Sunday Inspriation~ February 23, 2025

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Monique

Sunday Inspiration~ February 16, 2025

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Monique

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Wishing y'all a wonderful Valentine's Day!

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Monique

January 2025 Books

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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. I do think we're supposed to get some snow though and I'm not happy about that. Today, I'm sharing my January reads! 

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 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 read 10 books. 

1. A Seaside Bookshop Christmas (The Turner Family of Bluestar Island #3) by Jennifer Faye *4

2. Sanctuary by Nora Roberts *5

I love Nora Robert's books, so I'm probably biased on this.

3. Hard Hart (The Harty Boys #1) by Whitley Cox *4

4. You Are Special by Max Lucado *5

5. The Story of Baby Moses (An Alice in Bibleland Storybook) by Alice Joyce Davison *5

This is a whole series of books about different stories from the Bible. My kids loved them and now I share them with my Sunday school class. I highly recommend trying to find them all.

6. Asunder (Iron Bulls #1) by Phoenyx Slaughter *3

This is an MC series. If I start a series. I feel like I have to finish it. This series is considered erotic/romantic/risky. Just a little FYI.

7. A Secret at the Cottage (Loch Cameron #2) by Kennedy Kerr *4

8. Disconnect (Iron Bulls #2) by Phoenyx Slaughter *3

9. Entwined (Iron Bulls #3) by Phoenyx Slaughter *3

10. A Verry Merry Nanny (Very Merry #2) by Lyra Parish *5

I'm a sucker for Christmas-themed romance stories.

11. Brigid's Cloak by Bryce Milligan *5

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Monique

Sunday Inspiration~ February 9, 2025

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Monique

Go Outisde, Young Ones, Go Outside!

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It's been a few years since we've homeschooled, but boy do I remember those long days of winter. January, February, and March seemed to drag on forever. The cold temps, the windy days, the rain, sleet, and snow affected so much. There were plenty of days plans were canceled due to being snowed in or events just canceled because of the weather. Being cooped up often means boredom. 

But it doesn't have to be that way! I promise. 

The kids don't have to be restless, unfocused, moody, gloomy, or just plain old grumpy. They can get outside! They can get some much-needed fresh air and some sunshine (vitamin D). The sunshine can help brighten their mood. The fresh air can give them a new perspective or clear their minds. They can explore nature right in their own backyard. 

Going outside is so important in our daily lives. It's good for the kids and it's good for us mamas too. The fresh air and sunshine can improve our moods, help keep sickness away, and allow us all to blow off some steam while getting active. Too often during the winter months, we are stuck indoors. The kids start to struggle with their schoolwork. They lose focus and sometimes their behavior can take a turn for the worse. A bored child can be mischievous. Siblings can start to grate each other's nerves. Heck, they can grate our nerves too with all that bickering. 

So what can they do?

Go to the park

Go to the park and meet up with friends. Every child has fun at the playground. 

Talk a walk 

We would often take a walk after lunch so it would be slightly warmer. We'd walk to the mailbox and get the mail. It would take us about 45 minutes. 

On other days, we'd drive to local walking trails and explore something different. 

Play fetch with the family dog

This would solve two problems... bored kids and bored dogs.

Go on a scavenger hunt

When my kids were little, I found a fantastic British educational site that had all types of ideas for a winter-themed scavenger hunt, especially outdoors. I can't remember what the site was, but I did find a cute one for little kids over at The Crazy Outdoor Mama blog. I found this one too. Of course, you can

 always create your own. 

Build a snow fort

If you have snow and a lot of it build a snow fort. My kids loved building a fort and tunnels the few times we got snow deep enough. 

Go bird watching

Now is the perfect time to go bird-watching. The leaves are off the trees and it makes it so much easier to spot all the different birds living in your area. My kids loved doing this. We would keep a bird journal about all the birds we'd see. I'd find a coloring page online, we'd record a few facts about the bird, listen to its call, and then keep an eye out for them every day. The winter months are perfect for seeing all kinds of woodpeckers, at least in our area. A great site to help with this is All About Birds.

No matter what you do, just have fun. Take the kids outside and enjoy the beauty. 

Be sure to dress according to the weather and bring plenty of water and snacks.

I promise it will help with the winter time blues!

