Book Journals - Fun Idea Part 2

I shared a few days ago about how I was making some book journals for my kids and grandchildren. I want to share how I finished making them. 

I put the blank pages and the books in order of how I wanted them set up, and then I took them back to the printer and he said his employees were all exposed to covid so he didn't have workers to help cut the binding holes into the pages and covers, so I ended up spending the entire day there cutting all the pages and covers. 

I realized that some of the cheaper bindings on certain books didn't have thicker cardboard so there was nothing to hold the binding on the covers. I ended up having to tape cardboard on the inside and sometimes outside of the cover before punching holes in the covers. 

With the cardboard on the covers of the books, some wouldn't fit into the hold cutter for the binders, so I had to use a hole punch electronic machine that punched the holes one at a time. My arm was super sore the next days having to punch front and back covers one hole at a time and sometimes had to punch each hole twice. 

I had to go to two different places to buy the spiral binding and the smaller two sizes I needed were $20. I paid the other company $30. The books were probably $15 or so. So in total, I spent under $100 for all 13 books I made which is much cheaper than the $30 each to purchase books. 

Both places I purchased the ring binding from told me they were really difficult to put on. I came home and started putting the bindings on and they were super hard to put on. In fact a few of them were chewed up so much with me trying to get them through that I went back the next day to cut new holes in them.

I learned later than sooner that when you are winding the wires through, the covers are longer than the paper so when you are trying to wind the spiral bindings through, the paper is hanging down causing weight on the ring so I found that by lifting the covers up and letting the papers inside touch the counter and that took the weigh off the paper and made the wire go through so much quicker and did less damage to the covers. 

It did take a long time to get the binding rings through, but it was worth it. I spent some time on Christmas Eve sharing why I picked the book I did for each person and why I made them as the journals. 

It was actually a really neat experience that allowed me to share with my kids what I love about each of them.

When I asked my son-in-law later what his favorite gift he received for Christmas, he said the journal. It made all the work worth it. Everyone, even my grandchildren really seemed to enjoy the journals. They asked if they could take pictures with me and the journals and put them in the front of the journals and also asked me to write something in the front of each, so I spent a few hours writing messages to each of them in their books. 

I made a video of how I made the books so that if anyone wanted to make them, their process may go a bit faster and easier. 

I loved that I was able to find a gift that everyone appreciated. Have a blessed day!

Not Feeling All That Great

I talked to Princess Two today and she said she has had a sore throat since coming home. I also have been fighting a sore throat. 

I am still super tired and got some bad news today I am dealing with, so I decided to take the night off. I have fallen asleep in the chair every day since the girls left. It has been frustrating as I try to write in my journal and blog. I am still dealing with the infected tooth as well.

Have a blessed day!

Tooth Drama - Not Sure How It Will End

I have been fighting an infection in my mouth after a root seems to be rotting from a root canal. I finally made a dentist appointment for today once the kids were gone. 

I went to the appointment and the dentist said he doesn't currently have the machines to see clearly enough to see how bad the infection is and the damage to the bone. He said he can see that I probably have enough bone left to treat the situation with several options, but I need to get it cleared up and then go see an endodontist, or he has ordered a machine that will take a more detailed shot of what is going on but it has been on back order since September. 

I made a video about the journals I shared about a few days back, but I am exhausted still cleaning up and shoveling walks and other things, so I didn't have time to post the video yet. I need to figure out what I am going to do.

I think I will try to see a family practice Dr. and visit with them about what is going on. In the mean time, I am going to sleep.

Super Wonderful Christmas - Exhausted Sleep

My entire family was home for the holidays. They all left at different times today and I haven't sat in my chair to blog or journal in a week. I blogged ahead so I wouldn't have to spend time doing it while my family was here. The problem with that is that I sat to blog for tonight and fell asleep within minutes in the chair and woke up sore and stiff. 

I will try to get back to normal, but as of now, I need to get to sleep. I hope you had a wonderful Holiday! 

Have a blessed day!

Book Journals - Fun Idea Part 1

A few weeks back, I took a road trip with one of my best friends from town. We went to a fair that was a German themed.

At one of the booths, I saw something I thought was adorable. Someone had taken a bunch of books from thrift stores or yard sales, and cut the binding off, and then added blank pages in between every few pages of the book to turn the book into a journal, diary, or a notebook. The books were ones that my girls would like, so I thought about purchasing them until I saw the prices. They were over $30 each.

