An Unexpected Trip

Ever wake up and feel as if you could conquer the world?  That was me yesterday.

OK...  that's not entirely true.

After waking up and enjoying two cups of coffee along with my morning devotional time - I felt as if I could conquer the world.  Or at least my daily To-Do list.

I started with stripping the sheets off our bed and hauling it down to the laundry room.  And that's when it happened.  I somehow misjudged where I was and missed that bottom step, causing me to land awkwardly on my right foot and then pitch forward.  Dropping the bedding; but managing to catch myself on the laundry sorter without completely ending up sprawled on the floor.  ('Cause I'm all super graceful that way)

I knew immediately I was going to be sore from this.  My hip and thigh felt a little tender and my ankle hurt. But since there was no apparent bruising or swelling I didn't think too much about it.  As the day progressed the hip felt better.  The ankle did not.  As a matter of fact - by the time the Man of the House  was headed home it was hurting quite a bit!

This is my current reality.  One sprained ankle.  One ace bandage. An occasional ice pack.   A lot of tyenol and ibuprofen.

And a mental note to self to watch that bottom step!

A Spirit of Gratitude: September 29

This Week I Am Thankful for:

Pizza night
Date night
A delicious dinner
Live music
This handsome man:

The night sky
Orders mailed
Rainy mornings
Decorating for fall
Pumpkin scents

What are you thankful for this week?

Weekend Wrap-up

The first weekend of Autumn came and went in the barest blink of an eye.  At least the calendar says it was the first weekend of fall.  Someone forgot to tell the weather, which apparently thought it was still August and gave us temperatures near 90.  Ugh!  Despite the toasty temps, it was a beautiful and fun weekend.

Friday night was all about homemade pizza and hanging out with the family. Nice and quiet and relaxing!

Saturday, the Man of the House and I ran some errands early in the afternoon, then headed to Biltmore for the evening.  We started with a wine tasting and picked up a couple of new bottles for the house. Then enjoyed a stroll through the barn areas.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner of roasted chicken, herbed potatoes, and blistered tomatoes at the Village Social (located in the hotel at Antler Hill Village)

I wish I had taken a picture of the seafood fondue we enjoyed as an appetizer, because it was YUM!!

Right now, on Fridy and Saturday evening there is live  music on the village green.  So, after dinner we settled into our camping chairs and enjoyed the sounds of "Flashback", the sunset, and each others company for the rest of the evening.

Sunday funday was amazingly lazy.  At least for me.  I did manage to package up two orders for the shop to ship out today.  And The Man of the House got in a round of golf in the morning.  Sunday afternoon was all about snacks and football.  (If you know us at all, you're thinking.. "of course").  Sadly, the Panthers lost.  Booooo... Hiss! Things just kind of fell apart in the second half.

A big pot of chili and the female offspring making gluten free cookie sandwiches made a nice finishing touch to the weekend.

I woke up today with a "Gettin' Things Done" attitude.  And a little sinus congestion, which is nothing new for me and my allergies.  Usually after being up for a little while the congestion improves.  Not today.  It continues to get worse, and is now accompanied by sneezing, stuffy feeling ears, a sinus headache, and a tickle in my throat.  Trying hard not to let that get me down and keep pecking away at my to do list.

Although I am going to attempt to convince the grandbaby that we should take a nap this afternoon.

How was your weekend?

Children's Catalogues: How to Save Money

There are a number of ways you can save money when shopping from children's catalogues.


1. Sign up to social media
Many catalogue brands have their own social media accounts where you find the latest company news and information. This is also a great way to save money; many catalogues post promotion codes and up-to-the-minute discounts that you can't find anyone else. From Facebook to Twitter, social media lets you bag a considerable bargain when shopping for children's clothes and toys, and you can redeem your code when you pay for your item.


2. Look for introductory offers
Signing up for a new credit account could save you lots of cash, especially when many retailers have introductory offers that entitle you to money off your first order or free delivery. Look for the catalogues that have the best introductory discounts and you could save a great deal of money.

3. Look for the best interest rates
When you apply for a catalogue credit account, you can spread the cost of your payments over time and make repayments in instalments. This can be a fantastic way to budget more effectively and control your finances. However, you will usually have to pay interest on your items. Use a price comparison website to find the catalogues that offer the lowest interest rates. Some catalogues, like Very, won't charge you any interest if you pay for your item by a certain date. These interest-free credit options let you choose from thousands of items and have your order delivered to your door.


4. Check clearance stock
Catalogue retailers often have a clearance section on their website with children's clothes and toys that have been heavily discounted. Some of these items might be old stock or have minor imperfections or defects. You could save money, however, and take home a product that's much cheaper than you would find elsewhere.



*This is a sponsored post.  Compensation was provided by www.approvedcatalogues.co.uk and the post contains links to their website. Opinions expressed here may not be those of  My Really Real Reality or the blog owner.

A Spirit of Gratitude: September 22

Wooohooo!!  It's Fall, y'all!!  (Or, if you're reading this before 10:21am - it's almost Fall, y'all!)  And that's plenty to be thankful for right there.  But, as if it's not - there's always so much more...

