{ Things you may not know about me }

Back in the beginning of my blogging journey, I remember that one way we got to know each other better, was through all sorts of memes and tags.

It wasn't something all bloggers liked or even enjoyed and it did get to a point, where many times we would have to tell each other not to tag us or give us awards because it became so overwhelming.

But like I said above, that was in the beginning, I can say that it has been years since I've done any kind of tag or post where you get to learn a little more about me.


So here we go, I hope you enjoy this fun little post and maybe learn a little more about me, I may even surprise you with some things that you didn't know about me.

Never mentioned it online - Controversy, Venting and Curiosities

Well, let's see.....I mean for the most part I'm an open book and I tend to share and sometimes overshare (something I'm learning to not do).  I don't really think there is anything that I have never told anyone, but come to think of it, I don't think many people know that I smoked or rather, dabbled in smoking when I was about 18.  My greatgrandmother actually caught me in the bathroom and I about died LOL  I gave it up right then and there and never again picked up a cigarette.   To be perfectly honest, I smoked for a few weeks at most, so can't really count myself a smoker.

I have to sleep with a small pillow that I prop under my right arm.  It started as a way to help with the pain in my shoulder but even though my shoulder is not as painful as it used to be, it's a habit that just stuck and I can't....I mean really CAN'T sleep without it.

I think the only fear I really have is that of either dying and leaving my husband and children behind, or my husband dying or one of my kids.

Clingy dresses.  You know those type of dresses with that fabric that just clings to your curves and shows every little dimple and cellulite?  I can't handle those and will not wear anything like that, which is hard because it seems that all the cute summer dresses are made that way.

Oh boy!!!  When I'm PMsing, I can't stop eating and I crave, I mean CRAVEEEE chocolate.  I could go through chocolate bars like nobody's business.  It's like I can't get enough food, am constantly hungry and never satisfied.

Our finances and budget.  It's not that I don't think he can do it, but I am so methodical and have been doing it since we got married, so I have a method to my madness *so to speak*.  When he does it, it just confuses me and nothing seems right, it's frustrating to watch hahahah

Oh without a doubt, it's driving.  I never drive when we're all going somewhere, I make him drive all the time.  I just don't enjoy driving at all and only do so because I have to, so that's definitely the one thing I hate doing that I love when Curt does.

Yarn and books!!!  Although I still hold back on the yarn a bit but books are my downfall.  I have so many on my shelves that I still haven't read, and I receive books quite frequently to review, but if I'm at a bookstore I still have to bring home one.  What can I say, I love books!

Everything!!!  Curt gets frustrated at me sometimes because he wants me to spend money on myself or get something at the store, and I just won't do it.  I always say do I want it or do I need it, and if it's not a need or something we need to replace for the house, I will leave it behind and say "we can get it another time, I don't need it right now".

Marry my husband and have his children.  There are many things I could consider as being some of the best things I've done in my life, but I think by far, the top has to be my husband and children.

Cleaning the bathrooms.  I loathe cleaning bathrooms and I have to really force myself to get in there and do it.  I think it's the one chore in the house that if I could pay someone to do, I would.  But I'm a cheapskate remember?  LOL

Two faced and use people or only contact them when they need something.  It drives me insane.  I know we all have our faults and we're all human and make mistakes etc., but it really grates on my nerves when someone only contacts me if they need something, or when they act one way to my face and another behind my back.  Lying, disrespect is another that really bothers me.

That was quite fun to do, and I hope you all enjoyed learning a little bit more about me.  If any of you choose to do this tag, let me know, I would love to read yours and get to know you a little better :)

{ Meal Plan Friday - #2 }

Friday segment spotlighting the meals for the week ahead. Why Friday? Because I grocery shop Bi-weekly, on Fridays.

This week's plan includes 2 new recipes, therefore no links for those yet.  All other recipes will be found on my food blog, Full Bellies, Happy Kids.

I was able to keep to plan last week and make everything that was on the menu, although I did shift the days forward once because we ended up eating leftovers last Sunday.

I also made the Lunch Lady Brownies, which were a hit but haven't yet made the Lemon Bars, those will be happening sometimes this upcoming week, or probably this weekend.

