Task it Tuesday - Oct 2

Originally created by The Geeky Blogger, Task It Tuesday is a weekly meme to help you--and me--get things done. The challenge is to post a task or list of tasks you want to complete before next Tuesday. These tasks can help you with your blogging life, reading life, personal or professional life.

Welcome to October. The cooler weather has come to Western Mass--which we can't complain much about. My lovely little fall garden is growing. I sat down to do a bit of writing yesterday (always a good thing), and I'm feeling somewhat productive.

Over the weekend, I cleaned the living areas of our home. The floors even got vacuumed and washed. Don't I lead an exciting life?

Here are this week's goals:

• Clean my office. It is driving me insane.
• Pack away all the summer clothes.
• Find a way to take three days off before November 1. This will be the tough one, since I've got a lot going on at work. 

What are your goals this week?

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts - May 30

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts is hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. This is a chance for book bloggers to dabble in areas besides books (but those are welcome too). Share your plans for the weekend, a rant on people not using their turn signals in parking lots, or your love of Sunday morning mimosas.

1. So glad the garden is ready for planting. 
2. Where am I going to find the time to actually plant anything? 
3. Don't fresh fruits and vegetables I've grown sound wonderful?
4. Where am I going to find the time to weed the garden? 
5. Do you think the neighbors care that the weeds in my mailbox garden have staged a mutiny and are taking over the actual flowers? 
6. Do you think the next door neighbor is tired of seeing that half empty spot where my hostas use to grow before the voles ate them?

The season has barely begun and I am exhausted. Just have to take it one step at a time, right Jesus? 

Busy Days, Busy Mom

This is definitely me lately. It has been a hectic two weeks around here. We took the Lil' Diva, the Lil' Princess, and a friend to Cape Cod for a few days for the Lil' Diva's 16th birthday. Oh my gosh, how did that happen? Didn't I just take that girl home from the hospital.

The real estate market continues to be crazy. Sales in our county were up 10% from the same time last year and up 5.3% in the Pioneer Valley overall. I'm working late many days of the week and that's no fun since summer is winding down and the girls will be going back to school next Wednesday. 

Last Friday we also transitioned my father-in-law into assisted living. My mother-in-law, who is more independent and not in such ill health, is still living at home. It's tough bouncing around between two homes and trying to keep everything moving forward, but we will figure it out. Thankfully God sends little blessings throughout the week to encourage us. 

I've got new book arrivals to share if I ever have time to post a Mailbox Monday and I've got at least one book review to write. 

Well, tomorrow is another day and we will see what God has in store for us. Hope you are having a great week. 

Mailbox Monday - Aug 8

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

This will be a crazy week for me. I'm covering for another agent, have a house inspection and a closing; so I'm not expecting to blog too much.

Over the weekend, we helped a member of our church family celebrate his 60th birthday, had my son and daughter over for supper, and moved some new furniture up to the bonus room--doesn't that last one sound like fun...not.

Only one book last week, but that's good because I need to catch up. Oh, and if any of you can help me find my lost Kindle Fire cord, that would be good. I know it came back from vacation, but where it ended up as we unpacked is a mystery.

Faith, hope, and love remain forever in season in this collection of four richly absorbing novellas set amidst the wonder of an Amish autumn.


Under the Harvest Moon, by Beth Wiseman

When Naomi Dienner is suddenly widowed, she never expects to find love again . . . until she meets Brock Mulligan, an English family friend hired at harvest time. As a sinister presence begins to threaten Naomi, Brock seeks to prove himself trustworthy while struggling with growing feelings for Naomi and her children. Will God open Naomi’s heart—and give Brock his own second chance at love?

Love and Buggy Rides, by Amy Clipston

Janie Lantz is a cashier at Lancaster Souvenirs and Buggy Rides, where Jonathan Stoltfuz is a buggy driver. A frightening accident brings Janie and Jonathan together in a blossoming friendship, yet daunting obstacles stand between them and something deeper. Can love kindle into flames that burn away fear and regret—and lead them to a life together?

Mischief in the Autumn Air, by Vannetta Chapman

When items start going above market value at his auction house, Eli Wittmer is first thrilled, and then puzzled. But when the house is broken into, Eli and his new bookkeeper, Martha Beiler track down a trail of clues. Will they solve the mystery before the fall festival ends—and discover an unexpected new love?


A Quiet Love, by Kathleen Fuller

Dinah Hochstetler, quiet and bookish, longs for marriage but hides in her shyness. Amos Mullett, a simple farmer, knows he’s different but aches for a loving wife. As Dinah and Amos navigate a budding romance, will the power of love—and the blessing of God—be enough to overcome their doubters?

What was in your mailbox?

