Are you depriving yourself of a wonderful tropical vacation ’cause you’re a Nervous Nellie?  Have you found yourself suddenly alone and just can’t imagine taking a trip all by yourself?  Are you dreaming of sitting by the pool with a margarita?

Me Too!!

I was doing very well in my journey into widowhood.  My anxiety was fading away.  Every day I congratulated myself on the challenges I had taken on and accomplished.  There was just one thing, though, a stumbling block I had a tough time getting over.  Traveling by myself.

When Covid-19 hit I became totally isolated for almost a year.  And I was super careful.  I hardly ever went out of the house, even had my groceries delivered.  And I wore a mask when I went out to get the mail.

I found plenty to do at home, so I wasn’t bored, but I began to feel that if I didn’t go somewhere soon, I would lose my mind. 

Then I said to myself, “OK, if I can learn to use power tools and finish a basement, I can certainly go on a vacation.”  And I did.  Read on to see how I traveled alone for the first time.  

I Wanted To Go Someplace Warm

When my husband was alive we would spend a few winter months in Florida to get away from the cold New England weather.  We found a town we loved (Venice, Florida), rented a house, and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

I love this little town, with the beautiful palm tree lined streets and lovely shops.

The kids and grandkids came down to visit, we played golf, met friends, even thought about buying a winter home.  We were snow birds.  That all ended when Jim died of course, and after that I just couldn’t get myself to go alone.  Until this year.  

So How Was I Going To Manage Traveling Alone?

The Key To Getting Ready Is Careful Preparation And Organization

• I went to the VRBO website and found a house that would fit my needs; 3 bedrooms for my family visitors and a pool for the grandkids.  I booked it immediately.  Vrbo, now pronounced ver-bow, is a great travel site for booking all types of accommodations.  There is an awesome review of Vrbo  here.  I booked my Florida vacation 6 months ahead of time and I was very lucky.  Next time I will book earlier, maybe a year in advance.

• Then I booked my airfare and my rental car.  This was all done six months in advance and I got pretty good prices on everything.  Never rent a car at an airport if you can avoid it.  I had a friend pick me up at the airport (thank you!) and drive me to the local Budget Rental in Venice, Florida and got a car for less than $800 for the month.  That was half price!  

• By the way, I think it’s a good idea to print out everything.
  Can’t be too careful.

Packing

How was I going to transport a month’s worth of clothing, etc. without a strong man to help me out?  I needed a new piece of luggage, the kind with swivel wheels.  What I wanted to get was a large (not over 62″ in total dimensions), lightweight suitcase with swivel wheels.  Nothing fancy.  This is what I ended up with.

My new large suitcase with swivel wheels

If you have a piece of luggage that is a dark or common color, buy a fun, bright colored luggage tag.  You want to see your suitcase the minute in comes out of hiding onto that carousel!  Get something like this:

I also needed a carry on bag to hold my laptop computer, kindle, and miscellaneous stuff.  This is what I bought.

This is an amazing set of two bags.  It held all my electronics and fit under the seat.  The large bag folds up and fits into the small bag for storage.  So clever! I also bought the matching ID case.

It clipped right onto the larger bag.  I was able to put my ID, my tip money and my charge card in there and pack my purse in my suitcase!

I Decided To Check My Bag!

This is the best decision I ever made and I will never ever struggle to get a carry-on bag into one of those ridiculous hard to obtain, little overhead bins again.  Of course, this time my bag was too big to go up there anyway so it had to be checked.  But what a relief not to have that to worry about.  Definitely worth the $30 baggage charge for the piece of mind. (Jet Blue) Be careful of the size and weight, though!  In the case of Jet Blue the over weight/over size charge is $150!  Add the luggage charge when you book your flight.  

Buy This Nifty Tool!

Very cool digital luggage scale

I found this at Amazon, but I believe it is available at other stores like Walmart.  With this tool, you won’t have to hold your breath when you get to the airport.  You will already know how much your bag weighs!  Also, don’t forget to take it with you!  Somehow the bag is always heavier on the way home.  How does that happen???

Check Into Your Flight From The Comfort Of Your Home

The process is easy, just follow the instructions and fill in your name and your confirmation number.

If you haven’t already done so, you can choose your seat and pay your luggage fee.

You can either print out your boarding pass or have it emailed to you so that you can show it at the airport on your smartphone.

You’re done!  All you have to do when you arrive at the airport is hand over your luggage at the counter.  You already know that it is not overweight because you have weighed it with your nifty luggage scale.  So easy!

Before you leave for the airport, charge up your devices.  And make sure both your charging cord and block are available, not packed in your checked suitcase!

Don’t forget your ID!

The Airport

• First of all, leave for the airport early!  For me, a good time is 3 hours before the flight departure time.  Remember, I’m a Nervous Nellie.  Use your own judgement, but err on the side of early.

• Take advantage of airport transportation.  In the Boston area we have Logan Express, a wonderful service.  All I had to do was drive (or get a ride) to the nearest Logan Express Bus Terminal and buy an inexpensive ticket to the airport.  The driver handles the luggage and drops you off in the right place!  I wish more airports offered a service like this.

• Did I mention kindle?  I love mine!  These days when conversation with strangers is really difficult due to Covid-19, you need something to read.  Don’t you hate sitting there with nothing to do? My Paperwhite Kindle was a gift from my daughter and I couldn’t be happier with it.  It was great on the plane because I didn’t need to turn on the overhead light.  It doesn’t hurt that I can make the size of the print REALLY BIG.  

Arrival At My Destination

Yay, warm weather and palm trees!  The friend who picked me up said he’d never seen anyone strip so fast (haha).  Someone else said she thought I might kiss the ground.  Yes, I was happy.  I needed this vacation.

My hood ornament!

Was I lonely in the house all by myself?

Not at all!  First of all, I was hardly ever in the house!  I developed a routine which included walking to a cute coffee shop almost every day for breakfast.  If you are ever in Venice, check out Island Coffee, a great little place.  I took advantage of all of the outdoor dining in Florida.  

• I walked
• Went out to lunch
• Sat out by the pool with my kindle
• Shopped in the boutiques
• Took some computer courses
• Went out to dinner
• Had a lot of company, which included going out to eat yet again!
• Drank margaritas
• I unplugged…that’s right, no news for an entire month!

