On my bedside table:

Since I don't have a bedside table - yet, I am dreaming of these (in white, of course).  Click through and see the plans, they are free... I love Knock off Wood!

On my tv:

(Don't judge me)... My sister sent me home w/ all 7 seasons on dvd & ever since season 3, I've been hooked.

On the menu tonight:

Sesame chicken strips, mashed potatoes, veggies.

On my to-do list:

Buy paint.
 
I picked up a couple more paint chips and after looking at them hang on the wall for a few days, I bought a couple of these...

And decided on - sand motif to go w/ the cup of cocoa I already had.

Recipe I've tried this week:

Ranch dressing w/ a splash (splash, aka a drip to a tsp - depending on your taste buds) of "rooster sauce" makes an awesome veggie dip.  Go light on the sriracha (aka 'rooster sauce') til you know how much you can handle.  A little bit goes a long way!

Homemaking tip of the week:

5 minutes of tidying here and there is easier than an hour of drudgery later.

Favorite blog to read:

All Thingz Related

I can't get enough of how-to blogs lately that are related to home decorating - imagine that!

Favorite photo of the week:

Its loud and wild and I'm in love!  This is a new dress I bought for myself at a thrift store this week - still has the original store tags on it, never been worn & it was a 'steal'.  I can't wait to wear it!

Lesson learned from the past few days:

The next time I move... my USB cord is going IN MY PURSE!  I can't get photos off my camera til I do.  I have only been able to use photos taken w/ my phone since the move.  Such a pain!

On my prayer list:

The entire Renner family of Carson, WA.  A 'boy' we knew - 20, married, and 6 weeks til his first baby was due - didn't wake up last week.  Just didn't wake up.  He had been a 'bad boy' a long time ago, but he was finding his way... he had gotten right w/ the Lord...and he just didn't wake up.  Please remember Mandy who has 4 weeks til she brings her baby into the world in the midst of her grief of losing her husband.

Devotions, scriptures, or quotes:

That everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
                                                    John 3:15

After 100s of paint swatches and himmm'ing and hawwww'ing over colors, we chose Baked Scone for our main color & Cup of Cocoa for our accent. 

With names like that, how could we go wrong?

I ask my man... 'should we get samples and put it on the wall, stand back and look at it for a while?'

My man - 'naw, we will be fine.  These are our favs from the 100s of swatches.  How could we go wrong?'

And so, w/ these we came home and I painted the accent wall and was in love. 

Until...

I put the first roller of main color on the wall and thought, this is all wrong.

Its peachy. 

Its not the lovely brown I wanted.

But I kept going... thinking to myself 'it will get better.  I have 5 gallons.  Its got to get better.'

Main wall.

Entry.

Hall. 

Bedroom. 

Its all very, very wrong.

And so, today, I have a date w/ home depot and some more paint samples.  I'll let you know how it goes...

Tomorrow is Read Across America!

Take your little ones to any Target store from 9 - 11 AM for story time! 

You can also click >>>HERE<<< for more information and activities for the kids. 

My man has signed up to read at the distribution center and keeps hinting (and hinting, and hinting) that I would be a good reader too.   *sigh*  If I must. 
_____________________________________________

Today's Favorite Freebie comes to us from the incredibly generous Traci Reed. 

What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

Friends of mine have been talking about this thing called Swagbucks.  And since its swagbuck's birthday this weekend, I figured I would sign up and see what its all about.

If you use their search, you earn points, and by getting points, you earn real things - like gift cards, and I noticed one of my online friends earned a wii (for free!).  Pretty nifty.

I'm not sure how it all works or I would tell you more... but if you are at all interested, you could sign up and see what you can earn.  If you click through that button at the top - I get more points.

So far I've got 70 swagbucks in 3 days... which might earn me mmm... half a song on a cd at this point LOL, but ya never know...maybe I could win a wii before I'm too old to use it. 

_____________________________________

Another thing I've been wanting to tell you about all week and forgot. (Its been a week, ok?)

Subway and The Biggest Loser are giving away a free workout mix 'cd' of music.  Pretty cool! 

I know I have been lazy w/ a capital L for doing any exercise since, ummmmmmmm, November when the rains hit.  Yes, November, its ridiculous. The music in their mix is really upbeat!  Its free, no strings attached, just click the photo and be taken there.

RaVnR :  I promise to get the tortilla recipe posted tomorrow!