Things I Miss as a Busy Mom

Ins't this clip art great? While my breastfeeding days are far behind me, I am pulled in twenty different directions each day. Here are some things I've really been missing lately:

• Time to read. I used to read every night. Now I am lucky to finish one book every few months.
• Time to blog. My blogs are being abandoned, which kills me because I worked so hard to grow them. 
• Time to write. I can't remember the last time I sat at my desk to write a few lines. 
• Time to cook. It used to be home-cooked meals around here seven days a week. Now I'm lucky to make a meal once a week. Not only that, I have been eating lunch out more lately too.
• Time to clean. Doesn't that sound silly? I'm just sick and tired of my house always being a mess. 

What I feel I am doing right is making time for the kids despite how busy I am. The Lil' Diva will be 15 this August and the Lil' Princess is turning 13 in November. Time is short to take advantage of them being home and I plan to spend every moment with the girls that I can.

What are some things you miss as a busy mom?

Recipes for Busy Moms

I don't know about you, but there are days I am simply tired of hearing, "I don't know" when I ask my family what they want for supper. I have popular food items --pasta, chicken and rice, hot dogs and beans--on hand at all times, but I like to try out new recipes that work for my busy schedule. Here are links to lists of bunches of recipes for busy moms:

MyRecipes.com offers more than 50 chicken dinners, kid-approved breakfast recipes, Mexican casseroles, slow cooker recipes and more. Click here.

Food.com has 50 All-Time Favorite Dinners, 10 On-the-Go Breakfasts, and 50 Best Soup Recipes. Click here.

The Busy Mom's Recipe Box is a site run by two busy moms blogging about food. The great thing is they offer an index of their recipes per category so you can browse for things that catch your eye. The Hawaiian Grilled Chicken sounds good to me. Click here.

Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms offers readers recipes, reviews and giveaways. They participate in a weekly blog hop called "Melt In Your Mouth Monday Recipe Blog Hop." Sounds yummy to me. Click here.

Do you have any favorite sites you like to visit for quick and easy recipes? Please share links in the comments so I can check them out.

Back to School Tips for Busy Moms

I'm not sure how it is around your place, but this busy mom is balancing work and getting the kids ready to go back to school. Here are links to some back to school tips for all us busy moms.

Time management tips: http://lifeasmom.com/2012/08/5-time-management-tips-for-busy-moms-for-back-to-school-season.html

Great list of links for all kinds of good stuff: New School Year Resolutions, After-School Routine Checklist, Must-Have Apps for Moms, and more! http://life.familyeducation.com/parenting/organization/34428.html

Ways to avoid Back to School signup chaos: http://www.workingmother.com/content/4-ways-avoid-back-school-signup-chaos 

Storage solutions: http://www.workingmother.com/content/11-back-school-storage-solutions

As a Busy Mom Thinks - Stretched Too Thin

I temporarily dropped out of my online writing group because as I told them, "I am stretched thinner than a thong bikini on an elephant."

The blessing of being busy with real estate has been wonderful, but my recovery on top of helping my in-laws since my father-in-law's fall, both my daughters having medical issues and just normal day to day stuff, has left me wiped out.

Amazingly, despite all the added things on my plate, my husband's schedule hasn't changed much. Not sure how that happened, but this time in my life reminds me of the Calgon commercials from the 1980s.

As a Busy Mom Thinks

Today is the release of a new regular column at The Busy Mom's Daily. This idea has been in the back of my mind for quite a while. When it began percolating, I envisioned it as a way to share opinions about a variety of things; a springboard for discussions with other busy moms. Let’s face it, not only do we busy moms work hard, we have opinions about a variety of topics. We should be able to share and discuss them whenever we want.

The title of this new column, “As a Busy Mom Thinks,” has its origins with Laura Ingalls Wilder. Before becoming a world famous children’s author, Wilder wrote a regular column for the Missouri Ruralist entitled, “As a Farm Woman Thinks.” She discussed home, family, and world events. I envision “As a Busy Mom Thinks” to be similar.

If you are interested in writing a guest post for “As a Busy Mom Thinks,” please email me at ccmal@charter.net.

I’m going to kick off this column with a bit of a rant. Why not start with a bang, right?

Why is it that working moms are expected to juggle family life and career, but working dads aren’t always expected to help out around the house?

When we first moved in here, both of us worked outside the home. Once I left the corporate world to become a stay-at-home mom, I felt part of my contribution was to take care of the house and run errands. For some reason, however, the expectation is that despite me working 40 hours a week now, I should still be the one to do all the laundry, cook, keep the house clean, and run errands. Do I look like Wonder Woman?

So, I must ask, is it the same way at your house or do I simply need to put my foot down?

Hope you enjoy this new column. I look forward to our discussions.