Mailbox Monday - Aug 31

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.

The end of August has arrived. I'm not sure how I feel about it. The Lil' Princess heads back to campus today, one more step in getting back to life before the pandemic hit. I think next week I will finally cut off Instacart and return to grocery shopping.

So much of life is still in flux, and I'm facing some decisions that require a great deal of prayer. Nothing dreadful or earth-shattering (the family is fine), but they are not decisions to make lightly.

On a positive note, I received word that I am now licensed to sell real estate in North Carolina. First part of a plan that may see me spending more time down south.

My physical mailbox remained empty last week. I downloaded this seasonal cowboy romance to my Kindle Unlimited library. I am ready for something easy to read.

That's it from my neck of the woods. What did your mailbox hold last week? Are you looking forward to a change of seasons? 

Bargain E-Book: Every Grain of Rice by Fuchsia Dunlop

Fuchsia Dunlop trained as a chef in China’s leading Sichuan cooking school and possesses the rare ability to write recipes for authentic Chinese food that you can make at home. Following her two seminal volumes on Sichuan and Hunan cooking, Every Grain of Rice is inspired by the vibrant everyday cooking of southern China, in which vegetables play the starring role, with small portions of meat and fish.

Try your hand at stir-fried potato slivers with chili pepper, vegetarian "Gong Bao Chicken," sour-and-hot mushroom soup, or, if you’re ever in need of a quick fix, Fuchsia’s emergency late-night noodles. Many of the recipes require few ingredients and are ridiculously easy to make. Fuchsia also includes a comprehensive introduction to the key seasonings and techniques of the Chinese kitchen. With stunning photography and clear instructions, this is an essential cookbook for everyone, beginner and connoisseur alike, eager to introduce Chinese dishes into their daily cooking repertoire.

File Size: 37774 KB
Print Length: 353 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0393089045
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (February 4, 2013)
Publication Date: August 15, 2013
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00E6L8LOG

Purchase here!

Mailbox Monday - Aug 24

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.

Well, the end of August is creeping up on us. I spent time with my mother-in-law this weekend. I will be heading home today. We miss her when she isn't with us, but need to keep her safe from COVID and two of us still work outside the house.

On Saturday, I watched Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. Wow! I would watch it again if I had time. The only good thing about my tinnitus affecting my sleep is that I watch some good TV and movies on the Kindle Fire HD 10. I'm still going through the Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated series, but I don't like it as much as the original show. I don't like how they put Frank and Daphne and Shaggy and Velma into relationships with each other. I don't like how Velma is jealous of Shaggy and Scooby's friendship, either.

My physical mailbox did not hold any treasures, but I picked up a new Kindle Unlimited selection and a Kindle freebie.

I recently heard Richard Rothstein speak, which prompted me to add his book to my Kindle Unlimited collection.

I've read a few books by Pamela Samuels Young, so I picked up this Kindle freebie last week.

That's it for me this week. It will be a busy one as I have two closings, a meeting, and am taking the girls back to school shopping for some new clothes. My wallet is already crying.

Task it Tuesday - Aug 18

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.

I didn't feel like putting together a list this week. My head is pounding. My schedule is crazy. The ringing in my ears has gotten worse and is affecting my sleep. Still, it must be done. Focus is important to productivity.

Here is what last week's list looked like and the progress I made.

• Daily Bible reading--DONE
• Update planner 
• Six meetings--DONE
• Walk three days--DONE
• Prospect three days--Two days
• Read Five Minutes, Mr. Byner due for review this month--In progress
• Continue cleaning bonus room--Cleaned up another area
• Finish next chapter of The Sisterhood--DONE

So, last week ending being a good one. Hopefully, this week will be good as well. Focus is key. 

• Daily Bible reading--so far, so good
• Update planner--not feeling it, but we will see
• NAR Leadership Summit--Mon-Wed
• Four meetings 
• Read Five Minutes, Mr. Byner due for review this month--probably not until this weekend
• Continue cleaning bonus room
• Review of Strong from the Heart by Jon Land--Friday at The Book Connection
• Start editing project

What does your to-do list look like this week?

Going on A Road Trip? Entertain Little Ones with These PBS KIDS Educational Apps!

