January is bitter and devoid of Christmas. March is raw, teasing with its two or three nice days and threatening to never end. But February? Right spang in the middle of it, its redeeming quality, Valentine’s Day, comes to brighten up what would appear to be just another set of footprints plodding through the snow and slush till spring. It doesn’t hurt that chocolate usually enters the picture, too!
While I had no way of sending you chocolates and my little Sweetheart Valentine has kept me from getting a homemade set of Valentine cards made for you, I do have a bit of cheery bling to offer.
Take a look –
This beautiful pendant on a 28”-30” gold-tone chain followed me home. It’s from Accessory Connection and I just loved all the movement in the tortoiseshell pieces hanging from the black faceted embellishment, not to mention the detail in the chain that adds the extra sparkle.
To enter to win the pendant and chain as a Valentine for yourself or for someone you love, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Be My Valentine, Midwest Storyteller!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, February 5th, 2021!
NOTE: There seems to be a problem here on the blog with people trying to subscribe and not receiving their confirmation email. If this has happened to you, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report all these instances and have the issue solved.
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so hop on over to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies”page, you’ll be able to see who they are and what they’ve been winning.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Be My Valentine, Midwest Storyteller!”
Take advantage of this “month of love” by sending some Valentines! I know, I know, it gets all commercialized, but you must admit, we don’t spend enough time telling friends and family how much we love and appreciate them. Let’s let all the commercialism serve as a nudge. The simplest note or a treat wrapped in red tissue is all it takes to make someone feel special
Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget! (See note above concerning subscription issues.)
I type this at the end of a raw, blustery day. Is that the distant call of spring I hear? Never mind, I think it’s the Roomba.
Comments or questions? Share some of your simple ideas for making someone feel loved and appreciated on Valentine’s Day.
I’m excited to announce the winner of January’s First Friday Freebie. Sometimes my Freebies have to take a little journey to arrive at their new home.
This one did do some traveling – all the way to –
Janine in Rochester, New York!
Congratulations, Janine! Enjoy your goodies and thank you for subscribing and entering to win.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, check it out here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! pagehere. If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.
Janine entered her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirmed her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. If you’ve done that and not received a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.
Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies are my way of reaching more people with the stories, recipes and more. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Get the idea?
Coming up: February’s First Friday Freebie! That takes place on Friday, February 5th. You’ll be able to see a photo of the Freebie and enter to win all day that day. Don’t forget to check your email for the reveal.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, February 5th, 2021.
Preparing to say “Happy Valentine’s Day“ to someone special? You can keep this Freebie for yourself – or maybe not!
This recipe has been updated and I am reposting it to better help those who are on the Trim Healthy Mama plan. Of course, since it’s the best soup I’ve ever made, anybody is going to love it!
While it’s still soup weather… Well, it’s soup weather somewhere, I suppose. Here in the Midwest, weather gets wonderfully weird. When I first posted this soup recipe, a nearby town had just set a record a few days ago when the temperature hit seventy-eight degrees in February! That’s weird. That’s wonderful! So many areas of the country received winter’s full blast while we were just – chilly. It has to get mighty warm for us to give up on nourishing, yummy soups at our house, though.
This soup was born of necessity – and that’s another post for another day. Having taken yet another serious step forward in improving my food choices, I’d adapted many of my old recipes into grain-free, sugar-free versions. One day, oozing with inspiration and having one of those “if I were the perfect soup, what would I be like?” mind excursions, I hatched a plan. It must have been one of my super-duper, genius, over-the-top, brainy days, because after a trip to the store and a little time at the stove, I rolled my eyes and patted myself on the back. All my past kitchen flops had been compensated for and I knew I had a winner.
I needed a winner. I had a reputation to uphold. At a local church sponsored Souper Bowl of Sharing, soups are judged and the top-rated soups receive the coveted “Golden Ladles”. I’d received three consecutive Golden Ladles, so why not go for a fourth? Besides, all proceeds go to the area food bank. They deserve a great soup, right?
