I fully disclose that as a Certified Lifestyle CoachI do, at times, receive monetary compensation as such. See The Fine Print on the “About Me” page of this blog.
I’ve been so exited lately to see the members of my weekly group coaching sessions experience not only victories on the scale with weight loss, but NSV’s as well (non-scale victories), which can mean much more than mere numbers. How you fuel your body affects all aspects of your life. How would you feel if your pain levels were greatly reduced without the help of drugs, but rather by your own wise choices. Check out Shirley’s non-scale victories and you might be wanting to contact me about private coaching or if you are local, join us in person. We meet weekly.
I’ll be sharing more stories like Shirley’s soon. If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out in the comments or by emailing me. Share this post on your social media as well. You never know – you might be giving someone the help they’ve been waiting for.
Even if it isn’t officially summer, June always seems to bring on the summer attitude along with activities. It is officially, however, First Friday Freebie Day here at Midwest Storyteller and if you are an email subscriber, you might just win if you try. If you’re not a subscriber – hop to it!
For many of us, summer is just one blur of activity and we are rarely at home. For others, this frantic pace gets to be a bit too much as the temperatures soar and we’d just as soon be lazy in the hazy, crazy days of summer. Though I love spending my fair share of time at the park with Lil’ Snookie or out doing other things, I have to admit that I’m drawn to staying home more lately, mostly due to the fact that Smuffy has beautified and screened in my porch to such a degree that the idea of relaxing out there with a glass of Lime Sillies is getting to be addictive!
If you feel the same, then this First Friday Freebie is for you –
This simple piece of décor by Sign of the Times expresses the desire “Let’s Stay HOME” in black and white. The framed portion measures six inches square. Since the frame is about one inch in depth, it can easily be a shelf sitter if you prefer not to hang it by the wooden beaded hanger at the top.
To enter to win the Let’s Stay Home décor, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Home is where my heart is!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, June 7th, 2024.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email. You’re not officially subscribed until you confirm by email.
If you haven’t kept up with things here at Midwest Storyteller lately, then you may not know that I’m a grandma again! For a bit on that see Waiting is Hard and you’ll also get some encouragement if you are finding yourself in a difficult waiting season.
Remember to be sure to share the things you enjoy on your social media such as Facebook, Instagram if you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, June 7th, by leaving a comment which says, “Home is where my heart is!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Enjoy June. Go fishing. Have a picnic. Play in the park. Or, just stay home!
It seems we’ve been waiting for so many things in our lives. The item at the top of our list has finally arrived. Pookie and her hubby have just welcomed a new baby girl which means that Lil’ Snookie now has a baby sister! Oh, the anticipation!
From the minute Lil’ Snookie knew there was a tiny baby in Mama’s tummy, he declared that he would have a sister, she would look like him and that he would call her Fruity Pebbles. Though his mommy and daddy might have preferred to wait and be surprised on the big day, his insistence that he would have a sister caused them to open the sealed envelope the doctor had given them just in case they had to explain to him that sometimes God thinks you need a brother.
Well, sister it was! At various times in the week following the big news, Big Brother would look up from whatever toy or activity he was engaged with, catch my eye and with a knowing smile, softly say, “I was right, Grandma.”
And then we waited. At times the months seemed to fly by and at other times it seemed that Fruity Pebbles was taking her own sweet time. Overall, it was a fun type of wait (except for Mama in those last few weeks).
Little did we know that Lil’ Snookie was in for a different type of wait and this time it would not be fun. Though he knew and seemed to understand that Mama and Daddy would go to the hospital so the doctor could help bring Fruity Pebbles out into the world and he would be having a sleepover at our house, something just didn’t seem right about the whole thing in his little heart. Though he visited every day, an extended hospital stay proved to be agonizing. This type of waiting hurt.
Do we thrive in times of waiting? Fruity Pebbles certainly did, as was proved by her robust size and appetite when she arrived. And, by the way, she does look just like her brother.
