Broccoli & White Cheddar Soup

Every year, about this time, I start wondering if it's too early to start doing the "fall thing". Fall is my favorite time of year and I'm just so anxious to get out my decorations and start making some cooler weather dinners. Usually, though, if I start wondering now, I convince myself that it's too early. So I wait. But then life gets in the way and, before I know it, I'm putting up my fall decor super fast in mid-October so we have time to enjoy it before it's time to take it down and put up all the Christmas stuff. Well, I asked my son, Michael, last night what he thought and he said we should jump in! So here's my first colder weather recipe of the season: Broccoli & White Cheddar Soup.

Usually I avoid things like this because I don't have an immersion blender and every recipe I find calls for one. Well, yesterday I got smart and used the awesome KitchenAid blender my mom gave me. It was just one extra step, transferring the soup to the blender and back, but getting to taste this delicious soup was totally worth it!

Broccoli & White Cheddar Soup

1/2 c. butter or oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 c. flour
5 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. milk or cream (or mix of both!)
3 c. broccoli florets
4 c. sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and sauté a few minutes until onions are clear. Stir in flour and cook for one minute. Add broth, a little at a time, and works out any clumps. Then add the milk and stir. If your skillet is getting too full at this point, transfer the mixture to a soup pot. I had no problem with mine---I think it's a 12 c. skillet. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and then add broccoli. Simmer until soup has thickened a bit. At this point, either use an immersion blender to break up the vegetable chunks, or transfer the soup to a blender, half at a time, to smooth it out. Return soup to the skillet and simmer another five minutes or so until it's the thickness you want. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until it's all melted.

Enjoy!

What Women Really Want or {Neatly Trimmed and Clean Shaven} #SmoothSummer #shop #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

What do women really want? Oh, the age old question! Well, that list is infinitely long, but when it comes to faces, this woman prefers the clean-shaven look to the scruffy. That's why I make sure Jamie is never without a good razor. Recently, I went out and bought the new Gillette Flex Ball Razor for him to try out.

I found it at Walmart and spent a little too much time at the display! They had this fun motion-activated display where the razor would start moving whenever I got close to it. (Check out my Instavideo...I recorded for y'all) There were both manual and power versions. I grabbed a manual one.

When Jamie and I first got married, I didn't want him to grow any facial hair. The idea gagged my 18-year-old self and I really pitched a fit when he said he was going to grow a mustache and goatee.

At first, I didn't like it. But, over time, it started to grow on me. (Well, not literally...that would be weird). Now I really like his mustache and goatee---when they're nicely trimmed. Anything past that is yucko! I know yesterday I said we were into Duck Dynasty---but I'm thinking they can keep their super long beards and we'll just stick with short and neat here!

After using the Flexball razor, Jamie said he was really impressed with the close shave. He told me all about how the razors work to pull the hair out and cut it off, leaving no itchy stubble. He said the razor really appealed to a guy with all that shiny chrome-look and how it's all gadgety. He said it had a good weight to it, like it was something of substance. It makes me feel good to know I made a good choice and bought something he finds useful.

As a professional working in a professional environment, it's important that Jamie doesn't waltz into work looking like a hillbilly bum. (No offense to all my hillbilly bum friends) A clean-shaven face with a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee looks classy and masculine. Yes, I must admit, I do prefer this look to the old, for sure!

Check out this Pinterest board for more Smooth Faces of Summer:
Follow Hairspray and HighHeels's board Smooth Faces of Summer on Pinterest.
#SmoothSummer
#CollectiveBias

The Homemaking Party: New Writing Opportunity

Welcome to the Homemaking Party! I'm so excited to announce my newest project: Belle's Library!

I've just begun a literature blog and would love to have some contributors! You can make a one time commitment, or sign on to submit regularly. I'm looking for any kind of writing on books. You can submit commentaries, essays, book reviews, book memes, quizzes, author fun facts...the options are endless! Would you like to submit an essay, commentary, or book review for publication on Belle's Library? Visit the Writing Opportunity tab above for details.