 

 

 Skillet Smoked Sausage and Potatoes

Copycat Rodeo Kind Burgers, Fries

Grilled Bratwurst and Potato Salad

Sheet Pan Pizza

Chicken and Dumplings

Spaghetti Casserole

Turkey Meatball Strogonoff and Rice

Lemon and Orange Bars

{ Saying thank you to YOU, my readers }

 

So many times we take our lives for granted.  What we do, who we have in our lives, where we go, our health and so on.

And sometimes, it is good to stop and actually take a moment to appreciate and thank all those wonderful people in your life.  I try to do that with my family, as much as I can, but you my readers are a big part of my life too.

Some of you have been with me for a very long time, almost from the beginning of my blogging journey, and others have joined in along the way, but you've all become a part of my life and hold a special place in my heart.

I blog for me, for my memories, to have a place to sit and jot down what I was doing, and even mundane things such as what I was eating, or what I bought, where I went, the weather, and even the sky.  For some it may seem ridiculous to care so much about putting this all down in a blog, but for me it's imperative that I do.

See, I want to have a place where I can come back to years from now, when my children are all grown and married, and be able to show them where we started, where they came from and what kind of childhood and family life they had.  There's far too many sad stories out there, children who would give anything to have loving parents and a good life, and so, I hope that one day my children will show their own kids what it was like for them, growing up.

But all that aside.......

My blog is not just about my family, it is about the wonderful friends I've made, the special souls that come by daily, the sweet Pure Sugar comments, the words of support, the kind advice that I encounter here in my little spot.

So today, it's all about you, I want to thank you for sticking with me even when I'm crap about returning blog visits, or commenting and replying.  Thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart, I love you all dearly.

I can't do much but say thank you, although if I was rich I may have just booked a cabin somewhere and invited your all for a girls weekend.  Now THAT would have been amazing, wouldn't it?

My hope is that through my blog, you all have made friendships, and found ladies with similar interests , so to thank you for coming over to My Little Corner of the World, I'm going to send you over to some of my favorite friends, and if you haven't yet met each other, take a moment to go on over and say hi, leave a sweet comment on these blogs and let them know that I've sent you.

You all know I'm a Pioneer Woman at Heart, Chasing my life wherever it leads me.  For quite a few years, from 2007 to 2013 I had Daydreams in the Desert of Arizona, while dreaming of returning to Idaho, I guess I had dreams of living in Idaho and taking tons of pictures for my very own Northwoods Scrapbook.  Besides, much as I loved Arizona and A Little Bit of Sunshine,  I always felt that everything was so brown, so lacking in green, where I felt that Idaho was definitely Not Afraid of Color.   I spent my days homemaking and working on being better at organizing because I was definitely Sonotorganized.

But Idaho didn't work out for us and so we headed to Texas to our very own country house, which made me incredibly happy.  I could now have my very own Hearth and Home, just like Rebecca.  With so much property around, I began dreaming of filling the gardens with flowers of all shapes, sizes and colors, and maybe I could have my very own Flowerlady's Musings.  All through these moves and ups and downs, I still managed to keep blogging and sharing my life, much like My Life as Mama Jodi  and crafting and sewing like Ozark's Sew n' Sews. 

After all these blogging years, I'm still me, still Attempting to be a Super Mom, having fun, exploring the area but deep down knowing that My Heart is Always Home, and if that is What Makes me Happy then, that is all that matters.

I'm ever so thankful for the home I have, for living in the country and constantly being surrounded by Dragonfly Treasures and beautiful nature.  It's easy to sometimes get bogged down with things going around, but it's much easier to appreciate what is around us, to step outside and watch the birds, to imagine that we're being flown away On Wings like Eagles. 

So again, thank you, each and every single one of you who have stayed with me through this crazy blogging journey.  I appreciate you all more than you will ever know :)

{Around the house}

Hi everyone :)

I've had a really good homemaky kinda day.  Yes homemaky, even though that is not a proper word, but in my world I sometimes throw out words that get my point across and easily describe what I'm referring to.

So your word for today is.....Homemaky!!!

My Jasmine was off work today, she was actually not feeling well at all and had to call in.  She hated it.  Hated calling in.  Hated missing work because she had perfect attendance.  I do love how much she enjoys her work and how devoted and dedicated she is to it.

With her not needing to go in, I was suddenly left with a whole day to do what I love the most, potter around the house.

One of the first things I did was make the bed, as always, and then I messed around with the lights I got this weekend.  I can't for the life of me find a way to display them, that I'm happy with.  For now, this is how they will stay.

