Happy Monday my Friends!
The sun is currently shining on some fresh snow we got over the weekend. Spring where are you?? 🙈
And unfortunately we have a little snowstorm in our forecast for this week too. Maybe even getting 6 or more inches. Sigh.
The good thing is that we know the sun will come out again soon (probably by this weekend) and melt it away. It's always the case in the northwoods this time of year. Dealing with cabin fever and wanting to be gardening and enjoying Spring sun and flowers....and instead to be dealing with flurries. I guess it's part of what makes us hearty folks up here in the north. Lol
How are things in your world? I hope you're getting the sunshine and green growing things. And that you had a nice weekend. We had a pretty quiet one here overall: ran errands, church time, played cards, talked to our folks on the phone, watched movies, and just continue to love newly married life together. ❤️
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:
ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:
a 30 calorie wasa cracker with some mashed avocado sprinkled with lime, salt & hot honey as a lower calorie avocado toast, coffee with some protein creamer
ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:
we're taking some things to goodwill & running some errands tonight, bring my car in to get an issue fixed, visiting an Aunt to bring her some banana bread & something to help her read (her vision has gotten pretty bad), trying to finish scrapbooking our wedding album so I can work on some mother's day projects, start getting paperwork for legally changing to my married name, hospice work
THINKING ABOUT:
How fast the time flies and how sweet these pics are of my little Annie and baby Ruby. I was going through pics on my shutterfly account as I upload pics at the end of each month (for that month), so at the end of the year I can create a keepsake book. And when I was looking at what I loaded for this month I happened to look through some old files and saw these. Precious memories for sure. 💗
AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
I'm listening to some Celtic harp music. The sun is so bright with the snow outside. Matt had just popped up from his office downstairs to chat with me about our plans for running around later. I can hear the dishwasher finishing up as I'm at my dining room table right now. Both the furry babies are napping in the next room. Feels like a quiet and content Monday morning.
CURRENTLY READING
I had picked up one of those "blind date with a book" - where a gently used book is wrapped in brown craft paper and had pockets on the front with cute items (tea, a bookmark, stickers etc) and I opened it up yesterday to see what the book is and it sounds pretty fun. It's called Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and it says it's a mystery with wit & humor.
ON THE TV TODAY:
The Rookie , Jeopardy, Shark Tank, Survivor, TWD catch up, Grey's Anatomy, cooking shows, We started watching Designated Survivor, some Outlander episodes I hadn't finished
ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:
MONDAY - leftover cabbage roll soup (made it again this weekend since I knew it was going to be cozy weather & we loved it so much the first time)
TUESDAY - crispy rice sushi bowls with crab, carrots, cucumber & avocado & drizzle of yum yum sauce or sriracha mayo (new recipe I found on social media & sounds so good)
WEDNESDAY - sesame ginger chicken crumbles over a broccoli slaw & topped with chopped peanuts
THURSDAY - stuffed chicken breasts, steamed mixed vegetables
FRIDAY - maybe out for dinner?
*Going to try to bake a lower calorie high protein banana bread recipe I found on social media (but I'm baking my regular sweeter one for my Aunt to bring her this week)
*I also have a recipe for a healthier version of rice krispies bars....I'll share all the recipes we like if they turn out 😉
TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:
read, scrapbook, do some yoga
TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:
I also wanted to share this adorable idea I found on social media that I think I'm going to make at Easter. You take baby peppers & cut in half. Fill with a yummy flavor boursin cheese spread and put sprigs of dill for the tops. 🥕
FROM THE CAMERA:
Matt & I continue to work on our lifestyle change with our diet and exercise etc. I've lost about 12 lbs so far. Matt is only weighing himself monthly and this weekend he weighed in and had lost about 16 lbs.
But on the weekends we let ourselves indulge a bit more, however, we still count all of our calories. And one morning we had some yummy gruyere cheese & bacon egg bites, and some raspberry kringle danish. Matt also made us these dessert iced coffees but did use healthier brown sugar sweetener & vanilla unsweetened almond milk (he whipped instant coffee with the brown sugar, sugar-free vanilla syrup, & hot water until frothy and poured over the almond milk) so good!
We recently got a few new pieces of furniture in our bedroom and I put up some new drapes too. We have some new artwork in there and I plan to hang a different decoration above the bed too. I'll share a post on all of this later on, but here's a peek at the drapes and I think I did an okay job matching with our painted walls and trim? They sure brightened the room and I LOVE how everything is turning out in there.
I do some hospice work from home (calls and paperwork) and sometimes it sure is difficult getting anything done with this guy around. 😂
Some sweet feathered visitors this morning.
PRAYER LIST:
For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence. For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace. For a neighbor that recently went through some health trials and continues to heal. For a bestie of mine who has a parent in hospice.
For Christ's Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere and help the world find its way. 🙏🏻