fresh juniper

The Journey of A Thousand Miles That Began New Year's Day On A Bicycle

2016-02-17T23:49:00.000-06:00

I've been working on something since New Year's Day. I've shared a bit with y'all about my personal struggle to regain control over anxiety through diet and exercise Not that I'm a fitness fan or anything like that.

However, when life takes a nose dive and your sense of security and well-being starts to disappear, the pain and ensuing panic can force some much needed change in lifestyle and daily routine. Even if you're 50 something and completely out of shape. It can happen.

A big part of my lifestyle change is riding a bicycle . Last spring I could barely ride one mile. It was hot and scary and exhausting. But guess what? By focusing all that excess stress and nervous energy on the bike and literally "riding it out", the anxiety began to subside. It was replaced by a sense of well being and accomplishment.

I rode nearly every day and set a goal to join a local 10 mile bike ride event last summer. After that the confidence increased and the anxiety waned.

I began riding the bike to work occasionally- 10 miles each way. I decided to enter that local bike ride again and increase the distance from 10 to 27 miles.

Towards the end of the year I was losing some momentum and struggling to find some motivation. The daylight hours were too few to ride to work. It was nearly dark by the time I got home each evening. I thought about setting a new goal - a really big, year-long goal. A thousand mile goal. Wow.

A thousand miles is a long long long ride. No, I'm not riding from Texas to Utah. No, I'm not taking time off work to do it. This has to fit my schedule and be realistic. I won't ride on Sundays either. I have 6 days a week to ride. I can do it right here on my own street.

A thousand miles sounds easier when broken into segments. It is a bit less than 20 miles each week for the whole year. Yep, that is definitely doable.

I rode 8 miles after work today, making the year-to-date total 196 miles. I'm trying to BEAT 20 miles per week. Thus far I've been riding 26 miles per week. The daily and year-to-date progress is recorded on the calendar.

Sharing this very personal journey because I hope to inspire others. No matter who you are or where you are on your journey right now, there is hope. You can overcome obstacles. If I can do this, anyone can. 804 miles to go. Ride on!

Goatneck Bike Ride 2015 - A Personal Victory

2015-08-31T23:16:00.002-05:00

A couple of years ago, my generally stressful life became much more stressful. Stressful events began happening back to back, then they started to snowball on me. Finally, my body began to break down. I could no longer manage the stress by myself. Anxiety attacks? Could a control freak like me truly be unable to control her own stress levels and experience a full blown anxiety attack? Yes. It happened. I didn't want to admit it, but it happened. HUBBY took me to the ER...and they gave me something I really hated to help control the anxiety - prescription medication. No way I could live the rest of my life popping pills to control my stress. No way.

After much deliberation, searching, and prayer, I found a doctor who could help. Once thorough testing was completed, she prescribed thyroid medicine and bio-identical hormones, drastically changed my eating habits, and told me to begin regular walking and yoga. I was ready to try almost ANYTHING to avoid anxiety attacks and those awful pills.

Walking? I started walking about a mile each day. I've never been much of a fitness buff. Can't run very fast and just not very good at most sports. I could walk, but it wasn't much fun. In fact, walking was boring.

Finally, HUBBY and I started talking about bicycles. As a kid, I used to love bicycling. We had a small collection of bikes in the barn. He selected an old Huffy Roadmaster mountain bike and fixed it up for me. March 2015 was the beginning of a very positive change in my life.

At first, I could only ride about a mile or so on that bike. I was 54 years old and more than a little afraid of breaking something - like a leg or an arm or worse. I started bicycling every other day or so - and gradually built up my strength and endurance level. The stronger I got, the less fearful I became about riding. Pretty soon I could go halfway up a big hill at one end of our street. Not too long after that, I could go halfway up the hill, back down to the lake, and home again. Gradually, I was able to go ALL the way up that big hill, down to the lake, and back home - a distance of about two and a half miles. Well, if I could do that route once, maybe I could do it one and a half times. Pretty soon I could do two rounds. I referred to it as two laps. Wow, two laps was equal to five miles!

Summer was fast approaching. It was getting hotter in Texas and climbing that big hill twice was not easy. By early May 2015, I got a water bottle and holder for the bike. That helped a lot.

Near our home, there is a popular annual bike event each summer called the Goatneck Bike Ride. The 2015 Goatneck was scheduled for July 25, two days before my 55th birthday. As I stated earlier, I'm not an athletic-type person. I've never done any kind of organized bike ride in my life. But I started thinking to myself, "If I can do two laps (five miles) then maybe I can do three or four laps. I wonder how long the Goatneck Bike Ride is this year?"

I looked it up, and the Goatneck Bike Ride has four different choices or divisions. The options for rides were ten miles, twenty-seven miles, forty-one miles, and seventy miles. Could I do ten miles? Four laps would equal ten miles. The wheels in my head started turning. I'm a Grandmother of six. Could I really do a ten mile bike ride? What if I failed - or had a collision with another bicyclist? What if I could actually complete it?

I prayed a lot. God gave me strength and courage. The excitement built as I increased the distance to three laps (seven and a half miles). The Texas summer was upon us and it was getting hotter. Finally I could do four laps. It wasn't easy on that old Huffy!

I looked over the Goatneck route map and decided to give it a try before the race. HUBBY was so supportive. He drove me and the bike to the starting point, then drove ahead a short distance to wait for me. As I passed him, he'd get back in the truck and drive ahead a little farther to wait. I'd pass him again and he'd drive a little further ahead. Bless his little pea-pickin' heart. He knew I was still nervous about it and he made sure I knew he'd stay nearby in case anything went wrong. Sure enough, I finished the ten mile ride on that Huffy. Whew, I finally knew I could do it! It took me a little over fifty minutes. I felt pretty good about my goal to ride Goatneck that day.

During the next week, HUBBY pulled PRINCE's Bianchi bicycle out of the barn and began working on it. He asked me to try it out. We'd been to some bike shops looking for ways to modify the Huffy and make it easier to ride. Bike shops call the HUFFY Roadmaster Mountain Bike "an ironing board with wheels". They also told me that in any bike event, mountain bikes finish last. There wasn't any modification that would help it - or me.

Reluctantly, I agreed to try riding the Bianchi. It was a TALL bike. After riding it for the first time, I realized I would NOT ride the Huffy in the Goatneck 2015 Bike Ride. The Bianchi bike was so much EASIER to pedal, especially up that BIG hill on my regular practice route.

I continued to train with the Bianchi, riding my four laps every other day or so. It was getting even hotter outside and some days it was tough to finish - particularly if it was windy outside. We decided to do one more practice run of the actual Goatneck ten mile route, this time on the Bianchi.

My courage had increased. I asked HUBBY to go farther ahead to wait for me to pass him each time. Riding the route on the Bianchi was so much more fun. It helped trim the ride time down to about forty-five minutes. My excitement continued to build.

HUBBY helped me shop for a new helmet, bike shirt and shorts, gloves, and tennis shoes. Never before did I understand why bicyclists needed gloves. It is to be able to grip the handlebars when your hands get sweaty. I registered online for the Goatneck Bike Ride about three weeks prior to the ride. About one week before the ride I picked up my packet at the designated bike shop.

