I love the Spring and Summer seasons, not only because of the warmer weather but because of the shoes! Sandals and open-toes are my favorites, but wedges, platforms, kitten heels, high heels, pumps, flats, it doesn’t matter, I wear them all.
I know that I’m not alone when I say, “I LOVE Shoes“. I’ve been known to purchase 3 different pairs all at the same time…all on the same day… AND all at the same store ~ I LOVE Shoes! Unfortunately, having only one pair of feet can cause a dilemma, the decision on which pair to wear for a particular outfit can be frustrating.
This new blog feature, “You Choose the Shoes” is helping me by giving you an opportunity to choose the pair of shoes that I’ll wear with a particular outfit of the day.
Okay, for this outfit which pair should I wear?
The Polka Dot sleeveless tank was thrifted from Goodwill and red Capri pants were on clearance at JC Penney?
I had to do one of those 3-toe polishes this morning, but I will be making an appointment for my annual Spring pedicure!
So which one did you choose?
I’ll be linking up with my favorite fashionistas Whitney Nic James and Shana at ColorBlind, so when you get a chance hop over and check out their thrifted finds.
If you’re anything like me no matter what year in your career you’re in, the countdown to retirement has begun. I never told hubby, but when he signed his retirement papers on the 28th of February I was extremely jealous! It’s not that I’m ready to sit home and do nothing or pack my bags and start traveling, I am just looking forward to the day when I have the option to work or NOT!
At this point in my life I am too young and active to retire or at least retire without a plan, which is why this blog is part of a bigger 5-year plan. I’ve thought about starting a small business, but it would have to one of little to no stress and definitely little to NO commuting involved!
Ideally, I would love to sit on the dock of a bay with a laptop or tablet writing and creating. Perhaps I’ll have a little shack where tourist can purchase fishing bait and tackle!
http://www.cityofchesapeake.net/
There was an article published in USA Today thatcaught my attention, it stated that “more older entrepreneurs are starting businesses after they’ve worked and retired from other careers”. They have been labeled “encore entrepreneurs”. An encore entrepreneur is someone over the age of 50 who starts a small business or begins a new career. Some of these small businesses are non-profits that provide a social need such as job training for the unemployed. Others turn their hobby or passion into an income stream which is part of my 5-year plan.
Of course as with any new start-up there are obstacles and challenges, but with age comes wisdom and knowledge both of which are a plus for the encore entrepreneur. Job layoffs, supplementing or replacing income are just a few reasons for starting a business after the age of 50.
However, with people living longer becoming an encore entrepreneur gives us an opportunity to stay active and do something that perhaps we’ve always wanted to do.
What about you, are you ready to retire or regroup and become an encore entrepreneur?
It’s official Spring has finally sprung, look who I caught poking around outside!
Spring Has Sprung
With my son’s graduation right around the corner on the 22nd of May it’s time to get some yard and house work done which will begin in earnest tomorrow.
Tonight I begin the income taxes and no, I didn’t start them last Friday but now I have hit the deadline wall!
However, before I begin, let’s get this party started by introducing the Featured Bloggers
The Sunny Patch
Dumpster Diving Darling
Bakewell Junction
Happy House and Home
Yesterfood
The Inspired Wren
Thank you all and please feel free to add this button to your blog and check our Pinterest Page as you are also featured there.
Please follow these rules in order to be considered as a Featured Blogger
As one of your hosts, I would like to welcome you all and ask that you not just “link and leave” but to stick around, read a few other blogs and follow one or all of us.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Jennie-O.com for which I received compensation, all opinions are 100% my own.
Hello Friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
As a family we don’t eat pork nor a lot of red meat so most of the time my meals are made with either chicken or turkey. Before becoming a member of the JENNIE-O Switch Circle, I had always purchased Jennie-O bacon and breakfast sausage which my son loves and I use the ground turkey in my lasagna and tacos.
This partnership is perfect because now when I receive coupons and merchandise from Jennie-O, it gives me an opportunity to try new recipes and then share them with you.
Today’s Friday Foodie Feature is
Spinach & Feta Cheese Frittatas with Turkey Bacon
Ingredients
1 package #JennieO Turkey Bacon
7 eggs
1 cup fresh spinach chopped
1/2 cup onions chopped
1/3 cup Feta Cheese
1/3 cup milk
pepper to taste
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cold skillet with cooking spray then prepare JennieO Turkey bacon according to package instructions and set aside.