Isn’t this gorgeous?  I spent a lot of time out there!  Why was I worried?

The Family Arrived… The Highlight Of My Month!

3 of my grandchildren are teenagers now so they provided their own entertainment.  They rode their bikes and skate boards downtown to the shops or to the beach and then came back and jumped in the pool.  They had a ball!

OK, Nervous Nellies, You Can Travel Alone Too!

Many decades ago, when I was a young girl, I became the country’s first ever recycler.  Just kidding, but it was the sixties and I took my concern for the environment seriously.  I dragged my cans and bottles to a recycle center, made clothes, grew vegetables and started a compost pile. Composting is an aerobic (requiring air) method of decomposing and recycling organic solid wastes.  The resulting humus-like material, known as compost, is a good (the best!) fertilizer for plants.  So, naturally, when I heard about vermicosting, the addition of worms, I was all in.  What could be better than having worms that would eat my garbage?

My first worm bin

My first worm bin was a simple affair that I made out of 2 plastic storage totes for about $10.  This is how to do it:

• Purchase 2 identical heavy duty storage totes.  They need to be heavy duty as once they are full, they will be quite heavy and you don’t want them to break.  Also, make sure they are opaque and dark in color as worms hate light.  Be careful not to get them too big as you will need to lift them when full and, again, they get heavy!  I’d say a good size for the totes would be anywhere from 15 to 35 gallons. This 18 gallon tote from Target would make a good starter composter and it’s only $5.00!
  
• With a drill, make 1/4 inch holes evenly spaced on 2 inch centers all over the bottoms of the totes.  These will be for drainage.

• Drill a row of holes around the the circumference of the totes about 2 inches down from the top. These will be for air circulation.

• Assemble the worm bin as follows:  First, lay one of the tote covers on the ground to catch drips.  Next add some risers.  I used about 5 bricks.  Next, place one of the bins on the risers.

• Fill the bin, starting with several inches of damp, but not wet, bedding.  This can be shredded paper, shredded cardboard, peat moss, hydrated coco coir, leaves or other yard scraps.  Keep it loose and fluffy.  In my case, I mixed peat moss and shredded newspaper together because that is what I had on hand.  On top of that, mix in a couple scoops of soil.  Worms need soil like chickens need grit, to help them digest their food.  Remember to dampen it (like a “wrung out sponge” is what is recommended) but not soak it.  Add the worms!  Red wigglers are the best worms for composting.  You can find them at Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm in the buy live worms section.
  
• Add the food.  Worms are not fussy eaters so you can feed them just about any food scraps with the exception of meat and dairy.  Also, don’t feed them what they don’t like!  You’ll figure this out soon as what they don’t like will just sit there and rot, causing a nasty mess!  Examples could be onions and citrus, although my worms seem to like citrus.  This is a lot of trial and error!

• I keep a nice looking compost pail next to my kitchen sink. I like this one because it blends in with my kitchen.  It comes with a filter too.  I can’t find this exact one, but there is a similar one here.

• I always cut a piece of cardboard to fit the bin, place it on top of the compost and moisten it.  This will discourage fruit flies.  When I feed the worms, I lift the cardboard, put the food scraps in and replace the cardboard.  However, if you should have trouble with fruit flies, you may have to reduce the acidity of your bin.  I do this by sprinkling a layer of dolomite lime every month or so.  Adding more bedding will help as well.

A worm farm with the lid off and cardboard  cover folded back

• Add the tote cover.  This will keep it nice and cozy, dark and dry in there and keep the critters out.  

• Eventually the first bin will be full and the worms will have pooped out a lot of castings (the compost) from the food scraps they have eaten.

• Time to add a new room!  Place new bedding material in the second bin.  Take the cover off the first bin and place the second bin directly on the compost surface.  Bury your food scraps in the bedding of the second bin.  The worms will go in search of food and migrate up through the holes in the bottom of the second bin.  By the end of two months, most of the worms will have migrated up into their new home and the bottom bin will contain (almost) worm free compost!

• Time to harvest the compost.  Spread the compost in the garden and save the empty tote to start the process again.  Don’t worry if a few worms make it into the garden.  They will like it there too.  I used this system for years until I had so many worms that they would no longer fit!  At this point, I splurged and purchased a fancy, new worm composter.

My second worm bin

My worms and I love this new bin, the Can-O-Worms.  You can purchase it at Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm, in the outdoor composters section.  

Just like my first DIY worm bin, this is very easy to use.  It has 3 removable bins and a bottom bin for drainage.  You start your worms in the lowest removable bin just like I described above with my DIY bin.  When that layer gets full, stop feeding the worms until they have eaten all their food and are looking for more.  You want them to be hungry!

Add the next layer, with bedding, making sure that the worms can reach it.  It needs to be touching the material in the lower level.  They can’t jump!  Once all the worms have moved up, you may harvest the compost below, or you may leave it for the future. 

When all 3 layers are full, you’ll need to empty the bottom bin, harvest the compost, and put that bin on top.  So easy!

Be sure to drain the system often by opening the handy spigot at the bottom.  This is really important!  I sadly let my system get too wet at one point and my poor worms drowned.  Now I leave the spigot in the open position at all times with a collection bucket under it.  

Truth be told, I am not a football fan.  I know, horrors, I live in the Boston area, home of Tom Brady and the Patriots, and still not a fan.  What I do love, though, is a good Super Bowl Party, especially if I am hosting it.  I just love making all those manly appetizers full of meat.  Got to give them something to neutralize the alcohol!

This year, I decided at the last minute to have a small (just fam due to covid) Super Bowl Party.  So I rounded up the absolute best, easiest, quickest recipes from my favorite bloggers for my football party.

My family loves deviled eggs.  These eggs by Camille at mymommystyle.com are just adorable.  Check her out!

To see the recipe, look here:  https://www.mymommystyle.com/?s=football+deviled+eggs

This recipe is from Jill at kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com.  Thank you, Jill!

These meatballs are a favorite at my house.  It is so easy to whip up a batch.  Guests always assume the meatballs are homemade as well!!  Just throw all 3 ingredients in a pot and you are done!  So easy! Tender meatballs made in the slow cooker (or on top of the stove in a large pot) in a sweet and tangy sauce.