The day I'd anticipated for months, July 25th, finally arrived. We woke up early, got the gear ready, and loaded the bikes into the truck for the trip into town. The Goatneck always starts and finishes at the high school. The seventy mile ride began first at 7:30 a.m. The forty-one mile ride began at 7:40 a.m. The twenty-seven mile ride began at 7:45 a.m. My ride, the ten mile, was set to begin at 7:50 a.m. I think it was about 7:55 or so when it actually started.

Off I went with lots of other bicycle riders. This was new to me. I was accustomed to riding solo. It was fun seeing all those people riding along enjoying themselves. Although the Goatneck Bike Ride is NOT a race, I wanted to improve my time. It was a thrill for me to challenge myself and try to do better.

I finished at the Goatneck 2015 ten mile bike ride at 8:23 a.m. This time it only took about thirty minutes, a new personal best! Happy birthday to me!!

I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father for answering my prayers and helping me realize this dream, to HUBBY for working so hard and spending so much time to repair the bikes and buy the gear, and to PRINCE for letting me ride his Bianchi bicycle.

Although the Goatneck 2015 is over, I still ride the bike a few times per week. My new goal is to be able to complete the twenty-seven mile ride for Goatneck 2016.

I share this very personal story in hopes of inspiring others who are having trouble with anxiety. Riding the bike has really helped me to deflate my stress. At the end of each ride, I feel less anxious and much more joyful. If the anxiety is really bad, I ride till I'm just too tired to feel anxious about anything.

I'll share more about the rest of the treatment plan - the diet change and prescription treatments - in future posts. I've lost about 35 pounds and gained strength, endurance, confidence, and muscle tone!

Baby Shower Craft: DIY Applique Onesies

2015-03-08T23:35:00.001-05:00

My daughter, the very pregnant lady in the tan stripe sweater, has some wonderfully talented friends. I was privileged to attend her baby shower recently. The hostess, seated just to the left of my daughter, put on a terrific event. My favorite part was a simple DIY Onesie Applique Craft. What a fun idea!

Her dining room table was set up with plain white onesies of various sizes in a plastic tub. A gold dish held assorted cardstock templates in cute shapes: rocket ship, alligator, mustache, sailboat, guitar, and the state of Texas. The other side of the dish was filled with squares of brightly colored, coordinating cotton prints in shades of blue and green

There were also scissors, pencils, and iron on adhesive with paper backing.

Each shower guest was invited to choose a printed cotton square, a template, and a onesie. The hostess helped her daughter craft a onesie, too.

Next, it was time to iron the square of cotton fabric onto the adhesive with paper backing. The ironing table was set up in the breakfast area, and the craft area was set up at the dining table.

After the cotton fabric was ironed to the adhesive with paper backing, it was time to lay the cardstock template onto the paper backing and trace the design of the template onto the paper with a pencil.

Then it was cut along the pencil lines and taken back to the ironing table and ironed directly onto the onesie.

Once the applique was ironed onto the onesie, the paper backing was peeled off and voila, the craft was complete! Easy, quick, and fun:)

These are the designs we made. Mine was the grey mustache in the center.

Everyone enjoyed themselves and the onesies they made turned out to be very cute. It was one of the best baby showers I've ever attended.

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Sew Sweet Little Purse Tutorial

2014-08-28T20:28:00.001-05:00

It was such a joy to make these sweet little purses for two sweet little girls.

Followed the directions from my Toddler Purse Tutorial by Getting Crafty and it worked like a charm.

I've actually made four purses that match three girl (ages 4, 6, and 11) outfits AND coordinating American Girl Doll outfits. Sharing those photos in upcoming post.

The materials I used are all from Hobby Lobby:

Cream cotton twill

Purple polyester lining

Purle grosgrain ribbon

Fusible interfacing

Lacy pink stretch elastic

The other two purses (not shown) are done in black and white houndstooth and hot pink, black, and white Paris Eiffel Tower print with black stretch lace elastic and plastic black and silver chain (for the purse handle).

Rust Stains on Carpet and Metal - Rust Remover Product Test and Review

2014-07-15T20:16:00.003-05:00

A few years ago, our office had a water leak. We thought it was a leak in the roof, but discovered that the gutters were stopped up. What a mess! The office nearest the problem gutter had the biggest problem. A lot of water soaked the carpeting, and it happened more than once. Eventually, the gutter was cleaned out and the carpet finally dried. No one paid any attention to the once-soaked carpet until a file cabinet in that office had to be moved.

The file cabinet was emptied, the drawers were removed, and two people tried to move it. But, it just wouldn't budge. Why? It was so severely RUSTED on the bottom that the rust actually adhered to the carpet. What a mess!

After a lot of work, the rusted-to-the-carpet file cabinet was moved. Again, WHAT A MESS! What to do? How do you clean rust on carpet?

We purchased a product from Home Depot called Back to Nature Ready-Strip Rust Remover. The words on the bottle are: "Safely removes rust stains like magic from virtually any surface! Odor-free - Environmentally safe" and "Works on: Removes most rust spots and stains from interior and exterior surfaces, including concrete, toilets, sinks, bathtubs, appliances, refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, clothing, carpets, upholstery, autos and rv's, fiberglass boats, rigging and sails, bicycles, metal, wrought iron fences, tools, stainless fittings, antiques, and furniture, house siding, sporting goods, and more."

Wow, could it be true? Was there something that we could use to remove the rust from the carpet?

I'm happy to tell you the answer. After testing the product, I give it a big thumbs up. It worked!

I really wish there were photos to share of what it looked like right after the file cabinet was moved. What a MESS! Trust me. In the photo above, the lower half of the area was treated using the rust removal product, and the upper half of the area was not yet treated. What a big difference!

Just for fun, I'm also sharing a photo showing a large steel beam in our parking lot. It is VERY rusty. The white stripe in the background is a parking lot stripe. The photo below of the beam clearly shows, before treatment, during treatment, and after treatment.

I used a soft wire brush to scrub the carpet AND the steel after the product was applied. It took a LOT of scrubbing for the carpet, but the steel only took about 30 seconds of scrubbing.

NOTE: I don't know if it is truly environmentally safe as it claims to be or not. I just know that it works on carpet and metal. The active ingredients are citric acid and oxalic acid. This is not a sponsored or paid review. All opinions are my own. This stuff works!

Job Interviews Are Like First Dates - Free Printable Quote

2014-05-30T20:30:00.002-05:00

To me, being interviewed for a new a job is a lot like going out on a date with someone for the first time. I find both equally unappealing. What do you think?

Sharing my original quote as a free printable. Enjoy!

Potager Cafe in Arlington, Texas - Delicious Slow Food Prepared With Principles and Served On The Honor System

2014-05-29T11:00:00.002-05:00

Next time you visit Arlington, Texas, go downtown and enjoy a real "slow food" meal at Potager Cafe. Why? There are SO many reasons, but let's keep it short and simple. How about 10?

Top 10 Reasons To Dine at Potager Cafe

REASON #1

You deserve better.

