A good cleaning!!!

It's now 8:42am and I'm sitting here waiting for the color to process on my hair before having to wash it out.  My greys are out of control, truly and I wish I was as brave as some women who just let them be and go all colorless.  I can't, it drives me insane.

I just had my go to breakfast, yogurt, frozen blueberries and granola.  Love it, never get sick of it and it fills me up.

So two days ago I decided to try a lighter color on my hair, I should have known it wouldn't work, it never does.

Nonetheless I went for it, and what I ended up with was really light brown on my roots, my greys NOT covered and the rest of my hair black.  It looked a total mess, so I had to run out yesterday and grab another normal black which is what my natural hair is anyway.

Here I sit now, on my bed, with a bag over my head and counting down the minutes until I can get my natural black hair back.  I've given up on lighter colors, my hair just won't take them unless I bleach, and that is something I definitely don't want to do.

Goodness, we never seem happy with what we have do we?

Anyway.....

I spent the day yesterday, giving this house a good cleaning, or starting to at least, it's such a big house that there is no way on earth I will get every room done in one day.

The two living rooms and kitchen did get a good cleaning.  I reorganized, put things where they belong, brought in some flowers for decoration, and then the usual vacuum and dust and sweep and mop etc.  Also gave the windows a good cleaning.

Laundry and laundry and never ending laundry.  I had two big baskets of clothes to iron, so I popped in a show and got to work.

It took me a little over an hour but I have it all done, although it's sitting in the baskets right now because I need to get them put away this morning some time.

I've also been remembering to take pictures of what I'm cooking so I can update the food blog.  It's been a while and I find that I miss having the recipes online for me to look back on and remake.

Texas Hash, it's a quick and simple meal to put together, it's filling and it goes far, which is what I need when feeding 8 people.

The Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake was a hit.  I made it for my sister in law's birthday last week.  So good.

I'll try to have both recipes up sometime today.

I also managed to go around and visit all the Happy Homemaker Monday participants which felt great to do, I just wish I had more time to visit you all.

I've been working on meal planning.  I'm actually needing to get a new notebook to work in because this one is quickly filling up.

Oh and I have to show you my new phone case.  I don't like spending a lot of money on things like that but it needs a protective case, even though I'll tell you I am super careful with my phone.

I found this case on Amazon for super cheap, I want to say it was like $8 or something.  I fell in love with it.

It has this super adorable little flower that plugs right into your headphones connection.

And I am so in love with the vintage looking pictures.  The elephant and the little flowers and butterflies.  It's this beautiful soft yellow and mint green.

But yeah, just wanted to share.

My grandmother is still in hospital, her organs are slowly shutting down and we've been told to prepare ourselves.  My father was called in on Sunday night to sign a DNR form. 

I'm broken, I know what is coming and I'm actually at the point where I want her to go because I don't think this is a life for her, I don't want to think of her being in pain, not sound of mind etc.

This in between while we wait for the inevitable is so hard.  I would love nothing more than for my grandmother to live and be healthy, but when she's so sick, I part of me wants it all to end the sooner the better.

I hope I am making sense and I hope no one is thinking I'm wanting her to die. 

It's just really, really hard!!!!

Well friends, I have to go and wash this off my hair, then I need to style it, get dressed for the day and get busy with my housework.  I also have to get all the kid's school books in a box and mailed off.

Oh and later today we are going to check out a local Zumba class.  I am SO SO looking forward to that.

Have a wonderful Tuesday :)

FishFlix.com Review

I was recently contacted by the wonderful folks over at FishFlix.com and asked if I would be interested in reviewing something for them.

Being a Christian, I don't often get many chances to review Christian specific sites or products, and this was a great opportunity to do that.

If you don't know about FishFlix.com then you don't know what you're missing.  It is a great site for Christian DVD's.  There are tons of categories to choose from, Bible Teaching, Children, Documentaries, Christmas....whatever you like you're sure to find.

If you sign up for their newsletter right now, you will get a 10% discount on your order.

You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, and even Pinterest.

I was sent Apostle Paul and the Earliest Churches, to review.