My own high praise of this soup comes to you from a life-long sweet-tater-hater. I’ve only embraced the rock-hard, ugly roots in the last few years. I think it happened during a daring restaurant experience when I lost my head, blurting out, “I’ll have some of those sweet potato fries.” I’ve been experimenting with them ever since.
I filled my slow cooker with a triple batch of this soup and, yes, I took home another golden ladle!
So many people have asked me for this recipe. I think you’ll love it. If you can’t have dairy, I weep for you. However, I did have a good friend tell me that she made substitutions in the soup due to her dietary restrictions and not only was it yummy, but her husband said it was the best soup he ever had in his life.
A few notes before we start –
1. If you haven’t worked with leeks, they look like giant green onions. However, their onion-y taste is delightfully delicate! They pick up a lot of sand and grit while growing, though, which is why the recipe says to halve lengthwise. This will enable you to fan the layers apart and rinse all the dirt out. Then, just pull all the layers back together, lay flat side down and slice into thin ribbons. Use all the white part and a good portion of the green, but not any parts that look extra tough. The green parts will soften well during cooking.
2. I place the chicken in my slow cooker or a large skillet, season it with salt & pepper, and cook on LOW for a while ahead of making the soup. (Your chicken will be tough if cooked too fast.) When it’s thoroughly cooked, I place it on a cutting board and use one of the handy-dandy Pampered Chef dealy-bobs featured in the photo below.. It shreds it to perfection in no time! I get my Pampered Chef items here. If you don’t have one, just slice across the grain, then pull apart.
3. Do not confuse sweet potatoes with white potatoes when it comes to cooking time. Cubed sweet potatoes cook FAST! The best way I’ve found is to take a large knife and slice off a 1/2″ slab. Then, turn the sweet potato over onto the flat surface you’ve created and slice the whole thing into more 1/2″ slabs. Stack a few together, cut into 1/2″ strips (like French fries) and then into cubes. Sweet potatoes are solid and difficult to cut when raw, but don’t let them fool you. Once cubed and put into the boiling broth, I’d advise giving them the taste test after about five minutes. In case just reading this instruction wore you out, check your supermarket for frozen bags of cubed sweet potatoes. One bag is just about right for this recipe and you can just dump them right into the boiling broth. Not all stores carry these, so grab them when you see them.
4. I invented “Faux-broth” as a substitute for chicken broth one day when none of the stores nearby had chicken broth without sugar in it. Again, I let my mind wander. (It’s not always dangerous.) I threw together a series of things that I would have used if I were seasoning, for instance, a chicken for roasting. I feel a little silly, I must say, for sharing a recipe for water with herbs in it, but I’ve used it over and over again. Anyhow, if you’re out of broth, this “flavored water” will get you by in a pinch. The first time you make this soup, I’d advise using real chicken broth. Then, you’ll know how it’s meant to taste. (That’s what I used for the soup contest – and I won – I’m just sayin’.)
OK – Let’s make AWESOME, prize-winning soup! And, don’t get your under-drawers in a bunch over the butter and heavy cream. Fat doesn’t make you fat – dual fueling your body does. This soup is a satisfying “S Helper”. Besides, as I often tell Smuffy – nobody’s forcing you to eat four bowls.
Let me restate a portion of my disclaimer. (See the sidebar for the whole thing.) It is my promise to properly disclose any items which may have been given to me for consideration, are sponsored, or contain affiliate links. Some links on my site may be affiliate links for which I could receive a commission for your click-through and/or purchase. I only feature brands and companies that I have used and genuinely love. All opinions are completely my own. As a THM Certified Lifestyle Coach, I do, at times, receive monetary compensation for these services.
Below the recipe, you’ll find a link to a free printable which includes both the soup and the faux broth.
Creamy Leek Soup with Chicken & Sweet Potato
1 large leek, halved lengthwise & cleaned well, then sliced into 1/8″ ribbons
1/4 cup butter
1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs, seasoned, cooked & shredded.
