Things I Love

- Small luxuries. Like climbing into a deep bathtub to read until 2 AM and not setting an alarm the next morning.

- My red, white, and blue manicure. Sometimes it's fun to rock a theme to a ridiculous level.

- Writing a new roster for a new session. It's like a fresh beginning with all the momentum of the past on your side.

- This crazy, schizophrenic, lovable small hometown of mine, where you go to a concert at the college and bump into a dozen friends, the barista who makes your coffee every morning, and three of your students.

- That we get to be alive. I don't know anything greater. :)

Things I Love

- Seeing everyday things from a new point of view. I've been looking at pictures from when I first bought my trailer (pre-remodel) and somehow it's helping me see this tiny space in a new light. Not sure what I want to do yet. But I feel inspiration coming.

- Flashbacks. To happy times, that remind you what life is all about. To sad times, that remind you how much better life's gotten.

- Driving. With music. Good for the soul.

- The act of cooking, of preparing nourishment. Especially for someone you love.

- Lazy Sunday mornings.

- The way the light streams in through the windows in the early morning. And when you're actually awake enough to appreciate it. ;)

- Ruth asking if she can come to swim class four times a week. No. But I love that you want to! :)

My Happy Place

These days, I just can't wait to be here. 

It's what I look forward to all day, what I miss on the weekends, what I think about in the middle of the night*.

This is what feeds my soul.

:)

#myhappyplace

*It should be understood that it's not really the pool itself that is important; rather, it's the kids who fill it each night that make my my soul happy and my heart full. I love these kids dearly. I would totally be filling up my feeds with all the precious faces who swim with us if I could. :)

My Favorite Things: The Blog Edition

I can't remember exactly when I discovered blogs - sometime before I myself started blogging around 2005 - but ever since then, personal blogs have been some of my favorite things to read. In fact, when I'm on Google trying to learn a new skill, get the skinny on a new topic, or get the "real" answer to a question, I automatically gravitate toward results from blogs. Simply put, reading a good blog feels like getting advice from a good friend!

I currently have over fifty (fifty! Egads!) blogs in my BlogLovin feed, but for this edition of MFT I've picked out a dozen of my favorites, covering everything from fashion, philosophy, nerdism, and inspiration. :) Enjoy!

Simply Scratch - I don't follow a lot of cooking blogs because a lot of times once a blogger becomes even mildly successful, the recipes become less and less tied to real life, and more and more showy. This is why I love Simply Scratch; her recipes are always things I'd actually want to eat (and make!), even if they're fancy, exotic, or outside the box. My favorite homemade oh-so-good-I-could-drink-it barbecue sauce is based on her Honey-Whiskey Barbecue Sauce, and her Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches are to die for. I'm really hungry now. ;)

Ben Heine Art Blog - I was first introduced to Ben Heine when his Pencil vs. Camera series was profiled in a news article, and I was kind of entranced.

I love anything that forces people to see the world around them differently, and this definitely fits the bill! :) I hope to get some of his prints to hang around my space someday, but in the meantime, I love perusing his work.

The New Lighter Life - I found this blog the same week I moved into the RV and I immediately became a follower. Tons of useful information on full-timing, including how to make your own heated hose, and their advice has saved me tons of time and headaches. Plus, it's fun to read! :)

Celebrating Life - I just love reading this blog. It's nothing fancy. Nothing too themed. Nothing preachy. Totally useful. Totally heartwarming. Totally convicting. (Whenever I read new posts, I usually walk away thinking, "I really don't love people enough.") Just a homeschool mom raising a big family (seven kids? eight? not really sure lol) and striving to share God through love. Someday I would love to meet this woman and thank her for playing a big part in restoring my faith in big families. :) (This is my favorite post - love the pictures and the big smiles!)

Finding Joy In The Little Things - I think somehow this blog and "Celebrating Life" are connected - maybe I found one through the other? or they're friends in real life? - but while the topics (homeschooling, kids, etc) are very similar, the writing styles are pretty different. I enjoyed following the oldest daughter's blog back when she updated regularly, and now I enjoy reading "the momma's" blog, too. :) It's just the slightest bit sarcastic, tongue in cheek, and hilarious, and I enjoy following all the escapades.

Enjoying The Small Things - This is the power of Kelle Hampton's writing: when her book Bloom was published, I went to Target the same day to buy it. And as I was standing in line at the cash register with my dad, I began to flip through it and narrate. "Oh, this is her best friend. This was taken the first night at the hospital. This is Lainey as a baby." Etc, etc, etc. And finally my dad broke in and asked, "How do you know this woman, again?"
Reading ETST feels like being invited in to take part in life. I credit Kelle with teaching me to see the incredible beauty of moments, and the importance of making every one special.

