Happy Homemaker Monday - 04/24/2017

Good afternoon all, hope you had a great weekend. I had a busy one. It seemed like my kids were all extremely hyper this weekend! LOL
I think we are all just so excited that warmer weather and sunshine has finally reached us! It definitely boosts my mood. I'm hoping to get out in the yard this week. We are planning a little section to be a fairy garden. Have you seen them on Pinterest and Facebook? They are cute and whimsical.




::The weather::
We are back and forth in the 60s and 70s. We have some rain and thunderstorms coming this week but sunshine also.


::On my reading pile::
I am almost done with Girl In Pieces. I did not get to read any over the weekend. We were all so busy and by the time I got the kids wound down for the night each night I was more than ready for bed myself. It's an interesting read although some parts are tough to get through. This will be for review.


::Movies or Shows I watched this weekend::
I started watching some of the new TV series Riverdale. It is a television show on the CW based on the older Archie comics and cartoons. Such as Archie's Weird Mysteries which I used to love watching when I was younger. I also used to enjoy reading the comics. It is definitely different though for sure. I haven't watched enough to really say too much about it yet though.

I also watched a few vlogs. I found a family vlog I really enjoy on YouTube- PhillipsFamBam. If you haven't checked them out definitely give them a try. They do family style vlogs, cook with me's, eat with me's, Sunday sit downs, they go live, they do grocery hauls, work out videos, challenges, just a little of everything really. Plus what I love about them is they post consistently. You don't have to wait days to get new posts. One of their newest videos I plan to watch today is where they try a bunch of different Australian foods sent to them.
You can also send them recipes to be featured on their cook with me's and they will film them being made, trying them, etc.


::On my TV::
Oak Island with hubby
Catch up on some vlogs
Gotham with hubby tonight


::On the menu for this week::

Monday 17th
Homemade Mini Pizza's (The kiddos requested these again this week)

Tuesday 18th
Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, rolls

Wednesday 19th
Spanish rice, fried potatoes, skillet bread

Thursday 20th
Unsure but thinking Mongolian Beef. We are going to the store this day though so not sure. I do meal planning on Wednesdays and then we go to the store either Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays.

Friday 21st
See above

Saturday 22nd

Sunday 23rd


::On my to do list::
Monday - Laundry, general tidying up around the house today to straighten back up after the weekend. You know how that is.

Tuesday - going through stuff and spring cleaning some more. 5 people in a house can accumulate a lot more stuff than you would think. So much has to go. Some will be donated, some sold, and some will be trashed I'm sure.

Wednesday - meal planning, Make grocery list, more laundry, general household cleaning, book review to be posted this day also.

Thursday - Grocery shopping day. I am excited because our Aldi has been closed for remodeling and they are opening this day. Yay!
We also go to other stores depending on their sale

Friday - Chaperoning my son's field trip.

Saturday- We are going to visit my dad during the day and probably going to the park if its nice. Movie Night with the kiddos.


::What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating::
I have been playing around in my planner a bit working on layouts.


::Looking around the house::
Breakfast and lunch dishes are all on the counter. We were in a rush this morning and then I had a couple quick errands. We just got back for lunch and finished up so I have to scrape them all and give them a wash. Clean the kitchen, Gizmo needs a good bath and brushing so doing that today.


::What I'm wearing today::
Jeggings as usual a plain teal t-shirt.


::One of my simple pleasures::
Cooking and Baking. I LOVE baking! It's relaxing and rewarding. I love cooking for my family and seeing them enjoy their meals. It brings me a lot of joy.


::Bible verse, Devotional::

If you would like to join in on the Happy Homemaker Monday link up head on over to Sandra's blog Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. :)

Love Letters from God; Bible Stories for a Girl’s Heart

::About the book::

In this heart-warming picture book designed for girls, author Glenys Nellist tells the inspiring stories of incredible women in the Bible. With beautiful illustrations by Rachel Clowes and sweet lift-the-flap envelopes, each story delivers a special message for children to open as they read their own personal love letters from God. Full of warmth and love, this picture book will fill girls' hearts with the wonder of the Lord. The stories of Eve, Miriam, Hannah, Mary, and many more will delight children and remind them of the bond they can share with God, just like the women of the Bible.

