Wednesday, September 30, 2015

What's Up Wednesday!


I love What's Up Wednesdays!
 It's so much fun seeing what's going on in everyone's life. As always, I'm linking up with ShaySheaffer and Mel. Check them out too!


What I'm eating this week...



Cereal, cereal and more cereal...
I'm a busy girl.



What I'm reminiscing about...



Relaxation. I barely remember what being relaxed feels like...



What I'm loving...











Fall candles!



What I've been up to...



Being a Seminary student is a lot of work!




What I'm excited about...


Halloween is just around the corner, and Peanut is gonna be so stinkin' cute!





What I'm watching/reading...










TGIT is back! I love me some Shondaland!





What I'm listening to...






Guilty!
I've already been listening to Christmas music on Pandora!





What I'm wearing...



Color! Lots and lots of color!





What I'm doing this weekend...


The Purvis Woman's Club is having their annual garage sale. If you're local come out and see us!






What I'm looking forward to next month...



Halloween!
And other fall festivities of course!




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Tuesday, September 29, 2015

September Book Club!



I haven't been able to do a lot of reading this month. It makes me sad! A lot of you always ask how I manage to read 5+ books a month, but now it's catching up to me. I've been reading, but I doubt any of you want links to my text books :)! 


I managed to read two books this month. I read one chick lit for fun and one for inspiration! 




Beautifully written, I love all of Anne's books. 




This was my first Elin Hilderbrand book. I've heard a lot about her from Shay, and this book did not disappoint. I will totally be reading more of Hilderbrand!

Do you have any book suggestions for me? I love finding new authors from you guys!

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Monday, September 28, 2015

Caring for the Caregiver



If you have met one person with Alzheimer’s disease… you have met one person with Alzheimer’s disease. No two cases are ever truly alike.

With each and every Alzheimer’s diagnosis comes a unique experience in terms of personality, symptoms and needs. Like no two fingerprints can ever be alike, no two cases of Alzheimer’s disease progress in the exact same way. The patient maintains individuality even in illness. While there are certain symptoms that are predictable (such as memory loss), the way the individual interprets the changes in brain function will always prove to be a unique experience.

With so many variations of Alzheimer’s disease, how does the caregiver know what to expect? How should he or she prepare without getting overwhelmed?

There are currently over 15 million caregivers nationwide. You are not the only one suffering from heightened emotions such as fear, concern or even the guilty feeling you refuse to admit – how this is going to affect ME.

A support system is valuable for many reasons. It can better equip the caregiver to care if he or she knows there is someone out there that understands. If someone offers to help, let them. Don’t let pride or loyalty or a sense of personal duty keep you from accepting help. Nor is it a bad representation of caregivers when they reach the point of needing to place the loved one in an assisted living or skilled nursing community.

How does the caregiver handle unsolicited advice or chatter?

For example, an out of town family member may “help” by offering opinions to the caregiver who is dealing with the dementia patient on a daily basis. We as caregivers think, “How dare she come into my home and tell me how to care for our mother? I’m the one who does everything every day to care for Mom. I know what she needs and prefers because I’M the lucky one that gets to experience everything – the good and the bad. Who does she think she is?”

All caregivers have been in a situation similar to this. I like to ask myself where this advice is coming from. Are family members truly trying to be helpful or judging your ability to handle the situation? Is the advice given perhaps to cover feelings of inadequacy or inability to do it themselves?

We all want to feel valued. But, if we decide the “help” family members offer is unnecessary and unwanted, simply let them know you value their input and will take it under consideration. You have thought about it, and now you discard it and continue to care for your loved one as you feel is best.

Remember, you are not alone! Reach out to professionals for help handling your own stress. Join a caregiver support group and network with others in your situation. The Lamar County Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group meets on the last Thursday of the month at 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Purvis. We encourage caregivers to join us as we strengthen one another in love and support. 


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©2015 Jean Claire Monroe · All rights reserved.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

What I Wore Wednesday!

 Happy Wednesday!

