Winter Square Sunglasses

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I have really been enjoying my weekends lately. I changed my cleaning schedule to break-up my chores throughout the week instead of a whole day of cleaning on Saturday or Sunday. That was starting to drive me nuts and ruin my weekends.

But since I have made that change it has given me more time to find items on the internet. Bad…. very bad. Like these great winter sunglasses from Ann Taylor.

They are a beautiful, classic pair of sunglasses to have during the cold. I still wear sunglasses in the winter. They help with my contacts and helps me to easily ignore men! Ha!
I got them for a great price. I only paid $25 last week! Not too bad for a pair of square sunglasses which are my favorite shape. 
Well, I hope that you enjoyed this find and Happy Monday to everyone!
(photos via AnnTaylor.com & Mrs. Shockley)

Smelling the Garden in Winter

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Hello Friday! It has been a brutal week weather-wise here in Indiana. On Wednesday the windchill factor was -35! But we had it easy compared to Minnesota whose windchill factor was -65!! Good golly!

So cold! I keep telling myself, “okay the nurses at my daughter’s school said years ago that we need things to freeze so that they may die”. Okay, are they dead yet because it’s COLD! Alright, let’s move on. I am looking forward to spring as many of you are and my favorite company has delivered a little bit of it already.

I went online a few days ago to check out new scents at Bath and Body Works and discovered beautifully decorated candles and wonderful new scents. I was so excited!

First things first, they brought back an oldie but goodie flower shop! I was so happy to see this candle. I had to purchase at least two for right now. My candle is the plain white one at the bottom. I must admit I hated that x and o wrapping on it. That was hideous to me so I had to take it off. Other than that I am so happy to have my favorite return. 
The next scent that I purchased was water hyacinth. I believe this is a new scent and is absolutely wonderful if you like hyacinth, bergamot, and water lily. Very refreshing, fragrant and just look at the wrapping. Very chic!
And many of you may have already seen this photo on my Instagram account but this is the last fragrance that I purchased and it is called garden greenery. It is lovely and just look at the wrapping on this? Gorgeous right? The notes in this candle are apricot, fresh basil, and bright mint leaves. The apricot is strong in this one but it is lovely. 
I also purchased cucumber lily a few weeks ago and loved that one too! The notes in that candle are fresh cucumber, green tea, and lily of the valley. All of the candles have essential oils and burn very well. Love seeing all of the floral wrapping on these candles. Makes it a joy to look at them too!
Well, I hope that you enjoyed this post and that if you are in a cold climate like me I hope that these floral candles helped you to forget what horrible wind is lurking outside. Enjoy your weekend!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

A Career Journal…

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Last month I purchased a Real Simple magazine and enjoyed reading most of the articles in it. In one section of the book, it had a 12-month to-do for 2019. One of those to-do’s was starting a career journal.

I thought, hmmm a career journal? I currently do journal (see my blog post here if you missed it) but to actually have a journal dedicated to work goals? Honestly, I kind of like that idea. The article said this about the career journal…

Use a blank notebook or an app like Day One (free for the basic version; iOS and Android) to track accomplishments, note feedback you received, and list short-term goals. Ideally try to update it every day or once a week. “The more you visually see your goals and areas of improvement, the more likely you are to address them,” says Lauren McGoodwin, founder of Career Contessa, a professional-development site for women. It also serves as a source of proof points when you’re asking for a raise or promotion or looking for a new job.

I love the idea of making goals. I do have a few career goals and I am hoping that one of them will be accomplished this year. I have some extra journals in my nightstand drawer. I may have to turn one into my new career journal.

Now I don’t know if I will update it every week but about once a month sounds good to me. I do loving keeping goals. It helps me keep my vision in front of me. One thing that I am changing this year is being open to things. At first, I had my set goals and NOTHING was going to change my mind. But a recent event last year in 2018 help me to change that and helped me to be more open to different opportunities out there.

So now I don’t have my goals stuck on just one career move. Now I am much more open to exploring new adventures. So we will see what happens in 2019. I hope you all click on the link above and read the article. It is very insightful! Enjoy!!

(photos via Pinterest)

January Favorites

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As you can imagine January has not been a good month. With all of the shutdown drama going on it’s been pretty hard trying to keep my focus on what’s important. But as I said in my post on Friday, I am just trusting that God has a plan for all of this.

Now let’s get into some of my favorites for this month, shall we?

Photo by Benigno Hoyuela on Unsplash




First on my list has been this ginger with chamomile tea. I can not stop drinking it! It is so delicious. It has been an absolute favorite for the entire month. I have so enjoyed this with some honey. It is marvelous in the morning with my breakfast! 

Second, on my list has been my new Varidesk! Our office ordered these some time ago and some staff members have left leaving some leftovers! I requested one about 3 weeks ago and I am loving it. It has been such a game-changer for me. I love being able to stand for a few hours. Working as a paralegal and sitting all day can have bad effects on your circulation. Trust me I am starting to fight a few varicose veins but this tool is sure to help me get back on track. Love it!

Third, on my list has been my new turmeric gummies from mykind Organics. My local Fresh Thyme sells them. You can order them online for about $20. They test so well! I have one a day along with the multivitamins that I take in the morning. I don’t know if I have any inflammatory issues (although I believe my varicose veins are one), I still take them to build healthy habits. If you find them you should try them. Absolutely delicious! 

Fourth on my list has been my new faux flower arrangements. There has been a world of difference in the way my home decor looks. Everything looks so fresh and beautiful. I have really been happy with the turnout. Read my blog post here if you are interested. 

And last on my list has been my spinach scrambled eggs. They are so good! I make these every weekend now. I enjoy this dish so much and it is so filling. So glad I tried it! See my blog post here about it. 


