Blessings Monday

I'm becoming chronically late with my participation in these blogger discussions. I love them, but can't seem to squeeze them all in on the appropriate day. None the less... I have blessings to share!

Hmmm... to what shall I point this day? I think I shall proclaim the blessing that our car is to us. Its seems rather silly, but I've been reminding myself of it lately. It's so easy to want more. This is a daily struggle that I strive to overcome. I NEED to be content with what I have! That's my life-long goal, but boy does it waver from day to day!

We have three vehicles. One nice one - Corolla. One runs good, but isn't inspected - Blazer. And one on its last legs - Saturn. We have WAY more vehicles than what we need! When the price of fuel skyrocketed, we quickly parked the Blazer with all intentions of selling it. Any buyers out there??? Needless to say, we still have it, but we aren't driving it.

Keith had just landed a pretty descent job and our budget was allowing us to stretch a little further, so we sprung on a new Toyota Corolla. It's our good car. It's comfortable. It gets good mileage. It requires little maintenance so far. Ahhh... it just feels good to have a car that we are sure is in good shape. Keith is still driving the Saturn. We spent more to get it inspected last year than it is truly worth. I dread getting it inspected this year! Here's hoping that it won't be that much. If it is... well then we might be looking for a replacement -- or resurecting the Blazer.

I confess that I dream of having a different vehicle. Believe me, we test drove the Camry and were very disappointed that we could not get it for the price we wanted. We prayed on it and decided together that the Corolla was the right car for us. He dreams of having a Corvette. I laugh at that idea, but at the same time I dream of having a big bad truck! I think my dream is more realistic, but maybe I'm biased? When I drive by the car lots my eyes wander and quickly spy any and all nice looking trucks. I really like Toyota trucks (again - biased because I used to have one). Looking is hard to NOT do, but this week I shall proclaim how blessed we are to have our good little Corolla (and 2 other vehicles).

Refresh - Swap Sisters

Monica over at The Homespun Heart and her sister Carrie are hosting a sister swap with a theme of REFRESH! I already have some ideas. If you'd like to join in on the fun, click on the picture and head on over to read all about it!

Super Summer Pest Control Giveaway

Would you like some roses from our rose bush? Of course you wouldn't, because they are full of earwigs!!!! Those nasty little bugs hide deep down inside the rose petals and sneak into our house when we fill a vase with roses. Do you have a summer pest that you'd like to deter? Head on over to Shakyard and get in on this contest offering an array of pest control products that we are all sure to need in one way or another!

Super Cool Tool Giveaway

Anybody who knows us personally or even those who follow my blog know that we NEED these kinds of tools. We have a couple Ryobi products already, but one who is repairing a home is in need of all of these goodies. Do you share this need? Well head on over to Shakhammer to enter this contest. The prize is really awesome!!!

S.M.A.R.T. HABIT SATURDAY

I've been participating for a month now! WOW! Have I established any habits yet? Take a look...

Ok but let me first give my disclaimer of the week "I haven't been home." I have been away from home all week and thus my routine has had to flex and some of my SMART habits have been put off until I return.

• DRINKING WATER: 6/7 days I drank at least 5 glasses of water. The 7th day I had a little less. Overall, this is well on its way to becoming a habit.
• DAILY EXERCISE - 20 MINUTES/DAY: 5/7 not too bad. My feeling sick has contributed to 2 days without exercise. Drat!
• RELAX - 20 MINUTES/DAY: 7/7 This one's becoming easy. Or maybe it's the retreat-like environment of being away from home in a nice quiet house with 2 lovely doggies for company?
• EAT MORE VEGGIES: I'm tracking 4-5 servings per day. 4/7 days I met my quota. The other 3 days I had some veggies, but didn't meet the 4-5 serving quota. Still working on this one.
• FOCUSED HOUSE-WORK: 20 MINUTES/DAY: 1/7 DRAT! Again, I was not home and I'm not counting the house I'm staying at, which is virtually spotless to begin with. I only need to sweep there and wash any dishes that I use so that doesn't count. But I did come home on Saturday and did some focused housework then. I'll be home on Monday and will work on this during the upcoming week.
• READ 3 HEALTH-RELATED ARTICLES/DAY: 5/7 So-So. I'm trying to keep this goal as somewhat of a priority. I'm wanting to do it in the same time-frame when I am checking my e-mails in the morning, at home or at work doesn't matter. I just need this to keep me focused on my health.
• HOME COOKED MEALS 3 DAYS/WEEK: Hmmm... how shall I rate this one? Having not been home, I was having sandwiches most every day. Does making breakfast yesterday count? So maybe it's a 1/7ish? Again - will try harder next week when I am actually home.
• MORNING DEVOTIONS DAILY: 7/7 HABIT!!!! If I don't have time to actually sit down and read my Bible in the morning, I always tap into the devotional series from The Upper Room as part of reading my e-mail each morning.
• PRAISE AND PRAYER WALKS 20 MINUTES/DAY: 7/7 on the Prayer. 5/7 on the walks. Doing quite well and feeling so blessed! God is good!
• STRENGTH TRAINING: 2/7 not great. Didn't take my weights with me, so I only achieved this when I was at home last weekend. Will pick them up again this coming week.

