Blessings of a Stay at Home Mom

Adagio Teas Advent Calendars Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 15:04:00 +0000

Hello everyone! Hope you are doing well :-) It's been a little bit since I have posted. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to review the wonderful Advent calendars from Adagio teas!

This year I received two of their calendars to share with my readers in exchange for my honest review.

It includes a large fold out box that is filled with a daily tea for one choice. Those are tea bags and not loose teas.

Next is a box filled with tins and they do offer a different loose tea each day. :-)

Here is a list of the included teas. I really like these tins as you can reuse them and even better they have strings to hang on your Christmas tree and remove each day.

Here is a view of the larger Advent calendar opened up. Fun to pick out a new tea each day. There is enough to brew an 8 oz pot of tea each day. You can find the link here Adagio tea advent calendar

Each of the tins have a different pattern on them. They would also make great gifts as well. Add them to a nice tea cup and saucer with a box of chocolates, tea strainer, rock sugar, etc. The possibilities are endless. Or simply enjoy taking one off your tree each day and enjoying a morning or afternoon treat.

Here's an overview of all the tea tins together. :-) You can find the 12 days of Christmas tins here on their website 12 Days of Christmas Tea Tins

Thank you to Adagio Tea for this opportunity to share these wonderfully delicious teas with all of you! Please take a moment to visit all their amazing products online. :-)

Blessings,

Jill

* I received these products in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own *

Jerry's 50th Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 21:56:00 +0000

"In this life we will never truly be apart. For we grew to the same beat of our mother's heart."

Daphne Fandrich

July 20, 2020..... 50 amazing years.... how lucky I am to share 30 of them with Jerry. :-)

Since moving so far away from family and friends, we rarely get a lot of time with any of our family members. I mentioned to Jerry that this year he should take a trip away with his twin brother Garry and I'm so happy they were able to work out most of the details. I only wish they were able to spend more time together.

I took a couple photos at the house before they left. Can you tell which one is Jerry? LOL.

I love this photo of them by the statue we got in memorial for his younger brother Patrick. It has the perfect place on the pier by our pond.

Here they are ready to head out and have some relaxing fun ;-)

They were able to catch up with an old childhood friend Jimmy that was down there at the same time.

Jerry sent me some great pictures as I wanted to be able to document the time for him so they would have something to look back at for years to come. :-)

This was their first night at a seafood restaurant on the water, so beautiful.

This was on their way to a hunting trip.... luckily they didn't get anything, lol.... as I have never liked hunting but I know it is something they enjoy.

He did have some visitors... a couple tree frogs! ;-)

Guess who caught the big fish? ;-)

I think truly the smiles say it all for the experience and the time together.

They spend as much time fishing and enjoying the water as they could before they had to head back.

They also made some time for fun, with go carts and exploring and some miniature golf!

Happy 50th birthday Jerry and Garry! 50 looks good on you both :-) You deserve everything wonderful life has to offer! Here's to many more years and celebrations!! Love you with all my heart Jerry!

"Life if well lived is long enough" Seneca

"There's only one thing more precious than our time and that is who we spend it with" Leo Christopher

Blessings,

Jill

Book Review! Riddles And Brain Teasers For Clever Kids.

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 20:34:00 +0000

One of the things I have really enjoyed about having my blog; is the opportunity to bring you all reviews of books and other items that can benefit your family. So when I was contacted about doing a review for this book I was happy to do so; especially with the educational subject matter :-)

As you all know I love to read, have always encouraged it with my children since I carried them and I enjoy seeing them continue to enjoy books today. I have always written notes for their lunches, along with funny jokes, riddles and fun facts. It has been a big hit for my girls growing up....as well as the other students they sit with at lunch and sometimes they even entertain their teachers with them.

I had some time to read through this book Riddles And Brain Teasers For Clever Kids by Joshua Shifrin, PhD and found it to be quite fun. Sharing the trivia with my family was fun and they enjoyed it too. The book offers more than 500 different riddles to enjoy, so including them in lunches or just notes at home is achievable.

The table of contents is laid out nicely so it's easy to find just what you are looking for whether it's easy riddles or mystery riddles, this book has you covered. Another feature that I like is the answers to the riddles are on the back of the page; then you don't have to search all through the book! :-)

Here is an example page of some of the riddles you can expect to find. It's a great way to keep kids engaged and their minds busy, especially with everything going on with the COVID-19 virus this year. We have always enjoyed learning new things and sometimes reading a riddle can lead to a whole other in depth discussion which makes for some great family time.

The book can be found on Amazon. It has 186 pages and is a nice easy read, especially for young siblings wanting to quiz each other. Also a perfect addition for a teacher in his/her classroom to start discussions and just have some fun.

Blessings,

Jill

*I received the book for free in exchange for my honest review, all opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.*

Anniversary and a Birthday!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 19:59:00 +0000

An update is pretty long overdue and a review like my prior post wasn't my plan for a recap of all that's been going on. I see there has been updates to blogger for editing so I'll be going over that as well, but I just wanted to take a moment and capture these 2 important days.

May 28th, 2020 Jerry and I celebrated 26 years of marriage and together for a total of 30 years! We've been through so much together and it it just keeps getting better. We've changed a little in looks over the years, but our love has only grown.

Another big day is May 29, 2020 and Hayley turned 19!!!!

My little girl is all grown up!

She is dating a very sweet young man named Emmanuel and he treats her so well, we're happy she has found him. She's working hard full time with Jerry at his work as she prepares to go back to college in August. Everything feels like one big whirlwind.

More to come soon!

Blessings,

Jill

Review of Projex Arcade Game

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 02 Jun 2020 19:30:00 +0000

Hello and thank you for joining me today as I review this fun arcade game with my daughter Kathleen.

I received this video game for free to review and give my honest opinion and it's the perfect time with this quarantine to do so! Projex comes with all the items you see above and two people can play or a person can just play solo. It runs on 3 AAA batteries (not included) and does not include a power cord. I like the idea of being able to play it outside or inside without having to worry about plugging in a cord.

