Author: Midwest Storyteller

Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Freebies!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 6 Comments

It’s July!  The heat and humidity has arrived here in the Midwest, but so has the First Friday Freebie, so that’s refreshing, isn’t it?

I haven’t figured out how summer can be lazy and crazy at the same time.  I suppose the songwriter was grasping for rhymes or perhaps was just bored to tears between parties or something.

I’ve forgotten what lazy feels like, but I refuse to refer to my days as crazy.  “Wildly blessed” – How’s that?

Having made it through the first half of 2020, I think we all have to admit that it’s been a corker.  Most of us are fed up with events and the lack thereof to the point of wanting to throw a real hissy-fit and scream, “Can’t we all just be together, and normal and nice to each other at the same time?”

Anyhow, it’s been a half-year for the record books and that brings us to this First Friday Freebie.

This beautiful fabric covered remembrance book/journal (a great find from Tuesday Morning) looks handmade and is ready for you to record precious memories, daily happenings, observations on life or perhaps tuck in photos.  The way things are going, a few prayers wouldn’t hurt. As an item of décor, it’s lovely!  French themed and measuring 7″X 4 3/4″, it has the appearance of having been passed down through the generations.  Aged prints decorate the inside covers. The blank pages, appearing browned with age, are simply secured to the binding with satin and lace ribbons that run through the metal rivets of the cover.  This allows the individual pages to be easily taken out in case you’d like to remove them in the future for sharing or copying.

Some people love to journal.  Some don’t.  If there’s ever been a time in your life to jot down your thoughts – it’s now.  You’ll want to leave behind your version of the historical times we live in.  I have a friend who loves to have ladies over for tea as much as I do and I envision her using this journal as her guest book.  You might find that keeping a “treasure book” such as this a great thing to have handy so that you can quickly record the milestones or just the cute things your children or grandchildren do or say.

To enter to win this beautiful journal, you’ll need to “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “The pretty journal, pretty please!” Be sure to do that before midnight TONIGHT, July 3rd, 2020!

First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so subscribe now 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 already.

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, “The pretty journal, pretty please!”

Click here for complete First Friday Freebie rules.

Four simple steps!

Don’t let the day slip away!  Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget! 

May your summer be spent with the people, places and events you love and cherish enough to record in this beautiful book!

Comments or questions?  I’d love to hear from you! 

Announcing June’s First Friday Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller

My goodness!  What a month!  I won’t get into the whole story while I’m announcing the freebie winner, but you’ll see in an upcoming post why I’ve had little time for blogging lately.

June’s First Friday Freebie goes to a three time winner –

Ruth from St. Louis, Missouri!

To give you a hint as to how distracted and busy I’ve been, you can see here that I’ve had to do a little bit of hurried, and unprofessional, photo editing of Ruth from one of her past wins.  (I’ve had some major problems getting to the post office lately and that left little time for us to send, receive and get a photo back.  Sigh…)

Ruth enters almost every month and it’s paying off!  This time, she’s won three copies of the U. S. Constitution.  I’m sure she’ll find a couple of friends to share the extras with who may already know and love this great document that grants us our rights and freedoms or maybe she’ll give them to someone who needs to get acquainted with it.

Congratulations, Ruth!  I hope you enjoy your First Friday Freebie – again!

If you’d like to see my original First Friday Freebie offer and find out why I chose to give away copies of the U. S. Constitution, click here.

You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! page here.  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.

Ruth subscribed by entering her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirming her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox.  This 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 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?

July’s drawing will take place tomorrow on Friday, July 3rd.

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, July 3rd, 2020.

If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it.  Did you gift it to someone special or keep it for yourself?    

Exciting News! I’m Hot Off the Press!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 2 Comments

Just a quick note today to announce that once again, one of my stories has been accepted for publication in the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers’ Guild’s annual collection of poetry and prose! “Well Versed 2020” makes it’s debut this Saturday, June 13th! My story, “The Eyes of Love” is among the entries chosen for this year’s book.

I was honored to be chosen for publication in this anthology last year (Well Versed 2019) with a story called, “The Brown Wedding Dress” a true-life depiction giving but a snippet of the great love story of my Aunt Martha and Uncle George who were married over eighty years and shared a life and love that I was privileged to witness and record.

I share more of their story this year with “The Eyes of Love” which tells of a horrifying incident that occurred shortly after they married and which, though it brought them shock, pain and responsibilities that any of us would shrink from, drew them into a greater knowledge of love’s sacrifices and brought healing to Martha’s soul.

My apologies for being so late with this announcement. It seems there’s something about keeping a five-month-old while in the midst of this kitchen remodel that keeps me from getting things done quite the way I’d like.

Further apologies for having to announce that if you’d like a copy, you will have to email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com no later than Friday, June 12. (I told you I was behind on things!) They are $11 and if you need me to ship it to you, they will be $14 if you’d like to get one directly from me. You may also respond to my Facebook announcement in the comments. They will be available on Amazon at a later date.

Mine is one of the many contributions to this anthology and I offer my congratulations to all the other contributors!

If you’d like to have get to know Martha and her family members, glimpses into their lives are found along with other family stories can be found right here on my “Laugh” page.

A Freebie in the Land of the Free!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 6 Comments

Welcome to the first Friday of June. That always means there’s a freebie for you, should you be a subscriber, comment as instructed and be so blessed as to have Smuffy pull your name out of the random drawing. It’s a one day only type of thing, so do it now before you forget! Subscribing is easy and every bit as free as a freebie.

We are on the one-month count-down now to Independence Day!  I’d like to issue a reminder right now for you to begin referring to it as just that, especially in front of your children and grandchildren, rather that “The 4th”.

How often have you been asked, “What are you doing on ‘the 4th?'”  Every month has one, after all.  Let’s really celebrate the birth of our nation this year with the kiddies, the grand-kiddos, the cousins, in-laws and others with renewed appreciation for what it means.  In the light of everything going on in the world right now, we need a fresh look at freedom and the founders who wisely and prayerfully mapped out a course for us to follow in order to maintain it!

Smuffy shares his birthday with the Good Ole’ US of A.  Needless to say, he’s gone about the day in the full spirit of the thing all his life and we’ve never been short of fireworks around here.

This special First Friday Freebie is one that I’ve offered before.  Considering our nation’s challenges and the likelihood that the majority of our citizens genuinely need a deeper knowledge of its roots and their own freedoms, I may start doing this every year.  I would have offered it in July, but I wanted you to have it before the big day!  If you happen to be one of my fellow citizens of the USA, you are privileged to live in the finest nation on earth!  It may not be perfect, but it’s the best!

Now here’s June’s First Friday Freebie!

The U. S. Constitution

Nobody’s perfect.  Nothing this side of Heaven is perfect.  But the U.S. Constitution is as near to a perfect document as has ever been crafted by humans (and, I believe, with Divine Guidance).

Most of us studied it in school, but, let’s face it – we did it to pass the dreaded Constitution Test, not because we were overly fascinated by it.

I’d love to send you these three copies of the U.S. Constitution –

US Constitutions Set of 3 www.midweststoryteller.com

It’s time to give this little booklet another read.  This little forty page book outlines our freedoms.  People all around the world wish they had the liberties outlined in these pages.

There’s a copy for you, one for the kiddies (whether they be children or adults) and another for the grandkiddos.  If we do not teach the generations to value this precious document, we will lose it!

To enter to win all three copies, “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I love the USA!”

SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends so they can enter to win!

Previous freebies can be found on the “Freebies” page.   Take a look at the gifts subscribers have 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, “I love the USA!”

And now, here are the complete rules: 

  • First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.  That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick.    If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page.  All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF!  And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
  • IMPORTANT:  After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear.  Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
  • To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post (or all the way to the bottom, depending on your device) and click on “Leave a Comment”.  Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.

Three simple steps!

What are you waiting for?  Go!  Go!  Go!  Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, June 5th! 

Announcing May’s First Friday Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller

If you’ve been keeping up with me here on the blog then you know why I’m slow in getting this announcement made.  Smuffy’s grand remodel is all consuming and I do have to stop once in a while to clean what can be cleaned, snuggle Phoebe June, have a little melt-down and, of course, play toys, read books and sing songs with my Lil’ Snookie.  He’s five months old now, sprouting teeth, rolling over and liking his grandma to be as interactive as possible.  (It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it.  Tee-hee!)

May’s First Friday Freebie has found a new home in the Ozarks!  Let’s meet the winner –

Freebie Winner Carol midweststoryteller.com

Carol from Branson, Missouri

Carol may have had time to finish reading her free copy of “All That Matters” by Diane Yates by now!  If so, please comment and treat us all to a book review.

Congratulations, Carol, and I hope you truly enjoy it!

If you’re curious about this great read, I encourage you to check out my interview with author Diane Yates here where you can also read my review of her first book, “Pathways of the Heart”.  I would encourage you all to visit Diane’s website at dianeyates.com and take a look at what she as to offer.  I’ve also read her novel, “Melissa’s Fate” and I know you’ll be captivated by the story in that book.  Diane has a brand new novel out now called, “Impossible Fate” and you can find that on her website as well.

If you’re wondering what “All That Matters” is all about, see my original First Friday Freebie offer along with my comments here.