I wondered if my girls would actually use the books if I made them, and when we did a road trip to visit Princess Four at her new office, she had this cute notebook on her desk, so it was at that point I decided to go ahead and try to make them. I pondered on if I could make them myself and called around to many different places as the bindings on the books were decorative. I looked online and couldn't find the exact bindings. I called different places and started shopping at all sorts of thrift stores. I went to six different thrift stores and found quite a few books that would work for my girls as I asked them their favorite top three children's books and their top three teen books. 

There were some of their favorite books that I had at home, so I did use some of the thrift books as well. I decided to just go with the bindings that our local printing shop has which are the black and white spiral bindings. 

I dropped them off and was told to come back the next day and they would be done. When I got there after five, he had cut one and put the binding holes in the wrong side of the book. I then reminded him that we needed to put the plain white papers in and they needed to be cut at the same time as the bindings. So, I stayed and helped him cut / organized the papers with the books to be cut and then brought them home to put the plain paper in between the pages of the books. 

This was on a Friday, so I brought the books home and spent the evening placing the paper in the books. 

I will do another post showing how I bound them and how they turned out and me giving them to the girls. Stay tuned for part 2.

Have a blessed day!

A Christmas Visitor For Princess Three - Scorpion Nightmare

Princess Three sent the family a text and video this week. She said she had an unexpected visitor. 

She was super excited in the video and I could tell she was really freaked out. I thought about uploading it, but you can't see the visitor as he is hidden in the carpet color. 

She was eating at her kitchen table and felt something smooth and cool on the floor and rubbed her toes over it to kinda determine what it was, but the thing on the floor suddenly started moving with the pressure from her toes. 

She freaked out and jumped up with one foot on one chair and another on the other chair and freaked out in terror as it was moving and she didn't dare go past it to get a cup or something to put over it. 

She called her husband crying as she doesn't do shocks well. Due to some post traumatic stress, she collapses when something puts stress on her system. 

Her husband was in class but knew someone in the first year who wouldn't be in class. He just happened to be walking past their apartment at that exact moment which I think is a huge blessing! He knocked and she ran to the door and was sobbing. 

He was able to kill it rather quickly as it wasn't moving very quickly. 

They have never seen a scorpion around the building or in the building, so she was terrified to walk around the apartment. Her husband got home, made her some tea, put her in the bath, and vacuumed the entire apartment so she could feel safe walking around. 

She has never liked spiders, but will kill them as needed, but I think the general shock to her system was more than she could deal with knowing she was touching it. 

She calmed down and then thought the entire thing was so funny. She sent us video and a photo but really, you can't see much, but hearing her tell me the story later on the phone was hilarious.

I told her I thought she was on the second floor as I haven't seen their apartment, and she is on the second floor! They think the only reason it didn't sting her was that it was slow from winter, or that they were spraying outside and it got some poison in it and couldn't move quickly! 

I guess they can climb trees, walls, ceilings etc. She said there is a tree outside that touches the apartment and it could have been that or just climbed up the building. 

I have never seen a scorpion inside a home, but I have seen them in buildings. We saw one years ago in a miniature golf place but that was in another city. 

I have seen scorpions over and over when camping in the dessert, but thank heavens they aren't in my yard. Hers are apparently in her yard! 

At least she is aware of it now. Hopefully, there won't be anymore visitors anytime soon and I am glad the building was spraying and that is the last they see! 

Have a blessed day!

Bit of a Rook Coincidence - Fun Story

I am working on a project for the girls for Christmas. This project needs a printer / office supply store. 

I called many places in our small town and the city trying to find a place that could do what I wanted and finally ended up just going down to a printing place in our town that I haven't used in many years. 

When I walked in, I recognized the owner. It wasn't the same owner that it used to be. It turned out that it was a son of a family we knew well, but only after the kids had left home! 

The father used to be a bishop in our congregation and the wife was the music conductor before me. The wife used to give the kids in the area that may not have much money simple jobs around her house so that they would have money for Christmas or camps they had for school. 

My girls went over several times helping her clean out closets and her pantry so they could get money to buy gifts at Christmas or have money for snacks at drill competitions. 

