Saturday Meanderings

Happy 1st Saturday in May! We are experiencing the absolute best weather~cool mornings and days in the low 70s. All the windows are open and the birds are singing and life is good. As I write this I am home alone, which is rather rare and I am enjoying the quiet and stillness of the morning. Let’s get started chatting about all good things this week.

A Late Birthday Celebration

My dear friend, Christine

Now for the second year, my dear friend, Christine, takes me to the English Rose Tea Room to celebrate my birthday. If you live in the area, you MUST go to this very special place. You can choose to dine out on the patio or inside the very girly, rose-filled tea room.

English Rose Tea Room

In addition to high tea (with those lovely small sandwiches), they have daily specials. We order the most delicious watermelon, arugula salad with chicken with a few pots of a rose tea. What a delightful time we had and I look forward to this being an annual birthday tradition.

It seems like I don’t dress up very often lately, so it is extra fun to pull out a very feminine skirt (purchased long ago from Soft Surroundings) and heels for lunch. I think decorative longer skirts are back in style? Is that possible?

Thank you Christine for a memorable day! The English Rose Tea Room is located at 201 East Street, Carefree, Arizona, 480-488-4812. If you want to see a video of the interior, check out my Instagram @lifeatbellaterra.

Technology Overhaul continues

Trevor, our technology guru

A few months ago, we embark on re-doing our antiquated wired technology system…and the project continues. We hope to wrap up soon, but what an undertaking. Twenty-three years ago, when we restored this house and all the walls were open, we had miles of wires installed to have a “smart” home. Well, everything is now obsolete and the wiring worthless, so it’s been a huge project to update it.

Removing old equipment

We are nearing the finish line and it’s nice to remove all the old, larger equipment for a system that is fast and efficient. We are even seeing our electric bill go down which is a big plus. Looking forward to fixing all the holes and doing a final clean up.

Big Week in the Garden

Lots of artichokes

My artichoke plant is really producing this year. I am able to harvest 4 good size ones this week. Typically I parboil them and finish them off on the grill with a homemade Remoulade sauce. However, this week I try a new recipe where I baked them instead. Less work but I prefer grilling them. But I really think it’s the yummy Remoulade sauce that’s the best (with the most calories!)

Strawberries are juicy and delicious but will soon be gone as soon as the temperature increases.

The peach tree is abundant with fruit. For the first time ever, I am netting the tree this year in the hopes that we get to eat the peaches before the birds.

Lots of peaches

Remember the gnarly looking hollyhock plants near my garden? Still not sure what caused the disfiguration but all those plants are now gone. Nearby, I have nasturtium that comes up every year and that, too, is looking a bit stressed. So we pull all the sickly plants and reveal that my small raised flower bed needs some attention.

The soaker hose is dried and requires replacing (thank you, hubby). New healthy soil is added and I plant several seeds~zinnias, pincushions, and poppies. We have quite a few quail roaming the property and they are notorious for eating new shoots and sprouts.

Adding hoops and bird netting

Metal hoops and bird netting is added and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a lush flower garden!

Spider Mites~yuk!

Just when you think things are going well in the garden, I now have a nasty case of spider mites. Spider mites feed on the leaves through their piercing-sucking mouthparts. They remove contents from individual plant cells, leaving behind the the cell wall, which makes the emptied cells appear silvery. The most noticeable damage of symptom of infestation is white stippling on the leaves. Heavily infested plants take on a faded, yellowish or greyish cast. Severely infested plants are covered by a thin layer of webbing created by the large numbers of spider mites.

Severe infestation of spider mites

First they attack a very large tomato plant which I pulled and discarded. But the mites are spreading to the tomatillos and possibly my eggplant. We’ve had windy days here so it’s highly possible they are just blowing all over the garden.

Isopropyl alcohol seems to do the trick. I spray a solution of approximately 70% isopropyl alcohol on all the affected plants. So far so good, but they can devastate a crop very quickly.

In gardening, there is always SOMETHING trying to ruin your crops.

Baking and Making this Week

Last Sunday was National Raisin Day (yes, who knew?). It was a good excuse to whip up some homemade rum raisin ice cream. Again, I don’t need the calories but it is really, really good. You can find my recipe here.

