Thursday, February 28, 2019

Friday Favorites Linky Party - March 1, 2019

Welcome to March!  Hope you enjoy all the goodness today!

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:
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Jennifer at Busy Being Jennifer - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - February 28, 2019

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  Can you believe that today is the last day of February?!?  This year seems to be flying by.

Today I thinking out loud (consumed really) about our Spring Training trip that is right around the corner.  Literally, it begins tomorrow and I'm so excited about it I'm flat out giddy!   I can hardly wait to feel the warm sun shining on my face.  When we leave St. Louis at the crack of dawn Friday, the temperature is supposed to be in the 20s here.  When we arrive in Florida, in the 70s.  See why I'm so excited!


This year we're lucky enough to be going down with a couple of friends.   I'm sure a good time will be had by all!  My Kindle is loaded with books and I slipped the Qwixx game in our suitcase just in case we have some free time to play.


Speaking of suitcase,  I might have made an error.  We are flying Frontier and you pay for every piece of luggage you take on the plane rather it's checked or carried on.  I was extremely optimistic when booking the flight and thought for sure Eric and I could share a suitcase.  What was I thinking?!?  I'm such an over packer, so this is going to be a bit of a challenge.  Thank goodness I have my packing cubes and I bought Eric a set for Christmas.  They might just be our saving grace!  If you have any another packing secrets, please let me know.


Now I'm off to finish getting ready.  Tonight we're going to see Gone With The Wind at the theater so I need to get my trip stuff done early.  I'm sure I'll be thinking about our trip the entire 220 minutes of the film!

What are you thinking out loud about today?  Link up and share!

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Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - February 27, 2019

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop
Welcome to our party! Wow, February is going by quick. Am I the only one who gets caught by surprise? LOL! In keeping with the "time flies when you are having fun" theme, let's get right into our final party for February 2019. Last week's party was fabulous. Here are the posts that you, our readers, viewed most ...  

Most Viewed

Very Popular

The organizers that make organizing FUN! #tips
   
Lovely living room refresh #homedecor
Tips for shopping estate sales from a pro

Editor's Pick

 

So now let's get this week's party started!
Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop

This week please follow our co-hosts on Pinterest…

Simple party guidelines >>­
  • Please TWEET our party ♥
  • Add as many of your family-friendly posts as you would like to. No Etsy shops, adult sites or blog parties, please.
  • Visit others. Let them know you stopped by!
  • If you are NEW to Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop, let us know in the comments so that we can follow you back. ♥ Help us find your posts – tell us the title.
  • NOTE: party entries appear in REVERSE. i.e. the most recent entry goes to the top! That way all of our guests will have a chance to be seen no matter when they arrive.
  • Thanks! ♥

Monday, February 25, 2019

Weekending - February 22, 2019

Happy Monday!  I've got a bit of an Oscar hangover this morning.  I was up past my bedtime watching all the stars enjoying their evening.  But it was so worth it!

I took a vacation day on Friday and worked around the house until my friend Linda rolled into town in the afternoon.  We were planning to celebrate everything Oscar so I decided to doll up the house a bit with some Oscar decorations.




Since Friday was National Margarita Day, we immediately headed to Chevy's to celebrate the holiday.  Never waste a reason to enjoy a margarita!


Movies were the theme of the weekend and we watched a total of five before the Oscars aired Sunday night.  Friday night we checked BlacKkKlansman.  The best picture nominated film was one neither of us had seen and was available on Amazon.  I found it to be entertaining, but didn't see it winning in the Best Picture category.

Image result for blackkklansman

During the course of the night, Linda got a call that one of her dear friends who was bravely battling cancer had fallen into a coma and didn't have much longer here with us.  A life leaving us way too soon.  Another example of why we should live each day to the fullest because we truly never know when our time here will end.  She and her family were in our thoughts and prayers throughout the weekend.  I'll be keeping Linda in my prayers because I know what it's like to say goodbye to a close friend way before you should have to.  Please hug your friends and tell them how much they mean to you.  You never know what the future will hold and when it will be too late to tell them what they mean to you.

Saturday we added The Wife to our watch list.  Eric and I had seen it, but Linda hadn't and we definitely liked it enough to see it a second time.  This movie seemed to disappear from our theaters really fast so we had rented it from Amazon.  We totally understood why Glenn Close was nominated for Actress in a Leading Role.  Overall, we loved this movie!  If you haven't seen it, definitely worth adding to your list.

Image result for the wife

Ian and Kayla popped in before we had to leave for our dinner reservations and we were able to work in playing a couple games of Splendor and Qwixx.  Both fun games!


