{ And Christmas shopping is done }

Christmas right after you buy a house, is tough.  Like really tough!!!

Christmas right after you buy a house, and a kitchen sink decides to clog, followed by your garbage disposal needing to be replaced, is tough.  SUPER tough!!!

But it's doable, and the key is not spending a lot of money, going back to basics, and really focusing on giving inexpensive gifts that come from the heart.

When I was young I loved Christmas, I never knew what I was getting and opening the presents, really was a surprise.  Some gifts we absolutely loved, others we weren't too thrilled about (I'm talking about the socks and underwear), but still, Christmas was magical, the cooking, the wrapping, the anticipation for midnight to roll around.

The years went by, I got older, I had children of my own, and times have changed.

I find that nowadays, buying gifts is not only so much more expensive, but it's incredibly difficult.  People tend to buy what they want throughout the year, and some even splurge right before the holidays, which in turn makes it hard to know what to give.

And we're not even going to talk about kids today and how they are all technology obsessed and no longer interested in the things that we were, back in the day.

This year, I decided that I would take that pressure off my shoulders, buy what I wanted to buy, and not worry about so and so's lists.  I don't know about you, but it got pretty disappointing knowing exactly what you were getting, and everyone else knowing what they were getting as well because it's what they asked for.

Where is the magic in that?  Where is the fun, the surprise?

I ended up spending a fraction of what I usually spend, still bought a few thing for each person on the list, and am now done wrapping, it's all under the tree and I can relax.

I feel that we are losing everything that means family.  Everything that we grew up with, that brought us together at this time of the year, is being destroyed, neglected and put to the side.

I even see friends putting Amazon boxes under the tree.  Maybe I'm too old fashioned, but it honestly breaks my heart.

I'm determined to keep Christmas as close to my childhood, as possible.  For as long as I can, I will continue to wrap gifts, give the things I want to and know the recipient will like, and not focus so much on the materialistic side of the holiday. 

Days have been shorter, darker, and much much colder.  We are deep into the throes of Winter, without the snow of course.

In the meantime, our kitchen sink is functional again.  Praise the Lord, I was feeling the stress there for a few days.

And.......the first coat of white paint has been put on a kitchen cabinet.  Yes, it's happening friends. 

I have a lot of plans for my kitchen.  If you've followed me for a while, you know that when we first moved into the house, much as I loved the size of the kitchen, I have never really liked it.  I wanted a white kitchen, and I also can't stand the fact that they used laminate as backsplash.  The counter tops just run straight up into the wall and it drives me insane.

So, big plans for the kitchen.  I'm not remodeling, aside from doing the kitchen floors which need to be replaced.

I'm merely painting, redecorating and changing a few things. 

My idea?  A Rustic/Farmhouse kind of kitchen. 

It will take some time, but I am already starting on it and hopefully within a few months it will be exactly how I've envisioned it for many years.

I am now going to tackle a pile of laundry, fresh out of the dryer, put it all away and then head out to pick up Jasmine from work.

I will be back in the morning for our Happy Homemaker Monday, until then, stay warm and cozy and have a blessed rest of Sunday.

{ Drying grapefruit slices and slowing down }

There's a nip in the air, ice on the grass and a slowness that comes with Winter.  I stand at the kitchen window and watch the deer slowly creep around the back of the property, down the driveway, then take a leap over the fence and dash off into the woods across the street.

Little House in the Big Woods!!!

I don't know why that thought popped to mind, other than the fact that I adore Little House on the Prairie, but maybe it's my deeply ingrained wish to go back to simpler times.   

Birds chirp,a woosh of wind whips by and everything seems to move at a much slower pace.

It's that time of year.  I used to think that I was a summer girl, through and through, but I've since discovered that I seem to be more of a, every season kinda gal.  The trick is to enjoy each as they come, make the most of it, and dive full force into each season.  But, yet, if you were to ask me which of the four I love the most, aside from the bitter cold weather, it would have to be Winter.

The past few days I have spent in my apron.  It pops over my head first thing in the morning, and doesn't come off until I'm done with the dinner dishes, kitchen is clean, and I'm headed to the shower.

Old fashioned?  Maybe, but I've been called worse, believe me.

I've been wanting to make another orange garland for my fireplace, and my tree this year.  I had one that actually lasted for quite a few years, but it did get to the point where it became moldy, and so we had to part ways.

Since then, it's been on the back of my mind, it's just been a matter of finding the time to do it.

I don't have oranges at the moment, but I do have a big bag of grapefruit that my mother in law sent over.  And so, grapefruit garland it is.

I've been slicing and drying for two days, and today I'll finally get to sit down, thread some twine through it and hang it up.  You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see how that turned out.

