Checking Off The To Do List-Mini Fall Tour

 Good Morning. Welcome to the blog!

Today I am sharing a mini  Fall tour and a few things I can check off the To Do List.

Starting at the front door✔

I am so happy with how this turned out.  Simple, super easy and frugal! 

The only thing I bought was a package of leaves at Dollar Tree.  And look how many are left over! 

This is the first in process pic.  I started by putting up the greenery.  My plan is to leave it and redo for Christmas.  Step 1 done!

I pulled some muslin fabric out and tore it into 3" strips.  I did not measure I figured 5 would work and it did perfectly.  I sewed them together ended to end and then I started at the center and secured by  just bunching up the muslin and wrapping the greenery around it.

I used tacky glue to attach the leaves.

It was o.k. but needed a little something more so I pulled out my Fall stuff and added the flowers.  

The Scarecrow and the Happy Pumpkin are plant stakes  my father made.

My mom and dad did craft fairs all over Tennessee for many years.  I found these plant stakes when I cleaned out my mom's apartment.  She was 91 when she did her last craft fair!

Let's go inside!

I haven't done the mantle yet but I've added a few fabric Pumpkins and some Gourds to the shelves that hold my cookbook collection.

I moved the Tea Cart back beside the hutch.  I like it better here.  I need something on the wall.

I went ahead and set up the Hot Chocolate station.

  We already had a cold snap last week.  I was so glad I had already bought some Hot Chocolate!

I added the fabric leaves I made to give it a Fall touch.

The white pumpkin I found at my mother's.   I filled it with sweetener for guests. 

 The Cowboy and I don't use it in our Tea.  Actually the Cowboy doesn't drink much Tea but if he is really cold he will drink a cup.  

I set out his favorite mug.  He can no longer drink Coffee so Tea is his option.

My favorite Cowboy mugs . . . 

Little cups bought at an antique mall in town. 

I am glad I thought to set up this station now to enjoy before Christmas.  

Another ✔ on the 'To Do List'!

Next in the tour let's step out into the Morning Room/Green House. 

I have decorated the mantle with more pumpkins . . . 

And a cute little Scarecrow.

The Pinecones are from my neighbors yard.  

A few I picked up when we lived in the apartment a few years ago.

Living in an apartment requires lots if walks if you have a dog.  Daisy and I (or mostly me. LOL) kept our eyes open for treasures. 

The complex decorated the office.   I took Daisy for a Fall photo shoot. 

I have no idea how I managed this.  I found it in Google photos. 

So that is my mini tour ending with a sweet photo of Daisy.

Thanks for coming by.  I hope you enjoyed the Mini Tour.

I am still working on festive Fall touches.   

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Menu Monday-Encouraging Healthy Snacks

Hello and Welcome to the first Menu Monday of November!

Before I share my Menu I want share a few changes I've made in the house to encourage the Cowboy to eat eat his healthy snacks.

Last week I talked about putting snacks 'In Sight' and easily accessible for him.

Here's what I've done to encourage him to drink more Juices, Tea and Hot Chocolate.  All he wants is Club Soda.

I set out his favorite mug next to the selection of Teas.  I actually need to go and buy more Tea.  I set the Juices in a bowl.  I can add ice to the bowl in the morning and by the time he is ready to drink it will still be cold.  No need to go looking into the fridge and get distracted or confused. ❤️

This morning he did drink a half glass of Orange 🍊 Juice. I poured it and put on his tray.   I didn't ask if he wanted it.

I have found that most of the time if it is served he will eat it. 

I rarely offer anymore.  I learned that lesson when my mother was ill.

It is simple to encourage healthier eating if you think about ways that your loved one will be motivated. 

It doesn't matter if they are 2 or 62 taking the time to make adjustments and changes can motivate and encourage without making demands.

I hope these ideas and suggestions might be helpful to you. 

Let's talk Menus . . . 

Monday . . . 

Chicken Alfredo and Salad

Tuesday . . . 

Guess what?  Nope not 🌮 we will be having Taco Salad!

Wednesday . . . 

Bratwurst cooked in the 🔥 pit, fried Potatoes and Cole Slaw

Thursday . . . 

Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Corn

Friday . . .

