Life Lately and Some Favorites

Still no Grandbaby news... Our sweet Sarah is five days past her "due date" and we're all feeling a little impatient. We've been taking walks, getting pedicures, continuing to nest, and getting lots of suggestions on how to convice this baby to put her pretty Mama into active labor. We hope tonight's Cajun Tator Tots help!

We are all trying to wait patiently on the "little woman" which made me think of  the Brad Paisley song. We are also trying to wait patiently for our kitchen to be finished. It's looking doubtful that it will happen before Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow I'll be heading over to the "Festival of Hope," the fairtrade marketplace at our church. Please check it out! It's such a great way to shop and help others around the world.

Here are this week's favorite things:

Book: I finished The Bookshop at Water's End, by Patti Callahan Henry. It was SO enjoyable and delved into the relationships between friends, mother and daughter, love, and small town life in the South. The story went back and forth between the present and past. (Sort of like "This is Us" does.)

Worship Song: "The Breakup Song," by Francesca Battstelli. Fear you will never be welcome here, and yes, there is somebody out there like you!

Quick Campbell's Soup Recipes: Since our daughter and son-in-law live with us, he mentioned some favorite meals his Mom made him. I've done two of them this week (Easy chicken and rice, and beef stroganoff) and they were both a big hit although not super low-calorie. You can find the recipes here on their website.

Friendsgiving: What fun it was to join a lot of my girlfriends from bible study and their husbands for a delicious early Thanksgiving meal. The atmosphere and food were delicious and the company was fantastic. Thank you Lott family for your hospitality! Have you participated in a Friendsgiving before? We've also been hosted by dear friends in the past when we didn't have a working kitchen and/or were in transition. (Thanks Davis and MacIntosh families!)

Holiday Blog Tours: OK, so if you know me, you know I'm kinda/sorta addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. While I watch them I am knitting baby girl's little blanket. If I have time to search around on the computer, you will find me getting decorating inspiration from bloggers. I love seeing their homes. Check out "Home Stories A to Z." At the bottom of Beth's post are 15 other homes you can peek into. I like how they often share where they found their products. I won't really need to purchase ANY decorations though, because last week my daughter and I went through ALL our Christmas boxes and took inventory. Then we had to put it all back in the garage because I live with a man who doesn't believe in decorating for Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. I recommend everyone do this before heading out to any Holiday stores or to buy any new decorations. I realized I don't even have room in my home for what I own, let alone anything new! I do hope to switch up the way I use my sentimental collections of Santas, Nativity sets, Snowmen, trees and Nutcrackers.  

I am counting my blessings, and praying for California. I am trusting that God will show his faithfulness to all the victims and their families.

"To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory." Isaiah 61:3

Thank you for reading "See Jane Learn" and I wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

In His Grip,
xo Jane

I will leave you with a photo of my happy husband in his brand new recliner chair that we named "Mr. Comfy." We haven't picked our couch, but at least HE is happy! It should be interesting to see all the guys "fighting" for a turn over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Some Favorites Right Now

Happy Weekend!  This little sweet pea had to wait 9 months, but Hazel finally cut her first tooth! Her infectious smile is one of my favorite things! Below I've listed some other current favs.

We kicked off the weekend with a fun date night; pizza at our local Tides Tavern, followed by live music by Luke Stanton at Kimball Coffeehouse. Last night we had some good friends over for dinner and my live-in chef whipped up Tuscan Salmon and Bananas Plantains Foster. Tip: don't use Plantains-too chewy! Our day was spent doing yard work, housework and being grateful for the Spring sunshine!

Here are some of my favorites this week:

1. Shopping Discovery:
"Mighty Leaf" Green Tea Tropical is available at Target! I used to buy it occasionally at the Nordstrom Coffee stand after discovering it while eating lunch at the Cafe'. It was over $10 for a box. Target's price was $6.99 in-store and online I discovered other spots to order it from that are even cheaper.  Still a bit spendy, but you get 15 pouches and it is a delicious treat hot or cold!

2. Listening to the Dais Podcast by Rachel Hollis
Y'all, Rachel's book, Girl Wash Your Face, made the New York Times bestseller list this week! I'm so excited for her and I highly recommend you read it! She has done lifestyle vlogging for years and just recently started doing business-themed Podcasts. Although they are especially geared to women entrepreneurs, I feel that anyone will benefit from listening. Perhaps Rachel Hollis will convince me to become a businesswoman someday?...

