Fabulous Tree Ornament Idea

I always get the urge to get crafty during the holidays. No, I'm not entertaining devious thoughts, but I am gathering craft ideas.

Making something with greenerey and bows or recycling Christmas cards from past years into lovely ornaments—I'm browsing craft websites and looking for ideas.

Yesterday I came across a wonderful idea I'd not thought of before. I found it on Ashley Brooke Designs website, and I love it!

Best of all, it's something that can be done without much fuss and bother. I think you'll love it too.

To see photographs of the finished project, visit AshleyBrooke. (I didn't want to copy her photo without permission.)

The ornament in question is a framed photo that is hanging on a tree in a cute little photo frame. I can't believe I never thought about doing that before. If you take an annual Christmas photo of your kids, your husband, your dog, or your Christmas tree, did you ever think about hanging those photos on your Christmas tree?

Just think, every year you can look at the framed photo ornaments, and it's like a walk down Christmas Memory Lane.

On Ashley Brooke's website, she shows the framed photos in small gold frames with chains for hanging on the tree. I clicked on the images which directed me to Pottery Barn's website, but those frames are no longer available.

I went to Amazon and found a set of Antique Gold Frames that look very similar. They sell for $22.99 for a set of 4. You can buy them to hang vertically or horizontally.

Amazon has many other hanging photo frame ornaments so you're bound to find something that fits your style.

While I wait for my delivery, I'll scan my photographs and print them to be trimmed to wallet size so they'll be ready to go into the frame ornaments. 

Now, that's a craft project that's super easy and not too expensive that will be around for years to come.

This is an easy way to share Christmas memories through the years. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I love crafting, but I only get a chance to indulge that love at Christmas. 

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Have fun reading! NOBODY'S CINDERELLA, a spicy Christmas RomCom, on sale for only 99¢.

Subscribe to Joan's newsletter, I LOVE READING, and receive exclusive content

and news about book bargains and new releases,

SIGN UP TODAY.

Review - Dog - Netflix

With the holiday season here, you may be looking for more family friendly movies—a genre that's under-represented in the world of entertainment.

The movie DOG, now on Netflix, was released in 2022. Starring Channing Tatum, the flick comes pretty close to family friendly, but it is rated PG-13 so be warned.

Billed as a comedy drama, or dramedy if you prefer, the story is about a dog named Lulu that Army Ranger Briggs (Tatum) takes on as he races to make a soldier's funeral on time.

Ranger Briggs and Lulu are subjected to a series of misadventures including breaking some laws, escaping death, and generally driving each crazy until they manage to bond and form a relationship.

The movie was inspired by a road trip Tatum took with his dying dog, a pitbull mix also named Lulu, after she was diagnosed with cancer in 2018.

Directed by Tatum and Reid Carolin from a screenplay by Carolin based on a story by him and Brett Rodriguez, the movie was produced by Gregory Jacobs, Tatum, Peter Kiernan, and Rodriguez.

Originally scheduled to be released during CoVid, the film was pushed back a couple of times until MGM finally released it to generally good reviews with 77% of 156 critics' reviews being positive. Audiences must have liked it too because it earned a box office of $84M on a budget of $15M.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I'm a sucker for dog movies so I enjoyed it. It was entertaining so give it a look if you're looking for family fare.

Subscribe to Joan's newsletter, I LOVE READING, and receive exclusive content

and news about book bargains and new releases,

SIGN UP TODAY.

Kindle Colorsoft - Special Deal

Did you know there was a Kindle that displays in color? I didn't so I was surprised to see one listed for today's Cyber Monday deals.

Kindle Colorsoft is amazing with its color display and warm adjustable light. Better yet, no ads!

Regularly priced at $249.99, it's on special today for $169.99. Check out the Colorsoft features:

Read in color – 7" display, high-contrast, easy on the eyes, paper-like color

Optimized for reading in color — "normal" Kindle display is optimized for black and white reading

Color your pages – Highlight favorite scenes in colors

Long battery charge – single charge via USB-C lasts up to 8 weeks

Read in any light – Adjust display from white to amber to read in bright sunlight or in the dark

Waterproof – makes it worry free so you can read your Colorsoft by the pool, in the bath, and  anywhere in between.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I think this is one of the best bargains offered today. Let me know if you get one.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Have some reading fun this week!

Scoop up one of Joan's popular RomCom books for only 99¢

Subscribe to Joan's newsletter, I LOVE READING, and receive exclusive content

and news about book bargains and new releases,

SIGN UP TODAY.

Friday Facts About Turkeys

Image by Alban_Gogh from Pixabay

Inquiring minds want to know....

Is it true that turkeys are so dumb they'll look up at the sky when it's raining and drown?

Here's the answer to that and other pressing questions regarding the bird that graces the Thanksgiving tables across the country next week.

Of course, there are differences between wild turkeys and  turkeys raised for food. Here are a few facts about these birds.

1. Every year, 46 million farm-raised turkeys are sold for Thanksgiving.

2.  It's not true that turkeys can't fly. Wild turkeys can fly short distances at up to 55 mph. They can run up to 25 mph.