Pork Lo Me in, Egg Rolls and Egg Drop Soup

I am still working through what I already have in the refrigerator/freezer since the big freezer quit on me.  

Hopefully this week I will be through and can buy some different meats!

Believe it or not everything I have planned is in the freezer.  I had frozen Pasta and Noodles, Pulled Pork, a whole Chicken the Cowboy bought for fying and 1 more # of Hamburger.

We will have some yummy meals! Do you plan a Menu?  I would love to hear your suggestions to encourage healthy eating! 

Leave a comment.

Hope your weekend and week is Blessed!

I am linking with my regular parties some of the buttons 

may be on the bottom of the page

Over here at Penny's Passion 

Meet A Character Guest Post-Broadcast 4 Murder-Great Escapes Tour

Living Vicariously Has a New Meaning 

 by Character Lyndy Ellsworth from Broadcast 4 Murder

I should never have told Phee Kimball that I enjoyed living vicariously through her exploits as an amateur sleuth. The minute those words slipped out of my mouth, I saw the look on her face. She was determined to make me her partner in crime, or should I say, crime solving?

I’m Lyndy Ellsworth, and like Phee, I’m a forty-something transplant to sunny Arizona. I moved out west when my husband passed away unexpectedly and I needed to start a new life in a new place. I choose the West Valley of Phoenix for two reasons – the climate and the fact that my wacky aunt resides in the retirement community of Sun City West. Yep, family is family.  I work for a medical insurance billing company and given the amount of paperwork I deal with, I can safely say I have some degree of job security. 

Phee and I live near each other in Vistancia and are veritable fish when it comes to water. We met at the community pool and are the only diehards in the dead of winter when the temps hit fifty degrees. That’s about as daring as I wanted to get, but Phee had an uncanny way of luring me into her sleuthing. First, as her sounding board, and now, as her, well…unwitting assistant?

This time wasn’t really that bad. All I had to do was sift through some old yearbooks in the archival section of the Glendale Public Library under the scrutiny of a not-so-likable librarian. At least the reward was well worth it – Giant pretzels at Haus Murphy’s German restaurant and the satisfaction that we may have found the killer Phee was looking for. 

Poking around libraries and sifting through social media are innocuous enough. I mean, who hasn’t done their fair share of snooping around? But sometimes Phee’s feats are a bit unnerving. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for role-play when it’s a theater production, but in Phee’s case she could have won the Academy Award for impersonating someone who was looking to hire a cleaning service. Still, that wasn’t gross, like the time she went dumpster diving to find a clue. If I followed her lead, I’d need a whole new wardrobe, beginning with running shoes instead of wedge heels. 

The worst, however, were the times she literally had to escape from maniacal killers – once on stage during a production, another time in a spa where the sound of water covered her screams, and even in a car whose driver was way too familiar with dark desert roads. If I were to follow her lead, I’d need to purchase one of those umbrella policies from an insurance company to cover heaven-knows-what. 

And yet, here I am, chomping at the bit waiting for another frantic phone call from her begging me to poke around in places that are usually best left undisturbed. Living vicariously may have its advantages but there’s nothing quite like the rush of discovering a piece of evidence in someone’s kitchen that may point directly to a murderer. And while I’m no amateur sleuth, I can rest assured, I’m the best amateur sleuth’s sidekick in the West Valley. 

Broadcast 4 Murder (Sophie Kimball Mystery)
by J.C. Eaton

Reviews from the tour . . . 

There were two very well written mysteries in this book. A few twists and red herrings that were perfectly paced and plotted.
~Miss W Book Reviews

I love this series. Phee and Harriet are so wonderfully thought out with these funny quirks . . . I highly recommend this book for all cozy mystery fans out there.
~Baroness’ Book Trove

Full of quirky characters that provide all sorts of entertainment that makes for a pleasurable read as the clues play out. The quirky dog is just the cherry on top of the cake. A great read for cozy fans with a surprise at the very end.
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews

There’s plenty of chuckles and mystery too that will keep you turning the pages.
~My Reading Journeys

This was such a fun mystery and Phee was absolutely delightful. The mystery was well-written and I had no idea who the killer was until the end.
~Moonlight Rendezvous

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