Thanks to Lara over at The Lazy Organizer for hosting this even though her computer is on the fritz this week. Come join us in creating good habits!

Marriage Monday

Marriage Monday is hosted by Lynn over at Spiritually Unequal Marriage this week. Say a little prayer for our usual host, Christine, as she endures a time of difficulty with her little one.

Lynn's topic is in reference to 'body language' in our marriage and poses the following questions for our response:

• What are we really saying when we give him the eye roll?
• What body language communicates acceptance to your spouse.
• In your own marriage, how has your body language defused an explosive situation?

I'll start with the eye rolling. If I do this, I don't realize it. I'm going to have to ask my hubby on this. one.

The body language that I exhibit that definitely communicates acceptance is simply "undivided attention." There are days when I will be talking with my HandyHubby and I cannot focus on what he is saying. I will be busy managing my time by working on other necessities and not paying full attention to him. SHAME ON ME!!!! I realize that he wants me to look him in the eye. He wants me to make him more important than the dishes or the laundry or whatever. I need to exercise my listening skills. I admit, I don't always retain all that he tells me. I am guilty of asking him about his work schedule repeatedly. I'm not sure if I'm not fully listening or if I'm just forgetful? I know that when he talks to me while he's playing a game or watching tv that he isn't really listening to me, which makes me feel unimportant. Thank you Lynn for bringing this topic to my attention. I will strive to be more deliberate in giving him my undivided attention this week.

How has my body language defused an explosive situation? How about I flip that over and tell you how it has ignited an explosive situation?! That might be more accurate. I am thankful that I can report that we have not had an explosive situation for a long long time. Way back when we found ourselves having those kind of arguments is when he was battling depression. I was at my wits end trying to make things better for him, but it wasn't helping. My frustration led to me withdrawing from him which fed his depression and caused explosive situations. Was that his way of getting my attention? Hmmm... I can honestly say that things are well with us these days. God is good.

Bless us by sharing tidbits of your married life. Head on over to Marriage Monday and link up or just peruse the wisdom that has been shared. Thank you Lynn for hosting this week.

15 Minute Friday

My blogger friend, Kim, over at One Day At A Time, hosts 15 Minute Friday. It's a spiritual related discussion. Come join us won't you... link up with her and share the wisdom and insights you have gained this past week.

This week she has a variety of topics. One is in response to the following passage:

John 2:3-5 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine". "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

Do you suppose that Mary knew things that most did not? I suppose she did. It may be interesting to note that wine at weddings was an important social icon in those days. Running dry at the wedding would not be a good thing - socially speaking. Perhaps Mary was looking out for the social well-being of this couple? Here we find her urging Christ to act, but was this act what she was expecting? Did she expect a miracle? Maybe she didn't expect the miracle to be a public event? One doesn't know. One has to wonder why Mary felt the need to prompt him. Do you suppose he would have performed this miracle even if she had not approached him?

His disciples accompany him to this wedding. Perhaps the timing was premature given the fact that their knowledge of Christ was so new and fresh. WOW - what an icebreaker event for them. I wonder who's wedding it was? Weddings today we call upon the Lord's presence and blessing, but at this wedding he was there in the flesh. How awesome is that!!! Marriage in general is such a significant theme throughout the Bible. I am not surprised that he provided his miraculous talent at such an event.

I could spend hours pondering this passage... praying... studying... reading different versions, commentaries, etc.

