My Friend Jane

Sorry I've been a little MIA this week.  Something happened on Sunday that made time stop for me.  While sitting in church, I saw my friend Jane's sister, Julie, was calling.  Jane had been bravely battling cancer for months so I stepped out to take the call.  My spirits lifted when I first saw my phone light up because I thought the call was Julie telling me Jane was up for a visit, but instead she delivered the news that Jane had gone to heaven that morning.

Me and Jane

Our friendship was one that had developed over many years.  Jane and I worked at the same company and over time began doing things beyond our 9-5 togetherness.  We had some amazing girls weekend trips together and she was always up for a concert or sporting event.  Whatever we were doing or wherever we were going, you just knew it would be a good time.  Don't you just love friends like that!

My friend Jane had some very unique facets. For example, she knew all the US Presidents and could recite them IN ORDER.  She was a runner and had completed more than one half marathon.  Despite being a little bit germophobic, she loved dogs and would often let them lick her face and lay all over her.  The best part, Jane was FUN.  Her quick wit and humor always added levity to the situation.

Debbie, Jane and Me

Jane was an avid Cardinals baseball fan. There hasn't been an opening day with Jane not in the stadium for years.  Last year, Jane, our friend Debbie and I took a trip to Spring Training together to see our beloved Redbirds.  It was the first time we had been south to watch any preseason games and we all LOVED it!  We were delighted to be checking "Attend Spring Training" off our bucket lists.  I blogged all about our trip HERE.  Lesson learned:  Don't just talk about doing those bucket list items.  Actually DO them!

The three of us at Spring Training

We had tossed around several ideas about where we should stay in Florida for our trip.  After some debate, it was agreed that we would spurge and get a hotel on the beach.  BEST.DECISION.EVER!  One night after watching a game (and loosing our rental car in the parking lot, but that's a story for another day) we ran by the grocery store, picked up dinner and had a seaside picnic.  We drank wine and recounted funny stories while watching the evening sky put on a show over the waves.  It was inconceivable to any of us that it would be our last trip together.  We thought we had years to continue checking things off our bucket lists and laughing at the fun we had doing it.  The lesson learned here:  Spurge for the better hotel.

Jane loved the snow and skiing was a passion of hers.  It was so fitting that at the time her visitation was scheduled to begin, huge snow flakes began falling from the sky.  Just a little reminder that Jane was up above, smiling down on us.

At the visitation, funeral and luncheon that followed, I looked around and saw so many people there remembering her.  I know her parents were extremely proud of Jane and it meant the world to them to see so many of her friends gathered to reminisce about their daughter.  What a tribute to have so many friends shedding tears in your honor.

As I slowly begin to step out of the fog that has consumed me from the moment I heard the news that Jane had passed, I'm grateful to have an abundance of memories from our friendship.  Through her I've learned many lessons.  The biggest lesson learned:  Treasure your friends because none of us know just how long they are going to be here!

Join me and Vanessa from X-tremely V in our Thinking Out Loud link up.  Feel free to link your favorite post(s) and share what you're up to.  We'd love to hear from you!

                 

Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at

Home of Malones

East Coast Chic

Hodges Podges

Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

While I'm Waiting

The Deliberate Mom

This is How We Roll

Love the Everyday

This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Five on Friday - January 15, 2016

Oh boy -- here we are at Friday already.  I could really use an extra day this week.  Friday got here a little faster than I anticipated.  So today is going to be all about focusing on getting a few things wrapped up so I can head into the weekend feeling calm.  Ever have weeks like that?

Before I move full force into work mode, I want to share with you my five for this week.

1.  Alex and Ani "Path of Life" Wire Bangle
I'm in love the Alex and Ani bracelets and this one happens to be on sale right now at Nordstrom's.  Each bracelet has a meaning and this one represents strength, motivation and knowledge.  Wear this one to celebrate your willingness to travel towards life's fruitful moments.  Wouldn't this be a meaningful gift to give a friend or a lady who's graduating?!?

Click HERE to purchase

2.  LuMee
Have you heard about this awesome gadget?  This baby is so wonderful it deserves two photos on my blog today!  This is how Kim Kardashian looks so lovely in all her selfies!!  Here's how it works:  "Invented by a professional photographer, the LuMee case lights up a user's face with the simple push of a button. When the case is lit, the light fills in the shadows, enhancing the photo and making the subject bright and 'picture perfect'. LuMee also provides perfect lighting for video chatting, even in the dark!"  If you want this baby wrapped around your phone, click HERE to make one yours.  If gold isn't your color, they come in many more shades.

