July Prime Purchases

Here it is August and time is flying by.  I hate to say this, but it won't be long until we are all thinking about Christmas.  So, as you browse through this and the upcoming Prime posts, remember to think about Christmas.  And, here you go for July Prime Purchases..................

Grace Karin Cardigan

I "think" I may have already had this on another Prime post but, these are so nice and they bear repeating if I have already told you about them.  I now have 3 of them and while they are a sweater, I do wear them in the summer when I am going to be inside an air conditioned building for any length of time.  I get soooo cold.  These come in some great colors and patterns.

Amazon

Coolibar  Wideleg  Pants

This may be the first Prime Purchase that I have shared that I did not keep but wanted you to know about anyway.  These are so cute and so, so thin.  Coolibar is such a great brand and these are made extremely well and you can wear them untied at the ankle.  They have a high split if they are not tied and very wide legged.  I just did not think I would end up wearing them so I returned them.

Amazon

Babyliss  Flat Iron

This is the greatest flatiron.  It's longer and thinner than any flatiron I have ever owned and I love both of those features.  My daughter has owned one for years and I decided to give it a whirl and I am more than pleased.

Amazon

Ecrocoo  Women's  Top

This is the cutest top!  I am not generally drawn to prints but something about this appealed to me and I do love the ochre color.  It's a nice length, I love the v-neck and the sleeves.  And, it's reasonably priced. But, I returned it.  Can you believe that after such a glowing report?  But, I was so afraid that I would not wear it and now I've given it a second thought and sort of wish that I had kept it.  I suppose it is the print but it was so subdued and cute.  

Amazon

Treat/Gift Boxes

I don't have to tell you that I am always looking for cute boxes to put my homemade cookies in.  These are so cute and will only hold 3-4 medium sized cookies.  But, that's plenty for a little "happie."  The thank you stickers and ribbons come with the boxes.  The ribbons are very nice but I will likely never use the stickers.  They make a lovely presentation.  

Amazon

Cherish  Kiss  Embossed  Handbag

I LOVE leather purses and this one is sooooo pretty and comes in several colors.  I love this shade of green and thought it would make a great purse for fall. It is the perfect size for me and has the divider in the middle which is a must for me.  This is a big expensive but it is very well made and will likely last a very long time.

Amazon

Blank  Cards  and  Envelopes

These are the cutest note cards.  I love their shapes.  And, I'm still of the opinion that a proper thank you note is often in order.  These will definitely grab the receivers eye when they pull this out of their mailbox.  And, they would also make a great gift.  

Amazon

Slim  Wallet

I have never owned one of these little flat slim wallets but decided that I needed one for the occasion that I use my small crossbody purse.  When shopping I don't usually carry my big purse but rather a much smaller crossbody.  It will not hold my big wallet but this is just perfect and it comes in so many great colors.

AMAZON

Silicone  Collaspable Travel Bottles

If you do much traveling then you may want to check these out.  They are a collapsible silicone bottle and there are 4 of 3 different sizes in the package.  They take up far less room than the hard plastic bottles and they have the lift up top for easy use.  I had never seen these and they may have been around for a while but wanted to share them in case any of you have not seen them.  There's so many of them that you could easily share with family or friends.

AMAZON

Tack Cloth

I am quite sure I have already featured these on a Prime Post but they deserve a repost. ~smile~ I just had to replenish my stock as I am never without them.  These are the greatest cloths to dust your blinds, plantation shutters and baseboards.  They are, just as they say, a tack cloth.  They get every bit of dust there is to get and leave the surface dust free.  They are also great for preparing an item to paint. They leave NO sticky residue on anything except your hands and it is easily washed off with soap and water.  I always wear my disposable gloves when using mine.  I promise you will find more uses for these jewels.

AMAZON

Airpod  Case Cover

I am sure most all of you know about these but, just in case you don't, I'll tell you about them.  I haven't owned my ear pods all  that long but, my goodness, I do love them.  And, this cover is so neat to store the case in and it has the hook that can conveniently hang on your purse.  I don't use mine often outside the house but when I do I love having the convenience of this cover.  And, it comes it all kinds of great colors.

AMAZON

Traditional  Tall Lamps 

I wanted some new bedside table lamps for one of our guest bedrooms.  These are just perfect and certainly look more expensive than the pair cost.  If you are looking for a lamp then you should really check out Amazon.  They have all kinds, all prices and all styles.  These are exactly what I was looking for and I'm very pleased.

AMAZON

And, there you have it for this month's Prime Purchases.  Hope you found something that you can't live without.  And, have yourself a good rest of the week!

