Monthly Archives: October 2019

Current Fall Faves 2019

This is what’s currently going on in my house. I do not have any connection to any of these products except that I like them and I want them.
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Next book club recipe: Shots, Shots, Shots!
Every time we do book club at someones house we do a pot luck and everyone brings something. I was bringing a tropical fruit platter all summer but this time I am going to bring some shots. We’re doing a fire pit night at one of the girls houses. It’s going to be Halloween themed because it the weekend before Halloween.
I can’t do pudding shots cause blah. And jello I am okay with but some girls at book club, not so much… So I am thinking about these two:Fireball Pumpkin Pie Shots

Fireball pumpkin pie shots.

INGREDIENTS
part Fireball whiskey
part vanilla vodka
part Pumpkin Spice Baileys Irish Cream
Shake and serve. I’ll bring the whip cream too.
And/Or I am thinking about these:
Halloween cocktails shots, blood sample, vanilla vodka, pomegranate juice, plastic syringe
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 ounces vanilla vodka
  • 2 1/2 ounces pomegranate juice

I think I might try both of these. Anyone have any really good ones to recommend?

Currently reading: Beloved.
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We read “Paradise” in book club two months ago and some people liked it, some people gave up reading it, other people read it but were confused by it. I liked it and I was confused on some of it. I decided that since I have already finished this months bookclub book and have a few weeks before we meet and pick the next book, I am going to read Beloved.
I just finished Opioid, Indiana:Image result for opioid indiana image
I saw it at the library and picked it up. It was good and a really easy, fast read. I seriously read it Monday night and then I gave it to my husband to read.
I am currently finishing reading “Petals in the Wind” by V. C Andrews, which is the book after this months book club book “Flowers in the Attic” It’s really crazy. I don’t know if I will keep reading the series. I think there are 3 more books to follow… I might just wiki it to finish out what happens.
Currently eyeing: The sweatpants overalls.
It’s fall in the northeast. I saw someone wearing something like these a few weeks ago and I am jealous of that comfort level. I might get these for next bookclub, lounging around the house or all of winter. I’m serious. The only thing holding me back at the moment is the price tag. I already have sweatpants and a sweatshirt and I am not sure spending $95.00 on sweat pant overalls makes any sense at all. It actually doesn’t. But they look comfy as hell.
Swoveralls. What a fantastic idea. Swoveralls.com
And The cloth paper towels.

LUCKISS 100% Bamboo Dish Cloths & Rags Super Absorbent Eco Friendly Kitchen Towels with Scrubbing Side for Washing Dishes White Dishcloths 12 X 12 inch

These are on Amazon for $16.00. The cost of a package of Costco paper towels that I buy at least monthly.
I was thinking about how much we really spend on paper towels. I yell at my husband and kids about how many actual sheets they really need to pick up a spill or dry a glass… I am a little nuts, I admit,  but they are expensive. I think I am going to try something like these and see how it works. If we can cut down on our paper towel usage and not add to much to the weekly laundry, why not?
Currently making: The chicken wing rub for baked wings. This is from thechunkychef.com but for some reason I can’t paste the website. So visit there because there are some good recipes that I will be trying in the future.
Baked chicken wings with spicy dry rub
Oh man, these are good. I made these last weekend and I am going to make them again soon. I liked them dipped in Ranch, my husband liked these dipped in blue cheese. Next time I want to make the Gorgonzola sauce, I bet that’s amazing.

INGREDIENTS

EPIC DRY RUB:

  • 1/2 Tbsp ancho chile pepper
  • 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
  • 3/4 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder
  • 3/4 tsp paprika
  • 3/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you’re worried about the heat level)
  • 1/2 tsp dried mustard powder
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dried ground thyme

WINGS:

  • 4 lbs chicken wings, thawed completely if using a frozen bag
  • 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil

CREAMY GORGONZOLA SAUCE:

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3-6 Tbsp buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 -3 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

MAKE DRY RUB AND CHICKEN WINGS:

  • Preheat oven to 400 F degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with 2 sheets of aluminum foil (or 1 heavy duty sheet).  Top that with an oven safe cooling rack and spray it with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  • Combine all dry rub ingredients in a small mixing bowl, set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, add chicken wings and vegetable oil.  Use a rubber spatula to toss gently to coat.
  • Sprinkle in about half to 2/3 of the dry rub mixture and use your hands to massage it into all of the chicken wings, coating evenly.  Feel free to use all the dry rub, but for a coating like in the photos, 1/2-2/3 of the mixture does just fine.
  • Add chicken wings to prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.