On to the next topic... The Lords Prayer. We pray the Lord's Prayer every week in church. It's part of every service. I am a little bothered by the fact that it can become simply words spoken as opposed to heartfelt prayer. I practice this prayer often and expand upon each phrase, but when we pray it in church, there is no expansion except within my heart. Taking a step back, this prayer can provide an overall model for our prayers. All of our prayers sure praise, honor, and glorify God. We should express our thankfulness, confess our sin, and humbly express the concerns of our heart.

When we lived in KY, we were blessed by a weekly prayer meeting. We gathered with a multicultural group at the chapel to pour our hearts out to the Lord. We prayed the Lord's prayer and expanded upon each verse... each in his own language. As we were praying about the Lord's will being done on Earth as it is in Heaven, there was one person who was begging the Lord for his second coming. I was thinking "Whoa Dude - Who's ready for that?!" This was a huge eye opener. Are you ready?! While I have no fear of death, it's our human nature to love life on Earth, but what awaits us is so much more. This prayer session was profound. Kim asks us today "Should you think about Heaven more?" Good question. Actually, thinking of Heaven can have a calming effect... for me anyway. I know people there and I get to meet Jesus face to face. And in the words of my niece "There will be a feast... ham... turkey... soup."

I could type for hours on the topic of Heaven. Some people find solace in the idea of their loved ones looking down on them and smiling. Heck, one day I told my friend Rene'e that Ed was up there driving a gold tractor, to which she replied "J.J. even in Heaven Ed's tractor is red." (He was a huge Case/Internation/Farmall fan) Too cute. I'm not sure I buy the "looking down from heaven" idea. I figure they are busy exploring and singing praises to God. Earth is a pretty complex environment with some really neat attractions. Heaven is going to knock our socks off! As a matter of fact I remember my Disciple I teacher telling us that when we get to Heaven we will pretty much spend all of our time praising God. I thought that sounded somewhat boring at the time. I'd really like to think that I can have some "me time" up there. The truth is... once you have a relationship with the Lord, you WANT to do that. Even today it makes me feel so good inside to praise the Lord... I can't wait to feel that good all the time. I can see how much I've grown since I took that class.

That's all for now... this was not 15 minutes of thoughts... oops I went a little over my limit. Sorry.

Playing Catch-up

Enjoy the summer... especially the daisies!

So how has everyone's summer been? Dreadfully busy??? That's how ours has been. We have gone away somewhere every month since February I think. Some has been for business. Some has been with family. Some has been the luck of the draw.... tickets to the races!!!! We are going again soon, and also planning to swing down to Cincy when his sister makes it in from the West Coast. MAN - I just want to stay home for a while already. We can't really afford to do all this traveling on top of our home improvements. Some of these opportunities are just too good to pass up though. I can tell you... I'm not planning on much vacation travel next year. Although much of this years travels were not actually 'planned' either. On the flip side, this is the first time in our lives that we have both been working full-time jobs and not living paycheck to almost paycheck, always feeling broke and behind. Plus, we have no children, so it's easy for us to pack up and go on a whim. Coincidentally, I looked at my vacation hours on my pay-stub today. I have 108.383 vacation hours and 16 personal hours left and the year is half over! Wow - I can remember a time when I had to take days off without pay because I wanted to go somewhere, but didn't have enough vacation hours to spare. Ha ha.... Regardless... I'd like to stay home for a while.

This week I haven't been at home. Keith has, but I haven't. It's okay though. I'm staying close to work and having time to relax. It's almost like being on a retreat. Keith did visit me last evening, which was delightful. I also have the company of two lovely doggies and a sweet quiet fish. So far it's been a quiet week. We went out for dinner last night, to the Texas Roadhouse. Funny, I ordered mashed potatoes and they came in a little bowl with a dime sticking in them. I asked the waitress if that was a bonus. She was a little dumbfounded at first, but then said she'd return them and get me a new bowl. Ha ha. Funny stuff.

Work hasn't been overly stressful, but I am trying to get re-organized. A lot of my things are in boxes surrounding me. We are having shelves build in the hallway that should help to de-clutter. They aren't due to arrive for another 2 weeks though. So I'm digging out little by little and becoming acustomed to my new desk.

Not much happening in my world. Everythings just status-quo.