As a true opposite of the typical fast food franchise, Potager Cafe offers something better. Folks, this is the good stuff. They call it "Slow Food". You will like it. Trust me.

This definition for Slow Food is from a link found on Potager's site:

Why the name Slow Food?

It’s a way of saying no to the rise of fast food and fast life. Slow Food means living an unhurried life, taking time to enjoy simple pleasures, starting at the table.

REASON #2

Potager has tasty food prepared with principles.

Try the green salad and some tomato soup. It is lovely.

Okay, so the food is good, but food with principles?

Yes, it has principles.

The proprietor has principles that shine brightly through the food on each plate. Her menu is full of "local" varieties and options. Here is a quote from the homepage:

"Get to know where your food comes from. As much as possible, what we serve you comes from small, local farmers and ranchers ... our friends. Get to know them too ... they are very loveable!"

REASON #3

Potager Cafe has fair prices.

The Price List is given only as a suggestion for payments. Each patron determines the price to be paid based on his or her own assessment of fairness. What a splendidly unorthodox concept.

REASON #4

Potager has friendly, talented chefs.

Even though they serve "slow food", you'll have a plate filled with it in a jiffy.

REASON #5

The atmosphere at Potager Cafe is mellow and relaxing.

WiFi, television sets, blaring music, and self-service soft drink machines are NOT part of your dining experience.

Their standards and principles are so high that Potager doesn't allow soft drinks on the menu. In their own words, this is why:

Yes, we are BYOB, but please, no nasty soft drinks! We want you to be healthy!!

I fell in love with this groovy lighted peace sign over the door.

Is it possible that they value people more highly than profit?

REASON #6

The menu is easy to read and has plenty of options.

For me, eating at Potager almost like going back in time and enjoying a meal with Nanny and Papa.

Please note that the menu changes daily.

REASON #7

They have a working garden.

The exterior of the cafe surrounded by a garden. Seeing it will make you smile.

Some of the lovely herbs and veggies in these photos will become part of future menu selections.

Did you know Potager is a French word that means kitchen garden?

There is something very comforting about eating food that is freshly picked from the garden - another little reminder of happy times spent with Nanny and Papa.

REASON #8

You need a reality check.

Potager offers:

REAL water (the kind that doesn't come from a plastic bottle)

REAL glass water pitchers on each table

REAL glass glassware

REAL metal utensils

REAL cloth napkins

REAL food

REASON #9

Siri says so.

Yes, Siri suggests dining at Potager Cafe. In fact, she introduced me to Potager.

This is how it went down:

I was driving around during lunch break using Siri to search for an eating establishment where a suitable meal might be found.

Me: Siri, I'm hungry.
Siri: These 5 restaurants are fairly close to you.

She offered me McDonalds, Wendys, KFC, etc. I didn't really want any of those options, so I drove a bit further, pulled over, and tried once again.

Me: Siri, I'm hungry.
Siri: These 5 restaurants are fairly close to you.

Once again, she kept offering me no choices other than fast food franchises.

Not to be dissuaded, I drove a bit further, pulled over, and told her I was hungry.

Finally, she broke her streak of corporate food chains and suggested Potager Cafe. Push Siri hard enough, and she'll show you the good stuff.

REASON #10

They follow the Honor System.

Potager did away with the need for outdated cash registers and credit card machines. Those relics were replaced with this handy Watering Can.

See the payment slot in the top?

Because your remittance is done with the Honor System, there is no need for a cashier. They trust everyone to pay fairly.

After you're finished eating, select one of these sweet little handmade envelopes from the bowl, tuck the payment inside, and drop it in the slot.

I hope you try Potager Cafe. Just remember to bring cash or a check. They don't accept plastic payments. Here are the details on location and hours from their website:

Our Hours:

Tuesday and Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (limited menu between 3 and 5)

Sorry, we don't take Credit/Debit Cards. Cash or Cheques only.

Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention - Free Printable Infographic

2014-05-22T14:31:00.003-05:00

Hey y'all, did you know that May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month? Like many of you, I've known dear friends that suffered with Osteoporosis. The effects of this terrible disease are known to be debilitating and can be deadly. I hope ALL of you are taking care of yourselves.

For more information on this important health issue, please visit http://www.recallcenter.com/hip-replacement/

Help us spread the word by sharing this post through email or your favorite social media sites.

For those readers in the USA, I wish you all a happy and HEALTHY Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Free Printable My Heavenly Father Loves Me

2014-05-13T20:31:00.001-05:00

My favorite song in the Primary Childrens Songbook is My Heavenly Father Loves Me by Clara W. McMaster. I'm so happy to share a free printable with the entire first verse.

I sing this song (out loud) to myself whenever I need to cheer myself up. If you want to listen to it or download the sheet music as a pdf, just click here. It is free:)

DIY Mother's Day Flowers - Handprint Paper Lily Tutorial

2014-05-06T22:37:00.004-05:00

Happy Mother's Day! The grandkids and I made these lovely Handprint Paper Lilies for their Mom and Great Grandmother.

You wouldn't believe how easy and fun they are to make!

I found this Handprint Lily Craft on Easy Preschool Craft and followed it, making a few changes in order to make use of materials on hand.

Easter/Mother's Day Handprint Lily Craft

Materials:

Plain white copy paper (for lily petals)

Green construction paper (for leaves)

Bright colored construction paper (for heart label)

Yellow solo cups (for center of lily)

Any other color of solo cups (for vase)

Small wooden craft dowel rod (for stem)

Green paint

Scissors

Glue dots or tape

Pencil

Crayon

1. Using the pencil, trace the child's handprint onto the white paper. (If you want to make 2 handprint lilies, fold the sheet of paper in half and trace on one side. Cut both sides together to make 2 handprints.)

2. Using the pencil, draw leaves onto green paper. Make them as long as you want, and make sure the centers are wide enough to accommodate the center hole needed for inserting the painted dowel rod.

3. Paint the dowel rod(s) green. The kids love this part!

TIP: To avoid making a mess in the house, do this step outside on the porch and use washable paints.

4. Cut a long yellow rectangular strip from the yellow solo cup. Shape it a bit, making the two tips fat and round and the center a bit more slender.

5. Poke or cut a hole in the center of the leaf and insert the painted dowel rod. Secure in place with glue dots or tape.

6. Attach yellow flower center, folded in half and curled a bit on the tips, to the top of the dowel rod with glue dots or tape.

7. Curl fingertips of handprint a little. Wrap handprint around dowel rod and yellow flower center, and use glue dots or tape to secure in place.

8. Make a construction paper heart and put the name Mom or Grandma on it. Use glue dot or tape to attach to solo cup vase.

9. Poke a hole in the bottom of the solo cup and insert your lovely flower(s).

NOTE: We had three kiddos ages 18 mos. to 4, so we made three different size lilies.

I hope you enjoy making some of these beautiful Handprint Paper Lilies for Mother's Day.

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Vintage Lace Trim Jeans Tutorial - One Hour DIY Boutique Jeans

2014-02-17T17:16:00.003-06:00

Do you have any blue jeans in your closet that are too short? They're still like brand new because you never wear them. We used to call them "High Water Jeans" because whenever you wore them people asked you if you were expecting a flood. In other words, short pants won't get wet as quickly as pants that are longer when the water starts rising.