Image by Mikki Couch from Pixabay

3. The bare skin on a turkey's head and neck turn red when they're agitated. When excited, the skin turns blue.

4. Wild turkeys have acute eyesight that's better than 20/20, and they have a 270-degree field of vision. Oddly enough, they can see ultraviolet light and also see colors like we can. 

5. If you ever heard the gobble gobble call of wild turkeys, you'll never forget it. They communicate using over 20 different vocalizations.

6. Wild turkeys sleep in trees to stay safe from predaators.

7. A female turkey can hear a male turkey gobble from a mile away.

8. Turkeys and chickens come from the same family, but 45 million years of evolution separate them.

9. By 1900, turkeys were nearly extinct in North America. Their reintroduction was a conservationist's success.

Image by Nadine Doerlé from Pixabay

10. Benjamin Franklin called the turkey, native to the U.S.,  "A bird of courage." He thought it would make a better national bird than the bald eagle. Obviously, his opinion wasn't shared.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I almost forgot to answer the question at the beginning. Turkeys are not dumb. Of course they won't drown if they look up when it's raining.

Whatever graces your Thanksgiving table, have a wonderful day.

Do you subscribe to Joan's newsletter, I LOVE READING? If not, why not?

To receive exclusive content and news about book bargains and new releases,

SIGN UP TODAY.

9 Thanksgiving Survival Tips

Happy Hump Day!

Thanksgiving is a week away.  Everyone loves this holiday because it's built around family and food. 

Usually you get to see family—maybe not all of them but a good representation of parents, grandparents, siblings, kids, and grandkids.

Often, friends may join the celebration too.

Too often, most of the work in coordinating the event and cooking the feast falls onto the woman of the house. 

Many women still take on the majority of the work either because they're perfectionists or their men are slow to volunteer.

With that thought in mind, I thought I'd give the "chief cook and bottle washer" some tips on how to enjoy the day and still cook up a fabulous meal that will delight your guests.

Today, you will sit down and design your Thanksgiving campaign as if you're a general with a planned objective and troops to carry out the campaign.

Then sit your "troops" down and go over your plans for the big day.

9 THANKSGIVING SURVIVAL TIPS

1. Write your menu. Check your pantry. Make a grocery list. for the big day. Assign a person to do the grocery shopping.

If you don't feel you have anyone capable of getting the items on your list, go with your volunteer and give them some needed training in obtaining groceries. That volunteer will bring the groceries into the house and store them appropriately. (Perhaps another training exercise?)

Image by Solomon Rodgers from Pixabay

2. Plan for guests. Will you be having overnight guests? Assign a "soldier" to prepare the guest room: check to make sure the guest bed has fresh linens, the guest bathroom is stocked, etc.  

Select games—board games, card games, video games, etc.—that families can play after the big dinner for entertainment..

3. Assign someone to set the dining table for the Thanksgiving dinner. 

If this will be on a table used only for formal occasions, your volunteer can set it in advance and carefully cover the set table with a clean sheet.

4. Look at your menu and assemble your sous chefs and workers. Assign duties. Decide what preparations can be done in advance, i.e., slicing and dicing vegetables, baking cakes, making and freezing dressing or other dishes that can be frozen and defrosted and cooked on the big day.

Image by Victoria, Pixabay

5. Assign the clean-up crew so they know that they will be clearing the table, rinsing dishes, glasses, and flatware and loading the dishwasher or hand washing anything delicate.

6. Assign photographers for the day to capture candid moments of everyone including the chef and sous chefs.

7. Assign childcare entertainers to help with any young children who arrive. 

8. Thank your troops. As you end your meeting, be sure and thank them for their assistance because it shows that they love you and want you to be happy too.

(Sometimes, you have to state the obvious because children don't think about things the same way adults do. Just as the men in our lives may not realize how much work it is because we make it look so easy!!)

Often kids and significant others don't realize how tiring a big celebration is. I know you think they should see you need help without your having to ask, but that's just not the way the world works.

Image by olga volkovitskaia from Pixabay

9. Take a break. Excuse yourself while the clean-up ccrew takes care of the mess. Go to your bedroom and freshen up. 

In fact, take 15 minutes to lie down with your feet up. maybe read a little while you relax. Then check your makeup, fluff your hair, and rejoin the crowd.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Is this post meant to be taken seriously? Absolutely! We women should enjoy the day too, but who can enjoy anything when exhausted? Don't be passive aggressive. Simply focus on the outcome you want—a great day for all—then smile and explain what is needed to make that happen.

Do you subscribe to Joan's newsletter, I LOVE READING? If not, why not?

To receive exclusive content and news about book bargains and new releases,

SIGN UP TODAY.

Review - The Wrath of Becky - Netflix

I'll confess I have a quirky sense of humor, and this movie poster tickled my funny bone. I mean, I just had to watch a movie with this title, The Wrath of Becky.

Becky?!?! That name just doesn't go with wrath. Then there's the tag line, "Hell hath no fury like a 16-year-old scorned."