I once heard the Bible teacher Joyce Meyer say that we may as well get used to waiting on God because we are going to spend the greater part of our lives doing it. I have found this to be true, but I’m not sure it makes it any easier.
When people hear that my book series is coming out soon and that a screenplay for a series is being written based on it, many of them say something to the effect that I’m becoming an overnight success. Overnight? Hardly. I have had to wait on myself to finish a rough draft, tediously gone through edits, waited for appointments and opportunities to meet with agents and publishers, waited for them to review my manuscripts, waited for replies, waited for contracts. Now I’m waiting again for the final edit and cover art to be completed while I work on another edit of the next book in the series. This last decade has hardly seemed overnight to me.
Through the years I’ve waited, as many of you have, for answers to prayers whether they’ve concerned health, relationships or finances. I can’t say that any of those waits have been fun. Waiting is not something you learn to do and become so proficient at that it ceases to be a disrupting factor in your life. Waiting is something that you just do. The only thing you learn is how to trust God and try not to get on other people’s nerves while you’re doing it.
Once the text message arrived that Mama and Daddy were on the way home (accompanied by a photo of Fruity Pebbles all fastened up in her car seat), Lil’ Snookie knew the time was near. Soon he would be joined by the ones he loved most so that they could all go home and be a family together and there would be no more tears. He took up his post at the window to watch for that familiar vehicle to pull into the driveway and waited with an extra dose of hope.
He left his post by the window a time or two out of sheer frustration and rolled around on the sofa for a bit while he asked me how many more minutes it would be. I’d give my best estimate and he would return to his post and do the only thing he could – wait. We are like that, aren’t we, when we sense that our hopes are on the verge of being fulfilled?
In the difficult waiting times, I lean on Scriptures like these –
Isaiah 64:4: “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.”
Habakkuk 2:3: “For still the vision awaits its time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”
Lamentations 3:25-26: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
The last several months have offered Smuffy and me several instances in which we had no choice but to pray and wait and somehow make the choice to thrive in the waiting. God has been faithful and He has seen us through.
There is no escaping the fact that there are more waiting times ahead. Some come unexpectedly and some you can see coming a mile away. I know full well that, short or long, there will be a wait once this screenplay is finished and studios begin to look at it.
Stress can be a necessary and good thing in our lives. It can also be a killer. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of how to Fire Yourself and Re-hire Yourself by surrendering guilt so that the demands that you put on yourself and allow others to put on you can become more reasonable!
Don’t forget to share this with friends and family on your social media. Someone might be waiting for a bit of encouragement in their journey.
How about you? Do you struggle through the long, hard waiting times? Leave a comment and let me know what it is that sees you through and gives you hope.
My great hope has been that this post would make it to my subscribers at the right time and on the right day. My internet has been down and the fixers arrived and reported that wasps have some inexplicable desire to gnaw at fiber-optic cables and had done so to the one leading to my house. They repaired the nibbles and now my first-world problem is solved. That means there’s a freebie for you!
[Bracelet]
I usually find that May’s calendar is just about as packed as December’s. Everyone is out and about at one event or another. There are picnics, barbecues, bridal showers for all those June brides, graduations and vacations. I thought perhaps you needed a new accessory for some of these events. This gold-tone beaded bracelet is elasticized and features a charm-holder in the style of a safety pin (although the pin does not open). There are three rhinestone studded charms attached – a cross, a star and a heart. Since it is stretchy, it should fit most wrist sizes.
To enter to win the safety pin charm bracelet, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Charmed, I’m sure!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, May 3rd, 2024.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email. You’re not officially subscribed until you confirm by email.
Subscribers often tell me how much they enjoy my humor non-fiction here at Midwest Storyteller. I am convinced that true family events provide the greatest stories possible and I love preserving all the things relatives have shared with me over the years. The clients I coach and others who just want to eat healthy food and be happy doing it love the recipes here. However, no one will get to enjoy it all unless you share it with your friends and family through all your social media, so if you like an idea, recipe or story you see here, be sure to share and if you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, May 3rd, by leaving a comment which says, “Charmed, I’m sure!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
If you’ve fallen behind, maybe it’s time to catch up by checking out all the tabs and exploring the pages here. You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages. Try a great recipe from my “Food Freedom” page.