MAKE GORGONZOLA SAUCE:

  • To your food processor or blender, add mayo, buttermilk, sour cream, 1.5 oz of the gorgonzola cheese, garlic, lemon juice, pepper and salt.  Process until smooth.
  • Transfer to serving bowl and stir in remaining gorgonzola cheese.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Currently drinking: Apothic red wine.
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I love a good red wine in the Fall and I love this wine. Seriously, $7.20 a bottle at Total Wine. This is currently my fav. After I had my son 10 years ago, my husband and I use to get a bottle of wine every week after grocery shopping. This was recommended and it stayed with me.

Wednesday Update.

Hi Everyone! It’s Wednesday.
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The kids are off from school, Husband is taking the day off and I am working from work. Ugh. It’s sooo hard to come in when everyone is chilling home in Pj’s and relaxing AND it’s raining and cold. So I ran out of the house early and my boss said I can leave a little early because of that, at least there is that. I hate coming to work when everyone is home. I love those people and I want to be home with them too!
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I have decided to leave my books up. All of them. The response from everyone was so positive and supportive and I truly appreciate it. You are all right, some books aren’t for everyone. Thank you for your support!
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This morning my husband uploaded the pictures from our trip to Cape Cod. I love these pictures because we had an awesome time but it made me realize that I really have to lose weight. I feel like I look okay in my clothes, but then I look at the pictures and I am just not happy with myself. I mean, I look fine but I look heavier than I feel. So, I know I said it last year, and then I fell off. Then I said again, and then I had holidays, birthdays, book club and summer and I watched what I ate, but I still ate what I wanted. I tried to start working out and then made excuses. It’s hot, it’s cold, it’s raining, I’m tired. Well, I am going to start the diet again even at book club. I have to go back to tracking everything, even wine.
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Plus, I have a wedding to attend on 11/1/2019 and I rented the runway and I need to fit in one of those dresses. I am excited about that though. I got the idea from my sister in law. It was $88.00 and I get one dress in 2 sizes and then a back up dress. I can’t wait to get them and try them on. You get them for 4 days and then you send them back. I will definitely have a review of that afterwards. Have you ever tried this yet? What did you think?
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That’s pretty much where I am at right now. I need to continue writing my next book. I think I am going to upgrade to the next WordPress package for a year to see what that does…
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Does anyone have the business account? Is it worth it in your opinion? I just want to try some of the plug ins to see what those do.
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Do they help? Are there some that you love and would recommend?

Would you take your book down because of a bad review?

It’s Monday. I actually don’t mind it today.
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I published a couple books with some stories from my life. I realized they were all on the short side so I took the advice of a couple people and combined them all together, I called it “Moving Forward” and self published on Amazon. I had a couple people read them. Out of those people I had a couple positive reviews and then I saw on good reads I was rated 2 out of 5 by 2 other people. It made me feel really bad. That’s not a good rating at all. My most recent book, “Little me, Big World” was given 4 out of 5 by 2 people. That will stay up.
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So I am trying to decide if I should take down my first books. My husband said they were interesting to him and he thinks I should keep them up. I don’t know. I’m trying to figure it out. When I wrote the books and then combined them to create one book with my stories, I was thrilled when I received an email from a man who said he enjoyed it and he liked the way I wrote. Then I see these 2 stars, twice and I am really questioning if I should keep this book up. I’m not going to take it down just yet. I am still thinking about it.
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What would you do?

I was Invited.

