Dorm Room Haul Part I

One of the most wonderful times in a parent and child's life is when your child is ready to leave the nest.  It is especially encouraging when your child's mentors, Bible study leaders, close friends come to you and say, "You've done a good job. S/he is ready." For us, that day has come. Our daughter moved into her college dorm earlier this week and starts her classes on Monday. 😊

For an 18/19 year old young lady who is getting ready to go off to college, one of the most important things in her life is shopping and collecting decor for her dorm room. And I have to admit, it is a lot of fun for mama as well. Here is a video down below of her dorm room haul. It is much longer than most of my videos. I will be following it up with a Part II sometime next week.

In the interest of Full Disclosure I need to say that at this time I am not sponsored by any of the company's or manufacturers mentioned in the above video or listed below. Everything featured was purchased. I am affiliated in the roll of a Customer and an Independent Marketing Executive with the Wellness Company that I purchased the cleaning products from.

To find out more about the about the cleaning products and the wellness company I am affiliated with go to
Link to Missy's Wellness Products or email me directly by clicking the envelope in the top of the sidebar to your right.

Coordinated Dorm Room Set:  www.roomify.com
Vacuum Cleaner:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X1G4KTW/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Lap Desk: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DIQDI2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_9lZCzbSMEH7TC
Sorbus Organizer:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DIQDI2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_9lZCzbSMEH7TC
Teal Tapestry: Urban Outfitters https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shop/maina-medallion-tapestry
(The teal is no longer available.)


If you have a question about any of the other items in this video, feel free to ask in the comment section below.

Next video will be Part II! So stay tuned!

His Grace is Sufficient

"For Power is Perfected in Weakness"

I love these verses. Currently my Precept (Precept Ministries) Bible Study class is on break. What I will often do between courses is a quick devotional read or go to www.biblestudytools.com read and use their material for my quite time with the Lord. When I went to Bible Study Tools today, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 was listed as the verse of the day.

The Apostle Paul writes often of his weakness(es). He never identifies the weakness(es), but referred to a "thorn in his side". Many scholars and theologians believe it had to do with his eyesight or maybe his frustration with his eyesight, but I beg to differ. I believe it was some sort of sin or a sinful desire that was within him. Like the rest of us, he was not immune to sin. And I am sure that the enemy had temptation set up around every corner waiting for the Apostle Paul to take the bait.

We all have that little secret desire that we struggle with. For some it might be the "little white lie". For others it is "not loving our neighbor". Hey folks! That means not loving someone for no other reason than their skin is a different color or they are from a different country. Now, what about "gluttony"? And it comes in all forms. Food, alcohol, money, power, and that list can go on and on. Gluttony is just another word for "greed" & "covetousness". "Attitude", now that seems like a little thing, but it can effect, good or bad, groups, families, churches. A bad attitude is like a poison and can have an effect that will last for generations!

Now let's talk about "big" sins.... (Or are they? More about that further down in this paragraph.) Murder, adultery, stealing, what about homosexuality? fornication? abortion? even borrowing without asking? Sin is sin. Some try to re-write scripture, discredit scripture, discount scripture, re-interpret scripture to suit their way. Still does not change what God said. And what is more? God sees all sin as the same. I know, we in our both conservative and liberal Christian ideology tend to want to categorize sin, as in this one over here is worse than the that one over there. I am here to tell you that on judgement day, when we stand before God, all of our sin will be equal. And did we hand that sin over to God? Did we allow the Holy Spirit to convict us of that sin, confess it, be cleansed of it and allow God to be glorified in our weakness? Or did we deny the Holy Spirit?

Again, we do not know what the Apostle Paul's weakness was, whether it was a physical weakness or a sinful desire, but we do know that he gave it over to God. Paul gladly boast of his "weakness so that the power of Christ might dwell in me". WOW! There is a man at our church, who proclaimed this to me the first time I met him 12 years ago. We shook hands and the next thing he told me is how he is a drug addict and how God delivered him from that darkness. To this day, he is faithful. You can see him walking with Christ daily! Oh to be so bold and open to profess God's graciousness!

"Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses,  with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (vs 10) And that strength coming only from the Lord. I have to confess, when the man I spoke of in the previous paragraph told me he was a drug addict, I was a little taken aback. I wasn't going to insult him, persecute him, cause difficulties or distress, but I wonder how others may have addressed him? Old friends he has shared Christ with, other Christians who like me, were taken aback and perhaps didn't want to associate with him. This young man told me that it was a daily struggle and he could get through it only by Christ alone.