I Am Thankful for:

The first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season

Starting the fall decorating

Custom order requests

The Panthers first win of the season

Looking at Halloween costumes with the grand baby

Making muffins

Cooler nights

Discovering a miniseries about Queen Victoria
A quiet evening

A Spirit of Gratitude: September 15

Y'all,  I have seriously been dragging my behind all week.  I have been feeling tired and a little moody.  Times like this, it's more important than ever to focus in the good and be grateful for all the blessings in life.

I Am Thankful For:

Waking up to slightly cooler temperatures

Noticing the first signs that the leaves are  starting to change

Getting some Starbucks with the Man of the House

Dark blue toenails

A big pot of chili on the first football Sunday of the season

Pie for dessert

Coffee, coffee, coffee

The Male Offspring running errands with me

Business is booming

The Man of the House flirting with me

An Afternoon of Fashion and Fun

If you find yourself anywhere near Haywood Rd in west Asheville on this Sunday, September 18 -  I hope you will consider joining us for an afternoon of fashion and fun.  All for a good cause!

There will be a fashion show at 3pm featuring Lularoe clothing.

A silent auction will be held to benefit Our Voice

Vendors on site including:  Queen B's Busy Work , Tempus Fugit Design, Lularoe Jenny Hassler, and more!  Many of whom will be donating a portion of their sales for the day to Our Voice .

Hope to see you there!

4 Tips for Saving Money When Online Shopping

Catalogues let you spread the cost of payments over time and you can have your items delivered directly to your door. But there is a whole heap of ways you can save money, too. Here are just some of them.

1. Sign up to loyalty schemes

You could get loyalty points for every purchase you make with an online catalogue. Not every retailer offers this service, but if they do, it can be a great way to save money. You can redeem your points on future purchases, so you could make a considerable saving. Head over to catalogue sites to find out more about their loyalty schemes. See here for a full list of catalogues with loyalty schemes.

2. Use a discount code

Discount codes are one of the most popular ways to save cash on your purchases. Use these codes when paying for your items on a catalogue website and you could make a considerable saving on the total cost of your order or delivery. There are a number of ways you can find these promotion codes. You may even receive a code when you sign up as a new customer for a credit account. Some retailers offer 20 or 30 percent off your first order, as well as free delivery.

3. Sign up to mailing lists

When you sign up to a company's mailing list, you could receive offers and promotions in your inbox on a regular basis, saving you a great deal of cash in the long run. You'll also be the first to hear about the latest company news and industry developments. You can always unsubscribe from an email list, but this could be a fantastic way to save money when shopping online.

4. Wait until the sales

Have you eye on something online? Waiting until the sales start could save you money. Many websites, including online catalogues, reduce their stock at particular times of the year, including in the run-up to Christmas and just after the New Year.






*This is a sponsored post.  Compensation was provided by catalogues247.co.uk and the post contains links to their website. Opinions expressed here may not be those of  My Really Real Reality or the blog owner.

Sunday Inspiration: Living in Peace

A Spirit of Gratitude: September 8

This Week I am Thankful For:
A wonderful trip to Japan
Trying new foods

All flights on schedule
Safe travels
Being home
Grand baby snuggles
Hints of Autumn
A decent night's sleep (finally)
Football season starts tonight!

The Downside of Travel

It is after two in the morning.  And I find myself wide awake.  Tired... but sleepless.  Why?  Oh, I'll tell you why friends...

Jet lag.

After flying to Tokyo,  I felt pretty great for having moved across multiple time zones.  And with the exception of waking at about 1:30am for the first couple of nights (but falling back to sleep rather quickly), and falling into a very deep sleep at a crazy early hour one of the first nights - I felt very few symptoms of jet lag.  Fell asleep very easily, woke up bright and early feeling well rested.  I thought this world travel thing was a piece of cake.

I was blissfully unaware that apparently travel west to east is much harder on the body, and generally produces worse jet lag.  Now I know in a painful, terrible, personal way just how real the struggle is.

I am tired. But can't sleep.  I am disoriented.  I feel slow and clumsy.  I slept better last night and today (yesterday?) was more alert and energetic in the morning.  So, I believed I was starting to improve.  As tired as I was by dinner, I felt sure I would have no trouble sleeping tonight.

I was wrong.

And apparently this can last a week or longer, depending on how many time zones you crossed?  Ugh...

Sadly, all the tips I am finding on dealing with jet lag seem to mostly be for pre-travel or during travel.  Other than that it's mostly just "drink lots of water, you can try melatonin or sleeping pills... and good luck with that"

If any of you have any tips for coping with jet lag from your personal experiences - I would love to hear them!

Currently... September

I'm back, y'all!  Tokyo was Amazing, and I can't wait to share it with you.  But, first things first...

Reading:  Just completed Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok last night and began The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht.

Eating:  Not much since I got back from Japan.  Haven't had much appetite for the past 24 hours.  Although, I am still kinda craving all the rich flavors I enjoyed while there.

Making:  Have a few standing orders for the shop, so I will be busy with bunny ear hats, football cocoons, and more facial rounds for a while.

Enjoying:  Being back home with my family.

Anticipating:  September has arrived!  Bringing with it all the promise of Autumn soon to come.  Cooler temperatures, colorful leaves, lots of pumpkin everything, and football season!  Yah!

Feeling:  Quite jet-lagged.  Tired, disoriented, and exhausted.