Happy Friday friends! It is hard to believe that we are bringing this first month of the 2022 year to a close! It has been flying for me and I hope that you are have a wonderful start to the new year!
Today I am so excited to share my book, movie, and TV review with y'all for January! Before I start though- if you have any suggestions for me for February please let me know! I am constantly looking for new ideas so please pass on your suggestions!
Books
{one}Resurrection Year
I have shared so many times about this book in the last couple of months and am planning to write an entire post on it alone, but suffice it to say... LIFE CHANGING. Go purchase the book and read it. You will not be disappointed. AT ALL. You can purchase it HERE.
Similar book recommendations that I have read by Sheridan Voysey that I would recommend to this book:
I am still in the middle of this book... digesting it sometimes one sentence at a time or other days a paragraph or two at a time... it is a book that has so many precious nuggets in it that it is meant to be savored. You can find it to purchase HERE.
The next couple of books are all by the same author...
{two} Point of Danger
Discovering Irene Hannon's books years ago was such a delightful treat. I enjoy her mysteries a lot and over the years there have been different ones that I have thought were really great. They are clean (not graphic) and have great character development along with an interesting story and plot line. This one, Point of Danger was honestly I think her best one yet. It was interesting and had a twist that I didn't see coming. I would definitely recommend it. You can purchase it HERE.
Because I loved that book so much I was excited to read the second one in the series...
{three} Labyrinth of Lies
....and unfortunately it wasn't my favorite. *sigh* I hate ever giving a bad review to an author-especially one that I really enjoy so much but I felt like this was just a slow moving and predictable mystery. I personally felt that it was extremely obvious who the "bad people" were and was not drawn into the love story that seemed like it was being pushed so hard to really like believe that the two main characters should be together. I honestly wanted to recommend that they receive some good counseling before entering into a relationship. So unfortunately I do not recommend this one. *sigh* Honestly I felt that this was just "good" but not a great book which I read in several reviews and I would agree. If you purchase it I would be so curious to hear what you think! (You can find it HERE!) BUT I love Irene Hannon's writing and so this is just maybe me being wrong? Any thoughts?
Other book recommendations by Irene Hannon that I have read and loved that I would recommend:
{four} Springs in the Valley
For my "main" devotional this year I decided to go "old school" and go through a devotional I have never gone completely through: Springs in the Valley. If you have been around this blog for a while then you know one of my favorite devotionals is Streams in the Desert and this is written by the same author. I am loving it and it has been so deep and yet simple. You can purchase it HERE.
Other book recommendations by L.B.E. Cowan that I have read and loved that I would recommend:
Movies & TV
{one}Tough as Nails
So this really is more from the fall then January, but it was so good that I had to mention it. This was a great discovery last year that we made- y'all... I feel like all of America should sit down and watch this show. It is inspiring and amazing. You need to watch it- you will not be disappointed! There have been three seasons and honestly I feel like each season gets better. We loved season 2 and then season 3 came out and now I think that one was the best. They are all just so good! You can find it on Amazon Prime HERE.
{two}Amazing Race
I know. I know. Some of you are laughing because we all know how much I love this show but I have to say the last few seasons I haven't enjoyed so much. So I was skeptical going into this season and honestly I am loving it! It is not just the fact that I miss traveling and it is so wonderful to see different parts of the world... this season feels more reminiscent of the older seasons where there "real" people who were given the opportunity to race around the world. It is great! You can find it on Amazon Prime HERE.
{three}White Collar
I know. I know. Yes. This came out in 2009. Yes there are some of you are laughing because you are assuming that I just like the show because of the sexy lead man. BUT y'all seriously. This is SO good. Last year Jacob kept telling me that I needed to watch this. I politely was like, "okay" and ignored it (sorry Jacob *hahaha*). About two weeks ago we were looking for something new to watch and this popped up. I thought- wait didn't I hear about this, asked Jacob and then started watching and it is SO.GOOD. Why did I wait so long? I have no idea. Haha. Now I message a lot of "WAIT. Is this person bad?" haha. So if you haven't watched it (we are still in the middle of season 1) yes it has a very cute man in it but it is also very very good! *smiles* You can find it on Amazon Prime HERE. Let me know what you think!
If you are curious about other book reading lists I have done in the past you can find those posts below:
2020 Book, Movie, and TV Reviews
2019 Book, Movie, and TV Reviews
Thank you so much for reading today! What about you- what have you been watching and reading that you would recommend for me for February?