I was always so grateful for her kindness thinking about kids with parents on a limited budget. She was so sweet doing that as I know she helped several other families the same way. 

They have both passed away and we miss them. I was shopping at a thrift store in town and ran across some rook cards. Our family plays a game called "nertz" using Rook cards, so I always buy them when I find them because in that game, you can have as many people playing as decks of cards you have! 

On the rook cards were photos of a family. On the back of the cards was the family name. In our town there are lots of families with the same names, so I pulled out the cards and started looking at the photos on the deck and it was our family friends photos! 

Since the parents have both died, I figured that maybe when they were cleaning out the estate it got donated by mistake. I bought it hoping I could find one of the family members and give it back to them. 

When I saw the son at the printing place, I was able to tell him I had the cards and he was interested in getting them back. I guess they purchased the business a few years back. I had no idea! I was glad to get the cards out of my cupboard where I keep that type of stuff and he was happy to get it back. 

It was nice that I was able to do something nice for their family as their mother did nice things for mine. Karma is real and does come around. I think the personalized cards were fun seeing family photos on the cards. The wife said she got it off an online printing place years ago. It was kind of a cute gift. 

Have a blessed day!

Husky Work Light Verses Power Zone Work Light

I had a situation where I needed to have a high lumen work light and my sister let me borrow her Husky Battery powered work light that has 1000 lumens and its low is 300 lumens. 

I loved the light and used it for three projects I had. I thought that I wanted to get my girls one each for Christmas. I went and purchased them and I had to go back to home depot four different times looking for them. The workers kept telling me they were in the work light section. Then they told me they were in the tool area. Then they told me they were in the lighting area, and finally the last time the worker walked me to the "flashlight" section and there they were! 

In the time that I was looking to purchase one for myself and couldn't find one, I looked at all the stores in town that may have one or something similar, I went to Ace hardware and I found a similar light. I purchased the light and was surprised that the lumens were even better in the new light. 

Each light had a positive and a negative. The Husky light is built really well and I dropped it several times with no problems. The high on that is 1000 lumens on high and low is 300 lumens. The battery case stays closed well and when dropped it stayed closed super well and has the option to run with just one set of batteries. It has a button that has to be pushed on and off to get to high and then low so sometimes you click it on and in the dark you can't tell if it is on low or high until you click it several times and that can be annoying as the other is always on high when you do the first click, and then the second click turns it to low so you are always aware it will be on high the first click. 

The yellow one called Power Zone, is much brighter with 1500 lumens on high and 600 on low. It is lighter made and has no warranty, where as the Husky says it has a warranty. The battery cover falls off all the time even just touching the back. I solved that issue by just putting a piece of duct tape on it. I do feel if I drop it, it won't do as well as it isn't made as sturdy as the Husky. 

With both of them costing about $15. I don't think you can go wrong with either product. I just thought I would share about these lights as I have used them over and over and am so glad I have them. 

It is nice that they can hang, or stand on either end! I would suggest either light. I have only had to replace the batteries once in a year but don't use it much other than setting up my yard sale and taking it down and in the garage for projects. The Power Zone is from Ace and the Husky is from Home Depot. 

Both are a good deal. Have a blessed day!

How To Make Pierced Earrings From Clip On Earrings

Many years ago I made a video on how to make screw on vintage or older clip on earrings into pierced dangling earrings. Here is that video.

I made the video with a hand help camera, so it was difficult to actually show me doing the alterations as I would have needed two hands, so I decided to make another video on how to change over the older earrings into pierced / dangling hook earrings. 

I show in the video how to do it several ways and I made this video months ago now, so I don't even know where the photos of the earring transformation are located. I am just going to post the video here and hopefully it will answer any questions anyone may have on how to do this. 

Feel free to ask any questions you may have. Have a blessed day!

Thanking Those Who Serve You - Garbage and Delivery Workers

I have lots of garbage cans and I fill them up every week during the fall when I prune my trees. Because I have so many trees and they are so difficult to dispose of since I don't have a trailer, I have to put branches and leaves in every can and I do trees every week for months in the fall.

The garbage men hate dumping my cans and I can't blame them. I make bundles sometimes, but they are still hard to lift into the truck. 

Several years ago, I started writing "Thank You" notes on big folded papers on top of the biggest can with a bag of treats for them. They really seem to appreciate that. 