You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! page here.  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.

Carol subscribed by entering her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirming her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox.  This 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 and you’ll be entered to win. 

Freebies are my way of reaching more people with the stories, recipes and more of the stuff of life.  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.  It’s one of those “I win – You win – We all win” situations!

June’s drawing will take place tomorrow on Friday, June 5th.

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.

Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, June 5th, 2020.

If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it.  Did you gift it to someone special or keep it for yourself?    

Life with Smuffy (Special Episode – Part 4 of ?): “My Not-A-Kitchen Kitchen”

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 4 Comments

We still have no kitchen as we live in this cluttered world of hitches and compromises.  So, you may ask, how does a Trim Healthy Mama who is dedicated to eating healthy managing to keep on track during all this?  Let me introduce you to my Not-A-Kitchen!

These photos are really embarrassing, but hopefully will make the end reveal all the more glorious. And, please forgive the spastic decorating. I find that as things change, I keep poking things onto empty nails “for now” and the house is starting to look like I’ve lost my marbles. The chairs will go also – just gotta give Smuffy the time to get my new old ones re-done. Poor fella.

I’m hoping the reveal of this mess may help someone else who is going through something similar and knows that you can’t eat out all the time – not if you want to be trim, healthy and pay for a renovation!  The last thing we need around here is for me or Smuffy to get sick in the middle of the remodel.  That happened to us years ago and I still have PTKSS (Post Traumatic Kitchen Stall Syndrome) from that experience that put us three weeks behind and left us with a two-year-old and nothing – nothing – but a microwave in the otherwise empty kitchen for the whole time. 

I followed my original plan for daily function by shoving my dining room table as far over as possible to make room for incoming cabinets and then filling it with everything we’d be needing on a daily basis. I covered it with a felt-backed vinyl tablecloth first so that it would survive the ordeal.

Not-A-Kitchen Kitchen MidwestStoryteller.com

Tall items at the back included a rack of plates and bowls, a spice rack and the mixer.  In front of that, I lined up glassware and often used items such as salt and pepper, olive oil and salad vinegar, nuts, jars of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and other things we grab to snack on and, of course, my big, fat jar of Dutch cocoa powder because, though I may not have a kitchen, I’ve gotta live!

I left an empty strip along the front for food prep and placed a cutting mat there.  This area also serves to hold the hot plate, crock-pot or whatever else may be in use at times when Smuffy is pounding away and I can’t get into the kitchen at all.

Smuffy had built huge new drawers for the new kitchen, but prior to them being installed, I stacked them on one another and filled the top one with flatware and utensils so they’d be in easy reach.  Needless to say, we fill our plates and head into the living room to eat.

My “buffet” (I think this is, in reality, a gentleman’s dresser that has seen changes over time) now serves as Appliance Row with the food processor, blender and toaster oven perched atop a towel and ready to go when I need them.  One of my old wall cabinets got its doors removed and is shoved against a wall and filled with plasticware and other food prep items we might want to grab.

Appliance Row MidwestStoryteller.com

Over in the “new” kitchen, once Smuffy got the base cabinets in, I was relieved to find that the holes in the tops were the perfect size to catch the rims of my cookie sheets!  We take our small blessings where we can find them and give thanks for them.  I filled in an area and plopped in some cutting boards.  Then, as if in direct answer to prayer, Smuffy discovered that one of our old cabinet doors dropped in perfectly to another cabinet top!  We celebrated that discovery by placing the hot plate there and felt like we were really getting somewhere!  Sort of.

Cooktop MidwestStoryteller.com

The problem remained that we had no water.  Family came to the rescue, sending us jugs of drinking water, but as for rinsing things for the dishwasher and washing up anything extra, we were running back and forth to the bathtub.

That is, until that glorious day!  Smuffy, that man of many talents, installed a true farmhouse sink!

Farmhouse Sink MidwestStoryteller.com

I’m feeling mighty stylish over here!  This is where we stand until countertops are finalized.  I love the way he placed the decorative part to the front so I would remember not to insert the grandchild.

Take heart if you are in the midst of a makeover.  We’ll get through.  When?  I have no idea.  In the meantime, I’m fixing healthy, balanced meals or pulling out frozen versions of the same that I prepared in advance and stashed in the freezer. In case you didn’t notice the bottle warmer and formula in the photos, I’ll point out that I am caring for my four-month-old grandbaby most days in the midst of it all. I have to admit there are days when I’m just a tad pooped.

If you have a friend in the middle of a renovation and finding themselves disheartened, share this post.  It helps to know you’re not alone.

That’s the tour of my Not-A-Kitchen.  Stay tuned for what I hope will be next – my pantry and remaining cabinetry and their insides.  Then, countertops!  I’m expecting to be downright giddy when that happens.

Now I’m leaving you hanging again.  I’ll bet this has your curiosity piqued more than back when some of you were wondering who shot J. R.  Others will have to do a search on that.  Life With Smuffy is never dull.  That’s why he has his own page here on the blog.  (He’s not all about construction, you know.)  If you need adventure and laughs, check that out.

Missed a portion of my kitchen makeover story?  It all began with “Death of a Kitchen”, followed by “A Glimmer of Hope and Stainless Steel” and “Birth Pains of a Kitchen”.  Catch up on those and you’ll be ready for the next installment.

I’ll be sharing some of the meals I made ahead in order to get through this. and some of the ones I was able to whip up without losing my marbles in my Not-A-Kitchen.

Can I have your kitchen remodel ideas?  What would you have in your dream kitchen that you don’t have now?  Leave a comment!

Life with Smuffy (Special Episode – Part 3 of ?): “Birth Pains of a Kitchen”

~ Midwest Storyteller

I promised to keep you posted on Smuffy’s monumental project.  Welcome to the third and hopefully, most painful, installment.  It’s a little late in posting as the clogged internet has been refusing to put photos in my posts.

Earlier, in “A Glimmer of Hope and Stainless Steel”, I shared the little chunk of the project that propelled me forward into the world of a glorious new refrigerator, wall oven and fancy-schmancy dishwasher.  After that, we took time out for Thanksgiving, Christmas and to become grandparents.  Smuffy then entered another busy season with his business while it was way too cold to be in the workshop messing with wood.  Now, at last, we are making progress again! 

If you’d like to see my embarrassing kitchen “before” photos, click here, but read the whole post so you’ll have a little compassion.

Have you ever had one of those uneasy feelings – as though you’re being followed by a mysterious “something”?  Your Pollyanna nature tries to reassure you that you’ll never have to turn and face it and that it is probably just a series of spooky shadows, but eventually, you round a corner and there it is – the “thing” you knew was there but dreaded meeting face to face.  Trying to duck your head and peer at it through only one squinting eye doesn’t help.  We’ll, sooner or later it happens to us all and it has happened to me.

Smuffy is a marvel when it comes to undertaking almost any project, but he’s a numbers kinda guy and likes things in columns and rows.  Nuance and the artistic sense elude him in some instances, though he does have appreciation for it.  For some time, even though I’d labored over the perfect off-white paint for my cabinetry and the antiquing glaze that would go on over it followed by a couple of coats of polyurethane, I’d been deluding myself into thinking Smuffy would be the painter of these glorious creations.  I should have known.  Full of the can-do spirit he is – gifted with an artist’s touch he is not.

He got the primer on and the first coat of paint and asked me to inspect.  I murmured a prayer and did so.  Difficult as it was to declare them a tad crummy, I forced myself to be honest.  It was mere practice as I then pushed past my lips the notion that perhaps I needed to paint these myself.  (Though painfully slow, I am neat as a pin.)  Smuffy’s eyes lit up and he rushed to hand me the paint buckets and all the rest of the supplies.  I’d known, deep in my heart that Smuffy’s painting style and choice of tools, while fast and thorough, might not produce the results I desired.  He’s an expert at detail work, just not this particular kind. That lurking instinct had caught up with me and how here I was, holding the brush, the mini roller and newly sanded face frames, shaking my head, groaning a little, but not surprised that I hadn’t managed to outrun this dreaded task.

Antique Glazing www.midweststoryteller.com

First I used a Benjamin Moore trim paint in Fresh Narcissus with Floe-trol (from Home Depot) added to make the finish smooth as buttah.  After letting each coat of this dry overnight, I mixed one part paint in a Benjamin Moore Devonwood Taupe into 8 parts clear latex glaze.  I brushed this on and wiped it away with lint-free rags.  It doesn’t appear too impressive here on the face frames, but will show nicely on the finished cabinet doors where it will collect in the grooves of the panels and give definition.  Once this dried overnight, I applied two coats of clear polyurethane, allowing each to dry overnight.  This is because the antiquing glaze is not as hard as trim paint and will wear off if not sealed in between the layers.

Once ready, we started Demo Day for the lower half of the kitchen.  In order to have some functionality, we opted to complete this phase and tackle the upper portion once we can actually cook and have water again.

Chaos reigned.  Smuffy ripped and tore.  I shoved, shifted and fetched.  Phoebe June, caught in the cross-fire, opted to enjoy the exploration opportunity of a lifetime.  When cabinets, bags and boxes filled with the kitchen cabinet contents began filling every room on the main floor, she considered all rules null and void and flung herself into the spirit of the thing with wild abandon, jumping into bags of canned goods and strolling through utensil drawers.  After a while, I just shrugged and made myself a mental note that it could all be washed and wiped down later.  To say she was wide-eyed with excitement would be an understatement.

