I was gifted an awesome journal for Christmas last year; Picadilly’s 200 Writing Prompts. I am still working my way through it! I wanted to share my most recent entry with you…
Are you a morning person? Mornings can be tough for me; but I have made some changes to my routine and it has been paying off.
BEFORE
AFTER
Wake up to the most obnoxious alarm possible!
Changed my tone; I set a gentler alarm sound at 6am and then the obnoxious one 5 minutes later (as a back-up).
Shower –get in and get out as quickly as possible.
Shower –with an invigorating shower steamer scent; I spend more time in the shower so I have implemented a better skin & hair care routine.
Brush my teeth.
Brush my teeth, floss & mouthwash, while listening to music.
No make-up; I stopped bothering because of having to wear masks.
Moisturize, use my amethyst roller and do my eyebrows.
Scramble around to find clothes to wear.
I started picking out my clothes the night before.
Play a game on my phone & check email.
I try not to ‘play’ on my phone; if I do I participate in a group message thread with my work besties; we send funny teacher memes, motivational sayings or random gifs. I now only check my email once I get to work.
No breakfast; but sometimes remember to take my multivitamin
Breakfast! The difference a piece of toast or yogurt or oatmeal makes is huge. It also gives me time to make sure I take my multivitamin consistently.
Leave the house without lunch.
Grab my water bottle & lunch that I prepared the night before.
What is your morning routine like? Share in the comments!
My husband and I built a third room in our basement. There were already two bedrooms, a bathroom and a huge living room down there, but we realized as our nieces and nephews get older, the family grows and we seriously consider making the transition to ‘bed and breakfast’ life during the summers –we wanted more accommodations. And, of course that meant I got to design and decorate the new space.
I spent the last month and a half checking out a new author, Wilbur Smith. My husband is a longtime fan and has been ‘suggesting’ that I read the books. And, I should have known that he was going to be right… I LOVED them!
Smith has several series: The Courtney Series, The Ballantyne Series and the Ancient Egypt Series.
The Ancient Egypt series is mainly based for the most part on Pharaoh Memnon’s time, however, the second book is set in modern times.
1. River God “For Tanus, the fair-haired young lion of a warrior, the gods have decreed that he will lead Egypt’s army in a bold attempt to reunite the Kingdom’s shared halves. But Tanus will have to defy the same gods to attain the reward they have forbidden him, an object more prized than battle’s glory: possession of the Lady Lostris, a rare beauty with skin the color of oiled cedar–destined for the adoration of a nation, and the love of one extraordinary man.”
2. Seventh Scroll “For 4,000 years, Pharaoh Mamose has never been found until now! Egyptologist Royan Al Simma finds a message penned by Taita which gives clues about the tomb’s whereabouts. Only one step ahead of assassins, Royan runs for her life and into the arms of the only man she can trust, Sir Nicholas Quenton-Harper-a daring man who will stake his fortune and his life to join her hunt for the king’s tomb. Together, they will embark on a breathtaking journey to the most exotic locale on earth, where the greatest mystery of ancient Egypt, a chilling danger and an explosive passion are waiting.”
3. Warlock “After a sixty-year war over the kingdoms of Egypt, two young pharaohs have risen to claim power, but only one can succeed. The mission of Prince Nefer, rightful heir to the throne, is to rebuild a magnificent kingdom out of the ruins of the city of Gallala. The desire of Lord Naja is to destroy his rival and rule the land with unholy supremacy. The warlock Taita, a matchless ally and legendary priest of notorious powers is on the side of Prince Nefer. Nefer and Taita must stay one step ahead of an assassin, ever-pursuing armies, and outwit his own flesh and blood who seek to betray him.”
4. The Quest “Egypt is struck by a series of terrible plagues that cripple the Kingdom, and then the ultimate disaster follows. The Nile fails. The waters that nourish and sustain the land dry up. Something catastrophic is taking place in the distant and totally unexplored depths of Africa from where the mighty river springs. In desperation Pharoah sends for Taita, the only man who might be able to win through to the source of the Nile and discover the cause of all their woes. None of them can have any idea of what a terrible enemy lies in ambush for The Warlock in those mysterious lands at the end of their world.”
