Read. Write. Mom!

More Fall Goodness

Posted on October 17, 2022October 24, 2022 by Mandy

Happy Monday! I’m back with more Fall goodness to start the week. I snap pictures of things throughout each week and I use them to jog my memory on what to blog about. Some weeks are a little busier than others and I forget things. I’m glad my phone camera can help me out!

New Placemats

I picked up four new placemats for our dining room table. Yep, the Dollar General Queen strikes again! Haha! I loved these because they had a little light blue in them, and that’s what color my everyday table cloth is.

I also picked up the fabric pumpkin in the center of the white bowl you see. I thought they were cute. I think each placemat was $2, and the pumpkin was $6. Not a bad price to add to our fall decor.

Ice Cream Dates

So the Teen and I mayyyyyy have had a couple of ice cream dates after school this last week. We have a fairly new ice cream shop near my mom’s neighborhood, which is only a few blocks from where we live, so we popped in a couple of times this last week.

They have the most amazing chocolate ice cream! The people who run it are so friendly, and I look forward to afternoons when we can have a little after-school treat.

Planner Obsessed

A few years ago, I wrote about how I had purchased a new planner and was obsessed with putting cute stickers in it. Well, I found my little storage tub of planner stickers I had printed off, and ohhhhh my. I spent a couple of hours on Friday printing off some seasonal stickers to add to the planner I use now. The planner I use now is The Passionate Penny Pincher Planner, and I love everything about it. Planners are super personal, and I am picky about mine. However, a Facebook ad popped up for this particular planner when I was in the hospital last December recovering from a heart attack. I took a chance and ordered it and have been so pleased ever since! When you order, you can even get editable and printable version files sent to you by email.

So, I discovered my obsession with planner stickers again and set up my weekly layouts for the next few weeks. It’s not the best lighting, I know.

If you love planner printables, you can find a ton on Pinterest. Feel free to follow my Pinterest board for more ideas.

Baby Kittens & Leaves

And finally, a random backyard kitten and leaf pic! Ha!

I call this little one Cow Pal because his/her (I’m not sure because they are feral) black and white cow coloring reminds me of a dairy cow.

This leaf landed on our patio table, and it was huge! I wish I could have held my hand beside it for comparison, but it’s hard to do that and take a picture simultaneously.

Well, that’s all I’ve got for a Monday morning. The Teen has a school function we must attend this evening, but other than that, it should be a pretty quiet week. Hope everyone is doing well!

Life Got Busy

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Mandy

Life got busy all of a sudden! I feel much better, so I’ve been enjoying a few things here lately. I thought I’d share these great memories here to reflect on them someday.

Back To School

I went back to work on Tuesday! But not to work. My former principal texted me to see if I could make it to a grand celebration at the school. I was the testing coordinator for our school last year, and the kids knocked it out of the park!

Our school received an A rating (a score of 574) on their state testing for the first time. Our little school was ranked number 16 in the state of Mississippi! They have had many fun activities this week, and I was invited to the awards ceremony.

To say I have missed my students and coworkers would be a HUGE understatement. I think about them every single day. As soon as the kids saw me, they went nuts! Haha! I must have hugged every single one of them. It was amazing to see everyone, and I even came home with a plaque in appreciation for my efforts in helping testing run smoothly. I am SO stinkin’ proud of these kids. It was so great to be back just for a couple of hours.

BINGO

My aunt and uncle from Tennessee have been in town this week, and on Tuesday evening, we joined them and my mom for a night out at Lost Pizza. It’s a super fun local pizza place, and on Tuesday nights, they play BINGO.

We didn’t win anything, but we had such a great time. I can’t wait to go back and do this again soon. Even the Teen enjoyed himself.

Getting Better

I finally went to the clinic last week to ensure pneumonia wasn’t setting in after our house was hit by the big virus that shall not be named a few weeks ago. It turns out I had bronchitis. A few meds later, I am finally feeling human again and on the mend. We’re all still hanging on to this terrible cough, though. I guess it will go away eventually.

It finally feels great to be feeling better and to be able to get out into the world again and enjoy some fun things.

October Fall Home Decor and Happenings

Posted on October 3, 2022October 2, 2022 by Mandy

Whew! I know I promised a few October Fall Home Decor pictures a few weeks back, and then the big C hit our home, and well, things just went crazy for a little while there. I haven’t done as much decorating as I had originally wanted to. I haven’t even pulled out most of the fall decor, but we will get there eventually. The nice thing about decorating for fall is that you can leave it up for three months…September, October, and November.