Wide-eyed Phoebe June midweststoryteller.com

By the end of Day 1, we had uglified the kitchen to the point where we were committed to completion whether we liked it or not and as I looked around the house for a bright spot, I found myself thankful that our little grandson has yet to reach the walking stage.  I have a feeling he’d make Phoebe June’s escapades seem like nothing at all!

Demo Day 1 midweststoryteller.com

With the lower cabinets in place, we’ll now attached the face frames and anchor everything in place so that Smuffy can begin the process of installing his beautiful walnut countertops and the oak furniture piece that will serve as our sink base.  Oh, to have water again!

I’m going to leave you hanging there and end this special episode of my Life With Smuffy. Coming up soon, I’ll give you a peek at my “not a kitchen kitchen” that will have to serve until the counters, sink and gas cooktop are installed.  I’m hoping that is very soon!

(After writing this post and struggling to get the photos inserted, we hit some snags. I’ve had to give up my design for the oak furniture piece and I may be having to part with my walnut countertops. I must confess to having two or three mid-remodel meltdowns already. I’d love to think this is the last of them, but… old houses are full of surprises and unless you open up a wall and find a chest full of gold and jewels, they are never really good surprises.)

If you’re not all caught up on the latest Smuffy episodes, check out, “A Studebaker in the Hands…”  and “Why Stop When You’re on a Roll?”  His river adventures here and here will having you longing for summer days on the water – or maybe not.

I’d love to have your input on a kitchen remodel?  What one mistake have you made that you’d like to un-do?  What feature of your new kitchen do you love the most?  Please comment! I need all the encouragement I can get.

May Day! May Day! First Friday Freebie to the Rescue!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 5 Comments

I couldn’t resist that one.  Merry May, Everyone!

Can you believe it’s May?  We’re promised about a half week of frolicking weather and then (so the weather lady just said) we’ll settle in for another little stretch of chilly stuff.  I’m over it, folks.  The upside is that it might give some of you a little extra snuggling in time because this month’s First Friday Freebie is another great read!

You may recall that a little over a year ago, I wrote a book review of a true story called “Pathways of the Heart” and interviewed the author, Diane Yates.  If you missed out on that or need a refresher, you can catch up on that here in “An Interview with Author Diane Yates”. 

Today, I’m offering one of you a free copy of the sequel –

Book, "All That Matters" by Diane Yates www.midweststoryteller.com

You may be distancing yourself from some of the people you know, love and care about right now, but there’s no need to separate yourself from a story like this one!

“Pathways of the Heart” is the story of Diane’s mother, Clella.  “All That Matters” picks up where “Pathways…” leaves off and follows Clella’s struggles, her joys, her decisions good and bad and her love story as she demonstrates her strong will and discovers “All That Matters”. 

If you read “Pathways of the Heart”, I know you were rooting for Clella, nudging her forward and shedding a tear as if she’d been your own mom.  Diane related the story just as it was, weaving the story from her own experiences and the accounts shared by her parents and family members.   If you haven’t read this book yet, you might want to check out Diane’s writings here and get yourself a copy! While you’re there, you’ll want to pick up the two new novels she has written as well.

Like “Pathways…”, “All That Matters” causes us to connect with our own hopes, dreams, shortcomings and disappointments, while it pulls us along with hope and promise.  Though it tells of real people making real mistakes, it is in no way too graphic to share with your teens.

While the original story began in the Ozarks of the 1920’s, this sequel follows Clella (now called Catherine) from 1957 as she finds herself starting over in Texas with her new love.  Again, with her, you’ll experience love, loss and the search for an everlasting love.

To enter to win “All That Matters”, you’ll need to “Leave a Comment” on this post, asking, “May I have this great book?”  Be sure to do that before midnight TONIGHT, May 1st, 2020!

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 already.

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, and 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, “May I have this great book?”

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.

Four simple steps!

Don’t let the day slip away!  Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget! 

May the merry month of May bring you glorious, sunshiny, flower-filled days and may you finally get to spend them with the people you love!

Comments or questions?  I’d love to hear from you!  Please leave a comment telling me what good books you’ve read lately.  And, I always love to ask – what is your favorite book of all time?

April’s First Friday Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 3 Comments

Here where I live, only in the last week or so have we really minded much that we’re cooped up because it’s been nippy and that makes for great reading weather.  I can tell from social media that many of you are also busy with home improvements and long-procrastinated closet cleanings and craft projects.  I’ve done my part to help out by sending out great reading material.

Let’s meet the recipient of April’s free gift –

Freebie Winner Carolyn www.midweststoryteller.com

Carolyn from Mount Carmel, Illinois

Lately, I’ve been asking my winners to let me know whether they’ve chosen to keep their First Friday Freebie for themselves or gift it to someone special.  On a technicality, I can’t congratulate Carolyn for winning April’s Freebie because her sister Jan entered the drawing.  Since Jan already owned “Killing Jesus” and loved it, she sent this copy along to her sis.  This book’s been getting out and about more than I have!  After journeying out west to Greeley, Colorado, it reversed course back to the Midwest and landed in Mount Carmel, Illinois. 

“Killing Jesus” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard is a gripping read whether you are enjoying it during the season of Lent and the Resurrection or any time.  Could be you’re just a history lover and, if so, this well-researched story of Jesus’ life and death will have you hooked.  If you’d like to read my “Killing Jesus” book review and see the original freebie offer, click here.

Congratulations, Jan, for winning and to Carolyn – Enjoy!

You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! page here.  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.

Jan subscribed by entering her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirming her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox.  This 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 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.  It’s one of those “I win – You win – We all win” situations!

May’s drawing will take place tomorrow on Friday, May 1st.

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.

Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, May 1st, 2020.

If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it.  Did you keep it for yourself?  Did you gift it to someone special? 

Pray That it May Passover

~ Midwest Storyteller

Our world has changed much these last several weeks and at no time have we been more aware of it so far than in preparing to change how we spend the next three days.

Many have taken a hit because of the corona virus.  Some have lost loved ones, some are working exhausting, back-breaking shifts while others only wish they had a job to go to.  The rest of us, here in the United States, are plodding along, wondering when we can again spend a day doing something we once took for granted – running errands.

The worldwide celebrations of Passover and The Resurrection of Christ have to rank at the top of the list of things Jews and Christians never thought they’d do without attending the largest faith gathering of the year, not to mention home gatherings to celebrate with family and friends.  We thrive when we practice our faith and share our holy days with one another and we’re feeling a bit cheated this year.

I just can’t go along with the idea that these events “got cancelled”!  Maybe we’ve forgotten that on the first Passover, Hebrew families were huddled, each in their own dwelling, partaking of a meal as instructed by God in order that the angel of death might pass over.  And what happened the following morning?  They were set free from cruel taskmasters and the bondage that had been their way of life for four hundred years.  Perhaps we’ve forgotten that when Jesus, our Perfect Passover Lamb, lay in His borrowed tomb, all his followers scattered each to their own homes, hiding.  No throng gathered at the entrance to that tomb on Sunday morning to celebrate the Big Day.  They were, for the most part, each in their homes, confused and scared. 

Neither group called it “social distancing”, but when you’re shutting yourself away from deadly plague or staying inside so that no one recognizes you and reports you to the authorities, it amounts to the same thing and reminds us that our situation is mild in comparison.

If you knew you had the cure for cancer, would you keep it hidden, or would you share it with the world, hoping to save even one who might listen?

I believe there’s an answer.  I won’t tell anyone else what they must believe, but neither will I hide “the Cure” when people all over the world are suffering.

I believe in the loving God who calls his people to pray and then answers.   I believe Scriptures hold examples, instructions and insights on how to pray.  I believe in “standing on the promises” as the old hymn goes!  I believe now is the time, this special weekend, when we’ve been offered a quiet time with just those few closest to us, to pray like we’ve never prayed before – to be bold in coming before God’s throne to ask that this plague on our health and our economy might “pass over”!

I’m asking my readers to join me and to SHARE this prayer right away with all your friends and family so that we can stand on these promises together, fasten our spiritual seat belts and see what the Deliverer will do if we will but ask.  Scripture references are included to encourage you to delve into God’s Word and see what He promises (and also so you won’t think I’ve been nipping into the hand sanitizer).

I hope this has inspired you to pray and believe for an answer.  I encourage you to print this out and read it aloud together with those you celebrate with this weekend. I’ve included a FREE easy-to-read PRINTABLE HERE.

Wherever you are, may you have a Blessed Passover and a Glorious Resurrection Day and may we celebrate next year together!

“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”  —Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)

How have you adapted your celebrations during this season of social distancing?  What great food ideas have you invented because you might not have been able to get your hands on the usual ingredients?  How have you decorated when you haven’t been able to acquire a few new things?  Leave a comment and give us all your tips!

April’s First Friday Freebie: A Triple Offer!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 10 Comments

Much has changed in our world over the last month.  Here in the United States we grapple, as so many other countries do, with shut-downs, social distancing and concerns for loved ones.