Paul was a Jew and a follower of Jesus Christ. His struggles and difficulties were real. Prior to his conversion, he had a good life. He left all that behind to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The letters he wrote to the churches, most of which he started, offer words of encouragement, just as the words in the above (and below) are to encourage us.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

          9. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness". Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
         10. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Let this be an encouragement to you. Whatever you struggle with, know this: God's grace as being sufficient. Allow Him to be glorified in our weakness. His strength will see you through, just as it did for the Apostle Paul.

God's Word, one of those daily "Big"

...Things in Life,
Hugs, 
Missy

Re-potting House Plants

I am currently attempting to move through a "punch list". That is "a list of things to do". And mine grows every day!!! One thing I have been wanting to do is re-pot many of my plants, both my house plants and plants that I set outside. Many of which, are in the original pots they were in when they were purchased or given to me. I love gardening and having plants all around. And as long as they get attention from me, I have much success with them. While fall is usually the best time to do this, I decided that mid August is probably close enough. 😏 

I have also been collecting new pots. I like to go to places like TJMaxx & Ross to find pots because they usually have a beautiful selection of good quality pots and wonderful prices. One thing that you need to keep in mind when you go to either store is, if you see it, like it, you need to get it. You can always take it back if you it does not work for you, but chances are, it will not be there if you decide to think about it and come back to purchase later. 

And you will see an example of that below.

Beautiful Blue & White Pot Purchased at Ross

I found these beautiful blue & white pots at Ross. I should explain that I am sandwiched between 2 Ross stores. And I tend to go to both of them on the same day. At the first store, I see this pot and love it, and decided to "think about it". Went to the 2nd store, see that same pot in 2 sizes, decided to get one in each size. When I get home, I put them on the deck and set my poinsettias from last Christmas in them and decided to "think about it". That evening or next morning (can't remember) I decided that I wanted two in the same size. Rushed back to 1st store, sold out. Will not be getting anymore in. Rush to the 2nd store... yep, you guessed it, sold out! The smaller one was $7.99 and the larger one was either $9.99 or $12.99, can't remember. But definitely a BARGAIN!

I expect that the plant in the larger pot will grow into it

I did look at other stores, online, etc and never found these exact pots, but similar ones were going for $39.99 and up. Again, when you see something at these designer discount stores, and you think you might want it, go ahead and get it. You can always take it back, and I do that all the time. 😄

By the way, check out the poinsettias! Don't they look nice? They are left over from this past Christmas. I had to go to Home Depot the day after Thanksgiving and they had rolling shelves loaded down with beautiful poinsettias for .99 each. Yes, .99! 

.99 Christmas Poinsettias from Home Depot

They also had Christmas Cactus and small succulent gardens for a good price as well. The above photo was taken with my cell phone in.... February! I was using them for Valentines decor. I have never kept poinsettias alive that long, and was very proud that these not only seemed to be thriving, but were only .99 each!!! (I cannot say that enough!) By early April, they did not look this good. And I knew very little about poinsettias. I had set them on in the shade on the deck in order to get them out of the house until I decided what to do with them. One had gotten puny and I threw it away. The other four began to "come back to life" in their new spot! All lush green and beautiful. A friend, who recently moved back here from Jacksonville, FL was visiting and I showed them to her. She told me that they are hardy outdoors in that part of Florida and will grow as big as a house when planted in the ground. She said by Christmas, they start blooming and the to leaves are bright red. I asked her if she would like to take two of them home and put her green thumb to work and she accepted the challenge. I kept the two that are left and am tickled at how well they have turned out.

My last Christmas cactus was left outside (we are in the deep south, central Alabama, and we see very little cold here. Sometimes we will get a light frost in October, but often it is not until the end of November that we even get chilly.) until around Thanksgiving and it was full of beautiful blooms. So that is my plan with the poinsettias. Meanwhile, they seem to love being outdoors in bright shade. 

See how lush and green this plant has become. The pot is about a foot in diameter. When the leaves start turning red and it begins to bloom, it will be an amazing display in this pot.

