Hello Monday ~ January 19, 2026

Happy Monday friends!

Backing up to Friday, I worked and then it was a treat to meet Jenn for lunch at our favorite place and we got yogurt afterwards.  It had been a while since we had been to Salad Station!

Afterwards, I visited a horse therapy farm with a co-worker.  Our organization may partner with them and it was fun to get a tour and meet some of the animals!

The rest of my Friday was pretty quiet. I was home by myself and watched some tv that night.

I finished the new series of Emily in Paris and watched season 2 of Sullivans Crossing.

Saturday was pretty low key.  It was cold and I stayed home during the day. That night, I went to a local high school play.  It was a quiet, lonely weekend honestly.  I was thankful to have church on Sunday morning. I was home again Sunday afternoon, but did go to Jenn's Sunday night for a little bit to eat, listen to music and catch up on life.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your holiday!

Friday Favorites ~ January 16, 2026

 Happy Friday friends!  How has the week been?

Here is a quick re-cap of my week....

Monday, I did a little work from home and then ran some errands.  One errand was touring some apartment complexes.  I will be moving again in the late spring so I am beginning to get an idea of what options are out there for me.  I love where I am living now, but this is temporary.  Unfortunately, I haven't been left in a good financial position post divorce, so I can't buy another house, but I am excited to make an apartment my new home!

Later that evening, I brought dinner to Jenn's.  We also had a little mixed drink to accompany our dinner. Any time with Jenn is a favorite!

I left my house around 7am Tuesday morning and got home around 9:30pm that night.  It was the day I needed to be out of the house.  Unfortunately, there are still some marker days, but I have learned to be pro-active.  After work, I got a massage.  I met a friend for a walk and dinner.  After dinner, I called another friend and we met for an impromptu yogurt date. A massage and time with friends are definitely favorites!

My new glasses came in the mail this week and they are a favorite!

After a day of working at home Wednesday, my co-worker and I went to the University of Memphis Tigers basketball game and met up with a friend.  We had great seats! The 3 of us had so much fun and I am wearing my new glasses here.

A favorite of Thursday was a quick visit with Jenn before I went to dance class. I hadn't done that in a while.  I learned the Foxtrot again.  It was a slow start with my dance partners, but I was able to end the night on a fun note with my previous dance teacher.

It has been a good week of little favorites so far and wishing you all a good weekend.

Thanks for reading!

Hodgepodge ~ January 14, 2025

 Hi and Happy Wednesday!

1. What kind of winter person are you-snow lover, fireplace snuggler, winter adventurer, or indoor hibernator? Elaborate. 

I do enjoy watching snow fall.  However, I don't want to be snowed in alone for days. I love sitting around a fireplace & the thought of having someone to snuggle with would be nice. I am not much of an adventure person in the winter or summer, ha!

2. The Pantone color of the year is cloud dancer, described as a gentle, billowy off white shade. The color symbolizes 'peace, clarity, quiet reflection, renewal, and a soft reset'. Of the terms just listed which do you need most in your life this winter? 

All of the above please :).  Actually, renewal and clarity sound nice.  I need a reset too, but more of a hard reset and not soft, ha!

3. Every cloud has a silver lining, on cloud nine, head in the clouds, storm clouds gathering, or cloud of suspicion...which 'cloud' idiom do you most relate to currently? Explain. 

I lean towards storm clouds gathering or cloud of suspicion.  I seem to still encounter some storms and when it's not stormy, I am suspicious!

4. coconut, cauliflower, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, onions, ranch dressing...of the white foods listed, which would be the hardest for you to give up? Do you like all or any of the foods on the list? 

Cottage cheese since it is the one I incorporate into more foods these days.  I also really like a grilled onion, but I don't eat them that often.  I don't like coconut, cauliflower in its raw form, mayonnaise or ranch dressing.

5. Thomas Wentworth Higginson is credited with this quote-

"How many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose, if there were no winter in our year." 

Agree or disagree? Tell us why. 

Agree.  I think that there is a season to everything.  We sow and reap and things grow and bloom after winter.  Winter is a beautiful time to see more things clearly, just as the trees are bare and we can see more.  

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I am so thankful to have friends I can text/call.  Yesterday was a day I didn't need/want to be alone at home.  I walked with a friend and we got dinner.  Since we ended around 7:30, it seemed too early to go home so I met up with another friend for frozen yogurt and it was good to catch up with her too.  I am so thankful for both of these women who also go to my same church.  