I've had a pair in my closet for about two years now. They shrunk after being laundered. The hem barely touched the tops of my ankles, and when I sat down they showed quite a bit of leg. Honestly I was so embarrassed about the length that I barely ever wore them....until yesterday.

It was one of THOSE days. Procrastination changed the entire meaning of "Doing Laundry" and not in a good way. It had evolved in from a normal item on the "TO DO" list to an absolute NECESSITY. All the blue jeans that actually fit me were in the hamper waiting to be washed. The hairdo was beginning to look frumpy and unkempt, too. The tell-tale gray roots were much too obvious.

Well, I wasn't about to wear sweat pants to the hairdresser. I grimaced and tried on my "high water" jeans. Looking in the mirror, I could see my ankles peeking out from beneath the jeans hem. Perfect. Just perfect. High waters are the perfect jeans to wear..... IF YOU'RE EXPECTING A FLOOD.

What to do, what to do? Why not add some lace trim to achieve the desired length on the jeans legs? I've seen lots of DIY blue jean projects over the years. Never before had it occurred to me to use my old tablecloth to make my jeans prettier and longer.

DIY Vintage Lace Trim

I had quite a bit of the lace tablecloth leftover from making DIY Vintage Lace Trim . My high water blue jean makeover was a surprisingly quick and easy project. I love the way they look now.

FYI, here is a link to the tutorial for creating repurposed lace trim from tablecloths, curtains, etc: DIY Vintage Lace Trim just in case you need it.

Vintage Lace Trim Jeans Tutorial

Supplies

Lace Trim
Scissors
Tape measure
Fabric marker or chalk
Sewing Machine
Thread
1 /4" to 3/8" width ribbon

Directions

1. Cut off the hem on both legs of jeans as close to the edge as possible.

2. Machine stitch around each leg near raw cut edge. This will help prevent fraying.

3. Measure circumference of bottom of one jean leg.

Multiply x 2. Now add two inches to that number. This number is the length of lace needed to attach to jeans.

4. Cut lace to desired length. Fold lace in half and cut again to achieve two equal lengths. Each one will be about an inch longer than the circumference of the jean leg.

5. Cut two pieces of ribbon to be the same length as the lace.

6. Machine baste ribbon to each lace piece about 1/2" from top edge.

NOTE: The orange grosgrain ribbon basted on the lace is shown as an example because it contrasts nicely in photographs. When choosing ribbon for this project, try to match the color of your lace or the color of your jeans as closely as possible.

7. Fold raw edge of lace over ribbon.

8. Stitch folded over lace to ribbon. The ribbon adds stability to the lace and makes the top edge of lace more even. This is the part of the lace to be stitched to jeans.

9. How much above the raw edge of jeans do you want the top edge of lace to be sewn? How much length do you need? How wide is lace? Knowing the answers to these questions gives you the right guidance on where to attach the lace.

Locations of dashed blue ink pen lines atop lace edge are indicated by red arrows.

10. Measure desired distance between raw edge at bottom of jean leg and top edge of lace and mark jeans with a little dashed line ----- using a fabric marker. (Because my blue denim jeans were quite dark, I used a blue ink pen to mark the dashes.) Move your tape over an inch or so and make another mark. Repeat all the way around both jean leg bottoms. This is your guide.

11. Put folded-under edge of lace against right side of jeans, place lace on jean so that top of lace just touches bottom of dashed lines starting at inside jeans seam. Machine baste lace to one jean leg.

12. Try on jeans. Do you like the finished length? If the answer is yes, then machine stitch lace to both jean legs. If the answer is no, then remove basting stitches, adjust lace accordingly, and then machine stitch.

13. Allow lace to overlap itself up to 1/4" or so after you stitch around full circle of jean leg and come back to inseam.

NOTE: Stretch lace may overlap at the top first before it overlaps at the bottom as shown in the photo below. If this happens to you, simply adjust the amount of overlap accordingly.

14. Machine or hand stitch top layer of lace over bottom layer at overlap.

15. Trim any excess lace on top near stitching.

Now you have some cute, boutique-style jeans. Wear them and enjoy the compliments.

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Valentine's Day Tech Gift from HUBBY Scores Big with This Blogger!! Gateway NE 52219u Notebook PC Review

2014-02-15T20:09:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I am the luckiest gal in the . HUBBY is so good to me. Every year, without fail, he brings home my favorites - long stemmed red roses and gourmet chocolates. Who could ask for more?

This year, HUBBY went all out to give me something that I really wanted and needed. A new Gateway NE52219u Notebook Computer!

I know most people replace their desktops and laptops every few years. We are NOT most people. Wanna see our tech history? Read the very first Fresh Juniper blog post. The last NEW computer we purchased was in 2004. It was a Dell PC running Windows XP with a Pentium IV processor. HUBBY has kept it working fairly well. He upgraded the monitor, the RAM, the hard drive, etc. The Dell still works, but the 5 year old flat screen monitor finally crashed. It was a big tech reversal for us. HUBBY hooked the DELL up to an old-school monitor. Remember the ones that were bigger and heavier than a microwave oven? Yep, that's the dinosaur now occupying a major portion of the dining room.

Thanks to my dearly beloved HUBBY, today I enter the blogosphere with a new and modern vehicle. FYI don't judge me or my ability to write a laptop review by my former lack of tech advances at home. HUBBY is certified A+ Comp Tech. I work in a modern office with plenty of PC power.

I love the new Gateway Laptop. For those of you who need specs, here is the label.

As I said, it is a Gateway NE52219u. It has:

OS: Windows 8.1 OS
Pr3 Loocessor: AMD Quad Core A4 5000
LCD: 15.6 WXGA Acer Cinecrystal LED LCD
Memory: 8GB DDR
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 8330
Hard Drive: 1 Terabyte
Webcam
Bluetooth
Microsoft Office

and so much more.

This baby zips through tasks like a hot knife through butter. It is so lightweight and easy to handle. I'm finally learning the Windows 8.1 OS.

Wanna know how I got it? FlexPay. Yep, that's right. I am a big fan of Home Shopping Network, aka HSN. Don't judge me. Remember my introductory blog post. We still don't have cable television. Rural life, right!

There are only SO many channels available to regular free TV viewers. HSN is one of my favorites. I'd been watching them show this laptop off and on since just before Christmas 2013. I lusted after the 8G RAM and everything that came with this package.

FlexPay is HSN's way of letting a customer pay out the purchase over time with no credit card and no interest. It's kinda like layaway, but you get the merchandise immediately with the first payment instead of waiting till it's paid off to bring it home. Pretty awesome of them, I know.

Another thing - their unbeatable 30 day money back guarantee. Try it out for yourself. If you don't like it, send it back. No need to invent a reason to return it, just tell the truth and send it right back. They stand behind everything they sell.

FYI this post is not sponsored by anyone. I just wanted to share something wonderful with you.