I think that this poinsettia will look gorgeous in this blue & white pot when the leaves turn red.  I plan to display it on my hearth. (Would have been nice to have two of these larger pots and display them on each side... but I digress.) The poinsettia in the smaller pot will be displayed in the dinning room either on the table or sideboard. 

I did pot and re-pot several other plants, such as the Christmas Cactus that I purchased at the same time as the poinsettias and the succulents. 

Christmas Cactus (Pot purchased at TJMaxx)

Christmas Cactus

Succulents (they were in two pots, but each pot had some loss, so I combined what was left into one pot)

One of the succulents that had outgrown the succulent garden pots

My carnivorous bog plant I purchased sever months ago at Lowes

 I also took this opportunity to re-pot a couple of house plants.  The one on the left I bought several years ago for $1 at Lowes.  I found it on what I call "the discounted dead plant shelf". Some TLC turned it into a beautiful house plant!

Kimberly Queen Fern

Several weeks ago I found a couple of pots for 1/2 price at Lowes and knew they would be ideal for My Kimberly Queen Ferns. I love this variety because they just thrive in shade, sun, drought and shed very little.  I may bring these inside to over winter. 

If you have any tips or tricks for poinsettias, please feel free to share. I really have not fertilized these shown here. I am not sure what to fertilize them with. I did replant in Miracle Grow. That seems to be my "go to" potting soil and I have much success with it.

Just a reminder for when you do re-pot, remember to reuse...

OR

All containers and bags! 

Container gardening,Another one of those

Little Things in Life

Hugs, 

Missy

Blueberries: One of Nature's Superfoods

I have several summertime activities that I just love to do and one of those is going to pick blueberries. I will often go several times with a goal to pick at lease 4 gallons of blueberries to put up into the freezer.  You probably wonder what I do with all of them and you know what? that is a good question!  

First of all, we love blueberries!  They freeze well and four gallons will last us most of the year. Great for cooking, smoothies and incredible on cereal!  

The darker berries that appear to have a powder coating are really sweet & ripe

I go to a local "U-Pick" farmer to pick my berries.  Locally grown blueberries and are farm to the table fresh!  Locally grown foods, eaten over a period of time have much of the same health benefits as eating locally harvested honey.  These locally grown foods would include vegetables, fruit and meats. I will cover those benefits more at a later time in another blog post.  

Blueberries are also easy to grow yourself!  And two - three mature bushes should provide all the berries needed for your family and maybe, even your neighbors.  Birds do find them tasty as well.  So you will need to cover them with netting or an old lace tablecloth as they ripen.  

Blueberries Boost Brain Power!

Health Benefits of Blueberries

Not only are blueberries incredibly delicious, but they are also one of nature's top super foods.  The benefits of eating blueberries is amazing! Blueberries combat aging, boost the brain, fights cancer, supports digestion, promotes heart health, benefits the skin, aids in weight loss, maintains healthy bones, lowers blood pressure (by widening the arteries) & reduces LDL cholesterol.  All this packed in a 1/2 inch berry! 

One of the Highest Ranking Foods of Nutrients Per Calories

Packed full of nutrients, blueberries contain iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, manganese, zinc, copper, folate, beta-carotene, folate, choline, Vitamin A & Vitamin E.  

1 Cup of berries contains:

84 - calories

0 - cholestrerol

1.1g - protein

0.49g - fat

21g - carbohydrates 

3.6g - dietary fiber (14% of the daily requirement)

It also contains high levels of phenolic compounds: quercetin, kaempferol, myricentin & chlorogenic acid - antioxidants.  

My friend, Kim, who is my blueberry picking buddy

Picking Blueberries

It is always fun to go with a friend or family.  Children really love blueberry picking.  They pick one and put it in the bucket, they pick one and eat it and it is so fun to watch!  In fact, I eat quite a few when I pick as well. 😂 I always like to "test the bush" by sampling one berry just to make sure that bush produces a good sweet berry.  Flavor does vary from bush to bush.  

Blueberry season usually runs from the last week in June until the first or second week in August. Depending on your location and altitude. It is best to go early in the morning, before it gets too hot or early evening, as the sun is going down and it is getting cooler.  We live in the deep south and it can be 90 degrees Fahrenheit by 9:30 or 10:00 am in July. Our evenings are sometimes very warm as well.  I prefer the early mornings.  You will also need comfortable, closed toed shoes and plenty of water.  You can dehydrate quickly if it is a warm morning or evening.  