I'm making these for dinner - Chicken Quesadillas (from my Taste of Home cookbook).  Looking over the recipe - I see I have chicken - check, got that, onion - check, got that,  x,y,z - got all that...until I get to tortillas.  Shoot!  I didn't know we were out.  *sigh* 

Rather than fess up to yet another trip to Costco (and get a good razzing from my tried and true Facebook friends) I decided to make home made tortillas.  I've done it before & my kids love them.  They love anything home made, which is an ego boost for me because I make such a huge portion of all our foods from scratch.

As I was making them my mind wandered.  Maybe today, at this same time that I'm making my tortillas there is a lady doing the same thing...somewhere in a hot country, somewhere in the sun.  I doubt she has the ultra cool press that I got at a yard sale for a quarter... and even if there were yard sales where she lives, she might not even have .25 to spend on one.  But still, she's making tortillas - flour, water, a little fat, a little salt... rolling them out.

I found myself praying for her. I don't know her name, I won't ever meet her - that truly doesn't matter, because God is bigger than all of that.  I prayed she would somehow know the love of Jesus and some day I would meet her in Heaven.  That some day we might make tortillas together for some great feast for Him.

Today I was quite content to not have tortillas on hand and with my decision to not drive the 5 min (to my favorite store on the planet) to grab the hefty 50-million pack tortillas for 3.99, because it made me stop and connect with the Lord, with myself, and ultimately with the woman I might not never meet.

And all is right in my world.

I am among the living again! Woo hoo!  I am making a 'note to self' not to get sick again - that was no fun!

My week consisted of:
*sleeping
*lazing
*whining (thanks for the reminder Sue - LOL!)
*and a whole lotta fluids.

That is, until yesterday. 

It was fast and furious and there was a whole lot of driving... but no incredible cars, street races, or nitro - just me,  my Kia, & 350 miles (give or take).

My tea co-hort and I are working on the first stages of making our 10th Anniversary Tea cookbook so I got a whole lot more sitting done (while I typed some recipes in and searched for others in the recipe box of goodness we have stowed things in over the years) and today my buns are sore!  I don't think I can talk the man into a new car for bun soreness... but ya never know.  I'll have to work on that...

Then it was time for bunco and fun with friends.  Good times for sure.

And then... the drive home.  On sore buns!  Oooo-cheee-momma!  Today I am trying to do anything but sit.

___________________________________________

Today's Fav Freebie comes from Ivy Inspirations.  A cute little ditty for St Patty's Day.  Enjoy!

Next month I hostess the bunco fun and I'm tapped for ideas - any suggestions on a theme I should use?~G 

On my bedside table:

Plenty of these....

And a whole lot of this....

On my tv:

On the menu tonight:

If only they delivered...

On my to do list:

 
Recipe I've tried this week:

My menu has gone ca-put... I haven't been sick for years and I'm a whiner, I admit it.

Homemaking tip of the week:

Use more of this than ever.

Favorite blog of the week:

Cherry Hill Cottage

Favorite photo of the week:

Layout credits.

Lesson learned from the past few days:

And never run out of this again...

On my prayer list:

My niece's husband Rick.. January 9th he was 1.5 months into his tour in Afghanistan when his convoy was hit by a IED.  Maybe you have seen news on tv about this attack.  I believe 3 of the people involved died.  Rick has already had multiple surgeries to fix his broken back, neck, leg, and other issues.  Although it was touch and go for a while, Rick is strong and is on his long road to recovery.  He is husband to my wonderful niece Mindy and daddy to their 3 kids. 

If you feel impressed to send a card to an injured soldier -

NNMC-ATTN: 5-East Richard Rush, 8901 Wisconsin Ave, Bethesda, MD 20889-5600

Every weekend at my house is now like a happy, little holiday, and I have to say, I love it. 

For the year my man worked and lived on his own, he worked four 10 hour days and then had Fri/Sat/Sun off.  He has opted to keep doing that and I love having him home on Fridays!  I had to giggle when he told me he's looking forward to Fridays & yard-saling with me.   

This weekend we have company coming, a few boxes to unload, and a whole lotta family time w/ the Olympics starting up.  I am so excited!  Luge, snowboarding, and some gymnastics are going to make me a very happy girl!  What are you excited to watch?
_________________________________________

Its been so long since I've done a Fav Freebie Friday!  I feel good to be 'home' and get back into the swing of things!

Here is a couple good ones:

(If you hover over the words, there are links embedded.)

Get a full-sized bottle of Excedrin free (coupon in the mail) when you answer ANYTHING other than Excedrin on this one-question questionnaire.

And you can't go wrong w/ Shabby Princess if you are a digital scrapbooker, ever.  Her kits are incredible, huge, and for the most part, timeless.  Go here and pick up Happy Go Lucky if you don't already have it.

Have a fab weekend everyone, mine is starting right now.~G