I have managed, in spite of all the push lately surrounding my writing, to draw a winner for April’s First Friday Freebie. Let’s meet –
Ginger from Prairie Home, Missouri!
Congratulations, Ginger! I hope you enjoy your little birdie, wherever it finds a place to land. I’m thinking that the double-ended nature of the piece makes it a great way to lower a hanging pot to the desired level, but I know Ginger and it may end up gracing her super-cute chicken house.
I know you’ve met Ginger before as she is a repeat winner. That’s because she enters often. Her name was drawn at random after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post. I do have to ask you to go to a tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention.
I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S., so don’t think you’re too far away to enter.
As long as you’re an email subscriber, you can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of each month. That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win. If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Ginger wonhere.
If you’re reading this and haven’t become an email subscriber yet, please do that today. Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, have enticed you to do that.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies enable me to reach more people. I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free.
Coming up on May 3rd, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, May 3rd, 2024.
I hope April brought you showers (if you needed them as much as we did) and that May will bring you flowers. Lil’ Snookie and I are going to be busy planting some of those today, doing our part to make America beautiful. Leave a comment and tell me what you’re planting that makes you smile.
Here we all are with May about to burst on the scene and one thing that is likely overtaking the great majority of us is the desire to grow things. Whether you are the person who goes all out and plants a full garden of veggies or the person who lines their porch and steps with colorful pots, this urge is one of the main symptoms of spring fever.
Today marked our second, and possibly our last, trip to a plant nursery. Smuffy remarked that we are doing well at restraining ourselves this year. He is still in search of a certain tree he wants to plant, so we’ll see if he can manage to come home with just a tree.
I have a soft spot for herbs and like to have a kitchen garden full of pots that boast basil, parsley, cilantro, sage, lemongrass, rosemary, oregano and a special pot of catnip just for Phoebe June’s enjoyment. This year, however, a brand new grandbaby is on the way and the writing aspect of my life is going to take up all the hours that I am not snuggling her. I’ve decided that a few colorful pots in addition to Smuffy’s veggies is all I can deal with.
That means I’ll need to use up the remainder of last year’s herb harvest that I dried and if I need fresh herbs, I’m going to have to purchase them. (Insert groaning noise here.)
I cannot adequately express my aggravation at going into a supermarket and paying a ridiculous sum for a half-handful of limp herbs that will still be too much for the recipe. This scenario is almost always followed by the burial scene as I pull them from the refrigerator, wrapped in whatever shroud happened to be the latest sure thing recommended on a cooking show or blog, and lower their brown, slimy remains into the trash can.
But this story has a happy ending! A little over a year ago, I happened to be watching “America’s Test Kitchen” and they were testing the best ways to keep herbs. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I thought to myself and then I nearly snorted with sarcasm as they recommended the Cole and Mason Herb Keeper and claimed that in their testing, this amazing little box kept the herbs fresh for – are you sitting down? – eight weeks!
Soon after, my family asked if there were any additional items I might want to put on my Christmas wish list. On a whim, I told them I’d like to try one of these miracle gadgets. My wish was their command and after a few months of use I knew I would have to do a favorable review here on the blog (which, by the way, I am not getting paid for).
This herb keeper has gone way beyond my expectations. It truly will keep your fresh herbs fresh for eight weeks! The parsley in the photo you see here has been in the Cole and Mason Herb Keeper for at least a month and just take a look at it! I merely took it out of the refrigerator, sat it on the windowsill and snapped a photo without plucking off any unsightly leaves. As you can see in the photo, there are only a couple of leaves with a little yellowing that need to be removed.