We initially tried it outside on our shed wall, but quickly realized it needs to be a darker area in order for the target to show up properly to play the game, so we moved inside and closed some blinds to check it out!

In this picture Kathleen is intently getting the target focused on the wall before the game begins.

This is a picture of her holding the trigger as she is trying to follow the target and score points. Our cats were quite intriqued as it uses a blue and red lazer to project on the wall and connect with the targets, so they were playing along as well, lol. The triggers light up to let you know they are ready to go.

This is to give you an example of how it lights up and shows the different levels you can choose. It also will keep score for each player. I do recommend having a large blank wall area with not a lot of furniture or pictures in the way as it hinders the scoring. This game includes 5 different built in games that really help test your speed and skills. It starts off at a beginner's level and moved through advanced. We tried all the levels and it definitely gets more challenging.

It has 2 different slides you can plug in to play and you can blast ducks or UFO's. Also the slides change your levels of difficulty. For example blue (targets) is easy, red (UFO's) is medium and white (ducks) is difficult. They also each have their own sound effects.

You can play this game alone, head to head or even have a choice to do a Co-Op where 2 players team up and combine the scores. It gives you the feel of participating in a tournament even with no one else needs to be around. You have the option to try and beat your own score! The triggers you need to pull back and reload after firing off about 6 shots. So it adds in the excitement of doing it quickly so you can score more points in the game.

Here is a view of the console and next to it is the 3 game levels you can choose in the different colors. Very easy to insert and remove. The triggers plug in easily either one or both at a time.

The targets move quickly but I was able to get a few shots on the wall to give you an idea of what they look like. This was a target that Kathleen hit with her trigger.

Our other cat was intently watching this UFO go by and at times they were also trying to catch it. So if you have any cats at home, it's plus for them too. ;-)

The next couple photos just show how it has a LED lighting display and it lights up to choose levels, the scoring, etc. You will need a table for the projector and at least 5 feet away from the wall. The red button is the power button and you have 45 seconds to adjust the focus of the targets before getting started. Then you just press the red button again to select which game to play 1-5. The blue button selects the level at which you desire to play.

As you see here one of the targets is on the chair, but it didn't work when trying to shoot it as it needs to be a flat, plain surface.

Overall it was a fun game to play and Kathleen is already talking about playing it with her friends soon. This game retails for $49.99 and you can find it at both Target and Walmart. Enjoy!

Blessings,

Jill

*I received this product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.*

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 01:02:00 +0000

Who's hungry and needing some meal inspiration this week? :-)

My latest YouTube video has ideas for some yummy options to add to your meal planning. It includes both vegan and regular ideas for the week.

This avocado toast was so yummy! I'll definitely be having this a few times this week.

Have you ever tried a tuna salad without tuna? ;-) This one is made with chickpeas and so yummy!! It calls for a red onion but I left that out as I don't like raw onions too much, but it was so good, in fact I think it was even better the next day when I had it for lunch! ;-)

This is one of my family's favorites and freezes well also. Chicken taco soup! There's more I share in the video ;-)

Each day with all this craziness going on in the world, I always try to make sure I can get outside for a bit and soak up some sunshine. :-) Thank goodness it didn't happen in the heart of winter as I think that would have been even worse....

All our dogwoods are in full bloom!!

Nature always makes me feel better and calm and at peace.

Love these blooms on one of my favorite trees in our yard. Our camelia tree :-)

I hope you are all doing well and finding ways to cope each day.

In my last blog post if you haven't seen it I share ideas for passing the time while in quarantine. :-)

Until next time.....

Blessings,
Jill

Ideas For Adults And Children While Quarantined 2020

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:38:00 +0000

"The greatest joys in life are found not only in what we do and feel, but also in our quiet hopes and labors for others" Bryant McGill

The Coronavirus has brought many different emotions to all of us during this difficult time and how we deal with what life has offered to us. My heart and prayers go out to all personally affected by the virus and their loved ones; as well of those who may be losing income. It can be quite a challenging time for so many. Despite the hardships, please also focus on the fact there is so much to be thankful for to those of us forced to slow down for a bit while this all takes place.

I see many people posting about boredom and I wonder how can anyone be bored when there is so much to do running a household and just everyday living? It is a great time to pursue activities and hobbies that many may not have had time for before. Here are a few ideas to stay busy and find joy in being able to have some extra time :-) The list is for adults and children too ;-) Enjoy!

~ Learn to cook some new recipes (So many ideas on Pinterest, blogs and more!)
~ Read a good book or several ;-)
~ Write a book
~ Journal
~ Scrapbook
~ Landscaping your yard
~ Home projects
~ Write a letter to someone and send it and give them a little surprise in the mail.
~ Exercise (videos on YouTube, walking or running outside)
~ Draw
~ Coloring Here is some places to find free printables for adults and children :-) https://www.justcolor.net/ https://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/adult-coloring-pages/
https://www.crayola.com/featured/free-coloring-pages/ http://coloring-4kids.com/
~ Watch movies on Netflix, Amazon Prime or YouTube. There are also free apps such as Pluto and Tubi.
~ Many libraries have free ebooks and online courses to take advantage off during this time.
~ Complete a puzzle
~ Teach yourself a new language. YouTube videos or download an app such as Duolingo.
~ Meditate :-) There's a great app called Insight Timer that is free and I really enjoy using it.
~ Pamper yourself with a spa day! If you're interested in some naturally based products check out my Perfectly Posh website :-)
~ Painting artwork
~ Crafts
~ Board and card games
~ Organize rooms in your home.
~ Bake some goodies.
~ Knit or crochet
~ Video chat with friends and family....Facetime, Skype, Facebook messenger.....
~ Geneology
~ Scavenger hunts (kids love these!)
~ Catch up on some sleep
~ San Diego zoo is offering free information about different animals in their zoo. Quick easy registration and learn something new! https://sdzglobalacademy.org/coursewereheretogetherfreespecies.html

Ideas for kids too!

