Blogging ----> Year 8

and so begins year number eight....


I can't believe I've stuck with blogging so faithfully, then again it's one of my most favorite things! I love looking back on past years and the different things I wrote about, and pictures I'd forgotten I'd taken. I've changed my style a bit through the years, and feel like I've gotten a bit better at blogging. One thing that hasn't changed, my food pics and posts! Some of my first posts were about food and I thought I'd share my first recipe/food pic.......

Shepherd's Pie

After looking at it, I realize I haven't made another Shepherd's Pie since! LOL I must have been so unimpressed!

I've made some really delicious recipes over the past 7 years, I've done some fun projects, documented the accomplishments and milestones of my family, and most recently bombarded you with pictures of my grandchildren. LOL

Sometimes, bloggers go through dry spells where they either can't find the time to blog, or feel like they have nothing to write about. To add a little spark to my blogging, and because I'm starting yet another year at it, I'm going to dig into the archives and find one topic per day to blog about by going month by month through my entire blog. I'll do a recap of an old post and do an updated version of it too. I'm excited to look back through my blog and I hope you will enjoy seeing some of the old posts too. This should be fun!

Welcome 2018....year 8 of blogging....2,047 posts and counting!! :O)

{Christmas Movie Challenge - Week 2}

Christmas with the Kranks

The Family Man

The Santa Clause

-Miracle on 34th Street-

P*R*A*N*C*E*R

Four Christmases + Frozen Hot Chocolate

HOME ALONE 2 : Lost in New York

{Christmas Movie Challenge - Week 1}

*JACK FROST*

~National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation~

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

The Polar Express

THE GRINCH

The Holiday <3

Elf

Disney ABC Challenge [K]

[K]

Olivia's @ Old Key West Resort

What a gorgeous resort! We ate here for the first time during our last vacation and the food did not disappoint (especially the conch fritters and the Key Lime Pie)!!!

timer cleaning + organization challenge

I am easily sidetracked. I start the washer in the laundry room, and go to our bedroom to grab a load of laundry and before I know, I'm cleaning out my purse and sorting through receipts. I don't mind cleaning, in fact, I love a clean house and I love having things organized, my problem is staying on task, and actually getting more than one room neat and tidy before the day gets away from me. Years ago, I started this trick to getting the whole house clean in a matter of minutes, well 10 minutes per room that is.

I normally deep clean the house once a week, but a couple of times a week, I do a 10-minute tidy.  I set the timer for 10 minutes and go crazy in that room, stopping once the timer goes off and moving on to the next. It's amazing what you can accomplish in 10 minutes!

Here's what I do......normally starting in the laundry room: Set the timer for 10 minutes, turn up the music and GO....I start a load up of laundry, fold and put away anything left in the dryer. I tidy up the shelves above washer/dryer, shake the rug, and swiffer vacuum the floor. I mop on my more thorough cleaning day, unless it really needs it. If I have a spare minute, I'll glass plus the back doors.

10 minutes later....one room clean. ✔️

I move to the next room and so on through the house, tidying up each room and getting as much done as I can in 10 minutes. Instead of spending the whole day fluttering around, getting sidetracked, and not really accomplishing anything, I take just over an hour of my morning getting the house clean and tidy, giving me the rest of the day to enjoy other things. It works!! :O) :O)

It's also that time of the year when I feel the need to organize EVERYTHING!!! Every January I do an organizing challenge, as well as a few more times throughout the year. The New Year...my favorite time to declutter! Here are a few challenges that you can print out, and there are tons more on Pinterest. I'll post weekly on my New Year Declutter Challenge - I can't wait to get started on Monday!

* all images used in this post are from Pinterest

Thankful November {Day 30}

DAY 30 - HAPPINESS

Sometimes I don't feel like I am thankful enough. God has blessed me with such a good & happy life. I have an amazing family, lots of good friends, my family is relatively healthy, we have a nice home, we have jobs that provide security and enough money to pay our bills with some left over to enjoy vacations and to spoil our granddaughter! :O) I am thankful though too for the little things that make my life rich and bring me so much happiness and joy. I am thankful to really know that "the secret to having it all is believing you already do!" <3

Thankful November {Day 29}

Day 29 - LIGHT

**tangier at twilight**

This was one of the most beautiful skies I have ever seen!! One of things I am most thankful for are the amazing sunrises and sunsets that I get to see living on the bay. 

Disney ABC Challenge [J]

[J]

I love watching Captain JACK Sparrow -- you can find him in Adventure Land in Magic Kingdom. We also love The Pirates of the Caribbean ride there too!

Thankful November {Day 28}

DAY 28 - MUSIC

How exciting it is this time of year...and one thing I LOVE is the music! I love the traditional carols, the old Christmas hymns, and holiday music by today's artists, like Kelly Clarkson and Mariah Carey. I am thankful for the little things, like blogging, time to blog, Christmas music, the tree all lit up, & peppermint hot chocolate. 

Thankful November {Day 27}

DAY 27 - KINDNESS

:O) :O)

Thankful November {Day 25 & 26}

DAY 25 & 26 - SURPRISE & LOVE

This time last year, we were in store for the best surprise!!! 





This past year has been a whirlwind of emotions....excitement, fear, concern, worry, joy, happiness, and love. I am most thankful this year for God's mercy and love. April 22nd started out as just an ordinary day, but by 8:54 that night, our world was turned completely upside down. The first few days, weeks, were scary, but thank you Lord, today this precious mommy is here with this beautiful and thriving baby girl to love along with a daddy who adores them both. 















This little girl melts my heart! I am so in love with this adorable, perfect, and precious child! <3

Thankful-Grateful-Blessed