This post is shared at:

The SITS Girls Saturday Sharefest February 22, 2014

Seen Along A Road In Texas - Lone Star Legends #3 - Dr. Who's Toyota

2014-02-04T17:38:00.000-06:00

Surprises have become the norm for me when driving along Texas roads. I save the best ones to share with y'all here on FJ's Seen Along A Road In Texas - Lone Star Legends. I'd like to present edition #3 - Dr. Who's Toyota. This post is dedicated to all the Whovians in the blogosphere.

Surprise! When the Tardis is in the shop, Dr. Who drives his other car - a silver Toyota.

Free Printable Nativity

2013-12-16T15:11:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone has a Nativity Scene to display in their home for Christmas. Seeing the Nativity helps remove the worldliness from this sacred holiday and reminds us of the true reason we celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

These photos are of the Free Printable Nativity I constructed from lds.org and the link is shown below.

Please enjoy this Free Printable Nativity. I've given these as Christmas gifts to my Primary class at church and to my grandchildren. I remember receiving one like it as a girl. I loved it!!

Here is information from the publisher with assembly instructions:

“The Wondrous Nativity,” Friend, Dec 2008, 24–25, 28

To help remind you and your family of the wondrous story of Jesus Christ’s birth (see Matthew 2:1–12; Luke 2:1–20), make this nativity scene. Then display it where others can enjoy seeing it during the Christmas season.

1. Glue pages 24–25 (the two sides of the building) and 28 (the characters) to heavy paper. (To avoid the need for glue, simply print the pages directly onto card stock paper.
2. Cut out the scenes. On the largest scene cut the slits, as shown by the heavy black lines.
3. Fold the largest scene along the dotted lines so it will stand up and the roof will fold down.
4. Slide the slits of the baby Jesus scene into the largest scene’s slits as illustrated. Then add the other two scenes as illustrated.

Merry Christmas!

The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge - Week #50

2013-12-13T17:35:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Week #50 of The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge. This week we save fifty dollars. Our total saved to date is one thousand two hundred seventy-five dollars.

Only two more weeks remaining in our Challenge countdown. I am so proud of everyone who joined.

If you're new to the challenge, welcome aboard. You can start saving the weekly amounts with us and finish the year with about one hundred dollars in savings. Another option would be to start with this week as your Week #1. Next week would be your Week #2, and so forth. Use the chart above to help you track your weekly amounts.

Happy saving!

Dish Towel Tutorial - November Edition: Vintage Elegance - 12 Months of Pretty Kitchen Towels

2013-12-09T17:57:00.000-06:00

Here is the latest in our 12 Months of Pretty Kitchen Towels series - November Edition: Vintage Elegance.

In this design, Vintage Lace Trim is incorporated into the unbleached muslin dish towel. A pretty chocolate brown ribbon, a blue ruffle, and gold embroidery leaves and the month "NOVEMBER" create a warm feeling of vintage elegance.

See the May Edition: Ribbons and Ruffles Dish Towel Tutorial for full instructions on creating your own basic dish towels from muslin fabric.

To add the lace and ribbon together, simply press a straight line across your dish towel, pin together, and sew as shown in the photo above.

The embroidery on the ribbon was done by machine. I think it would be lovely as simple hand embroidery work, too.

The blue ruffle in this towel matches the valance posted in the Kitchen Curtains and Valance Tutorial.

The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge - Week #49

2013-12-07T20:40:00.004-06:00

Welcome to Week #49 of The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge. This week we save forty-nine dollars. Our total saved to date is one thousand two hundred and twenty-five dollars.

Three weeks left in our Challenge countdown and the savings is piling up.

If you're new to the challenge, welcome aboard. You can start saving the weekly amounts with us and finish the year with about one hundred fifty dollars in savings. Another option would be to start with this week as your Week #1. Next week would be your Week #2, and so forth. Use the chart above to help you track your weekly savings. How is the challenge working for you? I love to hear your stories. What helps you the most? What advice would you give other challenge members? How would you improve the challenge? Shall we do a repeat challenge next year? Let me hear from you.

Happy saving!

The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge - Week #48

2013-11-30T14:34:00.005-06:00

Welcome to Week #48 of The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge. This week we save forty-eight dollars. Our total saved to date is one thousand one hundred seventy-six dollars. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Four weeks left in this year's challenge and the countdown continues. We are so near the finish line!

If you are new to the challenge, welcome aboard! Jump in and save the weekly amounts with us. If you start THIS week saving just the weekly amounts that we save, you'll have about two hundred fifty dollars saved by the end of this year. Alternatively, you can begin this week as your Week #1. Save one dollar this week, two dollars next week, etc. Whichever works best for you is great.

Whether you're starting now or you've been saving with us from the beginning, please let me hear from you. I'd like some feedback about your own experience with The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge. What do you like about the challenge? What worked best for you? What advice would you give others? Any ideas for improvements? How has it helped you? What have you learned? Would you like to participate in the challenge again next year? The Suggestion Box is open. I look forward to hearing from you.

Happy saving!

The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge - Week #47

2013-11-21T19:34:00.003-06:00

Welcome to Week #47 of The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge. This week we save forty-seven dollars. Our total savings now stands at one thousand one hundred and twenty-eight dollars.

Five weeks left in this year's challenge and the countdown continues. The time just flew by!

If you are new to the challenge, welcome aboard! Jump in and save the weekly amounts with us. If you start THIS week saving just the weekly amounts that we save, you'll have almost three hundred dollars saved by the end of this year. Alternatively, you can begin this week as your Week #1. Save one dollar this week, two dollars next week, etc. Whichever works best for you is great.

The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge - Week #46

2013-11-14T17:37:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Week #46 of The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge. This week we save forty-six dollars. Our total saved to date is one thousand eighty-one dollars.

Speaking of savings, have you ever visited the Feed the Pig savings website? It is a free, non-profit site run by a national association of accounting professionals dedicated to helping us learn to plan ahead and save our hard-earned cash. Lots of great tips and tools on the site. I really like it!

Only six weeks left in our Challenge year and the countdown continues!

If you are new to the challenge, welcome aboard! Jump in and save the weekly amounts with us. You'll have three hundred and fifty dollars saved by the end of this year. Alternatively, you can begin this week as your Week #1. Save one dollar this week, two dollars next week, etc. Whichever works best for you is great.

Whether you're starting now or you've been saving with us from the beginning, please let me hear from you. I'd like some feedback about your own experience with The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge. What do you like about the challenge? What worked best for you? What advice would you give others? Any ideas for improvements? How has it helped you? What have you learned? The Suggestion Box is open. I look forward to hearing from you.

Happy saving!

Bye, Bye Birdie - How Plaza Theatre Company and Plaza Academy Create Magic That Lingers Well Beyond The Finale

2013-11-13T20:55:00.000-06:00

Bye, Bye Birdie will always be one of my favorite shows. I love the award nominated movie musical version of Birdie that helped put Ann-Margret on course to become a box office star and teen idol.

Conrad Birdie (BRANDON MCCORMICK) sings Sincere to star-struck citizens of Sweetapple

One of my favorite parts has always been Hymn for a Sunday Evening, aka The Ed Sullivan Show Song. See the photo of me wearing an awesome green vintage dress and singing that song? I LOVE the costumes in our show!! The costumer even allowed me to alter the green dress myself. For some tips about altering and repairing vintage clothing and theatre costumes, check out the Vintage Dress Alteration Tutorial.