Mara Wilson Writes Stuff - Do you remember Mara Wilson from Matilda? (Maybe from Mrs. Doubtfire or the remake of Miracle on 34th Street?) Well, she also writes. Stuff. And it's funny. :) The point of view of a self-deprecating formerly-sort-of-famous child actor, Mara covers a myriad of topics with insight and dry wit.

Master Yoda's Blog - No longer updated but hysterical, if you're a Star Wars fan, you'll love Master Yoda's Blog. This is one of those blogs I read when I really, really need to laugh. I mean really laugh, with tears rolling down my cheeks, and gasping for air, and thinking I might die, but it would be worth it.

Tell Them I Sing - Kellie is the sister of a friend of mine, and I've enjoyed being nurtured and challenged through her blog. Voraciously hungry for Christ, Kellie challenges the placidity of the modern church and offers a compassionate (and often unorthodox!) viewpoint on various topics.

Wardrobe Oxygen - Allie over at Wardrobe Oxygen posts fashion advice, daily outfit pictures, and good shopping leads; since she wears a lot of skirts and dresses, her blog is one of the places I get my best outfit ideas!

Ruffles And Stuff - I loved reading R&S back when it was mostly about crafting, but I've enjoyed watching Disney expand, with posts on her beautiful daughter, Paige, her foster sons, and her general all-around sunniness. :)

Unpublished For A Reason - My friend Hannah has always been another source of "When I need a laugh" material, but now her quirky, slightly snarky sense of humor can be found on her blog! Check out the "Quest For Skye" posts for a laugh, and make sure to read her posts about living with depression if you or someone in your life suffers from this

My Favorite Things: The Keurig Edition

Anyone who knows me knows I lovelovelove coffee. Seriously - is there anything better than a well-brewed cup? I used to really shy away from making coffee myself; it seemed like I could never get it just right! It was always too dark or too light or too bitter and there were so many variables with temperature, and I couldn't find a good ratio of grounds and water, and usually it was just worth it to buy a good cup.

Then Chris and Natalie got a Keurig one day, and I fell totally in love! I could get the same results each and every time, and I very quickly became an addict. And when I saw that the mini was offered in orange, I started saving up to buy myself one.

Except that before I did, Reb and Joe got it for me for Christmas last year!!! :) They're totally awesome. ;)

It's been a year since I began trying different brands and roasts, and I thought I'd fill you in on my favs!

First off, if I want to use my own ground coffee, I use the "As Seen On TV" Café Cup coffee pods and I love them; just fill up the pod, snap the lid down (it's attached, so you can't lose it - bonus!) and drop into the Keurig as you would a regular K-cup - you don't have to pull out parts like you would with the "My K-Cup". They're dishwasher safe, BPA free, and work like a charm (I love filling them with grounds from the Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company!).

All-time Favorite: Starbucks Veranda Blend. It's the perfect roast, not too bold and not too weak and strong without being bitter or overwhelming. I stock up when Starbucks has their "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" sale, or when Target marks all their K-cup boxes down to around $6.

Best Decaf: Maxwell House Decaf House Blend - If I'm looking for a cheap brand of coffee, I'm frequently tempted to buy Folgers because it's usually on some ridiculously cheap sale, but whenever I do, I regret it. Instead, I've started reaching for Maxwell House because it's not usually that much more expensive and the quality is so much better. This is my (and Maggie's!) favorite plain decaf - nothing fancy, just perfect for when you want the taste and comfort of coffee without the caffeine.

Green Mountain Wild Mountain Blueberry Coffee - Ahh, the joys of blueberry coffee! (If you think I'm nuts, you clearly haven't had a good cup yet lol.) I don't tend to like Green Mountain coffee all that much, but I tried it when I was on the hunt for a blueberry coffee similar to Dunkin Donuts blueberry coffee, and I liked it. Not at all like Dunkin - a hint of blueberry with a twist of cinnamon, and a slightly weaker brew - but good enough to pass muster.

Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Herbal Tea - I'll confess, although I love a good cup of tea, I don't usually make tea in the Keurig unless I'm sick. Otherwise, I enjoy the ritual of heating water, steeping a tea bag, and adding lemon and sugar to taste. And I'm a total black tea lover. However, on the (rareish) occasions that I want a cup of herbal, this is my go-to. It's soothing and not chamomile-y as other "relaxing" blends - more earthy, I guess?

Twinings Of London Earl Grey Tea - When I do want a cup of tea fast, no muss no fuss, I adore Twinings of London Early Grey, whether in K-cup form or in a tea bag. This brews pretty dark (which is how I like it - most K-cups brew weak tea, in my humble opinion) and I love the amazingly notes of bergamot.

