The Wednesday Hodgepodge

It's so good to be back with Joyce and the HP.  She was out one week and I was away last week but I'm back and ready to exercise my brain today.

1. April showers bring May flowers or so the saying goes. Has your April been filled with showers? Do you carry an umbrella, wear a slicker, or make a run for it? Besides rain, what else has filled your April?

Our April has not had an abundance of rain but we did have the "storm of all storms" the first weekend of this month that not only poured rain but it hailed and the wind blew like rip and our entire city was without electricity for about 3 hours.

I am an umbrella carrying gal and have the awesome Totes brand that have the automatic up and down and are golf sized.  If I'm going to carry an umbrella I want it to cover every inch of me amply. 

Hubs and I have spent a lot of time readying our porches and patio for spring and summer.  We have potted ferns, mandevilla, bougainvillea and other plants.  It all looks nice and we will sit back and enjoy it now. 

2. What's something you could you give a 30-minute presentation on at a moment's notice and with zero preparation?
Oh, no doubt about it, a presentation of tips on leading an organized life and having an organized home. I'm of the firm conviction that an organized home is a well run home and an organized life is a productive life. My favorite tip for an organized home is to have the motto: Don't put it down, put it up!

3. Share with us a favorite food memory from childhood.
I remember pot roast, gravy, carrots and potatoes every Sunday for lunch.  That was in the days long before crockpots but Momma would prepare it and put it in the oven before we left for church and it would be ready when we got home.  Sunday lunch was always a very special time for our family and I'm afraid it isn't all that special for most families anymore.  

4. What's a song you thought you knew the lyrics to, but later discovered you were wrong?
Sorry, but have drawn a blank on this one..............

5. According to one travel website, the most overrated tourist attractions in America are-
Niagara Falls (NY), Hollywood Walk of Fame (California), Times Square (NYC), Epcot (FL), Seattle Space Needle (WA), and Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market (Boston). How many of these have you seen in person? Did you feel like a tourist? Did you care? Tell us about a place (not on the list) you've visited that might be considered a tourist trap, but you love it anyway.
I have been to Times Square, Epcot and the Seattle Space Needle. I did indeed feel like a tourist and enjoyed every minute of seeing these.
We made many, many trips to Pigeon Forge when our children were growing up.  It was on our route to Virginia to visit my parents and we enjoyed every trip we made there but I'm sure it is considered a tourist trap by many but we did love it.

6. Your signature clothing item?
Oh, this is difficult.............rather than an item it would be that  75% of my clothes are black or white.  I don't do that on purpose but I am drawn to black and white like a magnet.  
Now, an item that I wear every single day and I "guess" would be my signature item, is an extra long cami. Yep! when the extra long cami's came out I feel in love with them and, as I said, wear one every day. 
~now you know~
7. What's an experience you've had you think everyone should experience at least once? Why?

Hubs and I went on an Alaskan Cruise about 9 years ago.  We had never cruised before and Hubs was not all that excited about a cruise but he was lured by the fact that it was to Alaska.  It was one of the best trips we have ever been on.  Alaska has such beautiful scenery and at all of our ports of call we had such great excursions. We went with 5 other couples that just added to the fun and enjoyment of the cruise.  It was such a memorable trip and I would urge everyone, if they possibly can, to go on an Alaskan Cruise and have the  experience of a lifetime.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Have you heard of the "fidget spinner?"  If not, let me introduce you.  It is a stress and anxiety reliever, time killer, and aids with ADHD, etc.  I first heard of them through my daughter about a month ago.  Several students at her school had them and she was saying that Clancy wanted one badly.  So, I got him one for Easter and also got our son one because he has to have something to fidget with in his hands at all times.  Who on earth comes up with things like this is beyond me but I'm sure they are laughing all the way to the bank now.  I hear that is also a fidget cube  but I have not checked those out.  So, if you like to fidget, then you may need to get yourself one of these. ~smile~

Monday's Musings

Well, happy new week! Once Easter has come and gone, I scratch my head thinking about what kind of seasonal decor I want to use.  It's generally just little touches of spring/summer here and there but this year I decided I wanted to go with a "lemon theme."  I love lemons, well, maybe I should say I like the look of lemons.  They are such a great color and seem to always make me smile.