When we got home from dinner at Cooper's Hawk, we settled back into our seats on the couch to watch Can You Ever Forgive Me?  Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant play out the tale of Lee Israel's forging and selling personal letters from celebrities.  We like this one too and I would suggest adding it to your list of you've not seen it.

Image result for can you ever forgive me

Before calling it a night, we got in one more movie - First Man.  I think Eric liked this movie more than Linda and I did.  Honestly, it wasn't one of my favorites.  Did you see it?  Like it?

Image result for first man

Sunday morning we tried the chocolate croissants from Trader's Joe at the suggestion of my daughter-in-law.  OH.MY.GOODNESS!  They were perfection!  So glad Kayla mentioned them and we will definitely be having these again.  Kept in the freezer, you set them out the night before and let them rise for 9 hours.  Then pop them in the oven for 20-25 minutes and they are ready to go.  YUM!


Linda and I scooted out of the house early to catch Green Book at the theater.  So worth a second watch!  Can totally, totally understand why this was chosen as the 2019 Best Picture.  This movie made us laugh, brought us to tears and held every emotion in between.  Loved it!

Image result for green book

After doing a little shopping (and you should see the fabulous mirror I bought!) we were in our sweats and on the couch by 2:30 pm to settle in for the Oscars.  No joke - we set up a card table in the family room, piled it with food and had the best evening.  We even watched the after party coverage on E!.  Hope this becomes a tradition for us!

Now it's Monday and I'm sad the fun weekend is over.  The good news is we have another fun weekend coming up in a few days that I need to get ready for.  Pop back in later and I'll fill you in on what we're doing!

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Thursday, February 21, 2019

Five on Friday - February 22, 2019

Hey there - happy Friday!  This week went by in a blur and I'm happy to say that I'm taking a vacation day today to get caught up a bit on the home front.  I got a list of things to do a mile long and deep in my heart I know I'll probably only scratch the surface.  Regardless, I'm excited to have the whole day to work through the list and get some things accomplished!

One item on the list is to publish my Five on Friday, so here's to the first check on the list ~

1.  McDonald's Shamrock Shake
It's back!  McDonald's famous Shamrock Shake is here now through March 24 at some locations.  Do you love this minty green milkshake?  You can find out where the Shamrock Shake is available by using the McDonald's app.

Related image

2.  Tab Divider Sticky Notes
I love writing in notebooks, but sometimes I have a hard time finding information on a certain page.  Not a problem when using these sticky note tab dividers!  You can flip through your notebook and find what you're looking for with ease.  Pick some up for yourself and let the organizing begin!




3.  e.l.f. Makeup Remover Eraser
Man, some mornings I have a hard time getting my eye liner on just right.  The e.l.f.  Makeup Remover Eraser is what I need!  It quickly removes makeup smudges, smears and mistakes without taking off the rest of your makeup.  I'm thinking I'll also get one to pop in my purse in case I have a smear throughout the day.  It's even infused with vitamin E, cucumber and chamomile to to moisturize and condition skin.  You can get yours HERE.


4.  Grammy Nominees 2019 CD
Every year I pick up the Grammy Nominees CD and this year's version is currently on it's way to me.  Soon I'll be jamming to the 22 songs included in the 2019 release!  I like having all these various artists best songs from the year combined in one CD.  Click HERE if you would like to add this CD to your music library.

2019 GRAMMY Nominees

5.  Realization....


Okay guys - I'm off to conquer more items on my to do list.  We have a friend coming for the weekend and are looking forward to having a fun few days.  Sunday we'll be camped out on the couch watching the Oscars.  Let's hope the host-free show is one of the best ever!  Pop in next week to see how it went down.

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Friday Favorite Linky Party - February 22, 2019

It's Friday!  Time for some Friday Favorites.

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:
Jerri at Simply Sweet Home - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Lisa at Condo Blues - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Penny at Penny's Passion - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst
Kelly at Under a Texas Sky - Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL
Jennifer at Busy Being Jennifer - Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst
If you are featured this week, be sure and grab a featured button for your blog!
You can show your love for this week's favorites by going over and commenting on the posts and by pinning or sharing!
And if you love all of this week's favorites, please pin, share, and invite your friends to this week's linky party!

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - February 21, 2019

Hey guys - happy Thursday!  It's time for another edition of Thinking Out Loud.  Today I'm thinking about the Oscars and how excited I am to watch the show this Sunday!