~ Make a fort with blankets etc throughout the house and don't forget cardboard boxes!
~ Treasure hunt
~ Watch live video cams of the animals such as beluga whales at Georgia aquarium georgiaaquarium.org
~ Bingo!
~ Take an online tour of Louvre in Paris, France louvre.fr
~ Cincinnati zoo will livestream animals on their Facebook page at 3:00 PM
~ Have an indoor picnic!
~ Make elephant toothpaste! find the how to link on scientificamerican.com
~ Take a virtual field trip to Yellowstone National Park nps.gov
~ ABCmouse.com
~ Sesamestreet.org
~ PBSkids.org
~ Coolmath.com
~ Time magazine has a neat site for kids TIMEforkids.com
~ National Geographic Kids.NationalGeographic.com
~ Howstuffworks.com
~ Starfall.com Great for reading!
~ The kids page has a lot of learning games and activities, puzzles and more! TheKidzPage.com
~ NickJr.com
~ BBC history for kids bbc.co.uk
~ Highlights for kids highlightskids.com
~ Old farmer's Almanac for kids almanac.com
~ Playdough
~Crafting
~ Read lots of books
~ Simon Says
~ Red Light, Green light game
~ Play songs
~ Dancing!!

My latest YouTube video just to give a sneak peek of what we've been up to!

I hope this helped to give you some ideas of what to do while stuck at home :-) There are plenty more but this is to get you started, lol. Stay healthy and safe my friends and enjoy every moment with your loved ones! This too shall pass.....

Many blessings,
Jill

I'm Back! :-) What's Been Happening Since This Coronavirus Outbreak 2020

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 21:05:00 +0000

Hello! How is everyone?!

My last post written was in December of 2019..... I don't think I've ever gone that long without updating my blog, yet the time has passed so quickly...... How is everyone coping with the whole coronavirus outbreak? Some scary and uncertain times we are living in right now. Hayley's college has sent the students home to do their work online and Kathleen's school as well. So we moved Hayley out, which was sad and disappointing for her as she didn't get to finish out her freshman year in the dorm, not to mention the abruptness of having to go and not a lot of good byes were able to be said. We are very fortunate to have access to the internet and the ability for me to be at home with them to get assignments done. It is definitely strange being on lock down and the only place I've gone is to the grocery store. Thankfully Jerry's job is seen as essential so he is still able to work, but he takes lots of precautions so as to not bring anything home. My dad has been staying with us since March when he had shoulder surgery done as he is healing and it was a pretty extensive surgery. He's not able to be with his 3 dogs right now as they would jump on him too much, so Jerry, Hayley and I have been caring for the dogs and house while he heals. Either Jerry or Hayley spends the night to take care of them and I go over during the day to let them out, clean, get the mail, etc. Plus still caring for our home here and all the animals etc. It's been a bit of a balancing act, but we are managing pretty well.

Spring is arriving here in the South and I love being able to walk around and get some pictures of the early changes. I also shared a video on YouTube if you'd like to watch it. :-) It is really calming to just enjoy all the beauty around us.

I've been busy keeping up on family obligations, still running my Perfectly Posh business and I also started selling Pampered Chef. I'm also trying to find the time to get more YouTube videos done, but haven't had as much time lately. When things go back to being more normal of a schedule after my dad is able to go back to his house, I may have more time to produce and share them. Plus hoping to keep up with my blogging as well! I miss visiting everyone and will be trying to get caught up on that over the next few days.

I love dogwoods and wish their blooms lasted longer :-) There have been many changes in my yard just since I've taken these pictures!

The beauty of these flowers get me every year! So gorgeous and such a rich pink color!

I think Kathleen is enjoying homeschool for the most part, though I know she is missing her school friends.

Part of her homeschooling includes daily outside time and some form of physical activity. She is currently practicing her roller skating skills.

The cats are happy to have us home and are quite content, though don't really like to share the furniture, lol.

Penelope was not happy to have a computer and paperwork on her table, lol....

I'm still cooking lots of different meals. This was a healthy parmesan chicken in my air fryer from Pampered Chef. It was a big hit with my family. I've started transitioning to a totally vegan lifestyle to help my health so no more meat, dairy, oils, etc. It's been quite a change!

I'm also still baking for Jerry's coworkers and he says they really appreciate it and the goodies don't last long! :-)

I also thought it would be fun to post a few pictures of the girls when they were little. Time has flown by so very quickly.... I miss those days..... More blogging to come, I promise ;-) Just wanted to do a quick catch up and let you all know I'm still here and say thank you to all who have reached out to me, I appreciate it. I hope you are your families are doing well at this difficult time. Please stay inside and safe as much as you can.

Kathleen has never liked keeping her socks and shoes on, lol. Anytime I would look back in the car seat, this is what I would see. Can't say I blame her though.... I also would rather be barefoot! Lol.

She's always been a good little helper too...still to this day! Hard to believe she will be getting her license soon!!

My dear, sweet Hayley.... always smiling and she always loved going to Friendly's for their cool kid servings and ice cream :-)

Blessings,
Jill

Totally Random Catch Up Post! :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 16:39:00 +0000

December 16th already..... Christmas is almost here and a new year is fast approaching. What a year it's been! Last year at this time I was in the hospital finding out I have heart failure and almost not making it.... I am so thankful they treated me in time and that I'm here another year to celebrate. I feel so incredibly blessed.

I wanted to do a little blog catching up and also to share a link to a great website for designing your own online cards, digital invitations and more. I have enjoyed using it myself and I know it can bring a smile to those receiving it. It is called Paperless Post and this is the link Enjoy!

I've been doing some baking and these are some hot cocoa muffins, not too sweet! You can add icing to make them sweeter if you prefer ;-)

Now if you are really looking for sweetness, you'll want to make this Gingerbread fudge I made! So very sweet! Good though, tastes just like Gingerbread :-) I sent a bunch to Jerry's work and they were pretty happy.