Each month, I try to offer, as a First Friday Freebie, something I think my readers would enjoy.  This month, I believe I’ve found something that qualifies in three categories – a free gift for you, a book review and an opportunity for reflection.

As we enter Holy Week, my prayer is that this will be a blessing to you, no matter your faith or lack thereof.

Although it is not my blog’s “theme”, I’m sure most people have gleaned that I am a Christian.  I not only enjoy, but depend upon, spending daily time in prayer and Scripture studies.  Often, I read other books by Christian authors that offer extra insight into a particular area of study.  Although I’ve never read a book by these authors before, I had heard rave reviews about history books they’ve collaborated on.  I don’t know quite how it happened, but I stumbled across it and found myself immersed in the book I’m offering as April’s First Friday Freebie –

It just seemed that still, small Voice tugged at me, telling me that this was the perfect time of year to get a better grasp on the whole of world events surrounding the one event in human history of which it can be said, without dispute, changed everything!

“Killing Jesus” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard had me hooked right away.  The third in O’Reilly’s “Killing…” series (after “Killing Lincoln” and “Killing Kennedy”), it takes a detailed look at the life and death of Jesus purely through the lens of world history.  Various sources including Roman writings and records, the detailed, first-hand historical accounts of Josephus, archaeological evidences, and other sources which provided records of the current events of the time are woven in with the historical record provided in the four Gospels to give a thorough picture of not only what happened, but what drove what happened and what it was like to live through what happened.

Despite my first instinct to find the book lacking and to have the tendency to pick it apart, I found myself educated and enthralled to comprehend the driving forces that motivated Herod, Pilate, Caesar, the Jewish hierarchy as well as Jesus’ followers.  The efforts that the authors undertook to in order to convey the sights, sounds, smells, economy, political atmosphere and customs of the time and place transported me to Bethlehem, Galilee, Nazareth, Jerusalem and the other places Jesus lived, walked and taught.

This book is not preachy.  In no way does it seek to validate miracles or prove the Messianic claims of Jesus or induce you to become His disciple.  It merely lays out the historical events in ways that will familiarize you with the backgrounds, motives and sometimes the personal issues of all the people involved.

To discover what the records have to say about Herod’s health issues, the total depravity of the Roman rulers, the financial interests and investments that probably motivated the Temple priests more than service to God and where the kick-back from the money-changers’ tables really went was eye-opening.

“Killing Jesus” is an enthralling and easy read for anyone.  Even if you are not a follower of Jesus or perhaps you’re even a card-carrying atheist, this book will, without coercion, educate you as to what all the fuss was about concerning this one Man who lived and died in this small geographical area all those years ago.

Here we are, in modern times, tuning into the news each day to find that people all over the world are not giving up on their Messiah because of pandemic and isolation, but looking for innovative and meaningful ways to recognize on Friday, April 10th that He was, indeed, condemned to death by the highest authorities within his own religion and given over to the Roman executioners to be tortured and put to death by crucifixion.  They’re looking for ways to connect, as best they can, to celebrate on Sunday, April 12th, their belief that He rose from the dead and is still alive and will return.

I hope this First Friday Freebie offers you all three:

            1.  A free gift you’ll enjoy.

            2.  An honest book review.

            3.  An opportunity to reflect on who Jesus was, what His life and death were really like and who the people are who follow Him.

It benefits us all to understand other people groups and their faith and traditions, so, non-believers, this will help you do that.

Parents, this book would not be appropriate for anyone who is not yet ready to be exposed to the detailed horrors of crucifixion methods or the lengths Roman emperors and their cohorts went to indulge their vile imaginations, even at the expense of innocent children.

If you’d like to win this free copy of “Killing Jesus”, you’ll need to comment on this post, saying, “Send me the book right away!”  You’ll need to do that now, because the deadline for entering the drawing is midnight tonight, April 3rd.

The winner will be chosen at random from those who comment as directed and this month, we will do that as quickly as possible so that I can get this book into your hands during the coming Holy Week time of reflection.

For the complete Freebie rules, please click here.  Winners are notified using the email they used to subscribe, so be checking that in the coming days to see if you’ve won.

Each month, there’s a new Freebie – SUBSCRIBE so that you don’t miss out!

Why not SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends who might like to enter to win?

Midwest Storyteller’s previous freebies can be found on my “Freebies” page.   Take a look.  You’ll get an idea of the greatgifts subscribers can win!

REMEMBER:  A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Send me the book right away!”

Three simple steps – Subscribe, comment as directed and check your email!

Now hurry!  Go!  Go!  Go!  Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, April 3rd!

March’s First Friday Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 1 Comment

Spring has sprung in parts of the Midwest and here we have daffodils, hyacinths and tulips to cheer us while we are social distancing.   I’m happy to announce that my March First Friday Freebie went where it could bring a little needed cheer.  Something tells me that its new owner may be debating whether to use it as a table runner or a shawl.

March’s First Friday Freebie winner is –

Alicia from Brooklyn, Wisconsin! 

Congratulations, Alicia, and thank you for entering to win this 48”X16” table runner from Signature Collections by Sullivans.  It’s perfect to lie flat on a larger table or you can let the ends hang over on a smaller table as shown in the original freebie offer here.

Made of a soft green linen, each end is trimmed in burlap and embellished with embroidered patches that remind us of the garden herbs we’re all wishing we could get outside and plant.  That’s two weeks away for me and probably just a teeny bit longer than that for Alicia.  Hopefully the freebie will impart a spring feeling even though Wisconsin may be crossing its arms over its chest, shaking its head and saying, “No way – not yet!”

You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! page here.  If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to be come one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.

Alicia subscribed by entering her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirming her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox.  This 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 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.  It’s one of those “I win – You win – We all win” situations!

April’s drawing will take place on Friday, April 3rd.

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.

Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, April 3rd, 2020.

If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it.  Did you keep it for yourself?  Did you gift it to someone special? 

Gotcha! You’ve Been Ambushed!

~ Midwest Storyteller
Food Freedom with Coach Barb www.midweststoryteller.com

There you go!  It’s too late now.  This is like yelling, “Tag!  You’re it!” or poking pink flamingos in your yard.  (Actually, it’s much better than that – don’t ever do that to me!)

In fact, I’m gonna get you twice.

First, I know the whole world is full of folks saying, “you’ve just gotta hear this/see this/try this”, but I’m challenging you to do this one thing right away.  I listen to the Trim Healthy Podcast every week.  I know you’re thinking, “Yeah, but Barb, you’re a health nut food nerd.”  I am telling you, people, the most recent podcast by Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett, founders and authors of Trim Healthy Mama is not only a gem – it is vital!

It runs a little longer than usual as a 2-in1, but they felt it was important, during this outbreak of the corona virus, that you are fully armed to equip your body for battling viruses and other illness.

Trim Healthy Podcast #165:  Fear, Sugar and Your Immune System is full of rock-solid science presented in simple layman’s terms that will enable you to turn your family’s health around and head it in the right direction.  They’ll give you a great list of simple foods that are real healers and a short list of things to avoid if you want your immune system to have a fighting chance.  Grab a piece of paper and make a grocery list while you’re listening that will put your family on the right track!

So…GOTCHA!  You’re Ambushed!  I challenge you to listen to this podcast here or on iTunes, iHeart Radio app or however you like to listen to music and podcasts.  iHeart Radio is my preferred method.  With the app on my phone, I can wear my headphones while I pull weeds, clean house, do laundry – whatever.  Get listening!  And don’t let me get word that you didn’t do it because I’m tryin’ to help you, people! And it’s FREE!

My second challenge –

No Place Like Home www.midweststoryteller.com

We’ve all been social distancing for a while here and I love how our community is coming together without coming together.  Creative ways of making fun range from the Great Bear Hunt to Sidewalk Art Spotting.  There is hardly a street in our town without several bears waving at families who have watched them pop up on social media and then piled into their cars to drive around and hunt them down.  (No animals were harmed in this social distancing stress relieving activity.)  Now, families are getting out the chalk and posting their sidewalk art on social media, creating a new search activity for those who’ve been cooped up and are ready to get out for an interesting drive.

My challenge is for anyone in grades K-12.  It’s the –

“Cabin Fever Cook-off”!  Have your parents been telling you, “Enough with the junk food!”?  It’s time to share on social media the great food ideas that have sprouted from this period of confinement. What have you been binging on these few weeks?  If you’ve got a great idea for a healthy meal or snack to share, send me a photo and the recipe.  Post them on my Food Freedom – THM Certified Lifestyle Coaching Facebook page here.  I’ll give them an honest review as to their “healthiness” and we’ll all enjoy your great ideas for eating well while you’re all cooped up!  Get in the kitchen and create!  The challenge is on for anyone grades K-12.  Surely it hasn’t all been pizza rolls and hot pockets – has it?  Remember – post your photo and the recipe.  Someone else might want to take your idea and make themselves some yummy grub!  It can be as simple or elaborate as you choose.  Someone might need a great idea for something as simple as what to do with an apple!