I then moved into my kitchen, which is still one of my favorite spots in my home.  I don't think it much matters where we live, the kitchen is always the place I spend most of my days in.  I'm either cooking or baking, cleaning or rearranging, I don't know why, but it makes me happy.

You know for a long time I used to feel quite disappointed when I thought about all that I don't like in this house, and all that I would love to change.  The plans are many, the ideas flow constantly, but we are leasing and that of course means that we can't exactly do much, at least not until we buy the house.

And so it really comes down to working with what you have, embracing the house you have and thanking God for everything in it, even if it is not to your liking.

One of the things I most dislike in the kitchen, is the backsplash.  I find it so ugly and so ridiculous, I'm not sure why on earth they did it that way, but the day we buy, that is one of the first things to come down.  My idea is to have white kitchen cabinets, black hardware, and either stone tiles or ceramic blue and white tiles, much like the ones we see in the kitchens in Portugal.

All of those dreams will come true one day, but not for at least a year or two, and so we are left with the choice of how to deal with that realization.  I can either sulk and be sad about it or I can love what I have before me and work around it.  That is what I've chosen to do.

Is the kitchen outdated? Yes!!! Is it old fashioned? Absolutely!!! But I'll take it I'm blessed to have a roof over my head and a big kitchen to cook my meals in.



Live, Laugh, Love, that is it right there.

I even had time to sit on my bed and look through some cookbooks.  The Taste of Home Favorites is filled with yummy recipes that I will definitely be making soon.

I'm a huge Taste of Home fan, I used to collect all their magazines and my mother in law even gave me some that used to belong to her and Curt's grandmother.  I still love flipping through the pages and always find something that looks so good.

It's quite funny how quickly the day goes by when you're doing absolutely nothing, I guess time is going to fly no matter if your running around like crazy, or hanging around the house.

After much pottering around, I went back to my kitchen and started prepping dinner, which was the copycat Chick-Fil-a Sandwiches, some waffle fries, and homemade Chick-Fil-a sauce. 

It turned out SO good, I can't wait to share the recipe with you all tomorrow. 

While dinner cooked I got the Lunch Lady Brownies made, and those are to.die.for.  Oh my goodness.  I may have had one after dinner, even though I was full.  Oops!

Look out for that recipe tomorrow as well.

I may not have a Pinterest worthy house, but it is MY house and I pour a lot of love into every corner, in order to provide a safe and happy home for my family. 

At the end of the day, my children and husband could care less what color walls I have, or if the curtains are lace or cotton, what they will remember is the meals I prepared, the times we chatted over a slice of cake or the smell of fresh sheets on the bed.

Our job is not to provide magazine worthy rooms, but it IS to provide love and attention, and if we are doing it the right way, it doesn't matter where we live, what our furnishings look like or if we are wealthy.

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 06/17/2019 }

Good morning everyone, welcome back to my blog :)

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and got some much needed rest.  Our weekend was great, spent a lot of time together and got a lot done, but feel like it went by a bit too quick for my liking.

I must say though, I actually really like Mondays, and I know most people don't and that is understandable, but I love them.  I don't know if it is the beginning of a new week and having a fresh blank page ahead, or what it is, but I really do love Monday morning.

Right, let's see what we have ahead for the week.  

The weather:::
We have been enjoying sunny and hot days, but woke up to a right looking winter day.  It's foggy, cloudy, dark and we have storms headed our way. 

Monday - Morning shower, 87
Tuesday - Strong thunderstorm, 91
Wednesday - Strong afternoon thunderstorm, 91
Thursday - Times of clouds and sun, 98
Friday - Mostly sunny, 99


On my reading pile:::
The Great Unexpected by Dan Mooney.

Movies or Shows I watched this weekend:::
Didn't really watch anything, hardly touched the TV because we were out most of the weekend.  I did put on some documentaries while I cleaned or ironed, so I guess that counts as some tv watching.


On my TV this week:::
General Hospital
Homemaking vlogs
The Spanish Princess
60 Minutes Australia
Real Stories


On the menu for this week:::
We are back on track with proper cooking.  Also, I started a Friday feature here on the blog, where I'll be sharing my menus.  I will still share them here on the Happy Homemaker Monday, but if you're interested in a bit more detailed meal plan, including desserts for the week, check out my Meal Plan Friday. 