I love skins loaded up with tons of bacon, cheese and green onions. If you are a fan of TGI Friday’s skins you are going to love this simple and tasty recipe.  It’s from Jen at cincyshopper.com.  Thank you, Jen!  

See Jen’s great recipe here:  https://cincyshopper.com/copycat-tgi-fridays-potato-skins-recipe/

Aren’t these cute?  I can’t wait to try this recipe I found at chef-in-training.com.  Thanks, Nikki! 

The grandkids will be here and I’m pretty sure these will be a hit.  They love mac and cheese and here you have it in little finger-sized appetizers!  What’s not to like?  To see Nikki’s full recipe, look here:  https://www.chef-in-training.com/homemade-mac-and-cheese-bites/

 

BUFFALO CHICKEN CHILI

I love throw everything in a pot recipes!  I found this one at dashofmandi.com.  Thank you, Amanda!

Nothing like chili on a cold day in New England!  This hearty buffalo chicken chili is packed with delicious, spicy flavors!

 

This recipe is so easy to throw together! To check it out, look here:  dashofmandi.com.

 

7 layer salad

I feel better when I round out an appetizer buffet with something more-or-less healthy.  

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon
• (1) large head iceberg lettuce (totally rinsed, dried, and chopped)
• (1) red onion, chopped
• (1) (10 oz) package frozen green peas, thawed
• (10 oz) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chopped cauliflower
• (1 ¼) cups mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Add bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Crumble and set aside
Place the chopped lettuce in a large flat bowl, layer with onion, peas, shredded cheese, cauliflower, and bacon on top.
Prepare your dressing by whisking the mayonnaise, sugar, and Parmesan cheese together. Drizzle over salad, refrigerate until chilled.

Notes:
The perfect time to make overnight layered salad is the night before or at least four hours. Any sooner and the dressing will make the salad a little soggy. Make sure to carefully arrange it, scoop the dressing over the rim, cover it with plastic wrap and keep it cold until ready to serve.

Chocolate Lava Cake

Seriously, no-one leaves my house without dessert!  I found this really easy one at thesoccermomblog.com.  Thank you Stacey!

Just looking at the pictures makes me drool!  And so easy to make with a cake mix! (and a few other things…)  Check out Stacey’s recipe here:  https://thesoccermomblog.com/slow-cooker-chocolate-lava-cake/

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The ultimate decadent chocolate cake – and it’s foolproof! Stacey’s slow cooker chocolate lava cake is rich, gooey, and literally overflowing with fudge-y goodness!

I like to serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

 

You still have time to whip up an awesome last minute Superbowl Party!

Thank you to the following bloggers:

• mymommystyle
• spaceshipsandlaserbeans
• kitchenfunwithmy3sons
• cincyshopper
• chef-in-training
• thesoccermomblog

Do you have a person on your list who is absolutely impossible to buy for?  I am one of those people.

How did this happen?

It all started years ago when my parents sold their condo and retired south.  I was in charge of the move and the clean-out which followed.  OMG!  This is when I vowed to never do this to my kids.  I would start culling my belongings.  “Please don’t buy me any more stuff,” I pleaded. 

Well….. that didn’t work and this is why; I personally love gifting.  Completely my fault.  It brings me such joy to watch my family members open their gifts.  If there is any squealing involved, I am especially happy!  I admit that I have let the amount I spend get a bit out of control and know I should cut back.  And I understand why my kids feel the need to reciprocate.

So what to do?

We have started to use the wish list system, which works pretty well.  If I think of something I need, I put it on the list.  There is never much on the list, though, because I really don’t need much.  So yes, I am one of those difficult-to-buy-for-people.

Gifts that made me smile

Now I’m cleaning up after Christmas and putting my lovely gifts away.  I am enjoying them again as I realize how thoughtful they all are.  

Thank you to my son-in-law for a whole bunch (6) of HOT DATES.  God knows, at my age, it’s difficult to get just one!  Isn’t this a hysterical gift?  Not on my list, by the way, but incredibly delicious.  And…10% of the profits are donated to causes that help combat climate change and reduce poverty.  My kind of company.  You can get them here…hotdatekitchen.com

Look at this beautiful wine bottle bag from my daughter-in-law!  I don’t know where she bought it, but there are similar bags on Amazon.  And, of course, it came with a bottle.

Don’t scoff, this was on my list!  I haven’t tried it yet but it’s the iron I wanted and the best thing about it is, it can be used vertically as a steamer!

Isn’t this bag funny?  I love it and can’t wait to take it grocery shopping!  There is a similar one here.

Another item from my wish list.  When Covid-19 hit I bought a bike to keep myself in shape during my quarantine.  But, in order to ride it, I needed to get it out of my hilly neighborhood!  Bottom line, I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t ridden it yet.  Now I have no excuse!  Get moving Ellie!

My first sleep mask.  Sometimes I am literally awake all night.  This comes with age, I’m told. This mask is so soft.  And it’s weighted!  I find that the gentle pressure really does help calm my mind!  It can be found here.

This is really neat.  A refresher to spray on my mask between washings.  It may be found at Mono Mono Boutique.

Isn’t this the most gorgeous rain gauge?  I was expecting a plastic one! Available on Amazon.

Who knew that Ryobi makes a glue gun?  Woohoo!  Two great things about it; first, of course, no cord.  The other great thing is that it stands up!  So much easier to control.

The gifts I have shared with you here are my actual gifts and the links are here to help if you would like to find them.  I am not receiving a stipend of any sort for recommending these gifts.  

In summary, what to do if you have a difficult to buy for person on your list

• Try the wish list system.  It will at least give you ideas.
• Think of something funny in a thoughtful way.
• Favorite consumables are great and won’t take up space for long.
• Remember that it really is the thought that counts.

I told a friend the other day that I was planning to have the best 2021 ever!  When he responded that he couldn’t wait to hear my plans, I realized that I didn’t actually have any plans.  After a horrible 2020, I just planned to be happier.  I’m not a big fan of new year’s resolutions because I believe they are doomed to guilt-inducing failures.  So I say “no thanks” to New Year’s resolutions.