Remember, everyone, a second FREE video conference via Skype will be held at 7:00-8:00 PM (CST) on Tuesday, March 31 and you are welcome to join.  This week we will be talking about “What a Week of Eating Trim & Healthy Looks Like”.  Email me if you’d like to be included and I’ll reply with a link that will take you straight into the conference!  That’s barb@midweststoryteller.com

Share with friends right now and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!

It’s a great way to come out of social distancing a better person.

What type of eating challenges has the recent health crisis have you been experiencing?  Leave a comment and let’s talk about it.

So, How’s Your Immune System?

~ Midwest Storyteller
Food Freedom with Coach Barb www.midweststoryteller.com

News Flash!  The immune system in your body that fights off the common cold is the same immune system that fights off COVID-19, cancer and a plethora of other baddies!  Now, however, we seem to have become keenly aware of its existence practically overnight.

It’s time to pull together and learn how to build up those vital systems.  But, we’re supposed to be social distancing, right?

Tonight, March 24th at 7:00 PM (CST) I will be hosting an hour-long FREE video conference on how the Trim Healthy Mama plan can help you take control of this issue for you and your family.  We don’t know what we don’t know.  Right? Food is your vital fuel to improve and keep your health! It’s time to ask yourself if you’ve been ignoring your most important line of defense.

Forgotten Your Immune System? www.midweststoryteller.com

I’ll be leading this via Skype, so if you are not already a Skyper, you’ll need to download Skype from www.skype.com/download and go ahead and set up a username and password.  It’s a simple process and also free.  Then, send me a quick email at barb@midweststoryteller.com and I will reply with a link.  Between 6:45 and 7:00, all you’ll need to do is click on the link and you’ll join the video conference.

Nervous about it?  A few precautions are all that’s necessary.  Comb your hair.  That always helps.  You’ll be onscreen until you choose to turn that feature off.  Put on some lipstick if that’s your thing.  Wear pants – I insist – you never know when that laptop or device may slip out of your hands!

In this interactive (if you choose) video conference, we’ll talk about how your body makes new and healthy cells, what you can do to build it up and maybe what you’ve been doing to tear it down.  We’ll have an overview of the THM plan for getting healthy and getting trim if you need to do that also.  I’ll have info on how you can get started all on your own or in a group setting or with me as your private coach.

A second FREE video conference will be held at 7:00 PM (CST) on Tuesday, March 31 and you are welcome to join that one as well.  Watch for instructions on that early next week.

Remember, email me right away to be included in tonight’s conference!  That’s barb@midweststoryteller.com

Share with friends right now and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy! You can also find this even and share through my Facebook page at Food Freedom – THM Certified Lifestyle Coaching.

It’s a great way to come out of social distancing a better person.

Has the recent health crisis made you give extra thought to how you’re fueling your body?  Leave a comment and tell me the changes you’ve made or are considering.

Honoring Your Irish: There’s More to Patrick than Meets the Eye, So Let’s Eat Trim Healthy Irish!

~ Midwest Storyteller

Before the day closes, I wanted to wish you all a Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!  I never gave it much thought growing up, that is, until I discovered how Irish I am.  Oh, yeah – the Bairds, the Allens, the Glenns – it’s all over my mom’s side of the family.

Learning about our heritage helps us thrive.  It helps you take the good with the bad.  Just about the time you think you’re from a long line of nobodies, you discover that grandmother of noble birth or that war hero that saved his country.  And then, just about the time you get all puffed up from that knowledge, you stumble across the double spy who got hanged for a whole bunch of things you’d rather not talk about.  We’ve all got stories that go back to the beginning of time and it enriches us to learn about them and appreciate those who went before us and the struggles they endured.

In honor of the day, I wanted to post a photo of a recipe I made recently, but now realize that I didn’t.  Well, I did make the recipe and it was delicious, but I didn’t take the photo.  Be that as it may, I highly recommend you give it a try.  “Irish King Trimmy Bisque” (page 169, Trim Healthy Table) is a recipe your family will enjoy and never have a clue that you’re helping them be trim and healthy.  It’s an energizing “E” meal on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, loaded with chicken, leeks (oh, how I love leeks!) and other ingredients that give it a rich, soothing, comfort-food flavor.  I was a little surprised at finding chamomile tea bags in the list of ingredients, but I said, “Well, Serene,” (even though she wasn’t there to hear me, of course), “you haven’t let me down with one of your Trimmy Bisques yet…” and brewed the tea and put it right in there.  And yes, it’s wonderful.

The only thing I like to change in the Trimmy Bisque recipes is that I put less of the ingredients in the blender than recommended.  We don’t like our soup quite that smooth.

If you haven’t picked up the cookbooks by Trim Healthy Mama yet, you can get them from www.trimhealthymama.com or Ebay or even check them out of your public library.  Soon, you’ll be able to get them from me as well.

Making a great soup is a wonderful family activity while we’re all cooped up waiting for this virus to pass and this makes a big pot that will give you plenty of leftovers to freeze.

If you need coaching with Trim Healthy Mama, I’m here to help. Just click on the coaching icon in the right sidebar and you’ll find out about getting started or click here. Also, feel free to email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com

I thought you might like to close out this day by gaining a little appreciation for its namesake.  Saint Patrick should mean much more to us than wearing a green outfit and having one too many green beers.  I’m thinking he probably contributed much to my family’s heritage of faith – and maybe yours, too.

Who was Saint Patrick?

Questions?  Comments?  Just scroll back up to the beginning of this post and click on “Leave a comment” and if you don’t see this till tomorrow, “Top ‘o the mornin’ to ya!”

First Friday Freebie: Rushing Spring!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 10 Comments

The March winds are blowing here in the Midwest and they might just be blowing a Freebie your way! They’ve certainly been howling around my house and doing this curly-girl no favors at all in the Good-Hair-Day department.

Spring-like weather puts a smile on everyone’s face and even thought there are over two weeks to go until it’s official, I say we should pretend it has arrived, put the turtlenecks and fleece away and decorate with pastels and things that remind us that we will soon be enjoying the outdoors and its “bloomery”.

Let’s get in the mood with March’s First Friday Freebie –

Linen Table Runner www.midweststoryteller.com

This 48”X16” table runner from Signature Collections by Sullivans will give you a start on your décor. It’s perfect to lie flat on a larger table or you can let the ends hang over on a smaller table as shown in the photo. Made of a soft green linen, each end is trimmed in burlap and embellished with embroidered patches that remind us of the garden herbs that will adorn our gardens and porch pots just as soon as we can get their little toes planted in the soil. The cute little button on the “herbs” patch is a nice detail. (See inset photo.)

If you’d like a chance to win the table runner, all you have to do is enter TODAY! You have until midnight to become a subscriber, if you are not already, and comment on this post, saying: “I’m ready for spring!”

For the complete Freebie rules, please click here. Winners are notified using the email they used to subscribe, so be checking that in the coming days to see if you’ve won.

Each month, I like to offer my readers something that makes life just a little sweeter and I always seem to find something that’s a little difficult to part with! This runner would go well in my dining room, but I’m sticking with my decision that it is for YOU!

Why not SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends who might like to enter to win?

Midwest Storyteller’s previous freebies can be found on my “Freebies” page. Take a look. You’ll get an idea of the great gifts subscribers can win!

REMEMBER: A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I’m ready for spring!”

Three simple steps – Subscribe, comment as directed and check your email!

Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, March 6th!

“How to Eat?” It’s Time to Learn!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 4 Comments
Food Freedon with Coach Barb Banner www.midweststoryteller.com

These two free sessions are for you if you live within driving distance of the Boonville, Missouri area. We’re going to learn a lot and we’re even going to be doing some taste testing! After all, who wants to eat healthy if it isn’t going to be absolutely fabulous! And, who wants to lose weight if they feel deprived and like they’re restricted to rabbit or caveman food?

Maybe – just maybe – you’re overwhelmed by conflicting information concerning what’s healthy and what’s not healthy for your family.

Please share. I know you know someone who really needs this! It’s absolutely free, but you’ll need to reserve a seat by calling the library.

How to Eat? www.midweststoryteller.com

If you don’t live within driving distance, but need help, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com. Your first session is always free. Sometimes, all you need is a little nudge to get started on a whole new road to a trim, healthy body!

Want to know more about my Trim Healthy Mama journey? Click here to learn how I found this sustainable lifestyle plan and made it work for me.

February’s First Friday Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller

We’ve been trudging along through single digit temperatures here again, hanging on to the promise of a pleasant weekend starting today.  One has to look for the bright spots in life.  Here’s one!  Remember that Mystery Freebie?  Did you choose what was hidden inside Beautiful Valentine Box #1 or Box #2?  It’s time for a reveal.

February’s First Friday Freebie winner is –

Freebie Winner Carol www.midweststoryteller.com

Carol from Boonville, Missouri 

Carol chose Freebie #1 and, in turn, Smuffy drew her name at random from the qualifying entries. 

Congratulations, Carol, on winning this wood and metal wall art from Hobby Lobby.  Appropriate for including in your Valentine décor, this plaque can either be hung on the wall or propped on an easel.  Mixed media home décor is being used in so many great decorating schemes right now and I hope the galvanized metal on wood ads a bit of rustic charm to your home.  You can’t go wrong with the sentiment either!

And what, you may be wondering, was inside Box #2?  That remains to be seen.  I think I’ll keep that Freebie for another First Friday.