::My Thoughts::

Sincerely a wonderful book for little girls. There are many stories of biblical heroines from the Bible, and each story teaches a wonderful lesson. It has stories about the well known women from the bible such as Eve, Miriam, Mary, etc., as well as not so known women from the bible such as Naaman's servant girl. So there are a lot of different perspectives, and it is all laid out in a language and terminology that little girls can understand. I love that after each story there is a personal letter to your little girl from God. It has a blank space so you can write their name in if you wish or they can. This really helps with making the book more relatable and helps the reader feel more connected in my opinion. At the end of the book there is a place where your little girl can write her own letter to God as well. 
I think this is more than just a book. It is a great way to share messages from the bible with your little girl, help her to feel more connected to God, and is also a great keepsake book. Something to hold onto, cherish, and share with their future daughters one day. Or maybe just to look back on with love anytime they want to feel that connection that brings them closer to God. The writing is so understandable for young girls, and the illustrations are just magnificent. 
I highly recommend this book.

::Product Details::

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
• Grade Level: Preschool - 3
• Series: Love Letters from God
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Zonderkidz; Ina Ltf edition (April 4, 2017)
• Language: English
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  (on Amazon)

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Handlebar Publishing in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Happy Homemaker Monday 04/17/2017

Good afternoon all, hope you all had a great Easter weekend and are ready for the week ahead.

I had a fun weekend, but a busy one. We had a lot of family over off and on all weekend and we also hosted Easter Dinner for the family.
While I love having family over and doing giant get togethers I'm exhausted. Haha

Photo Courtesy of Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

So without further ado let's dive in shall we?





::The weather::
Getting more spring like weather finally. Warm jacket weather and some days no jacket needed. Rain and sunshine off and on. This week temps will h in the 70s mostly with some days in the 60s and one day in the 50s.


::On my reading pile::
I am still reading Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow. With the holidays and everything I haven't got much time to read, but I expect to finish it sometime this week. I will be posting a review of it as soon as I am finished.


::Movies or Shows I watched this weekend::
I actually didn't get to watch anything as far as movies or shows. I watched a vlog or two but other than that it has just been too hectic.


::On my TV::
Oak Island with hubby
Catch up on missed episodes of Jane the Virgin
Catch up on some vlogs


::On the menu for this week::

Monday 17th
Leftovers

Tuesday 18th
Beef Pasta, Sauteed Green beans, Baked potatoes

Wednesday 19th
Cheeseburgers on the grill, salad

Thursday 20th
Homemade Mini Pizza's

Friday 21st
Chili

Saturday 22nd
Baked Chicken, Basmati Rice, Peas

Sunday 23rd
Crockpot Mac & Cheese, Broccoli


::On my to do list::
Monday - Laundry, general tidying up around the house today to straighten back up after the holidays.

Tuesday - going through stuff and spring cleaning

Wednesday - going out of town for the morning and afternoon. Also have to Make new meal plan and grocery list most which will probably be done on the road. Doggy bath day as well for Gizmo.

Thursday - 2 doctor appointments and grocery shopping this day. Yikes.

Friday - Game Night with the kiddos

Saturday- Deep cleaning my car. Movie Night with the kiddos.


::What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating::
Nothing creative this week or next although I probably will try to get some adult coloring time in.


::Looking around the house::
Mostly everything looks fine. I have been doing stuff here and there throughout the day. My youngest is taking a nap as I type this post, and  there are some dishes in the sink that needs washed from our lunch.


::What I'm wearing today::
Black Jeggings and a coral long comfy t-shirt I usually wear when I will just be around the house doing chores.


::One of my simple pleasures::
Taking a walk! This is something I should do more of, but I love just taking a walk without having a tight time limit and just gazing around. Taking a look around at even the littlest things like flowers blooming or birds in trees can be so rewarding. It is honestly good for the soul. I always feel better after taking a walk and taking a walk with your kids is even better as they usually point out stuff to you that you may not have even seen before.