Now that we are stuck in the house more than we expected, many families are turning to road trips to avoid going stir-crazy. On-screen entertainment is a must for long trips ... unless you enjoy hearing, "Are we there yet?" from the backseat. Parents can use these free PBS KIDS educational apps to engage little ones while tapping into their art, math, science, engineering and design skills. You'll find nearly 200 educational games that can be downloaded for offline play anytime, anywhere.

Here are a few examples:

• Scribbles & Ink, a character-driven interactive series that teaches kids, ages 4 to 8, drawing techniques as they move through six different worlds. Kids can let their imaginations run wild as they become part of the friendship between the beloved cat and mouse duo.
• The Daniel Tiger’s Storybooks app offers a library of interactive stories narrated by Daniel Tiger. The stories show Daniel learning life lessons, like sharing with friends and being a helper. Each book, available in English and Spanish, includes a familiar song, charming animations, and a simple game to encourage children to play about the theme of the story.
• NEW: The Cat in the Hat Invents mobile app encourages young children to learn more about STEM subjects through fun activities such as designing their own robots, exploring different worlds and navigating challenges. Developed with the Next Generation Science Standards in mind, this app allows players to use voice command when selecting specific tools to help characters Nick, Sally and the Cat in the Hat improve their robot.
  
• The Play and Learn Engineering app brings little ones the opportunity to design roller coasters and problem solve through the twists and turns of obstacle courses. It empowers Preschoolers to develop a better understanding of the world around them and experiment with new tools and techniques. This free app is fully bilingual in English and Spanish.
• My personal favorite is Wild Kratts Rescue Run where you can run, jump, fly, and swim through 24 action-packed levels, rescue animals to unlock information about each one in the Creaturepedia, and face-off against villains to keep the animals safe from harm. Learn about animals and their habitats while using problem solving skills to choose different creature power suits, each with their own unique creature power.

Don't leave home without these free educational apps from PBS KIDS.

Bargain E-Book: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dehydrating Foods by Jeanette Hurt

Save money and preserve your harvest with more than 80 delicious recipes!

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dehydrating Foods is a comprehensive introduction to the process of food dehydrating. Today, people are using home dehydrators for drying and preserving all types of foods, and at a fraction of the cost were they to buy commercially-dried foods. The authors take you through the dehydrating process, step by step, and show you how create a huge variety of dried foods, while maximizing your yield and savings.

Here's what you'll find inside:

80 simple and delicious recipes for fruits, vegetables, herbs and blends, meats and jerkies, dairy, crackers, grains and granola, fruit leathers, vegetable and fruit powders, dried soups and snacks, as well as desserts and healthier pet treats that your pet will absolutely love

Practical guidance on buying the right dehydrator, setting up your dehydrating kitchen, purchasing essential tools and supplies, food safety and storage, and how to troubleshoot common issues

Clear instructions for techniques to help make your dehydrated foods come out perfectly every time including slicing, peeling, prep work, pretreating, and rehydrating, plus tips for room drying and sun drying your foods

Fun ideas for making special gifts with your dehydrated foods, plus tips for making gifts with dried flowers, creating potpourri, and more

File Size: 2554 KB
Print Length: 288 pages
Publisher: Alpha (April 2, 2013)
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B00BR4SASM

Purchase from:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Mailbox Monday - Aug 17

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.

Oh, my! We are back to Monday. A cool and rainy weekend rounded out a week of writing, showing houses, and meetings. Doesn't that sound exciting? A few fall decorations arrived in the mail last week, so I am getting ready to start decorating. That means we will be saying goodbye to this beach mailbox on August 31.

So much has been going on at the house. We had our pantry remodeled. The old pantry door was only a single, so I lost 18 inches of storage space I could never reach on each shelf. I chose the glass for the doors. Then our handyman cut out the wood and installed the glass. He painted them and added the handles. We changed out the wire shelving for wood shelves and added some metal baskets that slide onto the shelves to maximize storage space. I am thrilled with the results. It's not a butler's pantry, but it is so much better.

We are putting together ideas for other remodeling projects. We will probably have to take them one at a time, but I'm okay with that. I know we want to get rid of all the carpets. 

The new seeds in the garden are starting to sprout. We will see what we get.

My physical mailbox held no books this week. I'm okay with that since I have a ton to read over the next few weeks. I, did, however pick up this Kindle freebie when it came out.

An author also asked me to review this one.

I have a crazy week ahead of me, so I might not comment at your blog right away, but I will definitely stop by.

Thanks. Hope you have a blessed week.