This is one of my favorite breakfast sandwiches to make. It is a scrambled egg on toast with mashed avocado! So yummy :-)

Salmon is also another one of my favorite dishes to make, I added roasted parsnips and sweet potatoes along with steamed green beans for dinner one night. So delicious and healthy!

Christmas decorating is complete and most of my shopping is done. Here is some of the decorations we have on our porch.

Our porch swing is one of my favorite places to be. Even today here in the South it is almost 60 degrees! Makes it easy to enjoy outside time for most of the year.

One of our trees inside that we have in our sunroom.

My dad has his trains set up and this is just a couple pictures of them. Always turns out so nice every year.

I'm still busy wrapping a few last minute presents!

Advent calendars are in full swing! The girls have a chocolate one and a Harry Potter one this year also that they open each day.

The elves have been very mischievous this year ;-)

This one was Jerry's idea, lol..... we all have fun moving them around now.

We did get some bad news the other day. A very good friend of ours whom we consider family fell 40 feet out of a tree stand and by sheer grace of God survived.... however he landed on both feet breaking his shin bone through the skin and shattering his other foot. He is still in the hospital and receiving several surgeries to try to get everything back together. He could certainly use any available prayers. We've been visiting him at the hospital and taking care of their home and cat while they are there. There is a Starbucks at the hospital and Kathleen was enjoying a cold cocoa drink, we stopped in there on the way home one day.

Hayley is back for winter break from Appalachian State and we are so happy to have her home. We missed her so much!! I know it's going to fly by!

They are going to be playing in the bowl game in New Orleans this weekend!!!! Way to go App State Mountaineers!

And for your viewing pleasure a sweet photo of our cat Penelope, lol.

One evening I was sitting down enjoying a great book Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner and enjoying the lights of the Christmas Tree.

If you'd like to see some of my recipes and more of what we've been up to, I will post my latest YouTube videos down below. I have been participating in Vlogmas, which is basically posting a video every day in December. It's been a challenge to get them up each day, lol. But I've been enjoying it. I'll post a few and you can find more on my channel. Thanks for watching and helping me grow my community there!

Hope you are having an amazing December!

Many Blessings,
Jill

Catching Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 03:11:00 +0000

Hello December! :-) It's been quite busy here and recently Kathleen turned 14!!!! How is that even possible?

We bought her a sweatshirt from one of her favorite YouTubers and she put it on right away. I think you can tell by her smile how much she loves it :-)

We had a little cake for her birthday and it was so strange not having Hayley there to celebrate as she was still at college.

However for Thanksgiving when we had everyone around we did get another cake and celebrated it with her again.

Our niece Neve drove to Appalachian state with my sister and got to see Hayley's dorm and campus and spend the night. Then they brought her back home to celebrate Thanksgiving with us.

I wish we were all closer to spend more time together. These girls are growing up so quickly!!!
Neve is 15, Hayley is 18 and now Kathleen is 14!!!

On Black Friday, Jerry, myself, my sister and Hayley went shopping for awhile. Hayley started out in heels initially which I told her she was crazy for wearing that day, lol. Needless to say she saw a great sale on slippers in Torrid and bought them and wore them around as we were wrapping up the night. :-)

Before she headed back to college we started their Advent calendars. Chocolates and Harry Potter this year!

Jerry made this wooden Christmas tree and star for his work and added lights to it for decoration. He also made the girls each a wooden Christmas tree a little smaller version and let them paint it. I told him I wanted him to build me one of the bigger ones for our yard, lol ;-)

We've started decorating around the house and the outside is all finished!

Both trees are done inside and again it was strange not having Hayley there to decorate with us. I miss her so much!

It was Jerry's night to move the elves, lol......
We still do it as a family tradition and now the girls are in on it too. ;-)

This is very suitable for our home this year having 2 decorated trees inside with 3 cats! LOL

I've been busy this month taking part in Vlogmas on YouTube, which is basically creating a vlog video every day until Christmas, some go through the whole month which I may do! I'm posting the first 5 here in case you'd like to follow along. It's been a lot of filming and editing, but so worth it for the memories!

Have a fabulous weekend!! Thanks for stopping by!

Many Blessings,
Jill

Reviewing 100% Pure Water Lentil Superfood Supplement

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 18:10:00 +0000

Taking care of our health comes in many forms, but one of the most important, along with exercise, is eating a healthy and clean diet. When I was asked to review the water lentil superfood product from Real Source, I decided to give it a try. It is a nutrient dense plant based superfood dietary supplement.

Along with offering many nutrients and possible health benefits, it is also vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free and probiotic.

Lots of vitamins are included such as vitamin A, iron and calcium, plus it is one of the only plants to contain vitamin B-12! :-)

As well as amino acids.

The powder is a very fine consistency and lightweight to the touch. It comes with a scoop to measure the proper amount for recipes.

I added a scoop to a glass of water to try and honestly found it a but too strong for me that way. A little of a bitter taste due to the concentration of the greens. However their website offers many recipes for incorporating the powder into other options so the taste isn't quite as strong that way. It all comes down to personal tastes and preferences. :-) One of their peanut butter banana smoothie recipes is listed here and looks delicious! Adding it in with other healthy foods would certainly improve the taste as well as offer a magnitude of health benefits. There are also no pesticides used on their farm when growing the lentils in the pond.

To receive a 40% discount on trying this product and others like it click this link and be sure to add my code JILLKH to receive your savings!

Also to keep up with all the latest deals that Real Source offers, you can check them out at this link on the Dealspotr website.

( Photo credit from Real Source)

(Photo credit from Real Source)

How are you getting your greens and extra nutrients into your diet? ;-)

Blessings,
Jill

*I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own*

Fall Changes and Halloween :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 02:02:00 +0000

Fall is my favorite time of year with all the beautiful leaves and cooler temperatures. :-)

Snapchat was my go to for my Halloween costume this year, lol. ;-)

We found a cute little pumpkin patch that we took Kathleen to and we had a great time :-)

Still hard to believe how fast she is growing up!