(photo found on internet, no source)
Every day I have been eating more and more red onions. I love adding them to different meals, on my salads, and in my recipes! I have been wanting them more and more recently so I decided to look up the benefits of this vegetable and I was amazed! Y'all I was so excited to share these 12 amazing benefits with you today!
Red onions are high in lots of health benefits and there have been incredible studies done on the power of this vegetable to pack an important health punch. The Greeks were known to prepare for the Olympics by feasting on onions while the Egyptians were recorded to bury onions with their pharaohs. One of the foods that the Pilgrims brought with them to America was onions.
There are so many amazing benefits of red onions and today I am so excited to share with y'all just 12 of the powerful benefits that are found in this beautiful onion:
1. High in Quercetin
Red onions are known to to be high in one particular antioxidant called quercetin which helps protect our health in several ways. One study has shown that quercetin not only boosts the immune system but also fights inflammation.
2. Excellent Digestive Aid
Red onions contain fructooligosaccharides, which is substances that act as prebiotics. What this means is that they pass through the small intestine without digesting it but in the large intestine they will feed the healthy bacteria.
3. Helps fight Cancer
Eating Red Onions may reduce your risk of cancer. Studies from Italian researches found that those who ate the most onions were the least likely to have cancer of the colon, throat, and ovaries. In another study, researchers found that men who ate red onions were the least likely to have prostate cancer.
4. Helps Prevent Osteoporosis
Red onions may play a role in preventing osteoporosis. In one study researchers found that women who were near or past menopause had a significant red onion intake had greater bone density.
5. Helps Control Blood Sugar
Eating red onions may help control blood sugar which is especially helpful for people diabetes. A research study with type 2 diabetes demonstrated that eating 3.5 ounces of raw red onion reduced blood sugar levels.
6. Source of Organosulfur Compounds
Red Onions are part of the family of organosulfur compounds which is a family of nutrients that are also present in garlic, leeks and other onions. These compounds help scrub your cells clean of cancer-causing free radicals and helps benefit heart health.
7. Rich in Chromium
Red onions are a wonderful source of chromium. A recent study has shown that nearly 50% of the United States population is deficient in chromium which is a greater percentage than any other developed nation. Chromium deficiencies are known to lead to diabetes and heart disease.
8. Helps to Increase Good Oral Health
Red Onions are known to help prevent tooth decay and also help heal oral infections. According to this cosmetic dentist in Worcester, red onions contain antibacterial and antimicrobial compounds which help in preventing plaque and killing bacteria. One study has shown that eating raw onions for 2-3 minutes will kill all of the germs present in the mouth.
9. May Help Treat Acne
Red onion juice mixed with olive oil has been said to help treat acne.
10. Helps boost sex drive
Red Onions are said to help increase the urge for a healthy sex life.
11. Helps Treat Urinary Infections
To help treat urinary infections some studies have shown that boiling red onions in water and then drinking the water can help heal urinary infections.
12. Helpful for Earaches
Some research has shown that a few drops of red onion juice in the ear can help heal earaches.
So many great things that research is showing that red onions can be beneficial for!
If you are looking for other "benefits of" food related thursday health thoughts posts I have shared the following on the blog:
What about you? Have you found any amazing benefits or helpful from consuming red onions? Looking to include red onions into your diet? Check out my post an easy, healthy, and beautiful veggie recipe two ways by clicking HERE!
Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her health care provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship.}
Happy Wednesday friends! As I mentioned in my post about a new direction that Caravan Sonnet is heading in (you can read more HERE!) I am excited to spend more time sharing about upstate New York, New York, and New England in my travel posts! Yesterday I shared that in the next few weeks I am excited to share with y'all some recap posts from the New England Winter Road Trip that I took with my mom 2 years ago about a month before the world stopped due to the pandemic! At the time I shared some posts about our trip, but with the way the world changed I didn't get to share everything and so I am excited to revisit this trip and share more! I hope that it encourages you to consider taking a road trip (in part or in whole depending on your circumstances) this winter to this beautiful place in the world!
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Happy Wednesday friends! I hope your week is starting off well! Today I am excited to share more about our New England Winter Road Trip that we took in February! If you missed my post on Monday (click HERE) check it out so you can see the exact route that we took. Here is a general overview...
Our first stop that we made was in Concord, New Hampshire. Both of us had never been to Concord and we were excited to check it out! We arrived in Concord at lunchtime and we were so hungry! We planned to spend sometime exploring the downtown and historic area of Concord so we wanted to find a restaurant in that area.