Counting My Blessings

I am blessed. Looking back to my childhood, nobody ever helped me find who I wanted to be 'when I grow up.' My interests were peaked by whatever seemed to be happening around me at the time. I took some computer classes because a friend was also taking them. It was too easy, so I quit that and refocused in another area. Funny thing, that computer knowledge landed me a job in a doctors office shortly after I graduated from High School. I went to community college, but didn't find a pull there. After working for the doc for a few years, I found myself pushed into the medical field and I was good with the computer, but just not very clinically minded. After some extenuating circumstances with my boss, I headed back to school to earn an Associates Degree in Specialized Business - majoring in 'Medical Management.' I worked a few different jobs while I was in school and shortly thereafter found a job in the Medical Records Department of a local hospital. I was promoted from one title to another and eventually maxed out my hourly wage before my aspirations were satisfied. I tried to transfer within but it just wasn't happening. I eventually found a job outside of the hospital that was closer to home, offered more compensation, and more opportunity for advancement.

I've been at this establishment for 6 years now. I have endured several changes in management and several title changes all within the same department. When I was moving to Kentucky I had given my resignation notice a couple months in advance. That's when I dreamed up the possibility of working from home! THEY TOTALLY BOUGHT IT!!! We worked out all the specifics and off I went to Kentucky. They flew me home every month and I would stay with my friend or family for about 10 days before returning to my ol' Kentucky home.

I can honestly say that my employer has been good to me. They support me in educating me and getting me the tools I need to do my job. I am well compensated for my work. I have a flexible schedule and plenty of perks. I can definitely see myself working here for the long haul. I am very blessed to have the opportunity to serve here.

Join us in Blessings Monday won't you... Head on over to Down On The Farm and tell us all about your blessings!

Marriage Monday - Honoring My Husband

It's Marriage Monday! Just a quick little update on my progress.

There were a couple of times when I found myself feeling selfish about things. I caught myself and turned it around. Man that's hard sometimes. I have to say though... before this challenge I never realized how different things could be! Really - things are great!

Would you like to join in on this challenge? Head on over to Fruit In Season and tell us all about it.

15 Minute Friday

My friend Kim over at One Day At A Time is hosting a brand new weekly spiritual discussion forum "15 Minute Friday" which I am honored to participate in. Forgive me for being late in posting and THANK YOU for making it on Fridays because I'm already participating in too many Monday posts. This is sure to be a blessing.



This week Kim asks us to share our "Defining Moment" in respect to our Spiritual journey. So here's my contribution...



I'm one of those people who grew up in a church-going family. Having been consistently exposed to it, I had no earth shattering experience that brought me to Christ. I have had many times of growth that have changed my life for the better.



I think the most transformation was when I was engaged and the first few years of my marriage. My husband grew up Catholic. I was protestant. When we were engaged, we were seeking a church where we could meet in the middle. We found one and were married there. This church offered much in the line of biblical education... classes, bible studies, and small groups, and we even started volunteering in the church youth group. We dug in together and have been blessed abundantly. As a couple we include spiritual growth as part of our routines. We attend church regularly. We tithe. We pray before our meals. We take part in regular bible study (together and individually). We pray for one another daily, and we seek to surround ourselves with Godly people.



After my hubby graduated from college, he worked for a time in a non-related field before the Lord called us to move from our home... several states away... to leave behind all that I had never wanted to leave. He enrolled in Seminary in KY, fully expecting to be surrounded by Youth Ministry for the rest of our lives. We had some significant experiences there. Looking back I think that our time there may have been more for me than him. I endured joy and sorrow and a closeness to God like never before. After a year of studies and some personal struggles, we returned to PA... where we call home.



There have been many instrumental persons who helped me along on this journey... my Grandmother's faithful prayers for me... our good friends from small group... our close friends and pastor in KY. This is merely a snippet of my journey... stay tuned on Fridays for more insights from my spiritual walk with the Lord.

Anything But A Simple Saturday

I guess Saturday is blogger catch-up day for me. I got plenty of much needed rest last night. Hubby is working... so I can catch up on my blogging. Enjoy!

S.M.A.R.T. Habit Saturday

This is the 3rd week I've participated in this challenge. Thanks to Lara over at The Lazy Organizer for hosting this. Come join us in creating good habits! Here's an update on my progress:

DRINKING WATER: I was consistent 5/7 days. The other 2 days I was only 1 or 2 bottles shy. Very good! Patting myself on the back!

DAILY EXERCISE - 20 MINUTES/DAY: 4/7 days. Not bad. There were a couple of days that I had morning meetings that interfered and then I worked late and thus thwarted my evening work-out plan.

RELAX - 20 MINUTES/DAY: 7/7 days YES! I hope this isn't becoming a lazy habit!