I need to share my go-to sourdough bread recipe where I add cheese (gruyere, mostly), fresh rosemary and garlic. If you have sourdough starter this recipe is made the night before with little work, and bakes the next day.

Cheese, rosemary and garlic sourdough bread

With a lone zucchini that was beginning to decline, I made healthy Zucchini brownies which are gluten free, paleo and deliciously fudgy. You can find the recipe here.

Gravestones Arrive

It took me a while to get up the energy to order gravestones for Cooper and Sox.

Grave stones for our pups

But they arrive this week and I am pleased with them. From Etsy, they are black granite, approximately 12″ x 6″ and personalized with laser engraving. Our hearts are still heavy from losing both dogs, but now they are memorialized properly in our family’s pet cemetery.

Monograms

The Crowned Goat monograms

I LOVE monograms but have never had one made for myself or my family. Do you have a monogram? Coco from The Crowned Goat has a wonderful post about creating one using Shuler Studio. The photos are so dreamy that I am excited about finally getting my own monogram. What a great idea for gifts, too. See it here.

Kentucky Derby Dinner

Happy Derby Day (May 6th)! If you need any Derby Day inspiration, you can link to two previous blog posts on Derby Day recipes here and How to Set the Perfect Table for a Kentucky Derby Party here.

Mint juleps

Have a marvelous weekend. A few of my friends are arriving today and spending 4 days here. I expect we will have lots of fun. Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend?




Saturday Meanderings

As I write this, the skies are heavy and gray with a gentle rain falling. We cherish the rain here in the southwest. However, it’s hard to get motivated to do anything since I’d prefer to just curl up with a good book and a cup of tea. Happy Saturday to you and I love writing this post to chat about all good things this week.

Color Attraction

For some reason, every March I am attracted to the color violet/purple. The rest of the year this color doesn’t seem to float my boat, which seems a bit odd to me. In March 2018, I wrote a post about this very topic, realizing that 5 years ago, in March, purple was again the color for me.

This must have something to do with taxes~the needless worrying that goes with that unpleasant event. Anyway, Coco from The Crowned Goat wrote a wonderfully thoughtful post (see it here), which inspires me to look for violet bed linen.

The Crowned Goat

In googling lavender sheets, I find this bargain at Home Depot. Laura Ashley Lillian 4-piece sheets (king) for $42.83! When did Laura Ashley sheets get so inexpensive? The original price is $77.81 with a $35.04 discount! They should arrive in a few days but I am very excited about getting them.

Laura Ashley Lillian sheets @ Home Depot

Here’s the link in case you too are having a violet/lavender/purple obsession.

New Faux plants

I cannot take complete credit for this because I saw these faux boxwood topiaries on a recent Miss Mustard Seed blog post. Don’t you love it when someone else does the research, makes the purchase and then shares their review? It is fortuitous since I am in the market for two, low (actually no) maintenance plants on the front porch of the pool house.

At 56″ tall, I think these artificial boxwood topiaries provide a bit of elegance to the front entry of the pool house. It appears they may be out of stock on Amazon (see link here). I am able to order them directly from the Silk Warehouse for $239.00 for two trees. UV rated for out door use, I am hoping they last a long time. No watering required!

The plants are inserted into these high density resin planters I found at Costco (a package of 3 for $31.99). My husband fills the planter with a bag of pea gravel which provides enough weight to hold it steady. Such a sweet addition to the front of the pool house!

Planting the Garden

It appears we are finally passed the frost and just overnight, it is Spring here. The birds are chirping, everything is budding and yes, that yellow pollen is covering everything and anything.

My happy place~Whitfill Nursery

After an extremely productive trip to my favorite nursery, Whitfill Nursery on Glendale Avenue, I am ready to get my hands in the dirt. The beds are filled with freshly composted soil and while I still need a few more amendments (iron and copper), the seedlings are in the ground.