You can see the original freebie offer here.

Carol subscribes to MidwestStoryteller.com via email  and that is Step 1 in entering to win First Friday Freebies here on my blog.  The only other thing you’ll need to do is check your email for the post on the First Friday of the month and comment as directed in the post.  It’s always a quick read and tells you how to comment  “as directed” so that you don’t forfeit your entry. 

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.  It’s one of those “I win – You win – We all win” situations!

Freebies happen every month.  My Freebies page features past winners and the free gifts they’ve won, so if you haven’t subscribed and entered to win yet, you might want to see what you’ve been missing.

 March’s drawing will take place on Friday, March 6th.

A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post. 

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.

Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday March 6th, 2020.

Leave a comment!  If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, why not let me know how you liked it and whether you kept the little goodie to yourself or gifted it to someone special.

Hoping the Feeling is Mutual!

~ Midwest Storyteller

Today’s the day! Find an extra special way to tell those you love how much they mean to you today.

I have to admit that every once in a while, when the stuff of life overwhelms me, I question whether or there is room in my world for this blog. Then, snippets of readers’ comments start floating to the forefront of my mind and I realize I may not be the only one enjoying myself here. Whether here on the blog or in line at the check-out, you’re letting me know that you’ve tried that recipe or that your eyes have been opened to a whole new side of Smuffy or that you think Phoebe June is as much of an adorable character as I do.

Happy Valentine's Day Cup of Tea www.midweststoryteller.com

To date, (other than episodes of “Life with Smuffy” – and who can resist those tell-alls – and the best soup recipe I ever invented) the post that has gotten the most views and shares is one about love – a tribute to my wonderful mom. Missing someone as much as I miss her is a great reminder to show people you love them while they’re still here.

Have a big, fat, chocolaty, lace-covered, huggy, kissy day filled with mush!

Life is good. It’s short. It flies by fast. It’s meant to be shared and love is all that matters.

“If I speak in the tones of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing…It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” -I Corinthians 13:1-3,7,8,13, The Holy Bible

I don’t know about you, but that seems to make Valentine’s Day worth celebrating!

Let Your Heart Decide on Your Freebie!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 8 Comments

We all need a little fun and games in the middle of winter, don’t we?

Reader's Choice Freebie www.midweststoryteller.com

It’s First Friday Freebie Day and I’ve decided to make this month’s freebie a surprise.  Valentine’s Day is on the way and I love my readers!  My token of love for you is either inside box Number 1 or Box Number 2.

It’s a little like “Let’s Make A Deal”, only you have nothing to lose and you don’t even have to dress up like you’re ready for the asylum.  Although, should you prefer to do so, please send a photo – that would make this so much more fun!

Truthfully, my idea stems from the fact that could not force myself to decide between two freebies that I have for you.  I decided to escape from my decision-making dilemma by letting you decide.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, saying either “I’d LOVE Freebie #1” or “I’d LOVE Freebie #2”.  All appropriate comments will be entered into the drawing and Smuffy will do the honors.  Should you be the freebie winner, you’ll get the surprise gift you chose! (If you haven’t gotten to know Smuffy yet, he has his own page here on the blog.)

You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, February 7th, 2020! 

Remember:  Comments on Facebook an Instagram are excluded.  You must be an email subscriber to Midwest Storyteller and your comment must be made on this blog post.

Important:  Once you’ve entered, you MUST check the email address you used to subscribe or you may not know you’ve won and have to forfeit your free gift.    

My Freebies last for one day only – on the First Friday of each month.  Tell your friends and family TODAY through social media, send them the link in an email or just tell them, “It’s Freebie Day!”   

Leave your comment now before you forget! 

First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.  You’ll find a subscription area in the right sidebar or you can use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so already. Confirming your subscription through the confirmation email you’ll receive is absolutely necessary, so don’t forget that!

The Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest icons on this page are there to help you share.

Want to see past winners and their gifts?  Check out my “Freebies” page.

TO RE-CAP:  A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says either, “I’d LOVE Freebie #1” or “I’d LOVE Freebie #2”  

I send Freebies to any winner who lives within the continental United States.  For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, CLICK HERE. 

Glitches happen.  If you subscribe and do not receive a confirmation email for some reason, please email me and let me know at barb@midweststoryteller.com

Are you ready for Valentine’s Day?  I’d love it if you’d share some thoughtful and inexpensive ways you’ve shown someone that you treasure them, so leave a comment and give us all some great ideas.  People need a little love, you know!

Big Announcement Today!

~ Midwest Storyteller

[NOTE:  It is my understanding that there is a weight loss plan out there using the phrase “food freedom” in promotion.  Unaware of this, I chose the name “Food Freedom with Coach Barb”.  The two are in no way connected. Just providing clarity for my readers.] 

I’ve been looking forward to making this announcement and sharing my journey with you.  If you’ve been with me from the beginning, you know that health is a top priority in my life.  I have shared part of my health story here on the blog, and though some of it is scary, I really haven’t told the whole story.

Years ago (I’m thrilled to say) a cancer diagnosis played a part.  If you’d like to catch up on that part of my life, you can read about it here and here.

There are things more difficult to endure than a cancer diagnosis and its subsequent surgery and treatments.  Stage 3 (I’m talkin’ in the pits, folks) Adrenal Fatigue is one of them and I can honestly say that a couple of times during that awful phase I found myself fearful of not making it through the night. 

When I talk to people who seem to care little about taking care of themselves, I sometimes find myself thinking (not sarcastically), “Well, maybe you just haven’t been sick enough yet.”  I have. 

Now back to chemotherapy.  I knew then, but have really come to understand since, what a hormone disrupter that is – as if we women needed another one – right?  As I sat in the chemo room trying not to watch the drip, I’d hear the other women talking about how much weight they’d gained during chemo.  Frightening tales of up to forty-five pounds had me shaking in my blue vinyl recliner!

I didn’t gain forty-five pounds, but I did gain fifteen – the fifteen that would not budge – the fifteen that kept trying to turn into twenty.

I’m tall, but small boned, and excess weight on my body hurts.  It pulls me down.  Because of my height, no one really regarded me as “fat” because I gained it all from the waist down.  This whole new world of walking past a loaf of bread and gaining five pounds was foreign and frightening territory.  I’d spent my whole life eating whatever I wanted and not gaining an ounce.

I joined that group that measures everything and counts “points”.  I stuck to it for years.  It worked – twice, in fact.  Still, at the root of the matter was the fact that I love food.  I may have left the farm, but I took my farm-girl appetite with me, if you know what I mean.  I want seconds – possibly thirds.  I eat.  The portion control police were after me all day long and in the long run, my blood work showed that the plan did me no favors.

When adrenal fatigue showed up and my holistic doctor advised me to give up sugar and grains, my family (the supportive little darlings) told me I couldn’t do it.  After all, they did know me as the Bread & Pasta Queen.  I did do it.  I lost a few pounds, too!  Then it began to creep back on again.  Was there no end?

Then, a couple of years ago, a friend of mine started losing weight.  What struck me most was the fact that she seemed deliriously happy doing it.  Normally, the first thing a dieter loses is their sense of humor.  She’d bring food to gatherings that tasted SO YUMMY and she’d lost over thirty pounds!  When I asked about the recipe, she’d name off a string of ingredients that fit my doctor’s recommendations to the letter.  So, why was she dropping pounds while I couldn’t wait to get home and get the too-tight jeans off?

That’s when she told me about Trim Healthy Mama.  Later, I borrowed her THM book and tip-toed in. It all made such logical sense and avoided extremes.  It didn’t take away food groups.  It simply showed me how to stop duel-fueling my body with fats and carbohydrates at the same time and how to feed my body what all those hormones needed so I could not only walk past the bread, but stop and sniff it and even have a slice!

After a year of baby-stepping and learning how the plan was ideal not only for weight loss, but for those who wanted great cancer prevention like I did, but is ideal for people with diabetes, insulin resistance, cardiac and any number of other issues, I bought the books, including cookbooks and jumped in.

The first recipe I tried in my “Trim Healthy Table” cookbook was Creamy Garlic Spinach Spaghetti Squash Bake.  Oh, my goodness!  If I could eat like this and trim down, I was in!  Smuffy gave it the thumbs up, too.

Creamy Garlic Spinach Spaghetti Squash Bake www.midweststoryteller.com

Today, I have the troublesome weight off.  (Actually, I think I may go ahead and drop another three to four pounds.)  I feel great and this may be my biggest announcement of all today – I’m eating!  I eat seconds.  I eat thirds.  I try to avoid out-and-out calorie abuse, but I don’t measure my portions.  I eat butter!  Repeat after me – B U T T E R!  I pour olive oil on my salad and top it with cheese and nuts.  I eat carbs.  I was made for fats and carbs and am so thankful THM has shown me how to eat them in a trimming way.  It’s so sensible and safe that pregnant and nursing moms can feel free to jump right in! And guys, just call yourself a Trim Healthy Papa (or Dude) because this plan works for you, too.

Knowing that I could be of help to so many others, I decided to become a certified coach through Trim Healthy Mama.  I’ll be sharing lots of recipes and information here on the blog and should you need more, I offer group and private coaching, cooking demonstrations and more.

