Back to Church

Happy Sunday!!

I'm so excited today!!! We get to go back to church!!! With restrictions of course. But we are back! Lord knows I needed to be back. I'm very thankful for the online ministries our church has offered. So thankful, but there's just something about being around believers, your church family. That's what I missed.

Church was different this morning with the restrictions. Only one way in the church and we dismissed differently to be safe, but there was one thing that was still the very same. God! He is so very faithful. Even when we are not. I will say it over and over, God is faithful. I know because I fall daily. Some days not so much but then those other days come. We all have them, especially with what is going on in our world today.

First it was the pandemic now its hate and destruction. The devil has very active, but so is God. Pastor was talking this morning about how we are called to show love. The only way to overcome darkness is light. We as believers are called to shine our light. this nation needs it now. 

See this is how the devil works....if he can keeps us isolated away from anything good at all that’s  when he starts to work. We have to surround ourselves with positivity and believers that are a good influence to make this world better. Constant exposure to negativity will only bring that out in us. This is something I can talk about because this is how my mind works. I still have a tendency to be negative, but I can catch what triggers it faster now. I will share below some of the things I do to get mind back on track.

1.  Pray and stay in the Word. I do fall short some days on this. My usual excuse is that I get up so               early and I don't have extra time. But this is what has changed my thought process the most, starting in the Word. 

2.  Ask people to pray for you. Now I don't mean to go around tell your business to anyone but a select trusted few people that you know are prayer warriors.

3.  Turn the news off. Do not be uniformed but too much of the same doom and gloom with have an            effect on your mental and emotional state. Do your own research; just don't take for granted that the         media or others are telling you the truth. Sometimes information is left out to get a reaction.

4.  Clean up your social media. Remove or delete anything that is not in alignment with what you believe. I do this every few months. Its like taking inventory.

5.  Find a good Bible believing Bible teaching church. If you don't have one and live around                         Wayne/Duplin/Sampson Counties, NC you are always welcome at Mt. Olive FPH Church.

Hopefully some of these tips help you. They really do for me. Maybe some of them will not work for you, the thing is find something that does. Meditation, exercise, playing music, whatever. We have to protect our minds so we can be a help to other people. Being full of hate for any reason will bring us back to where we are. I told my daughter last night. if we don't know our history; and believe me our family history is not pretty, we are bound to repeat it. It has to begin with you.

Have a great week!!

Blessings,

Dawn

Eating Clean

Hello Everyone!

I hope your week has started off great! Its finally getting warm here in Eastern NC. I am so ready for warm weather and to eat INSIDE of a restaurant. We are still in phase I of the reopening process; and I'm just going to leave that alone. There are too many opinions to name, lol. But I will say this and I promise to leave it alone. I WANT TO GO BACK TO CHURCH!!!!

Now with that out of the way....

My husband and I are trying to eat a little better. Most of my life I have eaten healthy. We grew up on a garden. We canned and froze just about all our veggies. I miss that. I don't miss the work, but those fresh veggies, oh man. My mom could make the BEST tomato juice. Now, that's something I really miss. Anyway, back to what I was saying. I am not real crazy about meats. So that's not a problem for me. Getting the protein is the problem for me. Terry, bless him; grew up on homemade cakes, meat and potatoes. Deep fry everything. So I have some trouble finding things Terry will eat.

Well last night Terry surprised me with a piece of fresh salmon. He seasoned and grilled it in aluminum foil. OH. MY. GOODNESS. It was so delicious. I sautéed whole green beans in my cast iron skillet with minced onion and garlic. A little salt and pepper to taste. I also cut up some cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and red onion. Tossed with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil for a colorful side.

I will place the receipe below for you if you would like to try this meal. Its one I will do again.

Grilled Salmon

1 1/4 lb of fresh Salmon

2 tbsp. of Schneider Lemon & Pepper Seasoning

Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (any will do)

Drizzle salmon with olive oil both sides. Sprinkle seasoning on skinless side of salmon. Wrap in aluminum foil, skin side down. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Place packet on grill that is around 300 degrees for abut 30 minutes or until flakey.

Sautéed Whole Green Beans

12 oz whole green beans

1 tbsp dried minced onion

1 tsp minced garlic (jarred)

salt and pepper to taste

drizzle of EVOO

You can use fresh or frozen green beans. I used frozen because that is what I had on hand. Drizzle skillet with a coating of EVOO. Heat on medium heat add green beans,dried onion, garlic and salt and pepper. Sautee until tender.

Cucumber Salad

2 small pickling cucumbers

1/2 pint of grape tomatoes

1 small onion (I used red, but whatever you have on hand will work)

EVOO

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut or chop veggies, whatever you desire. Place in medium bowl. Toss with EVOO and salt and pepper to taste.

We did not take pictures of the end result. But I assure you, it was beautiful and so so good.

Eat, enjoy and spend time with family.

Let me know what you think of the recipes. Share yours with me too. As I was saying, I want to try new things, nothing outrageous but new. I also like using whatever we typically have on hand. Less mess is motto, ha! Leave a comment or subscribe so you don't miss a post.

Blessings,

Dawn

Last Minute Mother's Day Gifts

Hello everyone!!

I know....2 posts in one week!! I'm shocked too! Ha, ha.

I was thinking about Mother's Day Sunday and how different its going to be this year. I don't much of my family will be over this year because Corona/COVID-19 is still hanging around. I know that my daughter has to work and my son will probably make an appearance. I don't know about the other children and grandchildren, I hope they do show up even if its just for a few minutes.