My artichoke plant

Here is what I have growing in my garden now:

  • Artichokes
  • Arugula
  • Rainbow Swiss Chard
  • Bell Peppers-green and yellow
  • Tomatillos
  • Spaghetti Squash
  • Green beans
  • Peppers-jalapenos
  • Shishito peppers
  • Alfresco Lettuce mix
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Strawberries
  • Tomatoes-Sun gold, early girls, black heirloom, San Marzanos
  • Kale
  • Raddiccio
  • Rhubarb
  • Sage, basil, thyme, wild bergamot, dill, cilantro, parsley, tarragon
  • Eggplant
  • Onions
  • Flowers-sunflowers, pincushion, zinnias and bee attracting seeds I planted last fall
Flowering thyme

Two days this week in the garden which is emotionally so satisfying but physically tiring (my poor back). So far no critters have come in to mow down all my hard work, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Dogsitting Hemingway

Our daughter’s dog, Hemingway

While my daughter is hiking the Son Doong cave (the largest natural limestone cave on the planet) in Vietnam, we are pet-sitting her German Shepherd, Hemingway. He is balm for the soul after saying goodbye to our sweet beagle Sox recently. Such a well behaved and well mannered dog, we are truly enjoying his companionship.

While she was in the cave for 6 days we had no way to communicate with her. As you can imagine, we are so delighted to get these photos from her yesterday.

Julianna atop “the Wedding Cake”
Sun shining through a collapsed portion of the cave.

Speaking of traveling, our son, Benjamin and his girlfriend, Delaney are traveling through Colombia. I think I want to come back as one of my children! We feel so blessed that they have the love of travel. While the two oldest are traveling to exotic places, our youngest just picked up her cap and gown for graduation. Lots of new adventures for our three rascals.

Dead Animal in the Garage

There is no other smell as awful as an animal or human decaying. We’ve yet to find the dead animal in the garage, but I’m guessing it is underneath our chest freezer. In attempts to pinpoint the location, I took a flash light and looked around. Much to my surprise (and a bit of fear), I find this:

What??!! First of all, I didn’t know we HAD snakes and to find out that we do in the garage? Yuck. Hopefully this weekend we can figure all this out, but I’m not happy about it….not one bit.

A Dangerous, yet yummy recipe

Ambitious Kitchen’s Ooey Gooey Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars

As you know, we are trying to eat a healthier diet. But for me, sometimes I need just a bit of something with my cup of tea or afternoon coffee. Not necessarily a cookie, but you know, something sweet but not fattening.

I often look to Monique from Ambitious Kitchen as her recipes lean toward the healthy side. Well, I found her Ooey Gooey Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Bars and oh my, they are so addicting. Using almond flour, coconut sugar and oats, they do seem a bit healthier. I made some adjustments to the recipe such as using sunflower seed butter vs. peanut butter. The problem is that I cannot eat just one.

Photo from Ambitious Kitchen

Even though we cut them up into very small portions, I have to figure out a way to control myself. Not only are they delicious warm out of the oven, but I really prefer them after refrigeration. See Monique’s recipe here.

Fall Styling Workshop

Our home, Bella Terra

We are so blessed to have Bella Terra, a place we call home. This unique property, however, should be shared with others. As the push for new development continues, properties like ours are being plowed down for denser housing. Quite honestly, I’m really not sure how long this parcel will remain intact.

More now than ever, I am determined to share our property and gather people together who appreciate beautiful places and spaces.

I am teaming up with some very talented bloggers and will be hosting a Fall Styling Workshop here on October 21, 2023. I feel it is so important for us to share time together and learn something new. As we fine tune the agenda, I hope you are able to join us for this special day. Do you want to learn how to transition from fall to holiday decorating? Easy tips for styling a beautiful mantel? Enjoy a delicious al fresco luncheon in the orchard with others?

Let me know what you think. Would you like to attend? Anything in particular you would enjoy learning? Please reach out to me as we would love your input! The goal is to kick off a successful workshop, which hopefully will lead to a few more each year.

Thanks for checking in today. Wishing you a wonderful weekend that is filled with lots of rest and relaxation!




Goodbye to our sweet dog, Sox

On Tuesday, our 15 1/2 year old pocket beagle, Sox passed away. In spite all efforts to get him to eat, Sox had other plans. He would replenish his thirst, but not his food. Our handsome fella had filled our lives with such joy and as much as we miss him, it was his time to join our big dog, Cooper. Cooper passed away unexpectedly last August and I know Sox is now in heaven with him.

