Happy Weekend and I am so glad you are here today for another Saturday Meanderings. What an interesting week~ranging from chores, bill paying, meetings, hearings and a wonderful tour of a transitional living facility. Let’s get started chatting about all good things this week.

A Snowy Mountain Getaway

We took a quick overnight trip up to our cabin as we had not been there since Thanksgiving. What a winter wonderland! There was a good dumping of snow over a week ago, enough where we could not get into our unplowed driveway.

However, it is far from a relaxing getaway as we finally got to see the results of a leaky new roof after the first snowfall. Last summer, we had the entire roof replaced. Our front entry is just a mess with ceiling, walls and some floor damage.

Hopefully, this will all be repaired soon. Sigh. It’s always something.

Guest Cottage Update

The preparation for painting the guest cottage is being done and painting will commence this weekend.

All the furniture is now in the driveway while the carpets are being cleaned. We have used Zerorez before and they do not disappoint. They are professional, affordable and do a very good job.

I removed all the draperies from the guest cottage. Unless you are a professional, who can understand all the fabric care symbols?

The drapery panels are linen with a blackout lining from Pottery Barn. Dry clean only and no ironing. When I stopped by the dry cleaner, I am surprised (actually shocked) that each panel would cost $100 to dry clean. What? Instead I decide to wash them myself on cold and line dry.

And guess what? They look beautiful. No shrinking, no wrinkles and clean as a whistle. Don’t you love saving money?!? Especially when washing them at home works.

Chickens Not Laying

We have had chickens for nearly 20 years. During that time, the hens tend to lay less in the winter, but we always get fresh eggs every day. Until about 3-4 weeks ago. The gals have completely stopped laying. I know there is a national debate about this as this seems to be more the norm than not.

My neighbor and friend, Kelly from Simple & Clean Living, had the same problem until she changed up their food~by fermenting the chicken feed. We are in day 6 of feeding the chicken fermented food, plus supplementing it with pumpkin seeds, dried peas, flax seed and Grubblies. No eggs yet, except an occasional fairy egg….which are tiny eggs without yolks.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the girls will start producing soon. I miss our delicious fresh eggs and not fond of spending the ridiculous price in the grocery store!

Signs of Spring

Even though our temperatures have been near freezing in the mornings, the first sign that Spring is coming is the blooming of the peach tree. These delicate pink blossoms are such a welcomed sight.

Robins, of all sizes are clustering in large flocks in the trees by the front fountain. I could spend hours just watching them fly in and out, sipping the water and staying hydrated. If you are on Instagram, I posted a reel yesterday of them enjoying the free water @lifeatbellaterra.

A New Recipe this Week

Half Baked Harvest is one of my favorite resources for recipes. In this chilly weather, I love making soups that satisfy. Here is a healthy version of Wonton Soup which you can whip up in 25 minutes. Since I did not have all the ingredients, I took the liberty of altering the recipe a bit.

For example, instead of shiitake mushrooms, I only had baby Bella (brown) mushrooms. This big bag of organic potstickers from Costco is used instead of wontons and Swiss chard is a substitute for bok choy. I did not make the sesame chili oil as I’m not a fan of hot toppings. It is delicious and you can find the recipe here.

Thanks to my neighbor, Steve, I have a huge bag of Meyer lemons. I can honestly say that this Meyer Lemon Marmalade recipe is truly one of my favorites. Doubling the recipe still doesn’t give me enough to give as gifts and enjoy. You can see the recipe here. Lemon curd to follow this weekend!

Problems Sleeping?

I am a night time processor. Falling asleep is not a problem, but if I hear or see something disturbing during the day, then a restless night follows. That why I stopped watching the news. I am very excited to share this delicious bedtime drink with you. It tastes like a coffee shop latte but with ingredients to help with energy, stress and mood.

By Clevr, the Sleeptime SuperLatte seems to be working….and it is delicious. Made with chicory, carob, vanilla bean, oat and coconut milk, valerian, passionflower, hops, ashwagandha and reishi, this soothing nightcap helps you de-stress and rest. Just add hot water~super simple!

I mix mine with an Ozeri milk frother, but here is a more affordable alternative. If you order Clevr’s sample set, I believe they include a milk frother.

If you want to try it, please order through this link and I will get $20 off my next order. I’ve actually already placed another order for some of their other products, which I will review once I receive them!