You can find "U-Pick" farms through Google or any search engine that you use or by going to your local Craigslist.  The farmers are nice, friendly and happy to have you come.  They may also have other "U-Pick" produce for you as well. The farmer I go to even has honey. I love locally produced honey! Most of the farmers have set hours that they are open for you to come and pick.  So be sure to contact them to see when they are "open".  

One plastic grocery bag will hold 1 gallon of fresh picked berries

We go through 4-6 gallons of berries a year.  I love making muffins, smoothies, pies, waffles and breads with the muffins that I pick.  We will also eat the berries straight out of the freezer (wash first) and we enjoy them on cereal or oatmeal.  They are so good picked fresh. Even when you have stored them in the freezer for a few months. The flavor is really different from store bought. I really think it is because you are enjoying the work of your hands and you have the opportunity of picking the berries at their peak.  Often times the berries you get at the store have been picked 1-2 weeks before making it to the produce shelf.  

Freezing Your Fresh Picked Blueberries

After picking your blueberries it is important to put them up right away.  They will tend to sweat and that will enable bacteria and fungi to set up causing the berries to ruin.  You will want to have some freezer bags handy.  Be sure to label them and include the date.  

Be sure to label your bags with item & date

It is not necessary to wash the blueberries before freezing.  In fact, if you wash them, it will take the natural protective coating off and when you freeze them, the skin will become tough and the flavor of the berries will not be as good.  

Sweet Delicious Blueberries 

Using a large spoon, gently scoop the berries and fill the bag.  Best to leave a little room at the top so that the bags will store flatter as you stack them in the freezer.  (See bottom photo.)

Start scooping gently with a large spoon

Blueberries freeze so well. You can take from the bag what you need, reseal the bag and return to the freezer and the remaining berries will be fine.  Be sure to wash the berries before eating or using in cooking, smoothies or salads.  

2 gallons will make 6 pints and 4 quarts of delicious, sweet berries that will last all year!

The berries will taste best the first 6-9 months after freezing.  After 9 months they will still be great for cooking or smoothies.  I have discovered a bag that got lost in the freezer that was put up a couple of years before. The berries were fine for cooking.  

Blueberries are one of nature's finest foods. Packed with nutrients, antioxidants, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.  They freeze well so that you and your family can enjoy their wonderful sweet flavor and health benefits all year long.  

And blueberries are one of those...

...Little Things in Life

Hugs,

Missy!

Fresh Produce Co-op Haul

Do you like fresh produce?  

Have you noticed how expensive it is?  Have you wondered how long it has taken for the produce to get from the farm to the store then to your table?  I have.  I have noticed that when I purchase produce from a grocery store that I really need to prepare that produce right away or it will be spoiled within the day, even when I store it in the refrigerator.

Almost 2 (two) years ago, we were invited to join a neighborhood co-op.  March - November we have bi-monthly baskets and it is $15.  December - February we get only 1 (one) basket and it is $20. For us, a family of 3, it is gracious a plenty.  Often times, more than what we need.  I rarely supplement from the store.  And only for $15!!!  It really helps me to stretch my $$ further and keeps me from overbuying.

A Local Co-op Provides a Variety of Seasonal Produce

There are different types of co-ops.  Some incorporated and run like a business such as a farm or a grocery store.  And there are others that are unincorporated being run by churches, community organization or, like ours, a handful or neighbors.  Some of these co-ops are organic and some are not.  Organic co-ops are always going to be more expensive because organics, even locally grown, are more expensive.

 Today's Co-op Haul

In today's post, I am going to discuss the simple neighborhood co-op like the one that we belong to. We are so fortunate to be here in Central Alabama where we have the Birmingham Farmers Market. Farmers come in from all the nearby counties to sell their produce.  And in a co-op, we have some buying power that allows us to bargain.  My husband was suspect about the whole program when we first joined.  Then it became our turn to shop and he was so shocked at what we were able to buy. And of course, the experience really revealed to him the markup on produce sold in the grocery stores.  

What do you need to start a co-op?

