Happy Mail

This is pretty much what the package looked like when I opened it.
However, I had already rifled through it before I took the picture.

I went to the post office today to get my mail for the first time in a week and what should I find?!!! Some Happy Mail from Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily! Remember my other Happy Mail post when I told about being in Carla's Secret Sister Swap but I didn't get anything? Well, Carla and Cindy teamed up to make the Secret Sister Swap super special:) I got TWO packages instead of just one!!! If you didn't see what Cindy sent be sure to check out my other Happy Mail post! Between the two of them I feel like one lucky lady!!! 

My second handmade zippered bag made by Carla herself. This picture doesn't do the fabric justice. I love browns and this fabric has a little shimmer to it. Oh so pretty! And guess what was inside...

Looks like I should have picked a better background for my picture:(

A chocolate mint candy bar!!! Oh how I do like chocolate mint!!! When I was pregnant with my son (over 40 years ago) I craved chocolate peppermint sodas. 

A great assortment of buttons, lace and bling to use for cardmaking

And, Carla knows I like to make cards so look at all the lace, bling and other goodies I get to play with! These should be great for the Easter and Mother's Day cards I need to make.

Softlips tinted lip balm

A little something to make my lips kissable for my sweet hubby:)

Very pretty card ala Carla

Plus she made me this adorable card!

Thank you, Carla! You're the best! I love everything you sent:) 

I have "met" some of the nicest people via blogging and look forward to developing better friendships with these very special ladies.

I'm on a roll so I will be back a little later today with another post! Guess I'm trying to make up for not blogging much last week! 

Kat

Happy Mail

Oh my, do I ever love Happy Mail! And this came to me all the way from Cindy at Just North of Wiarton and South of the Checkerboard in Ontario Canada! I am beginning to think they have the very nicest people in Ontario!!!

Last fall, Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily, had a Secret Sister Swap! I was very excited to be a part of it and purchased lots of goodies to send off to my Secret Sister! Well, long story short, I didn't get a package from the Secret Sister who was supposed to send to me:( Honestly I was okay with that because "it's more blessed to give than receive" but Carla decided that she would send me something herself (it's on its way) but told me that someone else wanted to send me something as well. That someone was Cindy. Her note was sooo sweet telling me that she was my "substitute secret sister":) So, what did she send???

Check out this adorable cross stitched towel! Oh how cute!

How about this magnet for the refrigerator with a picture of three of her four Aussies?

You ought to see the yummy recipes in this book! And she slipped a recipe for Caramel Corn inside--can't wait to try it!

I think this is the first recipe I will try! Ginger and Lemon go sooo well together!

These Macaroons will have to be the second one to try! 

I was in such a hurry to get this list pad on my refrigerator that I forgot to 
take a picture with its cover on! 
Even my son commented on what a great list pad it is because
it has the "To Do" and "To Buy" perforated in the middle
do you can tear off one side or the other!

Last but certainly not least, this Paderno Garlic Press!
Check out the right side of the photo...the cleaner
stores right in the handle! What a beautiful shade
of blue:)

All I can say is a HUGE thank you to Cindy for her thoughtfulness and these well chosen gifts:) 

Have a great day! Not sure about blogging while I am on vacation but will try to get a few in anyway! 

Kat

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

The picture above is my project for the next few days--applesauce! These are the apples that are not perfect so will make great applesauce. This box is 2 feet high and 19" square--lots of apples! I am not looking forward to the work but will be so thankful for the applesauce this winter. We really enjoyed the applesauce I put up last year:) I think I will be able to can some jars of Apple Pie Filling as well but will use the nice apples for that. It is no fun trying to get nice slices when you have worm holes to go around:( This year we had a bumper crop of apples, pears and plums!

Well, it is time for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat started each week by the oh so talented Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily! Be sure to check in with her to see what she's been up to. I DO know that she recently broke her fabric diet and bought some really yummy fabrics to use for her custom sewing projects. 

So, let's get started!

I am...

Reading...Not much:( I am STILL on Happiness Key by Emilie Richards! It doesn't look like I will finish it this week unless I download the audio version. Lots of applesauce to make and Thursday will be a town day!

Watching...Ended up watching Detachment. Very good movie; not for children under 18! Dark but true to what a lot of teachers and students are going through. 

Listening to...Ah, the sound of our precious Rocky snoring:) I told my son if he ever moves out he's going to have to leave the dog here! We have all fallen in love with the silly thing! He just laughed!

Cooking/baking...I have butternut squash and sweet potatoes baking in the oven. We will add some Brussels sprouts and that will be dinner. It is one of my favorite meals! 