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 ” cubes (or one 10 ounce bag of frozen cubed sweet potatoes)
2 cups chicken broth (with NO sugar)
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon (or more) mineral salt
In a medium skillet, cook & stir leeks in butter until very soft over medium heat.
Meanwhile, bring broth (or faux broth) to a boil. Add cubed sweet potatoes. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till just tender (around 5 minutes). Add leeks (with butter), cooked chicken, salt and heavy cream to the pot. Heat thoroughly.
Great with fresh, THM-friendly “FP” biscuits & a salad with “S” or “FP” dressing! Makes 7-8 cups.
Enjoy the awesomeness!
A word of caution about food safety: If the grateful recipients of your awesome soup present you with a Golden Ladle, examine it carefully. You might want to keep it “just for show”. I’m highly suspicious of the spray paint job on mine!
Don’t forget your two-for-one free printable! If you’d like for your faux-broth to be smooth (minus the visible bits of herb), you can always put your dry herbs in a small processor and spin until powdery.
Questions? Comments? If you make the soup, let me know how you liked it! Any fabulous healthy recipes you’ve invented on a brainy day?
More “Golden Ladle Winners” coming up, so be sure to SUBSCRIBE!
I fully disclose that as a Certified Lifestyle Coach I do, at times, receive monetary compensation as such. See The Fine Print on the “About Me” page of this blog.
Here we are, Dear Readers, over halfway through January 2021. So far, I’d venture to guess that most of you who sighed with relief at midnight on December 31, 2020 are just a shade disappointed.
Having mentored people with their health for years and being an avid observer of human nature, I think all we have to do is turn on the news lately and within thirty seconds we’ve decided we’ve had our fill of human nature.
In January, you’ve probably observed a common occurrence in either your own life or someone else’s. We muddle along through the holidays, stressed and for most of us, over-blessed, promising ourselves that, come January 1st, things will be different. “Enough of this nonsense”, you say, vowing to lose weight, get organized, take better care of yourself, serve your community more, keep in closer contact with the ones you love – the list goes on and on, doesn’t it?
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – I can’t fathom why they ever designated January 1st as the beginning of the new year! It makes no sense, at least for the Northern Hemisphere. Just when the Good Lord offered us hibernation time and a nice, long rest, the calendar screams at us to jump up, get going and conquer the world and all our shortcomings. Oh, please!
Would anyone like to join my movement to have the new year moved to the first day of spring so that we could all get a little more excited about it? I know, I know, it’s a brilliant idea! That’s probably why people in high places never thought of it.
Anyhow, here we are and we seem to be stuck with it for now. This brings me back to my original question: “How’s that workin’ for ‘ya?
One thing I stress in lifestyle coaching throughTrim Healthy Mamais the concept of “tip-toeing in”. I would far rather see someone read a couple of chapters in the Trim Healthy Mama Plan book then choose three simple recipes to fit the plan that they can make in the coming week than I would to see them do a complete pantry makeover, call a family meeting on how things will change and then wear themselves out making sure every bite that goes into their mouth is perfect!
Speaking of perfect bites, let me pause to point out that “sticking to plan” with THM does not equal suffering, as evidenced by this beauty I made last week!
“Loaded Philly Cheese Meatloaf”, page 216 Trim Healthy Table, declared by Smuffy to be the best meatloaf I’ve ever fed him.
Here’s a little nugget to chew on. Repentance is better than goals. Goals involve setting a bar and then trying to measure up to it. Repentance simply involves realizing the road you are traveling is headed in the wrong direction, then turning around and going the opposite way – to a better place. (See how I did that – I’m so clever – note the heading of this blog.)
I want you to feel blessed today and not condemned. If you’re halfway through January and all those new leaves you vowed to turn over are still stuck together, just take a deep breath, take another step on the right path and find joy on the way to a better place. Then, perhaps when someone asks, “How’s that workin’ for ‘ya?”, you won’t have to hang your head and sigh.
