Growing up on a farm I can honestly say that I have gardened all my life. I was happy to see this this Momavation Monday Topic was all about Home Gardening. Even though I have gardened for so long I feel like I have a lot to learn. This weeks special guest Angela England is full of insight as to how to garden with little space to do so.
With spring in the air this week I started looking through the mountain of seed catalogs to decided exactly what vegetables I want to plant. I know for sure that I want my tomatoes, green peppers, and cucumbers. But I also want to try my hand this year to some more fruits. I am fortunate enough that I do have a large yard. So I have been thinking of making a raised strawberry patch and maybe even plant a few raspberry bushes this year. My one issue with gardening & if you know me personally, you know this is true...I do great right in Spring. All my plants will be in, I'll water & turn the soil. But as soon as the weeds start to take over I slack....a lot on the gardens. But by Fall I am again out in full force harvesting all my produce. I than will make all my jams & can all the produce I can into the sauces that I will use throughout the year. What I can not can, I freeze. I just wish I could find more Jam or Jelly recipes that are canned that do not call for as much sugar. Which is my goal before next Fall.
As far as health goes, I am doing really well. I am so proud that I can now officially again run a full mile non stop. My current time for that is 11 min 10 seconds. I am also incorporating weights back into my routine. The extra workouts as well as eating more of a clean diet has really helped as well.
I have a goal this week to workout at LEAST 4 times. It is so much easier said than done as all of us moms know, but I have the best cheerleaders in the world next to me. My kids remind me that its time to get up & get moving and that I need to work out again. So with their encouragement as well as yours I know that I will be seeing better numbers on the scale.
“This post is sponsored Dole and Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway”
Monday, February 18, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
#Mamvation~Spice Up Your Love Life
Every once in awhile, Leah hits a topic out of the ball park by making all of us Mamavation Sistas talk about somewhat uncomfortable subjects.
This week is no different as we will be discussing our love lives. We have a special guest who will be talking about ways to spice things up in the bedroom.
This week is no different as we will be discussing our love lives. We have a special guest who will be talking about ways to spice things up in the bedroom.
I am looking forward to this. I like sex, don't get me wrong, but there are other ways to show your partner that you love them & the physical act just seals the deal. And, honestly since the kids, the stress of my brother, and the fact that my hormones are all out of whack thanks to the cysts that I have on my ovaries; as well as the birth control that I have been on, my sex drive has been null. Maybe she'll even share a few "50 Shades of Grey" ideas. Don't judge me, kinky things can be fun :)
Please be sure to join me & my fellow sistas as we watch Coach Nicole tonight on Mingle Media 10 PM ET/ 7 PM PST.
As far as my health, I will be blogging my weight loss tomorrow morning, but I feel GREAT. I have a lot more energy, my kids & husband are on board with the changes and I can only see positive results in my future.
This post is sponsored by Touch Within Coaching and Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway”
This post is sponsored by Touch Within Coaching and Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women and I’m writing this to be entered into a giveaway”
Monday, February 4, 2013
The Waiting Game
As some of you know one of the reasons this blog has been silent for a few days is because of my brother. My brother is currently in the hospital with a Subdural hematoma as well as a fractured skull. We may never know what exactly caused his injuries, and that is one of the hardest things for us to live with. My brother & I were always close growing up. He was & is the typical older brother who loves to tease me to no end.
According to the neurologist there has not been any improvement in the amount of fluid
or however after two days the hemorrhage has stopped. He is very restless & the nurses, doctors and rest of the family are just trying to keep him calm. They had to induce a medically induced comma to help keep him calm. The other issue happening is that he is having a very irregular heart rhythm. Keep in mind that this could be occurring do to the paid medicine he is on as well as because the heart is not sure if it should be pumping more blood to the brain or less. Also, when they intubated him, my brother suffered a collapsed lung, that than needed to be re inflated. From what the nurses and doctors have said this is normal, but still needs to be monitored closely.
It's been 1 week since my brother was put into the hospital. On Saturday the medical staff introduced my brother to a "sedation vacation" He was able to last for 30 minutes with that on Saturday before his heart rate & blood pressure began to spike. Then on Sunday he lasted for 60 minutes & was able to open his eyes on command but it only was for a brief second. Every day were told that he is taking baby steps in the right direction. Its so hard watching him lay on a bed with the machines to help him breath. I am starting to feel like I am being sucked down into this deep dark hole & there is nothing I can do to help my brother.
It also doesn't help with the knowledge that this is a frontal lobe injury. We won't know what type of a person my brother will be when he wakes up. He may become a risk taker, he may have permanent memory loss, he may be more aggressive. Only time will tell.
Its because of this, that I have not been able to write my Mamavation Monday Post or keep up with the Facebook feed. I feel so out of the loop that I can hardly focus. But, here is how I have been doing. I am still trying to make healthier food choices. I try to take the steps at the hospital vs the elevator. I also weighed myself today & found that I haven't loss anymore weight. I'm trying to look at it like the 'glass is half full' telling myself that I didn't gain weight either & no matter how I look at it I am still down 3#s from the start of the year. Let me tell you that its not easy.
This week I am asking everyone who stops by to read this post that they pray for my brother.
Thank you for reading.
According to the neurologist there has not been any improvement in the amount of fluid
or however after two days the hemorrhage has stopped. He is very restless & the nurses, doctors and rest of the family are just trying to keep him calm. They had to induce a medically induced comma to help keep him calm. The other issue happening is that he is having a very irregular heart rhythm. Keep in mind that this could be occurring do to the paid medicine he is on as well as because the heart is not sure if it should be pumping more blood to the brain or less. Also, when they intubated him, my brother suffered a collapsed lung, that than needed to be re inflated. From what the nurses and doctors have said this is normal, but still needs to be monitored closely.