We cut down some trees over Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving day, I wanted to thank the workers as they come really early in the morning. I watched for them as all my cans were full and I had some huge trunk pieces and some bundles. I ran out when they came and I gave them all a treat and they thanked me for cutting up all the longer branches in the cans. I could tell they appreciated the treats I gave them as well.

This past week, I was dropping off a treat to a friend who helped us get the new phone for Princess Five and on her porch was a table with a fun container telling the delivery people to grab a treat. I wondered how the treats don't freeze. They had cans of soda in there and when I told them that was such a cute idea, they said that the Diet Coke always gets picked first! I thought that was funny. 

I shared I may steal that idea and then shared that I gave the garbage men treats and she liked that. I told her I ran out to get them early on Thanksgiving and she told me she talked to someone in the family that owns the disposal company and she said it was a family tradition that everyone takes their family, kids, parents, cousins, everyone to work on Thanksgiving and the go early, dump all the containers in town and then have a huge breakfast together. I thought that was a fun thing. 

Anyway, remember those service workers over the holidays! Have a blessed day!

A Christmas Miracle - A New Phone For Princess Five

About a month ago, Princess Five told me that he phone isn't holding a charge and that she has to plug in to talk to anyone on her phone and leave it plugged in so that it can get texts as the battery lasts about 10 minutes. 

I told her I would look into finding her a new phone. Several of my last pones came from the carrier when someone was upgrading, I would offer them more than the company would pay them for a trade in. 

I went to Verizon and they had a iPhone 12 for $700, but I didn't have that kind of money to put towards a phone, so I checked thrift stores. I have found many of our phones at thrift stores and since Covid, or local stores haven't had much electronics or jewelry. 

I posted it on my social media that I was looking to buy an older iPhone as what she was using is the older SE. She likes the smaller iPod type phones as they fit into her pocket better. I have had a dear friend send us one of their old phones years ago for Christmas for her. Here is a post about that. 

I left the post up for about a week or two and didn't hear anything back so I deleted it and started looking on the local yard sale sites.  

I ran into a family friend who was volunteering at a thrift store in town. He told me that his daughter who is a dear friend of mine, told him Princess Four was looking for a new phone. I told him that I was looking for a phone for her and he told me he had one he wasn't sure was working but he would look and see. He said it disappeared a year ago and just showed up on his bedside table a few weeks ago and they have no idea how it got there. 

He said he just found it on his end table plugged in and they don't know how it got there. They had obviously purchased a new phone and when he tried to open the phone he couldn't remember the password and spent hours trying to remember or figure out what the password was. "

He then tried to just do a factory reset of the phone and it froze in the middle so he then went to the provider and asked if they could do a reset and they told him he would just need to try again. He went to a different store after that and his cell phone rang and he pulled out the old phone by accident and he suddenly remembered the password to the old phone! 

He opened the old phone and was able to reset it for Princess Five and they wrote her a little card and gave me the phone and a charger in a cute gift bag! 

I took it to get a new case and glass screen protector for it but had no idea what model it was as it had no writing on the back. I didn't want to set up the phone as Princess Five was going to put her SIM car in it and set it up that way so I had no idea the model or how much memory it had! I went to the local Walmart phone store but the workers had left for the night. I didn't want to get the wrong case so I was going to wait and I just happened to run into my nieces as I was headed out of the store and they told me it was an iPhone 8 as it had a glass back. Who knew? 

I then was able to find a cute case on sale and get a glass cover and put it on, charged up the phone, and had it ready when we went on our road trip and I would be seeing her. 

She didn't want to try and set it up on the road, so once she was home this week, she was able to get it set up. She was SO excited! I had her send me some pictures so I could send a "thank you" text to the couple as I had already dropped off a treat to them and they asked how she liked the phone. 

I dropped a thank you treat off tonight to my friend that told her parents about us needing a phone and we discussed how much of a miracle it was for the phone to just show up on the bedside, her dad to be able to remember the password, for them to mention to her that they found the phone and weren't sure what to do with it, and for them to get it to me and me to get it to her. It is a newer phone than mine and yet is a smaller version which is what she wanted. 