But while I was slicing the grapefruit and decorating the house, using the trimmings from the tree, I decided to get one of my simmer pots going.  It has been years, and I mean years, since I've done one, it was back in Arizona, so that will tell you something.

Yesterday I mentioned how I love using the tree trimmings to decorate the house.  There's something about bringing the outdoors, indoors, that I love.  It makes you feel closer to nature, that and the fact that you can't beat the smell of fresh pine wafting through the house.

I've kept my tree very simple this year.  I used to love a full tree, shiny ornaments, all sorts of colors, tinsel and garland and so on.

As I've gotten older, I've switched to a more subdued tree, that I like it even more.  A tree does not have to be flashy to be beautiful, at least in my opinion.  That's not to say that you can't decorate yours however you wish, it is after all personal preference, and you do what makes you happy, that is all that matters.

I would also love to say that at this point, I'm done Christmas shopping, but the truth is that I have bought one single present, that's it, just one.  This weekend  we will finally head out and get the shopping done, as I'm itching to wrap, get it under the tree and call it good.

That slowness that I love about Winter?  I don't equate Christmas shopping or anything surrounding the holiday, as slow and relaxing.  If anything it is busy, rushed, stressful and too focused on flashy, big and better.  Maybe I'm over it all, or maybe I've just gotten wiser as I've aged.

Wintery cold days also mean tummy filling, home cooked meals.  Last night's dinner was Hot Sesame Pork, you can find the recipe over on the blog, but I'll link it for you here too.

And to end off my slow kind of day, a disaster in the kitchen.  Curt and I looked at each other and just started laughing.  Our first obstacle as home owners, no more calling in maintenance and waiting for someone to come out and fix it.  It's us, all on us. 

It's not the first time that my kitchen sink has clogged up, it's been an ongoing issue since we've moved into this house, it clogs at least once a year, they come out, unclog it, I'm extra careful about what I put down the disposal, and then it clogs again.

It happened again yesterday afternoon, right as I was prepping dinner.  I tried unclogging, I tried a plunger, I tried everything I could think of and nothing worked.  When Curt got home from work he tried as well, and usually he can get it unclogged, but for some reason, instead of unclogging it just started leaking out of the bottom of the disposal.

Next thing I knew, there was an inch of water under the sink, water on my floor, Curt's shoes soaked through and a soaking wet kitchen rug.

It's still not fixed.  I have to wait until hubby gets home from work this afternoon so that he can remove the disposal, take a look at it, and see if he can fix it.  I'm thinking we may need a new garbage disposal.  Thankfully you can get a pretty inexpensive one at Lowes. 

But this whole thing got me thinking about the old days, the simpler times were garbage disposals were not even invented.  We survived without one, our sink was just a proper normal sink where you washed dishes, and never in a million years did you think of throwing any kind of food down the drain.

So is it really worth it to have a disposal?  To deal with these headaches?  Or is it maybe time to ditch it?  I would live just fine without one, and I think that this may just be a project for the very near future.  Ditch that disposal and go back to a normal proper sink.  Yes, I think that is on my list.

For now, I will be using my laundry sink which thankfully is across the kitchen, on the opposite wall.  I do my dishes in there, and then for dinner we will probably go out with my brother in law. 

I need to get up off this bed, get dressed, go tackle my kitchen and start making some gift lists so that I'm prepared tomorrow.

Have a wonderful blessed Wednesday!

{ The little routine that I love so much }

You know that saying "You don't know what you have until it's gone?".

I've felt that over the past few weeks, or rather, month and a half.  The routine that I love, that I thrive on and need in my life, was swiftly pulled out from under my feet. It came unexpectedly, but as all things that come from the Lord, it was done in a way that woke up my soul, and put a fire under my behind.

Truthfully, had the landlord not pulled a fast one on Curt and I, we would have still be sitting here, renting, paying off someone else's home and not even thinking about it, at least for the next two years.

When this all went down, I was frustrated and angry at first, then just submitted to God and let it go.  My life then became a flurry of paperwork, signing this and initialing that, and just getting by with the barest of chores around the house.

I saw it crumbling around me, not in a fast and unexpected way, but more like a slow crumbling, a piece here and there and there was nothing I could do about it.

What this whole process has taught me is that, even though I've always thought that I do well with or without a routine, I really do flourish and grow when I am in my home, homemaking, pottering around, following the daily monotony of life that I've created around me.

My older brother left a few days ago, my younger brother is in Dallas this week, Curt's brother is in Oklahoma visiting friends, this home is OURS, and life has slowed down.

The minute I felt that weight lift off my shoulders, I jumped right into my much loved routine.