Rinse and remove stems from spinach leaves, chop them and 1/2 of the onion into bite size pieces
Saute both in same skillet used to cook bacon until spinach is wilted
Whip eggs, feta cheese, milk and pepper before adding spinach, onions and bacon. Cut bacon into bite size pieces, I use kitchen shears to make the job easier.
Because we drink Ricemilk I recently starting cooking with it, and find that foods tastes just as good if not better than when made with whole milk.
Spray muffin pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking then pour or spoon mixture into each cup approximately 2/3 full.
Bake 20 minutes, then watch out because they smell wonderful and my son couldn’t wait to try them!
Grab a cup of coffee or tea then sit back, relax to enjoy a leisurely breakfast or an afternoon snack.
What I like about this recipe is that I can make the Frittatas the night before, then hubby and the boys can warm them up the next morning in the toaster oven.
How about you, have you tried #JennieO turkey products or would you make the @SwitchToTurkey?
Jennie-O has offered to send $20.00 worth of coupons to one of my lucky readers! Just click JennieO.com and check out their product line, then come back and leave a comment telling us what Jennie-O Turkey product you would like to try and how you would prepare it?
1 winner (US only) will be randomly chosen by me, the contest ends next Friday, April 18th at Midnight
Have a fantastical Friday ~ See ya back here at 6:00 p.m. for the #WWDParty!
I wore this end-of-the-season outfit in March, but with all the activity at the end of the month I didn’t get a chance to post it. This is officially the last of the winter wardrobe pics because today it’s going to be 70 degrees…time for a pedicure because the boots have been put away!
Everything was thrifted from Goodwill at different times and from different locations so it was fun putting it all together.
Even though I wore a short sleeve blouse, there was still a slight chill in the air so I opted to wear the brown suede jacket which was also thrifted.
Of the entire thrifted outfit, I like this unique thick belt the best, what do you think?
Remember how excited I was to finally find a pair of Riding Boots, and to find them new at Goodwill for only $18.99 was awesome. The hooks on the back gave them an edgier look which made it a better thrifted find.
Now it’s time to go through my closets and purge items that I did not wear last season or were much too tight thanks to menopausal weight gain or perhaps too much winter wine. Anywho, whatever I find will be re-donated back to Goodwill which is the best part of thrifting.
Today I’m linking up with one of my favorite thriftinistas over at ColorBlind and then I’ll swing by to see DC Goodwill Fashionista so if you get a chance, come on over and check out their thrifty finds.
Most of you know that hubby will retiring this summer after 32+ years of service with the State of Delaware. Although he will be leaving the School District he won’t be leaving the workforce…at least not entirely. He may not know where the next phase of life will take him, he does vow not to have to wear a suit and tie again.
So with a closet full of them, where will they go after my sons have raided his closet, the answer is simple, they will be donated to Goodwill. Hubby may be leaving his job, but in donating his suits, ties, suspenders and shoes he will be helping to create jobs for others.
Using this online Goodwill Donation Calculator we can determine just how much our donations will be helping the community. For example, one man’s suit will provide 14 minutes of resume preparation and a pair of shoes will provide 19 minutes of the same.
Try it out for yourself as you pack up your donations.
You may not be leaving a job, but if your spring cleaning includes clearing out a cluttered closet to make room for more stuff, pack it up and donate it to Goodwill.
I’ll be the first to admit it, but hubby isn’t the only person that needs to clean out their closet…mine is due for some serious purging…need to make room for new shoes!
For more information on just how your donations work, check out this “How We Do It” PSA.
Just as the spring flowers are getting ready to bloom, many available homes on the real estate market throughout Delaware will be opening their doors to kick off the spring buying season.
Here are some helpful tips so that you are prepared when attending Open Houses:
• Wear Comfortable shoes – as the warm weather approaches I know its very tempting to want to wear those high summer wedges, but it might be a good idea to leave them behind and grab your comfortable walking shoes since you will be doing a lot of walking through houses as well as going up and down stairs.
• Ask permission before taking pictures or recording a video
• Be respectful of the homeowner’s personal belongings – while it is acceptable to open closets and draws, you want to be mindful that you are not rummaging or snooping through the current homeowner’s personal belongings.
• Bring a notebook or tablet –you may have a copy of the listing advertisement, but it is always helpful to you the buyer to be able to make your own notes on the specific aspects of the property that you either like or dislike.