Apostle Paul and the Earliest Churches is a brilliant and illuminating production. Beginning with his conversion, it reenacts Paul's missionary journeys on Anatolian soil (modern Turkey). This brief, 48-minute Christian DVD contains an archaeological treasury: mosaics, frescoes, statues, amphitheaters, agoras, temples and more. The historical, religious, and archaeological background of each Anatolian region in which Paul preached the gospel is explained.

Yet this film is more than an archaeological or historical survey; this production's reenactment of the miracles Paul performed, the difficulties he encountered, and the persecution he faced beckons the viewer to experience with the Apostle himself the birth of the Christian church.

The film's archaeological emphasis is enhanced by 3D animated maps and footage of Antioch on the Orontes, Pisidian Antioch, Ephesus, Tarsus, and other cities important to Paul.

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I've always found the Apostle Paul fascinating, so to be able to go through his journey almost step by step was quite exciting.

The video was 48 minutes long which to me was the perfect time, not extremely long that it would make me lose interest and not short where it left me wondering if anything was left unshared or unsaid.

Not only does it teach us more about who Paul was, but it takes us on a journey through all the regions where he preached the gospel, in a sense giving us an insight into what the areas looked like, where they were and what they looked like.  To me, it helps visualize certain things therefore allowing me to better understand what I'm reading in the Bible.

Paul's life and his devotion to the Lord, is clearly shown as we are shown his missionary journey through old Anatolia which is now known as Turkey.  The voice overs, the 3D maps, the architecture shown and the ruins etc. were so interesting to see.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and I actually passed it on to some family members who showed interest in watching too, and just like I they loved the film.

I think it's one that many Christians would enjoy watching in their homes.

Thank you to FishFlix.com for sending me a review copy of Apostle Paul.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 06/20/2016

Good morning everyone, hope you've had a great relaxing weekend.

It's Monday, again, always feels like my weekends are super short and my weeks drag on.  Anyway, it's the start of a new week, it's the first day of Summer and I have a new template to celebrate it.

See, I've bee missing the beach so very much but I can't go and so I figured that the next best thing would be to bring the beach to me, sort of.  The header and background just make me happy and feel summery and yeah.....I hope you like it too.

I also have a new HHM button if you want to use it, feel free, if not that's ok too.  Alright, enough chit chat let's get going.

The Weather:::

Sunny at the moment and 75 degrees.  We're looking at sunny and warm the rest of the week too, which is fine with me.  I swear with the amount of rain we get here, we are constantly having to mow because the grass grows like crazy. 

On my reading pile:::

Finished my other book and did the review, so I've moved on to my next one on the list which is All Summer Long by Dorothea Benton Frank.  Really enjoying it, it's perfect for a summer read, just check out this cover.  

On my tv:::

Portuguese Soaps
General Hospital
The new season of Orange is the New Black

On the menu for this week:::

Monday -  Bifanas (Portuguese Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches), Homemade Fries
Tuesday -  Ham and Cheese Tortellini, Cheesy Garly Bread
Wednesday - Korean Beef Bowls, Steamed Rice
Thursday - Chicken Cheesesteaks, Onion Rings
Friday -  Lasagna Roll Ups, Salad
Saturday - Onion Burgers, Fries
Sunday  - Pickled Fish, Veggies, Garlic Potatoes

On my to do list:::

Laundry - Still haven't been able to afford a new dryer, so clothesline it is.  I do have a huge basket of laundry to iron today, and I also need to do another 2 loads of clothes, plus all the bedding.  *sigh*
Usual housecleaning
Send off the kid's school materials
Bring in some flowers to the house

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

I'm a lost case in this department.  Oh how far we fall LOL  I need to get my butt in gear to make something for the baby's 1st Birthday. 

Looking around the house:::

Usual chaos after the weekend.  I also need to get some Summer decor going, but I'm not quite sure what I want to do yet.  

From the camera:::

Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake I made for my sister in law's birthday.

On my prayer list:::

**My grandmother.  We are unfortunately just waiting, we've been told to prepare ourselves, her body is slowly shutting down and she is spending more time asleep than actually awake and communicating.  It's so hard, for me the worst part is this limbo and in between when we know what is coming but not when.  My only comfort is that I know that the day she closes her eyes forever, she will be reunited with her husband, son and mother and father. 
**My brother.  He will be hearing back today or tomorrow about possibly going in to sign his contract with the new job.  I'm really praying this works out for him. 
**My daughter.  She is a fighter, she is having to learn a lot through therapy, about who she is, about things she needs to change etc.  It's not easy but she's a trooper. 

