Happy Wednesday.  In my blogging bonanza I figured I’d share with you some goodies I have come across recently AND a recipe for breakfast.  How’s that sound?  Out of these three tidbits there is theoretically something for everyone=everyone wins!  **also not sponsored….I think  you have to have a ton of people following your blog for that, so these are just a few of my new favoritey things!

Last month my girlfriends and I took a weekender to Savannah (which I instagrammed but haven’t blogged–so you MAY see that in the near future) and during the daylight hours we took in some of the fabulous shopping offered and I came across some really great finds.  With Christmas undeniably around the corner you may want to incorporate some of these in stockings, so without further ado……………..

Deodorant stone.  Now I have been VERY skeptical about “natural” deodorant b/c I am no fan of patchouli and that has been my “in real life” experience, but also HIGHLY intrigued because I am aware of the Alzheimer’s/dementia link to aluminum found in anti-perspirants and with this little blessing already present in the genes I would like to do what I can to prevent or delay this onset.  My super sweet sales girl explained to me how it works:   unlike traditional deodorant, this is not a “one and done” swipe, but rather wet the stone and apply to CLEAN, DRY skin as you massage it in—vvvv important if you want this to actually work as expected.  Again.  Super skeptical, but worth the try.  It is unscented, dries quickly and not sticky at all and after 3 weeks of use and truly putting it through it’s paces in the ER, I am a fan.  I’m pretty sure it will last almost forever which makes the $5.50 price tag UBER worthy.  I’m putting these in the girl’s stockings and they have promised to give it a whirl over Christmas break—but like their mother they remain skeptical.  The whole store was really fantastic with all kinds of great bath, body and home products (color me a sucker for all that jazz)  and you can shop online here @ nourishsavannah

Moving on to fab find #2………………

The Spice and Tea Exchange

This store is directly next to Rise Biscuits Donuts which pretty much had the best peach AND blueberry biscuits in the universe and since I had one the day before and just finished brunch I went next door to avoid the inevitable pull of the dough….but I am getting off track here.  (but if you’re in Savannah and not gluten free………..GO!)

The Tipsy Toffee Herbal Tea (decaf) and Pumpkin Chai Latte Tea (because hello, FALL!) were AHmazing!!!   I am a complete and total newbie to loose leaf tea and needed to buy the ball thing to put the leaves in,  however, I am a BELIEVER!!!   So.  Freaking.  Good.  Sorry to say the Tipsy toffee tea is currently out of stock, but if it comes back in…..get.  it.  I bought several other various spice packets (which I have used pretty frequently with wonderful results) and had to quickly check out because I could see where things were heading but they also offer online shopping and I found them very reasonably priced.  Tasty options for corporate gifts, hostess gifts, etc. etc. etc.    The owners were super sweet and knowledgable as well, so you can’t go wrong there!  HIGHLY recommend!!

OK.  Last thing….a breakfast recipe.  Short, sweet and nutritious!!

No name for it.  Let’s call it pumpkin souffle breakfast.  Works for me.

1 banana smooshed up in a bowl

2 eggs lightly beaten (or 1 egg and 1 egg white, shoot, 2 egg whites will prob work, too!)

1/4 cup of pumpkin puree, more or less—I just eyeball measurements

cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to taste…..1/2 tsp ish

scoop of coconut cream (put a can of coconut milk in fridge….the stuff that floats to the top is coconut cream–super good!)

raisins–optional so however many you want

Mix it all up real good

Microwave 2 minutes and stir and let it go another minute.  Depending on your microwave, once it’s not runny in the middle you are good to go.  Let it cool and enjoy!

Until we meet again, have a great Wednesday!

Tracy

Yes.  I am blogging two whole days in a row here.  Insanity.  This is what I do when I have some extra time and I am loving it.   And I am rethinking my blog.  Do I want a theme?  A life diary?  Inspiration and motivation?  A lifestyle blog-? –JK–the last one was a joke, I don’t have THAT much time!!

Some of the things I am working on with my “found time” thus far:

• Upping my fitness and health game.  I’ve been meeting a friend 3 mornings a week for weight training but now I have extra days to take our pup on longer walks and meal planning which is a heck of a lot easier to do earlier in the day because at night I am DONE.  Nevermind the time change, my productivity ramps early and my rest and recreation kicks in at the end of the day.  Which brings me to the conclusion that these things can only be good for my health—and my waist–in addition to changing up the weekly menu which always makes the fam happy!
• Blogging–case in point…day 2.  Gotta start somewhere right?
• Calligraphy.  Basically a fun hobby.  I have decent handwriting (when I’m not hurrying) and I find it very relaxing.
• Sewing.  So far I have done a little curtain project, mended some rips and fashioned a little thing a ma jig for my shoe.  Again.  A start, but now I actually have time to play with it and get those lines a little straighter.
• Cooking.  See health and fitness.  It’s a lot easier to cook when you aren’t rushed, hungry and whipped from the day.  Today our oven is actually broke, but I did make hard boiled eggs and bacon and have today and tomorrow’s dinner plan, so I am feeling pretty accomplished right now.