3. Stitch Fix leggings for the win
I haven't done a "Stitch Fix" box for months. (Remember, my hubby was unemployed for 5 months.) I've talked about their personal styling before and how easy it is to return unwanted items. As I was updating my profile (I no longer need retail-job clothes, I need Nanny outfits and cute date tops.) I was surprised to discover this was my 14th "fix." What?! Guess I've been receiving shipments off and on for the last seven years.

I've never purchased all 5 items at the reduced rate but I always buy one or two things. This time the only keeper was a pair of legging pants; cute and comfy. The tops she picked out for me were either too close in color to what I already own, or just not pretty enough to justify spending the money. I will be even more specific in the future. Note: they really apologize if you don't LOVE it all...

Here are my tips if you've never tried Stitch Fix:
1. Be very truthful about your style and SIZE when filling out your personal profile.
2. Make a Pinterest board of favorites so the stylist can see what you love.
3. Write a detailed note on each order of what you need or hope for. Ex. Once I said sneakers and a cross-body purse, once I said ALL tops, once I asked for cute summer dresses.
4. If you love what your stylist sends, ask for the same person by name for future boxes.

If you use my referral number you will get a $25 discount. By the way, they now have fixes for men and maternity too!
Here is my referral Link: https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3186352?sod=w&som=c

4. I'm Hooked on a new TV series:
I binged on the new NBC show called Rise. It's about a high school drama teacher and is WAY more realistic than "Glee" ever was... It has the same producer as "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood" and stars Josh Radnor who you'll know if you were a fan of "How I Met Your Mother." One of the lead High School singers was the voice on "Moana." Check it out, but be prepared for some heavy situations.

5. I stumbled onto a New Skincare Line, "Farmacy"
While at Sephora with my daughters last weekend, my cute daughter-in-law introduced me to the "Farmacy" line of skincare products.

Here is the company's description:
 'We harness the healing powers of farm-fresh ingredients with cutting-edge science to create clean formulas for naturally glowing skin!

I wanted ALL the products, but I could only purchase one, so I chose the "Dew it all" eye cream. I love their packaging, smell, and affordable price.

Do you remember the story of The Princess and the Pea? My husband often refers to me as a princess and it's not always a compliment... Well, now I am sure I am one! The other day I was kneeling with baby Hazel at her house and I felt a sharp pain in my knee. See if you can discover the reason in the photo below:

Do you see that tiny little un-popped kernel hiding in the carpet? It felt like a ROCK to my old knee. Yep, I must be a princess. I do know I am the daughter of the KING.

"And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:18

I have my laptop back 24-7 so I will attempt to write and post more often.
(I mentioned earlier this week that I no longer had to share my MacBook with my husband...)

Thank you for stopping by "See Jane Learn!" Enjoy your week!

In His Grip,

xo Jane

Friday Favorites: Pink Trees, Beaches, and Other Things

Happy Spring! While we were in Florida last week, our town "bloomed!" The Harbor had warm, sunny weather and Florida had... WIND and chilly temps. The sun did come out all but two days though, and we bundled up and enjoyed the beach and private pool.

Around my town are gorgeous pink blossoms, yellow daffodils and other signs of new life. Even though the Northeast is being blasted by snowstorms and we've had chilly rain and sleet, we can be assured that Summer is coming.

While baby Hazel takes her afternoon nap, I gathered this week's list current favorites:

Favorite new worship song: 
"More Than Anything" by Natalie Grant. The lyrics hit home as I watch friends going through hard medical issues. "Help me want the healer more than the healing..."

Favorite new vacation spot:
Have you heard of Anna Maria, Florida? It's a bit South of Tampa on the Gulf side. Our friends invited us to escape the waiting, and so we flew five hours and discovered a BEAUTIFUL beach.
We stayed in a rental home called "Serendipity" and once you see the pictures below you'll agree with the name and why it's already booked out for the next year...

I wanted to move in! It was amazing and I was in love with the decorating. Four Master Suites, chandeliers in every room... worth about four million. Golf carts are allowed on the island roads, and we also enjoyed riding cruiser bicycles to the shops. What a blessing to share a week here with friends! Thanks again, Gardners!