They had great little stations set up all around, just a neat little place to go to and pick out our pumpkins.

Kathleen likes to pick the ones that are a little irregular because she knows others will probably leave them behind. ;-)

After the pumpkin patch we went to see Maleficent 2 in Imax and it was wonderful! I loved it! Even teared up in a few parts.

This month I've been making some treats for Halloween.... yummy shakes......

Candy marshmallow Frankensteins :-)

We also enjoyed decorating pumpkins on a really beautiful fall day.

Here's a little sneak peek of the pumpkins we decorated. If you'd like to see more you can watch one of my YouTube videos about that day. I listed that one and some other videos I've made recently down below.

Halloween night was rained out in our area so it was moved to the following night. It actually worked out well because Hayley came home to visit us for the weekend so she was able to go along.

Kathleen was Daphne from Scooby-Doo!!

Hayley made an impromptu Scooby Doo outfit since it was last minute.

She also had 2 of her friends dress up and go along with her. Velma and Fred :-)

Here are a couple of my recent videos if you'd like to see more :-)

Hope you have a wonderful week!! :-)

Blessings,
Jill

Review of Adagio Teas Advent Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 01:16:00 +0000

It's that magical time of year and one of my favorite things is an Advent calendar to get a little surprise each day. :-) What better treat in the mornings then a nice hot cup of tea? Especially when each flavor is a mystery ;-)

I received this Advent calendar from Adagio teas to review and share with all of you. If you've read my blog you know how much I enjoy their teas so I'm always happy to review new products. I didn't want to spoil the surprise of every day, since I want to start it in December..... but I did open the first day to get a sneak peek of the first tea. The calendar is $29.00 for 24 days of tea and if you spend $49.00 or more on their website you will receive free shipping. You can also earn reward points too!

It comes in a box with perforated edges that make it easy to display and also to open the tab and remove your tea bag for the day. This makes a wonderful holiday gift for any tea lover you may have on your Christmas list. Also great secret Santa gifts as well! Even better if you can wrap it up and give to someone on Thanksgiving so it's all ready for the start of December! :-)

Here is the first tea I received in the calendar, though I will be tucking it back in to try on the first day of December :-) I'm planning to do Vlogmas on my YouTube channel this year, which is a video every day in December up till Christmas or through the month if someone wants to finish the full month. I'm already planning to feature a tea a day, along with other goodies, decorating, how-to's and more! :-) I can't wait to try all the teas in the calendar as so far every tea I've tried from their company I really enjoy.

Have a wonderful week!!!! If you'd like to see my video review of their Halloween tins filled with tea you can click below on the video :-) Giveaway has closed!

Blessings,
Jill

*I received this Advent calendar for free in exchange for my honest opinion. All views are my own*

Winner of the Adagio Wicked Teas Giveaway & Quick Halloween Craft!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 00:37:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway!

The winner is......

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

More Halloween goodies content to come :-)

Blessings,
Jill

5K Race, Visiting Our Girl at College & Potato Soup & Beef Stew!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 15:38:00 +0000

Hello everyone! :-)

Fall is finally beginning to show itself here in the South and just in time for Kathleen's 5 K race last weekend. She beat her time from last year and came in second place for her age group. We are so very proud of her. She is currently training for a half marathon!!

After the race we took a nice long ride up to see Hayley at Appalachian State! We've been missing her and we had a great day!

Kathleen really misses having her around! If you like to see my first vlog on YouTube about our weekend you can watch the following video :-)

I started another great book that is super hard to put down!

Can start to see some changing leaves, although due to the drought most have turned brown and fallen off the trees quickly. :-(

Since the evenings have been cooler I made a potato soup and beef stew that were a big hit! You can see how I made them by watching my latest YouTube video I posted today :-) I have really enjoyed building my channel and I think it will be nice to look back on through the years. I only wish I'd started sooner; especially when the girls were young so I could watch them grow up on camera.

Hope you are enjoying the weather where ever you are! :-) Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Blessings,
Jill

Halloween Wicked Teas From Adagio & Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 20:33:00 +0000

October has arrived and Halloween will soon be upon us with cool, crisp air, sweaters, bonfires and eerie nights! ;-)

Adagio teas has sent me this wonderful Halloween tin with 6 different teas to try!

They all smell so amazing!

Even better..... they will be sending one of my lucky readers their own free Halloween Wicked Tea set as well with my giveaway and a few rules to enter :-)

You will receive the 6 tins of tea in this cute little box!

Inside along with the tea tins, is a paper describing each tea and each flavor. Among the tins are 2 teas that are caffeine free! Perfect for relaxing and unwinding after a long day!

These little tins are loaded with yummy tea leaves and so delicious. I love the fact that they are reusable too! Can make fun crafts out of them for your little ones or just use them to store more tea leaves when these run out! :-)

Aren't they so adorable?!

This list is perfect for describing each tea and how long to brew the leaves.

I used my tea cup with the strainer to brew mine and this one is the candy apple concoction. So delicious!!

So how can you enter the giveaway???

1) Be sure to follow Adagio teas on social media, either Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!

2) Then leave me a comment below letting me know that has been done and why you'd like to win these teas. (Extra entry)

3) Be a follower of my blog.

4) Check out my YouTube video that explains in more detail about each tea. Then like the video and be subscribed to my channel. (Subscription needs to be public so I can verify :-) Thanks! Video posted below.

I will be drawing names and announcing them here on my blog and also through another video on YouTube! I'll then be contacting the winner through email to get your full name and address so Adagio teas can send you your goodies! :-)

CONTEST ENDS OCTOBER 17 TH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good Luck!!!

Blessings,
Jill

*I received these teas free from Adagio teas in exchange for my honest review & to do a giveaway for my readers. All opinions are my own*

September Days

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 20:34:00 +0000

"By all these lovely tokens, September days are here, with summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer"

Helen Hunt Jackson

Though the calendar says September it is quite warm here in the South still....

