Oh, the Changes!

I picked up a second job working part-time. The store I work at in the mall is only giving me one day a week and that just will not do. I start the new job this Thursday.

We had Kayla's birthday party Sunday. My little girl is growing up. She is fourteen now, dontcha know? The time goes by much too fast for my taste these days. I mean, can you believe tomorrow is December 1st? Before you know it we'll be turning the calender to a new year altogether!

I went to the library this morning and chose some new books to read:

~ Small Change by Sheila Roberts

~ At Home on Ladybug Farm by Donna Ball (a re-read)

~ Getting the Pretty Back by Molly Ringwald

and

~ The Heavenstone Secrets by V.C. Andrews

Of course, I have more books on hold at the library. They are holiday-inspired.

What are you reading these days?

Creating Christmas Memories

The Christmas holiday is upon us and I have decided that though it will be a lean one, I am going to enjoy this holiday season. I won't be rushing to and fro shopping for gifts I haven't the money to spend on, but I will be focusing on creating memories with my family.

~ I always have baking supplies on hand, so the girls and I can bake lots of Christmas goodies.

~ The girls and I will decorate the house using what we already have on hand to create a festive atmosphere.

~ I love to listen to Christmas music. The Carpenter's Christmas is one of my favorites!

~ Following a tradition from my childhood, we will gather together to watch Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas. 

~ From the library, I will check out a couple of fictional Christmas novels to read this month.

~ I will enjoy watching my children decorate the tree after we string the lights. 

~ I will enjoy sitting in the living room with only the glow from the Christmas tree's lights.

~ I will take the girls to our town's Christmas parade.

~ We will watch as many Christmas movies/cartoons as we can this season. I especially love the classic movies/cartoons, but enjoy a few of the newer ones, too.

~ I will make a large batch of my homemade cocoa mix for the family to enjoy in big red mugs.

~ I will send out Christmas cards to friends and family that live far away.

~ We will take the children on a drive to see Christmas decorations.

But most of all, I will remember the reason for the season and count my blessings each and every day.

***

This post inspired my holiday plans. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Gratitude

This week I am thankful for:

~ Auburn being victorious over Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

~ The weather has turned cold here finally and I am so thankful for a warm house, clothes to wear, food to eat, and clean water at my disposal. I think about those less fortunate and pray for them.

~ The Christmas Spirit.

~ Big red mugs of homemade hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows, please!

~ Fleece pajamas on cold nights.

A Secret Mission

Kenzie and I embarked on a Secret Mission this morning. We went birthday gift shopping for Kayla whose 14th birthday is tomorrow! We found some cute gifts that I know she will love.

Afterwards, the girls and I went grocery shopping. I am trying to eat healthier in order to lose weight. Not an easy thing to do during the holiday season but nevertheless I will do my best. I am going to get back into the gym Monday and plan to work out consistently five days a week.

I'll let ya know how that goes....

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

We had a simple Thanksgiving dinner here at home, followed by a nap. Afterwards we ventured to Mama's for dessert and visited with her and my siblings. We always have such a good time when we all get together.

Today I had to work. I have never shopped on Black Friday and avoid going out at all costs. Luckily, my shift (7am-12:30pm) was fairly easy. We had a steady stream of customers and most were pleasant and chatty. I only work on Friday next week so I can focus on my home most of the week.

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, too!

Working Woman

Last night I had to go to my new job to fill out paperwork & attend a mandatory meeting/fashion party and I got paid for the four hours I was there. I start training tomorrow...a four hour shift and then I don't work again until Black Friday where I'll have a five hour shift.

This is definitely a new experience for me. For one,I have never worked retail and, two, I have not worked outside the home since before Kayla was born and she turns fourteen on Sunday, much to her Daddy's chagrin! The work is seasonal, but there are five permanent part-time positions (20 hours a week) that can be filled after the Christmas season. It just all depends on how well I do as to whether they will keep me on.

All I know is I'm tired of struggling to make ends meet and I want to use this extra money to help us build up our savings and become debt-free.  

Gratitude

This week I am thankful for:

~ Getting hired at the one & only job I applied for and the extra money it will bring in with Alfred's work being so slow.

~ Reading the Little House on the Prairie books.

~ Cookies and milk!

~ Alfred washed my car and is mowing the grass now.

~ Not having to run the heat or a/c all month. I'm anxious to see how much our utility bill decreases.

What are you thankful for this week?