It has a fill line so you know how much water to add. Just tip it over and dump out the old water and add new every week or so. There are removable dividers so that you can separate three types of herbs in one container. Simply wash your fresh herbs, trimming the stems and any leaves that might fall below the water line, and insert them into the keeper. Slide the outer sleeve up to the height of your herbs and flip the lid closed. Keep them in your refrigerator and you’ll be snipping away on fresh herbs for weeks to come.
As a certified lifestyle coach, I love to share great finds like this with my one-on-one clients and those who attend my weekly group sessions. Life is simplified when you can avoid extra trips to the store. You and your family are healthier when you can enjoy nutritious, healthy foods. On top of that, you’ll have more money left in the budget to spend on feeding your family well when you stop having to throw food away.
I’ll take back that snort of sarcasm that I gave when I heard the claim that the Cole and Mason Fresh Herb Keeper will keep your herbs fresh for eight weeks. It does and it will!
What great gadgets and helpers have you discovered to help around the house? Leave a comment so we can all discover what is tried and true for you.
Need great healthy recipes? You can sit on your porch with a glass of Lime Sillies here, make a quick skillet dish of Saturday Pasta any day of the week, or try my great copy-cat recipe for No-Carb Easy Bread.
Sometimes you’ve just got to shout it out! While I’m thrilled that you enjoy all the stories and articles here on my blog, sometimes it is a struggle to bring you blog posts as often as I’d like. The biggest reason for that is that I have been up to my eyebrows in writing a historical romance novel series for years now. However, if you’ve been keeping up here on the blog, you will know that several months ago, a publisher offered me a contract on the series (which I signed). If you missed that news, you can read that short post here.
Signing contracts, dear friends, is only the beginning. Since then, I’ve been overwhelmed with developmental edits on the first book and polishing manuscripts on the other two books in the series.
I think my next book will be entitled: “How to Get Your 3-Novel Series Ready for Your Publisher and Not End Up in the Funny Farm”.
Through it all, I have felt more than blessed because it was my dream and goal to have this series published. What author could ask for more?
Due to an absolute deluge of grace, however, I got more! My steps were ordered into a place I had not expected and never dreamed of and I want to share it with you today in this less-than-a-minute video.
The book series, entitled “Morgan’s Landing” is coming soon. I’ll post updates here on the blog, but if you would like to be sure that you personally receive the updates on the book release, sneak peeks at the cover and glimpses into the story line, please email me and ask to be on the “Morgan’s Landing” mailing list and I’ll be sure you get all the news. (Please don’t put your email in the comments here, as others will see those.)
Do watch the video, though, and comment on my exciting announcement. While you’re at it, let me know if you have a story to tell. Do you write? Are you thinking about writing? What is holding you back?
Last month, when I offered the First Friday Freebie, I spoke prematurely in saying that spring seemed to be arriving early this year. It was, indeed, just a teaser, as we once again this week found ourselves covering up outdoor plants and ourselves against the freeze.
I’m going to push the warm weather idea and offer you a freebie for April that definitely speaks of better weather.
This little piece of metal art is a Hobby Lobby find by The Spring Shop that you can display inside or out. It measures 12.68” X 5” and will look great on a wall, on a porch post, hanging from a shepherd’s hook or even on the back yard fence. The three-dimensional bird and leaves have a weathered look already so they’ll just become a little more so as they spend time outdoors. You have the option of hanging it by the curved metal piece or with the attached twine.
To enter to win the metal bird art, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “A little birdie told me I might win this freebie!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, April 5th, 2024.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email. You’re not officially subscribed until you confirm by email.
No one will get to enjoy all the great things here on the blog unless you share it with your friends and family through all your social media, so if you like an idea, recipe or story you see here, be sure to share and if you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, April 5tht, by leaving a comment which says, “A little birdie told me I might win this freebie!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
SPRING TIP: Have you heard about any of the scientific research concerning grounding? Grounding, to put it in ultra-layman’s terms, is when you get outdoors, get your bare toes in the grass and get your body in touch with the earth, thus setting off a whole batch of good health benefits you may not have even known you needed. Your grandma probably knew it. She was probably the one who said, “Get out and work in the dirt – it’ll do you good!” You may have thought she was just trying to get you to do her gardening chores, but she was imparting wisdom, health and life to you with those words.