EAT MORE VEGGIES: I'm tracking 4-5 servings per day. 1/7 was perfect. I notice a steady decline thru-out the week. This is my wake-up call!

FOCUSED HOUSE-WORK: 20 MINUTES/DAY: 2/7 is not good. As mentioned earlier this was a work late almost every day kind of week. I need to get out of that routine and into better ones! In better news our house is no longer under construction, at least for now. It's still a little unorganized, but is being put back together one room at a time.

READ 3 HEALTH-RELATED ARTICLES/DAY: 6/7 - Fantastic! This is so good for keeping my health-related focus!

HOME COOKED MEALS 3 DAYS/WEEK: 4/7 Over the top!!! The new fridge came on Thursday and I stocked up on some fresh goodies!!!

MORNING DEVOTIONS DAILY: 7/7 YES. I subscribe to the online version of "Our Daily Bread."

PRAISE AND PRAYER WALKS 20 MINUTES/DAY: 4/7 while walking, but 7/7 overall. This is essential to my successes overall. I am so blessed!

STRENGTH TRAINING: 3/7 not bad, but not where I want to be. Another wake-up call!

How To Store Bed-Linens Tutorial

My blogger friend, Mrs. U, over at Making A House A Home, recently posted How To Fold Fitted Sheets. She has requested that I post a tutorial of how my Grandmother taught me to store my bed linens...

First - fold the fitted sheet. See Mrs. U's post if you haven't already mastered this task.

Next, fold the flat sheet.

Fold all but ONE of the pillow cases.

Stack them in one neat pile.

Place the pile INSIDE the one unfolded pillow case.

Fold one end in towards the pile.

And then up over the pile... look out for the kitty!

And tuck in any loose edges... It's done! Now store it neatly in your linen closet. Sorry - no pictures of my closet. At the present I'm actually storing them in a rubbermaid tub. Closets need some work... But you get the idea.

Why I Love Jesus

Sunrise over the ocean - Hilton Head, SC - April 2007

My new blogger pal Joy over at Joy In The Journey has tagged me to complete the "Why I Love Jesus" me-me. So without further adieu, here it goes in no particular order:

1. Jesus meets me every morning. For as long as I can remember I have loved mornings. There is something about the freshness of each new day. Have you ever seen the beauty of the rising sun? Mornings mean that the day is new. It's time to start over... to do better than yesterday. With a glimpse of the sun I am reminded of how he comes forth from his chamber bringing light to the world in which I live. Psalm 19 reminds us "The spacious heavens declare the glory of the Lord." My Grandmother used to sing to me in the morning... "This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it."




2. Jesus is the perfect example. Would you like to converse with someone who has walked a mile in your shoes? God put himself in our shoes. Christ was born as a man and understands the limitations of such. He put himself before us in that he gave his life so we could one day enjoy life eternal in his presence. In our innermost relationships on Earth, especially marriage, we strive to put another's needs ahead of our own. Our human nature interferes and fills us with selfish needs, but Christ is anything BUT selfish. This is the example that God has demonstrated in the Trinity. The example is perfect.




3. Jesus understands me. When we struggle, we seek the advice or consolation of one who 'understands.' Jesus came to Earth in the form of a man. He experienced life, temptation, and death in the most complex of forms. When we are struggling, we can rest assured that Jesus was there. He understands.




4. Jesus took the nails for me. My imperfections abound. I am lazy. I am selfish. I make poor choices. These are only the beginning. Have you ever imagined the pain that your nails caused Christ? It's heart-wrenching to realize it. I'm ashamed to admit how painful my nails are and this is often what drives me to make positive changes.




5. Jesus loves me. He didn't have to choose me. At times I feel so un-lovable. I am so blessed to have a relationship with him. Isn't it just like me to love someone who loves me first.

Oh, now am I supposed to tag some others to glorify God by telling us how they love Jesus... so here it goes:



My Mom at World of Jemit

Marci at Down On The Farm

Mrs. U at Making A House A Home

Marci at The Homespun Heart

Marriage Monday & Honoring My Husband

Ok, so I'm almost a week late on this post, but not because I forgot. So the Honoring My Husband challenge has come to a month-long close. Wow - that went all too fast. Rest assured, this challenge is a life-long quest of which I am honored to be participating in. Christine, our host over at Fruit In Season, reminds us that:

No marriage is perfect.