Thrifting Treasures

Dresser scarf with pink crocheted edging - $10

Silver tray to go on my bathroom vanity - $4

Kitchen  pretties - $4 each

Blue and Purple vintage medicine bottles - $1.75 each

I love vintage pretties!

Best Friends

 This past Saturday, my best friend, Paula, and I had a Girl's Day. She did my makeup and hair just like when we were kids.

Here we are in August of 1984. Paula was curling my hair before we left for church. :)

And here we are now....Still friends 31 years later. That doesn't happen very often, but I'm so glad we kept in touch after I moved away a little over a year later.

Kenzie and Zeus

Zeus loves to play with Kenzie when she gets down on the floor with him. He is growing into a very big boy!

Autumn Gifts

Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into. 

~Henry Beecher

Gratitude

This week I am thankful:

~ Having a Girl's Day with my long-time best friend, Paula.

~ Snagging some awesome bargains at the thrift store and the antique stores.

~ Sleeping in late and taking a nap today.

~ Vintage pretties.

~ Puttering.

A Funny for You

A little light-hearted fun from me to you!

Big Changes

I did something today that I never thought I would have to do again. I put in an application at a clothing store  in the mall and I have an interview next Wednesday. So y'all wish me luck!

I haven't worked outside the home in 15 years, but we need the extra income right now since Alfred's work is so slow. I view it as a temporary thing. My heart has always been at home. So this will be a big change, not only for me, but for my family as well.

If it is God's plan for me to work outside the home for a season, I will do so with a willing and thankful heart. But for this week, I will enjoy my time at home with my family. 

Season of Change

Although the morning started out with a distinct nip in the air, this afternoon will be a balmy 75 degrees. The house is still quiet....only the hum of the washing machine can be heard. Oh, how I love the morning solitude!

Lately I have been feeling restless and my soul cannot be quieted. Changes are needed. I have become too stuck in my ways and each day is the same as the one before it. Passion for living is sadly lacking at the time being.

And so, as Autumn unfolds, I sense a season of change approaching and a journey of rediscovery is about to be born. It is time to take a wrecking ball to this old life of mine in order to redesign it and hopefully come out of it with a renewed sense of wonder, passion for living, and creativity.

Mother's Work

There are many loads of laundry to be done, floors to sweep and mop, and meals to prepare - among a host of other things. This is my job as Mother and the overseer of our home. A clean and cozy home signifies love and security to my family.

I love to tidy up and putter about our home sweet home! I am ever-trying to live up to my ideal of a simple life built on family working and playing harmoniously together, cozy family dinners, enjoying books read aloud followed by lively discussions, and teaching my daughters the art of homemaking and being feminine in a world that pushes conformity.

But I live in the real world, and my reality rarely matches my ideal. Such is life, I suppose. However, a girl can dream, can't she?

Gratitude

This week I am thankful for:

~ Cool Autumn days and crisp nights. We have yet to turn on the heat, not are we running the a/c. Trying to whittle that electricity bill down as low as we can.

~ Good old homecooked meals and snacks. I have been stocking up as I can and buying more vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and cabbage to make meals with.

~ A beautiful bouquet of roses from an elderly lady's garden that the girls have befriended up the street. Oh, and a starfish, too!

~ Reading lovely books and watching cozy movies, gathering inspiration as a homemaker.

~ Morning devotions and prayer. Such a precious time with the Lord before the hustle and bustle of the day begins.

What are you thankful for this week?

An Autumn Day

It is a beautiful Autumn day here. The air is crisp and the sun is shining brightly. I will make a hearty pot of cheesy potato soup with crusty bread for dinner tonight and make up some of my homemade hot cocoa mix for these chilly Autumn nights.

I love the Little House on the Prairie books and am currently reading Little House on Rocky Ridge by Roger Lea MacBride, the Rose series. Did you know that besides the Laura and Rose series there is also other series of Little House books about Martha, Charlotte, and Caroline? These are such wonderful stories to read and share with children!

Kenzie and I just returned from a walk to the library. She loves cooking and art and usually chooses books related to those two subjects. The books I chose are all about home, family, gardening, and cooking. As the days grow shorter and the nights longer, I can think of nothing better than curling up with good books and learning about gardening, finding new recipes to try, and losing myself in the occasional good novel.

May your day be blessed!

Ah, November!

"How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground

To lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the trees without a care,

Content to sleep, their work well done,

Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly

Until they nearly reach the sky.

Twisting, turning through the air

Till all the trees stand stark and bare.

Exhausted, drop to earth below

To wait, like children, for the snow."

- Elsie N. Brady, Leaves