History

An interesting article by Sarah Pruitt, which I’ll summarize here, tells the history of New Year’s resolutions.  4,000 years ago the ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions.  During a massive 12-day religious festival known as Akitu, the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to the reigning king. They also made promises to the Gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed.

The ancient Romans offered sacrifices to the Gods and made promises of good conduct for the coming year.  For early Christians, the first day of the new year became the traditional occasion for thinking about one’s past mistakes and resolving to do and be better in the future.  Instead of making promises to the Gods, most people today make resolutions only to themselves, and focus solely on self-improvement.

From what I have read, the most common resolutions are the following:

• Exercise more
• Lose weight 
• Get organized
• Learn a new skill or hobby 
• Live life to the fullest
• Save more money / spend less money
• Quit smoking
• Spend more time with family and friends
• Travel more
• Read more

How many of those items have I failed???  All of them, except for smoking.  I have never smoked.  

Resolutions, no thanks!

Instead of major unachievable resolutions, I prefer to set small daily goals. Changing behavior is a difficult and complex task, and it’s most often successful when it’s done a little bit at a time.  For example, years ago I vowed to make a “to do” list every day.  I never vowed to complete the list in one day!  Years later, I still make that list every day while I drink my morning coffee.  If there is something left from the day before, I add it.  Sometimes an item is on the list for a long time!  It’s OK.  At the end of the day, I feel such a sense of accomplishment for the items I did complete.

Making the list of my daily goals

After spending a week or so of decadent eating and drinking, January 1 is a terrible day to start a program of self improvement.  Is this the day I’m going to feel motivated to diet?  Really? I don’t know about you, but I have trouble just getting through the long, cold, depressing month of January.  For me, this is more a month to just take stock of my life.

The older I get, the harder I try to avoid setting myself up for failure.  This isn’t a good feeling for me.  This is not to say that I don’t try to implement healthy changes.  I do.  But I do it slowly and I try to remain positive.  If I slip, I forgive myself and continue on.  So, do I have any goals for 2021?  Of course I do.

My Goals

• Continue working on finishing my basement.  I’ve been working on it for several years now and I want to keep going until it is finished.
• Start playing the piano again.  Not to play for others, but for myself because I love it.
• Continue learning the technical side of computing.  It’s good for my brain and, after all, I am trying to write a blog.
• Continue sorting and discarding my belongings.  All this extra stuff is making me crazy.
• Be thankful for all that I have and for every day.  I do realize how lucky I am.

Favorite New Year’s Quote

“Many years ago, I made a New Year’s resolution to never make new year’s resolutions. Hell, it’s been the only resolution I’ve ever kept!”  

D.S. Mixell

As we pick up the pieces and move on, may the gift of the New Year be filled with hope.  Keep smiling, everyone, and have a wonderful, healthy year.

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The family has gone home, the house is quiet and the the dishwasher is humming along for the 4th time. Another wonderful Christmas has been put to bed. This was my 5th Christmas since becoming a widow, and I am slowly becoming used to doing it alone.

I have kept everything the same, as much as possible, for the kids and grandkids; all the family traditions we loved when Grandpa was alive. I have to admit that it is getting harder, not just financially, but also physically, and I’m thinking more and more about how to downsize Christmas.

For my whole married life I have nearly killed myself starting the day after Thanksgiving making gifts and wrapping them, shopping for everyone and his dog, making and filling stockings, baking, entertaining, decorating the house inside and out and every other thing I could think of to make Christmas “merry.” But why??  By the time Christmas arrived, I was exhausted, and never ready. Time to reevaluate.  

Downsizing Christmas is a gradual process.  This is how I started:

Before Jim died, we reluctantly bought an artificial tree. We fought it for a long time, but when it was no longer fun for us to buy a fresh tree, due to Jim’s illness, buying an artificial one was the practical solution.  

It is a gorgeous, lifelike tree! Guests have been known to touch it to see if it is real. I am so happy that I have it, and can’t imagine dealing with a real tree by myself.  For the last 4 years I have lugged the boxes of tree ornaments out of the attic, down the drop-down ladder, and decorated the tree.  And then, back up.  

This year I left my tree unadorned and it was still lovely.  It is so covered with those pretty little white lights, it doesn’t need anything more, in my opinion.  To my surprise, I liked it and I was so much more relaxed. 

I also decided that not every surface needed to have Christmas on it!  I brought down only a few favorite decorations.  Next year maybe I’ll rotate them for others.  The Santa collection didn’t make an appearance at all!  Except for my Beach Santa.

So this was the start of my downsizing Christmas.  I have offered the tree ornaments to my children who have politely declined, so I will have to figure out how to somehow pass them along to others.  I could try these possibilities:

• ebay, craigslist, facebook marketplace:  I imagine there are many baby boomers just like me trying to rid themselves of these things as well, so who knows.  
• donate:  Goodwill etc., facebook marketplace free

In either case, I think the smart thing would be for me to place the ads next fall when people are looking for them again.  If I remember…

This year my granddaughter addressed all my Christmas cards. And wrapped most of my gifts.  Thank God for her.  Accepting help is new for me and I now gratefully accept!

I swear to have a serious talk with myself next year about how much cooking and baking to do.  I always do too much and have so much left over.  Wasted expense, energy and time!

The most difficult thing for me to downsize is the amount of my gift giving.  I know I will have to do it, but it is so hard for me.  Watching a grandchild open a gift which then brings a squeal of delight, oh my goodness, I live for that!

Emma opening her Dr. Martens.  They are in style again!

This year, the Covid epidemic forced me to simplify Christmas somewhat.  We were very limited in the size of our Christmas celebration, so we had just the immediate family as we did for Thanksgiving. https://www.peoniesandpowertools.com/traditional-thanksgiving-menu-2020/  That got me to thinking about the holiday parties we usually have.  Maybe, in the spirit of simplifying our lives, we don’t need so many of them.  Being with family is what is important.  

Are you ready to downsize Christmas?  In summary, this is what I did:

• I bought an artificial tree
• I left the tree undecorated
• I limited the decorations I brought down from the attic to a few
• I accepted help!
• I vowed to not overdo baking and cooking next year
• I am seriously thinking about cutting down on gift giving.  We’ll see.

