Happy Homemaker Monday - 02/23/2015

Goodness, I haven't had a chance to visit any HHM participants in what seems like, forever.  Do hope you're all doing well and still enjoying this link up every Monday.

The weather outside is::::

Cold and icy.  We had such nice weather last week but this week seems like we're back to pretty cold temps. 

On the breakfast plate this morning::::

Just my coffee, my stomach is not feeling too great and I don't know if I want to eat anything. 

As I look outside my window:::

The sun is shining, but it's quite icy out there.

Right now I am::::

Sitting on the couch and typing this up, I almost forgot to do it, as I was honestly convinced today was Sunday.  Oh boy. 

As I look around the house::::

The sun is coming in through the windows, is there anything more pretty than seeing the sun rays across your room????  Nicholas is sitting on the couch playing a game on his laptop and Lola is sleeping next to him. 

On today's to do list::::

Laundry
Cleaning

Currently reading::::

Nothing at the moment

On the TV today::::

Been catching up on my Portuguese soaps, which I love :)

On the menu this week::::

Monday - Picadillo, Mexican Rice 
Tuesday -  Bowtie Chicken Alfredo
Wednesday - Honey Mustard Chicken Fingers, Fries
Thursday - Tuna Salad
Friday - *grocery shopping, not sure yet what the next few days will be)
Saturday -
Sunday -

What I am creating at the moment::::

Nothing at all

New recipe I tried or want to try this week::::

The Picadillo and the Mexican rice tonight are new, I will share those :)

Favorite photo from the camera::::

Prayers, Inspirational Quotes or Devotionals::::

Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:33

PLEASE, don't add links to this list that are not part of the Happy Homemaker Monday. I've asked numerous times, and I'm frankly quite tired of having to remove links to other posts that shouldn't be in this list. Please be respectful of my request!

When he's gone.....

Curt has been gone a week and two days.  It feels like forever already and I'm missing him terribly and just wishing that these months would fly by.

It never gets easier, if anything I think it gets harder.

But I have to keep myself and the kids busy so that we don't dwell on how much we miss him, or the fact that he is not here with us.

I throw myself into packing and housework and the things that make me smile. 

Those little things that remind me each day that though this current situation may be hard, it's for a worthwhile cause and so I keep pushing through.

I have taken my camera out and started snipping little bits of my day, trying to record it all so that I can add it to the already extensive collection of memories here on my blog.  You know one day I will sit down, look back and enjoy reading through all of these moments in time.

The house is starting to look empty, I've just been packing and moving boxes to the garage and getting things ready for the move.

I thought at first that I would get a moving company but after receiving some quotes, I quickly decided that there is no way we can afford it. Between $6000 and $10 000, way out of our budget. We are going with UPack, they drop off the trailer and we pack it and then they pick it up. Still around $3000 but much better than the previous quotes.

Oh boy!!!!

So yes, I'm packing and getting it all ready to go in the trailer.

This corner is everything ready to go, I'll just keep adding to it as I pack.

That washer and dryer I am going to try and sell before I leave. I love the washer but the dryer is gas powered and I can't use it. Hopefully someone else can.

Look how empty my fireplace area is already looking. I am going to move this bookshelf to the garage this week and finish moving those boxes too. My plans were to do it today, but since yesterday I have not been able to walk much because of a Sciatica flare up.

Thanks to this crazy Idaho weather, went from 50 something degrees to waking up to snow.

Anyway, wanted to come in and chat a little, let you all know what was going on here, how I was doing and what progress is being made towards the move.

Oh before I forget, I mailed off all the crochet orders last week and you should all be getting them this coming week, so keep an eye out for that.  Again, thank you all, I know my goodies will find good homes :)

Alright, I have a ton of laundry to get through and need to make a dessert to take over to my brother's house later for our Walking Dead night.   I'm taking one of our favorite meals too, the Slow Cooked Italian Beef Sandwiches.  If you've never tried them, you don't know what you're missing :)

Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend.

The Thing about Great White Sharks - TLC Book Tour

Title: The Thing About Great White Sharks
Author: Rebecca Adams Wright
Publisher: Little A (Amazon Publishing)
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Acquired Via: TLC Book Tours

In this collection’s richly imagined title story, our brutal and resourceful protagonist is determined to protect her family from a murderous, shark-ridden world—at any cost. Elsewhere, an old woman uncovers a sinister plot while looking after a friend’s plants (“Orchids”), and a girl in the war-torn countryside befriends an unlikely creature (“Keeper of the Glass”). In “Barnstormers,” a futuristic flying circus tries to forestall bankruptcy with one last memorable show. At the heart of “Sheila” is the terrible choice a retired judge must make when faced with the destruction of his beloved robotic dog, and “Yuri, in a Blue Dress” follows one of the last survivors of an alien invasion as she seeks help.

Extending from World War II to the far future, these fifteen stories offer a gorgeously observed perspective on our desire for connection and what it means to have compassion—for ourselves, for one another, for our past…and for whatever lies beyond.

********************************************

My thoughts:

Though I love long novels, I have to say that I have a special affinity for short stories.  Maybe because I'm a busy mom and sometimes don't have the time to sit and read a book without having to put it down, which becomes frustrating because I tend to lose track of the story.

Short stories are perfect for those moments when I have a bit of free time but can set it down and walk away knowing that I've finished that particular story, and the next time I open the book up it will be something new.