It's been 1 week since my brother was put into the hospital. On Saturday the medical staff introduced my brother to a "sedation vacation" He was able to last for 30 minutes with that on Saturday before his heart rate & blood pressure began to spike. Then on Sunday he lasted for 60 minutes & was able to open his eyes on command but it only was for a brief second. Every day were told that he is taking baby steps in the right direction. Its so hard watching him lay on a bed with the machines to help him breath. I am starting to feel like I am being sucked down into this deep dark hole & there is nothing I can do to help my brother.
It also doesn't help with the knowledge that this is a frontal lobe injury. We won't know what type of a person my brother will be when he wakes up. He may become a risk taker, he may have permanent memory loss, he may be more aggressive. Only time will tell.
Its because of this, that I have not been able to write my Mamavation Monday Post or keep up with the Facebook feed. I feel so out of the loop that I can hardly focus. But, here is how I have been doing. I am still trying to make healthier food choices. I try to take the steps at the hospital vs the elevator. I also weighed myself today & found that I haven't loss anymore weight. I'm trying to look at it like the 'glass is half full' telling myself that I didn't gain weight either & no matter how I look at it I am still down 3#s from the start of the year. Let me tell you that its not easy.
This week I am asking everyone who stops by to read this post that they pray for my brother.
Thank you for reading.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Whispers in the Wind
Product Details
- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (August 1, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0764204165
- ISBN-13: 978-0764204166
- Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.5 inches
After fleeing North Dakota and the now defunt Wild West Show, Cassie Lockwood and her companions have finally found the hidden valley in South Dakota where her father had dreamed of putting down roots. But to dismay, she discovers a ranch already built on her land.
Cassie's arrival surprises Mavis Engstorm and forces her to reveal secrets she's kept hidden for years. Her son Rasnsom is suspicious of Cassie and questions the validity of her claim to the valley. But younger son Lucas decides from the start that he is in love with her and wants to marry her.
Will Casie be able to build a home on the Bar E Ranch and fulfill her father's dream of raising horses, or will she be forced to return to the itinerant life of her past?
My Thoughts:
I loved the first book in the Wild West Wind Series and was thrilled to be able to review the second book from Bethany House. The tale starts out with Casie finding out that her father co-owned the ranch with Mavis Engstorms late husband. I was surprised to find out that not only did Mavis welcome Cassie into her home with open arms she took Casie under her wing & showed her how to keep a home. Cassie however knows a lot about ranching and wants to be able to do her fair share. She knows how to shoot and she has learned how to hunt so, she goes on a quest to join shooting contest so that she may earn money to help provide for her & her "family" However, tragedy strikes just as she is about to compete in a big match. I won't ruin the outcome for you, so you need to read the book!
Suspense, Faith & Love with "Submerged"
- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Bethany House Publishers; Original edition (May 1, 2012)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0764209825
- ISBN-13: 978-0764209826
From the Author:
Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey, Alaska, again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a town that doesn't forget. She's returned only to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash, but then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case.
Cole McKenna can face dangerous rescue dives. He can face the fear a murderer may be threatening his town. But facing the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge. She broke his heart...but doesn't seem to be the same girl who left Yancey ten years ago. And he's not the same guy she left behind.
Racing against the clock and a rising body count, Bailey and Cole must move beyond the hurts of their pasts to work together until the truth of what is hidden in the depths finally surfaces.
My Thoughts:
This was an absolute page turner from the first to the last paragraph. This was Dani Pettrey's first novel for the Alaskan Courage series. I was sucked into the life of Cole and Bailey as they fought to over come the emotions of the past as they found clues as to what really caused the plane crash that killed her aunt. I loved that their faith in God helped them to move on from the past and to heal the old wounds they each held in their hearts for one another.
I also liked that we were introduced to the entire McKenna family and the struggles that they face. My only complaint is that the author leaves us with a cliff hanger that we can't read until her next book comes out!
I received this complementary copy from Bethany House Publishers exchange for my honest opinion*
Threads of Grace
I had the pleasure of receiving this e-book thanks to BookSneeze.com in exchange for my fair & honest review.FROM THE AUTHOR:
Grace's autistic son needs a life that is safe and consistent. Seth wants to leave his flirting days behind him and settle down.
Deep in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, the beautiful and weary Amish widow, Grace Beiler, is not looking for a husband—especially one so much younger than her. But handsome and smitten Seth Wyse stumbles upon a way to help her and they marry to keep Grace’s autistic son safe from his ill-intentioned uncle.
Grace soon discovers that she is far from immune to her young husband’s experienced charm and realizes that her first marriage has not destroyed her capacity for love.
Seth Wyse seeks counsel from his older brother, Jacob, when playing the game of pursuing his wife becomes more dangerous to both his heart and life than he ever imagined.
Yet God can give Grace and Seth a passion for family and each other that teaches them the ways of the Master Quilter through the tangled and tender threads of their lives.
MY OPINION:
I have always enjoyed books by Kelly Long. She is able to paint such a vivid portrait of what the characters see & feel so that your transported into the Amish culture. The story focuses on Grace, who was forced into an early marriage. At first glace you think that Kelly is going to write about the hardships Grace faced being forced to marry a man whom she didn't love, but instead your whisked ahead in time to a point in which Grace's life long dream finally does come true, without her even looking for it. Were also introduced to Seth, who himself has a secret. A secret in which he fears that if the town elders found out he may have to give up one of his passions. But with the strong faith in God that both Grace & Seth share as well as the love that they both have for Graces son you find that dreams really do come true...even for the Amish faith.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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