If you’re wanting to make your journey with Trim Healthy Mama joyful, choose three recipes that fit the plan and make those this week. Ask yourself some questions about the rest of your meals and snacks and make sensible tweaks. Let 2021 take you to a better place step by step.
I like to make out a menu plan on weekends, but I only plan out four items. I enjoy my “pleasant ruts”, so I already know what breakfasts will probably consist of. I share complete weekly menus in my coaching sessions, but I’ve been on the plan long enough that lots of meals are “freestyle” now.
I thought you might like to see what a recent plan included. We have our main meal at lunch because that’s what Smuffy prefers and supper is freestyle. You’ll have your own plan for your own household.
I take it for granted that each of these main dishes will be served up with quick-fix non-starchy veggies, salads and other sides and that snacks are ready to grab.
If you need support in your journey, head to the Contact Me page and let me know. I’ll give you all the info on group sessions and private coaching, which can be done in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
For info on getting started and a few questions you can ask yourself about getting started, click here. For coaching pricing, click here.
It’s a great way to come out of social distancing a better person.
Have the events of the last several months caused you to re-think how you are fueling your body so that you can build your immune system? Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts.
It’s 2021! May I be the first to wish you a Happy New Year! And a healthy one! And a normal one!
The first Friday of the month can sneak up on you if it falls on the first day of the month. It can really sneak up on you if it also falls on the first day of the year!
Let’s get to the good stuff so you can get on with your New Year’s Day celebrations or, as I prefer to call it, National Jammie Day. Just leave those warm snugglies on and do whatever you feel like today. After all, you have 364 more days to be busy and stressed and overloaded.
Just don’t neglect one thing – enter to win January’s First Friday Freebie!
This 6 ½” X 3” hanging wooden sign is a rustic reminder of what really matters during the months ahead. After all we’ve seen happen in 2020 (much of which we never thought possible), we truly need to learn to simplify, to be grateful for what we do have and, most of all, to allow ourselves to dream and hope for better days ahead. Along with the sign, you’ll receive a package of three scented sachets for your home from Lifescapes. The Sea Salt & Driftwood scent will make your home as fresh as the new year. I know this is the time when many of us promise ourselves we’ll de-clutter and get reorganized and whether it is drawers, closets or office space, a little scent gives an added boost to our moods and our sense of accomplishment.
To enter to win the sign and sachets, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Happy New Year, Midwest Storyteller!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, January 1st, 2021!
NOTE: There seems to be a problem here on the blog with people trying to subscribe and not receiving their confirmation email. If this has happened to you, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report all these instances and have the issue solved.
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so hop on over to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies” page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Happy New Year, Midwest Storyteller!”
I know you stayed up too late last night, but don’t let your grogginess keep you from entering right now. Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget! (See note above concerning subscription problems.)
Is the earth spinning faster than it used to? We’re going to turn around and find out it’s Valentine’s Day and wonder how that happened.
Comments or questions? I’d love to hear how you’re going to make even the smallest shifts in your life in 2021 to Live Simply. Be Grateful. Dream Big.
I’m here today to commiserate with those of you who may be thinking that The Most Wonderful Time of the Year always seems to have some small slip-up that knocks a bit of the sparkle off.
I suppose is happens to us all, but once you become a repeat offender, you tend to get somewhat of a reputation. Family members in attendance at gift-opening time are known to ask outright if one of their gifts happens to be from last year. Or, they lean forward with a raised eyebrow and inquire, “Are you sure that’s all?”
They’re not greedy. They’re just offering me an opportunity to right my wrongs. I take a little comfort in the fact that, though this seemingly unshakable tendency of mine irritates me to no end and adds to the general mirth at the festive gathering, at least it’s not dangerous. Unlike Smuffy, no matter how many times this has happened to me, I never run the risk of being drowned, impaled or dismembered. So far.
Are you ready for my Christmas confession? Are you longing to learn of my annual downfall?