Favorite Florida Food:

Perfectly-made sweet tea! Fried shrimp! Fries! Breakfast burritos! Cinnamon rolls as big as our faces and donuts! I ate shrimp twice~the last night I had Coconut Shrimp before toasting another perfect sunset with my favorite frozen vacation drink; a Miami Vice! (I still can't understand why those are basically the only things I enjoy that contain coconut.)

On our last morning in Florida, I had breakfast on the sunny front deck; coffee, bacon, and a Mimosa. Perfect! We may or may not have eaten LOTS of Oreo cookies also... because they were there and we never buy them at home. YUM!

Favorite Non-fiction Book:

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis, is fantastic! Make sure to buy the hard-copy because you are going to want to ear-mark pages and underline sentences. I KNOW I will be rereading this often and doing a lot more hi-lighting. There are so many good chapters and messages it's hard to pick one, but I was crying during the one about parenting. 

"Mom, you should parent in whatever way works for your family and spend less time worrying about other people's perceptions of how you're doing."

I've held onto guilt about mistakes I made raising my four children for years. It seems like my battle with self-confidence and people-pleasing has been going on for way too long. Time to let that go. I am 58 for goodness sakes!

Another favorite quote:
 “A confident woman doesn’t crave other people’s approval because she already has God’s. When we know we have His approval, our craving for other people’s approval decreases." Lynn Cowell Proverbs 31 Ministries

The waiting appears to be over! My guy received good news on the job front, and it will be official on Monday. Thank you for hanging with us during this time of uncertainty and unemployment. God's timing is perfect.

Easter is coming!

As always, thank you for stopping by my little corner of the world and reading, "See Jane Learn!" Enjoy your Palm Sunday and have a good weekend!

In His Grip and Choosing Joy,
xo Jane





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Enough

Happy Weekend! I had an unexpected day off from my new, very-fun job as a Nanny yesterday, and so I finally got a chance to head over the bridge to go to one of my favorite groceries. 

My original plan was to head to IKEA and research some items for my daughter's wedding reception, but I realized it would be quite tempting to only look and not buy. Enter plan B. I invited a friend to join me for a trip to Trader Joe's.  I had my list of go-to items and I finished my menu-planning as I took notice of some healthy, easy dinner products. (My friend appreciated the gluten-free options.) 

I'm a list maker. I always have an ongoing grocery list on the kitchen counter, and on my phone, I type in lists for Target and IKEA, so I don't forget things. Some of these things are "needs" but many are just "wants.

I seem to have developed a pattern of going clothes shopping only when I'm on vacation. It's fun to go to stores out of state, and I like to find unique items. Last month I mentioned a few stores I planned to pop into while I was in Indiana visiting my family. I found a striped top I loved at the "Restyled" boutique in my childhood town, and my oldest sister treated me to a Fixer-Upper style plant pot from "Amanda's" consignment shop. I realized I cannot afford to shop at "Evereve." Even though I appreciate their mission, which is to provide a positive shopping experience for Moms, it's just not in the budget for this empty-nester- mom whose husband hasn't received a paycheck for a month. 

As we lean into lean times, I realize how easy it is to get sucked into the world-view that we don't have enough. That we need the latest, newest, trendy fashion or decor item. Really though, I have ENOUGH. 

How often do I feel entitled to more things, Just like the little girl in Charlie in the Chocolate Factory?

Veruca Salt: Daddy, I want a squirrel. Get me one of those squirrels, I want one!

Mr. Salt: Veruca dear, you have many marvelous pets.

Veruca Salt: All I’ve got at home is one pony and two dogs and four cats and six bunny rabbits and two parakeets and three canaries and a green parrot and a turtle, and a silly old hamster! I WANT a SQUIRREL!

I am blessed with clothes, food, cars and a home. And so, I remind myself...shopping is not a hobby! Knitting, hiking, writing, reading, gardening, cooking; those are hobbies.

 I have so much to be grateful for.

Knowing that gift-giving is one of my "Love Languages" doesn't mean I always need to put emphasis on THINGS. I can give the gift of my time, and I can also give the gift of prayer. 

I love using the ECHO app. It allows me to keep track of prayer requests, and also gives me the option of a notification. At certain times of the day my phone chimes and reminds me to pray for my Mom or my husband. In the morning during my quiet time I swipe and pray for all the needs of friends and family members. The ECHO app also makes it easy to send and share prayer requests to others. 