Something that inspires or brings a smile to your face:::

How Secrets Die by Marta Perry - TLC Book Tour

Good morning friends, I'm back with another great book tour for you.  As always, my books come from TLC and I'm so excited to be able to share them with you and maybe inspire you to pick up the current book and add it to your read list.

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: HQN Books (June 28, 2016)

As Laurel Ridge embraces a stranger hungry for answers, a sinister truth is awakened 

A hard-hitting reporter, Kate Beaumont unearths the deepest lies and brings harsh truths to light. But the story that lures her to the gentle town of Laurel Ridge, Pennsylvania, is closer to her heart than anyone knows. The details of her half brother’s sudden death have never made sense. She owes him justice, yet the one man who can help her is the stubborn sheriff she can’t stand.

Protecting his town is Mac Whiting’s top priority. Everything else—including pacifying a beautiful crusader on a mission best left resting in peace—is secondary. But as Kate’s search embeds her in his world and attracts a skilled criminal, she needs Mac’s protection. Drawn together by deadly secrets, they must find a way to trust each other before a killer silences them both.

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About Marta Perry

Marta Perry realized she wanted to be a writer at age eight, when she read her first Nancy Drew novel. A lifetime spent in rural Pennsylvania and her own Pennsylvania Dutch roots led Marta to the books she writes now about the Amish. When she’s not writing, Marta is active in the life of her church and enjoys traveling and spending time with her three children and six beautiful grandchildren. Visit her online at www.martaperry.com

Connect with Marta

Website | Facebook

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At first glance, I wasn't quite sure if I would enjoy the book, and the only reason being that I realized that it was the third book in a series after, Where Secrets Sleep and When Secrets Strike. 

The good thing is that it didn't completely throw me off or make me feel like I was clueless as to what was going on, who the characters were or how they got to this point.

I've never been a huge suspense genre fan, always steering more toward the romance and historical novels, but over the past year or so I've started enjoying this genre more, and I think this book came at the best time for me, having just read something of that kind.

Small town, romance AND suspense made for the perfect story.

The story centers around Kate and Mac.  As Kate arrives in this small town to look for answers to her half brother's death, she can't help but stir up a few doubts and suspicions in some of the locals, one of which is Mac, the police chief who finds her attractive but also someone to keep his eye on.

As they both get thrown into the what if's surrounding her brother's death, they must pull together to figure out the circumstances and in the middle of all this, Kate ends up attracting a skilled criminal who is dead set on stopping her investigation.

Of course we throw in Mac who has started developing feelings for her, and this just made for a really good, fun read.

Around here lately

Good morning friends, I hope you're all doing well :)

Well, I'm here, early morning with a post filled with pictures and some random chit chat about what I've been doing, what's been going on etc.

You know I've kind of told myself that it's ok to not always post, even though I really want to, but I also realized the other night that while I was thinking about my blog and my life and kids etc, that I really do need to get back on the ball and mainly because I am missing out on sharing so many moments.

I want to be able to look back one day and read through all the posts, look at all the pictures and enjoy the journey that has been motherhood.

With that said, I've also been trying to get back on track with a lot of aspects in my life.  I've said it before here on the blog and I stick by it.....the past 2 years or so, I totally feel like I've lost who I am, have stopped doing the things I love, have changed into someone I'm sometimes not happy with and I need to get back to the core of who Sandra is.

Easier said than done though, right?

Anyway, so what's been going around here.  Well, lots of running around mainly with my Jasmine, back and forth to therapy appointments as we work on getting her mentally healthy.  It's so hard folks, so very hard.  As a mother I tend to question everything and wonder what in the world I did or we did to make her feel the way she is at times.  Then I have to tell myself that it's not our fault, this is her journey and something she has to work through, best we can do is just support her and love her through it.