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Monique

My Book Goals for 2025

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Good Morning, friends! I'm a little late getting this post up, but I wanted to share my reading goals for 2025. 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 2025~

1. Read 125 books. This includes regular books, eBooks, and any new books I've added to my Sunday school lessons. 

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 To Read list on GoodReads. It is currently at 379 books. I just keep finding more books to add. It's like the old saying, so little time, so much to read.

4. Read 10 books from my own bookshelves. I keep adding books whenever our library has a used book sale. I need to start reading through them. 

5. Read/reread 5 classics. 

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

I'd love to hear about them!

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Monique

Wordless Wednesday~ Where's Breakfast? I'm starving!

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Monique

Teaching Tuesdays~ Moses and the Burning Bush

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This past Sunday, we continued our journey with Moses. We picked up with Moses when he was a young man. He sees his people suffering, He sees an Egyptian kill a Hebrew man and Moses does the unthinkable. He gets so angry, he beats the Egyptian to death and buries him in the sand. Moses flees in fear and settles in Midian. Years passed and Moses rebuilt his life until one day God speaks to Him. God decides to speak to Moses through the burning bush. He asks Moses to free his people. He asks Moses to return to Egypt. 

This story always shocks the kids. They can't believe that Moses killed someone. They also know that Moses would be afraid to head back to Egypt. 

I give each child a coloring page to color while I read the Bible story to them. 

After we finished the story, the kids worked on their burning bush craft.

Supplies Needed~

Blue construction paper

Red/Orange/Yellow tissue paper 

Markers

Crayons

Moses coloring page

Each child colored Moses and then cut him out. They traced one hand onto the blue construction paper to be the burning bush. We used brown markers for this task. They glued Moses next to the bush. To make the bush look like it was burning, the kids glued pieces of red, orange, and yellow tissue paper to the bush. This is the fun part.

Next week we'll learn about Moses and the 10 plagues!

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Monique

Happy Homemaker Monday~ February 3, 2025

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Good Morning, y'all! Happy February. It's finally here. I swear January always feels like the longest month. This year it was the worst. We got snow and the temperatures were freezing here. We usually get a few freezing days, but this year we had a few weeks. So, I for one am glad January is over. 

Puxatawny Phil saw his shadow, so that means 6 more weeks of winter. I think he's right though. We have two more winter storms headed our way according to the weather apps. I'll be glad when spring gets here. 

Let's get on with Happy Homemaker Monday with our beautiful hostess Sandra from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Be sure to stop in and say hi.

The Weather~

Yesterday was chilly, but today we're supposed to get up to 56. Virginia weather can be a little crazy like that. I don't mind though. I'll take the warm days. The constant up and down can be a little annoying. 

Monday~ Cloudy, 56*

Tuesday~ Partly Sunny, 49*

Wedenesday~ Cloudy, 33* 

Thursday~ Rain, 52*

Friday~ Partly Sunny, 51*

Saturday~ Snow/Rain, 37*

Sunday~ Partly Sunny, 48*

As I Look Out My Window~

The snow is finally gone! It's only 29 out right now, so it's a little quiet outside. No birds sprinting around or chirping happily. The sky is gray and overcast so not very pretty out. 

Right Now I Am ~

I am typing this post up.  I'm sitting on the couch with Maddie curled up next to me. Ruby is sleeping on the loveseat. She's tired since she got up at 5 this morning. All the animals have been fed. Their bellies are full and they are happy and content for the moment. 

How am I Feeling~

I've had a migraine the last few days, so that sucks. They seem to be picking up again. I read somewhere that that can happen during perimenopause/menopause, so that sounds fun. I need to call my general physician and get a referral for a neurologist. I'm still having some stomach issues and gallbladder pain. I have an appointment next month for my yearly physical so I'll bring that up too. I tell getting up is not for the faint of heart. 

What's for Breakfast~

So far I've had coffee with almond milk. It doesn't bother my stomach that way. I'll have a protein shake after I exercise. I'm trying to get my stomach back under control. I had a spicy rice bowl from Chipotle and it did a number on my stomach. 

Looking Around the House~

Everything needs a good cleaning. The floors have muddy footprints from the rainy day. I need to vacuum and dust. The woodstove causes so much more dust. I love the warmth it provides, but hate the added dust. We have our Valentine's Day decorations out, so we are ready for February. I need to change my wax out. FYI... this month is transition month at Scentsy, so if you need some wax the fall/winter scents are on SALE. You can check it out here. 

