Don’t Put it Past Me…

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All I need is a partner in crime and a wee bit of caffeine...

My Pitiful Fashion Sense

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I’ve never claimed to be a fashionista. Although I’ve been known to dress up on occasion, my typical ‘dress’ involves jeans, some type of a tshirt and my favorite pair of Sambas.

Not exactly runway material.

We had family pictures scheduled last week and I bought a lovely new scarf to wear. Ten minutes before pictures I was ready to scream because I have NO idea how to make a scarf look super cute. So I did what any normal mom would do.

I called in my 10-year-old daughter and had her do it for me.

My fashion life could be looking up in the upcoming years as she gets older and helps her momma dress.

Grow ~ Five Minute Friday

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October and November around this house are usually full of activity and children. A constant reminder to me that our children are getting older because of the many birthdays that we celebrate in only a few weeks timespan.

This year we’ve already celebrated two out of three birthdays and as we approach Kaleb’s birthday next week, I’m still shocked at times at how quickly our children grow. Although there are times that I sit and wonder what our children will look and be like when they get older, I am more and more wanting time to just STOP ~ wishing we could soak in every moment of how they are now {ok, almost every moment}.

I’m also hesitant to tell them to ‘grow up’ because we now have a little girl on the cusp of NOT being a little girl. One wanting to spread her wings a bit ~ and a mom who is realizing that she is growing up too fast.

We’re only ten years into this…I just want to cherish each day.

 

Five Minute Fridays is hosted by The Gypsy Mama and is a meme where we write for only five short, bold, beautiful minutes. Unscripted and unedited. We just write without worrying if it’s just right or not. Join in here…

He Washed His Hands, But…

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Zachary has lately been climbing the metal poles in our basement and then sliding down them, his hands squeaking and squealing against the metal the whole way down.

{think fingernails on chalkboard as I hear the sound coming through the floor from the basement ~ shudder}

The sliding process leaves a lovely residue on his hands and we’ve finally convinced him to wash them occasionally. The other day as I was working in the kitchen, he came running up the stairs, went into the bathroom, and yelled out to me, “I know you’re shocked. I’m washing my hands!”

I pretended to fall over from the shock of it all. When he saw me, he continued… “Don’t get excited. I still pick my nose.”

Ahh…the refreshing honesty of a 7 year old boy.

Head on over to Mary's at Not Before 7 for some more Tiny Talk Tuesday!!

 

Overwhelmed and Blessed

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Today is one of those days when I am just overwhelmed and blessed all at the same time.

Overwhelmed at God’s goodness.

Blessed by the family and friends that surround us.

So much to be thankful for.

The Muir House ~ Book Review & Giveaway

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Willa Muir has been haunted by vague dreams and memories for years. Little by little she has attempted to piece together the memories, but until she can bring resolution to the mystery of her past she refuses to make decisions that will impact her future ~ including marriage to Hale Landon.

With her mother close to death, Willa returns to her childhood home, a former funeral home, to find answers and closure. The current owner of the home has converted the house into a bed and breakfast and although she holds keys to the answers Willa is looking for, she refuses to divulge any information.

When an old boyfriend of Willa’s returns, it throws her emotions into even more of a tailspin. Will the dreams and memories that haunt her come together and bring closure to her past or will she just be unearthing more pain for herself and others?

My Thoughts

I love a change from the typical inspirational romance. While there is a romantic underlying plot, the bulk of the book focuses more on past trauma, the impact it can have on lives for years to come and the possibility of healing. We all make choices in our lives and desire to protect ourselves and others, but when those choices affect the lives of others as well, where do you draw the line?

Overall, I loved this book by DeMuth although the thought of growing up in a funeral home gives me the shudders. :) The mystery of Willa’s past kept me guessing until the end and her characters were very real-to-life. If you’re looking for a book to give you a little bit of mystery, romance and food for thought, The Muir House is a great place to start.