Valentine Tea Bags

How cute are these homemade heart shaped tea bags? Norma from Paint Me Pink has a beautiful detailed tutorial on how to make these with coffee filters. Even though I do not know Norma, I love her photos and her ideas! I hope to try this DIY before Valentine’s Day. You can see it here.

I always love to share things of beauty with you, but occasionally, life isn’t that way. However, I admire the tenacity of Tina from The Enchanted Home. Tina saw this video of an injustice to a young girl with spina bifida by her teacher. Once you watch the video you will know what I mean. Please read Tina’s post here as she provides an update on the situation and a way you can voice your concern. Sometimes it takes the compassion of many to change the behavior of a few.

Orvis Videos

Orvis is one of those companies I admire. They have been in business since 1856, privately owned by the same family. Every now and again, I get an email with a link to one of their amazing video stories. The videos are not about selling product but the topics ranges from tranquility to inspiration.

Here is a video about the president of Orvis’s dog, Copa. It’s about 6 1/2 minutes long but explains the importance of dogs in our lives. Copa is a mature dog, like my sweet beagle, Sox. You may shed a few tears.

Well, that’s a wrap! What are your plans for the weekend? I hope to do some painting (art not rooms) and more cooking. Have a lovely one and stay safe out there!

Happy Saturday! I must say that slowing down has really made each day this week more fulfilling and memorable. Surprisingly, I am more focused and checking many things off of my To Do list. It is time for another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week.

Final Clean Up

Ninety-nine percent of the holiday decorations are put away. I love the way I did it this year~room by room. That way I had at least one or two rooms perfectly clean before starting another take down project. It felt organized, orderly and purposeful.

Wondering where all this stuff goes? A few years ago, I wrote a post about where holidays decorations are stored. You can peek into my Christmas room in the basement here.

New Big Project

With our daughter moving away to college (again), renovating the guest cottage will be the next big project. The exterior is in dire need of a fresh coat of paint (painters are arriving next week). I will be assessing what needs to be done to the interior, but I am sure it will include cleaning carpets, painting walls and adding a few new pieces of furniture. If you would like to see the guest cottage interior (when it was tidy), click here.

January Reset

For the last few years, January is my month to reset my body. I had such fun eating and drinking whatever I wanted over the holidays, but that overindulgence can only go on for so long. Being back in balance is the goal and small changes can have a big impact.

My husband and I are following the Fast Metabolism by Haylie Pomroy, a nutritionist and wellness consultant. I’m not fond of the word diet, because this plan is much more than that. Haylie explains the physiology of food consumption and how it processes in your body. Even though it is a bit restrictive (no alcohol, no dairy, no caffeine), the food and recipes are delicious. You don’t count calories or carbs, instead you rotate what you eat throughout the week to induce a faster metabolism.

This plan is also supposed to help your cholesterol drop, blood sugar stabilize, energy increase, sleep improve and stress melt away. It’s a 28 day plan and so far, we are nearly 2 weeks into it. I am enjoying making some new meals as well as learning how the liver, mitochondria and thyroid function.

Do you change your eating/drinking habits in January?

Love this Product

My hair is rather fine and straight. After I wash and blow dry it, the volume and style is full and clean. Since I don’t wash my hair every day (generally wash it every third day), after sleeping on it, it gets flat. This product has such a pleasant scent and takes care of oil absorption, while providing additional volume. It is NOT a hair spray.

You can find Bumble and Bumble Prêt-à-Powder Très Invisible Dry Shampoo on Amazon or maybe your hair salon has it in stock. I love how it helps extend the time between hair washings.

Making a Fresh Lemon Wreath

Here is something I have never considered….making a wreath using fresh lemons. We are in the middle of citrus season here in Phoenix. Our trees are abundant with fruit, as well as many of our neighbors. It’s a fun time of year to share~one neighbor has excellent tangelos, another has Meyer lemons, etc.

I may try my hand at this because I am looking for a wreath that I can hang in between Christmas and Valentines Day. And I love anything lemon! Wendy (she is one clever gal) from WM Designs shares a tutorial on how to make a fresh lemon wreath. You can see it here.

Cool Idea-Creating Fake Windows

I am not on TikTok, however, I did receive information from Apartment Therapy about this cool idea. It’s hard to describe so please click on the link. Using dimmable flat light panels, a homeowner added “light” to a windowless dining room alcove. What a great idea if you have a room that needs more windows, but you don’t want to go to the expense.

See the article here. Watch the video and you will see the before and after pictures. What a difference!