Once I started looking for lemon decor, it seemed to be everywhere.  I had no idea it would be so easy to find.

Between TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning, Sur La Table and Amazon I found any and everything I wanted.

I found everything except for a piece of artwork to go on my easel.  I contacted one of my most favorite vendors on Etsy, Sally Barlow of Makaio Design to see if she would paint me some lemons on a stretched canvas.  She was glad to do so and I could not have been more pleased.  I have at least 6 other 12 X 12 pieces of Salley's work that I use on this same easel throughout the year.  The background of the lemons is scripture.  It is just a lovely, lovely piece and it is the icing on the cake for my lemon decor. 

~~~~~~

If you have been reading my blog for very long then you know that our daughter and her husband raise and breed Welsh Pembroke Corgi's.  And, as you can tell from the above picture that Coleman is enjoying their recent litter.  All I can say is, "have mercy."  They sell them almost as quickly as they are born and it is absolutely amazing to me at the lengths folks go to to get them.  Bridget met a lady at the airport yesterday to pick one of them up.  The lady flew into Oklahoma City, picked up the puppy and then flew back home.  She not only paid top dollar for the dog but she paid airfare for herself and the puppy.  Goodness, that's wanting a dog really badly.  And, they have folks drive from hundreds and hundreds of miles away to get them.  

This is Lola...........and she was not sold.  They decided they wanted to keep her to add to their 4 other Corgi's.  I guess the more you have, the better. ~chuckle~ 

Lea's Favorites

Yes siree, it's time for a few of my favorites................

Folks, if you don't know or have never used these, you need to go and get you a stash.  I've been using them for years.  I use them for my vitamins  (I take my handful at dinner) if I happen to be eating out and I use the for my vitamins when I travel.  And, I use them to put mints in sometimes.  And, of course, for any daily medication that you may take, they make carrying individual doses very easy.  And, men can slip them in their pockets easily.  They are like a mini size thick plastic ziploc bag. They can be found in most all pharmacies and of course, Amazon.  

I seem to have a need for a tiny screwdriver quite frequently.  Recently I needed one to work on a pair of glasses and to get into the battery compartment on something.  I could not find one around our house so I went to the tool aisle the next time I was at Wal-Mart.  I found this neat set of tiny screw drivers  and snatched them up.  There are three with phillips heads and three with plain heads and they have this neat case to store them in.  I got plum excited over this purchase and now when I need a tiny screwdriver, I'll have one! ~it's the little things folks~

Recently a friend told me about this bedside alarm clock.  Well, it's more than a clock.  It's also a charging station for your gadgets and a thermometer.  I have owned a lot of alarm clocks but none this small and easy to use.  You can dim or brighten the digital numbers to your liking.  It is about 5" X 4", takes up so little space.  I don't use an alarm clock but I have to have a clock on my bedside table so when I wake up in the night I can know what time it is.  It is the best I've ever owned by a long shot.  AND, guess what, you can order yourself one off Amazon for a little under $40.

I may have mentioned this ladder in a previous post but I'm not sure and you need to know about this ladder.  This is a lightweight, space saving ladder (9#) and so easy to use and I cannot tell you how much I use mine now that we have a house with high ceilings.  I'm pretty safe to say I use it most everyday.  It has a wide top step which adds to the safety of it.  It also comes in a 4 step and there are times that I wish I had gotten it, but the 3 step meets the majority of my needs.  There may be other vendors but I purchased mine from Frontgate.

This Black and Decker cordless hand vac is the handiest item in our house.  I have had 2-3 of these over the years but this is the best by far.  We use it for quick cleanups all the time and it has a brush attachment that flips down if you need to use that and is great for upholstery.  If the Grans have crumbs on them they love for me to get it and vacuum them off.  I use it to give my car a quick clean out too.  It has enough suction to do a whole lot of things.  Once used you just place it back on the charging base and it will be ready for your next use.  And, of course, you can order it right now off of Amazon. 

And, there you have it, another edition of my favorites!

The Lovely Teacup Exchange Reveal

If you have not met Stephanie, over at The Enchanting Rose, then you need to stop by her blog and meet her.  And, I promise, once you go, you will return.  Stephanie has hosted a teacup and mug exchange in the spring and fall for the past several years.  I have never participated until this spring and what a fun exchange.

