July 23, 2021

Ordinary Summer Days and Nights

 








All the things that make summer so special. 
I hope you are enjoying your summer days too.
Don't forget this Sunday is July 25, otherwise known as Christmas in July!
In years past, we celebrated with great fanfare. This year, I will probably pull out a Christmas mug, and we will watch a favorite Christmas movie. Just our stage in life!

Have a cozy, restful, exciting, healthy weekend, my friends.
Spend it doing what brings you joy.
Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

July 21, 2021

Let's Talk About Bedrooms!

Through the past thirty years, Steve and I have lived in several different houses with various children in each one at different times. Today, social media is filled with images of elaborate nurseries and bedrooms, and I am so thankful I did not have that kind of pressure on me back when my babies were born! I remember ordering a cute little set from the J.C. Penney catalog for Madison, adding a rocking chair, and knowing it was perfect. 

I always felt it important that our children's rooms reflect who each of them is. I let each of them choose the color and theme, within reason, for their bedrooms. The fluorescent green stage of Rhett's room is proof of that! And I never forgot that bedrooms were just that. Rooms with beds in them. If they are not picture-perfect, who cares?? As long as each of my kids was happy and cozy, I was happy. I remember a time years ago when no one in my family was sleeping in their own room except me!

Flynn was little and had been very sick. She was sleeping with me because she was waking in the night coughing very badly. Steve slept downstairs on the couch, and Rhett slept down there with him. They watched tv together and fell asleep with the television still on most nights. Madison had her own room, but she didn't sleep there. She preferred sleeping in Peyton's room with her because Peyton had twin beds, and they liked to stay awake talking and laughing. Sometimes Rhett would sleep on the floor in our room. Sometimes Flynn would. At one point, Steve and I had a dresser and a crib in our room for Flynn, and I wouldn't have had it any other way!

What is my point here? As always, I encourage young mothers to do what works for you! Look at all the elaborate and fancy nurseries and bedrooms out there, and then choose what you and your child like. Think about more than the aesthetic. Remember your child will be playing in that room. Toys and books need a spot. Favorite characters like SpongeBob and Barbie will be in there too. Someday you may need to squeeze another bed in there. So relax. And do you.

Peyton recently moved into her sweet home with her new husband Chris, and that left a small extra bedroom here. I have not had an extra bedroom for a long time, and it made me sad! So, I decided to make it a happy place and put a few things we had together with some new sheets and cute signs to make a guest room for friends and relatives who come and spend time with us. What is happier than Mickey Mouse???







What about you?
What are your thoughts on bedrooms?
Have a cozy afternoon, my friends.
Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

July 19, 2021

Monday Morning Coffee

 

Good Monday morning! We are smack dab in the middle of summer, and although my heart belongs to fall, I am enjoying these long, cozy summer days. Our weather has alternated between hot and sunny and torrentially stormy and humid. I know many are dealing with much more severe weather, and I am praying for you all. 

In other news, you know how much of an advocate I am for this wonderful world of Blogging. In a few weeks, I will mark nine years of sharing my simple, cozy life here. Through the years and along the way, I have met many women from different places throughout the world who share my love of home and family. Some of these women became real-life friends. They were kind enough to travel so that our families could meet and spend time together. This past weekend was a wonderful example of the power of Blogging.





My dear, sweet, fun friend Danielle and her family drove way too many hours to visit and spend time here with us! They arrived Wednesday afternoon and left Sunday morning. In between, we went to a charming tearoom, played cards and trivia, watched movies, rode around the lake on the boat, took the kids tubing, sat on the deck and drank coffee, laughed, ate out, ate in, celebrated Danielle's upcoming birthday, and made plans for a return visit. My entire family enjoyed every single minute. And to think that had I not started sharing my thoughts on this little blog, Danielle and I would never have known that out there somewhere was a woman who loved family, home, coffee, cozy, and Disney as much as each one of us do.


Oh! And you know you have a lifelong friend when she comes and thinks nothing of the fact that you are celebrating Shark Week!





Today is laundry day. I have already picked up my groceries and put them away, so I am ahead of the game. I am making an easy and delicious garlic and lemon fish recipe tonight and will serve it with egg noodles, steamed vegetables, and a salad. After that, we will watch The Bachelorette, always a positive commentary on the youth of our world finding love by dating numerous people and choosing one in the span of six weeks to spend a lifetime with. 

Have a nice Monday, my friends.
Thanks for visiting!

Danielle has a beautiful blog HERE.