Find Out More

~ Visit Mary DeMuth’s website

~ Buy The Muir House from Amazon

The Giveaway

Would you like to win a copy of The Muir House? I have one copy to mail to one of my readers! Leave a comment on this post ~ be sure there is a way for me to contact you. The giveaway will be open until Tuesday, .

This book was provided for review by Zondervan. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Catching Fruit Flies ~ A Fun Fruit Fly Trap

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Over the last few weeks I have been trying to methodically eliminate the fruit fly population in our house. Some methods that were effective for others, seemed to do little for us. I originally saw this post from Passionate Homemaking and

We’ve covered dishes with plastic wrap, filled dishes with vinegar, wine and more…but have one way that has been effective and fun {insert evil laugh here}.

Enter an old soda bottle.

I cut the top third off the bottle and inverted it back into the bottle to create a funnel. We’ve put a variety of things in the bottom of the bottle to draw the unsuspecting fruit flies in. Below you can see a mix of balsamic vinegar and old banana peel. Apple cores and slices have also been effective.

The PLUS is…they are literally dropping like flies. When we have a fair amount of flies in the bottle flying around, I pop the bottle in the freezer for a short amount of time to freeze them. When I pull the bottle out, the flies are dead, the fruit thaws and back on the counter it goes to pull more in thanks to Passionate Homemaking for the freezer tip!}.

We recently received a microscope and are now excited to have a few specimens to examine up close and personal…and a few less to annoy us around the house!

Turnabout’s Fair Play by Kaye Dacus ~ Book Review

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Flannery McNeill has a promising editorial job and two friends that are both involved in serious relationships. With an upcoming wedding for one of her friends, Flannery worries that her friendships will all be changed and she will be alone. Flannery also has  a general mistrust of men ~ especially ones that are good looking and smooth talkers.  Her immediate distrust of Jamie O’Connor, an usher at her friend’s wedding, is no surprise to some of her friends.

Jamie O’Connor is hoping for a promotion at the advertising firm where he works, but developments at work cause him to rethink his future. His grandmother sees an opportunity to push him toward Flannery. She works together with Flannery’s grandfather to make a match between the two, but in their rush they don’t see the tables being turned on them. Flannery and Jamie have a matchmaking scheme of their own in store for their grandparents.

The question then becomes ~ who will give in first?

My Thoughts

Two matchmaking schemes in one book make the last book in The Matchmakers trilogy so much fun! Dacus continues the stories of the characters from the first two books in the series, but Turnabout’s Fair Play can also stand alone {not that I would recommend that you do that!}.

The banter between Flannery and Jamie was absolutely hilarious in parts of the book. Again Dacus tackles some issues in the story that are not typical in most storylines, including job changes and breaking out of traditional stereotypes for job roles. This isn’t just a quick matchmaking story, but one that has depth and fun all mingled together ~ and another one that I’m adding to my bookshelf to keep.

Find Out More

~ Visit Kaye Dacus’ website

~ Buy Turnabout’s Fair Play by Kaye Dacus from Amazon

This book was provided for review by Barbour and NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

#Kindle Freebies List Week of November 1, 2011

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Just updated the list of Kindle freebies for this week ~ a few new ones to share. Only 10 total, but free is always good!

Only Kaleb

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In the midst of all the craziness today, Kaleb looked over at me at one point and asked, “Why do you call me Peanut?”

It’s something I’ve done for years and it just pops out without me even being aware that I’m doing it. He was SUCH a little peanut compared to all the other kids and now it’s habit.

K: “Oma calls me ‘Angel’ and you call me ‘Peanut’. I don’t like peanuts.”

Me: “You don’t like peanuts? Why?”

K: “Cause I got sick at Five Men {Five Guys} after eating peanuts.”

M: “So you don’t want me to call you Peanut anymore? What do you want me to call you then?”

K: “Only KALEB!!!!”

Point taken…