Tune back in tomorrow for some products I’m using………….

Peace!  Tracy

Daylight savings.  Le.  Sigh.  What sounds like a dream….”extra hour of sleep”….is such a sham.  Generally DST kills me for two weeks before I adjust.  Whatevs.  I’ll suffer through with the rest of humanity and then we can do it all over in the spring!  Am I right??

THIS year adds a twist;, I have a job change which is sending me back to the night shift–where I started my career.  I have worked the night shift several times over my career and in general,  like it because it is a tight group, people show up and work and there is none of the daytime drama and politics, etc.  Of course, fast forward 25 years and I am no longer the spry little 22 year old who keeps those hours on my off-nights as well.  I am also no longer the 29 year old mama who is caring for babies after the Sunday night shift, so I am thinking the sleep factor is going to be a game-changer this time around.  AND I have some extra time during the week as well, so I am ready for this.  I don’t know how long it will last since the only constant thing in healthcare and life is change………….but I am peace and am trusting that God has a plan, ther is a purpose to this change, and somehow He is going to make sure I am well-equipped to deal with all the changes….even DST!!

Sometimes it is easy to pray the words?  But to live the words?  That is the hard part.

My last blog was all about seasons of change in our marriage and boom…..season change!

Recently I’ve found myself in job limbo, much to my surprise.  It is a new situation for me and one that I have (blessedly) never experienced before.  My current job is interesting in itself in that when I took this job I wasn’t even looking for a job but it found me and with much prayer and discussion realized this was an opportunity to provide the professional growth I had been seeking and so I jumped in and it’s been fascinating and exactly what I was looking for and I have been able to put into practice many new ideas and programs in addition to “peopleing”……lots of “peopleing”.  And I have loved it all….even on the frustrating days.

So it was with much confusion, anxiety, anger and angst that I have been wrestling with this change over the past week.  My brain has been on overload, at the same time also mercifully full of reason that far outweighs the panic and rage, but still.   Tough.  Tough week.  So much brain activity.

In prayer I am reminded that I didn’t choose this job, God placed me here.   Apparently He has something better in mind and it is time to move on and yet I find myself coming back to my toddler-hood in a mental tantrum because I LIKE IT HERE.   I am not ready to move on.  So, my heart asked me the hard question, “do you pray or merely provide lip service?”  And it stopped me.

I am a faithful prayer warrior; ask me and I will lift you up and if you need some direction, I have often been able to see that clarity for others—but I have rarely turned that focus to my own life.   Until now.  And God is showing me the many choices I can make—-blessed with options—and He is promising me that any of these choices will provide the “next step” I need in my life.  He placed me here and He has never left me, guiding, guarding and protecting me along this road.

So I pray,  “Jesus, I trust in you”.  But when I stop with the lip service and speak it with my heart, I know that He has this.  And like my hubby says, it’s time to put on my big-girl pants and face it head on.   I was made for this.   Whatever “this” looks like; I know He has prepared my way and this detour is also part of His plan for me.

I won’t lie and say that I’m excited for this next part because my heart hasn’t caught up to my brain…….but I am ready.   and I trust.

So.  Here I am, Lord.  Send me.

In the meantime…..I’ll be working on my heart.   And drinking coffee.

A few weeks ago my hubby was able to fulfill a dream of  spending time in New Hampshire for several weeks while working and taking the opportunity to enjoy the New England fall weather and extraordinary hiking.

I was able to come to terms with this mini-separation because a) we still have kids at home, b) I don’t work remotely, c) I kind of like my alone time and with kids in high school and a hubby out of town—there was plenty of that.  I was also able to deal with this because I planned to visit for a long weekend thereby squashing any resentment–win-win.

It is an odd season we are in with these big kids.  I love it.  Don’t get me wrong.  When they were little it didn’t seem as if we would ever get to this place in our life where our kids were becoming young adults and independent and awesome and we would be back where we started—without kids much of the time.   Hopping on a plane and heading 1500 miles north and leaving our girls to manage school (2 days) and a weekend without us and trusting our oldest son to be on “backup” with our youngest son in college……it was a weird and wonderful place.

Waking up in Florida,  heading to a morning of work, hopping on a plane in 96 degree weather and deplaning to a brisk 52degrees and having dinner in Maine and falling asleep in New Hampshire was a wonderful taste of this new season.  One of the things that is difficult to envision at 24 years old and making all those marriage vows is that 24 years later you still need to love each other because you will have lived 10 lifetimes raising your family with countless seasons still ahead…..and if you still love each ot her and actually LIKE each other it will make that journey far more enjoyable.  It takes work but the dividends on the back side are worth it!

So we hiked and slept and ate and read and enjoyed each other’s company.   Briefly glanced back and planned for days and years ahead.

The foliage was just barely beginning and we were able to glimpse the glory to come in the weeks ahead.

Refreshed, renewed, ready for the next season.