Once again, I feel so blessed that I have dear friends who would give me a phone that is currently selling for $150 to $200 online. I offered to buy the phone but they said they loved my daughter and wanted to give it to her. I wonder sometimes why I am so blessed when so many others struggle so much! 

I love when my friend and I were talking and she called the whole phone situation a Christmas Miracle when we discussed how many things had to work out to get her that phone that no one was using and was lost. 

I do believe it was a Christmas Miracle thanks to several angels in our lives! 

Have a blessed day!

Honesty Is The Best Policy

I was at a thrift store today and overheard a couple talking about the prices of the thrift store. I started talking to the couple about how the store prices things at regular price on the first month, half price the second month, and then $.25 the third month. 

They appreciated me telling them how the pricing worked. He mentioned that the prices at the other thrift store in town are super expensive. 

I mentioned that sometimes they can ask the managers to lower the price and the husband admitted that they have two children, a boy and a girl. He said that there was a price of $2 on the boy's pants, and a price of $4 on the girl's pants. He said he pulled the price off the girls pants, and then when they got to the register, they called the manager up, and she put a price of $8 on the pants because it didn't have a tag on it.

The father was upset that the price then was double what it would have cost if he hadn't ripped the tag off and was complaining that the price went up. The way he was talking, I knew it wasn't the first or last time he had ripped off tags. He was so matter of fact about his dishonesty that I was taken aback.

I try really hard to be honest in all I do, so to hear someone so proudly boasting of being dishonest really made me sad. The wife didn't seem to have any issues with the behavior or bragging about the behavior either. 

I explained to them that the manager has had to learn to increase the price if the tag is missing so that people will quit pulling prices off or switching tags on items. I mentioned that if they had been honest, they could have gotten the pants for $4 and by increasing the price to $8 with the tag missing, it taught them that if they pull off a tag, they won't get the item or will have to pay twice as much for the item. 

They both seemed to have a light bulb go off when I told them that. Like it hadn't occurred that they weren't the only ones changing tags or being dishonest. I asked them if they would take the tags off knowing that they would increase the price now, and they said "no," so what the manager was doing is working. 

I couldn't stop thinking about how sad the world is with these young parents teaching their children to cheat, be dishonest, and bragging about that situation. I pondered on it all afternoon. 

When I sat down to blog, I opened YouTube to reply to comments, and there was a 3 year old video that showed up that I had not seen before by Marc Rober. It was a video where he bought 200 wallets, sent them all over the U.S. and had people drop them in different spots and video them picking them up.

He had them drop some in men's restrooms and women's restrooms to see if men or women were more honest and it was mostly even. He had the drop half of them in the richer areas of the towns and cites and half in the poorest areas and the wallets were returned almost in the exactly same numbers showing that it doesn't matter if you are rich or poor to determine how honest you are. 

They also put them in big cities and small towns all across the U.S. They sent the same number of wallets to each place. In the end, Detroit was the least honest city in the U.S. and Chicago and Salt Lake City were the most honest cities. 

I do have to say that many years ago when I was living on the East coast, I was visiting my sister in Salt Lake and we took our kids to Sears Photo studio and we were getting our kids ready in the bathroom, and I left a very full wallet of money in the bathroom. I guess it had fallen out of my purse into the couch in the mothers room and I didn't notice when we left. I noticed when I went to pay and went back to the bathroom, and my wallet was gone. 

I contacted security, and they had already called my home and left a message on my answering machine but I was shocked that all my money and credit cards were all still in the wallet. I thought even if the person turning the wallet into security was honest and left the money in the wallet. 

Having lived in a not so honest place in MA, I was really impressed with getting my wallet back with everything in it. 

I had turned money in at a super market and didn't get out of the store before the worker pocketed the money. After that, I always left my name with a note saying if anyone came in saying they lost money, they could give them my number and if they could tell me how much they lost, I would return the money. 

I was impressed with the results of the wallet video showing that for the most part, people are good and honest and it restored some of my loss of trust in humanity after my experience today. 

I am glad that most people are honest. Have a blessed day!

Christmas Has Begun - Hallelujah

Each year our town and surrounding towns all get together and have a joint orchestra and choir to sing the Messiah. It has been going on for at least 17 years until Covid shut it down last year.   

My sister started in singing a few years back, and it was really lovely singing next to her this time. I sang with her last time as well, but her ability and voice has matured and reminded me of my mothers voice. It was nice to be reminded of my mother who was a singer her entire life. 

