Just sharing some current faves:

Your fiction book recommendations!  Thank you for sharing via Facebook, comments and email several book titles for me to consider. I still have non-fiction titles on my list,  but my summer will include more fiction! I plan to share your suggestions in a future post — stay tuned.

The Greatest Showman soundtrack. Can’t. Stop. The kids and I have listened over and over (and over) again. It’s rare I enjoy every song from a movie…until now. Love, love.

Gifted plants and flowers. Do you ever whisper a wish? Nothing you really need but something your heart definitely wants? As I looked over the spring budget, it didn’t include room for sprucing up the outdoors. We have lots of empty beds around our rental which could benefit from some TLC.

So when a friend offered her extra perennials I said YES!  Then Mother’s Day eve I found a box of flowers on my porch…delivered anonymously. Well, thanks God!

my cute helper!

Formal Dinner memories. My high school girl really wanted to host a fancy dinner for her friends. I completely fell in love with the idea and we picked a date. It soon became obvious everyone’s schedules were full, until my girl had a NEW idea.

‘Mom, now stay calm while you consider this. But could we change the dinner to…um…this Sunday night?‘  She asked on the Monday before. ‘It works for everyone! I will help with everything!’

I said NO. Then YES. Then at times wished I had stuck with NO.

A huge writing deadline loomed ahead.

My aunt passed away suddenly the Friday before her dinner. I cooked up lemon garlic chicken and twice-baked potatoes while searching for cheap tickets to the funeral. We realized we didn’t have enough dishes and had to borrow.

But I am so very glad I said YES. Some memories are worth the bit of crazy.

Bonus points — my girl did help with everything! The dinner budgeting, planning and executing counted towards her Family & Consumer Science credit. Homeschool Mom win! ?

This quote. I agree so much. (photo credit: happyplaceplanning)

Frugal deals and freebies. The most money-saving thing a person can do is not spend of course. I do love finding great deals and saving money when I have to or want to make a purchase. It’s a passion of mine which I find life-giving; feels like I’m beating the system or something.

Green smoothies and salads. My body has been craving more plant-based foods recently, so I’m trying to roll with it.

A simple facial spray. Speaking of craving, my skin felt so dry and in need of extra moisture this winter, kind of unusual for me. A friend recommended this hydrating spray to use throughout the day. I found it so helpful!

This text from my college JUNIOR. She finished sophomore year!! How can this be? Four semesters of Dean’s List definitely makes me proud, but it’s more.

Our family suffered a deeply difficult year. While college life keeps her somewhat removed, the impact on everyone felt significant. SO proud she moved forward anyway.

**By the way, ‘stinking proud’ comes from my southern upbringing. Texans just speak this way.**

My selfie. No makeup, no filter? No way! I would have said before. But that was then…this is now.

I have professional headshots happening this summer. Seems the windblown hair & beach background pic floating my blog & social media pages for SIX years now (and magazines, other blogs…oy!) just won’t cut it moving forward as a writer. I guess it’s time to come out from behind the camera.

So that’s what I did here. Kinda like this pic.

::

And you…any favorites these days?