So the other day Kathleen and I drove into town to enjoy a snowball which always brings a smile to our face and reminds us of home in MD,

I've enjoyed watching my butterfly flourish this summer, home to butterflies, hummingbirds and more!

Lots of sunshine, but I am ready for the cool breezes and the warm sweaters and bonfires.

Oddly our ducks decided this was a good place to put their egg.... or another critter may have left it there :-)

Jerry picked one of these knock out roses for me to enjoy inside. I placed it in a small vase Kathleen painted for me when she was younger. Makes me smile every time I see it.

I've been doing quite a bit of baking and enjoy sending treats into Jerry's work on occasion. His co- workers seem to enjoy it too! ;-)

These pumpkin apple muffins were so delicious! Definitely will be making them again!

Lots of meal planning and food prep since we are back to regular schedules. I've been posting quite a bit on my YouTube channel lately and a lot of my recipes etc. can be found there. We also redid Kathleen's bedroom and Jerry made her a loft bed. I'll link those videos along with my food prep videos down below if you want to check them out :-)

Also had a little time to catch up on some reading. I took Kathleen to the library the other day to select some books for reading since her Lexile reading level is very high. I found this author, never read her books before but they are really good! I finished this one and I'm now reading The Other Woman also by this author. They are suspenseful and well written and hard to put down!

I hope your summer is off to a great start! Here are a few of my most recent videos. Thanks for watching! Enjoy the rest of your week :-)

Chicken & Pineapple bake with lemon muffins!

Part 1 of Kathleen's room makeover :-)

Part 2 of her room redo and making the loft bed

Blessings,
Jill

Review of Masters Teas

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 14:29:00 +0000

As a long time tea lover, I have always enjoyed sampling new types of teas. When I was once again contacted by Adagio teas about their new website and their new Master Teas; I just had to give them a try! They also graciously included a free tea for my birthday which was a nice surprise! You can read my previous review of Adagio teas here.

To visit their new website Master Teas please click here

I was able to choose a wide selection of teas and enjoyed trying several of them. They always offer free shipping on their website and their customer service is wonderful! This is one of the teas I chose to try and you are able to choose a sample or a larger amount of any of the teas. It is called Jun Shan Yin zhen tea. It's a yellow tea with with the taste of toastiness and soft muscat grape like fruitiness.

Our Mission Statement:

The intention of Masters Teas is to share the finest, freshest specialty teas direct from the farms where they grow. We invite you to get to know the artisans who tender them and learn their stories. It is not necessary to be a tea connoisseur to enjoy these exceptional productions, as we intend to offer as much information as possible to help you on a journey of tea discovery. Masters Teas is proud to offer you our 2019 fresh-from-the-field teas the moment they arrive. Each offering is a limited edition, small-lot production.

(Credit: Master Teas website)

That is another thing I really enjoyed about reviewing their website and selecting my choice of teas; you get to read about the individual and how the teas are made.

The leaves are very rich and full of flavor. I have a tea cup that I just love that you can brew a cup of tea in and easily remove the leaves when finished.

The key to enjoying the rich flavor of these teas is to use really hot water and let it steep. I let mine steep about 15 minutes to enjoy the full effects of the tea. The website also lets you know how high and low the caffeine contents are in each of the teas and also what the flavor is like.

My tea cup comes with a lid to hold in the heat and to let it steep, plus its nice for keeping it warm afterwards too and then you can take it off and set the tea leaves container in it so it doesn't leak all over the counter. I found my cup on Amazon if you are interested in finding out more about it you can click here

As you can see it is a nice rich brew and I enjoyed drinking the teas plain, but you could add milk, cream or sugar or honey to them if you choose too. I just really enjoy the natural flavors of the teas. :-)

If you enjoy drinking tea and are looking for a good quality blend, I highly suggest checking out their website and giving them a try. They have a quick delivery also and their customer service members are more than happy to help with any questions you may have regarding the teas or how to brew them.

Blessings,
Jill

* I received this product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own *
*Affiliate links were used in this post*

Wrapping Up the Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Thu, 05 Sep 2019 01:04:00 +0000

On the 26th of August I was most blessed to celebrate another birthday. Jerry and Kathleen made me this cake and we had a quiet celebration together. I really missed having Hayley here to celebrate with me. If they could just stay little..... although I will say having only 4 candles on the cake was quite nice.LOL :-)

It doesn't feel like fall yet here in the South.... still very warm so I haven't quite felt like dragging out the fall decorations just yet ;-) Kathleen has done a wonderful job with all the things she's planted this summer. Her pepper plant is still producing!

Flowers are still popping up around the yard, always a joy to see :-). We may get a bit of wind and heavy rain from Dorian so not sure what to expect or if it will shift its course.....time will tell but we are prepared as we can be.

We currently have 5 ducks to love as our pets, but this white one here is the only one left from our original older group that we had when we first moved in that came with the house. She's a sweetie and keeps up with the others really well. I call her momma as she takes the others under her wing and it's great to see them all hanging out together.

We took Kathleen shopping at Justice the other day to get some things she needed and I think Jerry was having more fun in there then she was, lol. She was like "dad.....!" LOL. We told him these actually looked pretty good on him! ;-)

Hayley came home for the weekend with a friend of hers so we took her out for some of her favorite pizza. This was one of their slices! Crazy big!! It reminded us of one of our favorite pizza places back "home". I miss her a ton!

This quote is so very, very true... we spend our whole life raising them, then feel a bit lost without them. Thankful I still have time to watch Kathleen grow up.... when she goes off to college will be even more heartbreaking.

I've been busy making more videos for my YouTube channel and here are my latest ones. I have many more planned and putting the final touches on one of our DIY's :-)

In this one I share grocery hauls at Lidl, Harris Teeter & Target :-)

Then in this one I share a recipe for a quick dinner on busy nights, along with a homemade lemon cupcake recipe. In this one you get to see Jerry and Kathleen trying the cupcakes right fresh from the oven :-)

Hope you are all having a wonderful week and those of you in the midst of Dorian you are all in my prayers and thoughts.