::Bible verse, Devotional::

If you want to join in on the Happy Homemaker Monday link up head on over to Sandra's blog at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Read her post and others that have linked up. :)
Have a great week!

Happy Homemaker Monday - 04/10/2017

Picture Credit: Picture is from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

Good afternoon all, hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for the week ahead.

I had a fun weekend, but a busy one. We took the kids to an Easter Egg Hunt and that was really fun. They all did really good and all had fun. They all won an Easter basket in the raffle too!

I am glad to be back to the Happy Homemaker Monday link up hosted by Sandra and I can't wait to read everyone else's HHM Post. So let's dive in shall we?





::The weather::
Weird. We had rain for about 3 days straight, then a bitter cold day, followed by nice sunny weather. It's off and on right now, but at least no snow so I can't complain.


::On my reading pile::
Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

I am reading this book for an upcoming review. I am a little late on it as I misplaced it a few weeks ago and hubby found it in his trunk! That has never happened to me before. I probably put it in there when we took his car out of town and I was unloading bags from the trunk.


::Movies or Shows I watched this weekend::
I actually didn't get to watch anything as far as movies or shows. I did get to catch up on some vlogs though. I still have more to catch up on so maybe later today.


::On my TV::
Vampire Diaries (I recently just started watching this. Very late I know)
60 Days In
Vlogs


::On the menu for this week::

Monday 10th
Crispy Oven Fried Chicken, Rice, Peas

Tuesday 11th
Crockpot Beef & Noodles, mashed potatoes, rolls

Wednesday 12th
Taco Night

Thursday 13th
Spaghetti with meat sauce and triple threat brownies for dessert

Friday 14th
Hamburger Helper, green beans

Saturday 15th
Baked Chicken, Rice, Carrots

Sunday 16th
Easter Dinner: We have the whole family coming for dinner and we are doing a little Easter Egg Hunt for all of the kids.
Dinner will be:
Ham, mashed potatoes, corn, deviled eggs, Mac and cheese, rolls, stuffing
Cherry Pie and Apple Pie


::On my to do list::
Monday - 2 appointments, laundry, Change Bed Linens, Re- Organize kitchen and bathroom cabinets (they need fixed up now and again from everyone in and out of them and things not always getting put back in place)

Tuesday - Hopefully our new dishwasher will be delivered. We have been without one for months and while I don't mind hand washing dishes it does get time consuming as our family has 5 people in it and we often have other family over for dinner a couple times a week as well. Needless to say I do miss having a dishwasher. LOL

Wednesday - Spring Cleaning downstairs, Make new meal plan and grocery list

Thursday - pay bills and work on blog

Friday - Grocery shopping and Last minute Easter shopping (I have just a few things to get for the kids Easter baskets and I will be done)

Saturday - we have a church event this day then we are doing a family movie night.


::What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating::
Working on some planner clips for my Happy Planner.


::Looking around the house::
Usual Monday morning mess. I always think of the song Manic Monday on Mondays. You know: "Just another manic monday". LOL
No matter what or how early we get up we always seemed rushed on Monday mornings. Things always get hectic. This makes for things being left out where they dont belong, and leaves the living room, dining area, bedrooms, and bathrooms definitely in need of tidying up. It didn't help that I had a couple appointments this morning so I am just now getting things picked up and cleaned. A very late start indeed.


::What I'm wearing today::
Jeggings and a long comfy shirt with a tank top underneath perfect for cleaning today. Just a simple, comfy, outfit.


::One of my simple pleasures::
Playing board games with hubby and with the kids. It's great family time and so fun! Plus we are all creating great memories.


::Bible verse, Devotional::

If you would like to link up to this Happy Homemaker Monday post just head on over to Sandra's blog Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and join in. Her blog is excellent so make sure you give it a follow as well! You won't be disappointed. Have a great week! :)