Speaking of books, I'm participating in two reading challenges and am keeping a running list of what I've read here. Here's the info on the challenges I've joined---in case you're wanting to join too!

Since August 1st, I've finished these books:
French Lessons by Peter Mayle
Persuasion, Captain Wentworth, and Cracklin' Cornbread by Mary Jane Hathaway
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo

Today I'm reading, Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits by Mary Jane Hathaway. Love her!

Here are my plans for Simply Audra Marie's Friday "It Begins with SUMMER" challenge:

S---Sweet Dreams at the Goodnight Motel (will read in September)
U---Undone (will read in September)
M---Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart (done)
M---Motel of the Mysteries (will read in September)
E---Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Chili Slaw Dogs (will read in August)
R---Recipes for Easy Living (will read in September)

What are you reading?

Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party! Have a blessed night!

Make Bake Create Party

Welcome to the Make Bake Create Party! 5 blogs-1 party-lots of fun!

Baked Spinach & Pepperjack Chicken -- Trim Healthy Mama Recipe #Sponsored #NutrishforCats #MC

I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Nutrish for Cats. I received a sample of Nutrish for Cats to facilitate this review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Last week, Elisha, 11, made this super awesome and deliciously healthy Baked Spinach & Pepperjack Chicken dish for our family. It was a big hit! If you're doing the Trim Healthy Mama plan, this is a great recipe for that. Just like we know the importance of feeding ourselves a healthy meal, our family also tries to make sure our pets are fed healthy meals too!

I was really excited to get this great sample package in the mail from Rachael Ray's new line of healthy cat food called, Nutrish. Real meat, like chicken or fish, is the main ingredient in these great blends. There's no artificial flavors or preservatives and you won't find the by-product garbage bits in these tasty (for cats!) recipes. Only simple, wholesome meals with a flavor your cat will naturally love. 

Make sure to enter the contest at the end of this post to win your own sample of Nutrish for cats. In the meantime, grab coupons here. Here's a list of stores stocking Nutrish.

I've featured our Flame Point Siamese cat, O'Neill, before. He's a good cat, and if he didn't shed so bad, I'd let him come in the house! Still, he's been an excellent outside guard cat. I've never seen a mouse and he's really great about fighting off possums and raccoons. See his weird upper lip? That's a raccoon battle scar! 

We've been feeding O'Neill the Salmon and Brown Rice dry blend all week and he totally loves it! Yesterday, he got to try some Sardine and Mackerel wet food and didn't stop 'til he'd eaten every good bite. We don't give him wet food very often, so it was a real treat for him. Check out his Instagram too see how much he loved this natural food for cats!

We like to eat healthy, wholesome foods also. That's why this spinach and cheese dish was such a dinnertime hit. With just three ingredients, Elisha put it together fast and I could feel confident feeding it to the family since I knew what went into it!

Baked Spinach & Pepperjack Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. frozen spinach
4 slices Pepper Jack cheese

Place chicken in a greased baking pan and top with spinach. Cover and bake at 350º for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove from oven and lay cheese across the top. Bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Looking for some great Trim Healthy Mama Recipes? Try these! 

THM Lunches & Dinners

Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken
Pork Egg Roll in a Bowl
Spaghetti Squash Casserole (No Pasta Spaghetti)
20 Squash Recipes
Baked Spinach and Pepperjack Chicken

THM Breakfasts

List of THM Breakfast Ideas
Chicken Ranch Omelette

THM Treats
Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy

THM Misc.
Homemade Ranch Dressing
Make Your Own Chicken Stock & Broth
Zesty Burger Spread

Date Night Pizza Party #FoodMadeSimple #shop #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Back to school time always brings a change of routine around our house. As homeschoolers, we school all year round, but we always start the new schooling year in August. This means earlier bed times for the kids and longer movie nights for Jamie and I. I had been working on writing projects for several nights in a row, so last night I put it all aside to watch Duck Dynasty and enjoy some DiGiorno pizza strips with my husband.

