In Its Place

 AH!  The shelf is done.

Hubby was gone all day Thursday and Friday,

so I put my finishing skills to use.

This time, I tried a paint wash.

I used equal parts elephant gray chalk paint and water.

I brushed it on, let it soak a minute, then wiped it off.

Almost goof-proof, because you just wipe off any mistakes!

The other benefit is that you can still see the wood grain.

After "staining," I wiped it down with a dark paste wax.

Today, hubby added some metal hardware and put it in place.

It is not "styled" yet - but I will be experimenting for a bit to come up with something useable and decorative.

I also look forward to having a space for my nativity come Christmas!

Now it is off to finish prepping for the bus ministry class tomorrow.

The usual teacher is away, so I have a little more to plan.

Habit Stacking

 I have read or listened to quite a few books on Habits.

A disciplined life that accomplishes what needs to be done relies on habits.

Many of these books include the idea of habit stacking.

Link habits together to make new habits.

One habit that I work on is water drinking.

Common thought says that you drink half of your weight in ounces of water.

That's a lot of water for some of us!

I found that I could get through the morning with hardly a sip and then had to drink a lot before bed - 

not a great idea!

So, I needed a way to get started first thing in the morning.

In comes habit stacking.

My personal Bible study is typically between 6-7 in the morning.

That is a habit that is regular and reliable.

Perfect - lets get 24 oz down before breakfast.

So I habit stack.

Typically I read at least 4 chapters in the Bible.

After every chapter, I take 10-12 sips.

By the time I close in prayer, my first cup (24 oz)  is done.

If all else fails, I have started well.

Water is crucial in your diet - 

yes, other fluids can hydrate, but none are as great as water.

It keeps the digestive tract moving,

it cleans the kidneys,

it keeps the brain clear,

it keeps your joints moving clearly,

it helps control blood pressure,

it helps carry nutrition and oxygen in the body,

it helps in body temperature regulation.

Random

 

It's always nice to have the option of an Air BNB for guests right in your culdesac.

Of course, it is subject to availability!

Just watch out for those fees :)

Designed for A Particular Spot

 Last Saturday, hubby built me a shelf for the Living Room.

It will house some general everyday supplies,

some throw blankets,

a plant (or 2 or 3 or ...),

and our printer which has been homeless since we moved in!

Currently, it sits in the garage waiting for a certain woman to paint or stain or stain and paint.

I think I want to experiment a little on some extra wood for a new type of finish, but we will see.

I look forward to seeing it in its new home and having the fun of decorating it.

I enjoy making my home unique and making our home meet our needs.

Green!

No, not money!

No, not Shamrocks!

(Though we did celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a Shamrock Shake and some Corned Beef and Cabbage)

Green as in plant life.

I can tell that I am eager for Spring when it seems to come SOOOOO slowly!

Today is the first day of Spring, but it hardly feels that way outside.

But from the inside, things are greening up and the sun makes it looks like it should be warm.

I am enjoying the view from the front room. 

I planted some purple hyacinths and yellow tulips around the cherry tree.

I will look forward to their return each year.

The creeping phlox is blooming and spreading in the front rock garden

and a few winter pansies that don't really match are enjoying the last of the cool weather.

I look forward to filling in the tree ring with SunPatiens this year.

We watched 2 or 3 homes around the neighbor that planted these beauties last year 

and they bloomed from May to October.

This spot is particularly hard because of the full sun it gets in the afternoon,

but these beauties may be up to the challenge.

After 2 weeks ...

grass is greening and slowly filling in.

And I even mowed last week!

Teaching Giving and Friendliness

 It is hard in the days of wickedness that we live in.

It must be fearful to be a parent in this day and age.

Who can be trusted?

How can you teach friendliness to your children while also teaching about strangers?

My tablet and its happy face is an example of a momma who was/is doing a good job.

I was visiting a local Walmart one early Saturday morning.

As I sat on a bench waiting for hubby to finish some business,

I saw a little boy giving a sticker to someone he met while leaving the store.

It made me smile.

Then I smiled even more as he said to his momma, "I want to give that lady a sticker."  (ME!)

His momma looked a little concerned not wanting to bother me,

but I said "hi" and asked him what he had.

Maybe he received a sheet of stickers from the greeter, or maybe he had picked stickers out in the store.

I asked if he wanted to put it on my shirt.  He didn't.

On my jacket.  He didn't.

He wanted to put it on the back of my hand - my wrist actually.

It was such a simple act, but made my day.

When I got back to the car, I put my sticker on my tablet -

a reminder to be kind and giving to others.

But It's A Healthy Fat ...

I am a child of the 80's and definitely remember the "no fat" and "low fat" labels of that decade.

The increase in heart problems in America led to a reaction to remove all fat from our diets in order to be "healthy."

Unfortunately, the experts were wrong.

It is good to avoid or limit saturated fats in the form of beef and bacon,

It is good to avoid transfats in packaged treats.

It is good not to overdo it with butter and cheese.

Moderation is always authorized.

But - there are actually HEALTHY fats.

Olives, nuts, seeds, olive oil, avocado, fish ... all full of healthy fats.