3.  Year of Yes:  How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun
Because of our love for Shonda Rhimes shows like Grey's Anatomy, How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal, I knew this would be a book to give my friend Linda for her birthday.  She is loving it!  I can't wait to read it myself.  Linda said she even read part of one chapter to her 8th grade class and used the message as a prompt for them to write a paper.  Here's what the Amazon review says:  "In this poignant, hilarious, and deeply intimate call to arms, Hollywood’s most powerful woman, the mega-talented creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder reveals how saying YES changed her life—and how it can change yours too."  If you'd like a copy, click HERE to purchase it from Amazon.

4.  $250 Paypal Cash

Still looking to win a little cash if you didn't win the big lottery jackpot this week?  I can help with that.  Me and some other lovely ladies have joined together to bring you an awesome $250 Paypal cash giveaway.  Quick -- get entered.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5.  I can relate....

Have a wonderful weekend!  I'm going to my first ever paint party tomorrow at Painting with a Twist.  Wish me luck -- I'm not a great painter and I'll be drinking wine.  It will be questionable if you will even be able to tell what my painting is.  But then again, it's art so....I'll have pictures on Monday so we'll see what you think then.

Oh - one more thing.  My Pampered Chef virtual party ends today.  If you are in need of any Pampered Chef items, please go HERE and purchase them.  Thanks!

Linking up with:

Rebecca at XOXO Rebecca

Jennie at The Diary of a Real Housewife

Hill Collection

Amy at The Farmer's Wife

Amanda at Meet At The Barre

Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home

High Five for Friday
5 on Friday 
The Jenny Evolution
The Evolution of Mom
Why Girls Are Weird
Ins and Outs
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Thinking Out Loud Thursday - January 14, 2016

Welcome to Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  Glad you joined me and Vanessa from X-tremely V for this fun little linkup and to see what we’re thinking out loud about today.

Here I am on Wednesday evening writing this post and I'm really thinking about that ginormous lottery jackpot.  Are you thinking about it too?!?  I have to admit, my mind wondered to what I would do if I matched all six numbers more than a few times today.  I wish I had been in the Ellen Show's audience today -- she gave each of them a free lottery ticket.  But for me, being in her audience would have been like winning a lottery!

Talk around the water cooler this week has tended to gravitate to the question what would you do if you won the lottery.  I began thinking about how I would take my friend Linda to a U2 concert in an extravagant city, plan an outlandish 50th birthday party with Justin Timberlake as the entertainer for my friend Tracy and cart my entire family to Disney World for a week of pure bliss.  (Don't get excited guys, we didn't match a single number so none of these things will be happening.)

Then I started thinking about how different the answer would be if you asked various people what they would do with the money.  I saw the below message pop up on my Facebook feed and it really stopped me in my tracks.  To some people, it would be like winning the lottery if they just had a meal to feed their children.

So many of us have already won the lottery in our lives just by being so blessed with what we have!  Today I'm going to try being thankful for what is in my life and also try very hard to find ways to make other feel blessed too!  It doesn't take a billion dollars to have the things that are truly important in life.

Now it's your turn - tell us what you're thinking out loud about today!  Feel free to link your favorite post(s) and share what you're up to.  We'd love to hear from you!

             

Enjoy more Thoughts for Thursday at

Home of Malones

East Coast Chic

Hodges Podges
Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop
While I'm Waiting

The Deliberate Mom
This is How We Roll
Brushing Our Way Through Life
Love the Everyday
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Win Some Cash!

Happy Hump Day!  I'm joining the fun with some of my blog friends to give away some cold, hard cash.  If you're interested in winning $250 Paypal Cash, just enter below.  I know it's not quite as big of jackpot as the lottery drawing tonight, but I can guarantee your odds for winning this giveaway are a whole heck of a lot better!  Here's what my friend Karli from September Farm has to say about our giveaway ~

when it comes to new year resolutions i'm pretty much garbage at it. except for one year when i vowed to have better posture...and it actually worked. i now have pretty fantastic posture. it was all because i saw on oprah that it could make you look 10 pounds lighter...i digress...

i'm pretty bad at resolutions because i feel like i'm making resolutions all day, errrrrrr day. like...

i resolve to keep a cleaner home.
i resolve to not watch so much tv this.
i resolve to work out.
i resolve to only eat healthy.
i resolve to not eat popcorn.