Monday
Slow Cooked Beef and Broccoli with Panda Express Chow Mein

Tuesday
Chick-Fil-A Sandwiches, Waffle Fries, Chick-Fil-A sauce

Wednesday
Carne de Panela (Portuguese Beef Tips), Rice, Beans

Thursday
Hot and Spicy Lasagna, Garlic Bread

Friday
Copycat Rodeo King Burgers, Fries


On my to do list:::
Call dealership and towing company
Get broccoli beef in the crockpot for dinner
Clean and tidy house
Lunch and shopping with sister in law today


What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::
New crochet project, nothing big but something for my bedroom wall.


Looking forward to:::
Getting my sweet little car back, it's been far too long since I've been able to drive it.


Looking around the house:::
It looks so dark, it's like waking up in the middle of winter, just crazy.  The house itself is clean, so I don't have too much to do on that front.  The kitchen seems to be the spot that is always needing attention, because I think it's the most used room in the house.  I need to unload and reload dishwasher, clean counters, get dinner going in the crockpot, sweep and mop. 


From the camera:::
My big boy, he is huge but the sweetest soul. 

 


What I'm wearing today:::
Probably a summer dress or some jeans and cute top.      


One of my simple pleasures:::
Driving around with my husband.  We love just getting in the truck, heading out in the morning and either browsing through stores or stopping for a coffee somewhere.   


Bible verse, Devotional, prayers::: 

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned,
and flame will not scorch you.

{ Good ol' Saturday }

One of the best feelings in life, is that of being surrounded by your family.  I always tell my husband that when he is away I feel like I'm just going about my day without breathing.

The minute he walks in the door, everything goes back to normal and my body immediately relaxes, so much so that I laid down in bed at 8pm last night and by 8:15 I was completely out, even dreaming.  Goodness hahaha

Marley was beside himself with happiness, he couldn't believe his daddy was home, and the kids were both thrilled too.  No matter how old they get, daddy is daddy and they love him dearly.

My Saturday started with the usual tossing of clothes from hamper to washer, and then to dryer.  I gave the kitchen a good cleaning, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher and then went outside to help hubby get my car ready to be towed to the dealership this week, where it will finally get the turbo replaced.  Praise the Lord!

We then headed out the door with the kids.  My sister in law's birthday is tomorrow and we needed to get her a gift, we also wanted to get Nick a haircut although it was super hard to find any place that was either open or didn't have an hour wait.  Gave up on that and I'll take him for a haircut on Tuesday morning when I take Jasmine to work.

Had a really yummy lunch at Red Robin, laughed, talked and really enjoyed each other's company.  I find that as the kids have gotten older, the time we all spend together is that much more meaningful.  It's different, it's more mature and interesting in a way.

When they're young we loved spending time with them but they really just wanted to play with their toys, and weren't into any kind of conversations, not to mention how hard it was keeping them entertained for the time we were out.

Since Red Robin is at the mall, we walked around a bit trying to find something for the birthday but couldn't really find anything.  I did find a few things for our home in the clearance aisles at In Home.

Absolutely loved the way this candle looked and for $3 it was a bargain.  I also picked up a pack of these ImPress Press on Manicure to give them a go.  I've been seeing them all over Instagram lately and was quite curious.

You know that I don't much care for long nails, don't have patience to even go sit and get them done, and I find them a waste of money.  But I do love having pretty nails so I usually just do them myself at home.

And the long nails thing????  Just not for me, they bug me, they get in the way, I feel like I can't feel what I'm picking up or doing and it just drives me insane.  But I really wanted to give these a go, so I popped them on about an hour ago.    They were very easy to get on, which I'm surprised by, and they look really pretty.

Within 10 minutes, I had taken out my nail clippers and clipped them down to a more manageable size.  I just can't do it, it's no use, I can't handle long nails LOL

If you're interested to see how they look, I put a picture up on Instagram.

The last two items I picked up were these Curtain Lights.  I've been wanting them for my bedroom, to go behind my bed, but hadn't yet found the ones I liked.  These are clear wired, which is exactly what I was looking for.

I'll set them up tomorrow and show you how they look.

And that is it, just a very simple, family day, but definitely my favorite ways to spend the weekends.

Tomorrow is a home day, I have a lot of prepping to do for the week ahead, want to bake some goodie and I need to get in the backyard to pull weeds from my little garden.  I already have a tomato and my chili peppers are growing too.

I'll be back tomorrow to show you all of that and more :)