To me, the best thing about Christmas is spending it with my family.  And in my family our get together isn’t usually on Christmas.  No matter.  I hope you all enjoyed yours as much as I did mine!  If you enjoyed this post, please let me know!

Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving is over and my refrigerator is bursting its seams with leftovers.  Did they actually eat anything?  We had a lovely, peaceful day; I’ll post some pictures later.  Here’s one for now of Olivia’s fantastic charcuterie board.

Didn’t she do a great job?

So What To Do With The Leftovers?  My 2 Favorites

Our Thanksgiving will be small this year, just 9 immediate family members instead of the usual 20.  We will miss our special family members and friends who won’t be able to attend due to Covid-19. They will get zoom calls from us.  I know that it’s been a tough year.  Hopefully you are all OK.  I’m going to be upbeat and make it as festive as possible.  I’ll have to try really hard to cut the menu down, though. So hard for me.

Look how cute this is!  The kids will love it.  I found it at http://sassyeats.com/turkey-charcuterie-board/.  She is such a clever girl.  I have to hold myself back or I’d make all of the turkey ideas on her post.

My family members are basic eaters so I have to resist my urge to jazz up the menu.  Just the basics will make my group very happy.  Keep it simple will be my mantra this year.  Here is the menu:

• Turkey ~  For decades I have used the cheesecloth (aka sacrificial dish towel) soaked in butter method that my grandmother taught me and have always had a wonderful, juicy turkey.  It didn’t matter what kind of bird I used either; fresh, frozen, brined, dry rubbed…..they all came out the same fantastic way.  But last year I did something different, I used a roasting bag!  I had always considered this the lazy way to roast a turkey, but I have been converted!  It was just as juicy and it cooked faster, giving me oven space to keep the veggies warm.  Bonus!  I used the directions from 12tomatoes.com and highly recommend it.  The one thing I will add is that I always use a meat thermometer.  Not the little pop-up that comes in the turkey, you can throw that away.  This is the one I use and it is awesome.  It will call you on your phone when your meat is done!  Well, almost.  It has bluetooth connectivity.  I absolutely love this thing and use it for the grill outside and the oven inside.  Best gift ever.. How To Cook A Turkey In A Roasting Bag

Ingredients

• 1 oven roasting bag, 19×23 ½-inch
• 1 turkey (8 to 24-pounds), thawed, giblets and neck removed, rinsed and dried
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 4-6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, ground ginger, and dried thyme until well combined. Set aside.
3. Shake flour inside the roasting bag. Place bag in a large 2-inch deep roasting pan.
4. Place onion wedges, garlic cloves, and carrot pieces in bottom of roasting bag.
5. Rub turkey with melted butter. Evenly spread and rub seasoning mix around whole turkey.
6. Place turkey into the bag, resting on top of onions and carrots. Roasting bag opening should face one end of the roasting pan and not open upwards.
7. Close and seal with cooking twine. Cut 4-6 slits in top of roasting bag.
8. Transfer roasting pan to oven and bake according to the weight of the turkey. (See weight and cooking times below)
9. When turkey reaches an internal temperature of 180°F in at the thickest part of the turkey thigh, remove from oven and rest in oven bag for 15 minutes to allow juices to settle back into the turkey.
10. Use a carving fork to lift turkey from bag and transfer to a carving board. Carve and enjoy!

Turkey Cooking Times

• 1.5-2 hours for 8-12 lb turkeys
• 2-2.5 hours for 12-16 lb turkeys
• 2.5-3 hours for 16-20 lb turkeys
• 3-3.5 hours for 20-24 lb turkey

• Stuffing ~ The family loves stuffing!  As long as I don’t sneak any meat or fruit into it, they are happy with Pepperidge Farm Stuffing out of the bag.  I make it according to the package directions, adding the onion and celery, and I cook it in the bird.  This year, for the first time, I’m going to make home made stuffing.  I still can’t add any fun stuff, but it will be home made.  This is the recipe I am going to use, courtesy of Buzzfeed.  I am definitely still cooking it in the bird.  I can save my Pepperidge Farm for day 2 if I need it.
• Cranberry Sauce ~ My family likes cranberry sauce!  Not the kind I make, with fresh cranberries, but the gelatinous blob that comes out of the can, complete with ridges.  Oh, they are so easy.  So I serve them what they like, but I slice it up and try to arrange it in a pretty way in a cut crystal dish.  However, I also serve my home made version because it is Thanksgiving and because I like it.  Hopefully someday one of the grandchildren will try it.

Ellie’s Simple Cranberry Sauce

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained (save juice)

2 (12 oz.) packages fresh cranberries

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Add water to saved pineapple juice to make 2 cups liquid.  

Place liquid, cranberries and sugar in saucepan and heat and stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture comes to a boil.  Boil for about 10 minutes until most of the cranberries have burst and the mixture is thick.

Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, cloves and drained pineapple.  Stir to combine.  Transfer to bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours. 

• Mashed Potatoes ~ Everybody eats mashed potatoes!  Luckily I have one of these, which I don’t believe is sold anymore.  Westinghouse steamer/masher.  Apparently there were issues.  Too bad because I love mine, and I (actually my son does this job) use it every year.  It does everything but peel the potatoes. So simple! If you find it somewhere, (like the Amazon reviewer who said he found it at Christmas Tree Shop) pick it up.  This is the recipe I use:

• I double or triple it on Thanksgiving.  Of course, without the steamer/masher, you’ll have to do it the regular way; cook the potatoes in water for 30 minutes or until done, drain, mash and mix in other ingredients.  I generally use a ricer instead of a masher to get all the lumps out.
• Gravy ~ My daughter picks this up at a local turkey farm.  Thank you!!!  It’s delicious and frees me from this last minute job.  
• Vegetables ~ This is always a problem.  My grandchildren just don’t like them.  William said he’d prefer frozen peas this year, as in still frozen.  Enough said.  So this is what I’m serving this year:

Neither of the above recipes is difficult.  I am hoping that the added sweetness will tempt the grandkids.  However, I’ll still serve assorted frozen vegetables for them, with plenty of butter.