I put the younger kids down to bed early, as they were sleepy and not feeling well, and Lynzie held down the fort while I ran out and grabbed some dipping strips at Walmart. I'd seen these in the pizza aisle before, but hadn't tried them. DiGiorno is one of our favorite brands of pizza, though, so I knew we'd enjoy them.

I came home to find the kids watching their favorite show, I Love Lucy. That's usually what they pick for their movie nights, but one can only take so much Ricky Ricardo. Then again, one can only take so much Willie Robertson... Still, it's quality marriage time, right? 

The dipping strips box gives microwave directions, but since we cook everything in the oven, I stuck them in at 375º. I put the dipping strip package in a pot of water and let it warm on the stove.

Before we headed to the back of the house to have our movie night, Lynzie took a picture of us. I'm glad the kids can see how important it is for Dad and I to have our date nights---even if we don't actually go anywhere!

It was nice to take a break from writing for the night and have a little pizza party with my husband. Although I've been hinting for weeks that I want to watch Jane Austen's, Emma, I'm happy to say I survived Uncle Si and enjoyed our DiGiorno, too!

Check out this link for some great recipes from Nestlé.

#FoodMadeSimple
#CollectiveBias

Commercial Break Snacks & Games with MARS Candy #Chocolate4TheWin #shop #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Football season is upon us so it's time to start planning some great snacks and entertainment for game night fun! I've got a few ideas to keep your get-together lively during commercial breaks and half time, along with a super simple dessert recipe featuring chocolate candy bars.

This past Friday, some of the kids and I were running errands while the older girls were at ballet. My boys had never been in Sam's Club before and I had time to stop, so I took them in with me to grab some party snacks and other groceries. It was definitely a Mommy of the Year experience, as they oohed and aahhed over all the awesome stuff. Michael thought it was pretty awesome that I took them straight to the candy aisle and grabbed this big ol' 48-count box of SNICKERS®.

I was even more awesome as we went around the corner and picked up a 105-count variety bag of candy bars. Just to dispel any ideas you may have about me keeping this bag in the cupboard and making it last over a few weeks or so...

Yeah. This is what the bag looks like at the end of the weekend in a house with nine children and a dad. Of course, I'm not to blame for any of this. Moving on...

Part of putting on a fun football night party is keeping the guests excited and energized. Here are some ideas for games that can be played in under five minutes, making them perfect for filling in commercial breaks or half-time.

The Right and Left Game. Make up a story using the words "right" and "left" as much as possible. (Ex: I left my house and headed to Larry Left's for the big game. Unfortunately, I left my phone right on the kitchen counter. I turned around and drove right back to grab it from the place I left it....") Give a candy bar to one person and begin reading the story. Every time you say, "left" or "right", the bar is passed that direction. When the game comes back on, the person with the candy bar keeps it.

Candy Bar Towers: You've only got the time it takes for the game to come back on to build the highest candy bar tower. Last one standing wins!

Football Flash Trivia: The hostess calls out a question and the first person to shout out the answer gets a candy bar thrown at them.

Here's the kids' idea of the perfect commercial break game: SNICKERS® box football:

Finally, if you don't happen to have nine children to split 105 candy bars between, hold a "guess the amount" game at the end of the party. The person who comes closest to guessing the number of candy bars in the bowl takes them home!

Here's a simple and sweet dessert recipe for your snack table: Sweet Apple Slices.

Just spread half an apple with your favorite nut spread (we used chocolate hazelnut and peanut butter) and top with chopped up candy bars. This is also good with cheese on top, believe it or not!

What party plans do you have for this year's football season?

#Chocolate4theWin
#CollectiveBias

Second Chance Café by Brandy Bruce --- Book Tour & Review

Hello and Happy Weekend! Tonight I'm happy to introduce fellow writer, Brandy Bruce, and her new book, Second Chance Café. Brandy graciously sent me a copy of her book for review and all opinions are honest and are my own.

