Menopause Madness | Warm Weather Wardrobe July 3, 2014

Hello ladies…sorry guys but I am just talking to the ladies today, we’ll chat later.

If you are a women of a “particular age” as Wendy Williams likes to phrase it, and you are premenopausal or in full menopause, you know how difficult it can sometimes be getting dressed when it’s hot. I keep a fan in the bathroom because there have been days that I’ve overheated just putting on my makeup! In May the weather was fluctuating but now that we are officially into the summer season choosing just the right outfit for work is getting a bit harder.

Personally I like wearing sleeveless tanks and sheath dresses all year long and the panty hose and tights are gone as soon as the boots come off. Fortunately at work we can dress casually, however, it is still Corporate so there definitely will be no shorts, crop tops or flip flops.

These are just a few outfits that I’ve worn during the warm Spring weather, next week I will feature my sheath dresses for the summer sizzle.

Thrifted denim dress with Avon accessories

Thrifted blouse and skirt with flats from Marshalls

Thrifted dress and belt, shoes from Avon

Maxi Shirts

Like it loose and carefree

Totally Thrifted

Weekend Wear

Let’s Chat: What are your warm weather wardrobe must-haves?

BTW, I didn’t forget it was Thankful Thursday. Despite the extra pounds and hot flashes, I am thankful to still be living a stress free and healthy life. I am thankful that my son has been moved from the Intensive Care Unit and should be coming home tomorrow. Of course I am always thankful for my family, friends and my faith. Come on over to Katherine’s Corner and share some of your Thursday Favorite Things.

Now it’s your turn, what are you thankful for this week?

12 Comments

You Choose The Shoes | Week #11 July 2, 2014

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.

Thank you for voting and for all of your comments in last week’s You Choose The Shoes contest. I hope you are having as much fun as I am with this mid-week blog feature. There were many comments and suggestions but the overwhelming majority chose the UrbanOg sandals.

This week’s contenders includes a recently purchased pair of sandals from Payless versus the Paula Abdul Forever collection from Avon.

The fuchsia sandals are by far my favorite pair of the season, I am so glad that I decided to stop in at Payless during a recent sale at the Exton Square Mall. Not that I don’t love these black and white sandals from Avon because they are great to wear with different outfits and are my go-to shoes for church.

If I am not mistaken, this faux wrap dress was purchased at JC Penney and the colors work well with both pair of sandals, what do you think? I am very upset that JC Penney was shut down at the Exton Square Mall as they had some great clearance bargains.

It was such a bright sunny Sunday that it was hard to keep from squinting, so concentrate on the shoes instead of my eyes!

So which shoes do you choose?

Have you decided – take another look.

Can’t wait to see which pair you chose, have a wonderful day!

Leave your comments below and I’ll respond when I get back from The Pleated Poppy.

Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!

25 Comments

Living in Latin America | Where Will We Retire July 1, 2014

Hello Friends, I hope all is well in your world.

Today is the day that my hubby is officially retired from the State of Delaware – WOOHOO – CONGRATS Hun!

Prior to this day and for the past several years he has chosen and then changed his mind on a half dozen places of where he wants us to live when we both retire. The first destination he chose was Africa and the last was Arizona, so it’s obvious he hasn’t narrowed it down to one location.

Recently I read an article on Latin America’s la vida buena and what caught my attention was the fact that our Social Security would allow us to live comfortably in paradise.

As long as there is sun and water and no snow, you can count me in and the average temperature in Costa Rica is 72 degrees! Costa Rica has been named as one of the most beautiful places on Earth. You can live well on a budget and as a matter of fact, the book “The International Living Guide to Retiring Overseas on a Budget: How To Live Well on $25,000 a Year”, was written by a retired couple who now live in Equador.

Well whenever the time does comes for me to retire, I want us to live out our Golden Years in a place where our money goes the furthest and the weather is the warmest, so if that is Latin America so be it. It’s close enough to the US so if we want to come back for a family visit it’s relatively easy.

10-day group tours are available which of course we’d take before making any decision and it’s also suggested that you live in a new country for at least 6 months before making the commitment to move there. If we became residents in a country in Latin American we wouldn’t lose our U.S. Citizenship, we can still vote, pay taxes and collect our Social Security. The medical care is supposedly top quality and much more affordable in comparison to the US which is another plus.

Although I have several more years before even considering retirement, living in paradise on less than 2 grand a month sounds like a plan and Latin America just might be the place to be…guess I better start brushing up on my Spanish!