I've been taking pics here and there to share with you, kind of a little peek at my life and since so many of you enjoy those posts :)

Rain

It's been relentless, never ceasing but for a few days. It pummels down, it knocks against the windows and doors and floods the yards.  I love rain, but I even could use a little less, though I've learned that it's just the way it goes here in old Texas :)

Prayer Beads

So during the family reunion two weeks or so ago, our cousin Cindy brought all her bead supplies and taught us how to make some prayer beads.  It's not something I had ever done before, but I had so much fun.  When I started out I realized that I wasn't quite feeling the combinations and actually drew a blank, I couldn't seem to get anything going, but the minute I got the first combination of colors right for me, I was all into it.

The one above was actually the last piece I made, I wanted a bracelet and I knew that I wanted to use some of my favorite colors which are the Robin Egg Blue and the woodsy brown.  I kept it pretty plain, just used some crosses, some different wood beads and threw in a black and silver bead here and there just to make it pop.  It has become one of my favorites and I wear it as often as I can.

This one was made by Cindy, but the minute I saw it I knew I wanted it.  Not just because it again uses the gorgeous blue, but you see those crystal beads?  They came from a necklace that belonged to my husband's grandma, and I just felt that it would be a sweet treasure to hold on to.

This was actually the first one I made.  I love pink, just love it.  I wanted something to put on my purses.  I decided to go with the pink butterfly and a silver cross and then just picked black and pink beads to place between.  I absolutely adore the way it turned out, it makes my purse pretty but it also gives me something to hold on to when I'm in a stressful situation.

Nature

Country life is the perfect place to enjoy nature at it's fullest.  Things I never thought I would get to witness and enjoy.  Some cute, some not so cute, but all a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us every single day.

This little one was in my walkway, right outside my front door.  I thought it was a mouse at first but then I kept thinking "what's with the long hair?"  hahaha   Turns out it is a baby gopher or mole, not even really sure and I know they're regarded as garden pests but he is just adorable.  My nephew Colby moved him to the grass, to a safer place but unfortunately he didn't make it, poor thing.  :(

Cardinals, they are all over my yard and I find them to be one of the most beautiful birds, ever.  Wish they would come closer but they like to stay way up in the tree and not really give me a chance to get near them.  I always find that I have to pull out my zoom lens if I want a good pic.

Outside

My wild flowers seem to have just burst into life.  So many different colors and shapes, some tall, some short.  It's wonderful walking out my front door and seeing them all blooming, and I'm sure the rain has been a major contributor to that.

I'm still absolutely besotted with Texas and the area I live in.  It's everything I always wished for and more and I count myself blessed to be here in this area.

Still close enough to the base, still able to hear the jets flying above us and see them in all their glory.  Best of both worlds, I believe!!!

Inside

I love being at home, I love homemaking and everything that goes with it.  I am not going to lie and say that there are not days that I don't feel it, or would rather not have to worry about washing another dish or cooking another meal.

I wish people would understand that loving what you do doesn't mean that you can't at times rather do something else.  For the most part though, I enjoy what I do, I enjoy taking care of the house and my family and take great pleasure and pride in it.

Simple cakes are baked when we're all craving something sweet to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

On rainy days, lamps and candles are lit.  This is my newest addition and I love it so very much.  I'm wanting to make my paneled living room into a country, cabin kind of feel.

On dark gloomy days, I will often sit at the dining table, on my laptop and enjoy the rain coming down.  Picture above does remind me that I need to give my windows a good cleaning, all this rain has made them very yucky.

With the dryer out of commission, hanging clothes up has been my life.  I've been using the clothesline and the this foldable laundry rack.  See that pile in the laundry basket?  That's my ironing for this morning.  Joy!!!

Miss Naughty is getting old, but still acts like a little puppy lol  She cracks me up.

That's her toy, all chewed up, stuffing completely gone but nonetheless, she still enjoys throwing it around and playing with it.

As you can see, life is just normal around here, but I like that, I like that there's nothing completely out of the ordinary because that would mean something was wrong.

Sometimes boring is good, especially in this day and age where the world seems to be running crazy and so much tragedy surrounds us all.

Well friends, I have tons of ironing to do, some more computer work, emails to reply to and a meal plan to work on.  Oh and in a few hours I have the first Portugal soccer game in the UEFA Euro Cup.  You know I'll be watching and biting my nails in anticipation.  Wish us luck!!!