So let me tell you about this movie, a sequel to the 2020 film, Becky. This sequel, The Wrath of Becky, was a 2023 American action thriller directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote. 

Mr. Angel actually wrote the screenplay based on a story he and Ms. Coote wrote. 

The first and second movies star Lulu Wilson as Becky, and Seann William Scott co-stars as Darryl Junion in the second film which premiered at South by Southwest film festival in March 2023 and then was  released in the U.S. in May 2023.

The first film was  received well by critics and audiences which is why the second film exists. After watching The Wrath of Becky, it's easy to see why the first film was so popular.

BLURBING THE MOVIE

Two years after she escaped a violent attack by Neo-Nazis on her family, 16-year-old Becky attempts to rebuild her life in the care of an older woman who is as tough as nails. However, when a violent group known as the Noble Men break into their home, attack them and take Becky's beloved dog, she goes after them, and hell has no fury like Becky's vengeance!

MY 2¢

This film is gory—I winced and closed my eyes at some scenes—but it's also wickedly funny and full of twists and turns. It was quite a surprise, and I think you might like it too.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you're looking for something different and entertaining, you should watch The Wrath of Becky.

Do you subscribe to Joan's newsletter, I LOVE READING? If not, why not? To receive exclusive content and news about book bargains and new releases, SIGN UP TODAY.

Saturday Share - Let's Make Chuck Wagon Skillet Dinner

I love the convenience and ease of casseroles and one-pot dinners where all that's needed to make a balanced meal is a good salad and some good bread.

I thought I'd begin sharing some of my favorite one-pot meals which I often cook in a large skillet or Dutch oven.

Today's recipe is flexible in that you can swap out ingredients and/or add extra ingredients you particularly like. 

There really aren't any specific measurements in this recipe because I normally cook that way unless I'm trying some new recipe. At the end of this post, I'll include some options for you to consider.

I like to call this Chuck Wagon Skillet Dinner because I imagine it's something a trail drive cook might cook in an old cast iron Dutch oven with a heavy-gauge wire handle he'd suspend over an open fire.

My Mom had that type of Dutch oven and cooked in it for more than 60 years. She made everything from spaghetti to beans, soups, and stews of every kind. My brother has her Dutch oven. When I visit him at the farm, I sometimes think we should take it out of the cabinet and see if we could cook over an open flame.

Chuck Wagon Skillet Dinner

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium bell pepper, diced
• 2-3 cups diced potatoes (*1)
• 1 can pinto beans, drained (*2)
• 1 cup frozen whole kernel corn (*3)
• 1 cup Pace's Picante (*4)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1-2 cups beef broth based on whether you like it very "soupy" (*5)
• Slurry mixture of 2 tablespoons AP flour and 1/4 cup cold water (*6)

Directions

1. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, brown the ground beef. Before it's completely done, add the onion and the bell pepper. Continue cooking over medium heat until the veggies are soft.

2. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring to keep the mixture from sticking. After a few minutes, add the salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Stir to distribute the seasonings.

3. Add the picante and broth. Stir to mix. Than add the corn and drained pinto beans. Stir again.
4. Simmer over low heat at least 30 minutes.

5. Mix 2 tablespoons of AP flour in 1/4 cup cold water. Stir it until flour and water are blended well. Turn the heat up on your skillet and pour the slurry into the mixture. Stir to mix well and heat until the slurry has magically thickened the "gravy."

6. Serve with one of these "breads": heated tortillla chips, heated corn or flour tortillas, cornbread, or a crusty artisan bread like French, Italian, or sourdough.

OPTIONS

(*1) Potatoes ingredient can be changed to rice. If leftover rice, add after thickening the gravy and simmer for 5 extra minutes to heat the rice through. If using raw rice, add after all the other ingredients and add 1/2 to 1 cup more broth then simmer for 40 minutes. 

(*2) Instead of pinto beans, you can add any kind of canned beans or a mixture of varieties. Just be sure to rinse and drain the beans.

(*3) Fresh corn can be used instead of whole kernel corn. I don't use canned corn because I find it too sweet, but if the taste of canned corn doesn't bother you, go for it.

(*4) Instead of Pace's Picante, you can use any picante or salsa you like. Or, you can use 1 -2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes (if you use canned tomatoes, add a pinch of sugar to counteract the citric acid in canned tomatoes). 

(*5) The amount of broth really depends on your personal taste. If you like a lot of gravy, use more and adjust the amount of slurry you add to thicken. If you like less, then adjust accordingly.

(*6) The slurry mixture used to thicken the stew can also be cornstarch and water.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

The "triangle dinner bell" in the image to the right is made of wrought iron. It's what people on ranches and farms used to "ring" to call everyone to dinner.

I have one like it that my Dad made. He was a master of many skills including a bit of blacksmithing  when needed. The one he made hung on the porch at my parents' home, and it made the loudest, clangingest noise you ever heard!

Do you subscribe to Joan's newsletter, I LOVE READING? If not, why not?

To receive exclusive content and news about book bargains and new releases,

SIGN UP TODAY.