The Wednesday Hodgepodge

And, once again, Joyce has provided the questions and we get to provide the answers.........

1. Four words that tell us something about your July?

1- family

2 - hot

3 - humid

4 - baking

Our daughter and 2 of her boys came to visit a couple of weeks ago and we enjoyed them and shortly afterwards we went into "real" Louisiana weather with high temps and lots of humidity.  Ugh!  And, thanks to air conditioning, I just keep right on baking. ~smile~  It's been a good July! 

Friday Favorites

It has been many months since I joined up with the gals for Friday favorites.  Hope you enjoy today's favorites.

I love wall vases and these are two that I have recently found on Etsy.  Of course, the arrangements did not come in them but my local floral designer created those for me.  I have one hanging on the foyer wall and one is hanging on the guest bedroom hall wall.  And, I'm sure you notice that both of these have a bird of them.  That makes them even more of a favorite for me.

A Hawaiian Hodgepodge

Yea, for me, this is my second week in a row to join in with the Hodgepodgers.

1. July 5th is National Hawaii Day...have you ever been to Hawaii? Any desire to visit or make a return trip? Pineapple, mango, or guava...what's your pleasure? 

I have been to Hawaii twice and our first visit was in 1984. I just happened to find the above photo from that trip.  Goodness, they were 4 and 7 years old. ~teary eyed~ 

I do not imagine we'll ever return, we certainly do not have any plans to but we sure enjoyed the two times we were there.

I'll take either pineapple or mango and they do serve the most delicious drinks in Hawaii.

2. Last time you were 'thrown in at the deep end'? Explain. 

The first thing to come to my mind was 11 years ago this past June when my Daddy was diagnosed with Guillian Barre Syndrome.  It hit him out the blue and he was pretty much completely disabled over night.  I knew I had to sink or swim and I put on my "big girl panties" and did what I had to do.  It was a long and difficult journey, long, long hospital stay, then transitioning to a nursing facility.  But, God had other plans for him and Daddy made a complete recovery over the course of a year, moved into an assisted living facility where he remains today at the age of 91.  It was truly a miracle and we came out on top of the "deep end".  I really won't mind if I never have another "thrown in at the deep end" experience. 

3. Sun, sea, sand, salt...your favorite when it comes to summer? 

It has been years and years since we've been to the beach and I often think I would like to go.  I'm not a fan of the sun or the sand but there are ways to limit the sun and I can endure the sand if I have to.  I love the sounds and sights of the sea, especially in the early morning and late evenings. 

4. Bury your head in the sand, the sands of time, draw a line in the sand, pound sand, shifting sands...pick one and tell us how the phrase currently relates to your life in some way.

I'd have to say shifting sands.  I'm about to be 69 and Hubby is 74 and we're witnessing some of the tough things of aging.  We've been blessed thus far but we're seeing friends decline in health and even lost some very dear to us through death.  We see our Grans getting older and their interests shifting.  All of this is a part of life but some of these shifting sands can be mighty tough.

5. On a scale of 1-10 (1 = make your own rules and 10=like a warden), how strict were your parents? If you're a parent where on the scale do you land? 

Oh, wow! I'd say my parents were about an 8.  I pretty much just compiled with the "rules of our house" and have fond memories of growing up but I'm quite sure my parents would have been defined as "strict."  Remember, my Daddy was a minister and that might have well played a role in what was expected of us. ~smile~

I think Tommy and I were probably about a 5.  We definitely had rules and thankfully our two played by those rules for the most part.  It would be interesting to see how they would rate us.  I think I'll ask them. ~chuckle~

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

You may remember 3-4 months back that I mentioned our dear friend Charles and asked for your prayers for his healing.  Well, Charles received that complete healing on June 25th when he entered heaven's gates.  Our hearts were and still are so sad but we rejoice that he is now made whole and no longer in the weak and frail state that the past 7 months of illness had caused.  His celebration of life service was so uplifting and such a tribute to a great and Godly man.  He leaves behind a wonderful legacy.  Gerri, his wife, is finding her way and navigating waters she's never traveled before.  It is definitely a time of "shifting sands" for her.  He would have been 78 tomorrow.

Prime Purchases

I sure did miss this last month but we were with our kiddos and Grans celebrating our 50th.  So, you are getting a "double dose" with this post.  Aren't you excited? ~chuckle~  Hope you find something that you "need" too.

EXTRA  LARGE  COOKIE  SHEET

Oh, my goodness, this is the "granddaddy" of all cookie sheets my friends.  It is 15" X 21" and holds lots and lots of cookies.  Most of my cookie recipes fill two of these and sometimes a little more.  I love the extra size as it has reduced  the cookie sheets I use by half.  And, Chicago Metallic is so heavy and such a great pan.  I just love it when I find something that enhances my cookie baking even more.