Have a great day!

Talking About it Tuesday ~ Dollar Tree & Other Beauty Shopping

 Good morning!  Today I am highlighting some products I bought at Dollar Tree over the weekend & also some of my other recent beauty products I have purchased and used.  

Here are some highlights from my basket:

I like the shape of this door mat.  As you know, nothing at Dollar Tree is a $ anymore!  This mat was $7.

I bought a new lighter to use for my outside fireplace.  I usually use my re-chargeable lighters for my candles inside.  I bought some candy for my greats, tissue, makeup wipes and some beauty items.

I have mixed these bronzer drops with my sunscreen foundation and it gave my face a glow.  This lip oil was hydrating and a good top coat to lipstick.  I haven't used the chrome nail polish yet, but I am intrigued.  It is a powder you put over your gel nail polish.

This lip pencil has a liner on one end and a fill color on the other.  It comes with a sharpener too and I like this product!

This is a lip kit I got for my birthday from Sephora as one their birthday rewards.

This is a serum I will use in the mornings.

This is a eye liner pencil.

This next product is one I ordered online from a company called Luxe.  It is a color changing foundation that adapts to your skin.  It goes on white and then changes color as you rub it in your skin.

I bought some derma plane blades and loved using this product!

I use this neck cream several times a week.

This is an under eye concealer I use most days and is one of my favorite products.

This has become one of my favorite mascaras!

I bought this a while back and need to use it more frequently on my nails. I do like the texture of this.

This is my favorite brow pencil. 

I sometimes alternate which cleaning balm I use, but this is the one I am currently using.

I also alternate often with different serums, most of them being a variety of Vitamin C for brightening.

The last product I am highlighting today is this face mask.  This face mask is unusual in that you sleep with it and peel it off the next morning.  I did this last night and it feels so good!  This was originally recommended from the Big Boo Podcast.

Thanks for reading along today!

Hello Monday ~ January 12, 2026

Happy Monday friends!  

Friday night, Jenn came over and we watched the new movie, "People We Meet on Vacation".  

It is such a cute movie!  But don't get me wrong, I teared up and then later on cried and Jenn was holding my hand as I cried on the couch.  It just really made me miss having someone who truly cares about me and I'm not 2nd to a younger girl. Anyway, watch this movie!

Saturday morning, I made this breakfast for me.  It was yummy!

I set up an Amazon Fire Stick & took this fuzzy picture of me listening to Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone" on Spotify.  I found myself kind of belting this one out loud!

Jenn and I went out to run some errands Saturday, which we have rarely done, if ever, on a Saturday. One of our stops was Hobby Lobby. This Proverbs 31:25 is something I am probably not doing this year (in theme with the 10 things on the 10th post over the weekend)!

One of our stops was Dollar Tree.  It was quite fun looking at all the items new to us there!  I am going to do a Dollar Tree post tomorrow, with a few other purchases highlighted.

I went to church Sunday and then to a birthday party for one of my greats.

I came home and watched a few episodes of Emily in Paris.

If felt good this weekend to not eat out any and eat from my freezer. This is a 2026 low level goal for me! Overall, my weekend was pretty low key, but okay.

Hope you have a great Monday!

 

Friday Favorites ~ January 9, 2026

 

Well, it's 2026 and not much has changed...I am still listening to Darius Rucker most days.  Just having a little fun with Chat GPT, ha!

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Monday, I was thankful to help my parents take down some Christmas decorations and then I met a friend for dinner.  Tuesday after work, I made these pepperoni rolls to take to Jenn's house.  It was fun to share dinner & we hope to do this again soon.

Wednesday, I took my great niece out for her 9th birthday celebration.  We went to Jason's Deli for lunch and then to Target.  I can't believe this sweet girl is 9! It seems like yesterday....

After our shopping date, I stayed with the older 4 while my niece took the new baby for a well check up.  These 4 are so fun, but I was tired afterwards!

Thursday was work and then I met my co-worker for yogurt afterwards.  I was going to go to a dance lesson last night, but have still been feeling tired from my cough and just stayed inside.

I am not sure what my weekend will hold yet.  It looks to be a rainy weekend.  Last weekend, I enjoyed making sourdough bread, having a fire and enjoyed some huckleberry moscato!

Enjoy your weekend friends & thanks for reading!