Comfort Food

Growing up, my mother would make tapioca pudding. It is truly one of my favorites, however, guess how many times I’ve made tapioca pudding? Maybe once?Twice? In searching the cabinet for another item, I find a package of tapioca (may be very old). But for some reason, I’ve had tapioca on my mind all week.

Well, this week I stumbled upon a blog post about an old fashioned tapioca pudding recipe from Rachelle at My Hubbard Home. Granted I cannot make it until we finished our reset eating program (so February).

Did you know one of the earliest mentions of tapioca pudding can be found in Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management from 1861?

Here’s Rachelle recipe and blog post on an old fashioned tapioca pudding. I cannot wait to make it! Did you have tapioca pudding in your childhood? Have you made it?

Why are Egg Prices so High?

We are fortunate to have our own chickens, but I recently heard that a dozen eggs is $8.99? What? My go-to person for all things chickens (and eggs) is Lisa from Fresh Eggs Daily. If you are curious as to the reasons egg prices are soaring, check out her blog post, 9 Reasons Why Egg Prices are So High. Such an interesting post and you will be very well educated during your next dinner party when the price of eggs becomes the topic of conversation.

Unfortunately, our chickens’ output tends to slow down over the winter, so we aren’t getting as many eggs. But when they are in full production, we sell our extra eggs for $5.00 per dozen.

Let’s hope the reasons for the significant price increase start to change for the better.

Well that’s a wrap for Saturday Meanderings. This week I did complete a fun, unexpected project and will share that with you next week on Tuesday. Until then, enjoy the rest of your weekend and stay safe out there.

Well, can you believe it is December and almost the end of 2022? It appears that this year has blown by so fast for so many. Thanks for stopping by today for another Saturday Meanderings, where we review all the good things that happen this week.

End of the Turkey

With two 14 pound turkeys for Thanksgiving, we have lots of leftovers and bones. From turkey soup to individual frozen meals, all the fixings are now gone so the Thanksgiving chapter is closed. Everything is delicious but there is only so much turkey one can eat!

Annual Chandelier/Silver Cleaning

Every year, I clean our crystal chandeliers and other light fixtures the first week in December. Even though I internally groan over tackling this project, the results are worth it. To see my detailed post about cleaning crystal chandeliers, click here.

Perhaps what I like less than cleaning the chandeliers is polishing silver. But we have a silver tea service that sits out permanently in the dining room that is looking tired and tarnished. Sometimes I use it as a floral centerpiece during the holidays so it’s best if it look bright and shiny.

Now it the time I start missing those years where there is an additional week between Thanksgiving and December 1! There is just not enough time.

Christmas Decorating

We are trying to wrap up all the Christmas decorating by this weekend. So far, the living room, dining room, breakfast room and kitchen are in various stages of completion.

A good part of this week is being devoted to decorating the mantels over the fireplaces. The largest and deepest, is the one in the living room. I don’t know if you recall but my friend, Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate (she was visiting from Florida)did this amazing one back in 2020.

I am trying to do something similar this year but to no avail even though I am trying to channel my inner Chloe! Here’s a sneak peek of what I am creating this year.

Barbara from Mantel and Table created this lovely, elegant one on the sweet fireplace upstairs in my art studio also in 2020. It’s hard to fill the shoes of these talented women and I think they should come back every year and decorate my mantels! Don’t you agree?

New Show for Holiday Decorating

If you are like me and still decorating for Christmas, I just found this show on Netflix~ Holiday Home Makeover with Mr. Christmas. Interior designer Benjamin “Mr. Christmas” Bradley works with a trusty team of “elves” to help families transform their homes for the holidays.

Cute stories and some different ideas on how to decorate for the holidays. Three episodes to date.

Leftover Pumpkins

The chickens are happily eating all the pumpkins from the fall decorating and we are saving some of the seeds to grow our own next year. I even save the really attractive stems in case I want to make more fabric pumpkins. Recycling at its best.

Adorable Cheese Ball

If you are having guests for the holidays, look at how adorable this hedgehog cheese ball is from Maureen at Red Cottage Chronicles.

I am picturing an entire charcuterie tray with a forest animal theme! Am looking forward to making this. See Maureen’s recipe here.

Menopausal Middle

Nothing like talking about cheese balls one minute and belly fat the next! As I age, I am getting a bit thicker in the middle. Recently received an email about this course from Daily OM, called The Menopausal Middle Plan.