My daughter has a friend and her mom is actually one of the few moms that I feel comfortable hanging out with and I can talk to for a while. In fact, my husband and I doubled dated with her and her boyfriend and went to drag queen bingo about a year ago. We had a blast.
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Then they got married, bought a house and she found out she was pregnant. I am very happy for her but we’ve both been pretty busy so we haven’t really connected except for a few texts over the months and our daughters hanging out a handful of times. Either we went somewhere or she picked up my daughter and they went somewhere.
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Anyway, I am invited to her baby sprinkle this weekend and I don’t think I am going to go. When she text me about it, I said I would put it in my calendar. Then a couple weeks later I got the invite and I put it on my fridge and forgot to RSVP. So now I don’t know if I should just show up or not. Or should I call like “whoops”?
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I know I hate it when people just show up to the kids birthday parties without RSVP’ing. And I usually RSVP even if it’s just to say I can’t make it. I totally flaked this time and forgot.
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Besides that, I don’t know anyone who is going except the mom. I am going to buy a gift and I will give it to her but my anxiety is at a high right now. I am torn about what to do but I don’t even really like going to parties where I know a bunch of people and the thought of going to one where I know only one person makes me so nervous. So I think I am not going to go tomorrow.
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I don’t know, what would you do in this situation?

Family Trip to Cape Cod- Reviews

We went here the last weekend in September. I love the Cape in September. It’s not hot and it’s not that cold yet either. 70’s to 80’s. My ideal outfit is sneakers, jeans and a sweatshirt and this time of year the weather is perfect for that outfit.
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We took my mom, sister, niece, husband, our 2 kids and me. We’ve been there a couple times. My mom, sister and niece have never been before. I was super excited to show them how awesome Cape Cod is.
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We got there Friday afternoon, checked in and then went out to explore. We stayed till Sunday. Here’s our trip to Cape Cod!
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Hampton inn and suites – I always stay at a Hilton because I am in their rewards program. It was $800.00 for two rooms for 2 nights. We loved the pool and the breakfast and the beds were pretty comfy. I called down for extra pillows and they told me to come down to the front. Usually they bring them up. My sister went to the front to get a couple extra pillows for herself and they told her that they would send them up? So I don’t know. I think next year I will rent a house closer to the beach we loved. For the same price we can rent a house, make our own breakfast and dinner and have common space to hang out. It’s hard to hang out when you have different rooms.
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Skipper Chowder House. This is the first place we went to eat. I love sitting on the deck of this place. Across the street is a beach that you can park free at (In September not sure about the summer). We enjoy eating and then crossing the street and walking down the beach a bit. We ordered clams and oysters and fried clam chowder. Everything was delicious. The fried clam chowder was new to us, and delicious. My mom and sister ordered the lobster roll with butter, no mayo, and loved it. My son and niece loved their cheeseburgers. My daughter enjoyed her chicken fingers. I had the scallops over salad and that was really good. I think I had the same thing last year. My husband had clam roll and he liked it. It was huge!
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Shops in Hyannis. Some cute shops. I bought a hat for $10.00 which seemed to be about the same everywhere. It was nice to walk around and look in the shops. We got Ice Cream which was really good.
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Then we went back to the hotel and went swimming and then ordered pizza.
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Palio pizzeria. We order delivery ever time we come. Delicious. My sister loved the cheese breadsticks. I loved the crunchy and chewy crust of the pizza. My kids liked the spaghetti but didn’t want the meatball so my husband and I shared it. We both liked it. My niece had the meatball sub and she said it was alright but soggy because delivery. My mom liked the pizza too.
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Hy-Line cruise, parking lot  was $5.00 for a couple hours. I know there is free parking at the town hall but we didn’t mind spending the $5.00. $18 per adult. Kids 12 and under were free for the morning hour long harbor cruises. My 14 year old niece got a kick out of being an adult. I liked it. It was a really enjoyable hour. They have a bar, snack bar downstairs. Kids loved taking pictures. The woman giving the tour was funny and knowledgeable.
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Black Cat Tavern. It’s almost across the street from the cruise. There are 3 parts to this restaurant. The tavern is the more $$$, had a little more to their menu and serves your food on plates. The other one ? Serves on paper and plastic and that’s the difference. I didn’t go to the bar in the middle. Wings were crispy. I loved my baked stuffed shrimp. My husband didn’t like his shrimp tacos at all. My son and niece ate most of their burgers. My daughter loved the chicken fingers. My mom liked her baked stuffed shrimp as well. My sister ordered the scampi and it wasn’t really scampi. Or maybe it was? What is scampi supposed to be? It was citrusy and she was expecting garlic and butter.  She ate it. But it wasn’t what she expected and she wouldn’t order that again. I don’t think we will be going back here next year. The merchandise was cute though so my sister bought a t-shirt.
After lunch we headed to the beach to walk a bit.
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Mayflower Beach. My absolute favorite beach. I haven’t visited many yet, but I always make a trip to this one. My niece fell in love with this beach, she wanted to live there. My kids love this beach too. My daughter ran around collecting shells. My husband took some great pictures. My son wanted to keep walking out in the water. To me, this beach showcases the magic of Cape Cod. We easily could have stayed here a few more hours. Next year I want to bring chairs and a picnic and watch the sunset. I bet it’s amazing.
After this we hit some tourist shops and stopped for ice cream.
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Cape cod creamery. A quick stop. I had the pistachio. There were A LOT of pistachios in it. My mom and I both agreed that it was yummy. My son had the soft serve chocolate and he ate the entire cone.
Then we headed back to the hotel to swim and order pizza. I am not sure where we ordered from but I wasn’t that crazy about it. It’s pizza so I still ate it but I prefer Pailo Pizzeria still.
Sunday morning we took our time packing up and enjoyed the complimentary breakfast at the hotel. After check out we went to the pirate museum and stopped at one last shop and then a place to eat before heading home. I really could have stayed at least one more night. Next year we’ll stay for 3 nights.
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Pirate museum. My mom said she was surprised how much she liked it. My niece too. They thought it was really interesting and I was really glad to go back and walk through again. There was stuff I saw this time that I missed last year. I think this is a great place to go for a couple hours. I bought the groupon for all of us and it definitely saved us some money.
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Captain Parker’s Pub. We stopped here after the Pirate Museum. It’s across the parking lot.  We all really enjoyed our food. I had the cup of chowder and a fish cake. I enjoyed all of it. The wings were good, crispy and spicy. My husband had the fish and chips and he said it was flaky and delicious. That says a lot coming from him. My son had the steak tips. He ate all of it. We would go back here to try other things.
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We had a wonderful trip. The only thing I wished is that we had another day. I love Cape Cod and I love it in September. The weather was wonderful. It wasn’t hot, it wasn’t cold. Perfect fall weather. If you haven’t gone, you should at least once. Everyone from Grandma to my 7 year old had a blast and we all agree that next year we will be back.

