Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Something I Wish I Were Better At Doing

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated.  

Happy Wednesday! I'm still catching up this week, but I will visit my blogging friends once I have time.

Today, we are talking about something we wish we were better at doing. Oh my, that is a very long list for me. I will stick with the top three:

1. Drawing/painting/crafting in general
2. Gardening
3. Self-care

As a creative person, I wish I had more skills in the art department. Writing will have to be it for me. 

I love, love, love to garden. However, I am dismal at it. I can recreate a garden plan with instructions, but have no ability to know what goes well where otherwise, and struggle to keep some things alive.

Self-care is such a struggle for me. I need to be better at it for everyone's sake, but it's the thing that goes out the window first when I get busy.

How about you? What is something you wish you were better at?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books on My Winter 2025-2026 To-Read List & Tell Me Something Tuesday: Have you been disappointed by the end of a series? If so, did you read that author again?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Another day of express posts. Our annual Adopt-A-Family program is coming to a close, so I will be away from the computer for a day or two. I will catch up on visiting your blogs later this week. 

Today, we are sharing books on our Winter 2025-2025 TBR list. At least one of them may look familiar. 

Top Ten Books on My 

Winter 2025-2026 To-Read List 

I grabbed Christmas on Reindeer Road by Debbie Mason as a reward from Thriftbooks.

Chapters and Second Chances by Evelyn Grace Berry was a recent giveaway win. 

Lea Schizas sent me a copy of Old Flames, New Beginnings when it first came out. 

I've owned Bright Lights, Prairie Dust by Karen Grassle since it first came out. 

Story by Story by Wendy Lou Lee is her latest book. 

I picked up Dick Van Dyke's 100 Rules for Living to 100 thanks to Audible credits. 

I was on the launch team for I Heard the Bells by Darlene L.Turner et al. 

Christmas at Whispering Creek by Barbara M. Britton is a Kindle freebie I grabbed a while ago. 

I bought a Kindle copy of The End of the Treachery by H.B. Berlow to continue this series. 

I was on the launch team for The Christmas Book Flood by Roseanna M. White. 

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you leave your comments in the weekly post when participating. Check it out if you would like to join.

Today, we reflect on book series. Have I ever been disappointed by the end of a series? Likely, only because there are no more books. Such was the case with Charlottte Hubbard's Promise Lodge series and Karen White's Tradd Street series. It was also a bummer when Duffy Brown's Consignment Shop Mystery series ended. Perhaps the saddest series endings for me were the following: Marilyn Meredith/F.M. Meredith's Tempe Crabtree and Rocky Bluff P.D. books and the Left Behind series. If these authors wrote new books for any of these series, I would definitely read them. Heck, if Charlotte or Marilyn came out of retirement, I would read any of their books in a heartbeat. 

Looking forward to reading your answers.  

First Chapter Review: Christmas in Newfoundland 3: Sgt. Windflower Holiday Tales by Mike Martin

 

Christmas in Newfoundland 3: Sgt. Windflower Holiday Tales by Mike Martin is on tour with Pump Up Your Book. This is a collection of Christmas stories. 

BLURB: Sgt. Windflower loves Christmas and we’re happy to share what he and his family and friends do at Christmastime in Grand Bank or Marystown or Ramea, Newfoundland. Some of the stories feature Windflower and Sheila’s adorable daughters and of course Eddie Tizzard and his family make several spotlight appearances. Other stories take you back to Christmas seasons of many years long past and there’s even a return of a fabulous Newfoundland tradition, the Mummers. Christmas is a time to celebrate but it is also a time to reminisce and remember. We hope that it will bring back pleasant memories for you and your family to share at Christmas and throughout the year. Come celebrate Christmas in Newfoundland with Sgt. Windflower Mysteries.

 

COVER: I love the colors on this cover and the Christmas scene. You see that this is a coastal area, and the snow makes it feel seasonal. 