Here's a quick round up of some of this month's looks. Let me know what you think!



























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Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Gallery Wall Love!


I love a good gallery wall. It's such an easy way to add an unexpected and fun twist to your home. I have a few galleries in my home, but I've been really challenged to update my game by looking at some of these awesome walls on Pinterest!

Here's a few that I am coveting:

Inexpensive Gallery Wall Ideas:

A perfect mix and match of prints and designs


white frame all black and white pictures... wall in the dining room @Amanda Neal, what do you think???:

I love the black and white elegance of this wall. It adds such a glam vibe to the dining room. 


Turn wall calendar art into beautful gallery walls. The Creativity Exchange:

These prints were made using old calendars. How fun and colorful!


All About Art: Our Best Tips for Buying It and Displaying It the Right Way — Best of 2014 | Apartment Therapy:

Love the bright colors and whimsical prints.


Creative Wall Displays: Beyond the Gallery Wall! | landeelu.com Lots of great ideas for displaying meaningful items on your wall!:

Beautiful use of prints from big cities she's visited.


5 Easy Steps To Hanging A Wall Of Art Like Dabito /:

Definitely the boldest look, but also simply gorg. 


Here are my walls...I'm feeling the need to recreate my gallery walls in newer and more unexpected ways, too!








 
 

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Monday, September 21, 2015

Faith vs. Feelings



“Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to no end.” John 13:1

Some days I just feel so unloved.

I know it’s absolutely crazy to feel that way, but I just can’t seem to shake the feeling. I have an amazing family and fantastic friends. I even have a dog that loves me beyond the shadow of a doubt! And of course I have the love of the Almighty God who consistently tells me and shows me his love.

So why do I still feel so blue sometimes? I have everything I’m supposed to have to be happy, so why do I still feel empty?

It’s on days like this that I have to put my faith before my feelings. I may not always “feel” loved by God, but I trust that his love never changes. Feelings are not the enemy in this situation but rather it is what I do with the feelings. I have to bring these feelings to God in prayer to see what I should be doing with them. Are they in alignment with God’s Word? Nope. So I must invite them to bring my emotions in line with His heart.

Feeling unloved is one of the most painful emotions I can imagine. My heart overflows with compassion for those of you who experience the feeling of being unloved. But please know, my friend, that I love you so much. Even those of you that I have never met personally. I love you with the love of our Heavenly Father who loves us dearly.

The very name Jesus uses to address us – Beloved – proclaims how dearly He loves us. He showed us the full extent of His love by enduring humiliation, torture and death for you and me. No greater love than this is possible or even conceivable.


I have many memories of times when my family showed their love for me. And I have even more memories of God showing His unparalleled love for me. He wants us to dwell in these memories, enjoying them over and over again. This practice helps convince our doubting hearts that His extraordinary love is really ours. Every second of this life and throughout eternity we can know we are loved.





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Friday, September 18, 2015

Friday Favorites!


We made it to Friday! 

It's been another long week for me, and I am very much looking forward to a slow weekend. As always, I'm linking up with AndreaErika and Narci as well as the buttons listed below. Be sure to check them all out!




He doesn't seem too excited to be kissed... Love this animal!



Went to the doctor following up on a recent hospitalization for stomach ulcers and wound up right back in the hospital for more tests. Take care of yourselves and listen to your bodies!
(Earrings are from one of my favorite boutiques, The Southern Gypsy!) 



Dad is expanding the garden, y'all. Here come those winter vegetables!



My family and senior adult friends are gonna be thrilled!



Peanut and I cheered for Miss Mississippi in the Miss America pageant. 1st runner up!



Just cause I love this photo that I posted Tuesday...



Thug livin...I left him alone with my dad (aka GrandPAW) and he turns gangsta! 



He looks like he's driving, my little chauffeur.



Eyes on the road, P!



One less 8" garden snake for the world to worry about...!



Stop what you're doing and pay me some attention!




I love that Facebook shows us little things like this. What a fun trip!


I hope you all had a wonderful week. Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!