5. Desert God “On the gleaming banks of the Nile, the brilliant Taita—slave and advisor to the Pharaoh—finds himself at the center of a vortex of passion, intrigue, and danger. His quest to destroy the Hyksos army and form an alliance with Crete takes him on an epic journey up the Nile, through Arabia and the magical city of Babylon, and across the open seas. With the future of Egypt itself on his shoulders, Taita enters a world where the line between loyalty and betrayal shifts like the desert sands, evil enemies await in the shadows, and death lingers on the edges of darkness”
6. Pharaoh “Pharaoh Tamose teeters on the brink of death. Luxor is surrounded. Hope is lost. Taita,The ex-slave, now general of Tamose’s armies is preparing for the final push. An old ally returns and the tide is turned.But upon his victorious return to Luxor, Taita is seized and branded a traitor. Tamose is dead and a new era has begun. The new Pharaoh has risen — and he must be stopped.”
7. The New Kingdom “In the city of Lahun, Hui lives an enchanted life. He has a loving father and the ruler-in-waiting of the great city, his fate is set. However, a sinister evil is plotting. Hui’s power-hungry and jealous stepmother, the great sorceress Ipsetnofret, and his brother Qen, orchestrate the downfall of Hui’s father. Hui is condemned and cast out and alone. Hui finds himself a captive of a skilled and powerful army of outlaws, the Hyksos. Determined to seek vengeance for the death of his father and rescue his sister, Ipwet, Hui swears his allegiance to these enemies of Egypt. Through them he learns the art of war, learning how to fight and becoming an envied charioteer. As the pieces fall into place and the Gods themselves join the fray, Hui finds himself fighting alongside the Egyptian General Tanus and renowned Mage, Taita.”
I was gifted an awesome journal for Christmas last year; Picadilly’s 200 Writing Prompts. I am still working my way through it! I wanted to share my most recent entry with you…
I absolutely love gardening; we have a huge vegetable patch and a greenhouse. We also have tons and tons of small planters and hanging baskets adorning our house and yard, in addition to large barrel planters and two flower beds. Both my husband and I can go overboard when it comes to buying plants. Last year was our first growing season with the greenhouse so I grew a lot of our plants from seeds –I am hoping to grow even more this year. I have already started designing the garden.
Barrel Planter 2 -Delphinium -Sweet William -Lupin
Cover Planter *various colours, heights and types -Marigolds Front Bed (House) *arranged; so that when they bloom it’s like rainbow blanket -Nasturiums -Begonia -Zinnia -Impatiens
Front Bed (Yard) *all in various shades of purples & white -Alpine Aster -Bearded Iris -Pansies -Petunias -Chrysthanthemums
One of my friends is expecting; which is super exciting, but she has been pretty unimpressed with the mocktails she has ordered lately. For her shower and other parties this spring, I set out to find some delicious (and easy to make) mocktails based on her favourite cocktails and these are the ones that have and will pass the test!
1. Stirred “Stirred cocktails are spirit forward, boozy drinks that typically consist of a base spirit, a sweetener, and modifiers such as bitters, additional spirits, liqueurs, or fortified wines.”
Old Fashioned from veryobsessed.com *Most non-alcoholic recipes call for bitters; however they contain trace amounts of alcohol; which is important to note; always check with your pregnant guests. 2. Shaken (Sours) “Sours are shaken cocktails that are composed of something acidic, something sweet, and something strong.”
Margarita from acoupleofcooks.com 3. Highballs “Highballs are called “long” drinks as they are usually a sour or stirred base that is lengthened by the addition of carbonated water…served in the iconic highball glass.”
Hurricane from Taste of Home 4. Flips, Fizzes, Swizzles, and Smashes “A smash begins with muddled herbs and/or citrus, which are then shaken with a spirit and sweetener and served over crushed ice.”