If you or someone you know is in the market for purchasing a new home, please feel free to contact Cleo Clarke at (302)397-4063. And don’t forget to ask her about programs for First-Time Homebuyers or 100% financing!
Cleo Clarke, MBA Century 21 Premier Homes 5350 Summit Bridge Rd. Middletown, DE 19709 Email: cleo.clarke@century21.com Office: (302)449-3222 Direct: (302)397-4063 Website: www.homesbycleo.com Like me on Facebook – homesbycleo Follow me on Twitter – @homesbycleo
Welcome to the Weekend Wind-Down Party (#WWDParty)
I am definitely glad to see this week end because between hubby’s hospitalization and my stomach virus this has definitely been a heck of a week. I am glad for the weekend even though I need to start working on my 2013 income taxes, yes, I said, “start”. I don’t know where the time went but it snuck up on me too quickly this year.
I finally got a chance to check out everyone’s posts Tuesday night and needless to say, if my stomach wasn’t messed up, I would have been drooling over some of those decadent desserts!
Congratulations to this week’s Featured Bloggers
Reviews, Chews and How-To’s
Purple Hues and Me
The Casual Craftlete
the colored door
Bakewell Junction
View from the Fridge
Please feel free to post this button on your blog and check our Pinterest page as you are also being featured there.
The rules remain the same and it would be nice to see more link backs to the party, as this is the only way to be selected as a Featured Blogger as well as it being a courteous guest.
We hope that you won’t just post and run but will take time to visit at least 3 other blogs then follow your hosts on at least one Social Media platform.
We may have just turned the corner with the warmer temps on the horizon. Once the seasons change from winter to Spring and then to Summer, there are two things that are forefront in my mind – eating light and vacation.
Eating light while on vacation is great, but when that’s not possible, I try to make the best of it with foods that conjures up the places that I would rather be.
Today’s Friday Foodie Feature is Ceviche
There’s something about mixing lime juice, fish and cilantro that reminds me of either a Conch Salad from the Bahamas or Ceviche from Mexico. Conch is giant sea snail, which I can’t get in Middletown, but like ceviche it can also be made with scallops.
This cold appetizer is a great way for me to start a vacation even if it’s only a mental one, and if I add a cold beer…everything is right in the world!
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh bay scallops – diced into quarters
6 limes or bottled lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper – diced
1/2 green pepper – diced
1 Avocado – diced
1/2 cup onions – diced
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes – halved
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cilantro – chopped
Dice the bay scallops into quarters, then place them into a bowl. Pour in enough lime juice to cover them all. Put plastic wrap around bowl, pressing down to ensure that all the scallops are covered and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
While the scallops are marinating or “cooking” in the lime juice prepare the other ingredients.
Remove scallops from refrigerator and bowl, do not rinse.
The scallops should be white and firm to the touch.
Drain scallops and add other ingredients, stirring to mix well
Ceviche can also be made with any other firm fleshed fish, ie, red snapper but use the freshest fish possible and make in the same day of purchase.
What foods reminds you of a Spring or Summer vacation? Come back at 6:00 p.m. and share it at the
For far too many years, we have had several relatives affected by cancer, mostly breast but lung and colon cancer has also reared their ugly heads. We watched them go through treatment, recovery, get worse, become survivors or die. Cancer don’t care who you are, where you live, or even how you live.
Lung cancer has taken the lives of smokers as well as non-smokers and breast cancer invades the bodies of men as well as women and for far too long.
We have watched the deterioration of some and dealt with the sudden death of others. We have grieved as a family and attended the funerals and memorial services. Cancer don’t care about any of this.
My mother-in-law battled colon cancer, she put up a good fight, in and out of Hospice Care for over a year until her small frame, weighing less than 100 lbs could no longer take it…she died on Saturday August 31, 2013.
“You have cancer” is a phrase that no one ever wants to hear, especially a healthy, active, non smoking, non drinking man who is entering his next phase of life. Retirement papers signed after 32 years with the State of Delaware…now onward to that 2nd half of life and getting a start on the “honey-do” list.
Cancer Don’t Care!
Colonoscopy began at the age of 45, he ate little to no red meat, exercised daily, had a happy life with a happy wife and kids in slow suburban Middletown, DE.
Cancer Don’t Care!
Years of pain and an irritable bowel, yet, no detection of cancer, until one specialist working in God’s favor does an endoscopy and there is was hidden in the small intestines.
Cancer Don’t Care!
Diagnosed on the 21st…surgery on the 26th with no signs it has spread, and guess who’s home today!