Click here for a printable information sheet to see if Trim Healthy Mama is right for you.  (It’s also available on the right sidebar.) I can help you via phone and email if you live outside my area.  For dates and times for group meetings or for private coaching, send me an email at barb@midweststoryteller.com

For pricing and discounts, including your first session of coaching absolutely free, plus available discounts, click here. 

If your church group, homeschool group or organization is located in my area, I would be happy to speak to people who are ready to find food freedom, get their health back and if they need to lose the weight – get trim!

Trim Healthy Mama originated when two moms (originally from Down Under and now in the hills of Tennessee) found themselves DONE with diets.  These sisters wrote a book for their friends that became a best-seller because the simple science and healthy guidelines worked for so many people. They now have the #1 health podcast out there, plus books, curriculum and their own line of healthy food and other things that will make your body better!

Meet Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison in this short video where you’ll learn a little more about THM.

That’s my big announcement!  Coming up, I’ll be sharing healthy recipes and providing notations concerning recipes that have already appeared on the blog and whether or not they fit the Trim Healthy Mama plan.  I’ll be making recommendations from THM recipes and providing lots of information on my new Food Freedom Facebook page where I’ll share THM knowledge, recipes, tips and all sorts of other goodies.  Please “like” and “follow” at https://www.facebook.com/Food-Freedom-THM-Certified-Lifestyle-Coaching-100703354727086/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Most of all, Happy Eating!

How’s your New Year’s Resolution coming along? Was it, once again, to either lose weight or eat healthier? Why do you think you fail? I’d love to hear your comments!

2020’s FIRST First Friday Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 2 Comments

It’s been cold outside!  If you live in the Midwest, you knew that already.  I hate it when those single digits shrink my thermometer like this.  Come to think of it, I don’t care for it when it falls below 70 degrees, but here we are and that’s how it goes.

January’s First Friday Freebie winner is prepared.  Let’s meet – 

Freebie Winner Ruby www.midweststoryteller.com

Ruby from Boonville, Missouri 

You’ve met Ruby before.  She consistently enters to win on the first Friday of each month and it’s paying off!

Congratulations, Ruby, on winning the eco-friendly green collar scarf by Life is Beautiful.  When opened up (like a tube), it slips on over your head and forms a warm fringed collar that can be worn over a top, sweater or coat. 

You can see the original freebie offer here.

Ruby’s a subscriber and that is Step 1 in entering to win First Friday Freebies here on my blog.  The only other thing you’ll need to do is check your email for the post on the First Friday of the month and comment as directed in the post.  It’s a quick read, but you’ll need to take the time to do that.  Otherwise, you won’t know how to comment  “as directed” and you may forfeit your entry. 

Freebies are my way of reaching out to more folks who might enjoy the various stories, recipes and more here at Midwest Storyteller.  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.  How do I do it – month after month…?

Freebies happen every month.  My Freebies page features past winners and the free gifts they’ve won.

 February’s drawing will take place on Friday, February 7th.

A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post. 

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.

Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday February 7th, 2020.

Leave a comment!  If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, why not let me know how you liked it and whether you kept the little goodie to yourself or gifted it to someone special.

The Happiest New Year!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 3 Comments

Perhaps you’ve been wondering if Midwest Storyteller has fallen off a cliff or something – but no, what I have been doing is falling in love.

I’ve been a little too preoccupied to think about blogging for the last few weeks because we’ve started off the new year oh, so right!

The Grandma Life is SWEET! www.midweststoryteller.com

This 9 pound, 9 ounce bundle of love managed to squeak in at the tail end of 2019, leaving Smuffy and me changed forever. We can’t get enough of staring at that fresh, sweet face and twiddling those precious fingers and toes. And the squeaky little noises and the smiles – don’t be telling us that’s just gas – every one is meant just for us.

We’re new at this grand-parenting thing, but we’re convinced that we’ll have no trouble falling into the groove. This boy is a miracle and his mommy and daddy are amazing us with the the natural way they take to parenting. We knew they had it in them all along!

Look for more at Midwest Storyteller in the days ahead – just as soon as I can tear myself away from the nuzzling and the head kissing.

If your 2020 is as blessed as mine, your world is going to be fabulous!

May you be blessed in each and every day that lies ahead!

Happy New Year (of Freebies)!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 4 Comments

I cannot even express how the first Friday of January has sneaked up behind me and caught me off guard!  Somehow, though, in the middle of the holiday bustle and other life changes going on all around me, I did manage to remember that not only did I have a First Friday Freebie for you – I actually remembered to offer it to you today!

I’ll be having some announcements to make soon, but not today – it’s Freebie Day!

Before we get to January’s Freebie, let’s take a look back.  December is always a rush and I believe the postal service, in their busiest time of the year, was a little late in getting the Freebie to its new home.  I’m sorry I don’t have a photo to post as usual, but I do want to announce that December’s Freebie, the embroidered oven mitt and potholder set, went all the way to –

Tamara in Lexington, South Carolina!  Congratulations Tamara and I really appreciated your sweet note of thanks.  I hope you enjoy your First Friday Freebie!

You can see the gift Tamara won here.

January is upon us and so is the cold.  Actually, it’s been rather pleasant here lately, but I’ve lived here all my life and I know how this works.  When January toys with you, offering you a few days of spring-like weather, it’s merely gearing up for the next round of torture.  It’s bound to hit soon and when it does, you’ll be glad you have January’s First Friday Freebie.

Green Collar Scarf FREEBIE! www.midweststoryteller.com

This eco-friendly green collar scarf by Life is Beautiful appears at first glance, to be the world’s shortest scarf, but as you see in the photo, when folded in the opposite direction, becomes a warm fringed collar that you can slip on over a coat or jacket to keep the winter chill from whistling down your neck and at the same time, keep long scarf “tails” from getting in your way.  Green, many times, becomes a neutral because it coordinates with so many other colors, so it will go with many of your coats and jackets.  Or, how about wearing it indoors?  As shown in the photo, it’s a great way to spiff up a plain pullover.

No matter how I tried to adjust the photos, the color just doesn’t show to be as pretty of a color as the scarf actually is. In reality, the green is “happier”.

To win the fringed green collar scarf, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post saying, “Warm me up, Midwest Storyteller!”

You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, January 3rd, 2020! 

Important:  Once you’ve entered, you MUST keep checking the email address you used to subscribe or you may not know you’ve won and have to forfeit your free gift.  Also, remember that this particular comment must be made here on the blog post and not on Facebook or other social media sites. 

My Freebies last for one day only – on the First Friday of each month.  Tell your friends and family TODAY through social media, send them the link in an email or just tell them, “It’s Freebie Day!”   

Leave your comment now before you forget! 

First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.  You’ll find a subscription area in the right sidebar or you can use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so already. Confirming your subscription through the confirmation email you’ll receive is absolutely necessary, so don’t forget that!

The Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest icons on this page are there to help you share.

Past gifts and their happy winners are on my “Freebies” page.

Remember, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Warm me up, Midwest Storyteller!”  

I send Freebies to any winner who lives within the continental United States.  For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, CLICK HERE. 

Glitches happen.  If you subscribe and do not receive a confirmation email for some reason, please email me and let me know at barb@midweststoryteller.com

Have a bright and happy 2020 with and may your year be blessed beyond anything you can ask or imagine!

Every Tradition was New Once

~ Midwest Storyteller

READERS TAKE NOTE: Although I am a THM Certified Lifestyle Coach, not every recipe on this blog fits the THM plan This is an earlier post, BEFORE my THM days. I’m currently working on adapting some of these recipes to fit the plan.

Some Christmas traditions date back generations and for some, we have completely lost touch with their origins. We celebrate them “just because”.

Each one, however, had to have started somewhere, somehow and by somebody and on that day it was brand new. Everyone gathered around and some perhaps rejected it or gave it a try just to be agreeable and somehow it caught on.

Christmas morning will soon be here and I wanted to share our breakfast tradition with you.

Swedish Coffee Bread www.midweststoryteller.com

Several years ago, I searched allrecipes.com for a recipe using cardamom because I’d bought the spice for another recipe and it was a little pricey and I wasn’t about to throw it away. I just didn’t know what else to do with it. Well, now I do!

This is a bread machine recipe that originally called for making one long braided bread rope. The aroma and the flavor of the cardamom in the bread was unlike anything we’d ever had before and I found myself looking for excuses to make it again. Later, as my cogs turned (they often do that), it occurred to me that if I divided the dough in half, I could braid each into two smaller “wreaths” and if topped with colored sugar sprinkles rather than just plain, I’d have a masterpiece. Now, I not only make them for us, but for others as gifts each Christmas and they are a hit. Several people tell me that they also have them as their breakfast on Christmas morning. One friend told me that she ate the entire thing on her way home in the car!

I’m telling you – these bread wreaths are fabulous! Now we can’t imagine Christmas without them. Those of you who follow my recipes know that I pretty much stay away from sugar. This recipe, when divided in half as I do to make the wreaths, has only 1/6 cup of sugar in the entire bread wreath and, Hey! It’s Christmas! I lost count this year, but I think I made around sixteen of these.