Well, that’s it for this month. We will see what February holds. I am not sure. I know that I wanted to schedule a facial for the month of February. I have never had a professional facial! Can you believe that? I also have to begin plans for my daughter’s 14th birthday! I can’t believe my baby girl is going to be 14 in March! So scary. Well, I hope that you enjoy your week! 
(photos via  Mrs. Shockley)

Living During a Shutdown

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It has now been 30+ days since the government shutdown and it has not been fun (my office has been affected by this). Sighing….. I really don’t know what to think anymore. It’s been so frustrating to watch and hear the news. I have been trying to take everything in doses. I don’t want to overwhelm myself or become engrossed with what’s going on yet I do want to still be informed.

During this shutdown, I have been trying to keep my life in order and trying to keep the right perspective. It is so easy to get caught in other people’s life frustrations and situations. Sometimes you will find yourself absorbing other people’s emotions and I don’t want to do that. I am crazy on my own thank you very much! So what I have decided to do is remain grateful and enjoy as much beauty as I can.

First things first I have made it a point to enjoy flowers. The real and faux. In my office and at home. I really love flowers and have always used them as a source of joy and contentment. This is my faux arrangement at home. I love it next to my blue and white ginger jar. 
The second thing has been enjoying my breakfast in the mornings. I love coming into my office having my pumpkin muffin, fresh pear and a hot cup of ginger tea. Since the shutdown, I have been making sure that I take my time sipping my tea.
I have also made a point to enjoy my lunches. This fabulous salad was created by one of our attorney’s in our office. It is a spinach salad with apples, feta, almonds, and cranberries. Absolutely delicious and it was free! So glad she wanted to share this with everyone. 
This past weekend my husband and I went furniture shopping. Now, of course, we did not spend anything but I think that it is okay to “window shop”. I was able to find a nice dining room table that I wanted and was able to get a list from one of the sales reps. So when we are ready to purchase I know exactly how much we will spend. I love the table legs on this! 
Love these host chairs that I picked out too. 
( see my dining room inspiration post here) 
I have also been trying to find new delicious and inexpensive recipes too. I just shared my spinach eggs recipe this week and I have loved cooking that as well as eating it. Enjoying my meals has been another way to be grateful and create a beautiful life. This dish is actually from a restaurant. It is called the Napa Chicken dinner. I talked about it here. 
And the last thing that I have been doing is continuing to dress well. In spite of having limited funds and not receiving pay, I have made it a point to continue to dress well. Just because things are bad it does not mean that I should not continue to work and dress well. I am still working in my office giving it the same amount of effort as I would if things were normal. I believe the Lord will honor that. Keeping the right attitude during trials is just another part of our faith walk. I just keep telling myself, “the Lord has a plan”. I don’t know what it is but I am doing my very best to trust it. I remember a quote that I heard a Bible teacher say some years back. He said, “this is God’s universe and God does things his way. You may have a better way but you don’t have a universe”. 
I chuckled when I heard that. I thought, “yeah you are absolutely right”. This is not my universe. So just wait patiently. I hope that you all enjoy your weekend and continue to be grateful. 
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

My Spinach Scrambled Eggs

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I love my scrambled eggs on the weekend. I always look forward to them but this past week I saw one of my favorite Youtuber’s Lisa Bryan create a wonderful scramble egg dish.

So I went to the store and purchased a container of spinach to add to my scrambled eggs. Now when you watch her video she adds a lot more ingredients but I know for me I just wanted to take it easy this time and keep it simple.

I sauteed my spinach with extra virgin olive oil and it did not take long. 
In a separate bowl I mixed my eggs (brown, I love brown eggs), butter, salt and pepper. Then I just added it to the spinach and let it cook for a few minutes. 
I kept a close eye on them and once they were done I plated them and it just looked delicious and yummy!
It was a breakfast that I truly enjoyed this past weekend and look forward to making it again. I also had some wonderful blueberries (they were on sale too), my teapot full of warm ginger and chamomile tea. This tea is turning out to be one of my favorites! I also used my tea cup and saucer from my mother in law. She purchased it from the Biltmore a few years ago for me. 
I do enjoy my breakfasts on the weekends. My husband and daughter are not big breakfast eaters and I have just given up on trying to convert them so now I just make my wonderful breakfast and enjoy it. 
If your family is like mine and doesn’t like eating breakfast, don’t worry about it anymore. Just make a wonderful breakfast for yourself and believe that you are setting an example. They will join in soon. Also, here is Lisa’s video below if you wish to watch it. She has a wonderful Youtube channel full of healthy recipes and whole living ideas. Enjoy!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

The Paver Tote

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I always try to make sure that I share a great find while it is on sale as soon as I can. This is another one of those great finds. This is called the pochette tote bag from Ann Taylor. It comes in two different colors. This is the paver grey color and I managed to get it for only $45! The original price is $148!

It has all of the features that an executive tote should have. It has the divider with a zipper, the cell phone holder and the inside zipper on the side. It’s also very roomy and beautiful. 

Love the “purse feet” on the bottom. That is always a favorite feature of mine. 
Another great feature that it has is the removable pouch. It has a protection coating on it so you can put your tablet in it if you would like. Great feature!

It also has Ann Taylor on the inside of it. It is a lovely bag and will keep you organized. I also love the pink blush color on the front. A favorite of course. Another great feature is the gold hardware. I love gold hardware with pink blush. I just think it looks so timeless. 
Well I hope that you all enjoy this find and if you can click on the link above and take a look at that price! It’s a steal, honestly it is. Enjoy!
(photos via Mrs. Shockley)