I am a lover of gift-giving! My brain is an idea factory! I am a super-shopper and, most of all, I am a master-hider! My skills at the latter are my nemesis, however. All year long, I scrounge, I create, I store up and I stash. I make lists of things I’ve bought, want to buy, want to make and need to assemble and still lack parts. I am in my element at thrift stores, garage sales, online, clearance aisles, craft stores and, yes, retail establishments.
I blame it on the house. Limited storage causes me to scatter my treasures to the four corners, layer them between other stashed away items and wiggle them into cubbyholes already occupied by other items which then serve as camouflage.
Then, the tree goes up. Then, wrapping begins. Amid oven timers and cooling racks, when everyone’s backs are turned, out come all my treasures to be boxed, wrapped and fancied up with hand-made bows. Except one.
I always miss ONE!
Smuffy’s been known to receive a cozy cardigan in May when I’m on a closet cleaning binge. Poor Pookie has learned that she, too, is likely to be handed something in mid-summer that was intended for the Christmas stocking. This has been going on for more years than I care to count. I swore I’d turn over a new leaf when I got a son-in-law, but he’s been around long enough now that when I handed him his last gift this year, he smiled and asked if I was sure about that.
A grandchild is on the scene now, causing me to repent afresh and overcome this tendency. Leaving out something intended for Little Snookie would be unpardonable!
I’ve been known to misplace a paper list. This year, I installed a new app in my phone to help me list each family member and each gift. I had my act together. I cleaned out one spot and one spot only and collected my stash there. I did all the wrapping at once and checked it off again on my phone.
Ah! Christmas went like a dream. I took all the ribbing with a smile, informing everyone that I was 99.9% sure that there wasn’t a single thing that didn’t make it into a stocking or under the tree.
Then, it happened. Christmas festivities wound to a close. The house seemed strangely quiet – too much so – as the car pulled away with Pookie and her loves, leaving Smuffy and me (and Phoebe June and several bags of paper and cardboard boxes). I went into the entryway, checked the front door and turned out the light.
As I turned around, thinking nothing was the matter, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a tuft of tissue amid red and green over there. For behind the TV there sat a small bag. I rolled my eyes and felt my shoulders sag. I knew what it was – there was no denying. I merely chuckled, walked past and refused to start crying.
Pookie will love it! She’ll think it’s just right – when I place The Un-given Gift into her hands tonight!
I know exactly what happened. It was small and easily crushable under the tree with all those bigger gifts. That little bag would be safer tucked away just behind the edge of the TV. Well, wouldn’t it?
What can I say? It’s a tradition.
Happy New Year! May you change the things you can and learn to laugh about the things you can’t.
Any true Christmas confessions? Just leave those in the comments. I can’t be the only one. Can I? Hello? Hello? Anybody out there?
Subscribe so you don’t miss out! If you haven’t taken the deep dive into my “Life with Smuffy”, you really don’t know what you’re missing, so check it out along with the fun things on myLaugh! page.
Make someone smile. Share this post via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by all means, “Pin it”!
December has gone by in a blur around here. I hear it hasn’t been so for some of you who’ve had pretty much everything cancelled. I didn’t get in much blogging and writing time due to my small daily companion even though he tried to be such a help with his new skills at grabbing and throwing, paper tearing and high-speed floor cruising. Evenings and naptimes seemed to be the only slots available for this gal who normally suffers from Martha Stewart/June Cleaver/Mary Poppins/Emily Post-itis to decorate, create, bake, wrap and deliver. But, hear me loud and clear – I’m not complaining! This Grandma Life – there’s nothing like it!
I didn’t really know what to ask for this Christmas because I’ve learned from experience that no matter how many times you proclaim that all you want is a nap, you never open a box or bag and find one.
My First Friday Freebie did, however, find a new home and if you’ve been keeping up with Midwest Storyteller for a while, you may recognize the winner –
Kathy from Prairie Home, Missouri!
Congratulations, Kathy! I hope you’ve had time to enjoy your gift!