We also both love Mexican food so it was an easy choice to try the New England Mexican Chain, Margaritas located in Concord. Margaritas has franchise sites in many states, but originated in New England.
It was incredibly chilly out that day so we were excited to be inside to snap a picture and also to start off our road trip! We loved this huge mirror that greets you on the way in!
We were taken downstairs to a booth and as we got settled in we realized the unique atmosphere of the building. We were sitting looking around and there were old jail cells that had been converted into additional seating space!
It turns out that this Margaritas is located in what used to be the Concord Police Headquarters and ail from 1890 to 1975! It was completely random, but such a fun twist on a restaurant location y'all!
We decided to order the fresh made guacamole which was really yummy y'all! I would definitely recommend it and then we also ordered vegetarian fajitas to split.
The portions were huge so we were glad that we split this lunch! Even splitting it we couldn't finish everything!
Aside from the portion size (which seemed just way to much!) the rest of our experience was okay. I would rate it about a 3 out of 5. Not horrible, but just okay. Our service was very slow, the server forgot our water drinks and also forgot some of our order, and when a large group came in the restaurant she seemed very overwhelmed and the service and kitchen seemed even slower. We did have to remind the server that we needed corn tortillas (after a conversation with me being gluten free) when they brought us flour tortillas, but they did apologize for this mistake. Thankfully I had no Celiac reaction to anything. Nothing was a huge deal about experience, but it just wasn't something that was that great.
Overall the food was okay, although I can't say that it was our favorite Mexican Restaurant (or restaurant in general) that we have eaten at. The food was nice, but I wouldn't say that this is a "must visit restaurant" to stop at in Concord. If you are looking for something that is near downtown and the historic district and want Mexican food it will be nice, but not outstanding. It was a disappointing start to our road trip, but both of us enjoyed the beginning because it was a new experience. One thing that I have said a lot on the blog and stand by is that it is not as much what you are doing, as much as who you are spending time with and we always have a blast!
I truly hope that this review has been helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions!!
Happy Tuesday friends! As I mentioned in my post about a new direction that Caravan Sonnet is heading in (you can read more HERE!) I am excited to spend more time sharing about upstate New York, New York, and New England in my travel posts! In the next few weeks I am excited to share with y'all some recap posts from the New England Winter Road Trip that I took with my mom 2 years ago about a month before the world stopped due to the pandemic! At the time I shared some posts about our trip, but with the way the world changed I didn't get to share everything and so I am excited to revisit this trip and share more! I hope that it encourages you to consider taking a road trip (in part or in whole depending on your circumstances) this winter to this beautiful place in the world!
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Happy Monday friends! I hope that this finds you doing well! Today I am so excited to start sharing about our New England Winter Road Trip that we took last week through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Even though we were only gone for 2 nights and 3 days, it was definitely a trip of a lifetime and one that I would recommend everyone takes in the winter!
Throughout the next two weeks I am going to be sharing about all of the different places we went to, activities that we did, restaurants we ate at, places we stayed, and our itinerary for those of you that may want to do this exact trip in the future.
I received so many messages on social media and email about this trip (especially about this beautiful room above *smiles*) and I hope that sharing about how we organized this trip so that you can create your own delightful New England Winter Road Trip! Sometimes when you are planning a trip to somewhere you haven't explored before and want to travel through so many different places in a short amount of time it can be hard to figure out the distances between destinations, what is worth seeing, and where to even start.
Overall I was really happy with the itinerary (although we wish that we had more time to explore lots of more places!) and I hope it will help those of you in the midst of your own planning. Doing an a New England Winter Road trip was simply incredible in so many different ways. It held a beauty all on its own and we walked away so refreshed, encouraged, and inspired.
Stay tuned because starting tomorrow I will be sharing about all the details!
Happy Monday friends!
Stay tuned because starting tomorrow I will be sharing about all the details!
Happy Monday friends!
Happy Saturday friends! I hope the start to your weekend is going great! It's been a month since I updated on our move to New York from Tennessee and then there have been some additional moves after that!*smiles* I thought today would be the perfect day to update on our move up to New York as I receive so many questions each day about how things are going, how teaching is going, how we are settling in, etc. In many ways it is completely surreal that this week marks eight months since the process really began and a couple of months since we moved again (from Albany to upstate New York). In some ways it seems like years because so many things have taken place... time is funny like that- isn't it?