Sox

The Puppy Years

Nearly 16 years is a long time for a devoted and loving companion to be in our lives. Our daughter, Elisabeth, now 22 picked Sox out of a large litter when she was 6 years old. She noticed the white “C” (our last name is Crozier) on his dark back coat and knew he was the dog for our family.

Elisabeth and Sox

He loved rolling around on his back and did so his entire life.

When Sox enters our life, we have Lightning, our big white Anatolian shepherd; Tristen a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Ruby, a rescue Black Lab. Four dogs, 3 children and an abundance of joy and laughter.

Mornings in our bed

Best Buddies

Two years after Sox’s arrival, Lightning passes away. However, in 2013 we are fortunate to get another big white dog, Cooper. Cooper and Sox are best of friends for the next 9 years.

Sox and Cooper
Best of friends

Toward the end of both of their lives (Cooper died last August), these sweet boys are inseparable. As Sox’s hearing and sight diminishes, Cooper becomes very protective of him. They would roam the yard together and Cooper would not come in the house, unless Sox was with him.

Cooper sitting on Sox

Sox is one of those pets that everyone loves~even our cats.

Tippy and Sox
By the fireplace

Growing up with Sox

Elisabeth and Sox

Even though Sox became associated as being Elisabeth’s dog, he becomes part of everyone’s life here.

Sox and Elisabeth at the cabin
Sox at the beginning of the Easter egg hunt
Senior pictures

Never missing a chance to snuggle into someone for a quick nap…

Or standing by in case someone drops a piece of food. His beagle nose and sense of smell works to the very end.

Sox and Benjamin
Man’s best friend

My shadow companion

Perhaps the hardest part right now, is missing my little shadow companion. Sox is always present~a quiet, supporting bundle of love. Whether I am gardening, entertaining, having my coffee, or taking photos, Sox is always there by my side.

Sox approving the front door holiday decor
Sox and Cooper helping with a dinner in the orchard
Sox helping me finish a handmade quilt
Sox loves keeping me company with my coffee
Sox in the garden
Sox tagging along with my blogging friends

He loves the car trip to our cabin and is the best navigator. We had our routine and stops along the way which I will miss dearly.

Our Last Days together

As you can see by these few pictures, Sox was a very important part of our lives and how lucky for us to have him for nearly 16 years. Last Saturday, we spent some time outside on the cool grass in the warm sunshine. Though he could not hear me, I hope he felt my love and gratitude. Sox unconditionally loved us and created so many happy memories for our family.

Our last days together

Sox passed away on Tuesday, March 7th in the loving company of my husband and daughter. I was out of town but Sox knew he was surrounded by those who adored him. Even though we know it was his time to go, it doesn’t make the heartache any less.

My husband buried Sox with Cooper’s ashes in our pet cemetery. The house feels so empty as this is the first time in 22 years where we haven’t had a dog. Our cat, Donovan remains but seems a bit lost without Sox as well.

Goodbye sweet friend, until we meet again. Say hi to Cooper for us.




Saturday Meanderings

I am so sorry I missed posting Saturday Meanderings last week. In addition to having house guests, planning, cooking and organizing our Valentine Dinner party (if you missed it see it here), our sweet dog Sox had an episode where we thought it was over for him. Thankfully, he came around but it was a heart wrenching moment. But onward and upward and here we are on Saturday for another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things!

Getting Paint out of Carpet

In selecting colors for repainting the guest cottage, I brought a few gallons home from Sherwin Williams. Unfortunately, there was a small amount of paint under the lid and when I turned the corner, the can rolled over in the back of the car. Dark green paint spilled out onto my car’s trunk carpet, which is tan.

I didn’t realize this had happened as I have large pieces of foam covering the carpet. My car is 17 years old, but the interior carpet looks brand new under the foam. Two days later, I discover the paint stain, which is hard and dried. Sigh.

Not really knowing how to tackle this, I get my trusty bottle of Krud Kutter and spray the spot and let it sit. This cleaner/degreaser softens the hardened paint. Blotting up as much of the paint as I can, I continue to spray and rub until all the of the paint is gone!