October Fall Home Decor

First up is the mantle. And yes, those are Beanie Babies you see sitting up there. I put a few Halloween ones up there today, but it was only three of them, so you aren’t missing much. I started collecting Beanie Babies in 1997. I was an avid collector until about 2002, and then life got busy, etc. I packed them in large plastic storage totes and mostly forgot about them. Over the July 4 holiday this year, they crossed my mind, and I wanted to see them again, so hubby dug them out of storage, and I fell in love all over again. I was mostly only crazy about the bears. Then it hit me that these would be sort of cute to decorate with for the different holidays, so here they sit! Ha!

And if it looks like our mantle is a little off-center, it kind of is. We live in an MCM (midcentury modern) house. Our fireplace has more brick space on one side than the other, and it’s just weird. I’d love to get some fall leaves and little lights to weave into the mantle decor, but I’m unsure if I could pull it off. It looks busy enough. Anyway, moving along…

I picked up several of these little signs at Dollar General, and this one sits on our front entrance table. They were so stinking cute and only $1 each. If I see some Christmas ones, I will definitely be grabbing them. The little pumpkin garland underneath my mantle and the two beaded little pumpkin hangers on each end were both from Dollar General as well. I think I told you before about how I can’t resist inexpensive little decor items from Dollar General.

Around The House

We’ve just pretty much been in recovery mode for the last two weeks. When I was not resting, I tried to keep up with my Bible reading. I love to pour a hot cup of coffee, curl up in the big recliner and read my Bible.

I use a Miles Kimball Bible Dry Liter to highlight verses that really speak to me. I’ve tried several Bible highlighters in the past, and this one is the only one I’ve found that doesn’t bleed through the pages. I put these on my Christmas wish list because I go through quite a few. My goal was to read the entire Bible this past year, and I have failed miserably. I’m still in the Old Testament, but that’s ok. I just keep trucking along.

Meals have been sort of “snacky,” like this “charcuterie bowl” I love making and eating. I still don’t have my sense of taste and smell back fully, so just eating little snacks has been fine with me. The Teen just says his food tastes funny, and I think Hubby is ok now. I hope maybe by the end of this week, this will be a bad memory. I sure do miss the good food and smelling things!

But, before I got sick, my mama cooked for the Teen and me one night, and she had this delicious chicken, potatoes, and cheese casserole. She picked it up at one of the little take-and-bake shops downtown. It was heavenly!

That’s the sort of food I miss being able to taste so much! Nothing like warm comfort food on the chilly nights we’ve been having!

Cooler Weather

Our weather has been absolutely beautiful but a little chilly in the mornings and evenings. The wind has picked up just about every day, so it makes it feel cooler than it really is. I’ve had to break out my plush, comfy robe for feeding the kitties in the backyard each morning. I was so ready for the cooler temps, but then it hits you when you wake up to a cooler house each morning! I’m not ready for the COLD winter temperatures, but this is nice for now. It makes it feel even more like Fall. I looked back into my archives from last October and decided I need to get some fall-colored mums again. Those purple mums were so beautiful last year!

I hope to be venturing out into the world this week. I have been cooped up here at home for two weeks, and I miss going out to lunch, popping into Dollar General, and visiting with my mama. We’ve been Facetiming, and she finally got to visit us Saturday. I usually stop by her house several mornings a week after school drop-off. My aunt is usually over there too, and I miss visiting with her as well. We sure do take everyday things for granted sometimes.

Well, That Escalated Quickly!

Posted on September 27, 2022 by Mandy

When we last left off over a week ago, hubby had been diagnosed with that STUFF. I was feeling pretty good about being prepared for this and quickly went to caring for him, making him comforting meals, and keeping the house going.

Well.

By late that Sunday night, I got extremely cold. I had to go take a hot bath at 2 AM because I couldn’t warm up. The bath seemed to help, and I could settle into bed and sleep. I had grand intentions of being up super early to watch Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. However, when my alarm went off, all I could do was pull up the funeral on my phone and prop it on a pillow beside me while I drifted in and out of sleep. My head was killing me, and my body hurt so badly. Once I was able to get up, I went and tested myself, and sure enough…I was positive, too. Monday was pretty miserable. By then, hubby could rally a little more, so I spent most of that day in bed. By Wednesday, the Teen was positive.

It’s been a heck of a little more than a week. Hubby is back at work, but he still has a horrible cough. The Teen and I are still at home. We both have a horrible cough, and hubby and I have lost our sense of taste and smell. That’s been the miserable part of this…here it is Fall, and all I want is to cook some great comfort food and fire up my autumn candles…and I can’t taste or smell anything! Ugh!