Book Description: Isabella Romano has just about given up on love. So when a handsome firefighter practically falls at her feet, she keeps him at arm's length, afraid of being hurt again. 

Ethan Carter has known something's been missing from his life for a while now. And he's pretty sure he's found it in nurse Isabella Romano. He's determined to win her heart. But when he realizes that Isabella's just as stubborn as he is, he knows he's got his work cut out for him! 

My Thoughts: While I'm not normally a big reader of romances and have tended to avoid Harlequins in the past, I did enjoy the simple, light-hearted story of Isa and Ethan. There was a lot of depth to their characters and to the way their romance played out. That's not always easy to work into a short story like this. The book was well-written, the plot line flowed well, and it was easy to imagine the story taking place in settings I've been in before. 

I did notice quite a bit of stereotypical Italian everything; but I guess if you're writing a quick read like this, you want the characters to be somewhat stereotypical so you don't have to give a lot of extra info that the reader wouldn't already assume. All in all, I give it a thumbs up. Should I come across another by this author, I'd probably give it a go. 

Check out Brandy's Blog and shop for Second Chance Café on Amazon.com.

Product Details: List Price: $4.99 Publisher: Heartsong Presents/ Love Inspired Language: English ISBN-13: 978-0-373-48719-6

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Brandy Bruce was scribbling stories in spiral notebooks by the age of 12. Her love for books never left her. She graduated from Liberty University, married the one person she could never get enough of, then started working as a book editor for a publishing house. Brandy and her husband, Jeff, live in Colorado with their two children.