Green paint spot gone!

This is a miracle cleaner and I cannot recommend it enough!

By the way, having foam covering the trunk floor is really great for protecting the rug, but also helps to prevent things from rolling around (except paint cans!).

Do You and Your Spouse Have Different Decorating Styles

Shutterstock image

My friend, Andrea asks her husband to describe his ideal house and is surprised by his answer. I ask my husband the same question and discover some enlightening details.

But what do you do if your tastes are vastly different. For example, my husband owns very contemporary art, while I love old oil paintings in substantial gold frames.

An early oil painting of mine

If you find your spouse or significant other has different design tastes than you, Andrea has a great post and several tips on what you can do to negotiate and mix your styles. See it here.

Before and After Sofa

The very old, yet well made sofa is back from the upholsterer and I am so delighted. I can’t stress enough that reupholstering a sofa with a hardwood frame is well worth it vs. buying something new made out of particle board.

In order to give the old gal a more contemporary look, the upholsterer made two seat and back cushions where here was three.

Here is the before. See how lumpy (and dirty) the cushions are?

Viola! Here is the new sofa in white. It looks like a completely different piece of furniture. I am so happy with it…now it will need some Scotchguard.

Newly reupholstered sofa

My Geraniums

Lush pink geraniums

For the last few years, my geraniums have suffered from worms/catepillars that eat holes in the small blooms, preventing beautiful flower growth. Trying different sprays and treatments, nothing seem to work. For hours I would hand pick those little buggers off but each season they would return.

See the holes in the buds?

My husband bought a bag of First Saturday Lime which I spread on top of the soil in each pot. First Saturday Lime is an environmentally-friendly alternative to pesticides that is safe for children and pets. This product creates an inhospitable environment for insects to reproduce. Apply it monthly for best results.

Valentine front porch

To date, my geraniums look fabulous and there is NO sign of those creepy crawlies. What an impact the pink geraniums make on my Valentine front porch. Every single geranium pot is filled with large, gorgeous blooms, thanks to this product.

Loving Jicama

Lately, we are snacking (all the time) on fresh jicama. Jicama is a root vegetable with thick, brown skin. It’s white inside and tastes like an apple but not as sweet. It’s a bit like a potato but with a lot fewer carbs.

Jicama cut into heart shapes

It’s a fiber-packed snack that prevents constipation, lowers cholesterol, and lowers your chances of getting colon cancer and heart disease. Loaded with Vitamin C, it gives a big boost to the immune system. It’s also good for your eyes and skin.

Shutterstock Image of Jicama

Jicama has Vitamin B-6, which supports your brain and nerves, forms red blood cells, and turns protein into energy. If you’re watching your blood sugar and insulin, jicama is a safe snack. It has carbs, but they have a low glycemic load.

Plus it is easy to cut them into fun shapes using a cookie cutter! And they do not brown like cut apples.

Such a Sweet Story

I read this on Nextdoor and this really restores my faith in the kindness of others. It’s a bit long, but trust me, you will be glad you did (and you may need tissue). It’s a great way to end this post.

Our sweet Cooper and Sox

*******************************************************************************************************************

Our 14-year-old dog Abbey died last month. The day after she passed away my 4-year-old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought that we could, so she dictated these words:

Dear God, Will you please take care of my dog? Abbey died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I ‘m happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to swim and play with balls. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her you will know that she is my dog. I really miss her. Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey & Meredith, addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it. Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven. That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office. A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, ‘To Meredith’ in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, ‘When a Pet Dies.’ Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

Dear Meredith, Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help and I recognized her right away. Abbey isn’t sick anymore.

Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don’t need our bodies in heaven, I don’t have any pockets to keep your picture in so I’m sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by. Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I’m easy to find. I am wherever there is love.

Love, God

Well, that’s a wrap! Thank you so much for joining me today. Have a wonderful weekend. Today I am attending a watercolor class with a dear friend, which is a big treat for me.




Saturday Meanderings

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.

Frozen rain chain

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.

Roof leak results

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.

Fermenting Chicken feed

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.

Normal size egg vs. fairy egg

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.

Robins

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

Heart Shaped tea bags DIY

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!