Sunday Inspiration~ March 1, 2026

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Monique

Sunday Inspiration~ February 22, 2026

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Monique

Sunday Inspiration~ February 15, 2026

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Monique

My January Reads 2026

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Good morning, y'all! I hope you've had a fantastic week. Are y'all ready for the weekend? I know I am. Any plans for Valentine's Day? Today, I'm sharing my January reads! I know I'm a little late with this but that's oaky. 

Here's how my book recap goes. 

~I have included pictures if I have them and have provided links to them on Amazon so you can find out more about the books before you buy or check them out at your local library. 

~ If I left a more detailed review for a book, I'll include the link under the book so you can check it out. I leave reviews for books I really like or have received for reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and this blog. 

~If I receive a preview book, I'll include the release date for you.

~ Each book will have a rating in bold. I rate each book with a numbered star.

The rating system I use is as follows ~

*5 This book was amazing! I couldn't put it down. I loved the book so much that I either bought the book or planned to buy it to add to my ever-growing collection so I could reread it. 

*4 This means the book is definitely worth reading. I really enjoyed the book. I liked it, but not enough to buy it and add it to my collection. 

*3 This book was good. It wasn't the best book I've read, but I did enjoy it. I wouldn't need to read it again. 

*2 This book was okay. I finished it but had to force myself to. I probably didn't like the plot or the characters. The story just didn't work for me. 

*1 This means I didn't like the book at all, and I couldn't finish it.

This month, I only read 3 books. I've been busy organizing the house and helping Therese prepare for her new bundle of joy. 

1. The Christmas Cottage by Fiona Baker 

     Rating~ **** Stars

This is the 1st book in Fir Tree Grove Holidays series from Fiona Baker. There are four books in this series. This was a sweet holiday romance. There's plenty of holiday cheer. Vanessa heads home to help her grandmother, Mabel run her toy store during the Christmas season. While there, Vanessa meets Jackson, the owner of the local diner. Can he help Vanessa find her Christmas spirit? Will their friendship grow into more? With the magic of Christmas, it's pretty likely.

2. Starting Over in Sedona by Lynne M. Spreen

    Rating~ ***** Stars

This is fantastic read about a woman starting over. Sue Weston is tired of grieving her old life and her late husband. She's excited when her estranged sister contacts her and promises to leave her the family home and land in Sedona. Things don't go as planned, but Sue finds what she was searching for. This a great book about an older character. As I've gotten older, I love finding stories with characters around my age. I can relate to them more. A lot of the stories that focus on 20 somethings, I can no longer relate too. They seem to immature. There are two more books in this series, and I can't wait to read them. 

3. The Taming of a Wicked Rogue by Samantha Holt

     Rating~ *** Stars

This was a freebie from one of those stuff your Kindle days. It's a quick read. It's written fairly well. It's not the worst historical fiction I've read. Now a days, I find most of the "historical" fiction stories are too "modern" for me. The language, descriptions, and the plot are not realistic. The writers have done a poor job researching in my opinion. I was able to finish this one. There have been a few I couldn't. Rebecca and Lord Leonard have a past and reunite unexpectantly. Life changes drastically for them as they keep their connection a secret. 

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Monique

Sunday Inspiration~ February 8, 2026

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Monique

My Reading Goals for 2026

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Hello friends! Today I'm sharing my reading goals for the year!

I'm a little late getting this post up, but I wanted to share my reading goals for 2026. My goal is to share what I read each month and a few book reviews along the way. I keep track of all my books on GoodReads. 

Here are my reading goals for 2026~

1. Read 125 books. This includes regular books, eBooks, and any new books I've added to my Sunday school lessons. I'm keeping the same goal as last year since I think this year will be a little busy with a new grandbaby!

2. Read 25 faith-based books. This includes my Bible study books, books about the Saints, and any other book about my Catholic faith.

3. Read 25 books from my Want to Read list on GoodReads. It is currently at 634 books. I just keep finding more books to add. It's like the old saying, so little time, so much to read. I think I might have read only 5 off the list last year. I want to make a better effort at this year. 

4. Read 20 books from my own bookshelves. I keep adding books whenever our library has a used book sale. I need to start reading through them. I need room on the shelves, so I have to read a few and make some room. 

5. Read/reread 5 classics. 

Do you have any reading goals? Any good challenges that you're doing? Any book recommendations?

I'd love to hear about them!