She is so right and we all know it! Her challenge has opened our eyes to so much indepth insight into our marriages... how we bond, how we communicate, how we honor, lift-up, and serve our mates, and how blessed we are to have such a union.



Looking back I can see how my marriage has grown. I've questioned my hubby about my being a "good wife" many times and he always proclaimed that I was. After the efforts of this challenge, I don't have to ask about it. His response to my new found attitude says it all. I've gone from "I'm a wife not a maid" attitude to "It's my honor and pleasure to serve him." WOW what a drastic difference. He's gone from "couch potato/computer game addicted" to "what can we do together today Honey." That about says it all!

Thanks Christine for all these eye opening weeks of discovery and here's to a life full of such adventures! If ya'll would like to participate or just simply peruse the posts of the many other ladies who have endured this life-changing challenge, click on the photos at the top of this post.

P.S. If you'd like to see some of my progress in praising my Handy Hubby, peruse my blog to see the recent work he's done on our home! He's so HANDY!!!!

My Newest Recipe

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YUMMY DINNER last night!

Crystal-Mountain

She sought solace at the top of the mountain....

Wizzy's Photo Shoot

Yeah... he thinks he's a model.

After... Living Room Floor!

My Handy-Hubby does a fantastic job... doesn't he!

Living Room Before Pictures

No folks... there is nothing wrong with my camera... That's the dust flying! (or do we have orbs?) Ha ha ha. See how the living room and dining room both fit in the dining room? Well... almost!

Blessings Monday

Better late than not at all. I'm having a hard time keeping up with Monday blogging events. When Handy-Hubby is home on a Monday night, we call it a stay-in date night. This was the case this week so I'm a little behind. Not to mention that last night was a big meeting night for me at work.

Anyway, on to recognizing a blessing in my life. This week I am most grateful for the Lord's provision of this past week. We were able to purchase a new refrigerator. The old one has been on the fritz for weeks and just when I thought it was going to work again... forget it! We are having it delivered, so I'm expecting it to arrive sometime on Thursday of this week. YIPPIE!!!! I have not been grocery shopping for about a month because of this. Oh I so can't wait to go grocery shopping... FRESH fruits and veggies are at the top of the list!

The Lord has blessed us also with some extra funds to purchase additional flooring for our living room, which has been in desperate need for a long time. The old carpet was dry-rotted and holding many many years of dust and allergens. My Handy-Hubby is also a blessing because he is so handy at installing the new flooring. Hopefully in a month or two we can afford to get the trim to finish the project. For now... I'm just tickled with the new floor! Some pictures will follow separately.

My niece, Gayle, had a birthday this past Sunday. She's just a little tike. She's named after my Grandmother, whom I posted my first Blessings Monday topic about. Little Gaylie is such the princess. She loves everything GIRLIE. I'm very blessed to have so many little ones in my life. This isn't the best picture of me, but boy is she cute! This is earlier this summer when she fell in the lake while we were visiting at the cottage.

Marci over at Down On The Farm hosts this lovely weekly discussion. Head on over and join us in sharing our blessings!

EAT MORE ICE CREAM

Are you celebrating this ice-cream affair with me? Have you found a fun and exciting way to celebrate?

I had a peanut butter sundae - made at home. I took 2 spoonfuls of peanut butter and smeared them onto the bottom of a custard cup. I nuked it just long enough to make it nice and soft and warm. I topped it with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream. YUMMMMMMY!!!!

I was checking the Bruster's site online. Did you know that if you bring your own banana on Thursdays you can get a banana split for half price? How about... if you have a dog, the give free sundae's for dogs. Little kiddos can get a free baby cone if they aren't over the height requirement. Some stores even host a PJ weekend where you show up in PJs and get a free treat. WOW - who knew all of that!

Can anyone tell that I LOVE ice cream!?

Guess What Today Is????

It's NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY!!!! I'm obviously impressed with such a holiday... a reason to celebrate and what's even better??? It's SUNDAE I mean SUNDAY!!! And that's the day that I allow myself to indulge in this favorite delight of mine.

Would you like to know why Ronald Reagan was cool? HE STARTED THIS CELEBRATION!!!

* Ice cream is a billion dollar industry.

* 9 Percent of milk produced in the United States is used to make

ice cream... Helping out our Dairy Farmers.

* Ice cream is high in Ribloflavin, which is good for healthy hair.

How do I know all this??? Because I used to be the County Dairy Princess!!!! Check it out!!!