Let’s Chat: Would you retire outside of the USA?

Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!

18 Comments

REPOST

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.

Do you remember wearing tie dye clothing in elementary and junior high school? I used to love this DIY craft but it always seemed so messy and time consuming. I’m not sure if the Rit Dye products have changed or that I just have more patience, either way, it’s not hard to do.

The hardest part was finding an article of clothing that I wanted to dye! I signed up to attend the Radiant Orchid Summer party so in preparation I wanted to have something to wear in radiant purple. I purchased a summer tank and canvas slip-on sneakers at Kmart and turned them from cotton white to a tie dye purple which came out really nice.

Add 1/2 cup of salt and a few squirts of dishwashing liquid to help fabric absorb dye.

Heat water to boiling. Dampen shirt with warm water then twist and wrap with rubber bands.

Pour boiled water into a tub, add package of Rit Dye, salt and dishwashing liquid then stir gently to dissolve. Make sure to cover your work surface with a plastic covering, I used a Dollar Tree tablecloth.

Put shirt into tub of water and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes, the longer you keep it in the darker the color will be.

For the canvas sneakers, I used a paint brush to cover the rubber sides with Vaseline to prevent dye from staining.

Use painters tape or masking tape which probably would have been better to add a stripe or patterns to the sneakers.

Use a sponge brush to lightly paint the canvas, you can go over it several times to make it darker, just take your time.

After soaking the shirt for the desired amount of time, carefully discard water, I poured mine into the toilet and immediately flushed to prevent staining.

Rinse shirt in cold water until it runs clear or take it outside and use a garden hose to rinse. I kept pouring my water into the toilet because it was late.

Wash in cold water using same color or old towels and two sheets of Shout Color Catchers.

While waiting for the shirt to wash, I added a little ‘Bling’ to the back of the sneakers using E6000 glue.

I hung the shirt to dry and wore it the next day to the #RadiantOrchidSummer party which you can read about here

Let’s Chat: Do you like Tie Dye clothing?

Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!

20 Comments

Picnic Fun Sweepstakes June 28, 2014

Gather your family and friends, because Womensforum.com is ready to set you up with the perfect summertime picnic!

Enter to win a picnic basket, blanket, outdoor dining kit and even an outdoor MP3 speaker to create a fun, and delicious day under the summer sun!

Open Worldwide ~ Click HERE to enter.

Contest ends on 7/16/2014 @ 9:00PM PT

2 Comments

Weekend Wind-Down Party | Week 23 June 27, 2014

Hello friends and Happy Fri-Yay!

Here we are again, at the end of another blessed week and knocking on the door to what should be a gorgeous weekend. Hubby and I have a wedding to attend tomorrow and on Sunday we will be taking our son out to dinner to celebrate his 22nd Birthday. His birthday was actually on Monday but if you read yesterday’s post you’d know that I was in Atlantic City so we didn’t get to celebrate. He is also scheduled to have maxillofacial surgery on Monday morning, so please pray for a successful procedure.

Take a look at these guys, I saw them on the Boardwalk in AC and thought about how much this means to me in my daily life.

So many of you stopped by to add some fantastic posts at last week’s party and we truly appreciate you all.

Congratulations to this week’s FEATURED Bloggers.

You are also featured on our Pinterest board as well, so please feel free to copy and paste the button onto your blog page as well.

calmhealthysexy.com

theorganizeddream

joydare.com

plumperfectandme

calmandcollected

belleofthekitchen

With the 4th of July right around the corner, I am sure we will be seeing a lot of great recipes, DIY’s and fashion – so check out these rules, don’t post and run, but stick around to read others’ posts. Follow your hosts on at least one other social networking site and most of all – HAVE FUN!

This Simple Home

Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest

DeDivah Deals

Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest

Snippets of Inspiration Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Google+

A Living Sacrifice

Mustard Seed MommyBlog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Google+

Moms Who Save

Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Google+

An InLinkz Link-up

9 Comments

Friday Fajita with the Perdue Chicken June 27, 2014

Hello friends and Happy Fri-Yay! A few weeks ago before the summer heat began to sizzle I made Fajitas with Perdue Chicken Breasts. This easy breezy recipe was not only fun to make but filling enough for hubby and my mini men.

The ingredients used are staples that I normally have in the pantry and refrigerator because Mexican food is quite popular in our home.