I'm not going to lie - I love the Oscars!  I love trying to watch all the movies nominated for awards.  I love hearing all the predictions and speculations leading up to the big show.  I love watching all the beautiful dresses parade down the red carpet.  I just love it all!

Eric and I try to see all the movies nominated for Best Picture.  This year eight movies were nominated ~
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Roma
Green Book
A Star is Born
Vice


We've seen six of the eight.  The two we've missed are Roma (available on Netflix) and BlacKkKlansman (available on Amazon Video).  How many do you have crossed off your list?  With a lot of luck, I'll be able to watch the remaining two and get them crossed off my list just in time for the curtain to go up on the show.

The actual show itself has been a hot mess this year.  The Academy has made a couple decisions that have been quickly overturned and then there's the whole Kevin Hart withdrawing as the host.  This will be the first year since 1989 that the show has no host.  Sadly, the 1989 show is commonly known as the worst Oscars ever.  Man, let's hope they've learned a thing or two over the last 30 years and the 2019 show won't be the new worst show ever!

If you would like to record your predictions of who will win, use the printable ballot found HERE.  I've got my printed and ready to go!

                                2019 Oscar Ballot Free Printable by TumbleweedPress.Co

Some of the highlights I'm most looking forward to is seeing the newly single Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sing Shallow together, Barbra Streisand present a Best Picture nomination and hopefully seeing Queen take the stage.  

So that's what I'm thinking out loud about today.  What's on your mind?  Link up and share!


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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop - February 20, 2019

Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop
Welcome to our blog party! So, what is a blog hop, anyway? For our new visitors who may be wondering what this is all about, a blog hop is a showcase where bloggers share links to their most recent work. Blog hops are filled with inspired ideas. There are the yummiest recipes, creative crafts, fun kids activities, trendy fashions, parent & family advice, money saving tips and on and on. Blog hops have something for EVERYBODY! At Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop we love to share the posts that our guests visited the most as features at our next party. So, let's take a look at this week's favorites ...

Most Viewed

My farmhouse makeover

Very Popular


DIY Valentines Day Gnomes
 
 

Editor's Pick


Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop


  So let's get this party started!  
Welcome to Colleen of Bakes & Blunders to our February guest host team!
Blog Hop guest co hosts

This week, why don't you stop by some of our blogs and follow them by email! Our THREE guest hosts - Colleen, Brittany & Tara - are listed FIRST!
Simple party guidelines >>­
  • Please TWEET our party ♥
  • Add as many of your family-friendly posts as you would like to. No Etsy shops, adult sites or blog parties, please.
  • Visit others. Let them know you stopped by!
  • If you are NEW to Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop, let us know in the comments so that we can follow you back. ♥ Help us find your posts – tell us the title.
  • NOTE: party entries appear in REVERSE. i.e. the most recent entry goes to the top! That way all of our guests will have a chance to be seen no matter when they arrive.
  • Thanks! ♥

Monday, February 18, 2019

Weekending - February 17, 2019

Hello Monday!  I know some of you are enjoying the holiday today, but it's back to work for me.  This weekend was definitely blog worthy!  Here's how it went down ~

Eric sent me the most gorgeous roses for Valentine's Day and I enjoyed looking at them on my desk at work so much!  The deep pink color was just beautiful and the smell definitely put a smile on my face.


Just as predicted, Friday afternoon the snow began to fall and getting home from work was a challenge.  After a stressful drive home for both Eric and I, we hung out of the couch and caught up on The Bachelor.  I swear, I have no idea why we keep watching that train wreck.  But we do, so if you need to know anything about Colton, just ask.

Remember back in January when I talked about my 2019 goals (HERE)?  Well, Saturday morning I checked off one item - I took a photography class.  It was a basic get to know your camera class, but was definitely worth the two hours of my life.  Now I'm anxious to take the next level class.

The moment the class ended, I hopped in my car and raced to Jefferson City to meet up with three of my sorority sisters.  We were meeting at my friend Donna's house.  Our friend Terri had traveled in from Seattle and Linda had driven from Kansas City.  The four of us were excited to catch up and have some girl time together!  Donna was a gracious hostess and had the cutest goody bags waiting for us upon arrival.


We had some lunch and then headed out to visit a few of her favorite stores around Jefferson City.  Our first stop, The Schaefer House, was full of adorable items and I could have spent hours just browsing their inventory.  I did walk away with a couple cute Norma Fleming minis to go with the platter I received for Christmas.  I can't wait to reveal those to you in a future post!  If you are anywhere near the Jeff City area, stopping at the Schaefer House should be on your list of things to do! 