Kathy is such a creative spirit. She’s been a guest here on the blog to share some of her creations. Hopefully, she’ll reappear here at Midwest Storyteller again in 2021 and show us how to do more creative projects. If you’d like to take a peek into her talents and see the Freebie she helped me create, click here. Other creative ideas are found on my Create! page.
Kathy received this copy of Glenn Beck’s novel, “The Christmas Sweater”. I offered this book after reading it myself and giving it five stars. I recommend it for ages pre-teen and up.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, check it out along with my thoughts on the book here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on myFreebies! pagehere. If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.
Kathy entered her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirmed her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. If you’ve done that and not received a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.
Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies are my way of reaching more people with the stories, recipes and more. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Get the idea?
Coming up: The First First Friday Freebie of 2021! That takes place on Friday, January 1st. I’ll surprise you that morning with a “Happy New Year” and a photo of January’s free gift, so don’t forget to check it out.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, January 1st, 2021.
Preparing to say “goodbye” to 2020? It’s been quite an experience! Blessings on your life as we enter a bright and happy new year!
In some ways, I have my ducks in a row. In others, not so much. Throw a monkey wrench into my well-oiled plans and I’m likely to forget I had any plans at all. November’s First Friday Freebie was chosen in a timely manner and in the usual way. And then, emails just didn’t seem to be moving back and forth in their proper cyber-flow and I lost contact with the winner. By the time this got sorted out and the Freebie got into the hands of the postal service, and the Freebie took it’s cross-country journey, I succumbed to CPO (Christmas Preparation Overload)! This condition, complicated by my chronic state of GCED (Grandchild Comes Every Day), led me to lose complete track of things.
Anyhow, let’s meet the winner –
Jean from Hurricane Utah!
Congratulations, Jean! I’m so glad you entered to win!
Jean received this autographed copy of Diane Yates new novella, “Christmas on the High Seas”. I’m hoping that COP did not prevent her from enjoying this great read in time to enjoy it during the Christmas season.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, check it out and enjoy a brief interview with Diane Yates about this Christmas romance here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on myFreebies! pagehere. If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.
Jean entered her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirmed her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. If you’ve done that and not received a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.
Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies are my way of reaching more people with the stories, recipes and more. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Get the idea?
Coming up: December’s winner! Then, 2021 and another great drawing are just around the corner on Friday, January 1st. I’ll surprise you that morning with the announcement and photo of January’s free gift, so don’t forget to check it out.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, January 1st, 2021.
Preparing to say “goodbye” to 2020? It’s been quite a year! Blessings on your life as we enter a bright and happy new year!
This month’s First Friday Freebie is one that you’ll really enjoy and I hope you’ll share it with someone else.
I’d heard about this for years and had put it on my mental list under “Someday When I Have Time, I’m Going to Get This Book Because I’m Curious”.
From what I’d heard, it seemed to be about a boy and a sweater he’d received one Christmas. As a novel with such a plot, I couldn’t fathom why the author, Glenn Beck, would put out such a book. There must be some driving purpose, right? Some political point? Some analogy to the times in which we live?
Well, there is a driving purpose and it’s not what you think.
It takes a while for things to move to the top of my slush pile and when I tell you that this book came out in 2008 and that I just read it a few months ago, you get the idea. I discovered the purpose of the book at last and I believe that Glenn’s intent was to tell his own story in a unique, entertaining and heartfelt way and, most importantly, to heal your soul.
The copy I am sharing with you today is in large print, making it easy to read for you, young readers or anyone else who needs that feature.
Yes, it is about a boy and a sweater he received one Christmas just as he entered his trying teen years. It’s about his loss, his heaving emotions, his relationships with his parents, grandparents and everyone else. As I read it, I found myself wanting all boys and girls in this stage of life to read it and find that they are not alone and that God cares. You’ll fly through the pages and won’t be able to put it down. Glenn gets an A+ rating from me on “keeping it clean”.
To enter to win this copy of “The Christmas Sweater”, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Send me The Christmas Sweater!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, December 4th, 2020!