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Chapter One 

“Okay, people. We’ve got a firefighter with possible fractures and trauma to the spine. ETA is five minutes.” Nurse Isabella Romano’s ears perked up and her pulse quickened. The mood in the emergency room shifted to one of controlled urgency. Isabella slipped on gloves and followed the attending physician, Dr. Nichols, to the Denver Health Medical Center’s ER entrance. Sirens rang out in the distance, and within minutes, the familiar sight of flashing lights sped toward them. The back doors of the ambulance flew open and the paramedics jumped out. “Male, late twenties, fell from second-story landing to first floor and landed on his back. Multiple burns on his arms and a laceration on his right thigh. Hypotensive. Tachycardic. We administered one liter of saline through an 18 gauge IV in his left AC. Patient has maintained a pulse ox of 96 percent on 10L of oxygen via facemask.” Isabella grabbed the left side of the stretcher, helping push the gurney to trauma room 1. At the sound of a low moan, she looked down at the firefighter strapped to the backboard. A neck collar kept him immobile and an oxygen mask covered his mouth. “What’s his name?” Isabella called out to the EMT across from her. “Ethan Carter. Company 51. Those guys will be filling up the waiting room as soon as they clear the scene.” “Ethan, I’m Isabella. Can you hear me?” His gaze met hers and Isabella could see his intense pain. “Ethan, you’re going to be okay. We’re going to take good care of you.” “Okay, everyone, on three,” Dr. Nichols ordered. Everyone stopped what they were doing at Dr. Nichols’s instruction and lifted the backboard with Ethan on it, transferring him and the backboard to the hospital bed. He moaned. “We’re going to need 50 mcg of fentanyl,” Dr. Nichols called out. Maggie, one of Isabella’s colleagues, began cutting off Ethan’s burned clothing. “Let’s get some X-rays, Isa,” Dr. Nichols stated. “I want a CT scan. His thigh obviously needs stitches.” “I’m on it,” Maggie said as she inspected the burns on Ethan’s arms. Isabella moved to order the X-rays but Ethan reached out for her. She stepped back toward him, preparing to explain to him that she’d be back and he was going to be all right. But the look in his blue eyes stopped her. He tried to reach for his oxygen mask, but Isabella shook her head. “No, don’t move,” she said; then pulled away his mask for a moment. “Don’t leave me,” he said, his voice dry and raspy. Isabella was pretty sure that even covered in dust and blood, with a brace around his neck, he was the most attractive man she’d ever seen. Her heart tugged. In that moment, he just seemed so alone. She replaced his oxygen. “I have to go for a minute, Ethan, but I’ll be coming right back. And we’ll get through this together. I know you’re scared and I know you’re hurting. But it’s going to be okay.” He just stared at her, his eyes pleading for her to stay. Isabella couldn’t help it; she reached down and brushed his brown hair from his forehead. “I promise I’ll be back,” she told him.Ethan Carter’s eyes fluttered open and then shut again quickly. Who in the world turned on that blinding light? He could hear a voice, someone saying his name. He turned his head to the side. What happened? He heard that voice again, saying his name. Then it came back to him, playing through his mind like a movie reel. The house fire. The roaring sound of the blaze. The sensation that he was falling. The impact of the ground floor. The rush into the ER. “Ethan?” He opened his eyes and blinked, trying to focus on the woman’s face in front of him. “Hi there,” she said. “It’s nice to see you again.” He blinked again. “Nurse . . .” “Isabella. We met under rather tragic circumstances, I know.” She was teasing. He could hear it in her voice. Now that he could focus on her clearly, he remembered seeing her in the ER. “Isabella,” he repeated. Dressed in blue scrubs, she stood next to the bed, her brown hair tied back in a knot. She smiled down at him and Ethan felt better at the sight of her smile. She checked the monitors, her eyes darting toward the door of the hospital room. “Did they get the family out of the house?” Ethan asked. Isabella nodded. “Yes. One of the other firefighters—I think his name was Blake—told me to let you know that everyone made it out safely.” “Except me, I guess,” Ethan said grimly. But Isabella’s smile didn’t fade. “C’mon, tough guy. You’ve got this.” Ethan studied her warm smile and playful tone. “You’re right,” he conceded. “God was watching over me in that burning house. He won’t abandon me now.” She blinked in surprise at his statement. “I suppose He was,” she agreed. “When can I go home?” Ethan asked. “I’m not sure,” Isabella answered. “Dr. Nichols will be here any minute to talk to you,” she said. “Can you stay?” Ethan asked immediately. Her face softened. “Sure, if you want me to. Is there anyone you want me to call for you? The guys from the firehouse were here all night, off and on, in the waiting room. There are a few guys out there now. They can come in as soon as Dr. Nichols speaks to you.” Ethan nodded. “Thanks. But there’s no one else for you to call.” Isabella frowned. “Your family?” Ethan just shook his head, turning his attention to the gauze covering his forearms. “There’s no one. Just the guys.” He hoped she’d drop the topic. He hated the pitiful looks he got whenever he explained to people that other than a few distant relatives out in California, he had no one. It was