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Monique

14 years ~ Why am I Still Blogging (Sometimes)

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I recently saw a post from a fellow blogger talking about why she was still blogging after 20 years. One I was a little shocked because I've been reading her blog for years. I've watched as her kids have grown up, and it definitely hasn't felt like it had been that long. Boy, time flies when you're having fun.

It got me thinking, how long have I been at this? How long have I had my little blog?

It's been 14 years for me. I started back in November of 2012. I first started on WordPress and then decided to switch it over to Blogger. I had no idea what I was doing, but somehow, I managed it. I started out just wanting to share the ins and outs of our homeschooling days. At that time, trying to find information on homeschooling wasn't as easy. I've seen the world of homeschooling change and grow over the years through the different platforms of social media. I love seeing the growth. I'm a little jealous of all the information out there. I feel blessed what I did find back in the day and I hope that my little corner of the blogging world helped a few people out over the years. 

I'm happy I started this little blog back in the day. I'm amazed at how I've grown, changed, and all that I have learned over the years. I love the friendships I've made through this little adventure. I still keep in contact with a few homeschooling moms that I met online. They were there through the highs and lows. Friends can help any adventure feel right.

 

I'm proud that I jumped in. I was scared and a little unsure at the time. There were plenty of days where I felt like giving up. I wondered if anyone really read my posts. Did anyone really care about what I had to share? Were they enjoying what I was sharing? I'm thankful I stuck with it. I'm amazed that I just didn't give up on certain days. Self-doubt can be a terrible thing.

When I started this blog, I was a young mom of two amazing kids. Therese (Princess P) was 7 and Michael (Lego Man) was 8. We had been homeschooling for a few years already and I decided to share what we were doing. I planned all of our lesson. I researched, printed, and planned every lesson for them. No boxed curriculum for me, well except math. I loved sharing the books we were reading, the unit studies we were doing, and all the fun activities were we using. I did share a few other things along the way... fieldtrips, food recipes, vacations, etc. It was a wonderful way to journal about our homeschooling adventure. 

I often wonder why I started this little project. I guess thinking about it now, I'd have to say I needed an outlet. An adult activity. When you're a stay-at-home mom, sometimes you feel like you're losing yourself. You're so focused on being a mom and a wife, you forget who you are. I needed this little space to regroup. A place to sit back and relax. A place where I felt like I was conversing with other moms. It felt like going to your favorite coffee shop and visiting with close friends. It was my me time. 

I started posting slowly that first year. In the last 2 months of 2012, I only posted 9 times. Nothing big, nothing fancy. Just a slow start. As I got more comfortable, I started to share more and more. At the height of my blogging, I was posting 4 to 5 times a week. 

At one point in my blogging journey, I joined the Homeschool Review Crew! I loved this online community of homeschooling moms. We got to review homeschool curriculum and share about it. We had forums where we could share ideas, recipes, friendships, etc. I was part of this fantastic group for 5 years.  It was such a blessing to our homeschooling. I still miss this amazing group. I do keep up with a few of the ladies since they still have continued to blog even after their homeschooling journey has ended. A few are even still homeschooling (I'm a little jealous about that). 

The last 5 years have been a little different around here. I lost my purpose and my focus. The kids grew up and graduated high school. Michael graduated college. Therese will graduate next year. The years seemed to pass in a blink of an eye. 

I wasn't sure what to post, now. I had no idea what I had to share. It's hard when your life takes a new path. You're suddenly unsure. I felt like a small child learning to walk. Stumbling down a new path. I honestly felt like giving up and at one point, I did walk away. I decided to not post anymore. I wasn't going to delete my blog. I couldn't bring myself to do that. There were too many memories here. All the photos, the laughter and tears, the ups and downs. How could I destroy a living journal of my years with my family. I couldn't. so, I decided to keep it up but not write. Well, that didn't last long. I missed it. I missed the community, I had built. 

I will admit it's been hit and miss the last few years. Between 2022 and 2024, I only posted 80 times! I'm slowly making a comeback. I'm still trying to figure out my new path. It's forever changing. I'm now going to be a grandma, so that's a path I am heading into. I can't wait to share a few things. Oh my, all the new baby stuff is amazing. I'll be sharing my daughter's and I's favorite things!

So, my plan is to continue to share my life with y'all! Recipes, thrift finds, book reviews, and all things grandma (a young grandma)! If this sounds like something you'd like, stick around. Sign up for emails and stop by for a visit!

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Monique