NOTE: There seems to be a problem here on the blog with people trying to subscribe and not receiving their confirmation email. If this has happened to you, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report all these instances and have the issue solved.
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so hop on over to the right sidebar or use the drop-down menu on your device to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies” page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Send me The Christmas Sweater!”
Don’t let the day slip away! Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget! (See note above concerning subscription problems.)
Christmas will be here before you know it! My apologies for moving straight from “Freebie-to-Freebie” this month. There has been much to distract me as you will see in upcoming posts.
Comments or questions? I’d love to hear from you! If you’ve by chance already read “The Christmas Sweater”, please leave a comment and let me know how you liked it!
I realize I haven’t shared many creative endeavors here on the blog in a while. That is, any that are mine and mine alone. Yes, our house is still torn up in several places and most of the efforts are going into what has become the longest kitchen renovation in the history of the world. C’mon, folks! Try and top it! Leave your comments, be honest, and let me know how long your kitchen makeover took. It’s coming along, but we do get weary at times. However, there is only one of Smuffy and everything is hand-crafted in this project, so on we march toward the finish line in our tortoise-like fashion.
In the middle of it all, I decided that if I had to look at our fireplace one more minute I might just scream. I’d passed the grumbling and sneering phase long ago. Built in 1950, our home, for which we are grateful in many ways, was given a fake fireplace from the start. Sturdy and solid brick with a nice oak mantle, it stands tall and proud and just a shade wonky which is better than many other things in our house which are wonky in the extreme. After living here and working on the house for decades, we’ve come to the conclusion (with no offense intended) that our house had to have been built by someone who, being a certified nitwit on his best days, practiced up for his future career as a builder by whamming away on his first project (our house) with a dull axe during bouts of extreme drunkenness.
Many are the projects we have undertaken and pushed through to the end with heavy sighs, but the fireplace has stood just as its maker intended, since 1950.
Then, as happens to so many of us, I saw a photo on Pinterest at acottagegirl.com. I love Cindy’s ideas on her blog. I’d never really known what I wanted to do to the fireplace till I saw her fireplace photo. It filled me with that feeling that can only be described as “Oh, yeah!”
Then came the research. I had to know how to get the look without making some mistake I’d be sorry for. Here’s what I did and a little bit about how I did it. I hope you enjoy the results. I’m very happy with the outcome. The before photo is in Spring 2020 when I hadn’t much desire or inspiration to decorate and the after is, as you can see, decorated for fall. I’m not quite finished tweaking it for Christmas just yet.
I had a long talk with an experienced paint man at Home Depot who recommended a good masonry primer. After applying this, I applied a Behr paint in a Magnolia color called “Lit Candles”. Then, I got pretty jittery about how to apply the darker color and get it to look right. I ended up choosing a Behr paint, “Armadillo” , in a satin finish and mixed it, one part paint to four parts faux glaze. I only had to buy a sample jar of the paint and I had the glaze on hand. I applied this with a sea sponge in a horizontal swiping/dabbing motion and then, with a wet rag, removed as much paint/glaze as I could from the mortar between the bricks. It was a bit like being way too close to your Monet while painting, but each time I stood back and took in the effect, I grew a little more confident that I wasn’t creating a total disaster.
The dark accent wall behind the fireplace, along with the rest of the room, has now been painted in Valspar’s “Milk Toast” from Lowe’sand I’m liking it better and better every day. It went on like a dream in one coat over a special primer called “PPG Gripper” from Home Depot, recommended to me by their helpful paint guy as something I could put straight over my old faux-finished glazed walls without having to sand them. God bless this man!
I’m pressing the pause button on all home updates other than the kitchen until after the holidays. I’ll take progress on that room any time I can get it!
So, dear readers, show me your fireplaces and any other fun updates you’ve been doing lately. I value your ideas because I need to make changes in several rooms.
You can check out some of my other creative projects, including writing, wood burning, decorating, sewing, re-purposing and restoration by exploring my Create! page.