On the To-Do List This Week~ 

Dust the living room

Clean the bathrooms

Clean out the fridge

Organize the rest of the pantry

Wash the sheets- I had to change them yesterday because a certain red dog jumped on the bed with muddy paws. 

Start a few quilt squares~ I picked up the rest of the fabric I needed. I love the quilting store we went to. It's a good thing it's not closer. I'd have no money. The selection they have is amazing!

On My Reading Pile~

I'm still working on the same pile of books. 

The Mirror by Nora Roberts

52 Weeks in the Word

The Saint Monica Club: How to Hope, Wait, and Pray for Your Fallen-Away Loved Ones

Wrapped Up In Christmas by Janice Lynn

I'm still working through Discovering Your Dignity 

I'm still starting up my Bookstagram page. I've added a few quotes and a few kitty photos. I have one book review. You can find me at MoniquesBookNook. 

Come find me!

On TV this week~

Netflix

The Resident

Call the Midwives

Virgin River

The Night Agent

Designated Survivor

YouTube

Crochet Videos

Quilting Videos

On the Menu this Week~

Monday~ Herb Chicken with wild rice

Tuesday~?

Wednesday~?

Thursday~? 

Friday~?

Saturday~? 

I need to see what we have in the pantry and then meal plan for the week. 

If I Have a Few Minutes to Myself, I Will~

I will start sewing the quilt squares for the quilt along. The fourth square comes out this week and I haven't done any, so I have 4 to do this week. I'm glad I have all my fabric now and I can't wait.

I also plan on making my Valentine's Day wreath for the door. I have all the supplies. 

One of  My Simple Pleasures~

I love it when all my babies are feeling better. Baby's surgery went well. She ended up having to have 3 teeth pulled. My poor little girl. She's on a soft food diet for 2 weeks. She's getting special treats, so I don't think she minds. She seems to be doing great!

From the Camera~

Inspirational Quote/Bible Verse/Faith~

Source~ Facebook

Praying For~

My dad and his health

My Aunt Betty

My health

Our country

Friends and family

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Monique

Sunday Inspiration~ February 2, 2025

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Monique

Wordless Wednesday~ January 29, 2025 ~ SNOW edition

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Teaching Tuesdays~ Baby Moses

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Good Morning, friends! It's been a few weeks since I shared one of my Sunday school lessons. We did miss class one Sunday because of snow. 

We are currently learning about Moses. I break up the stories about Moses over a few weeks. He was so important and did so many things that it's hard to cram all of his life into one lesson, so I spread it out.

Week 1~ Baby Moses

Week 2~ Moses flees and the Burning Bush

Week 3~ The 10 Plagues

Week 4~ The Red Sea

Week 5~ Moses and the Ten Commandments 

Before the kids arrived for class, I hid a small baby in the classroom. I use a Barbie Baby from a set Therese got as a child. I need to find a small basket to place the baby in. After we read the story of Baby Moses, I have them search for Baby Moses in the classroom. 

The story I read was The Story of Baby Moses from the Alice in Bibleland series. I love all the stories in this collection and the kids always enjoy the stories too. 

After Baby Moses was found, we worked on a craft. I found this cute Baby Moses Handprint craft online. 

Source~ NonToyGifts

The kids had a blast painting, tracing their hands, and putting the pieces together. This year's class loves crafts and playing Bingo. 

Once the craft was done, we worked on our prayers, added a few good deeds to our good deeds jar, and had a snack.

We finished up class by saying the Glory Be and Guardian Angel prayers. Since this past Sunday was the last Sunday of the month, the kids got to choose a prize from the Prize box.  

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Monique

Happy Homemaker Monday~ January 27, 2025

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Good morning, dear friends. Well, it's been a few days since I posted last, so I've already slipped in my goal of posting daily. A new week and new goals. We've had a few things go crazy here: sickness, a car breaking down (luckily my awesome hubby can fix it), more sickness, a sick cat, snow, and freezing cold temperatures. We are just now seeing some grass again. The poor hens have not been happy at all.

I hope y'all have been doing well. 

Let's get on with Happy Homemaker Monday with our beautiful hostess Sandra from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Be sure to stop in and say hi.