Mayor's Family in Hymn for a Sunday Evening - Mayor's Wife (ME), Mayor's Daughters (KYLIE and TESS SCARBOROUGH), Mayor (KYLE SCARBOROUGH) and Mayor's son/Hugo Peabody (JESSE BOWRON)

HUBBY and I bought Bye, Bye Birdie! on DVD when our family was young. We have fond memories of watching it together as a family.

It was exciting to learn that Plaza Theatre Company, in conjunction with Plaza Academy, was producing Bye, Bye Birdie for their annual Summer Camp Show.

Plaza always puts on a great show. The Summer Camp Show is particularly special. Teenagers who've spent time training at Plaza Academy Summer Camp become part of the cast and are incorporated into the show.

Camp kids join the cast for big show numbers like Lotta Livin'

For some of the students, this is their first time to appear onstage in a live musical theatre production - an absolutely tremendous educational experience! Certainly many youth cast members will carry the memories of Birdie with them forever.

Pop Phone

The "Telephone Hour" musical number included many of the youth cast members. They used these iPhone accessories called Pop Phones as props. Adorable!

STORY HARRELL as dancer/teen ensemble and MOLLY MORGAN as Ursula Merkle

Being a part of Bye, Bye Birdie has been a blessing, a challenge, and a reminder for me.

Mr. & Mrs. Macafee (AARON SILER and EMILY WARWICK) with other parents of teens perform Kids

Birdie Blessings

Some of the many blessings BIRDIE brought my way included finding new friends, connecting with other friends that I'd missed, and the joy of performing onstage for a live audience.

The 'teen' cast is full of splendid dancers.

It is particularly joyful for me to watch the energy, excitement, and talent of the youth performers.

MELODY, right, NANCY and STEPHANIE rehearse Telephone Hour with the 'teen' cast.

The greatest blessing was the privilege to share the stage with my beautiful and talented youngest daughter, MELODY. What a rare opportunity it was for us - just the two of us - to spend time together and share something as special as BIRDIE.

MELODY with her fellow cast member and friend BEN MIDKIFF perform Telephone Hour as part of the 'teen' cast.

NOTE: While many members of the 'teen' cast are actually teenagers, MELODY and a handful of other 'teen' cast members are well past their teenage years. When I refer to them as part of the 'teen' cast, it is simply because they play their roles as teens in BIRDIE.

Bye Bye Birdie Cast pre-show antics with ANNA LOONEY(dancer, teen ensemble), DEVLIN POLLOCK (dancer/teen ensemble), and MELODY

Birdie Challenges

The challenge involved making time for rehearsals, learning music and choreography, and trying to keep up with everything else too (full-time job, blog projects, family, teaching 10 year olds each Sunday morning, etc.). Was it worth all the extra work? You bet!

Bye, Bye Birdie Cast Circle - BEN, MOLLY, EMILY, DREW, and JESSE

What a special moment we experienced together as a cast and crew when everyone formed a circle around the stage prior to the start of each show.

Bye, Bye Birdie Cast Circle - JOSH, KYLE, KYLEE, TRICH, JUSTIN, MIMI, BRANDON, and AL

After announcements, we join hands and bow our heads for a moment where we can pray silently or just send love and positive energy to each other. After that moment, a cast or crew member gets to choose a word or phrase for the day.

PARKER BARRUS (Hugo Peabody) dances with MADELINE SMITH (Kim Macafee) and BEN MIDKIFF (Harvey Johnson) dances with ANNA LOONEY (teen ensemble, dancer) while Kim sings One Boy.

The show onstage is full of entertainment. The lively cast members have fun, too. There is always a flurry of activity in the ladies dressing room before, during, and after the show. I was blessed to work with an outstanding group of talented and dynamic women.

Backstage Birdie - The ladies dressing room is busy, but we still make time to be silly and have fun. EDEN BARRUS (childrens ensemble, tap dancer) holds her bunny rabbit and has a sad face while SAMANTHA ROBINSON (adult ensemble) photo bombs in the background.

Birdie Reminders

The reminders were significant. During a rehearsal of Put On A Happy Face, Tina Barrus, one of our Birdie directors, reminded us to smile. Well, of course you need to smile if you're dancing and singing a song like Put On A Happy Face! Duh!

MELODY, ANNA, and NANCY performing with the 'teen' cast in American Boy.

However, we needed a reminder. Some of us were putting so much focus on getting the choreography, the words, and the notes all correct and in sync...that we forgot to smile.

American Boy performance of 'teen' cast with MELODY, TABITHA BARRUS (Gloria Rasputin/Nancy/ BIRDIE Director) , CAMERON BARRUS (dancer/teen ensemble), MICHAEL SORTER (dancer/teen ensemble), and HAYDEN CAYWOOD (tap dancer).

Tina then explained the importance of smiling during this song. She reminded us that the audience is here to find some enjoyment. Some of them may really need a temporary escape from the outside world. This is a part of the show where we can bring a little joy and happiness to them. Tina was absolutely right.

CAITLAN LEBLO (Rose Alvarez) and JOSH LEBLO (Albert Peterson)

I had the unique privilege of being in the audience on Friday, our big opening night, to observe this phenomena. ( Being 'double-cast', I was Mayor's Wife in two of the four weekly shows and my friend Michelle Cawood was Mayor's Wife in the other two.) Seated beside me was a nice couple in their 70s that lived in in a neighboring town. It was their first Plaza show!

JOSH LEBLO (Albert Peterson) performs "Put on a Happy Face" with tap dancers EDEN BARRUS (tap dancer/childrens ensemble), DAVID MIDKIFF (Randolph Macafee/tap dancer), and EMMA WHITEHORN (tap dancer/childrens ensemble)

They had a wonderful time. The Birdie cast tap-danced, sang, sparkled and smiled beautifully whilst performing Put On A Happy Face, giving the entire audience a moment of pure joy.

TABITHA BARRUS as Gloria Rasputin and TRICH ZAITOON as Mae Peterson

The reminder was reinforced on a more personal level for me the very next night, Saturday, as we left the stage after the close of our show. At the end of each performance, Plaza cast members make two lines in the lobby to greet patrons as they exit the theatre. For a big summer show cast, these lines extend out past the entrance doors to the sidewalk.

Telephone Hour teen cast members including MELODY, MOLLY, ANNA, BEN, MICHAEL, and CAMERON.

Following our Saturday evening show, my daughter and I were standing beside each other in line near the open doors at Plaza's front entrance, greeting audience members and thanking them for coming to see the show. Then we spotted two friends we recognized. They were sisters who've been friends of ours for years. Our whole family loves them and their sweet mother and father, too.

BIRDIE stars JOSH and TRICH as Albert and his mom, Mrs. Peterson.

As soon as I saw our friends, Tina's reminder to SMILE and bring needed joy to our audience became poignantly clear.

MADISON sings One Boy and dances with PARKER and dance ensemble including SCOUT, STOREY, DEVLIN, and NANCY.