Overall
Overall, I would say that we have been met with peace in deep ways as we have moved back to upstate New York. Honestly a peace that is beyond on my understanding. Last year at this time both of us were completely against moving back here for so many different reasons, but as the Lord opened doors to this space, job, and area it has been a peaceful and sweet transition. I think that there are still so many things that you have to give yourself grace for and so if you are in the midst of a lot of big adjustments and moves like we are... give yourself a LOT of grace.
Condo Living
We have given our official 60 day notice to vacate and we will be moving completely out of the condo in March. There is a lot of mixed emotions with this one specifically with the energy to be packing up another place and paying for another move, and we appreciate the prayers for all of these details. We are planning to use the same moving company that we did with our move from Tennessee to New York as we were so impressed with them and I will keep you updated.
Bungalow
I definitely look forward to sharing more in the upcoming weeks!
Blogging
As I shared last week (click HERE if you missed it) Caravan Sonnet is heading into a new direction and season and I am truly grateful for all of your sweet support, love, and encouragement! If you want to see the reel on IG that I shared with my community there you can click HERE! Thank you again for all of your support! If you are a brand or sponsor and desire to work with Caravan Sonnet, please reach out to the team at: caravansonnet@gmail.com!
Library
I am truly loving and enjoying this new adventure. I will be honest it is a lot different than what I expected or what was told to me when I interviewed. Sadly the state of the library after a lot of neglect from the previous director was in complete disarray (financially and also circulation wise). There were hundreds of books that had not been cataloged just laying around, books that hadn't been ordered in months, a children and teen room downstairs that hadn't been properly tended to (I am talking books switched around in the computer system and on shelves mixing non-fiction and fiction), stacks of books that were supposedly withdrawn that were brand new, circulation that had been held up, hundreds of books upstairs that needed to be taken downstairs, finances completely disorganized, bills that hadn't been paid, and the list went on and on and on and on). It literally took me 4 hours one day just to clean out my desk and 4 trashbags of junk, dirt, trash, ect later. It was so sad to see how this small town library that I have always loved got to where it was at. The previous director before the director that I replaced had done such a fabulous job... it was heartbreaking. I can only imagine that the previous director before me was going through a hard personal time to have left things in such a mess. It has been a lot of work but I honestly I am enjoying it. Y'all know how I love to problem solve, organize, and be creative and this has allowed me to tap into those things in a different way. I miss teaching everyday...but this has been an extreme blessing during this season...
Teaching
I shared this last week, but since I am often asked if I miss teaching high school right now in this unexpected season, I wanted to clarify yes. Yes. Yes. Yes... definitely yes. More than words can express. More than words can say. DEFINITELY yes. This picture (above) popped up in my memories recently (from a precious "senior day" that we did last year) and it brought tears to my eyes. Last year was one of the biggest blessings of my life... and I will ALWAYS be grateful. More than words can express.
I recently wept as I read these pages from the book, "The Making of Us"... it says it WAY more eloquently than my words could ever express (about the missing of a job that you loved):
Writing
Something new is on the horizon and I am SO excited to share with y'all in the coming months! Stay tuned!! AHHH my little heart is bursting!!
Thank you for all of your support! You can find all of my books HERE!
Teachers Pay Teachers Shoppe
This has been such an exciting adventure to be on with the new opening of the shoppe a couple of months ago! Thank you for all of your support of this shoppe and for spreading the word about it! You can find the shoppe HERE! The one huge favor I have is for y'all to share this shoppe with those you know and love! Thank you SO much!
Etsy Shops/Ebay Store
December Lane has continued to remain open throughout this whole transition time. With the holidays coming up this could be an excellent unique opportunity to purchase a curated watercolor travel print for you or for your loved one! You can find the shop HERE!
December Caravan is still on a brief hold until February 2022. There are some BIG changes coming with the shop and I am excited to share and show y'all what is coming! Stay tuned for some big announcements!
I have currently placed the Ebay stores on hold. To be honest I am not sure at this point if they will be opening back up. I have found that while it was nice to do, it didn't spark joy or a passion within in me as it was less creative so I am prayerfully considering what to do next about this!
PhD
AHHHH... I start classes this semester and am truly so excited. I can't wait to share more as this progresses! Thank you for all of your support!
Church
One of the things that I was most excited about was getting back involved in a church community and finding other people my age (single and married). Honestly... it has been hard to do this with COVID. It definitely has made this moving process feel a lot lonelier and I know that I am not the only one feeling this way right now. At this point we are continuing to listen to church online but I hope that in the future this can change and change quickly.