part of why he’d joined Company 51. A whole firehouse with the brothers he’d never had. He wondered if the chief was in the waiting room. The door slid open and a doctor wearing black rimmed glasses and holding a clipboard walked in. He looked to be in his mid-forties. “Good morning, Ethan. How are we feeling today?” We? I have a feeling you’re doing a lot better than I am, doc. “I’m hurting, but I’m guessing that medication is dulling the real pain.” Dr. Nichols nodded. “You had a bad fall, Ethan. You know that. There were second degree burns on your arms, and a gash on your thigh that took about twenty stitches. You lost some blood, but we’ve given you IV fluids and you’re vitals have stabilized. You’re pretty banged up and bruised all over, but unfortunately, your back took the impact of the fall.” Ethan’s chest constricted with fear. “How bad is it?” Isabella stepped closer to his bedside. “It could have been worse. You have a lumbar—lower back—spinal fracture. The X-ray showed an L4 compression fracture. The positive aspect of this is that you still have good movement and feeling. Also, there doesn’t seem to be any neurological damage.” “Do I need surgery?” Ethan asked. “I don’t think so. The X-rays indicate a clean fracture. I’m going to recommend we move forward with outpatient treatment. But you’ve got a long, arduous healing journey ahead of you.” “How long until I can be back on active duty?” Dr. Nichol’s eyebrows furrowed. “The spine is a tricky thing, Ethan. And everyone heals at a different pace. You’re going to need rest, pain medication, lots of therapy, a back brace—” “How long?” Ethan insisted. “We’re talking months, Ethan. And that’s assuming that everything heals as it should. While in a few weeks you’ll be able to continue with most day-to-day activities, I don’t see you going back to active duty for probably six months. It could be less; it could be more. Perhaps they can transfer you to a desk job until you’re ready. After a few weeks of therapy we could reevaluate and consider light duty. But as of right now, your life is going to look different. You need to understand and accept that. Your priority needs to be healing properly.” Months? Desk job? Light duty? Ethan tried to swallow the boulder in his throat. “But, eventually, I’ll be back to normal. I’ll be able to be on active duty, right?” Ethan pressed. Dr. Nichols folded his arms across his clipboard. “If all goes as it should, I think you’ll make a full recovery. But as I said, this is going to be a one-day-at-a-time healing process. We’ll start with rest. I want you on complete bed rest for the next few days. No strenuous activity. We’ll fit you for a back brace, which I want you to wear for six to eight weeks. We’ll do an X-ray after six weeks and see if the bone has healed. Then, once the bone has healed, you’ll need to begin physical therapy.” Ethan took a deep breath. He felt a soft hand squeeze his arm and he looked up at Isabella. “Hey, it’s going to be okay,” she said, her voice encouraging. “You’re here, you’re alive, you can walk—those are all good things.” He stared at her, trying to hold on to the sense of calm emanating from her. She’s right, Father, he prayed. But what am I going to do for months if I’m not fighting fires? And what if ‘the healing process’ doesn’t go as it should and I can’t go back? Company 51 is all I have. That last thought was too much. Ethan felt tears welling up in his eyes. He blinked fast to keep them at bay, mortified that he might cry in front of this nurse who not only was kind and smart and had a great sense of humor, but also looked stunning in blue scrubs. I will never leave you. The words were just a whisper in his heart, but they were enough. He clung to them. It had only been six months since one of his brothers at the firehouse, Caleb, had lead Ethan to Christ. Six months of a changed life. He still struggled to accept that God loved him like a father. That he could turn to God at any time. But it got easier. Accepting Christ as his Savior had filled Ethan with something he’d known was missing since childhood. Now he treasured that faith more than anything else. Ethan closed his eyes. I have You, Father. Whatever comes, I have you. Help me through this.Isabella watched as Ethan closed his eyes. His lips moved silently, and she knew without a doubt that he was praying. She looked over at Dr. Nichols who stood waiting without a word. Prayers were common things in the hospital. Sometimes people cried out loudly for help. Sometimes it was a desperate whisper. And sometimes, like now, it was a silent request. She’d seen people blame God. She’d seen them beg for His comfort. She’d even seen them try to barter for what they wanted. Isabella wondered which one Ethan was doing now. She also considered the fact that without all the dust and blood, Ethan Carter was even more attractive than she’d found him to be in the ER. He had no family to call. That’s odd. The firefighters have filled up the waiting room, of course. But no one else. No relatives. No girlfriend. No one. Isabella stared at the handsome firefighter’s brown hair and dark brown eyebrows. His sturdy jaw and those lips. She watched him pray. She wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to think so or not—but the fact that he was praying made him even more attractive. I was wrong. He’s not completely alone. He has faith. Ethan drew a breath and opened his eyes. He looked at Isabella before turning his attention to Dr. Nichols. “Okay, what’s my next step, doc?” .