These powerhouses are also high in calories and can easily be overeaten if not careful,

but their healthy fats have so many benefits.

Creaky joints? - lubricate them by drinking water and eating healthy fats

Mind a little foggy? - clear it with some healthy fats and boost your mood while you are at it

Cholesterol levels unbalanced? - need to regulate LDL, HDL and triglycerides? - yep, healthy fats will lower LDL and triglycerides and raise HDL

Prediabetic? - manage blood sugar with those healthy fats

Tummy trouble?  70 percent of the immune system is in the gut and healthy fats (especially plant based fats) feed the good bacteria in the stomach and help the stomach do what it is supposed to - break down foods, absorb nutrients, and fight infection

Struggling with overeating? - healthy fats keep you satisfied for longer

Not sleeping well? - healthy fats may improve sleep

Fighting inflammation (allergies, arthritis, frequent sickness, aches and pains)? - healthy fats can help

Struggling with a slowing metabolism?  - again, try a healthy fat to fuel it properly

The low-fat craze might have been a good idea,

EXCEPT that we still wanted our food to taste good.

So, out came the fat, and in went the fillers and sugar!

I prefer to go for some valuable healthy fats.

In fact, today I made some avocado pudding/mousse.

It is DELICIOUS and full of healthy fats and fiber.

It also can be made with more natural sugars (I chose maple syrup)

The pudding is just mashed avocado, cocoa powder, and maple syrup.

If you wanted a little more protein, you could serve it with a dollop of peanut butter.

Or if you need some extra antioxidants,

sprinkle some berries on top.

Two possible recipes:

https://detoxinista.com/detox-choco-cado-pudding/

https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/avocado-chocolate-mousse-vegan-healthy/

The recipes call for blenders or food processors,

but if your avocados are ripe, a fork should do the trick.

I recently added a little food processor to my arsenal and it works GREAT for this little treat!

A Public Service Announcement

 Usually, I research EVERYTHING.

It is easy enough to GOOGLE anything and everything,

but sometimes, I just figure that I will trust the experts.

Sometimes, you need to do your own research.

Because we have known so many people who needed blood transfusions,

hubby and I like to donate blood regularly.

Last year, we finally got into a rhythm and were donating almost as often as the Red Cross would let us - about every 8 weeks!

In 7 months, we gave 4 times.

I recently went to the doctor and discovered that I had some very odd blood work.

I had not recuperated from my last giving.

Though not anemic, I was super close

And my oxygen carriers were small and pale.

With a few clicks on the computer,

I found that it is actually recommended that men wait 12 weeks between donations,

and that women wait 16 weeks between donations.

OOPS!

So there is your public service announcement.

Unless you are one of the 1 in 300 who make extra iron,

you may want to ignore some of the Red Cross calls to schedule your donation and give yourself a little extra time to recover.

I know I sure will!

And yes, I am following my own blog advice on building Iron.

Plenty of green leafy veggies, lots of beans, "brown cows," and lots of fish and chicken!

And for awhile, I will make sure that my daily multivitamin has iron.

Do People Still Do That?

 I recently began a new homemaker project - 

and one that I never thought I would do.

I have recently taken to darning socks.

Hubby's work boots appear to "eat" socks, especially at his big toe.

For a while, the bad ones just became cleaning rags.

They were perfect for staining wood or applying polyurethane.

But, then it seemed like I was making sock purchases too often.

Hubby suggested darning the socks.

How hard could it be?

Turns out,

it is not hard.

With a doll head to keep the hole spread and some thicker thread,

the holes were soon fixed.

While it won't be my favorite pastime,

and no one will show my work as a model,

it is prolonging the life of a few socks.

Are You Ready?

 We don't get an abundance of visitors.

We live outside of the "easy" drive for church friends.

Family gatherings are few and far between.

But I want to feel like my guest room and guest bathroom are ready if someone were to drop in.

This post will not apply to many readers because either

1) you have guests often

or 

2) all of your bathrooms and bedrooms are used regularly

But there may be a few folks who can benefit from this tip.

Keeping the guestroom ready just involves freshening the bedding once a quarter if it has not been used.

For the guest bath, I "rotate" the towels.

My home has a neutral grey tone throughout.

I have chosen to accent with sage and denim blue in all rooms.

So I have 3 sets of towels:

blue, sage, and a deeper sage.

Each Monday when I clean,

I take the towels from the master bath and throw them in the wash.

Then I take the towels from the guest bath (if I have had no company) and put them in the master bath.

Then I take the third set of clean towels and put them in the guest bath.

So weekly, I have freshened the towels for guests.

When I first began homemaking, I would not have been able to do this - 

I had themed bathrooms.

They were so fun and I enjoyed them immensely.

Who doesn't like little fish or rubber duckies?

But I do like the simplicity of being able to use any towel in any bathroom

and even being able to hang them in any bedroom because the colors all coordinate.

Today was one of those longer project days.

Hubby was not going to be home for lunch,

so I could make a mess.

One of my jobs was to clean the "rust" off the lights in the bathroom.

We couldn't believe that there were rust stains already, but ...

...I found this little product and it worked great.

Another job was to get rid of Valentine's and Winter's decor in favor of the Spring decorations.