This year, my good friend started to sing in the Messiah. I also was able to sit next to my best friend in town. I sang with her at the county fair 25 years ago, and she is the reason I live in the house I currently live in. It was fun getting to sing with her again as we sing different parts, so I was doubly blessed to be able to sit with my sister and my best friend and another friend. 

It was a lovely night and I have been singing songs from the Messiah every since. It really got me into the best Christmas spirit ever! 

Handel was amazing and every year when I sing in the Messiah, I am amazed at his talent and ability to put it together. 

Have a blessed day and Christmas!

A White Christmas Jewel - Princess Four Is a Hidden Gem

We took a road trip this weekend for a specific event. Princess Four had her on stage debut other than one high school play. 

She moved out to a different state, took a new job, moved away from her sister, moved from her friends, church congregation, and for some reason, she decided to try out for a play. She wanted something to help her make friend, and something to give her a break from the stress of opening a new store. 

The only play she had really had a speaking part in during her life was as a clown in an obscure weird play in high school linked here. I figured she may be overdoing it by trying out with all the things she has going on, but when she went to try out, the people had her sing her song three times. The first time, she did actions. The second time he told her to just stand there and sing it. The third time, he told her to just move her hand more naturally than trying to tell a story with her hands. 

She was used to doing show choir where they danced when they sang, so that was more of what she was giving them, and they wanted more musical theater. She said she told them she was just trying out for the ensemble.

She was stunned when she got a speaking minor roll. Everyone thought she had been involved in musical theater as she was a natural on stage. 

We drove the long trek praying for good weather as we really wanted to be there to support her. Knowing she wouldn't have friends around to support her, I was SO grateful the bosses of her company and a few workers from her old store made the long drive to see her on opening night! I was very impressed with them supporting her.

We got to spend the day with her seeing her new store, eating lunch at a fabulous Thai place, did a bit of shopping, and then the highlight of the day, Princess Four in the play "White Christmas!"

I was SO excited to see her in the play! I wasn't sure what to expect with her as I have never seen her in anything other than the clown play, so my expectations weren't really high. I was BLOWN away by her presence on stage!

I didn't have one suggestion of what she could have done better. I am a detailed oriented person, and I usually have some suggestions as to what would make the performance better, but I only had good things to say! She was amazing! I LOVED seeing her using her talents singing and dancing! 

She just came alive on stage and it made me wish that maybe she had done more theater in high school, but she was so busy with student body positions, drill team, choirs, and leadership roles, that she really didn't have time for much more. 

I hope that this is a beginning of a new way for her to express herself and bring joy to others at the same time! 

The show is sold out and is a dinner theater, so it is keeping her busy through the last performance on December 23rd. I am not sure what she will do to keep her self busy in the new year, but I am looking forward to finding out! 

I have some talented girls! Have a blessed day! 

My Adorable Manager - Princess Four's Store is Beautiful - 111

We took a road trip this past weekend. Princess Two let us drive her beautiful new car and we met up with Princess Five along the way as we traversed another state to visit Princess Four!

Our first stop on the trip was to meet Princess Four at her newly opened discount store. She was in training at another store for months and then was asked to move states and open a new store for the company.

We were able to see her "ribbon cutting" online which was wonderful! One of the owners was at the ribbon cutting and said that her store was the cleanest store in the company at her ribbon cutting, so I was excited to be able to finally see her store. 

When we walked in, I was IMMEDIATELY impressed with the organization on the shelves. I didn't even walk down any isles before pulling my camera out and taking some pictures at how organized it is! 

The isles are wide, the shelves were so organized and each section was clearly defined. It was SO organized. I really understood what the boss was talking about when he said it was the cleanest store.

While we were shopping, if she noticed any item out of place, she immediately put it back into the right spot and would radio to get someone to put out more items if the items on the shelves were low etc. 

I can see that she has a knack for this job. It is interesting how much she has taken to her job and really loves most of her responsibility. The fact that she left her home, friends, boyfriend and sister to move to another state and open a new store shows how much she enjoys her work. 

I ended up spending $100 finding some reversible leather belts for under $10, about 30 gluten free products I like or want to try, some drink mixes I love but don't purchase often due to cost, and some of my favorite protein bars for half the price of normal! Funny, but not funny, many of the items had stickers on them with a 111 on them! My daughters pointed that out to when I put them in the cart for purchase!

