hear any nail tips or what you have tried!

Update ~ February 13, 2023

Good morning!  Well, last week completely got away from me and I didn't make it to blogging like I had hoped.  The week before last, we had some ice, which meant a few days at home, which set me behind with work.  I did enjoy the days at home though and the trees were so pretty.

I worked more last week than normal due to an event at work.  This included being up early Saturday morning for an event that utilizes over 50 volunteers.  The fundraiser went well though!

After working Saturday, I helped do set up for church on Sunday and then we went to a Valentine dinner with couples from our church.  This was done differntly than most couple dinners.  We went to someone's home and the ladies sit at the table to eat.  The men have prepared the meal, they serve us the meal and clean up afterwards.  They even came out and sang a song!  It was a nice treat, but I didn't get any pictures because I never got out my phone. 

Sunday, I went to church to help with the children during the service, but came home afterwards.  I had been going nonstop for a week & just needed some time at home.  I caught up on a few things Sunday afternoon and then watched the Super Bowl.  This was me Sunday morning wearing my socks that has my daughter's face on them :).  She gave this to me as a Christmas present a few years ago.  

It's a new day, new mercies and new opportunites for us.  Praying for a good one!

 

Hello Monday/Amazon Prime ~ February 6, 2023

 It's a new Monday and I'm joining up for Hello Monday and Prime Purchases.

We spent the weekend in Chattanooga celebrating my daughter's birthday!  My younger daughter drove up from Savannah, so I had my favorite people around me this weekend.  

Saturday morning, my daughter's roommate and I made breakfast for us at her house. 

Afterwaards, they went to a morning retreat with their college ministry and we did some shopping & went to eat lunch.  Everything on my plate was fried...clearly I was indulging all weeekend!

Later in the afternoon, a group of my daughter's friends gathered for a pickleball tournament.  Below is my daughter and my husband playing on a team.

My youngest and I watched and tried to stay warm.

Later that evening, our daughter was able to show us her desk at work.  So proud of her & thankful for her!  It has been so fun to watch her thrive these past 4 years.

We celebrated her birthday lunch with 2 of her friends after church Sunday.  They took this family picture of us.

My youngest drove back to her school while my husband and I stayed to have a hot chocolate/coffe with our oldest. It was so good to see our girls again.  I always miss them, but I have found when I hit that 4-6 week mark, I am ready to see them.

Now on to a few purchases....

I kept my purchases to a minimum in January, so I only have 2 items.  I really wanted a smaller wallet, so I found this one on Amazon and have been pleased.  It has plenty of card holder slot, a place for bills and change, and I like the size.

Wallet

I also was in need of lip balm to treat my lips and this is an affordable, yet quality product to use.

Lip balm

I am hoping to keep purchases at a minimum this month as well, especially after spending this past weekend out of town and a holiday this month.  However,  I already have a few things arriving this week. We will see how it goes :).

Hope your week starts off with a good Monday!