I was 19 and clueless in the kitchen, but I figured it out.  Over the years I have realized that I needed to make a larger batch (makes about 42) so this is how I make them now:

Ingredients:

• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, to proof the yeast
• 6 tablespoons shortening or unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 9 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (more if the dough is sticky, up to 10 cups)
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup softened butter, divided
• 2 cups brown sugar (about)
• ground cinnamon

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in the 1 cup of lukewarm water.  Add a teaspoon of sugar to “proof” the yeast.  After 5 or 10 minutes, the yeast should start to foam up.  This proves that the yeast is active.  Do not skip this step!  Always have extra yeast.  If the yeast doesn’t foam up, throw it out and start again with fresh yeast.  

In a large bowl, put 6 tablespoons tablespoons shortening (I use Crisco), 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon salt and 2 cups very hot water.  Stir to dissolve.  Set aside to cool a bit.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs.  When the water mixture is lukewarm, add eggs and yeast to it.  Then add the flour, a bit at a time, until it is no longer sticky.  You can do this by hand or with your mixer with a dough hook.  I use the mixer.

Put out on a floured pastry cloth or counter and let rest for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, soften the butter.  I use the microwave.  

Cut dough in half.  With a floured rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough into a large rectangle, about 12 by 18 inches.  Spread the softened butter over each rectangle.  Next spread a lot of brown sugar over the butter.  I wing the amount, but it’s about 1/4 inch thick or a bit more.  Sprinkle cinnamon over this.  Now roll them up so that you have 2 rolls, each approximately 18 inches long.  

Cut the rolls with a serrated knife into 1 inch wide slices and place them into greased muffin tins.  Cover with clean dish towels and let rise until double.  

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  I always start checking a few minutes early so they don’t overcook.  You want them to be just slightly brown on top.  

YUM

• Grandma’s Apple Pie ~ I always make 2

Crust:

In large bowl, put 4 cups unsifted all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 teaspoons salt.  

Add 1 and 3/4 cup crisco shortening and mix with fork until crumbly.

In separate small bowl, beat together 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1/2 cup water. Combine the 2 mixtures until well mixed.

Divide dough into 4 equal portions (makes 2 pies) and shape each into a flat round patty ready for rolling.  Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1/2 hour.  

When ready to roll out, lightly flour both sides of patty and put on lightly floured pastry cloth.  Keeping pastry round, roll from center until 2 inches larger than inverted pie pan.

Apple Pie Filling For Each Pie:

Peel, core and slice 7 cups of apples (2.5 to 3 pounds)This is what I use and it is an awesome time-saver.  I’ve been using it for decades.

Mix apples with 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Mix in 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Fill pie crust with apple filling.  Dot with 2 tablespoons butter, cut up.  Top with remaining crust.  Try to make pretty edges.  I cover the edges with foil so they don’t over brown.

Bake in preheated 425F oven for 45 to 50 minutes until apples test fork tender.  It’s a good idea to place a cookie sheet under the pie to catch drips.  

I always make the pies a few days ahead and warm them in the oven while we eat our dinner. 

I have never had a failure with this pie.  It’s not always pretty, but it’s always delicious!

From my family to yours…Have a wonderful, safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

I participate in select affiliate advertising programs. This means that if you make a purchase through certain links on this site I may make a commission from that purchase. All opinions are my own, and all brands included are those I personally like and recommend. Thank you for your support!

I absolutely love my 10 year old grandson, William.  One minute he is a snuggly little bunny and the next he’s a world philosopher.  Which means… buying gifts for him could be difficult.  Luckily he’s pretty talkative, so I just needed to listen to make a pretty good list.  So here it is, straight from a 10 year old’s mouth.

William has recently gotten super excited about using his skateboard, and he is ready to move up from his little beginner board.  As a grandmother, I’m always concerned about safety, so it goes without saying that he must be decked out with complete safety equipment. This includes:

• a top-quality helmet
• wrist guards to support his wrists during falls
• knee pads and elbow pads
• closed-toe shoes that have soles that don’t slip
• goggles or shatterproof glasses

Advantages of this board

• Small enough to be easily carried around, even for a 10 year old
• High quality bamboo and maple deck that is strong and durable and has a grit finish to grip the feet
• Reliable and sturdy trucks made of cast aluminum.  No plastic parts. 
• Double kick tails that add fun and versatility.  Mannies, ollies, flip tricks and general tick-tacking are all made possible because of these kick tails. Asymmetric front and back kick tails makes for a cool directional surf style design while maintaining the performance of a great skateboard. Asymmetric front and back kick tails makes for a cool directional surf style design while maintaining the performance of a great skateboard.  OK, Grandmas, you know what all this means, right?

TOMY Screwball Scramble Games for Kids

Designed for 1 to 4 players, your 10 year old can challenge himself or play with the whole family. This is a exciting game of skill and coordination.  Kids love mazes!

Take it up a notch and double the fun with the addition of this game:

 TOMY Screwball Scramble 2 Maze Game 
NERF Ultra Pharaoh Blaster

OK, this one is hard for me.  After all, it’s a gun.  My kids didn’t have them. But love them or hate them, they are a hit with kids. That would explain why it’s a best seller, with comments like “tremendous range, highly accurate, farthest flying Nerf darts ever, up to 120 feet.” It is huge, it’s a blaster and the kids really love it.  It’s Christmas so use your best judgement on this one.  Oh, and you’d better buy one for Dad too.  And extra darts.  Just sayin.

Ninja Box (Choose Your Own Adventure)

I love these.  Choose Your Own Adventure books are like readable video games.  The reader starts out on a mission and is soon presented with a number of possible choices.  Each decision creates branching plots that lead to more options as you try to decide the best ending.  So creative.  According to Amazon, “Choose Your Own Adventure is the 4th bestselling gamebook series for children of all time.”  There are many other themes in addition to Ninja.

ThinkFun Domino Maze STEM Toy and Logic Game for Boys and Girls 

This is a brain and logic game…so I automatically like it.

LEGO Speed Champions Lamborghini Urus ST-X and Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO 76899 Building Kit, New 2020 

A perfect Lego building set for race car fans with a nice degree of challenge for a 10 year old.