Anyway... I know a lot of our schedules are out of sorts and even though some of us are home the days tend to fly by and now Mother's Day is just a few days away. I thought I would share some of the things I like with you all. They are all inexpensive and thoughtful. Most of them can be found at the few stores that are still open; i.e. Target, Walmart, Walgreens, and the grocery stores that have a floral or garden center. The Piggly Wiggly I work at has both.

So first up is of course flowers. I love all flowers. Hanging baskets, potted plants or a bouquet. The more colorful the more I like them. You can usually get these at a deal right before Mother's Day.

Second, I thought of family photos on greeting cards. You could take your children to make these at Walgreens. They have an array of templates to choose from. I have pretty good luck with these. Again, inexpensive and it will mean the world to your mom, wife are grandmother to have this personalized. I usually get mine the same day. So turn around is quick.

Next is the good ole standard coffee cup. They are always a winner at my house. You could get  a plain white or colored cup, stop by arts and crafts in Walmart to pick up some cheap paint and brushes to make a sweet display on the side of the cup for your mom. Those tend to go over every well. Especially when younger kids are involved.

Essential Oils and diffusers are big now. I have one and I think it helps me relax. The ones I have here are found at Target are priced from $15.99 to $27.99. Some light up; you can adjust the settings on them to continuously be on or intervals. The oils can be bought by single bottle or in a kit. The kit is around $15 for a kit of four of .25 oz each bottle.

We ladies like to have our manicures and pedicures. Since the spas and salons are closed due to the COVID-19, I found this Sally Hansen 2 step Miracle Gel Polish. The bottles 0.5 fl. oz. for $7.00 each. It will not last as long as a professional manicure but it will look nice until the salons open back up.

Books are always laying around at my house. I have always loved to read. As I got older I fell in love with reading and studying the Bible. So a Bible study is a great gift as well. Target and Walmart will be a good place to find those. Also, devotions are welcome at my house.

Lastly, breakfast in bed. Yes, your mom, including me would love to pampered in the morning with breakfast. I have always thought was the sweetest thing for the children to help make breakfast and surprise mom with how much they love her through food. Its so sweet and special.

I hope these ideas helped some. Like I was saying, Mother's Day is going to be a little different this year. Its ok though, we will get through this and in the years to come we will all be talking about it surrounded with our families. I pray its sooner than later.

As always, thanks for stopping by and visiting. Please leave a comment or suggestion if you would like to hear of something else. Bible study ideas, recipes, work outs, anything that will help and encourage us along the way.

Have a great week!

Blessings.

Dawn

Getting Ready

Hey everyone!!

It has been a little bit since I have posted. You would think I have extra time since we are supposed to be staying home during this pandemic.....well, people in Mt. Olive seem to think since they cannot go anywhere else they go to the Piggly Wiggly where I work, everyday. Sometimes two times a day.

Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful. Beyond grateful. But it does have its long hours, impatience, among other things that I am not going to post here. Here is the place for positivity, love, makeup, skincare, all things family and encouragement.

Anyhoooo....I did get some time earlier this week to take a few pictures to post today. I put together a couple of outfits. Some I forgot I had, lol. Terry and I, along with everyone else have decided to do a little remolding. We chose to start with the closets. Mainly his because I just do not want to mess with mine right now.

While he was doing that, I wanted to put together a few outfits for casual day or night look. Mainly for spring. Lately since we've been homebound other than going to work, my wardrobe has consisted of uniforms,workout gear and tennis shoes. I needed wedges, heels and some nice feel good clothing on! I have always loved to dress up. That was one of the reasons I liked to work at the bank.

Like I said, these pieces are ones I have had for a while. I love them though and hope you do too!

This first outfit is one you can see me all the time. To me it is timeless, effortless and classy. Everything I absolutely love. The top is a 3/4 sleeve that gathers at the elbow from the Loft. The brand is Lush, you can also find this brand at Nordstrom. The back of the top is longer than the front, so it is great for wearing a front tuck. I chose a permanent staple in my wardrobe, black jeans from the Gap. I love these skinny jeans. In the top I am wearing a size small, jeans are a size 4. Sam & Libby cheetah print flats finish off this look. I purchased the flats at Target, sz 6 1/2.

This little number I bought at a new boutique. Heels to Hogs Mercantile in Pink Hill, NC. Its maxi that has half sleeves. I paired it with a white jean jacket that i have featured here before. it came from JCP, a.n.a is the brand name. I love this brand, I have a lot of their items. I am wearing actually my daughter's wedges, shhhh...don't tell her! They are a nude wedge, sz 7 and they can be found at Rack Room shoes. This is the perfect out fit for weekend cookouts. You of course could for go the jacket, but I tend to get a little chilly on those spring nights.

Lastly, is an outfit you can find me in anytime. I wear a lot of heels and wedges simply because I'm short (5'3); even in high school I wore heels. Everyone was taller than me and I wanted to fit in....anyway; The blouse is Crown & Ivy with bell sleeves, sz small. You can do a front tuck if you want or leave it out. They flare jeans are from another boutique in Pink Hill, NC; The Wild Arrow.  They kind of have a Boho feel to them.These jeans feel like pajamas. They are Cello and are fabulous (size sm). You just pull them on and go. But, if you are small and petite I would wear a heel/wedge with these jeans because the length is long. They don't pinch or bind and that's what I love about these jeans. The wedges are also from Rack Room Shoes, size 7 in the color tan.

Well that's it for my post today. I hope you enjoyed the outfits I featured. As always, thanks for stopping by and hanging out with me. If there is something you would like to see or for me to feature drop it in the comments below. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog so you don't miss a post.

Have a FaBulouS week! Stay safe and be blessed!

Dawn