AMAZON

MICROFIBER  HAIR  TOWEL

I have used these turban towels for my hair for years and years but I needed to replace the ones I had.  They had seen better days for sure.  These are so nice and I love the stripes.  They are so, so soft and absorb super good.

AMAZON

COLORFUL  JUTE  TWINE

I love twine and use it a lot in packaging my baked goods.  I had never seen it in so many colors until I ran across this package of 15 different colors.  I even like to use 2-3 colors together.  So cute!

AMAZON

GIFT  TREAT  BOXES

These boxes are great for all kinds of things.  I use them some when giving cookies to someone and I've used them to put a gift in.  They come in two sizes and are so, so cute.  The larger size will also hold the mini-bundt cakes.  They come flat which is a huge space saver and they are "easy peasy" to turn into the box shape. 

AMAZON

LOUNGING  PAJAMAS

If you are looking for a cute pair of lounging pajama's for summer then you might like these. They are so soft and have the cute trim and are my "go to" for evenings while at home.  They come in 4 colors.

AMAZON

5 X 7 SELF  SEAL  ENVELOPES

I decided that I was going to be "one step ahead" with my Christmas cards this year.  Christmas cards are SUCH a process and a self seal envelope is a MUST for me.  And, I don't believe I've ever seen a colored envelope offered with any of the photo cards. I'm all about colored envelopes and these fit the bill.  They are colored and self seal!  They come in several other colors as well.  I like colored envelopes because they stand out in someone's mail.  And, I did cute recipient labels and already have those on these pretty red envelopes.   I will have everything done except for ordering the card, stuffing it in the envelope and sealing it.  I think I'm going to be real glad that I did this early on when Christmas card "sending time" rolls around. 

AMAZON

HIGH  SHINE  SHEA  BUTTER  LIP  GLOSS

I use a whole lot of clear lip gloss and this is one of the best I've ever used.  AND, it's a mere $3.40 a tube.  I wear the long lasting lip color and all of it requires a gloss over it.  I don't always like the gloss that comes with the lip color so I found this that is high gloss and NOT sticky.  I can.not.stand.sticky.lip.gloss!!!

AMAZON

LOUNGE  DRESS

Amazon calls this a lounge dress or sleep dress.  Oh, my goodness, surely no one would sleep in this but whatever............. I use mine for lounge wear.  As I have stated before, if we are going to be at home in the evenings I am in my lounging clothes shortly after we eat dinner.  This comes in several pretty colors and wonderful rayon fabric.  It makes me feel "queenly." ~big chuckle~

AMAZON

CORDLESS  MINI  MIXER

This is the neatest little gadget.  I like the Nutrition Teas that seem to be on every corner these days.  I often buy them "dry" and then put them together here at home and this little "doozy" works great in blending them before adding the ice.  They are definitely not made for anything thick but for liquids they work great. It sure beats getting my hand blender out.

AMAZON

10 X 13 ZIP PLASTIC BAGS

I love zip top bags and Amazon has them in sooooo many sizes.  Ziploc is great but they have limited sizes and sometimes I need a size that Ziploc doesn't make.  I am often finding a use for these.  I also have them in the 9 x 12 size.  So handy to have!

AMAZON

ERASABLE  PRECISION PEN

Call me old fashioned  if you want to but I still have my trusty wall calendar where we keep all our appointments and activities written.  These pens are so great for using on it because if anything changes once I've written it there, I can erase it.  Sure beats using "white out." ~chuckle~

AMAZON

DENIM  JACKET

Denim jackets are just the greatest and go with EVERYTHING.  I have 3-4 but did not have a black one.  I love this one.  It's a shorter cut and I like that and the fit is average, definitely not slim cut. I am really happy with this find and they have several colors.

AMAZON

Okay, that's it for this post.  I'll see you back the first Tuesday of August for more Amazon Prime!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

A Patriotic Hodgepodge

I've been missing from the Hodgepodge in recent weeks but it's good to be back today.  Joyce always comes up with the questions and then we answer them.  

1. It's been said the best things in life are free...are they? What are some of those things? 

Indeed! If you mean they cost zero money.  The first ones to come to my mind are : salvation (the free gift of eternal life), love, hugs, friendship, 

2. Stars or stripes? Red, white, or blue? Apple pie or home made ice cream? Do you like hotdogs? If so, what do you like on yours? 

I'll take stars and red.  And, apple pie and ice cream will be fine once in a while but neither is a big favorite with me.  I love hotdogs but am VERY particular about them.  I'll take mustard, non-greasy chili, onions and shredded cheddar on mine.  Yummy!!!