Next we ventured to the South Bank Gift Company.  What really caught my eye in this store was their selection of chalk and milk paints.  I've been wanting to paint an old dresser I have in my closet and seeing their selection of colors lit a fire in my belly.  But don't think paint is the only thing they have in this store - it is full of unique gifts, cards, jewelry and so much more!

Southbank

We hit up the Hallmark store located across the street from South Back Gift Company before loading up in the car again.  Donna gave us a quick little tour of the town and we stopped in front of the Governor's Mansion for a selfie to commemorate us being together.


We wrapped up the evening with games and wine.  Donna and Terri had made the best soup earlier in the day and it was waiting for us in the Crockpot when we got back to Donna's house.  She shared the recipe with me and I'll have to share it with you because it was delicious.  As a bonus, it was also healthy!

Most of the evening was spent playing Splendor.  If you're looking for a new family friendly game, look no further!  It's available HERE.  This game is for 2-4 players, ages 10 and up.  It takes approximately 30 minutes to play a game.  We took a bit longer per game because we were so busy chatting!
Splendor

Oh - and there was cake!!  The evening was made even more special when Donna whipped out a couple cakes she purchased from AC Mini Cakes located in Columbia, Missouri.  I'll let this picture speak for itself.  Yes, the cake tasted as delicious as it looks!


Sunday morning we woke up and headed straight to the dining room table to play more Splendor while enjoying fabulous home made cinnamon rolls from another local Jeff City store called Amie B. and The Orchid Emporium.  The beautiful thing, besides the taste, of these rolls is a portion of the proceeds benefits a women's ministry.


Since I had spent most of the weekend away from home, Eric was a real trooper and took the Amtrak train to Jefferson City on Sunday morning so we could spend a little time together on the drive home.  Before leaving town, we all went to Mel's Country Cafe for lunch.  Delicious!


On the way home, we stopped at my parents for a bit.  Our great nephew was also paying them a visit so we got to see him as well.  This little guy is just the cutest!


Monday morning came way too fast!  We have a busy week ahead so I'm sure it will fly by.  I'm looking forward to my friend Linda visiting me next weekend so we can enjoy the Oscars together.  Hope your Monday is off to a great start!  See you soon!

Friday, February 15, 2019

Five on Friday - February 15, 2019

Hello friends!  It's Friday and we all know that means it's time for another Five on Friday.  So with no further ado, here they are ~

1.  National Random Acts of Kindness Day
Sunday is the day to spread some unexpected niceness because it's National Random Act of Kindness Day!  Need some ideas of things to do?  How about picking up some litter at your local park.  Pay for the person in front of you at a drive through.  Send some coloring books and crayons to a children's hospital or group home.  Leave some change at a vending machine.  Use your imagination -- there are hundreds of great acts of kindness!  Let Sunday be the day you do a few of them.
    NATIONAL RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY รข€“ February 17
Last Friday, Meghan Trainor released her second EP called The Love Train and it's great!  Six of her love songs all wrapped together for 20 minutes of your listening pleasure.  One of the songs, Marry Me, was the tune she used while walking down the aisle in her recent wedding to Daryl Sabara.  Each song has a unique sound and I love them all!  Click HERE to download them for yourself.

                           I'M DOWN

3.  Super Soul Conversations
If you're not busy Saturday night at 8:00 pm Eastern time, you might want to tune in to Oprah's Super Soul Conversations from Times Square on OWN.  The lineup is pretty fantastic and includes Bradley Cooper!  Bradley talks about making his directorial debut with "A Star is Born" and reveals what all the accolades really mean to him.  Others she will be sitting down with include Michael B. Jordan, Beto O'Rourke, Melinda Gates and Lisa Borders.  

Image result for oprah winfrey conversation with bradley cooper

4.  Toy Story Ice Cream
You may have heard that Pixar's Toy Story 4 is coming out this summer.  To get us all ready Edy's has introduced two new flavors of ice cream which are hitting the stores any minute.  Keep you eye out for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Midway Mash-Up and Cinnamon Churro Carnival Combo flavors!  And if you have a kid's birthday party to plan and are thinking of using a Toy Story theme, these containers would fit in perfectly!

toy story 4 ice cream flavors pixar edy's

5.  Advice....

Image may contain: text, outdoor and nature

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the snow they are predicting doesn't amount to much because I'm hoping to head to Jefferson City tomorrow for some girlfriend time. Isn't it time for winter to be over?!? Hope you have a great weekend and I'll see you back here next week.

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