The Weather~

Cold, cold, and cold. Snow, snow, and more snow! It's been so cold here, I have not wanted to go anywhere. Teens during the day and single digits at night. Not fun at all. Thankfully this week brings a warm-up. The snow is finally melting and it actually feels warm outside. The 40s and 50s feel like the tropics after the weeks we've had. 

Monday~ Sunny, 35*

Tuesday~ Sunny, 46*

Wedenesday~ Cloudy, 52* 

Thursday~ Sunny, 49*

Friday~ Rain, 50*

Saturday~ Partly Sunny, 43*

Sunday~ Partly Sunny, 42*

As I Look Out My Window~

Snow is still on the ground, but is starting to melt. The birds are flying around and chirping. I think they are enjoying the warmer temps too. It's been miserable here. I honestly don't know how people live with temps like this. I much prefer temps in the 60s and up. 

Right Now I Am ~

I am typing this post up. I have a load of towels in the washer. I'm sitting on the couch with both dogs curled up next to me. All the animals have been fed, so everyone is happy at least for the moment. 

How am I Feeling~

I'm feeling pretty good. My UTI is gone. I had my lady friend right after, so that was fun. Perimenopause is so much fun. I'm actually feeling back to normal so I'm pretty happy. I am a little stuffy but that's from the wood stove running. Therese is now sick. She missed the first few rounds of sickness before and after Christmas, so I guess she was due. 

What's for Breakfast~

So far I've had coffee with almond milk. I'll probably have an egg and cheese sandwich. 

Looking Around the House~

I need to vacuum and mop, of course. Miss Ruby is shedding like crazy. I think the warmth from the woodstove is making her shed more right now. I have to run Rosie every day. I still vacuum every few days, but Rosie helps keep the hair under control. It's not an easy thing to do with 2 dogs and 3 cats. 

On the To-Do List This Week~ 

Surgery for Baby. She has a bad tooth. We're going to a non-profit to get her tooth removed and have the rest of the cleaned. Our regular vet gave us a quote of $1900 which was not in our budget at all. 

Clean the bathrooms

Clean out the fridge

Organize the pantry. I ordered some gray baskets to help get things organized. 

Start a few quilt squares~ I'm joining in on a weekly quilt sew-a-long. I'm pretty excited. I need to get a few solid cotton fabrics to go along with the other fabrics I have. I'll pick them up at a wonderful quilt store tomorrow after we drop Baby off. I love this fabric store but I only get there once or twice a year since it's almost 2 hours away. 

On My Reading Pile~

The Mirror by Nora Roberts

52 Weeks in the Word~ I started this last year and never got past the first week, so I restarted it this week. 

The Saint Monica Club: How to Hope, Wait, and Pray for Your Fallen-Away Loved Ones

Wrapped Up In Christmas by Janice Lynn

I'm still working through Discovering Your Dignity with our church's bible study group for women. We just finished reading and learning about Tamar. 

I started a Bookstagram page to post about my book finds and reviews. 

You can find me at MoniquesBookNook. 

Come find me!

On TV this week~

Netflix

The Resident

Call the Midwives

Virgin River

The Night Agent

Designated Survivor

YouTube

Crochet Videos

Quilting Videos

I'd like to find a few homemaking vlogs to watch but don't know where to start. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments. 

On the Menu this Week~

Monday~ Honey mustard chicken, tater tots, and zucchini 

Tuesday~ Leftovers

Wednesday~ Dinner out since we won't be home

Thursday~ Cheesy taco rice

Friday~ Pizza

Saturday~ Roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and peas

If I Have a Few Minutes to Myself, I Will~

I need to catch up on Discovering Your Dignity. I'll finish setting up my planner. I ordered one from Prayerful Planner. It arrived last week and I love it. 

One of  My Simple Pleasures~

Creating things. I've missed creating new things. I have no one to blame but myself. I finally have the front room cleaned up so I can get back to having some fun. 

From the Camera~

Inspirational Quote/Bible Verse/Faith~

Grant me, O Lord my God, 

a mind to know you, 

a heart to seek you, 

wisdom to find you,

conduct pleasing to you, 

faithful perseverance in waiting for you,

and a hope of finally embracing you.

Amen. 

Praying For~

My dad and his health

My Aunt Betty

My health

Bbay's surgery

Our country

Friends and family

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Monique