I really enjoyed this book, there was a mix of everything which made every single story unique and totally different from the one before.

Orchids, Keeper of the Glass and Yuri in a Blue Dress were some of my favorites.  Aliens, ghosts, WWII, some of the things I most love reading about, all compiled into one neat little book.

Loved, loved it. 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for providing me with a review copy.

Jardesca - Low Proof, Low Cal Aperitif for Spring

18% Alc./Vol.
$30.00 Suggested Retail Price
Zork closure – for resealing. As a fortified wine,
JARDESCA stays fresh for weeks after opening.

We believe that the perfect opening to any moment should stimulate the enjoyment of food and wine that is to follow. Our California Aperitiva provides a perfect balance to deliver an opening that isn’t too strong but is still lively.

Handcrafted in Sonoma, it is the ideal marriage of the vineyards and the gardens of California. A balanced blend of sweet and dry white wines, and an eau de vie, double distilled and brightened with 10 different botanicals. The unique combination of these elements creates the perfectly balanced blend that is ready for opening and sharing.

As it opens your palate, great tastes and greater memories beckon.

I was recently asked to review this new Spring Aperitif for Jardesca.  I love my wine, and so willingly agreed to sample and give my honest opinion.

The bottle arrived very quickly and was still nice and chilled when I pulled it out of the box.  I have to say that the bottle itself is gorgeous in a simple yet elegant way.

Now I'm more of a sweet wine fan, not so much the bitter kind, so this one was definitely different for me.

I poured myself a little, swished around and took my first sip.  It smells amazing, the taste for me wasn't what I was expecting, it was more bitter than I thought, but what hit me were the lingering flavors that remained....I checked the bottle to see what the ingredients were and BAM.....sweet peppermint, orange blossom, cardamom, apricots and grapefruit.  Wow!!!

To be honest, by itself I didn't enjoy, again because I prefer sweet, but here's the thing, you don't have to drink it straight, although it is recommended over some ice and topped with a fresh sprig of mint.

Possibilities are endless!!!

I did try the Jardesca Verde and it was really yummy.

 It is the very first aperitif from California and is made in Sonoma.  Be sure to check out their website to find more about this wonderful Spring Aperitif and if you're interested in trying it out for yourself, you can buy a bottle, or two,  here.

Thank you to Jardesca for this opportunity and for sending along a bottle for review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Homemaker Monday - 02/16/2015

Good morning everyone.  I want to start by apologizing for my blooper last week when I forgot to add in the linky.  Oops!!!  I have never done that and I clearly wasn't thinking clearly, so apologies.

I hope you've all had a good weekend, mine has been very quiet and sad, but not too bad otherwise.  I have a lot of things coming up this week, quite a few reviews for you all and some daily blogging too....yay!!!

For now though, let's get on with our Happy Homemaker Monday post.

The weather outside is::::

It's 32 degrees and collllldddddd.  It's pretty icy out there and to be honestly I am quite ready for spring weather and summer. 

On the breakfast plate this morning::::

A cup of coffee with Spiced Rum Cake creamer and two pieces of toast.  You know what I hate?  Soggy toast!  It is just gross, but I'm impatient and as soon as it's out of the toaster I slather on the butter and then it becomes a soggy mess.  BLECH!!!

As I look outside my window:::

Beautiful morning, the skies are blue and the sun is shining.  If it weren't for this cold I would have gone outside to enjoy my coffee.

Right now I am::::

Typing up this post while waiting for my hubby to call me back.  He had to go for a physical this morning before he starts his job tomorrow, so he had me on the phone with google maps giving him directions to the hospital in Texas.  LOL  At one point he said to me "well honey, if I get lost at least I have YOU on the phone to keep me company". 

As I look around the house::::

I will take some pictures to show you in my post later, but I've been packing and boxing things up and this house is starting to look quite empty.  I don't mind it though because I'm purging a LOT of things for this move, I'm quite tired of dragging things around that either don't ever get out of the boxes they were moved in, or makes the house look cluttered. 

On today's to do list::::

Laundry....Have a load to put away, and one load to wash, plus some comforters and the bed linens.    
Cleaning....Need to mop and vacuum.  Usual housework, dishes and bathrooms etc.

Currently reading::::

Book for review, it will be up next week.

On the TV today::::

Not sure yet, but I've got a few shows I've been wanting to catch up on so may just do that.

On the menu this week::::

Monday - Pork stir fry, rice
Tuesday -  Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Wednesday - Honey Mustard Chicken Fingers, Fries
Thursday - Tuna Salad
Friday - Bowtie Chicken Alfredo
Saturday - Out to eat with the kiddos
Sunday - Turkey, Grreen bean casserole (Jasmine requested)

What I am creating at the moment::::

Want to get rid of some of my yarn, so working on more dishcloths.
 

New recipe I tried or want to try this week::::

Right now there is absolutely nothing new I've tried, but I do have a recipe coming up next week that I will be trying for the first time and will post it for you all.

Favorite photo from the camera::::

My gorgeous daughter, she is growing so fast.  Two months and she will be 16 years old.  Oh my!

Prayers, Inspirational Quotes or Devotionals::::

"But what about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
Mark 8:29

PLEASE, don't add links to this list that are not part of the Happy Homemaker Monday. I've asked numerous times, and I'm frankly quite tired of having to remove links to other posts that shouldn't be in this list. Please be respectful of my request!