IKEA Milk Frother - This isn't coffee, per se, but if you invest in only one tool other than a Keurig, make it this one! For super-foamy frothed milk, pour the milk into a mug, microwave until warm, and froth, then brew the coffee right into the mug. For less froth, you can just add the cold milk to the hot beverage and froth it all together. Either way, this totally elevates the at-home coffee experience to the level of your favorite coffeehouse! :)

My Favorite Things: The App Edition

I've always been a little behind-the-times when it comes to cell phones; I tend to use them until they die and can't be resuscitated, and since I've always used prepaid phone plans (first Tracfone, for the first couple of years, and then Straight Talk, for the last four years to the present), phone selection tends to be a bit limited, too.

This last phone I had may have won the award for the longest-lasting phone I've ever owned, which would be four years (I know, that's actually not that long, but I'm pretty hard on my phones lol!). But for the last couple of months, it was clearly on its last legs - wouldn't hold a charge for more than a few hours, was doing a bunch of glitchy things like turning itself on and off, freezing up in the middle of calls, etc, - so I began thinking about my next phone. I wanted a smartphone! So I did some research, asked a friend who worked for AT&T, and for Christmas, Maggie gave me an awesome Samsung Galaxy Proclaim which I love, love, love!

Of course, as soon as I got it up and running, I loaded it up with some apps - some of which I already loved using on my tablet, and some I'd only read about!

So here it is - my list of favorite free apps:

1) Facebook - I love staying connected to my family and friends in far-off places, and even though it gets a lot of negative attention, FB is by far the best way we've all found to keep in touch. I love getting notifications so I don't have to keep checking threads and posts... and I love seeing photos of my loved ones! :)

2) Bloglovin' - I was a latecomer to Bloglovin', and honestly, I couldn't imagine what all the fuss was about, but now that I've used it I'm a convert. I love seeing the newest posts from my favorite blogs without having to check all of them.

3) RetailMeNot - I loved RetailMeNot.com, and my love has only increased since it became an app. :) Now, whenever I'm walking into a store, I pull up this app and check to see any available coupons to save money instantly. I especially love not having to remember/carry the paper 40% off coupons that Joanns and Michaels send me!

4) Pinterest - What could be better than a cup of coffee and a little instant Pinterest? Um, NOTHING! :)

5) Amazon Kindle - I love having my whole library at my fingertips, whether I'm curled up in bed or stuck waiting somewhere. Plus, there's so much free literature on the Kindle Store that I'm never at a loss for something new to read!

6) Brightest Flashlight - This has got to be one of the most useful apps ever! I use it all the time - walking to or from my car early in the morning or late at night, working outside in the dark, in place of my bulky flashlight, etc. I even turned it on once when I was at church and we lost electricity. :)

7) Words With Friends - I love Scrabble, so naturally I love Words With Friends. Unfortunately, my mom got a smartphone this Christmas, too, so we've been a little - um, competitive - with each other ever since. ;)

8) Instagram - I feel pretty much the same way as Disney - I love seeing everyone's cool pictures! And of course I love sharing my own, whether it's the new paint on my nails or my adorable girls or the tomato and artichoke galette I made for dinner last night. :)

9) Blogger - I'll be honest, I still prefer to use a real keyboard to blog, but when I want to jot down an idea for a future post, or upload photos from my phone for editing later, this app gets the job done. I especially like that I can just speak and have it convert my words into print. :)

10) Groupon - I love Groupon.com. In fact, I think almost everyone in my family bought a gift off of Groupon this year, ranging from zip-lining trips to scuba diving lessons to gift cards for favorite restaurants/shops. Anytime you can save 50-90+% off of anything, I'm in!

11) King James Bible FREE - I pretty much only use my bound Bible at home (they tend to get scrunched/bent/dirty/left in the truck when I carry them around in my purse) and this is my favorite app. It' bare bones basic - the text of the Bible, and that's it. Some members of my family prefer apps with note taking, commentaries, concordances, etc, but this one is my personal favorite.

12) TuneIn Radio - I love getting to listen to my favorite radio stations while fixing dinner, hanging out, etc, as the radio reception in my area STINKS. This is easy to use, doesn't drain my battery, and gets the job done.

13) WNYZ - So, I'm a total NPR fangirl. I love The Splendid Table, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Car Talk, etc, and I love being able to stream them all on my cell phone while I'm cooking dinner or falling asleep (or, on Saturday mornings, waking up! :)).

That's my list of favorite apps. Now, you could help me out by helping me find a couple new favorites! Specifically, I'm looking for:

1) A good running app. Ideally, this would let me track my runs and give me my times and distance. Nothing fancy.

2) A good picture-editing app. I see all these cool picts on the web, people - what are y'all using to make them?!

3) Some good (free) games. I would love a couple of strategy- or logic-based games that I could play while waiting for my opponent to move on WWF. :)

4) An audio Bible app. Such a thing must exist, right? So far, the only ones I've been able to find are designed for Jehovah's Witness. :(