• Participants - About 10 families for a decent haul. You will max out at 30. (LOL!  you don't want to have to hire a semi to get the produce to the home where it will be distributed!) 
• Baskets - Each participant will need to provide a sturdy laundry basket that is labeled with their name
• Distribution Center - One of the families will need to volunteer a their patio or carport to be the collection and distribution center.  The space will need to be big enough that the baskets can be spread out and produce sorted
• Organizers/Managers - It is nice to have a couple of people who will "be in charge" so to speak. That is administrate a Facebook group page and coordinated a text messaging & email system. That is be willing to send out the reminders and make up the shopping schedule.  We have 2 great ladies who do this for us.  They are also the founders of our co-op.  
• Find a place to do the shopping - a farmers market, a wholesale produce distributor 
• Determine $$ amount of each basket
• Participant shopping schedule
• Establish some parameters-What I mean is, keep in mind that peanut allergies seem to be on the rise so you may want to request that no one buy peanuts.  Also, keep in mind that you are spending other peoples money.  Everyone loves and want's watermelon, but if the best price is $5 a watermelon, might be best to pass as that is 1/3 of what every participant has paid.  So it is important that you have some parameters set up for everyone to follow.  

A neighborhood/community co-op is really simple to operate and in time, almost runs itself.  Every time we have shopped for our group we have had 23-25 participating families.  That makes for a great haul!  We have 2 civics and 1 accord and all 3 cars are packed with the produce haul.  We leave early o'clock.  Way before the sun, it order to get the best deals and the freshest produce.  We go to all the vendors and farmers to check their prices.  Then I find a quite place to work all the math.  Then my husband, daughter & I take our cars around and start filling them up with all the produce as I make the purchases.  If we collect $315 from all of the participants, we spend $315.  Once I had to spend $2 out of my pocket.  But when a farmer or wholesaler knows you are short just a few dollars, they usually just let that go.  By the way, in our particular group, the shopper does not pay for their basket.  Their time spend shopping and sorting for the group is payment enough! 😊 It is fun and very educational for children & youth.

Our Hauls Feed 3-4 People for 2 Weeks!

Co-ops are the best way to get variety & freshness in your produce.  It is also a great way to stretch your shopping $$$!  If you are interested in a co-op, ask around your community and see if there is one that you can offer to be a substitute for.  It is a great way to try and see if you would like being a part of one.  If there is not one in your area, check with your neighbors and see if they will be interested in starting one.  Everyone is looking for ways to save money and have a healthier lifestyle and a produce co-op is a great way to that end.

And before I forget, I have a video on YouTube of today's co-op haul.  If you have time, go look at it.
Today's Co-op Haul

Another one of those little things in life that we enjoy!

Missy

Delicious Old Fashion Lemonade

So what do you do with Lemons?  

Make lemonade of course!  

We are going into the hot days of summer and I can think of nothing better than an ice cold glass of fresh lemonade.  When I was growing up, this was a real treat for us.  That is, homemade, fresh squeezed lemonade. My mom would cook it on the stove, let it cool then add ice and water and it would be so good! And so much better than the store bought frozen concentrate or the powdered kind.  

Delicious & refreshing on a hot summer day.  

Here in the deep south, we really do like the summers and there is nothing better than sitting outside on the porch or next to the pool on an afternoon drinking a nice iced cold tall glass of lemonade.  Nothing better to cool you off make you feel refreshed!  

This lemonade is great to make ahead, take to an outing such as a family reunion or a picnic.  And it is wonderful to have on hand to serve friends and guests at your next BBQ! 

Below I have included the recipe.  I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do!  If you do make it, let me know.  I would love to know how you liked it.  😊

Old Fashion Lemonade

• 2 cups of freshly squeezed lemons (seeds removed)
• 2 cups of water
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups of sugar (I like mine sweeter)
• slices of lemon and/or fresh mint for garnish
• 2 quarts of ice in a 1 gallon wide mouth plastic container

Pour water and sugar into a 2 quart pan and bring to a soft boil, stirring constantly.  (This is to make simple sugar water.)  After the sugar is dissolved, add the 2 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice.  Bring back up to a soft boil and continue to stir for 1 minute.  Pour over ice in plastic or glass container, stir and add water and more ice to make one gallon.  Serve in glasses over ice and garnish with fresh sliced lemons or sprigs of mint.

Makes 1 gallon of delicious lemonade.

Enjoy!

I thought I would also include a print/downloadable copy for you as well.  Just click on the link Old Fashion Lemonade Recipe.  

Remember, time flies!  Be sure to enjoy

The little things in life!

Missy