INGREDIENTS:

Perdue Perfect Portions chicken breasts – cut into 1/2″ strips
2 tbls vegetable oil – divided
McCormick Fajita Seasoning and 1/4 cup water
Shredded Mexican (Taco) Cheese
1 medium Onion – fresh or frozen – sliced
Peppers – fresh or frozen – sliced
Whole Wheat Tortillas

OPTIONS

Lime

Fresh Spinach leaves

Cilantro

Avocado

Tomato – sliced

Jalapeno peppers

Sour Cream

I also like to keep packages of frozen peppers and onions because they are perfect for recipes such as this as well as add-in’s for Crock Pot meals. I used a mixture of both fresh and frozen onions for the Fajitas.

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken strips, stir and cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove chicken from skillet and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add onion and peppers; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet, add water and Seasoning Mix; cook and stir 3 minutes or until heated through.

Spoon chicken/onions/peppers onto warm tortillas, add any options, if desired.

What is your favorite chicken dish?

To become a member of The Perdue Crew and receive more delicious recipes, chances to win prizes and money saving coupons click on the pic!

Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!

$1.00 off any two Reynolds Bakeware Pan Products

$1.00 off any Old El Paso™ Frozen Entrees

8 Comments

#DOAC with Crowdtap June 26, 2014

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.

Maintaining a blog is oftentimes hard work but it is such a great and rewarding experience and some of the perks aren’t half bad either. However, you don’t always have to be a blogger to receive perks, especially if they are coming from CrowdTap.

Are you are active on other social networking platforms and have a lot to say? Perhaps you enjoy taking pictures or hosting great parties, if so, then you need to sign up with Crowdtap.

Crowdtap is a social media network where you can use your creativity to win gift cards and free products from big-name brands. These brands are looking for you to show and tell others how you use everyday items either through photos, videos, and writing. Rewards are then given to the top submissions.

I’ve been a Crowdtapper for a few months and on Monday, I along with several others “tappers” were rewarded with the ultimate Crowdtap sampling to date. A FREE overnight stay at a Hotel Casino in Atlantic City, courtesy of #DOAC. Most of these Crowdtappers were from New Jersey and the surrounding states including New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, I believe I was the only one from Delaware.

The invitation included a guest, but unfortunately, hubby was unable to attend due to the fact we have an air conditioning leak that needed constant attention. It was a beautiful day and Atlantic City is only a 2 hour drive so I didn’t mind making the trip solo.

After checking into a Premium room at Caesars Hotel I was able to relax for about an hour before changing clothes and then meeting our Atlantic City representatives in the lobby. From there we were taken to a #DOAC Pool Party Cocktail Reception at Golden Nugget – H2O Pool Bar and Grill.

A Jitney picked us up for this short ride to the reception where several Crowdtap reps greeted us with a #DOAC Swag Bag and Wrist Bracelet. We also received 2 tickets for a Jitney Ride and the bracelet was an identifier to receive special menu prices at certain Boardwalk bars and restaurants. The view from atop the Golden Nugget was awesome and for an hour we mingled and noshed on Beef and Vegan sliders, skewered BBQ Chicken, French Fries, Onion Rings, Salads and an open bar of beers, wines, sodas and water.

After eating and a few brief words from the Crowdtap reps we re-boarded the Jitney and headed back to the beach to check out some amazing sand sculptures.

These were just a few of the entries in the DO AC Sand Sculpting World Cup contest.

Afterwards we were on our own so I took advantage of getting some exercise by walking the miles long boardwalk, people watching, taking pictures, browsing the shops, just enjoying the beautiful night atmosphere then ending the day at the casino, losing $60 in the process!

BTW, I found people to take pictures of me after offering to take pictures of them, usually couples who were more than willing to oblige – thank you kind strangers!

I was able to capture this beautiful sunset at the sea in AC

I had all intentions of rising at 5:30 am the next day to capture the sunrise over the sea, but hit the snooze button too many times before finally getting out of bed at 8:00 am. It was still a great DOAC way to start the day, a cup of coffee, an ocean breeze and watching the waves lap the shore was an invitation to return with the family.

Before checking out at 11:00, I once again walked the boardwalk enjoying the last few hours of this mini vacation. Then I hit the road and was home exactly 2 hours later, a little more rested and thankful for having been a rewarded Crowdtapper for the day and a big thank you to #DOAC, see ya soon!