Ravensburger Gravitrax Starter Set Marble Run & STEM Toy For Kids Age 8 & Up – Endless Indoor Activity for Families

” Logical thinking, Hand-Eye Coordination, Problem Solving, Spatial Awareness, Kinetics, Creativity, Physics,” this is my kind of toy.

Legend 1:10 Scale RC Truck

Remote controlled cars are not new, but wow, boys really love them.  There is a new one on William’s list every year.  The reason I might not want to get him yet another RC car is that they seem to break so fast.  This one, however, is very rugged and can be repaired as well.  It has almost 2500 5 star ratings on Amazon.  Wow. 

Good things about RC cars:

• Playing with RC cars can significantly develop and improve a child’s eye-hand development
•  Remote control cars must be used outside.  Outdoor time, away from their electronics, is a good thing
• Going outside to play with RC cars is a great way for families to spend time together

What is NOT on William’s Christmas list:

Clothing.  Never, ever buy clothing for a boy for Christmas.  Ask me how I know.  The poor guy will try to look appreciative, but it will be hard.  Don’t put him through it.  Of course, there may be an exceptional item he has been begging for, but otherwise, pass on clothing.

Other Cool Stuff:

I love Christmas shopping for the kids.  Hopefully I have given you a jumpstart for your 10 year old.  Happy shopping!

I participate in select affiliate advertising programs. This means that if you make a purchase through certain links on this site I may make a commission from that purchase. All opinions are my own, and all brands included are those I personally like and recommend. Thank you for your support!

It has been a beautiful fall here in New England and I have finally become resigned to the fact that winter is coming.  I’ve been getting the house ready for fall, adding pumpkins here and there, getting my Thanksgiving menu ready, my fall chores done and suddenly I realized… baby, it’s cold out there!!  Time to get out of these flip flops and summer clothes!  Has the cool weather snuck up on you as well?

If so, you’re in luck because now is the perfect time to freshen up your wardrobe.  Sweaters are a great way to do this without spending a ton of money. You can add them to your existing pants, camisoles and shirts from last year and have a whole new look!  Here’s a pretty sweater roundup to get you started and some of them are under $50!

I love this comfy, chunky, oversized sweater.  I ordered it in this gorgeous blue, and it comes in many other colors.  Wear it with jeans or dress it up with black pants and heels.

When I was a teenager my boyfriend (who later became my husband) gave me a hot pink cashmere sweater just like this.  I loved it so much that I wore it until it was  threadbare.  It still resides in my cedar chest.  And look, here it is again.  You can get  this one at Macy’s.This piece is essential!  It can be worn all year long and goes with everything.  Very long (hits me just below the knee) and chic.  

This soft, cashmere tunic/poncho is fabulous!  As it has sleeves, it can be worn under a coat!  It’s a little pricey, though.  I’m saving up.  Available at Ann Taylor.

My absolute favorite!  A fleece-like fabric, it feels like a dream.  I don’t wear it with the front tuck as that isn’t my most flattering look.  It looks great untucked!  And this color (powder puff pink is how I ordered it) is yummy!  You can buy it at Express.

The asymmetrical cashmere poncho shown above is available at Macy’s.  I have it in gray (heather cinder).  

Are you beginning to get excited about updating your winter wardrobe?  Happy shopping!

I participate in select affiliate advertising programs. This means that if you make a purchase through certain links on this site I may make a commission from that purchase. All opinions are my own, and all brands included are those I personally like and recommend. Thank you for your support!

There came a time in my life when I simply was not stylish.  Not exactly frumpy, but not exactly stylish either.  I had been in the fashion business for many years, advising others on their special wedding attire, but here I was at 68 and my personal style had dropped into the gutter.  Almost.  Having just lost my husband, I felt like my life was spinning out of control.  Realizing that I needed to take control over something, and knowing that shopping always gave me pleasure, I decided to revamp my wardrobe.

This is what I did to revamp my wardrobe:

• The biggest help was Pinterest.  I started filling my “Fashion Board” with everything that caught my eye.  Boy, that was a lot of pins!!  But it helped me figure out what was “in” and discover which things I liked.  I found that I was drawn to simple, solid color clothes with slim lines.  And… 
• I signed up for Stitch Fix which really helped!  My Stitch Fix stylist sent me things I never would have picked out for myself!  And they looked good!  My best buy on Stitch Fix was a pair of Mavi high-rise skinny jeans in dark wash.  Here they are:                                                           

and on me…

I learned what my style was BEFORE I went shopping by

searching Pinterest and reading fashion blogs.

Now that I had a handle on the jeans, I could buy them anywhere I wanted as long as I remembered the lessons I had learned:

• A high waist makes for an ultra-flattering, slimming fit on women of all ages and sizes.  Just make sure they fit correctly.  They are jeans, not tights.  The high waist tends to hold in the tummy and, most importantly, avoid the “muffin top” look we all do our best to avoid, where our waist spills over the waistband of our jeans. Horrors!
• What color jeans to buy?  My personal preference is dark wash blue as I feel it lengthens the leg and is slimming.  Black is slimming as well and white is surprising flattering.  I don’t like the lighter blues, which to me are less flattering and more casual.  I also do not wear distressed jeans and I leave them to the younger gals.  

You can’t wear jeans all the time, of course.  I have purchased dress pants following the same rules I follow for purchasing jeans; fitted, high waist, and slim leg.  I love the “curvy fit” pants I found at Ann Taylor; a little extra room in the hip, and tapered or skinny in the leg.  Perfect!  I have these in black and in white.

                                    You can buy similar pants in many shops now.

What to wear on top?

So many options for tops!  I bought tee shirts!  I had never felt comfortable in them before, but I discovered V neck tee shirts which are so much more flattering and comfortable! Long sleeve blouses, camis in all colors and turtleneck sweaters all found their way into my closet.  I can wear them all under my great blazers, which I now have in black and white.  An important thing to mention is that I wear all my tops untucked, not even a half-tuck.  The tucked in look is very unflattering on me!

For color, I love neutrals; white, black, navy and gray.  For a burst of color, a great option is a brightly colored camisole. And maybe a scarf.  My go to outfit for a night out is my skinny jeans, a cami, and a blazer.  Maybe pearls, I always feel elegant in pearls.