Social/Friendships
COVID has made this a more complicated process and with my fragile immune system it is not as easy as I would like it to be to just get together with and develop new friendships. I think anyone who moves understands all of the emotions that come with finding your "place" in a new space. And that wording of "new space" may sound silly because we have lived here before, but it is a new space, since I was so extremely ill when we lived here before. I am grateful for grace in just giving myself time to adjust. I definitely don't have the social life that I would like to have, but again I think some of it is a mixture between moving, adjusting, work schedule, and COVID.
Dating
I am giggling as I write this... there are some stories to share about some dating site adventures but nothing that is happening in this department right now. Haha. I am giggling because I would say this is one of the most asked questions I receive ALL the time. For personal reasons I have always kept my dating life private on this blog (out of respect to the men and out of respect for just the need for a personal boundary line) but right now... no, I am not secretly hiding any story. Yes, I have been asked this numerous times. Yes, I desire to be married more than I could ever express and yes, I still pray faithfully for my future husband every single day. Thank you so much for caring so much. I am so grateful for your love and prayers for me also in this area!
Thank you so much for reading today... I am so grateful for your prayers, for your love, and for your support in this time of transition and change. I plan to start doing this as a monthly update and I look forward to sharing next month the adventures of Month 9 that God has in store.
I hope that you and your loved ones have a wonderful weekend!
Happy Thursday friends! As y'all know I am always looking for ways to add more veggies to my diet as I believe that food is an essential part of our wellness. This easy and healthy veggie recipe is full of good things for us and I thought that I would share it with y'all. It is easy to make and is extremely healthy, especially if you are like me and you are wanting to get more veggies into your body.
1 package organic cherry tomatoes
1 head of organic broccoli or broccolini
1 organic lemon
1 tablespoon of organic olive oil
1/2 tablespoon of Oregano
Feta Cheese (optional)
Salt and Pepper to Taste
After washing, cut the cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and onion into bite size pieces and place into mixing bowl. Pour 1 tablespoon of organic olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon of oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper over the veggie mixture and stir together. Cut 1/4 of lemon and squeeze juice out to drizzle over the top of the veggie mixture. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
As I mentioned I am sharing two different ways to use this recipe. The first would be to remove when you are ready to serve and put over spinach and top with some feta cheese.
The second would be the following way to eat it warm:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare a 9x12 baking dish by cutting the remaining lemon into slices. In each quarter and in the middle of the dish place a lemon slice.
Take out your veggie mixture and spread it out across the 9x12 baking dish.
Top with desired amount of feta cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and then remove from oven.
Stir the mixture and place back in oven for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve warm and enjoy!
I use this recipe as a side dish, or as a main dish as a salad and it is delicious either way! It is easy, healthy and beautiful and is the easiest recipe. The recipe is so easy and can be modified for your health needs.
Also- interested in finding out about some of the health benefits of each specific item in this recipe? Check out the posts below:
What about y'all? What is your favorite easy and beautiful veggie recipe?
Happy Monday friends! I am so excited to share with y'all a new product that went into the caravan sonnet shoppe at teachers pay teachers this past week! This is a resource for united states history teachers at the high school.
If you would like to go directly to this resource you can click HERE!
The 1920s are a time of great change and also of social justice issues emerging on a different level. These topics are an excellent way to share and teach history but also to discuss the social justice issues that we are facing in the United States today. Most students are not aware of how this affects their lives today and this simple and yet powerful powerpoint can bring this topic alive!
This powerpoint contains 9 different slides with colorful and animated sections, pictures, and can be the basis of great discussion in your classroom. The powerpoint can be used in powerpoint or can be easily converted into Google Slides for your convenience.
This resource covers a variety of topics including:
* Red Fear and Political Ideas of the 1920s
*Race Issues/KKK
*Immigration Changes
*Prohibition
*Entertainment of the 1920s
*Consumerism
*Feminism and the Equal Rights Amendment
*Sexuality in the 1920s
*Flappers
*Religion in the 1920s
*Scopes Monkey Trial
*Music in the 1920s (Jazz Age)
*Literature in the 1920s
If you would like to purchase this powerpoint you can find it HERE! Thank you so much for all of your support of the shoppe! If you would like to check out the shoppe you can find it HERE! Also, could you do me a favor? If you have purchased a product in the shoppe could you take a moment to share a review? As a new shop reviews are SO helpful and important! I would greatly appreciate your time! This has been an incredible blessing and you are making this possible!!
Thank you again friends! Happy Monday!
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