Stephanie pairs us up with two other bloggers.  One we send to and one we receive from, thus we make two new friends in the process. 

My package came from Kitty at Kitty's Kozy Kitchen.

I was plum excited when I received my package and had such fun opening the box and all the little happies inside.  She had wrapped each individual item in tissue and tied with tulle.  That just added to the fun of opening the package.  Beside the tea/coffee cup, there was a box of flavored coffee, lovely cocktail napkins, a shortbread biscuit and a chocolate bunny.

And, there was this lovely monogrammed kitchen towel that found the perfect spot in my kitchen.  And, Kitty made this herself.  What talent!

And, here is my lovely cup and saucer.  It has butterflies on it and is just perfectly gorgeous.  It's an ivory China with gold edging.  It's something I would have definitely picked out for myself.  Another big thank you to Debbie and I'm already looking forward to the exchange in the fall.

I sent my cup and saucer to Debbie at My Favorite Things and she seemed mighty pleased with my choices for her as well.  You can click on the link to her blog and go over and see her box of goodies from me if you wish.

Thanks Stephanie for all your hard work to make this most fun exchange happen.

Monday's Musings

It's a new week, in fact, it's the beginning of the 16th week of 2017.  Can you believe that?  It's one of my favorite times of the year, spring.  We have been busy preparing our porches and patio for the spring and summer.

I'm not much on yard work, but I love potting plants for our back porch and patio.  We have Fox Tail Ferns, Asparagus Ferns and Kimberly Queen/Sword Ferns on the porch.

We potted some Bougainvillea, Mandevilla, and Calla Lillies out on the patio.  And, I've forgotten the names of a couple of other plants we potted.  Of course, they are small now, but just in a short time they will all be flourishing with a little watering and tender loving care. We got everything done just in time for Easter and our family fun.

Our landscape is now almost a year old and is looking so much better now that the plants are bigger.  The bottle brush bush (top left picture) is really doing well and is so pretty.  The pansies are still showing off and the rosemary (lower right hand picture) is literally going crazy and it smells so good.  The yard was definitely ready for hiding eggs for the girlies. 

These little girls had a fun Easter and have hunted more eggs than the law allows.  And, they had a big time dying eggs and were very proud of the end result.  There are so many cute and creative ways to dye and decorate eggs. 

Our local bakery made these cute bunny cakes for Easter and I ordered one to have as our dessert.  The girls loved it!  And, it tasted very good as well.

And, these little guys had a fun Easter weekend too.  They went to see the Oklahoma State Cowboys play their spring football game on Sat.  They even got to walk out on the field.  Big brother is holding on tightly to little brother. ~so sweet~

Our church had some of the most gorgeous floral arrangements I have ever seen for our Easter services.

We have a floral designer in our church that blesses us with breath taking arrangements quite often.  We are so thankful for her willingness to share her talent. These certainly added to the celebration of our Risen Savior.

I could not resist getting mine and Hubby's picture taken in front of the gorgeous arrangement.

We were met by these lovely arrangements when we went to eat at the club following church.

And, the Easter bunny was at the club and I couldn't resist the chance to have my picture taken with the cute fella.
 It was just about the perfect Easter weekend except for missing our Oklahoma family.

10 on the 10th

Today I'm linking up with Erin over at Perfectly Port Family for her 10 on the 10th. This months is all about our purses.  No doubt, it will be a most interesting link up party.  The post topic is:
10 items in your purse right now.

First off, thought I'd show you the purse (my hubby calls it a suitcase) that I am currently using.  It's sort of like a box with handles.  I love purses that I can see into and I do not have to dig and hunt around to find things.  Drives.me.crazy!!!  And, it must have an outside pocket or slit for my phone.

#1. My wallet.  It is a Vera Bradley and I found this style a few years ago and I love how I can organize everything in it.  Of course, as with most things, they discontinued this wallet last year but I did manage to get a couple of extra at the outlet store to have on hand.  And, I love the VB prints!

#2,3,4 - there's lots and lots of stuff in these 3 clear little zip pouches.  I love these pouches for purse organizing and you can readily see what is in each one.  I have one with mints, hand cream, water flavoring, etc in it.  One has items like a small pair of scissors, a measuring tape, a nail file, etc. and one has band aids, aspirin, and any other emergency med I might need.  Some of my friends have referred to me as a Girl Scout - always prepared.  Without these pouches these items would be strowed throughout my purse. UGH!!!!