What is your attitude about shopping? Is it a chore or a pleasure? Do you make lists or wander aisles? Are you good at sticking to your budget? Have you become best friends with the UPS driver since you order most things from Amazon Prime? 

During this Lent season will you join me in the quest to be content and thankful for all we have, to live within our means, and develop a healthy attitude toward shopping. 

If you're not familiar with the Veggie Tales Children's video called "Madame Blueberry" you can watch it here. It's about a depressed, materialistic berry who always wants more STUFF.

Enjoy your weekend! Easter is coming...

In His Grip,

xo Jane

photo sources: veggie tales/YouTube

"Daddy, I Want a Squirrel." photo credit www.alicia-logic. “

How About You?

It's only January, but on my walk the other day I discovered a Forsythia in bloom! For all of you who live in the Midwest or on the East coast, I'm so sorry for the awful Winter weather you've been enduring. I'm flying back to Indiana next week and my fingers are crossed that the roads won't be too treacherous since I'm out of practice driving in anything but rain. Around here it's been in the 40's and we've had quite a bit of rain and some sun-breaks. Typical PNW weather.

Here's what I've been up to the last few weeks:

I attended the "Gathered" women's retreat at our church Friday night and Saturday. The teaching was on Isaiah 43,44 and 55, and everything about the talks, food, worship, fellowship fed my soul. I love learning more about God's love story for us! We also were inspired by Kelly Welk from Cider Press Lane to do what we love and allow God will use it to bless others. Check out her website here and see how their joy of hospitality has grown into a way to fight against human trafficking.

Around my town: It was like a ghost town at Safeway the other day. Where have all the shoppers gone? EVERYONE in my town has decided to check out the new Fred Meyer. As someone who doesn't deal super-well with change, I'm not in love with them closing MY Freddie's and closing Main and Vine (miss my Wednesday $5 salads!) and then opening a mega store. No more zip-in and zip-out. Now you have to pray for a parking spot and weave your cart around a billion people. Who are you? Where did you come from? 

Around my home:
How come I've gained weight since my husband has been unemployed?! Well...we now eat lunch together and it's probably more calorie-laden than I used to eat, plus at night our dinner portions are about the same size. He goes to the YMCA every day and burns lots of calories through lifting and cardio.  I take walks. Shoot. This can't go on! There are only 166 days until my daughter's wedding!

We finished season two of "The Crown" on Netflix. I won't spoil it for you, but it has definitely caused us to discuss healthy and unhealthy parenting and marriage relationships, and the Monarchy.

I grabbed what I thought was a matchbook out of my husband's bathroom drawer so I could light a candle for my bubble bath. Upon opening, I discovered not matches, but toothpicks. Is this a new thing? Now that smoking is no longer allowed in most places (thankfully!) are restaurants giving out cute toothpick packs? When trying to research, I did find an article on the history of matchbooks.

Did anyone else ever read the former online magazine called "Matchbook?" I loved their tagline; "Field Guide to a Charmed Life." I miss it! Bring it back!!!

I'm knitting again! Yay for yarn and little projects! I sent the girls of my family this blog that talked about the value of creativity and The Creator of all.

I'm back into menu planning and trying to use what we have in our freezer and pantry. Last night's Chicken Marsala was yummy, and I made One-Pot Kielbasa Pasta for a family who just had a baby. 

We've moved my husband's office upstairs to what used to be the guest room, and that is now on the lower level. We have some more projects to complete and then we're possibly going to make a stab at having an Air B and B. 

How about you? What have you been up to this month? 

In His Grip, 
xo Jane

Sip, Sunshine, Smile, Repeat: Three Days in Napa

"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou."

Omar Khayyam

Napa Valley California is our "happy place." Here's a recap of our long weekend:

I flew down to the Oakland Airport on a Thursday afternoon. My husband got a rental car and had arranged dinner reservations at Townhouse Bar and Grill in Emeryville, so we could let the city commuter traffic thin out while we ate. First time eating warm bread in 30 days... We split the Lamb salad and Prime Rib special. Our first night we stayed at the Marriott Courtyard in Vallejo. This choice was due to availability and using "points."

Day One: Calistoga and St. Helena 
Our breakfast was fruit and a Lara bar and we headed up to our first tasting in Calistoga.