Usually I'm up super early, quickly dressed and off to make breakfast for our house guests.  I don't have anything going on this week, so my mornings are have been slow, just as I like them.  Comfy slippers are slipped on, and warm cozy pajamas are left on for an hour or two, as I sip my first cup of coffee.

Doing dishes by hand and taking my time, has been a blessing.  Another one of those chores that you take for granted until you don't have the time to do it.  Lately it's been a 'throw all the dishes in the dishwasher and keep moving', kinda thing.  But being able to sit at the kitchen sink, feel that warm water on my hands, slowly wash the dishes while enjoying nature right outside my window......is pure bliss.

The temperatures have dipped, it's been overcast and cold, and everyone seems to go into a mid day slump.  Naps are taken on couches, covered by big fluffy blankets, while Christmas lights twinkle in the background.

I've set my house to order, vacuumed and carpet cleaned, dusted and moved things around, and my house is starting to look like a home again.

I've been working on lists, gift lists, Christmas food and menu planning for the next two weeks.  I have to tell you, even the grocery shopping took a backburner and I feel like I haven't done a proper, in store, good shop in a long time.  I'm so excited to do that this Friday.

I've also been working on decorating inside, using Christmas tree trimmings from my own tree, backyard and Lowe's.

When we picked up our tree this past weekend, I asked the guy who was wrapping it, to please wrap up all my trimmings.  It's an inexpensive way to add some nature into your home and to make it look more cheerful.

I will take photos and show you all how it's coming along.

It's just gone 8:00 AM, though you wouldn't know it by how dark the house looks.  I'm about to go make a fresh cup of coffee and a big bowl of oatmeal with dates, nuts, cinnamon and a drizzle of cream. 

I have grapefruit slices drying in the oven for a garland that I plan to hang on my tree, I need to take out my pork for tonight's Hot Sesame Pork and noodles dinner, I need to start prepping my kitchen for painting and I am hoping to watch some more Hallmark Christmas movies, though I may start with the newest one on Netflix, A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby. 

I promise to take you all along with me as I go about my day.  Hope you all have a blessed Tuesday, thank you for always stopping by even when I'm not actively blogging as much as I want to.  I always say that I don't blog for the comments or the engagement (like most bloggers in this day and age do), but the truth is that your sweet words mean the world to me, and give me the incentive to keep sharing my life here in blogland.  So for that I'm eternally grateful :)

{ Zapata by Harper McDavid - TLC Book Tours }

• Paperback: 356 pages
• Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing (September 25, 2019)

When engineer Avery McAndrews is offered a last-minute assignment to the rough and tumble border town of Zapata, Texas, she doesn’t think twice. Used to pushing past stereotypes, she’s sure this project will earn the long-awaited promotion.

Instead, she’s thrown in the crossfire between warring drug cartels and soon discovers that her captor, Javier Ramos, is more than just a power hungry drug lord. He’s crazy.

As lead attorney for the cartel, it’s Alejandro DeLeon’s job to manage Javier. But this time, Javier’s cruelty reaches epic proportions, and Alejandro finds himself wanting to risk everything to save Avery.

Running for their lives with Mexico’s underworld at their heels, Avery and Alejandro discover unintended and intensifying emotions, feelings neither sought and neither seem prepared to control…

Purchase Links

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

 

About Harper McDavid

As a child, Harper McDavid watched her mother ride the rollercoaster of writing books, swearing she’d never do it herself. But some things are just hardwired, and luckily for Harper the world has moved on beyond typewriters and ten-pound manuscripts.

Harper’s gritty romantic suspense incorporates her own background in science and engineering and work experience along the border. The result is a collection of brainy hard hat-wearing heroines that occasionally swap out their coveralls for the little black dress.

Harper is the mother of three daughters and lives in the foothills of Colorado with her husband, two dogs, and a fat cat. Her free time is spent traveling the world in search of that next story and perusing her local library for funny book covers.

Find out more about Harper at her website, and connect with her on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.


My thoughts:
I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book, the whole drug cartel subject is not something I'm particularly interested in.  But, I live in Texas and the book takes place in Zapata, Texas, so that caught my attention.

It's always fun to read a book that is set in your State.

I was worried that the drug element would completely overtake the story, but was surprised to find that I really enjoyed the story.

Yes you are completely thrown into a world of drugs, arms, and danger, but you are also privvy to a budding romance that you can't help but root for.

Avery is not used to the crazy dangerous world near the Mexico border, and she is not one to focus on the negatives.  When she's offered a job in Zapata, a border town that is known for drug cartel wars, she thinks she can handle it.  After all, she is just there to do a job as an engineer.

But things quickly take a turn when she is kidnapped by the crazy cartel drug lord, Javier.  Not only is he a no holds barred, dangerous drug lord, but he seems to be off his rocker. 