FIRST CHAPTER: Since this is a story collection, I read the entire first story. Sgt. Winston Windflower and his growing family have relocated to St. John's thanks to a new job opportunity. Having taken in young Stella after her mother passed away, in this story, she takes a liking to a new activity, which leads to a special request from Santa Claus. 

KEEP READING: I've already read a couple of books in this series, so I knew what to expect. Martin delivers a charming, relatable tale of the season with "Waiting for Santa." The third-person narrator maintains a lively tone as they guide the reader through the story of a girl who is confident that her wish will be granted. Such a special story. I look forward to reading more from this collection. 

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FXYFHGX8
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ottawa Press and Publishing
• Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 27, 2025
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 3.1 MB
• Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled 
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled 
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 161 pages 
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1990896330

I downloaded this book through my Kindle Unlimited membership. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? & Mailbox Monday - Dec 15

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to that ever-growing TBR pile! So welcome, everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and was then taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Welcome to the middle of December! The month is moving swiftly along. This will be the express version of my weekly post because I haven't had much time to read. The good news: the Lil' Princess is home for the holidays! Here are photos from the week:

RAPV Holiday Luncheon

The Author Stroll (sold many books)

Never leave a cabinet open around Dwight

The Lil' Princes is home!

Look for my First Chapter Review of Christmas in Newfoundland 3: Sgt. Windflower Holiday Tales by Mike Martin today. 

I am behind with this Advent devotional by Cynthia Ruchti, but I'm still reading. 

I need to get my review of Captain LOL and Rubber Chicken by Craig Yoe posted soon.

Need to finish The Man Next Door by Sheila Roberts. 

I also need to finish  Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron.

Still want to read  Old Flames, New Beginnings by Lea Schizas.

Do you think I can focus on my TBR pile in 2026, or will new books tempt me?

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books they added to their shelves the previous week. This weekly meme is now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach. 

The only new books that arrived were free gifts from authors whose newsletters I read. 

The first is Christmas Cold Case by Sarah Hamaker, and the second is The Night Everything Changed by Tripp Berry and Evelyn Grace Berry, which is a collection of two Christmas stories. 

Upcoming Events

Taking a break for the holidays. Be back with more fun in 2026! 

This week's Christmas... in the news post is up at Christmas Year Round. We are discussing binge-watching 2025 films, best Christmas movies to stream this season, and what makes a great Christmas song. You can find that here. 

I posted about the Little House on the Prairie Christmas Reunion, which took place this past weekend in Simi Valley, California, over at Laura's Little Houses. Check it out here. 

Looking forward to visiting you today!

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge - 10 Gifts for People Who Like Cooking/Baking

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated.  

Here we are stumbling upon Wednesday again. This week's topic will allow me to discuss something else I enjoy: cooking and baking. While I don't spend as much time in the kitchen as I would like, I enjoy those moments when my kitchen is filled with all kinds of delicious scents. If you enjoy cooking and/or baking, or know someone who does, here are ten gifts that might be good for you.*

Can you believe the cost of food these days? These handy jar scrapers are just the thing to make sure you get every bit of food that you have paid for. I am always using a scraper for sauces, peanut butter, and scraping every last bit of the food I've made into a fresh container when we have leftovers. I wouldn't mind finding these in my stocking.

I have stackable cooling racks at home for when I bake cookies, but check out this collapsible cooling rack from Geesta. We have limited counter and storage space, so having a rack that I can take out of the pantry when I need it, and then collapse to take up less space, would be helpful. I wouldn't mind seeing this under the tree. 

Admittedly, I have never tried these As Seen on TV Spurtles, but I do own the Spoonula from Modern Prairie, which I love. My wooden utensils get a ton of use in the kitchen, whether I am stir-frying, mixing, or tossing. This is another great stocking stuffer. 