It was a win win win going to visit her! I have been enjoying the treats I was able to get and being able to support her in her new store is also a plus. 

Her sisters each found things they were excited about as well! We met about 12 of her employees and they all seemed to enjoy working with her. Who wouldn't? She is such an adorable person. 

I am so grateful she has found a job that she loves so much! What a blessing in life to find something you enjoy doing. It was a great time seeing her in her element! 

Have a blessed day!

A Golden Pearl of a Find - 14 K Golden Pearl Necklace for $0.50

I have had a long day but wanted to share about my latest find. As I have shared many times over this past year, the thrift store where I would get my jewelry bags is now a bust with the new person working there. 

The only joy in jewelry finding lately has been the smaller thrift store that opened up this year. They don't get much jewelry, but they price it individually and the most I have seen on any item is $2. 

I have gotten some lovely silver pieces there but this week I hope I hit the jackpot. I noticed they had some new jewelry and they said one woman came in and bought 20 pieces of jewelry before I came in, so I didn't  think there would be much of value left. However, they had one piece that I normally wouldn't have looked at as it is colored pearls. I thought it was fake and had been sprayed gold. 

I saw the clasp when moving it and thought I saw some markings. I got my loop out and could clearly see it was 14 K on the clasp. I went ahead and purchased it thinking it wouldn't be much due to the color and brought it home. 

I was going to let Princess Four wear it in her play as a piece of costume jewelry but thought I had better look it up as the clasp is a security clasp and is 14 karat gold, so they don't put that on cheap jewelry. 

I tried looking up yellow pearls, but didn't have much luck, I then put in "golden" pearls and found that anything of that color sells for quite a bit. 

I then noticed that there was other markings on the claps on the side and when I looked up those markings, it is the hallmark of the International Pearl company that sells high end pearls. 

I was so excited that it may be worth something and think it would be really beautiful of some of my girls with their long necks. 

It is nice that there is a place in town that I can still get some fun jewelry as that is one of my favorite things to do, is find and wear some fun jewelry. 

What are your favorite things to find? I hope you find it soon! 

Have a blessed day! 

In God We Trust - Just Over 11 Years

I made my first post about "In God We Trust" just over 11 years ago this last month. Here is a link to that post!

I started picking up coins after having the realization that they have "God" on them and how we should respect HIS name by not allowing coins to stay on the ground. 

From that point on, I have always picked up coins off the ground and put them in a "FOUND MONEY" container and in those 11 years, I have just under $175 that I am saving to use for charity at some point in the future. 

I can go for months and not find any coins, and then I can find some daily. It usually has to do with what is going on in my life. After 11 years, I can safely say there is a pattern of coins showing up when I need a reminder that things are going to be OK and that I do need to trust in God when I am in those situations. 

It seems like I usually end up counting the found coins / money for the year towards the end of the year. Probably because I can't be out working in the yard as much once it is cold. 

I was getting out of the car and headed into a store today when I came around the car to head in, I saw coins on the ground. There were 2 dimes and a nickle on the ground just outside the passenger side of the car. 

I picked them up and then used sanitizer I have clipped on my purse. I then went to the grocery store and there were three coins on the ground at the self checkout. I picked them up and put them into the "penny give and take" sharing with the worker how I always pick up coins as I don't think they should be on the ground since they have God's name on them. He looked a bit shocked at first until it sunk in and then he kind of nodded his head in agreement. 

I came home with the few coins and knowing that the grandchildren are coming to my home soon, I thought I had better count them out. I had forgotten that when they came to visit last time, I put the coins in a baggie to put them up so they couldn't get to them and so I had that little bag to count and add as well.

I had over $12 in found money this past year. It amazes me that I could find so much money in those 11 years. That breaks down to over $15 a year in found money. Granted that $15 is a huge amount, but it is amazing to me the different places I have found money and how many times I found it just when I was under so much stress. God is amazing to have blessed me in so many times in my crazy life. I have been reminded over and over to trust in HIM. 

I feel very blessed to have that many reminders to trust Him. I hope you are so blessed and can find yourself LOTS of coins to remember to TRUST in HIM! 

Have a Blessed day!