October Goals

I can not believe it is October already. This year feels like it’s flying by.  This month is my 1 year anniversary of really writing on my blog.
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I am happy with the progress! My challenge was to write one blog a day, everyday that I worked, for a year. It didn’t happen. But I did really well until the summer. I was starting to burn out trying to write and promote everyday and it started to not be enjoyable anymore. Now I aim for 2-3 posts a week about whatever is going on and then I promote them for a couple days through twitter, pintrest and sometimes facebook. That seems to work best for me.
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I thought I would make some money but I have only made $4.00 off ad’s. I tried joining Amazon Affiliates, I didn’t sell anything through my links so they suspended my account, which is fine. I haven’t really written a lot of blogs that push products. I’m not really interested in that right now. I am not mad about it. I am happy that people are reading, relating, commenting and liking. I think that makes it worth it. I also love that I can see all the countries that are reading. It’s really cool to me to see that people across the world have looked at my blog.
If you do like what you read, you can buy me a coffee, or buy my book “Little me, Big world”. My son picked that name. Either way, thank you for stopping by.
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My goal for October is just to keep writing. I think my next step might be to self host my blog so I can add plug ins and try to grow it a little more. I am not that tech savvy though so the thought of moving over to something new is a little scary to me.
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Do you self host? What’s your experience?