3. One thing on your summer bucket list? Any plans to make it happen soon? 

I do not have a summer bucket list.  I haven't even thought about making a summer bucket list or really any other bucket list.  Perhaps I should consider making one.  Stay tuned.........

4. What's your summer anthem? Yes, you need to have one. 

Here Comes the Sun from the Beatles in 1969

We have had SOOOOO much rain here in our area and, while I know we need rain, I'd be just fine if we only got enough to survive the rest of the summer.  It's such a great pop-folk song!

5. What's something you love about America? If you live outside of America, tell us something you love about the place you call home. 

My freedom of choice, and freedom of worship, guess I should say all of our freedoms.  These have been "put to the test" in recent months and it's made me love and appreciate them even more.  Sometimes it takes things being threatened  for us to really know how much we love them.  

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This is a beautiful stretched canvas given to us by our children for our 50th anniversary.  They sneaked and got pictures from throughout our 50 years and had this canvas created by a vendor on Etsy.  It's such a neat idea and a real treasure.

Wishing each of you a wonderful 4th of July as we celebrate our great country

Wednesday Hodgepodge

I've been missing in the "blogging world" the past 2-3 weeks but am so glad to be back with Joyce and the Wednesday Hodgepodge today.  

1. Something you've seen recently that's 'cuter than a June bug'?

I mean, do you not agree!  This is Case perched on one of the many HUGE rocks in Dogwood Canyon.  We toured the canyons during our time in Branson last week.  Case thought he was a big as the rest of the kids and bless his little heart, wherever they trekked, he trekked right behind him.  His Momma had just bought him his first pair of Crocs a few days before the trip and that boy loved them.  Yes, he truly is as "cute as a June bug." 

2. Tell us something about where you were and what you were doing in June of 1988? If you weren't born yet, June of 1998. Or if that doesn't work, June of 2008. 

Heaven's to Betsy, the above photo was taken near that time and it appears we were likely dressed and ready for church.  Big hair surely must have been "the thing" at that time or at least Bridget and I must have thought it was. ~chuckle~ But, I'm pretty sure we looked about like all the other Moms and daughters of that time.

3. A place in your home or outdoor space where you feel 'snug as a bug in a rug'? 

In my recliner with my afghan over me.  It is without a doubt my favorite place to land in the evenings.  If we have no plans for the evening, you will find me there between 6:00 - 6:30 PM and I'll likely be there until I go to bed.  I rarely sit down any other time of the day but come evening, I'm all about sitting and reclining.

4. June is National Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Month. Do you normally get your 4-5 servings each day? What's a favorite summer dish you make/serve/like to be served-ha! made with one of your favorite summer fruits. A favorite summer dish made with a favorite summer veg? How do you feel about cooking in the summer months? 

I definitely do NOT get 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies per day.

I'm not a huge fruit lover but I do enjoy blueberries a lot and I make a great Blueberry Nut Bread, delicious Blueberry Muffins, and a great Blueberry Pound Cake with fresh blueberries in the summer.  I enjoy all of them equally so it would hard to pick a favorite.

I am a veggie lover and corn rates right at the top of my list of an all time favorite, not just a summer favorite.  I'll take it creamy, in a casserole, plain but am not a fan of "on the cob."

I have to admit that I do not do much cooking for Tommy and me.  If I cook then we're likely having company and I do enjoy cooking for company.  We live off of grilled sandwiches, BLT's and the such in the summer.  I cook a whole lot more in the winter because we are big fans of soups, stews, chili and gumbo.

I love to bake and generally I bake cookies at least twice a week.  Thankfully I have a whole lot of will power and generally only eat one out of each batch then I package them in freezer containers and over time share them with friends.

5. Do you have a summer reading list? If so share a title or two we can add to our own. 

I just ordered these 3 because they were all recommended as GREAT reading by some of my friends.  And, Francine Rivers is one of my all time favorite authors.  I use to read all the time but haven't as much in recent years.  Maybe this summer I'll get back with it.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

This is just a few of the many, many pictures snapped on our family trip to Branson, Mo.  Most of you know that the intent of the trip was to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.  And, celebrate we did!  We stayed at Eagle Ridge Bed and Breakfast (rented the entire house) and it suited our needs wonderfully.  The owner happens to be the son of Tommy's 1st cousin and he and his wife are exceptional cooks.  Breakfast comes with the stay and if you want them to cook any other meals they will gladly do so for an extra charge.  They fixed dinner each evening for us and hit it out of the ballpark each time.  It was the perfect place for our celebration and now we're working on our 51st year.