It’s less than two weeks till planting time here. Make plans to get out and get grounded! Try singing while you’re at it. It may make the neighbors stare, but it’ll multiply the health benefits for you.
If it’s still too cold for you, take some time and catch up here at Midwest Storyteller. Check out all the tabs and explore the pages. You’ll find plenty to smile about on my “Life with Smuffy” and “Laugh!” pages.
This may seem a little late, but our First Friday Freebie winner has been a bit under the weather. Now that she’s feeling better, she was able to send me a photo. Let’s meet –
Vikki from Boonville, Missouri!
Congratulations, Vikki! I know the symbolism in this freebie means a lot to you and that you will find a great place for it in your home or office.
Vikki’s name was drawn at random after she commented on the freebie post as directed in the post. I do have to ask you to go to a tiny bit of effort each month in order to prevent spam and make sure you’re on your toes and paying attention. Vikki is a repeat winner for that very reason – she is paying attention!
Don’t think you’re too far away to enter. I send freebies anywhere in the continental U. S.
As long as you’re an email subscriber, you can comment as directed on my post on the first Friday of each month. That is all any subscriber needs to do to enter to win. If you’d like to see other past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
You can see the original First Friday Freebie offer for the one Vikki won here.
If you’re reading this and haven’t become an email subscriber yet, please do that today. Hopefully, my freebies, not to mention the stories, recipes and other great content, have enticed you to do that.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they each give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Again, comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies enable me to reach more people. I need you to help me share all the fun with your friends and family. When you share on MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free.
Coming up on April 5th, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, April 5th, 2024.
I have tulips blooming all up and down my front walk. This is always a special time because I feel like it makes my house look happy after the long, drab winter. It may be my favorite part of spring. It’s less than two weeks till planting time where we live. What are your spring gardening plans? Leave a comment and tell me about the happiest place in your yard!
If you live where there are four seasons (and in the Northern Hemisphere), the month of March brings hope, warmth in spurts and newness of life. To add to all this, it also brings a First Friday Freebie!
Spring, unless this is just some sort of teaser, seems to be arriving early this year. Celebrating the Passover and Resurrection will also arrive early this year, so I’m not waiting to offer this Freebie until April. Let’s take a look.
This wooden cross wall hanging is a Hobby Lobby find and I love the three-dimensional look. It measures approximately 14” X 7.5” including the bead tassel at the bottom. Smaller wooden beads also cross in the center over the cut-out area. If you have a wall that is wallpapered or painted in a happy color, this decoration will really make things pop. The tassel, cut-out and 1” depth of the piece creates shadow and movement.
To enter to win the beaded cross, all you need to do is hum a tune and “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I Will Cling to the Old Rugged Cross!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, March 1st, 2024.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.
If you are new to Midwest Storyteller and haven’t subscribed, you’ll need to do that before entering to win. Head to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can fill in your email address and then watch for your confirmation email.
No one will get to enjoy all the great things here on the blog unless you share it with your friends and family through all your social media, so if you like an idea, recipe or story you see here, be sure to share and if you save things on Pinterest like I do, hover over the photo and “pin it”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, March 1st, by leaving a comment which says, “I Will Cling to the Old Rugged Cross!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
This month, if you are a believer, it is time to turn the eyes of your heart toward Calvary, tune the ears of your spirit to the Voice of the One who loves you most and set your feet on a path to share the Good News with someone who might be waiting to hear it.
You don’t have to be a believer to enjoy the humor, stories, reviews, creative ideas and recipes here on the blog, but I do share from my heart and unashamedly let you know who I am at times. God has blessed me and my family immeasurably and this glorious season is the most special and holy time of the year for us.