The sisters came to see the show with their mother. Their father, a dear and funny man who always attended Plaza Shows with the mother, was not there.

MADISON as Kim Macafee and PARKER as Kim's boyfriend Hugo

In fact, their father had died suddenly and unexpectedly two weeks earlier. This family had come to see our show, Bye, Bye Birdie! Birdie could offer them a brief respite - a few hours of light-hearted entertainment. I wish I could describe the emotion I felt, but sometimes there are no words - even for a blogger.

SCOUT HARRELL as Ursula swoons over BRANDON (Conrad Birdie) while the Macafee family, the Mayor (RICH CAWOOD) with wife Edna (MICHELLE CAWOOD) and other townspeople watch.

Supporting community theatre is vitally important. Bringing joy and creating theatre magic provides fun for some, entertainment for others, and can even temporarily lighten a heavy load for a few souls in need of a break.

Conrad (BRANDON) sings "Sincere" at a Sweetapple gathering in his honor

FYI, Plaza isn't just another community theater. It is a family-friendly, award winning, small-town community theatre that defied the expectations of many residents and members of the performing arts community throughout the the greater Dallas/Fort Worth area.

High energy dancers breathe life into the entire show.

Plaza opened its doors during the spring of 2007, just before the United States experienced the worst financial meltdown since The Great Depression. While other businesses struggled, laid off workers, and declared bankruptcy, Plaza Theatre Company battled back against the odds and found ways to grow, flourish, and expand. This gutsy start-up could have chosen a location in a much more densely populated area like the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

AARON as Mr. Macafee tries to eat breakfast before EMILY as Mrs. Macafee and MADISON as Kim take it away from him.

Instead, it opened in Cleburne, a place named after a Civil War general - a dusty little Texas town whose claim to fame was being a watering hole on The Chisolm Trail, a temporary camp on an old wagon trail for civil war soldiers, and eventually the county seat of Johnson County, Texas.

The Macafee Family (Kim-MADELINE, AARON-Mr. Macafee, EMILY-Mrs. Macafee, and HENRY CAWOOD-Randolph) sing Hymn For A Sunday Evening as they dream of being on the Ed Sullivan Show.

To be clear, I do love Cleburne. I relocated here in 1980. Back then, we had one movie theater, one mall, one high school, one VFW, one Elks Lodge, and no full-time community theater capable of producing nearly a dozen consecutive plays and musicals each year.

JUSTIN DIYER (Maude/Reporter/adult ensemble) and CRYSTAL TODD (adult ensemble) perform Kids

With the exception of honky-tonk entertainment, the only live performing arts consistently available here and based here before Plaza opened its doors in 2007 were the handful of absolutely wonderful shows produced yearly by Carnegie Players, the assortment of musical and dramatic performances put on by the high school and some of the churches.

Conrad (BRANDON) sings "One Last Kiss" to Kim (MADELINE) at a special Sweetapple segment of The Ed Sullivan Show while Mr. Macafee (AARON), Mrs. Macafee (EMILY), Randolph Macafee (DAVID), SAMANTHA (adult ensemble), and CHERIE (Mrs. Merkle) and most of the rest of the townspeople watch in adoration.

To me, the texture of Cleburne has changed so much. In terms of cultural arts, living in Cleburne feels so much better now that Plaza Theatre Company is here. It's wonderful place where you can enjoy a show, volunteer, and meet friendly people. Plaza Academy is a great way to start or advance kids with lessons in theater arts including dance, voice, acting, etc.


CHERIE ROBINSON was Mrs. Merkle. Her daughter SAMANTHA ROBINSON was in the adult ensemble.

I love the performing arts. I'm thankful to have the opportunity to share that love with others. Plaza believed in me enough to let me make it through the audition process and actually be cast in a few shows.

BRANDON (Conrad) sings "Sincere" and the teens swoon.

Placing such focus on being a good mother, grandmother, wife, employee, church volunteer, etc. I almost lost touch with a big part myself...of the girl I once was.

Conrad sings One Last Kiss to Kim as he prepares to give kiss her.

She loved to sing and dance and perform music on stage. She dreamed of getting a college degree in music from UNT. Overall, that is the greatest gift I've received from my association with Plaza.

The teen ensemble with Plaza Academy students.

I reconnected with the spirit of that girl who believed in herself, her talent, her mother's advice: You have the ability to do anything you want to do and become whoever you wish to become. The sky is the limit! Indeed, BIRDIE was a catalyst for change. It helped connect that idealistic girl of my past with this overly-busy wife, grandmother, and blogger...and in a very good way.

Closing show number "Put On A Happy Face" included the ENTIRE cast!

We all need to keep growing, learning, and connecting with other good people.

The entire town fainted as Conrad sang "Sincere". The unconscious Mayor still grips the Key to the City of Sweetapple. The key was to be given to Conrad. Rosie Alvarez steps over the fainted citizens, takes the key from the Mayor's hand, and presents it to Conrad.

I'd like to close with a bit of advice to everyone about community theater. Get involved. Be supportive. Buy tickets and see shows. Volunteer. Audition. Help out backstage. By making this special venue a part of your life, you enrich yourself and your community.

NOTE: Most photos shown are provided courtesy of Stacey Greenwalt King.

The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge - Week #45

2013-11-09T16:10:00.001-06:00

Welcome to Week #45 of The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge. This week we save forty-five dollars. Our total saved to date is one thousand and thirty-five dollars. New milestone: over one thousand dollars saved!!

Only seven weeks left in our Challenge year and the countdown continues!

If you are new to the challenge, welcome aboard! Jump in and save the weekly amounts with us. You'll have about four hundred dollars saved by the end of this year. Alternatively, you can begin this week as your Week #1. Save one dollar this week, two dollars next week, etc. Whichever works best for you is great.

Whether you're starting now or you've been saving with us from the beginning, please let me hear from you. I'd like some feedback about your own experience with The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge. What worked best for you? What advice would you give others? Any ideas for improvements? How has it helped you? What have you learned? The Suggestion Box is open. I look forward to hearing from you.

Happy saving!

Diamond Candles Review and Giveaway!

2013-11-07T15:18:00.003-06:00

Yahoo and a very EARLY Merry Christmas to all y'all!! I am SO excited to host the first official Fresh Juniper Review and Giveaway for Diamond Candles!!!

Image courtesy of cescassawin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Do you love candles like I do? Have any Christmas presents left on your list that aren't purchased yet? Do you enjoy FREE giveaways that are TRULY free? (If your odds of winning are pretty good because you know there won't be a kazillion entries in the giveaway, are you more likely to enter?) Would you like to win a NICE gift that you'd be proud to keep for yourself of give to a friend? If you answered YES to any of the above questions, then READ ON!

Recently I was contacted by Diamond Candles. Ever heard of Diamond Candles before? Me neither, which is why I did a little digging on my own to find out more about them. I learned that Diamond Candles is a veritable "MADE IN THE USA" family business dream come true. If you'd like to know the whole wonderful story, watch their video. I watched it and was quite impressed.