Avery finds herself in a scary, complicated situation.

In comes her Knight in shining armor, none other than Javiers own attorney, Alejandro.

When Alejandro meets Avery, the urge to protect her is more powerful than his own fear of safety.

I loved the pacing, loved the blossoming romance and the craziness of the drug cartels thrown into the mix.  For a debut novel, Harper did amazingly well.  I think her Border Series is sure to be a success.

Thank you to TLC Tours and the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

{ Happy Homemaker Monday - 12/09/2019 }

Good morning friends, come on in and have a coffee with me.  How was your weekend?

Mine was good but as always, super busy.  I am desperately seeking peace, quiet and some rest.  Thankfully this week, I am going to get just that.

Matter of fact, I started taking some photos for the blog, two days ago, and I'm continuing today.  So tomorrow you will have a normal Sandra post.  Yay!!!

I'll probably be daily blogging this whole week, so stay tuned for that.

It is but 6:00 AM here, super dark outside still, but I am getting this post up real quick, because then I need to get ready for the day.  I have to drop my brother off at the car rental place as they're heading to Dallas for the week, and then I have to rush home and take my daughter to work.  Busy, busy as always.

Hope you all have a beautiful blessed week ahead!!!

The weather outside is::::

The weather has been pretty nutty.  One day it is super cold, the next day it is 73 or 74.  Go figure!!!  At the moment it is 63.         

Monday - Mostly Cloudy and Windy, 64
Tuesday - AM clouds, PM sun, 51
Wednesday - Mostly sunny, 57
Thursday - Partly cloudy, 54
Friday - Mostly Sunny, 60
Saturday - Sunny, 62
Sunday - Mostly sunny, 61

On the breakfast plate this morning::::

I am trying, key word trying, to finish my coffee.  I put in some Peppermint Mocha but really not enjoying it.  I couldn't figure out why, until I realized that I picked up the International Delight brand and I don't like.  I much prefer the Coffee Mate.  Oh well, won't throw it out, will have to finish it, but yuck.              

As I look outside my window:::

Still dark out there, so can't see anything, but I do hear the owls on the trees outside.       

Right now I am::::

Working on this post, sitting in my warm comfy bed, and watching a vlog on the tv.              

As I look around the house::::

There are boxes with Christmas decorations, boxes with Fall decorations needing to be closed and put away.  There are a ton of old gaming systems like Nintendo and Sega laying around as well, as the family has been enjoying those.
Honestly, looking around my house right now is stressing me out, my carpets need desperate cleaning, the house needs dusting and organizing.  I need to do that today as I've been so incredibly busy and running around, that I haven't had a chance.            

On today's to do list::::

Laundry....Have a load in the dryer that I need to fold and put away.           
Cleaning....We have our tree and got all the decorations up.  I just need to clean up and make sure all the empty boxes are put away.             
Cooking.....Probably tuna salad for lunch, and dinner will be Chicken Curry.  I actually made the curry yesterday afternoon because my chicken really needed using up.  I just made the curry and then once it was warm, popped it in the fridge for tonight.             

On this week's to do list::::

Monday - Take brother to rental car place, take Jasmine to work
Tuesday - Take Jasmine to work.
Wednesday - Day off, hoping to start on some house projects.  
The rest of the week, is pretty easy, and I'm hoping to get a lot of posts up, lots of photos and a lot of homemaking.

On the menu this week::::

Meals are planned until Friday, I'll be grocery shopping then, so this week I need to work on a new menu.

Monday - Chicken Curry and Rice
Tuesday - Hot Sesame Pork
Wednesday - Spaghetti and Garlic Bread
Thursday - Fried Chicken with Milk Gravy, Macaroni and Cheese, Mashed Potatoes
Friday -  Poor Man's Steak, Mushroom Gravy, Roast Potatoes
Saturday -
Sunday -

Currently reading::::

Don't have any new books to read at the moment, waiting for some more review books to come in.

On the TV this week::::

Youtube:
Vlogmas on Youtube
True Crime

I'm not even sure, but I do plan on catching up with my shows this week.      

What I am creating at the moment::::

Rozeta CAL from Lilla Bjorn.  Basically nothing else at the moment. 

Prayers, Inspirational Quotes or Devotionals::::

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. JAMES 1:17


* The past few weeks I have had to go in and delete links that are NOT related to Happy Homemaker Monday.  Folks, I have asked repeatedly to not add random links to other posts on your blogs, or just a link to your blog in general.  It is a lot of work for me to sit and go through and manually delete them from the linky, and it's also incredibly rude to the other participants who are just looking for the Happy Homemaker Monday posts.  Please be respectful!!!