Summer time, sweet summertime



As of 1:16 p.m. EST yesterday, it is officially summertime!

It is time for swimming pools.....

.....lazy rivers

..... sandcastles

..... ocean breezes



..... sandy beaches



..... lemonade



..... fireworks



..... cookouts



.... picnics



..... road trips



..... exhaustion



Aah. Sweet, sweet summertime.

Top Ten Tips for Relaxing

I love relaxation. There is nothing better than to rejuvenate using small little things that can make you feel better, lift your mood, or simply give you a 5 minute break. I am a mother of twins (a boy and a girl) who are now grown and given me 5 beautiful grandchildren that I adore. Between work, home, church, family, my time gets split in many directions. Here are my top ten items that help me relax and give me a little lift.

1.  Take a bubble bath. Many of you are probably thinking you don't have time for a bubble bath. I know you can be so exhausted at night once your day is done and your kids are in bed, but try to take just 15 minutes to soak in some scented bubbles (Suave Naturals Indulgent Body Wash makes the best bubbles and is great for sensitive skin). Light a couple of aromatic candles, grab a magazine and flip through the pages or simply rest your head on a bath pillow and feel the stress melt away. Add some Epsom salts to the water to relieve tired muscles.

2.  Polish your nails. This may sound crazy, but there is nothing that lifts me up more than seeing my nails on freshly polished. And with so many of the nail polishes coming in a 60 second dry time, you can do a manicure in less than 5 minutes. There are so many colors now that it is easy to find a quick pick-me-up with nail polish. They even make polish now that comes with base coat, polish and top coat all blended in one bottle so it looks like a professional manicure with just one coat.

3.  Buy new silk undies. This is an inexpensive way to give yourself a quick fix to relieve some stress. We all have those days when there is shopping that has to be done for the family or for the house. Take a few minutes and browse through the feminine goodies and select a pair that is silky and soft. They don't have to cost a fortune, but just something a little out of the ordinary to make you remember you are still a girly-girl inside.

4.  Drink a cup of hot chocolate or hot tea. There is nothing more soothing and relaxing than a nice warm drink. I try to keep a "special" mug that I only use for those times when I need a pick me up. Simply sitting for 5 minutes to drink my hot chocolate is so soothing.

5.  Go outside. I don't mean take a walk or plan anything to do outside. Just simply open the door, step outside and take a good look at your surroundings. Is there a favorite tree you love to watch blow in the wind? Is there a little flower that catches your eye. Clear your mind and listen intently. I'm sure you will hear birds singing or a breeze blowing. Just stay out there for a few minutes and take a few deep, cleansing breaths and head back in to face whatever awaits you.

7. Grab a snack. Treat yourself to one or two Hershey kisses or a slice of apple or orange. I try to keep oranges and apples cut up in the fridge so all I have to do is grab one when I want a quick munch.

8. Surf the internet. As we blog, tweet or Facebook, we spend many hours on the internet. Sometimes, it can be used as a getaway. If you like to craft, check out the new patterns at FreePatterns.com. If you are a collector, visit Ebay to see what unique items you might find. I like to go to the Auction section and sort by "ending soonest" so I can grab a great bargain at the last minute if there is something I want. Visit Etsy.com and check out some of the unique items for sale in the various stores.

9.  Read a book. Not everyone likes to read, but if you do, it's a wonderful way to relax. There is nothing like losing yourself in a good novel to get away from it all for a brief period of time. If you don't like novels, get a book of inspiration, or a book on "How To" for something that interests you.

10. Watch an old comedy. I love going to Hulu.com and watching some of the old sitcoms I group up with. It is a great way to unwind and laughter is a great medicine for whatever ails you.

What a bargain....

One of my obsessions is Staples Office Supply Store. I'm especially a fanatic about notebooks that can help you get organized, with To Do Lists, Projects, Priorities or simply a place to jot notes. The new ARC customizable notebook system is amazing. Instead of rings, the note book consists of disks. The filler sheets have "holes" that are open on the left side so they just snap down over the disks, making it easy to remove, change or move around your pages.

I am a Staples Rewards Card holder. I went online to print my rewards and found that I had purchased an HP Cartridge last month that gave me double rewards so I had a rewards coupon for $5.00 and one for $6.25. Wow, $11.25 to spend at Staples.

I went straight to the notebook section and that is where I saw the ARC notebook system.

So I purchased one of the 5 x 7 notebooks (by the way, these have the benefit of folding back and laying flat like a spiral notebook, but allowing you to remove and add sheets like a ring binder)

I purchased a package of the small task pad that goes in the front for a place to jot quick tasks that you can see the minute you open the book.

It came with a set of the regular pages, so I purchased a set of the To Do List Sheets and the Project Planner Sheets.

The one I bought also had 3 colored index tabs, plus a pocket folder and a business card holder, all which just snapped into place.