What's your favorite flavor? I like a strawberry sundae with chocolate soft-serve ice cream. Or a peanut butter cup sundae with chocolate ice cream. Well folks... I do believe it's time for me to indulge!!! What about you?!

P.S. For a good homemade vanilla ice cream recipe, head over to Scribbit and check it out.

Lovely Hand-made bag! I love it!

Isn't the hand-made bag cute! For a chance to win head on over to Shelly's Journal. She's got some really cool purse type bags she's made and I dig the recent quilts too. I've been thinking about making a quilt... Ah, who am I kidding? As if I have the patience to sew! HA!

I Want to Win This!!!!

RussellWagner.com is giving away an iPod. I NEED this to go with my new Pink Bling earbuds!!!! What are the chances? He's holding the drawing on August 15th, which is just in time for my birthday.

Would you like a chance at it? Head on over and get in on it!

S.M.A.R.T. Habit Saturday

It's time for a spot-check on my efforts with "Smart Habit Saturday." If you visit The Lazy Organizer, you will find some thoughts on habits. She reminds us:

"We all know how strong an influence our habits can be in our lives but have you ever thought of being a slave to them? Are you imprisoned by them? If bad habits are keeping you from reaching your life's goals then you are."

Think about it! It's REALITY folks!!! Who doesn't struggle with something? Addictions are habits. I'm addicted to coffee. (so is my Handy Hubby) If I don't have it, I'm MISERABLE. She's got a point there - good habits are worth the struggle because they are success.

Drumroll please.....................

DRINKING WATER: Doing quite well on this.

DAILY EXERCISE - 20 MINUTES/DAY: Doing well. Hit the treadmill every day this week except for Friday. I'm happy to report that my workout was no less than 25 minutes each. I'm keeping up with the strength training too. I added forward lunges with weights at least 2 days.

RELAX - 20 MINUTES/DAY: 5/7 days YES! That's pretty good for me.

EAT MORE VEGGIES: I'm tracking 4-5 servings per day. 5/7 days is pretty good for me!

FOCUSED HOUSE-WORK: 20 MINUTES/DAY: 2/7 I'm ashamed to say. This week has been one of those work-late every day kind of weeks.

READ 3 HEALTH-RELATED ARTICLES/DAY: 3/7 which is so-so I guess.

HOME COOKED MEALS 3 DAYS/WEEK: 3 days Wahoo! I would have beat this, but our fridge is on the fritz and the new one isn't coming until Thursday, plus... Handy Hubby is in the midst of a home improvement project that is taking over our home at the moment.

MORNING DEVOTIONS DAILY: YES. I subscribe to the online version of "Our Daily Bread."

PRAISE AND PRAYER WALKS 20 MINUTES/DAY: 5/7 while walking, but 7/7 overall. God is so good!!!

STRENGTH TRAINING: I'm about half way on this one. I haven't been doing the evening training as much this week. 5/7 on the morning though. I'm also doing crunches and stretches.

I think I'm going to stick with those for now. I'm also working on honoring my husband, but that is a separate challenge. None the less, I'm working on making that habitual too. There are so many blessings to be had by achieving all these healthy habits!!!

I'm doing some tracking with Joe's Goals. He's got a free tracker... See it in my sidebar? It's really easy to use.

To join us in SMART Habit Saturday, head on over to The Lazy Organizer.

WaHoooooo!!!! I won something!!!!

Remember: "Look Out Ladies... Pink Bling Is What It's All About"? Well guess what... I won the Pink Bling!!!! I'm so pumped right now!!! Love it Love it Love it!!!!

Many many thanks to the host, Kailani over at An Island Review for hosting this saweet give-away. I've been a regular reader for about a month now... obviously one of my new faves!

What??? YOU want to win something??? We'll you've got to play to win! Head on over to An Island Review and get in on some of the upcoming fun!

For a glimpse into Kailani's life, check out An Island Life. And if you have tiny ones or nursing mothers in your life who would benefit from some really cute personalized baby stuff, check out Island Baby Boutique. She's got some sweet embroidery to choose from - Personally I like the "Sweat Pea" design.

Yippie... I can't wait to get my new bling!

Another Home Improvement Project

Keith is embarking upon yet another home-improvement project today. Anyone want to guess what he's up to? I'm so proud... he's definitely earned the "Handy Hubby" award!

This Is A Very Special Day

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ESSIE!!!

DID YOU GET A DELIVERY?