JC Penney Optical Back to School Giveaway! #spon #ad

I received a JCPenney gift card for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. 

A few weeks ago, I found out about JC Penney Optical's special on kids' glasses, so I took Michael to the Fayetteville store for a checkup. His last eye appointment was two years ago and he was given a prescription at that time. However, the doctor said he should wait a couple years before actually getting the glasses as they weren't needed quite yet and she thought his prescription might change in the meantime. 

From now through September 15th, JC Penney Optical is offering a Back to School promotion that includes a pair of designer kids' eyeglasses for only $29.99. You can choose any kids’ frame priced up to $120, plus free impact and scratch-resistant polycarbonate lenses, free UV protection and a free eyeglass protection plan for any school-aged child 16 or younger. 

After looking at the different options for glasses, we sat down to wait for Michael's turn to have his exam. He admitted that he wasn't super thrilled about the possibility of needing glasses, but he was also getting sick of headaches and squinting so it would probably be a good trade off.

After a very thorough examination, it was determined that Michael does need glasses! After he was done with the optometrist, we went back into the store to pick out frames. These were $130, so I was thrilled to be able to use the special sales price. Since the offer was for frames $120 or less, I only had to pay the $29.99 sale price, plus the $10 difference.

We'll be picking up Michael's new glasses tomorrow. After spending the last couple weeks with headaches and dizziness, he realizes now how much he will really benefit from them and is actually pretty excited!

Do you have a child who needs a pair of glasses --- maybe a back-up pair? Look for a JC Penney Optical near you---but first, enter this giveaway! You could win a $30 gift card to JC Penney and get those glasses free! Just fill out the Rafflecopter entry below and I'll pick one US winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a JCPenney gift card for the purpose of this review. This post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own. 

Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread --- Book Review & Giveaway

I was given a free copy for review purposes. All opinions are honest and are my own.

Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread.

Yep, that's pretty much all I have to say---and you're hooked, right? I am totally in love with this Jane Austen Takes the South series by Mary Jane Hathaway. What an awesome idea.

This third book of the series finds Lucy Crawford, daughter of a well-respected and well-to-do Southern family fallen on hard times, struggling to find a way to keep the family from losing all they have to her father's debtors. When the local free clinic rents out a wing of the house, Lucy is shocked to find that the doctor in charge is her former love-interest, Jem. 

Growing up, Jem's family was poor and redneck and Lucy's family once persuaded her to give him the boot when they found things were serious between them. Now that their paths have crossed again, well...you'll have to read it to find out!

I love this excellent retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion. I may even love it more than Persuasion. At least the heroine isn't so depressed and mousy---Anne Elliott can be a real downer sometimes. The first thing I loved about the story was that the "traditional" race roles are reversed. Lucy's family is black and her family has been wealthy for generations. While this is surely a common scenario in real life, it's not one we see often in Southern fiction. I liked that. It was also fun to see the reference to the Bath festival I attended last year, as well as the BBC house tour my friend Katrina went on before our tour started.

It was refreshing to see romantic references that weren't contrived. They were touching and believable and the characters were likeable---or hateable!

Want to know something else that's awesome? The author lives not 30 minutes away from our old Oregon town! Those of you from the big city won't realize what a big deal that is, but since her town and my old town are pretty tiny, that's like finding out she lived just around the block from me! I think it's neat that she's writing about the South and living in Eastern Oregon, while I'm here living in the South and working on a manuscript set in---Eastern Oregon! Small world, this is!

So...you want your own copy, right? Because I'm not parting with mine. Enter your info on the Rafflecopter widget below and Family Christian bookstore will send one US winner a free paperback of Persuasion, Captain Wentworth and Cracklin' Cornbread---most excellent newest novel by Mary Jane Hathaway. a Rafflecopter giveaway Linking with:

The Homemaking Party: Reading Challenges Update

Over the next two months, I'm participating in two reading challenges and am keeping a running list of what I've read here. Here's the info on the challenges I've joined---in case you're wanting to join too!

Since August 1st, I've finished these books:
French Lessons by Peter Mayle
Persuasion, Captain Wentworth, and Cracklin' Cornbread by Mary Jane Hathaway

Tonight I'll finish Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart.