Now it’s your turn, what are you thankful for this week?

Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!

18 Comments

You Choose The Shoes | Week 10 June 25, 2014

Hello friends…you know what day it is…it’s Hump Day but it’s also “You Choose The Shoes” day!

Last week’s contenders were definitely not in a tight race but the comments for both were coming in fast and furious, however, you know there can only be one winner so congratulations to everyone who voted for….

**CARLOS SANTANA’S SEXY SANDALS!!!**

I’m expecting this week’s contender’s to be a bit of a challenge only because they both look good with the outfit and are both equally comfortable. So let’s take a look, shall we:

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you saw this outfit already but so you know the skirt is from JC Penney and that the top was thrifted from Goodwill. The iPad case and watch believe it or not were purchased from Avon and if you haven’t checked out a catalog lately click here.

The first pair of shoes are xhiliration via Target and were purchased several years ago. I wear them at least 4 times during the summer months because I love the mustard color and they are very comfortable. The second pair were purchased online at Urbanog.com, and were part of a major shoe haul where I ordered more than 5 pairs on the same day (here).

I love the pops of neon colors which was also very popular in the mid to late 80’s.

Okay, it’s time to choose the shoes, will it be the mustard yellow xhiliration wedges from Target

OR

the peach sandals from Urbanog.com?

I can tell this is going to be another tough decision which is why I like having you in my closet!

You choose the shoes, then leave me a comment as to why you chose them. In the meantime I’ll be heading over to see the ladies at the Personal Style Linkup, then I’ll be back to respond to your comments.

Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!

23 Comments

Summer Statement Necklace Giveaway | #sp Kisspat Boutique June 24, 2014

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.

Recently I had a conversation with a few girlfriends who admitted that they didn’t like wearing costume jewelry and preferred to only wear a small gold chain around their neck. You guys know that is not the case for me as I love wearing costume jewelry especially large rings and bold statement necklaces. There are several reasons why I like to wear them but the number one reason is that they can add pop to a casual outfit or to a plain LBD.

Statement necklaces can also flatter your face and they look great in pictures. Being the frugal fashionista that I am, you know that I don’t spend a lot of money on anything, especially costume jewelry so when I discovered Kisspat Boutique I was happy that it was in-line with my budget. Kisspat Boutique offers inexpensive jewelry and accessories and they ship worldwide. They also have weekly giveaways and 10% off your first order.

This Summer Statement necklace also comes in several other colors and if you want to see more of what they have to offer, check out their blog at Fortheloveoftrend.com or on Facebook and Pinterest

I like how this necklace jazzed up my thrifted LBD, what do you think. To jazz up one of your summer outfits, Kisspat Boutique has offered to give away a Summer Statement necklace to one of my lucky readers. This Rafflecopter contest ends at midnight on 7/29/14, so enter today then share this post with others.

Let’s Chat – what is your favorite piece of summer jewelry?

Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

39 Comments

Hello ladies…sorry guys but I am just talking to the ladies today, we’ll chat later.

Personally I like wearing sleeveless tanks and sheath dresses all year long and the panty hose and tights are gone as soon as the boots come off. Fortunately at work we can dress casually, however, it is still Corporate so there definitely will be no shorts, crop tops or flip flops.

These are just a few outfits that I’ve worn during the warm Spring weather, next week I will feature my sheath dresses for the summer sizzle.

Thrifted denim dress with Avon accessories

Thrifted blouse and skirt with flats from Marshalls

Thrifted dress and belt, shoes from Avon

Maxi Shirts

Like it loose and carefree

Totally Thrifted

Weekend Wear

Let’s Chat: What are your warm weather wardrobe must-haves?

Now it’s your turn, what are you thankful for this week?

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.

Thank you for voting and for all of your comments in last week’s You Choose The Shoes contest. I hope you are having as much fun as I am with this mid-week blog feature. There were many comments and suggestions but the overwhelming majority chose the UrbanOg sandals.

This week’s contenders includes a recently purchased pair of sandals from Payless versus the Paula Abdul Forever collection from Avon.

If I am not mistaken, this faux wrap dress was purchased at JC Penney and the colors work well with both pair of sandals, what do you think? I am very upset that JC Penney was shut down at the Exton Square Mall as they had some great clearance bargains.

It was such a bright sunny Sunday that it was hard to keep from squinting, so concentrate on the shoes instead of my eyes!

So which shoes do you choose?