#5,6 - And, of course, I have my "readers" and I still like to have a pen and paper.  I like the Notes feature on my phone but guess I'll always be attached to good old fashioned pen and paper.

#7- And, this cute pink zipper bag holds all my lipstick paraphernalia.  I have 3 colors of lipstick that I wear and since I never know which one I'll be wearing, I like to keep them all with me for my daily touch ups.  I do love my lipstick!!!

#8,9 -And, of course, there's the keys and the kleenex.

#10 - I was so happy when they came out with these travel packs of Wet Ones.  Goodness, I'm forever needing one of these, either for myself or one of the Grans.  Just a great thing to have on hand.

And, I know we were suppose to stop with 10 but I had to include this guy.  This is my Kimber Pepper Blaster.  It is the super duper Daddy of pepper sprays and will shoot a stream 13 feet in 1/10 of a second.  It's none of this having to be in someone's face to spray them.  I've had mine about 5 years and both my daughter and DIL have one as well.  No, their not deadly but they sure might come in handy if you were being attacked.  They are around $40 and can be ordered off of Amazon.

So, there you have it, my 10 plus 1 items that you would find in my purse today.  

Lea's Favorites

Time for some of my favorite things today..................

Have you heard of the new hair products by Monat?  I heard about them last year  and didn't really give them much thought.  Recently I have been seeing more and more about it and hearing some pretty impressive testimonials.  I have a friend who is a distributor and I knew it had to be good or she would not be selling it.  I called and talked to her in depth about it and yes, I decided to give it a whirl.  AND, I do love it!  I am currently using the shampoo, the conditioner, the mousse and some gooey stuff called taffy. There are different sets for different types of hair.  I'm sure, like me, you likely think that the word taffy sounds sticky and dirty.  Well, it isn't in any way.  I just put it on the tips of my fingers and use it for definition after I have fixed my hair.  Anyway, I'm very happy and while it may cost more than most, I do not find it out of the park for sure. 

I can't remember if I have talked about the contour pillow before or not but if so, it deserves being "favored" again.  I have been using a contour pillow for about 10 years.  It all started because I had some neck issues and my chiropractor recommended I get one.  I didn't like the look of it and thought it would likely be the most uncomfortable pillow ever.  Well, such was not the case.  I have had 2 and they both came from Brookstone.  They are made of memory foam.  I think there is definitely something to be said of keeping the neck in alignment with the body while we sleep. Mine travels with me unless I'm flying and it's just real hard to fit it into a suitcase along with everything else. 

And, no matter why kind of pillow you use, you definitely need a silk pillow case!  Oh, my goodness, I love them.  I started using them a couple of years ago and aside of feeling wonderful against my face, it really cuts down on the "bedhead" look.  I have gotten all of mine from Amazon and this latest ones have silk fronts and white polyester backs.  That really cuts down on the cost and I could care less that the back is not silk.  And, they come in such wonderful designs!  They make me happy. 😃

Surely you have tried this.  It's so smooth and good and 1/2 cup only has 120 calories.  I mean, that's awesome and I often use it for a bedtime snack with some slivered almonds sprinkled on it.  And, I love the Vanilla Bean, it's an even stronger vanilla than just plain vanilla.  Now, get yourself some next time you are at the grocery.

I just recently ran across these fellas, the tomato and onion keeper.  I saw them in one of those Kitchen Collection stores in an outlet mall.  I grabbed one of each and now I don't know what I did without them.  I really do know what I did, I used ziploc bags, but these are sooooo much better and they truly do keep the veggies fresher.  And, they are so cute!  Yes, they can be ordered off Amazon as well.

These little guys are called Chef Buddy Microwave Egg Cookers.  And, these also came from the Kitchen Collection store several years ago.  Hubby and I use them to make omlets in the microwave and it is so quick and easy and soooo good.  Just be sure and spray them with Pam for a very easy cleanup.  You can also just cook an egg in them if you don't want an omlet, but I love adding cheese and bacon bits, scrambling it up and cooking it for about 2 minutes. (that's for 2 eggs) It makes for a mighty tasty breakfast!

Okay, that's it for this edition of favorites, hope one of them will soon be one of your favorites too.