So, I’m trying to be patient and rest. I pushed more than I should have this past week, determined not to let this get me down. By Sunday, I was really feeling the lack of rest and could tell I needed to slow down. So, for the past few days, I have done a couple of loads of laundry, and I have been napping or watching a little TV the rest of the time. I’ve also read a little as well. I’ve had plenty of time just to sit and think. I’ve been thinking about the holidays and making little mental notes to remember. You know, just real earth-shattering stuff.

I’m so ready to be well and be able to leave the house. The Teen is trying to keep up with his assignments from home as much as possible. I hate that he has missed so much school, but it is what it is. I know the norm now is to isolate for five days, but I don’t see how anyone is over this mess in five days. I’m on day nine and still feel rough.

So, this is just a check-in, I guess. I’m still reading blogs and trying to keep up with my favorite people. I’d also urge you to make sure you stay stocked up on over-the-counter medications, soups, electrolyte drinks, and disinfecting supplies. Two years later, this stuff is still hanging around. I’m still amazed that it finally caught up to us this late. I’m just thankful it hasn’t been any worse. Take care out there!

A Damper on the Weekend

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Mandy

We didn’t have big plans this weekend, but I was still looking forward to finishing getting my fall decor out and a couple of little repair projects I needed hubby’s help with. However, it didn’t sound good when he called me on his way home Friday morning. He complained of a sore throat and said he felt tired and his body hurt. He was even planning to go immediately to the clinic once he got in, so I knew he must be feeling bad.

A few hours later, it was confirmed…it was THAT stuff that has been going around for a couple of years now.

Our son had it last year. So, when hubby texted me from the clinic to let me know, I immediately went into fight mode and pulled out the necessary medicines, electrolyte drinks, and chicken noodle soup. I am so thankful I had this on hand, so I didn’t have to go out and round it all up and could concentrate on making him comfortable.

Hubby is doing pretty well. He still has an appetite, but his cough sounds terrible. It sounds like a croupy bark, and he is losing his voice. He’s also been napping more often. I’m playing nurse, making sure he eats and takes his meds on schedule. We are sleeping in separate rooms, and I’m trying to keep a little distance as much as possible. I’m also spraying Lysol and wiping things down like nobody’s business. Ha!

I’ve been so fortunate that even after caring for the Teen when he had it and working all around it at work, I still haven’t had it. And I pray I do not. So far, so good.

Printable Halloween Coloring Page

Posted on September 15, 2022 by Mandy

It’s almost time for pumpkins, ghosts, and all things spooky! This free printable Halloween coloring page features a cute cat with jack-o-lanterns and bats.

This Halloween coloring page is great for little ones or people of all ages and will print out a nice, full-sized picture to color. Grab your favorite crayons or markers and have fun creating Halloween memories! Coloring is a fun, calming activity! If you’re looking for some quiet time fun, this coloring page is perfect for the classroom or even at home. Click here to download it.

Looking for even more Halloween fun? Check out these posts for great ideas on Halloween snacks and crafts to keep the spooky fun going.

Halloween Snacks

These collections of Halloween snacks are perfect for Halloween parties or just to enjoy at home or in the classroom!

Halloween Crafts

Halloween crafts are also fun to get you into the spirit of the spooky season. Take a look at some of these and give them a try at home!

Halloween Plans

Do you have big plans for Halloween this year? Our family looks forward to handing out candy. We get tons of trick-or-treaters each year, and we have to start early with candy buying! This year we will be purchasing our candy in bulk to help save as much money as possible. Last year we went through two big plastic tubs full, and we anticipate that amount being a lot more this year! Our son has outgrown trick-or-treating, but our whole family loves to hand out candy and see all of the cute costumes. My husband even gets dressed up sometimes. He is still trying to decide on his costume for this. I’m undecided as to whether I will dress up or not.

Whatever you choose to do, be safe and have fun! Happy Halloween!

Learning How To Be a Homemaker

Posted on September 13, 2022July 9, 2023 by Mandy

I’m 48 years old and finally learning how to be a homemaker. I thought once I was no longer working, I would have the time and energy to be 100% devoted to keeping our home, cooking better meals, and just having our house in order. I didn’t factor in how my health would impact these lofty goals and plans.

This is not my first rodeo being a homemaker. Sixteen years ago, I left my first job in education and decided to stay home with our then two-year-old son. That’s when this blog was born! During that time, I felt like I was in survival mode. We struggled financially without my salary, and our son was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder a year later. Each day was spent keeping the laundry going and meals going, and in quite a bit of loneliness as my husband was an over-the-road truck driver, and we only saw him every two weeks for four days at a time. My son eventually started kindergarten, and I went back to work full-time, and life has been a whirlwind ever since. I don’t really feel like I ever mastered homemaking during that crazy but wonderful time.