Happy I accomplished this week...I got our very dirty and messy house cleaned. I was "sick" and then we were gone for 3 days so it was pretty bad! Now, it feels like home again:) Also was happy to get my Secret Sister Swap on it's way to Maryland and an RAK on it's way to Bath, UK! I guess all in all a productive week! I still have one more RAK (Random Act of Kindness) to get in the mail but that will have to wait till next week.

Looking forward to next week...Doctor's appointment I have been putting off. Hope to be able to resolve some issues! Or at least find out what's causing them. Also looking forward to a town day with my son--we don't often get the opportunity to do that! And looking forward to getting those apples taken care of (not fun but necessary)! 

Thankful for today...The harvest from our garden! Lots of Butternut Squash, tomatoes hubby will hang in the greenhouse (we usually have fresh tomatoes till Christmas), apples, pears--lots of yummy stuff to eat. I have lots of fruit I dried--plums, apricots, peaches, nectarines and I plan to dry some apples too.

*BONUS QUESTION*

What was my favorite show as a child? I really enjoyed the Jetsons and the Flintstones:) I enjoyed those two programs well into my teens.

I have a question for my readers--Do you change from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time in your state or country? I know Arizona and Hawaii don't change but not sure who else does or doesn't. I would be very happy NOT to change! What about you?

I hope you have a wonderful evening and that tomorrow dawns bright and sunny in your neck of the woods!

Kat

Five Things Friday

Oh my! This is scary! It is only 4:30 am and I am already up and at it this morning. Come to think of it, I was up this early yesterday morning! Years ago I got up at this time every morning but then Fibromyalgia hit and with it came Insomnia and Chronic Fatigue:( So, these are mornings I will enjoy and cherish because I know they are short lived! The really scary thing is TWO posts in one day!!!

Last week the dear Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily started 5 Things Friday! I wasn't sure I would be able to participate today because I have a VERY busy day ahead of me BUT when I woke up at 4:00 I felt that I DID have the time after all. 5 Things Friday is just random stuff that probably wouldn't make a whole post in themselves but I want to share anyway!

1. Secret Sister Swap...My package goes in the mail today; ready or not! I have one more thing I need to get but I will send that as a bonus for her next week. It is something that was on her list and I know she will love it but didn't get the chance last week to purchase it. Well, I could have this week while we were in Seattle but I am a little (okay, a lot) intimidated by driving in Seattle.
2. Devastation on the East Coast...I was watching a news program last night and saw the devastation on Staten Island and the helplessness of so many people. Justin at jk cards said he is still out of power but his building has a generator so it's not as bad as it is for some. I believe Justin lives on Long Island. The Jersey Shore is another really hard hit area. 
3. My 100 Thing Fling Boogie...Otherwise known as the Reverse 100 Things Challenge. I am up to 50 and plan to increase that amount this weekend with 10 pairs of shoes. I wore a lot of different shoes when I was working in an office but just haven't shown them any love in the last two years so will donate them so someone else can have a chance to love them. I have a doctor's appointment next week that will take me close to a Goodwill Store where I can drop the items off--YAY!--and pick up a receipt for tax purposes. Yes, I have itemized each and every item! I am going to try to gather 25 more items (not counting the shoes) before Thursday.
4. Christmas List...Trying to work on my Christmas list so I can start working on items that I want to make. Hubby and Son are always so hard to buy for--if they want it they have usually already bought it! I may do Coupon Books for them of things I can do for them. What do you think of that idea? Then there is my daughter and granddaughter that I have a hard time NOT buying for--so much to buy; so little money! I just purchased an early Christmas present for my daughter but since she occasionally reads my blog, I can't tell you what it is until she gets it:)
5. Did you know...(and you probably did!) That with the Kindle App for the iPad you can download books from Amazon.com and read them on the iPad? And did you know that a lot of the Classics are FREE! There is also a lot of smut for free but I am so not into smut! I like my books clean and wholesome! Oh, and another thing I found out this week is about SpiritClips. My idea of a great movie is one with no sex, no violence and no bad language; a movie that makes me feel good at the end about the two hours I spent watching it; a movie that makes me want to be a better person. SpiritClips is through Roku (we have a Roku box for our Netflix) and for just $35.99/year (US) you can watch Hallmark Hall of Fame movies! These movies are my absolute favorite and the opportunity to watch potentially 50+ wholesome movies for just $35.99/year makes me over-the-top excited!!! If I watch one movie per week for a whole year, that's only 69 cents per movie!!! I hope you will get excited about this too!

Well, that's my 5 things for this Friday! Now, on to that LONG "to do" list I have for today! Wish me luck!

What is your favorite movie of all time? I would have to give it a little more thought but Freedom Writers ranks right up there near the top!

Kat