Since I cook with olive oil almost every day, I find having a dispenser close to the stove is a real time-saver. The husband also likes to have oil and vinegar on his salads. Lugging out the larger bottles of those dressings just to add a tablespoon or two doesn't make sense. I love the look of this 2 in 1 Glass Oil Sprayer and Dispenser. They would make a great little gift for someone who spends time in the kitchen. 

It seems like no matter how many oven mitts you own, you can't find one when you need it. These Custom Oven Mitts and Pot Holders that they personalize with your photo or text would likely be a great addition to any kitchen. They could also make a nice decoration hanging off a pot rack if you decided they were too nice to use.  

I never realized how satisfying it would be to "cut the cord," but once I ordered a cordless hand mixer, I realized what an amazing decision it was. I love KitchenAid appliances and accessories, so buying a KitchenAid cordless hand mixer was a no-brainer. No more shuffling around my utensil holders or unplugging countertop appliances to make room to whip potatoes or blend baking ingredients made me one happy cook/baker. 

One thing I bought myself a couple of years ago that I have been thankful for ever since is a hand blender, a/k/a immersion blender. Many people use them to make smoothies. I use mine to puree butternut squash and to emulsify ingredients in creamy soups and sauces. 

For much of my adult life, I avoided making food in a Crock-Pot/Slow Cooker. Before Internet recipe sharing became such a big thing, I struggled to find the right recipes. I rarely had the ingredients on hand when I found a recipe I wanted to try. Oh, and I never seemed to start the meal early enough to get it ready in time. Then came working in the evenings and meal planning. We couldn't afford to eat out every night, so I invested in some Crock-Pot cookbooks and found a way to make it work for me. These days, I use my slow cooker once a week, so it was nice when my family gifted me a new one a few Christmases ago. 

Another newer addition to my kitchen is an Enameled Cast-Iron Dutch Oven. I make soups and one-pot dishes in mine, and it saves me time cleaning up because I am only using a single pot. This was a huge factor in my buying one. I haven't tried breads or desserts in it yet, but that is coming.

A food scale is one tool no home kitchen should be without. I use my scale at least once a week to weigh uncooked pasta, meats, vegetables, and more. I find this such a helpful tool that I have a backup scale in case something happens to the one I love and use all the time. 

Hope you or your family show your favorite home chef or baker some love this season. 

*If you order from a link, I might earn some affiliate income. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books Set in Snowy Places & Tell me Something Tuesday: Which Superpower Do You Wish You Had?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Happy Tuesday! Woke to single-digit temperatures today. A bit too early for me. It is supposed to be more seasonable the rest of the week. Speaking of the cold, this week's Top Ten Tuesday is all about books set in snowy places. This should be a fun one.

Top Ten Books Set in Snowy Places

How about a town on the outskirts of the Appalachian Mountains?

The North Pole is a snowy place.

Just thinking about the frozen wilderness of Alaska makes me shiver. 

Do you think Canada might be a snowy place?

Though this cover isn't snowy, Caroline takes place in Wisconsin, which gets its fair share of snow. 

The Children's Blizzard happened in the Great Plains, known for its significant snowfall. 

Depending on which region of Idaho you are in, you could get a lot of snow. 

Washington state can get a lot of snow, depending on where in the state you live. 

In De Smet, South Dakota, during the winter of 1880-1881, there was so much snowfall that the town was cut off from supplies. Even now, they get a fair amount of the white stuff. 

Before they defeated the White Witch, Narnia was a cold and snowy place. 

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you leave your comments in the weekly post when participating. Check it out if you would like to join.

Today, we are talking about superpowers. Now, I am sure you recall what a comic book freak I was as a kid. And, I used to watch superhero shows growing up. Electro Woman and Dyna Girl was a never-miss show, as was Batman with Adam West and Burt Ward. Loved The Incredible Hulk and Super Friends, too.  

While they all had neat powers, as the mother of three adult kids, I guess the only superpower I want to possess now is the power to turn back time and go back to when they were little so I could experience them that way all over again.

How about you?