(seriously...i eat popcorn every day.)

what i'm saying is this - i imagine there are quite a few of you in my shoes. it's like...so many goals all the time! it can get a little overwhelming.

so for january's group giveaway i thought it would be great to encourage entrants to think about what they would use the mula for to help reach their resolution(s).

obviously, i would spend my money on a complete new workout get up + new running shoes!

or i would buy an updated fitbit!

ooooo...what i've really been wanting is the fitbit scale! i know it's probably not super accurate, but it's definitely pretty.

or maybe i would use the money to buy a ticket to see my sister. (and we would work out together...gotta stay true to the resolution!)

or maybe the money could go towards stocking my kitchen with wonderfully healthy foods! hello grocery bill. eating right is sooooo not cheap.

another option - how about some new kitchen gadgets? like one of those things that makes zucchini into noodles! or a mandolin!

or...what about throwing some dough into your blog - like a new design or sponsoring your favorite blogger...cough - sept. farm - cough cough.

options, people. with $250 bones...you have options.

you know the drill.

1 | check out all the WONDERFUL women below who brought you this great giveaway! you'll find some new great reads // pinterest boards // instagram accounts // etsy shops...lots of goodies.

2 | get yourself entered below via rafflecopter.

3 | cross your fingers and toes!

jessica | katie
sarah | krista | vicki | hannah | liz
samantha | karli | michelle | danielle | libby
alexis | penny | tawnya | shelly | mae
lauren | jenn | beth | lindsay | jess

a Rafflecopter giveaway

and lastly...if it strikes your fancy and you're thinking you want to get in on february's group giveaway...check out your options HERE! question? send me an e-mail!

Three Bean Casserole

Over the weekend a cold, like a VERY cold, front blew in and all I could think about cooking was comfort food.  Nothing warms the soul like a good, hearty casserole on blustery days.  As I headed to my recipe cabinet to try to find something to make, this Three Bean Casserole immediately came to mind.  It's one of Eric's favorite things!  He got this recipe years ago from a lady that comes in the grocery store where he works and we've been making it ever since.  

Here's What You Need

1 can pork & beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can butter beans

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

12 oz. diced bacon, fried & drained

1 onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

2 Tbsp. Karo Syrup

1/4 cup catsup

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

Here's What You Do

1.  Cook the bacon.  Let it cool a bit, then dice it up.

2.  Brown the hamburger.  

I like to use my Pampered Chef Mix 'N Chop to crumble the hamburger.  This little gadget to FAB!  If you'd like to purchase one, click HERE.

3.  Dice the onion.  Love to use the Pampered Chef Food Chopper for jobs like this.

4.  Mix all ingredients together.  

5.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  

Want to hear something great about this recipe besides the taste - you can mix ahead of time and refrigerated until baking time.  As an entree, it serves 4-6.  You could also serve it as a side at a summer bar-b-que.  Enjoy!

Linking up with:
Pint Sized Baker
Mandy's Recipe Box

Handmade Tuesday's with Kristen

Let's Be Friends Blog Hop with The Dwelling Tree

Green Fashionista and Martinis & Bikinis: Recipe Swap Eat Drink & Be Mary: Delicious Dish Tuesday Love From The Kitchen: Tuesday's Table The Diary of a Real Housewife My Own Home Caleigh's Kitchen Tuesday Talk Pennies into Pearls Momfessionals Simply Sweet Home While I'm Waiting This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Weekending - January 11, 2016

Wait - is it really Monday already?!?  I swear it was just Friday night like a blink of an eye ago!  So I don’t really have a ton of great pictures from the weekend, but I’ll give you a rundown of what was happening in my life. 

Friday night was a whole lot of laziness.  I ended up working late and when I walked in the door I completely crashed.  Luckily Eric had dinner taken care of.  He whipped up one of our favorite salmon recipes I blogged about HERE.  Love, love, love that recipe!  It’s quick, easy and oh so good. 

Saturday morning we woke to pouring rain.  They were calling for snow later in the day and the cold temperatures were moving in later too.  When I checked my email the book club girls had already called off us getting together on Sunday.  Everyone was anticipating waking up Sunday morning to ice and snow.  I was going to Girls Night Out Saturday night and luckily we didn’t call that off because when the rain stopped and all was said and done, no snow and no ice.  We did get the freezing cold temps, but it is January so we can live with that. 

Girls Night Out was a blast as always!  Sherri, Carol and I gathered at Tracy’s house for a wonderful home cooked meal and drinks.  She had a new type of beer – Oculto.  Yes, please.

And dessert!  Tracy had picked up Clementine’s Maple Bourbon with Candied Pecans ice cream.  I just might have to sneak in Tracy’s house and eat the rest of it when she’s not home – it was that good!