Well, they asked me to review one of their candles and give y'all my honest opinion. On top of that, they offered to let one of Y'ALL WIN a free candle of your choice. In Texas, we call it a 'Two-fer'. I get one free to review, and one lucky reader gets a Diamond Candle of their choice free. I mean FREE y'all. You don't pay ANYTHING for the candle. Even the SHIPPING is FREE.

Well, I couldn't resist THAT offer, so I picked out a candle. Blue is my favorite color, so I chose a pretty blue candle called OCEAN MIST. Who can resist the smell of the cucumber, melon, and sea grass? It was absolutely intoxicating. Love at first whiff!! I asked HUBBY and two of our grown children, PUMPKIN and PRINCE, for their honest opinions, too. Everyone loved it! These candles are produced with 100% soy wax and every single one is MADE IN THE U.S.A. They smell great and last a very long time.

Speaking of Two-fers, here's the best part. You get a FREE RING inside each candle. I repeat, there is a FREE RING inside each candle. It's like the prize you get every time you open a box of Crackerjacks, but much more elegant. These aren't kiddie toy rings. No way. They are beautiful and unique designs. Each ring is worth at LEAST $10. Now, fasten your safety belts and get ready for this: Some rings are worth MUCH more than $10. Some have a retail value of $100, $1,000 and even $5,000!!! You won't find anything like THAT inside a little ol' box of Crackerjacks, but you WILL find a ring inside EVERY single Diamond Candle. How much will yours be worth?

Macy's Herald Square Christmas Shoppers - photo by Robert Mecea for New York Daily News

Listen up. I do love to spend a little time doing some good ol' fashion Christmas shopping at the malls every year. The music is playing and (some) folks are full of the traditional festive holiday spirit. There's nothing quite like rubbin' shoulders with folks in the crowd, grippin' my purse to keep it safe from the pick-pockets workin' the aforementioned crowd...you know the routine. But before the season gets into full swing, let's get on with the FREE DIAMOND CANDLE GIVEAWAY!!

In summary, this candle is WELL worth at LEAST $25. Additionally, the FREE ring inside is worth anywhere from $10 to $5,000. I love mine. You will too. Looky here at all 6 ways you can enter to win. Do 'em ALL. Here's a very early Merry Christmas to y'all, and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Update
11/21/2013: The giveaway is completed and the winner is Dana. Congratulations Dana!! Details on how to get your free candle have been sent to your email. Woohoo, enjoy!

Mini Peanut Butter Cups - Reese's vs. Walmart Great Value vs. Aldi Choceur - A 3-Way Battle For Best Flavor AND Best Value

2013-11-06T14:27:00.004-06:00

For chocolate and peanut butter lovers everywhere, I shall attempt to solve a great mystery. Does higher price mean better flavor? If the answer is YES, then the value is clear. The big price tag is worth it because great taste is the ultimate payoff. However, is there any certainty that higher price IS better flavor? Read on!

Peanut Butter Cup Price Comparison: Reese's vs. Walmart Great Value Brand vs. Aldi Choceur Brand

How much will you pay for your chocolate and peanut butter fix?

REESE'S

If you want to buy the NAME BRAND, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Minis, the price is $2.50 for an 8 ounce bag at Walmart. It is a little over 31 cents per ounce.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups Mini's

Walmart Great Value

Have you tried Walmart's Great Value Peanut Butter Cups? The price per ounce definitely less expensive. You'll pay $2.82 for a 12 ounce bag. The price per ounce is 23.5 cents.

Walmart Great Value Peanut Butter Cups

Aldi Choceur

Ever been to an Aldi store? Their Choceur Peanut Butter Cups cost $2.49 for a 12 ounce tub. That's a little less than 21 cents per ounce.

The price of a good peanut butter cup can vary from store to store. The prices for this post were calculated in November 2013 and will undoubtedly change over time.

PRICE SUMMARY

31 cents per ounce - Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

23.5 cents per ounce - Walmart Great Value Peanut Butter Cups

21 cents per ounce - Aldi Choceur Peanut Butter Cups

Peanut Butter Cup Taste Comparison: Reese's vs. Walmart Great Value Brand vs. Aldi Choceur Brand

Which Peanut Butter Cup really tastes the best?

REESE'S

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are delicious. They are the candy everyone else tries to copy. The flavor is wonderful. The chocolate covering is sweet and rich. The peanut butter center is less moist than Aldi Choceur or Walmart Great Value. They taste as good as any (non-gourmet) peanut butter cup on the market.

Walmart

Walmart Great Value Peanut Butter Cups are wonderful. They provide a tasty alternative to the pricier Reese's brand. The chocolate shell is almost just as good as Reese's and the peanut butter center is the most moist, gooey, and sweet of the three brands compared in this post. If you don't mind the extra gooey center, they REALLY are a "Great Value". I love them and buy them often.

Aldi

I am a new fan of Aldi Choceur Peanut Butter Cups. The chocolate shell is rich and delicious. The flavor is equal to any (non-gourmet) competitor on the market. The peanut butter center is moist but not gooey. The consistency and flavor of the peanut butter is amazing.

FLAVOR SUMMARY

4 Stars - Reese's Mini Peanut Butter Cups
3 Stars - Walmart Great Value Peanut Butter Cups
4 Stars - Aldi Choceur Peanut Butter Cups

AND THE WINNER IS....

The easy winner for overall flavor and value is Aldi Choceur Peanut Butter Cups. Surprisingly, they are the least expensive of the brands compared. The price even beat the Walmart brand. The Aldi Choceur Peanut Butter Cups are JUST as delicious as Reese's. In fact, I might actually prefer the flavor of the chocolate and the peanut butter OVER Reese's. The combination of rich, sweet milk chocolate with creamy (not too gooey), delicious peanut butter satisfies my 'sweet and salty' cravings 100%.

Congratulations to Aldi Choceur Peanut Butter Cups. You win!

DISCLAIMERS:

1. This is NOT a sponsored post.
2. I AM a chocolaholic.
3. My given name is REECEA (pronounced REE sa). This name has been the subject of "Reese's" or "Reese's Peanut Butter Cups" references and jokes since the mid 1960s.
4. I LOVE the taste of quality peanut butter cups.
5. Many peanut butter cups have been absolutely annihilated during years of preparation for this post. Most of them were delicious.
6. In my 50+ years, I have probably tasted every brand of (non-gourmet) peanut butter cup on the market. I like the the three brands compared in this post best of all.

The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge - Week #44

2013-11-02T17:02:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Week #44 of The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge. This week we save forty-four dollars. Our total saved is now nine hundred ninety dollars.

The countdown continues with only eight weeks left in our Challenge year.

If you are new to the challenge, welcome aboard! Jump in and save the weekly amounts with us. You'll have over four hundred dollars saved by the end of this year! Alternatively, you can begin this week as your Week #1. Save one dollar this week, two dollars next week, etc. Whichever works best for you is great.

Whether you're starting now or you've been saving with us from the beginning, please let me hear from you. I'd like some feedback about your own experience with The 52 Week Money Saving Challenge. What worked best for you? What advice would you give others? Any ideas for improvements? How has it helped you? What have you learned? The Suggestion Box is open. I look forward to hearing from you.

Happy saving!