Here is how the course is described: “With this transformative 14-day course from clinical nutritionist and weight-shedding expert Jacqui Justice, you’ll learn to reverse, decrease, and even eliminate hormonal side effects so you can look and feel your best.”

What I like about Daily OM, you can choose what you want to pay for the course ~ $19, $35, or $55 for all 14 lessons (one every day for 2 weeks). I am thinking about doing this after the first of the year.

Just wanted to check in to see if anyone else is experiencing the menopausal middle and if you have actively done anything about it? If you want to check it out Daily OM, you can find it here.

Do You Like a Flocked Christmas Tree?

Secretly, I have always wanted a flocked Christmas tree. They seem romantic to me with all that faux snow on the branches. My friend, Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms has a very detailed post on flocked trees.

Here is her Table of Contents~wow! Chock-a-block full of information.

You can read all of Stacy’s great insights here.

Well, that’s it for today! Have a wonderful Saturday and weekend and I truly appreciate you stopping by.

I am from the generation that grew up with one television.  The only time we were allowed to watch it was Sunday night. After a bath (there was no shower) and in our jammies, we would all sit together and watch a show.   The television was never on during the week but we didn’t seem to miss it.  Our lives were full of school, athletics and activities. 

Weekends were spent playing down the street with the neighborhood kids.  We knew it was time to come home when we heard Dad’s whistle~~you know, the one that you use your middle finger and thumb?  The one I never mastered? But the minute we heard that high pitched sound, we dropped what we were doing and ran home.

We were middle class America~~Mom and Dad and five children.  It was a good life where there was a clear distinction between right and wrong.  There were simple rules to live by, such as “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”.

Each of us had our responsibilites~~cleaning the house, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, taking out the garbage. Dinner was always served around a big table.   We ate together as a family. We knew that Christmas and birthdays were the only time we got gifts. Grades were very important to my folks and we never wanted to let them down. My parents lived within their means.

It’s time to slow down

Sometimes I think the world is moving too fast.  As much as I appreciate what technology has added to our lives, it is difficult to avoid being over connected.  Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, 24/7 news, and the hundreds of channels accessible to us.  Am I the only one who wants to shut my eyes and cover my ears? When was the last time I laid in the grass and watched the clouds sailing by?

The other day I realized I felt weird without my iPhone.  Remember when the only phones in the house were the wall phone in the kitchen with the extra long cord and the extension one by the parent’s bed?  And you could listen in on someone’s conversation if you slowly and quietly picked up the other receiver?

The need for simplicity

I don’t want to sound like an old person but I long for some of that simplicity.  We NEED the quiet, the simple, the honest, and the genuine. Our souls are not fed by the number of Instagram followers we have nor the number of likes on Facebook.

I had a social media epiphany lately.  After researching all the ways to get more followers, more likes, more exposure, I realized I was spending hours checking social media.  Today, I finally put down my phone and thought, “what the heck am I doing?”

All this research was supposed to help support my blogging. But when I really stopped to think about it, I was straying from my core values. I felt like I was going down the wrong path, trying to become something that didn’t feel honest, genuine or simple.

Starting this blog did not include the goal of making money or getting advertisers.  It was born from the loss of both my parents…a way for me to document life in order to perhaps slow it down. And here I was trying to increase subscribers, viewers, likes, etc. and wasting hours of my day.  For what?

Why I blog

Here are the reasons I started Life at Bella Terra.

1) In this crazy and often cruel world, I want to capture simple goodness.  I want to provide to you, my subscribers, a place that is beautiful, creative, thoughtful, educational and interesting.  Every day I am so grateful for my life, my world, my family and my home.  This gratitude is worth sharing.

Bella Terra is a safe harbor for our children, a warm place for our friends and family, a historical gem for our city.  We are its guardians. In what feels like an unsafe world where you are cancelled for having your own thoughts and opinions, everyone is welcome here.

2) This blog allows me to look at my life through a different lens.  When you spend a great deal of time in a place, it is a challenge to look at things objectively.  How did I not see the really ugly paint color in my kitchen?  However, I did see it in my photographs.

When I set a table, it looks good to me.  In a photo, the silverware is cattywampus and how did I miss all the dust on the table?  I’m learning something new every day. I am seeking more grace in my daily activities.

3) This blog is a living diary.  I try and share what makes me happy, what inspires me, and perhaps something new that I have learned.  I am excited to share that with you. It is with great hope that what makes me happy, makes you happy.

Quite honestly, I don’t care about Instagram’s algorithm.  Nor am I feeling as if I have to post something every day.  I have a life to live and why would we want to waste precious time staring at our phones or spending hours on our computer?