So here is everything I purchased:

Package of To Do Sheets ..... $2.99

Package of Project Sheets ..... $2.99

Package of Task Pads ..... $2.99

One Notebook ..... $7.99

Product Total ..... $16.96 + $1.65 tax = $18.61

Less 25% coupon off any ARC products -$4.25

 Less my Rewards Coupon ..... $-5.00

Less my Rewards Coupon ..... $-6.25

My cost? .... $1.46 + .14 tax = $1.60

A savings of $17.01

Does it get any better than that? Now you know why I love Staples!

Purchases, pleasantness, and paranoia

I had a wonderful time antiquing on Saturday. I picked up several bargains. Got some cute bowls, some Vintage Pyrex & Corelle for my sister, some cute coffee cups and some more salt dips for my collection. Total cost for all this was $19.50. Not a bad day.

We had a very pleasant Father's Day. We spent the day just relaxing around the house and looking at new grills online. That is his Father's Day gift, but he can't decide what one he wants. We'll probably end up at Home Depot one day this week. I actually cooked supper (hubby normally does all the cooking). I fixed chopped sirloin steaks, baked potato and corn. We had a peach pie for dessert. All in all, it was a very pleasant day.

We have had rain and thunderstorms on and off for the past two days. The sky is gloomy again this morning and they are calling for more isolated thunderstorms. After having two cars totalled in a recent hail storm, I am now paranoid every time they say "with a chance of hail". It makes me want to go outside and cover the vehicles. I used to love to watch a good storm roll in. Now I just get a feeling of panic every time I see dark clouds.

Hope everybody has a great week!

Happy Father's Day.....

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband who has always been there for our family. Without his wonderful cooking, our kids would have starved over the years...okay they wouldn't have starved but their menu choices would have been hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, meatloaf, grilled cheese, peanut butter or fried eggs. So Happy Father's Day to the King of the Kitchen. Thank you for being a great dad.

Happy Father's Day to my son and my son-in-law. They are both great fathers and I hope they enjoy this day with their family. My son has blessed us with three beautiful grandchildren and my son-in-law has blessed us with two beautiful grandchildren.

(My son, Chris)

(My son-in-law, Michael)

I wanted to get a shot of the grandchildren with everybody smiling and co-operating. But I had to settle for some smiles, some distraction and one little girl who kept wanting to escape. Out of 5 attempts, this was the best I got before Baby Colby decided he had had enough and puckered up for a good cry.

Happy Father's Day to my Daddy. This is my 12th Father's Day without him. I miss him so much. I can still remember his laughter, his smile, his caring, his love. I miss you, Daddy. Happy Father's Day.

Vintage items that I am looking for....

I'm going antique shopping again today. I'm looking for some specific vintage items. If you will remember from my Memorial Day post, hubby and I went to some of the local shops looking for this pitcher.

We never found it, but I have since found out that it was made by Arcopal and was the French Pyrex plant. I found one on Etsy that had sold and one on EBay that is in the UK and they will only ship to the UK, so I'm still looking for this. Through my research, I found that many US antique shops carry Arcopal items that were brought back from visits to France.  

 I really want this little Federal Glass pitcher. Mom had one when we were young and I remember it so well.

 I'm also on the prowl for a set of Corelle Cups with the open hangar hook for the handle. These will be a gift for my sister. Pattern won't matter, she's just looking for these type of handles on the Corelle Cups.

 I have a few pitchers and thought I might look for some more. I like them in all sizes...creamers, juice pitchers and ice tea pitchers.

This is a pretty bowl by Arcopal Pyrex that I would love to find.

 I remember with fondness many times spent at my Uncle Charlie's and Aunt Louise's house. She always served us in those vintage aluminum cups. I'd love to find some for the grandkids. They kept the drinks so cold.

 As I check out the various shops, I'll be on the look out for more salt dips for my collection. My cousin Patty has this one and I would love to find one like it or at least one similar in a swan pattern.

That's my shopping wish list for the day. It's hard to tell what I'll end up with .... if anything. But it will be fun looking. Many of these items are on Ebay or Etsy, but to me, it's the thrill of the hunt. Plus I find that our local antique shops are way less expensive than shopping on line...not to mention the savings on shipping.

Hope you have a great Saturday!

Road trip....

There is nothing that compares to a road trip. Loading up the car, hitting the open highway, rolling down our window and letting the radio blast with the Eagles singing "Take It to the Limit".

How many times in our lives do we venture out into the unknown, armed with our map or GPS and a sense of adventure? How many times do we head off to new territory for vacations or weekend getaways so we can get rejuvenated and find peace and calm to weather the storms of life? How many times do we struggle with daily problems that cause us to say "I need a vacation"?

Why do we feel like we have to "wait" to find that rest and relaxation; that sense of peace and calm? We have the best road trip at the tips of our fingers any time we want it. We can pick up our bible and read the words of God. We can find adventure, peace, comfort. We can escape our little world and read the loving words that can guide us to that peace and calm we are searching for. 

Our bible should become our GPS, our roadmap, our guidance center. We should spend more time in God's word to find the solutions to our problems and complaints. We need to depend more on God to provide us with a constant happiness and a constant peace. If we can do this, we would not have near as many moments where we would have to say "I need a vacation."