Here are my plans for Simply Audra Marie's Friday "It Begins with SUMMER" challenge:

S---SPAM: A Biography (will read in September)
U---Undone (will read in September)
M---Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart (reading now)
M---Motel of the Mysteries (will read in September)
E---Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Chili Slaw Dogs (will read in August)
R---Recipes for Easy Living (will read in September)

What are you reading?

Thanks for stopping by the Homemaking Party! Have a blessed night!

A Jane Austen Encounter by Donna Fletcher Crow -- Book Review #AusteninAugustLGR

English professors Elizabeth and Richard are celebrating their 20th anniversary by visiting Jane Austen’s old stomping grounds. From Bath to Hampshire to Steventon and more, this couple has planned the dream vacation. But, when some old papers are donated to the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, Richard ends up helping go through them and begins what will become a multiple-victim mystery, complete with a search for a missing Austen manuscript. 

Before I even began reading this book, I wrote this in my notes: "I haven't even opened the book yet and I'm excited! I just took a Jane Austen-themed tour this past September to all the places mentioned in the back cover description. I am so looking forward to reading this!"

I absolutely adored this book---totally was not disappointed! The author has obviously spent time in the places she's describing. The Jane Austen Centre tea room---oh, I can just see it! She mentioned so many things I just loved about England. The performers in the courtyard and Holy Communion at Bath Abbey, the beautiful assembly rooms, Chawton Cottage---I followed her every step of the way!  One line in the book said, "Jane never wrote about a place she did not know personally." This story completely came alive for me because I do know these places personally!

The writing style is simple and sweet. My favorite line from Elizabeth: "Logic can be such an inconvenient thing." Love it!

I'm definitely looking forward to reading the other two in this series, as well as looking into the archaeological dig at Steventon---the only place mentioned in the story that I didn't visit.

Thanks so much to Donna Fletcher Crow for the complimentary review copy. My daughter is enjoying it now, and then it will go into our personal collection.

#AusteninAugustLGR

Linking with:
Cozy Book Hop @ Reading List
Booknificent Thursday

Make Bake Create Party

Welcome to the Make Bake Create Party! 5 blogs-1 party-lots of fun!

Walgreens Paperless Coupons App #WalgreensPaperless #shop #cbias

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

Our family loves Walgreens for all things pharmacy, but there's so much more to this store than just medications. Walgreens also has a great variety of grocery items, making it a one-stop shop---especially nice on a Sunday afternoon. Just after dinner yesterday, I headed out to Walgreens to take advantage of some their paperless coupon deals. I had no idea how glad I would be today that I grabbed some of the soup that was on sale!

I had just put the Walgreens app on my phone the day before and synced it up to my Walgreens Balance Rewards card. I played around with it for awhile, virtually clipping coupons that I might want to redeem. As I scrolled through the list of available coupon deals in every category, I just hit "clip to card" and the deal would be automatically added to my rewards card.

There were several varieties of soup on sale and using the coupon made the price even lower. I grabbed some chicken noodle because it's one of our family's favorites. It's important to me to stock up on items that we use regularly whenever I find a good price. If I do this with all our regular items, I build a nice backup for times when I can't get out to the store.

Turns out, I would need this soup much sooner than anticipated! Poor Elisha woke up in the night very sick---and was sick all through this afternoon. He spent a lot of time on the couch looking miserable.

Late this afternoon, Elisha felt like eating something, so I prepared the soup for him and served it in this cute vintage soup bowl I found at an antique mall.

I was so thankful for the extra couple minutes I took to clip the coupon and grab the soup yesterday. I had just what he needed to help him feel better---and that's not the first time Walgreens has helped me out with that.

Look at this happy boy up and feeling better! If you'd like to try out the app, just download it to your phone, follow instructions to sync it to your card, and then scroll through to clip the coupons you want to use---no scissors required! Once you're at the checkout, scan your phone or rewards card, or enter your phone number, and the coupons will be deducted from your total and deleted from your card.

Have you tried the Walgreens app? Let me know in the comments below!

#WalgreensPaperless
#CollectiveBias