I Want To Come Home

When my health started declining six years ago, I would be at work dreaming of being a homemaker again. I was truly burning the candle at both ends. Work was exhausting. My days started at 4 AM, waking up in plenty of time to get myself ready, get the teen up and going, and leave the house at 6:45 for the 20-minute commute to be at work before 7:30. If it were Friday, I’d have to be on duty in the school cafeteria at 7 AM. I’d arrive home by 4 PM most days, tired and pushing to get through the evening routine of preparing a meal, making sure the laundry was kept going, spending time with my kid, and then going to bed to do it all over again.

In my mind, If I could just be at home, I was going to do everything 100% better. Our house would be spotless, I could have delicious meals waiting when hubby arrived home, and I wouldn’t have to feel so pulled in so many directions in life.

The Reality of Being a Homemaker

So how’s that working out for me?

Well. I’d like to say the house is spotless and decluttered, and meal plans are made. In reality, I’m struggling and mad at myself and wondering why I just can’t seem to get it together already! Naturally, I turned to Google to seek out homemaker blogs and see how other women were managing to do it all in their homes. I have been reading quite a lot of these blogs, and I suddenly had an epiphany.

I’m pretty sure I know the root of this confusion. I don’t have any set routines beyond the daily carpool duty. I’m bad about staying up late to watch YouTube videos or read blogs. I also tend to want to tackle cleaning in one fell swoop instead of chunking tasks into different days. I don’t have any goals. I mean, before deciding to stay home, my main goal was just to make it through each day. I don’t have a plan, and I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

So, Now What?

So now I have a plan. I’m researching how to be a homemaker. I’m listening to homemaking podcasts. I have a goal to complete a couple of fall cleaning and decluttering challenges that I’ve found from some other bloggers kind enough to share their routines and methods for maintaining their homes. I’m excited to start, and I will share my progress here on the blog.

With that being said, what’s your best homemaking tip?

The Weekend in Review

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Mandy

I was really looking forward to this past weekend. I had big plans of welcoming hubby home from the road, us running a few errands, and digging out the rest of the fall decor. I still have a plastic tub of fall things I want to put out in the house, and I needed my hubby’s help. He managed to make it in early Friday morning, and we promptly set out for lunch and errands.

We decided on a newish spot for lunch called Darry’s. It’s in a little town just down the road from us, probably a mile or so. My mom grew up in this small town, and my grandmother lived there until she came to live with my mom after my dad died. Here is my handsome lunch date!

We decided to get an appetizer and chose the smothered fried green tomatoes. Turns out, they are smothered with crawfish etouffee, and it was THE MOST delicious thing I’ve had in a while! We were both blown away by how good these were and can’t wait to go back for more!

We both got the plate lunch, and it was pretty good. They have different menus for each day of the week, and Friday was catfish or BBQ chicken breast. We have catfish quite often, so we went with the BBQ chicken.

The restaurant itself is really cute. The front part where we dined has a diner vibe going on, but the rest of the restaurant that is open during the evening is more refined and nicer. It also has a fabulous bar area.

We enjoyed our lunch and will definitely be back again for that appetizer! I talked hubby into a trip to this little town’s Dollar General afterward. I spotted a beautiful beaded fall garland at the store near our home, but when I decided I wanted it and went back to get it, it was gone. I wanted to see if this Dollar General had it, but they didn’t either. I ended up buying a different garland, which looks nice, but I hate missing out on the beaded one. Maybe I will run across it again at another store.

The rest of the weekend just went downhill, unfortunately. I woke up Saturday morning with some sort of stomach issue. I’ll spare the details, but I thought I was darn near dehydration, and all I could do was sleep and sleep and sleep! I was so bummed because I wanted to finish getting out the fall decor, but I didn’t have the strength, and I felt terrible. Hubby, bless his heart, stepped up, finished his laundry, and ensured he and the Teen ate.

I finally managed to rally on Sunday morning to see hubby off to work and get a few things done around the house. I was so glad to be feeling better, but it felt like my whole weekend was pretty much gone, and it was. But hubby should be back tomorrow, at least for the night, and we have to finish up some things around the house this upcoming weekend.

This morning I dropped the Teen off at school, visited with my mom and aunt, ran to the bank, and then ran to get some air put in my tire. I had a low-pressure sensor to come on in the car. I’m so thankful for our last standing full-service gas station in our small town. I’m not really good with car issues, so they are so great to always help me out with my tire issues when they come up, and my hubby isn’t here.

I’m off to start a new project that I’ll write more about soon. Hope you have a fantastic Monday!