One more thing…

When you put something on that looks unflattering, for heaven’s sake, do not put it back into the closet!  Have a “donate box” ready at all times.  Also, the great thing about being this age is that no one can tell us what to wear.  We’re euphemistically called “interesting.” We can really get away with anything.  While my style is decidedly understated, yours may be wild and free!  Go ahead and find your style!

The weather was gorgeous here in New England for Labor Day weekend.  As I was spending it alone, I decided to take my laptop outside and do some work out there.  My kitchen counter is lovely, but my patio view is even lovelier.

Am I the only one who didn’t realize that you can’t see a laptop computer screen in the sun?  So I took my laptop back in the house so I could see it, messed with the controls, (I mean I very carefully followed the Google instructions), and somehow managed to make the screen nice and bright so that I can now work outside!  I must be a real blogger now.

I learned something else too, which confirms that one is never too old to learn.  While pulling weeds this week, I had managed to contract a serious case of poison ivy.  Oh, the itch!  My lovely neighbor brought me a bouquet of jewelweed to solve my problem.  Apparently jewelweed is a natural remedy for poison ivy and, lo and behold, that weed was one I hadn’t yet pulled up!  It was running rampant in the damp areas of my yard near my little stream.                          

So this is what I did and you can too…

Split the largest part of the stem to find the juice

I smoothed the juice over the rash.  Almost immediately, I felt better.

Make jewelweed tea

I chopped up the whole plant, leaves and stems, and boiled them in water until the “tea” turned bright orange.             

Next, I strained out the greenery. The next step is to pour this lovely orange tea into ice cube trays and freeze. 

Then, whenever I need it, I can pop out a cube and run it over an itchy part.  Problem is, who has ice cube trays these days?  So that step has to wait until I buy ice cube trays.

In the meantime…

I have what seems to be an unlimited supply of jewelweed in my backyard.  The juice from the stems seems to work.  Ah, relief. 

I was passing a mirror and I actually thought I saw my mother in there.  My mother was a beautiful woman, but 24 years older than me.  It was then that I realized that while I had been caring for my sick husband, I had not been paying attention to me.  UGH, time for a change.

Where to start??  My daughter suggested Stitch Fix and I was leery.  I couldn’t believe that someone else, even a professional stylist, could select clothing that would look good on me!  However, my daughter was enjoying her experience with Stitch Fix, so I gave it a try.

What is Stitch Fix?

Stitch Fix is a fashion clothing subscription service where a professional stylist selects items for you based on a profile you have filled out in advance.  There is no membership fee and you are not locked in.  There is a very reasonable $20 styling fee, which can be used towards the purchase of any of the 5 items in the box.  And, if you decide to keep all 5 items, you get a 25% discount.  Very cool.  Shipping both ways is free.

My First Box

Exciting.  The first thing I unwrapped was a tiny pair of jeans that I almost sent back without trying on.  No way would they fit me, no less look good!  I also got a sweater, a couple of tops, and a purse.  It was 4 years ago and I am still wearing those jeans!  My first pair of skinny jeans, which I never ever would have purchased on my own.  They are high rise and extremely flattering.  The other items were OK and looked good with the jeans.  Why did they send me a purse??  I’d told them I didn’t need purses, but it was nearly free if I kept it with my 25% off.  So the first box was a definite winner. 

Going Forward

After that my experience was mixed, I kept some and sent some back.  I believe I sent the whole box back once.  I discontinued after a while.  By then I was getting a handle on my new style.  By the way, I did this review for your information.  It is not a paid review.  

Pros

• Great way to try out new styles!  Like the skinny jeans I never would have purchased otherwise.
• Shipping is free both ways so you can exchange for size or just send things back without paying postage.
• You get a personal stylist.  How cool is that and for only $20?!
• They carry all sizes, Women sizes 0-24W (XS – 3X).  They also do men and children now, but I’m not covering that as I have no experience with it.
• Request specific items. If there’s a certain piece you want, just tell your stylist. If it’s available in your size, it’ll be included in your next box. This is new since I was a Stitch Fix customer.  I would have loved another pair of those skinny jeans!
• Not locked into a subscription. You don’t have to choose a subscription service. You can choose “on demand” shipments. There is no penalty for doing this. This is a more affordable option if you don’t want new clothes every month. 
• Try on new items with your own clothes. This is something I really like.  It’s nice to be able to try the pieces on at home with the proper undergarments, shoes and accessories.  That way you can see if you have items that match.  No guessing.
• There is no sign up fee and shipping is free both ways.   

Cons

• $20 styling fee is nonrefundable.  This is lost if you return everything.  This never bothered me.  I think it only happened once. 
• You pay full retail prices.  If you are a bargain shopper, you may not like this.  There are no sales.
• You only get the 25% discount if you keep everything.  This never bothered me either.  I considered it a bonus.
• You might find it expensive.  No sales, remember?

So, In Conclusion…

Stitch Fix did exactly what I needed it to do; it got me out of my style slump.  I also found it fun!  I discovered a new and better way to dress.  And I still love those skinny jeans!

Me in my Stitch Fix Skinny Jeans

 Every once in a while someone will ask me how I manage to look younger than my grandmotherly chronological age. To be honest, it’s probably 90% genetics. Here I am with my mom at her 90^th birthday.

She looks great for 90, right?  At 66, I look pretty good too, don’t I?  And I don’t do anything fancy!

I Use Sun Block!  My face hasn’t been exposed to the sun for decades!  You want some color?  Put on a little blush.  These are the products I use on a daily basis.  I use them and love them. If you make a purchase using the links included, I may earn a small commission.

Bedtime Routine

I use the following products for my simple quick and easy bedtime routine:  

That’s it!  The whole routine takes 5 minutes! 

Morning Routine

Surprise, it was not a power tool!

I bought this wallet from Amazon two years ago in the Pink Lotus color and it still looks as fresh and new as it did when I received it.

Every time I whip this baby out, someone says “Oooh, where did you get that cool wallet?!” I wish I had a nickel for each time!

So many places to hold all my cards, not just credit cards but store discount cards, gift cards, merchandise credits, you name it! And it still stays slim and sleek! 16 card slots, multiple zipper pockets, RFID-blocking feature, and it comes in many colors too! All for under $20.  Such a bargain. I love it.