My personal goals are to post something on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. However, I will blog only when I am inspired to share something with you, not because of some fake deadline or sense of responsibility. 

Thank you for listening to my revelations about blogging and Life at Bella Terra. As always, I love hearing what you like about this blog, what you would like to see more of, and while you’re at it, what you don’t like.  If you family or friends are needing a bit of beauty, I hope you refer them here.

So if you feel like life is spinning a bit out of control, put down your phone, turn off the television.  Make a connection with someone you love or someone you would like to get to know better.  Help someone in need. Find depth and meaning in the simplest of things. The world needs more love, honesty and human connections. We do need to care for ourselves while being graceful and patient with others.

Happy Saturday, sweet friends! What a week! We are still cleaning up from our Dinner in the Orchard last week (you can see that post here if you missed it). Between working the election and getting everything ready for houseguests this week, it has been a busy one. Thanks for joining me for another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things that happened this week.

Election

As I mentioned earlier, I signed up to be a poll worker on Election Day. Reporting in at 5:30 a.m. and working without breaks for the next 16 hours was grueling, but rewarding. Our polling site is walking distance from our home so it was fun to see so many friends and neighbors. Exceptional turnout didn’t allow any of us to grab breakfast or lunch and I can honestly say, it was exhausting. My feet, knees, hips and back were not happy at all! But glad that is all behind us as votes continue to get counted in Arizona.

Pinners Conference

One of the reasons my sweet blogging friends (Andrea from Design Morsels, Chas from Chas Crazy Creations and Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate) are here in Phoenix is to attend the Pinners Arizona Conference. I have never attended this 2-day event. There are several classes one can take from calligraphy to cooking to crafts. So far I have taken an Air Fryer Tips and Lettering, Flourishing and Layout classes. There is obviously so much I don’t know about this, but it’s fun to learn and participate.

Thinking ahead to Thanksgiving

As you know, I love a beautiful table. For inspiration, it’s fun to see what others are doing. I am a firm believer that you can use what you have and just jazz it up with flowers, plants, or just mixing up colors and textures. To see previous Thanksgiving tables I’ve done, click here.

Here are some of the places I look for ideas.

• Mrs. Alice~even though Mrs. Alice is not smiling in any pictures, her tables are gorgeous. You can see it here.
• Celebrate and Decorate~Chloe Crabtree, a dear friend and one of the most creative people I know, puts together stunning tables and holiday decorations. Here is the link to her blog, but she can also be found on Instagram @celebrateanddecorate
• Suzanne Zing~Suzanne is a tabletop stylist and you can also find her on instagram @suzannezingstyle
• Bonnie Chase Designs~ Bonnie is on Instagram and Facebook, but she doesn’t have a blog. @bonniechasedesigns

Recycling our Pumpkins

Though I will be using our pumpkins until Thanksgiving, our chickens are the recipients of those that are already starting to decay. They LOVE getting to peck at them and gobbling up the flesh and seeds.

Best Pizza from Italy

I know I have mentioned this before and no, I do not get any commission for doing so, but these pizzas from Naples, Italy are a staple in our freezer. I baked two of them for my blogging friends and they LOVED them. So if you are looking for a great gift for someone you love, please keep these in mind.

You get 8 pizzas (my husband and I share one with a few pieces leftover), packed in dry ice directly from Italy. You can choose what flavor you want or try a sampler pack. For more information, click here.

Colder Weather

It is definitely fall here and sweater weather. For the Dinner in the Orchard I wore a cashmere sweater set and I was happy to see them in good condition after being stored for several months. In the past, we have had problems with moths, but since I found this cashmere pouch on Amazon, my sweaters are protected from the pesky insects that eat holes in them. I always like to share things that work well for me and when you have a nice sweater ruined, this cashmere pouch is worth the cost. You can find it here.

Christmas Cards and Family Photo

Each year we send out a holiday card and family photo. Generally, we take the family photo at Thanksgiving and that gives me just enough time to order a card and get it mailed by December 15th.

In the past I have used an online resource (like Minted, Shutterfly, Paperless Post). Minted keeps an address book for you and you can have the addresses pre-printed on the envelopes envelopes which is a big time saver. Do you send a holiday card? If so, what is your process?

Because I am attending the Pinners Conference for two full days, today’s post is a bit shorter. But I will share what I’ve learned next week. Have a wonderful weekend!