Sterling Vineyards was a fun experience. (The $32 basic fee included the aerial tram, a self-guided tour of the lower portion of the winery, scenic views and a tasting of current release wines.) There were four stations ending on a sunny patio. (Make a reservation ahead of time.) 

Next we headed to Main Street in downtown St. Helena. There are so many cute boutiques to explore. Some of my favorites included Napa Valley Vintage Home, Fideaux, and Allison in Wine Country.

I highly recommend you make a reservation for lunch at Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch. The grounds are beautiful and our food was unique and delicious. We enjoyed Heirloom Tomato salad, cheddar biscuits, little meatballs with tomato marmalade, and split a pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw, avocado and a fresh farm egg... We should have stopped after the meatballs! Mike ordered the “BIG EASY” Beignets with bourbon caramel sauce for dessert. Should have ordered the chocolate cream pie. Their Farmstead wine was very good and it would be a fabulous place for a wedding!

Next we checked into the Shady Oaks Inn, a lovely bed and breakfast for our second night. The hosts treated us to a wine and cheese hour, and we even played Boucce ball. 


We headed to the Rutherford Auberge du Soleil Resort for drinks at the patio Bistro Bar and to watch the sun set. Couldn't afford the over $1000 hotel room, but we could enjoy their view! Get the pommes frites with aioli! My "Sidecar" was delicious and we met an adorable group of girlfriends from Chicago on a Bachelorette trip. 

We shared a late pizza at Tra Vigne Pizzeria. 

Day Two: Eat, Drink and be Merry in Yountville and Napa

After a delicious breakfast at our Inn (baked apples, waffles and sausage, lots of coffee and juice), we checked out and headed to Yountville.

We explored the shops at the V Marketplace. Afterward we chose to do a tasting at Hope and Grace. We walked in without a reservation, and had received a 2 for 1 tasting coupon at the Chamber of Commerce. The name drew me in...the staff and wine were AMAZING! They were very generous and gave us samples of MANY varieties. How fun to talk with wine servers  from Bulgaria, and Wales! We loved the Pop up piano in the middle of the community center in this cute town!

Rock "mushroom garden"

At the recommendation of one of our Inn housemates, we called the Vincent Arroyo winery to reserve a time slot. There was no tasting fee and if you're a dog lover, you'll love the Labrador.

We checked into our third and final hotel, the Napa Marriott, and enjoyed some lounging poolside and listening to live music.

Dinner Saturday night was at Bistro Don Giovanni. If you love Italian food, go here!

Day Three: Bubbles!
We popped over to the Oxbow Public Market after scarfing down a donut from Happy's Donut Tree Too. As good as Pao's! Cash only...Fun to walk around, but we were ready to head outside.

Where to next? Why MUMM of course! We'd been here six years ago and it's one of our favorite spots. SO beautiful and such delicious sparkling wine! We sat in the vineyard patio and enjoyed the Blush and Cuvee'. The Reserve Pino Meunir, which is only available on site was our favorite!

Just like our last trip, six years ago, we ended up at the Rutherford Grill for lunch. Bubbles, Focaccia Bread, BBQ Ribs and Key Lime Pie!

 Our last tasting was at right next door at BV. A nice young man named Beau served us.

A few tips if you're planning a trip: 

• Book places to stay WAY in advance before prices increase and Inns and Hotels fill up. Location matters.
• Get winery recommendations from friends, but be flexible! It's all good!
• Make some reservations ahead of time for both restaurants and tasting rooms.
• Drink LOTS of water in between sips and pack some protein snacks.
• I was comfy in sundresses and only needed a sweater for the morning "Marine Layer."
• Drive safely and defensively...
• Don't forget your sunglasses and "readers" or you'll have to buy them at the airport!!
• Most hotels will ship any purchased wine home for you for a nominal fee.
• Be open and willing to engage in conversations with the people you meet.
• Expect to have FUN and be blessed by the beauty of God's Wine Country!

"Great is the fortune of he who possesses a good bottle, a good book, and a good friend." Moliere

As I re-read ALL the food I ate over our four days in California, it's no wonder I gained five pounds! The Whole 30 authors would shutter if they knew how we reintroduced ALL the food groups ALL at once! Time to cut back again... Even so, I can't wait to go back!

Foggy San Francisco

Thanks for reading "See Jane Learn!" 

In His Grip,

xo Jane

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