This recipe would make a great addition to your New Year’s celebration as well and when made as the original recipe directs, a wonderful tradition to begin for your family’s Resurrection Day festivities.

It can’t be done without the cardamom, but this bread makes that pricey little spice worth every penny!

Merry Christmas and may you and yours find time over the holidays to make at least one batch of this recipe: Bread Machine Swedish Coffee Bread. Note: When dividing the dough in half to make two wreaths, you will only need to bake them for 15 minutes in a convection oven, or 20 minutes in a regular oven.

I’d love to hear some of your tradition foods or activities for the holiday season, so please leave a comment!

A Last Minute Christmas Gift that Won’t Steal Your Sanity

~ Midwest Storyteller

It’s Christmas Eve and they coming – or you’re going – and then, suddenly, you find out that you’ve forgotten someone. Or, perhaps you’ve just discovered that So-and-So is coming after all. Yikes!

It truly is last minute. I’ve simply had no time for blogging lately, but I did want to share this great idea in case you need a little something extra to give.

So, run to the storage room and grab a small jar you’ve kept for no good reason other than that you just knew it would be ideal for something someday. Dash back to the kitchen now and grab a mixing bowl and spatula, because we’re making –

Homemade Peppermint Sugar Scrub www.midweststoryteller.com

Homemade Peppermint Sugar Scrub!

You’ll find complete instructions here in my post about making the lavender coconut version, along with some tips and reasons why sugar scrubs are a wonderful addition to the bath.

However, since the effort to make this takes less time than it does to read that post and I know you’re in a rush, here’s a quick how-to on this falling-off-a-log gift for friends and family. You’ll probably have the ingredients on hand.

To a medium mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup softened or melted extra virgin coconut oil. With a spatula, stir in 2 cups of regular granulated sugar. Add about five drops of green food coloring and ten drops of peppermint essential oil. (I use therapeutic grade, since we are applying it to the skin.) Stir well to mix in the color and oil.

Oh, my goodness, I hope you’re not too exhausted to spoon this into your jars! The number of gifts you create will depend on the size of your little jars. With the jars I used, as pictured in the photo, I was able to fill four of them with one recipe. Small jelly jars work great and since they go to different people, a mix ‘n match batch of jars is just fine.

Now, grab a length of ribbon or twine and tie on a tag such as the ones I made that let the recipient know that they are “MINT” to have a Merry Christmas. If you don’t have time or don’t know how to make nifty tags like this on the computer, a hand-written tag is even more personal.

There you go! Have a very Merry Christmas and all my wishes that this idea has come to the rescue for at least one of you!

Gotta rush – there are still gifts to wrap at my house! Why don’t I have a recipe for that?

‘Tis the Season for a Freebie!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 12 Comments

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been baking cookies!  Lots of cookies!  By the time I get through the Christmas season, my kitchen needs a little help.  Of course, if you’ve been keeping up with Smuffy’s kitchen makeover, you know mine needs a lot of help!

The smallest thing can add a bright spot during the holidays, so I think you’ll really enjoy December’s Freebie.

Tartan Oven Mitt & Potholder Set www.midweststoryteller.com

This oven mitt and potholder set will liven up your kitchen.  Who wants to have people over for a festive gathering and show them all the potholders and mitts you’ve wrecked and scorched in the days and weeks leading up to the event?  This set from “Handmade Holiday” was a great find at joann.com

I’ve really fallen for all the bright plaids that are on trend right now and this red tartan set is beautiful with its embroidered wish for a “Merry Christmas”! I suppose you could use it as a gift for someone else, but – awww…go on! Keep it!

I find so many great things at Joann. They offer great Doorbuster sales, wonderful coupons and are often times willing to combine them. For those of you who think they are just a store for crafters or those who sew, you might want to check out their great selection of home decor.

To win the Tartan Plaid Oven Mitt & Potholder Set, all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post saying, “Merry Christmas, Midwest Storyteller!”

You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, December 6th, 2019! 

Important:  Once you’ve entered, you MUST keep checking the email address you used to subscribe or you may not know you’ve won and have to forfeit your free gift.  Also, remember that this particular comment must be made here on the blog post and not on Facebook or other social media sites. 

My Freebies always happen on the First Friday of each month and last for one day only.  Spread the word to your friends and family TODAY through social media, send them the link in an email or just tell them, “It’s Freebie Day!”   

Make your way to the comment section now before you forget!  ‘Tis the season, Dear Readers, for having so much on your plate that you begin to forget everything.

First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.  You’ll find a subscription area in the right sidebar or you can use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so already. Confirming your subscription through the confirmation email you’ll receive is absolutely necessary, so don’t forget that!

The Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest icons on this page are there to help you share.

Past gifts and their happy winners are on my “Freebies” page.

Remember, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Merry Christmas, Midwest Storyteller!”   That’s one way to get your Christmas greetings – right? The greatest gift you can send my way is to share Midwest Storyteller with all your family and friends. It really makes a difference in my unseen cyber-world.

I send Freebies to any winner who lives within the continental United States.  For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, CLICK HERE. 

Glitches happen.  If you subscribe and do not receive a confirmation email for some reason, please email me and let me know at barb@midweststoryteller.com

I wish each of you a blessed Christmas filled with family and friends.  I’m with George Bailey – it truly is a wonderful life when you focus on what matters most.   If you’re out of touch and don’t know who George Bailey is, I’ve just given you a great start on watching Christmas movies!

Life with Smuffy (Special Episode – Part 2 of ?): “A Glimmer of Hope and Stainless Steel”

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 4 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have so much to be thankful for around here and I’m sure you’re probably feeling the same way. A couple of years ago Thanksgiving came along amidst a period of grief, but it came along anyway and we paused to give thanks for those we could still hold close.

This year, we are simply giddy, for as I’ve already announced here, Smuffy and I are about to become grandparents and that is enough to hoist our thankfulness quotient up several notches all by itself!

For me, today is also a great day to rejoice in the progress of Smuffy’s custom kitchen makeover project, because even though in the grand scheme of life it can’t compare to what really matters – the Lord who gives graciously, our family, dear friends and a place to call home – every little step in the right direction certainly makes life easier!

I’m thrilled to say that three new appliances are installed! I’ll give more detailed reviews on those later, but I can’t even express how much simpler and easier the Thanksgiving meal preparations have been since this phase of the project has occurred.

As you can see below, refrigerator, oven and dishwasher are in place, although surrounding cabinetry and trim are not.

Appliances Phase 1 www.midweststoryteller.com

This new Samsung 4-Door Flex French Door Refrigerator is a dream and I love being able to have French doors, slide out shelves and drawers on the bottom as well as for the refrigerator on top. The right side of the lower french doors is a separate flex unit that can be used as a refrigerator or a freezer, depending on the need. For us, it will be used as a freezer most of the time. It’s lots bigger than our old refrigerator and so nice inside that if it wasn’t so cold in there, I might move in

The GE dishwasher with its bottle jets and, yes, third rack, is just fabulous. My advice would be that if you are ever shopping for a dishwasher, don’t settle for one without these two features. Where has this been all my life? I think they finally must be letting women design appliances.

The thing I love most about my Kenmore Elite wall oven is that it is not in the basement. Earlier, I shared here in Death of a Kitchen, how our appliances marched off single file to the graveyard, beginning with my oven. However, until Smuffy got the kitchen to the place where some cabinets could come out to make room for a wall oven to go in, my new oven had to wait, ratchet strapped to his workbench in the basement.

There is much more to glory in today than new appliances, but I am truly thankful for them, especially the part where I don’t have to haul this turkey down and back up the stairs!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. Hug the ones you love and tell them how much they mean to you. It is a wonderful life and we have so much to be thankful for.

I’ll post more updates on Smuffy’s grand kitchen makeover as they occur.

Helpful Hint: This is the best time of the year to get your appliances on sale. Prices will never be lower than they are during Black Friday sales, which began this year on November 5th and continue into December.

November’s Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 2 Comments

At least one of my readers is way ahead of me in preparing for the holiday rush.  That’s because she’s now in possession of November’s First Friday Freebie. 

Meet the winner –

Freebie Winner Karen www.midweststoryteller.com

Karen from Boonville, Missouri 

It took Karen a few tries, but eventually, when Smuffy reached in an drew out a name, she won the set of 56 Fabulous Gift Tags!

Congratulations, Karen!

You can see the original freebie offer here.

From glitter to watercolor and from foil to polka dots (along with some handmade Christmas creations of my own) these versatile gift tags will carry Karen through Christmas and various other occasions. 

As a subscriber, Karen receives an email on the first Friday of the month, letting her know that it’s time to read a short blog post and comment as directed.  That’s all it took to enter her name into the drawing.

Freebies are my way of reaching out to more folks who might enjoy the various stories, recipes and more here at Midwest Storyteller.  When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, that gives them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free.  The helpful information and smiles here are free. Sometimes I feel like I’m just raining wonderfulness!

Freebies happen every month.  My Freebies page features past winners and the free gifts they’ve won.

 December’s drawing is coming on up Friday, November 6tht.

A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post. 

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.

Be sure to take a moment make yourself familiar with the Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday December 6th, 2019.

Leave a comment!  On a desktop computer, scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking.  On various devices, you may find “Leave a Comment” at the bottom of the post.