Blessings,
Jill

First Day of School & New Videos on YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 13:35:00 +0000

How can it be possible already that my oldest is off to college and my youngest has just started 8th grade?? This year she started the 26th of August, my birthday..... the house was pretty lonely this year.

Kathleen is on a good team it seems for learning and being challenged academically so we are excited about that. We enjoyed meeting her teachers the other night. She truly loves to learn and already has goals set out for the year.

My beautiful young lady, so proud of her and all she has accomplished.

Now for me, just trying to get back into a normal schedule at home. Hard to do this week, lol. Especially getting back up super early as I've always been a night owl and enjoy staying up real late and now have to try to go to bed by at least 11:00 pm! :-)

I have lots of plans for my YouTube channel so should have some extra time to work on more videos. I will post the links here and on my Facebook page and Instagram while I am building it.

Recently I posted a video making my favorite banana cake. :-)

I also made one of me making Pasta Fagioli Soup, which was so delicious!

I appreciate your support as I build this new channel. A big thanks to you who are already watching, I really appreciate it. There are many great YouTubers out there so I know it will take some time to get my channel off the ground and recognized. :-)

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Blessings,
Jill

Hayley's Off to College & a Day at Dave & Buster's with Kathleen

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 20:33:00 +0000

I look back to when I started this blog and how our family's story has unfolded and I can't believe my little girl is all grown and off on her own to college. This past Thursday was an emotional day for all 4 of us. But I am so proud of her and how hard she has worked to get where she is. Appalachian State was always her dream college and she set her sights on going there and she did it!

Though I miss her a ton, I know this is the best experience she can have and I support her every step of the way.

Kathleen has taken it pretty hard.... they have always been very close.

You are going to do so many amazing things in your life Hayley, you fill my heart with so much joy and I can't wait to see all the new things you will accomplish!

Made a little stop at Sweet Frog before heading back down the road to go home...without her :-(

We wanted to try to get Kathleen's mind off of Hayley leaving so we took her to get her hair cut for back to school and then to visit Dave and Buster's.

We had a great time there! If you would like to see my short vlog of our time there I posted it on my YouTube channel. :-) I will still be doing the meal prep, cooking videos and more. It will also be vlogging and lifestyle too. Hope you're having a great Monday!

Blessings,
Jill

Healthy Living, WW, Recent Grocery Haul, Jerry's Angel Food Cake and More :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 00:04:00 +0000

This sign could not be more true!

Since being diagnosed in December 2018 with heart failure; I've made a lot of positive, healthy changes in my lifestyle. While some are unsure that I will get better or increase my ejection fraction, I for one refuse to give up the fight. I exercise every day, no matter how tired I may be. I've also stayed with a very strict diet and I have lost a lot of fluid weight between the hospital and being home. I am doing all I can to continue to lose it until I feel I am at a healthier weight. :-) I've decided to try out the WW freestyle plan to help me manage portions of the foods I eat and I like being able to track everything.

My new normal is carrying my food with me wherever I go, unless I find a restaurant like the one featured in my last blog post that I know I can eat healthy, low sodium foods there. You can read my last post by clicking here. On this particular trip we had taken the girls to the mall and I was happy as can be to sit in the food court with them and enjoy a meal :-) The meal was only 1 point for the little bit of oil I cooked the chicken and veggies in. I found these great glass containers on Amazon and they are leakproof.

I also bought my Pioneer Woman lunch bag on Amazon and I love all the room it has in it for everything. Plus it's pretty and feels more like carrying a purse! ;-)

This was delicious as well, it is 2 slices of the mini whole wheat bread from Pepperidge Farms. I added some Can't Believe it's not Butter spray, then added no sodium turkey breast, a slice of Swiss cheese and thinly sliced apples and heated it on the stove. So delicious! Points only 5 and that's because the turkey was a point from the deli. Each slice of bread was 1 point and the Swiss cheese was 3.

This was an easy, quick snack too. The unsweetened almond milk is only 1 point for a cup. The baby bel cheese is 3 points and the grapes are free. :-) Holds me over in the afternoon until dinner time. I've also stopped eating anything past 7 PM and I only have a plain hot cup of tea before bed.

I had to share this Angel Food cake fail with you, lol. We all had a good laugh about it, because it had to be the type of mix he picked up. Jerry picked up the Angel food cake mix at Save-A-Lot grocery store and I was pretty skeptical..... needless to say the mix suggestions did not fluff up the cake.... Luckily we still had another mix in the pantry from a better brand and he redeemed himself, lol. One slice of Angel food cake is only 4 points! Helps when you just want a little treat. :-)

Now that's more like it! ;-)

So excited to announce that Perfectly Posh is releasing new products again! I wasn't able to make it to Uncon this year, which I'm really bummed about because Rachel Hollis will be a presenter and I just love her! But I will be featuring all the latest products on my business page if you'd like to follow along there :-) You can also find all the products on my website I also have a YouTube for my business you can find the link here. We have a huge retirement sale going on right now and products as low as $5.00 each! Sad to see some of my favorites go, but excited for the new launch!

I completed 3 grocery hauls this past weekend to Sav-A-Lot, Aldi's and Harris Teeter. In my latest YouTube video I go through all the details. :-)

Lots of good things planned for our menus the next two weeks. This was just the Harris teeter haul.

Do you plan your meals each week? What are your favorite stores to get groceries?

Have an amazing week!!

Blessings,
Jill

Day Trip to Boone, NC

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 04:16:00 +0000

Won't be much longer and these views will be a regular part of traveling for us. Still hard to believe Hayley will be off to college soon... that's going to be a hard day. I'll miss her terribly, but I'm so very happy for her too, she's worked very hard for this.

It's a beautiful ride up into the mountains, so peaceful and relaxing.