Have you decided – take another look.

Can’t wait to see which pair you chose, have a wonderful day!

Leave your comments below and I’ll respond when I get back from The Pleated Poppy.

Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!

Hello Friends, I hope all is well in your world.

Today is the day that my hubby is officially retired from the State of Delaware – WOOHOO – CONGRATS Hun!

Prior to this day and for the past several years he has chosen and then changed his mind on a half dozen places of where he wants us to live when we both retire. The first destination he chose was Africa and the last was Arizona, so it’s obvious he hasn’t narrowed it down to one location.

Recently I read an article on Latin America’s la vida buena and what caught my attention was the fact that our Social Security would allow us to live comfortably in paradise.

Although I have several more years before even considering retirement, living in paradise on less than 2 grand a month sounds like a plan and Latin America just might be the place to be…guess I better start brushing up on my Spanish!

Let’s Chat: Would you retire outside of the USA?

Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!

REPOST

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.

Do you remember wearing tie dye clothing in elementary and junior high school? I used to love this DIY craft but it always seemed so messy and time consuming. I’m not sure if the Rit Dye products have changed or that I just have more patience, either way, it’s not hard to do.

Add 1/2 cup of salt and a few squirts of dishwashing liquid to help fabric absorb dye.

Heat water to boiling. Dampen shirt with warm water then twist and wrap with rubber bands.

Pour boiled water into a tub, add package of Rit Dye, salt and dishwashing liquid then stir gently to dissolve. Make sure to cover your work surface with a plastic covering, I used a Dollar Tree tablecloth.

Put shirt into tub of water and allow to soak for at least 30 minutes, the longer you keep it in the darker the color will be.

For the canvas sneakers, I used a paint brush to cover the rubber sides with Vaseline to prevent dye from staining.

Use painters tape or masking tape which probably would have been better to add a stripe or patterns to the sneakers.

Use a sponge brush to lightly paint the canvas, you can go over it several times to make it darker, just take your time.

After soaking the shirt for the desired amount of time, carefully discard water, I poured mine into the toilet and immediately flushed to prevent staining.

Rinse shirt in cold water until it runs clear or take it outside and use a garden hose to rinse. I kept pouring my water into the toilet because it was late.

Wash in cold water using same color or old towels and two sheets of Shout Color Catchers.

While waiting for the shirt to wash, I added a little ‘Bling’ to the back of the sneakers using E6000 glue.

I hung the shirt to dry and wore it the next day to the #RadiantOrchidSummer party which you can read about here

Let’s Chat: Do you like Tie Dye clothing?

Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!

Gather your family and friends, because Womensforum.com is ready to set you up with the perfect summertime picnic!

Enter to win a picnic basket, blanket, outdoor dining kit and even an outdoor MP3 speaker to create a fun, and delicious day under the summer sun!

Open Worldwide ~ Click HERE to enter.

Contest ends on 7/16/2014 @ 9:00PM PT

Hello friends and Happy Fri-Yay!

Take a look at these guys, I saw them on the Boardwalk in AC and thought about how much this means to me in my daily life.

So many of you stopped by to add some fantastic posts at last week’s party and we truly appreciate you all.

Congratulations to this week’s FEATURED Bloggers.

You are also featured on our Pinterest board as well, so please feel free to copy and paste the button onto your blog page as well.

This Simple Home

Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest

DeDivah Deals

Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest

Snippets of Inspiration Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Google+

A Living Sacrifice

Blog/Facebook/Pinterest/Etsy

Mustard Seed MommyBlog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Google+

Moms Who Save

Blog/Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest/Google+

Hello friends and Happy Fri-Yay! A few weeks ago before the summer heat began to sizzle I made Fajitas with Perdue Chicken Breasts. This easy breezy recipe was not only fun to make but filling enough for hubby and my mini men.

The ingredients used are staples that I normally have in the pantry and refrigerator because Mexican food is quite popular in our home.

INGREDIENTS:

Perdue Perfect Portions chicken breasts – cut into 1/2″ strips

2 tbls vegetable oil – divided

McCormick Fajita Seasoning and 1/4 cup water

Shredded Mexican (Taco) Cheese

1 medium Onion – fresh or frozen – sliced

Peppers – fresh or frozen – sliced

Whole Wheat Tortillas

OPTIONS

Lime

Fresh Spinach leaves

Cilantro

Avocado

**CARLOS SANTANA’S SEXY SANDALS!!!**