After filling up on all the wonderful cuisine, we exchanged Christmas gifts with each other.  I have so much new stuff to add to my Five on Friday favorites!  Love the presents these girls give.  They are always so heartfelt and personal.  You’ll definitely be hearing more about what I received in future posts!

We tried really hard to get a picture using my selfie stick, but it’s harder than it looks guys!  Eventually after we stopped rolling on the floor laughing, we just did the hold the phone out and click method.

I had high hopes that Sunday would be a productive day.  Ended up – not so much.  After church I came home and started taking the Christmas decorations off the tree in the family room (yes, my tree was still up) and thought I’d flip on the Making A Murderer documentary on Netflix that I’d read so much chatter about.  Oh my goodness – OH MY GOODNESS!  Let me just summarize the rest of the day by saying this.  The tree is still standing and I’ve watched all 10 episodes.  I could not stop watching!  Have you seen it?  What did you think? The Golden Globes is safely recorded on my DVR and I'll be seeing it tonight.

Hey – I do want to share something fun with you.  Over the Christmas break I decided to become a Pampered Chef consultant.  I love Pampered Chef!!  I’m not thinking I’m going to be hosting a lot of parties, but I am going to have virtual parties from time to time.  Like right now!  If you have some Pampered Chef items you need and don’t know a consultant to order from, now you do!  Me!!  I currently have a party open so if you need something, click HERE to order.  I’ll be sharing some of my favorite Pampered Chef items that I use when I post recipes (which is typically on Tuesdays).  The party will close this Friday, January 15.

Have a great week!  I’ll leave you with this thought.

Check out what others were up to this weekend.

Champagne and Suburbs

B Loved Boston

More Pieces of Me

Bella and the City
A Cute Angle
The Quinntessential Mommy
How To Get Organized At Home
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!

Five on Friday - January 8, 2016

Hello everybody!  We've made it through the first week of 2016.  How did that go for you?  Oh my, was it hard to get up on Monday morning and head to work.  But we've made it to Friday!!  

With no further ado, here's my first Five on Friday for the year ~

1.  Smart Sheep 6-Pack XL Premium 100% Wool Dryer Balls, Reusable Natural Fabric Softener 

Is saving money on your New Year's resolution list?  Well, here's an easy thing for you to do to save some dough.  These were on my Christmas list and I was lucky enough to get them.  Tried them out and fell in love!  You use these in place of dryer sheets or liquid fabric softeners.  If you want to add a drop of essential oil for fragrance you can.  They also shorten your drying time.  So between not buying dryer sheets AND not running your dryer for as long, cha ching!  They last for a thousand-plus loads!  You can purchase yours by clicking HERE.

2.  Toms Leila Ankle Bootie

My friend Debbie wore these precious ankle booties to my Bachelor Ben party on Monday and I now have serious boot envy.  I really think I must own them!  The little tassel in the back is just too adorable.  It's okay for friends to have the same pair of shoes, isn't it?!?

  

Click HERE to purchase

3.  Golden Globe Awards

You know where I’ll be on Sunday night – planted on the couch watching the Golden Globe Awards!  I’m so excited that Ricky Gervais is hosting.  He is HILAROUS!  Did you happen to catch him on Ellen this week?  Too funny.  Have you seen all of the movies nominated?  I certainly haven’t!  Regardless, I’m pumped to watch the show and see who the winners are.

4.  National Bubble Bath Day

Bust out the bubble bath – today’s National Bubble Bath Day!  If you’re a bath person, celebrate today by soaking in a relaxing tub tonight.  The bubbles floating on top of the water actually serve a purpose – they insulate the bath water to keep it warmer for a longer period of time.  Who knew?!?  So pour yourself a glass of wine, dim the lights, light a candle and take yourself a nice long dip in the tub.

               

5.  Good job!

Enjoy the weekend everyone!  I have girls night out tomorrow and book club on Sunday.  It's going to be a fun one!  Stop back by on Monday to read all about it.  

Linking up with:

Rebecca at XOXO Rebecca

Jennie at The Diary of a Real Housewife

Hill Collection

Amy at The Farmer's Wife

Amanda at Meet At The Barre

Erika at Little Bit of Everything

Simply Sweet Home

High Five for Friday
5 on Friday 
The Jenny Evolution
The Evolution of Mom
Why Girls Are Weird
Ins and Outs
This post contained affiliate links.  I may receive a small commission if you click on the link and purchase.  Thanks!