There are two houses way up on the hillside... hard to imagine living up there especially when all the snow arrives. I wouldn't want to shovel that driveway, lol.

We fed a lot of parking meters that day.....

Before we traveled I found out about this restaurant up there called Clean Eatz, it's all healthy and low sodium foods. Plus they accommodate a variety of food allergies. I was so happy to know I could eat somewhere healthy!

It's a nice little place inside to eat :-)

This was my lunch, veggies and plain chicken on top of quinoa and no spices or dressings, although they were part of the option. Everything is made fresh when you place the order.

Jerry tried the bison burger and BBQ cauliflower. He said it was really good. The girls got wraps and veggies and also enjoyed their meals. We will definitely be back there again.

Hayley wanted to stop in some thrift places while we were there and I saw this hand carved chest in there. Really neat to see all the work that went into it.

I absolutely adored these goats we saw in there and just had to have a picture :-)

Kathleen fell in love with this little reading chair for her room and we were able to get that chair, shorts for Jerry, and a cookbook for me for only $20.00!! Great deal :-)

Flowers were so pretty..... we did have a passing rain shower while we were there, which seems common in the mountains. Usually when we've been there it's been torrential rains. We planned this trip because it was supposed to stay sunny.... luckily the rain shower was short lived!

Had a wonderful day spending time with the girls, cherishing every moment.

Found this shirt funny as they take it pretty seriously it seems on how you pronounce it ;-)

As you can see when we got home and set the chair in her room the cats took it over, lol. Mirabelle our 3rd cat likes to hide underneath. :-)

I posted another video on my YouTube channel tonight. Thank you to all of you that have been by to check out my channel. I appreciate it :-) I plan to post 3-4 lifestyle videos a week and keep building.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend!!!

Blessings,
Jill

Two Year Anniversary of Losing My Mom and Dusting Off My YouTube Channel

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 04:20:00 +0000

Two years ago today, the world lost one of the most amazing women ever. My mom...

As I sat around the pond this evening overlooking her memorial bench and listening to all the sounds of nature that she loved so much, I realized how much more of her I wish I had.

In that I mean the memories left behind; how I wish I had more photos, more videos and most of all more time. I'd give anything....

So my thoughts I've had lately of social media and what I really want to leave behind has shifted as well. I want my girls, my grandkids to be able to hear my voice and know our story for many generations to come. So I decided to dust off my YouTube channel I created awhile back, but didn't nurture. I changed the name from Blessings of a Stay at Home Mom to Life With Jill and posted a new video tonight.

My channel will be featuring a lifestyle variety. I will be sharing my grocery hauls, meal plans, recipes and cooking, homestead news, day in the life, and whatever else is in my heart that day. :-) I'd love if you have a few moments to stop by and check it out. New content will be added regularly, I promise ;-) If you would like to subscribe it would mean a lot don't forget to hit the bell next to the subscribe button for notifications of when I download a new video. If you'd like to follow me on Facebook I have a page there and may do some live videos soon as well. Here is the link! On Instagram I also share a lot and add to my stories, you can find me there @jillkh.

Here is my latest video and thank you all for your support through the years, it means a lot!

Blessings,
Jill

Forbrain Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jill) — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 19:41:00 +0000

Forbrain is a unique tool to help with learning and concentration. "It is a bone conduction headphone, with a very sensitive microphone. It also has a dynamic filter to create a perceptive contrast". (Forbrain literature)

It is recommended to only be used at a minimum of at least 20 minutes a day and for children to be supervised while using it. Forbrain's concept is to help improve perception of the voice. Therefore creating an audio-vocal loop and that gives the nervous system a solid sensory workout. (Forbrain literature)

It is to be used with children and adults. Exercises are provided with the product and you can also find more on their website and other links I have provided in this review below.

I was recently given the opportunity to review Forbrain and found the concept quite interesting. You can learn more by visiting their website by clicking here. It will offer a more in depth overview about their product. I also like that they offer a blog you can go to that will help to answer some questions you may have. You can find the blog by clicking here. To follow them on a daily basis and get all the latest updates, you can follow them on their Facebook page by clicking here.

When I received Forbrain in the mail it came in a nice hard case for protection and easy storage.

There is a pocket at the top for information on the product and accessories.

The first thing you will want to do after opening the product, is to be sure to charge it fully before use. It has a USB cord to plug into your computer or if you have an attachment piece you can charge it that way, like you would your phone.

Kathleen was my model for this particular review and she did a great job :-) She demonstrates how the head piece is worn for best results.

The headset is placed just in front of the ears, but never in them and the microphone wraps around the front of the face and it is adjustable.

The power packet to turn it on and make adjustments to the volume sits back behind the ear.

We both tried it as well as Jerry and Hayley and felt it was quite comfortable. The microphone definitely works quite well in hearing our voices clearly.

We tried some of the recommended activities and for one of them Kathleen chose her math book to read over out loud as she enjoys math a great deal.

It is recommended to sit up tall with feet on the floor when doing the various exercises.

Using Forbrain can help with attention, speech and memory of its user. Their website explains this in greater detail so be sure to check it out and the blog as well to get a better idea of how this works. It is also good for a school setting for use with a speech pathologist in helping children who struggle with their learning. Using it for just a few minutes a day, every day for 6 weeks you will start to notice a difference. Forbrain comes with a 2 year warranty and sells for $299.00 and you can receive it in about 3-5 days after placing the order. They also offer a 30 day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the product.

Kathleen tried out the device each day for the past 2 weeks since we received it and found it comfortable to wear. She liked how her voice sounded and found it neat to hear it louder without placing anything directly inside her ears. She felt she had good concentration when using it and found the whole technology of it interesting.

I think it would be beneficial in a school setting, especially with all the background noise; to help students focus on their voice and concentrating better. Under supervision with specific activities could definitely make a difference for children who may have special needs or speech or language difficulties. Being a former teacher I found it quite interesting reviewing the technology and also reading the information online; as well as others testimonies using the product long term.

Blessings,
Jill

* I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*