Billie Jo 


July 12, 2021

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

 





Good Monday morning! I hope you had a nice weekend and are ready for a brand new week. I am sipping my coffee inside today because it is rainy and humid outside. I am using my Shark Week mug in honor of one of my favorite weeks of the year. Last night it opened with an exciting show with the late Steve Irwin's son Robert learning about, swimming with, and comparing sharks to the gators he works with at the Australia Zoo. It was fascinating to see him grown and following in his father's footsteps. 

Flynn and I spent some time sitting on the dock this weekend. I told her all about the summers I spent at a lake when I was her age, and we had a splash battle to see who could kick water the farthest. No surprise that she won! And lastly, we attended our first post-covid restrictions event Saturday night. Steve and his brother received an award for their contributions as a business to the community. I was so proud of them and all they accomplish as business partners and brothers. 

Today is rainy and cozy. I will be working on laundry and some light housework while Flynn is at a friend's house. Dinner is an easy and delicious cheeseburger casserole followed by some Shark Week and Bachelorette. I hope you have a wonderful day. Thank you for visiting!





July 9, 2021

Meal Of The Week And Shark Week Starts

 

We had an extra set of paws here yesterday as Flynn watched Madison and Nicolas's pup Draper. He is a cutie!

The meal of the week was this quick and delicious pasta I threw together last evening. I was feeling pasta, so I boiled some ziti noodles, drained them, and put them in a baking dish. I had some amazing mozzarella and provolone cheese slices from the Italian grocery, so I laid the mozzarella on first, added some pasta sauce, then laid the provolone slices next. I chopped some fresh basil and sprinkled that on along with some grated parmesan, covered it with foil, and baked it until it was bubbly. It was delicious. The perfect meal for a rainy summer evening. 

And I am slowly making my way back to the mixer, folks. I decided to whip up a chocolate cake for a special treat because I always like a little chocolate with my pasta. Peyton has me spoiled, and I honestly haven't baked in forever. This was a box mix, Duncan Hines is the very best, but it turned out delicious. Who knows? By the end of summer, I may be able to make cookies again!

Here is the schedule for shark week! Can we watch programs about sharks any other week of the year? Sure. But there is something special about joining in with so many others and watching together. Enjoy!




Finishing off with some photos of the lake. I took a few this week as we were out tubing with the kids. Steve took some last evening as he sat on the dock fishing. I am thankful for this lake I didn't even know I wanted. It brings fun and excitement in the form of tubing with music playing, and it also brings peace and contentment in the form of moments spent sipping coffee or sitting quietly. I suppose we all need some of both.

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends.
Enjoy and be cozy.






July 7, 2021

Can You Name Some Of My...

 Very favorite old television shows? These are the shows I watched growing up. They were all in syndication, and back then, we could only watch them when they aired. Today I can stream them on any of the numerous channels available. They bring back memories, take me to a simpler time, and after all these years, still make me laugh. Can you name them? Did you watch them? Answers down below!


1

2

3

4

5

6

1.The Brady Bunch
2. The Munsters
3. Gilligan's Island
4. I Dream of Jeannie
5. Hazel
6. My Three Sons


Have a great Wednesday, my friends!
And shoutout to Pinterest for the images.




July 5, 2021

Monday Morning Coffee Talk

 


Good Monday Morning, my friends! I am the only one awake, and am on the deck with my coffee this morning, wondering how it is that people are actually up, dressed, coherent, and out on the lake already. I hope your weekend was fun and festive, calm or cozy however you chose to spend it. We spent it with a small group of friends and family, and it was refreshing to be together again. 

The $5.00 Old Navy tee has been a Fourth of July staple for us since the dawn of time. A Fourth of July boat ride, on the other hand? Brand new this year!



The menu was a group effort. Fourth of July means hot dogs for us. Always. Also featured: Madison's potato salad, my brother-in-law Chris's famous baked beans, Corn on the cob supplied and peeled by Marian, cucumber salad also by Marian, sliced garden tomatoes, cantaloupe, strawberries, and blueberries courtesy of the fresh fruit stands, dessert bars and deviled eggs by Peyton, and festive cupcakes by Pillsbury, assembled by me.

The traditional game of 31 came down to Grandma vs. Rhett.
Let's say the student defeated the teacher in this one.


I will never know why God felt me worthy to have this amazing, beautiful soul for my mother. But I am thankful every single day.


















Have a wonderful Monday, my friends!
Thanks for stopping in!